packardKey Indian satellite launch fails
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5165470.stm
The explosion showered debris over the Bay of Bengal
The launch of India’s heaviest communications satellite has failed after the rocket carrying it veered off course and exploded.
The Insat-4C satellite weighed more than 2,000kg and was expected to significantly enhance India’s telephone and business communications.
It came a day after a test-fire of India’s longest-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile ended in failure.
The Agni-III surface-to-surface missile crashed into the Bay of Bengal.
Setback
Television pictures showed the Insat-4C satellite being launched from the Sriharikota Space Research Centre in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Seconds after lift-off, the satellite’s launch vehicle veered sharply off course before disintegrating into a ball of fire and smoke. Debris from the satellite and its rocket fell into the Bay of Bengal.
India is hoping to break into the commercial satellite launch market
Emergency crews were immediately alerted. It is still not clear what caused the malfunction.
“A mishap happened in the first stage of the separation and it will be some time before we know what went wrong,” Madhavan Nair, the mission chief, told reporters.
“We have to analyse the sequence of events to see what happened.”
India has been hoping to break into the lucrative commercial satellite launch market, and correspondents say Monday’s failure represents a setback for its ambitions.
The country is one of the world’s largest operators of communication satellites and the disaster follows 12 successful launches.
Monday’s flight was also supposed to set the stage for an Indian mission to the Moon.
On Sunday, the Agni-III surface-to-surface missile was test-fired off the coast of Orissa state but crashed into the Bay of Bengal without reaching its target.
Analysts say it has a range of more than 3,000km (1,865 miles) and could hit targets in China.
packardAmbitious Agni III fails after ‘success’
Rahul Singh
New Delhi, July 9, 2006
hindustantimes.com
India on Sunday overcame its “self-imposed restraint” to test-fire its most advanced intermediate range ballistic missile, Agni-III, but it developed a snag and fell into the sea off the coast of Orissa without hitting the target.
A successful launch would have put India’s credible minimum nuclear deterrence on a firm footing as no missile in the Indian arsenal has the range to strike eastern China. Capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and of hitting targets over 3,500 km away, Agni-III was intended to fill that gap and offer credible deterrence against China.
Reports from Orissa said the missile went up vertically to a height of about 12 km before “design failure” caused technical problems and the second stage did not separate. But there was no official confirmation of the “mission failure” from the Defence Ministry. Reports quoted a spokesman as saying “the missile took off successfully” at 11.03 hours IST and “the flight performance” was being analysed.
Agni-III was ready for launch in 2004-end but the government held back from test firing it for different reasons, including technical glitches. Tests were put off twice in the past one-and-half years.
Strategic-affairs analysts attributed the delay to apprehensions that the test launch could hamper US Congressional ratification of the bilateral civilian nuclear cooperation agreement.
However, during a visit to the Capital last month, US joint chief of staff, general Peter Pace, who serves as the principal military adviser to the American president, said Agni-III would only multiply India’s deterrent force and not trigger an arms race.
A successful launch would have also marked the next stage in the natural progression towards the development of an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile, which would propel India into the big league of nuclear weapon states.
Strategic analyst air commodore (retd) Jasjit Singh feels India should increase the frequency of missile testing to establish the reliability of weapon systems under operational conditions.
packardAgni-III fails to clear maiden test
Rajat Pandit
[ Monday, July 10, 2006 01:24:03 amTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
timesofindia.com
NEW DELHI: India’s quest to strengthen its “affordable” nuclear deterrence posture against China failed to take off on Sunday, with the maiden test-firing of the 3,500-km Agni-III ballistic missile proving to be unsuccessful.
The launch of the missile — from the interim test-range at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Orissa — at 11.05 am was “fairly smooth”. But it was soon followed by “a series of mishaps” in its flight path which finally ended with the missile dropping into the Bay of Bengal not even 1,000 km away from the launch site.
“The missile did not achieve the perfect high-arching trajectory as per design projections. After going up vertically for 12 km, it rapidly lost height, staying over the atmosphere for barely five minutes instead of at least 15 minutes,” said sources.
