Slitherine

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US jet destroys Russian T-72 battle tank in E Syria in 'self-defense' Saturday after 'pro-regime forces' fired on US special ops and allied Syrian fighters near same location of last week's attack, officials say. No US or allied casualties. 3 inside tank killed.

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UPDATE: U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone destroyed Russian-made T-72 tank in E Syria Sat on same say Iranian drone shot down over Israel. Tank came from “same hostile forces” which attacked US special ops troops and allied Syrian fighters late last week, officials say

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The steel cutting ceremony for the first Saar 6 (Sa'ar 6) corvette ordered by Israel at the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) shipyard in Kiel, Germany on February 7, 2018. The low key ceremony (no media representatives were admitted) took place in presence of the chief of the Israeli Navy, Admiral Eli Sharvit, and German Navy inspector Vice-admiral Andreas Krause.

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Si le compte est bon, la marine chinoise aurait actuellement au moins 11 navires de surface déployés en océan Indien, à savoir 7 destroyers et frégates, 1 navire amphibie de 20 000 tonnes et 3 pétroliers ravitailleurs. Il y aurait fort probablement des sous-marins également.

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The 'globalisation' of China's military power

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ORIGINAL: Hongjian

*PLAAF AAM ranges*

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The U.S. Navy's Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded Boeing a contract for the design, development, test and integration of the conformal fuel tanks (CFT) for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Plans of CFTs for the Super Hornet first surfaced last year: At the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space 2017 exposition held last year, Boeing unveiled the Block III variant of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The Block III Super Hornet consists in a series of upgrades for the existing Block II aircraft. These upgrades (a Boeing representative at the show identified five of them) would bring more capabilities to the affordable and combat proven Super Hornet (as well as to the EA-18G Growler):
The most visible upgrade is the conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) which would bring more range, more percistance and less drag to the aircraft. CFTs are additional fuel tanks fitted closely to the profile of an aircraft that extend either the range or "time on station" of the aircraft. CFTs have a reduced aerodynamic penalty compared to external drop tanks and they do not occupy ordnance hardpoints like drop tanks, allowing the aircraft to carry more payload. The combat range increase for the Block III is estimated to be about more or less 150 nautical miles compared to the use of legacy drop tanks.

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The U.S. Navy down selected five ship designs to compete for the FFG(X) Frigate Program on February 16, 2018. Austal USA, Fincantieri Marinette Marine, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Lockheed Martin and Huntington Ingalls Industries received a contract award for "conceptual design" of their frigate proposals.

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ORIGINAL: Dysta

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ORIGINAL: Hongjian

*PLAAF AAM ranges*

PL-15 is a stopgap between 50nm and 200nm classes. It may sounds redundant, but for a good reason -- giving the farthest range without reducing loadout versatility or performance, and even improving it by associate with better/extra sensors for the terminal stage.

Supposedly it should be fired with a ballistic arch to gain range, so it's not designed for LO-LO-LO engagement, even it can, the range benefit will be none compare to the older, but nearly same-sized mid-range AAMs.

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The keel laying ceremony of the multipurpose amphibious unit (LHD or Landing Helicopter Dock) took place today at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia, marking the beginning of the slipway works of the unit.

The new unit will be delivered in 2022 and it falls within the naval program of the maritime capability of Defense, approved by the Italian Government and Parliament and started in May 2015.
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The unit will be approx. 215 meters long with a maximum speed of 25 knots. It will be equipped with a combined propulsion system diesel/electric and gas turbines (CODLOG).

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The French Navy is looking to procure some E-2D Advanced Hawkeye carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft from Northrop Grumman for delivery in about ten years, Navy Recognition has learned.

A French Navy spokesman explained to us that "three E-2Ds are scheduled to be delivered by 2026-2028. They will renew the 'gateway' function of the French naval aviation". Navy Recognition understands a formal order for the Advanced Hawkeyes should be placed in the next French military planning law (LPM) set to be released in 2024. France just issued its 2019-2025 military planning law.

