Israeli military technology company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) completed a series of flight tests of its upgraded 'suicide drones' for anonymous foreign buyers on Sunday, the company has revealed.

The Harop Loitering Munitions drone has the ability to stay in the air for up to six hours and hover above its targets. The drone then strikes the target and simultaneously detonates on board explosives, akin to a suicide bomber.

"These demonstrations follow various other successful operational exercises performed in the last few months for different customers," the company said in a statement. It added that the latest version of the Harop drone demonstrated "better maneuvering and target destruction".

The drones boast 15kg warheads and can attack its target, moving or stationary, from anywhere between a flat and vertical angle. In the tests for the clients, the drone "loitered for several hours until the target was selected. Then, with maximum precision, it dived directly on to it," the statement continued.

While the potential buyers of the drone were not disclosed by the Israeli company, a report by Drone Wars UK published in January last year shows that the Harop drone has previously been exported to Germany, India and Turkey.

A military plane crash in Spain was probably caused by computer files being accidentally wiped from three of its engines, according to investigators.

Plane-maker Airbus discovered anomalies in the A400M's data logs after the crash, suggesting a software fault.

And it has now emerged that Spanish investigators suspect files needed to interpret its engine readings had been deleted by mistake.

This would have caused the affected propellers to spin too slowly.

The aeroplane crashed near Seville, during a test flight on 9 May, killing four crew members on board.

Several countries that had already accepted deliveries of the plane - including the UK - grounded them following the accident.

However, Airbus has announced it plans to fly one of its own A400M aircraft at the Paris Air Show next week.

The twin-engine jet dubbed "Mitten" by Western intelligence is now showing its credentials as a genuine multi-role fighter.

When an air force wants to maximize its combat potential, a trainer  —  even a jet-powered one  —  might not be the most obvious choice of aircraft.

But today's multi-role combat trainers are a viable and comparatively low-cost alternative to conventional fighters  —  even one that originates from behind the former Iron Curtain.

Like many post-Soviet military projects, it took a long time before any pilots got their hands on the Yak-130. But now the aircraft is showing up at the Russian air force's advanced flight training schools.

Further, the Kremlin has begun deliveries to Belarus, a close military ally of Moscow. Previously, the Kremlin delivered Yak-130s to Algeria, another established customer of Russian-made warplanes.

The Yak-130 has three hard-points under each wing. That means it can carry up to three tons of air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, precision-guided bombs, free-fall bombs, rockets, gun pods, and external fuel tanks.

Another two stations at the wingtips can carry air-to-air missiles or decoy launchers to spoof enemy heat-seeking missiles. That's not at all. Under its belly, the plane can carry a hard-hitting 23-millimeter cannon.

Recent photographs reveal the next stage in the Yak-130's maturation to a combat aircraft. In the photos, a Yak wearing the latest Russian military markings has a characteristic "bump" in front of the cockpit. This could house the LD-130 laser rangefinder and TV camera for identifying targets and improving the accuracy of its weapons.

Hang two 500-pound bombs, a gun pod and a pair of fuel tanks on a Yak-130 and it will have a maximum operational radius of 367 nautical miles. That's fairly respectable compared to the F-16, which will haul two 2,000-pound bombs, two AIM-9 Sidewinders, and a pair of external fuel tanks over a radius of 740 nautical miles.

The subsonic Yak-130 belongs to a class of aircraft known as lead-in fighter trainers  —  or LIFTs. For a modern-day air force, LIFTs allow student pilots to familiarize themselves with the advanced technology they'll encounter once strapped into a front-line fighter's cockpit.

$425 million dispensed over several years, and spread across the likes of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, is certainly a thin investment.  It can’t buy fighter upgrades, aircraft carriers, strategic airlift, or military bases and ports.  It can’t bring a screeching halt to China’s land reclamation, or immediately change the calculations that lead to China’s next salami-slicing move in the South China Sea.

What it can do, if well invested, is lay the foundations for greater collaboration and interoperability among reluctant Southeast Asian militaries, as well as other extra-regional partners who also have a stake in a peaceful South China Sea.

This can be done in part by creating more opportunities for ASEAN militaries to participate in security cooperation and International Military Education and Training initiatives with the United States.  This type of training investment strengthens U.S. defense relationships with regional allies and partners, which is crucial to regional stability; building and sustaining active defense networks with partners is a credible manifestation of an enduring U.S. commitment.  It also gives low-capacity ASEAN militaries the chance to integrate their military services with U.S. and coalition networks in multilateral military exercises in which they might not otherwise be able to participate.

Most importantly though, this special fund should be used to fill a glaring operational hole in U.S. Asia strategy: shared situational awareness in the South China Sea.  Maritime Southeast Asia needs a common real-time picture for military and commercial ships and aircraft operating in the area, helping manage friction and avoid accidents by allowing everyone to see what assets are positioned where, and what they are doing.  Plus, a collective picture is a logical starting point for mobilizing collective action.

Combat helmets have come a long way from their humble beginnings during World War I.

One of the most iconic pieces of equipment worn by American service members is the combat helmet. From the flat-brimmed “Brodie” M1917 helmet worn by doughboys in World War I, to the M1 “Steel Pot” that troops wore throughout World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, helmets have come to represent American troops at war. Historically, these helmets have mainly been about protection against bumps, exploding shrapnel, and debris; until recently, helmets were not even rated to stop handgun bullets consistently. But in the past 15 years, helmets have evolved far past simple protection.

