BY : AFP

The United States is bracing for tough competition from Russia and China as cash-flush Asian economies look up to the trio for a new breed of fighter jets to beef up their air forces, experts say.

Japan, India, Australia and South Korea are keen to have the most modern, fifth generation, jet fighters while Southeast Asian nations such as Malaysia and Indonesia are reportedly eyeing fourth generation fighters from China.

With Asia powering ahead with military modernization and capability growth, the United States wants to maintain leadership in defense sales in the region attracted by low cost offerings from Russia and China, experts said.

"The Americans and Russians are competing hard for the Asian fighter aircraft market, but everybody is also watching to see how aggressively the Chinese will be entering this market," Richard Fisher,

BY : PTI

As a part of broadening their defence cooperation, China and India are now considering holding a joint military exercise between their Air Forces.

The two countries held their first-ever joint Army exercise in a ground-breaking confidence building measure at Kunming in China's Yunnan province in December 2007.

''We favour scaling up the military-to-military ties with India and as part of the efforts, the two countries are holding talks for joint military exercise between the Air Forces,'' said Chinese Defence Attache in New Delhi Li Chao.

The two Armies will participate in their second joint military exercise on Indian soil in 2008. If talks are successful, the Chinese official said, the exercise between the two Air Forces could be held in 2009.

BY : RIA Novosti

Russia has flight-tested a MiG-29K/KUB carrier fighter, a spokesperson for the MiG aircraft building corporation said on Wednesday.

She said the 42-minute flight was observed by a delegation of the Indian Navy, due to take delivery of the first MiG-29K/ KUB Russian fighter jets for the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier in May.

The contract, signed on January 20, 2004, stipulates the delivery of 12 single-seat MiG-29K and 4 two-seat MiG-29KUB by 2009, to be later deployed on the Admiral Gorshkov, currently being retrofitted in Russia for the Indian Navy.

BY : PTI

Indian Air Force's efforts to upgrade its sole ground attack MiG-27 fighters have been questioned by the Comptroller and Auditor General, saying that the modernised aircraft would have only a "limited viability".

"The upgrade project would have limited viability," the CAG said in its latest report tabled in Parliament as it felt inherent problems being faced by the aircraft and engines have not been resolved.

Besides, the watchdog has said that widespread time over-runs would further dilute benefits as the "upgraded aircraft would have a very short residual life".

BY : PTI

In one of the biggest war manoeuvres in recent years, the Army and the Indian Air Force showcased their combat prowess, by effectively engaging the latest array of weaponry in a joint air-land battle setting, 75 kilometres from the India-Pakistan border in the Thar desert in Rajasthan.

With diplomats and military attaches from 59 countries in attendence, the exercise code-named ‘Brazen Chariots’ had Army’s frontline T-90 tanks, SMERCH long-range missiles, spy drones, latest air defence gun systems, and fighter jets in action at the Pokhran field firing ranges here.

Voicing happiness at the synergy achieved by the Army and the IAF during the simulated land and air exercise, Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor said all the objectives that “we had set for ourselves were fairly well achieved.”

“I think it’s gone off excellently well. The aim was to try out modern weapons and their efficacy. And also to carry out a bit of synergy with functioning of the Air Force and the Army together and see the effect,” General Kapoor said after the exercise on Wednesday

BY : PTI

India will ''not'' renegotiate the Gorshkov aircraft carrier deal with Russia, Naval Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said in Moscow on Friday, but indicated that New Delhi was willing to pay extra for work which were not listed in the original contract.

''We are not (not) going to renegotiate the contract. It is an inter-governmental contract, which has to be fulfilled. We, however, are ready to pay extra for work which was not listed in the original contract,'' Admiral Mehta said.

He, however, said the amount would be much less than the extra $1.2 billion asked by Russia for upgrading the 44-thousand tonne Kiev Class aircraft carrier.

BY : RIA Novosti.



On March 11, 2008 Russia and India signed a contract for the modernization of India's Mig-29s. After the modernization the machines, delivered to India by the former U.S.S.R., will remain in service for another 20-25 years with greatly enhanced combat characteristics.

Almost simultaneously, the media reported an agreement between the two countries on the modernization of the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. The earlier deadline for the handover of the ship, 2008, could not be met because the amount of work

BY : The Jerusalem Post.



In the face of Iran's race to obtain nuclear weapons, defense officials who will visit the US next week plan to ask the Pentagon to reconsider its decision not to sell Israel the F-22 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Defense Ministry Director-General Pinhas Buhris will visit the US for several days next week to discuss a wide range of security and defense issues, including the

BY : Rajat Pandit For TOI

India's military establishment will kick off the new financial year by floating two big global tenders for procuring eight advanced mine counter-measure vessels (MCMVs) and 317 helicopters at a total cost of over Rs 10,000 crore.

Faced with the ever-growing threat of state as well as non-state actors trying to choke sea lanes of communication by using underwater mines, the navy is looking to augment its ageing Soviet- era fleet of 10 minesweepers to ensure protection of Indian harbours, off-shore installations and sea-borne trade.

BY : RIA Novost



Russia will start deliveries of MiG-29K Fulcrum-D carrier fighters to India for the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier in May, the chief of the Indian Navy Staff said on Friday.

Admiral Suresh Mehta, who heads a group of Indian military officials that arrived in Russia on Thursday on a week-long visit, inspected on Friday the assembly of MiG-29K Fulcrum-D fighters at a plant near Moscow.