DEAL BETWEEN RUSSIA AND VENEZUELA OF SELLING WEAPONS

Venezuela had taken delivery of 24 Russian Sukhoi fighter jets under a  deal with Russia of buying  more than 50 combat helicopters, 24 Su-30MK2 fighters, 12 Tor-M1 air defense missile systems and 100,000 AK-103 rifles from Russia.The president of venezuela Chavezis one of the  most dengerous enemy of America and he is trying to make his force stronger by such kind of deal with Russia.He warned the U.S defense about any action against his country  “We’ve received the 24 Sukhoi aircraft,” he said Sunday. “They’re for defensive purposes; we’re not going to attack anybody.”

The deal also included training for pilots and crews, as well as missiles for the fighters.

These  Sukhoi missiles have  greater range than  the U.S. F-16 fighter aircraft, and warned the U.S. Fourth Fleet to take any action  against venezuela.This $4 billion deal with Moscow also includes tanks, transport planes, air-defense systems and AK assault rifles etc.

This deal of Venezuela and Russia will obviously help Venezuela to prevent any action against the country. 

PAKISTAN'S NEW FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

 The prime minister of China Hu Jintao will visit to islamabad in the next month.China is a strategic partner of pakistan for many days. Now Beijing is creating  political pressure on Moscow to  equip Pakistani fighter aircraft JF-17 Thunder Jets with Russian engines. 


Russia has already agreed to supply the engines necessary for the JF-17s which will be produced in China.continous production of the JF-17 fighter aircraft began earlier this year. Pakistan plans to buy this medium class fighter in the coming years. 

Jenerally Russia do not export Russian-origin equipment to third countries. But now the situation is quite diffrent.There are some political factors in supplying the engines to pakistan.However Without Russian engines, Pakistan’s JF-17s Fighter aircraft will not fly. 

The JF-17’s take-off in Pakistan, with Russian assistance, would showcase the Indian failure to get the much talked about Light Combat Aircraft off the ground. The LCA, christened “Tejas”, was launched before China and Pakistan leaved their plans for JF-17. 
Worse still, Russian cooperation will allow China and Pakistan to leverage the JF-17 as a means to expand political influence with the security establishments in Asia, Africa and Latin America. China and Pakistan consciously designed the JF 17 for export. 

Bangladesh, Myanmar, Egypt, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe are somecountries which have shown interest in buying the JF-17. At the Karachi Military Exhibition later this month, China and Pakistan are expected to make formal presentations on the JF-17. 

Sale of engines to Pak JF-17s will make India anger. In other hand Moscow knows refusal to sell the engines to Pakistan will creat a bad impact between China-Moscow relation. Beijing is now Moscow’s strategic partner, and  cooperation in diffrent area of trade and defense between the two countries has rapidly grown in recent years. 

 China are pressing Russia for an early decision for supplying the RD-93 engines. Though Russia  insist no to make military cooperation with Pakistan, they have not refused China’s request on RD-93 re-export  .

China will try to make Russia agree to supply the engines for pakistan, which Will increase and strengthen the friendship and strategic partnership between Beiging and Islamabad.

NEWCHINESE FIGHTER AIRCRAFT MAKES A SUCCESSFULL TEST FLIGHT

The emerging super power China are increasing in fighteraircraft technology day by day.Chinese fighter aviation industry makes a dramatic growth and development to prepare the Chinese airforce for competing with other super power of Asia and other region.Recently Chinese airforce have made a successfull flight of a new fighter , the Xiaolong/FC-4 on Friday in Province of South China.

These new fighter aircraft the Xiaolong/FC-1 and FC-3, the FC-4 is well equipped with modern electronics and weapons systems, which increase its combat capabilities.The success of the 16-minute test flight marks a significant step in China's aviation industry, and makes the Chinese airforce more efficient and strong.

THE FOURTH JENERATION COMPUTERS OF MODERN ERA

Fighter Aircraft named as fourth generation  fighters are those in service  from 1980–2010. Fourth generation designs are heavily influenced by lessons learned from the previous generation of combat aircraft.These fighters are the Representative of American fighters (F-14, F-15, F-16, and F/A-18) and the Soviet MiG-29 and Su-27. The growing costs and the demonstrated success of multi-role aircraft such as the F-4 Phantom  making the  multi-role fighters popular day by day. Long-range air-to-air missiles, originally thought to make dogfighting obsolete, proved less influential than expected; designers responded with a renewed emphasis on maneuverability.

The rapid advance of microcomputers  permitted rapid upgrades to the aircraft technology over the lifetimes of these fighters, incorporating system upgrades such as AESA, digital avionics buses, and IRST. Because of the  enhancement of capabilities in these upgraded fighters and in new designs of the 1990s that reflected these new capabilities, the designation 4.5th generation is sometimes used to refer to these later designs. It is intended to reflect a class of fighters that are evolutionary upgrades of the 4th generation to incorporate integrated avionics suite, advanced weapons, and elements of stealth technology .Though they are not same as stealth fighter.

An  example of this generation is  F/A-18E/F Super Hornet,an upgraded version of the 1970s Hornet design. While the basic aerodynamic features are approximately the same, the Super Hornet features improved avionics in the form of an all-glass cockpit, a solid-state AESA active phased array radar, new engines, the structural use of composite materials to reduce weight, a slightly modified shape to minimize its radar signature, and IRST.These fighters playing an important role in modern airforce of many developed countries.

RUSSIAN MODERN SU-35 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

The Su-27 is a big long-range air superiority fighter, comparable to the U.S. F-15 but superior in many respects. It is a twin-engined aircraft with a blended wing and fuselage, and twin tail fins. At airshows the Su-27 demonstrated an exceptional controllability at high angles of attack. 

