Current Events in Europe

First European Theatre Missile Interceptor System Achieves NATO Interoperability (Defense Aerospace)

From Ares Blog Scalp Naval Starts Flight Trials Posted by Robert Wall at 6/15/2010 7:26 AM CDT France has begun flight trials of the MBDA Scalp Naval sea-launched cruise missile. The test firing of the MdCN (missile de croisiere naval), as the Scalp Naval is formally known by its customer, the French armaments agency DGA, took place at France’s missile range at Biscarrosse on May 28, but DGA only announced the event June 15. The missile was fired from a vertical launcher which would be used for the operational application on the Fremm multipurpose frigate and the Barracuda submarine. France is looking to field 150 Scalp Navals on Fremm frigates s…

Something to keep your eye on over the next year or three. The Scottish National Party, which won a majority in the devolved government of Scotland last year is starting to move towards a referendum on the country becoming independent. The issues with Westminster agreeing to let them do this legally are on firstly timing (Holyrood wants it in 2014, Westminster sooner) and over a second question allowing for a "devolution-max" (essentially having everything bar defence and foreign affairs). A full guide on the issue can be found here here. It's by no means a certainty that there would be a yes vote - but if Scotland were to break away, the defence ramifications wo…

New SAM for British frigates

I don't know if this news report was referenced on his day a few months ago, 27 January 2017. Intrigued by the fate of the upcoming Sea Ceptor naval SAM, no news in a long time. Looking for it in Internet only found this recent report: http://navaltoday.com/2017/01/27/hms-westminster-starts-sea-trials-after-major-refit/ Apparently from October 2016 is finished the refit adding Sea Ceptor launcher and Artisan 3D radar (some had it previously, I think) in the frigates Westminster, Montrose and Argyll (the latter designed as test ship for Sea Ceptor), waiting now for the induction in service of Sea Ceptor. Note Wesminster is equipped with towed Sonar 2087 (Current…

New Russian Ballistic Missile Sub to Join Fleet (RIA Novosti)

From Ares [excerpt]

From RIA Novosti [excerpt]

Secret talks to rescue carrier deal IAN BRUCE, Defence Correspondent October 27 2005 TheHerald FRANCE could end up building part of the Royal Navy's two super-carriers, and ordering a third for itself, to allow the £3.6bn project to be completed within budget, according to senior Whitehall sources. It would be the first such co-operative defence venture of its kind between the two countries. The French government is considering ordering the British aircraft carrier in return for a share of the work on all three of the 60,000-tonne warships. The move is also aimed at helping save thousands of shipbuilding jobs on the Clyde and at Rosyth, and at Southampton a…

Says F-117A downed with a locally improved SA-3 Goa. Critical of NATO OPSEC and Comm discipline. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SER...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

Serbia Says Use Of Force Is An Option In Kosovo By Nicholas Wood BELGRADE, Serbia, Sept. 5 — Serbia is ready to use force to prevent Western states from recognizing Kosovo as an independent state, a senior Serbian official warned on Wednesday. Dusan Prorokovic, Serbia’s state secretary for Kosovo, outlined an array of tough measures to squeeze Kosovo that he said Serbia was ready to take in the event that Kosovo’s Albanian-dominated government declared independence and was recognized by Western governments. These included the possible deployment of Serbian forces to the province, the sealing of its borders, and a trade embargo. The potential steps are the …

From RIA Novosti Russia delays launch of new nuclear submarine 15:3813/04/2010 Russia will not float out a new nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine as planned on May 7 due to technical reasons, a source in the shipbuilding industry said on Tuesday. Construction of the Severodvinsk, the first Project 885 Yasen (Graney) class submarine, began in 1993 at the Sevmash shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk but has since been dogged by financial setbacks. Russia planned to float out the submarine on May 7 to mark the 65th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in May 1945. "The launch of the new Severodvinsk submarine has been d…

Severodvinsk Sub Fires First Cruise Missile (RIA Novosti)

From Defence Talk Sixth Hungarian Gripen Fighter Successfully Delivered Swedish Defence Materiel Administration Oct 27, 2006 - 4:37:00 AM One more Hungarian Gripen fighter, of the latest C version, landed at Kecskémet air base today. It was flown by a pilot from Swedish Air Force. The flight, which departed from FMV’s facility outside Linköping, lasted for about two hours. “Today’s delivery is yet another important milestone in the Gripen for Hungary program,” said Mats Hansson, program director for the Gripen for Hungary program within FMV. The remaining Gripen aircraft will be delivered to Hungary progressively until December 2007. Hungary is th…

From The Guardian [excerpt]

A very old system, indeed. Photos of the tests in Mer et Marine: http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/navire-du-futur-le-vn-partisan-va-tester-de-nouveaux-systemes-dautoprotection

BBC News (rmks: A Non-NATO independent Scotland would have resulted in the loss of Lossiemouth and the northern QRA deployment there, not to mention the radar stations - providing considerably less reaction time to any Russian probe or full scale-attack. If the independence referendum does pass, a new home would still need to be found for the Trident subs though and you'd need to divvy up the Typhoon/Tornado fleet)

From Aviation Week [excerpt]

Names for the S-80 class boats (in French), from Mer et Marine: http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=118768 Isaac Peral, Narcis Monturiol, Cosme Garcia and Mateo Garcia de los Reyes.

The three Spanish SH-3W (AEW) Sea King equipped with Searchwater radar were converted in utility transports between December 2015-January 2016, losing the Spanish Armada his AEW capability. Never were modernized or equipped with any type of ESM: https://foronaval.wordpress.com/2016/05/27/adios-a-las-paqueteras/