DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Pentagon Describes Anti-ISIL Operations in Iraq

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Pentagon Describes Anti-ISIL Operations in Iraq

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth + DoD News, Defense Media Activity
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 19, 2014: (WASHINGTON) The U.S. military used fighters, bombers, attack, and unmanned aircraft to conduct 35 strikes that eliminated ISIL positions in and around the Mosul Dam complex, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement released yesterday.

Kirby’s statement reads as follows:
Over the past 72 hours, at the request of the Iraqi government, the U.S. military used fighters, bombers, attack, and unmanned aircraft to conduct 35 strikes that eliminated ISIL positions in and around the Mosul Dam complex. In all, we destroyed over 90 targets including a range of vehicles, equipment, and fighting positions. 

Iraqi forces have cleared the dam and are working to further expand their area of control. Secretary Hagel remains extraordinarily proud of the men and women serving on land and sea who conducted these operations. 

He knows they stand ready to continue such missions as needed. Secretary Hagel also commends the way in which Iraqi forces worked together in this operation. It reflects the growing determination of Iraqis to fight back against ISIL.

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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Spain Approves Larger U.S. Force At Base

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Spain Approves Larger U.S. Force At Base

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Stratrisks.com
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 12, 2014: The Spanish government approved Friday an expansion of the size and duration of the U.S. military presence at the Moron base in southern Spain.

The Pentagon is authorized to increase the U.S. Marine contingent at Moron from the current level of around 850 troops to as many as 1,100, Spanish Defense Minister Pedro Morenes told reporters after Friday's Cabinet meeting.

The U.S. military also asked to expand the number of aircraft stationed at the Moron base, he said.

Under the new agreement, the U.S. can keep the troops and aircraft at the base through April 2015.

Morenes recalled that Spain has authorized the size of the U.S. presence at the Rota and Moron bases since 1988, and noted that the use of Moron is related to the instability of North Africa and the Sahel, which affects the interests of both the United States and Spain.

Following the decision of the Spanish government, the U.S. ambassador to Spain, James Costos, issued a communique thanking the people and government of Spain for their continued support for the Marines' rapid-response force at the Moron base.

He said that this group strengthens the efforts to stabilize a geographic region of interest both to the United States and to Spain, and facilitates joint operations by the military of both countries.

Costos said that Spain is "one of the most important allies of the United States and one of its most trustworthy partners." EFE

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Stratrisks.com
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Looking To Sell Portion of Afghan MRAP Fleet

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Looking To Sell Portion of Afghan MRAP Fleet

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources ArmyTimes
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 6, 2013: The U.S. government is working to sell as many as 2,000 of its hulking mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles in Afghanistan instead of sending them home or destroying them in place — provided the foreign buyers pay to ship the trucks out of the country themselves.

The cost of shipping an MRAP back to the U.S. and fixing it up runs the Pentagon about $250,000 to $300,000 per vehicle. With about 11,000 MRAPs in Afghanistan, bringing them all back home is too expensive to contemplate, according to Pentagon officials. Overall, the US military is destroying about $7 billion worth of material in Afghanistan as US troops head for the exits.

A Pentagon spokesman said that several foreign countries have expressed interest in buying the Afghan MRAPs but no final agreements have been signed.

In the end, the Army plans to retain about 8,000 MRAPs after completing its withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of 2014, a number that carries a substantial logistics and maintenance bill.

Between January 2013 and the end of December 2014, it’s estimated that it will cost between $5 billion and $7 billion to bring all U.S. equipment out of Afghanistan, either by ground transport through Pakistan or by air through the Northern Distribution Network.

The ground route is the cheaper — if longer — option, though the U.S. military stopped all cargo traffic out of Afghanistan on Dec. 3 due to security concerns.

The route, which winds through dangerous mountain territory in Pakistan, runs from Torkham Gate at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border down to the port in Karachi in Pakistan.

There have been days of protests led by Pakistani politicians protesting U.S. drone strikes in their country, which worried U.S. officials who feared the convoys would be attacked.

Pentagon officials said that they expect the roads to reopen soon, but couldn’t put a date on it

If the roads through Pakistan remain open, the final price tag should be closer to the lower number; if weather or another breakdown in the relationship with Pakistan closes the roads, the cost will go up, according to Pentagon officials.

