DTN News: Pakistan Signs Deal For Chinese J-10 Fighters

DTN News: Pakistan Signs Deal For Chinese J-10 Fighters *Source: DTN News / Defense Media (NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - November 14, 2009: Pakistan has reportedly reached a deal with China to buy 36 Chengdu J-10B fighters in a deal worth around $1.4 billion. If confirmed, this would form the first phase of a purchase that includes options for several dozen more aircraft and result in Islamabad eventually acquiring around 150 of the multirole fighters. To be designated as FC-20s in Pakistan, the aircraft will be upgraded versions of the J-10 fighter that officially entered Chinese air force service in early 2007. The type is China's most advanced indigenously developed military aircraft. Deliveries to Pakistan are likely to begin from 2014-15, but the country is unlikely to have any workshare in the programme. China has been a major supplier of aircraft to Pakistan's armed forces for more than 30 years, supplementing purchases of Dassault Mirage fighters in the 1970s and Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs in the 1980s. Relations with the West cooled in the 1990s, when Washington imposed an arms embargo after Pakistan tested a nuclear bomb. Relations improved earlier this decade, when Islamabad emerged as a key ally in the war in Afghanistan. Last year, Pakistan confirmed an order for 18 new F-16C/D Block 52 fighters, with options for another 18. It is also buying several refurbished F-16s, and Lockheed is also under contract to upgrade 34 F-16A/B Block 15s. However, Islamabad has also maintained its close relationship with China. The partners have jointly developed the Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) FC-1/JF-17 fighter, with Islamabad having received its first two Chinese-built examples in March 2007. It has since taken delivery of around a dozen JF-17s. The first example to be manufactured by PAC will fly before year-end, and Islamabad will eventually buy at least 150 domestically produced fighters. These will replace its air force's ageing fleets of Nanchang A-5s, Chengdu F-7s and Mirage IIIs and Mirage Vs. The JF-17 will be capable of carrying a variety of conventional and precision-guided bombs, plus air-to-air and anti-shipping missiles of both short- and beyond-visual ranges.

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Sonar Array System for Spain’s S-80 Diesel Electric Submarines Completes In-Water Testing

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Sonar Array System for Spain’s S-80 Diesel Electric Submarines Completes In-Water Testing *Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin (NSI News Source Info) MANASSAS, VA, - November 14, 2009: Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully completed in-water testing of a new cylindrical array sonar system for Spain’s S-80 class diesel electric submarines at the U.S. Navy’s Underwater Test Facility at Seneca Lake, N.Y.For the S-80A submarines, Lockheed Martin will support a Spanish industry design and develop the core combat system as a technology partner using experience gained over the last 40 years from combat systems design and development work for the U.S. Navy’s submarine force. The cylindrical array is the primary acoustic sensor for submerged operations. It consists of a special hydrophone configuration that is unique to every platform. Lockheed Martin designed and developed the S-80’s new array under a 2005 contract from the Spanish government to provide the submarine’s integrated combat system. In addition to the cylindrical array sonar, the S-80’s integrated combat system also will contain a flank array sonar and a passive ranging sonar, as well as mine and obstacle detection sonar. The flank and passive ranging sonars were successfully tested in June. The sonars are designed, manufactured and assembled by Lockheed Martin’s Undersea Systems business in Manassas, Va. and Syracuse, N.Y. The new S-80 integrated combat system leverages proven commercial technology used on the U.S. Navy’s Virginia, Seawolf and Los Angeles class submarines, as well as Lockheed Martin’s experience as the lead contractor for the U.S. Navy’s Acoustic Rapid Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Insertion program since its inception in 1996. This experience with the Navy has influenced the company’s work on exportable versions of sonar array systems specifically for non-nuclear submarines, including Lockheed Martin’s forward and back-fit scalable International Diesel-Electric Submarine Integrated Combat System (SUBICS). "These successful tests are important milestones towards satisfying key deliveries for the S-80 submarine program and also provide substantial risk mitigation prior to installation on the actual submarine," explained Al Simpson, program management director, International Submarines and Coastal Systems for Lockheed Martin. "The delivery of the entire open architecture, COTS-based, integrated combat system for S-80 will usher in a new and important capability for diesel-electric submarines." Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY November 14, 2009 ~ Bombings Kill 17 At Pakistani Security Installations ISI HQ

