Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Mauritania: Coup Undermines Democratic Progress

Mauritania: Coup Undermines Democratic Progress
(NSI News Source Info) 6 August, 2008: Nouakchott, Mauritania - Troops in Mauritania have overthrown the country's first freely-elected leader and say they have formed a state council to rule the country. President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was held after he tried to dismiss the military's top commanders. Troops are out on the streets of the capital, Nouakchott, where tear gas was fired at about 50 protesters. President Abdallahi came to power in free and fair polls last year, taking over from a military junta. Troops rounded up the president - along with his Prime Minister Yahia Ould Ahmed El-Ouakef - apparently without needing to use force on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the president tried to dismiss four senior army officers, including the head of the presidential guard, Gen Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, who responded by launching the coup. The country has been in the grip of a political crisis since a vote of no confidence in the cabinet two weeks ago. They arrested [President Abdallahi] and took him to the battalion base. It's a textbook coup d'etat. On Monday, 48 MPs walked out of the ruling party. Reports suggest some of the generals orchestrated the mass resignation, our correspondent James Copnall says. Nouakchott airport has been closed, security sources told the AFP news agency on Wednesday. A journalist based in Nouakchott, Hamdi Ould Mohamed el-Hacen, told the BBC people had gathered on street corners to discuss the coup - in particular the fate of the president and prime minister. Culture Minister Abdellahi Salem Ould El-Mouallah read a statement on TV on behalf of the coup leaders announcing the presidential decree sacking the top army officers had been "annulled legally and practically". An army statement said the president was no longer in charge. The first indications of a military coup came as state radio and television were taken off the air amid reports of unusual troop movements in Nouakchott. The president's daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi, said soldiers seized her father at his house at 0920 local time (0920 GMT). She raised the alarm in a phone call to a French radio station. "They came here to find him," she told Radio France International. "They arrested him here and took him to the battalion base. It's a textbook coup d'etat." Political instability The African Union condemned the coup, demanded a return to constitutional government and said it was sending an envoy to Nouakchott immediately. The governments of South Africa and Nigeria - both major players in the African Union - also criticised the military takeover. The US state department and the European Commission also decried the coup, with the commission warning it would suspend aid to Mauritania. Mauritania has a long history of coups, with the military involved in nearly every government since its independence from France in 1960. Presidential elections held in 2007 ended a two-year period of military rule - the product of a military coup in 2005. The elections were deemed to have been free and fair and appeared to herald a new era of democracy. Earlier this year, however, the president dismissed the government amid protests over soaring food prices. The cabinet that replaced it has been dogged by instability, lacking the support of a moderate Islamist party and a major opposition group that were in the former government. Mauritania is one of the world's poorest nations as well as its newest oil producer. The desert nation, a former French colony of more than three million people, has been looking to oil revenues to boost its economy.
Mauritantia's President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi was deposed early Wednesday in what appears to be a bloodless military coup, local sources said. Cheikh Abdallahi, 70, was the first democratically-elected president of the country. According to Nouakchott Info, a local daily, there is relative calm in Nouakchott, the capital, although access to the presidential palace has been blocked by security forces. Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf is also said to have been arrested. Wednesday's coup came about 18 months after a presidential election in 2007, which was hailed as a democratic model for the continent and the Arab world, and three years after the military coup which overthrew then-president Maaouiya Ould Taya in August 2005. The country has experienced political instability over recent months, fueled in part by protests over rising food prices which led to a no-confidence vote in the government.

Pakistan: Musharraf to attend Beijing Games

Musharraf to attend Beijing Games (NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: Mr Musharraf's critics say he is no longer acceptable to Pakistan's people. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics as planned, the foreign ministry has said. A statement made clear he would leave for China on Thursday. Earlier, the foreign ministry said Mr Musharraf had cancelled the trip but gave no reason. Pakistan's ruling alliance has been discussing his possible impeachment. The president's allies were defeated in elections in February. He has so far resisted pressure to quit. China is one of Pakistan's closest allies, and it would have been highly unusual for a Pakistani leader to call off a visit at such short notice. The foreign ministry said: "In view of our special relations with China, the president has decided to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. The president will now leave for China tomorrow." The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad says the question of whether or not to impeach President Musharraf has threatened to divide the governing coalition. Early in what was a dramatic day, the threat of a new opposition onslaught appeared sufficient to force him to cancel his Beijing trip. Yet by evening a spokesman said he would travel as planned. That Mr Musharraf now feels confident enough to fly to China will suggest to many Pakistanis that for now at least he feels more secure in his position, our correspondent says. President Musharraf was originally due to leave for China on Wednesday along with the head of the governing Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Asif Zardari, officials said. It is not clear whether Mr Zardari plans to proceed with the trip. He has been holding more consultations with alliance partners. The two sides have agreed to draw up a joint charge sheet against the president... and ask him to defend himself before parliament Khwaja Asif, PML-N. By Wednesday evening, those talks appeared deadlocked. At one point, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stormed out following the announcement that President Musharraf had issued orders to reinstate some of Pakistan's top judges. Mr Sharif argues that the president is attempting to divide the governing coalition. Pakistan's governing coalition leaders are split on how to restore the judges the president sacked during a state of emergency in November. A day earlier, the PPP and Mr Sharif's PML-N had indicated they were close to an agreement to impeach Mr Musharraf. "The two sides have agreed to draw up a joint charge sheet against the president on the basis of available evidence, and ask him to defend himself before the parliament," Khwaja Asif of the PML-N told Geo TV. PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar told reporters there was a growing feeling among the alliance leaders that Mr Musharraf was "no longer acceptable to the people of Pakistan". Mr Musharraf's political allies were defeated in February elections, from which the PPP emerged as the largest party. Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif met on Wednesday. In second place was the PML-N of Mr Sharif, whom President Musharraf ousted in a 1999 coup. The two parties formed an alliance in March, but have since been split over the issues of presidential impeachment and the reinstatement of the sacked judges. The PML-N pulled out of the federal cabinet in May when the PPP refused to move immediately on these issues. The rift has caused a sense of paralysis in the government, which is under huge US pressure to curb attacks by Taleban and al-Qaeda militants based near the Afghan border.

