03 Oct 14. US eases restrictions on arms sales to Vietnam. The US has partially lifted its long-held ban on selling arms to Vietnam, the latest stage in the rapprochement between former foes who now share mutual suspicions about China. The US decision is intended to boost the capacity of the Vietnamese navy, which is involved in a series of increasingly tense territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. The policy shift, which is likely to anger China, comes nearly 40 years after the end of the Vietnam war and after a decade of growing collaboration between the Vietnamese and US navies. For several years the administration has resisted pressure from some in Congress and the Pentagon to lift the arms ban, pointing to Vietnam’s continued record of political repression. Jen Psaki, state department spokeswoman, said the decision was less about responding to China and more the result of improvements in human rights in the country. She noted a number of steps taken on human rights, including releasing 11 prisoners of conscience this year and registering 115 new church congregations in 2013. “Clearly, there’s more work that needs to be done in areas such as human rights,” she said, adding that arms sales would be approved on a case-by-case basis. One potential sale item was patrol boats that could conduct defensive operations along Vietnam’s long coastline, Ms Psaki said. US officials said that aircraft could also be sold to Vietnam. The move to relax the arms ban follows a fierce dispute this year when China moved an oil rig into waters in the South China Sea claimed by both countries, which led to anti-China riots in Vietnam and clashes between ships. China later removed the rig, although said it had the right to return it at a later date. John McCain, the Republican senator who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, said he welcomed the decision and that he had been working with the administration to relax the restrictions. “Easing the lethal arms ban on Vietnam for the purpose of maritime security will strengthen our defence co-operation in ways that benefit both countries,” he said. (Source: FT.com)
03 Oct 14. Sikorsky Unveils Raider Prototype. Sikorsky unveiled its first S-97 Raider prototype Thursday, kicking off the test flight phase of the experimental helicopter program. The helicopter giant’s West Palm Beach, Florida, facility hosted the event, which featured executives from the firm showing off the first full production model. The company will begin ground testing shortly and expects to have first flight of the system this year. “Just four years ago, we announced plans to build the S-97 Raider and teamed with some of the best companies in the industry, understanding the need to ensure aircraft development would not falter as government defense budgets shrank in response to economic pressures,” company President Mick Maurer said in a press release. “Sikorsky is proud of its leadership in this area, and of the leadership the S-97 Raider represents among the world’s military rotorcraft.” The Raider is Sikorsky’s planned entry to replace the US Army’s OH-58D Kiowa Warrior fleet, but if it can deliver on company promises, it could find itself with a much wider audience. The Raider prototype is based on the X-2 technology that Sikorsky developed in the late 2000s, with some key differences. Where the X-2 demonstrator was a one-person, 5,000-pound platform, the Raider is roughly 11,000 pounds with room for six troops for combat assault missions; if those troops aren’t needed, that space can be used to hold extra equipment or ammunition. While that makes the Raider a large vehicle, Sikorsky has expressed confidence it will go hand in hand with unmatched speed. The company has claimed speeds of 220 knots (253 mph), which would be significantly faster than conventional military rotorcraft. Sikorsky is funding 75 percent of the Raider program out of pocket, with the remaining 25 percent coming from 53 ‘principal supplier