DTN News - JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE: U.S., NATO Troops Train in Latvia #2 (Images)

DTN News - JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE:  U.S., NATO Troops Train in Latvia #2 (Images)

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources DTN Defense News
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 18, 2014:  In light of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, the United States is demonstrating its continued commitment to collective security through a series of actions designed to reassure NATO Allies and partners of America's dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region. 


As a first response to demonstrate our commitment to the defense of our Allies, the U.S. augmented its participation in Baltic Air Policing by sending an additional six F-15s to the NATO mission.  Under operation ATLANTIC RESOLVE, U.S. Army Europe forces have deployed to Latvia, along with other Allies in the region, to conduct land forces training.  

* U.S., NATO Troops Train in Latvia - Related Images;

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DTN News - JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE: U.S., NATO Troops Train in Latvia

DTN News - JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE:  U.S., NATO Troops Train in Latvia

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources DTN Defense News
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 17, 2014:  In light of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, the United States is demonstrating its continued commitment to collective security through a series of actions designed to reassure NATO Allies and partners of America's dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region. 

As a first response to demonstrate our commitment to the defense of our Allies, the U.S. augmented its participation in Baltic Air Policing by sending an additional six F-15s to the NATO mission.  Under operation ATLANTIC RESOLVE, U.S. Army Europe forces have deployed to Latvia, along with other Allies in the region, to conduct land forces training.  

U.S. and Latvian troops participate in a range of other joint and multilateral exercises, including SABER STRIKE, BALTOPS, and STEADFAST JAZZ.  Latvian soldiers and defense personnel also receive technical training and strategic education in the United States.

As NATO allies, the United States and Latvia are committed to each other’s defense and partner in critical areas around the world.  Latvia contributes important capabilities to the Alliance’s collective security, including the training of U.S.-certified joint terminal attack controllers (JTAC) who coordinate air support for ground units during operations.

 The government of Latvia has recognized the danger of increased cyber threats and is working together with NATO, the European Union, the Baltic states, Nordic states, and the United States to strengthen its cybersecurity.  The United States supports Latvia’s efforts through visits by U.S. experts and Latvian participation in EUCOM- and NATO-sponsored events and U.S.-based training.  The government of Latvia is also a partner in the Freedom Online Coalition, a group of governments collaborating to advance Internet freedom. 

Italian paratroopers listen during rehearsals for an air assault with U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawks, a CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters during NATO exercise Steadfast Javelin II on Lielvarde Airbase, Latvia, Sept. 7, 2014. 

The helicopter crews are assigned to the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, and the Italian paratroopers are assigned to the Italian Folgore Parachute Brigade. 

The exercise, which involves more than 2,000 troops from nine nations, takes place across Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

A U.S. soldier, second from left, briefs Italian paratroopers during rehearsals for an air assault during NATO exercise Steadfast Javelin II on Lielvarde Airbase, Latvia, Sept. 7, 2014. The soldier is assigned to the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade.

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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing C-17 Support Effort for Strategic Airlift Capability Exceeds 1,000 Missions

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing C-17 Support Effort for Strategic Airlift Capability Exceeds 1,000 Missions

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 3, 2014: (PÁPA AIR BASE, Hungary) –  Boeing [NYSE: BA] has supported more than 1,000 missions for the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) program’s fleet of three C-17 airlifters, achieving a mission capable rate of nearly 94 percent during the five years it has provided maintenance, engineering and spares through a comprehensive performance-based logistics program.

SAC is a multinational strategic airlift effort involving 10 NATO countries and two countries from the alliance’s Partnership for Peace program. The C-17s are operated by the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) at Pápa Air Base in Hungary. Boeing has more than 60 people supporting the effort, and Pápa Air Base was the first location where Boeing provided all C-17 operational maintenance.

“The Boeing team has been an important member of the SAC family from the start and contributes invaluably to the HAW flying safe missions for the nations,” said Royal Netherlands Air Force Col. Frank Rombouts, commander of the airlift wing.

Boeing has a large customer base in Central and Eastern Europe and supports more than 6,500 jobs in the region. The company spent nearly $6 million with Tier 1 suppliers in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania in 2012, according to Henryka Bochniarz, president of Boeing Central & Eastern Europe.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $33 billion business with 56,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

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DTN News - UKRAINE CRISIS: US Deploys Fighter Jets In Poland And Lithuania Amid Ukrainian Turmoil

DTN News - UKRAINE CRISIS: US Deploys Fighter Jets In Poland And Lithuania Amid Ukrainian Turmoil

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources RT
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 11, 2014: The US is sending a dozen F-16 fighter jets and nearly 300 service personnel to Poland by Thursday as part of a training exercise in response to the crisis in neighboring Ukraine, the Polish defense ministry confirmed.

