The problemclick for video On May 15/13, the US DSCA announced a pair of official export requests to provide and install Northrop Grumman’s AN/AAQ-24(V) Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM), for use on Oman and Qatar’s royal flight VVIP jets. LAIRCM is a defensive system that couples detectors to track incoming missiles, with a laser that locks on to the missile’s seeker. A series of timed laser pulses lead the missile harmlessly astray. That won’t stop a radar-guided S-300, but it isn’t designed to. It’s designed as a defense against the shoulder-fired MANPADS air defense missiles that might be used in a sneak attack, like the one that nailed a DHL airliner over Baghdad in 2003. …

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Royal Guard: LAIRCM Systems for Oman & Qatar’s VVIP Jets

Rear Adm. Richard Breckenridge, the US Navy’s Director of Undersea Warfare, says they have enough SSBNs at the moment to fulfill deterrence goals, and will need at least 10 operational SSBNs to continue to do so in the future. And to do that until the introduction of the new SSBN “we must complete refueling overhauls of all 14 Ohio SSBNs and operate the 12 newest of them to their full 42-year extended life.” On background: 2010 nuclear posture review [PDF] | Finite deterrence. The Pentagon is proposing to amend Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) in order to clarify contractor responsibilities in the detection of counterfeit electronic parts. …

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Rapid Fire May 17, 2013: Maintaining the US Naval Nuclear Deterrent

TU-142: headed out(click to view full) India’s fleet of Soviet-era maritime patrol aircraft has been upgraded, but it needs to be replaced. Indian naval responsibilities are growing, and the 2008 terrorist atrocities in Mumbai made it crystal-clear that control of their coasts was a necessity. Fortunately, they already had a competition underway…

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P-8i: India’s Navy Picks Its Future High-End Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Slovenian “Svarun”(click to view full) In June 2006, the Slovenian Ministry of Defence picked Patria’s 8×8 wheeled Armored Modular Vehicle (AMV) as the preferred choice for its 135 vehicle armored personnel carrier program. The APCs would come in 4 different versions, including a variant with Patria’s new unmanned NEMO 120mm mortar turret. The deal was worth over EUR 275 million, with deliveries to take place from 2007-2013. An ongoing bribery investigation led to the resignation of Patria’s President and CEO, and eventually to his arrest. A long-running controversy became a continuous distraction, and there were issues with sub-contractor performance along the way…

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Slovenian Army’s New APCs: Patria’s AMVs

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Rapid Fire May 16, 2013: More Russian Helos for Afghanistan

CAMM-M launch(click to view full) In mid-May 2013, MBDA signed an MoU with Lockheed Martin that has the potential to shake up the naval missile industry. It sounds innocuous: both companies agree to jointly explore the market for the integration of MBDA naval missile systems into Lockheed Martin’s a href=”

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CAMM Opener for the Naval Missile Market: MBDA & LMCO’s MoU

Euro Hawk UAV(clickto view full) Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV has gone from a developmental platform to the next generation of American aerial reconnaissance. Flying at 60,000 feet, the RQ-4′s use their advanced synthetic aperture radar and other sensors to provide high-resolution images, unaffected by clouds or similar impediments. A larger RQ-4B model has been developed, and forms the backbone of current deliveries. …

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RQ-4 Euro Hawk UAV: Death by Certification

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Rapid Fire May 15, 2013: Friends Don’t Let Friends Buy Counterfeits

Preveze Class(click to view larger) In 2006 the Turkish SSM procurement agency issued a request for information (RFI) for 4 more diesel-electric submarines. That RFI became an RFP for 6 diesel-electric submarines with air-independent propulsion systems, to replace older boats like Turkey’s U209-based Preveze and Atilay classes. DID covers the competition, and adds some quick background re: the Turkish Navy’s existing fleet, where its rival Greece stands, and contract developments regarding their new “Cerbe Class”. Turkey has a signed multi-billion Euro contract for HDW’s U214 subs… and are about to add a revolutionary new weapon. …

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Today’s Special: Turkey Subs

YRH-70 w. Hydras(click to view full) In July 2008, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced Iraq’s formal request to buy 24 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters that act as scouts, perform light close air support, and escort other helicopters on dangerous missions. The DSCA documents also included requests for airborne weapons – which would be a new capability for the nascent post-Saddam air force. At the time of the requests, the IqAF relied on a small force of Russia’s popular Mi-8/17s, and a handful of refurbished Bell “Huey II” helicopters. While the Russian helicopters can be armed, their status as Iraq’s only medium utility helicopters makes them a poor fit for an ARH role. …

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Iraq Seeks Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters