Thursday, March 11, 2010

DTN News: Lockheed Martin C-5M Super Galaxy Is ‘Effective, Suitable And Mission Capable’ For USAF Operations

DTN News: Lockheed Martin C-5M Super Galaxy Is ‘Effective, Suitable And Mission Capable’ For USAF Operations Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin (NSI News Source Info) MARIETTA, Ga., - March 12, 2010: The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) Center has rated the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-5M as "effective, suitable and mission capable" based on results from OT&E testing completed in January 2010. The OT&E phase spanned four months, evaluating various performance aspects to validate the capability and reliability of the C-5M. These positive test results enable the Super Galaxy to continue to support critical missions flown in support of world-wide operational contingencies. "The C-5M test was a resounding success because of teamwork between the test team, the user, the contractor and the program office," said Col. John Scorsone, Director of Test and Evaluation for Air Mobility Command. "The integrated test team will now transition to an integrated fielding team which will build on past relationships to help this program achieve even more record-breaking results." In addition to setting 42 world records last year, the C-5Ms delivered needed cargo to the warfighter during OT&E and continue to perform combat support missions today. Performance during OT&E proved the modernized A and B models of the C-5 are redefining strategic airlift for the military and will be a force multiplier for decades to come. Payload and range improvements in the C-5M enable a fully loaded aircraft to fly unrefueled for more than 5,000 miles and bypass traditional en route stops. This not only saves thousands of gallons of fuel, but decreases the amount of time needed to get precious cargo to the warfighter’s destination. "The C-5M is a game-changer and we are excited about the world record-breaking capabilities it provides those protecting freedom across the globe,” said Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin C-5 program vice president. “We greatly appreciate the dedication and exceptional work of the Air Force active and reserve crews flying and maintaining the C-5M during OT&E." Current USAF plans call for 52 fully-modernized C-5Ms by 2016 with the next delivery scheduled for September 2010 to Dover Air Force Base, Del. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 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 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated March 11, 2010

