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During Kargil, Pervez sent me to N Korea, got 200 missiles: A Q Khan Lalit K Jha Posted: Thursday , Sep 10, 2009 at 0509 hrs Disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist A Q Khan has said his country was short of anti-aircraft missiles during the 1999 Kargil War, so General Pervez Musharraf sent him to North Korea to purchase 200 missiles. In an interview to Pakistani Urdu TV channel Aaj News — its translation has been obtained by Secrecy News of the Federation of American Scientists — Khan said: “In 1999, Gen Musharraf sent me along with Gen Iftikhar, who was...

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) – A suspected U.S. drone fired missiles into a hideout of Taliban militants in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region on Monday, killing five militants, intelligence officials and residents said. The attack took place near Mir Ali town, a major sanctuary for militants linked to al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan's tribal lands on the Afghan border. "The militants have cordoned off the area and no one is allowed to go to the site of the attack," a resident, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters by telephone. An intelligence official said a fortress-like house...

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan rejected accusations its army illegally modified American-made missiles to increase its land-strike capability, denying Sunday that it reconfigured anti-ship weapons in a way that could target India. The denial was in response to a news report that the Obama administration made a diplomatic protest to Pakistan's prime minister over the alleged alterations to the anti-ship missiles Islamabad bought in the 1980s. Nuclear-armed Pakistan is a key U.S. ally in fighting the Taliban and hunting down al-Qaida terrorist leaders along its northwestern border with Afghanistan. However, it's aggressive weapons development and antagonistic relations with giant neighbor India, also...

Russia deploys missiles along border with North Korea Tony Halpin in Moscow Russia has put defences on alert along its border with North Korea amid tensions over possible new missile tests by the secretive Communist regime. The Kremlin ordered troops to deploy Russia’s most advanced missile defence system, the S-400, to intercept any threats from North Korea’s nuclear programme. General Nikolai Makarov, the head of the Russian army, said that a mobile battery of 32 surface-to-air missiles had been put into operation in anticipation of any Korean tests. “We are taking these preventative measures as a security guarantee against faulty...

The U.S. Army's Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Sensor (JLENS) System, which uses aerostats to elevate sensors for long-range target detection and tracking for superior land-attack cruise missile defense, demonstrated its first flight during a ceremony in Elizabeth City, N.C. This flight reflects the maturity and operability of the JLENS platform - an aerostat platform that features long-duration, wide-area, over-the-horizon detection and tracking of low-altitude cruise missiles. Its capabilities provide battlefield commanders with enhanced situational awareness and elevated communications, enabling sufficient warning to engage air defense systems and defeat threats. The flight demonstration marked the first time a...

Washington may relocate the controversial missile defense system planned for Eastern Europe to the Balkans, Turkey or Israel, a Polish newspaper reports. The U.S. plan included 10 long-range interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic. That plan will almost certainly be scrapped, Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza reports. Washington is now looking for alternative locations including in the Balkans, Israel and Turkey, the daily says, citing U.S. administration officials and lobbyists based in Washington. "The signals that the generals in the Pentagon are sending are absolutely clear: as far as missile defense is concerned, the current...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 – Boosted by a few strong years of testing successes, much of the United States’ missile defense technology that once was questioned is now ready to be fielded. The destroyer USS Hopper launches a standard missile 3 as it operates in the Pacific Ocean on July 30, 2009. The missile successfully intercepted a sub-scale, short-range ballistic missile launched from the Kauai Test Facility at Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii. The launch was the latest Missile Defense Agency test in conjunction with the Navy. U.S. Navy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available....

•Iran is vigorously pursuing several missile and space programs at an almost feverish pace with impressive achievements. The Iranians have upgraded their ballistic missiles to become satellite launchers. To orbit a satellite is a highly sophisticated endeavor. It requires proficiency in stage separation and advanced guidance and control systems to insert the satellite into a stable, desired trajectory. They took the Shahab, extended it a bit, added a new lightweight second stage, and now they have the Safir space launch vehicle. The very capability to build a two-stage satellite launcher, rather than the usual three-stage rockets for space-lift vehicles, is...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's reported promise to Israeli President Shimon Peres that Moscow will reconsider the sale of powerful S-300 air-defense missiles to Iran could determine whether Israel - and the United States for that matter - launches pre-emptive strikes against Tehran's nuclear facilities. "President Medvedev promised to review this issue once again after I explained that it would have an impact on the balance of forces in our region," Peres said Wednesday following his meeting with the Russian leader in Moscow on Tuesday. Israel has been threatening to attack Iran's controversial nuclear program for many months because the Jewish...

