DTN News - SOFEX 2012 NEWS: Eurocopter’s Extensive Military Helicopter Presence In The Arab world Is Showcased By Its High-Profile Participation At Jordan’s SOFEX Exhibition

DTN News - SOFEX 2012 NEWS: Eurocopter’s Extensive Military Helicopter Presence In The Arab world Is Showcased By Its High-Profile Participation At Jordan’s SOFEX Exhibition
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Eurocopter / EADS
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 5, 2012: Eurocopter’s dedication to meeting the operational requirements of governments, armed forces and special mission operators across the Arab world with its broad helicopter product line will be highlighted at Jordan’s Special Operations Forces Exhibition & Conference (SOFEX).

This biennial event – organized May 7-10 at the King Abdullah I Airbase in Amman – will feature the presence of a Eurocopter EC635 utilized by the Royal Jordanian Air Force in law enforcement operations, along with a Royal Jordanian Air Force AS350 B3 that provides utility services. Eurocopter’s exhibit located in front of Chalet CD8 is to include scale models of the company’s AS565 Panther and AS550 Fennec rotorcraft.

“With an extensive footprint in Arab nations – and the company’s commitment to providing top-level support – Eurocopter looks forward to continuing its role as a preferred helicopter supplier for the full spectrum of military and civilian use,” said Olivier Lambert, Eurocopter’s Senior Vice President for Sales and Customer Relations. “Designed and equipped with the latest technology, our helicopters are able to perform their missions in the most severe operational environments and demanding situations.”

More than 650 Eurocopter helicopters currently are flying across the Middle East and through the Arabian Gulf – with over 80 percent in military use to support missions ranging from combat, transport, search and rescue (SAR) to counter-terrorism, special operations and training.

New business opportunities for Eurocopter include the evolving needs in air coverage for security, border patrol and support missions; the expanded civilian operations resulting from an opening of airspace that had been reserved for the military in numerous countries; and the overall renewal of aging rotary-wing aircraft fleets.

Jordan has operated the company’s rotorcraft for more than 30 years. In addition to AS332 Super Pumas used for troop transport and search & rescue, the Royal Jordanian Air Force’s current Eurocopter fleet also incorporates AS350s for pilot training and VIP airlift, along with EC635s for multi-mission duties. In addition, the Jordan Public Security Air Wing operates EC635s and BO105s.

Eurocopter’s display of the AS565 Panther in scale model form at SOFEX underscores this helicopter’s attributes of speed and maneuverability for security and defense missions, with its operational credentials further enhanced by the twin-engine helicopter’s endurance, range and capabilities in overwater surveillance, tracking and search & rescue. The AS565 has been proven in Middle East operations for the protection of coastlines and surveillance of offshore economic zones with countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The AS550 Fennec, which also is present at SOFEX as a scale model, meets the Arab world’s requirements for a highly-capable multi-role military helicopter, and is well suited for extremely hot climates and high altitudes. Applications include combat missions, fire support, observation, protection and training. More than 4,850 helicopters from Eurocopter’s Ecureuil/Fennec family have been delivered in single-engine and twin-engine versions to over 90 countries, which include such customers as the United Arab Emirates’ armed forces and the Royal Flight of Oman.

With the concentration of Eurocopter helicopters in the Arab world, the company has focused on deploying resources to ensure the highest levels of maintenance, overhaul and support for its helicopters in the region. This includes a maintenance contract covering the G-level major inspections for Royal Jordanian Air Force Super Puma AS332 M1s, which are performed every 12 years.

Eurocopter also has a maintenance center in the United Arab Emirates with long-standing partner Falcon Aviation Services, which provides full maintenance and revision services – reinforcing the company’s customer support network in the region and supplementing Eurocopter’s platform in Abu Dhabi.

Another element in Eurocopter’s local presence strategy is its agreement with Global Aerospace Logistics, LLC, establishing this Abu Dhabi-based supplier of professional aerospace services in the United Arab Emirates as a provider of routine customer support services for the UAE Navy and UAE Presidential Guard Command – including new spare parts, repairs, training and technical publications.

About Eurocopter

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 20,000 people. In 2011, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s number one helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 5.4 billion Euros, orders for 457 new helicopters and a 43 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s helicopters account for 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. Eurocopter’s strong international presence is ensured by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports some 2,900 customers. There currently are more than 11,300 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 149 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Eurocopter / EADS
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*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Wikileaks - King Abdullah Of Saudi Arabia 'Wanted Guantánamo Bay Detainees Microchipped'

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Wikileaks - King Abdullah Of Saudi Arabia 'Wanted Guantánamo Bay Detainees Microchipped'

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Andrew Hough - The Telegraph - UK

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - November 29, 2010: The King of Saudi Arabia wanted all detainees released from the Guantánamo Bay prison to be tracked through an implanted microchip, according to the leaked diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks.

King Abdullah proposed implanting detainees with a chip that contained their personal information before authorities tracked their movements using Bluetooth technology.

