The Zafar missile, as it is dubbed in the report, "is a short-range, anti-ship cruise missile capable of destroying small- and medium-sized targets with high precision."

It can be mounted on speed boats and other light vessels, can withstand electronic warfare, and is able to fly in low altitudes to avoid detection, the report said.

Iran has a fleet of speed boats that often challenge US and allied warships in the Gulf.

The vessels are usually controlled by the elite Revolutionary Guards and can be equipped with missiles.

The Islamic republic says it has a wide range of missiles. It says some are capable of striking targets inside Israel as well as Middle Eastern military bases of its other main archfoe, the United States.

Tehran regularly boasts about developing missiles having substantial range and capabilities, but Western military experts cast doubt on its claims.

Iran's military said in January that it could close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, through which a third of global marine oil traffic passes, if it is attacked.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:07:16 AEST Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (UPI) Feb 3, 2012 - French military electronics giant Thales is negotiating with Saudi Arabia for a contract, worth up to $3 billion, to upgrade the kingdom's air-defense network, particularly those guarding key military and government sites.

The French company's regional arm, Thales International Middle East, is well-established in the kingdom.

Over the last three decades Thales has maintained the Shahine and Crotale surface-to-air missiles built by its predecessor, Thomson-CSF, for Saudi Arabia. The Shahine is a land-based mobile version of the Crotale and was specifically designed for the kingdom's air defense forces.

It became operational in 1980 and the 40 Crotale, 73 Shahine and 68 Crotale/Shahine launchers held by the Saudis have been maintained and periodically upgraded by Thales. The company's latest Shahine modernization contract was signed in December 2010.

The Intelligence Online Web site observed that "after the French rail company SNCF's failure to obtain the contract to build the Mecca-Medina 'Pilgrim Train' line and Thales' unsuccessful bid for the Miksa border security contract, the French are hoping that air defense may yet (get) that much hoped-for mega-contract with Saudi Arabia."

France, which is the third biggest arms supplier to the Arab monarchies in the Persian Gulf after the United States and Britain, has lost out on some big defense deals there recently.

Leading French plane maker, Dassault Aviation, is vying for a contract with the United Arab Emirates for 60 Rafale multi-role combat jets worth up to $10 billion. But the deal, in the works since 2008, hit a snag in November 2011 when Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, dismissed Dassault's terms as "uncompetitive and unworkable."

Oil-rich Abu Dhabi is the emirates' main economic powerhouse and handles all its military procurement. The emirate's air force, now one of the most powerful in the region, wants to replace the 63 Mirage 2000-9 fighters it purchased from Dassault two decades ago.

"Rather than using the strength of the bilateral relationship to close the deal out they're attempting to use it to hold out on pricing and a deal structure that hasn't changed in more than a year and that's been significantly bettered by all competitors," an emirates' defense source observed.

The emirates had shown interest in Boeing's F-15 Eagle and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, as well as the Eurofighter Typhoon. That's built by a consortium comprising the German and Spanish branches of the European aerospace giant EADS, Britain's BAE Systems and Finmeccanica of Italy.

After failing to sell the Rafale to Morocco, Brazil and Switzerland, Dassault has been desperate for an export sale of the jet, which like the Eurofighter made its combat debut in the NATO air campaign against the late Moammar Gadhafi's ill-fated regime in Libya in 2011.

As prospects of achieving a sale in the emirates dwindled, Dassault achieved its aim Tuesday when it emerged as the lowest bidder for a 126-plane contract with India, beating the Eurofighter which also lost out in December on an $8 billion deal with Japan.

Dassault will now enter final negotiations with New Delhi for the deal, the value of which industry sources say could swell to as much as $15 billion-$20 billion.

The India deal keeps the Rafale production line going, as until now the jet's only customers had been the French air force and navy. The Financial Times estimated Dassault Aviation, as the core manufacturer, should reap 60 percent of the value of the Indian contract.

