DTN News: Armed Forces Foundation With Oshkosh Defense Announces Rumble With A Cause Sweepstakes Winners

DTN News: Armed Forces Foundation With Oshkosh Defense Announces Rumble With A Cause Sweepstakes Winners

Source: DTN News / Oshkosh Corporation

(NSI News Source Info) OSHKOSH, Wis. - June 2, 2010: The Armed Forces Foundation (AFF), together with Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), yesterday June 1., announced the winners of the custom-painted motorcycle grand prizes for the Rumble With a Cause sweepstakes. David Dingman, of Killeen, Texas, won the Army-themed bike and Skipper Lee Campbell, of Seguin, Texas, won the Marine Corps-themed bike. Dingman, a staff sergeant with the Army, and Campbell, a retired Marine with 14 years of service, received calls from Patricia Driscoll, AFF president and executive director, and Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Defense, notifying them of their grand prize win. The winners will receive their motorcycles at a special event in the Washington, D.C. area that will be announced and posted at http://www.rumblewithacause.org/ in the coming weeks. The sweepstakes ended on April 15 and raised more than $150,000 for the AFF, which provides assistance to active and retired military members, as well as their families. “Thanks to the support of many people, including the two lucky winners, the Rumble With a Cause sweepstakes was a great success,” said Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Defense. “We at Oshkosh believe strongly in giving back to the men and women who serve our country, whether they’re on the front lines or have returned home. The AFF does so much for military members and their families, and we are very happy to have been able to support the important services they provide.” With the support of Oshkosh, the AFF launched the Rumble With a Cause sweepstakes in October 2009. Oshkosh donated the two military-themed Harley-Davidson® Fat Boy® motorcycles as the sweepstakes grand prizes. Donations raised through the sweepstakes will support the AFF and its wide range of assistance to active and retired military members, and their families, including counseling, living expenses, funeral arrangements and housing improvements. While sweepstakes entries are no longer being accepted, those wishing to support the AFF and its many services can still make a donation through the Rumble With a Cause Web site at www.rumblewithacause.org or by texting AFF to 90999 to give $10. About The Armed Forces Foundation:

The Armed Forces Foundation (AFF) was established in 2001 as a national 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. A part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s America Supports You program, AFF considers it their duty; honor and privilege to serve the needs of those that have bravely served our country. AFF issues direct aid to our wounded warriors, as well as active-duty, retired personnel, Guard, Reserve Components, and their families through a variety of programs. From financial assistance to morale, welfare and recreation, AFF’s dedication to our troops help them get back on their feet and care for their loved ones at home. For more information, please visit www.armedforcesfoundation.org. “Serving Those Who Serve” • 16 North Carolina Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003 • T: 202.547.4713 • Tax ID No.: 75-3070368 • CFC # 12247 About Oshkosh Defense

Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, is an industry-leading global designer and manufacturer of tactical military trucks and armored wheeled 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 Corp. manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Medtec®, Jerr-Dan®, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™, SMIT™, 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, log on to www.oshkoshcorporation.com.

