Ok, so I met today with a senior Northrop Grumman official who chatted with me about the ongoing Tanker Tango from the NorGrum/EADS perspective.
Sure, a lot of the conversation was about KPPs this, and job opportunities that. But he dropped a couple news tidbits I thought I'd throw your way.
First of all, the official told me the Air Force had formally submitted a request to the GAO to throw out the Boeing protest on Wednesday.
This is different from an earlier request to dismiss. That one concerned issues Boeing had brought up in their protest that the Air Force considered invalid, such as WTO conflicts and government subsidies.
GAO rejected that request for dismissal, so the Air Force compiled its case against the Boeing protest on the merits of the company's specific allegations, this official told me. The service has asked the GAO to dismiss the protest in its entirety.
I asked for a copy of the AF protest, but couldn't get it because the companies need to redact any proprietary information before it can be released.
Second, and kind of along the same lines, it turns out the Air Force, stung by the last tanker implosion that forced its secretary out of office and jailed two Boeing officials, Red Teamed the heck out of the tanker award before it was announced. I've been thinking all along that it seems to me the Air Force wouldn't risk a mis-dotted "i" or an un-crossed "t" given its previous experience.
Well, the NorGrum official told me that for a month and a half, the Air Force convened a Red Team of the Army and Navy's top procurement officers, staffers from Pentagon acquisition chief John Young's office and Pentagon IG officials at Wright Patterson Air Force base. The team was tasked with poking holes in the contract process to make sure there could be no protest from either side on how the Air Force handled the competition.
So it seems, on the face of it, that if proponents of the protest are trying in some way to impugn the Air Force on a slip shod process, assuming this Red Team happened, it doesn't hold much water.
Again, I just thought I'd pass along the info. And, I'd be happy to speak with Boeing's tanker team any time to get their side of the story if they offer.
-- Christian
When my air conditioning broke in mid-July I was very nervous about the repair costs, but I remember that my real estate agent purchased a home warranty for my home. I called Nationwide Home Warranty and within a few hours my a/c was fixed for only a service call fee. My realtor really helped me out.
On 16th March the CAMCOPTER S-100 UAV System successfully completed flights from a Type 21 Frigate of the Pakistan Navy in the Arabian Sea.
NATO's progress towards information and decision superiority in mission areas—including friendly force tracking, intelligence and surveillance sharing—will be the focus of a high-level Alliance conference in Antalya, Turkey on 30 April – 2 May.
Scientists from the University of Dayton Research Institute have manipulated the process of shell and pearl formation in oysters to demonstrate a method for depositing pearl-like coatings onto various metal surfaces.
In the skies over Basra, a crack squad of highly trained RAF Regiment snipers have been hard at work supporting ground troops and Immediate Response Teams (IRT) under fire from Iraqi militia.
The Boeing KC-767 Advanced Tanker would save billions of dollars over the anticipated lifetime of the aircraft compared with the larger Airbus-based KC-30.
The Navy’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (PEO C4I) announced the successful testing of two critical components of its planned upgrade to the Tactical Data Link (TDL) system onboard Navy ships.
BAE Systems has been awarded a $43.6 million contract by the U.S. Army to manufacture 730 Long Term Armor Strategy (LTAS) cargo vehicles.
Alliant Techsystems has received a contract option worth $134 million from Northrop Grumman Corporation to refurbish components and replace propellant on Minuteman III Stage 1, 2 and 3 rocket motors.
In a laboratory in Enköping there are seven green boxes which could have a major effect on the way in which the Armed Forces communicate.
U.S. military readiness is at risk due to rising defense operations and maintenance costs and ballooning personnel expenditures, a new report by the Aerospace Industries Association concludes.
Yesterday afternoon we ran a story on Military.com about a U.S. drone strike that killed four Shiite "militants" in Basra.
An unmanned U.S. drone fired two Hellfire missiles at militants attacking Iraqi soldiers in a Shiite militia stronghold in the southern city of Basra on Wednesday, killing four of the gunmen, the military said.
The airstrike in Basra occurred about 1 a.m. after militiamen attacked an Iraqi army patrol with rocket-propelled grenades on the eastern side of the Hayaniyah district, the U.S. military said. A vehicle suspected of containing more weapons and ammunition also was destroyed.
To me this strike seemed interesting for it's "close air support" flavor. Up until only recently, the armed Predators and Reapers have been used primarly for strategic and infrastructure strikes. We all know about drones going after HVTs in a "surgical" hit, but this time it seems they were used to support Iraqi troops on the ground.
We also saw reports of drones being used in this way during last week's fighting in Sadr City.
Does this signal a paradigm shift in the use of combat drones? I'd be interested to know what the coordination for CAS is with this kind of asset -- what's the response time? Seems to me it's a good idea in a place where US assets are thinly distributed like Basra. And as the US withdraws more and more troops over the coming years, we could see a lot more of this kind of drone-kills-man scenario.
-- Christian
Here's a great first-person review of the MRAP from my good friend Charlie Benbow who I met up with in Iraq. He posts as "Slab" on OpFor.
