*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - August 11, 2009: China's military on Aug. 11 launched its largest tactical military exercise, involving 50,000 heavily-armored troops in a long-distance deployment spanning thousands of kilometers, state press said. 
People's Liberation Army soldiers stand in formation during a military exercise in Beijing, China. China took foreign journalists on a tour of the People's Liberation Army division north of the capital, calling it a sign the world's largest army is improving its openness and transparency. The visit comes to marks the 82nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army, which now has 2.3 million members.
The live-fire maneuvers, dubbed "Stride-2009," will involve a division each from the Shenyang, Lanzhou, Jinan and Guangzhou regional military commands and will last for two months, Xinhua news agency said.
"In the unprecedented 
exercise, one of the PLA's major objectives will be to improve its capacity of long-range projection," the report said, citing the general staff of the People's Liberation Army.
"Unlike previous annual tactical exercises, the army divisions and their air units will be deployed in unfamiliar areas far from their garrison training bases by civilian rail and air transport."
This means troops, tanks, vehicles and weapons systems from Shenyang in the northeast will be deployed to Lanzhou in the northwest, while similar exchanges will take place between Jinan in the east and Guangzhou in the south, it said.
According to the People's Liberation Army Daily, the exercises will simulate Chinese victories in the war against Japan (1937-45) and victories against U.S. troops during the Korean War (1950-53).
Following annual double-digit growth in defense spending over most of the last 20 years, China's rapidly modernizing military has kept pace with the nation's rising political and economic clout.
The United States, Japan and their allies have repeatedly expressed concern about China's military build-up and what they see as a lack of transparency about the intent behind the expansion.
With 2.3 million soldiers, the People's Liberation Army is the world's largest military.
People's Liberation Army soldiers stand in formation during a military exercise in Beijing, China. China took foreign journalists on a tour of the People's Liberation Army division north of the capital, calling it a sign the world's largest army is improving its openness and transparency. The visit comes to marks the 82nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army, which now has 2.3 million members.
The live-fire maneuvers, dubbed "Stride-2009," will involve a division each from the Shenyang, Lanzhou, Jinan and Guangzhou regional military commands and will last for two months, Xinhua news agency said.
"In the unprecedented 
exercise, one of the PLA's major objectives will be to improve its capacity of long-range projection," the report said, citing the general staff of the People's Liberation Army.
"Unlike previous annual tactical exercises, the army divisions and their air units will be deployed in unfamiliar areas far from their garrison training bases by civilian rail and air transport."
This means troops, tanks, vehicles and weapons systems from Shenyang in the northeast will be deployed to Lanzhou in the northwest, while similar exchanges will take place between Jinan in the east and Guangzhou in the south, it said.
According to the People's Liberation Army Daily, the exercises will simulate Chinese victories in the war against Japan (1937-45) and victories against U.S. troops during the Korean War (1950-53).
Following annual double-digit growth in defense spending over most of the last 20 years, China's rapidly modernizing military has kept pace with the nation's rising political and economic clout.
The United States, Japan and their allies have repeatedly expressed concern about China's military build-up and what they see as a lack of transparency about the intent behind the expansion.
With 2.3 million soldiers, the People's Liberation Army is the world's largest military.
On May 15, 2008,the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. awarded a team led by Lockheed Martin a $1.46 billion contract to build the next-generation Global Positioning System Space System program, known as GPS III.
This program will improve position, navigation, and timing services for the warfighter and civil users worldwide and provide advanced anti-jam capabilities yielding superior system security, accuracy and reliability.
Under the Development and Production contract, the team of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, ITT Corporation, and General Dynamics, will produce the first two GPS IIIA satellites with the first launch projected for 2014. The contract also includes options for up to 10 additional spacecraft.
Eight GPS IIIB and 16 GPS IIIC satellites are planned for later increments, with each increment including additional capabilities based on technical maturity. When fully deployed, the GPS III constellation will feature a cross-linked command and control architecture, allowing the entire GPS constellation to be updated simultaneously from a single ground station. Additionally, a new spot beam capability for enhanced military (M-Code) coverage and increased resistance to hostile jamming will be incorporated. These enhancements will contribute to improved accuracy and assured availability for military and civilian users worldwide.
For GPS III, Lockheed Martin will build on its proven record of providing progressively advanced spacecraft for the current GPS constellation: the team designed and built 21 GPS IIR satellites for the Air Force and subsequently modernized eight of those spacecraft, designated GPS IIR-M, to enhance operations and navigation signal performance.
The Global Positioning System enables properly equipped users to determine precise time and velocity and worldwide latitude, longitude and altitude to within a few meters. Air Force Space Command's 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS), based at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., manages and operates the GPS constellation for both civil and military users.
