Heat Wave Forecast For Russia Early June 2015

Following heat waves in Alaska and the north of Canada, the Arctic looks set to be hit by heat waves along the north coast of Russia in early June, 2015. The image below shows temperature anomalies at the top end of the scale for a large area of Russia forecast for June 6, 2015.

Meanwhile, the heat wave in India continues. It killed more than 2,100 people, reports Reuters, adding that the heat wave also killed more than 17 million chickens in May. The number of people killed by the heat wave is now approaching the 2,541 people killed by the 1998 heat wave in India, which is listed as the record number of deaths due to extreme temperatures in India by the Emergency Events Database.

Further records listed by the database are the well over 70,000 people killed by the 2003 heat wave in Europe and 55,736 people killed by the 2010 heat wave in Russia alone.

On above temperature forecast (left image, top right), temperatures over a large area of India will be approaching the top end of the scale, i.e. 50°C or 120°F. While such temperatures are not unusual in India around this time of year, the length of the heat wave is extraordinary. The heat wave that is about to hit Russia comes with even higher temperature anomalies. Even though temperatures in Russia are unlikely to reach the peaks that hit India, the anomalies are at the top end of the scale, i.e. 20°C or 36°F.

The image below shows a forecast for June 6, 2015, with high temperatures highlighted at four locations (green circles).

Below is a forecast for the jet stream as at June 7, 2015.

The animation below runs the time of the top image (June 6, 2015, 0900 UTC) to the above image (June 7, 2015, 1200 UTC), showing forecasts of the jet stream moving over the Arctic Ocean, with its meandering shape holding warm air that extends from Russia deep into the Arctic Ocean.

Below is another view of the situation.

Jet stream on June 6, 2015, 0900 UTC, i.e. the date and time that corresponds with the top image.

Clicking on this link will bring you to an animated version that also shows the wind direction, highlighting the speed (I clocked winds of up to 148 km/h, or 92 mph) of the jet stream as it moves warm air from Russia into the Arctic Ocean, sped up by cyclonic wind around Svalbard.

This is the 'open doors' feedback at work, i.e. feedback #4 on the feedbacks page, where accelerated warming in the Arctic causes the jet stream to meander more, which allows warm air to enter the Arctic more easily, in a self-reinforcing spiral that further accelerates warming in the Arctic.

The implications of temperatures that are so much higher than they used to be are huge for the Arctic. These high temperatures are heating up the sea ice from above, while rivers further feed warm water into the Arctic Ocean, heating up the sea ice from below.

Furthermore, such high temperatures set the scene for wildfires that can emit huge amounts of pollutants, among which dust and black carbon that, when settling on the sea ice, can cause large albedo falls.

The image below shows Russian rivers that end up in the Arctic Ocean, while the image also shows sea surface temperature anomalies as high as 8.2°C or 14.76°F (at the green circle, near Svalbard).



The big danger is that the combined impact of these feedbacks will accelerate warming in the Arctic to a point where huge amounts of methane will erupt abruptly from the seafloor of the Arctic Ocean.
The image below shows that methane levels as high as 2,566 ppb were recorded on May 31, 2015, while high methane levels are visible over the East Siberian Arctic Shelf.

Below is part of a comment on the situation by Albert Kallio:

As the soils warm up the bacteria in them and the insulating capacities of snow themselves tend to lead snow cover melting faster the warmer the soil it rests on becomes. (Thus the falling snow melts very rapidly on British soil surface if compared to Finland or Siberia where the underlying ground is much colder, even if occasionally the summers have similar or even higher temperatures).

The large snow cover over the mid latitude land masses is a strong negative feedback for the heat intake from the sun if the season 2015 is compared with the season 2012, but the massive sea ice and polar air mass out-transportation equally strongly weakens formation of new sea ice around the North Pole (and along the edges of the Arctic Ocean) as the air above the Arctic Ocean remains warm. The pile up of thin coastal ice also increases vertical upturning of sea water and this could have detrimental effects for the frozen seabed that is storing methane clathrates. The sunlight intake of the sea areas where sea ice has already disappeared corresponds largely with the 2012 season.

The inevitable snow melting around the Arctic Ocean will also transport record volumes of warmed melt water from the south to the Arctic Ocean. The available heat in the Arctic may also be later enhanced by the high sea water temperatures that prevail along the eastern and western coasts of North America, as well as El Nino event increasing temporarily air and sea surface temperatures. This leads to more depressions around Japan and Korea from where the warm air, storms and rains migrate towards Alaska and pull cold air away from Arctic over Russia, while pushing warm air through the Baring Strait area and Alaska to the Arctic Ocean region.