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated March 11, 2010 Source: U.S. DoD issued March 11, 2010 (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - March 12, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued March 11, 2010 are undermentioned;
CONTRACTS
AIR FORCE ~ADVENT Environmental, Inc., Mount Pleasant, S.C. (FA8903-10-D-8602); EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., Hunt Valley, Md. (FA8903-10-D-8601); and Zapata Inc., Charlotte, N.C. (8903-10-D-8600), were awarded a $350,000,000 contract which will provide environmental support restoration and remediation. At this time, $3,000 per contract has been obligated. AFCEE/ACX, Brooks City-Base, Texas, is the contracting activity. ~L-3 Communications, Pittsburgh, Pa., was awarded a $6,000,000 contract which will provide support for the Air Force Flight Test Center Range System Upgrade program. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. AFFTC/PKEE, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA9302-10-D-0007). NAVY ~General Electric Aircraft Engines, Lynn, Mass., is being awarded a $326,080,865 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0088) to exercise an option for 80 F414-GE-400 engines and modules and two spare engines for the Navy. In addition, this modification provides advanced procurement funding for associated long-lead material for future F414-GE-400 engines. The F414-GE-400 engine powers the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. This modification also provides for the procurement of one engine fan module; eight engine high pressure turbine modules; 33 combuster modules; and 80 engine device kits. Work will be performed in Lynn, Mass. (49 percent); Madisonville, Ky. (21 percent); Hooksett, N.H. (12 percent); Albuquerque, N.M. (7 percent); Rutland, Vt. (5 percent); Dayton, Ohio (2 percent); Wilmington, N.C. (2 percent); Evendale, Ohio (1 percent); and Bromont, Quebec (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2012. 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. ~Science Applications International Corp., San Diego, is being awarded a $47,626,804 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide technical and engineering support for software development; systems engineering; configuration management; quality assurance; logistics and life-cycle management to support unmanned systems; airspace control; maritime surveillance systems; anti-terrorist force protection surveillance systems; security systems; and command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems. This five-year contract includes three 12-month award term periods for a total potential period of performance of eight years and a total potential value of $63,601,466. All work will be performed at government and contractor sites in the San Diego area, and work for the base award is expected to be completed by March 10, 2015. Contractfunds will notexpire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site and posting to the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central Web site, with one offer received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, is the contracting activity (N66001-10-D-0049). ~Omega Aerial Refueling Services, Inc., Alexandria, Va., is being awarded a $32,438,304 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-07-D-0009) to exercise an option for contractor owned-and-operated aircraft in support of the Commercial Air Services (CAS) program. The CAS program provides aerial refueling services for the U.S. Navy, other Department of Defense and government agencies, and Foreign Military Sales aircraft. Work will be performed at various locations in the continental United States (45 percent East Coast, 35 percent West Coast) and at various locations outside the continental United States (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2011. 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. ~ViaSat, Carlsbad, Calif., was awarded on March 10, 2010, a $21,470,330 firm-fixed-price contract and delivery order for Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVTs). The MIDS-LVT provides secure, high capacity, jam resistant, digital data and voice communications capability for U.S. Navy, Air Force and Army platforms. This delivery order combines purchases for the United States (68 percent); the government of Germany (11 percent); and the governments of Australia (18 percent) and South Korea (3 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Contractfunds in the amount of $1,573,644 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, Calif. (30 percent) and in various other sites worldwide (70 percent), and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2012. This contract was competitively procured via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems E-commerce Web site, with two offers received. The synopsis was released via the Federal Business Opportunities Web site. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, is the contracting activity (N00039-10-D-0032). ~Data Link Solutions, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was awarded on March 10, 2010, a $19,946,436 firm-fixed-price contract and delivery order for Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVTs). The MIDS-LVT provides secure, high capacity, jam resistant, digital data and voice communications capability for U.S. Navy, Air Force and Army platforms. This delivery order combines purchases for the United States (61 percent) and the governments of Finland (22 percent), Japan (8 percent) and Saudi Arabia (9 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Wayne, N.J. (50 percent), and Cedar Rapids, Iowa (50 percent), and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2012. Contractfunds in the amount of $3,173,712 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems E-commerce Web site, with two offers received. The synopsis was released via the Federal Business Opportunities Web site. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, is the contracting activity (N00039-10-D-0031). ~Guam Industrial Services, Inc., dba Guam Shipyard, Santa Rita, Guam, is being awarded a $10,404,769 firm-fixed-price contract for the civilian modification of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) submarine tender USS Frank Cable, which transferred to MSC operation on Feb. 1, 2010. The ship requires maintenance and repair, as well as modifications including the installation of equipment and systems for operation by MSC civil service mariners in keeping with U.S. merchant marine standards. The modifications are to better equip the vessel for MSC’s reduced manning profile. The ship’s primary mission is to provide repairs, spare parts, provisions, stores, potable water, consumables, and petroleum to the Navy’s submarines and other naval forces at sea. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $15,116,641. Work will be performed at Guam Shipyard in Santa Rita, Guam, and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured; it was procured on a sole-source basis for the purposes of industrial mobilization. A pre-solicitation notice was posted on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site in order to provide public notice of the intent to issue a sole-source contract. No other contractors expressed interest in this procurement. The U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command is the contracting activity (N00033-10-C-7500). ~Science Applications International Corp., San Diego, is being awarded a $6,307,064 cost-plus-incentive fee, firm-fixed-price, and cost-only contract for Tactical Mobile (TacMobile) systems engineering and technical support services. This contract will allow the Navy Carrier and Air Integration Program Office and the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence, to acquire technical services, equipment, system integration/assembly/testing, installation training, maintenance, and logistics products in support of the TacMobile program. This contract contains options which, if exercised, will bring the total estimated value of the contract to $108,164,122. Work will be performed in Charleston, S.C. (65 percent), and Patuxent River, Md. (35 percent), and work is expected to be completed December 2010. If option years are exercised under this contract, work could continue through December 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract wascompetitively procured using full and open competitive procedures via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command E-commerce Web site, with one offer received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, is the contracting activity (N00039-10-C-0046). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY ~MedImmune Vaccines, Inc., Gaithersburg, Md., is being awarded a maximum $32,293,397 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for influenza vaccine packages. Other location of performance is Pennsylvania. Using services are U. S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is May 26, 2011. