Slitherine

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The Yakovlev Yak-152 trainer aircraft completed its maiden flight on 29 September, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has announced.

Russia's newest basic trainer aircraft, the Yak-152 is expected to replace the Russian Aerospace Forces' ageing fleet of Yak-52 trainers.

According to UAC the first flight was conducted at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, where the aircraft is being built. Irkut revealed in June that it had a production order for 150 examples of the aircraft.

The Yak-152 has been under development in various forms for at least 15 years, partly in co-operation with China (as the L-7), and is a derivative of the Yak-54 acrobatic aircraft.

Originally selected to the replace the Yak-52 in 2001, progress on the aircraft stalled until 2014 when a contract was awarded to Irkut Corporation to complete its development. The aircraft had been due to make its maiden flight in 2015 and enter service in November 2016, although this timeline quickly slipped.

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ORIGINAL: Broncepulido

Hard-kill anti-torpedo defensive system apparently full deployed in USS George H Bush (and apparently the sensors and warning elements lacking the hard-kill elements in other five carriers, not very clear the article on this point):
http://www.scout.com/military/warrior/story/1711759-us-carriers-deploy-new-torpedo-defense-system

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ORIGINAL: Hongjian

On topic of bombers... Rumors indicate that the development of the airborne launched ASBM has been completed. Let's see if we get pictorial confirmation of it after Zhuhai Airshow.



Technology would be plausible, after all, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation offered a light weight plane-launched space rocket since the early 2000s...

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Yemeni forces have targeted and destroyed an Emirati military vessel in a rocket attack near the Red Sea port city of Mokha, al-Masirah TV says. The C-802 is the export upgraded version of the Chinese anti-ship missile YJ-8 (Chinese: 鹰击-8, literally "Eagle Strike"; NATO reporting name: CSS-N-8 Saccade).

The ship is a wave-piercing, aluminum-hulled, commercial catamaran with military enhancements, such as a helicopter flight deck, vehicle deck, small boat and unmanned vehicle launch and recovery capability, and a communications suite. While from the front the vessel looks like a trimaran, the center hull does not rest in the water and is not used for buoyancy. Propulsion is provided by directional water jets, so the ship does not have propellers or a rudder for steering, and can maneuver in twelve feet of water.

As of July 2015 the vessel is reported to be operated by the UAE's National Marine Dredging Company. The United Arab Emirates are part of the ongoing Saudi-led War in Yemen.

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ORIGINAL: Hongjian

Looks like the YJ-8/C-80X AShM scored its first actual combat kill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTNeEYlO3Iw

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ORIGINAL: gosnold

I don't see the point an air-launched ASBM: It seems less flexible to me than the existing DF-21D and DF-26.

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ORIGINAL: thewood1

I suspect it might have been an ATGM. I think it was pretty close to sure and seems relatively easy to get one as a rebel.

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ORIGINAL: De Savage

Sorry.. Can't post links.

Finland's Defence Ministry says it has scrambled jets twice in the past 24 hours to monitor suspected airspace violations by Russian fighters.

Source: BBC

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Russia moving nuclear-capable missiles into Kaliningrad, says Estonia
(Source: The Guardian)

On Thursday, a Russian military An-72 aircraft penetrated Estonian airspace over the island of Vaindloo without permission and spent about minute and a half in the country’s airspace.

The aircraft transponder was switched on, but no flight plan was submitted and the aircraft did not respond to radio contact with the Estonian air movement service.

The Estonian foreign ministry on Friday summoned the Russian ambassador to Estonia to hand him a protest note.

Finland said two similar planes had passed over its territory as it prepared to sign a defence pact with the US.

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Chinese navy to receive first sailing training ship 'Polang'

A formation ceremony for a new navy fleet was held in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Sept. 26. Within the new fleet is China's first sailing training ship, "Polang."
The fleet is responsible for maintaining naval culture, instructing naval officers on sailing and carrying out international military exchanges. The ship is numbered “86,” and its name, “Polang,” means to brave the wind and have high ambitions. The ship is 85 meters long, 11 meters wide, with 1,200 tons of standard displacement. It is capable of accommodating 50 naval students at a time.The construction of Polang began in May 2016, and was carried out by the Guangzhou Shipyard International Company. The ship will be completed in 18 months, and will set sail by the end of 2017. At present, Polang's future staff has already been selected.

The ship will be used mainly by naval academy students to conduct trainings in mast climbing, sailing, navigation and more. Hou Zhixin, the first political commissar of Polang, emphasized that the classic type of training Polang facilitates is essential and irreplaceable for naval students.

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The PLAN will get two new training ships.

The first one is the "Break Waves", PLAN's first ever sail-training-ship with three masted square rigger, similar that of RNOV Shabab Oman.

Construction started May this year in Guangzhou and expected to launch second half of 2017. The "Break Waves" will bear the pennant number of "86" and serve under the Dalian Naval Academy.

Personally, I prefer to see a Zheng He treasure ship replica in service with the PLAN over a more "Western" design. China's maritime tradition is just as proud as the next guy, but hey that's just me.

Overall: 85 m
Beam: 11 m
Speed: 18 kn
Displacement: 1200 t
Midshipmen: 50