Forecasting seasonal out comes is likely to be increasingly difficult to make due to increasing number of variables in the seasonal melting processes and the resulting lack of historic precedents when the oceans and Arctic has been as warm as today. Thus the interplay of the opposing forces makes increasingly chaotic outcomes, in which the overall trend will always be for less ice and snow at the end of the season. Because of these reasons - including many others not explicitly mentioned here - the overall outcome for the blue ocean, or the ice-free Arctic Ocean, will be inevitable.

Whether the loss of sea ice happens this summer, or next, or one after that, the problem isn't going to go away and more needs to be done to geoengineer to save Arctic ice and wildlife dependent on summer sea ice.

John Davies responds:

Albert Kallio is absolutely right in saying that warmer temperatures are leading to a blue ocean event though the problem remains in which year this will happen. Additionally Methane is being released from the bottom of the ocean leading to increased Methane concentrations and all that means for a destabilising global climate. Frustratingly, the higher temperatures and increasing Methane concentrations are not yet quite sufficient for us to persuade the scientific community and the public that Armageddon is on the way. Hence it is not yet possible to be in a position to persuade the world community of the urgent need for Geo-engineering to save the Arctic and Global climate. However we may reach this situation in the near future and that will be the only time when it might be possible to save the global climate and prevent Armageddon.

The situation is dire and calls for comprehensive and effective action, as discussed at the Climate Plan page.

This image shows Russian rivers that end up in the Arctic Ocean, while it also shows sea surface temperature anomalies...
Posted by Sam Carana on Monday, June 1, 2015

India successfully tests air-to-air Astra missile

Image credit: DRDO

India successfully test-fired its first indigenously developed air-to-air missile, Astra, from a Sukhoi-30MKI combat jet on Sunday - a much-delayed milestone on the road to the new weapon’s induction into the IAF’s arsenal. Astra’s test was part of a series of missile trials lined up by the Directorate of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). A few days ago, India had successfully demonstrated its capability to intercept an incoming hostile ballistic missile.Scientists are now working on the Nirbhaya subsonic cruise missile, which will be test-fired soon. Its first trial was unsuccessful.

Astra was test-fired at a naval range in the western sector, but it will be some time before it takes on a target. The first test only entailed firing from the aircraft and defence scientists were satisfied by its performance. The DRDO is aiming at making Astra one of the mainline weapons for the entire fleet of IAF fighters, ranging from the Sukhois to the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas which is still under development. This would mean that once proven, the missile will have to be produced in large numbers.

The road to the first test from an aircraft was not easy. Extensive ground trials took place before the missile was integrated to the aircraft. Astra is being developed in two stages.In the first phase, the missile will have a range of around 40 km and this will eventually be extended to 100 km in the next phase. “The test firing met all the mission objectives and the air launch was captured by side and forward looking high speed cameras.The separation was exactly as per simulation,” DRDO said in a statement. Astra will undergo a series of trials now as the development process moves towards using the missile to destroy a target.The new missile has high single shot kill probability, which enhances its accuracy. The DRDO said it is an advanced missile which can be fired in all weather conditions.

It has features like active radar terminal guidance, electronic counter-countermeasures and smokeless propulsion. The success of the trial assumes significance as scientists managed to overcome serious design issues, which made it difficult to control the missile. After Astra, all eyes are now on the test of the Nirbhaya subsonic cruise missile. The long-range missile was first fired last year, but it had to be destroyed mid-course after it deviated from the designated path. Though the trial was described as unsuccessful, the DRDO explained it as a partial success. The missile lifted off as planned and crossed designated way points on the way to the target.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2620130/India-tests-air-air-missile.html




Here is how the Indian stupid paid media reported this. The picture is of a Prithvi missle

                           Freedom from Queen bee and freedom from(of) the press(paid)

Indian Air Force Akash surface-to-air missile test fired

India on Thursday successfully testfired indigenously-developed surface-to-air Akash missile with a strike range of 25 km and capability to carry warhead of 60 kgs from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur as part of a user-trial.Describing the launch as successful, Defence sources said that the sophisticated missile was testfired at about 10.58 hours from launch complex-3 of the Interim Test Range.“The mission was successful. The trial was conducted by Indian Air Force personnel,” ITR Director M V K V Prasad said.

Akash, which aimed at a para-barrel target during the trial, is a medium range surface-to-air anti-aircraft defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.The missile has the capability to target aircraft up to 30 km away and is packed with a battery that can track and attack several targets simultaneously, the sources said.

