Air:

Boeing announces delay to Australia's Wedgetail aircraft
AUSTRALIA's AUD3.6 billion (USD2.71 billion) Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft project has been further delayed, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has told Jane's.The aircraft were initially due for delivery in November but in June 2006 programme prime contractor Boeing said all six aircraft would be delivered "by the end of 2008", citing integration issues with certain hardware and software components as the causes of the delay.
[Jane's Defence Industry - first posted to http://jdin.janes.com - 27 November 2006]

Saudi Typhoon talks slow
BAE Systems has conceded that negotiations regarding the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon multirole combat aircraft to Saudi Arabia have "not exactly moved apace" in recent weeks - a comment that came in response to speculation concerning the future of the agreements.Reports concerning the future of the deal, which is thought to be worth up to GBP36 million (USD69.78 million), pushed the UK group's share price on the London Stock Exchange down from 414.5 pence on 22 November to 388.5 pence during early trading on 28 November.
[Jane's Defence Industry - first posted to http://jdin.janes.com - 28 November 2006]

UK chooses Ascent for military pilot training
ASCENT, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin UK and VT Group, has been selected as preferred contractor to meet the UK defence forces Military Flying Training System (MFTS) requirement - a multi-billion dollar contract that will provide a private finance initiative (PFI)-based service over 25 years.A tri-service effort, it will eventually provide a service from aircrew selection through to operational conversion and will be worth up to GBP6 billion (USD11.7 billion).
[Jane's Defence Industry - first posted to http://jdin.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

PAF prepares for JF-17s in 2007
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will take delivery of the first eight of 150 new JF-17 (FC-1) fighter aircraft built with Chinese co-operation in 2007 and hopes to have enough experience of flying the aircraft to consider marketing it for overseas customers by 2008, the chief of the Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir -Mehmood Ahmed, has told Jane's.The remarks from Pakistan's air force chief came in an interview during the country's largest biannual defence export exhibition, held in Karachi from 21-24 November: an event used by Pakistani officials to promote the JF-17. ACM Ahmed's comments follow recent reports that the JF-17's RD-93 Klimov Russian engine will be licensed by Russia for export by China to Pakistan
[Jane's Defence Weekly - first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 24 November 2006]

Progress slows on Saudi Eurofighter Typhoon deal
BAE Systems has conceded that negotiations regarding the sale of the Eurofighter Typhoon multirole combat aircraft to Saudi Arabia have "not exactly moved apace" in recent weeks. The comment came in response to speculation concerning the future of the agreement - reputedly worth up to GBP36 billion (USD69.3 billion) - which pushed down the UK group's shares on the London Stock Exchange from GBP414.5 pence on 22 November to GBP386.75 pence at the close of trading on 28 November.Continuing UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigations into BAE, including those relating to contracts for services in connection with defence contracts with the Saudi government, prompted media speculation that the Kingdom might withdraw altogether from talks on the Eurofighter deal.
[Jane's Defence Weekly - first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 30 November 2006]





Defence:

EADS seeks a sense of terra cognita for A400M with trials of low-level autopilot
EADS Military Air Systems is planning to start customer evaluations of a terrain-masking low-level flight (TMLLF) feature, under development for the Airbus Military A400M transport aircraft, later in 2007, programme officials have told Jane's.The evaluations, in the A400M cockpit simulator facility in Toulouse, France, will be done primarily with German Luftwaffe personnel, as this service is so far the only A400M customer to have ordered the TMLLF feature.
[Jane's International Defence Review - first posted to http://idr.janes.com - 27 November 2006]

QinetiQ wraps up first phase of ISE trials
QinetiQ has rounded off Phase I of the UK Ministry of Defence's Integrated Sensor to Effect (ISE or S2E) programme with a successful demonstration of redirecting an Enhanced Paveway II (EPW II) GPS-guided bomb in flight against a moving target. In earlier ISE trials staged at China Lake in the US in 2005, ground observers had been able to redirect specially adapted EPW II bombs twice in the same pass, but the targets themselves had been static.
[Jane's International Defence Review - first posted to http://idr.janes.com - 28 November 2006]

