Tuesday, June 02, 2009

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY June 2, 2009 - U.S. Military On Routine Patrolling In Paktika Province Eastern Afghanistan

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY June 2, 2009 - U.S. Military On Routine Patrolling In Paktika Province Eastern Afghanistan
(NSI News Source Info) KABUL - June 2, 2009: This photo taken recently shows an Afghan street merchant watching as a US Navy Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicle prepares to take up a defensive position during a town inspection mission in Sharana, in Paktika province, in eastern Afghanistan.
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) are small, joint civilian-military organizations whose mission is to promote governance, security, and reconstruction throughout the country in an effort to "win hearts and minds."

DTN News: Brazil TODAY June 2, 2009 - French Marines In Brazil For Missing Air France Airbus Aircraft

DTN News: Brazil TODAY June 2, 2009 - French Marines In Brazil For Missing Air France Airbus Aircraft
(NSI News Source Info) NATAL, Brazil - June 2, 2009: An aircraft belonging to the French Marines arrives at a military base in Natal, northeastern Brazil June 2, 2009.
Brazilian military search planes found debris in the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday that could be wreckage of a missing Air France flight carrying 228 people that disappeared in a storm the previous day.
The French aircraft will help with the rescue efforts of the Air France plane.

DTN News: South Korea 'Not Ruling Out' Island Raid By North Korea: Media Report

DTN News: South Korea 'Not Ruling Out' Island Raid By North Korea: Media Report
(NSI News Source Info) SEOUL - June 2, 2009: North Korea is stepping up naval landing exercises amid growing tensions with South Korea, which is not ruling out an attack on one of its islands, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Monday. South Korean marines take part in a military drill against North Korea's possible attack on the Yeonpyeong Island near the western maritime border between the two Koreas, 11 km (7 miles) from the North, about 115 km (71 miles) northwest of Seoul June 2, 2009. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has signalled the anointment of his youngest son Kim Jong-un as heir to the ruling family dynasty as the two Koreas bolstered their militaries along a disputed sea border on Tuesday. The North was also readying to test-fire a mid-range missile, the South's Yonhap news agency reported a lawmaker as saying after a defence briefing. The North has conducted shooting drills or used high-speed boats for landing exercises and has banned ships from some areas of the Yellow Sea until the end of July, Yonhap reported. "North Korea has increased exercises using high-speed amphibious boats. We are not ruling out the possibility that North Korea may try to raid one of the islands," it quoted an unidentified defence source as saying. Tensions have been running high for the past week after North Korea tested a nuclear bomb for the second time, launched a series of short-range missiles and warned that it could launch an attack on the South. South Korea is on heightened alert for a possible repeat of the deadly naval clashes seen in 1999 and 2002 near the tense maritime border area. A South Korean defence ministry spokesman told AFP on Monday that North Korea had stepped up military activities following its threat of a possible attack on the South. "North Korean troops have been conducting more drills, especially along the west coast," the spokesman said. He declined to confirm a Yonhap report that the North had doubled the storage of ammunition for artillery units and patrol boats along the west coast. Pyongyang has warned it would take "additional self-defence measures" in response to any tougher international sanctions and South Korea said Monday that the North may be preparing another long-range missile test.

DTN News: Russian Military Helicopters Might Displayed During Victory Day Ceremony

DTN News: Russian Military Helicopters Might Displayed During Victory Day Ceremony
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - June 2, 2009: Military helicopters fly in formation over Red Square in Moscow during a Victory Day ceremony May 9, 2009.
President Dmitry Medvedev warned against "military adventurism" on Saturday, saying Russia would firmly defend its interests -- just as it did during World War Two when the Soviet Union defeated fascism.
Medvedev, opening the biggest and most spectacular Victory Day parade in modern Russia's history, clearly aimed his warning at post-Soviet neighbour Georgia which Russia defeated in a five-day war last August.

DTN News: French Navy Breguet Atlantique Reconnaissance Aircraft Over Atlantic Waters For Air France Airbus A330

DTN News: French Navy Breguet Atlantique Reconnaissance Aircraft Over Atlantic Waters For Air France Airbus A330
(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - June 2, 2009: Picture taken on January 6, 2003 of a French Navy Breguet Atlantique 2 reconnaissance aircraft flying over the waters off the coast of the red sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in search for the wreckage of the doomed Egyptian Flash Airlines' Boeing 737-300 aircraft.
Two French military planes a Breguet Atlantique 2 and a Falcon 50 take part in searches over remote Atlantic waters on June 2, 2009 for the Air France Airbus A330 that vanished early June 1, with 228 people on board.

