DTN News - EGYPT DEFENSE NEWS: US Delays Delivery of F-16 Jets Due To Egypt Unrest

DTN News - EGYPT DEFENSE NEWS: US Delays Delivery of F-16 Jets Due To Egypt Unrest

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources BBC News

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 24, 2013: The US says it is delaying the delivery of four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt amid unrest following the army's overthrow of Mohammed Morsi as president.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said the decision was made "given the current situation in Egypt".

The US is examining whether Mr Morsi's removal was a coup, which would trigger a legal requirement to cut off aid.

Earlier, Egypt's army chief called for protests to give the military a mandate to confront "potential terrorism".

But Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he was not calling for public unrest and he urged national reconciliation.

In response, the Muslim Brotherhood, which backs Mr Morsi, said Gen Sisi was "calling for civil war".

The four F-16 jets are part of an already agreed bigger order of 20 planes, eight of which have already been sent to Egypt.

As recently as 11 July US officials suggested the latest four F-16s would still be sent to Egypt.

However, on Wednesday the Pentagon confirmed that the delivery was on hold.

"Given the current situation in Egypt we do not believe it is appropriate to move forward at this time with the delivery of F-16s," Mr Little told reporters.

"We remain committed to the US-Egypt defence relationship as it remains a foundation of our broader strategic partnership with Egypt and serves as a pillar of regional stability," he said.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel informed General Sisi of the decision in a phone call earlier on Wednesday, the Pentagon spokesman added.

The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says the decision is a way for the US to signal its displeasure with recent events in Egypt without undermining Washington's strong relationship with the Egyptian military.

President Barack Obama took the decision late on Tuesday following the recommendation of his national security team, she adds.

US military aid to Egypt is estimated to be $1.3bn (£860m) each year.

Call for reconciliation
In a speech at a military graduation ceremony broadcast on television, Gen Sisi said: "I urge the people to take to the streets this coming Friday to prove their will and give me, the army and police, a mandate to confront possible violence and terrorism."

"So that in case there was a resort to violence and terrorism, the army would have a mandate to confront this."

Gen Sisi, who is also the defence minister in the new government, rejected rumours about divisions within the army ranks. "I swear by God that the Egyptian army is united," he said.

Referring to the army's intervention to remove Mr Morsi at the beginning of July, Gen Sisi said: "I urged the former president to be a president for all Egyptians".

The BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Cairo says Gen Sisi's call showed who was really in charge in Egypt - not the interim president picked by the military, Adly Mahmud Mansour, but the military itself.

He says it may be a sign of frustration that protests against the interim government are still going on.

Senior Brotherhood figure Mohamed el-Beltagy said Gen Sisi was "calling for a civil war... to protect this military coup".

"He is proving that he is the actual ruler of the country, and that the president, his vice president and the government do not hold any power," he added.

In Cairo, two people were reported to have been killed in clashes at a pro-Morsi demonstration overnight. That followed nine deaths in the city on Tuesday.

Mohammed Morsi narrowly won the presidential election in June 2012 to become Egypt's first democratically elected president, but his opponents accused him of trying to impose an Islamist agenda on the country.

Following weeks of often violent protests, the Egyptian military removed him from office and installed an interim government.


*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources BBC News
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DTN News: U.S. Air Force To Retire 250 Aircraft And Fighter Jets

DTN News: U.S. Air Force To Retire 250 Aircraft And Fighter Jets Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) HILL AIR FORCE BASE - April 28, 2010: The U.S. Air Force will retire more than 250 aircraft and fighter jets in the next several months. Those in the Air Force admit it's a bit of a risk phasing out so many of their fighter jets, but in the long run they hope it will make the force more effective. As part of the Combat Air Force Reduction in Forces plan, Hill Air Force Base will send out 12 aircrafts in the next two months and another 12 this fall -- making their inventory smaller, but hopefully more lethal. It's not just Hill Air Force Base losing fighter jets. "As an Air Force, we are going to accelerate the retirement of 259 aircraft," said Col. David Hathaway with the 388th Fighter Wing unit. It's all part of a master plan by the Air force, retiring several F-16s, F-15s and A-10s to save money. "It frees up $355 million this fiscal year and over the next five fiscal years will free up $3.5 billion, which will allow us to reshape our force into a smaller, leaner, more agile and capable force for the future," Hathaway explains. It also means Hill will be down one fighter squadron. But the 617 military positions from the 388th Fighter Wing won't be lost, just reassigned somewhere else. And though the retiring of these jets will mean the Air Force will have a smaller inventory right now, Hathaway says, "In the long term this makes us more lethal and combat capable, yet smaller force." Another 12 aircraft will leave Hill Air Force Base late summer for Italy.

