Monday, September 30, 2013
The latest contract, signed earlier this month, is estimated at tens of millions of shekels and follows a 2004 award for six Mk3 craft and a 2006 deal for four of the IAI-built boats.
Additionally, the Israel Navy operates five Shaldag MkIII fast patrol craft by privately owned Israel Shipyards Ltd.
Built by the Ramta Divison of IAI, the Super Dvora Mk3s are designed for rapid and agile maneuvers beyond Israel’s territorial waters for anti-terror and anti-smuggling operations as well as defense of Israel’s exclusive economic zone.
Each platform is equipped for day and night operations and is armed with the Typhoon naval weapon station built by state-owned Rafael Ltd.
“This latest contract reaffirms the Israel Navy’s confidence in the reliability and operational performance of the Super Dvora Mk3. It offers the speed, range, endurance and maneuverability that very few advanced shipyards in the world can match,” said Nitzan Shaked, managing director of IAI’s Ramta Division.
Shaked, a brigadier general in the Israel Navy Reserves, said the multi-mission patrol craft can operate up to 700 miles without refueling. “These fast patrol craft amass hundreds of operational hours each month,” he added.
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We cannot fail to see how much Toyota Winglet the X-Robot vehicles have in them... we might be looking at some future patent infringement lawsuits here. However, it looks like X-Robot is a bit ahead of Toyota, at least as far as the commercial presence is concerned.
Just like in many similar cases with Chinese manufacturers, more detailed data is unavailable. However, if you're interested, you can check the X-Robot website and drop the guys a line. Winglet copycat or not, we liked these three little machines.
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On Sept. 22, the state-controlled China Daily Times reported the new aircraft carrier Liaoning had just finished a three-month voyage and conducted over 100 sorties of “various aircraft,” of which the J-15 “took off and landed on the carrier with maximum load and various weapons.” This report was also carried on the official Liberation Army Daily.
Contradicting any report by official military or government media is unusual in China given state control of the media.
The fighter can take off and land on the carrier with two YJ-83K anti-ship missiles, two PL-8 air-to-air missiles, and four 500-kilogram bombs. But a weapons “load exceeding 12 tons will not get it off the carrier’s ski jump ramp.” This might prohibit it from carrying heavier munitions such as PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missiles.
To further complicate things, the J-15 can carry only two tons of weapons while fully fueled. “This would equip it with no more than two YJ-83K and two PL-8 missiles,” thus the “range of the YJ-83K prepared for the fighter will be shorter than comparable YJ-83K missiles launched from larger PLAN [People’s Liberation Army Navy] vessels. The J-15 will be boxed into less than 120 [kilometers] of attack range.”
Losing the ability to carry the PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missiles will make the J-15 an “unlikely match” against other foreign carrier-based fighters.
Built by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, the J-15 is a copy of the Russian-made Su-33. China acquired an Su-33 prototype from the Ukraine in 2001. Avionics are most likely the same as the J-11B (Su-27). In 2006, Russia accused China of reverse engineering the Su-27 and canceled a production license to build 200 Su-27s after only 95 aircraft had been built.
Despite improvements, Kashin wonders why the Chinese bothered with the Su-33 given the fact that Russia gave up on it. Weight problems and other issues forced the Russians to develop the MiG-29K, which has better power-to-weight ratio and can carry more weapons. “Of course, when the Chinese get their future carriers equipped with catapults, that limitation will not apply and they will be able to fully realize Su-33/J-15 potential — huge range and good payload,” Kashin said.
The Liaoning is the problem. The carrier is small — 53,000 tons — and uses a ski jump. From Russia’s experience, “taking off from the carrier with takeoff weight exceeding some 26 tons is very difficult,” Kashin said.
Roger Cliff, a China defense specialist for the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington, said this is “one of the reasons why sky-jump carriers can’t be considered to be equivalent to full-size carriers with catapults.”
A number of unanswered questions are raised by the SMN report, Kashin said, including the amount of fuel on board, carrier speed, wind speed and direction.
Cliff also raises issues with SMN’s conclusions. “It doesn’t make sense to me that the J-15 can take off with YJ-83s but not PL-12s, since the YJ-83 weighs about 1,800 pounds and the PL-12 weighs about 400 pounds.”