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM2DP-09-D-0005). ARMY ~Alacran Contracting, LLC, Rockford, Ill., was awarded on March 09, 2010, a $13,364,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a Combined Arms Collective Training Facility. Work is to be performed at Fort McCoy, Wis., with an estimated completion date of March 07, 2012. Bids were posted on the World Wide Web with four bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-V-004). ~Alliant Techsystems Inc., Radford, Va., was awarded on March 9, 2010, an $11,902,416 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for TNT procured to MIL-DTL-248, Revision D, May 14, 2002, with Amendment 1, June 27, 2007. Work is to be performed in Radford, Va., with an estimated completion of Sept. 30, 2012. Bids were solicicted on the World Wide Web with three bids reveived. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Contracting Center, CCRC-AR, Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-09-D-0017). ~Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded on March 4, 2010, a $10,365,999 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 1,401 kits for remote weapons systems crew remote operation weapons systems for Operation Enduring Freedom on the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All Terrain Vehicle. Work is to be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2012. Five bids were solicited with five bids received. TACOM, CCTA-ADCA, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0111). ~Inland Dredging Co., LLC, Dyersburg, Tenn., was awarded on March 8, 2010, a $10,121,000 firm-fixed-price contract for flood control, Mississippi River and tributaries, Yazoo Basin, Mississippi, Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, upper Yazoo projects, Item 7B, channel improvement. Work is to be performed in Tallahatchie County, Miss., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 10, 2010. Bids were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities Web site with four bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, Vicksburg Contracting Office, Vicksburg, Miss., is the contracting activity (W912EE-10-C-0010). ~Geodetics, Inc., San Diego, was awarded on March 4, 2010, an $8,400,000 firm-fixed-price contract for real-time enhanced network global positioning systems units. This modification is to increase the order ceiling by $8,400,000 from $3,811,500 to $12,211,500. Work is to be performed in San Diego with an estimated completion date of Aug. 21, 2012. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Test & Evaluation Command, Mission Support Contracting Activity, Fort Hood, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9115U-08-D-0001). ~O’Neal & Associates, Inc., Miamisburg, Ohio, was awarded on March 8, 2010, a $10,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. This award exercises option for 88,313 hours of support and maintenance of the Electronic Maintenance System (EMS) next generation software. The EMS software ia a suite of web-based software modules consisting of content development, content managemant, and deployed applications currently used in thousands of Army fighting and tactical vehicles for system diagnostic troubleshooting and maintenance. Work is to be performed in Warren, Mich. (10 percent); Miamisburg, Ohio (75 percent); and National City, Calif. (15 percent), with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-C-0251). ~Overland Corp., Okla., was awarded on March 9 a $9,692,700 firm-fixed-price contract for design/build of guardrails throughout Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Work is to be performed in various cities in the United States with an estimated completion date of May 19, 2011. Five bids were solicited with two bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, Okla., is the contracting actiity (W9126G-08-D-0083). ~Lockheed Martin Electronics and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., was awarded on March 1, 2010 a $7,559,720 firm-fixed-price contract to reset support to include inspection, refurbishment, and removal of sand, dust and foreign material intrusion to the Apache modernized and legacy target acquisition designation sight assembly and pilot night vision sensor assembly system. Work is to be performed in Orlando, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aviation & Missile Command Contracting Center, CCAM-AP-B, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-10-C-0023). ~E-One, Inc., Ocala, Fla., was awarded on March 1, 2010, a $7,507,533 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 10 air rescue fire fighting vehicles; spare parts; vehicle test; diagnostic software kit; training outside of the continental United States; and deprocessing of vehicles. Work is to be performed in Ocala, Fla., with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2011. One sole-source bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM, CCTA-ADB-A, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-10-C-0111). ~ARES Systems Group, LLC, Vicksburg, Miss., was awarded on March 9 a $6,846,241 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for threat detection alongside or approaching roadways. Work is to be performed in Alexandria, Va., with an estimated completion date of March 9, 2011. Bids were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities Web site with one bid received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ERDC Contracting Office, Vicksburg, Miss., is the contracting activity (W912HZ-09-C-0097)
~Whiting-Turner, Baltimore, Md., was awarded on March 5, 2010, a $6,743,000 firm-fixed-price contract for building 705 renovations, Fort Eustis, Va. Work will include renovations to administrative, classroom, and library space. Work is to be performed in Fort Eustis, Va., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2011. Six bids were solicited with five bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-08-D-0069). ~L.R. Costanzo Co., Inc., Scranton, Pa., was awarded on March 2, 2010, a $6,265,989 firm-fixed-price contract. This procurement is for the renovation of 60,000 square feet within Tobyhanna Army Depot’s existing industrial complex. Necessary improvements to existing bays include lighting upgrades, power upgrades, HVAC, crane, and other modification necessary based on the large weapons systems at issue. Work is to be performed in Tobyhanna Army Depot, Tobyhanna, Pa., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. Bids were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities Web site with seven bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-10-C-0073). ~Mechanical Equipment, Inc., Covington, La., was awarded on March 5, 2010, a $6,619,001 firm-fixed-price contract for a requirement contract of an estimated 154 lightweight water purifiers. Work is to be performed in Sugar Land, Texas, with an estimated completion date of March 4, 2015. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six bids received. TACOM Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-10-D-0002). ~Luna Innovations, Inc., Roanoke, Va., was awarded on March 8, 2010, a $5,982,218 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is funding Luna Inovations to develop an independent suite of tools to verify that Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) bit streams can be trusted and contain only that functionality in the design implementation; nothing more and nothing less. They will also develop tools to authenticate that the target FPGA hardware has not been substitited within the supply chain. Work is to be performed in Roanoke, Va., with an estimated completion date of March 7, 2010. Bids were solicited via Broad Agency Announcement with 30 bids received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-08-C-0007). ~Sundt Construction, Inc., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on March 4, 2010, a $5,520,000 firm-fixed-price contract. This task order is consisting of providing materials, equipment, and labor for the construction of the Combat Aviation Brigade Hot Refuel Facility at Fort Bliss, Texas, which includes clearing and grubbing; earthwork; site work; concrete roadway paving; storm drainage systems; water distribution systems; sanitary sewer collection system; concrete fueling apron and taxiways; airfield and roadway striping and marking; airfield electrical; fueling control building; above ground storage tanks; fuel piping systems; electrical distribution systems and duct banks; communication duct bank system; erosion control; temporary access roadways; traffic control; signage; and other items specified in the contract documents. Work is to be performed in El Paso, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010. Five bids were solicited with two bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-09-D-0004).