But Thales, which supplies Rafale's avionics and in which Dassault has a 26 percent stake, should also benefit, along with Safran, which manufactures the engines.

EADS didn't go away empty-handed either, even though New Delhi passed on the Eurofighter, as the European outfit owns 46 percent of Dassault.

Meantime, the Europeans are involved in another scrap in the Persian Gulf.

Executives at Germany's Daimler are seeking to block the planned sale of the company's holdings in EADS to the gas-rich emirate of Qatar. Daimler wants to shed its 15 percent stake in the Franco-German aerospace conglomerate, but fears if the shares are sold to Qatar this would allow old rival France, which has close links with the emirate, to dominate EADS.

France has 22.5 percent of EADS, the parent company of Airbus.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:07:16 AEST London (UPI) Feb 1, 2012 - MBDA UK has been picked by Britain's Ministry of Defense Ministry to develop a new naval missile defense system.

Called the Sea Ceptor, the system would intercept and destroy incoming missiles honing in on ships at supersonic speeds.

"The development of this missile system is a huge boost to the U.K.'s world-leading missile industry and once again proves our commitment to providing battle-winning technology for our Armed Forces," Minister for Defense Equipment, Support and Technology Peter Luff said.

"The introduction of this cutting-edge missile system will not only ensure that the (British navy) will be able to continue protecting our interests wherever they may be, but is also highly significant in sustaining and developing the U.K.'s skill in building complex weapons."

MBDA, the parent organization, is owned by BAE Systems, Netherland's EADS and Finmeccanica of Italy.

The company said the contract to develop Sea Ceptor is worth more than $760 million.

As envisaged the anti-missile missile would fly at Mach 3 -- about 2,300 mph. The system itself would provide coverage for a 500-square-mile area and be able to simultaneously engage multiple targets.

Sea Ceptor has been designed for initial use on the Type 23 frigate and would replace the Sea Wolf air defense system starting in 2016.

Sea Ceptor will protect both the host ship and high-value assets within the coverage area from incoming missiles -- including saturation attacks.

"This new weapon system will equip our frigates to deal with the type of sophisticated missile threat expected in the coming decades," said First Sea Lord Adm. Mark Stanhope. "Investment in advanced defense technology, such as Sea Ceptor, is vital to ensure the Royal Navy's continued ability to defend the U.K.'s interests wherever necessary."

MBDA said the system would also be used on Britain's Type 26 Global Combat Ship and could be adapted for the army and air force.

Sea Ceptor is the second major package of work launched under a 2010 between MBDA and the Defense Ministry, through which MBDA will enhance the country's complex weapons capability projects.

That overall Portfolio Management Agreement carries a 10-year value of more than $6.2 billion

MBDA said the Sea Ceptor project will sustain around 500 jobs in MBDA and its supply chain in key locations across Britain.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:07:16 AEST Tewksbury, MA (SPX) Feb 01, 2012 - Raytheon's Rolling Airframe Missile Block 2 successfully completed two guided test vehicle flights within one week, demonstrating the system's upgraded kinematic performance, guidance system and airframe capabilities.

Raytheon is building 35 RAM Block 2 missiles during the design and development test period and expects low-rate production to begin in 2012.

"To have a double success during two separate tests within days of each other is a significant accomplishment and proves our design upgrades," said Rick Nelson, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Naval Weapon Systems product line.

"The aggressive path we charted for RAM Block 2 will provide our customers with the most sophisticated ship self-defense missile available."

The RAM Block 2 upgrade includes a four-axis independent control actuator system and an increase in rocket motor capability. These and other upgrades increase the missile's effective range and deliver a significant improvement in maneuverability.

The improved missile also incorporates an upgraded passive radio frequency seeker, a digital autopilot and engineering changes in selected infrared seeker components.

Robust International Fleet Self-defense System
RAM is a supersonic, lightweight, quick reaction, fire-and-forget missile providing defense against anti-ship cruise missiles, helicopter and airborne threats, and hostile surface craft.