Pentagon Issues New Tanker Bid Parameters

Pentagon Issues New Tanker Bid Parameters
(NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: The Pentagon plans to take extra capabilities - including added fuel offload capacity - into account as it scores revised proposals from Boeing and Northrop Grumman/EADS that could lead to $35 billion in work replacing aging KC-135 tankers. The Defense Department will consider "value over threshold" when reviewing the revised offers, said Shay Assad, director of defense procurement and acquisitions policy, during an Aug. 6 briefing at the Pentagon. This could put Boeing's 767-200LRF-based proposal at a disadvantage as its cargo, passenger and fuel offload abilities are hampered by its size compared to the larger Airbus A330-200 design proposed by Northrop. Today, a revised draft request for proposals (RFP) for the KC-X refueling tanker was provided to both teams, kicking off the recompetition of the controversial program. The new draft RFP is intended to provide "clear and unambiguous insight into the relative order of importance" of various capabilities, including fuel offload, cargo and passenger capacity and survivability, among other aspects. Assad did not identify the capabilities in order of importance, and DOD officials did not publicly release the draft RFP, breaking with typical protocol, which calls for solicitations to be posted publicly online. The draft was, however, sent to Congress and is already drawing criticism because it may favor the larger A330 offering. (Click here (6.1-meg pdf) and here (1.2-meg pdf) for the documents). For instance, an aide to Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) argued there is an obvious change inserted into the system requirements document in the revised tanker RFP that "clearly" favors the larger Airbus aircraft "even though it is not necessarily connected to any real-world use of tanker." The congressional Government Accountability Office found that in the earlier competition the Air Force did not clearly articulate how it would score attributes that surpassed the threshold requirements for the system. This, among other irregularities, called into question the Northrop Grumman/EADS North America win of a $1.5 billion development contract for the new refueler Feb. 29. Both teams will have about one week to discuss the draft RFP with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. By mid-month, a final RFP will be released and contractors will have about 45 days to submit their revised proposals. Source selection should be finished by the end of the year with a final winner announced by New Year's Eve, Assad said. The existing contract with Northrop Grumman will remain in stop-work status until a winner is selected. If Northrop Grumman again prevails, its contract will be revised and restarted. If, however, Boeing wins this new competition, Northrop's contract will be terminated, he said. The Pentagon does plan to shift the life-cycle cost estimates from an expected useful life of 25 years to 40 years on the aircraft, Assad says. And, it will take into consideration the cost of fuel and anticipated fuel burn rates of each aircraft throughout those years.

Russia says Iran Six will continue dialogue with Tehran

Russia says Iran Six will continue dialogue with Tehran MOSCOW, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) - The six countries trying to persuade Iran to halt its uranium enrichment will continue attempts to resolve the dispute over Tehran's nuclear program by diplomatic means, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. At talks with Iran in Geneva on July 19, the six nations - China, Russia, the U.S., France, Britain and Germany - put forward a package of trade and nuclear technology incentives, demanding a response from Tehran within two weeks. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana received Tuesday a letter from Tehran, which did not contain a clear response to the proposals. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko described Iran's lack of a definitive answer as unfortunate, but said the six world powers would continue their diplomacy. "The Iran Six remains open to any possible actions in the framework of our coordinated dual-track strategy," he said. "We will pursue all possibilities to continue contacts with the Iranian side to clarify its position and find a diplomatic solution." The Iran Six diplomats held telephone talks earlier Wednesday to agree how to respond to Tehran's unclear response to their offer to end the dispute. "We haven't set any deadlines ourselves for their response and there is ongoing dialogue," Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin told a news conference in New York. He said the Iran Six would hold a ministerial meeting on the Iranian nuclear program in September. Meanwhile, the United States and Britain said the six had agreed to consider a new resolution at the U.N. Security Council on a fourth set of sanctions against Iran. "While informal contact between Javier Solana and [Iran's chief nuclear negotiator] Saeed Jalili will continue, we have no choice but to pursue further sanctions against Iran," a spokesman for Britain's Foreign Office said. Iran is currently under three sets of relatively mild UN Security Council sanctions for defying demands to halt uranium enrichment, which it says it needs purely for electricity generation. The U.S. and Israel have refused to rule out military action against Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, if diplomacy fails to end the dispute.

India successfully tests domestically built anti-tank missile

India successfully tests domestically built anti-tank missile NEW DELHI, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) - India has completed the development of an anti-tank missile that has been in the works for 18 years, and will put it into service after field test trials in September, the Defense Ministry said. The Nag is a third-generation anti-tank missile system with "fire and forget" and "top attack" capabilities. The missile uses Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) guidance and has both day and night capability. "Flight trials of the Nag [missile] with a strike range of 4 km (2.5 miles) at stationary and mobile targets have been conducted at Pokhran testing site in the presence of top military commanders," the ministry said in a statement. "The Nag destroyed all targets, which confirms its parameters," the statement said. The Indian army has reportedly ordered 443 Nag missiles and 13 Namicas (Nag missile tracked carriers) to be put into service over the next three years. Apart from the Namica platform, which can carry 12 missiles, Nag will also have an airborne version named Helina to be fitted on the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter, which will be configured to carry eight missiles in two launchers. The Nag missile is the last of the five guided missiles developed by India under its Integrated Development of Guided Missile Program (IDGMP). The program, which was launched in 1983, was officially closed in January 2008. The development work on all other missiles - the Agni long-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile, the Prithvi short-range ballistic missile, the Akash medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) and the Trishul short-range SAM - has been completed, and these missiles are already in service with the Indian Armed Forces. "New missile and weapons systems will be developed within a five-year timeframe at low costs, with foreign partners and private industries," Dr. S. Prahlada, chief controller at the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) headquarters, earlier said.

Russian Air Force to receive over 100 new helicopters by 2015

Russian Air Force to receive over 100 new helicopters by 2015 MOSCOW, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) The Russian Air Force will commission over 100 upgraded combat helicopters over a period of five years, from 2011 until 2015, the AF commander said on Tuesday. "In 2011-2015, we are planning to put into service over 100 new Mi-28N Night Hunter and Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters and Mi-8MTB5 Hip multi-purpose helicopters," Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said. He said the addition of the new aircraft to the existing fleet would allow Russia to create helicopter task groups in strategically important areas that could act independently or support special operations. "Helicopter regiments equipped with new aircraft must become the backbone of air mobile special purpose reserves and mountain brigades," the general said. He also said Russia would fully upgrade its fleet of Mi-24PN Hind gunships and Mi-26 Halo heavy transport helicopters. The Mi-26 helicopter is the heaviest and most powerful helicopter in the world. It was designed for carrying large-size cargo weighing up to 20 tons and is widely used for search and rescue operations, heavy-lift transportation and fire fighting.

