A May Day return for Proton-M carrier rocket?

A May Day return for Proton-M carrier rocket? Moscow (Sputnik) Jan 30, 2017 - The launches of the Proton-M carrier rocket will be resumed within 3.5 months, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Saturday. Rogozin's statement comes as the engines of the second and third stages of the Proton-M carrier rockets have been recalled earlier at the Voronezh Mechanical Plant because of technical problems. "The launches of Proton-M will be resumed within 3.5 ... more

Philippines' Duterte wants China sea patrols to stop kidnappings Manila (AFP) Jan 31, 2017 - President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he has asked China to send sea patrols to help stop Islamic militants abducting sailors and attacking vessels off the southern Philippines. Duterte said he would like Beijing to dispatch a fleet like it did in 2009 when it sent a naval convoy to the Gulf of Aden to protect Chinese ships from Somali pirates. "I also asked China if they can patrol the ... more

Apple joins group devoted to keeping AI nice San Francisco (AFP) Jan 27, 2017 - A technology industry alliance devoted to making sure smart machines don't turn against humanity said Friday that Apple has signed on and will have a seat on the board. Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Facebook, IBM, and Google-owned British AI firm DeepMind last year established the non-profit organization, called "Partnership on AI," which will have its inaugural board meeting in San Francisco o ... more

SmallGEO's first flight reaches orbit Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) Jan 28, 2017 - ESA's new small telecom platform was launched on its first mission in the early hours of Saturday morning. The Hispasat 36W-1 satellite, based on the SmallGEO platform, lifted off on a Soyuz rocket at 01:03 GMT this morning from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. SmallGEO is Europe's response to the market demand for more flexible, modular telecommunications platforms. It m ... more

IAI debuts GPS anti-jamming system Bangalore, India (UPI) Jan 31, 2017 - Israel Aerospace Industries has revealed its new ADA anti-jamming system, a product developed for use on multiple military platforms. The system is designed to provide anti-jamming protection for Global Navigation Satellite Systems, or GNSS, receivers such as fighter jets or combat vessels. Israel Aerospace Industries plans to display the product during the Aero-India exhibition in Bang ... more

Finnish defense forces order Bittium Tough Mobile LTE smartphones Oulu, Finland (UPI) Jan 31, 2017 - Bittium has received a contract from the Finnish defense forces to provide Tough Mobile LTE smartphones. According to Bittium, the company's smartphones are designed to be used in demanding environments, and come equipped with security features such as tamper-detection and integrity check capabilities. Finnish defense officials say the purchase enhances their mobile communication ... more

Raytheon, USAF developing new signal processor for AMRAAM Tucson (UPI) Jan 31, 2017 - A new signal processor is being developed by Raytheon and the U.S. Air Force for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile. The new signal processor, being developed under the Form Fit Function Refresh program, or F3R, will help ensure AMRAAM production well into the next decade, Raytheon said. "AMRAAM is and always has been the best missile of its kind," said Dr. Taylor W. La ... more

Syria peace talks postponed until February 20 United Nations, United States (AFP) Jan 31, 2017 - UN-led peace talks on Syria have been postponed until February 20 to allow a ceasefire to take hold and to give the opposition time to present a united front, the UN envoy said Tuesday. The talks in Geneva had been scheduled to begin on February 8 but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week announced they would be delayed, without providing reasons. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura t ... more

Yemen rebel 'suicide boat' attack kills Saudi sailors Riyadh (AFP) Jan 31, 2017 - Yemeni rebel "suicide" boats attacked a Saudi warship on patrol in the Red Sea, killing two sailors in what the Saudi-led coalition called an escalation of the nearly two-year-old war. But the rebels' Al-Masirah television website said the strike "took place with a guided missile". The assault off the rebel-held port of Hodeida came as coalition-backed government forces pressed a deadly ... more

Iraq PM says US ban punishes those 'fighting terrorism' Baghdad (AFP) Jan 31, 2017 - Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's decision to ban Iraqis from travelling to the United States punishes those who are "fighting terrorism". Trump signed an executive order barring citizens of Iraq and six other Muslim-majority countries from entering the US for at least 90 days, a move he billed as an effort to make America safe from "radical ... more