Regional News

The new issue of Asia pacific Defense Update is here! This digest of 28 articles highlighting recent defense news events from the region is based on the full version (premium content) from Defense Update and other sources, brought to you in a concise, pdf edition you can store on your desktop, read on tablets and smartphones.

The United States Navy is planning to deploy Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Broad-Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) drones to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam with preparations for deployment projected to begin during Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14).

Taipei denies claims that Taiwan has agreed to reduce the number of F-16C/D fighters it is requesting from the United States are now being refuted by the Taiwanese Ministry of National defense.

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea escalate into US-China Rebut. Until now, the United States has adopted a public stance of relative neutrality in the disputes.

General Herbert J. “Hawk” Carlisle formally accepted command of the United States’ Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) on 3 August in a ceremony presided over by US Navy Admiral Samuel Locklear III, commander of the US Pacific Command, and US Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz.

An Indian Navy group comprising four vessels deployed in the Mediterranean Sea visited the Israeli port of Haifa last week, as the two countries celebrate 20 years of diplomatic ties this year.

Issue #3 of the Asia-Pacific Defense Update is now available. This electronic newsletter edition is distributed to subscribers only via email (and is available online in PDF format. To receive the report please subscribe at the following link.

Following are excerpts from recent news articles published ib Defense-Update, covering the Asian defense market. The countries included in this report are: Afghanistan | Australia | Brunei | Bangladesh | China | India | Indonesia | Japan | Malaysia | Myanmar | North Korea | Pakistan | Philippines | Singapore | [...]

Following are excerpts from recent news articles published ib Defense-Update, covering the North American defense market. The countries included in this report are: USA | Canada and Mexico. For an insight into each of the countries, click on the country name (not yet activated) for a detailed report listing the [...]

Counter Terror Expo 2012 delegates are set to discover how the momentous events that have occurred during the past year, will force us to reassess and realign counter terrorism strategies to meet potential new threats emerging from the turmoil we have witnessed. Previously hard-line autocracies across a swathe of North [...]

“Iran has enough nuclear material for four bombs,” the Director of Israel’s Military Intelligence Major General Aviv Kochavi warned today

+$900 Million for AN/TPY-2 Radars | Boeing Selected to Continue Ground-Based Ballistic Missile Defense System Support

New AWACS Plane Enters Russian Air Force Service | India to get Russian aircraft carrier by December | Vietnam Receives Su-30 Fighters | Russia Upgrades RS-18 With a New Warhead | Russia to complete delivery of 21 helicopters to Afghanistan by July | Repairs on Russian sub to take a year | Mexico Orders Three Mi-17V-5 Transport Helicopters

Poland to Supply Additional 204 Armored Recovery Vehicles to India | Selex Sistemi Integrati New Contracts In India | India to get Russian aircraft carrier by December | New Missiles to Upgrade Indian Mirage 2000s | North Korea Tests Short Range Ballistic missiles | Russia to complete delivery of 21 helicopters to Afghanistan by July | India’s Indigenous Carrier Floats, but Not for the Right Reasons | Stinger Missiles Cleared for Indian Apaches | Vietnam Receives Su-30 Fighters | Vietnam’s Navy Inducts First Locally Built TT400TP Gunboat

Singapore has the largest defense expenditure in South East Asia, and, in 2008, the country had the world’s fourth-largest per capita defense expenditure, behind only Israel, the US and Oman. The country’s defense expenditure is high due to the small size of the country’s armed forces and consequent ever-present requirement [...]

Both MMRCA Bids are “Significantly Higher than Goal | Japan Formally Announces F-35 Selection | Indian Air Force Opts for More Su-30MKI, Despite Problems | Cheongung – a New MR-SAM for the South Korean Multi-Tier Defense System | Stealth Infiltration Boats for South Korea | Australia Revamps Reserve Brigades under Plan BeerSheba | Russia to Lease Nuclear Submarine, Offers Conventional subs to India | Navantia to Build 12 landing crafts for Australia | Australia Selects Hawkei for its Future Protected, Light Tactical Vehicle | Australia Beefs up Route Clearing Pathfinders | Thailand Minehunters to get the SeaFox | South Korea Favors JASSM for its U.S. made Fighters | Embraer Flies Indian Bound EMB-145 AEW Aircraft | Australia opts for the Spartan | Brunei Orders 12 S-80i Black Hawk Helicopters | Indonesia to Expand Su-27/30 Fleet to a full Squadron |First NH90 Delivered to New-Zealand | India Plans Doubling its Maritime Reconnaissance Fleet with 12 Additional P-8Is | Underwater Surveillance Vehicle for japan’s Coast Guard

The unsettling appearance of a Chinese aircraft carrier has created quite a stir in the Pacific among those nations that rely heavily on the United States for warfighting protection and military hardware. With the Chinese carrier now underway on its second round of sea trials, the Pacific community is looking with increased urgency to improve air defenses. Taiwan and Japan in particular are in critical need of an upgrade to their existing air-superiority fighter forces.

