DTN News: French Rafale Jet Fighters Export Sale Closer As UAE Submits Specifications

DTN News: French Rafale Jet Fighters Export Sale Closer As UAE Submits Specifications

*Sources: DTN News / Defense Media

(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - June 19, 2009: The United Arab Emirates' military has told France about its requirements for the Rafale fighter plane, the state news agency WAM reported on Friday, as talks continue on the aircraft's possible first overseas sale. "The Government of France has received the technical and operational specifications required in the French Rafale jet fighter from the UAE Armed Forces in the framework of the ongoing negotiations between the governments of the UAE and France," WAM said in a brief report. "The date of the signing the deal, which could be one of the most important export contracts of the aircraft so far, is to be set based on the results of the financial negotiations," the agency said, without giving further details. France's Dassault Aviation has been in talks with the UAE over the possible order for its Rafale plane, which would be the first sale of the aircraft to a foreign buyer. Newspaper Le Parisien said in May that France was finalising the sale of 60 Rafale planes in a deal worth 6-8 billion euros ($8-11 billion). Dassault declined to confirm the figures and said an agreement may be reached this year.

DTN News: F-22 Fight Divides Gates, U.S. Lawmakers

DTN News: F-22 Fight Divides Gates, U.S. Lawmakers *Sources: DTN News / Defense Media (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - June 19, 2009: The 31-30 vote to keep the F-22 fighter program alive belies stronger support for the stealth fighter, a senior U.S. House Democrat said. Two F-22 Raptors fly over the Pacific Ocean during a theater security mission March 9 as part of a deployment to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. (MASTER SGT. KEVIN J. GRUENWALD / AIR FORCE) "The politics of it are such that it's highly likely there's going to be an F-22 buy," Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, said June 18. "The exact number and where the money's coming from is a work in progress." About 2:30 a.m. June 17, the House Armed Services committee voted to spend $369 million to begin buying parts for 12 more F-22s. That would push the fleet to 199. The vote was in defiance of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who wants to end production at 187 planes. Abercrombie said F-22 supporters prevailed by one vote only because he and other committee members had questions about how to pay for 12 more planes, which will cost $2.8 billion. Abercrombie was among those who voted no. Had the funding question been worked out, 50 or 60 of the committee's 62 members would have voted to buy more F-22s, he said. "It's not a Democrat or Republican thing at all, but rather a Congress versus the executive in terms of who's in charge," he said. Last year, Congress included money in the defense budget to begin buying parts for 20 more F-22s, but the Defense Department decided instead to end the program. "The Constitution says very clearly that Congress is in charge. The Defense Department is there to execute" what Congress decides, Abercrombie said. "I'm committed to get the Defense Department to do what it was supposed to do in the first place," he said. "We cannot allow the executive to run roughshod over congressional responsibility. They need to learn who's in charge. The Congress is." Although the F-22 is the Air Force's most advanced and most expensive fighter, it has never been flown in combat, a point Gates has stressed in appearances before House and Senate committees. When he announced April 6 that he wanted to end F-22 production, Gates said, "For me, it was not a close call. … The military advice that I got was that there is no military requirement for numbers of F-22s beyond the 187." Gates wants the Air Force to focus more on equipment needed for the wars the U.S. military is fighting today. For the Air Force, that includes UAVs, refueling tankers and special operations aircraft. In the past, the Air Force has said it needed 381 F-22s. More recently, it lowered the number to 243; then Gates imposed a 187 cap. The changing numbers have irked committee members. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, who introduced an amendment to fund the 12 F-22s, said, "We on the committee have yet to see any study or analysis in support of Secretary Gates' assertion the 187 aircraft is sufficient to meet future air threats." Abercrombie cited a June 9 letter from Gen. John Corley, chief of Air Combat Command, who said, "To my knowledge, there are no studies that demonstrate that 187 F-22s are adequate to support our national military strategy." Corley appears to contradict his bosses, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, who wrote in The Washington Post that "we do not recommend that F-22s be included in the fiscal 2010 defense budget." Said Abercrombie, "I don't have a clue whether 187 is adequate for our national military strategy." The numbers have changed too often for lawmakers to have any confidence in them, he said. For many lawmakers, the military need for F-22s is only one factor in deciding how many to buy. Jobs are equally important. Plane-maker Lockheed Martin has told lawmakers that the program employs 25,000 workers directly and supports another 90,000 jobs in companies that produce F-22 parts. The jobs are spread among 44 states. Asked whether President Barack Obama would veto a defense budget that included money for F-22s that Gates doesn't want, Abercrombie said it's unlikely. With troops in two wars and congressional elections looming in 2010, vetoing the defense budget would be politically risky. And "it would be overridden in a nanosecond," he said. For now, the $369 million for F-22s comes from money that had been budgeted for Energy Department cleanups at nuclear weapon sites. In his amendment, Bishop said the money is to be taken from projects that are ahead of schedule or are so far behind that they won't be able to spend money allocated for 2010. Abercrombie said where money for F-22s ultimately comes from "is a work in progress." If 12 planes are built, they would be delivered to the Air Force in 2013 or 2014, and would cost $234 million apiece, according to calculations by the House Armed Services Committee staff. F-22s being built today cost about $175 million to $180 million apiece. The price would increase because costs would be divided among 12 planes. If 20 were bought, the cost of each might be less, an aide said. Just hours before the House Armed Services Committee rescued future F-22s, the full House approved spending $600 million to buy four of the stealth fighters with money in the $106 billion "emergency supplemental" bill used to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those four planes would bring the total F-22 fleet to Gates' top number, 187. Through an add-on to the war-funding bill, lawmakers also thwarted Gates' efforts to end another aircraft program, the C-17 cargo plane. Gates said the 205 C-17s that are already in the fleet or under construction are enough, and he included no money in the 2010 defense budget for additional C-17s. But the House and Senate added $2.7 billion to the war-funding bill to buy eight C-17s and seven smaller C-130J cargo planes. The additional C-17s are "pure pork," said Christopher Hellman, a defense budget analyst for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Buying more C-17s "can only be characterized as a jobs program." And C-17 maker Boeing has done just that. In February, the company boasted that C-17 production sustained 30,000 jobs in 43 states, with concentrations in California, Texas, Missouri and Connecticut.