With the capability to neutralise aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles, Defence experts compared Akash to the American MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system.

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/akash-surface-to-air-missile-testfired/

Indian Navy's retired aircraft carrier INS Vikrant

Sits in Mumbai harbor ready to be towed away.  INS Vikrant had been sold for scrap for $10 million.

India test-fires anti-ballistic missile

In a significant milestone in the direction of developing a two layered Ballistic Missile Defence system, India today successfully carried out its maiden Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) test-fire meeting the mission objectives."PDV mission is for engaging targets in the exo-atmosphere region at more than 120 km altitude," Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) said in a statement after the trial conducted on Odisha coast.

"Both the PDV interceptor and the two stage target equipped with motors were specially developed for the mission. The target, developed for mimicking a 'hostile Ballistic Missile approaching from more than 2000 km away', was launched at 0907 hrs from a Ship in the Bay of Bengal," it said.
"In an automated operation, radar based detection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy's ballistic missile. The computer network with the help of data received from Radars predicted the Trajectory of the incoming Ballistic Missile," it said.

PDV that was kept fully ready, took-off from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island, about 100 km from here, once the computer system gave the necessary command for lift-off, the DRDO release said."The Interceptor guided by high accuracy Inertial Navigation System (INS) supported by a Redundant Micro Navigation System moved towards the estimated point of the interception," it said.Once the Missile crossed atmosphere, the Heat Shield ejected and the IR (Infrared) Seeker dome opened to look at the target location as designated by the Mission Computer. With the help of Inertial Guidance and IR Seeker the Missile moved for interception.


http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/pdv-test-fire-a-significant-step-drdo-114042700250_1.html

Surface-to-air 'Akash' missile test fired successfully

Balasore: India on Saturday successfully conducted two rounds of trials of its indigenously developed surface-to-air Akash missile as part of a user trial by the air force from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore in Odisha. "The sophisticated Akash missile was test fired twice in quick succession from launch complex-3 of ITR at about 11.55 am and 12 noon," defence sources said.

Describing both the trials as 'fully successful', ITR Director M K V Prasad said the whole exercise was carried out as part of a user trial by the Indian Air Force. Each missile targeted a toe body supported by Pilot Less Target Aircraft (PTA) 'Lakshya', defence sources said."During the trial, each missile aimed at intercepting a toe body supported by a PTA flown a couple of minutes earlier from another launch complex, at a definite altitude over the sea," sources said.

Akash is a medium range surface-to-air anti-aircraft defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. While the Air-force version has already been inducted, the Army version is in the final stage of induction into the armed forces, they said.

The missile has a strike range of 25 km and can carry a warhead of 60 kgs. It has the capability to target aircraft up to 30 km away and is packed with a battery that can track and attack several targets simultaneously, they said. With the capability to neutralise aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles, defence experts compare Akash to the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system of USA.

The missile was last test fired from the same base on February 24, 2014.



http://zeenews.india.com/news/odisha/surface-to-air-akash-missile-test-fired-successfully_927442.html

Indian Army 17th Tank Busters

Akash Missile Fails to Destroy PTA Target

Misfortune struck the Akash missile project once again during a user associate trial from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the Odisha coast on Wednesday. The missile, test-fired by the Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel, reportedly failed to destroy the target.After twin successes in February, this sophisticated surface-to-air nuclear capable missile this time missed the ‘missed-distance’ proximity. It was the missile’s first trial of the three-trial series.

Defence sources said the missile was launched from the launching complex-III of the ITR at Chandipur-on-sea at about 2.43 pm. Prior to firing of the missile, a pilot-less target aircraft (PTA) was flown from the launching complex-II at about 2.30 pm.“The missile was to destroy the PTA at an altitude of nearly 2 km as per the pre-designated coordination. But the mission failed as the weapon could not destroy the target.

Though it attained the desired altitude, it failed to pass through missed-distance proximity,” said an official from the launching complex.The official said generally the missile does not directly hit the target, it passes through the missed-distance proximity, which may be 10 metres, 20 metres or 100 metres as per the coordination, causing auto-detonation of the proximity fuse in the target. “This time the missile passed away from the proximity area,” he informed.

Two more rounds of the tests have been planned to be carried out on Friday. “The defence scientists are working to fix the problem and hopefully the missile will be ready for test. The DRDO is providing all logistic supports for the trials,” the official added.On May 28 and May 30, 2012, the missile had failed to take off from the launch pad at the ITR. Two trials of the missile were planned back-to-back within a gap of one minute to gauge the flight consistency and effectiveness of the weapon system.Akash is a short-range anti-aircraft missile and can destroy targets 25 km away. The 5.8-metre sleek missile weighs around 720 kg and can carry a warhead of 50 kg. The missile is crucial to India’s air defence programme as it will be used to counter ballistic and cruise missiles, enemy aircraft and air-to-surface missiles.