The Su-27 (NATO designation Flanker) is the front-line fighter aircraft designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. The export version is the Su-27SK. The aircraft is equipped to operate autonomously in combat over hostile territory, in escort of deep-penetration strike aircraft and in the suppression of enemy airfields. The aircraft provides general air defense in cooperation with ground and airborne control stations. 

A shipboard version of the Su-27, also known as the Su-33, with canards and folding wings, has been tested on Russia's first big carriers, and there also is a two-seat attack version, the Su-27IB or Su-34, with side-by-side seating in a reshaped nose.

HISTORY

In 1969 Russia decided that they need a new fighter which is capable of outperforming all current U.S. aircraft including the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Falcon. Sukhoi OKB won the contract, and with that they began their task of constructing what was to become the world's best fighter jet. The name designated to the development project was T10. The aircraft produced had to be capable of lookdown/shoot down capability, and be capable of destroying targets at long ranges. 

May 20, 1977 the first prototype designated T10-1 took off. After an evaluation it was discovered that the T10-1 did not fulfil its requirements for maximum range, and manoeuvrability, and thus proved inferior to its western counterparts. The prototype had aerodynamics problems, engine problems and fuel consumption problems. The second prototype the T10-2 crashed because of a fly-by-wire software failure which resulted in the death of the test pilot. After such disappointing results the from the T10 program Sukhoi seemed to stop T10 development, because there were no more T10 prototypes tested. They didn't, by 1981 a new design was introduced loosely based on the old T10. The new aircraft was designated T10S which was to become what today is known as the Su27 Flanker. The T10S prototype flew on April 20, 1981. The T10S showed it self to be a masterpiece of engineering having no equal anywhere in the world in range, manoeuvrability, and combat effectiveness.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

The huge Su27's airframe is constructed from advanced lightweight aluminium lithium alloys, making it light for its size. The wing is designed using an ogival shape and wingroot extension. The wing has a 42 degrees leading edge sweep with full span leading edge slats and trailing edge flaperons. The flaperons combine the functions of conventional flaps and ailerons and move in unison as flaps to provide lift and drag. They move out of unison to function as ailerons.

The engines of the Su-27 are two AL31F turbofan engines designed by A.M. Lyul'la, the MMZ Saturn General Designer. These engines are deemed highly economical and is rated at 12500 kg static thrust in afterburner and at 7600 kg in military power. The AL31F engine has been proven to be reliable, robust, and maintainable. When tested in severely disturbed airflow, and in extreme conditions, the engine performed effectively. That is why manoeuvres like the tail-slide and the Cobra are possible.

When the aircraft is in flight, the pilot has many options at his fingertips. He won't enter into any fatal spins or pull too many G's because of the highly sophisticated quadruplex fly-by-wire remote control system (designated EDSU by Russians) with built-in angle of attack and G limiters. The pilot has a sophisticated weapons control system using a RLPK27 coherent pulse-Doppler jam proof radar with track while scan and look-down shoot-down capabilities. The radar detection range is 240 km, and it can simultaneously track up to 10 targets at 185 km away. The pilot can simultaneously fire missiles at two targets. In case of radar failure, the pilot is backed up by a 36sh electro-optical system designed by Geophysica NPO. The electro-optical system contains a laser range finder (which has a range of 8km) and Infrared Search and Track system (which as a range of 50km). The electro-optical system can be attached to the pilot's helmet mounted target designator to allow the pilot to target by moving his head.

CHINESE NEW FIGHTER AIRCRAFT OF THIS CENTURY

The FC-1 project has once again come into renewed scrutiny as it was announced that major changes were being made to the airframe extremely late into its development schedule. A little bit of background information on the FC-1 project is in order before I proceed further for those who aren't familiar with it. A project (Super-7) was started up in the late 80's to modernize China's ageing fleet of J-7's (Mig-21 derivatives) with upgraded avionics and weapons. The original plan involved U.S. assistance via Northrop-Grumman but this was subsequently scrapped following the chill in US-Chinese relations after Tiananmen. The Super-7 was subsequently continued without external assistance and ultimately involved the completion of an entirely new airframe, the FC-1.

The requirements of the aircraft was for a lightweight multipurpose air defense interceptor/light attack craft that would be above all cheap to replace the thousands of obsolescent aircraft. The dimensions and power plant of the aircraft bear this out as the plane is quite small with a limited payload capacity and utilizing only a single RD-93 (or possibly a WS-13A in the future. The RD-93 is a development from the RD-33; two of which power the mig-29). The closest equivalent aircraft would be the Swedish Gripen and the Indian LCA project both of whom are in the same weight category and have similar mission profiles. Needless to say, the FC-1 project has taken well over a decade and a half to get off the ground and the present concept of the plane has changed drastically from the original Super-7 project. However, as of late September 2005, the development of the FC-1 has hit another snag as even more significant changes are being made to the aircraft. The speculated reason for this sudden change is the changing requirements of the Pakistani Air Force who are partners in the program. Pakistan has recently concluded an agreement with the United States where the U.S. will provide a significant quantity of F-16's (70+). This has possibly lessened the impetus of the Pakistani Air Force in adopting the FC-1 to replace its older fighters. Thus revisions to the aircraft are being made to increase its performance but at the same time will delay its introduction.