The Air Force hasn’t thought about air base defense for a while. Now, things are changing. For the first time in decades, Air Force aircraft deployed in an international crisis now face substantial risk of damage or destruction on the ground. By some estimates, missile and air attacks could disable up to 70 percent of the aircraft at some overseas bases in the opening minutes of a fight. The problem is not insurmountable; the Air Force and the Pentagon already have the means to start addressing this critical problem. Even so, there is no doubt the threat is growing. The...

R-77, R-73 Missile Upgrades Emerge Aug 13, 2009 Douglas Barrie/London Maxim Pyadushkin/Moscow Russia's leading guided-weapons manufacturer will wheel out revised--if long- touted--versions of its two key air-to-air missile products this month, as it tries to bolster its position in the export arena. Tactical Missile Corp.--also known as TRV--will formally unveil its so-called RVV-SD and RVV-MD missiles for the first time at the Moscow air show later this month. The RVV-SD is an improved version of the R-77 (AA-Adder), while the RVV-MD is a variant of the R-73 (AA-11 Archer). The radar-guided R-77 has been sold widely, with China and India...

WASHINGTON — Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed last week in a CIA drone attack while getting a leg massage on the roof of his father-in-law's house, CNN said Monday, citing an unnamed US official. A US counterterrorism official told AFP, meanwhile, that "there are strong indications (Mehsud) is dead" following a drone attack. "No one is expecting him home for dinner tonight," the official said. US President Barack Obama is being told Mehsud was killed after a "dramatic escalation" of nine unmanned drones specifically targeting the Taliban leader in recent weeks, the US official told CNN television. On Wednesday...

The head of the institute developing a sea-based version of Russia's newest strategic missile has quit following repeated failures of the weapon in testing, officials said Wednesday. Yury Solomonov, head of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, was the most senior official to date to take responsibility for the string of failures of the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, currently in development. "After the latest unsuccessful launch of the Bulava rocket, Yury Solomonov has submitted a resignation letter," Interfax-AVN, a news agency specializing in military affairs, quoted a source in the country's space industry as saying. The source said his resignation...

The upgraded Arrow missile defense system failed an important test off the western coast of the United States Thursday, leaving Israel defenseless against long-range Iranian and Syrian missiles. The missile that was to destroy an oncoming missile was not launched because of “interceptor problems” resulting from failures in the communications system.

(Japan and its role on the international stage grow increasingly important by the day. As North Korea accelerates its nuclear and missile threats and China builds its military at a frantic pace. the role of Japan as one of American’s premier allies in the Pacific becomes even more critical and the byzantine internal politics of Japan are gaining more attention. On Sunday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost the latest in a string of municipal elections to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, this one in the capital city of Tokyo. Almost immediately, Prime Minister Taro Aso called a national...

IAF’s air-to-air missiles are faulty: Report Zeenews Bureau New Delhi: Nearly half of Indian Air Force’s beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missiles that were tested either did not home in on targets during evaluations or failed ground tests because they were ageing much before their shelf lives, a report claimed on Thursday. As per the report by an leading English daily, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its yet to be released report has raised serious questions on the usability of the R 77 (RVV-AE) BVR missiles, each costing Rs 2 crore, which are fitted on board the Su-30...

...A former nuclear missile launch center that closed as the Cold War was winding down opened Monday to a public curious to see what life was like at the once top-secret site.

Sadly, Obama seems hell bent on overturning Reagan's legacy of PEACE!The Military Channel ran a very Excellent documentary called "Decisions Which Shook the World" (DVD) which included a chapter on how Reagan won the Cold War by sticking to his guns and refusing to negotiate away missile defense with the Soviets. In the end, the Soviets reached a long term arms reduction agreement that did much to reduce the threat of nuclear war and laid the ground work for the eventual dismantling of the Evil Empire. Not sure when the Military Channel will repeat this program, but there is a...

Just go to the LINK here, hit the little arrow below the photo, and video will stream from Japanese TV today. Takes a few seconds to load.Lots of action.Link will be good for another 24 hours or so.Goes inside the command/control center for nuclear launch of ICBMs from Montana (Malmstron AF Base, US Air Force) and also shows US commandoes in action in anti-nuke terrorist training. A "don't mess with us" statement is also issued by a US nuke command military spokesman--thankfully so.Eagles Up.