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ORIGINAL: Dysta

The most recent ABM test launched by China was the DN-3 interceptor, and it hit DF-21 as a target successfully:

https://thediplomat.com/2018/02/revealed-the-details-of-chinas-latest-hit-to-kill-interceptor-test/

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The DN-3 is thought to be China’s most capable midcourse hit-to-kill interceptor, but the country has other systems capable of exoatmospheric ballistic and anti-satellite interception, including the DN-2, the HQ-19, and the ASAT-oriented SC-19.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Defense observed in its annual report on the Chinese military that the HQ-19 might “fill the midtier of China’s BMD network.”

“The HQ-19 is still undergoing PLAAF [People’s Liberation Army Air Force]-organized testing; as of May 2016, China was focused mainly on testing the HQ-19’s capability to intercept 3,000 km ranged ballistic missiles,” the report noted.

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China tested a DN-2 in 2013 that traveled 18,600 miles in space where U.S. intelligence satellites are located.

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While details of the DN-2 are not known, U.S. officials said it is expected to be a high earth-orbit interceptor capable of destroying strategic navigation, communication, or intelligence satellites by ramming into them at high speeds.

The DN-2 is said to be capable of hitting targets in high-earth orbit between 12,000 and 22,236 miles above earth. Many military, intelligence, and commercial satellites orbit at that altitude.

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ORIGINAL: bpstalker

Drone attack against a UAE patriot

https://southfront.org/houthis-destroyed-uae-patriot-system-in-central-yemen-with-swarm-of-drones-reports/

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Boeing has been awarded a contract to modernize the U.S. Navy F/A-18 fleet, extending the life of existing Super Hornets from 6,000 to 9,000+ flight hours. In the early 2020s, Boeing will begin installing initial updates to the aircraft that will convert existing Block II Super Hornets to a new Block III configuration.

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The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $150 million contract, with options worth up to $942.8 million, for the development, manufacture and delivery of two high power laser weapon systems, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and counter-Unmanned Aerial System (counter-UAS) capabilities, by fiscal year 2020. With the High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler with Surveillance (HELIOS) system, Lockheed Martin will help the Navy take a major step forward in its goal to field laser weapon systems aboard surface ships.

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The Polish Nauta Shipyard has today cut the first steel for the Swedish Navy’s SIGINT ship, officially beginning the production phase of the vessel. The ceremony was also attended by officials from Saab, the Swedish defence group, which awarded the ship construction contract to the Nauta Shipyard, a part of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), in 2017.

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BAE Systems awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to equip the Royal Navy's new Type 26 Global Combat Ship with the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS). The MK 41 VLS is the only system capable of launching anti-air, anti-submarine, surface-to-surface and strike-length missiles. Once integrated with the Type 26, the MK 41 VLS will offer the Royal Navy unparalleled flexibility and capability.

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Turkish company STM will modernize a second Agosta 90B submarine for Pakistan. The contract signing ceremony for the second submarine under the Pakistan Navy’s Agosta 90B Class Submarine Modernisation Project was held at the premises of Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production, with the attendance of representatives from Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production and the Pakistan Navy.
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Under the project, STM will make modifications on the pressure hull, the most critical structure in a submarine, by carrying out system-to-system and platform-to-system integrations for various systems, to be provided by local and foreign companies.

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The Dagdiesel enterprise in Dagestan will supply to the Russian Navy 73 UET-1 torpedoes by 2023. A corresponding contract was signed by head of the procurement department of the Defense Ministry Rear Admiral Andrey Vernigora and Dagdiesel CEO Raul Ilyasov, the Defense Ministry said.

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The Russian Navy does not plan to build another big landing ship designed by the Nevskoe bureau on the basis of project 11711, an informed naval source told FlotProm online publication. The first serial Petr Morgunov ship of the project will become the last one.

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ODK-Saturn in Rybinsk of the United Engine Corporation (UEC) is creating the necessary potential for the development of fifth-generation marine gas-turbine engines, the UEC said.