Current Events in Europe

From Defense Aerospace JSF Scores Best In Candidate Comparison (Source: Dutch Ministry of Defence; issued Dec. 18, 2009) The F-35, better known as the Joint Strike Fighter, best meets the requirements drawn up by the Netherlands for the successor to the F16. This emerges from the findings of the candidate comparison that the State Secretary for Defence, Jack de Vries, today sent to the House of Representatives. “The F-35 is the best multi-role combat aircraft and by around 2015 will certainly be able to carry out all six main missions successfully.” The F-35 also has the greatest operational availability. In addition, the capital costs of the F-35 are the low…

From Jane's Russia commissions first Project 20380 corvette By Richard Scott 20 November 2007 The first Project 20380 multirole corvette for the Russian Federation Navy was commissioned on 14 November after completing contractor's sea trials and state acceptance tests. Named Steregushchiy, the 2,200-tonne-displacement ship is the first of a planned class of up to 20 ships. A further four units of the class are currently in build. Designed by the St Petersburg-based Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, the Project 20380 corvette is intended to operate in coastal waters, reflecting the Russian Federation Navy's current emphasis on the protection and securit…

Russian bombers to be armed with new Kh-50 theatre-level cruise missile (Jane's)

From RIA Novosti Russia 'could destroy NATO ships in Black Sea within 20 minutes' 16:03 | 29/ 08/ 2008 MOSCOW, August 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Black Sea Fleet is capable of destroying NATO's naval strike group currently deployed in the sea within 20 minutes, a former fleet commander said on Friday. (Russian Navy modernized - Image gallery) Russia's General Staff said on Tuesday there were 10 NATO ships in the Black Sea - three U.S. warships, the Polish frigate General Pulaski, the German frigate FGS Lubeck, and the Spanish guided missile frigate Admiral Juan de Borbon, as well as four Turkish vessels. Eight more warships are expected to join the group. …

I thought this report was interesting ... From Flight Global DATE: 17/06/09 SOURCE: Flight Daily News PARIS AIR SHOW: MBDA advances hypersonic missile work with Russian deal By Craig Hoyle MBDA France has signed a deal with Russia's Rosoboronexport leading to a 2013-15 campaign of test firings with the LEA air-breathing hypersonic air vehicle, under study since 2003. Each 4.2m (13.8ft) vehicle will be released from a Tupolev Tu-22 bomber before being taken to a speed of between Mach 2 and 8 using a Raduga-supplied booster rocket, says Francois Falempin, responsible for advanced propulsion with MBDA France.

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

NATO Open To Return Of French Military Paris sees time to 'clarify' role By Mark John, Reuters News Agency BRUSSELS — NATO is ready to discuss bringing France back fully into the fold after signals from Paris it may reverse its decision 41 years ago to quit the alliance's military structures, officials said yesterday. President Nicolas Sarkozy set the tone with a keynote foreign-policy speech last month, insisting NATO was no rival to France's ambition of a robust European Union defense capability. Speculation that Paris is ready to reverse the 1966 decision by President Charles de Gaulle to pull out of NATO's integrated military command mounted after …

From http://www.defensenews.com Indian Bid for Patriot Missiles Would Cause Crisis: Pakistan By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ISLAMABAD Pakistan said Feb. 23 that any bid by India to buy U.S.-made Patriot missiles would plunge the region into crisis and threaten an ongoing peace process between the two nuclear-armed rivals. Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan said that Islamabad, a front-line ally in what the U.S. calls its “war against terrorism,” had conveyed its concern to Washington over New Delhi’s interest in the anti-ballistic missile system. “This is our stance — that this step would be counterproductive, this would erode deterrence, that this wo…

From Maritime News http://www.marinelink.com/news/constructio...gate342743.aspx The Yantar Shipyard in the Baltic area of Kaliningrad is to start the construction of a new Krivak IV class frigate for Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

From RIA Novosti [excerpt] CV32: Nice shot of the Yury Dolgoruky.

In short, French engineers claimed the Rafale M is fully compatible without modifications with ski-jump ramp equipped aircraft carriers, from Vikramaditya to ex-Varyag, passing by Brazilian projects and the indecise CVF design ... I only hope the British government don't read this article http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=120001

BBC News story Basically, this is a programme to privatise civilian helicopter search and rescue in the UK.

From Defense Aerospace 30 Day Countdown Begins For Launch of First Astute Submarine (Source: Royal Navy; issued May 8, 2007) Four years late, and $1.8 billion over budget, the Royal Navy’s Astute-lass nuclear attack submarine will finally go afloat on June 8. The Royal Navy’s largest and most powerful attack submarine, the first-of-class Astute, is now entering the final stages of preparation for the launch which will take place at the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness on 8th June, 2007. With just one month to go before the submarine emerges from the 25,000m² Devonshire Dock Hall build facility, much of the hull is still shrouded in coverings to…

In brief, future anglo-french development of a new light anti-ship missile, helicopter launched, to replace Sea Skua and SS.12 (phased-out in 1995 in the french navy) estimated IOC 2015 (in french): http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=111020

Here's a video that shows operations at F21 Wing at Lulea-Kallax Air Base in northern Sweden. Link

From Defense Aerospace Enter the Dragon (Source: UK Ministry of Defence; issued Nov. 17, 2008) The Royal Navy's latest addition to the Type 45 destroyer fleet, to be called HMS Dragon, roared its way into the Clyde from BVT's shipyard at Govan today, complete with an 18 metre long Welsh Dragon attached to its bow. Dragon will join her sister ships as one of the largest and most powerful warships in the world. As well as providing air defence over a wide area, including for the future aircraft carriers, the Type 45s will be highly versatile and able to conduct a variety of operations. They will be able to carry up to sixty Royal Marines Commandos and their…

CV32: Ouch! From Jane's RAF offers to cancel Nimrod MRA.4 programme as part of defence cuts By Tim Ripley 16 July 2010 UK Royal Air Force (RAF) chiefs have offered to cancel the GBP3.65 billion (USD5.57 billion) BAE Systems Nimrod MRA.4 programme just weeks before the first production aircraft are due to be delivered to the service. The offer, made in the RAF submission to Phase 2 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) earlier this month, also includes the early retirement within five years of all of the service's Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft and the closure of three main operating air bases. It is hoped these cuts would allow th…

From Aviation Week [excerpt]

Lord Nelson would be rolling over in his crypt... British navy facing severe cutbacks, according to report 'REDUCED READINESS': Unnamed defense sources said it was possible that the navy would cease one of its major commitments overseas to save money AFP, LONDON Saturday, Jan 06, 2007, Page 6 "What this means is that we are now no better than a coastal defense force or a fleet of dug-out canoes. The Dutch now have a better navy than us." unnamed senior officer in the British Royal Navy Almost half of the British Royal Navy's warships are to be mothballed as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) tries to slash costs, the Daily Telegraph reported yesterday.…

From Defence Aerospace Franco-Italian Horizon Program: Launch of the First French Frigate Source: DCN; issued March 10, 2005 LORIENT, France --- An official ceremony was held today at the DCN shipyards in Lorient to mark the launching of the Forbin, the first Horizon class French frigate. This industrial operation marks an important milestone for the cooperative Franco-Italian naval program. DGA and NAVARM, the two procurement agencies for the Horizon program, have awarded the overall project management for this cooperative program to HORIZON SAS, a joint subsidiary of Armaris (a DCN/Thales joint venture) and Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (a Fincantieri/Finmecca…