DTN News: Lockheed Cost Overruns To Spark Review-Pentagon

DTN News: Lockheed Cost Overruns To Spark Review-Pentagon Source: DTN News / Reuters (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, - March 12, 2010: Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) F-35 program, the Pentagon's biggest acquisition ever, is crashing through a cost-growth threshold that will spark a thorough review of the program, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer told Congress on Thursday. Ashton Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, said the average price of an F-35 aircraft as estimated by a Pentagon panel would be more than 50 percent higher in inflation-adjusted dollars than projected in 2001, when the program began. Carter said he expected the U.S. Air Force to formally notify Congress of the cost-containment breach under the so-called Nunn-McCurdy law within days. Under the law, if cost growth tops 25 percent, Nunn-McCurdy requires the Pentagon to justify continuing the program based on three main criteria: its importance to U.S. national security; the lack of a viable alternative; and evidence that the problems that led to the cost growth are under control.

DTN News: Second Engine For F-35 Gets Boost In Congress

DTN News: Second Engine For F-35 Gets Boost In Congress Source: DTN News / Reuters (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, - March 12, 2010: The head of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee said he was convinced that Congress should keep funding an alternate, interchangeable engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, despite Defense Department efforts to kill it on cost grounds. Lawmakers defied a presidential veto threat to fund the second engine built by General Electric Co (GE.N) and Rolls Royce (RR.L) last year. A recent Pentagon analysis said it would cost $2.9 billion over six years to complete work on the engine, which would compete with one built by Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N), for a projected $100 billion. (Reporting by Jim Wolf, editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY March 11, 2010 ~ We Don't Want Proxy Wars In Afghanistan, Karzai Says

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY March 11, 2010 ~ We Don't Want Proxy Wars In Afghanistan, Karzai Says Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - March 11, 2010: Afghanistan does not want a proxy war between Pakistan and India or anybody else fought on its soil, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday during a visit to Pakistan. Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan are vying for influence in Afghanistan, complicating U.S.-led efforts to end an intensifying Taliban insurgency and bring stability to Afghanistan more than eight years after the Taliban were ousted. Karzai said he did not want any country using Afghanistan against another. His visit comes after Pakistan has intensified efforts to fight militancy, winning U.S. praise. "The bottom line is, Afghanistan does not want any proxy wars on its territory," Karzai told a news conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani. "It does not want a proxy war between India and Pakistan in Afghanistan, it does not want a proxy war between Iran and the United States in Afghanistan," he said. India has developed close relations with Karzai's government while ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been fraught with tension over recent years, mostly over Afghan suspicion Pakistan is quietly helping the Taliban. Analysts say Pakistan sees the Afghan Taliban as a tool to promote its interests in Afghanistan, where it wants to see a friendly government in power and to limit India's influence. While India accuses Pakistan of backing militants who attack its interests in Afghanistan, Pakistan accuses India of using its diplomatic missions in Afghanistan to help separatist militants in its southwestern province of Baluchistan. "TWINS" Karzai said India was a very close friend and had given much support but Pakistan was like a brother. "India is a close friend of Afghanistan but Pakistan is a brother of Afghanistan. Pakistan is a twin brother ... we're conjoined twins, there's no separation," he said. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan were facing regular, deadly attacks, Karzai said hours before a roadside bomb killed four people in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. "We in Afghanistan are fully aware and recognize that without Pakistan, and without its cooperation in Afghanistan, Afghanistan cannot be stable or peaceful," Karzai said. "It is also, I believe and I hope, recognized in Pakistan that without a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, there cannot be stability or peace in Pakistan," he said. The recent arrest of several Afghan Taliban leaders in Pakistan, including top military strategist Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, has led to speculation Pakistan is changing its position on the militants in anticipation of some sort of peace process and the departure of Western forces. Pakistan has said very little about the arrests, only officially confirming the arrest of Baradar. Gilani said he and Karzai discussed an Afghan request for Baradar's extradition. "We have our own judiciary ... we are consulting the legal experts too, and we'll sit with them and discuss it and get back to the honorable president," Gilani told the news conference. A Pakistan court late last month barred the government from sending captured Afghan Taliban leaders abroad. The Pakistani interior minister had earlier said Baradar was being investigated for crimes in Pakistan and would be tried there in the first instance. Ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been uneasy since Pakistan's independence in 1947 but have warmed since a civilian government came to power in Islamabad in 2008. At times, Karzai and former Pakistani military leader Pervez Musharraf were hardly on speaking terms.

