Current Events in Mideast-Africa

From Defence Aerospace Agreement With US to Rescue Submarines In Distress (Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued May 4, 2005) NEW DELHI --- India and US have agreed to reach an agreement for American assistance for Indian Naval Submarines which are in distress to facilitate rescue of crew members from a disabled submarine. There are no plans to procure submarine rescue vehicles from US. The agreement is only restricted to utilizing the US Navy’s Global Submarines Rescue Flyway Kit to facilitate rescue of personnel from disabled submarines and not for augmenting the capability of the existing submarines in the Indian Navy No such situation …

India to induct BrahMos into Navy ThePakistaniNewspaper.com NEW DELHI, May 04: Following a series of successful flight trials, the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has proved its efficacy against ship targets and is ready for induction in the Indian Navy. Giving this information in the Rajya Sabha today, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said a Letter of Interest had been placed on BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited for installation of the missiles on certain ships of the Navy. The BrahMos cruise missile -- believed to be the first supersonic anti-ship missile -- is designed to be able to attack surface targets from a low alt…

New RSA submarine launched in Germany Johannesburg, South Africa Mail & Guardian 04 May 2005 01:00 advertisementSouth Africa's second of three Type 209 submarines was launched in Emden in northern Germany on Wednesday. The boat was christened "S102". Speaking during the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Defence Mluleki George said the naming and launching of any vessel is a significant occasion, as it only happens once in its lifetime. "The ceremony of today represents but one of the milestones in the life of the vessel, of which there will be many. "She still has to be completely fitted out, trials and tests carried out, and some fine-tun…

From DefenseNews UAE Takes Delivery of First F-16s from United States By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ABU DHABI The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 3 took delivery of the first batch of an order for 80 F-16 fighters from the United States, estimated to cost $6.4 billion, the official WAM news agency reported. It did not specify the number of warplanes received at an official ceremony attended by Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The UAE signed a contract for the sophisticated F-16 Falcon fighters built by Lockheed Martin Corp in March 2000 for delivery that was due to have started at the end of 2004 and continued through 2007. …

From Defence Aerospace Israel – Guided Bomb Units (GBU-28) (Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; issued April 26, 2005) On 26 April 2005, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Israel of 100 GBU-28s as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $30 million. The Government of Israel has requested a possible sale of 100 GBU-28s that include: BLU-113A/B penetration warhead, WGU-36A/B guidance control unit, FMU-143H/B bomb fuze, and BSG-92/B airfoil group guide. Also included are: support equipment; testing, spare and repair …

From eDefense Indian Navy Looking to Orion Alternative by Pulkit Singh Apr. 25, 2005 The Indian Navy is now focused on buying Falcon 900 maritime-patrol aircraft (MPA) from Dassault Aviation of France, as over two years of negotiations over the acquisition of P-3 Orions from the US have not borne fruit. The Indian government has been negotiating the purchase of eight used US Navy P-3Bs Orions, which would be upgraded to the C model prior to delivery to India. However, an Indian Navy official said, with only three Il-38 maritime-surveillance aircraft (two crashed in October 2002) and the service's aging Il-142 surveillance aircraft long overdue for upgrades, …

Putin Confirms Sale of Short-Range Missiles to Syria By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, MOSCOW President Vladimir Putin said April 22 that the controversial sale of Russian short-range missiles to Syria would go ahead as planned. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon voiced fears April 21 that the anti-aircraft missiles being sold by Russia to Syria could find their way into the hands of “terrorist organizations.” “With respect to the sale which was signed with Syria and which will be finalized, it involves short-range air defense systems,” Putin said in an interview with Israeli television aired by Russian networks a few days before his visit to Israel. “These s…

From DefenseNews India Begins To Build an Aircraft Carrier By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NEW DELHI India on April 11 began an eight-year project to build an aircraft carrier in its most ambitious military program to date, officials said. Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee launched the construction of the 37,500-ton carrier at the state-run Cochin Shipyard in the southern state of Kerala, a naval spokesman said. The carrier will carry 30 British- and Russian-made jet fighters as well as locally designed light combat aircraft that took India more than 22 years to develop. Federal Shipping Minister T.R. Balu said the ship-building yard would complete the proje…

From DefenseNews Pakistan To Buy Four Warships from China By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ISLAMABAD Pakistan will buy four frigates for its navy from long-time ally China, the defense ministry said April 4, ahead of a visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. “Pakistan and China have signed four contracts for the construction of four F-22P frigate ships for Pakistan Navy,” a Pakistani defense ministry statement said. The frigates will be equipped with anti-submarine helicopters, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and other defense systems, the statement added. “These ships, after construction, will be inducted into Pakistan Navy which would not only e…

From DefenseNews EU3 Mull Compromise in Iran Nuke Talks, Diplomats Say By LOUIS CHARBONNEAU, REUTERS, VIENNA France, Britain and Germany are considering letting Iran keep nuclear technology that could be used to make bombs, an apparent move towards a compromise with Tehran, diplomats said March 30. However, they said such a step would lead to a clash with Washington, which has backed European Union talks with Iran on condition Tehran permanently renounce all activities that could produce nuclear fuel. Sharing U.S. suspicions that Tehran may be planning to develop nuclear arms, the EU trio has offered Iran political and economic incentives to scrap its ura…

