Kremlin sends signs that it has started preparing to Annex Crimea

The US and EU support self-determination but have opposed independence for regions in their own borders like Texas from US, Scotland from Britain or Catalonia from Spain.

Dear readers,

Understanding what is happening around the globe has become so easy nowadays with the help of maps and satellite images.

Here is a photo comparison of a satellite map on an ordinary day in Sevastopol Bay and one taken between 1st to 6th of March.

http://www.astrium-geo.com/en/19-gallery?img=32332


Google maps


Airbus Defense and Space/CNES- http://www.astrium-geo.com/en/19-gallery?img=32332

Image Information

• Title : Pléiades Satellite Image - Sevastopol, Crimea
• Location: Ukraine
• Image Type: Optical
• Resolution: 50 cm
• Date: 03/03/2014
• Copyright: CNES 2014
• Distribution Astrium Services/ Spot Image
• Imaging Mode: Pansharpened

Pakistan Army Al Khalid MBT

Boeing Maritime Surveillance Aircraft Demonstrator Completes 1st Flight

Boeing Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) demonstrator recently completed its first flight to verify airworthiness (Picture: Boeing)

 


Boeing’s Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) demonstrator recently completed its first flight to verify airworthiness, an important milestone toward providing a low-risk and cost-effective maritime surveillance solution designed for search and rescue, anti-piracy patrols and coastal and border security.

Additional airworthiness flights are scheduled for the next two months. Once they are complete, the aircraft will fly to a Boeing facility in Seattle where the MSA mission systems will be installed and tested.MSA uses proven technologies developed for Boeing's P-8A Poseidon program to provide multi-mission surveillance capabilities. The baseline configuration features an Active Electronically Scanned Array multi-mode radar, an Electro/Optical/Infrared sensor, Electronic Support Measures, a Communications Intelligence sensor and Automated Identification System.

Counter-electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project - Electro Magnetic Weapons

http://www.asiandefencenews.com/2012/10/boeing-tests-electronics-killing-champ.html

Russian warships cross Bosphorus into Black Sea and Russian Navy Sinks Ship to Block Ukrainian Navy Ships

Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency, carrying a picture of one of the warships, yesterday said Russia had "summoned" the vessels back to its Black Sea fleet to strengthen its military presence in Crimea.

A Ukrainian vessel was also seen crossing the Dardanelles Strait off Turkey's west coast and was expected to enter the Black Sea, the agency said.The Turkish military said that it scrambled eight F-16 jets on Monday after a Russian spy plane was detected flying parallel to its Black Sea coast.

The Russian Navy Ochakov Kara-class cruiser was sunk last night to block the Ukrainian Navy ships deployed in Novoozerne, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said in a press release today

Steady defence spending will continue - 2014 Singapore Defence Budget

Combined defence spending in Asia exceeded that of the West for the first time, including higher spending by regional countries — Indonesia and Malaysia’s defence budget grew 125 per cent and 35 per cent respectively.

Singapore's defence expenditure came under debate on Wednesday as  Parliament MPs discussed the biggest item under Budget 2014.The majority of MPs who spoke on the topic supported the nation's commitment to maintain its level of defence spending.Singapore will continue its approach of keeping defence spending steady, avoiding sharp spikes or drops which would undermine defence capabilities over the medium term.

Indian Navy's INS Sumedha Ready for Commissioning tomorrow 7th March 2014

Source: Indian Navy Photo . Govt of India
http://indiannavy.nic.in/media-gallery-new

INS Sumedha, the largest offshore patrol ship indigenously designed and built by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) for the Indian Navy, will be formally commissioned by VAdm Anil Chopra, PVSM, AVSM, FO C-IN-C East on 7th March 2014.

The ship on commissioning will join Eastern Naval Command at Vizag and will give teeth to the Navy's eastern command to bite the Dragon's jugular - Malacca Straits.This state of the art ship will help meet the increasing requirement of the Indian Navy for undertaking ocean surveillance and surface warfare operations in order to prevent infiltration and transgression of maritime sovereignty.

The first and second of the series - INS SARYU and SUNAYNA were earlier handed over to the Indian Navy by GSL on 21 December 2012 and 02 September 2013 respectively.

More Ships of the same class are being constructed in Goa, India not far from the beach where Jason Bourne aka David Webb took a jog in The Bourne Supremacy and where Marie was shot at and killed while driving an SUV on the bridge.

HMAS Canberra, the Newest Australian Landing Ship Begins Sea Trials

Wikipedia

Canberra-class landing helicopter dock

Nuship Canberra, one of two Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships being built for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), left BAE Systems Williamstown this morning bound for Sydney on the first period of sea trials.

Director of BAE Systems Maritime, Bill Saltzer said sea trials were the final stage of the project for BAE Systems before acceptance by the ADF later this year. He said the journey to Sydney would take approximately 12 days.

“The ship will undergo a series of tests before we hand it over to the ADF which includes both platform tests as well as testing the ship’s combat and communication systems,” he said.