DTN News: Pakistan ~ Jets Bomb Taliban Hideouts In South Waziristan

DTN News: Pakistan ~ Jets Bomb Taliban Hideouts In South Waziristan *Sources: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) PESHAWAR, Pakistan- June 19, 2009: Pakistani fighter jets on Friday bombed Taliban militant hideouts in the northwest tribal belt, officials said, as the death toll from a suspected US missile strike in the area rose to 13. ‘The war planes targeted the places where Baitullah’s militants are active...we have unconfirmed reports of casualties.’ Up to three unmanned drone aircraft are reported to have dropped four missiles on a militant training school in the South Waziristan tribal zone on Thursday. The rugged northwest area is the stronghold of Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud. ‘Intelligence reports suggest the Taliban have dug out a total of 13 dead bodies, some of them badly mutilated,’ an administrative official based in Peshawar told AFP on Friday. Another security official in South Waziristan's main town Wana confirmed a death toll of 13, and said some of them were foreign fighters. Meanwhile, DawnNews said at least 11 suspected militants were reportedly killed in the strike. Pakistani war planes on Friday also hit targets in South Waziristan, apparently in preparation for a full-scale military onslaught into the hostile peaks to track down and eliminate Mehsud and his network. ‘Jet fighters on Friday started bombing suspected locations of Taliban militants in South Waziristan,’ said an intelligence official in Wana. ‘The war planes targeted the places where Baitullah Mehsud's militants are active... we have unconfirmed reports of casualties,’ he added. A military official in Peshawar said that the Taliban stronghold towns of Sarwakai and Barwand were targeted in the strikes. Madiyan was also among the targeted areas. In Khyber Agency, Pakistani jets continued their assault on militant positions in Landi Kotal. On the ground, security forces arrested four suspected militants from Landi Kotal's main bazaar. Further north in the Bajaur Agency, security forces continued to target militant hideouts in the Charman valley of Nawagai tehsil. Several militant hideouts were destroyed. Despite the curfew in Charmang, people were leaving the area in large numbers to escape the fighting. Pakistani security forces launched an offensive to dislodge Taliban guerrillas from three northwest districts around Swat valley in late April, after militants flouted a peace deal and thrust towards Islamabad. The army on Tuesday confirmed long-circulating rumours that the offensive would expand into the tribal belt, although it is unclear when a full-scale offensive involving ground troops will begin.

DTN News: Former U.S. President George W. Bush And former First Lady Laura Bush At Baseball Game In Arlington, Texas

DTN News: Former U.S. President George W. Bush And former First Lady Laura Bush At Baseball Game In Arlington, Texas

*Source: DTN News (NSI News Source Info) ARLINGTON, Texas - June 19, 2009: Former U.S. President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush listen as Texas Rangers owner Thomas Hicks speaks at a dedication ceremony to rename the owner's suite at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to the President George W. Bush Owner's Suite before the start of the MLB interleague baseball game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros in Arlington, Texas, June 18, 2009.

Texas Rangers President and former MLB pitcher Nolan Ryan, former U.S. President George W. Bush, former First Lady Laura Bush and team owner Tom Hicks are pictured in front of the entrance to the owner's suite at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington at a dedication ceremony to rename the suite the President George W. Bush Owner's Suite before the start of the MLB interleague baseball game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros in Arlington, Texas June 18, 2009.

DTN News: U.S. Orders More Protections For Hawaii In Case North Korea Launches Test Missile

DTN News: U.S. Orders More Protections For Hawaii In Case North Korea Launches Test Missile

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - June 19, 2009: Reacting to reports that North Korea may be preparing to test-fire a missile toward Hawaii, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today that he had ordered that defense of the islands be shored up.

South Korean kindergartners play near displays of models of North Korea's mock Scud-B missile, right, and South Korea's other mock missiles at Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, June 18, 2009. North Korea may fire a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in early July, a Japanese news report said Thursday, as Russia and China urged the regime to return to international disarmament talks on its rogue nuclear program.

Gates ordered deployment of a powerful sea-based radar system that can help closely track the path of intercontinental ballistic missiles and also sent terminal-phase missile interceptors to Hawaii. The comments may be meant to deter North Korea from attempting another long-range missile launch and to reassure allies that the United States is willing to act to prevent a successful test by Pyongyang. According to reports in Japanese media, the North Koreans appear to be preparing for their next long-range test for around July 4. Experts believe that because the last long-range missile test failed, Pyongyang has more to prove and may see another test as necessary. Although Gates did not explicitly say the United States would try to shoot down a test missile aimed in the direction of Hawaii, he noted that interceptor missiles in California and Alaska were ready. “The ground-based interceptors are clearly in a position to take action,” Gates said. “So without telegraphing what we will do, I would just say, I think we are in a good position, should it become necessary to protect American territory.” Victor Cha, a scholar at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, said Gates’ comments could be meant as a deterrent. “It is probably to let the North Koreans and the world know we are going to prepare a response if they are going to continue to launch missiles, particularly if they are going to launch it in the direction of Hawaii,” said Cha, who was President George W. Bush’s top adviser on North Korea. This week, Marine Gen. James Cartwright, the vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that he was “90% plus” confident the United States could shoot down a North Korean missile. Cha said Gates’ more assertive language shows a deeper confidence by the military and government in the missile defense system.

“We are just more capable now,” Cha said. “We are much more willing to say we are preparing missile defenses if we are confident we would be able to take something out either in the boost phase or on a ballistic path.” The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missiles that Gates deployed to Hawaii are meant to shoot down missiles minutes before they strike their target. Meant for short-range missiles, they have not yet been tested on long-range rockets. The sea-based radar, known as the SBX, had been docked in Hawaii for maintenance and repairs and was not deployed when the North Koreans shot a Taepodong 2 rocket in April. The SBX was due to deploy anyway to participate in planned missile defense tests this summer. But by linking the deployment to the prospect of another North Korean test, Gates appeared to be sending a signal that the United States might try to shoot down Pyongyang’s missile. Today, he said the Defense Department was watching the North Korean situation and missile preparations closely. “We do have some concerns, if they were to launch a missile to the west, in the direction of Hawaii,” Gates said. Military officials are also tracking a North Korean ship that has been involved in transporting weapons in the past. The Kang Nam left North Korea on Wednesday. A new United Nations resolution allows other nations to ask permission to search North Korean ships or inspect them when they make port calls to refuel if they are suspected of smuggling arms or nuclear material. At a news conference, Adm. Michael Mullen wouldn’t provide details about the Kang Nam, but said if such a vessel refuses a search it would be directed to a port. “We expect compliance,” Mullen said. Mullen said with the resolution the international community had made a commitment to halt North Korean weapon proliferation. “It’s not just the United States. It’s a lot of other countries as well,” Mullen said. “And the North taking steps to further isolate itself, to further non-comply with international guidance and regulations, in the long-run, puts them in a more difficult position.”