DTN News: Terrorism ~ Defining A Tactic

DTN News: Terrorism ~ Defining A Tactic Source: By Fred Burton and Ben West STRATFOR (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 11, 2010: In the evening of March 4, as U.S. Department of Defense workers were wrapping up their day, a man wearing a suit and displaying what guards later referred to as a “nervous intensity” approached the entrance to the Pentagon. As he walked up to the guard booth, he reached into his pocket and took out a semi-automatic 9 mm pistol and began firing at the two security personnel stationed at the entrance. The guards retreated behind ballistic glass and returned fire at the man, who rushed the entrance. Seconds later, a third guard armed with a .40-caliber submachine gun confronted and shot the gunman, delivering a fatal head wound that ended the incident. The gunman in this case was John Patrick Bedell, a native Californian who had driven from California to Washington to carry out his one-man attack on the Pentagon. Given the available details (e.g., a cross-country trek, business attire), it appears that Bedell had planned his attack well ahead of time. He had a history of mental illness as well as minor criminal offenses, such as growing marijuana and resisting arrest. More notable, though, is a series of recordings and writings he posted on the Internet in November 2006 in which he criticized the federal government and said the 9/11 attacks were a government-led conspiracy. The March 4 shooting came right on the heels of another attack against the U.S. government, this one in Austin, Texas, where software engineer and pilot Joseph Stack crashed his single-engine Piper Cherokee into a building Feb. 18 that housed offices of the Internal Revenue Service. In another previous attack, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army psychiatrist, opened fire at a troop processing facility at Fort Hood, Texas, killing 13 people. While many government officials are denying that these incidents were terrorist acts, we at STRATFOR disagree. Arguments used to not classify these attacks as terrorism include the failure to generate large numbers of casualties, a lack of foreign ties and the absence of a larger conspiracy. This dismissal of terrorism as a factor in these attacks ultimately has a long-term impact on past and future investigations, and it also seems to ignore the legal definition, as set out in Title VIII, Section 802 of the USA PATRIOT Act: [An] act of terrorism means any activity that (A) involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life that is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any State; and (B) appears to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping. It is important to note that this definition does not include the magnitude of the violence involved in the attack — it does not have to be a catastrophic event. The word “terrorism” has taken on a lot of inflated connotations as Islamist militant groups, among others, have used it as a tactic to cause high (often civilian) casualty rates in complex, well-orchestrated attacks. Attacks like 9/11, the 2004 Madrid train bombings, the 2005 London bombings and the 2008 Mumbai siege were all catastrophic in terms of physical damage and loss of human life. But they also became massive media events that ensured that the Islamist extremists behind the attacks remained in the spotlight for months, if not years — an effective way to publicize their ideology and objectives. But attacks do not have to be huge and catastrophic to be considered acts of terror. Consider the statement from the October 2009 Echo of Battle (11th edition), in which al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Nasir al-Wahayshi advocated using simple attacks against a variety of targets. It was significant that al-Wahayshi said this, but it was certainly not a novel idea. Numerous attacks previously considered acts of terrorism had been committed following this small-scale model: Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad opened fire on a U.S. Army/Navy career center in Little Rock, Ark., on June 1, 2009, killing one soldier and critically wounding another. The attack was considered an act of terrorism because Muhammad was protesting the presence of U.S. forces in Islamic countries. An even earlier example is the case of Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, an Egyptian who opened fire on the El Al Airlines ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport in 2002, killing two people before being killed himself. His shooting was ruled an act of terrorism because investigators concluded that he was striking out at Israel on behalf of Palestinians. Looking back over the last 100 years or so of terrorist attacks in the United States, there are many examples of small, non-catastrophic events. Often these events are no more violent or consequential than a common criminal incident — what sets them apart are the political motivations of their perpetrators. Indeed, catastrophic attacks are the exception to the rule, though the memory of these spectacular incidents is burned indelibly into the public mind. Terrorist attacks also do not need to have foreign links. Again, the dominant trend over the past decade has been that such attacks are linked to radical Islamist groups based in the Middle East and South Asia. But terrorism does not belong to any set ideology or group. It is a tactic, one that can be used by anyone to pursue any political goal. In fact, looking back over the history of terrorism in the United States, most attacks have been generated and carried out by domestic groups. Militant entities like the Order of the Covenant (a white supremacist group), the Black Liberation Army, the Earth Liberation Front, anarchist groups and anti-abortion groups have more often than not been the perpetrators behind terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. Foreign-based terrorism in the United States is fairly rare, and the most recent extremist Islamist attacks have been “home grown,” with the ideology and perhaps inspiration coming from abroad but with the actual materials being collected and the preparation conducted in the United States. Finally, in order to be considered terrorism, an attack does not have to be part of a larger conspiracy — it can be carried out by a single individual. The lone-wolf attack is actually the most dangerous because it is not part of a larger conspiracy, which can make a plot more vulnerable to discovery. Often a single individual will carry out a terrorist attack based on a political ideology shared by a larger group, which can blur the lines of what constitutes a lone-wolf attack. Incidents like the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing are consistent with this type of attack. Theodore Kaczynski (aka the “Unabomber”) is the archetypal lone-wolf operative who used violent attacks to publicize a social and political message. Therefore his violent acts qualify as terrorism. When thinking about Bedell, Stack and Hasan, it is important to view their actions in the context of the longer history of terrorism, not just over the past decade. The attacks these individuals carried out appear to match the conditions specified in the USA PATRIOT Act in that they were violent and appear to be politically motivated. All three perpetrators had exhibited overt disapproval of U.S. government policies in writings and communications prior to their attacks. While this isn’t enough to prove that the attacks were politically motivated, it certainly provides a reason for further investigation. Instead, authorities have dismissed these cases as criminal acts due to the lack of foreign involvement or outside help. In the Hasan case (which would be the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11), the FBI has ceded investigation of the case to the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Department of Defense’s internal investigative unit. Certainly, the DCIS has jurisdiction over the case because it took place on a military base, but considering that the FBI’s current top priority is protecting the United States from terrorist attacks, its low profile in this case seems to run counter to that mission. As a criminal case, Hasan’s attack is pretty straightforward. It can be easily proved that he shot and killed the 13 people, and this is exactly what the DCIS will do because that is its job. An FBI counterterrorism investigation, however, would provide a more in-depth look at other connections that Hasan may have had that could shed light on other militant activities. For example, what is the significance of reports of Hasan’s correspondence with Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born imam who is currently living in Yemen recruiting operatives for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and who is also believed to have ties to Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab? Without conducting a terrorism investigation into his activities, questions like these may go unanswered. The denial of terrorist links in such cases is similar to denials surrounding the 1990 assassination of Rabbi Meir Kahane in New York by El Sayyid Nosair, an Egyptian with U.S. citizenship. Initially, the FBI denied that the case was terrorism and Nosair was acquitted of the murder charges brought against him. Following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the FBI re-labeled the Kahane assassination an act of terrorism and re-charged Nosair after it learned of his relationship to Omar Abdul-Rahman and of his involvement in the World Trade Center attack. Had authorities pursued the terrorism angle following Kahane’s assassination, perhaps more information would have been known about the individuals plotting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. But getting the FBI involved in cases like those of Hasan, Stack or Bedell sends the clear signal that the federal government suspects terrorism, and sending that signal is politically inexpedient right now. Suggesting that an act is terrorism automatically draws more attention to the incident, causing more fear among the population and giving the actors and their political messages more publicity. Moreover, the political sensitivity surrounding the investigation of Muslims (especially those serving in the U.S. military) means that avoiding the issue is politically less risky. The FBI was given the responsibility of preventing terrorism because it was one of the only existing agencies after 9/11 that had the resources and manpower to address it. However, the FBI has a stronger background in, and institutional culture based on, investigating criminal cases (especially organized crime) and traditionally has not been focused on counterterrorism. Moreover, given the boom-and-bust cycle in funding counterterrorism operations, those involved in the field don’t view it as being necessarily good for their national security careers. According to the definition of terrorism laid out in the USA PATRIOT Act, the cases of Hasan and Stack clearly fit the label of terrorism and Bedell’s is certainly looking that way. But not examining the possibility of terrorism in the first place risks overlooking important pieces of information that could prove useful in preventing the next attack, or fully understanding the last one. This report may be forwarded or republished on your website with attribution to http://www.stratfor.com/ *This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com Disclaimer statement Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein, DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed herein are those of the author of the page and do not necessarily represent the corporate views of DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News.