L'AQUILA, July 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia could still deploy tactical missiles in its westernmost exclave if the U.S. goes ahead with its plans for a missile shield in Central Europe, the Russian president said on Friday. Dmitry Medvedev said Russia's position on U.S. missile defense in Central Europe had not changed. "We are ready to participate in the construction of a global missile defense by providing both intellectual input and our radars," Medvedev said after the G8 summit in Italy's L'Aquila. "We are glad that there is a readiness in the U.S. to review its plans." Russia opposes the...

NOVO-OGARYOVO, July 7 (RIA Novosti) - U.S. President Barack Obama pledged on Tuesday to consider Russia's concerns on missile defense and to respect Moscow's interests in the post-Soviet space, a senior Russian government official said. "Obama said Russia's concerns would be given more consideration when discussing [missile defense plans]," said Yury Ushakov, a deputy chief of staff at the Russian government. Obama has shown less interest than President George Bush in opening a missile interceptor base in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic, which Moscow fiercely opposes as a security threat. According to Ushakov, Obama and Russian...

(LEAD) N. Korean missile launches aimed at improving accuracy: official SEOUL, July 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's latest missile launches appear to have been aimed at improving the missiles' accuracy, a South Korean official said Sunday, noting the launches may have provided some results. "Five out of seven missiles North Korea fired yesterday landed within the same area in the East Sea, about 420 kilometers from the launch site," the official said, asking not to be identified. "This means the accuracy of North Korean missiles is improving," the official added. North Korea is said to have about 1,000 ballistic missiles...

N. Korea test-launches seventh missile off east coast: S. Korea By Sam Kim SEOUL, July 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea test-fired its seventh missile of the day off its east coast on Saturday, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. "North Korea fired its seventh missile at 5:40 p.m.," a JCS official said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. "We believe it was from the same missile base on the east coast."

President Dmitry Medvedev and US counterpart Barack Obama are next week planning to sign a framework declaration replacing a key Cold War-era missile treaty, Medvedev's top foreign aide said on Friday. Sergei Prikhodko also said Russia wanted to agree with the US a replacement of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) -- set to expire in early December -- by end of this year or early 2010.

MOSCOW, July 2 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow will discuss a new arms reduction deal with Washington only in connection with U.S. plans for a missile shield in central Europe, the Russian prime minister's spokesman said on Thursday. Russia and the United States have been involved in comprehensive talks over a new nuclear arms reduction deal to replace the START 1 treaty, which expires in December. Russian and U.S. experts agreed to report the results at the Russian-U.S. summit in Moscow in July. "This link is well-grounded and we have explained our position on this issue to our American partners during...

U.S. 'ready' for N. Korean missile Pyongyang expected to test ICBM By Bill Gertz July 2, 2009 COLORADO SPRINGS | U.S. missile defenses are prepared to try to knock down the last stage of a Taepodong-2 missile that North Korea is expected soon to launch if sensors detect the weapon threatens U.S. territory, the commander of the U.S. Northern Command told The Washington Times. "The nation has a very, very credible ballistic-missile defense capability. Our ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California, I'm very comfortable, give me a capability that if we really are threatened by a long-range ICBM that I've...

(LEAD) N. Korean rocket capable of hitting half the U.S.: American scientists By Sam Kim SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The long-range rocket North Korea launched in April could be converted into a ballistic missile that can theoretically hit half the United States with a substantial payload, two U.S. physicists have concluded from their joint study. North Korea launched on April 5 what it claims was a rocket designed to carry a satellite into orbit. The U.S. and its allies say nothing entered orbit, calling the "Unha-2" rocket a disguised form of a ballistic missile capable of flying over 6,700...

And, while none of the major newspapers in the United States seems to have covered it, the United States conducted a missile test too. Well, China, South Korea, and, of course, North Korea’s state run news agencies did (American newspapers aren’t state run right?) Basically, while the U.S. president wants Americans to know things are being taken care of (Hawaii), the U.S. wants North Korea to know that "Hey we got hundreds of these missiles that works and is very, very accurate -- to within 6 m? -- and can carry three nuclear weapons at once."

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) - The Air Force says it has successfully launched an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile from a California base, firing it to targets in the Pacific Ocean.

Fast Boat Threat Faces Hail of Hellfires Posted by Graham Warwick at 6/26/2009 2:48 PM CDT Faced with the threat from swarms of small boats. the US Navy is looking to equip the sensor turrets of its shipborne helicopters with the ability to designate multiple targets for simultaneous attack by laser-guided missiles like Hellfire. Photo: US Navy A new Office of Naval Research project, called Multi-Target Track and Terminate (MT3), aims to demonstrate a prototype multi-target laser designator on an MH-60 - including at least six simultaneous launches against maritime targets in realistic conditions - within 60 months of contract...