DTN News: Iran TODAY June 19, 2009 - More Protests And Ayatollah Ali Khamenei To Address Iranians After Election Unrest

DTN News: Iran TODAY June 19, 2009 - More Protests And Ayatollah Ali Khamenei To Address Iranians After Election Unrest *Sources: DTN News / Int'l Media / AP (NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN, Iran - June 19, 2009: Iran's supreme leader will address the nation on Friday for the first time since a disputed election result triggered the biggest street protests the Islamic Republic has seen. This image made available Thursday , June 18 2009 from the Iranian Supreme Leader's website shows Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 3rd left, speaking at a meeting in Tehran with representatives of presidential candidates Wednesday June 17, 2009. ** EDITORIAL USE ONLY EDITORS NOTE AS A RESULT OF AN OFFICIAL IRANIAN GOVERNMENT BAN ON FOREIGN MEDIA COVERING EVENTS IN IRAN, THE AP IS OBLIGED TO USE IMAGES FROM OFFICIAL SOURCES. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged Iranians to unite behind hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but supporters of defeated candidate Mirhossein Mousavi have so far ignored the call, holding huge rallies in defiance of an official ban. Thousands of people streamed into Tehran University on Friday to hear Khamenei speak. Some were draped in Iranian flags and carried pictures of Ahmadinejad. Others held sheets of paper with anti-Western slogans. "Don't let the history of Iran be written with the pen of foreigners," one flyer said, reflecting official Iranian anger at international criticism of the post-election violence. Khamenei's speech follows a sixth day of protests by Mousavi supporters. On Thursday, tens of thousands, wearing black and carrying candles, marched to mourn those killed in earlier mass rallies. The largest and most widespread demonstrations since the 1979 Islamic revolution have rocked the world's fifth biggest oil exporter, which is also caught up in a dispute with the West over its nuclear program. Iranian state media has reported seven or eight people killed in protests since the election results were published on June 13. Scores of reformists have been arrested and authorities have cracked down on both foreign and domestic media.

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi said about 500 people had been arrested in the last week, and called for their unconditional release. She said Iran should hold new elections under the supervision of the United Nations. Mousavi, a moderate who advocates better ties with the West, has also called for the election to be annulled, saying pledges by the country's top legislative body, the Guardian Council, to recount some disputed ballot boxes did not go far enough.

Iranian supporters of defeated reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi gather outside the Iranian Embassy on June 18, 2009 in London, England. Thousands of people have continued to protest in the streets of Tehran today with expectations of an even larger protest tomorrow as a day of mourning is planned for the eight people killed in Monday's protests. Iran has banned foreign media from covering rallies in the country and Iran's Guardian Council reportedly said that they would recount some of the votes in presidential election that critics say was unfairly won by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinehjad. on June 18, 2009 in London, England. The council has invited Mousavi and two other defeated candidates to talks on Saturday, and says it has begun "careful examination" of 646 complaints. Objections include a shortage of ballot papers, pressure on voters to support a particular candidate, and the barring of candidates' representatives from polling stations. Iran has denounced foreign criticism of the election, although U.S. President Barack Obama's administration has muted its comments to keep the door open for possible dialogue. BLOODIED FACES At Thursday's rally, protesters massed in a Tehran square, responding to Mousavi's call for people to gather in mosques or at peaceful rallies to show solidarity with the victims and their families. They held photographs of those killed, some showing bloodied faces, apparently taken after they died. "Our martyred brothers we will take back your votes," read one placard. "Why did you kill our brothers?" said another. Other banners told protesters to stay home on Friday, when Ahmadinejad supporters are expected to show their strength at Khamenei's Friday prayers, but to gather again the next day. Mousavi supporters say he will be joined on Saturday by reformist former president Mohammad Khatami and another defeated candidate, liberal cleric Mehdi Karoubi. Ahmadinejad has defended the legitimacy of the vote, telling a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that 25 million of 40 million voters had approved the way he was running the country. The semi-official Fars news agency said two children of powerful cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who backs Mousavi and clashed with Ahmadinejad during campaigning, had been barred from leaving Iran. His daughter Faezeh addressed Mousavi supporters on Tuesday. Hardline students called for her and her brother, Mehdi, to be arrested. Iran's Intelligence Ministry said it had uncovered a foreign-linked terrorist plot to plant bombs in mosques and other crowded places in Tehran during the election. State broadcaster IRIB quoted a ministry statement as saying several terrorist groups had been discovered, adding they were linked to Iran's foreign enemies, including Israel. Hamid Najafi, editor-in-chief of Kayhan International, an English-language conservative Iranian daily, said the Guardian Council investigation of the vote would calm unrest but the overall result would not change because "there isn't a millionth chance of doing any fraud."