The missile's autonomous dual-mode, passive radio frequency and infrared guidance design provides a high-firepower capability for engaging multiple threats simultaneously.

Produced in partnership by Raytheon and RAMSYS of Germany, RAM is aboard more than 100 ships as an integral self-defense weapon for the navies of Egypt, Germany, Greece, Republic of Korea, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

RAM Contribution to Warfighters
+ Provides defense for U.S. Navy carriers, amphibious ships and Littoral Combat Ships.

+ Is able to defeat targets by using next-generation radars today.

+ All-weather, low-cost self-defense system against aircraft and anti-ship missiles.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:07:16 AEST Tucson, AZ (SPX) Jan 25, 2012 - The U.S. Navy completed developmental and operational testing (DT/OT) of the newest variant of Raytheon's laser-guided Maverick missile. This brings U.S. Sailors and Marines one step closer to conducting airborne precision engagements of rapidly moving targets in urban environments.

"In numerous conflicts, Maverick has proven its effectiveness against ships, tanks, fast moving vehicles and fortified personnel," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Air Warfare Systems product line.

"With the completion of DT/OT, Raytheon can begin producing and delivering this highly accurate weapon to the U.S. and coalition warfighter."

During four DT/OT tests, Navy and Marine Corps aviators fired four AGM-65E2 laser-guided Maverick missiles at moving and stationary targets from F/A-18C/D Hornets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and AV-8B Harriers.

During one particularly challenging test, an AGM-65E2 was fired from a Harrier and accurately guided to a rapidly moving target via the laser designator of an AH-1Z Viper helicopter.

About the Maverick Family of Missiles
The laser-guided Maverick missile is a direct-attack, air-to-ground precision munition used extensively by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps in ongoing combat operations. The AGM-65E2/L has an enhanced laser seeker and new software that reduces the risk of collateral damage.

+ Maverick is integrated on 25 aircraft and in the inventory of 33 nations.

+ The AGM-65E2/L can use onboard, buddy and ground-based lasing to designate targets.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:07:16 AEST Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Jan 19, 2012 - As the Middle East frets about a regional conflict, Israel's military says it believes Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah has long-range surface-to-air missiles supplied by Syria, significantly boosting its defenses against the Jewish state's formidable air power.

The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday that the military command "is also working under the assumption" that the Lebanese movement, which fought Israel's armed forces to a standstill in 2006, has obtained several dozen long-range M600 surface-to-surface missiles from Syria, Iran's ally.

Hezbollah is already believed to have a substantial number of M600s, which are Syrian-produced clones of Iran's Fateh-100 missile.

The M600 has a range of around 190 miles and carries a warhead containing a half-ton of high explosives.

The Israelis estimate that Hezbollah possesses around 42,000 missiles and rockets, including long-range weapons capable of hitting anywhere in Israel and which are changing the nature of Middle Eastern warfare.

That's more than three times the number of missiles Hezbollah had at the outset of the 34-day war in July-August 2006. Hezbollah fired nearly 4,000 rockets and missiles, or around 200 a day, into Israel's northern Galilee region during that conflict.

That was the heaviest bombardment Israel's civilian population endured since the state was founded in 1948 but that pales against the threat the nation faces from the missile arsenals of Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and the Palestinian radical of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Military officials have warned Israel's population of 7 million that Israeli cities could be hit by 500 projectiles a day for weeks on end if a new conflict erupts.

"According to Western intelligence assessments, Hezbollah is believed to have taken advantage of the ongoing upheaval in Syria to obtain advanced weapons systems, such as additional long-range rockets as well as Russian-made air-defense systems," Post military analyst Yaacov Katz wrote.

The Israelis said Shiite guerrillas, who have underground missile depots across their heartland in the Bekaa Valley of northeastern Lebanon along the Syrian border, possess the SA-8, a Russian mobile SAM system with an estimated range of around 20 miles.