The King made the private suggestion during a meeting in March last year in Riyadh with John Brennan, the White House counter-terrorism adviser.

Mr Brennan replied that "horses don't have good lawyers" and that such a proposal would "face legal hurdles" in the United States.

But he stated that "keeping track of detainees was an extremely important issue" and promised to review such a suggestion with "appropriate officials" when he returned to the United States.

The remarkable suggestion was contained in a State Department cables summarising the meeting, that was published by Wikileaks and posted on the Guardian's website.

"'I've just thought of something," the King added, and proposed implanting detainees with an electronic chip containing information about them and allowing their movements to be tracked with Bluetooth," the cables said."

"This was done with horses and falcons, the King said.

"Brennan replied 'horses don't have good lawyers' and that such a proposal would face legal hurdles in the U.S, but agreed that keeping track of detainees was an extremely important issue that he would review with appropriate officials when he returned to the United States."

The King of Saudi Arabia also privately urged the United States to attack Iran to destroy its nuclear weapons programme, according to diplomatic cables leaked by the whistle-blowing website,

He told Mr Brennan it was "critically important" for President Obama to "restore America's credibility".

"When asked what advice he had for President Obama, the King said he had 'one request': that it was 'critically important to restore America's credibility' in the world," the cables said.

Mr Brennan reiterated President Obama's commitment to close Guantánamo to "eliminate the potential propaganda benefits its existence provided to al-Qaeda but also because it was the right thing to do".

"Brennan reassured the King, however, that President Obama would remain strong on counterterrorism," the cables added.

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*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

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DTN News: Jordan Rejects American Call To Improve Ties With Jewish State

DTN News: Jordan Rejects American Call To Improve Ties With Jewish State

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) - August 4, 2009: Jordan on Monday joined Saudi Arabia in publicly rejecting US appeals to improve relations with Israel to help restart Middle East peace talks, throwing a damper on President Barack Obama's administration's push for Arab support behind new negotiations. King Abdullah II of Jordan ~ King Abdullah became king on 7 February 1999, upon the death of his father King Hussein. Hussein had recently named him Crown Prince on 24 January, replacing Hussein's brother Hassan who had served many years in the position. Since Abdullah's mother, Princess Muna al-Hussein was British by birth, the decision was not widely welcomed by the Jordanian people. After talks with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said incremental confidence-building measures that the US wants Arab states to take will not produce a resolution to the conflict. As Clinton looked on, Judeh said only a focus on the final settlement would work. "In the Middle East, there has been in the past an overinvestment, perhaps, by the parties in pursuing confidence-building measures, conflict-management techniques, including transitional arrangements, and an overemphasis on gestures, perhaps at the expense of reaching the actual end game," he said at a State Department news conference with Clinton.

"Now, in 2009, many would say it is time for Israel to reciprocate," he said. Judeh's comments marked the second time in three days that an Arab foreign minister bluntly refused US calls to improve ties with Israel with confidence-building measures such as opening trade offices, allowing academic exchanges and permitting civilian Israeli aircraft to overfly their airspace as a way of demonstrating their commitment to peace. On Friday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal expressed similar sentiments, also at a news conference with Clinton. Unlike Jordan, though, which has signed a peace deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia does not recognize the Israel. Despite the statements, Clinton maintained that US special Mideast Peace envoy George Mitchell was making progress and praised Jordan for its playing "a strong and vital role" in the region and expressed hope that negotiations could soon resume. "We are working with the Israelis, the Palestinian Authority and Arab states to take the steps needed to make that possible," she said. "The foreign minister and I discussed this effort, and I expressed our deep appreciation for Jordan's leadership in working with other Arab states to support peace with deeds, as well as words." At the same time, she criticized Israel for its weekend eviction of two Palestinian families from the east Jerusalem neighborhood Sheikh Jarrah to enforce a ruling by the Supreme Court that the houses belonged to Jews and that the Arab families had been living there illegally. "I think these actions are deeply regrettable," Clinton said. "The eviction of families and demolition of homes in east Jerusalem is not in keeping with Israeli obligations and I urge the government of Israel and municipal officials to refrain from such provocative actions."

DTN News: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates Has Arrived In Southern Iraq