The agreement to deploy US military forces in Poland was made between US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and Poland’s Minister of National Defense Tomasz Siemoniak during a telephone conversation on Sunday, March 9, 2014, according to a statement on the official website of the Polish Ministry of National Defense.

"The squadron will number twelve F-16 planes and will transport 300 soldiers," Polish Defense Ministry spokesman, Jacek Sonta, confirmed to AFP.

Initially, the training exercise was planned to be smaller but was increased and pushed forward because of the “tense political situation” in neighboring Ukraine, added Sonta.

The ministry also said that the aim of sending the units is to “strengthen Polish - American cooperation.” Part of the preparation team of US Air Force has already arrived on Polish territory.

The fighters were sent on the initiative of the Polish government, an initiative immediately accepted by Washington.

On Monday, NATO also gave the go-ahead to Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) for reconnaissance flights over Poland and Romania in order help monitor the crisis in Ukraine.

Poland is a western neighbor of crisis-torn Ukraine - between the countries’ capitals, Warsaw and Kiev, there is less than 700 km.

Earlier, the Polish media reported that US fighter jets would be stationed at the Lask air force base in central Poland.

Washington is also sending four F-15 planes to Lithuania in response to “Russian aggression in Ukraine and increased military activity in Kaliningrad,” according to the Lithuanian Defense Ministry.

On Saturday, US Navy destroyer, the USS Truxtun, crossed Turkey's Bosphorus and entered the Black Sea. The ship, with around 300 crew, was heading to “previously planned” training exercises with the Bulgarian and Romanian navies. When the vessel appeared in the Black Sea, Fox News declared that NATO’s bolstering presence in the Black Sea is a “defensive” measure to counter “Russian military aggression” in Ukraine.

USS Truxton, one of the largest destroyers ever built for the US navy, will reportedly stay in the Black Sea till mid-March as the Montreux Convention allows a warship of any non-Black Sea country to stay in the region for 21 day only.

The situation in Ukraine is close to financial and humanitarian catastrophe after the armed coup which took place in February. There are mass protests in eastern and southern parts of the country against the self-proclaimed authorities in Kiev.

The Autonomous Republic of Crimea has scheduled a referendum for March 16 on whether it wants to remain part of Ukraine, or join Russia.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources RT
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DTN News - UKRAINE CRISIS: NATO To Fly AWACS Planes Over Poland, Romania To Monitor Ukraine Crisis

DTN News - UKRAINE CRISIS: NATO To Fly AWACS Planes Over Poland, Romania To Monitor Ukraine Crisis

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 11, 2014: NATO will start reconnaissance flights over Poland and Romania to monitor the situation in neighboring Ukraine where Russian forces have taken control of Crimea, the alliance said on Monday.

Ukraine is not a NATO member but Russia's intervention in Crimea has alarmed neighboring countries, including alliance members that used to be dominated by the Soviet Union.

Acting on a recommendation from the alliance's top military commander, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, NATO ambassadors gave the go-ahead to the AWACS flights, a NATO spokesman said.

AWACS (airborne early warning and control) planes will fly from their home airbases in Geilenkirchen, Germany, and Waddington in Britain, the spokesman said.

"These flights will enhance the alliance's situational awareness and all will take place solely over alliance territory," he said.

The flights will start soon and go on for as long as required, he added.

The Western military alliance announced a review of its cooperation with Moscow last week after Russian forces tightened their grip on Crimea, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, following weeks of upheaval in Ukraine which culminated in the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovich.

NATO allies met last Tuesday after Poland invoked a rule allowing any ally to consult with the others if it feels its security is under threat.

Soon after that meeting, U.S. officials said the Pentagon would more than double the number of U.S. fighter jets on a NATO air patrol mission in the Baltics and do more training with Poland's air force in an attempt to reassure allies.

The E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft that provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications needed by commanders of U.S. and NATO air defense forces. As proven in Desert Storm, it is the premier air battle command and control aircraft in the world today.

(Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

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DTN News - POLAND DEFENSE NEWS: Poland Ups Military Helicopter Contest To 70 Aircraft

DTN News - POLAND DEFENSE NEWS: Poland Ups Military Helicopter Contest To 70 Aircraft

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP, AgustaWestland & Polish Air Force
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - October 3, 2012: NATO-member Poland is in the market for 70 new military helicopters, more than double the number it first sought in March, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday.

