Iran claims to have smuggled anti aircraft missile systems into country   By Damien McElroy   Iran claimed it had smuggled four S-300 anti aircraft missile systems with a 90 mile range in defiance of United Nations sanction that prompted a Russian ban on selling the sophisticated defence system to Tehran.   US and British officials responded with delight when Moscow unexpectedly pulled out of a deal to sell the system to Iran after the UN passed sanctions including an arms embargo on t

Delay Scuttles Chance at $40 Billion Air Force Deal   By Noah Shachtman   Somehow, against all odds, the already-surreal competition to build America’s next fleet of tanker planes just got sillier and more venal. A tiny, troubled aerospace firm and its Ukrainian partner have been disqualified from the bidding because they handed in their proposal five minutes too late. The companies, for their part, insist that their messenger had a few minutes to spare.   For at least a decade, the

Tensions Rise As China Launches Show Of Force   by Louisa Lim   August 5, 2010 -- China's air force this week is conducting a five-day exercise involving scores of aircraft and 12,000 soldiers. Dubbed "Vanguard 2010," it is the latest sign of China flexing its muscles amid rising military tensions with the United States.   The strains — especially over operations in the South China Sea — represent a new area of dispute between China and the U.S.   China's military drills were once t

Tactical Air Defense Submits Proposal to Purchase Military Aircraft   CARSON CITY, Nev., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: TADF), an Aerospace/Defense Services contractor that offers air-combat training, aerial refueling, aircraft maintenance, disaster response services, and other Aerospace/Defense services to the United States and Foreign militaries and agencies, is pleased to announce that it has submitted a proposal for the pur

Sikorsky Challenges Navy Plan To Buy Russian-Made Helicopters for Afghanistan   By EZRA R. SILK and ERIC GERSHON, esilk@courant.com -- 8:42 PM EDT, August 4, 2010     Sikorsky Aircraft has formally protested a Navy plan to buy the same Russian-made helicopters for military operations in Afghanistan that the Russians used there during the 1980s.   In a document filed with the federal government Tuesday, the Stratford-based helicopter company challenged the Navy's plan to acquire 21 add

The Belarusian government denied on Wednesday rumors that Minsk had allegedly sold S-300 air defense systems to Iran.   The Associated Press earlier cited the Iranian semi-official news agency Fars as saying that Iran had acquired two S-300PT (SA-10 Grumble) systems from Belarus and two more systems from an unidentified supplier. Iranian officials have not confirmed the fact so far.   "The State Military-Industrial Committee can officially state that Belarus has never held talks with I

JERUSALEM (JTA) August 3, 2010 -- Two Israeli military helicopters made emergency landings in Romania following a technical failure.   The emergency landings Tuesday morning came a week after another Israeli helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain during a joint search-and-rescue military exercise, killing six Israeli soldiers and one Romanian soldier.   The helicopters forced to make emergency landings were returning to Israel from the 10-day exercise. They are being repaired a