Washington (UPI) May 13, 2013
Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory say they've set a record by flying a liquid-hydrogen powered unmanned aerial vehicle for 48 hours straight. The flight breaks the previous record of 26 hours set by the same Ion Tiger electric fuel cell drone when it was powered with gaseous hydrogen stored at 5,000 psi, they said. The cryogenic liquid hydrogen was stored in a lig

Beirut, Lebanon (UPI) May 13, 2013
Troops loyal to embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad have made strategic gains against rebel forces in recent days. This is possibly to strengthen the regime's position if Western and Russian diplomacy can set up talks aimed at ending the civil war now in its third year. However, the Damascus regime doesn't appear to have scored any decisive victories in the heavy fighting, al

Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 14, 2013
With a historic robotic refueling demo ticked off its checklist, NASA's Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) put down the hose and picked up the screwdriver and utility knife. This latest round of satellite-servicing tasks, completed in the early morning of May 10, will show how robots could access and further maintain satellites in orbit. Five days of operations were held aboard the Internatio

Beijing (AFP) May 13, 2013
China's ancient rulers misled their people by fabricating results of divination rituals used to help decide policy and shape public opinion, state media quoted researchers as saying Monday. Emperors during the Shang dynasty (1600 BC-1046 BC) relied heavily on prophecy and divination, using techniques such as burning turtle shells or cattle bones and basing predictions on the pattern of crack

Raiwind, Pakistan (AFP) May 13, 2013
Pakistan's incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday reached out to India and the United States, pledging to strengthen relations after his thumping victory in landmark elections. Sharif promised Pakistan's "full support" as the United States withdraws combat troops from Afghanistan next year and made overtures to nuclear rival India in a briefing with the foreign media at his family es

Washington (AFP) May 13, 2013
Pakistan's former ambassador to Washington on Monday cast doubt on incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif's overtures to the United States and India, saying he has a poor record on opposing extremists. Husain Haqqani, who is close to the rival Pakistan People's Party, said that Sharif may not back up his statements with substance after the two-time prime minister's center-right Pakistan Muslim

London (UPI) May 13, 2013
Britain's Babcock International is providing through-life engineering support to the British navy's ocean survey vessel HMS Scott. The competitively awarded Ministry of Defense contract is for five years with a five-year option. "We are delighted to have secured this important contract with the MOD's Commercially Supported Shipping team," said Babcock Managing Director Warships M

Brussels (AFP) May 13, 2013
Four-star US General Philip Breedlove assumed command of NATO Monday, promising to bolster the 28-member military alliance as it prepares for a difficult withdrawal from Afghanistan next year. Breedlove, 57, formally took over from US Admiral James Stavridis as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) at a ceremony in Mons, southern Belgium, presided over by NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

United Nations (AFP) May 13, 2013
The United States will boycott meetings of the UN Conference on Disarmament when Iran takes over the body this month, a US spokeswoman said Monday. Iran, and any nation facing sanctions for its weapons program, should be "barred" from holding formal UN positions, said Erin Pelton, spokeswoman for the US mission at the United Nations. Iran will take over presidency of the disarmament conf

Washington (AFP) May 13, 2013
The US Defense Department has decided to stop buying EADS Lakota helicopters for the Army next year, according to the head of the European aerospace's US-based unit. "The Lakota is built by a highly skilled workforce, more than half of which are military veterans, at my company's Columbus, Mississippi, helicopter production facility," Sean O'Keefe, chairman and chief executive of EADS North

Vienna (AFP) May 13, 2013
Austria has warned its 26 European Union partners in a letter against providing weapons for rebel movements in the Syrian conflict, said a press report to be published Tuesday. The foreign ministry in Vienna confirmed late Monday that a document had been handed over to the European Union in Brussels, but did not give details. Die Presse newspaper said that Austria believes arms shipments

Moscow (AFP) May 13, 2013
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to hold talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the conflict in Syria, the Kremlin said, amid concerns Moscow plans to deliver advanced missiles to the Damascus regime. "During the meeting an exchange of opinion is planned on key aspects of bilateral ties," the Kremlin said in a statement. "It is expected that major attention

Lagos (AFP) May 13, 2013
A Nigerian court on Monday sentenced an alleged member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and his Nigerian accomplice to five years in jail each over an illegal arms shipment. Azim Aghajani and Nigerian Ali Abbas Jega were detained in 2010 when authorities at a Lagos port discovered 13 containers of weapons that had been declared as construction materials. The case attracted wide intern

Washington (AFP) May 13, 2013
The United States has moved military forces closer to Libya since the Benghazi attack so they will be ready to respond to threats against diplomatic personnel, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday. "We are prepared to respond if necessary, if conditions deteriorate or if we were called upon," spokesman George Little told reporters. "Obviously we have moved assets and personnel," he said, wi

Baghdad (AFP) May 13, 2013
Iraq's chief prosecutor called on parliament on Monday to replace President Jalal Talabani, who has been receiving treatment in Germany for almost five months, but MPs rejected the appeal. Ghadanfar Hammud al-Jassem made the call in a letter to parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, citing Article 72 of the Iraqi constitution, which requires a new president to be elected if the post "becomes v

Brest, France (AFP) May 05, 2013
A French test of an M51 submarine-launched ballistic missile failed on Sunday as it self-destructed off the coast of Brittany, officials said. "It was a failure, the reasons will be determined by an investigation," said Lieutenant Commander Lionel Delort, a spokesman for the Atlantic Naval Prefecture. He said the missile "self-destructed during its first propulsion phase... for an unknow

Jerusalem (AFP) May 05, 2013
Israel carried out a pre-dawn air strike near Damascus on Sunday, targeting Iranian missiles destined for Lebanon's Hezbollah in the second such raid on Syrian soil in three days, a senior Israeli source said. "The target was Iranian missiles which were destined for Hezbollah," he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The attack targeted a facility just northwest of the Syrian ca

Seoul (AFP) May 5, 2013
North Korea demanded Sunday that South Korea drop all "military provocations" if it wants to revive a jointly-run business estate which has suspended operations amid high military tensions on the peninsula. The Kaesong Industrial Complex, opened just north of the tense border in 2004 as a rare symbol of cooperation, has fallen victim to the escalating stand-off. Pyongyang, accusing Seoul

Tokyo (AFP) May 5, 2013
Japan has never in the past 1,500 years had a smooth relationship with China, Japanese deputy prime minister Taro Aso was quoted Sunday as saying during a visit to India. "India shares a land border with China, and Japan has had maritime contacts (with China), but for the past 1,500 years and more there has never been a history when our relations with China went extremely smoothly," Aso said

Jerusalem (AFP) May 05, 2013
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will arrive in China on Monday, in a rare visit Israeli officials hope will increase exports to the Asian economic giant. The Israeli premier will also reiterate his concerns over Iran's nuclear programme with the Chinese leadership and discuss the peace talks with the Palestinians. "We hope the visit serves to upgrade the level of cooperation between th

London (AFP) May 05, 2013
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Sunday that apparent Israeli air strikes on Syria showed that peace across the whole region was under threat, and reinforced the need to lift an arms embargo on Syrian rebels. Hague's comments came after a senior Israeli official said that the Jewish state carried out a pre-dawn attack near Damascus on Sunday targeting Iranian missiles destined fo

Washington (AFP) May 3, 2013
South Korea's new leader visits Washington next week on a mission to present a united front to a bellicose North Korea and also to safeguard her country's increasingly outsized role in the world. President Park Geun-Hye took office in February as the first woman to lead a Northeast Asian nation. But she has had little time to highlight her personal story, with her tenure quickly consumed by

Baghdad (AFP) May 03, 2013
A policeman in Baghdad knows the bomb detector he uses is fake, and will do virtually nothing to save anyone's life, but he has his orders. "If I were given a mop and told that it detects bombs in cars, I would still do it without any hesitation," he told AFP, asking not to be identified. "The device is a 100-percent failure and we know that, but it is imposed on us; we cannot disobey di

Kandahar, Afghanistan (AFP) May 4, 2013
A roadside bomb killed five US troops Saturday in Afghanistan and two other NATO soldiers were shot dead in an "insider attack", a week after the Taliban launched their spring offensive. The bomb killed five soldiers in a vehicle in the southern province of Kandahar, local police said, while the two other NATO troops were killed by an Afghan army soldier in the far west of the country. T

Seoul (AFP) May 4, 2013
South Korean police on Saturday stopped a planned launch of anti-North Korean leaflets across the tense border, sparking an angry protest from activists, witnesses said. A group of defectors from the North had said they would float 200,000 leaflets over the heavily militarised frontier by balloon on Saturday to protest Pyongyang's dire human rights record. Police set up road blocks on ac

Mosul, Iraq (AFP) May 03, 2013
Clashes in northern Iraq killed nine police and four gunmen on Friday, while other attacks, including a car bomb near a Sunni mosque, left at least six more people dead, officials said. Mortar rounds were fired at checkpoints in the fierce fighting that also left another seven police wounded, police and a doctor said. In Rashidiyah, north of Baghdad, the car bomb exploded as worshippers

Baghdad (AFP) May 04, 2013
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition won the most provincial council seats in seven of the 12 provinces that voted, according to results released on Saturday. However, no list won a majority of seats in any of the provinces. The vote for provincial councils was the first election held since US troops withdrew from Iraq in late 2011, and was seen as an important ga

Baghdad (AFP) May 04, 2013
A UN official said on Saturday that violence at the site of a north Iraq protest in late April killed up to eight children and wounded up to 12 others. Marzio Babille, Iraq representative of UNICEF, said in an emailed statement that several of the injured children had received severe gunshot wounds. "UNICEF has received substantial and credible information that up to eight children have

New Delhi (AFP) May 4, 2013
India's foreign minister has hinted he could cancel a planned trip to Beijing if no progress is made in resolving a row over an alleged incursion by Chinese troops deep inside Indian-claimed territory. The reported Chinese infiltration across the disputed Himalayan border has strained ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours whose relations have long been chequered by mutual suspicion - a

