Monday, June 01, 2009

DTN News: General Dynamics NASSCO Begins Construction Of Fifth Product Carrier Ship

DTN News: General Dynamics NASSCO Begins Construction Of Fifth Product Carrier Ship
*Source: General Dynamics Corporation
(NSI News Source Info) SAN DIEGO – June 1, 2009: General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, May 29 began construction of the fifth ship in its series of product carriers. The shipyard is scheduled to deliver the ship to U.S. Shipping Partners in the third quarter of 2010.
The ship will be named “Evergreen State,” the state nickname of Washington. Designed to carry petroleum and chemical products in Jones Act trade between U.S. ports, the double-hulled ship will be 600.4 feet (183 meters) in length and have a cargo capacity of approximately 331,000 barrels.
General Dynamics NASSCO employs approximately 4,700 people and is the only major ship construction and repair yard on the West Coast of the United States. In addition to the product carrier construction, NASSCO is also building the Lewis and Clark-class of dry cargo-ammunition ships for the U.S. Navy. Additional information on NASSCO can be found at http://www.nassco.com/.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 92,900 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.generaldynamics.com.

DTN News: Langley Airmen And 12 F-22 Raptors From 94th Fighter Squadron Depart

DTN News: Langley Airmen And 12 F-22 Raptors From 94th Fighter Squadron Depart
(NSI News Source Info) June 1, 2009: Approximately 280 Langley Airmen and 12 F-22 Raptors from the 94th Fighter Squadron depart this week for their Air Expeditionary Force deployment. USAF F-22A block 20 no.03-4059 from the 27th FS takes off on May 26, 2009 for Kadena AB, Japan. More than 280 Langley Airmen and 12 F-22A Raptors depart this week for their AEF deployment. [USAF photo by SrA Zachary Wolf] The 94th FS, along with members of the Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing, are deploying to Kadena Air Base, Japan, as part of a theater security package being sent to the Western Pacific. "This deployment is an excellent avenue to ensure that all facets of our unique brand of air power are able to perform at a moment's notice," said Lt. Col. Adrian Spain, 94th FS commander.
"Many of our pilots and maintainers have not experienced this type of deployment with the Raptor, so it will be an opportunity to prove our ability to respond anywhere, anytime." This is the first overseas deployment for the 94th FS since transitioning to the F-22 Raptor. As part of their preparation for the deployment, the squadron worked with the 27th FS, who returned from their deployment to Kadena in April.
"They captured all of their lessons learned and passed them on to us to help make sure the Spad deployment is even better," said Lt. Col. Pete Fesler, 94th FS director of operations. Specifically, the squadron learned what type of cargo and spare parts to bring to ensure the jets are working at their optimum performance, said Colonel Fesler.
They also prepared for the type of training they will conduct during the deployment. The 94th FS plans to train with and against the F-15 Eagles based at Kadena, as well as the Japan Air Self Defense Forces and the U.S. Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornets. The squadron will be able to practice the way they would fight - as part of a coalition or joint team. "We've been working for a long time toward this deployment," said Colonel Fesler. "It's a great opportunity for the Spads to throw their hat in the ring."

DTN News: Russian Navy 8 Strategic Submarines Are Combat-Ready Out Of 12 - Analyst