At the turn of the millennium, the standard issue battlefield protection gear was the Personal Armor System for Ground Troops, which consisted of an armored vest and helmet. The helmet  was referred to by troops as simply a “Kevlar,” for its use of the aramid fiber that provided the ballistic protection. While the PAGST helmet offered better protection than the previous M1 helmet, it was unpopular with troops. In a study of soldier satisfaction with the PAGST helmet, the Army found out how dissatisfied they were: “Only 30% of PASGT users were satisfied with their helmet’s maintainability, and 15% were satisfied with its fit. Less than 10% of PASGT users were satisfied with their helmet’s comfort, weight, and overall impression.” They criticised the poor chinstrap design, padding, and overall fit; these issues, coupled with the distinctive brim of the helmet, led to problems with the PAGST helmet tilting forward, an annoyance when trying to do certain critical tasks such as casualty care or shooting from the prone. It became clear that an updated helmet was needed.

In early 2000s, special operations forces began to use a helmet called the Modular Integrated Communications Helmet, commonly referred to as the MICH. The MICH’s design allowed over-ear communications headsets to be worn more comfortably under the helmet; it also offered reduced weight, improved fit, and more effective protection against handgun rounds. There were three versions of the MICH offering different levels of side coverage versus communications capability. The Army developed an improved version of the MICH-2000 design called the Advanced Combat Helmet, and began fielding it in 2003. The tradeoff was an 8% overall reduction in coverage compared to the previous PASGT helmet. The Marine Corps diverged from the Army and adopted the Lightweight Helmet, which featured the improved materials of the ACH, but retained the overall profile of the old PASGT helmet. The MICH, ACH, and Lightweight Helmet all more readily accommodated the mounting of night-vision devices, which were becoming increasingly ubiquitous among American forces in the Global War on Terror signaled that helmets were becoming an modular equipment platform unto themselves

That concept would be realized when a company called Ops-Core developed its flagship product, the Future Assault Shell Technology, or FAST, helmet. Designed for special operations forces, it featured an integrated mount for night vision, as well as built-in retention lanyards for any night-vision devices. More significantly, along the rim of each side of the helmet was a mounting platform for accessories. The wearer could mount task lights, hearing protection, communication accessories, face protection, oxygen systems, video cameras, and numerous other devices. The FAST helmet came with pre-applied Velcro, which had become popular for mounting callsign and infrared identifiers. Rounding out the design was a new dial-based liner and strap system, which made adjusting the fit significantly easier. Despite being 30% lighter, the FAST still exceed the ballistic protection requirements of the ACH. The helmet quickly became popular with special operations forces, seeing use with units like the 75th Ranger Regiment, Naval Special Warfare, Marine Special Operations Command, and the Air Force special operations community. Ops-Core also developed accessory rails for the existing MICH and ACH designs. Other designs would follow the modular design trend, with the Crye Precision Airframe and the Team Wendy Exfil being two popular competitors. These helmets started to spread outside the special operations realm, with the armies of Norway and Australia adopting the Ops-Core and Crye helmets.

PHOENIX, 12 June 2015. Honeywell Aerospace (NYSE:HON) is delivering its LASEREF VI Inertial Navigation System as for future and in-service Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland AW101 tactical transport helicopters. The inertial navigation upgrade helps helicopter pilots navigate with extreme accuracy, even with the loss of GPS satellite guidance, and brings new capabilities to the platform including greater efficiency.


The new upgrade will be available to operators starting in 2016. The availability of the LASEREF VI Inertial Navigation System (INS) on the AW101 marks the first time that a Honeywell civilinertial reference systemhas been certified on an AgustaWestland platform.

“The advanced technology behind the LASEREF VI will bring a wealth of new functionality for AW101 helicopters,” says Steve Lien, vice president, Defense and Space International, Honeywell Aerospace. “Operators who select the platform will benefit fromprecise flying approaches not previously possible, and pilots will be able to achieve accurate positioning data and maximize safety during operations.”

Honeywell’s LASEREF VI will help AW101 operators improve mission capability and flexibility of their fleet, reduce their pilot workload, and ensure that safety is maintained at all times, officials say.

AW101 operators flying Honeywell’s LASEREFVI INS can take advantage of new capabilities including a Required Navigation Performance (RNP) of 0.3 nautical miles with 100 percent availability. With this level of precision, operators can fly approaches not previously possible, including when GPS is temporarily interrupted. It also lays the foundation for them to obtain helicopter operational approval for RNP low-level operations.

The USS Ronald Reagan, also known as Gipper, the former president's nickname from a movie in which he starred, is the second new supercarrier, while the USS George Washington has been commissioned since 1992. Captain Chris Bolt said the Reagan provides stability to the regions where she is stationed.

"Our logistic capability is pretty extensive, we carry a lot of supplies, we can go fast and we don't burn a lot of oil because of nuclear power," said Capt Bolt. "So we can go a long way in a short period of time."

The move points to the possibility the US is trying to pressure China over mainland reclamation efforts at sea.

But Rear Adm Patrick Piercey, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9, said the presence of US ships or aircraft carriers in the region only reflect the US commitment to ensure peace and stability.

He insisted the Reagan will stay uninvolved in the South China Sea disputes.