'CHANGE' - China confirms joint naval exercise with Russia in Mediterranean Mid-May.

China confirms joint naval exercise with Russia in Mediterranean Mid-May. (IMRA).


Chinese Defense Ministry's regular press conference on April 30, 2015 Senior Colonel Geng Yansheng, spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), answers reporters' questions at a regular press conference on April 30, 2015: http://eng.mod.gov.cn/TopNews/2015-04/30/content_4582748.htm ...

Question:...According to Russian media reports, the navies of China and Russia will hold a joint military exercise near the Black Sea in May. Could you please confirm that? ...

Answer:...As for the third question, according to the annual military exchange plan between China and Russia, the navies of the two countries are going to conduct a joint exercise code-named “Joint Sea 2015-I” in the waters of the Mediterranean in mid-May. 

Nine surface ships from the Chinese and Russian navies will take part in the joint exercise. China will send three ships of 19th Chinese naval escort taskforce to take part in the joint exercise. The three ships, namely, the Linyi ship, Weifang ship as well as the Weishanhu ship, have just completed their escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and waters off the Somali coast.

The subject of the joint exercise is protection of navigation safety in the far seas. The drilling items in the exercise include maritime defense, maritime replenishment, escort actions, joint operations to safeguard navigation security as well as real weapon firing drill.

The purpose of the exercise is to strengthen the pragmatic cooperation between China and Russia and to improve the capabilities of the two navies to deal with maritime threats. What needs to be stressed is that, the joint exercise is not targeting any third party and not related to the regional situation. ...

Question: Regarding the naval exercise with Russia, is this the first time the Chinese and Russian navies to hold joint exercise in the waters of the Mediterranean? And is this exercise related to the situations in the countries such as Syria and Libya?

Answer: As far as I know, it is the first time for the navies of the two countries to conduct a joint exercise in that area. As I’ve mentioned in my previous answer that this joint exercise is to be held according to the annual exchange plan and is not related to regional situation and does not target any third party.

Iran: 'Lausanne Statement Liable to Change'.

Iran: 'Lausanne Statement Liable to Change'. (Fars).

Iran announced on Wednesday that changes could still be made to the April 2 nuclear statement that was issued by Tehran and the world powers at the end of their several-day-long negotiations in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

"Mr. (Seyed Abbas) Araqchi (the Iranian deputy foreign minister and senior nuclear negotiator) has stated in an interview before that certain paragraphs (of the Lausanne statement) could still change and go under further negotiations," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham told reporters in Tehran today.

She reminded the Americans' confession that they had no way out but accepting Iran's nuclear rights, and dismissed US officials' allegations about use of force or repetition of the phrase "all options are on the table" as "hollow claims" used repeatedly against Iran.

Her remarks came after US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter claimed in an interview with the CNN earlier this month that the current framework for a deal with Iran did not take the military option off the table and that bunker busting bombs, meant to penetrate Iran's underground facilities, are "ready to go", adding that a deal with Iran would not be based on "trust" but on "verification".

Elsewhere, Afkham referred to the new round of nuclear talks between Tehran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) which is due to start in the Austrian city of Vienna today to touch the details of a possible final nuclear agreement, and said the negotiations focus on removal of sanctions and inspection of Iran's sites.

In relevant remarks on Wednesday, Araqchi said that the fresh round of the nuclear talks between Tehran and the six major world powers, which is to be held on April 22-24 in Vienna, would mainly focus on details of lifting the sanctions on Iran.

Araqchi, who is also a senior member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team, stressed that removal of multilayer sanctions which Iran has consistently dubbed as 'unlawful and unjust' had been Iran's main demand throughout the negotiations.

"As we return to negotiations this week, we will seek explanation from the US team and greater clarity regarding all detailed aspects of sanction removal," he underlined.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Facebook page that his colleagues are to start the process of drafting the agreement between Iran and the G5+1 on the following day. Read the full story here.

Inspectors Need Full Access in Iran Nuclear Deal, Moniz Says......Iran: "NOPE"

Inspectors Need Full Access in Iran Nuclear Deal, Moniz Says......Iran: "NOPE". (BL).

Inspectors need unfettered access to Iran’s nuclear sites as part of a deal to lift economic sanctions, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said Monday.

“We expect to have anywhere, anytime access,” Moniz, a nuclear physicist who participated in talks, said at a meeting with editors and reporters at Bloomberg’s Washington bureau. Inspections would be part of “a well-defined process with a well-defined end time for access to places that are suspected of out-of-bounds activities.”