DTN News: Boeing 747-8 Freighter Achieves Initial Airworthiness Milestone

DTN News: Boeing 747-8 Freighter Achieves Initial Airworthiness Milestone Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) MOSES LAKE, Wash., - March 11, 2010: Boeing (NYSE: BA) has completed initial airworthiness testing on the 747-8 Freighter. This milestone enables test engineers to be on board during future flights and allows the remaining two 747-8 Freighter test airplanes to begin flight test. "The airplane is performing as expected in the initial stages of flight test," said Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager of the 747 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "That's a tribute to the men and women who helped design and build this airplane." Since the first flight in early February, the program has conducted 13 flights, achieving several key accomplishments. Pilots have taken the airplane to an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,144 m) and a speed of Mach .65. The program has completed approximately 33 hours of flying. Initial stall tests and other dynamic maneuvers have been run, as well as an extensive checkout of the airplane's systems. Five different pilots have flown the newest Boeing freighter. "This is a critical milestone in our test and certification plan," said Andy Hammer, test program manager for the 747-8, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "With the addition of the other two airplanes in the near future, the test program will ramp up significantly. We will expand the flight envelope and demonstrate the airplane's capabilities." In the weeks ahead, the 747-8 Freighter will reach an altitude of more than 43,000 feet (13,106 m) and a speed of Mach .97. Subsequent testing will push the airplane beyond expected operational conditions. Flight testing will continue in the months ahead. All told, the 747-8 Freighter test program calls for approximately 3,700 hours of testing using three test airplanes. First delivery is planned for the fourth quarter of this year. Boeing has secured 108 orders for the 747-8, 76 of which are orders for the new freighter. Cargolux, Nippon Cargo Airlines, AirBridgeCargo Airlines, Atlas Air, Cathay Pacific, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Emirates SkyCargo, Guggenheim and Korean Air all have placed orders for 747-8 Freighters.