For China, an equally important objective of the FC-1 in addition to added mass to the PLAAF is the export potential of the aircraft. From the outset, the FC-1 has been planned to be introduced by Pakistan and then other foreign customers. The performance is not by any means spectacular by Western standards, but it does provide significant benefits for many Third World air forces. The stated performance goal of the FC-1 is to be somewhat similar to the level of an early model F-16A first introduced in the 80's but at a significant cost savings. The aircraft is supposed to cost in between $15-20 million U.S. dollars, compared to the $60 million price tag of a block 52 F-16 C/D that the United States exports. The FC-1 would be particularly attractive to those countries not presently in good standing with Washington where the likelihood of arms sales are unlikely. Furthermore the FC-1 would have the advantage of new built airframes, reducing the cost of maintenance and an increase in service life compared to the purchase of used older model F-16's. There are a number of nations where the FC-1 could prove an attractive aircraft with which to replace ageing fleets of either U.S. made F-4 Phantoms or Soviet and Chinese made Mig-21's. Potential customers besides Pakistan could include Iran, Egypt, and even the possibility of the new Iraqi government, all of whom have purchased Chinese made aircraft in the past.

LFI/LFS THE FUTURE AIRCRAFT OF RUSSIAN AIRFORCE

Introduction to LFI/LFS:

Despite of its name - Frontal Interceptor - the LFI will have considerable ground attack capability. Many compare LFI with American JSF and this may be misleading: JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) is primarily a medium-range strike aircraft with significant air-to-air capability. The LFI, however, is intended to be primarily a fighter with extended ground strike capability. What Russia needs is a replacement for MiG-29, which can match the famous Fulcrum not only in air-to-air performance but also in cost of production. This will not be easy. The LFI must also improve on Fulcrum's ground attack capability.

But what about LFS? Well, by upgrading its existing fleet of MiG-29s to SMT standard Russia managed to add many years to the Fulcrum's effective service life at a very low cost. However, there is a need for a small ground attack aircraft with considerable air-to-air and VSTOL capability to supplement the MiG-29SMT as well as to supplement / replace older ground attack aircraft, such as Su-25. The LFS can be safely compared with American JSF in terms of technical requirements, which were formulated by RuAF's 30th Scientific Research Institute in 1998 and presented to Russian aircraft designers.

In the future Russian air force will look something like this: long-range interceptors will include Su-35s (or several other possible variants, such as Su-30M and Su-37) and MiG-31M, which later will be replaced by MFI (either MiG 1.42 project, Sukhoi's S-37, or some new development). Russia's medium-range strike aviation will gradually shift from aging Su-24s to Su-27IBs. In tactical fighter aviation MiG-29SMT will serve for quite a few years to come and will eventually be replaced by some LFI design, perhaps based on existing Mikoyan "I-2000" design, and supplemented by LFS. Tactical strike aviation will shift from Su-25 to LFS. As to long-range strategic bombers: it's a whole different story with many unknowns.

In accordance with the conditions set by Russian Ministry of Defense, all competing LFS projects by various design bureaus must be submitted for review to the Russian Air Force during September-October of 1999. The main three competitors are: Mikoyan, Sukhoi, and Yakovlev. All three have certain advantages: Mikoyan made a lot of progress on MFI and LFI projects and is believed to have developed some new interesting technologies, Sukhoi's main advantages are its good financial standing and S-55 project, and Yakovlev bureau is an expert in designing VSTOL aircraft. The new rules of the competition, established by Russian government, will assign the two unsuccessful competitors as subcontractors in charge of particular components of the victorious LFS project. This is a cost-saving measure and co-operation between the three design firms is essential to the project's success.

At the moment it is impossible to predict which of the three design companies will win: very little information is available on the competing projects. It is known, however, that the design requirements determined by Russian Air Force include: supercruise capability ( sustained supersonic flight without afterburners), internal carriage of primary weapons, and VSTOL capability.

What is known about the competing LFS designs is this: Mikoyan's early LFS design was to be powered by two 80-kN engines, possibly RD-33/RD-133. However, this had to be changed: as a cost-saving measure, Air Force requires that the aircraft is to be powered by a single Lyulka-Saturn AL-41F turbofan, which will be a common engine for the future MFI and Su-27IB aircraft. This would allow to decrease production and service costs. Sukhoi's known LFS design is the S-55 aircraft with tandem tri-plane configuration (similar to Su-35 and Su-37), powered by a single AL-41F engine with a 3D thrust-vectoring nozzle.

It is still unclear whether LFI and LFS projects will become one aircraft. The LFS designation is very general, meaning literally a light frontal aircraft. This seems to include the LFI concept. It is entirely possible that Russia will seek extended international co-operation on this project. Sukhoi already offered Poland to participate in the development / production of S-54. There is a large number of countries which in a few years will be looking to replace their aging MiG-21s, MiG-29s, Su-25s, etc. It is rather unlikely that many countries will be able to afford American JSF, so they will look for something more affordable, which also doesn't come packaged with American political demands. The LFS project is certain to attracts attention from Russia's largest arms buyers - China and India - as well as from smaller customers who are looking to improve their offensive capabilities, like Yugoslavia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, etc.

Development of Russia's LFI (logkiy frontovoi istrebitel) lightweight tactical fighter has been dramatically accelerated after the Russian Air Force decided its priorities for the next 10 years. Revealed here exclusively as the I-2000 (Istrebitel {fighter} 2000) project, the aircraft is due to become operational in 2005 as Russia's basic front-line fighter. It is also likely to become the leading export product of the Russian aircraft industry. Available information on the I-2000 indicates that it will be closely comparable to the US Joint Strike Fighter, operating in both the air-to-air and air-to-surface roles.

The aircraft comes from a long line of Mikoyan lightweight fighters, such as the MiG-15 and MiG-21. It is about the same size as the MiG-21 (shorter by 1.3m but wider by 4.5m), but noticeably smaller than its immediate predecessor, the MiG-29. Take-off weight is estimated at around 12 tonnes; maximum take-off weight at about 16 tonnes.