The Israeli air force, the strongest in the Middle East and equipped largely with U.S.-made aircraft and weapons systems, is capable of countering the SA-8 with electronic jamming systems and precision-guided munitions.

It displayed these capabilities Sept. 6, 2007, when seven F-15I Raam fighters destroyed a suspected nuclear reactor being built by North Korea in Syria at Deir al-Zor 80 miles from the Iraqi border.

The warplanes in Operation Orchard were able to evade Syrian air defenses during the night-time raid because an electronic warfare aircraft accompanying them blinded Syrian radars and missiles defenses.

However, if Hezbollah has SA-8s in sufficient numbers to hurl multiple missiles at Israeli aircraft, which have enjoyed unchallenged mastery of the skies over Lebanon for decades, it could impede airstrikes.

These are likely to be aimed at Hezbollah's missile storage sites and launch sites. In the first 36 hours of the 2006 war, Israeli warplanes destroyed most of Hezbollah's long-range missiles before they could be used.

That saved Israel from far greater damage during the fighting.

With enough SA-8s, and the large quantity of Russian shoulder-fired SAMs Hezbollah is believed to have received from Syria over the last two years, the battle-hardened guerrillas could blunt Israeli air operations for a time to a degree not seen since the invading Egyptians drove off Israeli jets in the opening days of the 1973 war.

Apart from the addition of "several dozen" M600s to its armory, Hezbollah is believed to have acquired additional 302mm Khaibar-1 rockets from Syria. These have a range of around 62 miles.

The Israelis' big fear is that the Damascus regime, battling against a stubborn 10-month-old pro-democracy uprising aimed at toppling President Bashar al-Assad, will transfer advanced weapons systems, including chemical weapons, to Hezbollah if it looks like the opposition is going to win.

In the meantime, Syria has been acquiring new systems from Russia, a key backer of Assad's regime.

In December, the Russian Interfax news agency, quoting military sources in Moscow, said Russia had delivered supersonic Yakhont SS-N-26 anti-ship cruise missiles to Damascus despite calls for a U.N. arms embargo on Assad's regime.

The 2007 contract, worth an estimated $300 million, reportedly involved at least two coastal-defense Bastion anti-ship systems with 72 Yakhonts.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:07:16 AEST Tokyo (UPI) Jan 19, 2012 - Raytheon will supply Evolved Seasparrow Missile components to Mitsubishi Electric Corp. for delivery of the weapon onward to Japan's military.

Funding for the work will be provided by the NATO Seasparrow consortium, which includes the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Turkey.

Belgium and Portugal also are members of the consortium set up more than 40 years ago.

A memorandum of understanding was signed by Denmark, Italy, Norway and the United States to develop and manufacture a naval missile defense system. Other countries have joined but Italy withdrew in 2002.

The two-year direct commercial sale to Japan is one of two ESSM contracts amounting to nearly $213 million in total announced by Raytheon.

The other is with the U.S. Navy NATO Seasparrow Project Office for Raytheon to continue production of the missile up to the end of 2014. The deal includes a $33 million option to continue production after 2014.

As part of its ESSM contracts, Raytheon also supplies spares, containers and test equipment.

"ESSM is the foundation of our allies' anti-ship missile defense," Raytheon Missile Systems ESSM program director Ed Roesly said.

The tail-controlled ESSM is derived from the RIM-7 Seasparrow Missile and used to defend against high-speed, highly maneuverable, anti-ship cruise missiles, surface threats and low-velocity air threats.

Raytheon said it "bridges the capability gap between close-in air defense and local-area defense systems," such as sea-skimming projectiles.

The purchase of the ESSM is part of Japan's missile strategy, which was spurred on in 1999 when North Korea tested its long-range Taep'o-dong 1 ballistic missile.

The Taep'o-dong flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific Ocean but Japan began to seek missile agreements in earnest with its allies, in particular the United States.

