UK MOD Announces €200m Typhoon Capability Upgrade for the RAF

Eurofighter Typhoon (Source: UK MOD)

A contract worth €200M (approximately £165M) to enhance the capability of the Eurofighter-Typhoon has been signed at an International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

Alongside a number of avionics system upgrades, the contract will see the integration of the Brimstone 2 missile onto the world class combat aircraft and is expected to sustain more than 200 UK jobs based at BAE Systems in Lancashire and MBDA in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Increasing Usage of Multimodal Biometrics to Enhance Security

Biometrics (Source: Lockheed Martin)

According to a new market report "Biometrics Technology (Face, Hand geometry, Voice, Signature, Iris, AFIS, Non-AFIS and Others) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019," the global market is anticipated to reach a value of USD 23.3 billion by 2019, at a CAGR of 20.8% from 2013 to 2019.

Biofeedback as a Treatment for PTSD

Fighting PTSD (Source: US DoD)

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects nearly 20% of post-9/11 US veterans, and one-fourth of US soldiers have already experienced a mental health issue before their deployment, which only increases the risk of returning with PTSD. Researchers have found that recovery lies in the body’s own ability to self-regulate. One important method for helping to understand and control this ability is “heart rate variability biofeedback.” In this relatively new form of biofeedback, individuals learn to use paced breathing to maximize the variability in their heart rate. This variability is a marker for health and resilience.

Strategic Demand for Airborne Intelligence Outpacing the Capacity of Armed Forces

Saab 2000 ERIEYE AEW&C (Source: Saab Group)

Strategic demand for airborne intelligence in Europe is outpacing the capacity of regional armed forces, according to military leaders. Dual pressures from growing Russian infringement in the east and the threat of Islamic State terrorism in the south has presented NATO forces with the need to increase watch over both borders at the same time as budget cutbacks continue to bite.

Reebok Dauntless Ultra-Light Series Brings Athletic Technology to Tactical Footwear

Dauntless Ultra-Light Series (Source: Warson Brands)

Warson Brands, manufacturers of quality military and tactical footwear and exclusive licensee for Reebok military and tactical boots, recently announced a new line of Reebok branded tactical footwear, the Dauntless Ultra-Light Series. 

Threats to Pipeline Security: Oil Thefts and Terrorism

Major Caspian Oil and Natural Gas Export Routes (Source: US Energy Information Administration)

Dealing with Oil Theft in Central Asia through cross-border cooperation

In recent years, many Central Asian countries have introduced much stiffer penalties for oil theft to deter criminals in recognition of the huge economic, societal and environmental problems that can result from this crime.

Pipeline tapping, the process most commonly used when siphoning oil, causes a drop in pressure inside the pipe, which in turn decreases the speed of delivery and quality of oil. This process also raises significant environmental security concerns as tapping can cause oil leaks, which can lead to long term environmental damage and can compromise vital water supplies.

Science fiction is now a reality; Laser Weapon System Deployed and Operated in Arabian Gulf

Laser Weapon System LaWS (Source: US DoD)

The naval future is not only coming, but is here. Laser weapon capability is now allowing operation aboard ships at sea. The Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) USS Ponce (ASB(I) 15) conducts an operational demonstration of the Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Laser Weapon System (LaWS) while deployed to the Arabian Gulf.

Unauthorized UAVs Above French Nuclear Plants Spark Critical Infrastructure Security Concerns

Spynel-C (Source: HGH Infrared Systems)

November 20, 2014-Cambridge, MA.-As reported recently by the New York Times, from October 5^th through November 2^nd, guards at 13 different French nuclear plants witnessed unauthorized civilian or commercial drones buzzing dangerously close overhead. Flying drones one kilometer over or 5 kilometers around nuclear sites is illegal in France and punishable by up to a year of jail time and about a $94,000 fine. With a total of 19 nuclear plants in France, they are responsible for supplying power as the primary source of energy for the country; these incidents are raising serious security concerns surrounding critical infrastructures as drones are becoming more popular and easily attainable.

F-35C Completes First Arrested Landing aboard Aircraft Carrier

The F-35 (Source: Lockheed Martin Corporation)

PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 3, 2014) The Navy made aviation history Nov. 3 as an F-35C Lightning II carrier variant Joint Strike Fighter conducted its first arrested landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) off the coast of San Diego. The arrested landing is part of initial at-sea Developmental Testing I (DT-I) for the F-35C, which commenced Nov. 3 and is expected to last two weeks.  (U.S. Navy video/Released)

Defence IQ releases Military Flight Training Sector Report 2015

M-346 Master advanced trainer (Source: Alenia Aermacchi)

London, UK – Defence IQ, the leading online resource for military and defence news and analysis, announces the release of its annual Military Flight Training Sector Report 2014 - 2015. The report is split into two sections; Part I of the Report offers a consolidated outline of the world’s fixed-wing and rotary training aircraft, listing nation-by-nation inventories and requirements alongside future plans. Part II provides an analysis of exclusive data generated through a comprehensive survey of the military flight training community.

Grab a copy of the full report to find out what the priority attributes are for flight training in the next 10 years, the integration of simulation with live fly, key investment areas for the future and what the globally accepted rate of attrition is among flight training professionals.

Increased Precision, Range and Greater Integration to be Addressed at the World’s Leading Joint Fires Conference

Senior representatives from armies from nations including Brazil, UK, US, Spain and Greece will be speaking at Future Artillery 2015, a two-day conference enabling the artillery community to reflect and explore contemporary thinking on the role of artillery in the joint fires environment.

The conference, hosted by Defence IQ – a division of global events company IQPC – is a unique opportunity for international industry, military and government to discuss the latest in interoperability, precision, communication technology and current and future training initiatives.

Sea Power as Hedge against Chinese Adventurism – Part 1

The two Prime Minister-class submarines enables the Royal Malaysian Navy to punch above its weight (Source: RMN)

By M Hanif Ismail

In the olden days, sea power is often used as the measure of how powerful a nation state/empire/kingdom is. This is because sea power is often the means used by the said nation state to extend, impose and protect their influences on others.

With the advent of air power, intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads etc., one might think that that the importance of sea power has diminished. Perhaps that is true, but with the end of Cold War, the threats of nuclear war has diminished, and even the threats of war between two equals powers is now somewhat remote, although still possible in few hotspots around the world.

It is against this backdrop that almost all of the current and former world powers have let their sea power dwindled, some more so than the others. Almost all that is, except China.