Algeria Cites Gains In War On Terror

Algeria Cites Gains In War On Terror

(NSI News Source Info) ALGIERS - March 2, 2009: Security forces have killed 120 militants linked to Al Qaeda in Algeria over the past six months and arrested 322, the government said yesterday. Speaking at a police academy diploma ceremony in the capital, Interior Minister Yazid Zerhouni attributed the results to increased security efforts in the North African country since August, when Al Qaeda's local offshoot claimed responsibility for a series of suicide bombings that left more than 100 people dead. An Algerian policeman and a bomb disposal expert walk around the site of a bomb attack which took place in front of a hotel in the town of Bouira, in eastern Algeria. Two car bomb attacks in eastern Algeria killed at least 11 people, state radio reported with the country still in shock from a suicide bomber who killed 43 people a day earlier. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but an Al-Qaeda group has staged several attacks in Algeria over the past year and has been involved in clashes with government forces in the oil and gas-rich state. Zerhouni said another 22 militants gave themselves up, and 150 weapons have been seized. Those in custody include some high-ranking militant chiefs, such as Ali Bentouati - a senior "emir," or commander, for central Algeria. He surrendered to police in January. The minister said police, paramilitary, intelligence, and military forces worked together to fend off a resurgent Islamist militancy in Algeria. The security sweeps are mainly due to "a better penetration of terror support networks and terrorist groups," Zerhouni was quoted as saying by APS, the state news agency. "This is the proof of evolving intelligence techniques." He also said enhanced collaboration with former militants, who are offered amnesty if they turn themselves in, was bearing fruit. Some 2,000 militants have surrendered since 2005, when the program began. The local branch of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for nine attacks in February that it said killed or wounded 47 people, mainly security forces. Authorities and Algerian media have reported a lower toll.

U.S. Pairs B-2 Bombers, F-22s In Guam For First Time

U.S. Pairs B-2 Bombers, F-22s In Guam For First Time

(NSI News Source Info) March 2, 2009: The United States has begun operating two types of radar-evading aircraft, a bomber and a fighter, for the first time together in the Pacific, the head of U.S. air forces in the region said on Friday. The pairing of advanced B-2 bombers and F-22 fighters in the region follows what the United States and its allies suspect are preparations by North Korea to test fire a long-range Taepodong-2 missile capable of striking U.S. soil. USAF B-2 Spirit: The cost of each air vehicle averaged US$737 million per plane in 1997 dollars. Total procurement costs averaged US$929 million per plane, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost, which includes development, engineering, and testing, averaged US$2.1 billion per aircraft in 1997 dollars. North Korea said on Tuesday it planned to launch a satellite on a rocket as a part of a peaceful space program. Air Force General Howie Chandler, commander of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, said the deployment was not designed to deliver a political message. But the move showcases an element of advanced U.S. military power in the Pacific at a time of tension over North Korea. Chandler said the B-2s had been sent as part of a rotational bomber presence operating from Guam's Andersen Air Force Base since 2004. The F-22s were brought from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska to take advantage of better winter flying weather, he added. "So the opportunity to deploy them both together came together for us," he said in a brief interview at a symposium on air warfare hosted by the U.S. Air Force Association in Orlando, Florida. "And it's a good opportunity for them to train together." Guam is a U.S. territory about 3,400 miles southwest of Hawaii. Its Andersen Air Force Base is a major operational hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific. Four Northrop Grumman Corp B-2 bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri replaced a rotational B-52 bomber unit on February 25 on Guam, said Colonel Donald Langley, a spokesman for Chandler, who is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. A typical bomber rotation lasts four months, he said. "It just so happens that this is the first time" such a presence overlapped with the F-22s, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. Lockheed Martin has said it would start closing down the F-22 production line next week unless President Barack Obama opts to buy more than the 183 aircraft now on order.

Afghan National Army (ANA) Are Improving Ability To Respond To Enemy Activities Through Joint Military Exercise With U.S. Army

Afghan National Army (ANA) Are Improving Ability To Respond To Enemy Activities Through Joint Military Exercise With U.S. Army

(NSI News Source Info) March 2, 2009: Members of the U.S. Army 1-6 Field Artillery division conduct a joint military exercise with the Afghan National Army February 23, 2009 in Mangow in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan. As the security situation continues to challenge coalition forces, President Obama is sending an additional 17,000 American troops to Afghanistan this spring and summer, adding to the 36,000 Americans currently in Afghanistan.