In January, my team traded out our well-worn M1114 Up-armored HMMWV for a 4X4 JERRV, one of the models of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles purchased by the Marine Corps. We were pretty excited to have the new vehicle, especially after our first look inside. I mean, the thing looks like the Cadillac Escalade of tactical vehicles. The IED threat in our little slice of Al Anbar had long since dropped to non-existent, but it felt good to have something that was specifically engineered to combat the threat, you know? It didn't take long for the novelty to wear off, however, and by the end of the deployment we had taken to operating mainly from a Humvee again. The MRAP is a superb EOD and convoy security vehicle (the acronym JERRV stands for Joint EOD Rapid Response Vehicle), but it is merely a passable utility and/or fighting vehicle. The thing was obviously designed with the EOD mission in mind, and if any operator input was incorporated into the design, it clearly did not come from the infantry community.
On the good side, it is obviously better equipped to resist blast-type mines and IEDs than any other vehicle in the inventory. On top of the increased protection, the MRAP has a fantastic communications system installed, much better than what we had in our Humvee. Most ANGLICO Humvees look like Monster Garage rejects - additional antennas installed in weird places, additional radios installed in all sorts of unauthorized fashion, all trying to maximize the communications capability of our vehicles. Here we had a vehicle that came with brand new multiband radios, all tied in to an intercommunications system. Although many of the comm capabilities are completely unnecessary for most units, it almost seemed like this thing was made for ANGLICO. In addition, the designers were definitely looking to improve crew comfort in these things - the seats are much more comfortable than the ones in a Humvee, the Vehicle Commander's (VC) seat was MUCH roomier than in a Humvee (even my 155 lb ass ends up wedged between the door and the Blue Force Tracker mount in a Humvee), the air conditioning system was top-notch, etc.
For a motorized infantry mission, however, the MRAP's shortcomings are many. It handles atrociously offroad. The suspension is incredibly stiff, with the end result being that you must be tightly strapped in to survive the jostling in the back of the vehicle. Well, my radio operator sits in the back, and those wonderful radios I mentioned before are placed in such a way that the only person who can readily access them is the gunner. Someone that I would prefer keep his attention oriented, you know, outside the vehicle. My radio guy can certainly reach around the gunner's legs and work on the radios, but not if he's tightly strapped in trying to survive the ride.
Because we frequently live and fight from our vehicle, we have to carry an assortment of odds and ends for our radios, weapons, and ourselves. Things like water, MREs, ammunition, spare barrels for the machinegun, and spare items for the radios. The jostling that I just mentioned makes it nearly impossible to store any of these items in the interior of the vehicle without significant modification. We tried removing one of the seats and putting in a wooden box with space for some of these items, but many items were tossed completely out of the box and ended up strewn about the floor of the vehicle. There is a complete lack of weapons stowage for passengers in the rear of the vehicle, and the weapons racks for the driver and VC are designed for M16s, not M4s. One aspect that seems to elude many tactical vehicle designers is that motorized infantry typically store their sustainment load (i.e. rucksacks) externally (see below). This allows the vehicle's internal space to be utilized for items that I mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph, which must be readily accessible throughout the day. Sustainment items can typically wait until a long halt of some sort before they are needed. Yet, the MRAP has no provision for strapping a rucksack to the outside of the vehicle.
The MRAP is a vehicle that is well-suited for a particular niche, but due to pressure from people such as our lawmakers in Congress, it has been pressed into service in roles that it is not suited for. For a unit that never leaves a paved surface, and rarely spends more than 24 hours outside of some sort of operating base at a time, the MRAP's protection and communications capabilities make it a superb asset. For units that must remain expeditionary, be able to operate in a wide variety of terrain and pursue the enemy wherever he is found, the MRAP is ultimately a poor choice, and I in retrospect I am very glad that Gen Conway is reducing the number of these vehicles on order. Personally, if given the choice, I would take an M1114 or M1152 HMMWV over the JERRV 4X4, and would seek other means to reduce the IED threat through such things as tribal leader engagement and refining mounted patrol TTPs.
For more reading on the subject, try Defense Tech. As you can see, Christian has been leveling similar criticism since last year. Christian's article is one of the more down-to-earth articles I've seen on the subject. He and I had a good discussion about personal body armor at the Milbloggies last year, it looks like we are of generally the same opinion on the MRAP issue as well.
-- Slab
The IDF recently deployed the Keshet 120 mm Autonomous Self Propelled Recoil Mortar System (manufactured by Soltam Systems Limited) that the head of the Army Headquarters Weapons Department, Lieutenant Colonel Eren Garnet, explained would enable a battalion commander to fire artillery autonomously. "The battalion commander should be able to guide the fire in the unit he commands as opposed to requiring outside assistance."
The Keshet can be integrated on any M1064 Tracked Vehicle and is currently in serial delivery to the US Army, the IDF and other customers. The autonomous mortar system is capable of a maximum range of 7KM (with NATO std unassisted bombs) and can fire all types of 120mm smooth bore ammo. Its rate of fire burst is 16 per minute (intense burst, 4 rounds). The total weight is 750kg, elevation (deg) 40-85 and traverse (deg) 360.
According to Valentec Systems Inc., the Keshet offers commanders of infantry and armor unique enhanced operational capabilities. Indeed, improvements in inertial navigation systems and a sophisticated target acquisition system further enhance the accuracy of mortar ammunition delivery.
IDF Lieutenant Colonel Tal Aharon notes that the "Keshet weapons system is, without a doubt, the most advanced weapons system of the Infantry Corps."