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY November 14, 2009 ~ Bombings Kill 17 At Pakistani Security Installations ISI HQ *Source: DTN News / The Los Angeles Times By Alex Rodriguez & Special correspondent Zulfiqar Ali contributed to this report. (NSI News Source Info) PESHAWAR, Pakistan - November 14, 2009: A suicide truck bomber targets the country's intelligence agency in Peshawar, killing 10 people. An hour later, seven are slain in a blast at a village police station.A soldier stands guard at the site of a suicide bomb blast in Peshawar November 13, 2009. A suicide car-bomber destroyed an office of Pakistan's main intelligence agency in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Friday, killing at least eight people and wounding over 30, witnesses and officials said. Suicide bomb attacks killed at least 17 people today at two security installations in and near the Pakistani city of Peshawar, including a devastating truck bomb at the provincial headquarters of the nation's intelligence agency, underscored security forces' vulnerability as they struggle to clamp down on a resilient insurgency. The suicide truck bomb blast at the Inter-Services Intelligence complex that killed 10 people early this morning was the second militant strike on the country's premier spy agency this year. In May, a van packed with explosives razed the intelligence agency's provincial headquarters and a police building in the eastern city of Lahore, killing more than two dozen people. The truck bomb blast in Peshawar, which also injured more than 60 people, was followed by a suicide car bomb attack an hour later at a police station in the village of Bakkakhel, about 75 miles southwest of Peshawar. That blast killed seven people and wounded 27.Security forces stand guard at the site of a suicide bomb blast Peshawar November 13, 2009. A suicide car bomber attacked an office used by Pakistan's main intelligence agency in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Friday, killing nine people and wounding 55, officials said. The attacks in Peshawar and Bakkakhel were the latest in a long line of strikes on security compounds and facilities across Pakistan in recent weeks, as the government moved ahead with its plan to send 30,000 troops into South Waziristan to uproot Taliban and Al Qaeda militant strongholds there. The boldest of those attacks was on the army's headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Oct. 10. A team of militants dressed as paramilitary police raided the heavily guarded compound and took scores of officers and civilian workers hostage. Pakistani commandos rescued most of the hostages, but 14 people were killed in the 22-hour siege. Less than a week later, teams of militants carried out near-simultaneous attacks on three security compounds around Lahore, including an elite forces counter-terrorism training center. At least 26 people were killed in those attacks. Other attacks on security facilities include a suicide bomb attack on a police station in Peshawar on Oct. 16 that killed 13 people, and another suicide attack on an air force complex west of Islamabad, the capital, that killed seven people. In the blast in Peshawar today, authorities said a truck filled with 600 pounds of explosives drove up to the front gate of the intelligence agency's regional headquarters, a complex situated in one of the city's most heavily guarded areas. Guards at the gate fired at the truck, but the bomber was able to detonate the explosives, which razed most of the agency's three-story building. Among the wounded were civilians passing by the complex when the blast occurred about 6:45 a.m. Mir Wais, a 35-year-old taxi driver, was driving his daughters to the nearby town of Swabi when they were injured in the explosion. His daughters, Rana, 6, and Khwaga, 5, lay in beds at Lady Reading Hospital, their faces and hands heavily bandaged. "Life's becoming so difficult for us," said the girls' grandmother, Bas Pano, 55, as she sat beside their beds. "Our men can't go to work to earn money for their families because of the bomb blasts. The father of these girls, he can't go to the markets to get groceries because of the explosions."