U.S. Soldiers On R&R To Germany With Stopover At Kyrgyzstan

U.S. Soldiers On R&R To Germany With Stopover At Kyrgyzstan

(NSI News Source Info) March 2, 2009: US soldiers arrived from Afghanistan stand near a plane at the US airbase 30 km outside Bishkek in Manas on February 26, 2009. The soldiers who had been serving with ISAF forces in Afghanistan made a layover on their way to Germany. The United States is still holding out hope for a deal with Kyrgyzstan to avoid the closure of the US military supply base there for Afghanistan even after the Kyrgyz president formalised the shutdown.

Missile Defense In India

Missile Defense In India

*By Bharath Gopalaswamy - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

(NSI News Source Info) March 2, 2009: A few weeks ago, Indian officials held preliminary talks with the United States about purchasing a missile defense shield from it. "India is a partner of ours, and we want to provide it with whatever it needs to protect itself," a U.S. official told the Financial Times. Already, Indian officials and scientists have witnessed some simulations of the U.S. missile defense system, along with a couple of live tests. Washington even has offered to sell the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system to India. Article Highlights *Recently, Indian officials approached the United States about purchasing a missile defense shield. *New Delhi's once casual interest in missile defense has intensified as its regional threats have increased. *The United States believes that a strong New Delhi can help protect U.S. assets in South Asia and counterbalance China. A few weeks ago, Indian officials held preliminary talks with the United States about purchasing a missile defense shield from it. "India is a partner of ours, and we want to provide it with whatever it needs to protect itself," a U.S. official told the Financial Times. Already, Indian officials and scientists have witnessed some simulations of the U.S. missile defense system, along with a couple of live tests. Washington even has offered to sell the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system to India. India's interest in strategic missile defense dates back to 1983 when New Delhi initiated an "Integrated Missile Development Program." The program included not only offensive missiles such as the nuclear-capable Prithvi and Agni, but also the Akash, a surface-to-air missile that had the potential to provide India with theater missile defense capabilities. Later in the 1990s, India's Defence Research & Development Organization and the country's military discussed initiating conceptual missile defense studies. Around the same time, the Indian military had a few conversations with Israel and Russia about how they could help New Delhi advance its air defense systems. Although such talk clearly demonstrated an Indian interest in missile defense, it was confined to professional military officers and low-level bureaucrats. The interest of India's elected leadership intensified a few years later, their support growing for a variety of reasons. First, 9/11 and the subsequent war in Afghanistan turned Pakistan into a U.S. ally, triggering speculation that the Pakistani government might be overturned by anti-American Islamic fundamentalists who would then control Islamabad's nuclear arsenal. And if Pakistani nuclear weapons fell into such hands, India feared it might be the first target. Secondly, some in India believe that a domestic missile defense capability might be able to check Pakistan more generally. Ever since Islamabad obtained nuclear weapons, it has emboldened its strategy of supporting insurgencies within India to settle outstanding political differences--i.e., Kashmir. Missile defense, the argument goes, would prove instrumental in providing New Delhi reassurance and protection since Pakistan's nuclear weapons could be countered both offensively and defensively. Finally, few countries in the world face the missile threats that India does. Of course, there's Pakistan and its Ghauri and Shaheen missile series--both of which possess ranges longer than 1,000 kilometers. But there's also nearby China, a fellow nuclear-armed state equipped with DF-21 missiles that can travel more than 2,000 kilometers. So it's no surprise that the upper-echelons of the Indian government have begun to show significant interest in defense technologies that can, at least theoretically, combat such threats. A ballistic missile flight from Sargodha, Pakistan, could reach New Delhi in about 5-7 minutes. As such, Indian missile defense proponents envision the system working as follows: A technically complex and vast constellation of early warning sensors would detect the missile immediately after it is launched. This part of the system is already more or less in place; the Green Pine radar, which India purchased from Israel around 2002 and is situated about 200 kilometers north of New Delhi, can detect a missile 90 seconds after it has been launched--at least on a preliminary basis. The next step is to determine whether the signal picked up by the radar is that of an incoming missile or a false alarm. Complicating matters is that India and Pakistan share a border, making for shorter ballistic missile flights. For example, the estimated total missile flight times are 8-13 minutes for ranges of 600-2,000 kilometers. The flight times can be even less if the missile is flown in a depressed trajectory. Such a short time period places stringent conditions on procedures for evaluating and verifying warnings. There would be no time to consult or deliberate after receiving this warning. In other words, any response would have to be predetermined, presenting a significant likelihood of accidental nuclear war from false alarms. Oddly, despite such potentially catastrophic consequences, in India the debate about missile defense has become a debate about India's burgeoning ties with Washington as a part of New Delhi's "Next Steps in Security Partnership"--a 2002 diplomatic initiative between the United States and India to expand their cooperation in civilian nuclear activities and civilian space programs, along with broadening their dialogue on missile defense to promote nonproliferation and to ease the transfer of advanced technologies to India. For the United States, missile defense initially was only one aspect of its budding bilateral relationship with New Delhi. But over time missile defense has come to represent something larger in the relationship. Quite simply, it represents Washington's implicit support for India against Pakistan, without, of course, supporting an explicit Indian recourse to offensive military strategies. Along these lines, there's every reason to expect the United States to continue to be supportive of India's emergence as a counterweight to China. Ultimately, technology will decide the operational capability of missile defense in India. But for the time being, it can be assumed that New Delhi's decisions with regard to missile defense are strongly linked to the changing tenor of U.S.-Indian relations.