Russian Airborne Forces to Receive Austrian Sniper Rifles | Russian Military Spending to top $30 Billion in 2012 | IRKUT to Deliver 55 YAK-130 Trainers to the Russian Air Force | Beriev Aircraft Company completes major overhaul of Indian Tu-142ME long haul ASW aircraft | Russian Navy to Add a Second Missile Cruiser after 2012 | Sevmash shipyard Expects New Orders for Seven Nuclear Submarines | Almaz-Antey Expand Production Facility to Meet Demand for S-500 | BrahMos Successful in a Test in the Baltic Sea | Russia Taps German Expertise to Train Brigade Combat Teams

L3, Elbit, L3 to seek New Business Opportunities in Canada | Fire Scout Demonstrates Support for Manned-Unmanned Naval Operations | CICADA Micro-Drones Opens New Opportunities for Future Covert Surveillance | Cooperative Engagement to Enhance Naval Anti-Air Capability | Lockheed Martin to Develop an IRST for the Super Hornet | Riverine Group Evaluates Using USVs in Littoral, Riverine Operations | Laying the keel for DDG1000 Zumwalt

Cobham to Develop an Aerial Refueling System for KC-390 | NATO Upgrades BMD C2 System | Norwegian Navy Receives a New Naval Helicopter | Kongsberg to Upgrade Norwegian NASAMS Air defense Systems | French Senate Caps UAV Spending to Favor Reaper Procurement | Chief of RAF: Britain Should Reconsider Sentinel Phaseout | Roll Out of the First F-35 for the UK | Swedish Army Gets its first Kodiak | EU short on anti-piracy ships due to budget cuts | Sweden Delivers BvS10 to France | BAE Systems Invests in Data Visualisation Systems | Terma Introduces ALQ-213 ECM-Pod Enhancements | Opening the Night For Danish F-16 Pilots | MAMBA (SAMP/T) Scores First Hit in an Operational Test

Norwegian Vingtags II Optronic Systems for Malaysian AV8s | Singapore Navy Commissions The First Archer Submarine | Australian Aerospace Delivers Final Tiger To Australian Defense Force | China Pledges to Increase Military Assistance to Seychelles | Sri-Lanka, Indonesia Order More Bell-412 Helicopters | China’s Aircraft Carrier Begins Second Sea Trial | Lockheed Martin UK offers Vigilance AEW system to Malaysia | Eurocopter Delivers Six EC145s to Kazakhstan | Indonesia to Spend over 1.5 Billion Shopping for Surplus Weapons | Second Air Surveillance radar Deployed in Eastern Indonesia

The United States and her allies in the Asia-Pacific region are in need of an immediate response to the military challenge posed by China while continuing to maintain friendly relations with the Chinese on the economic front – a double-edged task that will require firm leadership, diplomacy, thoughtful strategy, perseverance, and considerable amounts of money. The manner in which all of this is accomplished may determine the real players on the future world stage.

Iran Claims it Shot Down a U.S. Stealth Drone | Syria Receives 72 Yakhont Missiles from Russia | JDAMs to Arm the Emirate’s F-16s | Iran Equips Navy with Highly Advanced Anti-Ship Cruise Missile

Washington to Transfer an F-16 Squadron to Indonesia | India is Set to Test Fly the Nirbhany Cruise Missile in early 2012 | India Launches New Generation Strategic Missile Agni 4 | India Plans to Beef Northern Border Surveillance with SAR | Malaysia Considers Expanding Su-30MKM Combat Roles | Malaysia Considers Equipping its F/A-18D with AIM-9X Super Sidewinder | Taiwan’s Surveillance Radar Program Faces One Year Delay \ Canberra Wants a Sixth Globemaster III for the RAAF | More Ammo for the Carl Gustafs | Poland delivers Four Swidniks to the Philippines

