India's Russian-built Aircraft Carrier Starts Sea Trials

The Indian Navy's Russian-built aircraft carrier Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) began sea trials early on Friday morning in the White Sea - four years after it was originally due to take to sea again.

The ship was refitted at the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia. It was originally scheduled to begin sea trials, which will last 120 days, on May 25.
A mixed Russian-Indian crew is on board the vessel, with the Indian sailors learning how to operate the vessel. After initial sea trials in the White Sea the ship will sail to the Barents Sea for exercises with military aircraft.
India and Russia signed a $947 million dollar deal in 2005 for the purchase of the carrier, but delivery has already been delayed twice, pushing up the cost of refurbishing the carrier to $2.3 billion.
Sevmash shipyard director Vladimir Pastukhov, was fired in 2007 over his poor management of the project.
The Vikramaditya was originally built as the  Soviet Project 1143.4 class aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov.
The ship was laid down in 1978 at the Nikolayev South shipyard in Ukraine, launched in 1982, and commissioned with the Soviet Navy in 1987.
It was renamed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In 1994, the Admiral Gorshkov sat in dock for a year for repairs after a boiler room explosion. In 1995, it briefly returned to service but was was finally withdrawn and put up for sale in 1996.
The ship has a displacement of 45,000 tons, a maximum speed of 32 knots and an endurance of 13,500 nautical miles (25,000 km) at a cruising speed of 18 knots.
India has already started taking delivery of MiG-29K naval fighter aircraft for the Vikramaditya, as they were ready before the refit was completed. The MiG-29Ks will operate in STOBAR (short take-off but assisted recovery via arresting wires) mode.
The MiG-29K was reportedly selected over the larger and more-capable Su-33 naval fighter because India also hopes to operate them from its smaller, indigenous “Project-71 Air Defense Ship” carriers, according to defenseindustrydaily.com.

One of only four existing F-117s returns to Edwards

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The retired YF-117 Nighthawk (S/N 79-10783) known for flying over Edwards in the final four-ship formation flight more than six years ago returned to Edwards once again, but this time to join the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum's line up of historic aircraft.

After years of being displayed at the AFFTC Museum's Blackbird Air Park in Palmdale, Calif., it was moved to Edwards over a two-day relocation effort that began June 7 in order to help restore the aircraft.

"When this aircraft was initially decommissioned, it was intended to be placed indoors. Unfortunately, it was located outside, on public display in Blackbird Air Park," said George Welsh, 95th Air Base Wing Museum director and curator. "Over the years, the physical condition of the aircraft had deteriorated considerably due to the weather conditions in this area. Cold nights, hot days, occasional intense rains and constant winds have caused the paint to fade and the protective skin coating to start deteriorating, so the aircraft was brought back for a new restoration to help preserve it."

As part of the relocation effort, museum staff and countless volunteers braved a 35-mile tow that lasted more than eight hours under the cover of night in order to get the aircraft to Edwards.

"Progress was slow due to a number of reasons. Aircraft towing speed was only five miles per hour and some areas of the route were very narrow. Although we knew we had the clearance, in some cases only a foot off each wing tip, the tow tractor was not very maneuverable, thus making the move very difficult to 'thread the needle' at times," Welsh said. "As for our volunteers, we not only had a number of museum and Edwards volunteers, we also had support from a private vehicle escort company called US Pilot, based out of Big Pine, Calif. They supplemented the escort and the security was provided by the California Highway Patrol up to the Edwards gate. In addition to that, countless units from around the base provided amazing support in order for this move to happen."

Despite the night-long move, some volunteers saw this opportunity as a once in a lifetime event.

"Although the move made for a long day for me seeing how I also worked the day of the move, the overall experience was great" said William J. Simone, 419th Flight Test Squadron, B-2 flight test engineer and a museum committee chairman who volunteered in the move. "All the volunteers did a great job and, on top of that, we made history."

Once the aircraft arrived at Edwards, it was put into inside storage where it will await full restoration.

"For now, it will remain in Hangar 1210 which will protect it from the elements and it will not go back on display until we can get a new museum built outside the base's West Gate," said Welsh.

A new facility at Edwards West Gate is being planned that will complement the already existing Century Circle display allowing the public unrestricted access to the museum collection. The goal is relocate the museum in stages as funds become available.

According to Welsh, once the aircraft is ready to be restored, it should not require internal restoration, just surface restoration.

"We need to address the skin coating issue, seal all the seams and apply new paint and markings," added Welsh. "After all this is accomplished, Edwards will have one of only four F-117s that remain on display."

For more information on the AFFTC museum or visiting the museum, call (661) 277-8050. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for personnel with base access.

Please note that access to Edwards AFB is restricted. The museum is accessible only to base personnel and individuals who have appropriate credentials to enter the installation.

