'Turkey probes US nukes at airbase'

'Turkey probes US nukes at airbase'

The report, called the "US nuclear weapons in Europe," indicates that Washington currently has 90 nuclear bombs of the "B 61" variety in Turkey, all on the Incirlik Air Force base, Turkey's Hurriyetnewspaper reported on its website on Friday. 

The account has been prepared by the US National Resources Defense Council and is based on figures provided last February by the US Air Force. 

It says 50 of the B-61 bombs are ready to be loaded onto American bomber planes while the remaining 40 will be loaded onto Turkish planes. 

According to the daily, Turkish MP Shukru Elekdag has questioned reasons behind keeping the bombs on Turkish soil even decades after the end of the Cold War. 

Elekdag has also noted that Turkey's consent to the deployment of the US nuclear bombs at Incirlik is an act which 'could not be easily explained to its Muslim and Arab neighbors.' 

Press reports have established that US currently has more than 100 nuclear bombs positioned in bases in Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. 

Russia: NATO can't fight Afghan drugs

Russia: NATO can't fight Afghan drugs

NATO has had no effective role in fighting the massive drug production in Afghanistan, Russian Federal Drug Control Service chief Viktor Ivanov says.

Since NATO began its operations in Afghanistan, the country's heroin production has grown 40 times, Ivanov said on Friday. 

“Clearly, therefore, the effect of the stay of the NATO military contingent in Afghanistan is, in this sense, zero, if not negative,” he added in his interview with the state Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper. 

Ivanov criticized the alliance for giving the drug issue the lowest priority at its November summit in Lisbon. 

“Drugs are only mentioned twice, and then in passing, offset by commas. This says that in such an important policy document there was no room for measures to combat drug trafficking,” he said. 

Considering NATO's disinterest in the drug problem, and the flow of cheap Afghan heroin to Russia, Moscow has increased its efforts in fighting the crisis within Afghanistan. 

Last month, Russia increased the number of its anti-drug officers in Kabul. It has also bolstered its cooperation with the European Union to fight the crisis. 

Much of the heroin produced in Afghanistan is trafficked to Russia. The trend has drastically increased drug consumption in Russia making it the consumer of 20 percent of the world's heroin. 

Official figures show that between 30,000 to 40,000 thousand Russians die due to drug addiction every year. http://presstv.ir/detail/156932.html

NAVAL PROJECTS

The design work for the MilGem Project was started in 2004 for the in-country design and construction of anti- Submarine warfare and offshore patrol vessels. Design and configuration management of the project is under the responsibility of Turkish Navy. The Project aims the maximum and efficient use of local capabilities. Operational capabilities of the ship are focused on antisubmarine, surface and anti-air warfare, surveillance and defense against asymmetric threats. In September 2008, the first ship of the project, HEYBEL?ADA (F-511), was launched and the second of the class, BÜYÜKADA (F-512) was laid down. Currently, out-fitting, integration, personnel training and system test activities are progressing as scheduled. HEYBEL?ADA (F-511) is planned to be delivered in 2011, BÜYÜKADA (F-512) in 2013. It is the first time in Turkey that the design, system integration and analysis work, including the integration of the indigenously developed combat management system (GENES?S), for a warship of corvette size is conducted domestically. Currently, the local content for the first ship of the MILGEM Project is around % 64. The goal is to increase this percentage level for the second of the class, BÜYÜKADA (F-512).
MILGEM corvette is a displacement type mono-hull vessel designed to meet specific requirements of the Turkish Navy regarding to speed, sea-keeping and stability. The hull form was developed by the Turkish Navy and optimized by ?stanbul Technical University. Turkish Lloyd’s and national/international naval structure and survivability standards are applied for structural design of the hull.

Design of auxiliary power system is based on high reliability and survivability. The ship is equipped with 4 diesel-generators with 600kW output power each. MILGEM is equipped with a sophisticated Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) to maintain continuous and reliable operation, reduce reaction time and simplify ship management. Extensive studies were conducted and all necessary precautions are taken to reduce the signatures of the ship; including magnetic, acoustic, radar and IR.


The New Type Patrol Boat

Through the boats that will be established according to the Acquisition of 16 units New Type Patrol Boat Project with a cost of 402 million Euros signed in 2007 between Undersecretariat for Defence Industry and Dearsan. The reconnaissance, surveillance, patrol and anti-submarine warfare requirements of Turkish Naval Forces Command will be met and the defence of base and harbors will be supported. The boats are certified by the Turkish Lloyd in terms of machinery, power design, production, construction and installation/fitting. The construction of these boats successfully is enabling Dearsan to take an important place in military shipbuilding industry.

Considering the purpose of improving in-country capability to design, build and integration of warships, The New Type Patrol Boat Project is deemed as one of the most important milestones by Turkish Navy.

The first of the 16 New Type Patrol Boat was launched. AB-200 is to be commissioned in December 2010. Outfitting activities of second, third and forth ships are still going on. The hull constructions of fifth and sixth ships are in progress.