European Commission investigates Thales' proposed takeover of Alcatel interests
THE European Commission (EC) has launched a "detailed investigation" into Thales' proposed acquisition of Alcatel's interests in the Acatel Alenia Space (AAS) and Telespazio joint ventures (JVs) on the grounds that the proposed deals "give rise to competition concerns".The body now has until 17 April 2007 to decide whether to approve the acquisition, it emerged on 28 November.
[Jane's Defence Industry - first posted to http://jdin.janes.com - 29 November 2006]

Northrop Grumman seeks extended role for B-2 bomber
NORTHROP Grumman is seeking to expand the mission of its B-2 bomber to include 'unconventional ISR' (intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance) in a bid to keep the long-range bomber aircraft from drifting into obsolescence with the arrival of the US Air Force's (USAF's) new long-range strike bomber, scheduled for 2018.
[Jane's Defence Industry - first posted to http://jdin.janes.com - 29 November 2006]

US State Department confirms it has lifted sanctions on Sukhoi
THE US State Department has confirmed that sanctions imposed on Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi have been lifted, but questions remain as to whether the measure will continue to apply to Russian state-owned defence export organisation, Rosoboronexport.Following US claims that Russia was selling restricted items relating to 'weapons of mass destruction' to Iran, sanctions were imposed on Sukhoi in July under the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000.
[Jane's Defence Industry - first posted to http://jdin.janes.com - 29 November 2006]

QinetiQ looks for US acquisitions as sales surge
QINETIQ is looking to continue a push for growth through acquisitions in the US, Chief Executive Officer Graham Love has said, adding that the transatlantic market is likely to be the key sales driver in the coming year.The UK-based defence research and technology specialist saw sales increase by 87.8 per cent to GBP165.8 million (USD323.4 million) in North America during the six months to 30 September 2006.Organic growth stood at 9.2 per cent, while revenues were buoyed by recent acquisitions such as Apogen and Planning Systems (bought in September 2005) and Ocean Systems Engineering (purchased in May).
[Jane's Defence Industry - first posted to http://jdin.janes.com - 30 November 2006]


India and Russia aim BrahMos at export market
THE defence minister of India has said that both India and Russia are looking to export the jointly developed BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.Arackaparambil Kurian Antony said in the Indian parliament that the missile had "tremendous market potential in international arena".He added: "There are countries showing considerable interest in the product. Both the Indian and Russian governments will make a joint decision on the countries to whom the missile will be exported." It is expected that Russia and India are aiming to export BrahMos to several Gulf, East Asian and Latin American countries
[Jane's Defence Industry - first posted to http://jdin.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

Israel probes use of cluster munitions in Lebanon
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) is conducting an internal investigation into its use of cluster munitions during the July/August fighting in Lebanon against the Islamic Resistance - the armed wing of the Lebanese Shi'ite Party of God (Hizbullah).Following reports on a large number of unexploded submunitions found in southern Lebanon, which since the fighting have claimed the lives of more than 20 Lebanese civilians, IDF Chief of Staff (CoS) Lieutenant General Dan Halutz ordered a special inquiry into the use of cluster bombs during the conflict. Initial findings indicate that, while the Israel Air Force refrained from using cluster bombs in proximity to inhabited areas, IDF artillery had fired cluster munitions around Lebanese villages and towns.From the start of the conflict, the IDF was using its 227 mm Multiple Launcher Rocket System (MLRS) batteries to strike areas from which Hizbullah was firing rockets at Israeli targets
[Jane's Defence Weekly - first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