Other Mortars Compared:
The XM1204 Non-Line-of-Sight Mortar (NLOS-M) is a turreted, self-propelled mortar vehicle with a four man crew. The NLOS-M is currently in development for the U.S. Army and is a component of the Future Combat System.
The Non-Line-of-Sight Mortar (NLOS-M) offers unparalleled responsiveness and lethality (http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/ic/fcs/bia/050923_resupply_rfi.pdf) to the Unit of Action (UA) commander. The mortar provides fires in close support of tactical maneuvers that include destructive fires and special purpose fires. While working as part of an NLOS-M battery, the Non-Line-of-Sight mortar-firing Precision Guided Mortar Munitions deliver lethal fires to destroy targets and provide area suppression in support of UA companies and platoons.
The command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) network enables the FCS NLOS-M)fire control system to conduct semi- to autonomous computation of technical fire direction, automatic gun lay, preparation of the ammunition for firing and mortar round firing. Vastly improved handling, loading and firing systems will be another centerpiece of the NLOS-M. The mortar platoon will also retain a dismounted 81mm mortar capability for complex terrain.
According to Chinese Defense Today, the YW-381 self-propelled 120mm mortar system is mounted inside the troop compartment of a YW-531 APC and is capable of an indirect fire range of 7,700m. The 13.2t mortar is mounted (or fixed) on the APC floor, and cannot move in traverse. As such, the mortar tube elevation range is limited to 45-80 degrees. Auxiliary weapon include a Type 59 12.7 anti-aircraft machine gun mounted on the APC's roof.
The Russian Tulpan is based on the GMZ tracked minelaying vehicle carrying an externally mounted M-240 240 mm breech-loading mortar on the hull rear. The M-1975 mortar (130kg per projectile) is capable of a 9,650m range, but an extended range munition could possibly raise the range to 20,000 m. The Tulpan is limited to a firing frequency of one round per minute. However, the Tulpan can also fire laser-guided, armor-piercing, chemical and nuclear rounds.
Enemy Forces notes that the 240-mm mortar is lowered into the firing position under remote-control and when in position can be elevated from +45 to +80° with a traverse of 8° left and right. The sighting system is located on the right side of the mortar.
Growing concerns with the U.S. having enough Army and Marine Corps land forces to react to potential unforeseen crises overseas are drawing attention on Capitol Hill.
The concerns come as lawmakers craft fiscal 2009 defense bills and eye post-Bush administration budget-making, keeping in mind the looming potential for a significant number of troops operating in Iraq for years to come and the strain that deployments so far have placed on the volunteer U.S. military.
"We have had 12 military contingencies in the last 31 years, some of them major and most of them unexpected," House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) said at a recent hearing.
"We must have a trained and properly equipped force ready to handle whatever comes. But my strong concern is that our readiness shortfalls and the limitations on our ability to deploy trained and ready ground forces have reached a point where these services would have a very steep uphill climb with increased casualties to respond effectively to an emerging contingency," Skelton said.
Skelton made the remarks at an April 9 hearing with the four-star vice chiefs of the Army and Marines, both of whom admitted that they were not satisfied with their respective service's so-called strategic depth to respond to crisis scenarios like the post-9/11 invasion of Afghanistan.
Army Gen. Richard Cody testified that the Army remains "out of balance," repeating what has become a common official Army phrase referring to the need to recruit, station, train and equip soldiers for more than just counterinsurgency operations.
"The current demand for our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds the sustainable supply and limits our ability to provide ready forces for other contingencies," Cody said.
"Overall, our readiness is being consumed as fast as we build it. If unaddressed, this lack of balance poses a significant risk to the all-volunteer force and degrades the Army's ability to make a timely response to other contingencies," the Army vice chief said.
Read what the Marines have to say about all this from our Aviaton Week friends at Military.com.
-- Christian
Defense industry advocates seem to see budget cuts coming and they're trying to get out of the way.
The Aerospace Industries Association on Tuesday called on policy makers to start thinking about defense spending -- and consider ways to make sure weapons purchases don't get pushed aside. Operating costs and personnel are getting more expensive, the big trade group said, and the next administration will also face a host of other budget pressures. But that won't stop the Pentagon's airplanes and helicopters from getting older, or ease the need to replace them, the group said.
"Our country's current path for military aerospace modernization is not viable," AIA's new defense modernization manifesto said. "As part of adequately funding national defense, DoD needs to increase annual procurement spending to a steady state range of $120 billion150 billion, in constant dollars, simply to modernize an aging, increasingly obsolete and potentially vulnerable force."
The trade group said Congress needs to keep passing emergency spending bills, so that war costs don't make modernization unaffordable. It also called for the next administration to give a little extra thought to the defense budget, so that weapons buying won't fall to the bottom of the priority heap as military support costs rise.
"By 2013, over a 25-year period, the operations and support element of the budget will have more than doubled faster than the growth in the defense budget itself. In contrast, investment will increase by slightly more than 50 percent, well below the growth path of the general budget.
These trends suggest an ongoing, permanent change in composition of the defense budget," the trade group said. "Continuing this trend beyond current projections will make it even more difficult for defense planners to adequately resource the investment spending upon which our military superiority and technological edge depends."
-- Rebecca Christie
The US rationale for war in Iraq has morphed from ousting strongman Saddam Hussein, to countering Al-Qaeda militants to its latest incarnation -- facing down what officials in President George W. Bush's administration call the Iranian "threat".