DTN News: Japan TODAY June 2, 2009 - Japan P-3C Aircraft At Djibouti For Somalia's Anti-Piracy Mission

DTN News: Japan TODAY June 2, 2009 - Japan P-3C Aircraft At Djibouti For Somalia's Anti-Piracy Mission
(NSI News Source Info) June 2, 2009: Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel march in front of their P-3C aircraft on their arrival at an airport in Djibouti, capital of Republic of Djibouti neighboring Somalia, Sunday, May 31, 2009.
Two Japanese surveillance planes landed here to join the country's anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia, the first international policing assignment for Japan's military since World War II.

DTN News: Pakistani Army Recovers 79 Kidnapped Students From Militants

DTN News: Pakistani Army Recovers 79 Kidnapped Students From Militants
(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD - June 2, 2009: All except one of the kidnapped students and staff members of Cadet College Razmak were recovered in a military operation, the Inter Services Public Relations said on Tuesday. A statement released by the ISPR said that 79 kidnap victims, including cadets and staff members were recovered after a military operation. Students from a military-run college sit in a police van after their buses escaped capture by Taliban militants in the Afghan bordertown of Bannu, 240 km (150 miles) southwest of Islamabad, June 1, 2009. The vice principal of the college, Javed Alam, told Reuters about 200 boys had managed to slip away of the around 400 people who had been seized by the Taliban. ‘All the cadets except one have been recovered in an army operation this morning at 5 a.m.,’ said military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas. The operation was carried out in Guryum area, nearly 20 kilometres east of Razmak, where the college is located. According to Maj. Gen. Abbas, Razmak lies on the route to South Waziristan, where militant still have a stronghold, where the militants were planning to take the kidnapped students. Abbas added that the military anticipated this plan of action and launched an operation on the route leading to South Waziristan. The resulting firefight helped army overcome the militants and recover the students, he told DawnNews. Abbas said that the military is not carrying out an offensive operation in South Waziristan and is only preparing for any attacks from the militants in the area, where military convoys have come under attacks. Earlier on Monday, conflicting reports came in about the number of kidnap victims with most news agencies reporting the figure to be 500. Militants kidnapped the students of Razmak Cadet College from the Bakkakhel Frontier Region, Bannu, adjacent to the North Waziristan tribal region. Details were sketchy but the official said that 33 vehicles had started off from Razmak, with 540 cadets, teaching staff and their families after the principal of the college ordered its closure amid apprehensions about an impending military operation against militants. ‘The vehicles were waylaid by armed militants in the Bakkakhel area and commandeered towards Marwat Canal,’ the official said. Police said that some women and children were later freed. But, the militants carrying rockets, grenades and automatic machine guns boarded the vehicles and commandeered them to some unspecified place. Another coach, carrying 17 people, including 10 students, a librarian and a doctor, managed to reach the Miryan police station in Bannu. They were later escorted to the Cantonment police station for their onward journey to their destinations, the police official said. ‘The Taliban are behind the kidnapping,’ Mir Sardar, Assistant Sub-Inspector of the Miryan police station, told The New York Times by phone from Bannu. Marwat Canal leads to South Waziristan’s Spinkay, through Frontier Region Tank, linked up by a nullah frequently used by militants to bypass security checkposts. Gul Bahadur, leader of the Ittehad-i-Shura Mujahideen, North Waziristan, has wide influence in Bakkakhel and some officials believe that the kidnapping could not have taken place without his blessing. ‘He thinks that he can hoodwink us by escorting these students and teachers to fulfil his commitment not to harm them in his area of influence and then have them kidnapped from Bakkakhel. But we all know whose people operate in Bakkakhel,’ the official said. The number of those kidnapped varied, but one official put the figure at close to 518, including cadets and members of the teaching staff. District Police Officer of Bannu Iqbal Marwat, however, said that 67 cadets had managed to reach the police, while over 400 were missing.

