Current Events in Europe

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NY Times article here. August 17, 2008 Military Analysis Russians Melded Old-School Blitz With Modern Military Tactics By THOM SHANKER WASHINGTON — Russia’s victorious military blitz into the former Soviet republic of Georgia brought something old and something new — but none of it was impromptu, despite appearances that a long-frozen conflict had suddenly turned hot. The Russian military borrowed a page from classic Soviet-era doctrine: Moscow’s commanders sent an absolutely overwhelming force into Georgia. It was never going to be an even fight, and the outcome was predict…

From Stratfor The Russo-Georgian War and the Balance of Power August 12, 2008 By George Friedman The Russian invasion of Georgia has not changed the balance of power in Eurasia. It simply announced that the balance of power had already shifted. The United States has been absorbed in its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as potential conflict with Iran and a destabilizing situation in Pakistan. It has no strategic ground forces in reserve and is in no position to intervene on the Russian periphery. This, as we have argued, has opened a window of opportunity for the Russians to reassert their influence in the former Soviet sphere. Moscow did not have to concer…

From Aviation Week U.S. Ponders Georgian Air Defenses Aug 13, 2008 David A. Fulghum U.S. analysts are beginning to address the question of why the Israeli Air Force was able to penetrate Syria’s Russian-made air defenses, while the Russian Air Force was not able to finesse Georgia’s Russian-made air defenses. That Russian-built and designed air defenses are exploitable was shown in the Israeli Air Force’s total shutdown of Syrian air defenses prior to bombing a suspected nuclear site last year (Aerospace DAILY, May 2). But Russia apparently didn’t have or didn’t use the digital keys to unlock the Georgians’ network. There are indications from U.S. analys…

Russian Strategic Forces Blog How long these due to remain in service for?

From Navy Times Russian reports: Fastest sub to be scrapped By Philip Ewing - Staff writer Posted : Tuesday Jul 29, 2008 11:57:35 EDT The fastest attack submarine ever built, Russia’s one-of-a-kind Papa-class guided missile boat, is at last being scrapped after a long fleet career and an ignominious retirement, Russian news agencies reported Monday. The submarine, known first as the K-162 and later the K-222 to its Northern Fleet crews, clocked a speed of 44.7 knots during sea trials in 1969, according to the nuclear watchdog Bellona. The ship served as a technology demonstrator for the subsequent high-speed, deep-diving Alfa class. The ship achieved its…

From Aviation Week Dutch Refuse To Consider Super Hornet Jul 2, 2008 By Joris Janssen Lok The Netherlands defense ministry refuses to include Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in an evaluation of potential candidates for its next-generation fighter requirement. Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor also will not be considered, despite a direct request from the country's Parliament to include both U.S. fighters in an evaluation of potential alternatives to the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The Dutch appeared to be firmly committed to the F-35A ever since they joined the JSF System Development & Demonstration program as a Level 2 partner in 2…

From Defense Aerospace MoD Signs £3 Billion Contracts for Aircraft Carriers (Source: UK Ministry of Defence; issued July 3, 2008) The MoD today signed contracts with industry to build the two future aircraft carriers. The contracts, worth in the region of £3 billion, were signed with the newly-formed UK maritime Joint Venture, BVT Surface Fleet, and the Aircraft Carrier Alliance onboard HMS Ark Royal, one of the Royal Navy's existing aircraft carriers and currently the Fleet Flagship. Contracts authorised today encompass work worth: -- £1,325M for the construction of giant sections of both ships by BVT Surface Fleet at Govan on the Clyde and Portsmouth; …

From Defense Aerospace US, Poland, Reach Tentative Deal on Missile Defense (Source: Voice of America news; issued July 2, 2008) STATE DEPARTMENT --- U.S. officials say the United States and Poland have reached a tentative agreement under which part of a U.S. missile defense system will be based on Polish soil. The deal to station interceptor missiles in Poland still requires top-level Polish government approval. A senior Bush administration official says the two sides have finalized the text of a draft accord, under which Poland will join the Czech Republic in hosting a regional U.S. defense system aimed against an anticipated long-range missile threat from I…

