Kornet E Anti-Armour Missile, Russia

Kornet E Anti-Armour Missile, Russia (NSI News Source Info) August 31, 2008: Kornet E is the name given to the export version of the Russian Kornet missile system. The system, first shown in 1994, has been developed by the KBP Instrument Design Making Bureau, Tula, Russia and is in production and service with the Russian Army and has been sold to the Syrian Army. Kornet is a third generation system, developed to replace the Fagot and Konkurs missile systems in the Russian Army. It is designed to destroy tanks, including those fitted with explosive reactive armour (ERA), fortifications, entrenched troops as well as small-scale targets. The system can be fitted to a variety of tracked and wheeled vehicles, including the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle, as well as serving as a standalone, portable system. The self-propelled Kornet missile system is manufactured by the Volsk Mechanical Plant, Volsk, Russian Federation. It was reported in April 2005 that the Kornet E missile system has been ordered by the government of Eritrea. MISSILE The launcher fires Kornet missiles with tandem shaped charge HEAT warheads to defeat tanks fitted with ERA or with high explosive/incendiary (thermobaric effect) warheads, for use against bunkers, fortifications and fire emplacements. Armour penetration for the HEAT warhead is stated to be 1,200mm. Range is 5km. The missile has semi-automatic command-to-line-of-sight (SACLOS) laser beamriding guidance, flying along the line of sight to engage the target head on in a direct attack profile.

Kornet-E is a 3rd generation anti-armour missile system. The Kornet-E tripod launcher The Kornet-E launch tube and missile. The operator uses either optical or thermal sight to detect and track the target.

The Kliver missile and gun turret mounted on the Russian Army's BTR-80 armoured personnel carrier. LAUNCHER The tripod launcher includes optical sight, thermal sight, laying drives, missile launch mechanism and missiles kept in storage and transport containers. The operator uses either optical or thermal sight to detect and track the target. The thermal sight is designated 1PN80 and is produced by the State Institute of Applied Optics (NPO GIPO) of Kazan, Russia. VEHICLE MOUNTS The Kornet anti-tank guided weapon system is mounted on a cross-country, armoured chassis based on the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle which entered production in the late 1980s and is in service with the Russian Army. BMP-3 is a tracked, armoured, amphibious vehicle. It has a 500hp diesel engine, weighs 18.7t and is capable of a maximum speed of 70km/hr and range of 600km. The vehicle is equipped with night vision devices. The self-propelled Kornet missile system has the capability for automatic loading and the simultaneous launching of two missiles at a single target. 16 missiles can be carried. It has a crew of two. KLIVER MISSILE / GUN TURRET The KBP Instrument Design Making Bureau has recently developed the Kliver missile / gun turret based on the Kornet missile system, which can be mounted on a variety of vehicles including the Russian Army's BTR-80 armoured personnel carrier and BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle. It can also be installed on small ships such as coastal patrol boats. The Kliver turret carries four Kornet missiles and a 30 mm 2A72 gun. The gun has a range of 4,000m and can fire at the rate of 350 - 400 rounds per minute. There is also a 7.62mm PKT machine gun. Total weight of the turret is around 1,500kg, including ammunition and missiles. The automatic fire control system includes ballistic computer, thermal sight, laser rangefinder and stabilisation system. The turret has a 360° traverse and an elevation of -15° to +60°.

India to carry out test flight of LCH soon

India to carry out test flight of LCH soon

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - August 31, 2008: India's first indigenously-developed Light Combat Helicopter will be test flown later this year, in a major step aimed at giving a boost to the country's fighting capabilities in the Himalayas. State-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has completed development of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and it will test fly the chopper by the year-end. If the test flight goes smoothly, the LCH, built on the platform of a Cheetah body would be the second big feather in HAL's cap after the Advanced Light Helicopter. The LCH is expected to fill vital gaps in India's security as the armed forces lack a helicopter gunship which can operate in extreme high altitude above 9,000 feet. The indigenous development of such a helicopter comes as IAF has recently floated international tenders for the purchase of 22 advanced helicopter gunships. Besides Eurocopter which is part of the defence and aviation consortium EADS, the other major contenders for this competition are Boeing's AH-54D, Augusta Westland's AW-129 Mangustu and Russia's MI-28N NightHunters. Top HAL officials said work on the project was going on as per schedule. The aerospace major had taken five years to design the Advanced Light Helicopter 'Dhruv' but it completed the design of the LCH within 16-17 months. The helicopter will be equipped with helmet-mounted targeting systems, electronic warfare systems and advanced weapons systems.