These boats have been realized completely through domestic design. It is targeted to achieve 70 % of local content within this project. Havelsan, Aselsan, Roketsan and TUBITAK designed and produced systems within the New Type Patrol Boat Project. Within the scope of this project Havelsan performs design, supply/production, integration and test activities of the warfare systems of the boats as a turn-key project and Aselsan provides Electro-optic Director, Gyro, Artillery Fire Control System, Stabilized Machine Gun Platform and Communication System.

The patrol boat carries the feature of being the first combat boat built by the private sector and is 56.90 m in length, 8.90 m in width and with a complete load is 395 tons in weight. It carries 32 personnel with a 44 mm double barrel gun and two 12.7 mm heavy machine guns and will be used by the Naval Forces Command.


The New Type Submarine Project

The project covers the construction of 6 New Type Submarines with air independent propulsion system. The submarines will be constructed at Gölcük Naval Shipyard with the participation of local industry and through the material packages to be supplied from the contractor. Aselsan, Havelsan, Milsoft, STM A.?., Koç Bilgi ve Savunma, TÜB?TAK, Meteksan Savunma and IDS will took place in this Project as local contractors.

Request For Proposal was released on December 28, 2006 and revised on July 12, 2007. DCNS (France), HDW/MFI Business Partnership (Germany) and NAVANTIA S.A. (Spain) submitted their proposals as of November 12, 2007. The evaluation of the proposals was finalized and on July 22, 2008, Defence Industry Executive Committe has decided to initiate the contract negotiations first with HDW-MFI Business Partnership. The contract was signed as of July 2, 2009.

The value of the contract is estimated as 2,5 billion €. The submarines will be built in Gölcük Naval Shipyard where 11 submarines of Type 209, were previously built. The first new air-independent but non-nuclear submarine is expected to be delivered in 2015. It will surely replace the first 4 and oldest At?lay class submarines, which will be on average 39 years old.

This will be the first time that Turkey includes AIP submarines in its inventory. Turkish industrial participation in the project will be worth around 81 percent of the total value of the deal. For the first time Turkey will receive 81 percent of the offset pledge in a Navy Project
HDW will preassemble structural and mechanical parts of the submarine in Germany, or classified elements such as the fuel cells and propulsion system. All electronic and weapon systems, including sensors, communications, and data processing systems, will be of Turkish design and production, Around 20 indigenous systems and sub-systems covering Electronic Support System, X-Band Satcom Satellite Terminal, Link11/22 data transfer software, Ship Data Distribution System, Consoles, Torpedo Countermeasure System and Underwater Telephony System will be produced by local Turkish industry and integrated into the submarines.

TF2000

For the TF-2000 Project, which consists the acquisition of 4 Anti-Air Warfare Frigates that will provide survivability in the presence of aerial threat and also provide support to mission functions such as command control and communication, reconnaissance, early warning, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and electronic warfare, the studies to determine the project model is on-going. With the realization of the project, it is intended to improve the Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) capabilities of the Turkish Navy.

At the moment, preliminary studies are conducted and configuration of the platform is being evaluated. This indigenous project necessitates high-level engineering and technology applications and also a long term realization period with novel project management processes. Meanwhile, in-country development of the main sensor, multi-function Phased Array Radar is targeted to be achieved with the aim of maximum local content contribution, in close cooperation with universities, defense industry and national research institutions.

With a similar project management approach implemented in M?LGEM, the entire realization period of the TF-2000 Project also purposes to nurture the in-country technology and engineering applications as well as the nationalization of the critical systems for the national defence industry. The outcome will surely endow high technology platforms conforming to Turkish Navy’s operational needs.


Coast Guard Search and Rescue Ships

In scope of the Coast Guard Search and Rescue Vessel Project, that consist the acquisition of 4 Search and Rescue Vessels by RMK Marine - a private Turkish shipyard, the contract with RMK Marine became effective on June 30, 2008 and the construction of the first Vessel has been started on March 3, 2009. Then the ship “TCSG Dost” was successfully launched on 9 July 2010. Currently construction and outfitting activities for the first three ships are in progress.
After TCSG Dost, the ‘Güven,’ ‘Umut’ and ‘Ya?am’ ships will be provided to the service of the Coast Guard Command within the project’s coverage. The first vessel is due for delivery in 2011 while the others are planned for delivery in 2012.

The Coast Guard Search & Rescue Vessels are to be equipped with advanced weapons and electronic systems, and the design and production of the command control system software, electro-optical director, communication systems, and gyro and operator consoles will all be carried out in Turkey. The ships, in addition to S&R tasks will also be utilized in fire fighting, environmental pollution protection and smuggling prevention operations.

The ships to be built under the project are actually at Corvette size and tonnage. The ships are to be 88 meters long, at 1,700 deadweight tons and with a cruising speed at 22 knots. With an average of 92 personnel, operations up to sea state 6 and helicopter operations can be performed up to sea state 5 by the ships.

Another important point for RMK Marine is to utilize the maximum domestic contribution where possible and that in particular with the selection of domestic sub-contractors that participate in the Milgem Project they have worked on raising the domestic rate and those in future military projects this will be their basic principle.


