the armor?
engine location

Can it take a hit from a missile?

A helicopter of the Honduran Air Force crashed while being used in a display of skydiving in La Labor, Ocotepeque. The pilot of the Bell 412 type ship, registration FAH-977, lost control about seven meters after takeoff from becoming entangled in cables for public lighting of a stadium.

Apparently, the aircraft took flight back to Tegucigalpa when the accident happened.The Armed Forces, through a press release, made a description of the incident in which it is stated that the helicopter "presented a mechanical failure during the maneuver takeoff near the community of work, Ocotepeque, forcing the captain aircraft to make a precautionary landing, causing no damage to third parties or loss of life."

Korean Show Highlights KF-X Fighter Project

by Jim Winchester
October 23, 2015, 7:31 AM


A model of the twin-engine KF-X design was a prominent feature of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) stand. (Jim Winchester)

Korea’s KF-X indigenous fighter project was again a center of attention at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (ADEX 2015), held this week at Seongnam airbase, south of the capital. Korean Air unveiled a new unmanned version of the MD500 “Little Bird” helicopter. The small daily flying display was blighted by atmospheric haze, which prevented most acts from getting airborne during the first half of the week.

No major progress on KF-X was announced at ADEX, but a model of the twin-engine, twin-tail C103 design was displayed on the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) stand. The lower-cost single-engine C501 version shown at ADEX 2013 was not evident this year. Program interest currently centers on the supply by foreign OEMs of powerplants and radars. Eurojet’s EJ200 and GE’s F404 and F414 are among the engine contenders for the Korean RFP. Eurojet had a production engine on display and an F414-powered Boeing Super Hornet was in the static display. Having supplied F404 engines for the T-50 in partnership with KAI, GE is bullish about its prospects. A decision on the KF-X engine is expected in 2016.

Saab was showing off its new and as yet unnamed AESA radar at ADEX. Intended as a replacement for the mechanically scanned radar in the Gripen C/D variants, it is scaleable to fit a variety of platforms and Saab is hopeful that it will be a candidate for KF-X. AESA radar is one of four key technologies that U.S. industry cannot now supply to South Korea, following a ban by the U.S. Congress. Saab’s offering is ITAR-free. Selex Gallileo was also present at ADEX, showing its Vixen 1000E AESA radar.

The Shkval "moves under the surface like a torpedo, but is generally referred to as a missile or rocket because it creates a pocket of air to move through in the water. This reduces friction and allows it to fly through the water at speeds of over 230 mph," WATM observed, referring to what is known as supercavitation.

The torpedo, armed with conventional warheads, boasts a maximum firing range of 4.3 miles, while its improved version, known as Shkval 2, has an effective firing range of up to 9.3 miles. The Shkval is reportedly up to four times faster than any other torpedo in the world.

"There are no evident countermeasures to such a weapon, its employment could put adversary naval forces at a considerable disadvantage," FAS Military Analysis Network noted.

The raid was a joint effort by US Delta Forces and the Kurdish Peshmurga special forces, NBC News and The Post reported. An ISIS flag can be seen in the video, which plays out in its entirety from inside the building.

ISIS has been the target of US-led airstrikes in both Iraq and Syria for more than a year.

Business Insider's military reporter Jeremy Bender wrote that Master Sergeant Wheeler's killing brings the death toll among the anti-ISIS coalition to three.

A Canadian soldier was killed in friendly fire in March, and ISIS executed Jordanian pilot, Moaz al-Kasasbeh, in January.

When November Comes..

Marhalim Abas October 26, 2015 Malaysia - RMAF

SHAH ALAM: MALAYSIA is expected to sign for at least eight MD-530G light attack scout helicopter in late November. The helicopters to be operated jointly by the RMAF and the Army are expected to be deployed in ESSCOM once delivered.

Industry sources told Malaysian Defence, officials were working feverishly to ensure that the signing ceremony could be held in November when Malaysia is scheduled to host the East Asia summit.

However, if the agreement could not be worked out for the signing ceremony this November, the deal could be made official at the DSA 2016 exhibition next April.

Apart from the MD530G, Boeing AH-6i and ex-US Army Kiowa Warriors were also considered to fulfill the Light Scout Attack Helicopter requirement.

It is not known what type of weapons are to be procured for the Little Birds. According to MD Helicopters, the MH-530G could be fitted with a range of weapons systems from the Dillon Aero M134D minigun, the FN Herstal 50 caliber Heavy Machine Gune Pod or the Heavy Machine Rocket Gun Pod, the Talon guided rockets and the Hellfire ATGM. The helicopter could also be fitted with personnel carrying rig.

It is expected that the Little Bird version to be procured is the same as the example displayed at LIMA 2015 earlier this year.

Among others, the MD 530G displayed at LIMA featured the 650 shp Rolls Royce 250-C30 engine, longer main-rotor blades, high-capacity landing gear, the Moog Stores Management System (SMS), Harris Corporation’s RF-7850A-UA tactical radio and the Thales’ Scorpion helmet-mounted cueing system.

It also featured the Mace Aviation Extended Range Weapons Wing(ER2W), FN Herstal Machine Gun Pods and Rocket Machine Pods, Dillon Aero M134D-H Mini-Gun, the L-3 Wescam MX-10, and M260 rocket pod with TALON laser-guided rockets.