Before the shutdown, things were picking up. In October, the U.S. shipped out a record 33,000 tons of equipment from Afghanistan, with about 56 percent going by road through Pakistan, said Mark Wright, a Pentagon spokesperson.

The NATO military command in Kabul also said the retrograde is proceeding as planned. U.S. forces in the country continue to redeploy “in accordance with President Obama’s announced level of 34,000 troops in country by Feb. 1, 2014,” spokesman Lt. Cmdr. John Ripley emailed. There are currently 46,000 American troops deployed in Afghanistan.

However quickly or slowly the withdrawal proceeds, the Pentagon insists that it has plans to deal with it.

“When we started the retrograde we didn’t know what the final end state would be, so [a flexible end strength number] is more or less built into the plans we already have,” Wright said. The plans are “flexible enough to allow us to scale up or down” depending on the pace of the withdrawal and the potential size of an American and NATO follow-on force.

One of the most critical hubs in the Northern Distribution Network is the transit center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, which the Pentagon will shut down in July 2014 when its lease with the Kyrgyz government expires. Since the United States will still be flowing troops and equipment out of Afghanistan, the U.S. and Romania signed a pact in October allowing the Pentagon to use the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase on the Black Sea instead of Manas.

The Kyrgyzstan operation has been a matter of dispute for years, with the Kyrgyz government announcing it would cease American operations there in 2009, until the U.S. agreed to triple yearly payments to about $60 million.

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DTN News - MRAP NEWS: Dakota County Sheriff's Office Acquires Decommissioned Military-grade, Mine-resistant Vehicle

DTN News - MRAP NEWS: Dakota County Sheriff's Office Acquires Decommissioned Military-grade, Mine-resistant Vehicle

Source: K. V. Seth -DTN News - - Clare Kennedy 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 8, 2013: The heavy vehicles were designed specifically to deflect blasts from roadside bombs in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.

This week, the Dakota County Sheriff's Office took possession of a Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected armored vehicle, more commonly known as an MRAP.

The MRAP vehicles are military vehicles used in Iraq and Afghanistan to combat roadside bombs, or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The MRAP delivered to Dakota County weighs over 40,000 pounds, Sheriff Dave Bellows writes in his weekly newsletter. 

"While they were designed with heavy armor to protect soldiers from the impact of IEDs, they will provide equal protection for law enforcement officers. After getting some refurbishment, we will assign the vehicle to the MAAG (SWAT) team," Bellows writes.

According to an article in the Washington Post, the U.S. military had about 24,000 of MRAPs at the start of this year, some of which have been scrapped as the war winds down. Each originally cost $1 million, the Post writes. 

Some of them have been decommissioned by the military for use by civilian authorities, however. The MRAP delivered to the DCSO is just the first of 18 such vehicles, which will soon arrive in Minnesota for use by local law enforcement agencies. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will distribute the vehicles over the next few months. 

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*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth -DTN News - - Clare Kennedy 
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DTN News - OSHKOSH DEFENSE NEWS: Oshkosh Defense Receives EMD Contract To Develop JLTV - The Future of Light Tactical Vehicles

DTN News - OSHKOSH DEFENSE NEWS:  Oshkosh Defense Receives EMD Contract To Develop JLTV - The Future of Light Tactical Vehicles

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Oshkosh Defense
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 23, 2012: The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), a contract for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program’s Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) phase.  The JLTV program aims to replace many of the U.S. military’s aged HMMWVs with a lightweight vehicle that offers greater protection, mobility and transportability.

“The JLTV program is critical to supporting our troops who stand in harm’s way and deserve the best equipment that industry can provide,” said John Urias, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Oshkosh Defense.  “The Oshkosh JLTV solution will allow the Army and Marine Corps to provide unprecedented levels of protection and off-road mobility in a light vehicle – so that their troops can accomplish their missions and return home safely.”

JLTV is managed by the Joint U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps program, under the leadership of the U.S. Army's Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS).  Under the contract, Oshkosh will deliver 22 Oshkosh-designed and manufactured JLTV prototypes within 365 days of contract award, and support government testing and evaluation of the prototypes. 

Since 2006, Oshkosh has invested significantly in independent R&D to develop its JLTV solution.  Oshkosh employed a generational product development approach that aligned to rapidly evolving technical requirements.  As a result, the Oshkosh JLTV delivers the latest automotive technologies, an advanced crew protection system, and a next generation TAK-4i™ independent suspension system to achieve JLTV performance at an affordable price.  The Oshkosh JLTV is fully tested, ready for initial production, and meets or exceeds the requirements of the JLTV program.