Other Projects
Turkish Navy has formed her force structure in order to accomplish assigned tasks in current defense conjuncture which is a result of political and military developments. In order to sustain this force structure, Turkish Navy has the following planned/ongoing modernization projects added to the aforementioned ones;

The fleet air arm, i.e. the Naval Aviation Group will be more capable to perform given tasks with the completion of ambitious aircraft procurement programmes. In MELTEM project, sixteen aircraft will be integrated with the systems to convert them into maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft. Meanwhile in order to reach Turkish Navy’s force structure goals, a contract was signed for the procurement of seventeen S-70B SEAHAWK helicopters and retrofitting of seven existing helicopters. These new helicopters will replace the current AB-212s in the inventory.

Events over the last decade have demonstrated the need for forces that are mobile and versatile, able to react quickly and capable of operating in crisis, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance operations. The continued need to deploy forces at long distances has led the Turkish Navy to consider the acquisition of Landing Platform Dock (LPD) and Landing Ship Tank (LST) type amphibious ships combining the features of a good aviation capability, protected berthing and a large internal volume for the transport of personnel and material. The LPD project will also include the procurement of Landing Craft Mechanics (LCM), Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV), Landing Craft Personnel Vehicles (LCVP). The new generation LST will be fast amphibious vessel of upper-intermediate size with significant armaments.

In order to have a quick reaction capability for amphibious warfare, Landing Craft Air Cushions (LCAC) are planned to be procured, which will embark on LPD. Besides, fast amphibious ships (Landing Craft Tank-LCT) construction continues by local shipyard and the project activities carry on according to the roadmap of the contract. The new generation LCT will be a fast-beaching craft of intermediate size which will play a major role in transporting vehicles and troops.

Another crucial mission requirement is the survivability; a new tender process has been started to procure a Submarine Deep Rescue Ship (MOSHIP) designed to perform subsea and surface rescue missions in heavy seas. Installed with deep rescue equipment/systems, the MOSHIP’s main roles will be to provide life support to the crews of damaged submarines, to accomplish submarine rescue operations in a maximum of 72 hours, to handle rescue and salvage operations for surface ships and to provide underwater repair works and wreck removal. The MOSHIP will carry national, NATO and other partner submarine rescue vehicles to the scene of a submarine accident. The overall aim of the project is to provide an effective and available national based submarine rescue capability with minimum life cycle cost and interoperable with NATO assets.
Along with MOSHIP tender process, two salvage ships will be acquired to perform surface ship salvage, towing, support for submarine rescue operation and target ship in exercises. It is planned that the contract for both projects be signed in 2010.

In support of deployed national and multinational task forces, Turkish Navy also has a Auxiliary Oil Replenishment Ship project, that the tender is expected to be made in coming years
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India wanted to SMASH Pakistani Nukes

India wanted to SMASH Pakistani Nukes

India warned would 'smash' Pakistan nukes: US files - The Economic Times WASHINGTON: India said in the late 1970s it would "smash" any attempt by Pakistan to develop atomic weapons amid a failed US bid to broker a nuclear-free South Asia, declassified documents said. Previously secret US files shed light on initiatives by President Jimmy Carter's 1977-1981 administration to persuade Pakistan not to pursue nuclear weapons which, three decades later, are a major concern for many US experts. The Carter team eventually came to doubt it could do much to dissuade Pakistan, which was determined to counter historic rival India. Pakistan eventually tested an atom bomb in 1998, days after India. The declassified documents, obtained by the National Security Archive at George Washington University, said the Carter administration sounded out India on declaring South Asia to be a zone without nuclear weapons. India's prime minister at the time, Morarji Desai, rejected the idea in a meeting with the US ambassador, saying it made no sense so long as major powers, a likely reference to neighboring China, had nuclear weapons, a memo said. Desai, who was working to mend relations with Pakistan, made clear that he did not want public confrontation but said he doubted Islamabad's sincerity in backing a nuclear-free zone. He also told a Pakistani envoy "that India had only good intentions toward Pakistan and wished to do nothing to cause it difficulties, but also that, 'If Pakistan tries any tricks, we will smash you,'" according to the 1979 memo by the US ambassador, Robert Goheen. The Indians were not alone in their suspicions. The same year, the US ambassador in Islamabad, Arthur Hummel, confronted dictator Zia ul Haq with satellite images showing activity at the Kahuta nuclear laboratory. Zia called the allegations "absolutely ridiculous" and proposed to let in US inspectors, but lower-ranking Pakistani officials reneged on his offer, Hummel wrote. Relations between the United States and Pakistan changed dramatically after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and US intelligence teamed up with Islamabad to arm anti-communist Islamic guerrillas. The Carter administration offered its newfound ally some 400 million dollars in aid, which Zia famously rejected as "peanuts." US aid to Pakistan soared after Ronald Reagan defeated Carter and entered the White House in 1981. A newly released memo showed the Carter administration considered a package to Pakistan even before the Soviet invasion that would have included more than 300 million dollars in aid and debt relief. The package would have included F-16 fighter jets coveted by Pakistan, with an understanding that conventional weapons would "take priority" over nuclear weapons. It was unclear how far the idea went, with signs it was controversial from its inception. The memo's authors said the Carter administration would have to prevent the US Congress from thinking "we are buying off Zia's weapons program." An anonymous handwritten note in the margin reads, "Dreaming?" Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, Pakistan has again became a pivotal partner of the United States in military operations in Afghanistan. Congress in 2009 approved a 7.5 billion-dollar civilian aid package aimed at bringing stability to Pakistan and reducing the appeal of Islamic extremists. The declassified documents also offered details on how France ended support in 1978 for a reprocessing plant in Pakistan. France had initially defied US complaints but eventually came to share fears the facility could be used to produce weapons. To relay the decision, France's then president Valery Giscard d'Estaing sent a lengthy letter to a Pakistani official full of "pious sentiments of friendship" that did not mention the contract directly, a US memo said. France's ambassador in Islamabad, Pol Le Gourrierec, called it "the most extraordinarily obscure diplomatic communications he has ever encountered," the US ambassador said in an account of their conversation.

