Briefings : SDR, Karrar, North Korea

• The Strategic Defence Review trash talk continues, both Queen Elizabeth carriers could now be "scrapped" (well only QE itself could be scrapped of course as work hasn't begun on the 2nd carrier yet). The Red Arrows could also be under threat, doubt it though.
• Upgraded Desert Hawk UAVs have arrived with British forces in Afghanistan. The latest version has improved cameras and a better wing for operation in the country.
• Iran have unveiled their Karrar "attack drone", the latest of a seemingly endless array of indigenous weapons. However do any of these toys actually make it to serial production? The Karrar anyway can carry 4 missiles or bombs and has a range of 1000km.
• A North Korean MiG-21 is said to have crashed in China when it ran out of fuel. US analysts believe it was due to a navigational error however not an attempted defection. Another suggestion is that it was heading to a Chinese air base for maintenance though there are no confirmed maintenance agreements between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
• Perhaps cyber warfare is a better bet for the DPRK, North Korea have apparently created official Facebook and Twitter accounts as part of their info-war against the decadent West.
• One of the A400M prototypes visited RAF Brize Norton and allowed for a photo-op alongside a Hercules and a C-17.

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.

MOD signs contract for ASCOD SV

The MOD have signed a £500 million contract with General Dynamics UK for the development phase of a new Scout armoured fighting vehicle. The Scout is derived from the ASCOD SV which is already used by some NATO armies. The MOD contract will result in 7 development vehicles, eventually the Scout will replace the Scimitar in Army service.

In related news the awarding of the armoured vehicle contract to General Dynamics UK has led BAE Systems to close it's Radar Road plant in Leicester after they were unsuccessful in bidding for this contract.

New armoured vehicles for Army in Afghanistan

The MOD has announced that British troops in Afghanistan will be getting some new armoured vehicles. 140 additional Jackal 2s and 28 Wolfhounds will be bought. The Jackals, which will take the total ordered for the Army up to 500, will be of the 2A model with improved cab protection. The Wolfhound order will take the total orders for the tactical support vehicle up to 125.

Briefings : J-6, US defence cuts, South America

The PLAAF has officially bid farewell to the J-6, it's version of the MiG-19 Farmer. The type remained in production long after the Soviet Farmer had ceased production and indeed up until the 1990s was the core type in China's air force. The J-6 was retired from combat duties in 2005 and now withdrawn from it's remaining duties too.

A committee in US Congress is looking into ways of dramatically cutting US military spending. The Sustainable Defense Task Force plans to cut over a trillion dollars in military spending over the next 10 years with all services in the firing line for possible deep cuts. One programme of course in the firing line will be the JSF with flight tests of the Block 1 aircraft now underway. Another big procurement programme in trouble is the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle for the US Marines who have been asked to justify it.

One place military spending is still ongoing is in South America. Venezuela wants to buy another 22 K-8Ws for the training and light strike roles while Chile wants to modernise it's Hercules transports with new cockpit displays.

The safety of ammunition used by the British Army has raised concerns with a watchdog worrying that the potential for a serious accident. The PM is to tell MPs that the winding down of the British presence in Afghanistan is to soon begin. The Chief of the Defence Staff was removed from his post earlier (or his early retirement announced rather) indicating the PM wants a new chief to oversee the withdrawal. However US government geologists have apparently found vast mineral wealth in Afghanistan so maybe they'll be wanting to stay after all.

Briefings : MALE, Afghanistan, Serbian Typhoons?

The UK and France are to work together on technology studies for a European MALE (Medium-Altitude Long Endurance) UAV. The French are keen on a European solution as the alternative would likely be an American solution like the Reaper which the RAF already operate and which the French are considering as a stop-gap. Italy meanwhile have received their first Reapers.

The number of bomb disposal teams the British Army has deployed in Afghanistan is to be doubled to 20. The Prime Minister wants the allied action in Afganistan to be speeded up and extended to stabilise the country faster so UK forces can be withdrawn. A progress report on Afghanistan will also be published once a quarter (a good move in my view).

Serbia have expressed an interest in buying the Eurofighter Typhoon to replace their remaining Fishbeds and Fulcrums. A plan has also been drawn up for the production of 124 Tranche 3B Typhoons for the 4 partner nations. Syria is to buy Fulcrums, armoured vehicles and other weapons from Russia.

Briefings : Scimitar, VIP helicopter, JSF

The Scimitar has been in service since 1971, so its the same age as me. And like me its starting to feel it's age. The Army's reconnaissance vehicles have been criticised as being past their sell-by date. The FRES programme is intended to deliver a replacement but of course has been plagued by delays. The Army's most decorated soldier WO2 Mick Flynn said the Scimitar's gun often jammed and the light tank often broke down.