In December 2004, Japan signed a ballistic missile defense cooperation agreement with the United States. The "U.S.-Japan Alliance: Transformation and Realignment for the Future" is the basis of cooperation, which also allows for the transfer of missile technologies, analysts at Missilethreat.com report.

Japan also may export the ship-launched Standard Missile-3 system, a change from the country's ban on selling arms and weapons. Japan is to receive the first of the missiles in 2018, defense ministry officials said in 2010.

Raytheon's Standard Missile-3 block 2A system is an advanced version of the SM-3 series jointly under development with the United States and other countries.

Raytheon also announced this month that it received a $30.2 million contract from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for continued development of the Stunner interceptor. Stunner is an advanced, multi-mission, multi-platform interceptor designed for integration into current and planned air and missile defense systems.

"The Stunner interceptor redefines the performance/cost value equation for terminal missile defense," said Mike Booen, vice president of Advanced Security and Directed Energy Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems.

"Stunner will provide all weather, hit-to-kill performance at a tactical missile price."

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:07:16 AEST Tewksbury, MA (SPX) Jan 17, 2012 - Raytheon has been awarded a $51.3 million contract to upgrade Patriot Advanced Capability-2 missiles to the Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical (GEM-T) configuration. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), Redstone Arsenal, Ala., issued the contract as a follow-on to AMCOM's Patriot missile continuous technology refreshment program initiated in 2000.

"Patriot is the cornerstone of many nations' air and missile defense capabilities, and in today's budget-conscious environment, we are able to offer the U.S. and our global partner base a cost-effective upgrade option for the most advanced combat-proven system in the world," said Sanjay Kapoor, vice president for Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business.

The Patriot GEM-T missile upgrades include the replacement of select components that increase reliability and extend the service life of the missile. GEM-T upgrades are ongoing under existing contracts with the U.S. and other Patriot partner nations, and are performed at Raytheon's Integrated Air Defense Center in Andover, Mass.

Patriot is the world's most capable air and missile defense system, protecting against a full range of advanced threats, including aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. It is the system of choice for 12 nations around the globe.

Raytheon is the prime contractor for both domestic and international Patriot Air and Missile Defense Systems and system integrator for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:07:16 AEST London (AFP) Jan 13, 2012 - A retired British businessman on Friday lost a High Court battle against extradition to the United States on charges of conspiring to sell missile parts to Iran.

Christopher Tappin, 64, denies attempting to unlawfully export batteries for surface-to-air missiles, which were to be shipped from the United States to Tehran via the Netherlands.

Two judges sitting at the High Court in London ruled that his arguments that he had been entrapped by US agents were "unsustainable", and also denied that it would be "oppressive" to extradite him.

The businessman has fought a long battle against extradition to the United States, where he could face 35 years in jail.

He was appealing against a ruling by a lower British court in February 2011 that said he could be extradited, a decision that was also approved by the interior minister, Theresa May.

Tappin says he was unaware that batteries he had sourced in the United States were destined for Iran, in violation of US export laws, and says he was caught up in a US customs sting.

He has said he believed he was exporting batteries for the car industry in the Netherlands, although US authorities say he also told customs officials his shipments were destined for an oil company in Norway.

Tappin's lawyer Edward Fitzgerald told the High Court in December that US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, using the cover of a fictitious export company, set out to "dupe, deceive and ensnare" the businessman.

But the judges on Friday rejected this argument, and in their written ruling said: "From the outset it is evident that there was no lack of predisposition on the appellants part to engage in the criminal conduct."

Tappin, the president of a golf club in Kent in an upscale area southeast of London, said he was "thoroughly disappointed" at the judgement.

His lawyers said they would try to take the case to the Supreme Court.

"I was relying on the British justice system to protect me from false allegations made by a maverick government agency clearly operating outside the law in the US," Tappin told reporters.

"Our extradition laws completely fail to prevent such improper extraditions."

He said he feared for the impact of the decision on his family, including his wife, who has a debilitating illness and for whom he helps care.

"I'll now consider all my options and do what I can to bring an end to this nightmare," he added.