'Right is on our side' over Georgia crisis says Putin

'Right is on our side' over Georgia crisis says Putin (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - August 31, 2008: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said that "right is on our side" in regard to the current crisis over Georgia. Putin was speaking on the Russian Vesti TV channel. "Whatever they might say there - right is on our side," said Putin, referring to Western criticism. Last Tuesday, Moscow recognized South Ossetia and another Georgian breakaway republic, Abkhazia, as independent states, despite warnings from Western leaders not to do so. The move came two weeks after Moscow had announced the end of its operation "to force Georgia to peace." The Russian military operation followed an attack by Georgia troops on South Ossetia on August 8. EU leaders are set to gather in Brussels for an emergency meeting on Georgia. The 27-nation organization is expected to discuss future relations with Russia. A number of member states, including Britain and Poland, have called for sanctions against Moscow, as well as the postponement of talks on a new partnership and cooperation agreement with Russia. "We are behaving in an absolutely moral way and in the framework of all existing international laws," said Putin. "And so, if any of the European countries wish to serve someone else's foreign interests - go ahead, we cannot insist otherwise," the former Russian president said. Putin had earlier accused the White House of provoking the conflict in Georgia in order to give an advantage to "one of" the U.S. presidential candidates. Washington has denied the allegation.

Russian Su-30 Fighter Planes Arrive In Venezuela

Russian Su-30 Fighter Planes Arrive In Venezuela

(NSI News Source Info) Caracas, Venezuela - August 31, 2008: At least 24 Russian-made Sukhoi-30 fighter jets were delivered to Venezuela on Sunday as part of the country's defense capability build-up. The purchase came after the Bush administration refused to sell parts for Venezuela's aging F-16 jet fleet. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said of the delivery, "We received the Sukhoi aircraft as well as pilots, crew and missiles, and the aircraft will begin military practice with missiles soon." He said the purchase of the aircraft from Russia was intended for defense capabilities only. Chavez in 2006 announced his plan to buy the jets from Russia after the U.S. refused to sell Venezuela spare part for the F-16 fleet of the Venezuelan Air Force. The Su-30, a multi-role strike fighter that can perform both air superiority and ground attacks, was dubbed by a German defense review magazine as the best combat fighter bomber plane ever built in the world. Chavez said the purchase of 24 Su-30 is only the beginning as he hopes to buy the more advanced Su-35s from Russia.

DRS Awarded Contracts To Provide MSTAR

DRS Awarded Contracts To Provide MSTAR

(NSI News Source Info) Parsippany NJ - August 31, 2008: DRS Technologies has announced that it was awarded contracts from various customers with a combined value of approximately $47 million to provide Man-Portable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar (MSTAR) systems, accessories, and/or support. The systems will support the U. S. Deparent of Defense (DoD) in a variety of surveillance and security applications. The work for these contracts will be performed by the company's DRS Sustainment Systems, Inc. unit based in St. Louis, Missouri. Product deliveries are expected to begin immediately and will continue through May 2009. Thomas G. Cornwell, president of the company's Sustainment Systems Business Segment, said, "The MSTAR is a 'best in class' product based on its performance, price, reliability and availability. Over 1,300 MSTARs have been deployed around the world as a stand-alone system, or as an integral part of a larger sensor suite. Its high reliability is supported by unmatched global logistics, to ensure that the warfighter or border security forces get the operating picture they need." The MSTAR is a low-power ground surveillance radar, which provides wide-area coverage in all weather conditions during both day and night. It locates moving targets and classifies them as personnel, tracked or wheeled vehicles. The system is ideally suited for deployable perimeter security applications, or as part of an integrated security system for force protection, border surveillance and asset protection. The technology and capabilities of the MSTAR can be customized to fulfill military and homeland security missions when intrusion detection, border surveillance and perimeter security are unique and require a tailored application. "MSTAR provides enhanced security system operations with the capability to rapidly monitor large surveillance areas and provide information about potential hostile intrusion," Cornwell added. "Its highly accurate tracking ability may be used to cue other sensors or weapons."