DTN News: Cambodia TODAY June 2, 2009 - Cambodian Military Police Guard At Illegal Drugs Destruction Ceremony

DTN News: Cambodia TODAY June 2, 2009 - Cambodian Military Police Guard At Illegal Drugs Destruction Ceremony
(NSI News Source Info) PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - June 2, 2009: Cambodian military police look at equipments and chemical substances used to make metamphetamine pills during a drugs destruction ceremony on the outskirts of Phnom Penh on June 2, 2009.
Cambodian authorities burned nearly four tonnes of illegal substances that could have been used to produce millions of metamphetamine pills, officials said.

DTN News: Russian Navy To Commission Nerpa Submarine In Fall - Report

DTN News: Russian Navy To Commission Nerpa Submarine In Fall - Report
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - June 2, 2009: A nuclear attack submarine involved in a fatal accident during sea trials last year will be commissioned by the Russian Navy in the fall and then leased to the Indian Navy, a source said on Tuesday. The K-152 Nerpa is a 8,140-tonne (8,010-long-ton) Project 971 Shchuka-B (NATO: Akula II) type nuclear-powered attack submarine. Construction was started in 1993, but suspended due to lack of funding. K-152 Nerpa was launched in October 2008 and was planned to be leased to the Indian Navy in 2009 as the recommissioned INS Chakra. While K-152 Nerpa was undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan on 8 November 2008, an accident caused the deaths of some twenty sailors and injury to twenty-one others. A fire suppression system discharged gas in the bow of the sub, suffocating civilian specialists and navy crew members. The Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine was undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan on November 8 last year when its on-board fire safety system went off, releasing deadly gas into the sleeping quarters. Three submariners and 17 shipyard workers were killed. There were 208 people, 81 of them submariners, on board the vessel at the time. "Following new official state sea trials in the summer, the sub will be put in service with the Navy in the fall of this year," the Russian naval source said. He added that the Nerpa would be leased to the Indian Navy shortly after the commissioning, and said India had paid over $500 million for a 10-year lease of the 12,000-ton nuclear attack submarine. Indian media have reported that the construction of the vessel was partially financed by the country's government. The construction of the Akula II class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine started in 1991, but was suspended for over a decade due to a lack of funding. Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines. India is one of the main buyers of Russian weaponry, with contracts including the delivery of Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier with at least 16 MiG-29K Fulcrum-D carrier fighters, the Smerch MLRS, and licensed production of T-90 tanks in India. Russia signed in March last year a contract with the Indian Defense Ministry to upgrade around 70 MiG-29 fighters, in service since the 1980s, and agreed to develop a fifth-generation fighter together with India. Russia and India jointly developed the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, whose sea-based and land-based versions have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian army and navy.

DTN News: Mundus And AirStar High Tech VTOL UAV Drones To Go On Patrol In Gulf States For Perfect Storm

DTN News: Mundus And AirStar High Tech VTOL UAV Drones To Go On Patrol In Gulf States For Perfect Storm
(NSI News Source Info) LAS VEGAS - June 2, 2009: Mundus Group, Inc., a VTOL UAV technology provider and partner of AirStar announces the delivery of 12 state of the art VTOL UAVs (unmanned air vehicles) to Texas, Louisiana and Gulf coast government agencies for hurricane observation and early warning systems at $40,000 each.In 2003 the US Navy co developed an unmanned air vehicle, UAV under a Co-operative Research and Development Agreement with Roadable Aircraft and AirStar International, Air Drone’s mother company. Planned proposals included a small maneuverable Unmanned Vertical Take off and Landing (UVTOL) combat vehicle with the capability to hover and provide firepower. It could also eliminate or neutralize threats prior to the deployment of forces. The proposed UVTOL would be equipped with surveillance and firepower such as an M-34 Minigun. The proposed UVTOL is designed to be launched from a Trident submarine missile silo, or trailered into a secure position over 100 miles from target.The Air Drone combat vehicle is a smaller scale evolution of a current ducted fan roadable air vehicle for personal transportation in which RAI holds a patent. The military design modification for UVTOL combat vehicle applications would be the addition of sensors, ballistic armor, remote control actuators, and armament. The overall duct diameter is reduced from 100 to 83 inches to enable the vehicle to be launched from a submarine.The high payload capability allows the ultra high mobility Unmanned VTOL vehicle to carry larger systems such as the Sidekick augment to the Navy SLQ-32(V)1 Electronic Countermeasures system, which can provide active radar jamming protection and decoy protection to ships without active transmitters. Air Drone Inc, Air Intel Systems and Roadable Aircraft Inc are fully owned subsidiaries of the Mundus Group Inc.
The company stated, "This is just the beginning of something huge and we're very excited to be involved, supplying our breakthrough technology to additional government agencies. These UAV's can also be used as post disaster monitoring for safe infrastructure, looting and emergency response to victims.
The monitoring of multiple busy traffic intersections around a city while recording detailed activities can be coordinated easily with a network of Aerial Surveillance Drones floating silently hovering overhead at 1,000 feet."
On another note, the Management of Mundus and AirStar stated, "We are energized to announce the entering of serious negotiations to solidify our UAV co development relationship that began in 2002 with our 1st Ducted fan UAV drone under a 3 year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the US NAVY, Roadable Aircraft and AirStar International.
The vehicle was designed specifically for "flight control system tests" using electric motors conducted at RAI's interior hangar space facility while under co development agreement with US NAVY." To view this breakthrough technology visit:

DTN News: Saab Awarded Contract By Lockheed Martin to Upgrade Radar For Canadian Navy Halifax Class Frigates

DTN News: Saab Awarded Contract By Lockheed Martin to Upgrade Radar For Canadian Navy Halifax Class Frigates
(NSI News Source Info) STOCKHOLM, Sweden - June 2, 2009: The defence and security company Saab has signed a contract worth approximately SEK 180 Million with Lockheed Martin Canada, to upgrade the 2D radar, Sea Giraffe 150 HC for the modernization of the Canadian Navy’s Halifax Class frigates. Deliveries are planned for 2010-2017. Saint John Shipbuilding Ltd is the prime contractor for the Halifax Class frigate or Canadian Patrol Frigate programme. Nine of the 12 ships were constructed at the Saint John shipyards in Saint John, New Brunswick and three ships at Marine Industries Shipyards in Sorel. The multi-purpose frigates were commissioned between 1992 and 1997. Halifax Class frigates, HMCS Regina and Fredericton, have been conducting maritime interdiction operations in the Persian Gulf in support of the international campaign against terrorism. Saab has been a radar provider to the Canadian Navy since the early nineties. The contract received is an upgrade and modification of the existing Sea Giraffe 150 HC, and will secure a high level of operational availability as well as new and improved functions of the radar for years to come. The radar upgrade is part of a larger Combat Systems Integration contract, awarded to Lockheed Martin Canada in 2008, that will ultimately provide a new command and control system, radars, tactical data links, electronic support measures and other warfare capabilities for the Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates. ”We are very pleased that Lockheed Martin Canada and the Canadian Navy have selected Saab’s radar for this modernization program”, says Lennart Joelsson, Business Unit Manager, Saab Microwave Systems. The fully owned Saab company, Saab Microwave Canada Ltd, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, also will provide support services for the Canadian Navy, as well as support for future products from Saab in Canada. Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to civil security. Saab has operations and employees on all continents and constantly develops, adopts and improves new technology to meet customers’ changing needs.

DTN News: South Korea TODAY June 2, 2009 - South Korean Marines Patrolling Beach At Yeonpyong Island

DTN News: South Korea TODAY June 2, 2009 - South Korean Marines Patrolling Beach At Yeonpyong Island
(NSI News Source Info) June 2, 2009: South Korean Marines patrol on the beach at South Korea's western Yeonpyong Island, near the disputed sea border with communist North Korea, Tuesday, June 2, 2009.
North Korea appears to be preparing to test an advanced missile designed to reach the United States, a U.S. official said Monday, ratcheting up tensions after its second underground nuclear test.

DTN News: Brazilian Air Force Plane Preparing Search Of Air France Flight 447

DTN News: Brazilian Air Force Plane Preparing Search Of Air France Flight 447
(NSI News Source Info) June 2, 2009: A Brazilian Air Force radar plane manouvres at the Fernando de Noronha airport preparing for the search of the Air France flight 447 bound for Paris that plunged into the Atlantic on June 1, 2009 just a few hours after taking off on late May 31 from Rio de Janeiro.
A missing Air France passenger jet with 228 people on board suffered multiple technical failures before crashing into the Atlantic, the airline's chief executive Pierre-Henry Gourgeon said Monday.
Gourgeon added that military planes had narrowed down their search area to a zone of a few dozen nautical miles half-way between Brazil and west Africa.