From DefenseNews U.S. To Sell F-16 Fighters to Pakistan By P. PARAMESWARAN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The United States on March 25 announced plans to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, despite objections from Islamabad’s nuclear rival India. The sale was part of a new strategic approach to the troubled subcontinent that was presented to both countries by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on her visit there earlier this month, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. President George W. Bush telephoned Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on March 25 to inform him of the decision, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. Singh e…

From DefenseNews India To Build Aircraft Carrier to Own Design By ELIZABETH ROCHE, NEW DELHI India next month will begin building an indigenously designed aircraft carrier that will tap Italian expertise and take eight years to complete, a senior naval officer announced March 22. The carrier is designed to operate a mix of Russian MiG-29K and Kamov 31 anti-submarine helicopters and the naval variant of India’s light combat aircraft, said Vice Admiral Yashwant Prasad, the vice chief of naval staff. Construction of the 37,500-ton ship which would carry a maximum of 30 fighter aircraft will start April 11 at Cochin Shipyard in the southern state of Kerala. I…

From Defence Aerospace Rice Says No Agreements on F-16 Sales to Pakistan, India (Source: Voice of America news; issued March 16, 2005) NEW DELHI --- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's talks with India's foreign minister covered regional defense issues, including the possible sale of U.S. fighter jets to India's long-standing rival, Pakistan. India is the first stop on Ms. Rice's six-nation tour of Asia - her first trip to the region since becoming secretary of state. Secretary of State Rice says she discussed the potential sale of F-16 fighter-jets to Pakistan with Indian officials, who have long opposed the plan. She also talked about selling the …

Original article, reprinted here in its entirety, can be viewed at: Sunday Times of London Online Revealed: Israel plans strike on Iranian nuclear plant by Uzi Mahnaimi ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans for a combined air and ground attack on targets in Iran if diplomacy fails to halt the Iranian nuclear programme. The inner cabinet of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, gave “initial authorisation” for an attack at a private meeting last month on his ranch in the Negev desert. Israeli forces have used a mock-up of Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment plant in the desert to practise destroying it. Their tactics include raids by Israel’s elite Shaldag (…

From C4ISR Journal Israel Building New Radar Satellite BY BARBARA OPALL-ROME March 04, 2005 Israel’s Ministry of Defense and Elta Systems Ltd., a subsidiary of government-owned Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), unveiled details of the TecSAR satellite, a low-earth orbiting synthetic aperture radar technology demonstrator planned for launch by the first half of 2006. According to specifications displayed along with a mockup of the satellite during a Feb. 22 seminar at Elta’s headquarters in Ashdod, the satellite will weigh 300 kilograms, including the 100-kilogram SAR payload. The multimode payload employs electronic beam steering, which can be operated in …

VIENNA (Reuters) - New satellite images show a heavy water plant in Iran, intended to supply a research reactor that could eventually produce plutonium for one atomic bomb a year, is nearly complete, a U.S. think-tank said on Friday. The photos of the plant in Arak, 240 km south of Tehran, were taken in February by the U.S. commercial satellite firms DigitalGlobe and Space Imaging and provided to Reuters by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a U.S. think-tank. "Adjacent to the reactor construction site (in Arak) is the heavy water production plant, which is almost completed and is anticipated to supply the necessary heavy water for the he…

Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B7D...90095339D5A.htm Thursday 17 February 2005, 16:54 Makka Time, 13:54 GMT An Iranian official has said a key agreement with Russia on the return of spent nuclear fuel will be signed by the end of the month. The deal will pave the way for Iran's first nuclear power plant. Asadollah Sabouri, a deputy head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation, was quoted by state television as saying that the agreement would allow Russia to provide Bushehr's power reactor with fuel, and would be signed on 26 February. The signing of the agreement, which obliges Iran to return spent nuclear fuel to Russia, will …

From http://www.defensenews.com United States, Europe Consider Penalties Against Syria By ADAM ENTOUS, REUTERS The United States and European allies are considering joint measures to punish Syria if it fails to take concrete steps to withdraw from Lebanon, officials said March 3, as President George W. Bush renewed his demand that Damascus get out now. Stepping up public pressure on Syria for a second day in a row, Bush said, "The message is loud and clear -- from the United States and France and many other nations -- that Syria must withdraw not only her troops, but her secret service forces out of Lebanon now." The president said he would discuss the is…

From http://www.defensenews.com India, France Practice Anti-Mine Operations in Arabian Sea By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NEW DELHI India and France practiced their first joint anti-mine operations Feb. 28 as part of naval exercises in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of southern India, a French officer said. The nine-day exercise, code-named “Varuna 2005” began Feb. 27, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. The leader of the French naval team, Capt. Marechal, told reporters this was the first time the two navies had taken part together in “mine warfare exercises,” the report said. Marechal said the Varuna exercises, which began in 1998 within the fr…

From http://www.defensenews.com Israeli Air Force Training for Long-Range Bombing Missions By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, JERUSALEM The Israeli air force is training its crews for long-range bombing missions, the wing commander of an F-16I fighter-bomber group said Feb. 28. “Israel and the air force have understood for a fairly long time now that the threats that surround us are constantly growing and that’s why steps have been taken to extend our range of action,” the officer, identified only as Wing Commander D., told Israel’s privately run second television channel. “That is to say that we are training for medium- and long-range missions.” The televisio…