Boeing are to offer a licence-built AgustaWestland AW101 in a renewed competition to produce a new VIP helicopter for the USA. The AW101 did win the competition before, that time as part of a joint-bid with Lockheed which eventually was cancelled after huge cost rises.

The carrier version of JSF, the F-35C, has made it's first flight. The JSF is due to start replacing the US Navy's Hornets by around 2016. The USAF and US Army meanwhile has ordered 8 more C-27J tactical transports from Finmeccania.

Briefings : Lynx AH9A, Camouflage, USN Fighter Gap

The upgraded Lynx AH9A has entered service with the British Army in Afghanistan. The first two helicopters sent to the country began operational flights earlier this month following some training and test flights. The AH9A has more powerful engines and improved guns, electronics and self-protection.

Also in Afghanistan British troops have begun wearing the new MTP camouflage scheme, the first change in camouflage for 40 years. The US Navy will attempt to close it's "fighter gap" by extending the lives of it's Hornets into the 2020s rather than trying to speed up production of the JSF or buying more Super Hornets.

What happened to the X-37B after it was launched into space? The USAF arn't saying but amateur satellite observors have discovered it's orbit.

Briefings : AURIGA, Patrol vehicles, Reaper

A number of Royal Navy and RFA vessels are taking part in the AURIGA multinational naval task force. A four month series of exercises involving the RN, USN and French Navy are currently taking place off the US Eastern seaboard. HMS Ark Royal, HMS Liverpool, HMS Sutherland and RFA Fort George are among the vessels taking part.

Force Protection and Supacat are being invited to tender for new patrol vehicles for the British Army which will replace the controversial Snatch Land Rover in Afghanistan. The two vehicles being considered are the Ocelot (below) and the SPV400.

The Reaper UAV has reached the 10,000 flying hours mark in RAF service over Afghanistan.

Video : Watchkeeper first flight

The first flight of the British Army's new UAV Watchkeeper.

Briefings : UK contracts, Cheonan, Nimrod

The MOD have concluded it's spending spree ahead of the election. A contract has been signed with BAE Systems to maintain the Hawk T2 trainer fleet and a partnership has been begun with MBDA for future air-launched weapons.

A DPRK mine is now the main suspect in the explosion that destroyed the South Korean corvette Cheonan. It is not known if the mine was recently laid, deliberately placed in South Korean waters or was an old one which drifted there though because no mines dating from the Korean War have been found since the 1980s the former possibility could be more likely. Hopes of finding any of the 46 missing sailors alive are now fading fast.

The Nimrod MR2 has now left service but the RAF is now preparing for the Nimrod MRA4 which will enter service in 2012. The first upgraded Lynx AH9A helicopters will deploy to Afghanistan next month.

FRES-SV to be built by General Dynamics UK

Despite some last minute attempts by BAE Systems to win the FRES-SV contract for new armoured vehicles for the British Army the contract has been won by General Dynamics UK as previously rumoured. The ASCOD SV, 73% is said to be built in the UK, will be used for scout, recovery and protected mobility missions. 580 will be built in the first instance replacing vehicles like the Scimitar.

General Dynamics wins FRES SV contract? (updated)

General Dynamics is reported to have beaten BAE Systems in winning the contract to build new armoured reconnaissance vehicles (FRES SV) for the British Army. The ASCOD 2 was chosen over the CV-90 and the initial contract is for 750 vehicles in a billion pound deal. 80% of the ASCOD will be built in the UK and General Dynamics claim over 10,000 UK jobs will be supported by this. Of course quite a lot of the CV-90 would be built in Sweden.

Update (15/03) : there is no official word yet but now BAE Systems say they will transfer CV-90 work from Sweden to the UK if it wins the order.

Briefings : British armour, Reaper, KC-X

The winner of the programmes to upgrade the Warrior and produce the FRES SV will be announced on March 26th according to the CEO of one of the companies involved.

The RAF has doubled the amount of operational activity over Afghanistan with it's MQ-9 Reaper UCAVs and hopes to double it again when they get extra aircraft (well you would hope so wouldn't you?)

The USAF will not modify it's KC-X tanker programme after one of the two bidders (Northrop/EADS) dropped out. Boeing have a clear run. France are not happy about Airbus (EADS) not being involved anymore. Defense Tech talk about Chinese digital camouflage, and very nice it is too.

Briefings : LPPV, Phantom, KC-X

The Supacat SPV 400 (below) and the Force Protection Ocelot are the two contenders for an MOD order for 200 light protected patrol vehicles (LPPVs) to replace the Snatch Land Rover in British Army operational use in Afghanistan.

A 4th Skynet satellite will be launched in 2013 further extending British military communications. 