DTN News: Canada's Governor General Michaelle Jean Presented 48 Military Decorations At Rideau Hall

DTN News: Canada's Governor General Michaelle Jean Presented 48 Military Decorations At Rideau Hall *Source: DTN News / Int'l News (NSI News Source Info) OTTAWA, Canada - November 14, 2009: Warrant Officer Robin Crane and Corporal Tyler Myroniuk are awarded the Medal of Military Valour by Canada's Governor General Michaelle Jean as Chief of the Defence Staff General Walt Natynczyk looks on during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa November 13, 2009.Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, have presented Military Valour Decorations and Meritorious Service Decorations (Military Division) to members of the Canadian Forces, at Rideau Hall, on Friday, November 13, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. The Governor General have presented one Star of Military Valour and 10 Medals of Military Valour to members of the Canadian Forces who have displayed gallantry and devotion to duty in combat, as well as six Meritorious Service Crosses (Military Division) and 31 Meritorious Service Medals (Military Division) to members of the Canadian Forces whose specific achievements have brought honour to Canada.

DTN News: The Hasan Case ~ Overt Clues And Tactical Challenges

DTN News: The Hasan Case ~ Overt Clues And Tactical Challenges *Source: By Scott Stewart and Fred Burton STRATFOR (NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - November 12, 2009: In last week’s global security and intelligence report, we discussed the recent call by the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Nasir al-Wahayshi, for jihadists to conduct simple attacks against a variety of targets in the Muslim world and the West. We also noted how it is relatively simple to conduct such attacks against soft targets using improvised explosive devices, guns or even knives and clubs. The next day, a lone gunman, U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, opened fire on a group of soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas. The victims were in the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, a facility on the base where troops are prepared for deployment and where they take care of certain processing tasks such as completing insurance paperwork and receiving medical examinations and vaccinations. Even though the targets of Hasan’s attack were soldiers, they represented a very soft target in this environment. Most soldiers on bases inside the United States are normally not armed and are only provided weapons for training. The only personnel who regularly carry weapons are the military police and the base civilian police officers. In addition to being unarmed, the soldiers at the center were closely packed together in the facility as they waited to proceed from station to station. The unarmed, densely packed mass of people allowed Hasan to kill 13 (12 soldiers and one civilian employee of the center) and wound 42 others when he opened fire. Hasan is a U.S.-born Muslim who, according to STRATFOR sources and media accounts, has had past contact with jihadists, including the radical Imam Anwar al-Awlaki. Al-Awlaki is a U.S.-born imam who espouses a jihadist ideology and who was discussed at some length in the 9/11 commission report for his links to 9/11 hijackers Khalid al-Midhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi. Al-Awlaki, who is currently living in Yemen and reportedly has contacts with al Qaeda, posted a message on his Web site Nov. 9 praising Hasan’s actions. Despite Hasan’s connections to al-Awlaki and other jihadists, it is unknown at this point if he was even aware of al-Wahayshi’s recent message calling for simple attacks, and therefore it is impossible to tell if his attack was in response to it. However, one thing that is certain is that investigators examining Hasan’s computer hard drive, e-mail traffic and Internet history will be looking into that possibility, along with other indications that Hasan was linked to radicals. We noted last week that by their very nature, individual actors and small cells are very difficult for the government to detect. They must somehow identify themselves by contacting a government informant or another person who reports them to the authorities, attend a militant training camp or conduct correspondence with a person or organization under government scrutiny. In the Hasan case, it now appears that Hasan did self-identify by making radical statements to people he worked with, who reported him to the authorities. It also appears that he had correspondence with people such as al-Awlaki, whom the government was monitoring. Because of this behavior, Hasan brought himself to the attention of the Department of Defense, the FBI and the CIA. The fact that Hasan was able to commit this attack after bringing government attention to himself could be due to a number of factors. Chief among them is the fact that it is tactically impossible for a government to identify every aspiring militant actor and to pre-empt every act of violence. The degree of difficulty is increased greatly if an actor does indeed act alone and does not give any overt clues through his actions or his communications of his intent to attack. Because of this, the Hasan case provides an excellent opportunity to examine national security investigations and their utility and limitations. The Nature of Intelligence Investigations The FBI will typically open up an intelligence investigation (usually referred to as a national security investigation) in any case where there is an indication or allegation that a person is involved in terrorist activity but there is no evidence that a specific law has been broken. Many times these investigations are opened up due to a lead passed by the CIA, National Security Agency or a foreign liaison intelligence service. Other times an FBI investigation can come as a spin-off from another FBI counterterrorism investigation already under way or be prompted by a piece of information collected by an FBI informant or even by a tip from a concerned citizen — like the flight instructors who alerted the FBI to the suspicious behavior of some foreign flight students prior to the 9/11 attacks. In such a case, the FBI case agent in charge of the investigation will open a preliminary inquiry, which gives the agent a limited window of time to look into the matter. If no indication of criminal activity is found, the preliminary inquiry must be closed unless the agent receives authorization from the special agent in charge of his division and FBI headquarters to extend it. If, during the preliminary inquiry, the investigating agents find probable cause that a crime has been committed, the FBI will open a full-fledged criminal investigation into the case, similar to what we saw in the case of Luqman Ameen Abdullah and his followers in Detroit. One of the large problems in national security investigations is separating the wheat from the chaff. Many leads are based on erroneous information or a misidentification of the suspect — there is a huge issue associated with the confusion caused by the transliteration of Arabic names and the fact that there are many people bearing the same names. Jihadists also have the tendency to use multiple names and identities. And there are many cases in which people will falsely report a person to the FBI out of malice. Because of these factors, national security investigations proceed slowly and usually do not involve much (if any) contact with the suspect and