"We're determined to speed up and expand our helicopter plans with the immediate decision to buy 70 helicopters for the Polish army," the PAP news agency quoted Tusk as saying.

Delivery of the first choppers is expected by 2014, he said, describing the cost of the project as "gigantic", but declining to name a figure.

In March, Warsaw announced a tender to buy 26 multipurpose helicopters for its army worth an estimated 1.5-3.0 billion zlotys (360-720 million euros, $480-960 million).

The move is seen as a significant step in the Polish army's drive to replace 250 Soviet-era helicopters in the years to come.

A former communist state of 38.2 million, among the first to join NATO in 1999 and member of the European Union since 2004, Poland has two helicopter plants, run by British-Italian AgustaWestland and the US Sikorsky Aircraft respectively.

Polish media have tipped them as the odds-on favourites in the tender.

AgustaWestland in 2010 bought Polish helicopter producer PZL Swidnik, which makes the Sokol helicopters used in rescue operations, by firefighters and for transport, and above all by the army.

It sells its helicopters in Poland, the Czech Republic and South Korea.

AgustaWestland plans to start producing AW 109, AW 119 and AW 139 helicopters in Swidnik in southern Poland, alongside parts for the AW 101 model.

Sikorsky has started to produce a new version of the Black Hawk S70i for export in the PZL Mielec plant, also in southern Poland

Tusk was on Wednesday visiting a military exercise range in Drawsko, northwest Poland, where Polish forces are currently staging their largest annual military exercise, code-named Anakonda 12.

He also announced that Poland's failed attempt to build its first naval corvette-type vessel -- a decade-old project dubbed Gawron and mired in allegations of high-level corruption -- will be salvaged by completing the craft as a patrol boat.

Helicopters used today by the Polish Air Force:

The first two Bell 412HP helicopters were delivered to Poland in 1991 during the preparations for the pilgrimage of the Pope ? John Paul II. At the time they were both rented from the United States. The first Polish Bell 412HP was delivered in July 1993 and was designated with the side nr 02. Today it remains in service at the 36th Special Air Transport Regiment, Warsaw-Okecie.

The Bell 412 HP is a multi-role lightweight helicopter capable of carrying up to 7 passengers.

Maximum altitude: 2100 m. Maximum velocity: 230 km/h. Maximum range: 745 km. Maintenance costs per hour: 13,973 PLN.

The first Mi-2 (W-2) prototype was show to the public in 1961 in the USSR. After signing an agreement with Poland, the Russians moved part of their helicopter production plants to Swidnik. In 1965 the Mi-2 conducted its first test flight. Mass production of the Russian Mi-2 (W-2) began during summer 1966.

Poland acquired its first military version of the Mi-2 in December, 1966. Mass production began in 1967 with various version being released: transport, farming, civilian, training, rescue and combat. Altogether, over 5500 Mi-2 helicopters have been produced at the helicopter factories. 280 of them were directed to Polish military units and the majority ? exported to the USSR.

Maximum altitude: 4000 m. Maximum velocity: 200 km/h. Maximum range: 797 km. Maintainance costs per hour: 3,268 PLN.

The Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters were designed and constructed in a crude but durable manner. Even today, they still remain as the most common and reliable medium range transport helicopters used worldwide. The first Mi-8 (W-8) test flight was conducted in June 1961. The prototype used a single AL-24W engine and a four-bladed rotor. During the next two years a double-engine prototype was introduced. It was equipped with two TW2-117 engines and a five-bladed rotor. Mass production of the helicopter began at the Kazan aircraft factory in October 1965. In 1970 a second production facility in Ulan-Ude began constructing the Mi-8 (W-8). Since then, over 10,000 Mi-8 helicopters have been built.At first, the Mi-8T version served as a transport platform for soldiers and equipment. In 1968 a combat version ? the MI-8TW ? optimized for combat-strike mission was constructed. It featured two posts fitted on either side of the aircraft?s body with four UB16-57UD Cal. 57 mm rocket launcher pylons. This version was later equipped with a stronger, TW3-117 engine and named as the Mi-8MT. Serial  production of this model began in 1975.

The Polish Army acquired its first Mi-8 transport helicopters in 1968. During their first years of service, the helicopters were used mainly for transport operations. Some of them were later used at construction sites as ?flying cranes?. Currently, over thirty Mi-8 helicopters remain in service in the Polish Air Force.

Maximum altitude: 4500 m. Maximum velocity: 250 km/h. Maximum range: 985 km. Maintainance costs per hour: 10,843 PLN.