“The second stage of the two-stage solid-fuelled missile apparently failed to separate. The test failed to achieve most of the operational parameters set for it, which were being monitored by three radars, six electro-optical tracking systems and three telemetric data stations,” they added.
Defence ministry and Defence Research and Development Organisation officials were tight-lipped about what was clearly an unsuccessful test. Defence minister Pranab Mukherjee, who witnessed the test before returning to West Bengal, however, was more candid. “The take-off was successful but there were some problems later. It will take some time to analyse the data about the flight performance,” Mukherjee told TOI.
The Agni-III intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) has been dogged with problems from the very beginning.
Bumpy flight
After a successful launch, Agni-III goes up 12 km.
Loses height as second stage of the solid-fuelled missile fails to separate.
Its range of 3,500 km notwithstanding, falls into sea 1,000 km from launch site.
It was set for test-fire by the end of 2003, but ran into technical snags.
In 2005, launch deferred keeping in mind the sensitivities involving India-US nuclear deal.
packardFinancing for F-16s sale being discussed with US: Kasuri
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WASHINGTON (July 12 2006): Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri on Monday evening said in his meetings with senior US officials, he expressed gratitude of Pakistan in respect of F16s, which has been notified to Congress. “This deal will go through,” he said.
“It is quite a big package. It is between 4 and 5 billion dollars, details of which are being worked out.” Responding to a newsman’s query, Kasuri said the US administration “have been very positive, and they have notified to Congress. Some 36 aircraft are available: 18 new, and with an option to buy another 18 new aircraft; 26 old ones were part of this notification. They have to locate those, and they will have to be upgraded also”.
“We are interested in a certain number of aircraft,” he said without specifying, and added it covers munitions also valuing 4.3 million dollars. He said midlife upgradation is called for our existing fleet of 34 F16s. He stated that before the October 8 earthquake struck, “we were looking for a much larger package, we reduced the number.”
The US is, however, prepared to sale “as many as we want”.
The Foreign Minister disclosed that “now, we are working the financing arrangement. This is what we have been discussing today. We need some sort of financing arrangements, which we are discussing.
We are paying, what we need is financing arrangement, and this is what we need to look at and our finance people and the US side would be looking at”. It is a government-to-government level discussion, he said. “So, we will work out on a lot of details. We are looking for the best financing arrangement for these aircraft.”
“We explained that we had an earthquake and a lot of expenses have gone into that, and we need a more favourable arrangements for payment and we will be discussing the modes of payment,” he said, adding “we discussed it with Secretary of State and National Security Advisor”.
In the Congress, there is plurality of views, so there could be some objecting voices, may be, but he said that his impression is that it would get through. In his meetings with senior officials, he said, he gathered that they do not expect any hitches, though Congress has different people having their own points of view. “I think, they don’t expect any difficulty in getting it through the Congress.”
Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2006
packardRed Arrows in Karachi.
21 May 2006.
packardSaudi air force team due today
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ISLAMABAD (July 09 2006): Lieutenant General Prince Abdul Rahman bin Fahad Al-Faisal Al-Saud, Commander Royal Saudi Air Force, along with five-member delegation will be visiting Pakistan from Sunday to July 12, 2006 as official guest of Pakistan air force.
The delegation will call on senior leadership of the country and will also be visiting different defence installations.
Copyright Pakistan Press International, 2006
packardAir chief calls on PM
ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Tanveer Mahmood Ahmad called on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz here on Thursday afternoon. The air chief, who has just returned from his maiden tour of the United States and Turkey, apprised the prime minister of his visit abroad, which was undertaken to further strengthen cooperation. He informed the prime minister about various steps taken by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to optimise its effectiveness and efficiency. The air chief briefed the prime minister on the needs of Pakistan Air Force, which the prime minister assured will be fully supported. The air chief also updated the prime minister on the JF-17 fighter aircraft, which is being developed and produced jointly with China to augment the PAF capability. Shaukat assured the air chief that the defence needs of the country will always remain a priority and the government.
packardPakistan to receive F-16 fighters in next two years: Durrani
Updated at 1120 PST
http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp#4993
WASHINGTON: Pakistan envoy in United States Mehmood Durrani has said Pakistan will start to receive US F-16 fighter jets delivery within next two years.