Military Matters: Economic crisis and 4GW

Military Matters: Economic crisis and 4GW

(NSI News Source Info) Washington - August 31, 2008: Despite the recent drop in the price of oil, the world economy is still sailing into troubled waters. The U.S. credit crisis is intensifying and spreading to Britain. Europe is moving toward recession. The international financial system continues to depend on mountains of debt. If the financial panic that the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank thus far has managed to stave off materializes, we could witness a meltdown of historic proportions. What does all this portend for fourth-generation warfare? Regrettably, it means the omens are favorable for some non-state entities, especially those that compete with the state in the delivery of vital social services. Here we must remind ourselves that the root and origin of 4GW is a crisis of legitimacy of the state. One of the functions the state is now expected to perform, in free market as well as socialist countries, is to ensure that the economy functions as well. A worldwide financial panic followed by a world recession or depression would mean the state was failing in one of its core functions. That in turn would further diminish the legitimacy of the state. Wilsonians and other "democracy" hucksters think a state's legitimacy is a function of elections. Even in established democracies such as the United States, those elections are becoming empty forms, political kabuki in which citizens are not given an opportunity to vote against the New Class. In most of the world, elections do not even determine which collection of thieves will next get to plunder the treasury. The game is blatantly rigged. In poor countries, the state's legitimacy is more a function of its ability to provide vital services than the election of ju-ju. Often, those services include allowing people to eat. Most people's diets depend on subsidized state rations, such as the bread ration in Egypt. Recent riots there when the issue of cheap bread was disrupted showed the potential power of hungry mobs. A worldwide depression would cause hardship in rich countries. In poor countries, it would quickly lead to widespread starvation. The state no longer would be able to provide the subsidized rations millions of its citizens rely on. The rise in world food prices already under way would put states in a double squeeze: The state's revenues would be falling at the same time that the difference between market and subsidized prices was growing. Add in global financial panic where credit dries up, and we will see the number of failed states rise rapidly. In the Great Depression of the 1930s, states' economic failure brought governments and even systems of government, including democracy, into question. In both Europe and the United States, communism and fascism gained a certain popularity because in the Soviet Union, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, everyone had a job. But the state itself was not challenged, because there was no alternative to the state. Now, there is. Intelligent 4G entities, ranging from some drug gangs through organizations such as Hezbollah, the Shiite Party of God in southern Lebanon, are competing directly with the state for people's primary loyalty. If those 4G entities can provide basic services, including food, when the state can no longer do so, they will gain the legitimacy that the state is losing. In fourth-generation war, that is a bigger win than any potential military victory. In terms of 4GW theory, the lessons here are two. First, a global economic crisis is likely to lead to a much deeper crisis, a widespread existential crisis of the state itself. Second, the 4G entities that benefit from this crisis will be those that provide basic services more effectively than the state. Once again, just as from a military perspective, we see that the "Hezbollah model" is the most promising model for 4G, non-state organizations. That model includes a highly competent military that can defeat state armed forces. But it employs its military capability sparingly, fighting only when attacked or when a low-risk, high-payoff military opportunity presents itself, which will be seldom. For 4GW entities as for states, the outcome of wars will remain unpredictable. Instead, the Hezbollah model focuses day-to-day on providing services to the people, building its legitimacy vis-a-vis the state and gaining the population's primary loyalty. At some point, that loyalty will become so strong that not even military defeat by a state's armed forces will destroy it.