Damascus (AFP) May 04, 2013
Israeli warplanes hit a weapons shipment in Syria headed for Lebanon's Hezbollah, media quoted US officials as saying, with a diplomatic source reporting Saturday that the strikes targeted missiles stored at Damascus airport. Activists, meanwhile, said the bodies of 62 civilians, including children, were found in the northwest port of Banias a day after an assault by regime troops and the op

Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Apr 23, 2013
The Pentagon has stepped up efforts to fund Israel's anti-missile shield with the Missile Defense Agency requesting $220 million in fiscal 2014 for Israel's air force to buy more Iron Dome batteries. It's the first time the MDA has specifically sought funds for Iron Dome, developed and built by Haifa's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, in its annual budget process. That underlines

Tokyo (AFP) April 23, 2013
Japan's prime minister vowed Tuesday to "expel by force" any Chinese landing on islands at the centre of a territorial row, after eight Chinese government vessels sailed into the disputed waters. The latest clash over the archipelago upped the stakes in a tense diplomatic battle as nearly 170 Japanese lawmakers visited the controversial Yasukuni war shrine in central Tokyo, seen as a potent

Riyadh (AFP) April 23, 2013
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Riyadh Tuesday to seal a major arms deal that will provide the Saudi kingdom with sophisticated missiles for its American-made fighter jets. Hagel flew in from Jordan after a three-day visit to Israel in his first tour of the region since he took office two months ago. He was scheduled to hold a working dinner on Tuesday evening with Crown Prin

Washington (AFP) April 23, 2013
China and Romania were by far the largest sources of confirmed hacking attempts last year, with China's mostly from state-controlled sources aimed at data theft, a new report said Tuesday. Verizon's 2013 Data Breach Investigations report said 30 percent of 621 confirmed attacks were sourced back to China, 28 percent to Romania, and another 18 percent to the United States. By far most of

Washington (AFP) April 23, 2013
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye will address a joint meeting of the US Congress next month, lawmakers said Tuesday, in a show of support for the new leader after tensions with North Korea soared. South Korea's first female president will speak to Congress on May 8, a day after her scheduled summit with President Barack Obama at the White House, House Speaker John Boehner announced Tuesd

Rio De Janeiro (UPI) Apr 23, 2013
Brazilian tactical transport jet KC-390 is about to enter the market as the main challenger to Lockheed Martin's C-130J Super Hercules but global domination is far from certain, analysts said. One of the chief reasons may be that the KC-390 cannot always reach areas that the hardier C-130 Hercules and its current upgrade C-130J Super Hercules can with its four-engine turboprop configura

Kirkuk, Iraq (AFP) April 23, 2013
A wave of clashes and attacks involving Iraqi security forces, protesters and their supporters on Tuesday left 54 people dead and prompted two Sunni ministers to quit, sending tensions soaring. The unrest, which also included the kidnapping of a soldier by armed protesters, was the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations in Sunni areas that erupted more than four months ago. The protes

United Nations (AFP) April 23, 2013
Iran's Finance Minister Shamseddin Hosseini said Tuesday that international sanctions had pushed inflation above 30% and was causing "a lot of trouble" but that Iran's nuclear drive would not be halted. Lashing out at measures by the United Nations, United States and European Union, Hosseini said the Iranian economy was increasingly gearing up to produce at home the goods that it cannot impo

Vienna (AFP) April 23, 2013
The UN atomic agency said Tuesday it will hold a new round of talks with Iran on May 15 in Vienna on suspected nuclear bomb-making efforts by Tehran. The meeting is "aimed at finalising a structured approach to resolving outstanding issues related to the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear programme," International Atomic Energy Agency spokeswoman Gill Tudor said. Iran has con

Brussels (AFP) April 23, 2013
NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed Afghan President Hamid Karzai Tuesday as the alliance prepares for a difficult withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014 after years of fighting the Taliban. NATO forces in Afghanistan are steadily "moving from combat to support," Rasmussen said, promising that the alliance would stand by the country through to 2014 and beyond, when it will take up a milit

Riyadh (AFP) April 23, 2013
Israel's army said Tuesday Damascus has used chemical weapons, as Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel wrapped up a visit to the Jewish state as part of a Mideast trip dominated by the Syrian war. A senior officer in Israel's military intelligence alleged the Syrian regime had resorted to chemical weapons as Hagel met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly before departing for Jordan a

Washington (AFP) April 23, 2013
A man charged with sending a poison-laced letter to the White House was released on bond Tuesday as a letter sent to a US airbase raised similar fears before it was found to be harmless. The United States remains on edge after a deadly bombing last week at the Boston Marathon, and the suspicious letter discovered at Bolling Air Force Base outside Washington raised concerns. Senator Harry

Brussels (AFP) April 23, 2013
Syria dominated US Secretary of State John Kerry's first NATO foreign ministers meeting Tuesday as reports of chemical weapons use by Damascus threatened to raise the stakes dramatically. As fighting intensifies, ministers were increasingly concerned by the prospect of the bloody conflict spilling over into an already tense region which is home to one of the alliance's key members, Turkey.

Washington (AFP) April 23, 2013
The United States has not yet concluded that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime used chemical weapons against rebel forces, but backs a probe into the matter, the White House said Tuesday. "We support an investigation, we're monitoring this, and we have not come to the conclusion that there has been that use" of chemical weapons, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters. Ca

Seoul (AFP) April 23, 2013
North Korea renewed its demand Tuesday for recognition as a nuclear power, saying it was a pre-requisite for the start of any dialogue with the United States. A commentary in the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper rejected as "totally unacceptable" a US demand that North Korea commit to abandoning its nuclear weapons and missile programme before any talks can begin. Any meeting at the nego

 

 

 

Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Apr 23, 2013 - The Pentagon has stepped up efforts to fund Israel's anti-missile shield with the Missile Defense Agency requesting $220 million in fiscal 2014 for Israel's air force to buy more Iron Dome batteries.

It's the first time the MDA has specifically sought funds for Iron Dome, developed and built by Haifa's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, in its annual budget process.

That underlines the U.S. Defense Department's effort to maintain military aid for Israel despite major cutbacks in defense spending.

The agency is also expected to seek another $520 million to fund other Israeli anti-missile systems, including the David's Sling and the high-altitude Arrow 3, which is under development.

"The money, if approved, would be on top of the $486 million the White House and Congress have requested or added for Iron Dome in recent years after formal budgets were submitted," The Jerusalem Post reported.

The House of Representatives and the Senate indicated in 2012 "they wanted to approve spending as much as $680 million for Iron Dome through 2015."

Iron Dome, designed to shoot down short-range missiles and rockets and recently upgraded to counter longer-range weapons as well, became operational in early 2012. But the Israeli air force, which has responsibility for air defense, has only acquired five batteries, several of those with direct U.S. funding on top of the annual $3.1 billion in U.S. military aid Israel receives.

That allowed Israel to deploy all five batteries during an eight-day November clash with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

By official count, Iron Dome successfully intercepted 84.6 percent of the rockets it engaged, including several that for the first time targeted Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iron Dome's Tamir interceptors engage only those projectiles its computer calculates will hit populated areas and ignores the rest.

Several missile scientists and others have questioned the system's kill rate, with one saying it was closer to 5-10 percent of rockets engaged than the government's assessment of 84.6 percent.

The government rejected the criticisms and is moving ahead with creating a multilayered defense shield against a sustained bombardment it fears by Iran, Lebanon's Hezbollah on Israel's northern border and Palestinian militants in the south.

David's Sling, being developed by Rafael and the Raytheon Co. of the United States, is designed to counter medium-range missiles.

Arrow 3, being developed by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries and the Boeing Co., is intended to intercept Iranian and Syrian ballistic missiles outside Earth's atmosphere. In its first flight test a few weeks ago Arrow 3 achieved an altitude of 70 miles and intercepted a simulated missile threat.

The Arrow 2 variant currently in service will backstop at lower altitudes against ballistic attacks.

The fiscal 2014 request by the MDA includes funding for further Arrow 3 testing and a second interception flight before preparations begin for initial production.

There is separate funding for an Arrow "Weapons Systems Improvement" program that integrates data links between Israeli missile forces and U.S. weapons systems in the Middle East, reinforcing protection for the Jewish state.

MDA's funding efforts underline that the U.S. administration is seeking to ensure that U.S. military aid to Israel won't be affected by the so-called sequestration of U.S. defense spending.

The Congressional Research Service figures show that U.S. aid to Israel has increased since 1949 by an average of 28 percent a year, leaping 11.4 percent from 2010-13.

The Israel lobby in Washington is pressing for exempting Israel from automatic spending cuts being introduced in virtually all other U.S. government programs.

The commitment of U.S. President Barack Obama's administration to maintaining aid flow to Israel was also underlined by the Pentagon announcement last week that Israel, along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will be receiving advanced weapons systems worth $10 billion over the next few years.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel stressed during his visit to Israel this week that military aid won't be cut.

Antiwar.com, a U.S. website that's highly critical of the levels of U.S. military aid to Israel, recently cited a report on Israeli government expenditures that showed the Jewish state spends "a hugely disproportionate amount on its military, with roughly one-fifth of the overall national budget going straight into military spending."

 

Washington (AFP) April 16, 2013 - The Pentagon has requested $220.3 million in 2014 to bolster Israel's "Iron Dome" missile defense system despite broader cuts to US military spending, according to budget documents.

The US Missile Defense Agency also is asking for an additional $175.9 million in fiscal year 2015 for Israel's homegrown missile defense network, according to the agency's budget proposal posted online.

The Pentagon already invested $204 million on the system in 2011 and $70 million in 2012.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel promised in talks in March with his Israeli counterpart, Ehud Barak, who has since retired, that Washington would continue to fund anti-missile weaponry, including Iron Dome, despite fiscal pressures.