Over 16,000 Beijing couples to marry in Olympic wedding frenzy

Over 16,000 Beijing couples to marry in Olympic wedding frenzy BEIJING, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) - A total of 16,400 Chinese couples are planning to tie the knot on Friday as a combination of the Olympic opening ceremony and a numerical coincidence has sparked a wedding frenzy, the China Daily said Wednesday. Eight is believed to bring luck in Chinese culture and Friday's date being the eighth day of the eighth month in the eighth year has seen Chinese couples lining up to tie the knot. Chinese people pay extra to have an eight in their phone numbers, addresses and license plates. In the Mandarin language the word for 'eight' sounds like part of the phrase 'to make fortune.' "Eight is such an auspicious number, and with the opening of the Beijing Olympics, the whole nation will be celebrating with us," Li Jun, who will be among those officially getting married on Friday, told the China Daily. Many Chinese will get their certificate and hold the wedding ceremony on a separate day, as Chinese laws and traditions do not limit the marriage ceremony to the registration day. However, the marriage boom extends beyond China with a record number of weddings due to be registered in the Russian capital Moscow on the same day. Russian couples, who wish to marry on August 8, see eight as a lucky symbol of eternity and a combination of two wedding rings. The western tradition of numerology says that eight is a symmetrical number, uniting spiritual and material welfare. "Muscovites apparently hope to triple their family happiness by tying the knot on 08.08.08," the head of Moscow registry offices department, Irina Muravyova, said. Unlike Beijing registry offices, where registry employees spend roughly from one to five minutes on each couple, at least 10 minutes are required to register a marriage in Russia. On Friday, registry offices in the Russian capital will close at 9.00 p.m. instead of 6.00 p.m. and an estimated 1,678 couples are expected to marry. Authorities in the West Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiisk have organized a mass wedding ceremony in the city's main square to cope with all the applications. Employees at the city's sole registry office will also hold several 'visiting ceremonies' in the city's restaurants.

Russia hands over six Mi-17 helicopters to Indonesia

Russia hands over six Mi-17 helicopters to Indonesia JAKARTA, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) - Russia has officially presented six Mi-17-B5 Hip H medium assault/transport helicopters to Indonesia, the Russian ambassador said on Wednesday. "Six Russian Mi-17B5 helicopters, manufactured at the Kazan helicopter plant, have been transferred," Alexander Ivanov said. Russia signed a contract with Indonesia in 2005 to supply six helicopters. The helicopters were delivered in two shipments in July 2008 and were assembled by a team of Russian specialists at the Indonesian ground forces base in the city of Surabaya, East Java. This spring, 15 pilots and technical specialists from Indonesia visited the Kazan helicopter plant in Russia's Volga area for three months of training. In the fall of 2007, then Russian president Vladimir Putin reached an agreement with Indonesia's leadership on a $1 billion Russian loan for Indonesia to buy 22 helicopters, 20 tanks and two submarines from Russia. In addition, Jakarta said it would buy six Su aircraft worth a total of $335 million. The Mi-17 is a version of the Mi-8 airframe. The helicopter has a takeoff weight of 13 metric tons and can carry up to 36 people or a payload of 4 tons within the cargo compartment or 4.5 tons externally. The helicopters have been supplied to 80 countries.

Moscow says no nuclear weapons in Belarus to counter U.S. shield

Moscow says no nuclear weapons in Belarus to counter U.S. shield MINSK, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) - Russia may review military cooperation with Belarus in response to U.S. missile defense plans in Central Europe, but will not return nuclear weapons to the country, the Russian ambassador to Minsk said Wednesday. The U.S. plans to deploy 10 interceptor missiles in northern Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of a missile shield for Europe and North America against possible attacks from "rogue states," including Iran. "When Poland signs a treaty with the United States on the deployment of missile defense elements, then we will be in a position to discuss some additional aspects of military cooperation with Belarus," Ambassador Alexander Surikov said. He added that an array of counter measures would be devised, but there would be "no return of nuclear weapons to Belarus." The envoy said, however, that Russia could deploy Iskander missile-defense systems and strategic bombers in Belarus. Moscow strongly opposes the possible deployment of the U.S. missile shield, viewing it as a threat to its national security. Russia's Foreign Ministry has said that if U.S. strategic missile defense elements are deployed near Russia's borders, Moscow would be forced to respond with a "military-technical approach" rather than a diplomatic one.

India: Reinvestment offers submitted for IAF combat jet order

Reinvestment offers submitted for IAF combat jet order
(NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008 - NEW DELHI: Three global aircraft majors on Monday submitted their industrial reinvestment offers as part of their bids for an Indian Air Force (IAF) order for 126 combat jets, with one company - EADS - reiterating its invitation to India to partner the future development of its Eurofighter Typhoon, one of the six jets in contention. US aerospace majors Boeing and Lockheed Martin also submitted their offset offers Monday. The deal is worth $10 billion and 50 percent of this has to be reinvested in India as part of the offset obligations of the manufacturer that gets the IAF nod. The IAF had floated its request for proposal (RFP) last August and these are currently being evaluated, after which the aircraft will be put through field trials before the eventual winner is selected. Apart from the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and the Lockheed Martin F-16, three other aircraft - the Swedish Gripen, the French Rafale and the Russian MiG-35 - are also in the fray. The other three manufacturers are yet to submit their offset offers. EADS, Boeing and Lockheed Martin all said they were more than willing to discharge their offset obligations. "Earlier this year we invited India to become a member of the successful Eurofighter family. Today I want to repeat this message," Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Military Air Systems, an integrated business unit of EADS Defence & Security, said in a statement. EADS, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space company, is a four-nation conglomeration of Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain. "India is our partner of choice and we are interested in long-lasting and mutually beneficial political, industrial and military relations, which are based on our dedication for equal, fair and true partnership," Gerwert added. "Our document provides the Indian authorities with a fully-fledged response to the Eurofighter offset requirements and spells out inherent and unrivalled benefits for India," Gerwert maintained. In this context, he noted that the Eurofighter family was the world's "largest industrial defence conglomerate" with approximately 400 leading companies associated with the programme, "has the power and the willingness to completely support the Indian defence sector over the decades to come. Boeing said it would discharge its offsets obligations through "a formidable industrial line-up that includes 16 leading aerospace and defence companies with combined revenues of over $454 billion, and its 37 Indian partners in the public and private sectors. "We are already establishing the groundwork that will lead us to success in this large undertaking through early engagement of Indian industry, both public and private," said Vivek Lall, Boeing Integrated Defence Systems vice president and India country head. "Boeing's proposal firmly supports the Indian government's goal of a vibrant indigenous aerospace industry. It also foresees India playing a key role in enhancing Boeing's global competitiveness and growth through a series of strategic partnerships with Indian industries," a company statement said. "The Boeing Company has been, and will continue to be, a true partner to India," said Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft. "To that end, our IP (industrial participation) proposal draws upon the company's vast pool of human talent, technical expertise and aerospace and defence resources, to both support India's defence modernization drive and to help spur growth of a world-class Indian aerospace industry," Chadwick added. Lockheed Martin said that as the world's "leading performer of successful offset programmes", it "has a long history of delivering on commitments. Lockheed Martin has established four F-16 production lines outside of the United States". "Lockheed Martin is committed to working with our industrial partners and Indian defence industry to develop long-term, high-value projects that bring technology and sustainable business to India," said Orville Prins, Lockheed Martin's business development vice president. "Partnering with Lockheed Martin provides India the opportunity to develop advanced defence technologies, manufacturing capabilities and defence systems. "Additionally, India will benefit by leveraging the strength of the F-16IN industrial team, which includes many of the world's largest and most innovative companies, all ready to work with Indian industry in developing world-class aerospace and defence technologies," Prins added. "No other operational multi role strike fighter in the world today will compare to the F-16IN proposed by Lockheed Martin," said Prins. "The F-16IN will be a unique configuration of the F-16, designed to address every requirement specified in India's RFP. The F16 is already the most reliable, maintainable, affordable and safest multi role fighter in the world. The F-16IN will be even better," he added.