DTN News: Afghanistan's Operation Phoenix

DTN News: Afghanistan's Operation Phoenix *Source: Global Research by Stephen Lendman (NSI News Source Info) - KABUL, Afghanistan: June 19, 2009: On June 15, AP reported that "Gen. Stanley McChrystal, a four-star American general with a long history in special operations, took charge of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan (today), a change in command the Pentagon hopes will turn the tide in an increasingly violent eight-year war." U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal arrives to his assumption of a command ceremony as the head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan in Kabul, Monday, June 15, 2009. McChrystal is a hired gun, an assassin, a man known for committing war crime atrocities as head of the Pentagon's infamous Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) - established in 1980 and comprised of the Army's Delta Force and Navy Seals, de facto death squads writer Seymour Hersh described post-9/11 as an "executive assassination wing" operating out of Dick Cheney's office. A 2006 Newsweek profile called JSOC "part of what Vice President Dick Cheney was referring to when he said America would have to 'work on the dark side' after 9/11." It called McChrystal then "an affable but tough Army Ranger" with no elaboration of his "dark side" mission. In his May 17 article titled "Obama's Animal Farm: Bigger, Bloodier Wars Equal Peace and Justice," James Petras called him a "notorious psychopath" in describing him this way: His rise through the ranks was "marked by his central role in directing special operations teams engaged in extrajudicial assassinations, systematic torture, bombing of civilian communities and search and destroy missions. He is the very embodiment of the brutality and gore that accompanies military-driven empire building." His resume shows contempt for human life and the rule of law - a depravity Conrad described in his classic work, "Heart of Darkness:" the notion of "exterminat(ing) all the brutes" to civilize them, and removing lesser people to colonize and dominate them by devising battle plans amounting to genocide. In June 2001, McChrystal became Chief of Staff, XVIII Airborne Corp. After the Afghanistan invasion, he was appointed Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force 180, Operation Enduring Freedom. In September 2003, he was Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). In February 2006, he became Commander, Joint Special Operations - Command/Commander, Joint Special Operations Command Forward, United States Special Operations, then in August 2008 General Director, the Joint Staff until his current appointment as US/NATO Afghanistan commander. Detailed information of his role in these capacities is classified and unacknowledged, but Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed some of what he directed in its July 22, 2006 report titled "No Blood, No Foul" - meaning short of drawing blood, all abuses were acceptable and wouldn't result in investigations or prosecution. HRW reported soldiers' firsthand accounts of detainee abuse by Task Force 20/121/6-26/145 at Baghdad's Camp Nama (an acronym for Nasty-Ass Military Area) and elsewhere in Iraq. JSOC's assignment was (and still is) to capture or kill "high-value" combatants, including Saddam Hussein, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, and many hundreds of Iraqis targeted in sweeping capture and extermination missions that include lots of collateral killings and destruction. Through most of 2003 and 2004, detainees were held at interrogation facilities like Camp Nama at Baghdad International Airport (BIAP). With good reason, it was off-limits to the ICRC and most US military personnel. In summer 2004, it was moved to a new location near Balad and also had facilities in Fallujah, Ramadi and Kirkuk. US personnel and former detainees reported torture and abuse as common practice, including beatings, confinement in shipping containers for 24 hours in extreme heat, exposure to extreme cold, death threats, humiliation, psychological stress, and much more. Sergeant Jeff Perry (a pseudonym he requested to avoid recrimination) was a Camp Nama special interrogator during the first half of 2004. He said task force members were military special forces and CIA personnel, none of whom revealed ranks or last names to maintain secrecy. Five interrogation rooms were used, the harshest called the "black room" where everything was black with speakers in the corners and on the ceiling. A table and chairs were in one corner for a boom box and computer. Detainees were stripped naked and subjected to stress standing, sleep deprivation, loud noise, strobe lights, beatings, dousing with cold water, and other abuses. Harshness levels were less severe in other rooms, the "soft room" being least extreme and used for cooperating detainees. However, throughout interrogations, they were shifted from one room to another, but those put in the "black room" were considered the most high-value. Treatment authorization in writing or by computer came from the camp's command structure - signed by "whoever was in charge at the time" reporting to McChrystal or one of his subordinates. Sergeant Perry saw him visit Camp Nama several times, and said its commanding officer told interrogators that the White House or Donald Rumsfeld were briefed on the information they obtained. He also learned that the facility was "completely closed off" and secret, and that ICRC, other investigators, and the Army's Criminal Investigation Command (CID) were forbidden access to it. In March 2006, The New York Times published a feature article based on interviews with over a dozen US personnel who served at Camp Nama or were familiar with its operations. Their accounts corroborated Perry's and included details of other abuses. Much of the same information came out about torture at Guantanamo and other overseas US prisons, including Camp Cropper, Iraq (near Baghdad Airport) now expanded to hold up to 2000 detainees. HRW reviewed hundreds of "credible allegations of serious mistreatment and torture (as) standard operation procedure" at locations throughout Iraq involving special forces, CIA, and others. Its report is based on firsthand accounts from three locations between 2003 - 2005 when McChrystal was in charge of Special Ops. On March 31, 2009 on Democracy Now, Seymour Hersh said US forces conducted assassinations in a dozen or more countries, including in Latin and Central America. "And it's been going on and on and on," he said. George Bush "authorized these kinds of actions in the Middle East" and elsewhere...." Now Obama's doing the same thing. "And the idea that the American president would think he has the constitutional power or the legal right to tell soldiers....to go out and find people based on lists and execute them is just amazing to me...." During his tenure, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld gave the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) authority to carry out killings anywhere on the globe. Hersh said "it operates out of Florida, and it involves a lot of wings." One is "the Joint Special Op - JSOC. It's a special (Navy Seals and Delta Force) unit....black units, the commando units....And they promote from within. It's a unit that has its own promotion structure. And one of the elements....about getting ahead....is the number of kills you have," especially high-value targets. Cheney was deeply involved. Robert Gates likely is now. Targeting goes on in a lot of countries besides Iraq and Afghanistan, including Colombia, Eritrea, Madagascar, Kenya, or anywhere to "kill people who are believed....to be Al Qaeda....Al Qaeda-linked or anti-American" - fictitious outside enemies without which Obama's wars can't continue nor could they under George Bush.. In his book "America's War on Terrorism," Michel Chossudovsky uncovered evidence that Al Qaeda was a CIA creation from the Soviet-Afghan 1980s war, and in the 1990s Washington "consciously supported Osama bin Laden, while at the same time placing him on the FBI's 'most wanted list' as the World's foremost terrorist." He remains so today, even though David Ray Griffin's new book ("Osama Bin Laden: Dead or Alive?") provides convincing evidence that he died in late 2001, a conclusion many US counterterrorism experts support and believe his conveniently timed video messages are fakes. Capturing or Killing Bin Laden In a January 2009 CBS television interview, Obama suggested that he's dead by saying "whether he is technically alive or not, he is so pinned down that he cannot function. My preference (is) to capture of kill him. But if we have so tightened the noose that he's in a cave somewhere and can't even communicate with his operatives, then we will meet our goal of protecting America." Nonetheless, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs responded to the latest purported bin Laden statement that it's "consistent with messages we've seen in the past from al Qaeda threatening the US and other countries that are involved in counterterrorism efforts." So it's no surprise that top administration orders reach field commanders like McChrystal to capture or kill the usual suspects. From known reports about him, he carries them out with relish. The Obama administration gave him carte blanche authority to choose his staff for their assigned mission - expand the Af-Pak war with more troops, funding, stepped up counterinsurgency, targeted killings, and secret drone and other attacks against any targets he chooses in either country. He'll also have more political control, possibly with a Washington-appointed civilian authority to run the Afghanistan government day to day, making Hamid Karzai more of a figurehead than currently. Obama's war aims to pacify the country and Afghan/Pakistan border areas through scorched earth terror, targeted assassinations, and as much mass killing as it takes to prevail. McChrystal has the job, a man one observer said "comes from a world where killing by any means is the norm and a blanket of government secrecy provides the necessary protection." All the greater with Obama's endorsement. Former 82nd Airborne Division commander General David Rodriquez, Defense Secretary Gates' top military aide, will be his deputy. Gates praised McChrystal for his "unique skill set in counterinsurgency" and said the mission of both men and their team "requires new thinking and new approaches by our military leaders." Clearly implied are the Special Ops skills they possess in what an unnamed Defense Department official called "unconventional warfare....to track and kill insurgents." These tactics kill many hundreds, displace hundreds of thousands, and enrage civilians on both sides of the Af-Pak border. Yet pursuing them is Obama's top war strategy priority that may include Iraq as violence there heats up. Operation Phoenix From 1968 - 1973, the CIA ran or was involved in the Phoenix Program with US Special Forces and its own Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Special Operations Group (MACV-SOG) involving covert missions to crush the National Liberation Front (NLF resistance called the Viet Cong or VC). One person involved called the operation a "depersonalized murder program" to remove opposition and terrorize the population into submission. In 1975, Counterspy magazine said it was "the most indiscriminate and massive program of political murder since the Nazi death camps of world war two." It even targeted certain US military personnel considered security risks and members of the South Vietnamese government. In simple terms, the program conducted mass killings and seizures of suspected NLF members and collaborators with special emphasis on high-value targets - by some estimates around 80,000 or more before it ended. Wayne Cooper was a Foreign Service officer at the time. He spent 18 months in Vietnam, most of it as a Phoenix advisor at Cantho in the Mekong Delta. He called the operation a "disreputable, CIA-inspired effort, often deplored as a bloody-handed assassination program (and) a failure." In the mid-1960s, it began as a CIA "Counter Terror (CT) program "never recognized by the South Vietnamese government." It "recruited, organized, supplied and directly paid CT teams whose function was to use Vietcong techniques, kidnappings and intimidation - against the Vietcong leadership." By 1968, the program was expanded and called Intelligence Coordination and Exploitation (ICEX), then Phoenix. From General William Westmoreland and "Ambassador-for-pacification Robert Komer" on down, "neutralizing" the VC was top priority. Westmoreland took charge. A Civil Operations and Rural Development Support (CORDS) organization was established, under which Phoenix was run. Cooper cited numerous problems for its failure and criticized experts sifting through them to get it right next time. He called the program a "gimmick" unable to "compensate for South Vietnam's" popular opposition to the war and concluded that no counterinsurgency can succeed under those circumstances. Certainly not in Afghanistan and Iraq, two countries historically opposed to foreign occupations with a record of brave resistance to end them. They represent what the CIA called Vietnam during that earlier era - "the grand illusion of the American cause;" the latest Washington misadventures no matter how long they go on, whatever amounts are spent on them, or how much mass killing and destruction persist under any command. America hasn't won a war (or fought a legal one) since WW II, something Obama might consider as he plans his next move. Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization. He lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