DTN News: Russian Navy 8 Strategic Submarines Are Combat-Ready Out Of 12 - Analyst
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - June 1, 2009: Russia's navy has 12 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines in service, but only eight of them are combat-capable, a Russian military analyst said on Monday. The Typhoon class submarine is a type of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine deployed by the Soviet Navy in the 1980s. With a maximum displacement of 26,000 tonnes (26,000 long tons), Typhoons are the largest class of submarine ever built. The source of the NATO reporting name remains unclear, although it is often claimed to be related to the use of the word "typhoon" by Leonid Brezhnev in a 1974 speech while describing a new type of nuclear ballistic missile submarine. In its day it was one of the most feared weapons of mass destruction ever made. Although technically able to successfully deploy their long-range nuclear missiles while moored at their docks, Soviet doctrine for these vessels was to have them attack North America while submerged under the arctic circle, avoiding the traversal of the GIUK gap to remain safe from enemy attack submarines and anti-submarine forces. The cost of operations for the Typhoon submarines was so high that the Russian Navy retired all but one of them in favor of older Delta class SSBNs after the collapse of the Soviet Union. "Out of 12 vessels, Northern Fleet's Typhoon class Dmitry Donskoi submarine has been overhauled to test new Bulava sea-based ballistic missiles, six Delta-IV class units are being refitted with modernized version of the R-29RM (SS-N-23) missile, known as Sineva, and five Delta-III class submarines are deployed with the Pacific Fleet" said Mikhail Barabanov, editor-in-chief of the Moscow Defense Brief magazine. "Submarines of the Delta-III class are being gradually decommissioned. About eight [strategic] submarines in total are considered combat-ready," the analyst said. He added that two Typhoon class submarines, the Arkhangelsk and the Severstal, remain in reserve at a naval base in Severodvinsk in north Russia, but they are not fitted with missiles and need further repairs. Typhoon class subs will be replaced by new-generation Borey class strategic submarines, which will be equipped with Bulava sea-based ballistic missiles. Russia started mooring trials of the first Borey class vessel, the Yury Dolgoruky, in March. The vessel is 170 meters (580 feet) long, has a hull diameter of 13 meters (42 feet), a crew of 107, including 55 officers, maximum depth of 450 meters (about 1,500 feet) and a submerged speed of about 29 knots. It can carry up to 16 ballistic missiles and torpedoes. Two other Borey class nuclear submarines, the Alexander Nevsky and the Vladimir Monomakh, are currently under construction at the Sevmash shipyard and are expected to be completed in 2009 and 2011. Russia is planning to build a total of eight submarines of this class by 2015. In addition, the Russian Navy has about 30 nuclear-powered attack subs equipped with either SS-N-19 Shipwreck long-range anti-ship cruise missiles or torpedo tubes, but only 17 of them are operational, the analyst said. Diesel-electric submarines are represented by about 20 Kilo class vessels. They will be gradually replaced by Project 667 Lada class submarines. The sub features a new anti-sonar coating for its hull, an extended cruising range, and advanced anti-ship and anti-submarine weaponry, including Club-S cruise missile systems. According to Barabanov, the Russian Navy has at least seven 'special purpose' submarines designed for testing of new technologies and weaponry. Some open sources earlier reported the existence of Project 20120 B-90 Sarov diesel-electric submarine, which has a nuclear reactor as a supplementary power generator. The vessel was commissioned in 2007 and according to some reports may be used by Russia's Northern Fleet as a spy vessel in northern waters.

DTN News: South Korea TODAY June 1, 2009 - South Korean Army Soldiers During Military Drill Near Demilitarized Zone

DTN News: South Korea TODAY June 1, 2009 - South Korean Army Soldiers During Military Drill Near Demilitarized Zone
(NSI News Source Info) SEOUL, South Korea - June 1, 2009: South Korean Army soldiers in full gear march during their military drill near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Paju, about 45 km (28 miles) north of Seoul, June 1, 2009.
North Korea could this month test-fire a long-range missile designed to strike U.S. territory and may also be gearing up for skirmishes with the South around their disputed sea border, South Korean news reports said on Monday.

DTN News: Sri Lanka TODAY June 1, 2009 - Sri Lankan Soldiers Rehearsal For National War Celebration Parade

DTN News: Sri Lanka TODAY June 1, 2009 - Sri Lankan Soldiers Rehearsal For National War Celebration Parade
(NSI News Source Info) COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - June 1, 2009: Sri Lankan soldiers march during a rehearsal for the National War Celebration parade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, June 1, 2009.
Sri Lanka will celebrate its military victory over Tamil tiger rebels in its three decade long civil war next Wednesday.