President George W. Bush accepts a tentative deal reached by US and North Korean negotiators which is aimed at breaking a deadlock in nuclear disarmament talks, the White House said Monday.
Russia's Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer will rank fourth globally in terms of fighter plane production up to 2012, the company's press service said on Monday, citing a market researcher.
The United States has agreed to connect Israel to its ballistic missile early warning system to warn of any missile attack from archfoe Iran, a senior Israeli defence official said on Monday.
US-led moves to turn a forum grappling with the North Korean nuclear crisis into a permanent security mechanism are frustrating Southeast Asia's bid to become a key player in regional security, experts say.
Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a contract to consolidate and centrally manage information technology (IT) resources for the U.S. Army's 5th Signal Command in Mannheim, Germany.
In today's headlines at Military.com, we ran the following story on still more delays to the re-bidding of the CSAR-X competition. This time it's one of Congress' protectionist mandates, forcing the bidders to restrict the use of imported specialty metals.
From Military.com:
The long-anticipated awarding of a $10 billion contract for a military search-and-rescue helicopter has been delayed again -- from July to October -- to comply with changes in the law restricting use of imported specialty metals.
Boeing said April 14 that it had received a draft of the new bid proposal, called Amendment 6, in what the Air Force calls its CSAR-X competition.
Great...this is going to help us with domestic competition, entry into world markets and smoothing over images of a "go-it-alone" foreign policy isn't it?
And, as if Boeing needs more headaches as it wages the Tanker War with EADS/NorGrum...
The latest draft of the bid request, which incorporates changes in the law on the use of specialty metals, was issued last week. Boeing said April 14 that it would submit comments and questions today.
Boeing said the drive shaft, transmission, leading edges of the blades, and other critical parts contained high-strength steels, titanium and other specialty metals.
It could not say how much foreign specialty metal is used in its CSAR-X entry or the Army CH-47 F and G models, which it builds in the suburbs of Philadelphia for transport and special-operations missions. The United States has long sought to use domestic sources for those metals.
The rivals are single-rotor aircraft: Sikorsky H-92 Superhawk and Lockheed Martin US101, which is based on a design developed in Europe. The US101 has been selected for the new "Marine One" presidential helicopters and is destined to replace the aging Sikorsky VH-3D Sea Kings in that role.
And doesn't this restriction seem to prejudice anything made in Europe, like the US101? So much for free and open competition in a world market. Maybe the Soviets had it right after all...
-- Christian
The establishment of early-entry and operational command posts in late March during the deployment phase of Austere Challenge 2008 marked a significant milestone in the merger of U.S. Army Europe and V Corps into a single organization known as 7th Army.
Phoenix Express 2008 (PE 08) wrapped up the inport portion of the exercise on April 13 and began the underway portion of the two-week exercise on April 14 with 12 ships getting underway from Naval Support Activity, Souda Bay, Crete.
Airmen with the 354th Operations Support Squadron Intelligence Flight here are providing U.S. and allied forces intelligence scenarios and targeting materials to support Exercise Red Flag-Alaska 08-2 running April 3 through 18.
Prague called for US help to modernise its armed forces in return for its cooperation with Washington's anti-missile radar plan, a Czech minister told public television on Monday.
The United States' top military commander in Japan on Monday called for greater military transparency from China, saying the reasons for its rising defence spending remained unclear.
When Russia surprised the world a half century ago by launching the Sputnik satellite through Earth’s atmosphere, the ripple effect spurred the White House into action.
At a speech in Indianapolis today, Hillary Clinton outlined a plan to maintain a strong national security and keep good jobs in the U.S. Her plan will invest in a new generation of defense manufacturing jobs and research and development to maintain America’s competitiveness, innovative edge, and to provide our military and our soldiers with the equipment and technology they need.
Alliant Techsystems recently delivered the 100,000th DSU-33 Proximity Sensor to the U.S. Air Force. The company reached this production milestone after consolidating fuze operations in 2005 into its Allegany Ballistics Laboratory manufacturing center of excellence in Rocket Center, West Virginia.
Aura Systems, Inc. announced today that Naval Special Warfare has requested ownership of the SEALION II high performance technology craft powered by the 16,000 Watt AuraGen VIPER system...
The Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2008 third quarter event kicked off here April 14 and will run through April 25 after two years of planning and preparation by Air Force officials.
The U.S. Postal Service is helping the Air Force Reserve celebrate its 60th anniversary with a commemorative pictorial cancellation that went into circulation April 14.
Arianespace has been selected to launch the BSAT-3b satellite by Japanese operator Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT). This was announced today by Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall and B-SAT Corporation President & CEO Kazuo Takenaka during the visit of France's Prime Minister to Tokyo.
In 1992, the first line combat air strength of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) consisted of approximately 200 aircraft, organized into six fighter/ground-attack squadrons and five fighter-air defense squadrons. However, the RSAF declined during the 1990s' as the Kingdom's F-5EIIs and F-5s lost substantial operational capability.
In September 2007, Saudi Arabia and Britian signed a deal for the sale of 72 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft for 4.43bn (British pounds). The deal followed a £21bn al-Yamamah contract negotiated by the Thatcher government and involving the sale of BAE Systems Tornado jets and medical equipment.