DTN News: U.S. Will Negotiate Hard With Boeing Says Defense Secretary Robert Gates

DTN News: U.S. Will Negotiate Hard With Boeing Says Defense Secretary Robert Gates Source: DTN News / Reuters (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - March 11, 2010: The United States will negotiate carefully with Boeing (BA.N) to build the next generation of tanker aircraft, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday. Gates said a rival's withdrawal from the multibillion dollar competition should not create further delays. Northrop Grumman (NOC.N) withdrew from the competition for a U.S. aerial refuelling aircraft contract worth up to $50 billion earlier this week, charging the United States Air Force's rules of favouring rival Boeing (BA.N). [ID:nN08190077] "We will certainly be sharpening our pencil when it comes to negotiating with Boeing," Gates said on Thursday at a military base at an undisclosed location in southwest Asia. "I don't see any reason for this outcome to bring further delays," said Gates, in his first public comments on the issue. Northrop's decision puts the tanker contract within Boeing's reach nearly nine years after the Air Force first mapped out a sole-source deal with Boeing that was later killed by Congress after a huge procurement scandal. Northrop's European partner, Airbus parent EADS (EAD.PA), could still mount a bid on its own, sources told Reuters last week, although a bid without a U.S. partner would likely become a bigger political target. (Editing by Erica Billingham)

DTN News: China TODAY March 11, 2010 ~ Police, Military Crackdown In Tibet On Anniversary

DTN News: China TODAY March 11, 2010 ~ Police, Military Crackdown In Tibet On Anniversary Source: DTN News / AFP (NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - March 11, 2010: Chinese security forces have stepped up a crackdown in Tibet's capital Lhasa, two years after protests marking a failed 1959 uprising erupted in deadly violence, the police and reports said Thursday. The "strike hard storm" began earlier this month and is aimed at cracking down on Tibetan independence activities and ordinary crime, a policeman at the city's Niangre precinct told AFP by phone. "I don't know when we will end this campaign, but it could be at the end of March when this matter is over," said the policeman, who refused to identify himself, referring to the sensitive anniversaries. As of March 3, more than 1,500 extra police and security personnel had been deployed, with more than 4,100 rented apartments or homes inspected, according to the Lhasa Evening News. More than 400 people have been rounded up, but only 14 of them have been formally arrested on unspecified charges, the report said. "We must clear our eyes, clench our fists, grip our weapons and firmly prevent and severely strike at every separatist or destructive activity that harms national security and social stability," the Tibet Daily quoted Zhang Yixiong, the region's deputy Communist Party secretary, as saying this week. "Officers and soldiers are working hard to uphold social stability, safeguard socialist law, the basic interests of the people and the unity of the motherland." Police are carrying out identification checks of the city's migrant population as well as increasing routine traffic stops, it said. Residents had told AFP on Wednesday that the number of police patrols had been increased in recent days. An uprising against Chinese rule of the Buddhist Himalayan region erupted on March 10, 1959 but was crushed by China within weeks, forcing the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, to flee into exile. Protests took place on the anniversary of the uprising in 2008, escalating in subsequent days into violent riots across Tibet and neighbouring regions with significant populations of ethnic Tibetans. China has said 21 people were killed by "rioters", while security forces killed only one "insurgent." But the Tibetan government-in-exile says more than 200 people were killed and 1,000 hurt in the unrest and subsequent crackdown in the remote region. Residents said Thursday that Lhasa remained tense due to the heavy police and military presence. "There are armoured vehicles patrolling the streets... the television is always talking about the need to 'maintain stability'," said a retired woman in downtown Lhasa who identified herself as Ceyang. "We don't dare go out at night."

DTN News: Yemeni Forces Attack Rebel-Held Building In South

DTN News: Yemeni Forces Attack Rebel-Held Building In South Source: DTN News / Reuters (NSI News Source Info) SANAA - March 11, 2010: Yemeni forces launched an attack on Thursday to recapture a government building occupied by rebels in the south of the country, setting off a gun battle in which a passer-by was killed, a local official said. Under international pressure to quell domestic unrest and focus its sights on al Qaeda, Yemen earlier this week offered to hold talks with southern separatists and hear their grievances. The offer by President Ali Abdullah Saleh followed an escalation in violence on both sides in south Yemen which left a trail of dead and wounded in recent weeks while insurgent violence elsewhere in the country has faded. "Large military forces launched a campaign this morning to retake the municipality building . But gunmen from the southern movement confronted them and the two sides exchanged fire," the official said. "One person was killed and a gunman was wounded. Clashes are continuing," he added. He said a large group of armed separatists had been occupying the municipal headquarters in the southern town of Tor al-Baha for months. While offering dialogue, Saleh also said the separatist flag would "burn in the days and weeks ahead." The separatists, who lack a unified leadership, have given no public response to the president's offer. Pressure mounted on Yemen to concentrate its efforts on containing al Qaeda after the Yemeni-based regional arm of the militant group claimed responsibility for an unsuccessful attempt to bomb a U.S.-bound passenger plane in December. Western allies and neighbouring Saudi Arabia fear al Qaeda is exploiting instability in Yemen, where 42 percent of the people live in poverty, to use the country as a base from which to prepare attacks in the region and beyond. Besides its conflict with the separatists, Yemen is trying to bring an end to a Shi'ite insurgency in the north which drew in oil exporter Saudi Arabia in November. North and South Yemen united in 1990, but many in the south -- home to most of Yemen's oil facilities -- complain northerners have seized resources and discriminate against them. Diplomats say previous talks offers by Sanaa have not been followed by concrete action to tackle southern complaints that Sanaa neglects the south and treats southerners unfairly, including in property disputes, jobs and pension rights. Some southerners say Saleh's ties to Saudi Arabia, Yemen's biggest donor, have led him to tolerate inroads by the kingdom's puritanical Wahhabi sect of Sunni Islam.