“The Oshkosh JLTV solution was designed with a purpose – to keep Warfighters safe on future battlefields with unpredictable terrain, tactics, and threats,” said John Bryant, vice president and general manager of Joint and Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense.  “Oshkosh has a 90-year history of delivering high quality military vehicle programs on-time and on-budget, and our JLTV program is no exception.  We understand how critical this light, protected, off-road vehicle will be to Warfighters.” 

The Oshkosh JLTV solution, called the Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle, or L-ATV, offers an advanced crew protection system that has been extensively tested and is proven to optimize crew survivability.  The L-ATV can accept multiple armor configurations, which allows the vehicle to adapt easily to changing operational requirements. The L-ATV also applies the Oshkosh TAK-4i™ intelligent independent-suspension system to provide significantly faster speeds when operating off-road, which can be critical to troops’ safety. 

Oshkosh Defense has an unwavering commitment to the men and women who serve our nation.  Notably, Oshkosh was awarded the M-ATV contract in June 2009 on an urgent needs basis.  Oshkosh ramped up production at a historical pace – delivering 1,000 vehicles per month within six months.  Oshkosh delivered more than 8,700 M-ATVs, most of which were deployed in Afghanistan and are credited for saving thousands of troops’ lives. 

“Oshkosh’s M-ATV is the only vehicle in the combat theater in Afghanistan performing the JLTV’s mission profile,” said Bryant. “We delivered more than 8,700 M-ATV’s on-time and on-budget, and Oshkosh will bring the same level of commitment to the JLTV program.”

More information about the Oshkosh JLTV solution is available at http://www.oshkoshdefense.com/jltv.

About Oshkosh Defense

Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, is an industry-leading global designer and manufacturer of tactical and protected military vehicles, delivering a full product line of conventional and hybrid vehicles, advanced armor options, proprietary suspensions and vehicles with payloads that can exceed 70 tons. Oshkosh Defense provides a global service and supply network including full life-cycle support and remanufacturing, and its vehicles are recognized the world over for superior performance, reliability and protection. For more information, visit www.oshkoshdefense.com.

About Oshkosh Corporation

Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire & emergency and military vehicles and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corporation manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Jerr-Dan®, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®. Oshkosh products are valued worldwide in businesses where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and long-term value are paramount. For more information, visit www.oshkoshcorporation.com.

®, TM All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the cyclical nature of the Company’s access equipment, commercial and fire & emergency markets, especially in the current environment where there are conflicting signs regarding the future global economic outlook; the expected level and timing of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) procurement of products and services and funding thereof; risks related to reductions in government expenditures in light of U.S. defense budget pressures and an uncertain DoD tactical wheeled vehicle strategy; risks that profit on the definitization of contracts with the DoD could differ from the Company’s estimates; increasing commodity and other raw material costs, particularly in a sustained economic recovery; the ability to increase prices to raise margins or offset higher input costs; risks related to the Company’s exit from its ambulance and European mobile medical businesses, including the amounts of related costs and charges; risks related to facilities consolidation and alignment, including the amounts of related costs and charges and that anticipated cost savings may not be achieved; the Company’s ability to produce vehicles under the FMTV contract at targeted margins; the duration of the ongoing global economic weakness, which could lead to additional impairment charges related to many of the Company’s intangible assets and/or a slower recovery in the Company’s cyclical businesses than Company or equity market expectations; the potential for the U.S. government to competitively bid the Company’s Army and Marine Corps contracts; the consequences of financial leverage, which could limit the Company’s ability to pursue various opportunities; risks related to the collectability of receivables, particularly for those businesses with exposure to construction markets; the cost of any warranty campaigns related to the Company’s products; risks related to production or shipment delays arising from quality or production issues; risks associated with international operations and sales, including foreign currency fluctuations and compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; risks related to actions of activist shareholders; and the Company’s ability to successfully execute on its strategic road map and meet its long-term financial goals. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update information contained in this press release. Investors should be aware that the Company may not update such information until the Company’s next quarterly earnings conference call, if at all.


