‘F16 weapons to have no bearing on India’s military advantage:us

‘F16 weapons to have no bearing on India’s military advantage’

Thales keen on upgrading Mirage 2000 To Dash-5 category

Four Pakistani soldiers killed as Bell-412 military helicopter crashes

some more news regarding sales of sukhoi

US seeks to sway Russia on jet sales to Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) – The United States on Friday said it will ask Russia to reconsider selling two dozen fighter jets to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez after Washington banned all U.S. arms sales to Caracas. The U.S. government, which calls Chavez an autocrat threatening regional stability, has already opposed Spanish and Brazilian aircraft and warship sales to Venezuela, the world’s fifth-largest oil exporter and a key U.S. crude supplier. Chavez, a former soldier who says he is battling U.S. influence in Latin America, said on Wednesday he will buy 24 Sukhoi 30 fighters to replace his government’s U.S.-made F-16 jets after charging Washington blocked sales of spare parts. “We’ll certainly be in touch with the Russian government, who would be the potential source providers for those fighter aircraft,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters in Washington. “I think we will ask them to take another look at any potential sales they have, given what Venezuela’s real defensive needs are,” he said.Chavez, who accuses the United States of plotting to oust him, has ordered soldiers and reservists to train to resist U.S. troops. Washington dismisses his invasion talk as nationalist banter meant to stir up his poor supporters before December’s elections. Chavez, first elected in 1998, says the arms sales are needed to replace aging equipment and beef up anti-narcotics operations and frontier patrols. Last month Washington banned sales of U.S.-made weaponry to Caracas, citing worries over Chavez’s close alliance with long-time U.S. foes Havana and Tehran and what officials said was his failure to work against Marxist FARC rebels from neighboring Colombia. Venezuela has already purchased 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles and Russian-made attack and transport helicopters. With Russian help, Venezuela also plans to build a Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition factory near Caracas. “They have already purchased 100,000 AK103 assault rifles from Russia. So I’m not quite sure what else they might need a factory for,” McCormack said. “It certainly raises questions about what their intentions are.”

lnik http://www.idrw.org/index.php?categoryid=10&p2_articleid=114

here is the indian sources of news

Israeli avionics/weapons and F-16 airframe and engine offered for the IAF
By idrw team

Fighter jets vying for Indias $8 billion Medium-range Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program may have to make room for a late entry: the Israel Air Force F-16I Sufa, or Storm. In an unprecedented move aimed at sharpening its edge over fellow U.S. and international competitors, Lockheed Martin is eyeing the F-16I as a low-cost, high-performance alternative to the French Rafale, the Swedish JAS 39 Gripen, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeings F/A-18E/F and the Russian MiG-35. U.S. and Israeli sources said the precise configuration of the single-engine aircraft offered would depend on the operational and industrial requirements detailed in New Delhis upcoming request for proposals (RfP). Nevertheless, Lockheeds Fort Worth, Texas, Aeronautics unit has begun asking the U.S. government for third-country export licenses. We have submitted a request for licensing of an F-16 configuration that we think will match the Indian Air Force requirements, pending our receipt of the RfP, said Lockheed Martin spokesman Joe Stout. He declined to elaborate on specific technologies and subsystems that could be included in the companys bid. If Lockheed offered the F-16I to India, it would be the first time an extensively modified U.S. fighter containing non-U.S.-made avionics, weaponry and major subsystems had been offered at the front end of an international competition, industry experts say. Lockheed has sold to Chile and Singapore F-16s that contained significant Israeli content, but those items were demanded by the customers from the start. To the best of my knowledge, the idea of pitching a U.S. fighter with significant, technologically advanced third-party content hasnt been done before, said Richard Aboulafia, vice president for analysis at the Teal Group, a Fairfax, Va.-based aerospace and defense consulting firm. If this is the case, and the U.S. government allows Lockheed to offer a clone of the Israel Air Force plane, its another indication of the unprecedented military and diplomatic initiatives being taken to promote a U.S. win in this strategically important program.

link http://www.idrw.org/index.php?categoryid=1&p2_articleid=100

here is a article aobut the crash

Ahmedabad: A MIG-29 crashed on an island near Jamnagar city during a routine sortie today, Indian Air Force (IAF) sources said. Both the pilots ejected to safety from the twin seater fighter aircraft that crashed on the uninhabited Pirotan island, 40 km off the coast of Jamnagar, sources said. The pilots, whose names have yet not been released, were rescued from the sea by rescue teams of the IAF, local police and marine department, they said. The pilots have been admitted to a local hospital for treatment, the sources said adding that an investigation was on to ascertain the exact reason for the crash.

http://www.idrw.org/index.php?categoryid=1&p2_articleid=73

thanks for the picture the_baphomet_00