Yemen To Get UAVs From The U.S.

September 26, 2012

SANAA, Yemen — Amid a series of controversial U.S. air strikes against high-level Al-Qaeda officials in the Arabian Peninsula, and renewed military cooperation with Yemen, officials in Sanaa are now expecting to get a supply of weaponry from the Pentagon, including four of their own UAVs.
An anonymous Yemeni defense official, who was not authorized to speak with the press, tells Aviation Week that Yemen is receiving four AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven UAVs. The 1.9-kg Raven is equipped with sensors for target acquisition, and infrared cameras capable of displaying persons carrying weapons.
“This type of technology would be very appropriate for Yemen’s frontline military units because it provides real-time intelligence from the battlefield to launch strikes while minimizing troops’ exposure to surprise attacks,” according to Aysh Awas, director of security and strategic studies at Sheba, a think tank here in the Yemeni capital.

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US Navy tests mine-seeking sub during Gulf drills

The Associated Press

Published: September 27, 2012

Civilian contractors secure an M18 Mod 2 Kingfish unmanned underwater vehicle to the deck of an 11-meter rigid hull inflatable boat. The Kingfish uses side scan sonar to search and discover objects of interest. This marks the first time the vehicles have been added to mine countermeasure operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet.

Blake Midnight/U.S. Navy

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The admiral in charge of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet says a prototype mine-detecting drone was put through more tests during military exercises in and around the Persian Gulf this month.
The advanced sonar-equipped Kingfish sub is being evaluated by the Pentagon. Vice Admiral John W. Miller says the sub was used for the first time internationally during the maneuvers of more than 30 nations that wrapped up this week.

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Eye On Speed, Navy Minesweepers Take Cues From NASCAR

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA: Minesweeping and "fast" are two words you'd normally be nervous about hearing in the same sentence. But as the Navy looks to new technologies to remedy its decades-long neglect of mine warfare -- a favorite weapon of both Iran and China -- it sees real potential to speed up a painfully slow process, without increasing risk to sailors.

The Navy is taking inspiration from NASCAR mechanics shaving seconds off the time their driver spends in pit stops as it searches for improvements to unmanned systems, networks, and processes. The danger driving the Navy onward comes from a new appreciation of the strategic threat.




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Yemeni leader offers conditional dialogue with al Qaeda

By Andrew Hammond

SANAA | Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:14pm EDT

(Reuters) - Yemen's president offered dialogue to Islamist militants including al Qaeda on Wednesday, but said they must agree first to put down weapons and reject support from abroad.
Restoring stability to Yemen has become an international priority given fears that jihadi fighters could entrench themselves in a country and threaten world No. 1 oil exporter Saudi Arabia next door and important world shipping lanes.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and other Sunni Muslim militant groups including Ansar al-Sharia gained ground last year during a popular uprising that forced out veteran autocratic president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been seen by Washington as its best ally in containing militants.

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Liaoning – Paper Tiger or Growing Cub?

China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, is seen docked at Dalian Port, in Dalian, China, on September 23, 2012. (Courtesy Reuters / China Daily China Daily Information Corp - CDIC)

Colonel Brian Killough is U.S. Air Force Military Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
On Tuesday, the People’s Republic of China(PRC) joined 9 other nations—the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, India, Thailand, Spain, Italy, and Brazil—that have aircraft carriers in their naval arsenal. But what does that mean for nations in the region and how should we assess the long-term implications?
For many regional observers, the announcement hardly ruffles feathers. In fact, some see it as a liability. For example, “The fact is the aircraft carrier is useless for the Chinese Navy,” You Ji, a visiting senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore, said in an interview. He continued, “If it is used against America, it has no survivability. If it is used against China’s neighbors, it’s a sign of bullying.” Chinese leaders are the first to admit the Liaoning is for training purposes only and in fact, China’s air force doesn’t even have aircraft capable of landing on the carrier. Furthermore, carriers are more vulnerable without their protective and supporting battle groups. These battle groups require technology, investment, and training over the course of a decade or more to bring them together as an effective fighting force. Meanwhile, as pointed out above, as a concentration of capabilities, resources, and manpower, a carrier quickly becomes both a high-value asset and a high-value target for adversaries.

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China's buildup raises arms race fears

China's recent commissioning of its first aircraft carrier has further heightened tension amid regional territorial rows and sparked concerns over a possible arms race.
The 67,500-ton Liaoning was put into service Tuesday as nationalist sentiment surged in China following Japan's nationalizing of the disputed islands in the East China Sea and ahead of a once-in-a-decade leadership handover slated for next month.
China's bolstered naval might apparently poses a headache for the US as it is refocusing on the Asia-Pacific, apparently to keep the Asian power in check and protect what it calls the "rule-based" order and freedom of navigation and commerce.

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Iran unveils 'indigenous' drone with 2,000km range

There are heightened tensions between the West and Iran over its nuclear programme

Iran has unveiled what it says is a new "indigenous" long-range unmanned drone capable of flying over most of the Middle East, state media report.

The Shahed (Witness) 129 had a range of 2,000km (1,240 miles) and could be equipped with bombs and missiles, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said.
It is reportedly capable of carrying out reconnaissance and combat missions.
Last year, the Iranian authorities displayed a US drone which they claimed to have brought down electronically.
The US insisted that Iran neither shot down the the RQ-170 Sentinel nor used electronic warfare or cyber-technology to force it from the sky. They blamed a malfunction.

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