Now, the US is reportedly considering a sale of the advanced stealth F-35 Lightning II to Saudi Arabia. In an effort to maintain military superiority, Israel has asked the Bush administration to purchase the the F-22 Raptor, despite the fact that foreign sales of the aircraft are currently banned by Congress.
In addition, Israeli defense officials have requested two new advanced JDAM models (laser-guided and immune to jamming) to offset the standard JDAM smart-bomb kits sold to Saudi Arabia that converts existing 500-, 1,000- and 2,000-pound unguided free-fall bombs into accurately guided "smart" weapons.
Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., has expressed concern over US arms sales to Saudi Arabia, noting that the Kingdom has not been a true ally in furthering the United States interests in the Middle East, and noted that about 40 percent of all foreign fighters [in Iraq] are Saudi.
However, according to US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States will help bolster forces of moderation and support a broader strategy to counter the negative influences of al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran."
Nevertheless, Daryl G. Kimball of the Arms Control Association has compared the Bush administration arms sales policy of sell, sell, sell to throwing gasoline on a brush fire.
The possibility of a rogue pilot or the eventual overthrow of the Saudi regime also concerns officials and analysts. Dr. Michael Donovan of the CDI emphasized that as of Sept. 11, [Saudi] stability can no longer be taken for granted...The Islamic values upon which they based their authority for so long are now, seemingly, in conflict with forces they could not control even if they chose to do so.
(Gouge: NC)
The NSA is not the only agency with advanced eavesdropping capabilities.
Cyber espionage is getting renewed attention as fresh evidence emerges of computer spying against corporations and government agencies here and abroad. Late last year MI5 warned British companies of Chinese espionage activities. Computer Security Professionals have stated there is growing evidence of attacks from China and other countries. Zhao Shangse, an official from the Chinese embassy in London, has denied the allegations. This is not new. Way back in 2001 when we were preparing for my congressional testimony and demonstration we considered hacking the computer and using the webcam and built-in PC microphone to look and listen in. We had to scrap that plan when we found out that we had to use a dial up modem to connect in the hearing room.
Now many more people have caught on to our tricks. Numerous news stories report the use of Trojans and Worms using webcams to spy on users. In one case it was college students spying on female students.
Other stories report that similar malicious code is in use by corporate and government spies alike. With the growth of VoIP this takes on a new and more significant risk. In November of 2007, CISCO Systems confirmed it is possible to eavesdrop on remote conversations using Cisco VoIP phones.
Multiple computer manufacturers admitted that microphones attached to their workstations can be used to eavesdrop on conversations near the computer. I discussed cyber spying with the experts at Spy-Ops and they strongly recommended microphones on systems in sensitive areas be either physically switched off or totally disconnected from the system. In addition, they told me that last year the global cost of industrial espionage topped $1.5 trillion dollars.
The German army's chief of staff wants more troops in northern Afghanistan following a string of recent attacks on its soldiers and Afghan helpers, he said in a magazine interview published April 13.
"It would have been sinful to come to Jordan and not to see Petra," said a South African executive at the recent Special Operations Exhibition (SOFEX) held in Amman and under the patronage of HM King Abdallah.
The pilots and ground crew from 4 Regiment Army Air Corps, based near Ipswich, are going through their preparations before they take over responsibility for flying and maintaining the UK's Apache attack helicopters in southern Afghanistan.
The secret site of Iran's first space centre, opened with a recent missile launch, has been pinpointed by Jane's, the defence group said Friday, adding that it resembled facilities in North Korea.
Despite reports to the contrary, the body armor being used by Soldiers today in Iraq has been rigorously tested.
The United States and Iran have been conducting secret back-channel discussions on Tehran's nuclear program and frozen relations between the two countries, The Independent reported Monday.
An improved counter-mine capability which has gone into action in Afghanistan is already getting rave reviews from front line troops.
The Iraqi government which receives generous U.S. military aid has secretly negotiated an $833 million arms deal with Serbia in an apparent bid to circumvent anti-corruption provisions that accompany such deals with the United States, The New York Times reported on its website April 12.
The T-37 Tweet officially began its march toward full retirement March 31 when 80th Flying Training Wing officials here "took the car keys" to its replacement, the T-6A Texan II.
Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations April 12, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica company, unveiled today the first M-346 new generation advanced trainer in the baseline industrial configuration.
The Air Force evaluation cited the Boeing offering to be more advantageous in the critical area of survivability. The evaluators found the KC-767 tanker had almost five times as many survivability discriminators as its competitor.
Northrop Grumman Corporation this week submitted its bid for the prime role in the U.S. Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) competition.
In a joint initiative between PWGSC and the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Forces' Halifax Class frigates will be retrofitted with new operation rooms, radar suites and various communications, control and warfare systems.
Preparations are already under way for the withdrawal of Australian troops from Iraq.
On April 3, 2008, French defense procurement agency DGA, part of the Ministry of Defense, placed an order with Sagem Defense Securite for 5,045 FELIN integrated infantry soldier equipment suites for the French army, worth 143 million euros.