his close associates. If the suspect is a real militant planning a terrorist attack, investigators do not want to tip him off, and if he is innocent, they do not want to sully his reputation by showing up and overtly interviewing everyone he knows. Due to its controversial history of domestic intelligence activities, the FBI has become acutely aware of its responsibility to protect privacy rights and civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and other laws. And the rights guaranteed under the Constitution do complicate these national security investigations. It is not illegal for someone to say that Muslims should attack U.S. troops due to their operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, or that more Muslims should conduct attacks like the June 1 shooting at a recruiting center in Little Rock, Ark. — things that Hasan is reported to have said. Radical statements and convictions are not illegal — although they certainly would appear to be conduct unbecoming a U.S. Army officer. (We will leave to others the discussion of the difficulties in dealing with problem officers who are minorities and doctors and who owe several years of service in return for their education.) There are also many officers and enlisted soldiers in the U.S. Army who own personal weapons and who use them for self-defense, target shooting or hunting. There is nothing extraordinary or illegal about a U.S. Army major owning personal weapons. With no articulable violation of U.S. law, the FBI would have very little to act upon in a case like Hasan’s. Instead, even if they found cause to extend their preliminary inquiry, they would be pretty much limited to monitoring his activities (and perhaps his communications, with a court order) and waiting for a law to be violated. In the Hasan case, it would appear that the FBI did not find probable cause that a law had been violated before he opened fire at Fort Hood. Although perhaps if the FBI had been watching his activities closely and with an eye toward “the how” of terrorist attacks, they might have noticed him conducting preoperational surveillance of the readiness center and even a dry run of the attack. Of course, in addition to just looking for violations of the law, the other main thrust of a national security investigation is to determine whom the suspect is connected to and whom he is talking to or planning with. In past cases, such investigations have uncovered networks of jihadist actors working together in the United States, Canada, Europe and elsewhere. However, if all Hasan did in his correspondence with people such as al-Awlaki was exercise his First Amendment right to hold radical convictions, and if he did not engage in any type of conspiracy to conduct an attack, he did not break the law. Another issue that complicates national security cases is that they are almost always classified at the secret level or above. This is understandable, considering they are often opened based upon intelligence produced by sensitive intelligence programs. However, this classification means that only those people with the proper clearance and an established need to know can be briefed on the case. It is not at all unusual for the FBI to visit a high-ranking official at another agency to brief the official on the fact that the FBI is conducting a classified national security investigation involving a person working for the official’s agency. The rub is that they will frequently tell the official that he or she is not at liberty to share details of the investigation with other individuals in the agency because they do not have a clear need to know. The FBI agent will also usually ask the person briefed not to take any action against the target of the investigation, so that the investigation is not compromised. While some people will disagree with the FBI’s determination of who really needs to know about the investigation and go on to brief a wider audience, many officials are cowed by the FBI and sit on the information. Of course, the size of an organization is also a factor in the dissemination of information. The Department of Defense and the U.S. Army are large organizations, and it is possible that officials at the Pentagon or the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command (still known by its old acronym CID) headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va., were briefed on the case and that local officials at Fort Hood were not. The Associated Press is now reporting that the FBI had alerted a Defense Criminal Investigative Service agent assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Washington about Hasan’s contacts with al-Awlaki, and ABC reports that the Defense Department is denying the FBI notified them. It would appear that the finger-pointing and bureaucratic blame-shifting normally associated with such cases has begun. Even more severe problems would have plagued the dissemination of information from the CIA to local commanders and CID officers at Fort Hood. Despite the intelligence reforms put in place after the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. government still faces large obstacles when it comes to sharing intelligence information with law enforcement personnel. Criminal Acts vs. Terrorism So far, the Hasan shooting investigation is being run by the Army CID, and the FBI has been noticeably — and uncharacteristically — absent from the scene. As the premier law enforcement agency in the United States, the FBI will often assume authority over investigations where there is even a hint of terrorism. Since 9/11, the number of FBI/JTTF offices across the country has been dramatically increased, and the JTTFs are specifically charged with investigating cases that may involve terrorism. Therefore, we find the FBI’s absence in this case to be quite out of the ordinary. However, with Hasan being a member of the armed forces, the victims being soldiers or army civilian employees and the incident occurring at Fort Hood, the case would seem to fall squarely under the mantle of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). From a prosecutorial perspective, a homicide trial under the UCMJ should be very tidy and could be quickly concluded. It will not involve all the potential loose ends that could pop up in a federal terrorism trial, especially when those loose ends involve what the FBI and CIA knew about Hasan, when they learned it and who they told. Also, politically, there are some who would like to see the Hasan case remain a criminal matter rather than a case of terrorism. Following the shooting death of Luqman Ameen Abdullah and considering the delicate relationship between Muslim advocacy groups and the U.S. government, some people would rather see Hasan portrayed as a mentally disturbed criminal than as an ideologically driven lone wolf. Despite the CID taking the lead in prosecuting the case, the classified national security investigation by the CIA and FBI into Hasan and his possible connections to jihadist elements is undoubtedly continuing. Senior members of the government will certainly demand to know if Hasan had any confederates, if he was part of a bigger plot and if there are more attacks to come. Several congressmen and senators are also calling for hearings into the case, and if such hearings occur, they will certainly produce an abundance of interesting information pertaining to Hasan and the national security investigation of his activities. This report may be forwarded or republished on your website with attribution to http://www.stratfor.com/