If India thought she had the rights to smash Pakistan's nuclear development then China would also have the same rights to smash
India's nuclear development back then.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has condemned Israel for committing genocide in Palestine, saying all the freedom-seeking people of the world strive for the freedom of the occupied territories.

"Today the path to humanity's historic aspiration passes through Palestine," President Ahmadinejad said on Monday. 

The Iranian president added that in all corners of the world, people with "pure hearts and freedom-seeking thoughts" strive for the liberation of Palestine. 

The remarks were made during an address to the members of Asia's first humanitarian aid convoy en route to the besieged Gaza Strip. 

“The method used in the establishment of the Zionist regime [of Israel] and its continued existence is a major insult to humanity dignity," said the president, lamenting what he termed as "real genocide" taking place in Palestine. 

"It is interesting that several Israeli leaders are being awarded Nobel Peace Prizes despite all their crimes committed throughout history," he added. 

"Zionists are not Jewish, nor Christian, nor Muslim, and are bound by no ideals and do not believe in any of the divine regions." 

He went on to stress that the Palestinian issue was neither "a row between Arab and Jewish" communities nor one between Islam and Judaism, but rather a global issue. 

The freedom and liberation of Palestine is a "key issue" in today's world and if all members of the international community come together they can end this crisis, he said. 

The Gaza-bound aid convoy will travel from Iran to Turkey and from there to Syria. It is then scheduled to head to Egypt, from where it will seek to enter the beleaguered strip. 

Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza in June 2007, even preventing basic necessities from entering the territory. Tel Aviv went further to launch an all-out onslaught on the coastal sliver in December 2008-January 2009, killing more than 1,400 Palestinians.

Full Military analysis of south Korea & North Korea=North Korea 'has boosted special forces'

Full Military analysis of south Korea & North Korea=North Korea 'has boosted special forces'

North Korea has increased its investment in tanks and special forces, a South Korean defence review has reported.

The paper, written every two years, notes the North has trained at least 20,000 more special forces.

It said the North remained capable of a "massive surprise bombardment" of the South's capital, Seoul.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula this year have resulted in cross-border artillery fire and calls for new talks.

The total size of the North's military remained unchanged at about 1.19 million, the paper said, but the number of special forces within that had risen to 200,000.

These are soldiers trained to carry out assassinations, and the infiltration and disruption of key facilities, the paper said.

It said the North had deployed its new battle tank, "Pokpung-ho" (or "Storm Tiger"), which reportedly made its debut in 2002.
'Enemy'

This design is believed to be based on the Soviet Union's T-72 tanks, but most of the newly added tanks used some of the older equipment, the defence report said.

North Korea is "presumed to have secured about 40 kilograms" of weapons-grade plutonium by reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods four times by 2009, the paper said.

Although North Korea has previously been designated the "main enemy" of the South, this year's report calls the North simply the "enemy", apparently for diplomatic reasons.

"Not using the expression 'main enemy' does not mean that we softened our stance," Deputy Defence Minister Chang Kwang-il told reporters.

It added that the North intended to rely on its nuclear programme, special forces, cyber-warfare, submarines and long-range artillery in any conflict with the South.

However, it concluded an outright attack from the North was unlikely, given the presence of about 28,000 United States forces in South Korea.

The defence report was issued a day after the South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak said there was no choice but to try to dismantle North Korea's nuclear programme through diplomacy.

On 23 November, North Korea shelled the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, killing four South Koreans, including civilians.

Mr Lee also told his nation earlier this week that it must unite in the face of military aggression from the North.

BBC News - North Korea 'has boosted special forces'

Chinese army puts up post near Indian border

Chinese army puts up post near Indian border

Chinese army puts up post near Indian border

AGARTALA: The new Sino-Indian partnership, premier Wen Jiabao said in India during his recent visit, is one of cooperation, not rivalry and competition. On the ground, though, Beijing's military build-up near India's borders continues.

