BY : Army Times Publishing


Bangladesh, with the help of China, test-launched its first C-802A anti-ship missile from a frigate in the Bay of Bengal on May 12. Commissioned in 1989, the 1,500-ton F-18 Osman is a Chinese-built Jianghu-class frigate. This is Dhaka's first C-802 missile test launch.

The navy acquired the improved C-802A variant and FM-90N SAM and the air force procured Chinese PL- air-to-air missiles in 2006. The number of units is unknown.

BY : ANTARA News

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) has admitted that two of its Sukhoi jet fighters, an SU-27SK and an SU-30MK, had an avionic problem and could therefore not be operated properly.

"The two Sukhoi jet fighters cannot be used because of an avionic problem (a problem with electronic devices in the aircraft)," Air Force spokesman Sudipo Handoyo said here on Monday.

He said the two Sukhois could not be used because some parts for one of the avionic devices had yet to arrive from Russia where the jet fighters were made.

BY : PTI

Several Indian companies are likely to be involved in building American aerospace giant Boeing's long-range anti-submarine warfare Aircraft for which the Indian Navy has issued a request for proposal (RFP).

The Boeing company, which is in discussions with Indian Navy for over two years in connection with the P-8I submarine hunter aircraft, said the Indian companies would play a role in equipping the aircraft with sensors and communication systems.

"There is a possibility of Indian companies being involved in building the P-8I," said

BY : AVIATION WEEK


China's leaders miscalculated the international reaction to the country's antisatellite (Asat) weapon test last year, and likely regret that they let their research-and-development bureaucracy carry it out, says a top U.S. expert on the Chinese space program.

"The Chinese took very careful aim and shot themselves in the foot with that test," says Joan Johnson-Freese, chairman of the National Security Decision-Making Dept. at the U.S. Naval War College. "I think they now are now recognizing that the international condemnation due them was actually moderated."

Testifying before the Senate Commerce space, aeronautics and related sciences subcommittee, Johnson-Freese said it is impossible to know exactly what motivated the test, given the layers of Chinese government secrecy. But she says an emerging consensus among China-watchers holds that it was the logical outcome of an Asat-weapon development program started in response to the U.S. program that tested an air-launched satellite interceptor against a defunct weather satellite.

BY : Donga

The Korean military is confirmed to have successfully developed part of the core stealth technology used to avoid the enemy’s radar detection, after nine years of research.

As stealth fighter jets and naval destroyers can evade radar, they can secretly approach and hit the target without being noticed.

According to a military source on Monday, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), which began research on stealth technology in 1999, has developed a substance that absorbs electric waves, an essential part of the radar-evading technology.

The ADD, which conducted in utmost secrecy a ground test of an F-4 fighter and a miniature fighter equipped with the material late last year, concluded that the

BY : IANS

Indian scientists have successfully conducted a laboratory test of a hypersonic BhrahMos missile, a top official said.

We have achieved a speed of Mach 5.26 in our laboratory tests of the hypersonic version of the BrahMos. However, it will take some 15-20 tests under controlled conditions before the missile can be actually test-launched,'' BrahMos Aerospace Chief Executive Officer A. Sivathanu Pillai told.

The test was conducted at the Hyderabad-based Advanced Systems Laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that has jointly developed the missile with Russia's NPO organisation.

BrahMos currently flies at Mach 2.86. Missiles that fly at Mach 3 to 4 (three to four times the speed of sound) belong to high supersonic class. Hypersonic missiles fly at speeds over Mach 5.

BY : Times News Network

India is stepping up efforts to break into the big league of global aviation. While it is keen to enter aircraft production with Airbus, talks are now on between US and Indian authorities to get American certification for aviation products made here.

According to sources, US’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and some other agencies are in talks with DGCA and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Bangalore, for certifying Indian products under a "Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement" (BASA).

Once an Indian product gets a certification under BASA, it can be sold globally. Under BASA, the two countries will mutually agree to certify each other’s aeronautic/aviation products.

BY : PTI

After rising to the ranks of Lt Generals in the army and Air Marshals in the IAF, a woman is now set to head the country's key missile project.
45-year-old Dr Tessy Thomas, one of the around 200 women scientists and technicians working for the DRDO, has been cleared to be appointed to the post of Project Director of the upgraded version of the 2000 km-long nuclear capable Agni-II missile.

Thomas is presently the Associate Project Director of the 3,000 km range Agni-III missile project.

BY : Times News Network

A woman IAF trainee pilot, D Sharma, was killed when a trainer aircraft crashed near the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad on Monday afternoon.

Though initial reports said a technical snag had developed in the HPT-32 aircraft, IAF authorities have ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the exact reason.

"It was the second solo flight of D Sharma, who was in her early 20s," said an officer. Cadets receive initial training on HPT-32 aircraft before they branch off into

BY : DNA INDIA

India is hunting for a more powerful, modern engine for its indigenous fighter, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, which is under development in Bangalore, even as the Indian Air Force is thinking of doubling its order for aircraft from 20 to 40.

Dependable sources said the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the lead agency for developing Tejas, has appointed an “empowered committee” to consider inducting a new, more powerful engine. Eurojet, which makes the engines for Eurofighter, and GE, which has supplied the existing GE-F404 engines, are among the companies that the government is talking to. Tejas is expected to replace the MIG-21
fleet of the IAF.

The IAF expressed its reservations about the thrust of the existing GE-F404 engines, after the weight of the plane went up from 8,000 kg to10,000 kg. The weight increase and other factors had contributed to the trial flight performances not coming up to IAF’s expectations.