Pakistan & India's internal unrest making headlines news

Pakistan & India's internal unrest making headlines news (NSI News Source Info) August 31, 2008: For the last two months, fighting in Pakistan, along the Afghan border, has left over a thousand dead, several thousand wounded and over half a million refugees. Most of the casualties are among the Islamic militants, and most of those are Taliban. Al Qaeda and Taliban suicide bombers operate, but not in large enough numbers to have much impact. In Pakistan's Swat valley, the army continues its offensive against Islamic militants, who refuse to surrender, or adhere to the terms of any ceasefire they agree to. It's the usual factionalism among the Islamic radicals that makes it impossible to negotiate with the radicals. So the army is bombing Islamic radical camps, and rounding up leaders, or at least trying to. In the Swat Valley, the local Islamic terrorist leader (a cleric with a militant following) has based his terror campaign on the need to halt the education of girls. The Taliban considers this un-Islamic, and over a hundred girls schools in the Swat Valley have been shut or destroyed by the Taliban. Civil unrest in Indian Kashmir, where the Moslem majority in the northern half of the state agreed to halt their campaign of non-violent protest. The Hindu minority agreed as well. This is more of a truce, than a resolution of the conflict. The Moslems were protesting the expansion (by a hundred acres) of facilities around a Hindu shrine, and the increasing number of Hindus making the pilgrimage (many doing so as a form of protest against Islamic efforts to separate Kashmir from India). This goes to the root of Moslem-Hindu relations in South Asia. While Hinduism is a tolerant (by world standards) and ancient religion with thousands (polytheistic) of gods, Islam is a much more aggressive, monotheistic (one god) and recent religion that is intolerant of other religions. While Islam appeared 1400 years ago, it took about 400 years before a proper invasion of India could be carried out. The Hindus resisted, India being one of the few places where the majority of the conquered people did not convert. In fact, most of the Indians who converted to Islam were those from the bottom castes (of the Hindu caste system that assigns all families to a permanent socio-economic status, and is pretty bad for those in the lowest castes). In all, Islam managed to convert about a quarter of the people in what is now India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. While most of the 15 percent of India's population that is Moslem have accommodated themselves to peacefully coexisting with Hindus (and Christians and all the other religious minorities of India), there are still Islamic conservatives in majority Moslem Pakistan and Bangladesh who regard India as unfinished business, in terms of the need to forcibly convert those pagan Hindus to the One True Religion. In majority Moslem Kashmir, that ancient animosity towards Hindus is back in play as a popular enthusiasm. There, two months of Moslem protests against Hindu shrines and pilgrims has caused enormous damage to the local economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism (both secular and religious). The widespread violence prevented food and other goods to get to many parts of the province, causing much hardship. While the generally peaceful mass protests have been going on, the Islamic terrorists have still been active. But these were easier to deal with, as the Islamic terrorists fight to the death, while the protesters keep on coming back. In Pakistan's northwest, major fighting continues in the Kurram Agency (along the Afghan border) where hundreds of Shia and Sunni tribesmen have been killed or wounded in over two weeks of fighting. It's all about religious differences and tribal feuds. August 30, 2008: In southwest Pakistan, the provincial Senate of Baluchistan had a debate where members defended five recent cases of young women being murdered (by being buried alive) for having somehow offended the honor of their families. Many Senators insisted this must be allowed to continue, as it is an important tribal tradition among the Baluchi tribes. Female Senators and politicians disagreed. In Pakistan, the army has announced a Ramadan (the annual month of prayer, fasting and feasting) ceasefire. This probably won't hold, but many tribesmen go back to their home villages for Ramadan, so the level of violence will probably decline. The army later pointed out that the ceasefire does not over all the tribal areas, and that the army will continue operations against Taliban and al Qaeda groups that are still active. Over a week of religious violence in eastern India (Orissa) has left at least a dozen dead, and 5,000 people (mainly Christians) chased from their homes by Hindu radicals. The army has been ordered in and told to shoot Hindu rioters and looters, and do whatever it takes to stop the violence. August 26, 2008: The Pakistani government has officially banned the TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), the umbrella organization for the Pakistani Taliban. This means the TTP can no longer operate openly throughout Pakistan. No bank accounts, no public fund raising and recruiting. It will slow down the TTP. August 25, 2008: In Pakistan, the government refused a Taliban offer of a ceasefire during Ramadan. The Islamic radicals constantly violate these agreements, and the government is no longer willing to go along with this scam. August 24, 2008: In eastern India (Orissa) a group of Maoist gunmen killed a Hindu political leader. The Maoists were trying to gain the support of local Christians. Most of the people converting to Christianity are from the bottom castes (of the Hindu caste system that assigns all families to a permanent socio-economic status, and is pretty bad for those in the lowest castes). This makes the upper caste Hindus, and Hindu radicals, angry, especially about 20 percent of the tribal peoples in Orissa have converted to Christianity. In this area, that comes to over 120,000 people. The radicals accuse the Christian missionaries of paying poor Hindus to convert, and use this fantasy to justify using force against the missionaries and their converts. The large number of Christians in the area are seen as a threat to Hinduism. The government tries to keep the peace, while the Maoists try to stir up Hindu radical violence. The Maoists don't believe in any religion, but will exploit religious feuds for political gain. About three percent of Indians are Christian, while 84 percent are Hindu.