DTN News: The British Royal Family ~ Princes William And Harry At Defence Helicopter Flying School

DTN News: The British Royal Family ~ Princes William And Harry At Defence Helicopter Flying School

*Source: DTN News

(NSI News Source Info) WINDSOR CASTLE, U.K. - June 19, 2009: Britain's Princes William and Harry pose for photographers during a photocall at RAF (Royal Air Force) Shawbury near Shrewsbury, England, June 18, 2009.

The Princes are both currently based at the home of the Defence Helicopter Flying School as they undergo military helicopter training courses.

DTN News: Taiwan TODAY June 19, 2009 - Taiwanese Soldiers Fire Howitzer During Military Exercise In Dongyin Island

DTN News: Taiwan TODAY June 19, 2009 - Taiwanese Soldiers Fire Howitzer During Military Exercise In Dongyin Island

*Source: DTN News (NSI News Source Info) TAIPEI, Taiwan - June 19, 2009: Dongyin island, approximately 100 miles (161 km) northwest from the island of Taiwan, is located at the northernmost area of the Matsu archipelago and is the farthest territory in the north controlled by Taiwan government.

Soldiers fire 105mm M1A1 howitzers during a military drill in Dongyin island June 18, 2009. Taiwanese mine sweepers demonstrate mine sweeping operation to the media, Monday, May 18, 2009, on the Kinmen island of Taiwan, 1.8 kilometers (two miles) off China's coast. Tens of thousands of mines were first planted back in the 1950s when this Taiwanese beachhead was subjected to frequent Chinese shelling and war was a constant threat. In a bold new venture to boost tourism and economic development, the Taiwanese military has begun clearing the estimated 73,000 mines concentrated in 154 fields around the island's perimeter with 25,045 mines already cleaned.

DTN News: South Korea TODAY June 19, 2009 - South Korean Soldiers With Self-Propelled Howitzer During Military Exercise Near DMZ Demilitarized Zone

DTN News: South Korea TODAY June 19, 2009 - South Korean Soldiers With Self-Propelled Howitzer During Military Exercise Near DMZ Demilitarized Zone

*Source: DTN News

(NSI News Source Info) SEOUL, South Korea - June 19, 2009: South Korean Army soldiers sit on a K-9 self-propelled howitzer during a military drill against possible attack from North Korea near the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Yeonchon, north of Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, June 18, 2009. South Korean military soldiers take part in the live fire exercise, aims to prepare for the possible attack from North Korea on June 18, 2009 in Cheorwon, South Korea. North Kora vowed to restart plutonium extraction after The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed punishing new sanctions on North Korea on June 12.

North Korea may fire a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in early July, a Japanese news report said Thursday, as Russia and China urged the regime to return to international disarmament talks on its rogue nuclear program.

DTN News: Oshkosh Defense Completes 7,500 Miles Of M-ATV Durability Testing

DTN News: Oshkosh Defense Completes 7,500 Miles Of M-ATV Durability Testing *Sources: DTN News / Oshkosh Defense

(NSI News Source Info) OSHKOSH, Wis. - June 19, 2009: Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), is on target to complete 10,000 miles of on- and off-road durability testing of its MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) at the Nevada Automotive Test Center, further proving the vehicle’s endurance through extended operations in challenging environments. Oshkosh Defense is committed to providing the best protection and mobility to our Warfighters – in the most threatening of circumstances, through the most treacherous terrain. They deserve a vehicle that is engineered specifically for their difficult missions – to move them in and get them out as safely as possible. They deserve the Oshkosh® M-ATV. The Oshkosh M-ATV incorporates rugged, durable components and systems for maximum Warfighter mobility and survivability. Derived from the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) platform, the M-ATV incorporates TAK-4® independent suspension system with battle-tested technology. It has the wheel travel, payload capacity, side slope stability, vehicle durability, extreme mobility and necessary Warfighter protection for today’s and tomorrow's fight. In today’s most challenging battle zones, the M-ATV is the combat-tested, mobile, survivable, durable solution – to get Warfighters to the fight and back again. The only solution is the Oshkosh M-ATV. Oshkosh Defense has already performed more than 7,500 miles of independent testing using its own time and resources to ensure the vehicle would be ready for operations on Afghanistan’s harsh terrain and to identify any possible enhancements that could be made. Rigorous testing is part of the Oshkosh standard process to make certain its vehicles are ready to withstand the demanding environments in which they operate. “This is a significant milestone that showcases the durability and off-road capabilities of the Oshkosh M-ATV,” said Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Defense. “We are committed to providing the U.S. Armed Forces with a high-performance vehicle that answers the urgent-need requirement in Afghanistan. Our independent testing is helping us accomplish that.” The testing has confirmed the vehicle’s exceptional off-road performance, which is benefited by the integration of the Oshkosh TAK-4® independent suspension system, and validated the durability of its entire integrated system. Utilizing vehicle components and technologies that are already in combat, the Oshkosh M-ATV is the most mission-proven option available to the U.S. Armed Forces. It is based on the combat-tested Oshkosh® Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) chassis and features the same C7 engine used on the U.S. Army’s current medium fleet. The vehicle’s superior armor and survivability system was provided by Plasan North America, which contributed the armor for more than 5,000 MRAPs in theater. The TAK-4 system is the only readily available and theater-tested off-road suspension system used by the U.S. military for this class of vehicle. Oshkosh recently received a contract to equip more than 1,500 MRAPs with TAK-4 suspension and continues to work with the military to evaluate using it on additional MRAP models. The advanced suspension system, which has undergone more than 400,000 miles of government testing, is also featured on the U.S. Army’s Palletized Load System (PLS-A1) as well as the U.S. Marine Corps’ MTVR and Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR). The Oshkosh M-ATV is delivered with the survivability, mobility, mission-proven and production-ready solutions required for Afghanistan. The vehicle is based on a combat-proven chassis that has been successfully operating for years in the most difficult off-road missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world. About Oshkosh Defense Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, is an industry-leading global designer and manufacturer of tactical military trucks and armored wheeled vehicles, delivering a full product line of conventional and hybrid vehicles, advanced armor options, proprietary suspensions and vehicles with payloads that can exceed 70 tons. Oshkosh Defense provides a global service and supply network including full life-cycle support and remanufacturing, and its vehicles are recognized the world over for superior performance, reliability and protection. For more information, visit www.oshkoshdefense.com. About Oshkosh Corporation Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire & emergency and military vehicles and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corp. manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Medtec®, Jerr-Dan®, BAI®, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™, SMIT™, Geesink™, Norba™, Kiggen™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®. Oshkosh products are valued worldwide in businesses where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and long-term value are paramount. For more information, log on to www.oshkoshcorporation.com.