The budget details emerged before Hagel's planned visit to Israel next week, his first as defense secretary.

The Republican majority in the House of Representatives in May 2012 called for additional funding of roughly $680 million for the Iron Dome program.

US military assistance to Israel comes to about three billion dollars a year to ensure the country's "qualitative military edge" in the region, as mandated by Congress.

For its part, Israel has spent a billion dollars on the development and production of Iron Dome batteries.

Israeli officials say the Iron Dome program proved a success in battle last year.

In eight days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in November, the Israeli military said it brought down 421 of 1,354 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.

Of those which landed, 58 hit urban areas while the rest fell in open fields, causing no damage.

 

Tokyo (AFP) April 10, 2013 - Japan has deployed missile batteries in its heaving capital to defend the 30 million people who live in the greater Tokyo area from any North Korean attack.

Here are some key facts about Japan's ability to protect itself.

WHAT IS JAPAN'S MILITARY CAPABILITY?

Japan's Self Defense Forces have a total of approximately 250,000 full time service personnel. As of March 2012, Japan had 143 military vessels and 420 combat aircraft. It spends around $50 billion on its military every year, equivalent to around one percent of Gross Domestic Product.

The military is well-equipped, well-trained and makes use of technology.

Japan is also host to around 47,000 US military service personnel, who have with them a large amount of military hardware.

South Korea has deployed two Aegis destroyers, one off each coast, equipped with advance radar warning systems to track any missile launch.

WHAT HAS JAPAN DONE TO DEFEND AGAINST A NORTH KOREAN MISSILE?

Four Aegis-equipped destroyers routinely ply waters around the archipelago. Presently, two of them are in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

There are 16 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3 firing units based in Japan's four different regions. The number of individual PAC-3 launchers is reported to be 28. The US forces in Okinawa are reported to have a further 24.

In anticipation of Pyongyang's launch, four PAC-3 batteries were moved to the Defense Forces headquarters in Tokyo and three other ground force camps surrounding the capital.

However, some commentators warn that North Korea's most recent missile technology allows them to launch from the back of a moving vehicle. This could make any incoming North Korean missile more difficult to intercept because it is harder to calculate a trajectory.

IN WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD JAPAN TRY TO SHOOT DOWN A NORTH KOREAN MISSILE?

Japan's law allows its military to shoot down a North Korean missile in the air over its territory or over the high seas when it is headed toward its territory and feared to endanger lives or property.

Analysts say Japan is unlikely to be the target of any launch, but that the technological or mechanical failure of a North Korean missile intended to be fired into the Pacific might mean a missile -- or parts of it -- could fall on the country.

It is likely this eventuality that Tokyo is guarding against.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING PREVIOUS NORTH KOREAN LAUNCHES?

North Korea fired a rocket without warning on August 31, 1998, in what it said was an attempt to put a satellite into orbit. The first stage landed in the Sea of Japan and the second crossed Honshu island and fell into the Pacific.

That launch led to the 2003 decision to deploy Aegis destroyers equipped with sea-based SM-3 interceptor missiles and the land-based Patriot surface-to-air missiles.

On March 27, 2009, Japan's defence minister issued a shoot-down order for the first time in response to North Korea's preparations to launch a modified rocket.

The rocket blasted off on April 5, flying harmlessly hundreds of kilometres (miles) above Japan's northeast. Japan's defence forces did not try to intercept it.

On March 30, 2012, another shoot-down order was issued when North Korea said it was launching a satellite, however the long-range rocket disintegrated soon after lift off on April 13.

A third shoot-down order was issued on December 7, 2012, as North Korea readied a rocket that flew south over Okinawa five days later.

The rocket passed over the southern island chain outside the range of Japanese SM-3 and PAC-3 interceptor missiles, which were not launched.

Japan's defence minister issued the latest shoot-down order on April 7.

WHAT IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN THIS TIME?

Toshimitsu Shigemura, a Korean affairs specialist and professor at Tokyo's Waseda University, said North Korea is not aiming the rocket at Japan.

"Japan has the right under international law to shoot down a missile which is passing over if it is launched without warning. North Korea may criticise Japan for such an action but may not do anything further," he said.

Masao Okonogi, an honorary professor at Keio University, said North Korea may be aiming the rocket toward Guam or Hawaii.

"There is a remote possibility that part of the missile will fall over Japan. Such debris will burn up on re-entry so it is very unlikely that anything will actually hit Japan.

"If, however, the rocket is fired toward Japan, it is clearly military action and it is inevitable that Japan will try to shoot it down."

 

Dallas TX (SPX) Apr 15, 2013 - Lockheed Martin's PAC-3 Missile successfully detected, tracked and intercepted a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) in a Lower Tier Project Office flight test today at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

Two PAC-3 Missiles were ripple-fired in the test per current doctrine. The first interceptor destroyed the target and the second PAC-3 Missile self-destructed as planned. Mission objectives were focused on reducing risk for a flight test of the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) scheduled later this year.

"Today's flight test provided us the opportunity to demonstrate the PAC-3 Missile against a challenging TBM target," said Richard McDaniel, vice president of PAC-3 Missile programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Our preliminary data indicate that all objectives were achieved."

The PAC-3 and MSE Missiles are two of the world's most advanced, capable and reliable theater air defense missiles. They defeat tactical ballistic and air breathing targets.

As the most technologically advanced missile for the PATRIOT air defense system, PAC-3 significantly increases the PATRIOT system's firepower, allowing 16 PAC-3 Missiles to be loaded in place of just four legacy PATRIOT PAC-2 missiles on the launcher.

Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill missile.

It also has considerable experience in missile design and production, infrared seekers, command and control/battle management, and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and signal processing.

The company makes significant contributions to all major U.S. missile defense systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is a 2012 recipient of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for performance excellence.

The Malcolm Baldrige Award represents the highest honor that can be awarded to American companies for their achievements in leadership, strategic planning, customer relations, measurement, analysis, workforce excellence, operations and results.

 

Warsaw (AFP) April 12, 2013 - Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski on Friday signed an amendment that guarantees funds for Poland's missile shield programme from next year until 2023.

The program will be integrated into the wider NATO project and will "send an important signal to all that Poland has its own means of defence," he said, quoted on the presidency's website.

Komorowski inked the amendment to a law on financing the armed forces at a military base in the northeastern village of Szypliszki, site of a powerful NATO radar.

Last month, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Poland would spend 33.6 billion euros ($43.3 billion) to upgrade the army and "build up its deterrence forces".

"We will create our own air defence system. Our national missile shield, with the American shield, the elements of which will be on our territory by 2018 and will make up part of the NATO system," Sikorski told parliament.

The US said last month it would deploy 14 additional anti-missile interceptors in Alaska, up from the current 30, in response to mounting concerns about nuclear-armed North Korea.

The plan for Europe -- to counter a potential Iran threat -- envisages the deployment of dozens of SM-3 interceptors in Romania and Poland between now and 2018.

Moscow is strongly opposed to the plan, seeing it as a threat to its security, and demands to either be associated with it or receive guarantees it's not a target.

Having shed communism in 1989 before joining NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004, Poland, a nation of 38 million has spent the last two decades updating its Soviet-era military hardware.

It is also the only EU member to have sustained growth amid both the global financial and eurozone crises, and spends round 1.95 percent of its gross domestic product on defence.

 

Washington (AFP) April 9, 2013 - A top US military commander said Tuesday he favored shooting down a North Korean missile only if it threatened the United States or Washington's allies in the region.

When asked by lawmakers if he supported knocking out any missile fired by North Korea, Admiral Samuel Locklear, head of US Pacific Command, said: "I would not recommend that."

But the four-star admiral told the Senate Armed Services Committee he would "certainly recommend" intercepting an incoming North Korean missile "if it was in defense of our allies" or the United States.

Amid widespread speculation North Korea could be preparing a missile launch, Locklear also said he was confident the US military would be able to detect quickly where any missile was headed.

"It doesn't take long for us to determine where it's going and where it's going to land," said Locklear, who oversees American forces in the Asia-Pacific region.

The US military has a powerful radar in Japan to help track a possible missile launch as well as naval ships in the area equipped with anti-missile weaponry. Japan and South Korea also have their own missile defense systems.

The Pacific Command chief's comments underscored the delicate balancing act faced by President Barack Obama as his administration attempts to demonstrate US resolve without aggravating the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Given North Korea's repeated violations of UN Security Council resolutions that bar the pursuit of long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, Pyongyang represents "a clear and direct threat to US national security and regional peace and stability," Locklear said.

North Korea has issued dire threats that it could stage an attack on the United States with nuclear weapons, but experts doubt it is able to do so.

Both the admiral and lawmakers voiced concern that possible miscalculation could trigger an unintended war, and Locklear acknowledged the situation was "volatile."

To try to manage tensions, a new joint military plan between the United States and South Korea was designed to carefully counter North Korea's provocations but "without unnecessary escalation," he said.

With Pyongyang issuing almost daily threats against Washington and its allies, the United States was struggling to discern the motives and behavior of the Stalinist state's young leader, Kim Jong-Un, he said.

"We have limited understanding of North Korean leadership intent, which remains a concern to long-term stability," Locklear said in written testimony.

Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said hopes had long been dashed that North Korea's leader would be a reformer.

"Any guarded optimism about North Korea that may have accompanied the December 2011 death of long-time dictator Kim Jong Il has faded as the new regime has adopted many of the same destructive policies ...as its predecessors," Levin said.

The senator and other lawmakers expressed frustration over China's role, saying it needed to use its influence with North Korea to defuse the crisis.

 

Tokyo (AFP) April 9, 2013 - Japan has deployed Patriot missiles in its capital as it readies to defend the 30 million people who live in greater Tokyo from any North Korean attack, officials said Tuesday.

Two Patriot Advanced Capability-3 surface-to-air missile launchers were stationed at the defence ministry in Tokyo before dawn, a ministry spokesman said, while Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said "we are proceeding with measures including deployment of PAC-3 as we are on alert".