From ARES Blog Submerged IDAS Missile Firing is Milestone for Undersea Warfare Posted by Joris Janssen Lok at 5/30/2008 7:39 AM CDT A German navy submarine has achieved a major milestone in undersea warfare by successfully test firing a fiber-optically-guided IDAS (Interactive Defense and Attack system for Submarines) missile from a submerged position yesterday. The test was performed by the U33, the third of Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems-built U 212 class of air-independent propulsion submarines, in the western part of the Baltic Sea May 29. IDAS, developed by a consortium of Diehl Defence [the missile], TKMS (HDW) [submarine integration] and No…

From Flight International The UK Royal Air Force has formally cleared some of its Eurofighter Typhoons as ready to perform air-to-surface operations, following the 1 July declaration of the type's multirole employment date. Achieved through a so-called "austere capability" upgrade to some of the RAF's Tranche 1 Typhoons, the ground-attack mission will be performed using 455kg (1,000lb) Raytheon Paveway II laser- and Enhanced Paveway II laser/GPS-guided bombs ... and the Rafael Litening III targeting pod. The modifications were successfully demonstrated during 11 Sqn's participation in a recent Green Flag West close-air support exercise at Nellis AFB, Nevada. "…

Complete article : Here

From Defense Aerospace NATO Welcomes French Decision to Rejoin Military Command (Source: Deutsche Welle German radio; issued June 17, 2008) NATO has welcomed President Nicolas Sarkozy's announcement that France is to fully reintegrate into the military alliance in a significant shift away from French exceptionalism. NATO on Tuesday, June 17, welcomed French President Nicolas Sarkozy's announcement that France had decided its future security is best guaranteed within Europe and the NATO military alliance and his plans for an overhaul of the military. "The secretary general welcomes the announcement by French President Sarkozy that there are no obstacles to…

BBC News Story

From Flight International DATE: 10/06/08 SOURCE: Flight International The Great Survivor By Craig Hoyle The latest version of the RAF’s Nimrod – over budget and 13 years late – prompted a political crisis. Can the troubled programme finally deliver on its promises? BAE Systems expects to conclude flight test activities on its three Nimrod MRA4 development aircraft late this year, but is still seeking a commitment from the UK Ministry of Defence to fund their conversion to the full production configuration. Nine MRA4s are under contract for the Royal Air Force, with the MoD having signed a deal for the surveillance aircraft plus an option for three re…

Here: http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/Fotogallery/?fid=1.0.2216526060

From RIA Novosti Ukraine demands closure of Russian base in Crimea in 2017 14:48 21/ 05/ 2008 KIEV, May 21 (RIA Novosti) - The Ukrainian President has signed a decree ordering the Cabinet to prepare by July 20 a draft law on terminating all international agreements on the presence of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine. Russia's Black Sea Fleet currently uses a range of naval facilities in the Crimea under an agreement signed in 1997, under which Ukraine agreed to lease naval facilities to Russia until 2017. "The president has instructed the government to make a comprehensive assessment of the consequences of the temporary presence of Russia's Black Sea F…

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 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…

From Defense Aerospace New Milestone for France’s Fourth New-Generation Nuclear-Powered Ballistic Missile Submarine: DCNS Rolls Out SSBN Le Terrible (Source: DCNS; issued March 21, 2008) CHERBOURG, France --- Today, DCNS rolled out SSBN Le Terrible, the fourth and last Le Triomphant-class new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine at a ceremony attended by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Over 3,000 people witnessed the roll-out at DCNS’s Cherbourg shipyard, the home of excellence in French submarine construction for over 100 years. SSBN Le Terrible is the fourth and last boat of the Le Triomphant class which is progressively replacing the …