Russia developing massive Ekranoplan for use in future Arctic operations


A model of the proposed 'Rescuer' Ekranoplan

The Soviet era's enigmatic wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) "ekranoplans" are set to make a comeback according to various Russian media reports. In particular, a massive 600 ton design that is intended to carry out resupply and search and rescue missions in the Arctic is said to be in development, with flight testing planned for sometime in 2022 or 2023.

The design, dubbed "Rescuer" is described as being be 305 feet long with a wingspan of 233 feet. Supposedly the craft's large size was decided upon due to its ability to operate in rougher sea states than smaller alternatives and because it can fly over long distances, described by Russian sources as "several thousand kilometers."

Naval expert Alexander Mozgovoy told the Russian news paper Izvestia that "ekranoplans are much more economical than airplanes, it will be possible to quickly move more cargo for a longer distance... If they are equippes with air-cushioned landing gear, they will be able to land even on snow ridges and flat ice."

Supposedly the giant "Rescuer" will feature a wingspan more than 100 feet wider than the one found on Caspian Sea Monster, which actually makes sense considering it's planned for the type to include traditional landing gear as well as its boat-shaped hull. This amphibian format would theoretically allow the aircraft to fly at higher altitudes, outside of ground effect, but with far less efficiency, while also giving it access to traditional airstrips. Many Soviet-era ekranoplans also had the goal of flying at higher altitudes as well as in their standard WIG mode.

The image of a "Rescuer" model (top of post) shown to Russian officials and industry personnel at an arms expo looks more like the smaller but similar Lun class Ekranoplan than the Caspian Sea Monster. It's possible that the Lun class design was sized up to meet certain requirements.

Russia is said to also be actively developing a medium-sized ekranoplan for use in the Caspian and Baltic seas. Dubbed the A-050 "Seagull," this WIG flying boat will have a displacement of approximately one tenth of the "Rescuer" design, or around 54 tons, and is slated to can carry 100 passengers. The interior of the 115 foot hybrid aircraft will look like an airliner and in total it can carry 18,000lbs.


A model of the A-050 'Seagull' Ekranoplan

Its intended uses include passenger service, cargo hauling, environmental monitoring, and working for the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. Most ekranoplans have the ability to access unimproved beach areas, which along with their high speed and heavy lifting ability, makes them pretty useful for disaster response.

Russia seems willing to spend big money is in the Arctic—a place Moscow views as a strategic stronghold that can be dominated early on for control of the region's energy reserves and emerging shipping routes.

With an expanding footprint in the frigid arctic, logistics are likely a major hurdle, and a craft like an ekranoplan may be an ideal long-term solution worth investing in. Outside of its stated humanitarian and support missions, the "Rescuer" is a fast ski-skimming target (around 300mph) that is impervious to submarine torpedoes or mine warfare. In essence, this is an access weapon as much as anything else.

Cash-strapped Royal Navy forced to cannibalize ships to keep its fleet going


HMS Artful, an Astute-class SSN of the Royal Navy

Royal Navy ships and submarines are being increasingly ‘cannibalized’ in a desperate attempt to keep Britain’s fleet at sea, a damning report claims today. Navy chiefs have doubled the amount of times they strip parts from vessels in order to maintain other ships and submarines on patrol, an investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.

During 2016-17 there were 795 instances of equipment cannibalization, equating to 66 instances a month. The term ‘cannibalisation’ refers to the removal of a working part from one vessel to put it in another. The danger is that if equipment was cannibalized enough from a ship without eventual replacement, the affected ship could be unfit for combat operations.

The report said budget cuts in the last two years could have increased the need to move parts between vessels and naval helicopters. The report also warned this was affecting morale on the subs and ships.

Nuclear-powered Astute-class hunter-killer submarines, some of the most modern and advanced vessels in the Royal Navy, experienced the highest level of cannibalisation in the fleet with 59 instances per boat on average.

Official guidance states that cannibalization should only happen when no other solution is available. But the NAO said delays in deliveries of spares and a lack of information about when parts will be available contributed to the increase in the practice.