After four years of construction, the U.S. Coast Guard expects to accept its first National Security Cutter by early May, but testing and shakedown runs could delay full deployment for almost two years, according to a top Coast Guard official. The cutter Bertholf is at sea, undergoing acceptance trials with a crew supplied by contractor Northrop Grumman and under the supervision of the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey, said Rear Adm. Gary Blore, the Coast Guard's assistant commandant for acquisition. "It's been a long time coming but I'm glad we're here," Blore told reporters in a teleconference from Coast Guard headquarters, adding that the acquisition process, which he conceded has been criticized in the past, "has taken a little bit longer than I would have hoped." That's one reason the Navy was brought in as an outside inspector. He said the Bertholf's prospective captain, the Navy and a Coast Guard board will recommend whether or not to accept the 418-foot, 4,300-ton vessel, which is expected to cost $640.7 million. Instrument testing of the ship's command, control, computers and communications systems are being conducted to ensure that commercial-off-the-shelf systems are properly shielded so that classified communications don't emanate...
India will soon invite bids to supply its armed forces with 384 helicopters in a deal valued a nearly $2 billion, defense ministry officials told AFP on April 11.
The Air Force Association, strictly neutral on all military contract decisions, today urged that the appeals process for the recently announced Air Force tanker contract remain properly focused on the merits of the aircraft proposals.
Iran has started operating hundreds of new uranium-enriching centrifuges at its main nuclear plant, the official IRNA news agency said on Friday, confirming Tehran is expanding its contested atomic drive.
EU governments today asked the European Defence Agency to produce an Armaments Strategy to help meet future military needs, ensure interoperability and standardization, and share the ever-increasing costs of developing and procuring high-technology defence equipment.
In line with its development work on MILAN ADT- ER, MBDA has successfully conducted a series of three test firings, further demonstrating the reliability of the new technologies integrated within this new weapon system.
On April 8, 2008, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom of 157 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles as well as associated equipment and services.
Close on the heels of floating multi-billion dollar global tenders for buying long-range artillery guns, India plans to invite international bids for purchase of 312 light helicopters.
Israeli tanks and bulldozers crossed into the Gaza Strip on Friday after the Jewish state warned it would retaliate against Hamas for a deadly explosion of violence earlier this week.
The Target Drone “Turna,” which was developed by Turkey’s aerospace center Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI), realized its first test flight with the turboprop engine, which was developed by Turkish Engine Industries Inc. (TEI), which designs, develops and manufactures engines for air platforms in Turkey, on April 4, 2008.
Syracuse Research Corporation (SRC)'s radar that is the prototype for Lockheed Martin's Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 counter-fire target acquisition (EQ-36) radar recently completed successful performance testing in 360-degree counter-fire mode.
On April 4, 2008, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Turkey of MK 41 Vertical Launch Systems as well as associated equipment and services.
US President George W. Bush on Thursday ordered an indefinite halt to US troop withdrawals from Iraq come July, warning that the strife-torn country remains too fragile five years after Baghdad fell.
FMV, the Swedish Defence Material Administration, has responded to a request from the Croatian government for information regarding the supply of twelve (12) new Gripen fighters to meet Croatia’s national, European and NATO needs.
The Air Force's newest and most technologically advanced fighter, the F-22 Raptor, is under attack here.
Though India and Russia are yet to break the deadlock over fixing a new price for aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, the government has voiced confidence that the key defence deal will be on track.
A little shameless self promotion here folks, but as you know in January I spent a few days embedded with VMM-263, the first MV-22 squadron deployed to combat.
As my previous story subtly indicates, I was pretty impressed with the aircraft and was happier to fly 250 mph at 9,000 feet than 150 mph at 300 feet in a war zone situation. Even with the lack of armament -- which we can argue about later -- it seemed a lot safer going fast and high, than slow and low.
Well, I finally put together a video from the footage I shot doing a day of missions with a two ship formation. I posted it on Military.com's Shock and Awe sight, but I also wanted to show you all so you could slice and dice the performance.
I hope you enjoy it.
-- Christian
Inside the Pentagon has an interesting story on America's assistance to Lebanese special forces. Seems like a good idea to me, though I'm sure each side would have rather kept the deal quiet. No one in the Middle East wants to appear like a US stooge, but Lebanon's army is really the glue that holds together a fractured society.
Could Lebanon's army be a model for Iraq's? They're dealing with a similar set of paradoxes in terms of religiosity and sectarianism. Anyway...
The other things that's cool about this Lebanon deal is that my boy Dave Woroner was pretty close to inking a deal to supply the Lebanese army with his popular TacRail system. The deal didn't go through, but it's kinda cool to see a DT friend playing in this big deal.
From Inside the Pentagon:
Amid U.S. concerns that Iran and Syria are destabilizing Lebanon by supporting Hezbollah, the Pentagon is poised to bolster Beiruts military with new shipments of weapons, trucks and other gear.
The Pentagon will spend $7.2 million to equip Lebanons special forces with small arms, vehicles, night-vision sights for guns, Global Positioning System devices and clothing, Inside the Pentagon has learned.
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman informed Congress of the details last month, noting the gear will enable Lebanons elite troops to conduct counterterrorism missions in both daylight and limited-visibility conditions.
Let's just hope those NVGs and small arms don't wind up in the hands of Hezbollah militiamen. But, yeah, that's right, they get their weapons straight from Iran.
-- Christian
Cumbersome controls over information flow in the Army soon may be a thing of the past, as the service works to deliver its messages proactively in the fast-paced cyber world.