China's mighty People's Liberation Army (PLA) is building a four-storeyed military facility at a Myanmar border town which is close to the Northeast, the Myanmarese media said on Monday.

The construction of the base, it added, has been on at breakneck speed since August and it won't be too long before it's completed. In its report, Burma News International quoted the Kachin News Group as saying that the facility will house ''several military officers on the border town of Menghai in China's southwest Yunnan province''.

Once completed, it will act as a command post for at least one PLA battalion. The report cited eyewitnesses and former Communist Party of Burma officials as its sources.

The area where the military facility is being built is opposite Mongkoe town in Myanmar's northern Shan State and close to the Tibet-Myanmar-Arunachal trijunction. The closest Indian point is Vahai on the eastern tip of Mizoram.

The report quoted Slg Bum Htoi, a military analyst based in Mongkoe, as saying that it was ''unusual for soldiers of PLA to be stationed near the troubled Burma border''. "I think Chinese troops are being stationed there to monitor foreign troops, especially US soldiers, should they enter Myanmar," he added.

Read more: Chinese army puts up post near border - The Times of India Chinese army puts up post near border - The Times of India

India fears Pakistan, says US: WikiLeaks exposes

India fears Pakistan, says US: WikiLeaks exposes

New Delhi: The new secret diplomatic cables exposed by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks revealed that United States was not happy with India’s response to Pakistan over 2001 Parliament attack.

The 3,038 cables sent from the US embassy in New Delhi to Washington have exposed that India was not willing to attack Pakistan even after 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The cables sent from US Embassy said that India commenced ’Cold Start’, a military doctrine developed by Armed Forces, which involves joint operations between Army, Navy, and Air Force, after 2001 Parliament attack but the Army was not able to execute it properly.

The cables sent by US ambassador to India Timothy Roemor on Feb 16, 2010 said that, "Indian forces could have significant problems consolidating initial gains due to logistical difficulties and slow reinforcement. "US cables also expressed that India always worried about the nuclear weapons of Pakistan.

Even though India never confirmed about Cold Start doctrine, US officials described it as, "In order to avoid the Indian Army’s slow and lumbering military mobilization process and preserve the element of surprise in attack, Cold Start attacks could begin within 72 hours after the attack order has been given…"The cables leaked by WikiLeaks also added that Pakistan is not worried at all about India’s Cold Start doctrine.read more

Two Pakistani Nuclear Weapons Made Available to Saudi Arabia” by DEBKAfile

Two Pakistani Nuclear Weapons Made Available to Saudi Arabia” by DEBKAfile

Determined not to fall behind in the Middle East nuclear race, Saudi Arabia has arranged to have available for its use two Pakistani nuclear bombs or guided missile warheads. They are most probably held in Pakistan's nuclear air base at Kamra in the northern district of Attock. Pakistan has already sent the desert kingdom its latest version of the Ghauri-II missile after extending its range to 2,300 kilometers. Those missiles are tucked away in silos built in the underground city of Al-Sulaiyil, south of the capital Riyadh.
DEBKA-Net-Weekly's military and intelligence sources reveal that at least two giant Saudi transport planes sporting civilian colors and no insignia are parked permanently at Pakistan's Kamra base with air crews on standby. They will fly the nuclear weapons home upon receipt of a double coded signal from King Abdullah and the Director of General Intelligence Prince Muqrin bin Abdel Aziz. A single signal would not be enough.
Our military sources have found only sketchy information about the procedures for transferring the weapons from Pakistani storage to the air transports. It is not clear whether Riyadh must inform Pakistan's army chiefs that it is ready to take possession of its nuclear property, or whether a series of preset codes will provide access to the air base's nuclear stores. The only detail known to our Gulf sources is that the Saudi bombs are in separate heavily-guarded stores apart from the rest of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.
This secret was partially blown by Riyadh itself. In the last two weeks, Saudi officials close to their intelligence establishment have been going around security forums in the West and dropping word that the kingdom no longer needs build its own nuclear weapons because it has acquired a source of readymade arms that will be available on demand. This broad hint was clearly put about under guidelines from the highest levels of the monarchy.
DEBKA-Net-Weekly's sources confirm this is the case. Partial nuclear disclosure was approved by Riyadh as part of a campaign to impress on the outside world that Saudi Arabia was in control of its affairs: The succession struggle (reported in DEBKA-Net-Weekly 470: Saudi Arabia's Ailing Rulers: A Sense of Coming Change) had been brought under control; the Saudi regime had set its feet on a clearly defined political and military path; and the hawks of the royal house had gained the hand and were now setting the pace.
(A separate item in this issue reveals the new Saudi posture's profound impact on Syria and Lebanon.)

PAF Pilots in the 73 Arab- isreal war

PAF Pilots in the 73 Arab- isreal war

Written by: M Kaisar Tufail 

Post-haste summons for volunteers found an eager band of sixteen PAF fighter pilots on their way to the Middle East, in the midst of the 1973 Ramadan war. After a gruelling Peshawar-Karachi-Baghdad flight on a PAF Fokker, they were whisked off to Damascus in a Syrian jet. Upon arrival, half the batch was told to stay back in Syria while the rest were earmarked for Egypt. By the time the PAF batch reached Cairo, Egypt had agreed to a cease-fire; it was therefore decided that they would continue as instructors. But in Syria it was another story. 

