Two US Air Force B-52s launched Have Nap missiles at a target hulk last July as a part of RIMPAC 98. While Have Nap is not the optimum weapon for attacking a ship at sea, the exercise demonstrated that the weapon could be used in overwater attacks. Its EO guidance allows it to be used against both land and naval targets. The ex-USS Somers, a decommissioned Decatur-class DDG, was used as the target. B-52s can use Harpoon, Have Nap, and mines in a maritime role. This information appeared on www.af.mil/news.

A new Phalanx Block IB is being developed. Using heavier ammunition (150g instead of 70g), it will have a FLIR tracker integrated with its radar for better accuracy. The radar has an angular accuracy of 2-3 milliradians compared to an optical tracker's accuracy of .05 - .1 millidians. It can also be used as a FLIR sensor when integrated with the Surface Ship Defense System. The modification will go first to remaining FFG-7s (in need of it the most), then amphibs, then the rest of the fleet.

British Tornado F.3s are being upgraded to allow them to fire AMRAAM and ASRAAM. Under the Capability Sustainment Proram, the first upgraded aircraft will fly in 1998, will full IOC in two squadrons by the end of 1998. This will allow the F.3 to remain in service until 2010.

The US Navy is planning on remanufacturing its older SM2 Block II missiles into a new Land Attack Standoff Missile (LASM)with a range of 150 nm. 1,200 rounds will be remanufactured. No information on program status or IOC is available.

Mr. Joaquin Mejia Alberdi has provided the following information: The Spanish Santa Maria-class FFGs. Consulting a Spanish Navy forum at www.geocities.com/Pentagon/2776/ armada.htm and the military magazine Defensa, he has found out that they are not yet equipped with the Dorna fire control directors have not yet been installed. They have not yet decided what version/configuration to use. Also, the last two units have SPS-49 instead of SPS-52.

Russia's bid to sell Admiral Gorshkov to India is not dead. The latest concept involves replacing all bow armament (SS-N-12, RBUs, AK-100s) with a deck extension and ski jump. The elevators will be refitted to take heavier aircraft. The new air group would consist of MiG-29K fighter-bombers, Ka-28 ASW helicopter, and Ka-31 AEW helicopters. The MiG-29K would be different than the originally proposed first-generation version, but would instead be similar to the SMT variant (see the Form 20 on page 31). Discussions between the two countries are described as "advanced."

While Russia condemned India's recent nuclear tests, Russia and India are strengthening their military ties. A new military-technical cooperation program involves Russia building two nuclear reactors in India. Other, more discreet areas of interest may also be involved. Boris Yeltsin is scheduled to visit India in December.

USS Harry Truman (CVN-75) was commissioned on July 25th. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is under construction. CVN-77 was supposed to be a radical new design, incorporating such features as a new, smaller island, reduced manning, revised aircraft handling arrangements, and a reduced radar signature. The Navy has canceled those plans however, and has an-nounced that "features of the new design" will be used in CVN-77, but that the carrier will essentially be a modified Nimitz design, rather than a completely new class.

The first ship of the New SSN class [NSSN] has been named Virginia (SSN-774). She will be the sixth US Navy ship to carry the name.

Mr. Laurent Esmiol of Paris has sent us the following updates on the French Navy:

Tourville and De Grasse received a noise suppression bubbling system during the 94-96 upgrade. Lynx Mk4 on these ships use U.K. Jezebel sonobuoys but without a processor. The Milas ASW launcher is expected in the near future.

Georges Leygues will be struck in 2000 and could be sold.

La Fayette : the fighting system is a autonomous one that integrates sensors, weapons, ECM. So the Crotale CN2 can be rated as autonomous on these ships.

Durance left the fleet in late 1997. It seems that Chile may buy her. The Crotale EDIR performances seems to describe the older Crotale. The new characteristics include SSC, ATA = 5 and a TV/IR backup fire mode.

On French ships the Sadral 6-cell launcher is described as an SSC defense system with a TV/IR lock. The Simbad 2-cell launcher is a local mode system and could definitely not be rated as SSC.

The range of the MM40 Block II is extended by 5 km ( 40 nm) and its weight is now 870 kg.

Australia's Minister of Defense, Ian McLachlan, has announced that the F/A-18 force will have their APG-65 radars replaced with the APG-73, with conversion work scheduled to start in 2000.

BT