Norway Orders First F-35

Norway today commenced the largest public procurement project in its history. The event was marked by Minister of Defence Espen Barth Eide authorizing the order for the first F-35A Lightning II for the Norwegian Armed Forces.
The decision to move forward was reached following an extended dialogue with the US Department of Defence aimed at securing opportunities for Norwegian industry.
- We have today made two critical decisions. For the first time in three decades we are now ordering new combat aircraft for the Armed Forces. Additionally, we will begin preparations for the final phase of Joint Strike Missile (JSM) development after receiving confirmation from US authorities of their support for the integration of the missile into the F-35, says Norwegian Minister of Defence Espen Barth Eide.
- This marks a key milestone in the Norwegian F-35 programme and the beginning of the largest public procurement in Norwegian history. The F-35, which Norway selected in 2008, represents a completely new generation of combat aircraft that will form a corner stone of the future Norwegian Armed Forces, says Minister of Defence Espen Barth Eide.
Confirmation of JSM integration support was provided in a letter from US Secretary of Defence, Leon Panetta to Norwegian Minister of Defence Espen Barth Eide earlier this week. - Securing such support has been an important precondition for many of our partner nations before they would themselves commit to supporting the JSM. With such support finally in place there is now a significant potential for the missile among future operators of the F-35.
Preparations for the final phase of procurement will therefore begin now, says Minister of Defence Espen Barth Eide. The Norwegian-developed JSM represents one of the most advanced weapons available within its category, and will further enhance the operational capabilities of the F-35. Total market potential for the JSM is estimated to be between NOK 20 and 25 billion/USD 3.3 and 4.2 billion.
The two aircraft authorized today are expected to be joined by a second pair in 2016, and will be based in the United States as part of a joint partner training centre. They are to be followed by up to 48 additional aircraft from 2017 that are to be based at Ørland Main Air Station in central Norway. A small forward operating base will also be based at Evenes in northern Norway to provide quick reaction alert (QRA) services in the high north. An estimated 10% of the overall force generation will also be carried out from the Evenes FOB. The overall cost of the procurement phase of the project is estimated at NOK 60 billion/USD 10 billion (2012 value) in real terms.
The decision to centralise the combat aircraft force at Ørland was approved when the Norwegian Parliament approved the new Defence White Paper on the 14th of June. This paper also confirmed the overall ambition for up to 52 F-35s for the Norwegian Armed Forces. Norway will over the coming years see a budget increase of 7% by 2016 through redistribution of funds freed up by the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the addition of significant supplementary funds for the F-35 purchase.
- Norway’s parliament yesterday approved a significant increase in defence spending in order to finance the purchase and to increase the general operating budget of the Armed Forces. At the same time, the Parliament has shown courage in making tough but necessary decisions in order to continue the work to rationalize the base infrastructure. This means that the positive development we have seen in the Norwegian Armed Forces over the past four years will continue, concludes Minister of Defence Espen Barth Eide.

German-Saudi Tank Deal Twice As Big As Planned: Report

FRANKFURT — Saudi Arabia wants to buy 600-800 Leopard battle tanks from Germany, more than twice as many as originally envisaged, the Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported, quoting government sources.
Thus far, reports had said the Saudis wanted to purchase around 300 Leopard-2 tanks, Germany’s main battle tank which is also produced under license in Spain.
With up to 800 tanks, the deal would be worth 10 billion euros ($12.6 billion), and one of the biggest-ever for the German defense industry, Bild am Sonntag reported.
While there is opposition to the deal in the Chancellery and the Foreign and Defence ministries, there was support for it within the Economy Ministry, it said.
A deal for a first tranche of 300 tanks is ready for signing and the Saudis want to the whole deal wrapped up by July 20, when the festival of Ramadan begins, the newspaper said.

NATO Chief Boosts Ties With New Zealand, To Visit Australia

BRUSSELS — NATO and New Zealand signed a partnership deal June 4 and alliance chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced a visit to Australia as the defense group boosts ties with non-NATO nations engaged in Afghanistan.
“We may be far away geographically, but we are linked by common values and commitment,” Rasmussen said on signing an Individual Partnership Cooperation Program Arrangement with visiting New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.
Key said New Zealand’s engagement with NATO has developed considerably over the past decade, mainly through Wellington’s involvement in the NATO-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan.
“This arrangement is a move to capitalize on this engagement,” he said.
In a comment on Twitter, Rasmussen said: “I thank Kiwi troops for their courage, professionalism and sacrifice.”
The deal with New Zealand sets out steps to boost cooperation in fields such as cyber-defence, disaster relief, crisis management and training.
“We want to be even more closely connected with countries that are also willing to contribute to global security, where we all have a stake,” Rasmussen said.
Hours before meeting Key, he announced he would travel next week to Australia, saying, “Both countries are making a real difference to our mission in Afghanistan.”
New Zealand currently has 189 troops in the 130,236-member force ISAF force in Afghanistan, while Australia has 1,550 troops, the largest non-NATO contingent.

Rasmussen also welcomed Australia’s decision to take the main mentoring role in the central Afghan province of Uruzgan from the U.S. command.
NATO has also agreed to set up partnership programs with Sweden and Switzerland, and is expected likewise to boost ties with Japan.
Key said in a statement that cooperation could come through “maintaining ongoing political dialogue on security issues of mutual interest, offering further NATO training opportunities to our defense force, and engagement with NATO as it moves to tackle emerging security challenges of interest to New Zealand.