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DTN News: Israel Signs $1.1 Billion Defense Deal With India

DTN News: Israel Signs $1.1 Billion Defense Deal With India *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - November 11, 2009: India and Israel agreed to jointly develop a new long range, land-based air defense system to replace the aging Pechora (SA-3 GOA) missiles currently in service with the Indian Air Force. Covering a range of 70 km, the new missile will almost double the range of the 60km vertically launched Barak 8 shipborne missile (also known as Barak NG) currently being developed for the Indian and Israeli Navies under a US$480 million five year program launched in early 2006. The new missile system will be based on the medium-range naval air defense missile currently under development for the Indian and Israeli Navies. The naval application of the missile will be integrated with the MF-STAR phased array shipborne radar, which Elta claims to be superior to the SPY-1 AEGIS radar. Overall, the MF-STAR / Barak 8 combination is claimed to be superior to the leading US made systems such as AEGIS or Patriot PAC-3 missile systems. (Image: A view of the Barak 8, developed for shipborne defense as well as ground based air defense applications. Photo: IAI) Barak 8 missile utilizes a fully active seeker, the missile is not dependent on the launcher for targeting and guidance, and can perform at much longer ranges, offering effective protection from aerial threats, manned, unmanned as well as guided weapons. Covering both low and high altitudes, the missile is designed for operation on-board ships as well as for terrestrial applications. Barak 8 system is designed to engage multiple targets simultaneously with deadly effectiveness. The missile uses vertical launched missile is designed to offer 360 degrees protection, utilizing an advanced active radar seeker. The missile is equipped with a two-way datalink, supporting mid-course updating and terminal updating and validation. To extend its datalink and C3 coverage over a wide area, the system will integrate surface based radars and communications elements with airborne manned and unmanned elements, maximizing its operability and range over all types of terrain. MR-SAM is expected to streamline with the original Barak 8 schedule, adding about $300 million to the program development cost. In its decision last week the Indian Government earmarked a total funding of about Rs10,000 crore (about US$2.5 billion) for the medium range surface-to-air missiles (MR-SAM) project. The program will include the deployment of up to nine air defense squadrons. The MR-SAM development will be conducted under the bilateral agreement signed between the two countries, which will guide the scope of collaboration formulating between DRDO and IAI defined in a memorandum of agreement signed in New Delhi, June 2007. The Indian Air Force plans to re-equip nine air defense squadrons with the new missile, each including two batteries comprising a multi-mission radar system performing target acquisition and guidance, command-and-control element and three container-launchers each mounting eight missiles. Prime contractor for the program will be the Indian DRDO, with IAI missile and space group acting as leading subcontractor with IAI's Elta Systems providing the radar and Israel's RAFAEL producing the interceptor missiles. According to the bilateral agreement, the Indians will be able to locally produce and support the systems. Barak 8 is expected to be part of a new offensive and defensive system suite under development at IAI's Missiles and Space division. This new family of weapons will also comprise the latest generation Gabriel 5 anti-ship missile, an integrated combat management system and multi-function EL/M-2248 MF-STAR shipborne phased array radar system.