The design requirements for I-2000 call for reduced radar and infrared visibility and very high manoeuvrability, as well as short take-off and landing. The aircraft will have a blended fuselage/centre wing and a thick wing centre-section, with curved leading and trailing edges. The unusual aerodynamic configuration and powerful thrust-vectoring engines should provide excellent agility. Take-off and landing runs are short thanks to a specially designed landing gear that permits approaches at high angles of attack.

According to official sources, single and twin-engined variants of the LFI are under consideration. The graphics show a twin-engined variant with an all-new power plant. No engines of the required thrust currently exist in Russia.

The first design of a very light new-generation fighter was prepared by Mikoyan in the early 1980s, when design work also began on the heavy fighter, the MFI (sometimes known as the 1-42). The result was 'Product 33' powered by a single RD-33 engine from the MiG-29. It was of conventional design, appearing similar to the US Lockheed Martin F-16.

Although work on Product 33 became well advanced, it was not ordered due to the air force's reorientation towards multi-role aircraft - the lightweight Product 33 could be used for close air combat only. The basic Product 33 design is being offered by Mikoyan to China as the FC-1 fighter.

The only competition within Russia for the I-2000 is the S-54, developed by Sukhoi from an advanced trainer design of the early 1990s.

The S-54 is essentially a smaller, single-engined Su-35, with a more conventional layout than the I-2000. The status of the S-54 is unknown, but is thought to be in the initial stages of development. Having no real Russian Air Force support, the S-54 is intended for export as a complement to the heavy Su-27 and Su-30 aircraft sold to China and India.

It has been decided that the heavy fifth-generation MFI will not enter serial production. It will, however, begin flight tests this August as a technology demonstrator. Mikhail Korzhuyev, recently appointed Mikoyan's general director, said that flights of the MFI are now a matter of honour for the company.

The aircraft has been ready for flight tests for about five years, but grounded for lack of cash. An extensive upgrade programme for the MiG-29 is to continue in parallel with development work on the I-2000. 

Current Status:

It was recently disclosed officially that an agreement had been signed between the heads of the two states, India and Russia, to extend the military co-operation between the two countries. Now the previous relation of buyer and seller will no longer be true, as they will be equal partners in the development of the advanced 5th generation Light Frontline Fighter which would be a true rival to the US JSF program.

  A recent project in which the two countries had cooperated was the development of the PJ-10 Brahmos Supersonic Stealth cruise missile which stands practically invincible at present. India excels in the field of computers and information technology, something which Russia still lags behind in. In the PJ-10, the base was the Russian Yakhont anti-ship missile and the guidance system, onboard computer and all-the-major software were Indian. We expect the contribution of India in similar fields even in the development of the LFS. The LFS being a frontline strike fighter will also need perfect offensive strike capabilities, during night and day, smart software for an advanced fire-control system and high resolution image from the radar.

RUSSIAN SU-35 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

The Su-27M  was  an upgraded variant of the Su-27 ‘Flanker’ incorporating a true air-to-surface capability. Although the capability to carry air-to-surface weapons was added to the baseline Su-27s, it was limited to ‘dumb’ bombs and unguided rockets. The Su-27 fire control system lacked a dedicated ground target acquisition and identification capability. The air-to-air capability would also be improved to restore the balance with the latest F-15 and F-16 fighters and the AIM-120 AMRAAM. The aircraft was later designated Su-35, although Su-27M remains the Russian military designation. 

The Su-35 is equipped with the RLSU-27 radar system. The system is composed of the forward-looking N011 slotted-antenna radar and the small N012 rear-looking radar, the latter is located in the central tailboom. Compared to the N001 radar of the basic Su-27 variants, the RLSU-27 radar offers extended target acquisition range, air-to-surface stand-off attack capability, simultaneous tracking of more targets, surveillance and tracking of targets in the rear hemisphere and improved counter ECM. The new radar is also capable of terrain-mapping, enabling nap-of-the-eartch (NOE) and obstacle avoidance.
 

The Su-35 features other advancements in its avionics suite compared to the Su-27. Other principal components were the electro-optical sighting/navigation system, communications suite, instrument guidance equipment, new FBW system, IFF and digital computer. The aircraft is equipped with an advanced self-defence suite consisting of new RWR systems, Sorbtsiya ECM pods, and APP-50 chaff/flare dispenser. 

The instrument panel layout was changed to accomodate three high-res multifuction monochrome CRT displays and an improved HUD, reducing the number of old electro-mechanical instruments needed. Later the Su-35 features multifunction colour LCDs. The IRST sensor was moved to the right off the line of symmetry to improve visibility from the cockpit. . 

The new systems enabled the Su-35 to be capable of using modern air launched weapons. The most important in the air-to-air role, is the medium-range active radar homing R-77 (export designation is RVV-AE) air-to-air missile, the Russian equivalent of the AIM-120 AMRAAM. A maximum of 12 of these missiles can be carried or 10 when carrying the ECM pods on its wingtips. The Su-35 can also be armed with the older R-27 semi-active radar, R-27E IR homing medium-range missiles as well as the short-range R-60 and R-73 IR homing missiles.
The armament now also includes guided air-to-surface missiles and bombs. Aside from the unguided rockets already on the basic Su-27’s weapons list, the Su-35 is now also capable of the Kh-29 TV-guided, Kh-31P anti-radiation, and Kh-31A anti-ship missiles.