The Phantom lives on, Turkey has received the first of 16 upgraded F-4Es. The old birds have upgraded avionics, communication systems and flight control software. 54 of it's RF-4Es are also being upgraded in a separate project.

Northrop Grumman will not take part in the USAF's future tanker programme competition, the KC-X. They had partnered up with EADS in an earlier competition but will not take part again. EADS have also ruled out going it alone. They say the new USAF competition favours Boeing with it's smaller 767 offering.

Briefings : Armour, Helicopters, Naval

A new fleet of armoured vehicles is to be urgently bought to replace the controversial Snatch Land Rovers which have been blamed for 35 troops deaths (or rather have been blamed for not protecting the occupants sufficiently). 200 vehicles will be bought though the MOD are denying it originally was going to buy 400. The MOD is assessing a range of potential vehicles which will be "world-beating British-built vehicles and will provide unprecedented levels of protection for their weight class."

Aviation Week looks at some technologies which could produce faster helicopters, something special forces are crying out for. The USN has commissioned it's latest destroyer, USS Dewey, the 55th Arleigh Burke. A new Hyperbaric Medical Unit has been opened at St. Richards hospital in Chichester for the treatment of decompression illness in RN divers.

Briefings : Engineers, Russia, Training

Construction has begun of 60 new armoured earth moving machines for the Royal Engineers. The BAE Systems Terrier is said to have been honed by experience by other machines in Iraq and Afghanistan. Well lets hope so.

Two RAF Typhoons were scrambled after a disturbance on a Dallas-London flight but returned to base when it was confirmed the 767 was not involved in a terrorism incident.

Russia will give Lebanon Mi-24 Hind helicopter gunships under a military aid programme instead of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters previously considered. Russia meanwhile are negotiating with France for the sale of 4 Mistral amphibious warfare ships, the first will be built in France but the building location of the next 3 has yet to be decided. The ex-Soviet Baltic states are meanwhile concerned about the deal. Gas supplies to France are part of the deal, this is how the 21st century is going.

The Advanced European Jet Pilot Training (AEJPT) programme is a 9 nation scheme to combine jet training although the governments involved are yet to allocate any funds.

Briefings : CVF, Russia, UCAV

Work has begun on the new Royal Navy carriers at Portsmouth. There is still a cloud over the CVF though with speculation the Tories could cancel them if they win power in this year's election. Mind you the way things are going in the polls a Tory election win is looking less likely by the day.

The head of the British Army has said British troops could be out of Afghanistan within 5 years. Numbers could start to fall from as early as next year.

Russians have found dozens of T-80s seemingly abandoned in forests in the Urals but the Russian Army says there was nothing unusual about it, saying placing a guard next to each one would be impossible.

Two new versions of the Predator UCAV are in the works following live fire tests of Hellfire missiles and over water test flights. The MQ-1C is being fast tracked into service with the US Army as a long endurance multi-purpose aerial vehicle. A prototype marine Predator is also being developed for the Customs and Border Protection Service.

Briefings : A400M, New Armour, Combat SAR

EADS has reached a deal in principle with it's seven European partners about extra funding to cover some of the cost overruns during development of the A400M transport. EADS will get 3.5 billion euros extra though that will still leave them with a short fall of 1.7 billion.

The MOD Investment Approvals Board will meet today to select who will build 2 new armoured vehicles for the Army. The FRES Specialist Vehicle and Warrior IFV upgrade contracts could be worth up to £5 billion. For FRES SV BAE's CV90 is up against General Dynamics UK's ASCOD SV. BAE is up against Lockheed Martin for the Warrior Capability Sustainment programme.

Type 42 destroyer HMS Nottingham has been officially decommissioned. The future frigate FSC will apparently be the Type 26 when its built. Argentina has gone to the UN for help with their Falklands dispute though the UN have pretty much told them "so what" (in nice diplomatic language of course).

The USAF has abandoned looking for a large helicopter for the combat search & rescue mission and instead may buy 112 Sikorsky UH-60Ms to recapitalize it's fleet. Australia have ordered 7 Chinooks and plan to decide on the helicopter to replace it's Seahawks next year.

Briefings : FRES, B-2, Cyber-Warfare

General Dynamics have "sweetened the deal" in it's bid to build special vehicles as part of the British Army's FRES programme. It's ASCOD SV will be assembled locally at Defence Support Group's Donnington facilities. 1000 vehicles are needed for the scouting, command, ambulance and direct fire roles.

RAF pilots have flown the latest upgraded USAF B-2 bombers.

Israel is the latest military to add cyber-warfare capabilities to it's portfolio. The IDF will set up a cyber warfare team. Russia has started building a 4th Borey class ballistic missile submarine despite though the Bulava SLBMs intended for it have caused a lot of trouble with 7 failures in 12 tests.