Local reports said batteries would be deployed in another two locations in the greater Tokyo area.

"The government is making utmost efforts to protect our people's lives and ensure their safety," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters Tuesday morning.

"As North Korea keeps making provocative comments, Japan, cooperating with relevant countries, will do what we have to do.

"For the moment, the most important thing is to implement sanctions under the UN Security Council resolutions," Abe said.

Tokyo's response thus far to the threats emanating from Pyongyang has been low key and Tuesday's moves are the most visible yet that it is rattled.

PAC-3 batteries will also be installed in the semi-tropical island chain of Okinawa, Onodera told a television programme broadcast Monday.

He said Okinawa was "the place that is most effective in responding to emergencies... so we should deploy the unit in Okinawa on a permanent basis".

Japan's armed forces are authorised to shoot down any North Korean missile headed towards its territory, a defence ministry spokesman said Monday.

In addition to the PAC-3s, Aegis destroyers equipped with sea-based interceptor missiles have been deployed in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), the defence official said.

Tokyo's moves came as North Korea said Monday it was withdrawing all workers and suspending operations at a lucrative joint industrial zone with South Korea, with reports of heightened activity at the North's nuclear test site and at a missile battery.

North Korea's bellicose rhetoric has reached fever pitch in recent weeks, with near-daily threats of attacks on US military bases including in Japan and South Korea in response to ongoing South Korea-US military exercises.

Intelligence reports suggest Pyongyang has readied two mid-range missiles on mobile launchers on its east coast and plans a test-firing before the April 15 birthday of late founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

But Toshimitsu Shigemura, professor of international relations at Waseda University, said Tokyo's measures were purely precautionary and it was unlikely that Pyongyang would actually target Japan

"This is a verbal war and it's not accompanied by actual military actions," he told AFP.

"Government officials know from satellite images that Pyongyang has not mobilised its troops or weapons on the frontline, except that they moved mobile missile launchers to the east coast."

He said a mis-targeted missile that might end up falling uncontrollably towards Japanese territory was most likely what Tokyo was readying for.

 

Seoul (AFP) April 4, 2013 - The United States has scrambled to reinforce its Pacific missile defences, preparing to send ground-based interceptors to Guam, as North Korea said Thursday it had authorised plans for nuclear strikes on US targets.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Pyongyang's increasingly bellicose threats combined with its military capabilities represented a "real and clear danger" to the United States and to its allies South Korea and Japan.

"They have nuclear capacity now, they have missile delivery capacity now," Hagel said Wednesday. "We take those threats seriously, we have to take those threats seriously."

The Pentagon said it would send ground-based THAAD missile-interceptor batteries to protect military bases on Guam, a US territory some 3,380 kilometres (2,100 miles) southeast of North Korea and home to 6,000 American military personnel, submarines and bombers.

They would complement two Aegis anti-missile destroyers already dispatched to the region.

Shortly after the THAAD announcement, the North Korean military said it had received final approval for military action against the United States, possibly involving nuclear weapons.

"The moment of explosion is approaching fast," the Korean People's Army general staff said, responding to what it called the provocative US use of nuclear-capable B-52 and B-2 stealth bombers in ongoing war games with South Korea.

The US aggression would be "smashed by... cutting-edge smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear strike means," it said in a statement.

While few of the North's threats have been matched with action, reports Thursday said it appears to have moved a medium-range missile capable of hitting targets in South Korea and Japan to its east coast.

"We are closely monitoring whether the North moved it with a view to actual launch or just as a show of force against the US," Yonhap news agency quoted a South Korean official as saying.

A provocative missile test-fired into the sea over Japan is one scenario that analysts have said the North could opt for as a relatively low-risk way of exiting the crisis with a face-saving show of force.

Yun Duk-Min, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, said the latest nuclear threat was similar to one issued a month ago, but with the added weight of "approval" -- presumably by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

"The problem is whether Kim, who is still young and inexperienced, knows how to handle this escalation," Yun said. "Where does it end? That's the worrying question."

North Korea blocked access to its Kaesong joint industrial zone with South Korea Thursday for the second day running, and threatened to pull out its 53,000 workers in a furious reaction to the South's airing of a "military" contingency plan to protect its own workers there.

Pyongyang informed Seoul on Wednesday it was stopping the daily movement of South Koreans to the Kaesong complex, the last real surviving point of contact between the two countries.

"The full closure of the complex is set to become a reality," a spokesman for the North's Committee for Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) said.

The North has said that the more than 800 South Koreans currently in Kaesong -- 10 kilometres (six miles) inside the North Korean border -- can leave whenever they want but many have chosen to stay to keep the factories running.

North Korea threatened a "pre-emptive" nuclear strike against the United States in early March, and last week its supreme army command ordered strategic rocket units to combat status.

Most experts think it is not yet capable of mounting a nuclear device on a ballistic missile capable of striking US bases or territory.

Tensions have soared on the Korean peninsula since December, when the North test-launched a long-range rocket. In February, it upped the ante once again by conducting its third nuclear test.

Subsequent UN sanctions and joint South Korea-US military drills triggered weeks of near-daily threats from Pyongyang, ranging from artillery strikes to nuclear armageddon.

The escalating crisis has triggered global concern, with China and Russia issuing repeated calls for restraint and UN Chief Ban Ki-moon warning that the situation had "gone too far" and risked spiralling out of control.

This week, the North warned it would reopen its mothballed Yongbyon reactor -- its source of weapons-grade plutonium. It was closed in July 2007 under a six-nation aid-for-disarmament accord.

The US-Korea Institute at John Hopkins University said Wednesday that a satellite photograph seen on March 27 appeared to show construction work around the reactor was already under way.

burs-ckp-gh/sls

 

Washington (AFP) April 3, 2013 - The United States is to deploy a THAAD missile defense battery to defend its bases on the Pacific island of Guam, the Pentagon said Wednesday following threats from North Korea.

The news that the ground-based system would be in place in the coming weeks came after two Aegis anti-missile destroyers were sent to the western Pacific to intercept any North Korean strike against US or allied targets.

The THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) is a truck-mounted system that can pinpoint an enemy missile launch, track the projectile and launch an interceptor to bring it down.

Guam is a US island territory 2,100 miles (3,380 kilometers) southeast of North Korea in the Pacific Ocean and is home to 6,000 American military personnel, including Marines and submarine and bomber crews.

 

Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Apr 1, 2013 - Israel's Home Front chief says cities will likely be unprotected by Iron Dome anti-missile systems if war erupts because military installations will get priority, a warning observers say is meant to pressure Washington not to cut military aid to the Jewish state.

At present, only five batteries of Iron Dome, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to shoot down short-range rockets, are operational. Israeli military planners say at least 13 are required to provide full-scale defense across the country.

Israel has had to cut defense spending in recent years and it is only hefty funding by the United States that has financed development and production of Iron Dome.

Each battery costs around $50 million and consists of 20 Tamir interceptors that cost around $50,000 each.

"I will recommend protecting the country's functional continuity and the ability to maintain an offensive effort over time, until the war is won," Maj. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg, who heads the Home Front Command, told the Israeli daily Haaretz.

"That means protecting power plants and the air force bases before the big cities.

"As of now ... we'll have to introduce an order of priorities in resources. We'll have to make a tough, trenchant and clear decision."

Eisenberg went on to say, "I'm preparing for a scenario in which more than 1,000 missiles and rockets a day are fired at the civilian rear."

He acknowledged that, in fact, civilians would find themselves "on a second front."

At present, Israel's military intelligence estimates that Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Jewish state's northern neighbor, has in excess of 45,000 missiles and rockets, including hundreds capable of hitting anywhere in Israel.

Hamas and other Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have thousands more, mostly of a smaller caliber and destructive power but enough it hit Tel Aviv, Israel's largest city, and Jerusalem.

Iran has an estimated 200-300 operational intermediate-range ballistic missiles, primarily the Shehab-3b, with the more advanced Sejjil-2 under development.

Syria reportedly has several hundred Soviet-era Scud-B and C ballistic missiles and shorter range weapons capable of blasting the Jewish state.

The Israelis have a highly effective lobby in the United States that's pressing for them to be exempted from any cuts in military aid because of their perennial security crisis.

Few U.S. politicians are prepared to take on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee if they want to secure re-election. In March, AIPAC launched a blitz on Capitol Hill to pressure Congress to exempt Israel from the cuts.

It's been common knowledge in Israel for months that the military would give priority to protecting key strategic installations with Iron Dome, while the civilian population took its chances but Eisenberg's interview, and his stress on the dangers Israel's defenseless civilians face, bore the hallmarks of AIPAC's hard-hitting strategy.

U.S. President Barack Obama has promised that military aid to Israel -- $3.1 billion a year, plus funding for missile-defense projects -- won't be affected by the drastic cuts in U.S. defense spending under the so-called "sequestration" program that began March 1.

Indeed, he personally pledged that during his recent visit to Israel in March. But he didn't explain how that would be done while large numbers of Americans endure major belt-tightening, and even losing their jobs.

Washington provided $205 million for Iron Dome in fiscal 2012, primarily so the government could buy more batteries and it's budgeting another $680 million to the end of 2015.

The Americans are also helping fund David's Sling, designed to intercept medium-range missiles, and Arrow-3, an anti-ballistic system that will destroy long-range missiles outside Earth's atmosphere.

David's Sling's a joint project between Rafael and the U.S. Raytheon Co., while Arrow-3 is being developed by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries and the U.S. Boeing Co.

There are indications the Americans may be leaning on Israel to co-produce Iron Dome, the only anti-missile project in which they had no U.S. industrial involvement, possibly in return for uninterrupted U.S. aid.

Israel has repeatedly rejected calls by the U.S. Congress for access to Iron Dome technology but shortly before Obama's visit, it agreed the Americans should be allowed to co-produce Iron Dome so they can benefit from the funds they've provided.