EC probes Thales' move on Alcatel Alenia Space
The European Commission (EC) has launched a detailed investigation into Thales' proposed acquisition of Alcatel's interests in the Alcatel Alenia Space (AAS) and Telespazio joint ventures on the grounds that the proposed deals give rise to competition concerns.The body now has until 17 April 2007 to decide whether to approve the acquisition, it emerged on 28 November.Thales, which is controlled by Alcatel and the French government, announced in April that it intended to gain control of Alcatel's satellite subsidiaries and other businesses for EUR673 million (USD885 million) in cash.
[Jane's Defence Weekly - first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

SPANISH DEFENCE INDUSTRY - Export hub
An international outlook has helped Spain's key aerospace and defence companies to achieve strong growth and build up robust order backlogs despite relatively modest increases in domestic spending.Spain's investment in defence increased from EUR7.9 billion (USD10.2 billion) in 2001 to EUR11.7 billion (USD15.1 billion) in 2006 and Jane's expects this to increase to approximately EUR12.8 billion by 2009 [source Jane's Defence Forecast]. Military expenditure, however, has failed to keep up with the country's economic growth. Spain bucked the wider trend of sluggish development across the principal Euro-zone economies during the last six years to return average GDP growth of 2.6 per cent between 2001 and 2006
[Jane's Defence Weekly - first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

Interceptor missile test a success, says India
India claimed on 27 November to have successfully tested its locally designed Atmospheric Intercept System by destroying in mid-air a Prithvi II ballistic missile with an unidentified 'hit-to-kill' interceptor missile.á In the maiden trial, aimed at indigenously developing a ballistic missile defence shield, the unnamed missile fired from Wheeler Island off India's east coast intercepted a modified Prithvi II launched 60 seconds earlier from the shore-based integrated test range at Chandipur, 72 km to the north. The interception was at a height of 50 km
[Jane's Defence Weekly - first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

Iraq insurgents unveil new rocket
A key Iraqi insurgent group, the Islamic Army, claims that it has built and successfully test fired a rocket with a range of 20 km and a 20 kg warhead, writes Ed Blanche. A seven-minute video-recording, posted on a website frequently used by insurgent organisations in Iraq, showed two masked men wearing blue overalls assembling and welding the rocket inside what appeared to be a machine shop
[Jane's Missiles and Rockets - first posted to http://jmr.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

Naval:

UK maritime sector needs restructuring, says senior industry official
THE executive charged with re-shaping BAE Systems' naval business to meet the objectives laid out by the UK's Maritime Industrial Strategy (MIS) has said that improved industrial co-operation could and should deliver performance improvements ahead of the corporate consolidation of the maritime sector.Speaking to the Royal United Services Institute's (RUSI's) Future Maritime Operations conference on 23 November, BAE Systems' Chief Operating Officer Steve Mogford said that the "frenzy of merger-and-acquisition activity" seen in the wake of the publication of the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) had now transformed into "a whole series of relationships".
[Jane's Defence Industry - first posted to http://jdin.janes.com - 28 November 2006]

Elbit develops autonomous USV
Elbit Systems of Israel has unveiled a newly developed unmanned surface vessel (USV) for maritime patrol missions dubbed Silver Marlin. Described as a "second generation USV", the Silver Marlin, which can be remotely controlled but is made primarily for autonomous operation, was designed to compete for the Israel Navy's (IN's) future USV requirement and is expected to begin sea trials in early 2007
[Jane's Defence Weekly - first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

Royal Navy declassifies report on HMS Sheffield sinking
The newly declassified finding of the 1982 Royal Navy (RN) Board of Inquiry (BOI) into the loss of the Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield during the conflict that year with Argentina provides a graphic description of the problems faced by the ship and the situation on board following the impact of an AM-39 Exocet anti-ship missile, writes Doug Richardson. Despite the age of the report, much information of tactical significance has been censored
[Jane's Missiles and Rockets - first posted to http://jmr.janes.com - 30 November 2006]



Rear Admiral George Zambellas DSC: Royal Navy Chief of Staff (Transformation)
The UK is undertaking a five-year programme to streamline the support operations of the Royal Navy. Denise Hammick talks to Rear Admiral George Zambellas about his role as temporary head of the transformation process. "I suspect we'll lose a lot of officers of middle rank over the next five years, but also some senior officers".
[Jane's Navy International - first posted to http://jni.janes.com - 22 November 2006]