‘The risk of cannibalization has increased further with reductions in fleet sizes meaning the armed forces have limited alternative equipment to deploy,’ the report noted. The NAO said the Ministry of Defence had taken decisions to cut support to save overall costs, which could have exacerbated the problem of cannibalization.

‘In the past two years, the Navy has removed an estimated £92million from its maritime support in-year budgets,’ the report said. That amounted to 34 per cent of the total £271million of maritime support budget cuts.




Goddamn, UK armed forces really going downhill nowadays.

Russian military has created a dedicated anti-UAV Electronic Warfare (EW) unit


A Russian Army Krashuka-4 EW jammer system

The Russian army has established a ground-based unit specializing in defeating enemy drones. The unit—the first of its kind in Russia—operates powerful electronic jamming systems that, in theory, can sever the radio connections between unmanned aerial vehicles and their operators.

Russian-made jammers reportedly have been successful in forcing down drones in the recent past.

The counter-drone unit formed in Kursk in western Russia, the Kremlin announced on October 28. "The company is based on contract servicemen, sergeants and officers—specialists for combating drones with the help of electronic-warfare assets," the Kremlin stated.

"They are the special forces of electronic warfare," Col. Alexander Vostrikov, the unit's command, said in the official statement.

The photo accompanying the Kremlin's announcement depicts a Krasukha jammer—in essence, a powerful radio emitter on a heavy-duty truck.

The Krasukha-4 broadband multifunctional jamming station is mounted on a BAZ-6910-022 four-axle-chassis. The Krasukha-4 is designed to counter AWACS and other airborne radar systems.

The Krasukha-4 has the range for effectively disrupting signals from low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and can cause permanent damage to targeted radio-electronic devices. Ground based radars are also a viable target for the Krasukha-4.

Russia has deployed Krasukha EW systems to Syria in an effort to form a sort of electronic umbrella over Russian and allied forces in the country. The jammer can disrupt an enemy's own signals, potentially preventing ground-based controllers from steering their drones via radio or satellite.

Compulsory armed national service of civilian population (like Singapore NS) can help raise large numbers of trained soldiers in case of state emergency, but on the flip side also can provide readily-trained rebels and militants to the other side in case of insurgency or civil war against the government.

A theory says that the civil wars in Syria and Iraq is went as long as it did because the rebels and insurgents, as civilians, were given military training as conscripts during their national services and are of much better quality & tactically alert than purely civilian rebels.

This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Nov 10 2017, 11:38 AM

Like it or not, I'd say this practice probably represents 99% of the media nowadays. Everybody has an agenda.

MoD chiefs plan to disband an armored infantry brigade to cut costs although £380m has been paid to upgrade its Warrior IFVs


A British Army Warrior IFV

Defence bosses have spent millions refurbishing British armored vehicles which as well could be scrapped soon.

At least £381million has been given to Lockheed Martin over six years to overhaul and fit new gun turrets to Britain's ageing fleet of Warriors, which have served in the Gulf, Bosnia and Iraq.

But Ministry of Defence documents forecast the Warrior upgrade is a year behind schedule, with the programme incurring millions in extra costs as a result of delays.

Up to 380 new Warriors were to be upgraded under the original 2016 plans, forming the backbone of two armoured infantry brigades planned as part of a reorganisation of the army.

However, The Times reported last month that one of these brigades could well be disbanded, with hundreds of its fighting vehicles scrapped as part of a drive to cut defence costs.

A review of the overall defence spending programme is also under way, which has led to speculation over cuts to the Royal Marines and the navy's amphibious assault vehicles as well as the Warrior programme.

Labour's Kevan Jones, a former defence minister, said: 'Minsters need to urgently explain how £381 million has already been spent on a vehicle that might now only be deployed in very limited numbers.




The British Army continues its slide downwards.....

That would be true if that is the case, but according to the news report, this is not a simple reorganization/conversion of the brigades, but a major cost-cutting measure. Not that much can be saved by simply disssolving the brigade and folding existing units into the remaining brigades, thus rendering the cost-cutting measure moot. While you remove (a bit) the administration costs, the bulk of the costs, vehicle maintenance and personnel costs still remain.