DTN News: AIRSHOW-WRAPUP 1-Wizz Air Order Doubles Airbus Show Tally

DTN News: AIRSHOW-WRAPUP 1-Wizz Air Order Doubles Airbus Show Tally * Airbus show tally 112 planes worth $11.8 billion* Wizz Air signs commitment for 50 A320s

*Sources: DTN News / Airbus

(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - June 19, 2009: Airbus almost doubled its tally of plane orders and commitments at the Paris Air Show on Thursday with a pledge from European low-cost carrier Wizz Air to buy 50 A320 aircraft worth about $3.8 billion.

Sales chief John Leahy, struggling to ink new orders in a tough economic environment and an industry downturn, told Reuters at the show that he was hopeful of announcing another significant order on Friday at Le Bourget. "We are still in the middle of negotiations with the company concerned," Leahy said.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) from Hungary-based airline Wizz took the deals announced by Airbus at the world's biggest air show to 112 aircraft worth about $11.8 billion, based on list prices.

"The MoU should be signed very quickly," Leahy said. "If we had waited a few hours, we would have signed a firm order. There are still some details to finalise."

Expectations were low in terms of orders for Airbus and U.S. rival Boeing at this year's air show in Paris as airline customers tighten their belts in the face of a global economic downturn, declining air travel and tougher credit conditions.The world's carriers are expected to lose some $9 billion this year, according to industry group IATA.

Airbus has unveiled 57 firm orders worth about $6.3 billion at the Paris Air Show. The biggest deal was to supply 10 A350-900s worth $2.4 billion to Malaysian long-haul, low-cost carrier AirAsia X, with options on five more of the planes.

At last year's air show in Farnborough, which alternates each year with Paris, total orders and commitments for Airbus and Boeing amounted to over $64 billion, with new announcements for 186 firm orders worth $26.39 billion.

Leahy said this week he was still targeting just 300 gross orders this year. Airbus had 777 net orders last year.

Privately-held Wizz Air, which has ordered 132 Airbus A320s and already operates a fleet of 24 of the planes, said earlier this year it planned to double its fleet over the next two years as it takes on rivals SkyEurope, EasyJet and Ryanair.

Airbus customer China Eastern Airlines said separately on Thursday that it would stick with a plan to buy 20 Airbus A320s in coming years after postponing or cancelling half of the deliveries it had expected this year.

The purchase was part of a bulk order of 150 aircraft placed with Airbus by the Chinese government in November 2007. The order does not count towards Airbus' 2009 target and is still pending regulatory approval.

DTN News: Reality Check ~ F-35 Joint Strike Fighters Phantom Export Variant

DTN News: Reality Check ~ F-35 Joint Strike Fighters Phantom Export Variant

*Sources: DTN News / Defense Media (NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - June 19, 2009: Are the United States developing a “dumbed-down” version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for export customers, or not? Brigadier Gen. David Heinz, program executive officer for the F-35, rejected a claim by Boeing executives that Washington was selling a "dumbed down" version of the F-35 to international partners, Reuters reported June 16 from the Paris Air Show.

The JSF Program Office says no “dumbed-down” F-35s are planned for international partners, but Lockheed Martin has been awarded contracts worth $737 million to develop one. (JSF Team photo)

"I state categorically that I am not doing a different variant of aircraft for my international partners today," Reuters quoted Heinz as saying in an interview. He said foreign countries who bought the F-35 would be subject to a U.S. disclosure process and U.S. export controls, but [that] the aircraft being sold today were the same airplanes that were also being built for the U.S. military services.

"So for Boeing to make statements about a 'dumbed down' variant ... is absolutely incorrect and it is speculative and I believe, a very disappointing marketing ploy to drum up business" [for its F-15 Silent Eagle], Heinz added.

Heinz appears to be suffering a bad case of memory lapse, however, as the Pentagon has in fact awarded Lockheed Martin two separate contracts, worth a total of $737 million, to develop such an export version of JSF or, in Pentagon-speak, to “design, develop, verify and test a version of the JSF air system that is as common as possible to the U.S. air system within the National Disclosure Policy.” This version is designated “International Partner Version.” (see below).

As we noted in a Nov. 26, 2007 story on the subject, “This raises the question of exactly how this degraded “Delta SDD” version will differ from the standard US version, and which capabilities and features will be removed to comply with US national disclosure policy. Given that the JSF’s high-tech features, including stealth, and the capabilities of its electronic systems are the prime reasons which attracted foreign partners in the first place, it remains to be seen whether they will remain as committed to a degraded, less capable yet more expensive aircraft.” This still stands today.

Heinz’s categorical June 16 statement to Reuters can be read to imply either that work on the JSF export version has been dropped as quietly as it was originally launched, or that the JSF program office is trying to keep it secret so as not to scare off potential export customers who might not be interested in a “dumbed-down,” less capable aircraft.

In any case, a clarification is urgently needed.

