Iraq Military To Receive 500 Hellfire Missiles

From the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA):

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for AGM-114K/R Hellfire Missiles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $82 million.

The Government of Iraq has requested a possible sale of 500 AGM-114K/R Hellfire missiles, Hellfire missile conversion, blast fragmentation sleeves, and installation kits, containers, transportation, spare and repair parts, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated cost is $82 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner. This proposed sale directly supports the Government of Iraq and serves the interests of the people of Iraq and the United States.

Iraq will use the Hellfire missiles to help improve the Iraq Security Forces’ capability to support current on-going ground operations. Iraq will also use this capability in future contingency operations. Iraq will have no difficulty absorbing these additional weapon systems into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of these missiles will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Corporation in Bethesda, Maryland. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Source: http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2014/01/24/iraq-military-to-receive-500-hellfire-missiles/

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Russia Begins Nuclear-Powered Missile Cruiser Overhaul

The refit of one of Russia’s four heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers has begun after years of delays, the country’s largest shipbuilder said Friday.

The work on the Admiral Nakhimov will revamp its firepower and set the stage for the revitalization of the Russian Navy’s capital ships, which have not been modernized in the post-Soviet era.

The vessel, formerly named the Kalinin, is one of four Kirov-class missile cruisers, the largest surface combat ships in operation with any navy. Only one of the ships, the Pyotr Veliky, is operational, but Russia plans to return the other three to service starting with the Admiral Nakhimov in 2018.

Russia also has a single aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, currently deployed in the Mediterranean.

Sevmash shipyard said in a statement that the schedule for work on the cruiser this year has already been drawn up.

Heavy equipment is now being removed in order to lighten the ship so it can be moved from its berth into the dockyard with the aid of specially constructed pontoons, Sevmash said.

The shipyard earlier said that the cruiser would be equipped with P-800 Oniks (SS-N-26) supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, air defense missiles based on the S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) and close-in weapons systems, which are designed to shoot down missiles and aircraft approaching the ship.

The refit will build on the shipyard's success of overhauling the Kiev-class aircraft carrier Baku, re-commissioned for India as the Vikramaditya in November.

That job, however, faced fewer difficulties since the Vikramaditya lacked a nuclear reactor and had fewer weapons systems.

The Admiral Nakhimov, the third ship in the Kirov class, was laid down by the Soviet Union in 1982, commissioned in 1989 and has sat mothballed at Sevmash since 1999.

source: http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20140124/186878185/Russia-Begins-Nuclear-Powered-Missile-Cruiser-Overhaul.html

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DRDO to test fire Astra BVR missile

After the successful launch of Agni IV ballistic missile, Indian defence scientists are preparing to test long delayed indigenous beyond visual range air-to-air missile Astra in the coming weeks.

Astra, meant for the IAF's combat jets, will be test fired within a month, officials said. The missile has already been fitted on Sukhoi-30 MKIs at selected IAF bases and trial runs were going on. The Astra will soon be fired from DRDO's test facility Chandipur-on-sea.

Astra BVR Missile

The BVR missile can engage targets in the range between 20 and 80 km. The officials said preparations are underway in full swing. The missile has active radar seeker and internal guidance system to lock on the targets.

The IAF currently uses imported R-77s and super 530D BVR missiles. The production of indigenous missile, Astra, will be a crucial milestone for India's defence technology capability. The missile, which had failed during earlier trials, can be fitted on an entire range of combat jets under operation in the IAF and also soon to be inducted Tejas Light Combat Aircraft.

Success of Astra is crucial as it will add another feather in the DRDO cap which has made progress on stalled projects in recent month, they said.

Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/drdo-to-test-fire-astra-bvr-missile-in-coming-weeks/1/339421.html

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