DTN News: United Arab Emirates Air Force Take Off For Historic First Red Flag

DTN News: United Arab Emirates Air Force Take Off For Historic First Red Flag *Source: DTN News / General F-16 News By Capt. Gabe Johnson (NSI News Source Info) Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., - August 23, 2009: F-16 pilots and maintainers from the United Arab Emirates Air Force are set to participate in their country's first Red Flag exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 22 - Sept. 5. UAEAF F-16E block 60 #3028 flies over Southern Arizona on August 11th, 2009 before heading to the country's first Red Flag at Nellis AFB. The 162nd FW at Tucson IAP maintains and operates a squadron of block 60s for the purpose of training the UAEAF in the advanced multi-role fighter. [Photo by James Haseltine]

The U.A.E. airmen spent the previous two weeks at the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport preparing for the advanced training exercise that exposes U.S. and partner nation air force units to challenging and realistic aerial combat scenarios.

For the Emirati pilots, the spin up in Tucson was a chance to get familiar with U.S. airspace and reunite with their former instructors. Arizona Guardsmen have trained U.A.E. fighter pilots for the last eight years, five of which in their own aircraft. Currently, the wing's 148th Fighter Squadron is the only squadron of U.A.E.-owned F-16E Desert Falcons, or block 60s, in the United States.

"It's been great to welcome back our friends from the U.A.E., some of whom we haven't seen for a while," said Col. Greg Stroud, the wing commander. "It's really rewarding for us to see how they've developed as pilots and we're proud to see them participate in their first Red Flag."

"Of course, it's historic for the Emiratis to go to Red Flag for the first time, and our wing gets to share the importance of this milestone since we've been training them from the beginning. They're ready."

The Emiratis will take on Red Flag flying their Tucson-based fighters, the most advanced F-16s ever built.

"The block 60 is similar to earlier versions of the F-16 in that it flies the same, but in terms of capabilities it's more advanced," said Lt. Col. Mick McGuire, 148th Fighter Squadron commander.

The F-16E's most notable characteristics include conformal fuel tanks mounted on the top of its fuselage, digital color screens in the cockpit and a powerful engine to compensate for the jet's increase in weight.

"It's typically called a generation 4.5 fighter, not quite at the level of the 5th generation F-22 or F-35, but its avionics, thrust and fuel capacity make it a very formidable fighter," said Colonel McGuire. "They should do very well at Red Flag and return to the U.A.E. having learned many good lessons from the experience."

Red Flag, designed to push the limits of a pilot's skill regardless of aircraft capability, will further build upon the military to military relationship originally fostered in Arizona. According to Colonel Stroud, Red Flag and the basic F-16 course taught at the 162nd play important roles in making the United Arab Emirates Air Force as capable as it can be.

The Tucson wing currently has nine Emirati student pilots in its basic course. They will graduate after nine months as mission qualified F-16 pilots and could be among future cadres of UAE pilots to visit Red Flag in years to come.

"They're getting world-class training and, for us, it gives us the opportunity to fly a generation 4.5 F-16 and see what the future may hold for the next U.S. fighter," said Colonel Stroud.