Multi-Role

These new systems and weapons capabilities make the Su-35 a true multi-role fighter. Combined with its large action radius and reasonable price tag, make the Su-35 a good candidate for export. The Su-35 was first shown at Farnborough international air show in 1993. Early attempts included the Su-35 based Su-37MR which was marketed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), see Su-37 section. After the first series produced Su-35s had been delivered to the Russian Air Force in 1996, development by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft manufacturing association (KnAAPO) was aimed at meeting the requirements of possible export customers. The new Su-35s would be offered with the AL-31FP TVC engines, which were developed following the successfull Su-37 trials with the first TVC engines, see Su-37 section. The modified Su-35s also feature an open architecture avionics suite incorporating the latest digital computers and display systems. 

 The first KnAAPO-built Su-35UB was shown at the MAKS 2003 and is currently undergoing flight trials, before it can enter series production.
Other plans for further development of the Su-35 include the Su-35BM. The Su-35BM will be an upgraded Su-35 with Al-41F1 engines and improved avionics, including either the Phazotron Sokol or the new NIIP Irbis radar, to be built around a rotatable passive phased array. 

F-35 FIGHTER PLANE HISTORY

The F-35 is the result of the Defense Department's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which sought to build a multirole fighter optimized for the air-to-ground role with secondary air-to-air capability. The JSF requirement was to meet the needs of the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allies, with improved survivability, precision engagement capability, and reduced life cycle costs. By using many of the same technologies developed for the F-22, the F-35 has the opportunity to capitalize on commonality and modularity to maximize affordability. 

The Lockheed Martin X-35 was chosen over the competing Boeing X-32 primarily because of Lockheed’s lift-fan STOVL design, which proved superior to the Boeing vectored-thrust approach. The lift fan, which is powered by the aircraft engine via a clutched driveshaft, was technically challenging but DoD concluded that Lockheed has the technology in hand. The lift fan has significant excess power which could be critical given the weight gain that all fighter aircraft experience.

Lockheed Martin developed four versions of the Joint Strike Fighter to fulfill the needs of the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and the United Kingdom Royal Air Force and Navy. All versions have the same fuselage and internal weapons bay, common outer mold lines with similar structural geometries, identical wing sweeps, and comparable tail shapes. The weapons are stored in two parallel bays located aft of the main landing gear. The canopy, radar, ejection system, subsystems, and avionics are all common among all different version as is the core engine which is based on the F119 by Pratt & Whitney.

MOST SAFE CELL PHONE OF THE WORLD TO USE

Sonim’s XP1 phone is already  the world’s toughest, so the  release of the even tougher XP3 is more than noteworthy, particularly for those of us who spend a lot of time near, on or in the water. The XP3 can withstand more shocks and drops than its predecessor, it’s buttons have been tested to function beyond 500,000 pushes, and boasts a Military Spec rating of 810F against salt, fog humidity, transport and thermal shock. It is capable of working at -20C or at +60C, which is way better than the human body, and comes with a three year, no-questions-asked guarantee. Most significantly though, it can be fully submersed in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. All this means you can call your pet goldfish.

Since the XP3 is purposed to be a communications tool for use in rugged environments, it is equipped with a powerful 1180 mAh battery that delivers 5.5 hours of talk and over 9 days of standby time. As continued proof of Sonim’s confidence in its products, the XP3 comes with an unconditional, three-year warranty.

The Sonim XP3 will be available prior to Christmas and in the UK will be available either SIM-unlocked for UKP245 or free on contract with Vodafone.

MODERN NOKIA PRODUCT

Nokia N97, the world’s most advanced mobile computer, which Nokia is hoping will transform the way people connect to the Internet and to each other. Designed for Internet-savvy consumers, the N97 combines a 3.5 inch touch screen with a full QWERTY keyboard, providing an ‘always open’ window to favorite social networking sites and Internet destinations. Nokia’s flagship Nseries device introduces leading technology – including multiple sensors, memory, processing power and connection speeds – for people to create a personal Internet and share their ‘social location.’ The Nokia N97 is expected to begin shipping in the first half of 2009 at an estimated retail price of EUR 550 before taxes or subsidies.

From the desktop to the laptop and now to your pocket, the Nokia N97 is the most powerful, multi-sensory mobile computer in existence,” said Jonas Geust, Vice President, heading Nokia Nseries. “Together with the Ovi services announced today, the Nokia N97 mobile computer adjusts to the world around us, helping stay connected to the people and things that matter most. With the Nokia N97, Nseries leads the charge in helping to transform the Internet into your Internet. 

The home screen of the Nokia N97 mobile computer features the people, content and media that matter the most. Friends, social networks and news are available by simply touching the home screen. The 16:9 widescreen display can be fully personalized with frequently updated widgets of favorite web services and social networking sites. The Nokia N97 is also perfectly suited for browsing the web, streaming Flash videos or playing games. Both the physical QWERTY and virtual touch input ensure efficiency in blogging, chatting, posting, sending texts or emailing. 

The Nokia N97 supports up to 48 GB of storage, including 32 GB of on-board memory, expandable with a 16 GB microSD card for music, media and more. This is complemented by excellent music capabilities, full support for the Nokia Music Store and continuous playback time of up to 1.5 days. The Nokia N97 also has a 5-Megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, 16:9 and DVD quality video capture, and support for services like Share on Ovi for immediate sharing over HSDPA and WLAN

MOBILE PRODUCT

The Blackberry Pearl T-Mobile cellphone tops the list of high tech gadget gifts. Its predecessor, the Blackberry 7100, remains  popular with busy professionals. It's all about remote email access: The high-speed wireless system delivers emails to people in high-pressure business quickly, and usually flawlessly (I've noticed a tendency for the Blackberry 7100 to freeze up, particularly during peak hours). This new version, the Blackberry Pearl 8100, shows RIM's attempts to get in on the Sidekick/Treo's casual user-type consumer end of the market. 