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated June 1, 2010

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated June 1, 2010 Source: U.S. DoD issued June 1, 2010 (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - June 2, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued June 1, 2010 are undermentioned; CONTRACTS NAVY ~Global Defense Technology & Systems, Inc., Frederick, Md., is being awarded a $94,919,758 maximum contract value firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum ordering quantity of 500 expeditionary water purification systems. The initial delivery order is for three systems, and is valued at $1,116,000. Work will be performed in Frederick, Md., and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2015. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is a full and open competition with two offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-10-D-5034). ARMY ~Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded on May 24 a $66,915,870 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 22 engineering change proposals to incorporate into 421 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicles. Work is to be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2012. Five bids were solicited with five bids received. TACOM, CCTA-ADC-A, Warren, Wis., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0111). ~General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc., Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on May 25 a $45,633,519 firm-fixed-price contract to procure 980 stabilized commanders weapons stations. Work is to be performed in Lima, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2013. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM- Warren, CCTA-AHL-C, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-06-G-0006). ~General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc., Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on May 25 a $45,517,686 firm-fixed-price contract to procure 261 stabilized commanders weapons stations. Work is to be performed in Lima, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2013. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM- Warren, CCTA-AHL-C, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-06-G-0006). ~Critical Solution International, Inc., Carrolton, Texas, was awarded on May 24 a $40,601,966 firm-fixed-price contract for 10 vehicle-mounted mine detectors (VMMD) without mine detonation trailer systems (MDTS); 11 VMMD with MDTS; and accompanying handoff training, OPNET training, and maintainer training classes. Work is to be performed in Gauteng, South Africa, with an estimated completed date of Dec. 21, 2012. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM-Warren, CCTA-ADC-B, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-D-0001). ~Protective Products Enterprises, Sunrise, Fla., was awarded on May 24 a $35,850,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 60,000 improved outer tactical vests in universal camouflage pattern, “IAW Product Description No. FQ/PD 07-05E,” dated April 23, 2010. The vests are to be delivered within 120 calendar days after the first article testing approval letter. Work is to be performed Sunrise, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 27, 2010. Eight bids were solicited with two bids received. Research, Development & Engineering Command Contracting Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-D-M112). ~GM GDLS Defense Group, LLC, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on May 25 a $29,131,606 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for action funds of 14 additional Stryker Double-V Hull prototype vehicles for government ballistic testing, performance/durability testing, and logistics demonstration. Work is to be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich. (41 percent); and London, Canada (59 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM, CCTA-AI, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-D-M112). ~CTA Construction Co., Inc., Boston, Mass., was awarded on May 25 a $23,786,712 firm-fixed-price contract for commercial and institutional building construction, Massachusetts National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, Hanscom Air Force Base. Work is to be performed in Bedford, Mass., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 23, 2011. Fifteen bids were solicited with four bids received. National Guard Bureau, USPFO-MA, Milford, Mass., is the contracting activity (W912SV-10-C-0101). ~Oakland Construction, Salt Lake City, Utah, was awarded on May 27 a $22,041,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of F-22 radar cross section test facility, Hill Air Force Base. Work is to be performed in Hill Air Force Base, Utah, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 14, 2012. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with eight bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-10-C-0023). ~Foster-Miller, Inc., Waltham, Mass., was awarded on May 24 a $21,814,805 firm-fixed-price contract to procure 651 spall liner kits for the RG-31 vehicle platform to support ongoing route clearance vehicle missions in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. An urgent and compelling justification and authority was approved, and this is a DX-rated program. Work is to be performed in Waltham, Mass., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, Pa., is the contracting activity (W911N2-10-C-0036). ~Raytheon Co., Andover, Mass., was awarded on May 25 a $21,327,812 firm-fixed-price contract for the delivery of spares for Taiwan PAC-3 configuration upgrade, and Kuwait Patriot radar upgrade confidential spares. Work is to be performed in Andover, Mass., with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2013. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aviation & Missile Command Contracting Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-09-G-0002). ~Oshkosh Corp, Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded on May 27 a $20,829,704 firm-fixed-price contract for 1,400 Check-6 rear view sensor systems on the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle. Work is to be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2012. Five bids were solicited with five bids received. TACOM, CCTA-ADCA, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0111). ~GM GDLS Defense Group, LLC, JV, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on May 25 a $19,925,190 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance engineering support for the Stryker family of vehicles. Work is to be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2011. One bid solicited with one bid received. TACOM Contracting Center, CCTA-AI, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-D-M112). ~Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill., was awarded on May 27 a $18,129,057 firm-fixed-price contract for 15 motorized graders with Type A kits; one lot extended warranty for 15 graders; 48 motorized graders with Type A kits; one lot extended warranty for 48 graders; three motorized graders with Type B kits; and 27 motorized graders with Type B kits. Work is to be performed in Mossville, Ill., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2012. Bids were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities Web site with two bids received. TACOM-Warren, CCTA-ADE-C, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-D-0037). ~Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum, Md., was awarded on May 24 a $17,100,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the high altitude lidar operations experiment that will conduct a 3-D data collection of locations outside the contiguous U.S. to support a range of pressing warfighter needs. Work is to be performed in Linthicum, Md. (97 percent), San Diego, Calif. (2 percent), and Columbia, Md. (1 percent), with an estimated completion date of March 11, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-10-C-0114). ~Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded on May 27 a $10,385,095 firm-fixed-price contract for 698 Check-6 rear view sensor systems on the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All -Terrain Vehicles. Work is to be performed in Oshkosh, Wis. (50 percent), and McConnellsburg, Pa. (50 percent), with an estimated completed date of May 31, 2012. Five bids were solicited with five bids received. TACOM, AMSCC-TAC-ADCA, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0111). ~Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded on May 27 a $15,458,616 firm-fixed-price contract for 1,039 Check-6 rear view sensor systems on the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All -Terrain Vehicles. Work is to be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2012. Five bids were solicited with five bids received. TACOM, AMSCC-TAC-ADCA, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0111). ~AM General, LLC, South Bend, Ind., was awarded on May 25 a $6,815,223 firm-fixed-price contract to add 50 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles to contract. Work is to be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM Warren, CCTA-ATA-C, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-C-S001). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY ~TW Metals, Inc., Carol Stream, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $50,000,000 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for heat-treated aluminum sheet and plate stock. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was Web-solicited with five responses. The date of performance completion is May 31, 2012. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM8ES-10-D-0010). ~Camel Manufacturing Co.*, Pioneer, Tenn., is being awarded a maximum $5,261,079 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, total set-aside contract for modular command posts. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The original proposal was solicited via the Defense Logistics Agency Internet Bid Board System with four responses. The date of performance completion is Oct. 31, 2011. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM1C1-10-D-1050). MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY ~The Boeing Co., Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a sole-source cost-plus-award-fee modification for $40,222,995. Under this contract, Boeing will continue post-flight experiment Laser 01 work with additional missile engagement scenarios and flight testing to include all required support. The work will be performed in Seattle, Wash., and at three California locations: Edwards Air Force Base, Sunnyvale, and Redondo Beach. The performance period is from June 2010 through September 2010. Fiscal 2010 research, development, test and evaluation funds will be used to obligate $20,000,000 for this effort. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity (F29601-97-C-0001). ~Torch Technologies, Inc., Huntsville, Ala., is being awarded a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (HQ0006-10-D-7092) with a maximum value of $9,709,503. Under this contract, Torch Technologies will conduct research and development on algorithms, operational software, and a new concept of operations for space and airborne infrared tracking systems and missile defense radars, supporting the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The work will be performed in Huntsville, Ala., with a five-year period of performance from June 2010 through June 2015. Research, development, test and evaluation funding fiscal 2010 will be used to incrementally fund the fiscal 2010 effort in the amount of $1,075,000. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity. *Small business