India buys 3 business jets for VVIPs

India buys 3 business jets for VVIPs
(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - Aug. 6, 2008 : India has taken possession of the first of the three business jets — armed with protection systems against missiles — from American aviation giant Boeing that will transport VVIPs in the country, including the President and the Prime Minister. The deal, worth Rs 937 crores, was inked in October 2005. The other two aircraft are expected within a couple of months. The aircraft are equipped with advanced radar warning receivers that can detect missiles as well as counter-measure dispenser systems that are meant to shake off and deceive missiles. The three jets will be part of the Indian Air Force’s VVIP communication squadron and will provide protection to VVIPs in the country on the scale of the United States’ Air Force One aircraft that transports the US President. The jets come with encrypted satellite communication systems and advanced navigation aids to enable VVIPs like the Prime Minister on board to be in constant touch with authorities on the ground in complete secrecy. Meanwhile, vendors in the race to bag the contract for 126 multi-role medium aircraft for the Indian Air Force submitted their response to the offset requirements in the deal on Monday. India had, last year, hiked the "offset" amount from the usual 30 per cent to 50 per cent for the Rs 42,000-crore proposed deal for 126 combat aircraft. The "offset policy" of the government in the 126-aircraft deal makes it mandatory for foreign companies to invest at least 50 per cent of the deal-amount in India. European consortium EADS and American military aviation companies Boeing and Lockheed Martin confirmed on Monday that they had submitted their responses to the offset requirements in the deal.

M1 Abrams Tanks for Iraq

M1 Abrams Tanks for Iraq
(NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: On July 31/08, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced [PDF] Iraq’s formal request to buy M1 Abrams tanks, well as the associated vehicles, equipment and services required to keep these tanks in the field. It is likely that the tanks themselves will be transferred from US stocks, but this has not been verified. With this purchase, Iraq will become the 4th M1 Abrams operator in the region, joining Egypt (M1A1s), Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia (M1A2-SEP variant). Defense-related order requests from Iraq over the last 2 weeks now total over $10.9 billion, and include tanks, wheeled LAV APCs ($3.0b), wheeled M1117 armored cars ($0.26b), armed reconnaissance helicopters ($2.4b), C-130J transport aircraft ($1.5b), and major infrastructure build-outs ($1.6b). Once a DSCA request is made, the rule is that Congress has 30 days to pass a blockage of the sale, or contracts may be negotiated and the sale can go through. This particular Iraqi request could be worth up to $2.16 billion, and includes… 140 M1A1 Abrams tanks, modified and upgraded to the M1A1M configuration 20 M1A1 engines 20 M1A1 Full Up Power Packs 8 of BAE’s tracked M88A2 HERCULES (Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System) Armored Recovery Vehicles, with the pulling power to tow or winch even a 70-ton M1 out of trouble. 3 spare M88A2 engines 16 M548A1 tracked logistics vehicles, based on the M113 armored personnel carrier 8 M113A2 tracked armored ambulances 4 M577A2 spare engines 64 M1151A1B1 armored Hummers 92 M1152 Hummer Shelter carriers 12 M577A2 hummer Command Post Carriers 8 HMMWV Ambulances w/ Shelter 20 spare HMMWV engines 35 M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) Truck Tractors, which can truck tanks on their flatbeds to minimize tank and road wear when the tans need to move to new locations. 10 spare M1070 engines 40 M978A2 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) Tankers, which provide fuel for the M1’s gas-guzzling turbine engine 36 M985A2 HEMTT Cargo Trucks 4 M984A2 HEMTT Wrecker Trucks 20 spare HEMTT engines 16 2500 gal Water Tank Trucks 8 Contact Maintenance Trucks 140 M1085A1 5-ton Cargo Trucks 2 spare 5-ton truck engines 92 635NL Semi-Trailers 80 8-ton Heavy/Medium Trailers 32 500 gal Water Tank Trailers 92 M1102 Light Tactical trailers 16 Motorcycles 16 Sedans 4 5,500 lb Rough Terrain Forklifts 420 AN/VRC-92 Vehicular Receiver Transmitters Plus ammunition, spare and repair parts, maintenance, support equipment, publications and documentation, personnel training and equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $2.16 billion. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of approximately 8 U.S. Government and 35 contractor representatives to Iraq for up to 4 years. The prime contractors will be: General Dynamics Land Systems Division of Sterling Heights, MI (M1 tanks) Honeywell International (M1 engines) General Motors Allison Transmission Division of Detroit, MI. Abrams for Iraq: Employment and Implications The DSCA adds that: “The proposed sale and upgrade will allow Iraq to operate and exercise a more lethal and survivable M1A1M tank for the protection of critical infrastructure. Iraq will have no difficulty absorbing these tanks into its armed forces.” While details of the M1A1M have yet to be released, it is likely to use the M1A1-SA variant as a base. Developed for use in Iraq, the M1A1-SA configuration adds a number of enhancements for use in cities and other built-up areas, but doesn’t include the remotely-operated machine gun, reactive armor from General Dynamics and Israel’s RAFAEL, et. al. that are found in full M1 TUSK (Tank Urban Survival Kit) variants. Other Arab armies in the region, whose recommendations reportedly influenced Iraq’s choice, operate either M1A1s (Egypt) or advanced M1A2-SEP variants (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia). The DSCA also says, as it almost always does, that the “proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.” That is true from one point of view, if one factors in the American presence in Iraq. If the Americans are removed from the equation, however, this purchase crosses a rubicon. Past Iraqi defense purchases, including its recent LAV/M1117 and helicopter buys, have all been focused on building forces whose primary focus was on enforcing internal law and order. LAVs can certainly be used in an offensive context, or the US Marines could not depend on them as they do. On the other hand, there are a number of opponents and situations that a USMC commander will not confront with LAVs. American M1 tanks have proven effective in counterinsurgency fights, where their outstanding defenses and the precision fire of their 120mm cannon offer a vital hammer against enemy strongpoints. What’s new, and different, is that they would also give Iraq a capability it has lacked – the ability to enforce its territorial integrity against incursions from its neighbors. Iraq’s 9th Division in Taji has done an excellent job with its refurbished T-72 tanks, aged T-55s, BMP-1 tracked APCs, and MT-LB wheeled APCs. Nevertheless, its equipment provided no significant edge over neighboring states, and is not fielded in sufficient numbers to provide real deterrence. 140 Abrams tanks and 392 LAVs would equip only 2-4 mechanized brigades, or about 1/2 to 1 division. That certainly isn’t an invasion force for anything. In a defensive role, however, they would present very formidable mobile opposition against even numerically superior foes. That is exactly what they were designed to do for the USMC in Norway and other areas on Europe’s Cold War front lines, after all. In addition, the Abrams’ battlefield performance against enemy T-72s and other Russian stock would have to give neighbors like Iran and Syria pause, if a North Vietnam-style armored invasion were ever contemplated. The new tanks may even have some deterrence value vis-a-vis Turkey, which has engaged in sporadic incursions into northern Iraq targeting the Marxist Kurdish terrorists of the PKK. Those incursions have had Iraq’s tacit acceptance, however, so long as they do not go too far. Turkey has an democratically accountable government, just as Iraq does, and the 2 countries have a number of interlocking economic and political interests than cannot be dismissed lightly no mater what sentiments rule the day. Turkey remains Iraq’s main gateway for its rich northern oil fields, and that transit revenue is important to Turkey as well. The Kurdish provinces’ booming economies since 2004 also have other desirable spinoff effects. Nevertheless, Turkey has shown that it will act regardless if it is pushed by the PKK. Iraq, in turn, knows that Turkey’s coordinated armor and air force power is something it cannot defeat. Nor does Iraq’s government have much sympathy for terrorists of any ilk, though its own ability to act against the PKK is tied by the threat of civil war within Iraq. Hence Iraq’s approach of warnings and protests to Turkey, coupled with tacit acceptance. The Kurdish PUK, which is the PKK’s main rival in the Kurdish provinces and plays a significant balancing role within the Iraqi government, has also remained tacitly neutral – so far. Turkey, in turn, knows that escalating too far risks the prospect of confrontation that spills well beyond Iraq into Turkey’s own Kurdish minorities. Their nightmare scenario would involve united opposition and funding from the Kurdish PUK and PKK parties, Iraq, and possible Arab allies – many of whom attained statehood by throwing off Turkish control. A corollary public campaign in Europe, where the Kurdish cause has been popular in the past, risks even further damage to the Turks. These balancing ties and risks, plus the potential fallout in the USA from a serious clash, can be expected to be far more effective than 140 Abrams tanks in deterring any larger conflict along Iraq’s northern border.