The Pearl replaces the 7100's scroll wheel with a centrally-located scroll button, and comes loaded with multimedia capabilities, digital camera for quick pics, much faster internet browsing capabilities, and an SD slot - that's a Secure Digital reader for flash memory cards, good for storing MP3s. The Blackberry Pearl is also astonishingly streamlined and beautiful; addictive eye candy for technophiles, they're not called Crackberrys for nothing!

People that prefer the older model T-Mobile Blackberry, by and large, work in business environments that rely on dealing with many emails efficiently. Those that I've talked to, say that they'd never upgrade to the Blackberry Pearl because of the non-QWERTY keyboard. Fast composing and sending of reply emails is their main concern, although it goes beyond saying that both Blackberrys are also cellphones. They worry that the non-QWERTY keyboard of the Pearl would slow down their correspondence and get words wrong. The Blackberry Pearl uses a SureType keyboard, with two letter options per key, but with the letters themselves still laid out in the standard QWERTY keyboard fashion

LATEST MOBILE MODEL

 The latest model PiPit mobile phone went on sale in Japan this month. The phone is essentially a personal safety device, and with just three destination keys is designed to immediately contact authorities or family at the touch of a button when needed. For these reasons it is likely to gain a substantial market as a device for women, children and the elderly for its simple operation. It also has the added benefit for parents of maintaining easy contact with their children without having to worry about the bill they're running up.

Like the original model, the PiPit covers the three key features of family, safety and security but also has some new features for added personal security. This includes a built-in security buzzer that is activated with a simple operation and a call function that automatically makes an emergency call if the buzzer is activated. If a PiPit Call attempt is unsuccessful because the destination terminal is outside the service area, engaged or powered off, it will make a PiPit Call to the next preset destination (up to three) as well as another call attempt to the destination of the failed attempt.

Improving upon the original, the new model has continued support for the Kokodayo Navi location information service within Japan. This service enables transmission of a map with the user's position in reply to access from the parent unit or mobile phone. This service can be used as a rough guide to the current location of a child or elderly user. The service is a free optional feature.

Newly equipped with ten keys for message creation and email send/receive support, the new PiPit Phone meets the needs of business users. However, on the assumption that parents may be concerned about their children's excessive use of email, it is possible to limit the use of email by restricting the email function.

The new PiPit measures 47 x 121 x 18.3mm and weighs 89 grams, with eight hours continuous talk time and 700 hours stand-by time. While the manufacturer focuses on the PiPit's safety features we believe most parents will be interested in limiting usage by talkative children whilst still keeping tabs on their whereabouts.

BRITISH BOMBERS

 
Limited edition 1/144 scale model of Avro Vulcan XL426, which entered service in the early 1970s, saw action in the Falklands, and was withdrawn from service in 1984. Today, this aircraft can be seen at South end Airport where it is owned by the Vulcan Memorial Supporters Club who support its continued preservation. Includes stand.

Hybrid Helicopter Aircraft of the Future

Obviously, getting troops to the battlefield as quickly as possible is a paramount concern for military planners. Choppers can carry many troops, but really can’t fly very far or fast. Planes can get troops there quickly, but where can you launch transport planes without a runway? Aircraft carriers are too small, nevermind the deck of an amphibious assault ship. Clearly, a solution is needed for high speed troop transport in a scenario of limited runway space. Necessity is
…
V22 Osprey
Manufacturer: Boeing [NYSE: BA]
Obviously, getting troops to the battlefield as quickly as possible is a paramount concern for military planners. Choppers can carry many troops, but really can’t fly very far or fast. Planes can get troops there quickly, but where can you launch transport planes without a runway? Aircraft carriers are too small, nevermind the deck of an amphibious assault ship. Clearly, a solution is needed for high speed troop transport in a scenario of limited runway space. Necessity is the mother of all inventions, and respectively the Americans invented the V22 Osprey to fill this vital role. Employed by the United States Marine Corp, the V22 Osprey is the only tiltrotor aircraft in production by any nation’s armed forces. Combining the essential elements of the vertical take-off of a helicopter with the speed and mid-air refueling of a convential airplane, the V22 Osprey can get lots of troops to anywhere, and fast. The top speed of the Osprey stands at around 316 mph, where the closest helicopter comparison, the CH-47 Chinook transport, only reaches 196 mph. In support of a high speed amphibious invasion, this aircraft is intended to work alongside the Marine Corp’s new LCAC’s and EFVs, which will enable the US Marines to rush up to any shoreline with overwhelming force.
Check out this cool video of the V22 Osprey in action!