His lawyers, Kaim Todner Solicitors, also condemned the extradition treaty and said: "We will now be lodging an application to certify a point of law of public importance to take this case to the Supreme Court."

The Supreme Court in London will only take on cases if it believes there is an important, wider point of law at stake.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:07:16 AEST Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Jan 13, 2012 - Amid controversial cuts in Israel's defense budget and concerns of new conflict in the Middle East, the Defense Ministry is grappling with the problem of funding costly plans to build a multi-layered shield against Iranian and Syrian ballistic missiles.

Ministry sources say, for instance, that $3.9 billion is needed to produce more batteries of the long-range, high-altitude Arrow anti-missile system built by Israel Aerospace Industries and the Boeing Co. of the United States.

But large sums are also needed to produce more Iron Dome system, built by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and designed to counter short-range rockets and missiles, as well as develop the David's Sling system for intercepting medium-range missiles, also a Rafael project.

With hefty state funds being diverted to social programs following unprecedented protests in 2011, the defense budget, largely untouchable in recent years, are being slashed to cover much of the cost.

In situations like this, particularly with the threat of war looming so large these days, it's possible that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's right-wing government will turn to the United States for financial support.

Netanyahu's relations with U.S. President Barack Obama have been strained of late, but providing funds to aid Israel's military could be a big boost for Obama's looming re-election campaign.

The United States provides Israel with $3 billion a year in military aid, as well as other indirect support.

More than half the $3 billion cost of developing and building the Arrow over the last decade was covered by Washington.

The United States has already contributed $100 million toward developing the advanced Arrow-3, and contributed technology for a system still not tested in combat.

Arrow-3, which weighs about half as much as Arrow-2 and costs about one-third less, isn't expected to be operational until 2014.

Since Arrow entered service in early 2000 only about 120 missiles, each costing around $3 million and partly built in the United States by Boeing, have been built.

Israel currently has around 100 available and wants an inventory of at least 200 over the next few years.

In 2010-11, Obama chipped in with two payments totaling $435 million, to help pay for Iron Dome and David's Sling.

The latter is intended to eventually replace Israel's 48 MIM-104 PAC-2 Patriot air-defense missiles and the older MIM-23 HAWK system, both made by the Massachusetts-based Raytheon Co.

Iron Dome became operational in April 2011 countering short-range rockets fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip.

The system, whose computers can identify which rockets will hit populated areas and thus ignore those that won't, has had a success rate of 75 percent.

But there are only two batteries operational, based outside the Negev Desert city of Beersheba and the southern port of Ashkelon.

A third is on its way, but the military says at least 20 will be needed to provide nationwide protection. However, there are no funds available and are unlikely to be unless the Americans can be persuaded to help.

Israel's Globes business daily quoted a senior Israeli officer as saying that even the $3.9 billion the defense establishment seeks won't ensure total protection against the tens of thousands of rockets and missiles held by Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and the Palestinian radicals in Gaza.

"That's the amount we arrived at to provide only a reasonable response to the rocket and missile threat in the arena between Iran and Gaza," he said. "All of this is on top of the next multiyear defense budget."

He added: "We'll need several thousand interceptor missiles for Iron Dome. Each missile costs $80,000. We'll need hundreds of missiles for David's Sling and each costs $70,000.

"An Arrow-2 missile costs $2.7 million and the price of the future Arrow-3 will be slightly lower at $2.2 million.

"We'll need several score, or hundreds of Arrows to deal with the barrage of incoming missiles during a confrontation," the officer said.

For years, Israel's military establishment ignored the missile threat building up around the Jewish state.

It wasn't until Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with nearly 4,000 missiles in the 34-day 2006 war -- that's nearly 200 missiles a day -- that the high command realized there was an urgent need for a nationwide defensive shield.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:07:16 AEST Subscribe to our daily selection of space, military, environment and energy newsletters responseText http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=0016gbbKsaiGSpQFojVO8ZoHw%3D%3D