India is sending a naval team to Russia to study the carrier Gorshkov. While a Russian deadline for an Indian decision to accept the carrier as a gift (paying Russia to refit it) passed, the Russians were quick to extend the discussions and dismissed their own deadline as merely a "pressure tactic". --Stephen V Cole
The Israelis are marketing their LAHAT tank shell around the world, for both 105mm and the less-widespread 120mm. LAHAT is a laser-guided round designed to defeat helicopters, tanks, and other vehicles at extreme ranges (beyond 5km). It has a tandem-HEAT warhead to defeat reactive armor. Very little else is known about LAHAT except that the Israelis claim it requires only minor modifications to existing fire control systems. --Stephen V Cole
President Clinton has launched a personal appeal to British PM Tony Blair to pick an improved AMRAAM rather than an all-European missile for the BVRAAM (Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile) requirement for British fighters. --Stephen V Cole
Sources in China indicate that the Chinese have been unable to get the Shkval VA-111 underwater missiles (or hyper-speed torpedoes, take your pick) to work because they were brought from Kazakhstan without the associated fire control system. --Stephen V Cole
Russian sources insist that six S-300 (SA-10b Grumble) long-range anti-aircraft missile launchers were delivered to Serbia before the NATO bombing, but that these could not be used because delivery of the associated Clam Shell radars was blocked by the NATO onslaught. --Stephen V Cole
Poland has selected the British AS90 Braveheart artillery turret to fit to a modified T72 chassis and become the backbone of its new artillery force. This marks a dramatic turn, in that Poland is the first former Warsaw Pact nation to formally switch to Western-designed artillery. --Stephen V Cole
Britain has bought a dozen used German Alphajets and will use half of them to replace older training aircraft at its main pilot training base at Boscombe Down, England. The other six will be used for spare parts. --Stephen V Cole
Israel has already received its first new German-built submarine, the Dolphin. The second, INS Leviathan, is working up in Germany for the trip home. The third, INS Tekuma, has begun sea trials and is expected to reach Israel next summer. --Stephen V Cole
New Zealand has bought a fifth SH-2G naval helicopter from retired US stocks for $23 million. The four it has are already committed to ships and a flying spare will ensure that the loss of one aircraft (even temporarily) will not reduce the Navy's abilities. --Stephen V Cole
Turkey has told the five nations offering it new attack helicopters to submit their "best and final offers" by 30 Sept. --Stephen V Cole
Finland will buy six Ranger Unmanned Aerial Vehicles from the Swiss company Oerlikon for $20 million. The recon drones have an endurance of five hours and a ceiling of 4,500m. --Stephen V Cole