DTN News: General Motors Corp To Reorganize In Government-Led Bankruptcy

DTN News: General Motors Corp To Reorganize In Government-Led Bankruptcy
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - June 1, 2009: General Motors Corp., the century-old automaker battered by the economic downturn, mounting debt and management problems, will file for bankruptcy Monday as part of an Obama administration plan to shrink the automaker to a sustainable size and give a majority ownership stake to the federal government. General Motors Corp. world headquarters is seen along the Detroit river in downtown Detroit, Michigan May 31, 2009. General Motors Corp and the U.S. government finalized plans on Sunday for the battered company to reorganize, setting the stage for America's largest-ever industrial bankruptcy and heralding a new and uncertain era for the No. 1 U.S. automaker. It will be the largest industrial bankruptcy in U.S. history and the fourth-largest overall and comes as smaller rival Chrysler appears ready to make a speedy exit from its own court proceedings. A GM dealership in New York filed for bankruptcy protection early Monday, beginning the wave of court filings expected in Manhattan bankruptcy court as the automaker begins a complex reorganization that the government insists can be completed within three months. The government will end up with a 60 percent ownership stake and an unprecedented role in reshaping the auto industry. President Barack Obama planned to announce his support for General Motors as it enters bankruptcy protection, vowing to provide billions more in government aid and protect the taxpayers' investment without interfering with the company's day-to-day operations. GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson was holding a news conference in New York immediately following Obama's address from the White House. Administration officials said late Sunday the federal government would provide an additional $30 billion to GM — which has already received about $20 billion in government loans — to help it restructure through bankruptcy. GM will follow a similar course taken by Chrysler LLC, which filed for Chapter 11 protection in April and hopes to emerge from its government-sponsored bankruptcy this week. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity in advance of Obama's public remarks, said the administration expects the court process to last 60 to 90 days. If successful, GM will emerge as a leaner company with a smaller work force, fewer plants and a trimmed dealership network. Meanwhile, a federal bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of most of Chrysler LLC's assets to Italian automaker Fiat, clearing the way for the American automaker to exit court protection shortly. Judge Arthur Gonzalez said in a court filing Sunday that he approved the sale, the major piece of a plan orchestrated by the federal auto task force. GM will move forward with four core brands — Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. The company plans to cut 21,000 employees, about 34 percent of its work force, and reduce the number of dealers by 2,600. GM was announcing plans to close 11 facilities, idle three others and name the buyer of its Hummer division. GM's stock dropped to its lowest price in company history Friday, closing at just 75 cents. The shares will be virtually worthless in a Chapter 11 reorganization. "There is still plenty of pain to go around, but I'm confident this is far better than the alternative," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. "It's a new beginning, it's a rebirth, it's a new General Motors." The early Monday court filing by Chevrolet-Saturn of Harlem Inc.'s Chapter 11 petition list the company's largest creditors as a trust company that holds more than $22 billion in bond debt, and the United Auto Workers union, which is owed more than $20 billion dollars. The size of those figures indicate the dealership's filing in Manhattan bankruptcy court is part of GM's overall filing for bankruptcy protection. The automaker itself is expected to file its own Chapter 11 petition around 8 a.m. EDT. Many GM affiliates will have to file separate petitions as part of the process. The Harlem dealership's filing shows the U.S. government will form a new company called Auto Acquisition Corp. to acquire the dealership's assets and many others. The new company would become the "New GM" that would be owned by the U.S. and Canadian governments, the UAW and GM's current bondholders and would emerge from bankruptcy protection as a leaner, competitive automaker that can become profitable. The filing lays the groundwork for the financing from the U.S. Treasury Department and the Canadian government that will keep General Motors Corp. and its affiliates operating while they're in bankruptcy protection. It confirms Albert Koch, who helped Kmart Corp. through its Chapter 11 reorganization, will serve as GM's chief restructuring officer. The bankruptcy represents a dramatic downfall for GM, which was founded in 1908 by William C. Durant, who brought several car companies under one roof and developed a strategy of "a car for every purse and purpose." Longtime leader Alfred P. Sloan built the global automaker into a corporate icon. The billions in federal loans will come from the $700 billion rescue fund for the financial sector, representing another significant intervention into private enterprise. The Treasury has used funding to stabilize banks, take a majority ownership in insurance conglomerate American International Group and guide Chrysler through bankruptcy. Despite its large ownership stake in GM, administration officials said the government intends to avoid interfering with routine management decisions and would strive to shed its ownership stakes "as soon as practicable." But the arrangement was fraught with potential conflicts. Daily operations will be carried out by GM's management but the administration will play a role in selecting a majority of the new board of directors. Obama ordered the firing of former GM CEO Rick Wagoner and instructed GM to trim itself to a break even point of 10 million U.S. car sales a year instead of its previous break even point of 16 million vehicles. For Chrysler, the sale to Fiat means the U.S. company could be out of bankruptcy within the government's original timeframe of 30 to 60 days. Chrysler's plan gives a 55 percent stake of the new company to a union-run trust for retirees. Fiat gets a 20 percent stake to Fiat that can ultimately grow to 35 percent. The U.S. and Canadian governments get smaller pieces. Chrysler LLC was forced into court protection on April 30. Ahead of its own bankruptcy filing, GM rushed to win concessions from stakeholders. A group of large, institutional bondholders, representing 54 percent of GM bondholders, agreed to exchange their unsecured bonds for a 10 percent stake in a newly restructured company, plus warrants to purchase a greater share later. They had balked at an earlier offer that gave them 10 percent of the company. The United Auto Workers union agreed to a cost-cutting deal last week.