Maintaining & Running Diego Garcia

Maintaining & Running Diego Garcia
(NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the British Indian Ocean territory of Diego Garcia is a key strategic base that acts as a staging area for navy ships, long-range bombers, aerial tankers, and other military assets whose missions take them to Africa, Asia, and the Middle east. Secondary missions include its status as one of the Space Shuttle’s emergency landing sites, and hosting one of Global Positioning System’s 3 ground antennas, as well as facilities belonging to the USA’s Space Surveillance Network. The UK/ U.S. treaty that turned the island into a military base was signed in 1966. It runs until 2036, but either government can opt out in 2016. Meanwhile, there’s the non-trivial matter of supplying, improving, and operating the island’s military infrastructure… Contracts (FY 2007 – Present) Unless otherwise specified, The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, issues all contracts. Unless otherwise noted, contracts are issued to DG21, LLC, a Delaware-registered firm formed specifically to bid for Diego Garcia’s Base Operations Support (BOS) contract. Its partners include First Support Services in Dallas TX; W. S. Atkins based in Epsom, England; and the Philadelphia based DS2 joint venture between Day and Zimmerman and Lockheed Martin. Its web site states that: “The workforce is predominantly Filipino managed by expatriates from the United States and the United Kingdom. There are also some employees from Singapore and Mauritius. There are no families, spouses, or dependants on Diego Garcia.” July 30/08: An estimated $28.4 million modification P00034 under previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract with award fee provisions (N62742-06-D-4501) to exercise the 2nd option period of the 2006 contract for Base Operating Support Services at the U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia. The work to be performed provides for all management, labor, administration, supervision, materials, supplies, and equipment. After exercise of this modification, the total cumulative contract amount will be $467.7 million. Work will be performed at the U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, and is expected to be complete in July 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The most recent basic contract was competitively procured with 78 offers solicited, 3 proposals received, and an award made to DG21 on July 6/06. July 30/07: DG21 in Dallas, TX received $26.1 million for Modification P00019 under previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity fee provisions contract (N62742-06-D-4501) to exercise an option period for base operating support services. $21.7 million of the award will be funded subject to the availability of funds. The work to be performed provides for all management, labor, administration, supervision, materials, supplies, and equipment to provide integrated base operating services at the U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia. Work is expected to be completed by July 2008. After exercise of this modification, the total cumulative contract amount will be $452.7 million. July 6/07: DG21, LCC in Dallas, TX received a $23.6 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity with award-fee/ award-option contract for base operating support services for the Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia. Contract funds in the amount of $1.6 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year; and no obligations or expenditures shall be made until congressional approval of the FY07 DOD Appropriations Act, or passage of a continuing resolution for work being funded from FY07 appropriations. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of the contract to a not to exceed value of $455.3 million. Work is expected to be complete by July 2007 (July 2016 with options). This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with 3 proposals received (N62742-06-D-4501). March 30/07: DGM21 LLC in Montrose, CO received a $31.9 million firm-fixed-price contract for the FY 2007 consolidated construction projects for U.S. Naval Support Facility, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territories. This is a design-build project is for wharf improvements and Shore Support Facilities related to the new SSGN submarines, with performance and prescriptive requirements provided by the Government. Work will be performed in Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territories, and is expected to be complete April 2009. This contract was competitively procured with 17 solicitation packages distributed and 1 proposal received by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Construction Contracts Branch (N62742-07-C-1313).