 

Buckley AFB CO (SPX) Apr 02, 2013 - In support of the Buckley missile warning and awareness mission, the second Space-Based Infrared System geosynchronous earth orbit launched into space March 19 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

The satellite, called GEO-2, provides more advanced space-based capabilities than Defense Support Program satellites, which are being replaced by the GEO satellites after more than four decades in operation.

"While DSP has been the workhorse for missile warning and missile defense for the last 40-plus years, SBIRS GEO takes us into the next generation with a revolutionary increase in detection capability," said Col.

DeAnna Burt, 460th Operations Group commander. "The successful launch of GEO-2 continues to bring greater detection capability to the Overhead Persistent Infrared enterprise. GEO-2 will allow the 460th to provide near real time, high fidelity OPIR data to warfighters around the world."

The capabilities of the GEO-2 involve a new era of overhead infrared surveillance that will deliver unprecedented global, persistent and actionable infrared surveillance. Such resources enable the U.S. and its allies to continuously maintain global situational awareness.

SBIRS persistent surveillance capabilities enable detection and reporting of missile launches around the globe, support the nation's ballistic missile defense system, expand technical intelligence, and gather and bolster situational awareness for warfighters on the battlefield.

The GEO-2 was carried by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The launch team consisted of military, government civilians and contractors from the 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.

"The successful launch of GEO-2 is a testament to the partnership between industry, the SBIRS Space Program Office and the 460th Space Wing," Burt said.

The U.S. Air Force Infrared Space Systems Directorate at the Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., leads the SBIRS development and acquisition. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the SBIRS prime contractor; Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Azusa, Calif., is the payload integrator; and the 14th Air Force operates the SBIRS system.

 

Tewksbury MA (SPX) Apr 02, 2013 - Raytheon's Patriot missiles, critical components of the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System, have received U.S. Army approval for a second recertification, extending the operational life of the worldwide inventory of Patriot missiles from 30 to 45 years.

This extension allows customers to recertify and/or upgrade their inventory of Raytheon's Patriot missiles at a fraction of the cost of replacing them with alternative interceptors.

"This is a testament to Patriot's capabilities and combat performance that continue to exceed all expectations, now and over its successful operational life," said Sanjay Kapoor, vice president of Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business.

"This significant life extension decision by the Army comes on the heels of a recent $46.7 million U.S. Army contract awarded to Raytheon to recertify and upgrade Patriot missiles to the latest GEM-T configuration as part of the continuous Patriot modernization effort."

The underlying technology and operational capability of the missiles have been continually enhanced to counter high-speed tactical ballistic missiles and air breathing threats.

Over the last 20 years, Raytheon's Patriot missiles have undergone more than 500 successful test firings. Raytheon's support structure includes a global base of more than 300 suppliers committed to mission performance and readiness of the Patriot missiles.

 

Baltimore MD (SPX) Mar 28, 2013 - Northrop Grumman AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) successfully detected multiple rocket launches during company-funded testing.

Currently under development for the U.S. Marine Corps, G/ATOR is the first ground-based, multirole radar to be developed for the U.S. Department of Defense.

With its ability to intelligently and adaptively allocate its myriad sensor capabilities, G/ATOR is able to detect and track a wide variety of threats, including manned aircraft, cruise missiles and unmanned autonomous systems, as well as mortar, rocket and artillery rounds.

The G/ATOR system successfully detected multiple rockets launched by NASA from its Wallops Island, Va., test site, including three different rocket types. Data collected from the testing will be used to verify potential future theater ballistic missile algorithms and ballistic missile defense capabilities.

"Today's missile detection testing is yet another example of the expanded capability that is possible with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) multimission radar," said Steve McCoy, vice president of tactical sensor solutions at Northrop Grumman.

"This demonstration required only minimal software modifications to the G/ATOR system, and no hardware changes at all."

McCoy said other radar systems could also benefit from this capability. Potential applications for the technology include the U.S. Air Force's Three Dimensional Expeditionary Long Range Radar, the U.S. Army's Patriot Fire Control Radar, the replacement for the Marine Corps' aging TPS-59 radar, and the U.S. Navy's Air and Missile Defense Radar.

 

Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Mar 27, 2013 - Israel showcased its much-vaunted Iron Dome anti-missile system for U.S. President Barack Obama when he visited this week but in recent days the U.S.-funded system's declared shoot-down rate of 84 percent has been challenged by several scientists.

The conclusion was the kill rate was "more like 5 to 10 percent."

That could have a critical effect on long-term U.S. funding not only for Iron Dome, developed and produced by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, but for other systems supported by U.S. aid that Israel's developing for a multilayered comprehensive missile defense shield.

The Israeli media reported that Obama, whose first function on arrival Wednesday was to inspect an Iron Dome battery at Ben Gurion Airport, had pledged to continue U.S. funding for the missile defense project, despite serious doubts raised about its stopping power.

Whether that's what will happen remains to be seen, given that the Americans are severely reducing defense spending, which could, despite pledges to the contrary, result in cutbacks in U.S. military aid to Israel.

It may have been coincidence that the day Obama arrived in the Jewish state Brig. Gen. Shachar Shohat, commander of the missile defense force, declared that the United States should be allowed to co-produce Iron Dome so it can benefit from the funds it has provided Israel to develop the system.

Shohat clearly had approval from Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government to make such a statement -- particularly since Israel roundly opposed a joint production deal when Washington proposed it in 2012.

But the recent publication of studies by three missile experts, conducted separately, and their conclusion that Iron Dome had failed miserably despite the Israeli military's claims, was widely perceived as an indictment of Israel's "wonder weapon."

The experts are Professor Theodore Postol, a world-renowned scientist with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Mordechai Shefer, an Israeli scientist formerly with Rafael, Iron Dome's Israeli developer; and a U.S. scientist identified only as "D" who recently worked at the U.S. Raytheon Co., which is co-developing another Israeli anti-missile system called David's Sling with Rafael.

Israeli security analyst Reuven Pedatzur, who's long been critical of Iron Dome, pulled these studies together in a hard-hitting article in the Haaretz daily that said the system was a dismal failure.

The three scientists maintained that studies of hundreds of videotaped Iron Dome interceptions during Israel's 8-day war with Palestinian militants in Gaza in November 2012 showed that most of the mid-air explosions recorded were actually the self-destruction of Iron Dome's Tamir interceptors and not the incoming rockets.

The Palestinians unleashed some 1,400 rockets in the fighting. Israel claimed Iron Dome intercepted 84.6 percent of the 400-plus rockets it engaged.

The system only attacks rockets whose trajectories indicate they'll hit populated areas, and ignores the others.

The military admitted that 58 rockets weren't intercepted.

Postol's done this before. After the 1990-91 Gulf War, during which the U.S. military lavishly praised the capabilities of Raytheon's Patriot missile system against Saddam Hussein's Scud ballistic missiles.

Postol investigated and concluded that these claims were erroneous; that Patriot could have hit less than 10 percent of its targets, and possibly none of them.

If the conclusions of Postol and his colleagues on Iron Dome are accurate, Israel has a problem. If it can't knock down unsophisticated, short-range rockets like the Palestinians' indigenous Qassem and Russian-designed Grad rockets, it's going to take a lot of punishment from the more advanced weapons held by Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel has five Iron Dome batteries, each costing $50 million, operational and says it needs another 13 to effectively protect the entire country. That would cost around $600 million.

Israel's Institute for National Security Studies denounced the findings of Pedatzur and the others, dismissing their "dubious research without access to credible data."

But even so, these reports are acutely embarrassing for Israeli as it presses Washington not reduce the $3 billion in military aid it provides annually, or the nearly $1 billion promised in funding for anti-missile systems.

Netanyahu and his generals can be expected to blast the conclusions of Postol and the others in the weeks ahead but if only some of these are accurate, Israel will have to rethink much of its current military strategy, particularly pre-emptive strikes to counter the Iranian threat.

 

Dallas TX (SPX) Mar 27, 2013 - Lockheed Martin's Extended Area Protection and Survivability (EAPS) program successfully conducted the first Guided Test Flight to characterize the seeker, guidance, navigation and control systems of its Miniature Hit-to-Kill (MHTK) interceptor. The very small and agile interceptor is designed to defeat Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (RAM) targets at ranges greatly exceeding those of current systems.

The test was conducted on March 22 at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., in collaboration with the U.S. Army Research Development and Engineering Command/Aviation Missile Research Development and Engineering Center (RDECOM/AMRDEC). This test is another milestone in a series of technically challenging events completed under the EAPS Integrated Demonstration Science and Technology program.

The test closely replicated a tactical situation in which an enemy launches a mortar at an area protected by the MHTK intercept system. A radar successfully detected and tracked the threat in flight. The tactically configured MHTK interceptor launched vertically and flew a trajectory positioning it to detect energy from a ground illuminator reflected off the mortar target.

Responding to the reflected energy, the MHTK interceptor maneuvered to fly very close to the target and gather data through its seeker as it passed the mortar in flight. Intercepting the target was not an objective of this flight test.

In addition to gathering data to characterize the interceptor's performance, this test integrated and exercised the entire intercept system for the first time. The data collected will support an intercept flight test planned for later this year.

Loretta Painter, AMRDEC EAPS Program Director, said, "This guided flight represents progress for the program. The data collected is an important step toward our goal of providing improved indirect fire protection capability. We are very pleased with the initial review of the test data and this data will be extremely valuable in reducing risks and making necessary improvements prior to the next flight. "

"We continue to successfully demonstrate the MHTK intercept capability with our EAPS solution," said Mike Trotsky, vice president of Air and Missile Defense at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "We are confident the system will play a crucial role in the affordable and effective protection of our forces in the future."

The Lockheed Martin MHTK interceptor is on track to meet the AMRDEC Average Unit Production Cost goal of $16,000 per interceptor in 2006 dollars at specified quantities, making it much more affordable than systems it will replace. At less than 1 meter long, less than 50 millimeters in diameter and less than 3 kilograms mass at launch, the MHTK is extremely compact and very agile in flight.

