Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: deepdive

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35592988

The Chinese disgrace is growing, what century are they living in?
should we (the free world) just ignore this?

Bj©ªrn

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February 17, 2016
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday defense facilities on "relevant islands and reefs" had been in place for many years, when asked whether China had deployed a surface-to-air missile system on one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea.

The Paracel Islands are China's territory, so China is within its rights to deploy defense facilities there, the ministry added in a statement to Reuters.

"China's air and naval defensive deployments on the relevant islands and reefs have existed for many years," the statement said, adding that reports by certain western media were nothing but "hype".

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According to Russian media, a Turkish Navy Meltem II CASA CN-235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) tracked two Russian Navy Black Sea fleet surface vessels during their transit to the Mediterranean Sea. The two vessels are likely Project 21631 small missile ship (Buyan-M class corvette) Zelyony Dol and the ocean-going mine-sweeper Kovrovets. We reported about their deployment last week.

Thales was the prime contractor for the Meltem II programme, which called for the delivery of six maritime patrol aircraft for the Turkish Navy and three maritime surveillance aircraft for the Turkish Coast Guard. The aircraft are based on modified CASA CN-235 platforms.

The Meltem II aircraft of the Turkish Navy are fitted with an ASELFLIR-200 Airborne Thermal Imaging System by Aselsan, Airbus Defence and Space AN/AAR-60 Missile Warning System, CAE AN/ASQ-508(V) MAD system. Thales supplied a number of systems as well: the AMASCOS solution (Airborne MAritime Situation & Control System), the DR 3000A ESM system and the Ocean Master 400 Mk2 radar.

Meltem II MPAs can deploy the Mk46 NEARTIP Mod 5 torpedo, as well as AN/SSQ-53E DIFAR and AN/SSQ-62D DICASS sonobuoys. It is also fitted with the AN/ALE-47 Airborne Countermeasures Dispenser System by BAE Systems.

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ORIGINAL: DESRON420

http://news.usni.org/2016/02/18/west-u-s-navy-anti-ship-tomahawk-set-for-surface-ships-subs-starting-in-2021

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Russian cutting-edge hypersonic missile 3M22 of the 3K22 Zircon system is in the development trials. The Project 11442 (NATO reporting name: Kirov-class) Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruiser will carry the type following its upgrade, a shipbuilding industry source told TASS on Friday.

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The Russian Northern Fleet’s Project 667BDRM (NATO reporting name: Delta IV) K-114 Tula nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) will be put afloat in August 2016 after repairs at the Zvyozdochka Shipyard in Severodvinsk in north Russia, the shipyard’s press office told TASS on Thursday.

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Rheinmetall and the German Bundewehr have successfully tested a high-energy laser effector installed on a German warship operating on the high seas. To carry out the test, Rheinmetall mounted a 10-kilowatt high-energy laser (HEL) effector on a MLG 27 light naval gun.

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ORIGINAL: AlGrant

Why should Britain tremble!
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/02/18/jeremy-corbyns-trident-re_n_9264014.html

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ORIGINAL: Aivlis

quote:

ORIGINAL: AlGrant

Why should Britain tremble!
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/02/18/jeremy-corbyns-trident-re_n_9264014.html

I have actually been keeping an eye on these developments ever since I got asked for input by a colleague. Here's a decent analysis of the air-launched alternative: http://www.centreforum.org/assets/pubs/retiring-trident.pdf

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The B61-12 RCS is unknown, and thus it is unknown how easy it
would be to intercept by the defences. For heavily defended targets,
the obvious riposte is to significantly increase the number of B61-12s
simultaneously in flight – 80 bombs plus 40 receding aircraft targets
on a range of attack profiles and egress headings would make the
defenders’ task considerably more complicated.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Aivlis
I have actually been keeping an eye on these developments ever since I got asked for input by a colleague. Here's a decent analysis of the air-launched alternative: http://www.centreforum.org/assets/pubs/retiring-trident.pdf

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The unrefuelled operational radius of an F-35C in LO operations using
only internal fuel and weapons is 615nm. Multiple in-flight refuellings
increases the radius of action of land-based F-35Cs to the aircrew fatigue
limit, which based on current USAF operational practice in operations
over Afghanistan is approximately 12 hours. For our purposes, this
translates into a land-based radius of action of 2500nm.

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A U.S. Navy Aircraft Vehicle Modification and Instrumentation team is hard at work augmenting instrumentation to an Edwardsassigned KC-135 tanker. The unusual arrangement started when the Navy PMA-290 program office approached the 412th Test Management Group about using the Edwards AFB-instrumented KC-135 to certify their P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from Navy unit VX-20 at Patuxent River, Maryland, for aerial refueling.