The first two prototypes of the W-3 helicopter were built at the PZL Swidnik aircraft construction plant in 1979. These models were however prepared only for ground tests. The first flight tests were conducted in 1982 on a third prototype designated SP-PSB. After completing the tests and acquiring permission from the USSR, serial production of the W-3 began.

The Polish Navy was the first branch of the Polish Armed Forces to acquire two of the W-3 transport helicopters. In 1993, more W-3 helicopters were purchased for the Polish Air and Air Defence Forces. A few years ago the W-3 achieved the ?A? category of the American certificate FAR-29 that allows aircraft to conduct flights over populated areas. The aircraft?s type number was then changed to W-3WA.

Maximum altitude: 4600 m. Maximum velocity: 255 km/h. Maximum range: 1125 km. Maintainance costs per hour: 7,160 zł. 

The PZL SW-4 is a lightweight training helicopter purchased especially for the Polish Air Force Academy in Deblin. It is capable of carrying 5 people ? 1 pilot and 4 passengers and an additional payload of 150 kilograms. The military version of the SW-4 is adapted for installation of night-vision optics as well as a small-caliber machinegun. A total of 20 SW-4 helicopters have been purchased for the Polish Air Force Academy but the majority is still being implemented to active service.

Maximum altitude: 5200 m. Maximum velocity: 260 km/h. Maximum range: 790 km.

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DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: The Israeli Red Flag

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: The Israeli Red Flag
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Strategy Page
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 24, 2012: For the third time in the last six months the Israeli Air Force has hosted foreign fighter pilots for tactical training. Israeli fighter pilots are considered the best trained in the world, and Israel maintains a special training program, complete with pilots trained and equipped to operate as likely foes would, to train their own pilots. The latest nation to send fighters and pilots for training is Poland, flying F-16s in for that purpose. Previously, Italy had sent Typhoons and Tornados and Greece F-16s.

The Israeli training center is based on the one pioneered by the U.S. Air Force Red Flag program and the U.S. Navy's Top Gun training. Using American aircraft for "aggressor (or dissimilar) training" began in the 1960s. The original "Top Gun" fighter pilot school was established in 1969, by the U.S. Navy, in response to the poor performance of its pilots against North Vietnamese pilots flying Russian fighters. What made the Top Gun operation different was that the training emphasized how the enemy aircraft and pilots operated. This was called "dissimilar training". In the past, American pilots practiced against American pilots, with everyone flying American aircraft and using American tactics. It worked in World War II because the enemy pilots were not getting a lot of practice and were using similar aircraft and tactics anyway. Most importantly, there was a lot of aerial combat going on, providing ample opportunity for on-the-job training. Not so in Vietnam, where the quite different Russian-trained North Vietnamese were giving U.S. aviators an awful time. The four week Top Gun program solved the problem. The air force followed shortly with its Red Flag school.

Over the last 40 years the two training programs have developed differently, and the entire concept of "dissimilar training" has changed. The navy kept Top Gun as a program to hone a fighter pilot's combat skills. The air force made their Red Flag program more elaborate, bringing in the many different types of aircraft involved in combat missions (especially electronic warfare). But after the Cold War ended it became increasingly obvious that none of America's potential enemies was providing their fighter pilots with much training at all.

In other words, the dissimilar training for U.S. fighter pilots was not as crucial as it had been during the Cold War. Actually, it had been noted that flying skills of Soviet pilots was declining in the 1980s, as economic problems in the USSR caused cuts in flying time. During that period American pilots were actually increasing their flying time. Moreover, U.S. flight simulators were getting better. American pilots were finding that even the game oriented combat flight simulators had some training value.

So in the late 1990s, Top Gun and Red Flag found their budgets cut. But the programs remain, as does the memory of why they were set up in the first place. If we find that, say, China is continuing to improve its combat aviation, and gives its fighter pilots more flying time and their politicians maintain a bellicose attitude towards the U.S., there will be a need to increase American Top Gun training. Because of the new Chinese "dissimilar training" effort, the U.S. Top Gun and Red Flag schools are being restored to their former prominence, and Israel has become one of the best Red Flag operations outside the United States. The Chinese move is certainly a very meaningful one, as it shows that they are serious about preparing their pilots to fight and defeat Taiwanese and American pilots. Dissimilar training is how that is done and for most nations Israel is the nearest place to get it.