Paired with a fire control sensor capable of providing illumination, the MHTK provides robust defeat of RAM targets through body-to-body impact at tactically significant ranges, greatly increasing the protected volume in which our soldiers operate and offering commanders more flexibility than legacy and interim systems.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is a 2012 recipient of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for performance excellence. The Malcolm Baldrige Award represents the highest honor that can be awarded to American companies for their achievements in leadership, strategic planning, customer relations, measurement, analysis, workforce excellence, operations and results.

 

Washington (AFP) March 26, 2013 - The White House said Tuesday that NATO would not provide Patriot missile batteries to protect rebel strongholds in Syria, following a request from opposition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib.

Khatib asked for an extension of the umbrella provided by Patriot positions on the Turkish border designed to intercept any missiles fired from the Syrian side, as he took his seat at the Arab League summit in Doha.

"We are aware of the request," White House spoksman Jay Carney said.

"At this time, NATO does not intend to intervene militarily in Syria," Carney said.

"I think that a Patriot missile battery would follow the definition of military assistance," Carney said, adding that Patriot anti-missile batteries in Turkey were for self-defense only.

Carney added however that the White House was constantly reviewing its policies in Syria, which have seen Washington give hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid but stop short of providing "lethal" military help.

Syrian National Coalition leader Khatib said in Doha that he had asked US Secretary of State John Kerry to extend the Patriot missile protection into northern Syria, and that Kerry had "promised to look into the matter."

"We are still awaiting a decision from NATO on this matter," Khatib said.

A top State Department official was also cool to Khatib's demand for the Syrian opposition coalition, which he heads, to take up Syria's seat at the United Nations, saying that would be up to the UN.

"We recognize the Syrian Opposition Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people," Ventrell told reporters. "But in terms of recognition as a government, we're not there yet," he stressed.

 

Washington (AFP) March 25, 2013 - Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called his US counterpart Chuck Hagel on Monday and expressed a desire to hold high-level talks on missile defense, the Pentagon announced.

US Secretary of Defense Hagel said the desire to maintain discussions on the issue at deputy minister level were "an important part of US-Russian relations."

Shoigu's call to Hagel follows a US decision to abandon the final phase of a planned anti-missile system in Europe designed to combat Iran's ballistic missile threat but deeply unpopular in Moscow.

Although the US decision was seen by analysts as a key to reviving arms control talks with Russia, Russian officials have reacted coolly to the development, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov insisting it had not been viewed as a "concession."

US President Barack Obama vowed in his State of the Union address in February to work with the Kremlin to reduce both Russian and American stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

Since the ratification of the START Treaty, which was signed by Obama and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in April 2010, talks between the two former Cold War rivals have stalled.

Meanwhile the Pentagon said Monday Hagel and Shoigu had discussed a range of issues in their call, including the situations in Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran and Syria.

 

Tokyo (AFP) Feb 24, 2013 - Tokyo and Washington plan to install a US early-warning radar system at a coastal base near Kyoto to bolster defences against the North Korean missile threat, reports said Sunday.

The X-band radar, capable of precisely tracking the trajectory of a ballistic missile, allows US forces to launch intercept missiles from the ground and sea once a ballistic missile has been detected.

It will be the second X-band radar system to be installed in Japan after another was set up in northern Aomori prefecture.

The X-band radar system will be built in an Air Self-Defence Force base in Kyotango, northwest of Kyoto, on the coast of the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, Kyodo News and Jiji Press agencies reported, citing unnamed sources.

The location was picked as it was likely that a North Korean missile targeting Guam or Hawaii would fly over western or central parts of Japan, Kyodo said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Barack Obama confirmed in their meeting Friday in Washington that the two countries would work together on the radar installation, the reports said.

 

Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Feb 25, 2013 - Israel successfully carried out the first flight test of its high-altitude Arrow-3 missile interceptor Monday, a major step forward in shielding the Jewish state from ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear or chemical warheads.

The updated Arrow system, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and the Boeing Co. of the United States, is designed to destroy hostile missiles outside Earth's atmosphere and, in the words of a senior Defense Ministry official, "keep Israel clean."

Monday's 6 1/2-minute test over the Mediterranean Sea, which had been delayed for more than a year, was hailed by Defense Minister Ehud Barak as an "important milestone" in the development of Israel's planned multilayered missile defense system.

But despite the back-slapping in Israel's defense establishment, there are growing concerns that severe U.S. budget cuts could halt vital funds from Washington for developing and producing the Jewish state's arsenal of anti-missile systems.

The so-called Hom -- "wall" -- project, involving four layers of missile defense systems with Arrow-3 the topmost tier, is considered critical for Israel's capability to defend its cities and strategic installations from potentially massive and unprecedented bombardment by Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip, and possibly even Syria.

Israel's Globes business daily reported from Washington that "the pending U.S. budget sequester on March 1 is liable to reduce military aid to Israel by over $700 million in fiscal 2013."

Citing "pro-Israeli sources" in Washington, the newspaper said the cut includes a $250 million reduction in current military aid, which is due to total $3.15 billion this year. It also noted "the possible loss of all financial aid for joint U.S. Israeli missile defense programs, amounting to $479 million, for a total loss of $729 million in reduced aid.

"In the best case, if the aid for anti-missile programs is only reduced, rather than eliminated, Israel will lose $300 million in aid," Globes reported.

The United States had provided in excess of $1 billion to the Arrow program, which began in 1988 and which has produced progressively improved variants since then, with at least two Arrow-2 batteries currently deployed operationally.

The U.S. budget cuts could affect two other missile-defense programs that Israel's developing with U.S. financial support.

One is Iron Dome, developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and designed to intercept short-range rockets and missiles. This has been combat tested since April 2012 and has a kill rate of around 87 percent.

An updated version capable of countering missiles with a range of up to 140 miles was recently deployed.

The other system is David's Sling, still being developed by Rafael and the Raytheon Co. of the United States, also designed to intercept mid-range missiles. It's scheduled for deployment in 2014.

Arrow 3, which Aviation Week says is "judged by many in the U.S. and Israel as today's best missile defense system," is expected to be operational by 2016.

The two-stage Arrow-3 interceptor has twice the range of Arrow-2, which will eventually be used to provide cover against ballistic threats at a lower altitude, despite being significantly smaller and weighing only half as much.

The Jerusalem Post reported that "costs have dropped as well, with the Arrow-3 interceptors expected to run to $2.2 million apiece, about 20 percent less than Arrow 2."

"So far, Boeing has contributed about one-third of the interceptor components and will be responsible for 50 percent of production moving forward, with the rest done by IAI in Israel," the Post said.

It noted that the United States "receives all data from Israeli field tests, reaping the benefits of a program it has helped fund."

Monday's Arrow-3 test was conducted by Israel's Missile Defense Organization and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the Defense Ministry said. It disclosed the test was conducted at a military site on the Mediterranean. Most probably that was the Palmachim airbase south of Tel Aviv.

The test didn't involve the interception of a missile but focused on Arrow-3's capabilities and performance in flight.

The system deploys maneuverable "kamikaze" satellites that crash into incoming ballistic weapons while they're high enough above the Earth that non-conventional warheads could disintegrate safely, the ministry says.

 

Jerusalem (AFP) Feb 25, 2013 - Israel said on Monday it carried a successful test of the latest generation Arrow missile system, the Arrow 3, that can intercept missiles from Iran, taking a further step in bolstering its defence plans.

The defence ministry said the flight test was conducted by Israel's Missile Defense Organisation and US Missile Defence Agency officials.

"This is the first flight test of the Arrow 3 interceptor and was conducted at an Israeli test range over the Mediterranean Sea," the ministry said.

The Arrow is a jointly-produced, cutting-edge system designed to counter long-range missile attacks, mainly from Israel's arch-foe Iran.

A senior defence ministry official, briefing journalists on condition of anonymity, said that unlike previous versions, the latest interceptor was designed to intercept targets above the Earth's atmosphere.

It would take its place alongside the existing, lower-trajectory Arrow 2, the US-Israeli David's Sling medium-range defence system and the home-grown Iron Dome setup, which has already seen service against short-range attack, he said.

"The Arrow 3 is the upper tier for exo-atmospheric interceptions to provide the state of Israel additional opportunities for interception of incoming missiles from Iran or elsewhere."

"This is the first flyout, it is the first time that (it) flew through the air," the official said. "This is the first time the interceptor with all of its equipment took off and flew."

Israeli public radio said the test lasted for six minutes over a course of 100 kilometres (62 miles) during which it did "different manoeuvres."

The official said the test was unrelated to growing regional tension.

"The test has nothing to do with the current political environment between Israel and elsewhere," he said, adding that he could not say when the system would become operational.

Israel, along with the United States and much of the West, suspects Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon, allegations Tehran strongly denies.

The Jewish state, the Middle East's sole, albeit undeclared, nuclear power, believes Iran must be prevented from reaching military nuclear capabilities at any cost and refuses to rule out military intervention to achieve that goal.

Yair Ramati, Arrow 3 project leader, said the defence system when operational will "intercept missiles with nuclear weapons in particular".

"It goes far, faster and hits harder. It may intercept any missile.... in space," he said on public radio.

"We will carry out another flight test and then.... intercept a target before heading to the production stage," Ramati said without specifying when the system will be operational.

The system comprises of a radar which detects and transfers its missiles information to a control centre, which starts the launch of a missile after analysing the trajectory of the ballistic missile to intercept.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Monday's successful" test.

"While Israel's hand is always extended in peace, we are always prepared for other possibilities as well," Netanyahu said.

"In this context, I welcome the successful test of the Arrow-3 missile; it expresses the high technological and security abilities of the State of Israel, the defence industries, the defence ministry and our cooperation with the US."

Iron Dome has already been tested in battle. In eight days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in November, the Israeli military said it brought down 421 of 1,354 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.

Of those which landed, 58 hit urban areas while the rest fell in open fields, causing no damage.