DTN News: Three Royal Naval Ships Deploy To Iraq And Africa

DTN News: Three Royal Naval Ships Deploy To Iraq And Africa
(NSI News Source Info) LONDON - June 2, 2009: Two Royal Navy ships deployed today and one last week on three separate operations to Iraq, the Horn of Africa and West Africa. HMS Kent
HMS Kent is a Type 23 Duke class frigate of the British Royal Navy, and the twelfth ship to bear the name. HMS Kent's lineage boasts sixteen Battle Honours from the three given to the first Kent of 46 guns built in 1653, to the five awarded to the ninth and tenth Kents of World War I and World War II. Sponsored by HRH Princess Alexandra, HMS Kent was launched on 28 May 1998. Built by BAE Systems Marine (formerly Marconi Marine) at Scotstoun in Scotland, she was commissioned on 8 June 2000 and was the first ship to enter Royal Navy service in the 21st Century. She is currently based in Portsmouth under the command of Commander Hopper.* HMS Kent - one of the Royal Navy's advanced Type 23 frigates, sailed from Portsmouth Naval Base today, Monday 1 June 2009, for Iraq where she will be supporting the UK's ongoing commitment to promoting stability in the Middle East. Type 22 frigate HMS Cumberland deployed from Plymouth on 25 May 2009 on its second visit to the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa where she will contribute to a range of maritime security operations including counter-smuggling (arms and drugs), counter-terrorism and counter-piracy.
The Royal Naval survey ship HMS Enterprise also left Plymouth today for at least two years on an extended deployment to West Africa and plans to spend three months in the region before transiting through the Mediterranean to begin operations east of Suez later in the year.
HMS Kent - In the past few months HMS Kent's 174 sailors have been preparing to ensure she is ready to deploy away from the UK for approximately six months, with every member involved with the maintenance, trials and training packages required to ensure that she is able to sustain operations around the world. The ship's primary mission is in the Gulf, assisting the Iraqis in maintaining security around the oil terminals. Although the reduction of UK forces in Iraq progresses, the Royal Navy continues to provide security for Iraq's offshore energy infrastructure and territorial integrity, as well as providing training for the Iraqi Navy. HMS Kent's Commanding Officer, Commander Simon Hopper, said: "My team has worked extremely hard to prepare for what is the Royal Navy's core business, deploying operational warships around the world. Our role in Op Telic is crucial to supporting the recovery of the Iraqi economy and promoting greater peace and stability in the region. "I am also very proud to be representing the UK's wider interests abroad, fostering relationships with our global partners over the next six months." HMS Cumberland HMS Cumberland (F85) is a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1986 and commissioned on 10 June 1989. The frigate was on station during the First Gulf War. Cumberland is part of the sixth frigate squadron and is part of the Devonport Flotilla based at Devonport Dockyard. HMS Cumberland - Since returning to the UK in December 2008, HMS Cumberland has undergone significant maintenance work on her propulsion and weapons systems and received an upgrade to her seaboats. Once this was completed, the ship undertook a six-week trials and training period to ensure that she is prepared to the highest level to undertake this current operation. Speaking before the deployment, HMS Cumberland's Commanding Officer, Captain David Dutton OBE, said: "Cumberland is well prepared for this deployment. We are going to an area recognised internationally as one of the most unstable parts of the world. "However, the UK is committed to maintaining a national and coalition presence in the region and all of us in Cumberland are looking forward to and ready to face the challenges ahead." Cumberland is contributing to a range of maritime security operations which include counter-smuggling (arms and drugs), counter-terrorism and counter-piracy. Cumberland's newly-installed Pacific 24 rigid hull inflatable boats are key to these roles and will allow the ship's embarked Royal Marines and Royal Navy boarding teams, in conjunction with the ship's Lynx aircraft, to intercept and board any vessels suspected of being involved in these activities. HMS Enterprise HMS Enterprise (H88), the tenth ship to bear this name, is a multi-role Survey Vessel - Hydrographic Oceanographic (SVHO) of the Royal Navy. She has a sister ship, HMS Echo. Built by Appledore Shipbuilders under the prime contractor Vosper Thornycroft, Enterprise was launched on 27 April 2002, officially named by the ship's sponsor, Lady Sally Forbes, at her naming ceremony on 2 May 2002, and commissioned 18 October 2003. Enterprise is designed to collect an array of military hydrographic and oceanographic data both on and off the continental shelf, and to support mine warfare and amphibious operations. She is designed and built to Lloyd's Naval Ship Rules. HMS Enterprise - This will be HMS Enterprise's second two-year stint since coming into service. The previous deployment took the ship to Africa, round the Cape of Good Hope, and through the Indian Ocean and the Straits of Hormuz into the Gulf before heading home via the Mediterranean. Since returning early last year, the ship has undergone significant maintenance and upgrade work. She has also completed operational sea training with staff of the Flag Officer Sea Training organisation, culminating in her contribution to the NATO exercise, Joint Warrior, off the coast of West Scotland last month. Commander Adam James, the Commanding Officer of HMS Enterprise, said: "HMS Enterprise is well prepared for this deployment. We will be travelling to some potentially unstable parts of the world and we are ready in all respects to face the challenges ahead. There remains a lot of work to be done in the coastal regions of West Africa and this is also a prime opportunity to enhance defence relations in this part of the world." Once on-station the ship will begin her task of assuring freedom of navigation for military and civilian mariners by using her bathymetric and oceanographic operations. She will therefore ensure access to those parts of the world the UK has an interest in while enhancing defence relations and promoting the wider interests of the UK. HMS Enterprise is an Echo Class survey vessel launched in 2003. She is a watch rotation ship which means she will stay away from her homeport for the whole of the two years with crews relieved direct from the UK, enabling her to benefit from no breaks in her programme. The crew numbers 75 men and women, with about 50 on board at any one time. This class is designed for military oceanographic and water-profile data-gathering using multi-beam sonars. She is armed with guns.