Access to sites remains a potential hurdle to a final deal designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said inspectors would be barred from certain military facilities.

On Sunday, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, deputy head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, said “they will not even be permitted to inspect the most normal military site in their dreams,” according to the state-run Press TV news.

Asked about the comments, Moniz said that if there’s a reason to suspect a violation of the agreement, “there has to be access to inspect that site.”Read the full story here.

American fact sheet to damage US in negotiations – Iranian official.

American fact sheet to damage US in negotiations – Iranian official. (Taz).

Iran Atomic Energy Organization Spokesman Berooz Kamalvandi has said that the US State Department made a mistake in publishing a fact sheet on the recent Lausanne framework nuclear agreement.

He underlined that the fact sheet will turn out to be a burden on the US and alter the course of talks in the future nuclear negotiations, IRNA news agency reported April 20.

He also pointed to the IAEA has requested to visit the Parchin military site and said that the West is using the issue as a tool to create a negative media atmosphere against Iran.

“ Parchin is very useful for them for running a campaign against Iran, because they know well that we will not allow access to the inspectors,” he said.

Kamalvandi further pointed out that President Hassan Rouhani has told IAEA Secretary General Yukiya Amano that Iran would allow inspection of the site only once.


The UN nuclear watchdog said on Thursday it had a "constructive exchange" this week with Iran on two issues related to its nuclear program that the agency says Tehran has been failing to fully address since August.

Headed by IAEA Deputy Director General Tero Varjoranta, an IAEA delegation held an expert meeting with Iran April 15.

Following an announcement by Yukiya Amano last year, Iran and the agency are going through a step-by-step process to clarify Iran’s nuclear program, of which two steps have been taken so far.

“In the third step they had some questions and they still pose some questions and the Islamic Republic of Iran still answers their questions,” Kamalvandi said April 15.

He explained that the IAEA questions relate to neutron transfer reactions as well as a last-year blast around the city of Marivan in western Iran.

Video - Prophetic song from Latma 2010 'Da Bomb'

Iranian Defense Min while meeting Russian DM: 'United resistance against US expansionism necessary'.

Iranian Defense Min while meeting Russian DM: 'United resistance against US expansionism necessary'. (IMRA).

Resistance against US expansionism necessary: Dehghan http://en.mehrnews.com/detail/News/106701

TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) Iranian defense minister has called for the formation of a united resistance front against US expansionism.

Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan stressed the need for the formation of a resistance front against expansionist avarice of US and its allies.

Dehghan made the remarks during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in Moscow. 'Russian government's position on global and regional issues is very close to the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran,' Brigadier General Dehghan said, stressing the need for achieving sustainable peace in the world.

Dehghan hailed and expressed support for Russia's strategic understanding over the fact that US government could not be a trusted friend and ally.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, for his part, emphasized the development of constructive ties between Tehran and Moscow, calling it an important factor in global and regional stability.

He touched upon a recent military agreement signed between Iran and Russia in January 2015, saying that it shaped a main and serious basis for the development of bilateral relations.

Russian Defense Minister strongly criticized the sanctions against sovereign states, calling it so harsh and unjust as being contrary to international regulations.

Pointing to US unilateralism, Shoigu called for a united collaboration on behalf of all countries in the world to confront US expansionist greed.

Russian defense minister also stressed the need for holding a joint meeting between Iran, China and Russia in the near future to counter common threats.

During the meeting, both sides agreed upon checking all the technical issues related to S-300 air defense system by the end of the year to pave the way for missile system deliveries to Iran.

Hossein Dehghan is in Moscow to attend 4th conference on International Security (MCIS) which was due on April 16, 2015 and to hold joint meetings with Russian officials.

"CHANGE" - China is preparing to arm its stealthiest submarines with nuclear missiles

"CHANGE" - China is preparing to arm its stealthiest submarines with nuclear missiles. (Bloomberg).

China is preparing to arm its stealthiest submarines with nuclear missiles that could reach the U.S., cloaking its arsenal with the invisibility needed to retaliate in the event of an enemy strike.

Fifty years after China carried out its first nuclear test, patrols by the almost impossible-to-detect JIN class submarines armed with nuclear JL–2 ballistic missiles will give President Xi Jinping greater agility to respond to an attack.


The nuclear-powered subs will probably conduct initial patrols with the missiles by the end of this year, “giving China its first credible sea-based nuclear deterrent,” according to an annual report to Congress submitted in November by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Read the full story here.

Russia to provide China with at least six S-400 AA missile systems.