DTN News: Turkish Funds Helped Group of Activists To Test Blockade

DTN News: Turkish Funds Helped Group of Activists To Test Blockade

Source: DTN News / By SABRINA TAVERNISE and MICHAEL SLACKMAN NY Times

(NSI News Source Info) ISTANBUL, Turkey - June 2, 2010: Since 2007, a small group of hard-core activists has repeatedly tried to sail cargo-laden ships into Gaza in an effort to thwart Israel’s blockade. But when the Free Gaza Movement teamed up with a much wealthier Turkish organization to assemble a flotilla, it became more than a nuisance, supercharged by the group’s money, manpower and symbolic resonance into what Israel sees as a serious and growing threat. After a botched raid that killed nine activists, an international uproar is intensifying pressure on Israel’s blockade. And the movement has hit on a strategy that, even when it fails in its aims, succeeds in tactical terms: the world sees Israel use military force against civilians. On Tuesday in a bustling neighborhood in Istanbul, the Turkish organization was celebrating a strange success. “We became famous,” said Omar Faruk, a board member of the group, Insani Yardim Vakfi, known by its Turkish initials, I.H.H. “We are very thankful to the Israeli authorities.” The group brought large boats and millions of dollars in donations to a cause that had struggled to meet its objectives. Particularly galling to Israel is the fact that the group comes from Turkey, an ally, but one whose relations with Israel have become increasingly strained. Israeli authorities say I.H.H. bolsters Hamas, which runs Gaza and which they see as doctrinally committed to destroying the state of Israel. It also charges that the group has links to Al Qaeda and has bought weapons, charges the group denies. The organization is financed entirely by donations, its members said, money that comes from Turkey’s religious merchant class, an affluent section of Turkish society that has brought the party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to power. Inside the group’s tidy three-story office building in central Istanbul on Tuesday, women in colorful scarves brought money and were given receipts. The group bought three boats, including the Mavi Marmara, the one that was raided, from a company owned by the Istanbul city government for $1.8 million. The boats carried aid that included building materials — cement, tiles and steel, which Israel bans because it says they could be put to military means — worth about $10 million, members said. Mr. Faruk argues that his organization was crucial in helping to project Free Gaza’s cause. “We changed the balance,” he said. The Turkish group is a charity, members said, but the Israeli government’s public relations firm, the Israel Project, sent an Internet link to journalists with references to what it described as the group’s “radical Islamic, anti-Western orientation.” The link alleges that the group supports Hamas, in part through a branch it opened in the Gaza Strip, the charity it sends them and in meetings and speeches by Bulent Yildirim, its leader, and Hamas officials. Israeli authorities said the group had been raided in 1997 by Turkish authorities, who turned up weapons in one of their offices. Ali Adakoglu, another board member, said there had been a raid on the house of a member in 1997, but he argued that it was politically motivated, because that was the year of a Turkish military crackdown on Islamist groups. They denied that weapons had been found. “This is an Islamist charity, quite fundamentalist, quite close to Hamas,” said Henri J. Barkey, a professor of international relations at Lehigh University. “They say they do charity work, but they’ve been accused of gunrunning and other things, and their rhetoric has been inflammatory against Israel and sometimes against Jews.” The organization was founded in the early 1990s, first as a charity for the poor in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, and later for Bosnian war victims. It now runs charity and relief work in more than 100 countries, including Haiti and nations in Africa, according to the deputy director, Yavuz Dede. The Free Gaza Movement was formed in September 2006 by a group of passionate Palestinian supporters, most of whom had been barred from ever returning to Israel. The group says it receives most of its money in donations. “We asked ourselves, what can we do to make a difference?” said Greta Berlin, the group’s 69-year-old co-founder and spokeswoman. “We said, ‘Let’s sail a boat to Gaza.’ That was literally how it started.” At first, no one seemed to care much. Five times the Free Gaza Movement sailed from Cyprus, where they are based, to Gaza. Israel ultimately came to believe that a threat was evolving, fearing that ships coming into port could transport weapons. Israeli officials said they feared the prospect of Hamas being as powerfully armed as Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The Free Gaza Movement has its roots in the International Solidarity Movement, another organization that sought to take direct action in defense of Palestinians, using nonviolent strategies to impede Israeli military actions in the occupied territories. Members would often act as human shields. In 2003, an Israeli Army bulldozer crushed to death an American woman, Rachel Corrie, who had kneeled in the dirt to prevent it from destroying a Palestinian home. It took the members two years to raise money necessary to buy the first two fishing boats, maintain and fuel them, Ms. Berlin said. But after that first landing, she said, the group quickly received enough donations to buy a small yacht, which they named Dignity. With the new boat, four more times Israel let the group dock at Gaza.