 

White Sands NM (SPX) Feb 22, 2013 - Enemy tactical ballistic missiles may soon be easier to detect and track. During a series of recent tests, a Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) JLENS demonstrated tactical ballistic missile defense (TBMD) capability when it detected and tracked a total of four ballistic-missile surrogates during their ascent (boost) phase.

During the test, the JLENS X-Band radar tracked two ripple-fired and two individually fired ballistic-missile surrogates. The missiles flew flight profiles similar to the profiles enemy tactical ballistic missiles might fly in high-threat regions of the globe.

"Along with other systems in Raytheon's family of X-Band radars, JLENS can provide a robust early warning and tracking capability against ballistic missiles," said David Gulla, vice president of Global Integrated Sensors for Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business. "This TBMD demonstration and JLENS' other recent successes prove that the system is ready to deploy for a combatant commander operational evaluation."

JLENS demonstrated its capability against cruise missiles when it enabled Patriot and Standard Missile-6 intercepts of cruise-missile surrogates during separate tests. JLENS also completed two developmental tests and demonstrated its ability to stay aloft for long durations.

"JLENS' TBMD capability gives combatant commands another tool they can use to help protect the U.S., deployed forces, our allies and friends from the growing ballistic missile threat," said Dean Barten, the U.S. Army's JLENS program manager.

"JLENS' TBMD capability, when coupled with its ability to conduct 360-degree long-range surveillance capability and simultaneously detect and engage threats like swarming boats and anti-ship cruise missiles from up to 340 miles away, gives commanders a powerful proven capability."

JLENS, an elevated, persistent over-the-horizon sensor system, uses a powerful integrated radar system to detect, track and target a variety of threats. This capability better enables commanders to defend against threats including hostile cruise missiles; low-flying manned and unmanned aircraft; and moving surface vehicles such as boats, automobiles and trucks; and to provide ascent-phase detection of tactical ballistic missiles and large caliber rockets.

JLENS
+ A JLENS system, referred to as an orbit, consists of two tethered, 74-meter aerostats connected to mobile mooring stations and communications and processing groups.

+ The aerostats fly as high as 10,000 feet and can remain aloft and operational for up to 30 days.

+ One aerostat carries surveillance radar with 360-degree surveillance capability; the other aerostat carries a fire control radar.

+ According to research conducted by the U.S. Army's JLENS Product office, the cost of operating large, fixed-wing surveillance aircraft is 5-7 times greater than the cost of operating JLENS.

+ The JLENS surveillance radar can simultaneously track hundreds of threats; the fire control radar can simultaneously target dozens of threats.

 

Kauai HI (SPX) Feb 19, 2013 - A Raytheon Standard Missile-3 Block IA fired from the USS Lake Erie destroyed a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) target using tracking data from a remote Raytheon sensor payload on the Space Tracking and Surveillance System-Demonstrator (STSS-D) satellites.

"This test further expands our confidence in the SM-3's ability to engage targets using remote, netted sensor targeting," said Wes Kremer, Raytheon Missile Systems' vice president of Air and Missile Defense Systems.

"Launching on remote is important because it extends the engagement range of the missile, allowing ships with the SM-3 to expand the battlespace and eliminate threats sooner."

The MRBM target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility. As it rose above the horizon, the target was acquired and tracked by STSS-D. Threat data was then relayed through the Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system to the ship. The ship's crew fired the SM-3 based on STSS track data and before the ship's radar acquired the target.

"STSS-D's unique vantage point in space allows the sensor payload to see the threat early in its trajectory and provide launch quality data sooner than nearly any other option," said Bill Hart, vice president of Space Systems for Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business.

"We can give our naval warfighters extra time to analyze and respond, by providing target data before the ship can track the threat. That's a tremendous advantage."

The test proves the "launch on remote" concept, which was first demonstrated during testing in April 2011 when a U.S. Navy destroyer used track data provided by a Raytheon-made AN/TPY-2 radar deployed on Wake Island to engage and destroy an intermediate-range ballistic missile target using an SM-3 Block IA.

Standard Missile-3
The SM-3 guided missile is designed to destroy incoming short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats by colliding with them in space, a concept sometimes described as "hitting a bullet with a bullet." The missile does not contain an explosive warhead, but instead destroys the threats using sheer impact, equivalent to a 10-ton truck traveling at 600 mph.

+ More than 135 SM-3s have been delivered to U.S.

and Japanese navies ahead of schedule and under cost.

+ Raytheon is on track to deliver the next-generation SM-3 Block IB guided missile in 2014.

+ SM-3 Block IB guided missile will be deployed in both afloat and ashore weapons systems.

+ The test marks the 22nd successful intercept for the SM-3 program.

Space Tracking and Surveillance System-Demonstrator Satellites
STSS-D is a research and development capability for the Ballistic Missile Defense System that can detect and track ballistic missiles and other cold objects in space.

Raytheon sensors used on the payloads were developed under contract to Northrop Grumman, prime contractor for the STSS-D program.

+ STSS-D consists of two satellites carrying sensor payloads in a low-Earth orbit.

+ The satellites demonstrate the value of space-based sensors to missile defense.

+ The STSS-D payloads are able to detect infrared and visible light.

Kauai HI (SPX) Feb 18, 2013 - Space-based sensors can expand the range and effectiveness of the U.S. Navy's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) capabilities, a recent missile defense test has shown.

Conducted Feb. 13 by the Navy and U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), an Aegis "launch on remote" test used tracking data from the Space Tracking and Surveillance System-Demonstrators satellites to form a fire control solution for the missile interceptor.

The satellites were built by Northrop Grumman as prime contractor; Raytheon supplied the infrared sensor payloads for both satellites.

The quality and accuracy of STSS-D tracking data were sufficient for a Navy Aegis guided missile cruiser to launch a Standard Missile-3 Block 1A interceptor "on remote" before the on-board radar's track could be used to launch the interceptor.

"This test shows decisively that space-based sensors are a ballistic missile's worst nightmare," said Doug Young, vice president, missile defense and warning, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Redondo Beach, Calif.

"The mature technologies onboard both STSS-D satellites are demonstrating capabilities like continuous missile tracking that are possible only from the high ground of space."

During the test, designated FTM-20, the satellites leveraged their low-Earth orbit position to acquire and track the missile target and deliver the data via the Ballistic Missile Defense System to an Aegis cruiser at sea to quickly form a firing solution and launch the SM-3 1A interceptor.

"Aegis launch on remote essentially expands the area an Aegis cruiser can defend by leveraging satellite data to engage the threat earlier. This is a true 'force multiplier' because it uses existing interceptors," said David Bloodgood, the company's STSS program manager.

"The STSS-D satellites demonstrated that future low Earth Orbit space capabilities can be a force multiplier for existing missile defense systems."

Both satellites participate in tests such as FTM-20 to demonstrate the ability of a space sensor to provide high-precision, real-time tracking of missiles and midcourse objects that enable closing the fire control loops with BMDS interceptors.

They use sensors capable of detecting visible and infrared light to track missiles through their full course of flight. Lessons learned from these tests will inform future operational BMDS space capabilities.

 

Kauai HI (SPX) Feb 18, 2013 - Lockheed Martin's second-generation Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system achieved its first intercept using tracking information from the space tracking and surveillance system demonstration satellites during a Missile Defense Agency (MDA) test.

The system successfully launched and guided a Standard Missile-3 Block IA guided missile to engage a medium range unitary ballistic missile target using remote tracking information from the satellites that was integrated through the Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) system.

U.S. Navy sailors aboard USS Lake Erie (CG-70) received tracking information from space tracking and surveillance satellites and launched the missile before the shipboard SPY-1 radar detected the target.

The Aegis BMD Weapon System then guided the missile using tracking information from the space-based assets until the target was detected and tracked by the SPY-1 radar. The shipboard radar transmitted guidance commands to the SM-3 guided missile that intercepted the target.

"Aegis has achieved many firsts, but using accurate tracking information from a satellite to flexibly enable expanded battlespace and the capabilities of the sea-based Aegis BMD system may prove to be one of the program's most significant milestones," said Nick Bucci, director of BMD development programs for Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems and Training business.

"For a long time, many have believed the best path forward for missile defense is an architecture that combines flexible sea-based defenses with persistent space-based capabilities. This test proves that technology and that architecture can be a reality."

The test marks the ninth time in three years that the USS Lake Erie and its crew successfully performed at-sea operations against cruise and ballistic missile targets using the second-generation Aegis BMD system. Recently, it received faster, more powerful commercial-off-the-shelf signal processing equipment and updates to its weapon system computer programs.

Aegis BMD's upgraded signal processor enables the Navy to defeat more sophisticated ballistic missile threats using improved target identification capabilities.

It includes an open architecture BMD computing suite that improves overall system capabilities and enables future insertion of more off-the-shelf products, third-party components and turn-key solutions.

The MDA and Navy are jointly developing Aegis BMD as part of the United States' Ballistic Missile Defense System. Currently, 26 U.S. Aegis BMD-equipped warships have the certified capability to engage ballistic missiles and perform long-range surveillance and tracking missions. That number is expected to increase to 32 by 2014.

 

Seoul (AFP) Feb 14, 2013 - Two days after North Korea's nuclear test, South Korea signalled Thursday the deployment of a new cruise missile capable of a precision strike on members of Pyongyang's high command.

The defence ministry called in reporters for a special video presentation of the recently deployed missile being fired from a warship and a submarine.

"The cruise missile unveiled today is a precision-guided weapon that can identify and strike the office window of the North's command headquarters," ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters.

It has "deadly destructive power" that could "restrain the enemy headquarters' activities" during wartime, Kim said.

South Korea's military has been on a heightened state of alert ever since Pyongyang first threatened the nuclear test which was eventually conducted on Tuesday.

It was the North's third test, following previous detonations in 2006 and 2009, and seismic data suggested it was significantly more powerful.

The test appears to have galvanised South Korea into flexing its military muscle and highlighting its own technological prowess.