How Pakistan Milks The US And NATO!!!! Part 3 / Obama Proposes More Military Aid To Pakistan

How Pakistan Milks The US And NATO!!!! Part 3 / Obama Proposes More Military Aid To Pakistan How Pakistan Milks The US And NATO!!!! US Detects Double Billing By Pak Navy - Dawn By Arshad Sharif How Pakistan Milks The US And NATO!!!! Part 2 / US Detects Double Billing By Pak Navy Honey, I shrunk Pakistan! The Taliban are coming, shouts By Muqtedar Khan* (NSI News Source Info) February 27, 2009: In a bid to address the rise of Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, US President Barack Obama’s maiden budget presented in the Congress has proposed more military aid to the two countries. US military aid to Pakistan has remained a matter of intense discussion. Pakistan Army troops pass through the main market of Mingora, capital of troubled Swat valley in Pakistan on Friday, Feb. 27, 2009. Taliban militants in the valley have extended a cease-fire, strengthening a peace process that Western governments say risks granting a safe haven to extremists close to the Afghan border. However, the Congressmen this time are pitching to increase non-military aid by linking it with Islamabad’s success in fight against terrorism. The budget also seeks to increase the non-military aid. When asked about the move at the Pentagon briefing, Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said: “I think it’s very important that we help resource them and develop this comprehensive strategy with Pakistan over a number of years. I’m delighted to see that kind of support in the ‘10 budget.” The budget also proposes increasing non military aid to Afghanistan. “External challenges include undertaking a responsible drawdown of troops from Iraq and focusing the appropriate resources on achieving US objectives in Afghanistan,” said the section of the budget related to the Defence Department. State Department budget also calls to increase non- military aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan to revitalise economic development and confront the resurgence of the Taliban. Pakistan duplicated ‘war on terror’ billsEven as America proposes to nearly double its aid to Pakistan, documents with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) prove that Pakistan has been presenting false and duplicate statements to the US for certain transport facilities it provided in the effort to combat terror in the region. Pakistan’s fraud was exposed during an audit carried out by the Office of the Defence Reprsentative at the US Embassy. The GAO learnt that Pakistan Navy charged USD 19,000 per vehicle per month as reimbursement for at least twenty vehicles. The report titled Securing, Stabilising and Developing Pakistan’s border area with Afghanistan, says that Pakistan has been the largest receiver of US assistance from 2002 to 2008 with 70 per cent of USD 12.3 billion aid going towards defence funds as reimbursements. “The claims appear to contain duplicative charges for a fleet of fewer than 20 passenger vehicles. Pakistans military received 8.7 billion dollars as reimbursements and assistance since 2002, an amount provided in addition to the covert funding provided for intelligence operations,” read the US Government Accountability Office Report.

Israel Continues To Search For Skyhawk Jet Trainer Replacement

Israel Continues To Search For Skyhawk Jet Trainer Replacement (NSI News Source Info) February 27, 2009: Israel expects to use its McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk advanced jet trainers until the middle of the next decade, and could then employ some of its current combat aircraft in the role. An Israeli air force source says the search for a Skyhawk replacement is continuing, but that "it will fly for at least another five years". If a suitable successor is not found then the air force may use its oldest Lockheed Martin F-16s as advanced trainers, the source adds. Israel has an inventory of 22 TA-4H/J trainers, according to Flight's MiliCAS database. Its air force is poised to receive its first of 25 Beechcraft T-6A primary trainers, which will replace its CM-170 Zukit (Fouga Magister) fleet at Hazerim air base by late next year.

How Pakistan Milks The US And NATO!!!! Part 2 / US Detects Double Billing By Pak Navy

How Pakistan Milks The US And NATO!!!! Part 2 / US Detects Double Billing By Pak Navy

How Pakistan Milks The US And NATO!!!!