These are the two contracts awarded to date for the JSF’s export version:

November 10, 2003

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $602,594,580 cost-plus-award-fee modification against a previously awarded contract (N00019-02-C-3002) for the procurement of supplies and services to support the performance of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) International Partner Version Delta Systems development and demonstration effort.

Lockheed Martin will design, develop, verify and test a version of the JSF air system that is as common as possible to the U.S. air system within the National Disclosure Policy.

Lockheed Martin will also implement a manned tactical simulation (MTS) capability, hold MTS events for the international partners on the JSF Program and conduct planning for future efforts and upgrades.

Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (83 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (10 percent); and Orlando, Fla. (7 percent), and is expected to be completed by April 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.

November 15, 2007

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Ft. Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $134,188,724 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-02-C-3002).

This modification is to continue the design, development, verification, and test of Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Partner Version Air System development under the JSF Delta System Development and Demonstration Effort (Delta SDD).

The purpose of the Delta SDD is to develop a version of the JSF Air System that meets U.S. National Disclosure Policy, but remains common to the U.S. Air System, where possible.

Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (68 percent), Orlando, Fla. (24 percent), and El Segundo, Calif. (8 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

DTN News: Italian Air Force Nicknames 1st Tanker 'I Have A Dream'

DTN News: Italian Air Force Nicknames 1st Tanker 'I Have A Dream'

*Sources: DTN News / Defense Media (NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - June 19, 2009: As they wait for their first, much delayed Boeing 767 tanker from Boeing, Italian Air Force officials have borrowed a line from late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. to nickname the aircraft "I have a dream." The number of armed forces around the world buying air-to-air refuelling tankers has steadily grown in recent decades. With many of the aircraft currently utilised, mostly Boeing 707 conversions and KC-135s, needing replacing and a number of other countries showing interest in this capability, both Boeing and Airbus have expended considerable resources to capture orders. The latter manufacturer has so far failed to win any competitions for new-build aircraft, while Boeing with its 767 Tanker Transport has been selected by three countries, Italy, Japan and the USA. Second-hand 767-300ERs are also in the running as the UK’s next tanker aircraft. The new moniker for the officially titled Italy One was revealed by Italian Air Force deputy chief of staff Gen. Giuseppe Bernardis, who added that Italy's fourth and final tanker, known as Italy Four, is being referred to as "Yes we can." "It's a way of auguring an early delivery," Bernardis said. Speaking at the Paris Air Show, Boeing officials said the first tanker, which originally was slated for delivery in 2005, should be ready to undergo a Tender for Acceptance process by the Italian Air Force this summer, following the completion of FAA certification. Three of the tankers are ready, said Dave Bowman, vice president of tanker programs at Boeing, and a fourth is undergoing modifications. A series of technical problems, including a flutter problem on wing pods, have held up delivery. Three 767 tankers without wing pods have been delivered to second tanker customer Japan. Bowman said penalty payments to Italy for late delivery are still under discussion.

DTN News: F-22 Funds Approved In Wee-Hours Vote

DTN News: F-22 Funds Approved In Wee-Hours Vote

*Sources: DTN News / Defense Media

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - June 19, 2009: It hasn't flown in combat yet, but the F-22 stealth fighter prevailed in a life-or-death battle in an early-morning vote June 17 by the House Armed Services Committee. A vote early June 17 by the U.S. House Armed Services Committee means that the Pentagon will pay for work to begin in 12 more F-22 jets, even though Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants the program to end. (SENIOR AIRMAN ZACHARY WOLF / U.S. AIR FORCE) After more than 16 hours of squabbling over the 2010 defense budget, weary committee members voted 31-30 at 2:30 a.m. to keep the F-22 program alive by making a $369 million down payment on 12 more planes. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates had intended to end F-22 production at 187 fighters, but House lawmakers overruled him. The $369 million would buy advance procurement parts to begin production on a dozen new fighters. Ultimately, the planes would cost about $2.8 billion. The advance procurement money would be taken from funds budgeted for Energy Department cleanups at nuclear weapons sites, a House aide said. Although it is the Air Force's most advanced and most expensive fighter, the F-22 has never been flown in combat, a point Gates has stressed repeatedly in appearances before Congress. When he announced April 6 that he wanted to end F-22 production, Gates said, "For me, it was not a close call. … The military advice that I got was that there is no military requirement for numbers of F-22s beyond the 187." In the past, the Air Force has said it needed 381 F-22s. More recently it lowered the number to 243 until Gates put a 187-plane cap on the program. But the fighter is popular in Congress, where it is praised as providing the Air Force with a high-tech advantage over potential foes, and is prized for creating jobs. Plane maker Lockheed has emphasized that the F-22 program employees 25,000 workers directly and another 90,000 in companies that produce F-22 parts in 44 states. The amendment to save the F-22 was introduced by Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah. "We would liked to have funded a full buy of 12 aircraft," an aide to Bishop said. But Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Ike Skelton prohibited amendments that would add to the overall cost of the defense budget. Bishop was able to shift $369 million for the F-22s from defense environmental cleanups at sites that are projected to be ahead of schedule or are at risk of not being able to spend money allocated for 2010, the aide said. It's enough to keep the F-22 production line from shutting down, but Bishop and others on the committee believe the Air Force needs more than 12 additional F-22s, he said. While the Armed Services Committee was saving future F-22s, the full House approved spending $600 million to buy the final four planes that Gates wants. Money for those planes is included in a $106 billion "emergency supplemental" bill used to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Language in that bill prohibits using the F-22 money to shut down the F-22 production line, and it permits the Defense Department to consider building a less capable version of the F-22 for sale overseas. The war-funding bill thwarts Gates' efforts to end another aircraft program, the C-17 cargo plane. Gates said the 205 C-17s that are already in the fleet or under construction are enough, and he included no money in the 2010 defense budget for additional C-17s. But the House and Senate added $2.7 billion to war-funding bill to buy eight C-17s and seven smaller C-130J cargo planes. The additional C-17s are "pure pork," said Christopher Hellman, a defense budget analyst for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Buying more C-17s "can only be characterized as a jobs program." And C-17 maker Boeing has done just that. In February the company boasted that C-17 production sustained 30,000 jobs in 43 states, with concentrations in California, Texas, Missouri and Connecticut.