TACOM Orders Global Fleet Sales Trucks

TACOM Orders Global Fleet Sales Trucks
(NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: Global Fleet Sales, Inc. is a member of the RM Asia Group of Companies, and has a long history of working in “difficult market situations” to produce modified and baseline Ford vehicles for companies and organizations involved in Humanitarian, Aid, Relief and Development Projects, and Police services around the world. The firm has been tapped for a number of US government contracts beginning in 2005, and DID has covered one of those contracts for Afghan Police vehicles. GFS maintains all of the vehicles used by the Afghan National Army, with maintenance facilities in Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Kabul and Gardez; its parent firm RM Asia has a full country office in Afghanistan. GFS has now opened a production and engineering center at Thailand’s Laem Chabang duty free deep sea port, near the Ford plant at Rayong. The new production facility provides the full range of vehicle modifications ranging from special application fire trucks to ambulances, military Vehicles, severe off-road (SOR is an excellent acronym…) vehicles, refrigerated boxes, and limited accessory fitting. They complement the firm’s on-site warehouses for parts et. al. Recent awards fall under a 3 year firm-fixed-price contract with the US military to provide modified vehicles for customers like the Afghan and Iraqi police, and for other foreign military sales customers who might choose to order under the set contract terms and advantageous prices the US military has negotiated. GFS’ Contracts include…
Contracts TACOM is the US Army Tank & Automotive Command in Warren, MI. They issue all of these contracts, which are delivery orders under umbrella agreements. The 3-year (W56HZV-07-D-G002) contract is currently in its 2nd year, for instance, with about 1.5 years left as of January 2008. Aug 4/08: Global Fleet Sales, Inc. in Charlottesville, VA received a $15.4 million Firm Fixed Price, 3-Year Requirements, contract for “mobile maintenance vehicles and Cargo Transport II Vehicles.” Work will be performed in Thailand, and is expected to be complete by February 4/11. Nine bids were received on May 18/06 (W56HZV-06-D-G0002). July 3/08: Global Fleet Sales, Inc. in Charlottesville, VA received a $10.4 million firm-fixed price contract for “mobile maintenance vehicles.” Work will be performed in Thailand and is expected to be completed by Feb 4/11. Web bids were solicited on May 18/06, and 9 bids were received (WHZV-06-D-G002). April 28/08: Global Fleet Sales in Charlottesville, VA received a $12.1 million firm-fixed price contract for cargo transport II trucks. Work will be performed in Chonburi, Thailand, and is expected to be complete by Feb 4/11. Web bids were solicited on May 18/06, and 9 bids were received (W56HZV-06-D-G002). Jan 22/08: Global Fleet Sales in Charlottesville, VA received a $39.9 million firm-fixed-price contract for 383 dump trucks. Work will be performed in Turkey, and is expected to be complete by June 1/11. Web bids were solicited on Aug 15/07, and 4 bids were received by TACOM in Warren, MI (W56HZV-08-D-G096). The contract had reportedly belonged to a firm in the Ukraine before. Jan 16/08: Global Fleet Sales, Inc. in Charlottesville, VA received $84.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for police light tactical vehicles and spare parts. Work will be performed in Thailand, and is expected to be complete by Feb 4/11. Web bids were solicited on May 18/06, and 9 bids were received (W56HZV-07-D-G002). Jan 16/08: Global Fleet Sales in Charlottesville, VA received a $72 million firm-fixed-price contract for police light tactical vehicles and spare parts. Work will be performed in Thailand, and is expected to be complete by Feb 4/11. Web bids were solicited on May 18/06, and 9 bids were received (W56HZV-07-D-G002). March 6/06: Small business qualifier Global Fleet Sales Inc. in Anderson, Ind., was awarded on March 1, 2006, an $8.6 million increment as part of a $17.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for Afghan National Police trucks. Work will be performed in Bangkok, Thailand, and is expected to be complete by July 31/06. This was a sole source contract initiated on Feb. 9/06 (W56HZV-06-C-T002). Jan 3/05: Small business qualifier RM Asia USA Inc. in Anderson, IN received an $11.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for 583 Ford Ranger trucks, spare parts, and technical manuals. Work will be performed in Chonburi, Thailand (90%) and Pol-e-chrky, Kabul (10%), and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2005. This was a sole source contract initiated on Dec 27/04 (W56HZV-05-C-0192).

