Russian unveils its high tech battle tank

The Russian army is displaying the first mechanized unit deployed with the new Kurganets-25 armored fighting vehicles during the May 9th parade in Moscow. This is the first public unveiling of the new armored vehicle that has been in development in the past decade. The new family of vehicles was designed and produced by KMZ (Kurganmashzavod), the manufacturer of the BMP-2, BMP-3 and BMD vehicles.
The new Kurganets-25 armored infantry fighting vehicle is designed to replace a number of combat vehicles currently used in mechanized divisions, such as BMP and MT-LB platforms. Kurganets-25 represents a distinctive change from the traditional Russian low profile design. The new vehicle is higher, thus better designed for mounted combat, rather than a troop carrier. Higher floor also means better IED and mine protection, better adapting the vehicle to asymmetric warfare.
The new chassis is designed for vehicles with combat weight up to 30 tons, supporting a number of variants, including the AIFV (Kurganets-25 BMP), armed with the Epoch turret mounting a 30mm automatic cannon and the troop carrier (Kurganets-25 BTR) armed with a smaller turret mounting a 12.7mm and 7.62mm machine guns. It is expected that future variants will also include a self-propelled mortar and mobile gun, similar to the Sprut-SD light amphibious tank, which unlike the Sprut-SD, will carry an unmanned turret. Given the large-scale deployment of Kornet missiles with the Kurganets-25 BMP variant, a number of missile carriers will become redundant and may be phased out of service in Kurganets-based formations.

Although some press reports indicated that Kurganets-25 has high commonality with the Armata platform, an external view does not show such similarity, except the KBP Epoch turret that is common to both Kurganets-25 BMP and T-15 BMP. The engine, tracks, armor modules seem to be different. The two vehicles are also unlikely to be deployed together, as the T-14 and T-15 are expected to deploy with armored formations while Kurganets-25 platforms will equip the mechanized units.

Provided with a modular armor suite, Kurganets 25 offers an increased armor protection, compared to BMP-3 / BMD 4. As the BMP-3, it can also employ an active protection system. Similar to the T-15, Kurganets 25 mounts the KBP Epoch unmanned turret mounting a single 2A42 30mm cannon, 7.62 PKT coaxial machine gun and four Kornet EM guided missiles. Unlike previous manned turrets that occupied significant space in the fighting compartment, the Epoch is remotely controlled and does not penetrate the deck, thus simplifying the structural design and clearing more space for troops and supplies.

Vetronics systems integrated as standard include a fire control system, a day/night sight for the gunner, a missile guidance system for the Kornets, and independent sight for the commander. The vehicle is also equipped with peripheral cameras providing visual situational awareness for the troops.

The 800 hp power pack is located at the front, clearing the space and access to an infantry squad of eight troops. Crew of three – commander, weapon operator and driver, operates the vehicle.

As an amphibious vehicle weighing 25 tons, Kurganets 25 can swim in water at a speed of 10 km/h using two waterjet propulsion modules and a wave breaker that opens as the vehicle splashes into the the water. On land the vehicle can move off road at speed up to 80 km/h using the rubber padded tracks and suspension system comprising seven road wheels and torsion bars. Its maximum road speed is 80 km/h.

 