MEADS Air Defense System Progresses Despite Uncertain Future | Italy Accepts First T-346 Advanced Jet Trainer | German Government to Own Part of EADS | Secure Positioning from Saab | Cassidian to Maintain Spanish Air Force C130

Disagreements on Commercial Terms Reverses UAE’s Choice of Rafale | Egypt to Renew M-1A1 Tanks Production | IDF is Fielding a new Tactical Intelligence Collection Vehicle | Talon Guided Rockets Complete Qualification Tests | UAE Considers APG-80 AESA Radar Upgrades | Oman to Receive Mica VL Naval & Land Based Air Defense Systems | Kuwait – Technical/Logistics Support for F/A-18 Aircraft | Israel Tests a New Ballistic Missile

SDB II Tested With Production Tri-Mode Seeker | Adaptive Optics to Sharpen High Energy Laser Beams | Boeing Receives $1.7B for 7 More US Navy P-8A Poseidon Aircraft | Lockheed Martin to Maintain PTDS Aerostats

65 Yak-130 Trainers for the Russian Air Force | Russia to conduct test launch of Bulava missile in November | Russia Tests New Version of Iskander SSM

Spanish Army to Field Israeli 81mm Cardom Mortars | Finland Considers Buying JASSM, Stingers | Finland Renew Request to Equip Its Hornets with JASSM | Poland Ditches Trainer Tender

GDLS to Equip Two Brigades with Double-Hull Strykers | Northrop Grumman Delivers Litening G4 Advanced Targeting Pods | Canada to Upgrade LAV III for One Billion US$ | P-8 launches First MK 54 Torpedo

Northrop Grumman to Equip Japan’s MCH-101 Mine Countermeasure Helicopters | Japan’s parliament Members Hacked | Vietnam Receives New Patrol Boats from Russia | Philippines to Invest US$230 Million in Military Modernization

With the Libyan campaign wrapping to an end, a new theater is broiling in Somalia, as Kenyan land forces are operating in southern Somalia, in an effort to route Al-Shabaab militants bases in townships near the Somali South-East border with Kenya. Like the Libyan campaign, the kenyan forces are assisted by foreign air and naval support.

Germany Investigates How Qaddafi Obtained H&K G36K Rifles | German Military to Administer Deep Cuts in Manpower, Procurement | French Navy Gets L’Adroit OPV for Three-Year Evaluation | French Aerial Ordnance Maker SAMP Closes Bombs Manufacturing Line

In recent years Turkey is standing out as one of the growth defense markets. This report provides a top level overview of the Turkish defense market, and domestic defense industry. The reports identifies emerging trends and opportunities in the Turkish defense industry in the last 12 months, along with details of the top companies active across the Turkish defense industry. The report also provides a breakdown of the Turkish defense industry by spend pattern valued from 2005 through 2010 and forecasted from 2011 through 2016, a breakdown of the markets by segments valued for the same periods.

Australian defense is considered one of the world’s growth markets, even in the recent tough years. In 2009, the Australian government launched a new military modernization plan to upgrade its forces in order to counteract the threat posed by rising global terrorism, changing political dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region and the rising number of peacekeeping operations undertaken by Australian forces. With the exception of an anomaly in 2010, defense expenditure as a percentage of Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected rise consistently through 2016. In the years after, this rate is expected to be reduced again, to cover increased sustainment costs.

This 194 page report provides a top level overview of the French defense industry, offering insights into market opportunities and entry strategies adopted by foreign OEMs to gain a market share in the French defense market. In particular, it offers in-depth analysis of defense industry market size from 2005 through 2010 and forecasts till 2016 and provides an insight into the French defense market with current, historic and forecast market values.

Market Opportunities and Entry Strategies, Analyses and Forecasts to 2016 This 167 page report provides a top level overview of the Canadian defense industry, offering insights into market opportunities and entry strategies adopted by foreign OEMs to gain a market share in the Canadian defense industry. In particular, it offers in-depth [...]