This weapon can handle multiple targets with the help of a digitally coded command and guidance system. It is fuelled by solid propellants.The Akash missile system which is similar to the American Patriot air-to-surface missile system can track 64 targets simultaneously through its inbuilt sophisticated radar and fire 12 missiles at a time.

75 percent Indians have full faith in Indian Military Establishment - Brookings Survey

2/3rds Indians believe in the military and 70-80 % are dissatisfied with the current Indian Berlusconi controlled political system.

Beijing rejects India's request to reopen Lhasa consulate

China's vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin on Apr. 14 rejected a request from Indian foreign secretary Sujatha Singh to establish a consulate in Lhasa, Tibet, reports the Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao.It marks the third time for Beijing to reject such a request since 2012. India once had a consulate in Lhasa, but it is no longer used after the border war between Beijing and New Delhi in 1962.Meanwhile, the Tibetan government is in exile in Dharamsala, India, and China fears that the establishment of an Indian consulate in the Tibet autonomous region will encourage more anti-government feeling among the local population, the paper said.

Dipankar Banerjee, a retired major general of the Indian Army and the founder of the New Delhi-based Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, told Hong Kong's Ming Pao that there is no political motivation behind India's proposal for a consulate in Lhasa. He added that Tibet is recognized as a "holy land" by many in India. Since 1954, buddhists from India have made annual visits to Lake Manasarovar located in Tibet's Burang County, Banerjee said.India currently has an embassy in Beijing and two consulates located in Shanghai and Guangzhou. As for China, it has an embassy in New Delhi and two consulates in Mumbai and Kolkata. Beijing is planning to build a third consulate in Chennai on the southeastern coast of India.

To improve China's relationship with India, President Xi Jinping may become the first Chinese leader to visit New Delhi since 2006 later this year, according to Ta Kung Pao.

Indian and French air forces to have joint exercise 'Garuda-5' from June 3, 2014

File Photo: IAF

Indian and French air forces to have joint exercise 'Garuda-5' from June 3, 2014 at Rajasthan's Jodhpur airbase from June 3 for air superiority operations.Four Rafale multi-role fighter aircraft and one air-refueller aircraft with more than 100 personnel would form the French delegation.

The training consisting of air to air refuelling, basic and advanced fighter interceptions, protection of high-value aerial targets and group combat manoeuvring would be the main focus of the exercise.Both the Indian Air Force and French Air Force would be engaged in various missions ranging from close combat engagement of large forces, slow mover protection, and protecting and engaging high-value aerial assets in the exercise at the strategic airbase near Indo-Pak border, they said.

Russian T-50 Five machine desert camouflage painting unveiled

T-50 aircraft being jointly developed by India and Russia.

Not sure if these are true images, source is Chinese.

Indian Air Force Antonov An-32RE

http://russianplanes.net/id133271



http://russianplanes.net/id133179


http://russianplanes.net/id133019



http://russianplanes.net/id133015



http://russianplanes.net/id132778


http://russianplanes.net/id133541


http://russianplanes.net/id133097

Indian C-17 Globemaster III Transport Aircraft Carrying LCA Tejas MK 1 Tejas

Location and context unknown - If you know please add in the comments section

India sells decommissioned INS Vikrant aircraft Carrier For US$10 Million

Wikipedia

India has sold its first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant to a ship breaker for US$10 million following an auction, China's Xinhua news agency reported.INS Vikrant, purchased as HMS Hercules from Britain in 1957, had played a key role in enforcing the naval blockade on East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.

The Indian Navy vessel was sold to a company named I.B. Commercial Pvt Ltd. and has 30 days to settle the payment and tow the ship away.
The ship was commissioned as the first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy in 1961.After a distinguished service, it was decommissioned in January 1997 and preserved as a museum ship in Cuffe Parade in Mumbai until it was closed in 2012 due to safety concerns.

India test fires Brahmos supersonic cruise missile

India’s armed forces on Monday carried out another successful test of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.“The launch was carried out at the Pokhran range in the State of Rajasthan in the northwest of India at 13:00, local time to the maximum range of 290 kilometres,” he said. The missile that had been adopted by the country’s armed forces in 2007 was launched from a mobile launcher, in service in two Indian regiments. One more launcher of this type is to be delivered soon to another regiment of the Indian army.