South Korea Eyes Fighter Jet For Landing Ship

South Korea Eyes Fighter Jet For Landing Ship

(NSI News Source Info) March 2, 2009: South Korea is looking at introducing the U.S. Lockheed Martin-built F-35B fighter variant, to fly from its 14,000-ton Dokdo large-deck landing ship, along with the F-35A air force version, as part of mid- and long-term force improvement plans, a source here said Sunday. The move comes as the country’s arms procurement agency, Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), is preparing to open the third-phase F-X fighter acquisition program in the coming years, he said. DAPA said earlier that it would launch the next-phase F-X bid by 2011, with the aim of deploying the planes between 2014 and 2019. In a related event, a group of Pentagon officials gave a briefing on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program to DAPA officials in Seoul early last month at the request of the arms agency, said the source. “The agency is conducting preliminary research on the next-phase fighter acquisition program and collecting information about foreign fighters, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,” the source told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. As for the JSF, which is under development, he said, the agency previously focused on the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant for the Air Force but is now thinking also about the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant for the Marine Corps or Navy. There will be another variant for the Navy, the F-35C, to fly from aircraft carriers. Japan, Israel and Taiwan are reportedly interested in the F-35B version. “The F-35B is a fifth generation fighter that will provide a quantum leap in capability, basing flexibility, and mission execution across the full spectrum of conflict,” a U.S. Marine Corps official said, asking not to be named. South Korea’s Navy launched its first Dokdo Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH 6111) in 2005 and wants to have one more Dokdo-class carriers by 2016. The 199-meter-long, 31-meter-wide vessel is the largest helicopter transporter in Asia and will serve as a light aircraft carrier to orchestrate the Korean Navy’s future strategic mobile squadron. Experts have said when the landing ship is equipped with a ski jump module, vertical or short takeoff and landing aircraft such as the Harrier or the F-35B will be able to be launched from the deck. Observers say the latest move appears to reflect Seoul’s strong interest in the JSF, also known as Lightening II, as a candidate for the upcoming F-X deal, for which Boeing’s F-15K NF III, Saab’s Gripen NG, Eurofighter’s Typhoon and others are also expected to compete. The F-X aims to equip the South Korean Air Force with 120 advanced high-end fighters by 2020 to replace its aging fighter fleet. The U.S. Boeing Company won South Korean orders for batches of 40 and 21 F-15s in two previous deals. Lockheed’s F-22 Raptor is also on the list of candidates, but chances for Seoul to buy the fifth-generation stealth fighter are slim due to financial and legal problems. U.S. technology protection law forbids the export of the world’s most advanced F-22s, whose per-unit cost is some $200 million. In that context, the F-35, with similar capabilities to those of the F-22, has often referred to as a viable candidate. The fifth-generation F-35, fitted with radar-evading stealth technology, is a single-seat, single-engine multi-role fighter jet that can perform close air support, tactical bombing and air defense missions. The price tag for the F-35A is about $60 million, while those for the F-35B and F-35C are expected to cost in the upper $80 to $90 million range, respectively, according to Lockheed Martin officials. The F-35B version is slated to enter service first with the U.S. Marines in 2012, followed by the F-35A in 2013 and the F-35C in 2015. The JSF development is being funded by nine major partners, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Norway and Denmark. The partners plan to acquire over 3,100 F-35s through 2035, according to reports. Lockheed officials say delivery of the conventional-takeoff-and-landing F-35A for South Korea would begin in 2014 if a contract is signed before 2010.

Australia May Switch Part Of F-18F Order to Growlers / Super Hornets Wired For Future Upgrade

Australia May Switch Part Of F-18F Order to Growlers / Super Hornets Wired For Future Upgrade

(NSI News Source Info) March 2, 2009: The Rudd Government has invested an initial $35 million to boost the capability of the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets the Howard Government controversially ordered in 2007.

In 2008 the Australian Government requested export approval from the US government to purchase up to six EA-18Gs, which would be part of the order for 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets. On 27 February 2009, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced that 12 of the 24 Super Hornets on order would wired on the production line for future fit-out as EA-18Gs. The additional wiring would cost $35 million. The final decision on conversion to EA-18Gs, at a cost of $300 million, would be made in 2012.