AIRCRAFT EXCHANGING BETWEEN CHINA AND RUSSIA

Moscow has said it would sell its latest, most technologically advanced fighter plane to the Chinese government -- the Su-37 -- as part of Russia's continuing effort to forge economic, political, and especially military ties with Beijing.
According to a report from the American Policy Council . Russia currently is hammering out a deal to sell an undisclosed number of the new jets, although not committing to buying any itself. The latest warplane deal comes on the heels of a previous one last fall in which Moscow agreed to sell China $2 billion worth of advanced Su-30MKK fighters.
One of the Su-37's Lyulka AL-37FU Turbo-Jet Engines, in downward thrust vector position.
Earlier, Moscow agreed to sell Beijing a license to manufacture its own indigenous Su-27s -- an arrangement that has helped finance research and development of the new Russian fighter.
Unique among new generation fighters, the SU-37with a crew of one, has reverse thrust-vectoring capability, which gives the plane unprecedented maneuverability. "Thrust vectoring" is a technique used to rotate the plane's twin rear engine exhaust nozzles; the pilot can move them in a variety of maneuvering directions to help compliment the movement of traditional rudders and ailerons. Such capability, experts say, can give the plane more combat survivability by allowing it to more easily escape missiles and enemy gunfire, either from the ground or from opposing aircraft.
The United States is currently developing a similar aircraft, using a modified F-15 platform, but, like the Russian plane, it is still undergoing flight tests.
However, the Russian fighter began flying in 1996, and it is believed to be more advanced than the U.S. jet.
Russia first publicly displayed the aircraft Aug. 1, 1999. According to the engineers at the Sukhoi Design Bureau, the plane has no equivalent in other air forces, and is "the first plane of the 21st century."
Speaking at the demonstration, Russian test pilot Yevgeny Frolov said that unlike aircraft with conventional thrust, this vectored-thrust model could be recovered from spins or from stall attitudes at almost any altitude. Frolov, who appeared at the demonstration with Air Force Commander Petr Deynekin, said he has made 30 flights on the Su-37 in the past four months.
Russia's new Su-37, with reverse thrust vectoring engine nozzles, was displayed publicly for the first time Aug. 1, 1999.
Though Federation of American Scientists researchers said their information led them to believe Russia had no plans to buy the plane themselves, Deynekin said at the Aug. 1 flight test that the Russian air force would "definitely be a purchaser of the Su-37."
The revelation of such a capable new fighter plane has Western military analysts worried, especially since Russia and China continue to forge new cooperative defense and military technology ties.
The latest in a string of official meetings between the two countries ended Tuesday, when Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian completed talks with acting President Vladmir Putin, Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev and others.
Citing Russian Defense Ministry sources, the government's ITAR-TASS news agency said the visit will "expand the framework of Russian-Chinese military cooperation." Among areas of cooperation, according to TASS, are "the emerging military-political situation in the Asian-Pacific region" and an exchange of views "on Washington's decision to increase military spending in order to implement the national missile defense program."
TASS also reported, "Among the important questions on the agenda of the forthcoming talks are the development and deepening of military-technical cooperation between Russia and China."
J. Michael Waller, editor of the American Foreign Policy Council's "Russian Reform Monitor" newsletter, said in an email update this week that Gen. Chi had stated recently that he believes war with the U.S. is "inevitable."
"His latest visit to Moscow should be viewed in that context," Waller said.