Read more: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/def...fighter-project

  hai .......5 year already, until now still in toy .... 

8 MD-530G incoming

  hai .......5 year already, until now still in toy ....  

Indonesian PT Dirgantara have started construction of the production hangar for the KF-X/IF-X fighter jet at their facility.



Credit to the original uploader.

According to the commander of U.S. Army units in Europe, Lt. General Ben Hodges, Russia’s EW capabilities in Ukraine are “eye-watering,” while Ronald Pontius, deputy to Army Cyber Command Chief Lt. Gen. Edward Cardon, once said, “You can’t but come to the conclusion that we’re not making progress at the pace the threat demands.”

“They have companies, they have battalions, they have brigades that are dedicated to the electronic warfare mission,” Church said in an interview with Foreign Policy. Those units are deploying “with specific electronic warfare equipment, with specific electronic warfare chains of command,” he said.

For now, the Army is playing a catch-up game in order to integrate EW capability to its offensive apparatus. Church has emphasized the importance of soldiers training for new kinds of wars in light of recent events that have shown Russia’s EW capabilities to be miles ahead of Washington’s. Indeed, it is high time for the United States military to start thinking out of the box if it really wants to make any sort of headway in improving its EW capabilities because as things stand, the EW arsenal it has is not enough to counter the capabilities of the likes of Russia and China have at their disposal.

The overall cost of replacing and maintaining Britain's nuclear deterrent will reach 167 billion pounds ($256 billion), much more than expected, according to a lawmaker's and Reuters' calculations based on official figures.

The Scottish Nationalist Party, which wants Britain's Scotland-based nuclear-armed Trident submarines scrapped, called the sum "unthinkable and indefensible" at a time when deep cuts under the government's "austerity" policies mean "thousands of people across the UK are struggling to afford basics like food".

Indonesian PT Dirgantara have started construction of the production hangar for the KF-X/IF-X fighter jet at their facility.



Credit to the original uploader.

US worries Russia would cut undersea data cables in a conflict



Many military commanders will tell you that it's wise to cut the enemy's lines of communication. However, the US is concerned that Russia may take this advice one step too far. The New York Times understands that Russia is positioning submarines and spy ships near hard-to-reach segments of undersea data cables, hinting that it might sever internet connections in the event of a conflict. As you might gather, that would create serious problems for the world as a whole, not just Russia's enemies. Depending on the line, a cut could disrupt internet access (and thus economies) in countries that wouldn't even be involved in the fight.

Whether or not it gets to that point isn't clear. Russia could be saber rattling, or looking for secret US military cables whose loss wouldn't be quite so catastrophic. Whatever the purpose, the fleet movements serve as a not-so-friendly reminder that the internet might be one of the first casualties if there's ever a large-scale war.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/25/us-worr...ndersea-cables/

Seoul Debates Best Strategy To Acquire AESA Radar

By Jung Sung-ki
20 hours ago

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean defense officials are in a quandary over how to acquire an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a key component for the country’s fighter development program code-named KF-X, following the US refusal to transfer the advanced radar technology.

South Korea had expected  to learn the AESA technology for the KF-X jet through offset deals connected to its F-X III contract to buy 40 Lockheed Martin-built F-35As.

South Korea seeks to develop a twin-engine KF-X fighter jet on par with the F-16 and produce 120 units starting in 2025 to replace its F-4 and F-5 fleets. The project is estimated to cost some US $16 billion.

But the US government refused to transfer four of the 25 fighter technologies South Korea wanted, citing the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Those technologies concerned AESA, an electro-optical targeting pod, infrared search-and-rescue systems, and a radio frequency jammer.

During the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX), which ran from Oct. 20 to 25, European radar makers sought to woo South Koreans apparently disappointed by the US.

Sweden’s Saab offered to develop an AESA with South Korea.

“We’ve done the flight test with the backend system and antenna elements,” said Tom Bratt, marketing executive of Saab Electronic Defence Systems. “We’re ready to go to the next phase once we have a platform available. Then we can start to make all the proper integrations.”

Bratt said Saab could complete the development of the AESA system with South Korea, as the Swedish company had been engaged in a joint study on the radar with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), which is affiliated with South Korea’s arms agency.

“Once we have a contract, it will take about two years to deliver the first system,” he added.

Finmeccanica’s Selex is pitching its Captor-E radar fitted for the Eurofighter Typhoon. The British and Italian aerospace group recommends Seoul adopt the Selex radar and subsequently localize it in phases.

“The bottom line is we’ll try to meet the Korean demands as much as we can,” a Selex official said on condition of anonymity.

“The best option right now is for Korea to produce the Captor-E radar under license first, and with Selex’s tech transfer, Korea would be able to localize the AESA technology,” he said.

Israel also has joined the radar competition, capitalizing on its previous works with South Korea.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) supplied its EL/M-2032 pulse Doppler radar for the FA-50 jet, a light armed variant of the T-50 supersonic trainer aircraft. The company now is offering the EL/M-2052 airborne AESA fire control radar for the KF-X plane.

“We’re willing and looking forward to cooperating with Korea,” said Igal Karny, deputy director of Elta Systems’ marketing and sales division. “The whole radar is our radar. We’re exporting the radar according to our regulations,” Karny said, apparently referring to Korea’s wariness of AESA export control.