/begin my translation Iranian Delegation were Present at N. Korea's Nuclear Test Tokyo - Chae Myung-suk 2009-06-25 Iranian delegation of seven people visited N. Korea late last May when it conducted (2nd) nuclear test, according to Japanese media. Quoting a credible source on N. Korea, Sankei Shimbun of Japan reported on June 25 that Iranian delegation visited N. Korea late last May when the nuclear test was conducted. The delegation came at the invitation of N. Korea. Seven people delegation stayed for a week and watched the test on May 25. It reported that Iranian delegation also came when N....

Nuclear Terror: North Korea's threats have escalated to new levels in recent days. Ordinarily, this might not be a big concern. But it's an unstable regime with nuclear weapons, so we have to be ready to act — and fast.President Obama doesn't seemed too concerned about the North Korean threat, saying the U.S. has "dotted the I's and crossed the T's" on a potential response to the country's increasingly hysteric provocations. On Wednesday, for example, it threatened to "wipe out" the U.S. "once and for all." It sounds laughable, since North Korea's military doesn't match up too well with ours....

North Korea has accused the United States of trying to “provoke a second Korean War” and says they would perceive interception of the North Korean ship, the Kang Nam, which U.S. officials believe to be carrying illegal weapons, as a declaration of war. The U.S.S John McCain has been following the ship since last week. A dispatch from the Korean Central News agency said, “If the U.S. imperialists start another war, the army and people of Korea will ... wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all.”

The following joke was posted on Yahoo yesterday: Q: Why is Obama going to let the North Korean missile hit Hawaii? A: Because then he can say that THEY destroyed his Birth Certificate! LOL. Upon posting, comments were made that this was a racist effing joke, that the poster was a racist mother-effer, and that he should get the eff off Yahoo. I saw no racial component to the joke at all, and it was WAY funnier than David Letterman's about Sarah Palin's daughter. What do YOU all think?

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea threatened Wednesday to wipe the United States off the map as Washington and its allies watched for signs the regime will launch a series of missiles in the coming days. Off China's coast, a U.S. destroyer was tailing a North Korean ship suspected of transporting illicit weapons to Myanmar in what could be the first test of U.N. sanctions passed to punish the nation for an underground nuclear test last month. The Kang Nam left the North Korean port of Nampo a week ago with the USS John S. McCain close behind. The ship,...

North Korea may launch a long-range ballistic missile towards Hawaii on American Independence Day, according to Japanese intelligence officials. The missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles, would be launched in early July from the Dongchang-ni site on the north-western coast of the secretive country. Intelligence analysts do not believe the device would be capable of hitting Hawaii's main islands, which are 4,500 miles from North Korea. Details of the launch came from the Japan's best-selling newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun. Both Japanese intelligence and U.S. reconnaissance satellites have collated information pointing to the launch,...

A long-range ballistic missile North Korea is believed to have been preparing to launch from its Tongchang-ri facility in the country's northwest highly likely will be launched toward Hawaii, which would take it over Aomori Prefecture, according to analysis by the Defense Ministry. Sources said the ministry also believes such a launch will be made as soon as early next month. Based on the analysis and intelligence gathered by U.S. reconnaissance satellites, the ministry has moved into top gear its study on optimally deploying Aegis-equipped destroyers equipped with Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptor missiles and ground-to-air Patriot Advanced Capability 3...

A special North Korean train which transported a long-range rocket or intercontinental ballistic missile to a launch site in Tongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province in May recently moved from a missile research center in Sanum-dong, Pyongyang to another launch site in Musudan-ri, North Hamgyong Province, a South Korean government source said Tuesday. South Korean and U.S. authorities believe the North may have transported a second intercontinental missile to the launch site. The North launched a long-range rocket from Musudan-ri on April 5, which had also been transported by special train. Seoul and Washington are wondering whether the North will launch two...

TOKYO — North Korea may fire a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in early July, a Japanese newspaper said Thursday, amid escalating tensions between the communist country and the United States over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. The missile, believed to be a long-range Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers), would be launched from North Korea's Dongchang-ni site on the northwestern coast, said the Yomiuri daily, Japan's top-selling newspaper. The report cited an analysis by the Japanese Defense Ministry and intelligence gathered by U.S. reconnaissance satellites. The Yomiuri said the Taepodong-2 could fly over Japan...