The batch in Syria was made up of pilots who were already serving there on deputation (except one), but had been repatriated before the war. Now they were back in familiar surroundings as well as familiar aircraft, the venerable MiG-21. They were posted to No 67 squadron, 'Alpha' Detachment (all PAF). Hasty checkouts were immediately followed by serious business of Air Defence Alert scrambles and Combat Air Patrols from the air base at Dumayr. 

Syria had not agreed to a ceasefire, since Israeli operations in Golan were continuing at a threatening pace. Israeli Air Force missions included interdiction under top cover, well supported by intense radio jamming as the PAF pilots discovered. The PAF formation using the call-sign "Shahbaz" was formidable in size -- all of eight aircraft. Shahbaz soon came to stand out as one that couldn't be messed with, in part because its tactics were innovative and bold. Survival, however, in a jammed-radio environment was concern number one. As a precaution, the Pakistanis decided to switch to Urdu for fear of being monitored in English. Suspicions were confirmed during one patrol, when healthy Punjabi invectives hurled on radio got them wondering if Mossad had recruited a few Khalsas for the job! 

After several months of sporadic activity, it seemed that hostilities were petering out. While the Shahbaz patrols over Lebanon and Syria had diminished in frequency, routine training sorties started to register a rise. Under these conditions it was a surprise when on the afternoon of 26th April 1974, the siren blasted from the air-shafts of the underground bunker. Backgammon boards were pushed aside and the "qehva" session was interrupted as all eight pilots rushed to their MiGs; they were airborne within minutes. From Dumayr to Beirut, then along the Mediterranean coast till Sidon, and a final leg eastwards, skirting Damascus and back to base -- this was the usual patrol, flown at an altitude of 6 km. 

The limited fuel of their early model MiG--21F permitted just a 30 minutes sortie; this was almost over when ground radar blurted out on the radio that two bogeys (unidentified aircraft) were approaching from the southerly direction ie Israel. At this stage fuel was low and an engagement was the least preferred option. Presented with a fait accompli, the leader of the formation called a defensive turn into the bogeys. Just then heavy radio jamming started, sounding somewhat similar to the "takka tak" at our meat joints, only more shrill. While the formation was gathering itself after the turn, two Israeli F-4E Phantoms sped past almost head-on, seemingly unwilling to engage. Was it a bait? 

Flt Lt Sattar Alvi, now the rear-most in the formation, was still adjusting after the hard turn when he caught sight of two Mirage-III-CJ zooming into them from far below. With no way of warning the formation of the impending disaster, he instinctively decided to handle them alone. Peeling away from his formation, he turned hard into the Mirages so that one of them overshot. Against the other, he did a steep reversal dropping his speed literally to zero. (it takes some guts to let eight tons of metal hang up in unfriendly air!) The result was that within a few seconds the second Mirage filled his gun-sight, the star of David and all. While Sattar worried about having to concentrate for precious seconds in aiming and shooting, the lead Mirage started to turn around to get Sattar. Thinking that help was at hand, the target Mirage decided to accelerate away. A quick-witted Sattar reckoned that a missile shot would be just right for the range his target had opened up to. A pip of a button later, a K13 heat-seeker sped off towards the tail of the escaping Mirage. Sattar recollects that it wasn't as much an Israeli aircraft as a myth that seemed to explode in front of him. (The letter 'J' in Mirage-IIICJ stood for 'Jewish', it may be noted.) He was tempted to watch the flaming metal rain down, but with the other Mirage lurking around and fuel down to a few hundred litres, he decided to exit. Diving down with careless abandon, he allowed a couple of Sonic bangs over Damascus. (word has it that the Presidential Palace wasn't amused). His fuel tanks bone dry, Sattar made it to Dumayr on the vapours that remained. 

As the other formation members started to trickle in, the leader, Sqn Ldr Arif Manzoor anxiously called out for Sattar to check if he was safe. All had thought that Sattar, a bit of a maverick that he was, had landed himself in trouble. Shouts of joy went up on the radio, however, when they learnt that he had been busy shooting down a Mirage. 

The Syrians were overwhelmed when they learnt that the impunity and daring of the Pakistani pilots had paid off. Sattar was declared a blood brother by the Syrians, for he had shared in shedding the blood of a common enemy, they explained. 

Sattar's victim Captain M Lutz of No 5 Air Wing based at Hatzor, ejected out of his disintegrating aircraft. It has been learnt that the Mirages were on a reconnaissance mission, escorted by Phantoms of No 1 Air Wing operating out of Ramat David Air base. The Phantoms were to trap any interceptors while the Mirages carried out the recce. Timely warning by the radar controller (also from the PAF) had turned the tables on the escorts, allowing Sattar to sort out the Mirages. 