DTN News: Russian Navy Frigate 'Yaroslav Mudry' Completes Sea Trials

DTN News: Russian Navy Frigate 'Yaroslav Mudry' Completes Sea Trials *Sources: DTN News / Defense Media

(NSI News Source Info) ST. PETERSBURG - June 19, 2009: Russia's newest frigate, the Yaroslav Mudry, has completed sea trials and the official testing procedure will be over in a few days, a spokesman for the Yantar shipyard said on Tuesday. The ship class was designed as a general purpose ASW frigate to follow on from the Krivak class frigates. This group of frigates incorporates some stealth technology. The program started in 1986 and seven ships were originally planned. As of 2007, only one ship, the Neustrashimy, is in service with the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet and is active. On February 24 2009 the second ship in the class, the Yaroslav Mudry, left the Yantar shipyard in Russia's Kaliningrad for its first sea-trials. The frigate has a displacement of 4,250 tons and a maximum speed of 30 knots. It is armed with anti-ship missiles, air defense systems, a 100-mm artillery mount, depth charges, and a Ka-27 helicopter. Construction has taken almost 19 years due to lack of financing. Further delays occurred in early May, when a Ka-27 Helix helicopter crashed into the Baltic Sea during the Yaroslav Mudry's sea trial. The crash occurred after the helicopter's blades grazed the frigate. The Baltic Fleet commander earlier said the Yaroslav Mudry could join the international anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden after entering service with the Baltic Fleet.

DTN News: Turkey Plans To Buy 32 Russian Mi-28 Attack Helicopters

DTN News: Turkey Plans To Buy 32 Russian Mi-28 Attack Helicopters

*Sources: DTN News / Defense Media (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - June 19, 2009: A Turkish military delegation has come to Russia to discuss the possible acquisition of Mi-28 attack helicopters. This is not the first time the two countries have discussed cooperation. The Mi-28 combat helicopter has been developed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and is known by the NATO codename Havoc. In August 1996 Mil rolled out a prototype of the day and night capable version, the Mi-28N Night Havoc. The first production Mi-28N took its first flight in April 2004 and began flight testing with the Russian Air Force in June 2005. The Russian Air Force has plans to procure up to 60 of this variant, now called the Mi-28NE Night Hunter. "The Mi-28 can be armed with a mixture of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, unguided rockets, and podded guns. " Three were ordered in 2005 and 16 more in 2006 for delivery by 2008. The first production aircraft was delivered in May 2006 and began formal acceptance testing in September 2006. Five aircraft are involved in the testing which is scheduled to conclude in early 2008. Mi-28 can fly at a maximum speed of 300km/h, can fly rearwards and sideways at speeds up to 100km/h and is able to hover turn at 45° a second.* In the 1970s and the early 1980s, Turkey bought 32 used AH-1P/S Cobra attack helicopters in the United States and later upgraded them to the AH-1F specifications. The Turkish army still has 23 AH-1P/S Cobras. However, Turkish military authorities started thinking about replacing them in the mid-1990s. During the subsequent tender they considered several models of combat helicopter, including the Ka-50-2 Erdogan, a version of the Russian Ka-50 Black Shark developed by Russia and Israel for Turkey. Unlike the Ka-50 where the pilots sit side-by-side, the seats in the Erdogan are placed in tandem as in the U.S. Cobra chopper. However, Turkey did not choose the Kamov helicopter for political reasons, such as growing U.S. influence in Turkey and, conversely, the lack of Russian influence. Also, Russia could not then guarantee the timely production of the required number of new helicopters or post-sale service. Lastly, the Ka-50 was not mass-produced even for the Russian army at that time. An updated Cobra with new weapons and equipment was the most probable winner in the Turkish tender, but the contract was eventually awarded to a European producer, the Anglo-Italian AgustaWestland, which proudly proclaims to be "a total rotorcraft capability provider." AgustaWestland, announced as the winning bidder in March 2007, pledged to assemble 50 T129 prototypes in Turkey. However, the first T129 will be rolled out only in 2015, whereas Turkey needs choppers now to fight Kurdish militants. The purchase of seven used AH-1W SuperCobras in 2008 has not solved the problem either. Turkey needs modern attack helicopters to fill the gap until 2015 and for several more years while its pilots learn to fly the T129 choppers. As a result, Turkey has decided to purchase Russian machines. It has opted for the Mi-28N Night Hunter, which, unlike the Ka-50, has been mass-produced since the 1990s and is supplied to the Russian Armed Forces. Turkey may buy between 12 and 32 helicopters within two or three years. It is unclear if it wants the choppers with or without top-mounted radar, which is an extremely expensive option. The Turkish military had once considered buying the Mi-24 Crocodile, which has several common structural elements with the Mi-28. The Mi-17 multirole helicopter is currently used in Turkey for military, police and civilian purposes. Significantly, the Mil helicopters have for years been used in similar terrain in the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East. Moreover, Russia's influence and relations with Turkey have grown dramatically and many contradictions in bilateral ties have been smoothed over since the 1990s. Therefore, Turkey could buy the Mi-28, whose track record over the past 20 years and the initial results of its combat use show that this highly versatile helicopter could remain on combat duty even after T129 assembly start-up in Turkey. And the final touch: the protection and combat payload specifications of the T129 are below those of the Mi-28.

DTN News: Google Agrees To Delete Unblurred German Street View Data

DTN News: Google Agrees To Delete Unblurred German Street View Data

*Sources: DTN News / Peter Sayer, IDG News Service

(NSI News Source Info) HAMBURG, Germany - June 19, 2009: Google has agreed to delete some of the original, unblurred photographs captured by its German Street View service, ceding to demands by Hamburg's Data Protection Office. And in a departure from its policy in other countries, it will delete images of peoples' homes in advance of publication if asked. Elsewhere, it only removes images if it receives a complaint after they have been published. Street View is a component of Google Maps, which displays street-level photographs captured by a fleet of cars in the months prior to the service's launch. Although the images only show what anyone walking down the street at that moment could have seen, the fact that the images are permanently stored and widely distributed has raised privacy concerns. Google runs European Street View images through an automated filter to locate personally identifiable image features such as faces and car registration plates, publication of which could breach local privacy laws. It then renders those features unrecognizable by blurring them before publication so as to protect the privacy of those caught on camera. The process is not perfect, but if someone subsequently found their face or number plate unblurred on Street View, they can request that Google remove or blur the publicly displayed image. Now, under pressure from the Data Protection Agency for Hamburg, Google has agreed to delete the original, unblurred images from its internal database within two months of receiving a request. Google usually retains the raw images indefinitely, something it says helps it improve its algorithms for automatically identifying image features. "We have agreed to meet the privacy safeguards they have requested," said a Google spokeswoman. The Data Protection Agency had hoped that Google would delete all raw images, not just the ones subject to a request, but is happy with the compromise, agency head Johannes Caspar said in a statement late Wednesday. Google has also agreed to develop an online tool allowing German users to request that images of their home not be published. "The tool is still in the early stages of development, but we'll make sure we give users plenty of time to use it before we launch," the Google spokeswoman said in an e-mail. In that case, Google will only retain the unblurred images until Street View is launched in Germany. Last week, Google outlined its views on image data retention in its European public policy blog.