Pakistan would also get other weapon systems, ships and defence equipment from United States, talking with Geo News Pakistan ambassador said on Friday.
He termed a meeting between Pakistani and US energy officials encouraging for boosting bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.
He said it was his foremost priority as Pakistan envoy to play key role in strengthening relations with the United States.
packardA-5 Crash..
PESHAWAR: A fighter jet plane of the Pakistan Air force crashed in Shahi Bala Mathra after developing some technical fault Wednesday evening.
The pilot of the A-5 fighter Flight Lieutenant Iltifat safely ejected before the plane hit the fields near a canal in Rahman Kuroona, in rural Mathra village, with a big bang. The jet was on routine flight when it suddenly developed technical fault. The pilot informed the control room about the fault a while before the crash.
“The pilot is safe. He safely landed in the nearby fields and has just received a few bruises,” deputy city police chief Mohammad Saeed Wazir told The News. Police as well as PAF officials rushed to the spot to collect the debris that were scattered in the fields.
packardBill on F-16s sale to be presented in US Congress on July 13
Daily Times – Site Edition Thursday, July 06, 2006
WASHINGTON: US President George W Bush’s administration will present the bill on the sale of F-16 fighters to Pakistan in Congress on July 13. Under the deal Pakistan will get 18 new F-16 aircraft with an option to purchase an additional 18 planes, a support package for up to 26 used F-16s, a munitions package and an upgrade of Pakistan’s current fleet of 34 F-16 aircraft. The US Congress usually takes a month to approve such bills. The US State Department spokesman has termed the deal part of the US commitment to long-term cooperation with Pakistan. Pakistan Embassy sources said on Tuesday that the deal “would have a positive impact on relations” between Pakistan and the US. “The F-16 sale to Pakistan is a significant step forward in the ongoing military cooperation between the two countries,” Pakistan’s defence attaché said. Replying to a question on the pace of delivery of the aircraft, he said, “The details will be worked out pursuant to Congress’s decision.” sana
packardhttp://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2006/Pakistan_06-34.pdf
Major Defense Equipment (MDE) : :diablo:
500 AIM-120C5 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM);
12 AMRAAM training missiles;
240 LAU-129/A Launchers;
200 AIM-9M-8/9 SIDEWINDER missiles;
500 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Guidance Kits:
GBU-31/38 Guided Bomb Unit (GBU) kits;
1,600 Enhanced-GBU-12/24 GBUs;
800 MK-82 500 pound General Purpose (GP) and MK-84 2,000 pound GP bombs;
and 700 BLU-109 2,000 pound with FMU-143 Fuze.
Associated support equipment, software development/integration, modification kits, capability to employ a wide variety of munitions, spares and repair parts, flight test instrumentation, publications and technical documentation, CONUS-personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics personnel services, and other related requirements to ensure full program supportability will also be provided. The estimated cost is $650 million. Given its geo-strategic location and partnership in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), Pakistan is a vital ally of the United States, as reflected in the June 2004 designation of Pakistan as a Major Non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization Ally. This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping an ally meet its legitimate defense requirements. These weapon systems will be used for close air support in ongoing operations contributing to the GWOT. Consistent with U.S. conventional arms transfer policy and arms control initiatives, this potential sale will allow the Pakistani Air Force to modernize its aging fighter and weapons inventory, thereby enabling Pakistan to support both its own air defense needs and coalition operations. Purchase of these weapons systems would not significantly reduce India’s quantitative or qualitative military advantage. Release of the weapons systems will neither affect the regional balance of power ……….
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Pakistan – Weapons for F-16C/D Block 50/52 Aircraft 🙂
On 28 June 2006, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan of Weapons for the F-16C/D Block 50/52 Aircraft as well as associated equipment and services.
The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $650 million.
