INS Shakti inducted into the Indian navy

Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma commissioned a fleet tanker named INS Shakti in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam city on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, Verma emphasising the importance of Naval air power said that India would acquire a total of 45 MiG-29K.

"Naval aviation is an area which has got most attention over the past few years. And, in terms of the new inductions that we are acquiring, one is with respect to the fighter aircraft. As you are aware there are 16 MiG-29 aircraft, Mig-29K of which 12 are combat fighters, 4 are trainers. This contract was signed in 2004," said Admiral Verma.

"The delivery is almost completed. We have also gone for a second contract of 29 more fighters. So all in all you can say there are 45 MiG-29 fighters which would come into our service," he added.

Admiral Verma also spoke about acquiring maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8I, which is being customized and built specially for the Indian Navy by Boeing.

"Similarly the other major acquisition which is going on very well is the induction of the P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft which is being built by Boeing. And, the first flight has already been completed," said Admiral Verma.

"What is good to see is that the ship was delivered a week before the contracted period. It seems that even the P8I programme is slightly ahead of schedule. And these would be very very capable aircrafts. As you are aware there was a contract for 8 which was signed and there is an option clause being exercised for 4," he added.

INS Shakti is the second of two fleet tankers built by the Fincantieri Shipyard of Italy for the Indian Navy.

The vessel is easily one of the largest in the Indian Navy with 175 metres in length and 32 metres in width. The ship has a displacement of 27,000 tons and is capable of carrying 15,000 tons of cargo including fuel for ships and fighter aircraft.

INS Shakti inducted into Indian Navy

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma said on Saturday that all possible measures were being taken to enhance the coastal security in the country.

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma said on Saturday that all possible measures were being taken to enhance the coastal security in the country.

The naval surveillance along the coast across the country was strengthened, in association with the Indian Coast Guard, and the marine police in respective states, including Andhra Pradesh.

“Awareness camps on security were also being held among fishermen’s community to reach their targets,” he said. “However, as part of the security enhancement, 29 MIG 29K aircraft, and 16 helicopters, would be inducted into the Indian Navy by 2013. Earlier, 12 fighters and 4 trainee aircraft of this class had been acquired,” he added.

Admiral Verma was in the city on Saturday to witness the commissioning of the INS Shakti, the Indian Navy’s fourth fleet tanker, and the second of the two fleet tankers built by M/s Fincantieri Shipyard, Italy, for the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard, here.

The construction of the INS Shakti commenced in November 2009 in Italy. The ship is 175 metres in length, and 32 metres wide. The ship is fitted with a credible self-defence capability, and an indigenous Anti Missile Defence Chaff System.

While interacting with media persons on the occasion, the Navy chief said that Italy was also extending cooperation for another aircraft carrier, which is currently being built by the Cochin shipyard. “The aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, would be delivered to the Indian Navy as per schedule,” he added. Admiral Verma congratulated the Fincantieri Shipyard, Indian PSUs like Bharat Electronics, and HAL, and a host of small scale industries and sub-contractors, for their contribution in building the largest ship of the Indian Navy, INS Shakti.

Eastern Naval Command chief, Vice Admiral Anup Singh, and president of the Fincantieri Shipyard, Corrado Antonini delivered keynote addresses. The INS Shakti’s captain is commanding officer Ravi Malhotra.

Post Master General of Visakhapatnam, Chandra Prakash released a special cover on behalf of Indian Postal service. The Italian Ambassador to India, Giacomo Sanfelice D Monteforte was also present.

F-35B Completes Successful Initial Shipboard Vertical Landing Aboard USS WASP

USS WASP --- The Navy and Marine Corps Team made more remarkable naval aviation history today as the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test aircraft BF-2 landed safely on USS Wasp’s (LHD-1) flight deck, the first at sea vertical landing for the Marine Corps’ F-35 JSF version.

Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk landed BF-2 at 3:12 pm. “It was exactly like we predicted,” said Schenk. “But that’s because of all the hard work and extensive preparation done by the Wasp and JSF team.”