Google Earth Changed The Game

Google Earth Changed The Game (NSI News Source Info) August 31, 2008: It's been two years since Google Earth gave everyone access to commercial satellite photography. At first, this seemed like a disaster for the military. With millions of people enthusiastically scouring satellite photos formerly only available to businesses (and often unseen, or used by only a few people), many military secrets were no longer secure. Google found itself besieged by angry generals, admirals, diplomats and government bureaucrats demanding that images of military installations be removed. Some nations simply cut off access to Google Earth, or at least tried to. It's very difficult to completely cut off access to a single site on the web. After about a year, things settled down, when something unexpected happened. First, it turned out that crowd sourcing had struck again. Crowd sourcing is the unique web phenomenon whereby large numbers of people applying themselves to a task (like examining thousands of Google Earth satellite photos), reveals things that were previously unnoticed (even by the professional spy agencies, although they won't admit it). This proved to be beneficial for the intelligence agencies around the world, especially those in democracies. Not because the new revelations were so important, but because a lot of their stuff, that was formerly closely held (because to reveal it would show the other nations what was known, or, more often, just because it was a secret), was now out in the open, for everyone to see. Thus, for example, it was now obvious to all the extent of the Chinese military buildup (new bases, new ships, new aircraft and ballistic missiles). It was also obvious how much Russian military power had declined since 1991. While Google will respond to an official request to black out (or lower the resolution on) sensitive military areas, they have to get an official request, and there has to be something there. In addition, many nations are putting more effort into hiding military activities from satellite photography. And many things that governments can't be ordered black out, like the visual record of Sudan's destruction of hundreds of villages in Sudan, remain visible to all. In that respect, journalists find Google Earth a powerful new tool. This will become even more the case in the future, as new commercial photo satellites enter service, and provide even more detailed images. The eye in the sky never sleeps, and doesn't lie. It's not going away, either. That's just something everyone has to get used to, for better or worse.

DTN News: Reborn Afghan Air Force Slowly Taking Shape

DTN News: Reborn Afghan Air Force Slowly Taking Shape (NSI News Source Info) KABUL - August 31, 2008: At the south end of the runway at Kabul's international airport, a large hangar covers three helicopters that make up the "presidential squad" reserved for the country's leader Hamid Karzai. The Afghan air arm deteriorated following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and collapse of the Najibullah Government in 1992, and it was nearly eliminated by US/Coalition air strikes in 2001. Especially since 2007, the redesignated Afghan National Army Air Corps has been gradually increasing its aircraft inventory, personnel, and operational capabilities, the result of extensive partnering with the US-led, international Combined Air Power Transition Force. The gleaming Mi-17s come with VIP cabins, comfortable sofas, large leather armchairs, satellite telephones and flat screen TVs. Their crew and mechanics are Afghans, but the instructors are American. Also under cover are about 30 other aircraft. This is the Afghan National Air Corps, the embryo of the country's future air force. The helicopters are a symbol of the rebirth of a force that had its moment of glory at the time of the Soviet occupation in the 1980s. The country then had several hundred military aircraft - transport and attack helicopters, fighter jets, bombers - enough air power to worry its neighbors. But the retreat of the Soviets was the death knell of this force, quickly reduced to a handful of aircraft left in the hands of the anti-Soviet Northern Alliance under the late Ahmad Shah Massoud and the Taliban. The last craft were destroyed in the U.S. offensive launched in October 2001 against the Taliban regime, following the September 11 attacks on the United States. In a few weeks, however, the Afghan Air Corps is due to move into a new base built by the United States on the other side of the runway - the north of the airport. The cost is $183 million, a bill that reflects the scale of the plan. "Basically, it's a self-contained city that we are building here," said one U.S. officer. The 1,300 or so residents of the base will benefit from modern installations: barracks, an Mi-17 flight simulator, hospital, post office, electric generators and a conference centre. Still empty, two gigantic hangars - designed to American standards and to resist seismic activity - will accommodate the aircraft of the Afghan National Army, the interior ministry and the presidency. As Moscow once did, Washington provides everything and looks after everything. The Afghan pilots are trained here and abroad - in Ukraine and the United States. A number of them are pure products of the Soviet flying school, hence the decision to initially put them in aircraft from the ex-Soviet bloc. "They are very well trained," said the instructor of the presidential flying team, Captain Nick Noreus. "I have been training them like Westerners. So they're able to navigate with a map, talk on the radio," he said. "They would have no problem flying in a U.S. formation. They use Western style flying. They are good pilots. They have been flying since the Russian times." For the time being, the Afghan Air Corps has 17 MI-17 transport helicopters and three MI-35 attack helicopters as well as six Antonov transport planes. From now until 2011, this fleet is expected to grow to 49 Mi-17 and 18 Italian C-27A transport planes, which will replace the Antonovs. So as not to be relegated to troop transportation and medical evacuation, the Afghan air force should receive between now and 2012-2013 small combat planes with single motors and propellers capable of carrying rockets and bombs. In the meantime, and as a souvenir of its glorious past, the force has to be content with two L-39, Czech-made training jets that are unarmed and fly only on military parades.