The Government of Pakistan has requested a possible sale of: Major Defense Equipment (MDE) 500 AIM-120C5 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM); 12 AMRAAM training missiles; 240 LAU-129/A Launchers; 200 AIM-9M-8/9 SIDEWINDER missiles; 500 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Guidance Kits: GBU-31/38 Guided Bomb Unit (GBU) kits; 1,600 Enhanced-GBU-12/24 GBUs; 800 MK-82 500 pound General Purpose (GP) and MK-84 2,000 pound GP bombs; and 700 BLU-109 2,000 pound with FMU-143 Fuze. Associated support equipment, software development/integration, modification kits, capability to employ a wide variety of munitions, spares and repair parts, flight test instrumentation, publications and technical documentation, CONUS-personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics personnel services, and other related requirements to ensure full program supportability will also be provided. The estimated cost is $650 million. Given its geo-strategic location and partnership in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), Pakistan is a vital ally of the United States, as reflected in the June 2004 designation of Pakistan as a Major Non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization Ally. This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping an ally meet its legitimate defense requirements. These weapon systems will be used for close air support in ongoing operations contributing to the GWOT. Consistent with U.S. conventional arms transfer policy and arms control initiatives, this potential sale will allow the Pakistani Air Force to modernize its aging fighter and weapons inventory, thereby enabling Pakistan to support both its own air defense needs and coalition operations. Purchase of these weapons systems would not significantly reduce India’s quantitative or qualitative military advantage. Release of the weapons systems will neither affect the regional balance of power nor
introduce a new technology as this level of capability or higher already exists in other countries in the region. The principal contractors will be: BAE Advanced Systems Greenlawn, New York Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company Fort Worth, Texas Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control Dallas, Texas Northrop-Grumman Electro-Optical Systems Garland, Texas Northrop-Grumman Electronic Systems Baltimore, Maryland There are no known offset agreements in connection with this proposed sale. Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple trips to Pakistan involving U.S. Government and contractor representatives for technical review/support, program management, and modification of the aircraft. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded. -30-
packardHigh-level Pakistan, Saudi Arabia defence talks next month
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=13247
By Tariq Butt
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia would hold high-level defence talks in the second week of next month.
Lieutenant-General Prince Abdul Rehman bin Fahd Al-Faisal Al-Saud, commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force, will arrive in Islamabad on a weeklong visit to Pakistan on July 9 for the purpose.
He will meet President General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Ehsanul Haq and his Pakistani counterpart. Prince Abdul Rehman will also visit some military installations, including Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.
Pakistan has already supplied quite a few Mushshak trainer aircraft to Saudi Arabia. Prince Abdul Rehman’s talks with Pakistani leadership would review the defence cooperation and focus on enhancing it, an official told ‘The News’. He said the visit is a part of the continuing interaction between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia at various levels.
packard
packardPakistan to buy up to 36 new Fort Worth-built jets
11:57 AM CDT on Thursday, June 29, 2006
By RICHARD WHITTLE /The Dallas Morning News
WASHINGTON – The State Department has notified Congress of a proposed sale to Pakistan of up to 36 new Fort Worth-built F-16 fighter jets and 26 others the U.S. Air Force will retire.
The $5 billion deal, which could preserve up to 4,000 jobs at Lockheed Martin Corp.’s fighter plant well into 2010, also includes upgrades for Pakistan’s existing fleet of 34 older F-16s, munitions for the planes and other support, the State Department said Thursday.
Critics of Pakistan’s military government, which exploded a nuclear device in 1998, have opposed selling it advanced fighter aircraft. The Bush administration, however, has courted Pakistan as a key ally in the war on terror and the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
“The sale is part of a larger effort to broaden our strategic partnership with Pakistan and advance our national security and foreign policy interests in Asia,” the State Department said in a written statement.
Congress can veto such a sale technically but has never exercised that power.
E-mail [email]rwhittle@dallasnews.com[/email]
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U.S. sells F-16s to Pakistan
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060629/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_pakistan_1
WASHINGTON – The Bush administration has notified Congress it has approved the sale of 18 new F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan as part of a $5 billion weapons deal.