After an extensive review of the Super Hornet purchase, the Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced last year that the Rudd Government was left with little choice but to proceed with the $6.6 billion purchase. Mr Fitzgibbon cited financial penalties and the risk of an air capability gap due to poor long-term planning, as the key reasons.

“Wiring twelve of the Super Hornets as Growlers will give us the opportunity to provide taxpayers with better value for money,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“If finally pursued, the relatively small investment will significantly enhance the Super Hornet’s capability, by giving electronic attack capacity and therefore the ability to nullify the systems of opposing aircraft.

“It will also provide the Super Hornets with counter-terrorism capability through the ability to shut down the ground-based communications and bomb triggering devices of terrorists.”

The $35 million investment has allowed 12 of the 24 Super Hornets for future fit-out while still on the production line, providing significant savings.

The completion of the project will require an additional investment of around $300 million. That final decision will not be required until around 2012. If the Howard Government had taken a more prudent approach in making the Super Hornet decision rather than rushing to fill their impending air combat capability gap, they may have realised that this was a more effective approach to take.

Pakistan Nuclear Weapons A Concern, Says Gates

Pakistan Nuclear Weapons A Concern, Says Gates

Pakistan Nuclear Weapons - A Chronology

(News Source Info) March 2, 2009: NBC’s David Gregory probes the severity of the consequences in Pakistan, because it has nuclear weapons.

Trucks mounted with Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles at IDEAS 2008 Defense Expo in Karachi, Pakistan they can carry Nuclear weapons to a maximum range of 4000Kms.

According to Gates, it is a concern. “Well, as long as we're in Afghanistan and as long as the Afghan-- government has the support of dozens and dozens of countries who are providing-- military support, civilian support in addition to us-- we are providing a level of stability in-- Afghanistan that at least prevents it from being a safe haven-- from which-- plots against the United States and the Europeans and others can be-- can be put together,” Gates says.

“So that border area, particularly on the Pakistani side is-- is the most worrisome.”

NATO Can't Defeat Afghan Insurgency, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Says

NATO Can't Defeat Afghan Insurgency, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Says

(News Source Info) OTTAWA– March 2, 2009: The United States has to come up with a viable Afghan exit strategy before Canada would consider staying on in the country past 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. In an interview broadcast Sunday with CNN, the Conservative leader sought to lower expectations about prospects for the insurgency-riddled country.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper responds to a question during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday, Feb.3, 2009. He said Canada has had modest success over the course of its eight-year effort, but that any gains were vulnerable if the security situation were to worsen. Yet simply staying the course in Afghanistan is not going to result in an inevitable victory. "My own judgement ... quite frankly is we are not going to ever defeat the insurgency. My reading of Afghan history is that it's probably had an insurgency forever, of some kind," Harper said in the interview, which was recorded last Monday in New York. "What has to happen in Afghanistan is we have to have an Afghan government that is capable of managing that insurgency and improving its own governance." U.S. President Barack Obama's administration is in the middle of a 60-day strategic review of the international mission, and has sought input from NATO and other allies. A clearer vision on Washington's new direction in the central Asian country is expected to emerge when NATO leaders meet in France next month. Obama is also expected to start tapping other countries to prolong or scale-up their military and development efforts in Afghanistan. "If President Obama wants anybody to do more, I would ask very hard questions about what is the strategy for success and for an eventual departure," Harper said. The Prime Minister challenged the perception that extending Canada's participation in the war would be an unpopular move. "The issue in Canada ... is, I don't think, whether we stay or whether we go. The issue that Canadians ask is are we being successful," he said. "Right now we have made gains. Those gains are not irreversible, so the success has been modest."

Pakistan Cleric Demands Islamic Courts / Cleric Demands Pakistan Launch Islamic Courts Soon

Pakistan Cleric Demands Islamic Courts / Cleric Demands Pakistan Launch Islamic Courts Soon

(News Source Info) MINGORA, Pakistan - March 2, 2009: A hard-line cleric sent by Pakistan to talk to the Taliban is demanding the government establish Islamic courts in the troubled Swat Valley by mid-March or risk a wave of protests. The demand Sunday by Sufi Muhammad threatens to undermine a shaky peace process already facing international criticism. Pakistan has promised to impose Islamic law in Swat and surrounding areas. The military and the Taliban militants who control much of the valley have agreed to a cease-fire. But Muhammad says he has yet to see the government take "practical steps" to establish Islamic courts. He gave March 15 as a deadline for the courts to launch. Western countries worry the peace process could make Swat a haven for militants.