Secure seas: Australia ups its maritime patrol efforts
Australia's vast coastline and territorial waters are an economic boon but pose an operational challenge to the country's maritime patrol assets. Ian Bostock surveys the country's attempts to seal up its maritime bordersWhen a hugely overcrowded fishing boat put out a distress call in August 2001, it unwittingly set in motion a chain of events that would thrust one of the responding rescue vessels - the Norway-flagged container ship MV Tampa - and Australia's seaward approaches into the international spotlight
[Jane's Navy International - first posted to http://jni.janes.com - 22 November 2006]

Mistral operation tests out POD limits
The French Navy's first amphibious assault ship to be fitted with podded propulsors carried out operational manoeuvre trials in a recent deployment to Lebanon. Keith Henderson assesses the system's performanceFrance's two new Mistral-class Batiment de Projection et de Commandement amphibious assault ships are the culmination of an ambitious design programme and incorporate a number of innovations, including the Propulsor Orientable Drive (POD) outfit.Although PODs are reasonably widely used in the commercial shipping world - particularly on large cruise ships - the lead ship FS Mistral is the first French Navy ship to be fitted with them
[Jane's Navy International - first posted to http://jni.janes.com - 22 November 2006]

Life after retirement - the second-hand warship market
Modern platforms on the second-hand warship market can offer an affordable 'quick fix' for navies looking to rapidly develop their forces without the expense of developing and building their own ships from scratch. Nick Brown surveys the state of the industry For developed navies around the world, the fallout of the Cold War brought a difficult period of retrenchment and downsizing - known as the 'peace dividend' in the UK - which resulted in a brimming second-hand warship market as navies found themselves tightening -their belts and under pressure to divest themselves of expensive, manpower-intensive platforms
[Jane's Navy International - first posted to http://jni.janes.com - 24 November 2006]

Nuclear nations grapple with submarine clean-up
Public perceptions of nuclear submarine disposal tend to be dominated by the horror stories and pictures of serried ranks of dormant vessels that were widely circulated in the press in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. But effectively dealing with reactors at the end of a submarine's life is as big an issue today and is a challenge faced by all nuclear operators
[Jane's Navy International - first posted to http://jni.janes.com - 24 November 2006]

Land:

Dutch detector promises swift BW analysis
TNO Defence, Security and Safety (The Hague, the Netherlands) is developing a lightweight, near-real time biological warfare/bioterrorism detection and identification system. A first prototype of the new system has been installed in a Rheinmetall Landsysteme-supplied Spurfuchs armoured NBC-detection vehicle of the Royal Netherlands Army (RNLA).The prototype was demonstrated to Dutch Minister of the Interior Johan Remkes on 15 November (2006) during a presentation of TNO-developed technologies in the context of homeland defence.
[Jane's International Defence Review - first posted to http://idr.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

Netherlands may order more Bushmasters
The Netherlands defence ministry (MoD) is considering ordering additional Bushmaster 4x4 armoured infantry mobility vehicles (IMVs) as part of the planned replacement for its Patria 6x6 XA-188 wheeled armoured personnel carriers.According to written answers to parliamentary questions, issued on 27 November 2006, the MoD has a "need for the specific functionalities and characteristics offered by the Bushmaster, namely armoured personnel transport (including patrol duties) with a high degree of mobility and protection and an open image to the local population".
[Jane's International Defence Review - first posted to http://idr.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

Iran reveals Rakhsh APC
Iran's Defence Industries Organisation (DIO) is offering a new 4 x 4 wheeled armoured personnel carrier (APC), dubbed Rakhsh, on the export market. Rakhsh, which is already in service in Iran, has been developed by the DIO's Shahid Kolahdooz Industrial Complex and is understood to be based on an existing -4 x 4 cross-country chassis
[Jane's Defence Weekly - first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 24 November 2006]