Not to mention that the modernization process of the 600 Warrior IFVs by Lockheed Martin (started back in 2011) has been delayed so much that millions of pounds of cost overruns has been accumulated on top of the initial costs, further eating into already strained UK defence budget.

EU paves formal integration of European defence forces with signing of PESCO agreement



SUMMARY
Defense and foreign ministers from 23 European Union countries signed up to a plan to establish the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), which will allow countries to cooperate more closely on security operations and building up military capability.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini described the signing of PESCO as a "historic moment in European defense."

The decision to launch PESCO, strongly backed by France and Germany, indicates Europe's move towards self-sufficiency in defense matters instead of relying solely on NATO. The EU, however, also stressed that PESCO is complimentary to NATO, in which 22 of the EU's 28 countries are members.

It's implementation has been expedited by the decision taken by the UK, a long critic of European defence cooperation, to leave the EU and by the urging of the newly elected pro-EU French president Emmanuel Macron. However, the final shape of the PESCO signatories is still undecided, with France favoring integrating a few key nations to oversee overall European defence and Germany favoring as many European participants as possible.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the launch, saying that he saw it as an opportunity to "strengthen the European pillar within NATO." Stoltenberg had previously urged European nations to increase their defense budget.

"I'm a firm believer of stronger European defense, so I welcome PESCO because I believe that it can strengthen European defense, which is good for Europe but also good for NATO," Stoltenberg said.

WHAT IS IT?
Under the scheme, EU member states will be able to develop greater military capabilities, invest in joint projects and increase the readiness of their troops.

Co-operating and harmonising requirements and pool resources in the fields related to defence equipment acquisition, research, funding and utilisation, notably the programs and initiatives of the European Defence Agency (e.g. Code of Conduct on Defence Procurement)

Capacity to supply, either at national level or as a component of multinational force groups, targeted combat units for the missions planned, structured at a tactical level as a battle group, with support elements including transport (airlift, sealift) and logistics, within a period of five to 30 days, in particular in response to requests from the United Nations Organization, and which can be sustained for an initial period of 30 days and be extended up to at least 120 days.

Capable of carrying out in the above timeframes the tasks of joint disarmament operations, humanitarian and rescue tasks, military advice and assistance tasks, conflict prevention and peace-keeping tasks, tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peace-making and post-conflict stabilisation.

Final negotiations are still ongoing, however it is expected a final agreement on the EU defence framework would be signed by December.

MEMBERSHIP
-Participation in PESCO is voluntary for all of the EU's 28 member states
-23 countries have signed up to the plan
-Ireland, Portugal and Malta are still undecided whether or not to join
-Denmark, which has a special opt-out status, is not expected to participate
-The United Kingdom, which is scheduled to leave the EU in 2019, is not part of PESCO either but can still choose to take part in certain aspects even after Brexit - if that participation is of benefit to the entire EU.
-Those who didn't sign initially can still join at a later date and countries not living up to their expected commitments could be kicked out of the group.

H&K to supply new HK 416A7 rifles for German ground and naval Special Forces



On the 11 October the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) announced the selection of Heckler & Koch’s HK416A7 for Germany’s Special Forces.

The new rifle will be adopted as the G95 and will replace the older G36Ks currently in service with the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) and the Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine (KSM). Some new images of the G95 have appeared online thanks to Europäische Sicherheit & Technik, one of Germany’s leading defence technology publications.

From this we know the HK416A7 will have a 14.5 inch barrel and is heavier than its predecessor, the A5, weighing 3.7kg or 8.2lbs. The contract calls for 1,745 rifles and accompanying accessories. From a post on ESUT’s facebook page we now know that these accessories include sound suppressors, slings and a full spares and training package.