Poland to Sell Arms to Neighbors to Ward Off Russian Aggression

Despite its stated desire to ramp up its own defense production, Warsaw now aims to award multibillion-zloty contracts to Airbus and Raytheon for helicopters and Patriot missiles, respectively, Defense News reported.
The plan involves the Visegrad Group of countries – Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary – along with the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, in addition to Romania and Bulgaria.
'Poland aims to play the role of a regional leader, and rally other [Eastern European allies] behind the objective of intensifying regional cooperation in the field of defense and security,' said Professor Marek Jablonowski, a political scientist from the University of Warsaw.
Another objective would be to increase the foothold of Polish defense firms in other Eastern European markets, Defense News added.
'To date, we have been looking for potential export deals in distant countries, while we have neglected neighboring markets. Financial support by the government will make it easier for Polish companies [to export weapons], but they surely shouldn't ignore local competitors,' said Slawomir Kulakowski, the head of the Polish Chamber of National Defense Manufacturers (PIPROK).
While it is unclear which types of weapons and military equipment Polish defense firms could procure for interested governments, some of the most recent examples of such deals could indicate the areas of interest, Defense News wrote.
In September, Lithuania's Defense Ministry signed a deal with Polish arms maker Mesko to acquire GROM short-range portable air defense systems.
The contract was signed at the MSPO defense industry show in Kielce.
Defense analysts earlier said that Poland's decision to buy US-made Patriot missiles was a reminder to Russia that, in keeping with Article 5 of the NATO Charter, an armed aggression against one or several NATO member-states shall be regarded as an attack on the North Atlantic Alliance as a whole.
Ukraine and the Western countries accuse Russia of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs. Moscow dismisses the allegations arguing that it has nothing to do with the events in eastern Ukraine, is not supplying weapons to the pro-independence militia there, is not a party in the "internal Ukrainian conflict" and seeks an early end to the country's ongoing political and economic turmoil.

Leaked ASEAN Document Focuses on South China Sea

A final draft of the 26th ASEAN Chairman's Statement says the group will call for intensified consultations on a code of conduct for the South China Sea.
The draft, obtained by VOA Khmer from an ASEAN official who did not want to be identified, says the group will call for the full and effective implementation of the current Declaration of Conduct to enhance mutual trust and exercise self-restraint.
The document adds that, 'While noting the progress made in the consultations / negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, we urged for the consultations to be intensified, to ensure the expeditious establishment of an effective COC."
The statement is set to be released Monday following the conclusion of the summit meeting in Malaysia, which is chairing ASEAN this year.
Malaysia is one of several ASEAN countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, that have maritime territorial disputes with China.
In the past year, tensions have been raised by Beijing, which claims nearly the entire sea, placing an oil rig in waters also claimed by Vietnam and reclaiming land on reefs also claimed by the Philippines.
At the foreign ministers' meeting Sunday, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said ASEAN should tell China to stop the land reclamation projects immediately. Malaysia's Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said ASEAN would appreciate it if China would stop the work and discuss the situation.
The Philippines has filed suit in the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, a moved backed by Vietnam but rejected by China, which says it will only discuss disputes in bilateral negotiations.
Recently, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appeared to back Beijing's position when he said South China Sea disputes are not an issue for the whole of ASEAN, but rather an issue for claimant countries to work out directly with China. Vietnam and the Philippines want Beijing to talk with ASEAN as a group.
Chheang Vannarith, of the University of Leeds in Britain, told VOA Khmer that ASEAN is under scrutiny to see if it can resolve the South China Sea issue.
"If we look at the security and controversy, as well as the tension in the South China Sea, are the hot agenda. The Philippines will raise the construction of artificial island that China is building in the disputed islands of South China Sea to be an important agenda in the debate about the regional security,' he said. 'I think Vietnam will push for the solution over the South China Sea, especially to achieve the rules of the implementation of the COC over the South China Sea."
Achmad Rizal Purnama, first secretary of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, told VOA Khmer the South China Sea is an issue attracting attention from regional and global leaders.
"Especially the South China Sea. So it's one of the issues, among the issues discussed by the leaders of ASEAN."
According to the leaked ASEAN document, the South China Sea is not the only focus on the summit.
The integration of ASEAN Economic Community, and the adaptation of a declaration regarding a people centered ASEAN also are mentioned in the draft.

