Thats one hell of a FOD search!!

does any one know from how far away the J-UCAS will be able to be controlled

A really good question. I think basic waypoint navigation would be GPS aided, with datalink proving platform status info. Then once on target I think telemetry from sensors would again be datalinked to an orbiting nearby JSTARS, or E-3, possibly via satelite depending on the distance, and then back to either base or carrier – all in realtime obviously.

Israeli General Staff Cancels Sa’ar 5 Plus Corvette

The Israeli general staff June 28 officially canceled the Sa’ar 5 Plus corvette program. The cancellation announcement stated that the program was not cost effective.

The cancellation comes after the Israeli Navy had changed requirements over the past several years from a corvette-sized vessel to that of a frigate and, most recently, a 13,000-ton amphibious landing platform (LPD).

Budgeting changes for the Sa’ar 5 Plus program have been radical as well. The program began at around $1 billion for up to four corvettes and dwindled to as low as $300 million. The cancellation announcement also assessed the estimated $500 million, 13,000-ton LPD as not being feasible.

Source: AMI INTERNATIONAL INC.

-ends-

What the hell would Israel want with an LPD?

Hmm, by 2010, there will be a whole new 5th generation of fighters like XXJ, PAK-FA, F-35 and F-22. F-16, M2K will be pretty obsolete, and Gripen will follow. I would rather go for something like Typhoon or Rafale by then if not the F-35.

By the 2008-10 time frame, which is when they intend to start replacing the LANCERs consider this:

The F-35 will not be ready for export.
The F/A-22 will be too expensive, and more than likely not available anyway.
The Chinese XXJ (or whatever it is called now) will not be ready either IMO.
The Russian PAK-FA design is yet to even be finalized, it won’t be ready by 2008.

In the mean time you have the latest gen F-16C and the F-16E/F with improved systems and CFTs, and the Mirage 2000-5 Mk.II. Both of them while older designs are, or should be, more than adequate for Romanian service. If the Romanian time frame was more like 2012-2015, then you the types you have listed might have more of a chance.

Machine gun fire, random explosions, mortar fire, outgoing artillery, incoming rockets…

What, no music? :p

Talks on “assessing the best solutions for replacing these MiG fighters” with 36 to 48 modern combat aircraft will start in 2005, Gen Catrina said.

What will be interesting will be how much they are prepared to spend. Figures for 36-48 modern multi-role fighters could vary from USD$2.5-4 billion, especially if they were western sourced. Romania is now part of NATO right? Watch Lockheed-Martin climb all over this with a similar F-16C offer to that they gave the Poles.

Back in the world now 😎

That info, along with some other good stuff on JASDF modernization, the XAAM-5, and so on, came from Tokyo Gunji Kenkyu (Japanese Defense Journal), January 2004.

How is your Japanese SOC? I got something similar when I was in Japan two months ago. The JSDF 2004-5 Almanac, good stuff. The bulk of decent public source info on the Japanese forces is, unfortunately, in Japan, and in Japanese. I can still read a fair bit of it.

This isn’t speculation, there are previous articles indicating the early completion of the delivery as well.

My sources say they were ordered in 2002, but end of 2001 is near enough. And considering the US has just told the Sudanese government to step up military measures to contain the rebel militants, I am surprised they are showing ‘alarm’ at the introduction of a better aircraft compared to what they have already. Although the ground attack option seems to have been overlooked?

I didn’t know the MiG-29S was still marketed. I guess Sudan didn’t have a ground attack requirement? (MiG-29SMT).

It was probably all they could afford at the time. Is there, or could there be an upgrade option like that of the Malaysian Mig-29SDs? They can still drop dumb bombs and be fitted with FFAR pods yes? No reason they can’t be upgraded to SM standard at least in time I guess, which would give them a PGM ground attack capability. And are these second hand ex-VVS models or new builds?

and also various types of special materials.

I wonder……..