More MRAPs: Navistar’s MaxxPro Maintains the Pole Position

More MRAPs: Navistar’s MaxxPro Maintains the Pole Position
(NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: Navistar subsidiary International Military and Government LLC (IMG) in, Warrenville, IL has now won over $3.5 billion in contracts to date under the MRAP program. The Category I MRUV vehicle’s role is similar to a Hummer’s, albeit with more carrying capacity and much more protection. That has become a staple for IMG’s entry, recently dubbed the “MaxxPro” by its manufacturer. Their collaboration with an Israeli firm who provides up-armored vehicles for the Marines appears to have overcome lukewarm initial interest, and is being ordered in quantity; but even successful survivors of Aberdeen’s tests may not offer enough protection against the class of land mines now seeing wider use in Iraq. Nevertheless, the MRAP program has become a production race – and Navistar is doing very well under those competitive terms; a July 2007 order vaulted them into 1st place for number of MRAP vehicles ordered, and they have kept that position since. That big July 2007 order came hot on the heels of US Secretary of Defense Gates’ request to Congress for an extra $1.2 billion in FY 2007 to fund an additional 2,650 MRAP vehicles, on the grounds that manufacturers appear to be ramping up production faster than previously forecast. Meanwhile, key inputs such as steel and tires which might otherwise have become production bottlenecks are being expedited under a DX rating that gives the MRAP program priority over almost all other military programs. Sen. Biden [D-DE], who often heard responses re: lack of industrial capacity when he began asking why more MRAP vehicles weren’t in theater, is probably feeling almost as happy as Navistar’s Board now that his “put the money together, issue the contracts, and let’s find out” speech [MS Word], embodied in Amendment #739 to the FY 2007 military budget, has become the US military’s go-forward plan. The latest items include over $100 million more in spares and modification related contracts. In 2005, military manufacturers began to plan for the end of the US military’s Hummer orders, and the associated battle to replace it with a new vehicle. By this time, land mines had already been the #1 killer in Iraq for some time now, and a few manufacturers were also looking to break into the American market with solutions to this problem. The technology was not new; indeed, it had been in use for over 40 years. The US military had just been very slow to adopt it, aside from some limited orders the 101st Airborne had placed for South African RG-31 vehicles, limited purchases of Force Protection’s Cougar and Buffalo vehicles for Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams, and M1117 Guardian ASV armored cars for US military police units. Worse, the ASVs were produced in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina interrupted production just as it was ramping up. As realization began to dawn in 2006 that the Hummers and their blast-catching flat bottoms needed a supplement in theater, the US Army and Marines began taking a closer look at mine-resistant vehicles on the market, and key manufacturers began maneuvering for position. The new Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) program would include a smaller Category I MRUV patrol vehicles that seated at least 6 people in total, including the driver and front seat. Category II JERRV vehicles would seat at least 10, and would be large enouh to hold bomb-disposal robots and other useful gear. Force Protection, whose v-hulled Cougar vehicles had catalyzed this realization with their performance in Iraq, offered their Cougars for MRAP CAT I/II. Textron offered the lighter M1117 Guardian armored car. BAE Systems was busy developing their RG-33 family, an update of their proven RG-31s that incorporated new technologies and lessons learned. Protected Vehicles, Inc. (PVI) would submit the Golan, designed in partnership with RAFAEL and the Israeli military. Armor Holdings, who supplied the US military’s FMTV medium trucks and up-armoring for its Hummers, was reportedly working on an up-armored design based on the FMTV. Lacking ready designs or American plants, others chose partnerships as their path to market. General Dynamics partnered with BAE OMC of South Africa and the Canadian government to offer the RG-31, then signed another deal with Force Protection to share production of Cougar vehicles. Truck maker Oshkosh entered the fray with a pair of Partnerships, signing a deal with PVI for their new Alpha MRUV vehicle, and Thales Australia for the larger Bushmaster vehicle that was already serving with Australian forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. German firm KMW’s Dingo had also demonstrated front-line performance with German forces in Afghanistan, but their partner Textron elected to offer their own M1117 instead, eliminating KMW before the competition had even started. Navistar subsidiary International Military and Government LLC (IMG, now Navistar Defense) didn’t have expertise in armored vehicles, but they did know trucks. The firm is used to substantial production numbers, and has a field maintenance network on the front lines. In addition to to being one of North America’s largest producers of civilian commercial trucks and mid-range diesel engines (161,000 vehicles in 2006), it is producing and supporting 2,781 vehicles for the Afghan National Army, and claims 9 additional contracts with the U.S. government for more than 1,000 units each. These contracts encompass include service trucks and buses that have been used in the Iraq reconstruction effort. Production facilities include Garland, TX; Springfield, OH; West Point, MS; Melrose Park, IL (diesel engines); and Tulsa, OK (buses). The key for Navistar would be finding the right partner, with the aim of developing an armored MRAP-candidate vehicle based around IMG’s WorkStar 7000 truck chassis. The Israeli frm Plasan Sasa had been designing and manufacturing up-armoring kits for the Marine Corps’ MTVR trucks for several years, which gave them a solid relationship with the MRAP competition’s key client. The Kibbutz Sasa firm also had experience developing full vehicles; its own light protected vehicle called the Caracal was under review by the US Marines for a different role. Navistar decided that they had found their partner.
Unlike the HMMWV’s auto-derived frame, IMG’s heavy-duty truck chassis would have the load capacity required to handle the weight of additional armor et. al. – without wearing out early. The final design positions a v-shaped crew compartment on top of that truck chassis, allowing maximum production commonality while using the compartment’s armoring and shape to channel blasts around the crew area. Extensive use of components from IMG’s trucks, including predictive maintenance features, would ensure that their entry was both producible in large numbers and maintainable in the field. In return for this positioning, Navistar’s IMG received a test vehicle production contract for their vehicle – and nothing more. IMG/Plasan Sasa’s MPV was not featured among the early-stage orders [1st set 2nd set] from the US military for low-risk designs, which went to rivals Force Protection (Cougar), BAE (RG-33, RG-33L), General Dynamics (RG-31), Oshkosh/PVI (Alpha CAT I), and PVI (Golan CAT II). Why? One logical conclusion is doubts about its performance. The biggest downside to capsule-mounting a blast-resistant hull on top of a frame is the danger that a mine blast will separate the capsule from the frame, or (more likely) destroy the chassis and immobilize the vehicle in an ambush zone. Moving a v-shaped blast pan beneath the chassis reduces that danger, but that solution creates issues with ground clearance; and – since it offers less of a gap from the blast – with crew survivability. What changed? Two things. One was the Biden Amendment in the Senate, which accelerated funding for MRAP even as the desired number of vehicles for the FY 2007-2008 program rose again from 4,100 to 7,774 vehicles. At that volume, existing vehicle manufacturers would be very hard-pressed to deliver the required quantity in time. Which in turn lent a higher value to producibility, as long as the vehicles offered substantially better protection than a Hummer. Especially with the US Army reportedly looking for 17,000 blast-resistant vehicles of its own by 2010. The second thing that happened was the testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, which appears to have quieted doubts concerning IMG/Plasan Sasa’s design. Navistar received just the 2nd post-testing order to emerge from Marine Corps Systems Command, behind Force Protection’s early 1,000 vehicle order in April 2007. A May 31, 2007 report from Defense News claims that Navistar officials heard about their win from the offices of minority leader Sen. Trent Lott [R-MS] and Rep. Roger Wicker [R-MS], and Navistar spokesman Roy Wiley added at the time that “We did extremely well during the tests [at Aberdeen], and we are extremely pleased.”
In contrast, Navistar’s trucking competitor Oshkosh failed with both of its purpose-designed vehicles. The firm received 100 advance low-risk orders for the Alpha vehicle, which then failed testing and was removed from the competition. Despite its successful service on the front lines, the v-hulled Australian Bushmaster design never saw a single production order during the MRAP program. It would join Textron’s M1117 on the sidelines. Navistar is extremely close-mouthed about the exact protection approaches they use, even at a general level. What DID can say is that recent years have begun to see solutions to the weaknesses of capsule-mounted vehicles. German armored vehicle maker Krauss-Maffei Wegman’s Dingo 2 uses an innovative approach, which is a v-hulled capsule and a blast pan underneath the chassis that is more of a shallow bowl shape than a “v”. The difference is that this blast pan is made of composites designed to flex with a blast and absorb energy, then return to shape. Their approach was regarded with some skepticism, but proved itself in an October 2005 incident in which a Bundeswehr Dingo 1 survived a 6-7kg/15-pound land mine explosion in Afghanistan with no injuries to its crew. Unfortunately for KMW, however, its American licensee Textron elected to submit a variant of its M1117 Guardian ASV instead. That proved to be a questionable decision; Textron was subsequently removed from the MRAP program, after their vehicles failed Aberdeen’s brutal testing. Plasan Sasa does make composite armors for vehicles, and its Caracal appears to use some form of light belly armor as part of its survivability package. A Dingo-like approach is possible for the MaxxPro MPV, but without inside information it is difficult to say.
Unless otherwise specified, all contracts are issued to International Military and Government LLC in Warrenville, IL. Unless otherwise noted, the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA buys MRAP vehicles on behalf of requests from the US Army (12,000), USMC (2,225), Air Force (558), Navy (544), SOCOM (344), and production verification testing (100). Observant readers will note that the USMC has reduced its requirements in the wake of their campaign’s smashing success in Iraq’s Anbar Province, and USAF numbers also dropped slightly. On the other hand, the Army’s increased orders for use in Afghanistan and Iraq more than made up for these declines. Orders continue to be placed under the original MRAP vehicle solicitation, until production verification of vehicles presented for testing in response to the MRAP II solicitation is completed. Based on awarded contracts, MaxxPro’s price per base vehicle is around $520,000 – $550,000. The vehicles must then be fitted with electronics, IED jammers, and other equipment that can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to that base price before it’s sent to the front lines.