DTN News: Hong Kong TODAY June 1, 2009 - Protesters Of Hong Kong Demonstrating On 20th nniversary Of Beijing's Crackdown On Pro-Democracy Protesters

DTN News: Hong Kong TODAY June 1, 2009 - Protesters Of Hong Kong Demonstrating On 20th nniversary Of Beijing's Crackdown On Pro-Democracy Protesters
(NSI News Source Info) HONG KONG - June 1, 2009: An open-topped double-decker tour bus stops alongside protesters on the streets of Hong Kong on May 31, 2009 as they take part in a demonstration in the run-up to the 20th anniversary of Beijing's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.
Organisers said around 5,000 people rallied through the streets of the southern Chinese city to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown in 1989 which left hundreds, possibly thousands dead following weeks of protests in the capital.

DTN News: Iran Shuts Its Border With Pakistan

DTN News: Iran Shuts Its Border With Pakistan
(NSI News Source Info) QUETTA - June 1, 2009: Iran has closed its border with Pakistan at Taftan and informed the Pakistani government about its decision. Iran had closed the border partially on Thursday after a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Zahedan, but has now ordered complete closure. Iranians are seen inside the mosque after an explosion killed 15 in Zahedan, Iran,Thursday May. 28, 2009. An explosion in a mosque killed 15 people and wounded 50 Thursday in southeast Iran near the volatile Pakistani border, the state news agency said. Iranian officials were investigating the cause of the explosion in the city of Zahedan, some 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Tehran, said the Islamic Republic News Agency. A Pakistani official confirmed on Sunday that the Iranian authorities had closed the border. Iran had closed the border partially on Thursday after a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Zahedan, but ordered complete closure on Saturday. Sources said that Iranian authorities had also tightened security along the border. The Iranian move has caused suspension of trade through the area. There was no trade now, the sources said, adding that people belonging to tribes living on the two sides of the border were facing enormous difficulties. The Iranian border authorities have also stopped issuing temporary permits to people settled on both sides of the border. The suspension of trade has resulted in an acute shortage of foodstuff coming from Iran.

DTN News: President Hamid Karzai Consolidates Power As NATO Troops Seek Afghan Stability

DTN News: President Hamid Karzai Consolidates Power As NATO Troops Seek Afghan Stability By Gregory Viscusi (NSI News Source Info) KABUL - June 1, 2009: Ismael Khan has held sway in the west of Afghanistan for most of the past three decades, first as a mujahedeen commander fighting the Soviets and then as governor of Herat Province after expelling the Taliban. In 2004, he was fired as governor by President Hamid Karzai and replaced by one of Karzai’s own men. In exchange, Khan moved to the capital of Kabul to be minister of energy and water, a post he still holds. Karzai’s power to remove and co-opt local leaders is one reason that he’s well-positioned to win re-election in the Aug. 20 presidential poll. NATO officials are counting on peaceful and clean elections to boost the Afghan government’s standing as President Barack Obama shifts resources from Iraq to make the central Asian nation the main front against al-Qaeda. “In such a centralized state as Afghanistan, it’s very hard for new challengers to emerge,” said Joanna Nathan, a senior analyst in Kabul for the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based conflict-resolution consultant. “The president controls all the positions that in other countries would produce future leaders.” While large parts of the east and south are out of Karzai’s control because of a renewed Taliban insurgency, his political authority over the rest of the country is intact. He’s bought off once-powerful warlords with government positions, and appointed loyalists as governors in each of the 34 provinces. Karzai will be facing as many as 43 rivals. His main challengers are former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani, who failed to agree on a common front against the president. More than dozen Afghanis interviewed in Kabul and in Herat couldn’t name any of the other candidates, who include two women. ‘Splintered’ Opposition “The opposition is so splintered and Karzai has put together a broad enough coalition that he should be a sure winner,” said Barnett Rubin, director of studies at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University. He has advised the United Nations on Afghanistan since 2001. The president’s power is limited in other areas. The Afghan Army and North Atlantic Treaty Organization troops are struggling to contain Taliban insurgents. And most spending in Afghanistan is handled directly by donor nations. Karzai’s budget this year is $2.5 billion, while military and development spending by foreign governments will amount to $5.1 billion, or 43 percent of the economy, the International Monetary Fund says. Khan’s Return Khan took over Herat after the Soviets left in 1989. After being chased out by the Taliban, he returned with the U.S.- backed Northern Alliance in 2001. He rebuilt the city and his militia by collecting tolls from trade with Iran, just 60 kilometers (40 miles) away. Customs revenue is now back under the control of the Finance Ministry, Ahmad Yusef Nuristani, Herat’s current governor, said in a May 16 briefing at the governor’s palace. “The warlords are losing their authority again,” Jelani Popal, head of the directorate for local government, said in a May 20 briefing in Kabul. “They’ve lost their revenue sources. They’ve lost their weapons.” According to the UN-run Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration program, 63,380 militia members returned to civilian life and about 11,000 heavy weapons were turned in before the program ended in 2005. Other warlords, such as Tajik leader Mohammed Fahim and Uzbek warlord Abdurrashid Dostum, have held positions in Karzai’s government or been appointed as special advisers. Registered Voters About 10 million people voted in the 2005 elections, which were administered mostly by UN personnel. This time 16 million voters have registered, and the election is being run entirely by the Afghans. Mohammed Allem, a 53-year-old carpenter from Kabul, says he voted for Karzai four years ago and will probably do so again, though security has worsened. He says jobs are easier to come by now, and above all, “I don’t know much about the other candidates.” That’s partly because Karzai controls state media. “Despite promises to the contrary, the state television, radio and newspapers are still subservient to the government,” Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based group that surveys press freedom, said in an April report. The nightly news on Radio Television of Afghanistan, the state television station, is dominated by Karzai’s activities. While Afghanistan has at least 15 television stations, only RTA has the provincial relay stations allowing it to be seen nationwide. About 80 percent of Afghans live in rural areas. Attacks Increase For Afghan and international security forces, security is the main concern as Taliban and other insurgents penetrate deeper into Afghanistan from their safe havens in Pakistan. NATO says that in the first four months of the year, insurgent attacks increased 64 percent. Deaths among the 60,000 NATO troops in the country have risen 55 percent, and mortality rates for Afghan police and soldiers increased 25 percent. “The Taliban and al-Qaeda don’t have the ability to face our army and the international troops man to man, but they want the world’s media to think they have power,” said Brigadier General Khudadah Aqah, the commander of a U.S.-run police training center outside Kabul. “It’s a war of communication.”