DoD sends help to NEPAL

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2015 – The United States has sent an Air Force aircraft to Nepal to deliver personnel and cargo in support of disaster-relief operations, according to Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren.
A 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit the country yesterday, reportedly leaving almost 2,500 dead, about 6,000 injured and thousands more still missing. In addition, thousands of people are currently reported to be without food, water or shelter.
'This morning at approximately 11:18 a.m., a U.S. Military C-17 Globemaster departed from Dover Air Force Base bound for Nepal,' Warren said in a statement released today. 'The aircraft is transporting nearly 70 personnel, including a USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team, the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue team and several journalists, along with 45 square tons of cargo.'
The flight is expected to arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, according to Warren.
The initial estimated cost for the U.S. Defense Department's support is approximately $700,000, and there are currently no additional requests for DoD support, officials said on background.
There are 26 DoD personnel and one US C-130 In Nepal who were there to conduct a previously scheduled training exercise. All DoD personnel in Nepal are accounted for, officials said.

Let Pray for NEPAL

O GOD AT THIS TIME OF GREAT CRISES AND HOPELESSNESS, MAY YOU STRENGTHEN NEPAL AND GIVE HER CITIZENS PEACE

US Sees Tensions Lessen Over Iranian Ships Near Yemen

An Iranian naval convoy suspected of possibly trying to deliver weapons to Yemen's Houthi rebels appears to be on its way back to Iran, avoiding a potential face-off with the United States.
Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said Friday the nine-ship convoy had left the Gulf of Aden and was now sailing in international waters off the coast of Oman, possibly on course to head back to Iran.
"It's fair to say that this appears to be a de-escalation of some of the tensions that were being discussed earlier in the week," Warren said.
The U.S. has been closely watching the Iranian flotilla since it left the Persian Gulf last week. Officials raised concerns the convoy's seven cargo ships could contain weapons or other supplies for Houthi rebels, citing Iran's history of supplying them with armaments in the past, a charge Iran denies.

Earlier this week, the U.S. sent the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and the guided missile cruiser USS Normandy to join seven other U.S. battleships in the region.
Pentagon officials cited a deteriorating security situation in Yemen that could result in a maritime threat, adding the presence of the Iranian convoy was 'certainly one of the factors.'
At one point, U.S. officials said the USS Theodore Roosevelt was within 200 miles of the Iranian vessels, adding they are not sure why the Iranian convoy decided to change course.
"There were no communications or encounters between those ships and U.S. forces," Warren said. "We do not know their future intentions."
U.S. Central Command spokesman Col. Patrick Ryder added, "we have not been communicating with the Iranians, in regards to their [vessels] from a U.S. Central Command standpoint that I'm aware of."
Ryder also said a U.S. team in Saudi Arabia is continuing to provides the Saudis with some intelligence and logistics support as they "may continue to conduct limited operations to counter certain ongoing Houthi military actions in Yemen."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed support Friday for the Saudi-led airstrikes as long as the rebels persist in attacking Yemeni government forces.
Kerry told reporters after a meeting in northern Canada that the Houthi rebels must stop fighting and enter negotiations.
Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh also urged the rebels to comply with a U.N. resolution that obligates them to withdraw from cities they occupy so that peace talks can begin. The rebels are fighting alongside military units loyal to Saleh. The former president did not call for a cease-fire from the military forces.
While expressing concern for civilian casualties, Kerry credited the Saudis with making an important shift from a full-scale air campaign to hitting targets only when militants present a threat or try to seize more areas.
Saudi Arabia announced an end to its month-long air campaign against Shi'ite Houthi rebels in Aden, Sana'a and other parts of Yemen just three days ago.
The United Nations said Friday the civilian death toll since the bombing started late last month is estimated at 551.
The U.N. children's agency, UNICEF, said at least 115 children were among the dead; UNICEF spokesman Christof Boulierac called that figure conservative.
"We also confirm that at least 140 children were recruited as child soldiers, at least 30 schools were damaged or occupied by parties to the conflict, and 23 hospitals were attacked' since March 26, Boulierac said.
After a brief calm in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, the airstrikes continued on Friday, despite Saudi Arabia's declared end to the bombing campaign.
Warplanes struck sites in Sana'a and elsewhere suspected of being used by the rebels to store weapons or deploy troops, while fighting raged between the Iranian-backed Houthis and supporters of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
The monthlong bombing campaign has created a severe humanitarian crisis in Yemen, but has largely failed to dislodge the Houthis.
The death toll in Yemen stands at nearly 1,100 people, with about 4,300 wounded and more than 150,000 displaced since March 19, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The Houthis have taken over large parts of Yemen and have forced the country's Western-backed leader, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, to flee to Saudi Arabia.