Thousands flee Japan floods

Thousands flee Japan floods (NSI News Source Info) August 31, 2008: One woman was found dead as torrential rain hit central Japan. More than one million people have been ordered to leave their homes as severe flooding sweeps central Japan. Many had to flee by boat or wade through waist-deep water as the fierce rains left one woman dead and three others missing. One man was seriously injured. About 1.27 million people from 500,000 households in Aichi, central Japan, were ordered to evacuate. The rains abated by midday Friday, but authorities warned there could be further heavy downpours. "While the evacuation order was lifted, we urged residents to be cautious as we expect heavy rains tonight," said Naoyuki Kato, a police official in the hardest-hit city of Okazaki, 90km southwest of Tokyo. About 100 soldiers were dispatched to Okazaki to rescue hundreds of people stranded in their homes. Some areas were left without power or telephone services after the storms and several rivers overflowed, forcing drivers to abandon their cars in the streets.

Homes destroyed Rescuers paddled through flooded streets and canals in Okazaki in inflatable rafts on Friday, ferrying residents, many of them elderly, from destroyed homes to safety. At the storm's peak, Okazaki was hit with 5.7 inches of rain per hour according to Japan's meteorological agency, a record for the area. A 76-year-old woman was found drowned in her home in Okazaki and a man was in serious condition, Kazumi Yamagawa, a local police official

said. Three other people were reported to be missing. Hachioji, a western suburb of Tokyo, was also hit by record rainfall, triggering landslides that destroyed several homes. Several train lines were affected and hundreds of people on their way to work in the city suffered delays. Japan is often hit in summer by heavy rains, which can trigger flash flooding. Earlier this month, five workers were killed in Tokyo after being pulled down a manhole when sewage waters suddenly rose after a thunderstorm. Last month, a woman, two girls and a boy were found dead after being washed away by a swollen river after a downpour in the port city of Kobe, west of Tokyo.

Pakistan: Six killed in Miranshah missile strike - official report

Pakistan: Six killed in Miranshah missile strike - official report (NSI News Source Inf) MIRANSHAH - August 31, 2008: A missile fired from an unmanned aircraft hit a house in a restive tribal area on Sunday, killing six suspected militants, residents and officials said.The attack took place in the village of Tappi, located about 10 kilometres (six miles) southeast of Miranshah, the main town in volatile North Waziristan."The death toll has risen to six and eight others are injured," a security official told AFP, updating an earlier toll."Most of the dead are foreign militants including Arabs and Uzbeks," he added.Residents said the missile was fired from a pilotless aircraft and that the house belonged to a local tribesman who had rented it out to the militants.

Putin in Vladivostok to discuss 2012 APEC summit

Putin in Vladivostok to discuss 2012 APEC summit (NSI News Source Info) VLADIVOSTOK - August 31, 2008: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived in the country's Far East port of Vladivostok on Sunday to hold a meeting on issues related to an APEC summit due to take place in the city in 2012. The 2012 summit will bring together the leaders of the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member states, which include economic giants China and the United States, and cumulatively account for about half of the global economy. A senior government official said however in mid-July that the area was lagging behind in preparations for the summit. "Both the regional and federal authorities are to blame for the failure to meet the schedule," the head of Russia's Audit Chamber, Sergei Stepashin, said.