The dogfight over Golan is testimony to the skills of all PAF pilots, insists Sattar, as he thinks anyone could have got the kill had he been "Shahbaz-8" on that fateful day. Sattar and his leader Sqn Ldr Arif Manzoor, were awarded two of Syria's highest decorations for gallantry, the Wisaam Faris and Wisaam Shuja'at. The government of Pakistan awarded them a Sitara-e-Jur'at each. Sattar, an epitome of a fighter pilot, befittingly went on to command PAF's elite Combat Commanders' School and the premier PAF Base Rafiqui. He retired recently as an Air Commodore.

Tracking jf-17 information post Zuhai air show

Tracking jf-17 information post Zuhai air show

The poster on Pakdef known as Eagle Hannan is a Pakistani engineer who works in Nanjing, China. He speaks both Urdu and Chinese fluently. He is a serious military aviation enthusiast. The city he comes from in China, Nanjing, is also the home of two of the J-10 pilots from the PLAAF that participated in the Zhuhai Air Show, 2010. He stayed at the same hotel as the PAF pilots and had many conversations with them as well as the PLAAF pilots. . Hannan attended all three public holidays and spent all three days with pilots and senior officers. Hannan has managed to collect a large amount of information and media and these have been cleared by senior personnel from the PAF for public release.

What follows is a summary of Eagle Hannan's posts from Pakdef. 

Hannan describes the aerobatics display of the JF-17 as brilliant. The JF-17 flew twice every day of the air show. He notes that the weather conditions were very bad and hard to take videos in. He said that the J-10s did not perform particularly well. Hannan comments that in 14 minutes of display there was a single performance of 360 and three half-hearted loops. He observes that the rest of the displays by the J-10 were formation flights. He notes that one of the Sherdil pilots comments about the J-10 pilots in Punjabi that the old men of China cannot fly their own planes. 

In comparison, the JF-17s did much better. Hannan describes the Chinese crowd as going “wild” with the Thunder’s repeated tight turns, without a single one off-target from the venue. 

In his conversations with the PAF, he has found out the following: 

1. JF-17s will not have CFTs (Conformal Fuel Tanks). 

2. The present batch of JF-17s has certain non-Chinese subsystems. 

3. Air to Air missile tests for both WVR and BVR are complete. 

4. PAF is impressed with the performance of SD-10s and confirms that the missile is comparable to the AMRAAM-Cs. 

5. An improved SD-10s, designated here as SD-10Bs with improved range, seeker, new motor and better seeker has been tested in China on the FC-1. These missiles are marginally lighter than the first generation and are in the same standard as the best Western BVR AAMs. 

The weight of the SD-10Bs still remains slightly greater than the AMRAAM Cs but this is not an issue anymore because the performance is equal or superior. The missiles displayed in Zhuhai were not the new generation SD-10Bs but the earlier model. 

PAF order for the SD-10Bs will be fulfilled before PLAAF. Previous models will be upgraded to the new SD-10B standard. [Author’s note: this may suggest that PAF have provided critical input for the SD-10Bs] 

6. PAF will standardize to this SD-10Bs. First 50 will have PL-9Cs as standard WVR missiles. 

7. A new radar will possibly be used in the Block II JF-17s and the first block will be upgraded. These are likely to be AESA radars with a swash-plate, similar to the Gripen NG. 

8. JF-17 radars are designed to be fully multirole. 

9. Various new guided munitions are being tested in China. These include SDBs (Small Diameter Bombs) ideal for the light fighter class. 

10. PAF’s second squadron of JF-17s is almost ready and flight trials are earmarked for early next year. 
11. China is confirmed (yet again and without any doubt whatsoever) to buy the FC-1s. Consequently, production is being expanded in Pakistan’s production facilities, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), to meet the demand. These facilities are located in Kamra. 

12. Close cooperation on the J-10B is taking place. The level of cooperation has been significantly expanded since 2009. The size of the cooperation is described as literally a small city-like facility to accommodate PAF and Pakistani civilian engineers. Hannan confirmed that civilian engineers from PAC are also part of the cooperation in China. 

13. The J-10B will have Chinese radar and western subsystems will allow it to be integrated with Erieye and Chinese AWACS. This is not an assumption and Eagle Hannan, who is a telecom engineer himself, confirms that this is not a technical problem and reconfirms from PAF. There is no problem as long as the protocol messages and handshake procedures are known. He found out that PAF has a solution in terms of the middleware. 

14. The middleware will not only be via a C4I but also direct communication middleware. Some of these are being developed in-house and some are being imported. 
15. Whether JF-17s can data link with Erieye has not been confirmed due to diplomatic/political reasons. However, Hannan notes that from his discussions, it is implicitly obvious that they definitely can. 


16. IFR (In-Flight Refueling) will be installed in later batches. These will be fixed IFRs and not retractable. [Author’s note: radar signature and aerodynamics penalty paid for simplicity of construction, cost and maintenance]. The JF-17s were designed from the ground-up to have IFRs installed. 

17. Next block of JF-17s will have IRST (Infra-Red Search & Track) similar to those installed on the J-10B. 

18. Pakistani ALCM Raad and H2/H4 ASM will be integrated and was a major reason why Pakistan has chosen to go with Chinese radars for Block 2 JF-17s. 