DTN News: Nulka Secures 11th Successive Production Order From Australian Government

DTN News: Nulka Secures 11th Successive Production Order From Australian Government
(NSI News Source Info) MELBOURNE, Australia – June 2, 2009: The Australian Government has awarded BAE Systems another contract to produce additional Nulka anti-missile decoy rounds. The contract, valued at AUD $48.2 million, will see BAE Systems Australia produce additional Nulka rounds for use by the Australian, United States and Canadian Navies. BAE Systems is the prime contractor responsible for design, development and integration of the Nulka system. Two US sub-contractors, Lockheed Martin and Aerojet, manufacture the electronic warfare payload and the rocket motor respectively. Simon Forrest, BAE Systems Program Manager, confirmed that this latest and 11th successive annual order would see production extended to 2012. “To date approximately 860 Nulka rounds have been produced for the Australian, United States and Canadian Navies. The Nulka system has now been installed on more than 125 surface combat ships, with deployment on further ship classes planned,” Mr Forrest said. Nulka is a rocket propelled active decoy designed to lure anti-ship missiles away from their intended target. Originally conceived in Australia, and developed under a joint Australian and United States program, it provides warships with a highly effective all-weather defence against anti-ship missiles, bringing together hovering rocket, autonomous system and electronic technologies. About BAE Systems: BAE Systems is the premier global defence, security and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. With approximately 105,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £18.5 billion (US $34.4 billion) in 2008.

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Awarded Nearly $25 Million To Develop U.S. Air Force’s Next-Generation Long-Range Radar

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Awarded Nearly $25 Million To Develop U.S. Air Force’s Next-Generation Long-Range Radar
*Source: Lockheed Martin
(NSI News Source Info) SYRACUSE, NY - June 2, 2009: The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a fixed-price contract for nearly $25 million to develop a prototype for the next-generation 3-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR). Lockheed Martin was one of two industry teams placed under contract for the technical development of this new land-based radar. The Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base leads the acquisition for the new radar. The Air Force plans to replace its entire TPS-75 long-range radar inventory with the 3DELRR, which will detect, identify, track and report aircraft and missiles. Following a 20-month Technical Development Phase, the Air Force has said it intends to competitively award one contract for system development in the 2011 timeframe. “Lockheed Martin will leverage our years of experience in developing transportable long-range radars to provide our long-time Air Force customer with a radar that will meet its mission requirements,” said Carl Bannar, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s radar business in Syracuse, NY. “We are honored to have been selected to continue development on 3DELRR, and intend to demonstrate that we have the best solution.” Lockheed Martin built the first next-generation long-range radar, the AN/TPS-59. There are more than 170 of the company’s radars -- including the TPS-59, the AN/FPS-117 and the AN/TPS-77 -- operating throughout the world. The radars are used in areas such as battle theaters and very remote locations; none has ever been removed from service. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.