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Oshkosh Defense
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Special Operations Boost Demand For Helicopters

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Special Operations Boost Demand For Helicopters 
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Dan Parsons - National Defense
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 14, 2012: Special operations forces have a dedicated fleet of tricked-out helicopters at their disposal, but as their workload grows, they are increasingly reliant on conventional aircraft to get their jobs done.

A high operational tempo in Afghanistan has married conventional and special operations forces like never before, forcing a heightened level of cooperation at all levels, from commanding generals to aircraft pilots and crews.

It wasn’t always so, especially when it came to sharing information and aircraft, according to Maj. Gen. Anthony Crutchfield, commander of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence. 

As a combat aviation brigade commander in Afghanistan, Crutchfield was once asked to provide aircraft in support of a special operations mission, he said at the Army Aviation Association of America’s annual symposium. 

Seeking information from his special operations counterpart, Crutchfield was turned away because he “didn’t have a need to know.”

“That was not the right answer … telling that to a brigade commander who is supplying the aircraft for you to fly the mission,” he said. “Quite frankly, it pissed me off.”

Now the once-tense relationship has changed, at least from the perspective of Army aviation, which takes the lead on most rotary wing development and acquisitions. At least until the close of the war in Afghanistan, the services will be forced to continue that cooperation. At present, half of all special operations missions flown in that conflict are carried out using conventional aircraft.

“Since 9/11, special operations forces have become increasingly reliant on general-purpose forces to complete [their] mission,” said Brig. Gen. Kevin Mangum, commander of Army Special Operations Aviation Command. “We can’t do what we do without the great work our combat aviation brigades are doing  on the battlefield.”

Special operators fly versions of the UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook that are upgraded to fly farther and faster and with better sensor capabilities than  standard aircraft. They also fly the CV-22, a version of the tilt-rotor Osprey operated by Air Force Special Operations Command. 

Both the conventional and special operations versions of the various aircraft are essentially the same when built. All the elite gear for SOF is added after the basic model is manufactured.

“You’re typically going to have improvements like extra fuel capacity, self-protection and additional sensors,” said Douglas Royce, an aerospace analyst with Forecast International. “Generally, it’s stuff that makes the aircraft fly farther and gives it greater situational awareness. But in order to create a special operations version of any aircraft, it takes money. This way, it is much cheaper to adapt an existing design than to develop a new aircraft.”

While many SOF aircraft are similar at the core, for many special operations missions, there are technologies required that are either too expensive or unnecessary for conventional troops. Aircraft flown by Navy SEALs and Marine Corps special operators have to be weatherized to withstand maritime environments, for example. The A/M-H6 Little Bird light attack helicopter was specially designed and is exclusively used by special operations forces. It is too small and expensive to be useful for large-scale operations by conventional forces.

The door swings both ways, however. Conventional ground forces often travel in larger numbers and shorter distances into enemy territory. Therefore it is to their advantage that their helicopters are not weighed down with high-end sensors and unnecessary add-ons like mid-air refueling nozzles. 

Those unique capabilities on the “fringes” of overall helicopter design are where special operations aviation should focus its funding, Mangum said.

One of those SOF-unique equipment packages is the common aviation architecture system, built by Rockwell Collins. The CAAS cockpit will eventually be installed in all special operations Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters. 

In 2001, when Rockwell Collins began working with special operations aviation, there were five different cockpit configurations in Chinooks and Blackhawks, said Daniel Toy, principal marketing manager for rotary wing systems for Rockwell Collins. The diversity of systems created logistical difficulties for forces that were, by definition, supposed to travel light and remain nimble. 

With the installation of the CAAS cockpit, SOF aircraft are being upgraded and standardized simultaneously. The equipment provides an unprecedented level of interoperability while reducing logistics costs, according to Toy.

Chinooks are either newly manufactured or recapitalized by Boeing, at which point the specialized cockpit and other SOF-specific components are added. Blackhawks are delivered directly to the Army, in which case Rockwell Collins sends its equipment to an Army depot, where it is installed.

“The multi-function displays in their Chinooks are the exact same as the displays in their Blackhawks,” Toy said. “They’re interchangeable. The software recognizes which aircraft it’s in and reconfigures itself automatically.”

With the upgraded aircraft, SOF can deploy with a mixed detachment of aircraft and only have the need for a single set of common cockpit components. 