19. Advanced composites have been tested for use on the Block 2 JF-17s. Present JF-17s also use some composites. J-10B/FC-20 is designed from inception from new advanced composites. FC-20s in PAF service will form the top tier in the PAF (above the F-16 Block 52+). 

20. PAF denied any collaboration in Chinese 5th generation fighter program as this is a capability they are not familiar with. PAF senior officials stated that: 


We cannot help develop a capability we don’t know. Like we don’t know what kind of sensor suite is in F-22 other than what we find from open-source. Such capability/requirement generation is not Air Force job but such technology information is brought in by other means [Hannan notes: espionage or intelligence I think this is what he meant]. We all know F-22 is stealth but what else it can do is what we don’t know. JF-17s are developed because we knew what we wanted from a 4th generation fighter as we already had an experience with capability, either by existing systems or by our collaboration with other air forces. Even US Air force only comes to know new capabilities when it’s presented to it. Chinese on the other hand, have the means to bring such information and develop on such information and PAF does not. We'll see what they bring up.

Source : Eagle Hannan's Goldmine From Zhuhai - Grande Strategy

Chengdu J-20 China's 5th Generation Fighter

Chengdu J-20 China's 5th Generation Fighter

Reports coming form internet sites in China have published images of a large, stealth-like aircraft that, if confirmed, could be the first hard evidence of China's new 5th Genaration multirole aircraft.  The images show the parked aircraft being inspected, and taxiing along a taxiway. Analysts in the West accepted the images with some doubts, due to the Chinese' in displaying imaginary 'facts' but the photos released today seem genuine. recent reports coming from China mention Chengdu has recently completed two J-20 technology demonstrator aircraft sofar, one model will be used for the test flights and another one will be used for ground testing. (Check our news blog for J-20 updates)

The development of such program was known for some time but has never officially attributed to a specific type or maker.  In 2009 deputy commander of the People's Liberation Army Air Force He Weirong stated in a TV interview that China had multiple such programs underway and that an as-yet-undesignated fifth-generation fighter developed jointly by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and Shenyang Aircraft Corporation would be in service by 2017-2019. According to U.S. intelligence assessments Chinese 5th generation aircraft could become operational by the turn of the decade.

"The impression here is of a big, long aircraft, 70+ feet from nose to tail, which would make sense for a number of reasons. Rob Hewson at Jane's has reported that Russia has supplied 32,000-pound thrust 117S engines for the J-20, which would be adequate for an aircraft in the 80,000 pound class - with perhaps lower supercruise performance and agility than an F-22, but with larger weapon bays and more fuel" writes aerospace analyst Bill Sweetman, editor of Aviation Week/DTI. Chinese sources have claimed that production aircraft will be powered by two 13,200kg/WS-10 class high thrust turbofan engines, coupled with Thrust Vector Controlled (TVC) nozzles both made in China. Russian assistance has been speculated with the supply of 14,000kg class Salyut 99M2 turbofan engines powering the prototypes. The Chinese could also get Russian assistance in radar cross section simulation for the new stealth design.

hina Develops stealth fighter

hina Develops stealth fighter

Israel planned to nuke Arabs in 1980

Israel planned to nuke Arabs in 1980

The official paper discloses communications between John Robinson, a former British ambassador to Tel Aviv, and the UK Foreign Office, in which the former diplomat cautioned about an Israeli nuclear attack. 

"If they (Israelis) are to be destroyed, they will go down fighting this time. They will be ready to use their atomic weapon," Reuters quoted Robinson as stating in the newly declassified cable dated May 4, 1980. 

Robinson's message, published on December 29 under a rule that allows official British documents to be released after 30 years, also voiced concern that US-hosted talks between Palestinians and Israelis would not lead to an agreement on the Middle East conflict. 

"As long as there is no agreement on the West Bank and al-Quds (Jerusalem) which satisfies the Palestinians, they will be driven increasingly to extremism; moderate governments in the area and Western interest will be increasingly threatened; opportunities for Soviet influence and intervention will increase; and so will the danger of a new war," the cable read. 

Israel, which is widely believed to be the sole possessor of a nuclear warheads cache in the Middle East, has so far neither confirmed nor denied having a nuclear arsenal. 

In 1986, Israeli nuclear technician, Mordechai Vanunu, leaked the news that Israel had between 100 and 200 nuclear weapons. 

Vanunu was a former technician at Israel's Dimona nuclear reactor in the Negev desert. 

In May 2010, the British daily The Guardian newspaper reported that secret South African documents revealed that in 1975, Israel offered to sell nuclear warheads to the then-apartheid regime in South Africa. 

The regime in Tel Aviv has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has also adamantly rejected international inspections of its nuclear facilities. 

Israel occupied the West Bank, including East al-Quds, during the Six Day War in 1967 and has settled around 500,000 Jews in the occupied area. Constructing settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal under the international law. 

Palestinians insist that continued expansion of Jewish settlements on their occupied lands will make the establishment of an independent Palestinian state impossible.