Briefings : UK Afghanistan kit, Tejas, CH-53K

• £189 million worth of new equipment is to be provided from reserve funds for British troops in Afghanistan. The bulk of the money is going on improved communications and ISTAR equipment though also extra body armour, gunsights and logistics will be bought. British troops are to leave Sangin this year and be redeployed to the central part of Helmand.
• India has rolled out the Naval version of it's Tejas fighter. NP1 is a two-seat trainer and has a number of changes over the land-based Tejas apart from the usual (stronger landing gear, arrester hook) including a leading edge vortex controller to cut speed on approach and nose modifications to improve downward visability. NP1 is due to fly before the end of the year.
  
  
• Germany, Israel and Taiwan are very interested in the forthcoming CH-53K heavy lift helicopter due to enter service with the US Marines late in this decade.
• Twenty armoured cars, used on the streets of Northern Ireland, have been drafted into help police on the British mainland catch a gunman on the run in Northumberland.