The scheme is typical of how special forces in all services retrofit their aircraft, including the most secretive projects that don’t show up on budget documents. The stealth helicopters used in the raid to kill Osama bin Laden were developed under such a cloak. The equipment that went into those aircraft has been speculated upon but not confirmed, said Royce. Still, the stealth aircraft were not newly developed platforms, but modified versions of the Blackhawk and Chinook.

“But that was in the black budget,” said Royce. “It is possible that they are continuing to develop these super-secret aircraft under that cover, but we’ll never know about it. Because the black budget is so big, it’s possible for them to have these sorts of programs.”

Even the portions of SOF’s budget that the public is privy to are getting a boost where rotorcraft are concerned.In an effort to meet demand for SOF aviation and in anticipation of a future U.S. military strategy that relies heavily on special operations, the command’s fiscal year 2013 budget request includes increases in nearly every rotary wing line item.

Of a total aviation procurement budget of $761 million, more than half will go to rotary wing platforms. That $475 million will buy 16 MH-60M Blackhawks, bringing the total production to 62 platforms. It also calls for procurement of seven MH-47 Chinooks and four CV-22’s, for a total fleet strength of 48 for that aircraft.

Rotary wing upgrade and sustainment jumped by nearly 100 percent from $41.4 million in fiscal 2012 to a $74.8 million request for the current fiscal year. Flight operations funding, which is a portion of the overseas contingency operations budget, also increased by $195 million to more than $1.1 billion for fiscal 2013. Though that total includes fixed-wing aircraft and funding for unmanned aerial vehicles, it is an indication of the high demand placed on special operations aviation in Central Asia. 

Research and development did take a hit in 2013, however. That line item fell by more than half, from $51.1 million in fiscal 2012 to a requested $24.4 million in the current fiscal year. 

In all, the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review supports 165 tilt-rotor and fixed-wing mobility and fire support aircraft. It calls for the addition of a company of upgraded Chinooks to the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and two dedicated helicopter squadrons for direct support to naval special warfare units.

But all of that procurement is still within the realm of traditional helicopter technology that is often deemed slow and dangerous. The only new-start platform in the past 25 years in the special operations’ inventory is the CV-22 Osprey. 

Looking to the future, aviation commanders from both conventional and special operations aviation are putting their heads together to develop the future vertical lift platform — a revolutionary technology that will begin to replace existing helicopter fleets by 2030.

The Army, on behalf of all services that use vertical-lift aircraft, leads that ongoing development effort. For the first time, a special operations aviator is working directly with Army aviation leaders to ensure the final product is a common airframe that can be used by both SOF and conventional forces with minimal retooling.

“We’re not developing a special operations aircraft and a conventional aircraft,” said Crutchfield, who oversees FVL. 

The aircraft that results from that program should be designed to ferry special operators deeper and faster while keeping them safer than any aircraft available today. It will likely also differ slightly from the versions of FVL used by conventional forces, but as cooperation between the two groups continues to mature, the differences should diminish, he said. There is the added difficulty that it will be required to be as aerodynamic as possible, meaning that its systems and weapons will be designed into the aircraft itself. The current practice of bolting new systems and weapons to the outside of the aircraft likely won’t be an option. 

No one yet knows what the aircraft will look like — whether it will be an advanced helicopter, a tilt-rotor or have a hybrid fixed-wing/rotary wing design. The Army is looking at all three possibilities, aided in research and development by several companies, including Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin. It plans to build two test aircraft by 2017.

Whatever the result, it will amplify the effectiveness of special operations, said Mangum. 

“The speed and lift of that FVL will provide us will be an absolute game changer,” he said. “We will be able to operate over a distributed battlefield where we can cover a huge area with a much smaller force.”  

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Dan Parsons - National Defense
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: The Coming War With China

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: The Coming War With China
*A source close to Chinese military affairs said that China has been promoting the construction of a 93,000-ton atomic-powered carrier under a plan titled the “085 Project.” The nation also has a plan to build a 48,000-ton non-nuclear-powered carrier under the so-called “089 Project,” added the source. China had so far been known to be pushing ahead with construction of a non-nuclear-powered carrier, but not an atomic-powered one.
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Mark Thompson | Time
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 14, 2012: Is China a peaceful nation that only wants to turn out Apple iPads and iPhones? Or is the Middle Kingdom bent on attacking the U.S.? Beijing is the long, and strong, pole in the tent for the U.S. military – and they know it. China is the new Soviet Union, and perhaps it should be.