Four U.S. Navy ships will participate in Phoenix Express 2008 (PE 08), a U.S.-hosted, multinational exercise designed to strengthen regional maritime partnerships and foster the ability to operate jointly, from April 8-22.
Navy Region Northwest said farewell to the captain and crew of the Peruvian Navy transport ship BAP Mollendo (ATC 131) April 6, following a port visit in Seattle.
Russian Air Force antiaircraft units are to conduct a live-fire tactical exercise in East Siberia, an aide to the Air Force commander said on Tuesday.
Russia and Poland have failed again to reach an agreement over the proposed U.S. missile shield in Central Europe, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
Pakistan and China have reiterated their desire to further expand and consolidate bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, economy and defence.
The T-37 Tweet formally retired April 3 from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training here after 39 years of service as the gateway to the sky for more than 10,000 Air Force aviators.
Top defense officials for the United States and Chile today signed an agreement to begin sharing science and technology information, further strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.
A leading group working on behalf of disabled people accused the United States Wednesday of pressuring European and African countries not to join a new treaty next month banning cluster bombs.
The United States should take 45 days after the last "surge" brigade leaves Iraq in July to evaluate the situation before deciding future troop levels, the coalition's top military commander said here today.
The RAF's fifth C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft flew into RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, yesterday, Monday 7 April 2008.
The first of the UK military's tough new 'Jackal' 4x4 patrol vehicles have been put through their paces in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan.
Thales UK presented the I-Master radar in cooperation with Seabird Aviation at SOFEX 2008. Seabird Aviation and Thales are working together to study the incorporation of the I-Master radar onto the Seabird SB7L-360 Seeker...
Lockheed Martin has received a contract from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) valued at approximately $250 million to manufacture components for eight additional F-2 production aircraft.
The Pentagon just released its latest numbers on MRAP deliveries to Iraq, boasting today that over 5,200 have been sent to theater so far.
The number of deliveries by sea now exceeds those airlifted into Iraq by heavy transports, which makes a heck of a lot more sense (and costs less). I remember during my stop over at al Asad airbase seeing those contracted AN-124 Condor (Ukrainian transports) flying in and out all day delivering the IED-resistant vehicles to western Iraq.
It's interesting the see the raging back and forth over the MRAP (partly stoked by yours truly) Peter out as of late. In fact, I hear the Marine Corps is quietly trying to duck out of the "program executive office" role for MRAPs, hoping to hand over the politically radioactive and costly program to the big boys in the Army to deal with.
The Marines have always been more jazzed about the JLTV anyway, so let's give them the breathing room to execute that badly needed program.
You know, I spent some time with Army units over there, but didn't roll in MRAPs with them. Still spent a lot of time in the latest up-armored Humvees. If anyone's got some inside gouge on where these 5,200 MRAPs are operating, I'd like to post it here. Maybe they're mostly around Baghdad.
-- Christian
Russia believes the United States will build a European missile defense system against Moscow's objections, yet is pleased with recent US attempts at confidence-building, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a newspaper Tuesday.
Denmark's defense ministry said April 8 it was sending extra helicopters and troops to Afghanistan, where it has suffered one of the highest per capita death tolls among coalition forces.
The top US general in Iraq Tuesday called for US troop withdrawals to be frozen for at least 45 days after July, warning military gains remained fragile and accusing Iran of seeking to stoke violence.
DRS Technologies, Inc. announced today that it received a $10.8 million contract from Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., for the design, development and testing of the Internal Cargo Handling System for the CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps.
A newly released report from the U.S. Department of Defense shows that estimated acquisition costs dropped by nearly $1 billion from 2006 to 2007 for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program.
The Boeing Company's CH-47F Chinook helicopter has been fielded by Bravo Company, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
Iran's defense minister said on Monday the world needs a missile shield to protect against threats from Israel and the United States.
Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najar said on Monday that Iranian missile capability is completely defensive and only against the aggressors.
Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations April 5, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
The United States and North Korea wrapped up key talks here on Tuesday over the communist state's nuclear disarmament, as the US warned they were running out of time to resolve an impasse.
Today, the European Union took a decisive step forward in the realisation of the Galileo project, which represents the greatest technological challenge in the history of the Union in terms of ensuring its own satellite-navigation system.
Canada issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the Boeing Company to acquire 16 medium-to-heavy lift helicopters (MHLH) for the Department of National Defence (DND).
Two workers were killed Tuesday after a gas leakage at a Pakistani nuclear facility, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission said in a statement.
Within the framework of the programme, Latvia along with 14 other NATO and EU members will purchase three Boeing C-17 transport aircrafts
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical reconnaissance radars, today announced that a U.S. Army UAS has reached a record 10,000 flight hours on a single aircraft.
Here are some highlights of the latest Selected Acquisition Report data provided by the Pentagon the other day. It's noteworthy that some key Army programs have price declines and that those that increased did so because of quantity increases rather than any fundamental price problems.
FBCB2 (Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below) Program costs increased $685.0 million (+25.5 percent) from $2,686.1 million to $3,371.1 million, due primarily to a quantity increase of 28,895 systems from 44,568 to 73,463 systems to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (+$683.0 million) and associated schedule, engineering, and estimating allocations* (+$99.0 million). There was an additional increase in other support for retrofit of Type I encryption for the increased quantities (+$114.1 million). These increases were partially offset by lower unit costs from beneficial contract pricing of the increased quantities (-$131.3 million) and lower estimates for the aviation A- kits (i.e., modification kits) based on current contract data (-$45.7 million).