Russia to provide China with at least six S-400 AA missile systems. (Vedomosti).[GoogleTranslate].

Manager of one of the Russian enterprises of the military-industrial complex and a person close to the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry, told " Vedomosti "that at the beginning of this autumn a contract was signed between " Rosoboronexport "and the Ministry of National Defense to supply at least six divisions anti-missile system S-400 for more than $ 3 billion.

The representative of " Rosoboronexport "was yesterday unavailable for the press representative Concern PVO " Almaz-Antey " ( developer of the C-400) declined to comment.

Negotiations on the supply of S-400 in China has been going on for several years, while in 2011, leadership of the Russian military department stated that the delivery system for export may be no earlier than 2016 - because of the need to implement a program for the supply of the Russian Armed Forces.

In the spring of 2014 the newspaper " Kommersant "reported that President Vladimir Putin has approved the delivery of S-400 in China, and in July the head of the Russian presidential administration Sergei Ivanov said that the first foreign customer of this system can be precisely China.

Long-range systems such as the S-300P exported after the collapse of the Soviet Union and Vietnam, Algeria, Azerbaijan and Cyprus ( now set Cypriots systems are in the armed forces of Greece) and in the presence of the Russian Armed Forces - in Kazakhstan and Belarus.

The contract for the supply of S-300 to Iran was canceled for political reasons in 2010, and execution of the contract for the supply of S-300 to Syria suspended due to the civil war in this country.

In Venezuela and Egypt were delivered than the S-300P systems such as S-300B, originally developed not for the defense forces of the country, and for the defense of the Ground Forces.

Despite the fact that over the past 15 years, the Chinese defense industry sharply raised its level remained segments where it has not yet been able to prove their worth, the director of the Center for Strategic conditions Ivan Konovalov . According to him, most likely this latest system, along with other modern weapons systems will be placed by the Chinese army in the south of the country in order to control the airspace over Taiwan and the disputed islands in the surrounding waters.Read the full story here.

 HT and Source:

ARTICLE: #Russia to provide #China with S-400 AA missile systems. Six for $3 billion USD. http://t.co/Sz4Q77bz8G pic.twitter.com/ajBMVnhezR
— Military Studies (@ArmedResearch) November 26, 2014

Prospects of military cooperation between Iran and Russia discussed.

Lieutenant-General Viktor Bondarev "Hero of the Russian Fedration" since 2.000.

Prospects of military cooperation between Iran and Russia discussed.(Taz).

Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Lieutenant-General Viktor Bondarev met with Iran's Air Force commander Brigadier General Hassan Shah-Safi this morning, Fars news agency reported.

During the meeting the issues and prospects of military cooperation in the sphere of air forces and defence between the two countries were discussed.

According to the agency, it is also expected to sign a cooperation agreement in the sphere of defence and air forces. Currently negotiations are held in this field.

In addition, there are expected meetings of Viktor Bondarev with the Chief of Staff of Air Defense 'Hatamul-Anbiya' of Iranian Armed Forces Farzad Ismaili and Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Forces Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

Within the visit it is planned to review the air bases of fighters in the cities of Tehran and Isfahan.

Russia to deploy fighter jets, anti-aircraft missiles at new Belarus base.

'I'm not a Dictator' Lukashenko and son

Russia to deploy fighter jets, anti-aircraft missiles at new Belarus base.(RT).“We are starting to look into the plan to create a Russian air force base in Belarus with fighter jets. We hope that by 2015 an air force regiment will be based here,” Sergey Shoigu announced.

The Russian defense chief added that a Russian air force HQ in Belarus will be set up by 2014 and test flights by one wing of fighter jets will start in the same year.

Russia will also deliver four battalions of S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Belarus in 2014, Shoigu told the press.

The Defense Minister emphasized that in future the Russian Federation would contribute to the Belarus defense capabilities. Belarus has signed an agreement with Russia on creating a joint anti-aircraft defense as did Russia’s eastern neighbor and ally, Kazakhstan.

Currently there are two Russian military installations in Belarus, one the radar station that is part of the missile strike warning system, and the other a communications hub that provides links to Russian nuclear submarines on combat duty.

Russia also has bases in Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Tajikistan. However, some of these installations are currently under threat, though mostly for financial reasons.

Last year Russia and Kyrgyzstan restarted a row when the country’s authorities attempted to raise the rent for Russia's base there, and the situation was only resolved after President Putin visited Bishkek.Hmmmm......The Last dictator of the Sovjet era gets a 'facelift' from Putin.Read the full story here.