LATEST PRODUCTION OF AIRCRAFT

The AMX fighter-bomber aircraft is in service with the air forces of Brazil, Italy and Venezuela. The first AMX aircraft was delivered to the Italian Air Force in January 1989 and to the Brazilian Air Force in 1990. Production involved assembly lines in Italy and Brazil. In total, 192 aircraft, 155 single-seater and 37 AMX-T two-seater, have been delivered to Italy (110 AMX, 26 AMX-T) and Brazil (79 AMX, 15 AMX-T)
"The AMX fighter-bomber aircraft is in service with the air forces of Brazil, Italy and Venezuela."
The AMX programme originated from a requirement of the Italian Air Force for single-seater and two-seater combat aircraft for surface attack missions. In 1982 a memorandum of understanding was signed by Italy and Brazil and the joint development and production programme was subsequently conducted by AMX Consortium, based in Rome, through the Italian companies Alenia Aerospazio, now Alenia Aeronautica, (46.5%) and Aermacchi (23.8%) and the Brazilian company Embraer (29.7%).
The main role of the AMX is ground attack in visual and marginal weather conditions, with primary roles in long range strike and air interdiction, close air support, reconnaissance and armed patrol. The aircraft is also highly effective in air defence missions and the lead-in fighter role. Italian Air Force AMX fighters were deployed as part of the NATO forces in Operation Allied Force against Serbia in 1999.
In December 2002, the Venezuelan Air Force signed a contract with Embraer for 12 AMX-T. However, the USA blocked the transfer of US-built components and the order was cancelled.
In August 2004, the Brazilian Air Force signed a contract with Embraer for a mid-life update of 53 single seat (designated A-1A) and two-seat (A-1B) aircraft. The programme failed to receive funding, but in August 2007, Embraer received the first of three prototype aircraft to be upgraded. Flight testing is due to begin in 2009 with first delivery in 2010. The upgrade includes three new multifunction colour displays, head-up display, night vision goggle compatibility and new communications and navigation suite. Elbit of Israel is the lead contractor.
In February 2005, the Italian Air Force selected Alenia Aeronautica to upgrade 55 AMX aircraft with new avionics, including INS/GPS navigation system, new communications systems and IFF (Interrogation Friend or Foe), new displays and the addition of a capability to deploy smart munitions such as the Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). First flight of the upgraded aircraft was in September 2005 and the first upgraded aircraft was delivered in March 2007.
CONSTRUCTION
Alenia manufactures the central section of the fuselage, the nose radome, the ailerons and spoilers and the tail surfaces. Aermacchi is responsible for the forward fuselage, the integration of the gun and avionics, the canopy, and the tailbone. Embraer is responsible for the air intakes, the wings, the leading edge slats and flaps. Embraer is also responsible for the wing pylons, the external fuel tanks and the reconnaissance pallets. Final assembly is carried out in both Italy and Brazil.
AMX-ATA
The AMX Advanced Trainer Attack (AMX-ATA) is a new AMX two-seater, multi-mission attack fighter for combat roles and advanced training. The AMX-ATA incorporates new sensors, a forward looking infrared, helmet-mounted display, a new multi-mode radar for anti-air and anti-ship capability, and new weapon systems including anti-ship missiles and medium-range missiles.
The Venezuelan Air Force ordered eight AMX-ATA in 1999 for the advanced trainer and attack aircraft role.
WEAPONS SYSTEMS
The AMX's computerised weapon aiming and delivery system, supplied by Alenia, includes the radar and the stores management system.
"The main role of the AMX is ground attack in visual and marginal weather conditions."
The AMX can carry external loads up to 3,800kg. The aircraft has seven hardpoints: one on the centreline of the underside of the fuselage, two hardpoints under each wing and wingtip rails on each wing.
The aircraft can carry air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, free-fall bombs, retarded bombs, laser-guided bombs, cluster bombs, precision-guided munitions and rocket launchers.
Italian Air Force AMX aircraft have been equipped with GBU-12 bombs, fitted with the Opher imaging infrared terminal guidance kits supplied by Elbit of Israel. The wingtip launchrails can carry the AIM-9L infrared guided Sidewinder air-to-air missile, or the Orbita MAA-1 Piranha air-to-air missile.
Italian AF AMX are being armed with Lizard laser-guided bombs from Elbit. The bombs have 500lb mk82 warheads. The US JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munition is also being fitted on the Italian AMX.
The Italian aircraft are armed with the M61A1 multibarrel cannon with 350 rounds of 20mm ammunition installed in the port lower side of the fuselage. The Brazilian Air Force AMX is armed with two DEFA 554 30mm cannon, installed one on each side of the fuselage.
COUNTERMEASURES
The aircraft is equipped with an active and passive electronic countermeasures system supplied by Elettronica. The radar warning receiver is mounted in the tail fin.
COCKPIT SYSTEMS
The pressurised and air-conditioned cockpit is fitted with a Mark 10L zero ejection seat developed by Martin-Baker, based in Uxbridge, UK. The cockpit's environmental control system is supplied by Microtecnia. The single-piece wrap-around windscreen and single-piece canopy give the pilot a very clear view of the airspace and also a forward-downward view of 18° over the nose. The cockpit is Vight Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible.
The cockpit is equipped with an Opto Mechanik, Inc. and Alenia head-up display and an Alenia multifunction head-down digital data display.
AVIONICS SYSTEMS
The avionics systems are pallet mounted for fast and efficient access for service and maintenance. The modularity of the systems allows alternative or upgraded systems to be installed.
The aircraft is equipped with UHF and VHF communications and an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) interrogator.
RADAR SYSTEMS
The Italian Air Force AMXs are equipped with a variant of the EL/M-20001B radar, operating at I band. Fiar in Italy manufactures the radar, which is designed by Elta in Israel. The AMX in operation with the Brazilian Air Force is equipped with the Fiar / Tectelcom SCP/01 radar. Venezuelan AF planes are expected to be fitted with Elta EL/M-2032 radar.
RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEMS
The aircraft retains its normal level of self-defence and attack capabilities when it is equipped for reconnaissance missions. The camera bay, just forward of the mainwheel bay on the starboard side, can hold the pallet-mounted photographic reconnaissance systems supplied by Aeroeletronica of Brazil.
"The AMX is powered by the Rolls-Royce Spey Mark 807 non-afterburn turbofan engine."
An electro-optical infrared pod can be carried on the pylon on the centreline of the fuselage. For reconnaissance and battle damage assessment, the electro-optical and infrared system is being equipped with digital recording and a data link.
A number of AMX aircraft in service with the Italian Air Force have been fitted with the Oude Delft reconnaissance pod.
ROLLS-ROYCE TURBOFAN ENGINE
The aircraft is powered by the Rolls-Royce Spey Mark 807 non-afterburn turbofan engine, which develops 49.1kN. The engines are built under a licensed manufacturing agreement by Alfa Romeo Avio, Fiat and Piaggio in Italy, and by Companhia Electro-Macanica in Brazil. A Fiat FA 150 Argo auxiliary power unit is used for starting the engine.
The aircraft carries 3,500l of fuel in internal tanks, which gives a mission attack radius of typically 550km with a five-minute combat time over the target area. The internal tanks are self-sealing rubber bag tanks in the fuselage and two integral wing tanks.

NEW HYPERSONIC AIRCRAFT MODEL

Hypersonic passenger plane designed
pa.press.net
A British team has designed a hypersonic passenger aeroplane that could one day fly passengers between Europe and Australia in less than five hours.
The A2 aeroplane was designed by Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engines and would carry 300 passengers at a top speed of almost 4,000mph. The company says the aircraft could be operating within 25 years and ticket prices would be comparable with an existing business class ticket, currently about £3,500.
The LAPCAT (Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies) project is being funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) to encourage companies to push the boundaries of commercial air travel using technology more commonly associated with space travel.
Reaction Engines says the A2 is capable of sustained travel at Mach 5, or 3,800 mph, more than twice the speed of Concorde.
At 143 metres long it is roughly twice the size of the biggest current jumbo jets. It runs on a liquid hydrogen Scimitar engine being developed by Reaction Engines that is based on existing technology.
Alan Bond, managing director of Reaction Engines, told the Guardian: "The A2 is designed to leave Brussels international airport, fly quietly and subsonically out into the north Atlantic at Mach 0.9 before reaching Mach 5 across the North Pole and heading over the Pacific to Australia.
"The flight time from Brussels to Australia, allowing for air traffic control, would be four hours 40 minutes. It sounds incredible by today's standards but I don't see why future generations can't make day trips to Australasia.
"Our work shows that it is possible technically; now it's up to the world to decide if it wants it."
The ESA's website says that hypersonic flight is generally considered to begin at Mach 5, when aerodynamic heating becomes important in aircraft design, with temperatures in the boundary layer and on the surface of an object reaching 1,000 degrees Centigrade.
Hypersonic flight is not new. The first man-made object to reach hypersonic speeds was the two-stage US "Bumper" rocket, assembled from a captured German V-2 rocket in 1949. The ESA says that the Space Shuttle punches through the atmosphere as quickly as possible on its way into orbit, but the LAPCAT project is focusing on an aircraft that would remain well within the Earth's atmosphere throughout its flight.