Kashin said the J-15, unlike the Su-33, should have a “potent” internal countermeasures suite, thus allowing for more space for weapons. The SMN report suggests it has an external electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod.
Weight issues should also not be too much of a problem for the J-15, he said, since the Su-33 did fly from the same type of carrier carrying “6-8 air-to-air missiles and Sorbtsia ECM pods carrying something like 6 to 6.5 tons of fuel.”
China’s next carriers will reportedly use electromagnetic catapults, Kashin said, but “limitations are significant when it comes to air-to-surface weapons, which limit the J-15’s use as a multirole fighter.
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Sunday, September 29, 2013
The vehicle, which will be marketed as replacement for the Russian army's BTR-80 amphibious armored personnel carrier, was unveiled at an arms exhibition in the Russian city of Nijni Taguil.
The Atom 8x8 weighs 33 tons. Its hull and armaments comes from Ural Vagon Zavod, maker of the T-90 tank, while Renault Trucks Defense is responsible for its power train.
The Atom will be produced in a number of variants. Included are troop transport vehicle, with a 57mm turret; infantry combat vehicle, with a 120mm mortar or anti-tank missile; ambulance; breakdown vehicle; and armored police vehicle. Some variants will be amphibious.
"The two companies have worked together to propose the most open, evolutionary architecture," Renault Trucks Defense said.
Renault Trucks Defense said its cooperation with Ural Vagon Zavod began in February of this year and the Atom is the initial produce of the partnership. Additional details of the Atom vehicle and expected development and production timelines were not detailed.
It will probably be called the Cupra R and it'd expected to put out as much as 300 hp. The 2014 Seat Leon Cupra will be equipped with a front-wheel-drive system and a 6-speed double clutch transmission. So far, there's no info regarding a possible all-wheel-drive version of the Leon Cupra (2014).
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Yury Dolgoruky, the lead ship of Project 955’s borey class is already in the Russian Navy, and the serial ships Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh are scheduled for delivery at the end of the year. The Russian Navy, however, also needs a certain number of other ships of various classes, including non-nuclear submarines.
Within the framework of the state armament program, there are plans to build twenty diesel-electric submarines by the year 2020. Six of them will are Varshavyanka Projects 636.3 vessels and the remaining 14 are the modified Lada Project 677 ships.
The fourth generation submarine Lada, developed by the Rubin Design Bureau is the embodiment of the vast experience gained from the development and improvement of the second and third generation submarines, which have become best-sellers in the global naval armament market.
Foreign countries are showing an increased level of attention to the Rubin-designed boats. There was great interest in the LIMA 2013 exhibition in Malaysia, which traditionally brings together representatives of many countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The region is expected to account for more than half the sales of non-nuclear submarines in 2030. This is largely due to the fact that the Lada and its export modifications Amur have a significant advantage over their European competitors - they are able to deliver volley missile strikes. A fully automatic rocket has been applied on the Lada – a torpedo complex with an unprecedented striking power for a ship with such displacement.
Lada vessels are single-hulled, with minimal displacement allowing for reduced noise signature and improved propulsion quality. The class marks the first usage of the Russian navy of a mono-hull design since the 1940s.
According to chief designer Igor Molchanov, the Lada’s design greatly reduces its displacement, requires less metal, which entails a lower production cost, and also improves the acoustic performance and makes the submarine less noticeable.
Molchanov says the fourth generation submarine has a number of fundamental differences from vessels of the third generation. First of all, the new submarine has a more powerful missile-torpedo armament. While cruise missiles can only be used from two torpedo tubes on the Varshavyanka, on the larger export-version of the Lada, the Amur-1650, cruise missiles can be used from all from all six tubes. In addition, the Amur-1650 features a low intrinsic noise level. Finally, compared to the Varshavyanka, the Amur-1650 has a greater cruising range in the underwater economic mode. The vessel has a general service life of at least 25 years.
The Lada also has the Lira, a modern sonar complex with antenna systems, which in their surface area equate to those used on nuclear submarines. The ship’s vital functions provide a comprehensive automated system for controlling the Lithium combat and technical equipment – it manages its energy, as well as all the functions associated with combat weapons.