DTN News: Russia's Strategic Missile Forces Conduct Large-Scale Drills

DTN News: Russia's Strategic Missile Forces Conduct Large-Scale Drills Source: DTN News / Ria Novosti (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - March 11, 2010: More than 2,000 servicemen from Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) are taking part in large-scale command-and-staff exercises that started on Wednesday, a military spokesman said. "The SMF are conducting command-and-staff drills on March 10-12 in line with the annual training program," Col. Vadim Koval said. According to the official, the SMF will practice operations control in scenarios involving conventional and nuclear warfare under guidelines outlined by Russia's new military doctrine. "A total of more than 2,000 servicemen and 150 theater- and tactical-level command-and-control centers take part in the drills," Koval said. Russia plans to complete the modernization of the SMF's command-and-control systems by 2016 in order to improve their ability to overcome missile defenses and increase the survivability of delivery vehicles. The SMF conducted a total of 11 large-scale exercises and two test launches of strategic missiles in 2009. The Strategic Missile Forces reportedly have a total of 538 ICBMs, including 306 SS-25 Sickle missiles, 88 SS-18 Satan and 56 SS-27 Topol-M missiles.

DTN News: NATO Commander Backs Cooperation With Russia On Missile Defense

DTN News: NATO Commander Backs Cooperation With Russia On Missile Defense Source: DTN News / Ria Novosti (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - March 11, 2010: The new U.S. adoptive approach for European missile defense includes the possibility of using a Russian radar system as part of an integrated system, NATO's top military officer has said. Adm. James G. Stavridis, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command, told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that he supported the idea of partnering with Russia as a way to enhance security against shared missile threats. "First, it would create a zone of cooperation with Russia [from a military standpoint]; secondly, it could technically add to the early warning time because of the location of the system; and thirdly, it creates confidence-building measures between ourselves and the Russians," the admiral said. Moscow has earlier offered the use of the Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan and the Armavir radar station in Russia's Krasnodar Territory as alternatives to previous U.S. plans for a missile shield in Central Europe, but Washington has been reluctant so far to accept the proposal. Stavridis called the new phased-in approach for European missile defense "timely and flexible," and said it will provide "capability that we can step up and be adaptive." In his prepared statement for the Armed Services Committee the admiral also outlined NATO's view on overall military cooperation with Russia. "Working with Russia is about balance and seeking to find the potential for cooperation, while maintaining an honest and open dialogue about all aspects of our relationship, including where we disagree," the statement said. "We at European Command are ready to pursue military-to-military communication, engagement, and even training and operations with Russia where and when appropriate."

DTN News: Iran TODAY March 11, 2010 ~ US Calls On Iran To Play 'Constructive Role' In Afghanistan

DTN News: Iran TODAY March 11, 2010 ~ US Calls On Iran To Play 'Constructive Role' In Afghanistan Source: DTN News / AFP (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON- March 11, 2010: The United States on Wednesday called on Iran to play a "constructive role" in Afghanistan, as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Kabul for talks with his Afghan counterpart. "The future of Afghanistan has a regional dimension and we hope that Iran will play a more constructive role in Afghanistan in the future," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley. The United States and Iran have "cooperated constructively" in the past on Afghanistan, he said, but added that US-Iranian relations had rarely led to similar cooperation since then. "We have issues with respect to Iran, not only within Afghanistan but more broadly in the region," he said. "They have declined to engage seriously in response to the president's offer of engagement out of mutual interest and mutual respect." Crowley said the United States understands that Iran has "a legitimate interest in the future of Afghanistan," adding: "We understand fully that the leaders of neighboring countries need to have dialogue." The US comments came as Ahmadinejad visited Afghanistan and criticized the presence of NATO forces in the country. The outspoken Iranian leader also mocked US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who was visiting Kabul at the same time. "You are 12,000 kilometers (7,400 miles) away on the other side of the world," Ahmadinejad said. "What are you doing here? This is a serious question." Gates, who was visiting Kabul before heading to Saudi Arabia, has accused of Iran of providing low-level support to militants in Afghanistan.