Zimbabwe in turmoil as possible coup develops: Gunshots and explosions heard in Harare as military takes over state TV channel


A military spokesperson addressing the nation after its takeover of ZBC network

Fears of a coup sent shockwaves around Zimbabwe as the military seized its national state TV broadcaster after at least three explosions were heard in Harare.
Armed soldiers were also seen assaulting passers-by in the capital and loading ammunition near a group of four military vehicles in an unprecedented challenge to Robert Mugabe.

The Zimbabwean President's house, where gunfire and explosions was heard this morning, was also surrounded by soldiers, but speculation suggested it was for his own protection amid suggestions his 37-year reign was coming to an end.

Tanks had been making their way to the city centre throughout the day yesterday as tensions reached boiling point.


General Constantino Chiwenga (right) warning of a military takeover during a press conference on Monday

Zimbabwe's head of the military, General Constantino Chiwenga said he could 'step in' to end President Mugabe's 'purge' of opponents on Monday. This prompted the ruling ZANU-PF party to say it would never succumb to military pressure and described the statement by the armed forces chief as 'treasonable conduct'.

Mugabe plunged the country into crisis last week by sacking vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, widely seen as a power move to make way for his wife Grace to succeed him.

n Harare in the early hours of this morning, aggressive soldiers told passing cars to keep moving through the darkness. 'Don't try anything funny. Just go,' one barked at a reporter on Harare Drive.

Two hours later, soldiers overran the headquarters of the ZBC, Zimbabwe's state broadcaster and a principal Mugabe mouthpiece, and ordered staff to leave. The military has since released a live broadcast: A man in military fatigues said the army wanted to deal with people who "were committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country".

"As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy."

The US embassy in Harare tweeted that it would be closed on Wednesday "due to ongoing uncertainty". It also advised US citizens in Zimbabwe to "shelter in place" until further notice.

In movies, this is the part when SHTF. Exactly when they say 'these maneuvers are just exercises'.

Robert Mugabe placed under house arrest as his wife flees to Namibia; Army insists it is merely 'restoring democracy'.


A Zimbabwe Army armored vehicle guards an intersection in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare.

Zimbabwe is under the control of the country's military after troops, who are holding President Robert Mugabe under house arrest, seized the state broadcaster.

In what appeared to be a coup against the 93-year-old Mugabe - the world's oldest head of state - the military was at pains to emphasise it had not staged a military takeover, but was instead starting a process to restore Zimbabwe's democracy.

The military appears to have brought an end to Mugabe's long, 37-year reign in what the army's supporters praised as a 'bloodless correction'.

Grace, his wife, is said to have fled to Namibia according to an opposition MP, though there has been no official confirmation of her whereabouts.

In his first contact with the outside world since the takeover, Mugabe spoke by telephone to the president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, and told him he was confined to his home but fine, the South African presidency said in a statement.

Mugabe is now likely to be forced to hand power to his sacked vice president in a few weeks to make today's coup appear legal, experts have claimed.

Deposed vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, a veteran of Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation wars who was sacked by Mugabe earlier this month, is believed to have returned from exile.

The dismissal of Mnangagwa, nicknamed the Crocodile, had left Grace Mugabe, 52, in prime position to succeed her husband as the next president - a succession strongly opposed by senior ranks in the military.

They were airborne for 6+ hours trying to burn fuel b4 attempting a belly landing. We will have to assume the crew did everything conceivable during the time to try to deploy the landing gear. Heck i bet somene even called Lockheed Martin to try to find out how to solve the problem.

Or perhaps are u insinuating otherwise? Maybe if all-knowing person such as u would save the day instead of those trained & experienced aircrew (who are actually onboard).

I still believe they wil call airod anyway as the primary maintenance provider of RMAF hercs, i dont doubt that.

Just probably having some input from the original manufacturer of the hercs would be helpful as well. They were up there for 6+ hours, any sort of help would be possible in the meantime.

During that time an emergency conference call by RMAF or airod via skype to Lockheed Martin engineers specializing on hercs would be possible and easy this day and age.

But what do i know rite?

Russian defence ministry appoints gorgeous 26-year old former anchor as spokesperson



Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has appointed a new spokesperson, a 26 year-old former correspondent Rossiyana Markovskaya, who is already winning over hearts not only with her professionalism but also because of her gorgeous looks.