DTN News: Israel Launches Extensive Nationwide Drill

DTN News: Israel Launches Extensive Nationwide Drill
(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM - June 1, 2009: Israel started on Sunday a five-day civil defense exercise, simulating an attack on the Jewish state, local daily Ha'aretz reported. The drill, named Turning Point 3, will be the most extensive one ever held, and will practice new measures to safeguard civilians, said the report, adding that on Tuesday, the exercise will spread nationwide and include emergency sirens and air-raid shelters. A handout picture released by the Israeli Defense Ministry shows Defense Minister Ehud Barak visiting an army unity during a drill at an undisclosed location in Israel on May 26, 2009. Lieutenant General Gaby Ashkenazi, the chief of staff of Israel's armed forces, expressed scepticism over the dialogue the US administration wants to hold in a bid to convince Iran to give up its nuclear programme. On May 25, Ehud Barak said the chances that talks will halt Iran's nuclear programme are "very low" and that the Jewish state would not rule out military action against nuclear sites in the Islamic republic. The Israeli cabinet held a special session on Sunday on moves during an attack. The ministries will then open their emergency headquarters to rehearse various scenarios. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told cabinet ministers during the briefing that the drill was a "routine" procedure and not directed against any regional entity in particular. "This is a routine action intended to prepare the Home Front for emergency and has nothing to do with intelligence information of any kind," he was quoted as saying. "We are required to defend Israel, its cities, various installations, from the possibility of attacks by missiles, rockets or other weapons," said the prime minister. "I think the fact that Israel is preparing more from exercise to exercise and is capable of better protecting its citizens decreases the chance that we'll have to use these tools." A special emergency economic committee headed by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was to convene after the cabinet session, said Ha'aretz, adding that the ministries' directors-general and other officials will discuss maintaining civilian life under attack. On Monday, the government's emergency headquarters will discuss coordination measures. On Tuesday morning, after a siren goes off nationwide, the public will be asked to enter protected spaces and shelters at home, work and schools. Tuesday and Wednesday will see various scenarios exercised in a number of municipalities. On Thursday, the police will practice rescuing people trapped in high-rise buildings. Some 70 foreign officials and military representatives from countries including the United States, Turkey, Japan, France and Germany are expected to observe the drill, said Ha'aretz, adding that Israeli defense authorities will then hold a symposium with the foreign delegates. Last week, Barak told Israel Army Radio that the drill is a "routine" procedure. Some observers see this as an attempt to relieve concerns in Arab countries that Israel may use the drill to mask preparations to attack.