16 Jul 12. Lockheed Martin’s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) sensor suite recently completed its first flight during a captive carry flight test off the coast of northwest Florida using a modified Sabreliner business jet. The objectives of the flight test included detecting, classifying and recognizing targets. Conducted at various airspeeds and altitudes, the flight tests exceeded all objectives and demonstrated successful sensor operation, as well as integration of the sensor suite with the missile electronics. Littoral imagery was captured during the tests, and target data processing algorithms ran real-time in the missile electronics, and demonstrated outstanding performance. The sensor suite consists of a radio-frequency sensor to detect ships in the area, a weapon data link for communication with battlefield managers and an electro-optical seeker for positive target identification and precise targeting during the terminal phase of flight. The missile also employs an enhanced digital anti-jam Global Positioning System to detect and destroy specific targets within a group of numerous ships at sea.
19 Jul 12. Irkut Corporation is planning a sensor-package upgrade programme for the Yak-130 advanced jet trainer aircraft, a senior company official has revealed. Alexei Fedorov, Irkut president, was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying that the upgrades are primarily aimed at enabling the use of the aircraft for both advanced weapon training and combat missions. Komstantin Popovich, Irkut vice president, had earlier told Aviation Week that the first stage of upgrades will include installation of an in-flight refuelling system and optronic pod and is estimated to be complete in 2013. According to Popovich the upgrades involve the integration of radars to provide the aircraft with target detection capabilities for Kh-31, Kh-38 and Kh-29 air-to-ground missiles. Three options are currently being evaluated by the company, including a slot array antenna radar from Phazotron-NIIR, onboard radar from Tikhomirov-NIIP and a radar pod from St. Petersburg’s Leninetz plant. (Source: airforcetechnology.com)
10 Jul 12. MBDA launches Brimstone Sea Spear at fast boat threat. MBDA has completed a first live firing of a Dual Mode Brimstone (DMB) missile against a moving maritime target – and at the same time disclosed plans for a ship-launched Sea Spear defensive anti-surface warfare variant to counter swarming fast inshore attack craft (FIAC) threats. Introduced to service with UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR.4 aircraft in late 2008, the DMB was originally conceived to meet a UK urgent operational requirement for a high-precision close air support weapon to be used against static and moving ground targets. (Source: Jane’s, IDR)
17 Jul 12. Russia will begin taking delivery of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile being built in India as a joint Indo-Russian venture. The decision followed a July 17 meeting here between visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogoz and Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Indian Defence Ministry sources said. Dmitry also visited the BrahMos complex in New Delhi, where he was briefed about the capabilities of the different varieties of the BrahMos, which has been inducted in the Indian Navy and land forces. However, the BrahMos missile has still to be inducted in the Russian Navy. The 290-kilometer-range BrahMos was conceived as a joint venture between India and Russia in 1998. The air version of the BrahMos is still in the development stage. (Source: Defense News)
19 Jul 12. Afghanistan National Army (ANA) soldiers have successfully completed their final live fire artillery exercise, during Operation Eagle’s Flight, at Patrol Base Sorkh Bid in northern Kandahar province. During the exercise, soldiers from the ANA 205th Corps 4th Brigade 4th Kandak 2nd Battery fired high explosive, smoke and illumination rounds onto a designated target area to confirm their capability to deploy forward indepen