The U.N. Human Rights Office said the total number of killed and wounded in the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes would be considerably higher were figures regarding combatants included.
In addition, the agency said at least 64 public buildings had been damaged or destroyed. It said it was receiving many disturbing reports of civilians being arbitrarily detained and otherwise abused.
Aid agencies have warned that fuel supplies and other basic commodities are running dangerously low in Yemen. The World Food Program said 12 million people throughout the country were going hungry, a 13 percent increase since the conflict escalated a month ago. Despite the dangers, WFP and its partners are continuing to deliver food to more than 100,000 displaced people taking refuge around Aden.
WFP spokeswoman Elizabeth Byrs said the agency was planning to provide emergency food assistance to 2.5 million people throughout the country over the next three months. But she added that there was an urgent need for a so-called humanitarian space to allow food to be distributed to civilians trapped in conflict areas.
"The lack of fuel, including the restriction on importation, is affecting WFP operational ability to provide food assistance. Additionally, for the beneficiary population, there are challenges to cook food commodities. There is an urgent need to allow the importation of humanitarian fuel," she said.

Turkey Recalls Its ambassador from Austria

In recent time Turkey has come under immense international pressure and condemnation after there refusal to recognize as genocide the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 during the World War I era.

The French president Francois Hollande on April 24 in an annual ceremony in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, to commemorate the 100th Anniversary Of Armenian Massacre, has called on Ankara to use the word genocide to describe the past event that took place at Ottoman Turkey, Turkeys has refused to describe the killings as genocide, stating in there defense that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest rather than a systematic plan to exterminate the Armenian population in Ottoman Turkey.

also in attendance was the Russian President  Vladimir Putin, who also used the term genocide in reference to the killings, Putin in a speech at the commemorations on April 24 warned of the dangers of nationalism and what he called 'Russophobia,' a comment that has been viewed as veiled criticism of the pro-Western government in Ukraine.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian expressed hope that recent steps to recognize the massacre as genocide would help 'dispel the darkness of 100 years of denial.'

Putin, Hollande, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades were among those who also placed a flower in the wreath at the memorial's eternal flame.

The annual April 24 commemoration in Armenian marks the date in 1915 commonly seen as the beginning of the killings, viewed by many historians and at least 22 countries as genocide.

Turkey, meanwhile, held a separate event on April 24 to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Gallipoli in World War I between Allied troops and forces of the Ottoman Empire.
The events were to be attended by Britain's Prince Charles and the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand.
Critics noted that the Allied landings at Gallipoli began on April 25, 2015 and accused Turkey of moving its commemoration forward by one day to try to divert world attention from the mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.
Sarkisian also has accused Ankara of deliberately 'trying to divert world attention' from the Yerevan commemorations.
While World War I ended in defeat for Ottoman forces and their German allies, the Battle of Gallipoli is viewed as an important step in the creation of the modern Turkish state in 1923.
Concerning the mass killings of Armenians, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on April 23 that Armenian claims 'baseless and groundless.'
Erdogan said there was no place -- 'in democracies or in law' -- to presume Armenia is right and to forbid other opinions.
Austria in agreement with the rest of world has released a joint statement in a parliamentary inter party agreement has described the Massacre as genocid, on April 12th, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Austria.
April 12, Pope Francis angered Turkey when quoting part of a statement from John Paul II and the Armenian patriarch in 2001 referring to the killings as "the first genocide of the 20th century."

With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, and dpa

source: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2015/04/mil-150424-rferl01.htm?_m=3n.002a.1401.yq0ao03ok8.1aax