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DTN News - PHILIPPINE DEFENSE NEWS: Philippine Military Received Four Sokol Combat Utility Helicopters From Poland

DTN News - PHILIPPINE DEFENSE NEWS: Philippine Military Received Four Sokol Combat Utility Helicopters From Poland
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 9, 2012:  A brand new Polish multi-role Sokol Combat Utility helicopter prepares to take off with some members of the media following turnover ceremony to the Philippine Air Force at Clark Air Base, Pampanga province, 100 kilometers (63 miles) north of Manila, Philippines Friday March 9, 2012. 

The Philippine military received on Friday four of eight Polish multi-role helicopters worth about $66 million as part of a modernization program for one of Asia's most poorly-equipped armed forces.


 
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DTN News - PHILIPPINE DEFENSE NEWS: Philippine Air Force To Get 4 Polish-Made Brand New Helicopters

DTN News - PHILIPPINE DEFENSE NEWS: Philippine Air Force To Get 4 Polish-Made Brand New Helicopters 
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Sun Star
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 8, 2012: Four brand new choppers for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will be turned over on Friday by a Polish manufacturer to the Philippine government, Malacañang said Thursday.

The four new aircraft signals the near completion of the initial phase of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Plan aimed at making the air force more equipped in performing its mandate, it said in a statement.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin will be the guest of honor during the formal turn-over of the choppers in a simple ceremony to be held at Air Force City in Clark, Pampanga.

PZL-SWIDNIK SA, a Polish manufacturing company headed by its president Mieczyslaw Majewski, will turn-over the initial four of eight SOKOL multi-purpose Combat Utility Helicopters (CUH) to the fleet of PAF under the Aquino administration's AFP modernization program.

The arrival of the brand new combat helicopter is part of the P2.8 billion acquisition contract between the AFP and PZL-SWIDNIK SA.

Certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), these six-tonne class twin-engine helicopters have been proven to be effective and reliable in all weather conditions. An added feature of the SOKOL helicopter includes its high flexibility and significant internal and external cargo capacity, making it capable of performing a wide range of operations and an excellent utility chopper.

Dubbed as "Back to Basics," the first phase of the Modernization Program focuses on improving the AFP’s ability to conduct Internal Security Operations. Under this phase, the target acquisition include eight combat utility helicopters, seven attack helicopters, one C-130 aircraft, a long-range patrol aircraft and 18 basic trainer aircraft.

For the Capability Upgrade Program, more advanced aircrafts are expected in Phases 2 and 3 where PAF-related components are grouped into the "Horizon Programs" with Horizon 2 expected to begin in the 2012 to 2016 time frame.

Under the Horizon 2, the Air Force expects the delivery of Territorial Defense assets such as Surface Attack Aircraft, Lead-in Fighter Trainers, Long-Range Patrol Aircraft, Air Defense Radar and a Special Mission aircraft, among other that will greatly boost the country’s defense stance against external threats.

Republic Act 7898 or the AFP Modernization Act of 1995 has provided the military an opportunity to modernize with a total fund of P331 billion.

The plan follows a strict schedule for upgrades in order to modernize the AFP to a level where it can effectively and fully perform its constitutional mandate to defend the sovereignty and protect and preserve the patrimony of the Republic. (SDR/Sunnex)

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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Russia Warns Poland On Hosting US F-16 Fighter Jets And C-130 Hercules Transport Aircrafts

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Russia Warns Poland On Hosting US F-16 Fighter Jets And C-130 Hercules Transport Aircrafts

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Defense War News Updates / Defense News / Pictures of The Day

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 12, 2010: Russia has warned Poland against hosting American fighter jets as part of a NATO missile system plan, saying that it would attempt to counter the move.

The US has offered to periodically station some of its planes in Poland beginning in 2013. Last month, Poland announced that it will accept the US proposal to host American F-16 fighter jets and Hercules transport aircraft. Moscow says Warsaw should change its decision. The Russian defense ministry says Moscow will take the plans into account and carry out its own military development projects in response to the US move. This is after WikiLeaks released documents revealing that NATO has secret plans to defend Poland and the Baltic states against Russia, the Voice of Russia stated. Russian representative to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said that the leaked documents “cast a shadow on the results of the Lisbon Summit.” The summit had adopted a statement last month that "clearly says the security of NATO countries and Russia is intertwined, and the NRC [NATO Russia Council] member states will refrain from any use or threat of the use of force against each other," a Russian foreign ministry spokesman told Interfax news agency. NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen responded to the ordeal by saying the alliance does not consider Russia a threat to Poland. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told CNN's Larry King in a recent interview that a threat from Iran is nonexistent. He also said that Russia would be forced to react in developing new nuclear weapons technology unless the United States Congress ratifies the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).

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