DTN News: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates Has Arrived In Southern Iraq *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) TALIL, Iraq - July 29, 2009: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates landed in Iraq today on an unannounced visit to review a newly converted advisory brigade that represents a bellwether for the changing American role in the nation. US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates speaks with troops from the 4th Brigade, 1st Armored Division's Advise and Assist Mission at COB Adder in Tallil on July 28, 2009. Gates, on a previously unannounced mission, urged Iraq's communities to settle political differences before US troops leave by the end of 2011. The U.S. brigade at Tallil Air Base, in southern Iraq, has been overhauled from its traditional combat role to primarily advise and train Iraqi security forces. In addition, the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division will arrive in Iraq in September as the first such brigade trained in the U.S. As the U.S. draws down forces during the next year, its mission in Iraq is due to shift to one oriented toward a half dozen so-called advisory and assistance brigades. The speed of the transition will depend largely on the success of general elections scheduled for January and talks to resolve sectarian conflicts. During his visit, Gates also plans to meet with officials including Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who was in Washington last week to press for more normalized ties with the U.S. that go beyond military engagement to business, education and cultural links. Maliki left open the prospect of a continuing U.S. military presence in Iraq after the deadline for the withdrawal of American troops at the end of 2011. Gates has said in the past that Iraq might need further U.S. military aid. U.S. officials have said the two sides haven’t begun any talks on ties after the scheduled withdrawal. Joint Operations U.S. soldiers and Iraqi police officers working with them on joint operations in and around Tallil seem to have adapted to the change in their roles since U.S. forces pulled back from urban areas on June 30, Gates said after a tour and a series of briefings by officers on both sides. “It is amazingly different from December 2006,” Gates told a combined patrol preparing to go to Nasiriyah on a rotation to assist Iraqi police at a provincial joint operations center. Based on the briefings he had received, he said it was “going well down here.” Iraqi police Lieutenant Anwar Ghani said security in the area is good and the Iraqi government is able to contend with potentially divisive tribal loyalties. U.S. forces are on standby to help as needed, Ghani said in interview through an interpreter. Iraqi security forces recently discovered an insurgent weapons cache in Nasiriyah, complete with rockets, improvised explosive devices and control systems. Iranian Influence Training that the U.S. military provides at the request of their Iraqi partners includes a course next month for police on evidence collection and preserving crime scenes, said U.S. Army Major Sean Kuster. Iraqi Army Staff Major General Habib al-Hussani told Gates in one briefing he is still concerned about border security. As commander of the 10th Iraqi Army division, he urged Gates to make the border a priority and said his forces need more electronic monitoring equipment. Iran remains a source of concern, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Charles Jacoby said. Iran and Iraq share a common border. “We have seen consistent Iranian influence across all domains in Iraq, and we continue to see that today,” Jacoby told reporters. Gates, who flew to Baghdad from Tallil, stopped in Jordan yesterday to meet with King Abdullah II, urged more countries in the region to aid in the transition by normalizing relations with Iraq. Sanctions “The deepening economic and diplomatic ties between Iraq and Jordan offer an example of the type of support needed from other countries to fully re-integrate Iraq into the region,” Gates told reporters in the Jordanian capital Amman. “This is the only way to forge a stable and prosperous Iraq, a goal that is in the interest of all the nations of the Middle East.” Gates also told reporters in Amman yesterday that the U.S. would seek international backing for stiffer sanctions on Iran should the Persian Gulf nation rebuff talks aimed at curbing its nuclear program. “We would try to get international support for a much tougher position,” Gates said. He added that any new sanctions wouldn’t be incremental. Earlier yesterday, in meetings with top Israeli officials, Gates said the U.S. plan to engage Iran over its nuclear program wasn’t open ended, while his Israeli counterpart Ehud Barak warned that his country is considering all measures if diplomatic efforts fail. “No options should be removed from the table, despite the fact that at this stage priority should be given still to diplomacy,” Barak said at a joint press conference in Jerusalem with Gates. Barak is a former Israeli prime minister. The U.S. and Israel suspect that Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at building a weapon, while Iran says its atomic pursuits are a legitimate effort to generate nuclear power.

Jordan: King Abdullah Has A Good Grip On His Country

Jordan: King Abdullah Has A Good Grip On His Country

(NSI News Source Info) January 27, 2009: King Abdullah of Jordan fired his head of intelligence, Mohammed Dahabi, for getting too cozy with Hamas. Dahabi had been ordered to maintain a dialog with Hamas, but the king believed Dahabi had forgotten who he worked for. Dahabi was replaced by his deputy, who has a reputation for professionalism, and staying out of politics. The kings attitudes are influenced by the fact that most of the population considers itself Palestinian (or at least descended from Palestinian refugees). Despite that, Jordan has suffered very few al Qaeda attacks. This is mostly due to the efficient police force, who are dominated by the Bedouin minority that runs the kingdom. One aspect of that control is to allow people to say, and believe, what they want. While the Palestinian majority may not like the monarchy, they know that the Bedouins would respond violently to any uprising. That has happened often enough in the past half century to convince most Jordanians that, while you can shout nasty things at the king, don't take a shot at him. That said, the current king of Jordan, and his late father, went out of their way to be nice to their Palestinian citizens, as long as there was no violence against the government. The occasional violation of this understanding is met with a swift, and sometimes violent, response. Nevertheless, Jordan has long had to be careful with how it deals with the Palestinians. In 1970, the government expelled Palestinian militants who sought to overthrow the monarchy ("Black September"). Thousands of the militants were killed, or driven out of the country, along with their families. In 2001, the Hamas leadership was ordered to leave, for security reasons. Jordan is not a police state, but it is very well policed.