DTN News: US Wants More Nato Troops For New Afghanistan Surge

DTN News: US Wants More Nato Troops For New Afghanistan Surge *Source: DTN News / The Times By Michael Evans, Defence Editor (NSI News Source Info) LONDON, UK - November 11, 2009: President Obama is to ask members of Nato to provide up to 4,000 more troops to help to break the deadlock in Afghanistan. Mr Obama is poised to confirm a surge of more than 30,000 US combat troops, according to senior military sources. He will also urge the rest of Nato to provide thousands of soldiers to train new recruits to the Afghan National Army (ANA). Afghan soldiers are put through training exercises under the supervision of British troops at Ghar Ordoo military base in Herat, Herat province west of Kabul, Afghanistan. Foreign NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops across 42 countries are involved in training Afghan National Forces in the fight against the Taliban insurgency. His appeal is set to be largely ignored, however. At present only two Nato members have offered more troops — Britain and Turkey — and no other country is expected to come up with any, according to alliance sources. Such a response would threaten the credibility of the alliance in Afghanistan and represent a considerable snub for Mr Obama, who was viewed as a welcome change after the administration of President Bush. Nato military officials are to meet in Belgium on November 23 at a “force generation” conference in which each ally will be asked to contribute towards the expansion of the ANA, either by sending extra trainers or more money for the training programme. Mr Obama is expected to confirm that the campaign in Afghanistan needs another 40,000 troops, meeting the request made by General Stanley McChrystal, the US commander in Kabul, more than ten weeks ago, but that a proportion of the 40,000 — up to ten per cent — should be for other Nato countries to provide. Turkey is increasing its military presence from 720 soldiers to 1,488 having assumed responsibility for Nato’s International Security Assistance Force in Kabul on November 1. Britain has offered 500 more troops but their deployment depends on other Nato countries making similar pledges. According to military sources, the priority now is to get the balance right between providing combat troops and soldiers who can train Afghan recruits. The meeting in Belgium will give a clear indication whether the alliance is prepared to back Mr Obama with a surge in troop numbers. Nato defence ministers have already given their support to the new strategy for Afghanistan outlined by General McChrystal after his review of the campaign — with the emphasis on accelerating the expansion of the ANA as rapidly as possible. Under General McChrystal’s plan, the ANA would expand from its current strength of 94,000 troops to more than 134,000 by the end of next year.The ultimate goal is to double the size of the ANA to about 250,000.