US Detects Double Billing By Pak Navy - Dawn By Arshad Sharif

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD - February 26, 2009: A recent report by the US Government Accountability Office accuses Pakistan Navy of submitting duplicative charges for transport facilities it provided in aid of war against terror. The duplicative charges were detected during an audit by the Office of the Defence Reprsentative at the US Embassy which pointed out that Pakistan Navy charged $19,000 per vehicle per month as reimbursement claims for a fleet of at least twenty passenger vehicles. ‘These claims appeared to contain duplicative charges for a fleet of fewer than 20 passenger vehicles,’ says the GAO report. The report by the US raises serious questions about billions of dollars which Pakistan's Army claims it did not receive. The report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), titled ‘SECURING, STABILISING, AND DEVELOPING PAKISTAN'S BORDER AREA WITH AFGHANISTAN,’ contains details of re-imbursements made available to Pakistan's military. According to the report, Pakistan's military has been the largest recipient of US funding from 2002 to 2008 with estimated 70 per cent of $12.3 billion going to the defence coffers as reimbursements or assistance. The report reveals that of the total $12.3 billion assistance to Pakistan, Pakistan's military received $8.7 billion as reimbursements and assistance since 2002, an amount provided in addition to the covert funding provided for intelligence operations. The report by the US Government Accountability Office raises serious questions about billions of dollars which Pakistan's Army claims it did not receive. However, a two star general of Pakistan's military said, ‘Pakistan Army did not receive more than 10 per cent of the much talked about coalition support fund of $6.4 billion.’ However, if the details made public by the investigative arm of the US Congress are to be believed, there are serious differences over the payment issues between Pakistan's military and the US. The $8.7 billion payments, which the report says were made to Pakistan's military to advance the US strategic goals in Pakistan, included $1.5 billion as foreign military financing and $6.5 billion as Coalition Support Fund (CSF). CSF payments have been used since fiscal year 2002 to reimburse a broad range of Pakistani military operations, including navy support for maritime patrols and interdiction operations; air force support for combat air patrols, reconnaissance and close air support missions, airlift support, and air traffic control; army military operations in the Fata; and increased management requirements at the Joint Staff Headquarters. Reimbursements have also been made for what the report says is Operation Al Mizan, a major deployment of the Pakistani army to combat Taliban and al Qaeda. The report says Pakistan is the largest recipient of US Coalition Support Fund used to reimburse 27 coalition allies. But despite six years of US and Pakistani government efforts, al Qaeda has regenerated its ability to attack the United States and continues to maintain a safe haven in Pakistan's Fata. As Pakistan's military claims it is yet to get a full re-imbursement of its coalition support activities, the GAO report highlights reasons for holding back some of the payments pending implementation of stringent verification procedures. ‘Where audits have been completed covering about $5.7 billion in military and development assistance, GAO and the Defense and USAID inspectors general have raised accountability and oversight concerns, such as the ability of the US government to work with the Pakistani government to validate the use of US funds,’ says the report. The report says the US Defence Department did not obtain detailed documentation to verify that claimed costs were valid, actually incurred, or correctly calculated. Citing an example, the report says that as of May 2008, the US Defence Department paid over $2 billion in Pakistani reimbursement claims for military activities covering January 2004 through June 2007 without obtaining sufficient information that would enable a third party to recalculate these costs. To overcome the problems of accountability, the report says Pakistan and the US have agreed to meet every six months to discuss the issues relating to Coalition Support Funds. As part of the agreement, a new review of Pakistan's claims was to take place in the month of February this year. The new measures for processing claims of Pakistan military to which the Pakistani officials have agreed to include: provision of a monthly operational summary of Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy actions in support of US military operations; additional documentation and cost methodology information for the May 2008 claim; feedback on the proposed submission format within 30 days of receipt; and beginning with the May 2008 claim, provide additional information or documentation for all disputed claims within 90 days to substantiate claims deferred or disallowed by Office of the Defence Representative in the U.S Embassy, CENTCOM, or the Defense Comptroller. The report points out that Pakistan has used Foreign Military Financing to purchase military equipment, such as Cobra helicopters, Harris radios, and upgrades to its F-16 fighter aircraft. Interestingly the report points out that the US plans to train, equip and establish 16 new Frontier Corps units of about 650 personnel each has been delayed due to a deteriorating security situation in Frontier where the training centre had to be established. Moreover, the US Defense Security Development Plan faces a shortfall of approximately $167.5 million, about 73 per cent of its funding goal for fiscal year 2009.

Taiwan Air Force's F-16 Fighter: Excelling In Manuver Exercise In Case Of Chinese Invasion

Taiwan Air Force's F-16 Fighter: Excelling In Manuver Exercise In Case Of Chinese Invasion

(NSI News Source Info) December 30, 2008: An F-16 fighter of Taiwan air force releases flares during a live-fire drill at Paolishan, southern Taiwan on December 24, 2008. Taiwan staged the exercise simulating a Chinese invasion as President Ma Ying-jeou highlighted the island's determination to defend itself despite warming ties with rival China.