But is there a downside to view Beijing through such a lens? (Congress has created the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission to track China’s growing clout [remember when the CIA was our chief threat exaggerator?] It also compels the Pentagon to report annually on Chinese military threats [remember when, for good or for ill, we counted on the Defense Intelligence Agency to keep track of such things?])

Do such assessments only create a self-fulfilling prophecy (self-fulfilling prophecy: something that allows the self-licking ice-cream cone, with apologizes to John Cameron Swayze, to keep on licking)? Perhaps not. After all, former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger’s multi-colored annual editions of Soviet Military Power — which portrayed the Soviet Union as a military superpower during the 1980s as the Pentagon, DIA and CIA missed its internal rot — hardly strengthened the Red Army.

Two contrary views:

In the Chinese government’s China Daily newspaper, Luo Yuan, the executive director and deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Society of Military Science, writes:

Every cent that is spent on the Chinese military is to safeguard its citizens and its territory and help maintain peace. Last year, China spent $75 to protect each of its citizens, and $9.72 to protect each square kilometer of its land. The US on the other hand spent $2,201 to protect each of its citizens and $75.3 to protect each square kilometer of its territory. It is not difficult to see which country is the real threat.

Some have alleged that China’s military budget has outgrown its demand for self-defense, but it should be pointed out that China has never staged any military exercises off the coast of another country or carried out any close reconnaissance of another country. And it is worth remembering that China has never seized a single inch of another country or region’s territory. On the contrary, others are occupying its reefs and isles and plundering its resources. China is justified in spending money on its military to keep its territory intact.

Commentary magazine’s April cover story on the other hand, is all about the coming war with China. Long-time China-watcher Bill Gertz writes:

…the U.S. military [in November took] off the gloves as part of a major war-fighting initiative to counter new Chinese weapons that might succeed in enabling its weaker forces to defeat the United States in a regional war.

The Pentagon will press the defense industry for new ideas, as one defense official put it, “about how to go into China.” Public discussion of [the new Pentagon strategy known as] Air-Sea Battle has been focused largely on operations outside China, such as anti-submarine warfare, mines and countermine warfare, and defending carriers 1,000 miles from Chinese territory. Internal military operations against China under Air Sea Battle will include special forces commando raids on missile forces and bases and, most controversial, covert action and aid to ethnic groups, such as the Uighurs in Xinjiang, anti-regime elements inside Tibet, and ethnic Inner Mongolians seeking to reunite with independent Mongolia.

It’s a safe bet that Luo Yuan’s argument is too benign (no mention of Taiwan or Tiananmen, for example). But it’s fair to suggest that Gertz’s is too menacing (no mention, for example, that nearly everything in every American Walmart is made in China).

We pay the U.S. military to survey the horizon for threats, and prepare to deal with them. China bears watching: its actions makes its neighbors uneasy, and the fate of Taiwan will have to be resolved one way or the other. But, interestingly, as each side focuses on wars that might come, they all seem to erupt in China’s backyard, not ours.

That’s probably a good thing, most Americans would say. But it sure doesn’t look that way to the Chinese.

A source close to Chinese military affairs said on March 27 that China has been promoting the construction of a 93,000-ton atomic-powered carrier under a plan titled the “085 Project.” The nation also has a plan to build a 48,000-ton non-nuclear-powered carrier under the so-called “089 Project,” added the source. China had so far been known to be pushing ahead with construction of a non-nuclear-powered carrier, but not an atomic-powered one.

Once the proposed Chinese carriers are deployed, the radius of the Chinese Navy's range is expected to reach Guam, where a U.S. base is located. Thus, military experts are worried about China's moves prompting an arms race in Northeast Asia.

The dossier said the construction of the nuclear-powered carrier will be completed in 2020. China State Shipbuiling Corp's Jiangnan shipyard located on Changxing Island near Shanghai, will be responsible for its design and construction. The size is similar to former Soviet's unfinished atomic-powered carrier Ulyanovsk, the dossier states. China reportedly secretly purchased the design of Ulyanovsk from Russia. When the nuclear-powered carrier is finished, China will own an aircraft carrier which is on par with the U.S's newest of such vessels, the 97,000-ton atomic-powered USS Ronald Reagan, which recently docked at Busan Port to participate in a joint exercise between the South Korean and U.S. militaries.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Mark Thompson | Time
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