The Lada class vessels also have tremendous potential for further upgradation, especially when it comes to its electronic equipment. The project has satisfied the necessary condition of providing an open architecture for upgrading electronic systems.
The Rubin Design Bureau is also willing to modify its new vessel’s basic design to suit customer-specific requirements. Potential buyers like India have taken a keen interest in submarines with air-independent propulsion. The bureau is looking to manufacture an appropriate version of the Amur-1650 that would satisfy the requirements of the Indian Navy. India is on the lookout for a submarine that would allow hydrogen to be produced directly on the boat by reforming diesel.
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Saturday, September 28, 2013
Paraphrasing British wartime leader Winston Churchill, EADS chief Thomas Enders said “never, never give up.”
South Korea decided Tuesday against awarding a $7.7 billion jet fighter deal to Boeing — the sole remaining candidate — and said it would re-tender its largest ever defense contract. The deal to provide 60 advanced combat fighters was aimed at replacing the air force’s aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s and had initially attracted bids from Boeing, US rival Lockheed Martin and EADS.
The Eurofighter, which EADS builds in cooperation with Britain’s BAE Systems and Italy’s Finmeccanica, was excluded in August for reportedly not meeting the tender criteria. But Enders said Thursday: “We do think it was compliant and I think we have successfully corrected” that impression.
A major criticism of the F-15 SE was that it lacked the radar-evading stealth capabilities of other modern jet fighters like the Lockheed Martin’s F-35. Despite the South Koreans traditionally favoring US military equipment, Enders said bidding for the contract was “worth a try because we have a very good product now.”
He noted if “you compare us with the competitors, the F-15 is much older and the F-35 is not really operational.”The F-35, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter, is still undergoing testing by the US military.
In an effort to sweeten its costlier bid, EADS had offered a $2.0 billion investment in a separate South Korean project to develop its own advanced fighter jets if the consortium is chosen, as well as assembling the Eurofighters in South Korea.
But aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia at the US-based Teal Group was sceptical of the Eurofighter’s chances. He said the South Korean air force has implied the only something truly modern would meet their needs. The new South Korean appeal for offers “will simply become an F-35 acquisition,” he wrote in his monthly newsletter.
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The White Paper identified four principles for our future Army model that underlie the choice of equipment provided by the military planning law. The first of these principles is the strategic autonomy is to allow France to have his freedom of decision and action. To meet this requirement, the law provides for capacity building for the (medium altitude long for example, delivery of endurance drones - MALE) initiative taken in simple and probable operations, including developing intelligence.
Delivery of the first two vectors and a ground station is planned after the end of the year. So that the air force will be able to implement them as soon as possible, three crews of the squadron of drones 1/33 "Belfort" of the 709 Air Base Cognac are currently training at Holloman Air Force Base . Other crews must make their first flight soon.
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The concept takes most of its inspiration from the 1935 Type 57SC Atlantic coupe. That’s to say both cars are very swoopy and elegant. The Bugatti 12.4 Atlantique concept has a streamlined body, suicide doors, a long, low hood, and an aerodynamic tail. Like the Veyron it features a prominent two-tone color scheme with chrome highlights. Highlights include some delicious LED lights, rear-view cameras mounted on stalks coming out of the front wheel arches, and side-exit exhausts.
Although this is just a concept, Guerzoni has theorised as to what would power the 12.4 Atlantique concept. He envisages a twin-turbo V12 which would provide 650 horsepower to the rear wheels. A further 200 horsepower would be sent to the front wheels thanks to an electric motor and a KERS system.
Bugatti 12.4 Atlantique Concept Specifications:
Width: 2030mm – 6.66ft
Length: 4964mm – 16.28ft
Height: 1040mm – 3.41ft
Weight: 1500kg – 3306lbs
Chassis: Carbon fiber
Engine: v12 bi-turbo 4 liters 650hp + electric motor 200cv
Drive: Rear wheel drive – all wheel using electric motor
Transmission: sequential gearbox 6 gears + rear. Paddles on steering wheel
Brakes: carbon-ceramics discs
Top speed: 350km/h 218mph
Acceleration: 0-60mph (0-100km/h) in 3.2 seconds
While the Washington-based Strategy Page said the J-31 has the potential to become a future carrier-based stealth fighter for the PLA Navy, Zhang said it is unlikely the plane will serve aboard Chinese aircraft carriers. Unlike the J-20 designed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, the J-31 was never a development program intended for the Chinese military, Zhang said.