"With this missile, we could hit any facility, equipment or individual target in the North anywhere, at any time of our choosing," army Major General Ryu Young-Jeo said of the cruise missile.

On Wednesday, South Korea said it would accelerate the development of longer-range ballistic missiles that could also cover the whole of North Korea.

In October last year, South Korea reached a deal with the United States to almost triple the range of its ballistic missile systems -- with Seoul arguing it needed an upgrade to counter the North's own missile development.

The United States has 28,500 troops in South Korea and guarantees a nuclear "umbrella" in case of any atomic attack. In return, Seoul accepts limits on its ballistic missile capabilities.

The defence ministry also said it would speed up the deployment of a "kill chain" system capable of detecting, targeting and destroying North Korean missiles.

 

Seoul (AFP) Feb 13, 2013 - South Korea said Wednesday it would accelerate the development of longer-range ballistic missiles that could cover the whole of North Korea in response to a third nuclear test by Pyongyang.

"We will speed up the development of ballistic missiles with a range of 800 kilometres (500 miles)," Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters.

In October last year, South Korea reached a deal with the United States to almost triple the range of its missile systems -- with Seoul arguing it needed an upgrade to counter the North's missile and nuclear programmes.

The United States has 28,500 troops in South Korea and guarantees a nuclear "umbrella" in case of any atomic attack. In return, Seoul accepts limits on its missile capabilities.

Prior to the October agreement, the South was restricted to missiles with a range of 300 kilometres.

The extension will not only bring the whole of North Korea within reach of Seoul's rockets, but also parts of China and Japan.

Some experts have suggested it would provide the South with a pre-emptive strike facility against the North's nuclear installations.

Kim said the South would also speed up the deployment of a "kill chain" system capable of detecting, targeting and destroying North Korean missiles.

"The military is closely watching the North in case of further provocative acts," he said.

Following North Korea's nuclear test on Tuesday, the head of South Korea's intelligence agency warned that Pyongyang may well carry out a further test or a ballistic missile launch in the coming days or weeks.

 

Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Feb 11, 2013 - For the first time, Israel has put its rocket-killing Iron Dome air defense system, plus the Stunner interceptor used by the David's Sling system, on display outside the Jewish state in a mounting export drive for the defensive weapons.

"Israeli companies have targeted India as a key market for the coming years, in part because of its huge defense budgets for the procurement of advanced weapons systems," the Israeli business daily Globes observed.

Iron Dome and David's Sling are both products of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, one of Israel's leading defense contractors. They were showcased at the Aero India 2013 exhibition in Bangalore, hub of India's high-tech sector, last week.

"The Ministry of Defense has given Rafael the Green Light to sell the systems to other countries, although no contracts have been reported yet," Globes observed.

India, a major buyer of Israeli defense systems, is the world's biggest arms importer. Its total military expenditure in 2011, excluding nuclear weapons, was $44.28 billion, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said.

It's expected to spend up to $150 billion at home and abroad on modernizing its military over the next decade as it prepares to confront China's burgeoning military power, particularly in the Indian Ocean, a key oil supply route from the Middle East.

Iron Dome, the first system of its kind, is a mobile, all-weather air-defense system that has attracted global interest following its success in combating Palestinian rockets the last two years.

The system, first deployed operationally in March 2011, was designed to intercept missiles with a range of 43 miles but an upgraded version of the system, with an extended range of 156 miles, intercepted around 87 percent of rockets it engaged in an eight-day battle between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in November.

In a major 2012 clash, earlier variants of the system, downed around 80 percent of targets engaged.

By calculating the trajectories of incoming missiles, Iron Dome's battle management system can distinguish between those that will hit populated areas and those heading for uninhabited locations.

It fires Tamir interceptors, using ELM-2084 radars built by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries' Elta division. It is also considered effective against aircraft up to an altitude of 32,800 feet.

The United States has funded much of the Iron Dome program, including more than $400 million over the last two years.

Rafael's David's Sling, being developed with the Raytheon Co. of the United States, is designed to counter missiles with a range of 45-187 miles. Its two-stage interceptor underwent successful test-firings in November 2012 and the system's to become operational in 2014.

The prospect of upcoming Israeli sales to India's military appeared to increase with the visit in January of India's air force commander, Air Marshal Nak Browne.

Military sources said he was particularly interested in upgrading his fleet of Israeli-built unmanned surveillance vehicles and acquiring the advanced missile defense systems Israel is developing as part of a four-tier anti-missile shield.

India has been discussing a potential "buy and build" deal involving Iron Dome, the only one of four air-defense systems under development to have been tested in combat.

The Indians also want to produce the system under license. Globes reported in December the Indians say Israel has agreed to such a sale.

If the Israeli Defense Ministry has indeed authorized Rafael to export Iron Dome, it must have cleared this first with the United States, which has financed much of Iron Dome's development.

India also expressed interest in Israel's Arrow-2 anti-ballistic missile system, one of the most advanced missile defense systems operational and jointly manufactured by IAI and the Boeing Co. of the United States.

But the technology transfer involved could impede any sale since U.S. approval would be required. Washington has provided the lion's share of the development of Arrow, first deployed in 2000.

Since 1988, the United States has provided more than $1 billion in grants for research and development through the defense budget.

Arrow-3 is currently being developed. Once operational, it will be able to intercept ballistic missiles outside Earth's atmosphere.

 

Vandenberg AFB CA (SPX) Feb 01, 2013 - Boeing, working with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and industry teammates, has returned the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system to testing with a successful flight. GMD is the United States' only defense against long-range ballistic missile threats.

"This test signals the next step in GMD's future capability and is the culmination of successful partnerships among government, military leaders and industry," said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager for Boeing Strategic Missile and Defense Systems. "Throughout our team effort to solve one of the toughest challenges facing the aerospace industry, GMD remained on alert and continues to defend the United States."

GMD flight testing was halted in early 2011 after a guidance error resulted in a failed intercept in a December 2010 test.

"Returning to flight has been the top priority for the GMD program. We have used industry and government's combined expertise to solve a complex technical issue related to what the interceptor's exoatmospheric kill vehicle (EKV) experiences in space," said Norm Tew, Boeing vice president and GMD program director. "Today's success is an important step toward our next goal of a successful intercept test."

The test at Vandenberg Air Force Base began at 2 p.m. Pacific time with the launch of a GMD ground-based interceptor (GBI) carrying a next-generation EKV. The test measured the EKV's performance as the vehicle operated under stressful space conditions. Data gathered during the test will be used to validate the EKV's design.

GMD is an integral element of the United States' layered ballistic missile defense architecture. With interceptors deployed at Vandenberg and at Fort Greely, Alaska, the program consists of command-and-control facilities, communications terminals and a 20,000-mile fiber-optic communications network that interface with ballistic missile defense radars and other sensors. Boeing has served as prime contractor since 2001 and works with industry partners Northrop Grumman, Orbital Sciences Corp. and Raytheon.

 

Huntsville AL (SPX) Feb 01, 2013 - Northrop Grumman's command launch equipment (CLE) software effectively launched the ground-based interceptor in this week's flight test of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA's) Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system.

"Our Northrop Grumman GMD team is committed to supporting MDA as they continue to enhance the integrated missile defense capability needed to defend our nation, its allies and deployed forces," said Kelley Zelickson, vice president of Air and Missile Defense Systems.

During the GMD flight test, known as CTV-01, a ground-based interceptor was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., to test changes that have been made to the exoatmospheric kill vehicle.

The CLE software controls the interceptor while on the ground, computes the detailed intercept trajectory and provides it to the interceptor, and at the appropriate time commands the interceptor's ignition and launch.

"The effectiveness of our fire control products were proven again in this latest test, continuing our record of meeting all test objectives," said Steve Owens, GMD operating unit director for Northrop Grumman and deputy program director for the Boeing/Northrop Grumman GMD team.

Northrop Grumman is responsible for designing and deploying the GMD fire control products, which include the Fire Control System, In-Flight Interceptor Communications System Data Terminal, Communications Network Equipment, Network System Manager and CLE software. Northrop Grumman is a strategic partner, with The Boeing Company, of the GMD team.

Since 1998, Northrop Grumman's products have met the objectives for all 21 system flight and ground tests. Northrop Grumman has also delivered and installed all 50 of its contracted products on time every time and, since 2001, under budget.

Northrop Grumman personnel in Huntsville and Colorado Springs, Colo., develop the GMD products. Harris Corp., a major teammate in Melbourne, Fla., provides hardware for the in-flight communication system. Approximately 450 people are employed on this project at these three locations and the deployment sites.

Northrop Grumman also supported the test through its prime contractor role at the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center in Colorado Springs.

Company personnel provided engineering and communications expertise that helped the Mission Control Center Facility and the NORTHCOM Command and Control Battle Management and Communication system execute the mission. Northrop Grumman engineers also continuously monitored all test executions to assess the progress and success of the GMD flight test.

 

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. (UPI) Jan 28, 2013 - Raytheon's new enhanced Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle demonstrated its capability in a recent non-intercept homeland missile defense test.

In the test Saturday, the EKV maneuvered the Ground-based Midcourse Defense interceptor to the appropriate altitude and closing velocity to destroy the incoming ballistic missile.

"Rigorous non-intercept flight tests are important in proving the effectiveness and operational capability of ballistic missile defense weapons and their various components," said Wes Kremer, Raytheon Missile Systems' vice president of Air and Missile Defense Systems.

"Today's test allowed us to challenge the EKV in a series of realistic outer-space environments, which gives us a broad range of data prior to moving toward an intercept scenario.

"The sole purpose of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense program is to defend the homeland from the threat of ballistic missile attack. This test moves us one step closer to an intercept flight test in 2013."

The EKV is designed to destroy an incoming ballistic missile by directly colliding with it. It employs multicolor sensors to detect and discriminate incoming warheads from other objects; has its own propulsion, communications link, discrimination algorithms, guidance and control systems.

An intercept flight test of the system is to be conducted later this year.