Finland boosts AMOS inventory
The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) have taken delivery of two additional twin 120 mm Advanced MOrtar Systems (AMOS) following the delivery of an initial two earlier in 2006. These vehicles are four low-rate initial production (LRIP) AMOS and will be followed by 20 production systems, which will be delivered to the FDF between 2007 and 2009
[Jane's Defence Weekly - first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 29 November 2006]

Lockheed Martin sees potential for SMSS vehicle
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (M&FC) has developed a low-cost intelligent vehicle designed to address a potential light forces requirement outside of the US Army's Future Combat Systems' (FCS) unmanned capabilities.A privately funded initiative, Lockheed Martin is currently contracted to lead system integrator Boeing to develop an FCS Multifunction Utilty/Logistics and Equipment MULE) unmanned ground vehicle (UGV).The 2.5-ton MULE, which includes three variants - Transport, Armed Robotic Vehicle-Assault (Light) and Countermine - is designed to support dismounted operations for a two-squad-strength unit
[Jane's Defence Weekly - first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 29 November 2006]

Security:

Tajikistan's uncertain future with Rahmonov
There is little doubt the presidential elections in Tajikistan on 6 November were an exercise in democratic choreography. With nearly 80 per cent of the vote, President Imomali Rahmonov was re-elected for his third consecutive seven year term
[Jane's Foreign Report - first posted to http://frp.janes.com - 24 November 2006]

Tongan anger, Chinese flames
On 16 November, pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets of Nuku'alofa, demanding sweeping political changes to Tonga's 131-year-old constitutional monarchy.After a day of violence that left six people dead in the island's capital, the Tongan government agreed to a degree of democratic reform to appease rioters. The steps will be a considerable improvement on the current system, where nobles and appointed members of parliament outnumber elected representatives
[Jane's Foreign Report - first posted to http://frp.janes.com - 27 November 2006]

Tensions resurface ahead of Madagascan elections
After Marc Ravalomanana was officially elected head of state in Madagascar following hotly contested presidential elections in 2001, there were hopes that the next poll, scheduled for 3 December, would run more smoothly. Instead, the run-up has been tainted by controversy around the chosen poll date, an airport closure in October to prevent an opposition politician from returning to the island and an attempt on 17 November by an army general to force Ravalomanana to resign.While authorities are said to be looking for seven army officers suspected of involvement in the alleged coup plot, an army general commonly known as General Fidy told a local radio station that his actions have been misinterpreted
[Jane's Foreign Report - first posted to http://frp.janes.com - 28 November 2006]

Desperately seeking security in Mexico
Mexico's security situation is unenviable, to say the least. The country's position as the major conduit for Andean cocaine heading for the US means that the struggle by drugs gangs for control of territory surrounding the US-Mexico border is spilling over into generalised violence and making the border areas virtually ungovernable
[Jane's Foreign Report - first posted to http://frp.janes.com - 30 November 2006]

Islamic scholars' power to sway opinion
The growing importance of the Muslim community occurred in the West largely as a result of the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, as the phrase "war of ideas" was frequently heard in Washington. For the first time, the US saw relations between it and the Islamic world as a crucial component to deterring violence against its citizens
[Jane's Islamic Affairs Analyst - first posted to http://jiaa.janes.com - 20 November 2006]

Challenging the Proliferation Security Initiative
North Korea's nuclear test on 9 October has made it clear that stronger international efforts are needed to clamp down on its proliferation activities. The adoption of UN Resolution 1718 was a successful first response, as North Korea agreed on 31 October to return to the six-party talks
[Jane's Intelligence Digest - first posted to http://jid.janes.com - 28 November 2006]

