Defense Technology International - September 2007 - (Page 10) AROUND THE WORLD NEWS BRIEFS LONG-RANGE MISSILE India and Israel will jointly develop a long-range, land-based air-defense missile system to replace aging Indian air force Pechora (SA-3 Goa) missiles. The new missile will have a range of 70 km. (43.5 mi.), which could be extended to 150 km., far exceeding the 60-km. range of the Barak-8 shipborne missile now in development for the Indian and Israeli navies under a fiveyear, U.S.$480-million program (illustration). The new system is expected to streamline the Barak-8 schedule, and add about $300 million to development costs. India has earmarked $2.5 billion for the Barak missile program. The new missile system will be integrated with the MF-Star phased-array shipborne radar, which Elta Systems Ltd., part of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), claims is superior to the U.S. Navy’s SPY-1 Aegis radar. Prime contractor for the program is India’s Defense ReISRAEL AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES CONCEPT search and Development Organization, with IAI acting as lead subcontractor. Elta will provide the radar, and Rafael is producing the missiles. India will build and support the systems. I BUILDING INTEREST The U.S. Navy’s T-AKE logistics ship design is under consideration by at least one foreign navy, according to National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (Nassco), which builds the 700-ft. vessels. Nassco confirms the interest but does not identify the prospective customer. Canada and Australia, however, have requirements for large logistics ships. San Diego-based Nassco is slated to build 14 Lewis and Clark-class T-AKEs for the Navy DAVID AXE/DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INT’L and several medium-sized civil tankers (see related story, p. 34). The projects have tied up the shipyard and its workforce until around 2013, but foreign T-AKEs could follow the U.S. ships. That coincides roughly with the Australian navy’s retirement date for its replenishment vessel, as well as the projected service entry of the first of Canada’s three Joint Support Ships. Australia wants a vessel that transports 10,000 tons of fuel and other stores; Canada wants its ships to haul 8,000 tons of fuel. The Lewis and Clark class carries around 3,000 tons of fuel, but dry cargo holds might be swapped for additional fuel storage for foreign operators. I AeroVironment is testing a digital data link for its small UAVs including Wasp, Raven and Puma. In addition to improving the performance and security of lineof-sight control, the data link will be an “Ethernet hub in the sky,” says marketing director Steven Gitlin. The data link’s hub will allow an operator to relay control signals via one drone to reach other drones that might be blocked by obstacles or terrain, and to bounce video from distant drones to the operator. The net effect is that the link “will allow operation of more aircraft in a piece of airspace than today,” Gitlin says. AeroVironment supplies most military UAVs, with more than 5,000 flying with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, and Australia, Italy and Singapore. Two years ago the Army selected the second-generation Raven B (see photo) as its newest tactical UAV, aiming to buy as many as 6,000. The Marines want as many as 500 of the Raven B to replace Tier I Dragon Eye drones that have seen hard use in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gitlin says the firm wants to expand in the civil and nonmilitary sectors. He confirms interest from the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol and private security companies. I www.aviationweek.com/dti DRONE NETWORK AEROVIRONMENT 10 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL SEPTEMBER 2007 http://www.aviationweek.com/dti
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