The Russian-Indian JV BrahMos Aerospace at the Defexpo-2014 Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security Systems Exhibition that was held in New Delhi in February for the first time presented a full-scale mock-up of its new BrahMos-M missile, a smaller version of the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile.The missile length is expected to be six metres, and diameter is 50 cm. It will be able to fly 3.5 times faster than sound and carry a warhead of 200 to 300 kilograms to a maximum range of 290 kilometres. The BrahMos missiles that have been tested as of today are two-stage cruise missiles with the length of 10 metres and diameter of 70 cm.

In March 2013, India also for the first time had tested a sub-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, and by the end of the current year intends to test an air-launched version of the missile from the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter.

Japan, India to hold talks on export of US2 rescue plane

Japan and India will hold a working- level talks here Wednesday on Japan's export of US2 rescue plane to the Southern Asian country, said the Japanese Defense Ministry on Monday.

Under the newly adopted arms export rules, Japan is considering export the rescue plane without removing its defense equipment such as identification friend or foe system and cryptography, according to local media.The first round of such meeting was kicked off last December and officials from the defense, foreign and trade ministries will participate in the meeting.

Japan's new three principles on the transfer of defense equipment state that Japan will prohibit the export of weapons to countries involved in conflicts.With restrict screening, Japan will allow arms exports only if they serve the purpose of contributing to international cooperation and its security interests, according to the new rules.

Third orbit raising operation of Indian GPS satellite IRNSS-1B successful

Two more satellites of this constellation, namely, IRNSS-1C and IRNSS-1D, are planned to be launched in the second half of 2014. The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2015-16.



The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has conducted the third orbit raising operation of IRNSS-1B successfully.In total, Isro plans to conduct five orbit manoeuvres from the Master Control Facility to position the satellite in its Geosynchronous Circular Orbit at 55 deg East longitude.On April 4th, Isro successfully launched IRNSS-1B, carried by PSLV C24, from Sriharikota.

The expected orbital parameters are Perigee (the nearest point to earth) Altitude: 11,668 km, Apogee (the farthest point to earth). Altitude: 35,924 km, Inclination: 27 degree.

IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1,500 km around the Indian mainland. IRNSS would provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS) - provided to all users - and Restricted Services (RS), provided only to authorized users.

PSLV-C24 rocket successfully launches Indian GPS satellite IRNSS-1B into space

India's Polar Satellite Vehicle (PSLV) has its 25th jubilee flight of the rocket.The satellites will way-point all Indian missiles to their targets with an accuracy of 20 meters.






IRNSS-1B satellite is the second of seven which will make up the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). The constellation will consist of four satellites in geosynchronous orbits inclined at 29 degrees, with three more in geostationary orbit. IRNSS-1B is one of the geosynchronous satellites, and is expected to be positioned at a longitude of 55 degrees east.

The earlier IRNSS-1A satellite was launched on July 1st 2013.The PSLV will launch two more such satellites before the end of 2014.

The geostationary satellites will operate at 34, 83 and 132 degrees east. The IRNSS system is expected to provide navigation signals to India with an accuracy of up to 20 meters.The IRNSS-1B will be useful in terrestrial, aerial and sea navigation. It will beam back accurate information on the position of trucks, cars, battle tanks, aircraft, missiles, ships and submarines with precise timing reference. Truck and car drivers, pilots of civilian or combat aircraft and ship captains can properly plan their route using the IRNSS satellites which will guide them towards their destination with the help of a receiver. The satellites will way-point the missiles to their targets.

The IRNSS-1B satellite is based on the I-1K satellite bus and has a fuelled mass of 1,425 kilograms (3,141 lb), or a dry mass of 614 kg (1,354 lb).It is powered by two solar arrays, which generate up to 1,660 watts of power. The spacecraft is expected to operate for ten years.

Media: India will purchase 66 000 Russian tank ammunition "Mango"

http://itar-tass.com/politika/1087580

India has signed an agreement with Russia on the purchase of her 66,000 armor-piercing ammunition "Mango" for tank guns of 125 mm caliber, which are equipped with T-90 tanks. It is reported by the news agency Press Trust of India.

The cost of the agreement is estimated at 26 billion rupees (419 million dollars). Previously it was necessary, in accordance with procedures approved by the Committee for Security Cabinet, Government of India.

The agreement also provides for the subsequent production of these weapons under license in India. They will control the arms factories (Ordnance Factory Board).
Need to purchase the Ministry of Defence explained the acute shortage of tank ammunition from the Indian armed forces.