Organised crime rises in Algeria
While the 30 October bomb attacks in Algeria may mark a new era of political violence in the country, the real challenge for the authorities is the rise in organised crime and drug traffick-ing.Although the near-simultaneous bombings in Reghaia and Dergana, east of Algiers, were the largest and most sophisticated in recent years, leaving three dead and wounding 24, Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem played down their significance. In an interview on Algerian public radio, he said: "Terrorism is diminishing, but violence is increasing and changing form." The past few years in Algeria have been characterised by rapprochement between the gov-ernment and the Islamist militants, while the country is opening up to Western trade and in-fluence
[Jane's Intelligence Digest - first posted to http://jid.janes.com - 28 November 2006]

Ahmadinejad dreaming of an Iraqi quagmire
Iran has maintained a policy of engaging Iraq and offering Washington negotiations on the country's future even as the Islamic Republic's leadership calculates how the Republican Party's defeat at the US elections on 7 November will affect the US military presence in its western neighbour. The stand-off is playing to a swelling regional rivalry between Sunni Arab states led by Saudi Arabia and Iran and its predominantly Shia proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.According to one former Iranian ambassador, there are fears in Iran that an anti-Iranian coalition is being marshalled by Washington
[Jane's Intelligence Digest - first posted to http://jid.janes.com - 29 November 2006]

Hu tightens his grip but still has to share
Four years after becoming Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary, Hu Jintao has further consolidated the hold of his 'fourth generation' on the CCP. In late September, President Hu and his allies delivered a blow to the rival 'Shanghai faction' by removing Politburo member Chen Liangyu as Shanghai party secretary on corruption charges
[Jane's Intelligence Review - first posted to http://jir.janes.com - 14 November 2006]

Energy-hungry countries line up for Central Asian reserves
Central Asia has long been a region where the interests of outside powers come into contact and conflict. The 'great game', a term that emerged to describe the 19th-century struggle between the Russian and British empires to expand their influence to the heart of Asia, re-emerged in the wake of the Soviet Union's collapse as shorthand to describe a renewed scramble for involvement and influence in the region
[Jane's Intelligence Review - first posted to http://jir.janes.com - 17 November 2006]

Interview : Mahn Sha, General secretary, Karen National Union (KNU)
The ethnic insurgent Karen National Union (KNU) has "no intention of surrendering", according to its general secretary, Mahn Sha. Similarly, he said that Myanmar's ruling junta does not "want to talk politics, they persistently refuse to engage in substantive political dialogue with the opposition"
[Jane's Intelligence Review - first posted to http://jir.janes.com - 17 November 2006]

Security in the Palestinian Territories
In a wide-ranging interview, Major General Tawfiq Tirawi, acting director of the Palestinian General Intelligence Department, talks exclusively to Jane's about the security problems blighting the Palestinian Territories, claims of a growing Al-Qaeda presence and his continuing efforts to reform the department.'Various outside influences have been trying to affect the Palestinian cause for years - our people know very well where their interests lie'On 20 May the director of the General Intelligence Department (GID), Major General Tarek Abu Rajeb, was the target of an assassination attempt in Gaza. Then in late-September, Colonel Jad Tayeh, a senior figure in the Palestinian intelligence services, was assassinated
[Jane's Terrorism & Security Monitor - first posted to http://jtsm.janes.com - 09 November 2006]

Jihad in Somalia
The threat of a wider conflict in Somalia has increased with the Union of Islamic Courts declaring a jihad against Ethiopia. Jane's analyses the possible outcomes of any further escalation and how foreign intervention may do more harm than good in the long term.A foreign invasion will almost certainly lead to a surge in nationalist sentiment in Somalia that will help the UIC cement its positionA declaration of jihad against Ethiopia by the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) has increased fears of an escalating conflict in Somalia
[Jane's Terrorism & Security Monitor - first posted to http://jtsm.janes.com - 09 November 2006]

Applying less-lethal -weapons in UK security
The use of less-lethal weapons in the UK has increased since the Patten Report of 1999 on their use by British police. Should their potential applications beyond one-on-one policing operations be given greater attention? Tobias Feakin examines the options
[RUSI/Jane's Homeland Security and Resilience Monitor - first posted to http://rjhm.janes.com - 06 November 2006]