The first vertical landing is part of the initial ship trials for the F-35B which started Monday and is expected to last two-weeks. The tests are scheduled to collect data on the aircraft’s ability to perform short take-offs and vertical landings on a ship at sea, as well as determine how the aircraft integrates with the ship’s landing systems, and deck and hangar operations.

This test period, the first of three scheduled at-sea test periods over the course of the development program, will also collect environmental data on the deck through added instrumentation to measure the F-35B’s impact to flight deck operations.

“The first at sea vertical landing is a huge milestone,” said Marine Corps Col. Roger Cordell, military site director for F-35 test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. “We’re still early in this test period, and we expect to learn a lot more, but this is a great step toward delivering the capability to the fleet.”

Wasp spent time in a shipyard earlier this year, preparing for the F-35 test period; adding specialized instrumentation to measure deck environmental effects.

“It is no small feat to put together sea trials,” said Vice Admiral David Venlet, F-35 Program Executive Officer. “This test was planned to happen on 3 October back in early spring of this year and the team delivered on schedule. Signs of dependable performance are emerging across broad aspects of the development program. Professionals from the Navy, Marine Corps and industry team of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and Pratt and Whitney and Rolls Royce continue to work tirelessly to deliver this aircraft to the fleet.”

“Every time an aircraft is first tested at sea we learn a great deal and the data collected from this event will inform us about the further development work necessary to successfully integrate the F-35B on large-deck amphibious ships. By all accounts, we’re off to a great start today,” Venlet said.

The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B will replace Marine AV-8B Harriers and F-18 Hornets and is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet.

In addition to being the first ship to successfully land the F-35B, USS Wasp was also the first ship to host the V-22 Osprey during shipboard trials in October 2007.

Summary information regarding the performance of the F-35B ship trials will be made available after the completion of the test period.

F-35B Performs First Landing at Sea

Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk recorded a major milestone yesterday, flying his F-35B (BF-2) to a safe landing on the flight deck of USS Wasp’s (LHD-1), the first at sea vertical landing for the Marine Corps’ F-35 JSF version. The first vertical landing is part of the initial ship trials for the F-35B which started Monday and is expected to last two-weeks. The tests are scheduled to collect data on the aircraft’s ability to perform short take-offs and vertical landings on a ship at sea, as well as determine how the aircraft integrates with the ship’s landing systems, and deck and hangar operations.

“The first at sea vertical landing is a huge milestone,” said Marine Corps Col. Roger Cordell, military site director for F-35 test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. “We’re still early in this test period, and we expect to learn a lot more, but this is a great step toward delivering the capability to the fleet.”

In addition to being the first ship to successfully land the F-35B, USS Wasp was also the first ship to host the V-22 Osprey during shipboard trials in October 2007. Prior to the recent test Wasp spent time in a shipyard earlier this year, preparing for conducting the F-35 operations on board, adding specialized instrumentation to measure deck environmental effects. This test period is the first of three scheduled at-sea test periods over the course of the development program, will also collect environmental data on the deck through added instrumentation to measure the F-35B’s impact to flight deck operations. According to Vice Admiral David Venlet, F-35 Program Executive Officer the current test was scheduled back in the early spring 2011 and was carried out on the planned date. “Signs of dependable performance are emerging across broad aspects of the development program. Professionals from the Navy, Marine Corps and industry team of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and Pratt and Whitney and Rolls Royce continue to work tirelessly to deliver this aircraft to the fleet.” General Venlet said, adding that the data collected from this event will assist further development work necessary to successfully integrate the F-35B on large-deck amphibious ships.

The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings (STOVL) for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B will replace Marine AV-8B Harriers and F-18 Hornets and is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet.

Boeing flies sub-hunting plane destined for India's Navy

Though Boeing's newest commercial jets have been grabbing all the attention recently, the company's Puget Sound area-based military jet programs are also quietly moving forward.

Wednesday, the first P-8 anti-submarine jet destined for the Indian Navy took off on its first flight out of Renton, landing at Boeing Field 2 ½ hours later.

The initial customer for the Renton-built, 737-based P-8 program, also known as Poseidon, is the U.S. Navy, which will take 117 of the jets and is scheduled to deploy the first squadron in 2013.