N.Korean Missile Train on the Move A special North Korean train which transported a long-range rocket or intercontinental ballistic missile to a launch site in Tongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province in May recently moved from a missile research center in Sanum-dong, Pyongyang to another launch site in Musudan-ri, North Hamgyong Province, a South Korean government source said Tuesday. South Korean and U.S. authorities believe the North may have transported a second intercontinental missile to the launch site. The North launched a long-range rocket from Musudan-ri on April 5, which had also been transported by special train. Seoul and Washington are wondering...

N.Korean Launch Pad 'Ready for Missile Test' A satellite image taken on June 3 shows part of what analysts says is a new long-range missile base in North Korea. North Korea has finished preparatory work at a missile launch pad in Tongchangri, North Pyongan Province, where a long-range missile has been transported, a South Korean government source said Monday. "But the launch is not imminent because no radar has been set up and no missile has been installed at the launch pad," the source added. But the launch structure connecting electric power and fuel to the missile and allowing personnel...

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan – A suspected U.S. missile strike killed at least five people Sunday in a tribal region where Pakistan's top Taliban commander is based, intelligence officials said, breaking a lull in such attacks and posing a test for growing anti-Taliban sentiment in the country. The strike came as violence raged elsewhere in the volatile northwest region bordering Afghanistan: a bombing at a market killed at least eight people, while officials said clashes between the Taliban and security forces killed at least 20 militants in a tribal region supposedly cleared of insurgents months ago. ... The U.S. rarely...

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – Florida authorities say a commercial fisherman reeled in a live missile in the Gulf of Mexico and kept it on his boat for 10 days. The sheriff's office in Pinellas County say the boat's captain, Rodney Soloman, hooked the air-to-air guided missile 50 miles off the Panhandle town of Panama City. The Air Force and Navy use Gulf waters off the Panhandle for weapons training. Soloman had the missile aboard his boat for 10 days before returning Monday to port in Madeira Beach, near St. Petersburg. A bomb squad was called in from MacDill Air Force...

N. Korea may use mobile radar before long-range missile launch: source By Sam Kim SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korean officials believe North Korea may deploy a mobile radar shortly before test-firing a long-range ballistic missile it is apparently assembling on its west coast, a source said Monday. Such a step would mean the North could avoid setting up radar at the base, avoiding foreign surveillance.

South Korea moves to heightened alert level EVENT South Korea raised its five-level Watch Condition (Watchcon) to level two on 28 May, for the fifth time since the Korean War ended in 1953. The move comes after North Korea’s 25 May nuclear test. The increase in Watchcon from level three means that the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) will deploy additional intelligence-collecting assets and increase reconnaissance missions. The heightened alert status of the CFC came after North Korea’s bellicose reaction to South Korea joining the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) on 26 May. Pyongyang subsequently stated through its state-run news...

US improves ability to hit N.Korean missiles -general Reuters - Wednesday, June 3 By Jim Wolf WASHINGTON, June 2 - The United States has fine-tuned its ability to shoot down long-range missiles that could be launched by North Korea based on a trio of tests mimicking such an attack, the head of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said Tuesday. "We have made adjustments to give ourselves even higher confidence, even though we have intercepted three out of three times in that scenario," Army Lieutenant General Patrick O'Reilly told a missile-defense conference at the Pentagon's National Defense University. O'Reilly, in response...

...Sheriff and FAA expected to meet: Pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration that at about 8:15 p.m. Friday, an object passed within 150 feet beneath the aircraft, sheriff’s officials said.

Federal and local authorities are trying to find the source of a "strange object" the pilot of a Continental Express plane reported flying about 150 feet beneath his plane in southeast Texas.

Liberty County Sheriff’s officials are expected to meet with the FAA on Tuesday to discuss what a Continental Express pilot reported as a “missile or rocket” flying near his airplane. A pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration that at about 8:15 p.m. Friday, an object passed within 150 feet beneath the aircraft, sheriff’s officials said. The aircraft was near the southern edge of the county, flying at about 13,000 feet, officials said. “The pilot, from what we understand, was former military. He was able to get the coordinates down real quick,” said Cpl. Hugh Bishop with the Liberty County...

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea is preparing to launch three or four medium-range missiles, along with an intercontinental ballistic missile, amid moves by Kim Jong Il to anoint his third son as heir to the world's first communist dynasty, reports and experts said Tuesday. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the North is preparing to fire three to four medium-range missiles from Anbyon on its east coast. "Many vehicles mounted with mobile launchers are being spotted" at Anbyon, Yonhap quoted an unnamed government official saying. "It looks like at least three missiles will be launched." The North has...