German Military to Administer Deep Cuts in Manpower, Procurement | Boeing’s New Electronic & Mission Systems (E&MS) Division to focusing on ISR | Russia Grants Venezuela US$4 Billion Line of Credit for Arms Purchases | A|D|S chief: “the U.K. is heading in the wrong direction on Defense” | ATK-GD OTS Team to Deliver the marines with Precision Mortar Bombs

Korean Daewoo Expects to win a US$1.1 billion Indonesian Submarine Contract | Decision Time for M-MRCA | India to test 5,000 km Agni-5 IRBM by December | The Iranian Navy to get a new ‘Compact’ Submarine Next Year | ITT Packs new EW Pods for Pakistani F-16s | Australian Bushmasters get Upgraded Protection | Indonesia Considers Buying 24 Ex-USAF F-16C/Ds | Airbus Military, PT DI Indonesian to Modernize C295 Manufacturing Process

CPOF to Become More Collaborative | KMAX to Begin Hauling Cargo for Marines in Afghanistan Next Month | Infantry Brigade Combat Teams to Get M777 Lightweight Howitzers | ATK-GD OTS Team to Deliver the marines with Precision Mortar Bombs | THAAD Hits Two Targets on the First Unit’s Operational Qualification Test | Army Sets JLTV Target Price around $250,000 | Army to Cut CROWS Procurement by Half | BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman to Develop new Anti-Jam GPS Sensors | F-35B Performs First Landing at Sea

Eurocopter Tests Hybrid propulsion for Helicopters, to Enhance Safety on Emergency Landing | RBS15 Mk3 Inducted into German Navy Service

Boeing Offers Super Hornet F/A-18E Block II or Japan’s FX | Moscow, Beijing and Tehran Discussing Missile Defense Alliance | 16 Dead in Rebel Attack in the Philippines |

ATK-GD OTS Team to Deliver the marines with Precision Mortar Bombs | BAE Systems to Axe 3,000 Jobs in the U.K. | Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Announce Stock Repurchase, Dividends | Qatar Interested in Daimler’s EADS Shares

U.S. Delivers GBU-28 Bunker-Busting Bombs to Israel | Airbus Military Delivers First C295 Medium Transport to Egypt | Turkey, Egypt Discuss Possible Export of Anka UAV | Qatar to Buy Six MH-60R Maritime helicopters | UAE to Buy Hellfire Missiles, Link 16 Datalinks | Saudi Arabia to Equip Three Artillery Regiments with U.S. Howitzers | Rafael Fires Spike ER Missiles for Indian Evaluation | Israel defense Forces to Deploy Additional Automated 120mm Mortars | Bahrain to Buy Wireless TOW 2 Missiles

Second Successful Launch of the Indian Shourya Ballistic Missile | Neptune Prepared for Flight | Cyber Espionage Compromises Technical Data at Japan’s Defense Giant | Taiwan developing asymmetrical strategies to deal with China | Taiwan to Invest Half a Billion US$ for Pilot Training Program | China military growth to boost arms sales to Asia | China Launches a New Military Communications Satellite | Boeing Delivers Peace-Eye 737 AEW&C to Korea | BCL to deploy the First Immersive Tactical Trainer in India

September 20, 2011 Defense Update: Azerbaijan Takes delivery of 60 Israeli UAVs | U.S. Delays SM-3 Block 2A Development | Ex-Indian Su-30Ks Delivered to Belarus | Malaysia Interested in Joining the U.K. Type 26 Frigate Program | Singapore’s HIMARS Unit Operational | U.S. Proposes Upgrades for Taiwans’ F-16s | Lack of Spares Render South Korean Patriot Systems Inoperable | India Offers the BrahMos to Vietnam | Thailand Undecided about German Type 206 Submarines

EMS Technology to Provide Anti-Jam Antenna for the Fourth AEHF Satellite | Boeing has been Awarded Over a Billion US$ Toward the Procurement of Three Wideband Global SATCOM Satellites | Force protection’s Timberwolf Pursue Canadian TAPV Program | Optics Acquisition to Expands Bushnell’s Reach Into Security, Military Markets

Turkey Agrees to Host European BMD Radar Turkey has agreed to host an early warning radar as part of NATO’s missile defense system aimed at countering ballistic missile threats from neighboring Iran, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Friday. While NATO leaders agreed in 2010 to implement an anti-missile system over [...]

U.S. Army Buys Switchblade Small Loitering Weapons | DRS To Deliver 27 Observation Towers to the U.S. Navy | Raytheon Missile Systems Awarded over $700 for AMRAAM, CIWS Orders | GDC4S Wins $3.7 Billion to to Deliver CHS-4 Electronics Hardware

Defense Update News Excerpts: Asia & Oceania for August 28, 2011. In this issue: Taiwan’s F-16C/D, Japan orders two EC225 SAR helicopters, Pakistan’s F-17 Thunder production On Track