A model of the J-31 was first displayed at the Zhuhai Air Show in Guangdong province last November, where it was described as a fighter to open China's overseas market. It was called the "Advanced Fighter Concept," according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The model was displayed again at the opening of the Beijing international Aviation Exposition on Sept. 25, under the new name of "China Concept Fighter." Sources from AVIC told People's Daily however that the "China Concept Fighter" is not the J-31.
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According to its manufacturer, the VBB-3 is currently the most powerful electric vehicle ever built. They expect it to reach a top speed of around 600 km/h. This is roughly the same speed commercial planes fly at.
The Venturi VBB-3 is rated with a torque output of an incredible 2,800 Nm of torque. The VBB-3 was scheduled to undergo testing on the Bonneville Salt Flats at the beginning of this week. We'll have more details regarding the VBB-3, as soon as Venturi makes them available.
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Friday, September 27, 2013
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The deal, in which Seoul required a contractor to deliver 60 jets over five years beginning in 2017, was a race between the Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle, Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter and EADS' Eurofighter Typhoon.
Lockheed, ahead of EADS, was thought to have been nudged out of the deal by Boeing's Silent Eagle. But South Korea's military defense procurement agency, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, announced Tuesday it wasn't completely satisfied with Boeing's offer.
Boeing came close to grabbing the contract with the cheapest offer, but DAPA said it will review its budget for the jet fighter deal and re-tender later this year.
Lockheed's Stealth aircraft were offered through a government-to-government sales process, meaning there was less room to negotiate on price. Boeing and EADS aircraft were offered through direct sales to South Korea.
There were 55 bidding sessions in June and July, but DAPA suspended bidding in mid-July over concerns that manufacturers' bids were higher than the budgeted $7.2 billion. DAPA restarted bidding in mid-August, reiterating that its budget limit is the most important requirement for a successful bid. Last month, a report by Yonhap News Agency said the contract was noted for its extreme bidding war following drastic cutbacks in military spending in the United States and Europe.
DAPA's decision leaves South Korea with an aging fleet of McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom and Northrop F-5 aircraft for at least another year. South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok, announcing the cancellation of the tender, said DAPA committee members rejected Boeing's F-15 SE and are set to restart the project because of a "consensus that South Korea ... needs to deter the growing threat posed by North Korea."
The need to acquire the most advanced jet took on new urgency as North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February and continues to develop its missile program. Japan and China are at loggerheads over disputed maritime territories in the region.
Japan signed a deal last year to buy 42 F-35s, with the first four planes to be delivered in 2017.
The Yonhap article pointed out that China boosting its strength by developing its own stealth jet -- the J-20 now in development -- and launched its first aircraft carrier last year.
Russia also is preparing its first advanced T-50 fighter jets, built by Russia's biggest defense contractor, Sukhoi, this year. Boeing's successful bid was based on its claim that the F-15 had survivability, not stealth, in its favor -- a dual-engine power plant and and impressive arsenal.
Yonhap said experts believe the cancellation of the tender favors the F-35 because of growing calls for stealth technology to counter these threats.
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[via] Purchase Details: $74.99 from Amazon »
“The key advantage that the BMPT-72 gives to all the counties that operate T-72 tanks is that they can promptly and at minimal cost upgrade their armies to an ultra-modern level, and enhance capacity, mobility, protection and armament without purchasing new high-cost machines,” Uralvgonzavod said in press release prior to the Nizhny Tagil show. The BMPT-72 is armed with two 30-mm cannons, two 30-mm grenade launchers, four launchers for 130-mm Ataka-T anti-tank guided missiles, a 7.62-mm machine gun, and two 81-mm smoke grenade launchers.
Rogozin, who oversees the Russian defense and space industries, said future versions of the BMPT would most likely be based on the platform of Russia’s highly anticipated new main battle tank: the Armata.
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