Markovskaya is from Vladivostok where she graduated from the Department of Journalism at the Far Eastern Federal University. She worked for the Vladivostok State TV and Radio Company, and later became a correspondent for the federal television channel Zvezda.

President Putin urges Russian businesses and enterprises to be capable of switching to wartime production at a moment's notice


A factory worker assembling an RPK light machine gun. President Putin has urged Russian factories to be capable of switching to war production rapidly

Vladimir Putin has said that all Russian businesses must be ready to meet war-time needs at any moment. The Russian President made the remarks at a meeting of world military chiefs in Sochi on Wednesday.

It comes a day after he said Russia should aim to overtake the West in terms of military technology because: 'If we want to win, we have to be better.'

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Putin added: 'The ability of our economy to increase military production and services at a given time is one of the most important aspects of military security.

'To this end, all strategic, and simply large-scale enterprise should be ready, regardless of ownership.'

Russian military spending largely declined throughout the Nineties due to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the following economic chaos, but starting in 2000 the country has massively increased its defence budget. The amount it spent on its armed forces more than doubled between the turn of the millennium and 2004, and has shot up even faster in recent years.

It is now the world's third largest military spender, behind the US and China.

Russian military morale is also buoyed by the largely successful Russian air and ground campaign in Syria. A concerted effort by Russian air power and the reorganization & retraining of the Syrian Arab Army is showing fruit, with ISIS territories reduced to just a few pockets of resistance in cities in the east of the country, located along the Euphrates River.

EADS radar at Butterworth AFB you mean?

Bizarre Cold War stories: The one time where Pepsi Co. was the 6th most powerful Naval force in the world



In 1972 Donald Kendall was president of Pepsi since 1963 and had been seeking for years to take Pepsi to the USSR. Kendall was a friend of Nixon (who was already president of the U.S.) and tried to play that card. He made use of his political influence to strike a trade agreement to take the drink to the Soviet Union.

In 1972 the deal was almost signed, but an important question came up: How was the Soviet Union going to pay Pepsi? The problem was that the USSR did not have access to foreign currency and the ruble could not be exchanged in the international market. The solution was to pay with vodka! The Soviet government had large amounts of vodka, since most of the brands of that drink were state-owned. So it was agreed that the USSR would pay with Stolichnaya vodka, a brand created in 1901 following the recipe designed by the famous Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleiev.

In 1989, the initial agreement between Pepsi and the USSR was about to expire and the negotiations to sign a new one began. At that time, Pepsi was a big thing there, they had more than 20 factories in the USSR that bottled the drink for distribution. The new trade agreement had a cost of about three billion dollars. It was clear that the Pepsi market share in the Soviet Union was far more profitable than the original vodka deal. The USSR still had difficulties in international markets to exchange rubles, so they had to find an alternative method of payment.

Again the Soviet Union found a novel if somewhat bizarre solution: In the 1980s they had plenty of military equipment inherited from the Cold War. The USSR offered to pay Pepsi with a fleet of obsolete naval ships. Bizarre as it seems, Pepsi accepted the deal because they knew that it was the only way to continue to sell Pepsi in the USSR and maintain their considerable market share there. The agreement included 17 submarines, a cruiser, a frigate and a destroyer, which were immediately sold to a Swedish company for scrap recycling. Those naval warships made Pepsi become, for a few days, the 6th largest Naval power in the world (on paper at least, as the ships were shipped straight to Sweden from the USSR).

The president of Pepsi, Donald Kendall, told the American National Security Adviser, General Colin Powell: "We are disarming the USSR faster than you".

If you see the map, the robbery location is in the middle of the ocean with no near land mass. Obviously it's a targeted hit, not a passing target of opportunity. The robber must have known an expensive shipment is confirmed en route to risk so much investment on his men and gear getting to that far-off location.

Virgin= morally good, no evil thoughts, serve with 100% pure heart.

Non-virgin= immoral, potential corrupt, slu**y & always tempt male co-workers.