Current Events in Europe

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HMS Queen Elizabeth sailing at last, for six weeks of test. Weapons now listed as 2x20mm Phalanx and 4x30mm guns: http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-carrier-thats-supposed-to-revitalize-the-british-na-1796420008

From Defense Aerospace United Kingdom – RC-135V/W Rivet Joint Aircraft (Source: U.S Defence Security Cooperation Agency; issued October 3, 2008) WASHINGTON --- The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom to convert three United States Air Force KC-135R aircraft into RC-135V/W Rivet Joint aircraft, as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $1.068 billion. The Government of the United Kingdom has requested a possible sale to convert three United States Air Force KC-135R aircraft into RC-135V/W Rivet Joint aircr…

From RIA Novosti [excerpt]

Watch This Russian KA-52 Attack Chopper Accidentally Fire Rockets at Exercise Observers (War Zone)

After the Russian black sea navy lost its flagship, I made the following idea. It is both simple and doable. The drones can be autonomous, wired to a buoy or a mother drone, or radio-controlled from a naval vessel. Perhaps someone from the gaming community will attempt to simulate the effect of this type of radar. It would be great if someone would.

From Defense Aerospace Turkey Signs On for Next Phase of Joint Strike Fighter (Source: US Department of Defense; issued Jan. 26, 2007) WASHINGTON --- Turkey signed on for the next phase of the Joint Strike Fighter in a ceremony here yesterday, pledging $175 million toward the aircraft’s production. Turkey also promised to buy 100 of the conventional-take-off-and-landing version of the aircraft, being developed by the Navy, Air Force, Marines and allies. In a Pentagon E-wing room, flanked by about 30 Turkish and U.S. dignitaries and program officers, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England met with Turkey’s National Defense Minister Mehmet Vecdi G…

From RIA Novosti [excerpt]

CNO Greenert: Russian Navy Very Busy in the Undersea Domain (USNI News)

From Defense Aerospace In the Wake of the Ancient Greeks: Sea Trials in the Mediterranean (Source: Kockums AB; issued Oct. 12, 2006) HMS Helsingborg has been undergoing sea trials in the Mediterranean over a period of approximately four weeks, to test her performance in these southern and warmer waters. During transit down the English Channel, the French Coastguard command centre in Brest amusingly confirmed the effectiveness of the vessel’s stealth technology. The Centre admitted having problems spotting the vessel, although she’d raised a mast equipped with radar reflectors to make her more visible! In an interview given to the Finnish daily newspap…

From Navy Times WWII mine discovered in port as Navy visits The Associated Press Posted : Friday Aug 10, 2007 6:04:31 EDT KIEV, Ukraine — A World War II mine was discovered Thursday in Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Sevastopol as a U.S. Navy ship called for a visit, and efforts were underway to safely dispose of it, officials said. The mine, weighing up to 1,100 pounds and containing up to 110 pounds of TNT, was found drifting in the water Wednesday near a local navy hospital on the shore, said Valery Strelets, spokesman for the local branch of Ukraine’s Emergencies Ministry. The report came as the guided-missile destroyer Forrest Sherman arrived at the por…

From Aviation Week's Ares Blog Parliament Hunts Nimrod Posted by Bill Sweetman at 3/27/2008 8:19 AM CDT Seven and a half years late and GBP787 million ($1.6 billion) over budget, the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA.4 program should be considered for cancellation, according to the latest report from the UK Parliament's Defence Committee. When the project was launched in late 1996, it was expected in service in April 2003, but the latest predicted in-service date (ISD) is September 2010. Some of the sad story is given here. Msasively delayed projects are not unique to the UK - the V-22 was originally expected in service when? - but the UK committee singles Nimrod MRA4 o…

Ripe scenario fodder here, folks ... From Telegraph Financial crisis: Iceland nationalises bank and seeks Russian loan The Icelandic government has seized the country's second-largest bank and pleaded with Russia to hand it a £3bn life-line loan in order to stave off "national bankruptcy" as it continued to come to grips with its harsh new economic realities. By Rowena Mason, in Reykjavik Last Updated: 12:35AM BST 08 Oct 2008 Prime Minister Geir Haarde rushed emergency measures through the Nordic nation's parliament to nationalise Landsbanki and give the country's largest bank, Kaupthing, a £400m loan to bolster its balance sheet. Landsbanki has…

Great series of hi rez photos of the first production Sukhoi Su-34 'Fullback' strike jets at Air Power Australia.

Russia to Resurrect Titanium Submarines (RIA Novosti)

Don't worry darling, it's only a refueling plane Thu Mar 27, 11:28 AM ET LONDON (Reuters) - It may be the biggest honeymoon secret ever -- from 2011, newlyweds can start their dream trip on a Royal Air Force mid-air refueling plane, and the chances are they will be blissfully unaware of their luck. Britain's military is leasing a fleet of aerial tankers from a private consortium led by Airbus parent EADS in a landmark outsourcing deal to be unveiled on Thursday. The converted A330 passenger jets can carry 60 tonnes of fuel to refuel up to four fighters far away from base or else serve as transporters carrying 300 troops and their equipment. Offic…

From Defense Aerospace Successful Test Firings for Three PAAMS Program Partners (Source: French Ministry of Defence; issued June 28, 2010) (Issued in French only; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com) On Thursday June 17, 2010, Direction Generale de l’Armement (DGA), the French defence procurement agency, successfully carried out the test firing of two Aster 30 missiles from the Royal Navy barge Longbow. The barge was operated from the DGA Missile Test Range at Ile du Levant (Var district) on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence. Carried out as part of the French-Italian-British Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) program, these firings were…

BBC News Story

Hi, Was at Portsmouth naval base this morning and got some close up looks at HMS Dauntless and Dragon, Lot of work going on around the main mast of Dauntless and I notice neither ship currenetly had Phalanx mounted. I guess this will happen just before deployment down South. As an aside I took a photo of some equipment just aft of the Sea Viper Launchers. I think I've seen something similar before, however wonder if any of you guys could tell me what it is...... survival equipment / decoys / storage / etc. The picture can be seen here http://www.flickr.com/photos/77383808@N08/...73009/lightbox/ Regards... Roger

Tigr converted to Project 971M with Kalibr missiles? https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2022/july/11931-russian-akula-class-submarine-tigr-to-be-armed-with-kalibr-missiles.html