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The Russian Navy Caspian Flotilla will have received three new tugs in 2016 and Project 12061 Murena-class (NATO reporting name: Tsaplya-class) air-cushioned landing craft in 2017, the flotilla’s commander, Rear Admiral Igor Osipov, told TASS in an interview on Friday.

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A rocket-artillery brigade of the Russian Navy Northern Fleet has started transitioning to the new K-300P Bastion P (NATO reporting name: SS-C-05 Stooge) coastal mobile missile system. According to Russian media, the unit has recently taken delivery of two batteries.

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Airbus Helicopters delivered the 16th NH90 NFH (Nato Frigate Helicopter) to the French Navy (Marine Nationale) on 19 February 2016. The was delivery ceremony was held at Marignane, the manufacturer’s headquarters in Southern France.

Contacted by Navy Recognition, a Marine Nationale naval aviation spokesperson explained that the 16th "Caiman Marine" (the designation of the helicopter in the French Navy) that has just been delivered would join Flottille 31F. In total, 27 NH90 NFH have been ordered by the French Navy, he added.

He went on explaining that 14 ASW kits are on order for the French Navy NH90 fleet. He finally explained that 13 of the helicopters are fitted with a rear access ramp.

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A commissioning, naming and flag-presenting ceremony of the new Tongren corvette (hull number 507) of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) was held solemnly at the Shantou Naval Base located between Taiwan and Hong Kong in Southern China. The event means that the warship is officially commissioned to the PLAN. Tongren is the twenty-fifth Type 056 Corvette (Jiangdao class).

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Just off the coast of Nova Scotia recently, the sun shone on a milestone achievement for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CH-148 Cyclone helicopter project. The first Cyclone helicopter, fully manned by Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) personnel, successfully landed on a Canadian warship at sea on January 27, 2016. Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Halifax, the ship on which the first Cyclone landing occurred, has been involved with CH-148 testing and training for the past year.

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On February 22, 2016, French Navy (Marine Nationale) aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle left the Persian Gulf to sail back to the Mediterranean. U.S. Navy aicraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman took command on Febrary 14th of the naval forces in the coalition against Daech, the Task Force 50 (TF 50).

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ORIGINAL: Hongjian

Prof. Andrew S. Erickson: Official confirmation of the first Chinese overseas supply base in Djibouti.

http://www.andrewerickson.com/2015/11/u-s-africom-commander-gen-david-rodriguez-usa-confirms-china-signed-10-year-contract-for-military-logistics-hub-in-djibouti-beijings-1st-ever-overseas-baseplace/

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People from Arizona to Canada have reported seeing bright lights in the sky as a Chinese rocket burned up in the atmosphere.

Witnesses described the lights as a group of about three dozen fireballs moving slowly from south to north late Monday. Canadian photographer Neil Zeller says it looked like a cluster of fireballs followed by a long orange tail.

A NASA official told the Salt Lake Tribune the lights were a Chinese rocket booster that broke apart about 11 p.m. Mountain Time.

Calls to NASA from The Associated Press were directed to U.S. Strategic Command, who couldn't immediately confirm what it was.

Mike Hankey with the American Meteor Society says his organization got more than 150 reports of the event from nine Western states and Canada.

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Key Points

- China has commissioned its latest Type 054A guided-missile frigate

- The platform has historically been deployed on missions beyond the Indian Ocean Region to demonstrate the PLAN's operational reach

The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has commissioned a Type 054A Jiangkai II-class guided-missile frigate into its East Sea Fleet.

Named Xiangtan and with pennant number 531, the vessel was inducted on 24 February in Zhoushan, according to a report published the same day on the PLA-backed China Military Online website. Xiangtan is the second Type 054A vessel to be commissioned in 2016 and the 22nd ship overall for the class. The 21st-in-class, Jingzhou (532), was inducted in January 2016.

According to IHS Jane's Fighting Ships, the Jiangkai II class has a length of 134 m, an overall beam of 16 m, and a draught of 5 m. The vessel is powered by four SEMT Pielstick diesel engines driving two propeller shafts and can attain a top speed of 27 kt with a standard range of 3,800 n miles at 18 kt.

Xiangtan has a standard displacement of 3,500 tonnes and can accommodate one Ka-28 naval helicopter on the flight deck for airborne operations. The Jiangkai II class is armed with one 76 mm gun as a primary weapon and two Type 730A 30 mm guns, capable of firing 4,200 rds/min, as the platform's close-in weapon system.

Defence against hostile aircraft and guided munitions are provided by a foredeck-sited 32-cell vertical launching system (VLS) that can deploy the HHQ-16 medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM). Two quadruple launchers that can launch the C-802 anti-ship missile mounted amid-ship provide an offensive capability against surface targets.

For submarine prosecution, the platform is equipped with a hull-mounted sonar, two RBU 1200 anti-submarine mortar launchers, and six 324 mm tubes that can deploy the Yu-7 lightweight torpedo.