India, the first foreign customer, will take eight of the maritime warfare aircraft, designated P-8I, with options for an additional four.

Rear Adm. DM Sudan, assistant chief of Naval Staff (Air), Indian Navy, witnessed the flight..

"The P-8I program is progressing well, and we are looking forward to this potent platform joining the Indian navy as part of its fleet," he said in a statement.

As part of the contract with India, Boeing is required to offset the cost by placing some P-8I work with Indian suppliers.

Boeing has opened a research and technology center and an analysis and experimentation
Center in Bangalore. The former conducts research in aero structures, materials and network systems; the latter, in partnership with Bharat Electronics, provides modeling, analysis and defense experimentation in support of the Indian Armed Forces.

MiG denies stealth technology transfer to China for J-20 fighter

Russia has never transferred any stealth technology to China to assist it with its J-20 Black Eagle fifth-generation stealth fighter prototype, Russian plane maker MiG said on Friday.

"We are not delivering any equipment to China, and never have," MiG spokeswoman Yelena Fyodorova said.

MiG's statement follows claims in the Russian and foreign press last week that China's J-20, unveiled over six months ago, is based on technology and components from the Russian Mikoyan Article 1.44, a stealth technology demonstrator aircraft, development of which was suspended.

Some analysts say the aircraft have close similarities.

"The back end of the J-20 looks awfully like the 1.44, as does the overall layout with delta canards," said Douglas Barrie, an air warfare specialist at the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies.

"If it's a coincidence, it's a striking one. Russia may have provided technical support, but there is nothing substantial to prove that. China has however relied on Russia for much of its defense procurement for a decade and a half," he added.

China's J-20 Black Eagle is thought to be conceptually similar to the U.S. F-22 Raptor and the Russian T-50 jets, but is likely to be just a technology demonstrator or prototype rather than a viable fighter.

China has been working on a future fighter program since the mid-1990s, but the J-20 is not expected to enter service before 2018-2020.

Earlier in the month, Mikhail Pogosyan, the head of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation said that China's fifth-generation fighter program is more for effect than substance and branded the maiden flight as a "show-off."

China relied on the Soviet Union for much of its aviation technology until the Sino-Soviet split after 1961. China then carried on developing copies of Soviet and Russian aircraft.

Beijing also relies on Russian engines, radars and electronic components for many of its other aircraft, such as the JF-17 fighter it developed jointly with Pakistan.

China successfully tests new aircraft carrier

China's first aircraft carrier has successfully completed its maiden sea trials and returned to a shipyard for further refurbishing, the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

The vessel, the former Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag, has been overhauled for its new role as a platform for research and naval pilot training at the Dalian shipyard in Northeast China.

"The recent sea trials of the aircraft carrier achieved the anticipated objectives," Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a news conference in Beijing.

The Admiral Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier was 70% complete when China bought it from Ukraine for $20 million in 1998. Before being sold, the ship was disarmed and its engines were removed.

China started a total overhaul of the ship in 2005, along with the development of carrier-based aircraft.

The 1,000-feet vessel is designed to carry 26 aircraft and 24 helicopters.

Chinese military experts believe that the vessel could be commissioned by the Chinese Navy in a few years.

First Borey class nuclear sub to be assigned to Pacific Fleet in 2011

Russia's first Borey class strategic submarine will be put into service with the Pacific Fleet in 2011, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

The Yury Dolgoruky, which has recently completed sea trials in the White Sea, is expected to be commissioned by the Russian Navy pending the outcome of Bulava ballistic missile testing.

"The submarine is successfully undergoing trials. It should be delivered to the Pacific Fleet this year," Putin said at a meeting with United Russia activists.

On August 27, the Yury Dolgoruky conducted a successful launch of a Bulava missile at a range of 9,100 kilometers (about 5,650 miles).

Three other Borey class nuclear submarines, the Alexander Nevsky, the Vladimir Monomakh, and Svyatitel Nikolai (St. Nicholas) are in different stages of completion. Russia is planning to build eight of these subs by 2015.

Putin said on Monday that the government had allocated 4.7 trillion rubles ($160 bln) for the modernization of the Russian Navy until 2020.