Proposal to Reprogram Pakistani Military Aid into F-16s Generating Tension

Proposal to Reprogram Pakistani Military Aid into F-16s Generating Tension
(NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: On June 30/08, “US GAO Criticizes CSF Aid to Pakistan” discussed some of the tensions inherent in US aid to Pakistan, which has totaled several billion dollars since 2001. In addition to accounting and documentation issues, there have also been several instances in which the Pakistani military’s priorities and uses of its funds have diverged from the counter-terror focus intended by the US government. Pakistan’s current status as a country with a larger and more active insurgency than Iraq’s has two seemingly paradoxical effects. On the one hand, it raises the stakes when “Coalition Support Funding” and other counter-terror aid is used for other military efforts or prestige projects instead. On the other hand, because the stakes are so high given Pakistan’s ownership of nuclear weapons, the USA’s leverage for dealing with questionable appropriations is reduced to some extent. Aid to Pakistan has always been as much about keeping its military and government on side as it has been about dealing with the Al-Qaeda/Taliban networks that currently control significant sections of the country along the Afghan border. In late July 2008, all of these tensions exploded into view, as Pakistan proposed to redirect 2/3 of its 2008 aid into modernizing its older F-16 fighter fleet to the same standard as the new F-16 Block 50/52 aircraft it is about to receive. The US State Department acquiesced; but Congress seems to be of a different mindset. Pakistan is already undertaking a $5.1 billion combined program to purchase new F-16s, and upgrade the 1980s-vintage F-16A/Bs it bought in the 1980s. Under the proposal put forward by the US State Department, $226 million would be taken from an approved $300 million allotment for other Pakistan anti-terror operations. The move has reportedly been prompted by soaring food and energy costs, which are creating fiscal pressures on the government. Earlier flagship projects under the US military aid program included modernization of Pakistan’s P-3 Orion aircraft, and upgrades to its AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters. P-3 maritime patrol are being used by the USA itself over Afghanistan, where its long loiter time and surveillance capabilities have proven to be very useful. Upgraded P-3s also have implications for the conventional balance of power in Pakistan’s section of the Indian Ocean, given their long-range anti-ship strike capabilities. AFP quotes an anonymous State Department official as saying that the AH-1 upgrades will take place using different funding, though the GAO’s recent report indicates that fleet maintenance may be a more productive use of the funds. P-3 Orion funding, on the other hand, appears to be a casualty of the proposed change. In response, July 29/08 saw a pair of key legislators move to suspend the reprogramming, and offer an alternative. Democratic lawmakers Howard Berman [D-CA, Chair House Foreign Affairs Committee] and Nita Lowey [D-NY, Chair of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs’ Appropriations Subcommittee], cited the FY 2008 fiscal year state and foreign operations bill, which specifically required that military aid to Pakistan be used for counterterrorism and law enforcement activities directed against al-Qaida and the Taliban. While the situation in Pakistan is probably serious enough to warrant the use of air strikes against enemy strongholds, or in close-air support capacities, airpower is never a perfectly precise instrument. Its use has collateral effects on civilian support for the government that must be taken into account. The current civilian government’s emphasis on continuing Musharraf’s failed “Waziristan accords” strategy makes Pakistan’s F-16s a very unlikely counter-terror tool, unless the political situation shifts significantly. The Berman-Lowey hold in the US Congress is not binding, but such holds are traditionally respected. The request asks for ”...time for Congress to make a more considered judgment in consultation with the administration and the government of Pakistan.” Meanwhile, a counterproposal in Congress would add $200 million in economic assistance to Pakistan, which has received around $1.5 billion in economic assistance from the USA over the past 2 years. This would presumably allow the Pakistani government to cope with other fiscal pressures, while preserving the intended uses of the CSF funding.

Portugal Selects LITENING AT Pods for Its F-16s

Portugal Selects LITENING AT Pods for Its F-16s (NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: Portugal currently owns 45 F-16s as the backbone of its air force: 20-25 fly with 201 Sqn as F-16A/B Block 15s, while another 20 were upgraded via the Mid-Life Upgrade program to F-16AM status for 301 Sqn. The F-16AMs add considerable air-ground capabilities via improved radars, and compatibility with modern laser and GPS-guided precision weapons. Nevertheless, targets must still be found and marked. These days, many countries are buying small surveillance and targeting pods, as a bolt-on addition that gives their fighters full surveillance, designation, and precision strike capabilities. At present, the 2 main competitors in the global market are Lockheed Martin’s Sniper ATP, and Northrop Grumman/RAFAEL’s LITENING. On July 31/08 Portuguese Air Force announced a program to buy 12 LITENING AT pods from Northrop Grumman Corporation, as the winning candidate in their F-16 Advanced Targeting Pod upgrade program. Deliveries will begin in 2008, and finish in 2009. Note that the LITENING has been integrated on F-16 Block 15 aircraft, widening the number of Portuguese aircraft that might be given access to its surveillance and strike-enhancing capabilities.

AN F-16 FIGHTING FALCON AIRCRAFT MOVES INTO REFUELING POSITION

AN F-16 FIGHTING FALCON AIRCRAFT MOVES INTO REFUELING POSITION (NSI) August 6, 2008: An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron out of Hill Air Force Base, Utah, moves into refueling position over the Nevada Test and Training Ranges during a training mission for Red Flag 08-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., on Aug. 1, 2008.

Delta Air Lines to offer Wi-Fi access on entire domestic fleet

Delta Air Lines to offer Wi-Fi access on entire domestic fleet
(NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: Delta Air Lines customers traveling throughout the continental United States will soon be offered broadband Wi-Fi access onboard the airline’s domestic fleet of more than 330 mainline aircraft.Delta is joining with Aircell, a company with 17 year experienc in airborne communications for business and commercial aviation, to install the Mobile Broadband Network on the carrier’s domestic fleet. The system, Gogo, will enable Delta customers traveling with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, to access the Internet, corporate VPNs, corporate and personal e-mail accounts, as well as SMS texting and instant messaging services. Gogo will be available to customers for a flat fee of US$9.95 on flights of three hours or less, and US$12.95 on flights of more than three hours.“Delta remains committed to providing a travel experience that maximizes the time our customers spend with us onboard by offering them even more productivity options,” said Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive officer. ”Our customers asked for in-flight connectivity, and we’re responding by rolling out the most extensive Wi-Fi network in the sky. Beginning this fall, our passengers will have the ability to stay connected when they travel with us throughout the continental U.S.”Gogo will be offered initially on Delta’s fleet of 133 MD88/90 aircraft and will rapidly expand to the remaining domestic fleet of more than 200 Boeing 737, 757 (pictured) and 767-300 aircraft throughout the first half of 2009. The airline expects to have more than 330 aircraft complete by summer 2009. “The advent of Air-To-Ground (ATG) technology has made broadband connectivity in the cabin economically viable for the first time for commercial airlines,” said Jack Blumenstein, President and CEO, Aircell. “The game has changed and Delta will be among the first to provide an enhanced customer experience with broadband Wi-Fi access on more than 1,000 daily flights within the U.S.”The Aircell system is extremely light, requires minimal space on the aircraft and is installed overnight.