Current Events in Europe

From RIA Novosti Russia's next-generation warplane to make maiden flight in 2009 19:51 | 21/ 01/ 2009 ASTRAKHAN, January 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's first fifth-generation warplane will make its maiden flight before the end of this year, the deputy prime minister in charge of arms procurement said on Wednesday. "We expect the plane to take to the skies no later than the end of this year," Sergei Ivanov told a news conference after a meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission. Earlier plans set 2010 for the first tests of the new fighter, which will feature high maneuverability and stealth to ensure air superiority and precision in destroying ground and…

From Defense Aerospace Dutch Parliament Votes to Cancel First JSF Aircraft (Source: defense-aerospace.com; issued May-21, 2010) (By Dutch JSF analyst Johan Boeder; edited by defense-aerospace.com) THE HAGUE, Netherlands --- The Dutch Parliament’s Lower House voted yesterday to cancel the order for the first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, and to stop Dutch participation in the program’s Initial Operational Test and Evaluation phase. It also voted to direct the defense ministry to begin anew the Request for Proposal and the complete evaluation of the F-16 replacement program, for which a final decision is due in 2012. The basis for yesterday’s vote is…

A new? design os submarine, optimized for fast surface moving to crisis areas (in French): http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=114389 In past times it not was a idea with good outcomes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_K_class_submarine Neither in France: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_submar...Surcouf_(N_N_3) At least now in HCE we can fire at surfaced submmarines

U.K. Mulls Sea King Successors (Aviation Week)

Russia bolsters western air defence capabilities (Jane's) Russia activates new long-range radar (Jane's)

From Jane's Defence Weekly Meteor fired for the first time Robert Hewson Editor, Jane's Air-Launched Weapons London Europe's Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) programme has taken a major step forward with the launch of the first test missile on 9 May, Jane's has learned. The first Meteor was fired from a Saab JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter aircraft over the RFN Test Range at Vidsel, northern Sweden. The launch in May was the first time that the Meteor's propulsion system had been fully tested under real-world conditions. The firing was intended to verify the missile's ability to transition from rocket-boosted to ramjet-powered f…

Russia: Bombers Grounded After Crash By C. J. Chivers The air force grounded its fleet of hundreds of Su-24 attack planes after one of the jets crashed during a training flight in Russia’s Far East. The pilots ejected safely and the cause of the crash was not clear, according to comments by Col. Aleksandr Drobyshevksy reported by Interfax. The Su-24 is a Soviet-era twin-engine jet that was first manufactured in the 1970s and saw action in the wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya. The crash occurred during a week in which President Vladimir V. Putin spoke of the need to modernize Russia’s civilian and military aviation sectors.

Eurofighter Typhoon releases first Meteor missile (Flight Global)

S-500 enters service in Moscow region (Jane's)

From DefenseNews Turkey Causing Security Problems: Greek Minister By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ATHENS Greece’s defense minister on May 6 accused Turkey of “systematically” violating international law and causing “grave problems to regional stability and security” two days after a spate of alleged airspace infringements by Turkish warplanes which Athens deemed “particularly provocative.” “Turkey’s provocative behavior systematically violates international law, causes great problems to regional stability and security, dynamites attempts to improve Greek-Turkish relations and undermines [Turkey’s] European prospects,” Spilios Spiliotopoulos said, according to a de…

From Ares Spain's Aircraft Carrier Begins Air-naval Certification Campaign Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 2/14/2011 9:28 AM CST The Juan Carlos I, Spain's amphibious aircraft carrier launched on September 30, 2010, is undergoing year-long sea trials and last week started the process of gaining its air-naval certification. The first helicopter landed aboard on February 8 at 10:51. Other helicopters from the 6th Squadron (Hughes 500) and the 3rd Squadron (AB-212) then followed. Commander Emilio Aceña Medina brings his helicopter in to land on the Juan Carlos I. Photo credit: Spanish Navy The next phase will involve landing and take-off of Harrier AV-8B …

From Flight International DATE: 03/11/08 SOURCE: Flight International Italian navy recapitalises By Luca Peruzzi To cope with new challenges from conventional and asymmetrical threats and provide a more flexible and capable organic capability, the Italian fleet air arm is involved in a recapitalisation programme that will see legacy rotary- and fixed-wing assets replaced with new-generation platforms including Agusta­Westland AW101 and NH Industries NH90 helicopters, and in the mid-term, Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning IIs. Meanwhile, navy fleet power projection capabilities are being significantly enhanced with the delivery in 2008 and entry into service n…

From RIA Novosti [excerpt]

BBC Newsbeat story. It gets the point across in an amusing way.

From Flight Global [excerpt]

From Flight Global [excerpt]

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

From Stratfor Red Alert: Ukraine -- Sliding Down a Slippery Slope The Ukrainian Interior Ministry reported May 26 that some of its forces have begun acting on the order of President Viktor Yushchenko and disregarding the orders from the Interior Ministry. Several thousand Interior Ministry troops loyal to the president are reportedly moving toward the capital, Kiev, in defiance of orders from Interior Minister Vasyl Tsuchko. The normal rule of law in Ukraine has become more and more blurred over the past few weeks. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich has repeatedly taken advantage of the country's weak institutions in order to peel power away from the increasingl…

Super Étendard Attack Jets Make Their Last Carrier Catapult Launches Ever (Foxtrot Alpha)

From Aviation Week A400M Problems Range Far Beyond Engines Jan 23, 2009 By Jens Flottau PARIS – Airbus is facing much more than just contractual and schedule challenges in its A400M military airlifter program, as the aircraft may need massive re-engineering work to achieve its performance targets. In turn, numerous issues threaten to make the A400M a less attractive and capable aircraft for its customers, industry sources tell Aviation Week. They come in addition to the well-publicized delays in the flight-test program that are linked to the lagging engine full authority digital engine control (FADEC) development (Aerospace DAILY, Nov. 25, 2008). One key…