FCS (Future Combat System) Program costs decreased $2,609.9 million (-1.6 percent) from $161,930.1 million to $159,320.2 million, due primarily to the application of revised escalation indices (-$1,331.0 million) and a correction of previously reported costs that were overstated due to the use of incorrect escalation indices (-$913.2 million). There were additional decreases in other support (-$190.6 million) and Congressional statutory reductions and budget decrements (-$146.5 million).
GMLRS (Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System) Program costs decreased $764.2 million (-11.3 percent) from $6,772.5 million to $6,008.3 million, due primarily to lower estimates of hardware costs for the Unitary variant at the production decision (Milestone C) (-$496.6 million) and an acceleration in the procurement buy profile (-$68.9 million). Because of the shorter buy schedule, there were lower estimates for systems engineering/program management costs (-$84.5 million), engineering services (-$44.8 million), and Government production verification testing (-$19.4 million).
LUH (Light Utility Helicopter) Program costs increased $208.4 million (+11.1 percent) from $1,881.8 million to $2,090.2 million, due primarily to a quantity increase of 23 aircraft from 322 to 345 aircraft ($139.3 million). There was an additional cost increase for modifications to address issues identified during the Initial Operational Test (+$171.1 million). These modifications included ARC-231 secure radios and cabin ventilation kits for all 345 aircraft, engine inlet (air) filters for 66 aircraft, and medical evacuation kits for 84 aircraft.
STRYKER Program costs increased by $2,560.2 million (+19.5 percent) from $13,130.9 million to $15,691.1 million, due primarily to a quantity increase of 640 vehicles from 2,887 to 3,527 vehicles (+$1,907.2 million) and associated schedule, engineering, and estimating allocations* (+$621.8 million), and spares and support associated with the quantity increase (+$425.1 million), There were additional increases for survivability enhancements (+$502.6 million), revised testing and management costs (+$375.7 million), and updated MILCON estimates (+$340.9 million). These increases were partially offset by a change in the mix of models procured and new cost estimates (-$797.1 million) and removal of Stryker Product Improvement Program funding (-$816.0 million).
-- Christian
It is hard to pick up a tech publication without finding a story about another security breach that has compromised credit card information. According to Identity Theft Resource Center there were 167 data breaches in the first three months of this year. At least 8.3 million records containing sensitive information were potentially compromised in the same time period.
One Recent Event: Data from 4 Million credit cards stolen. Recently, Hannaford announced what security experts call a sophisticated attack on their computer network that resulted in the theft of credit and debit card account information.
When we think of credit card data theft and fraud you don't think about terrorism - but that is indeed the case. Al Qaeda is a skilled practitioner at using the Internet for a multitude of reasons. According to FBI Director Robert Mueller, "The Internet has been used by the likes of Al Qaeda to recruit, to train, to communicate." The arrest of Al Qaeda's top cyber terrorist provided hard evidence of their use of stolen credit card data for funding. In one case, terrorist groups use the stolen credit card information to purchase $3 million of materials to carry out terrorist attacks. Al Qaeda's top cyber terrorist 23 year old Younes Tsouli (online name - Irhaby007), recently admitted conspiring to defraud banks, credit card companies and charge card companies.
For additional information about terrorist cyber attack capabilities you may want to download this CRS Report to Congress titled: Terrorist Capabilities for Cyber Attack.
Overview and Policy Issues:
The game has changed! Information security as it relates to sensitive data, like credit card information, has now risen because of the link to terrorist financing. Imagine the psychological impact if you were to find your credit card was used to finance a terrorist attack that resulted in the death of innocent civilians. Imagine the damage to a corporation's brand and possible backlash from their customers. Significant improvement in all aspects of security is needed to cut off this funding source.
Germany on Monday denied reports that its federal police and soldiers had covertly trained Libyan security forces, except in one case where a sergeant has been suspended and placed under investigation.
Although B-2 Spirit flying operations remain in temporary pause, the Airmen and aircraft are ready and capable to generate missions if necessary, according to Air Combat Command officials here and the 509th Bomb Wing commander at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.
Two Mi-171 helicopters were accepted at Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, which are to be delivered for antinarcotics service of Pakistan.
BAE Systems has been awarded a US $19.7 million contract modification from U.S. Army’s Anniston Army Depot to support, in partnership with the Depot, the reset to combat ready status of 57 Army-configured M88A1 medium recovery vehicles.
This year, the German army kickstarts Project Hercules, a multi-billion euro initiative transferring non-military computer services to a public-private partnership. The move has stirred deep unease in some quarters.
A top Taiwan air force officer said Monday that the United States may clear the island's bid to buy 66 F-16 fighters after the island's new president takes office, a move that could irk China.
Israeli ministers were scheduled April 7 to test their response to the scenario of simultaneous attacks from Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip as part of a major home front defense drill.
Lessons learned during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have created awareness amongst the top defence equipment manufacturers about the need for new technologies that increase survivability and limit the incidence of mobility kill during armoured warfare, particularly unconventional battle scenarios
Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations April 6, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
A Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile configured with a National Nuclear Security Administration test assembly launched at 1:01 a.m. April 1 by Vandenberg Air Force Base officials.