Russian Commander Explains Air Force Acquisition Plan

[Quasar]

by Vladimir Karnozov March 30, 2012

Russian Air Force commander Gen. Alexander Zelin has elaborated further about aircraft acquisition plans under the country’s Weapons Program 2011-2020. His comments addressed the Sukhoi series of combat aircraft, as well as airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft, airlifters and the Yak-130 jet trainer.

Zelin said that the air force will acquire about 60 Sukhoi PAKFA (T-50) fifth-generation fighters by 2020. “The T-50 is intended for air-superiority missions...and will be flown by first-class pilots only,” he said.

Zelin also said that the grand total of Sukhoi Su-30SM two-seat and Su-35 single-seat fighters to be acquired would be about 100. On March 22, Russian defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Irkut president Alexey Fedorov signed a contact for 30 Sukhoi Su-30SMs for delivery in 2013-2015. This is the domestic version of the Su-30MK already exported to Algeria, India and Malaysia. State acceptance trials are slated for next year. As for the Su-35, a total of 48 have been ordered so far.

Zelin said that the Russian air force will acquire a total of 140 Su-34s. To date, 124 have been placed under contract. The Su-34s will allow for a substantial increase in the national nuclear deterrent force, and also be used for launching long-range missiles at maritime, land and aerial targets, he added.

The commander also called for additional Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced jet trainers to be used for preparation of Su-34 and Su-35 fighter pilots. The airplane was also selected as a platform for development of a light strike aircraft.

The A-100 AWACS aircraft that was announced last year will include additional functions such as maritime target identification and the control of UAVs, Zelin said.

The Russian air force wants “not less than 300 airlifters in different payload capabilities,” Zelin said. The restart of Ruslan heavylifter production is still being pursued, specifically the more advanced An-124-300 version. In parallel, the air force will be getting the re-engined Il-76MD-90A, which will also be used for special missions and aerial refueling.

Regarding the long-delayed Antonov An-70 joint project with Ukraine, Zelin said, “We have eliminated the discrepancies taking place before.” Antonov will deliver to the Russian air force for evaluation an improved prototype now being assembled. If ever approved for production, Russian An-70s will be assembled in Voronezh, from kits produced at the Antonov plants in Kiev and Kharkov.

Zelin said the service has selected the An-140-100 as a temporary solution for a light tactical transport. The commander also confirmed plans to acquire 100 Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTAs), being jointly developed by Russia and India.

Russian Commander Explains Air Force Acquisition Plan | Aviation International News

Iraq seeks killer missiles, but U.S. wary
March 31, 2012

Iraq is acquiring an array of missiles and other sophisticated systems for the 36 Lockheed Martin F-16s it's buying to build an air force but Washington is reluctant to provide Baghdad with the most advanced U.S. weapons.
...
Iraq is also acquiring 100 supersonic AIM-9L/M Sidewinder heat-seeking, air-to-air missiles and 150 medium-range AIM 7M/H Sparrow radar-homing missiles. Both are manufactured by Raytheon.

Iraqi military sources say the Pentagon wouldn't sell Baghdad the latest version of the Sidewinder, nor Raytheon's AIM-120 all-weather, beyond visual range Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile -- AMRAAM -- which has replaced the Sparrow with the U.S. Air Force.

The AIM-9L/M-8/9 that Washington is prepared to sell Baghdad is a generation behind the AIM-9X in service with the U.S. Air Force.
...

http://www.avionics-intelligence.com/news/2012/03/31/iraq-seeks-killer-missiles-but-u-s-wary.html

Israel Navy Mulling Korean Ships
Written by Arieh O’Sullivan April 02, 2012

Purchase comes as defense planners foresee wider strategic role for the fleet

Wasting little time after loosing a bid to sell Israel fighter trainer jets, South Korea has now reportedly offered to build large vessels for the Israeli Navy, which is in need of expansion due to strategic changes in the region.

A team of representatives from the South Korean government and Hyundai Shipyards have been in Israel recently to discuss a deal to build a frigate with a displacement of 1,300 tons, the Israel Defense website reported.

The report said that no costs were discussed and that the contacts were preliminary “but ongoing.” It further revealed that Hyundai, with its advanced ship-building industry, would sell Israel a skeleton vessel and that various Israeli defense industries would install locally made systems on board, including radar and the much-vaunted Barak anti-missile rocket defense system.

Some of the work could be done by the Israel Shipyards in Haifa, which is desperate to crack into the larger naval vessel market. It has proposed investing in new dry docks that would allow them to construct ships of up to 2,100 tons. Lobbyists sought government backing for the idea in order to keep the strategically important firm open. But this plan is reportedly stuck.

A proposal in 2010 to build together with Spain a littoral combat ship (LCS), a small surface vessel used in operations close to shore, fell through and an earlier bid to procure one from the U.S. also was shelved when the prices skyrocketed.

A Korean vessel would likely be far cheaper than anything purchased from the American or Germans, and they would also likely be more flexible when it came to join-industrial partnering.

A spokesman for Hyundai Shipyards could not be reached for comment.

The Israeli Navy already runs the most expensive pieces of equipment in the Israel Defense Forces and these are the German-made Dolphin submarines. It has three in service and three on order, including one deal inked in Germany last week. Each sub is estimated to cost about $600 million and is tailor-made for Israel by the German shipyards.

The Dolphins have a range of 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) and are reportedly Israel’s “second strike” platform equipped with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, according to foreign reports. But for a country like Israel, where 95% of its military supplies come from the sea, defending the sea routes is without a doubt an existential strategic interest.

The three Sa'ar 5 class missile corvettes (1,250 tons) the navy received in the mid-1990s supplement its smaller fleet of missile boats making it a formidable force to defend the coast and take on Arab navies. But forward looking people in Israel’s defense establishment and government see a larger role for the navy in the future.

Last month, Israel’s Defense Ministry said it was choosing Italy’s M346 trainer fighter jets over the T-50s built by South Korea. It was a heavily fought procurement battle and many feared spurning the Koreans would have strategic and diplomatic fallout.

“With the jet trainer deal now yesterday’s news, it's crucial for Israel to change the subject with South Korea as soon as it can. The best way to forget an unsuccessful deal is to put an even better deal on the table,” wrote Ariel Harkham, co-founder of the Jewish National Initiative, in Ha’aretz.

A glance at Israel’s strategic landscape presents a different picture than even a decade ago. Iran’s nuclear ambitions make the Arabian Sea an area for Israel’s navy and it recently sent vessels through the Suez Canal for patrolling off the Horn of Africa. The discovery of gas and oil fields in the Mediterranean off Israel’s coast, an increasingly belligerent attitude by Turkey and Egypt’s teetering on Islamist control all demand that Israel needs to turn itself from a coast guard into a regional naval superpower.

Senior naval commanders, including former Navy Adm. Yedidiya Ya'ari, believe the navy should have a bigger role in future battles. They and some government figures warn that the country is merely “one big and exposed aircraft carrier” whose 11 military airfields and numerous army bases are vulnerable to attack and could be paralyzed by enemy action.

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz has been a strong supporter for a stockier navy. As chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee he released a paper which saw the navy acquiring frigates, (4,000 tons), destroyers (9,200 tons) and cruisers (12,000 tons) equipped with cruise missiles with a range of some 2,000 kilometers, assault drones and marine artillery, including one being developed now which is capable of firing satellite-guided 155mm rounds between 75 and 120 kilometers. A call for an Israeli air craft carrier was not on the drawing boards, yet.

http://themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=34814