The package, which includes an option to purchase another 18 F-16 fighter jets, an offer to modernize 26 used aircraft already in Pakistan’s arsenal, as well as logistical and other support was quietly sent to Congress on Wednesday.
It coincides with an administration drive in Congress for endorsement of nuclear cooperation with India, a historic rival of Pakistan. But a State Department spokeswoman, Julie Reside, said the two actions are unrelated.
“We believe in treating each country individually,” Reside said. “Each faces defense issues different from the other.”
Pakistan has strained for years to purchase new F-16 jets. Its support for the United States in countering terrorism apparently bolstered its case.
“The sale is part of an effort to broaden our strategic partnership with Pakistan and advance our national security and foreign policy interests in South Asia,” Reside said. “Pakistan is a long-term partner and major non-NATO ally.”
Congress has 30 days to reject the sale. State Department officials have been conferring privately with members of Congress, apparently finding them receptive to the weapons deal.
India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed, have fought three wars over the future of the
Kashmir territory. They have competed over the years for military advantage.
Reside, dismissing any suggestion the U.S. sale would contribute to an arms race, said a dialogue between the two countries had helped reduce tensions and provided greater stability in the area.
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WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) – The State Department said on Thursday it had notified the U.S. Congress of plans to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan in a multibillion-dollar deal with U.S. aerospace company Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research)
A State Department official said consultations with Congress were finished last week and notification was sent to Capitol Hill late on Wednesday about selling 16 new F-16s to nuclear power Pakistan and refurbishing used ones.
“There is also an option on an additional 18 aircraft and a support package for up to 26 used F-16s, a munitions package and an upgrade package for Pakistan’s current fleet of 34 F-16s,” the official said.
The deal, estimated to be worth about $5 billion, also includes logistic support for the aircraft.
The State Department said the sale was part of a greater effort to broaden Washington’s strategic partnership with Pakistan and to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests in Asia as a whole.
The official said Congress would have about 30 days to review the sale but unless it passed legislation to block the deal, it would go ahead.
The notification went through in the same week as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Pakistan, a key U.S. ally in the fight against terrorism.
The deal could meet some opposition in Congress where some lawmakers feel Pakistan has not cooperated closely enough on terrorism issues.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
packardUS set to notify on F-16 deal
http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/29/top9.htm
By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June 28: The US administration plans to officially notify the Congress within 24 hours of its intention to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, according to official sources.
They told Dawn once the notification was issued, the Congress would have 30 days to reject the offer but if it failed to do so, the deal would be considered endorsed.
On March 25, 2005, the US announced a dramatic shift in its arms sale policy to South Asia by unveiling plans to sell F-16 aircraft to Pakistan.
Pakistan has been frustrated for years in its desire to buy new F-16s for its air force, which already has 32 aircraft of older models.
The US Congress cancelled a sale of about two dozen F-16s to Pakistan in 1,990 because of differences over Islamabad’s nuclear programme.
But Washington began to reconsider Islamabad’s request for the fighter jets after the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attack when Pakistan became a key ally in the US-led war against terrorism.
The US administration, however, has also been fostering better relations with India since President Bush’s first term. In March, President Bush signed an agreement to sell civilian nuclear technology to India but turned down a similar request by Pakistan.
On Tuesday, while US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Islamabad, a key panel of the US Congress endorsed the proposed nuclear deal, clearing the way for its final approval by the full house.
The move to send an official notification to the Congress for the proposed F-16 deal seems aimed at placating Pakistan’s concerns stirred up by the initial congressional endorsement for the Indo-US nuclear agreement.
Pakistan could have received the aircraft earlier but after last year’s devastating earthquake, Islamabad delayed the plan to buy the F-16s, saying that it wanted to focus its resources on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the areas destroyed in the calamity.
It is still not clear how many F-16s are on sale. US officials had earlier said that they were willing to sell as many of the aircraft as Pakistan wanted.
Initial reports suggested that Pakistan may buy as many as 100 fighter jets but later reports reduced the number to as few as 25. But some media reports have quoted Pakistani officials as saying that they may buy a mixed package of 75 old and new planes.
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