DTN News: North And South Korea Have Naval Skirmish ~ Official Reports

DTN News: North And South Korea Have Naval Skirmish ~ Official Reports *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) SEOUL, South Korea - November 11, 2009: North and South Korea have had a naval skirmish in Yellow Sea waters off their west coast, the South's Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday.This undated photo released by the South Korea Navy on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 shows South Korean Navy patrol boats, the same type of South Korean boats that involved in a naval clash with a North Korean ship, engage in an exercise in the West Sea, South Korea. The two Koreas briefly exchanged naval fire Tuesday along their disputed western sea border, with a North Korean ship suffering heavy damage before retreating, South Korean military officials said. The agency did not immediately provide any additional details.A South Korean man watches a television screen showing file footage of South Korean sailors in a clash in 2002 with North Korea navy near the disputed waters off South Korea's west coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009. The two Koreas briefly exchanged naval fire Tuesday along their disputed western sea border, with a North Korean ship suffering heavy damage before retreating, South Korean military officials said. The letters on the screen read " South Korean warship shot at a North Korean navy ship which crossed the disputed sea border." A Defence Ministry spokesman said it could not confirm the report at this time.

DTN News: Boeing Delivers First 777 To Guggenheim For Lease To Korean Air

DTN News: Boeing Delivers First 777 To Guggenheim For Lease To Korean Air *Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) SEATTLE - November 10, 2009: Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Guggenheim Aviation Partners recently celebrated the delivery of the leasing company's first 777, a 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplane that Guggenheim customer Korean Air will operate under lease. The 777-300ER is Guggenheim's first leasing arrangement with Korean, as well as the first new Boeing passenger airplane delivery to Guggenheim. The delivery is the 25th 777 for Korean. Guggenheim is scheduled to take delivery of an additional five 777s. The 777-300ER is 19 percent lighter than its closest competitor, greatly reducing its fuel requirement. It produces 22 percent less carbon dioxide per seat and costs 20 percent less to operate per seat. The airplane can seat up to 365 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a maximum range of 7,930 nautical miles (14,685 km). The 777 family is the world's most successful twin-engine, twin-aisle airplane. Fifty-seven customers around the world have ordered more than 1,100 777s. Guggenheim Aviation Partners is a leading participant in commercial aircraft leasing with offices in Seattle, London and Singapore. Korean Air, a premier global airline, has its headquarters in Seoul.

DTN News: Boeing Completes Key Tests Of Self-Protection System Aboard Australian Wedgetail AEW&C Aircraft

DTN News: Boeing Completes Key Tests Of Self-Protection System Aboard Australian Wedgetail AEW&C Aircraft *Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) SEATTLE,- November 10, 2009: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today that it has successfully completed tests of the Counter Measures Dispenser System (CMDS) for Project Wedgetail, Australia's Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system. The tests were conducted in September and October off the Washington coast and over Puget Sound, Wash.The Boeing Company announced yesterday Nov. 9, that it has successfully completed tests of the Counter Measures Dispenser System for Project Wedgetail, Australia's Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system. In this photo, a 737 AEW&C aircraft releases flares during the tests. Completion of CMDS testing is a key step toward verification of the Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft's overall Electronic Warfare Self-Protection (EWSP) capability. EWSP is designed to warn aircrews about and protect against missiles targeting the aircraft. The CMDS responds to threats by releasing chaff and flares to decoy incoming missiles away from the aircraft. Boeing and its industry supplier, BAE Systems, developed and integrated the CMDS system. Testing included 19 flights that dispensed more than 500 units of chaff and flares. The AEW&C team collected data via five high-speed video cameras mounted on the Wedgetail aircraft and an additional video camera attached to a T-33 chase plane. "The testing program verified that the Boeing-installed self-protection system will effectively counter its intended threats reliably and safely," said Kermit Hollinger, Electronic Warfare manager for Boeing AEW&C Programs. "This milestone is the latest example of Boeing's ability to integrate military systems onto commercial aircraft and provide our customers with low-risk, cost-effective solutions to their operational requirements." Project Wedgetail includes six 737 AEW&C aircraft plus ground support segments for mission crew training, mission support and system maintenance. The 737 AEW&C aircraft, based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737-700 commercial airplane, is designed to provide airborne battle-management capability with an advanced multirole electronically scanned radar and 10 state-of-the-art mission crew consoles. Able to track airborne and maritime targets simultaneously, the mission crew can direct offensive and defensive forces while maintaining continuous surveillance of the operational area. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense 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 Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.