Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Space/ War Defense: MEADS,G5, BioTerror foot in mouth?











The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS program aims to replace Patriot missiles in the United States, the older Hawk system in Germany, and Italy's even older Nike Hercules missiles. Similar to the MBDA SAMP/T project, but representing next-generation technology and deployability, MEADS will be designed to kill enemy aircraft, cruise missiles and UAVs within its reach, while providing next-generation point defense capabilities against ballistic missiles.
The German government finally gave their clearance in April 2005, and in June 2005 MEADS International (MI) formally signed a definitized contract worth approximately $3.4 billion to design and develop the tri-national MEADS system. This DID FOCUS Article covers that program, which has just progressed to detailed design
MEADS is being designed to be effective against enemy aircraft over the next 30 years, cruise missiles, UAVs, and ballistic missiles. The system will incorporate its own 3-radar set, along with networked communications for use as a stand-alone system or in MEADS/Patriot clusters.
The broader goal, however, is an open architecture system that can plug into larger defensive systems along with shorter-range systems like the USA's SLAMRAAM/CLAWS vehicle-mounted AMRAAMs, Italy's Spada 2000, et. al., wider surveillance systems like the JLENS tethered blimps, and longer range theater-defense systems like the Lockheed/ Raytheon/ Northrop-Grumman THAAD, IAI/Boeing's Arrow-2, or even Raytheon's naval SM-3 missiles netted via Co-operative Engagement Capability or the equivalent.
The idea is to have MEADS elements or other air defense systems "plug and fight," joining in or breaking off from a common-picture air defense network as needed to move or protect themselves. This was identified as an important capacbility during Operation Iraqi Freedom, as the Patriot system's heavy HEMTT trucks and other large equipment found themselves hard-pressed to keep up with the rate of advance of US forces.

Russia’s G5 System of Air Defense Able to Counter Space Attack




http://www.kommersant.com/p-11195/Space_attack_G5/

Russia’s G5 system of missile defense leaves far behind the S-400 systems that are coming into operation today. It is able to counter space attacks, said Russia’s Air Force Commander-in-Chief Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin.
"When creating S-400 air defense systems, we have begun to understand the air defense systems of next generation, the so-called fifth generation, [which are] more compact, of better mobility and, certainly, with better specification to counter weapons of air attacks," Zelin told reporters on Wednesday. According to Zelin, a new weapon won’t be based on some crucially innovative solutions. Its specification will improve on better elementary base. When speaking about other novelties to be launched into operation in the near term, Zelin mentioned a middle air carrier currently created in tandem with India. The work for light Il-112 is also at full blast now, the commander-in-chief pointed out. The G5 system of aircraft and missile defense will include missile defense, air defense and space defense components, Vladimir Mikhailov, now the former commander-in-chief of Russia’s Air Forces, said in March. The facilities are said to be developed by Almaz-Antei Design Bureau.


Bio-terror link to foot-and-mouth disease?
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/UK/Bio-terror_link_to_foot-and-mouth_disease/articleshow/2266589.cms

LONDON: Britain's health and safety executive has revealed that bio-terrorists may be responsible for the spread of foot-and-mouth disease from an animal health laboratory. But the research laboratory at the centre of the investigation said on Wednesday it had complete confidence in its biosecurity measures. The virus could have been deliberately leaked from a hi-tech complex at Pirbright, Surrey, the Daily Express quoted officials, as saying. The inference follows an investigation launched after the disease was discovered in cattle on a farm less the three miles away from the site. (cont..)

Meggitt looks to revenues of up to $800m from FCS
http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdi/jdi070808_1_n.shtml

SAIC Airship Gets Federal Government’s OK
http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=96907468.8681704.1510899.67466402.7159765.620&aID2=116214

SAIC of San Diego has received Federal Aviation Administration experimental approval for its Skybus 30K airship, the company said Aug. 6.
Also known as Science Applications International Corp., SAIC was the lead systems integrator under contract to the Naval Air Systems Command. Telford Aviation Services of Bangor, Maine, worked with SAIC to develop and test the prototype airship.
The airship has a targeted usage for security, intelligence, border patrol and search operations


India, China troops to hold military exercise
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070021970





Indian and Chinese troops will come face to face for the first time since 1962 but this time its not war.The two Asian giants will hold a joint military exercise in November in China's Chengdu region. That is just beyond Aksai Chin, the scene of the 1962 war.In another development, a contingent of Britain's Royal Marine Corps will hold a joint exercise with India's 7 Para battalion in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir towards end of September. In the past India has held a joint exercise with US forces in the northeast.

China threatens 'nuclear option' of dollar sales
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/08/07/bcnchina107a.xml




No comments: