Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 14, 2015

S-300 air defense systems © Vitaly Nevar/TASS

ITAR-TASS: Iran expects S-300 supplies in 2015 — Security Council chief

The head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said Vladimir Putin's decision to lift ban on S-300 supplies to Iran was a kind of a signal for ensuring security in the region

MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. Iran expects Russia to deliver S-300 air defense missile systems in 2015, the head of the Islamic Republic's Supreme National Security Council said on Tuesday.

"I think they will be supplied this year," Ali Shakhmani told reporters.

He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to lift ban on S-300 supplies to Iran was "a kind of a signal for ensuring security in the region given Iran's important role in this."

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 14, 2015

Iran expects delivery of Russian missiles by end of the year -- AP

Russian Arms Sales to Iran Degrade U.S. Ability to Strike Nuke Sites -- Washington Free Beacon

Russian arms exporter ready to sell Iskander ballistic missile systems abroad -- ITAR-TASS

Second Russian Borei-class nuclear sub with 16 Bulava missiles combat ready — source -- ITAR-TASS

Ukrainian Crisis Prompts European Countries to Boost Military Spending -- Sputnik

Greece Might Allow Russia to Use its Military Bases –Greek Defense Analyst -- Sputnik

China to strengthen surveillance, security in anti-terror push -- Reuters

PLA's DF-21D anti-ship missile can reach Philippines: US report -- Want China Times

India order for Rafale jets signals end of larger deal -- Reuters

Ukraine crisis: Canada sending 200 trainers for Ukraine military -- CBC

Britain ‘most cyber-attacked country’ in Europe – report -- RT

Human Rights Groups Call for Ban on Killer Robots -- Sputnik

UK opposes international ban on ‘killer robots’ -- RT

US Reportedly Steps Up Involvement in Saudi-Led Yemen Campaign -- Military.com/FOX News

US Troops Return to Iraq to Find Security Forces They 'Trained' in Shambles -- Sputnik

US vets return to Mideast to battle past and present demons -- AP

Navy Frigate Requirements Will Be Finalized Soon, Will Inform Decision on Hull Downselect -- USNI

BMD mission demands outstrip fleet's capabilities -- Navy Times

Navy to Deploy First Underwater Drones from Submarines -- Military.com

Tablets & Tomahawks: Navy, Marines Scramble To Innovate -- Breaking Defense

America's 1st Strategic Cruise Missile Was Totally Useless -- Thomas Nedwick, Real Clear Defense

FBI Investigating Former White House Military Aide -- ABC News

No Russian or Chinese intelligence involved in Snowden flight – Assange -- RT

Snowden-Proof? NSA Trying to Stop Future Leakers -- Sputnik

Get Ready: Laser Weapons Are Almost Here -- Bill Sweetman, Daily Beast

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I looked at the S300 aid defense system in a cursory or pedestrian sort of way.

If a small U.S. engineering (& cost accountants) team could reverse engineer the system merely looking at the photograph it would be helpful IMHO.

The purpose would be to come up with a cost estimate to determine how much it would cost to be built in the U.S.

Such an exercise would be helpful in in establishing purchasing power parity and in discussion of relative defense budget sizes.

It is not a bad engineering exercise.

WW2 lore has it that the British radar systems of the British Home Chain were very expensive until one man took the print home in his suitcase over the weekend and rationalized production of the radars. He determined which parts could be low cost stampings etc.

He determined manufacturing processes that were economical yet maintained the needed tolerances. There is no use and much harm to using a manufacturing process where a piece part is given finer tolerance than necessary. Engineering is about elegance. Good engineering solutions are elegant (Really it is a meta principle that should be followed in all aspects in life).


What tipped me off is the odd shape of the vehicle. It is nonstandard. I thought what would an American vehicle would cost and how much would people howl. There are similar American vehicles. A cost comparison would be interesting as well as a a study of procurement/acquisition and how they play into cost.

The most obvious things that could be estimated with a great degree of accuracy is the cost of the wrappers (The pieces skin or shell)