On the sixth attempt to land in Gaza, Israel decided that was enough. The shift came after Israel invaded Gaza in December 2008, saying it needed to retaliate after thousands of rockets had been fired into civilian neighborhoods. They loaded the boat with activists and headed to Gaza. It was dark and Ms. Berlin said that an Israeli ship rammed the boat three times, until it retreated to Lebanon. That ship eventually sank when it returned to port in Cyprus. The group raised more money and managed to buy a small ferry that could hold 30 passengers. This one they called The Spirit of Humanity. They tried three more times, with no success. On their last try, in July 2009, she said, Israel boarded the boat and detained the passengers. Israel never returned the ship, she said. “We were pretty dismayed because we had no boats and no money,” Ms. Berlin said. She said that former Malaysia officials and the Perdana Global Peace Organization, which describes itself on its Web site as opposed to war, helped them raise enough to buy two yachts and a cargo ship. Then they decided to team up with other groups to stage a multiship flotilla. The movement has grown into a diverse coalition of organizations and activists, often with little in common apart from opposition to the Israeli blockade of Gaza, making it difficult to generalize about its financing, views or radical connections, according to several analysts. Evan F. Kohlmann, a veteran terrorism analyst with Flashpoint Global Partners in New York, said American diplomats and politicians, Holocaust survivors and leftist writers all have offered their names, time or money to the cause, ignoring or oblivious to the role of others with more militant connections, he said. Ms. Berlin, the outspoken co-founder, is originally from Los Angeles. She was married for 14 years to a Palestinian, with whom she had two children, and for 14 years to an American Jew. She likes to joke and says that makes her the most qualified “anti-Semite.” But when she is not joking she says that her detractors in Israel are right, that she is not just pro-Palestinian, but does not accept Israel as a Jewish state, though she contends that is part of a larger philosophy that opposes all national borders. “You decide in your life what you are passionate about,” she said. “I happen to be passionate about the Palestinians who have had no rights since 1948.”

*Sabrina Tavernise reported from Istanbul, and Michael Slackman from Jerusalem. Scott Shane contributed reporting from Washington, and Sebnem Arsu from Istanbul.

Related News

*Israel Faces Pressure on Gaza After Raid (June 2, 2010)

*After Israel Raids Flotilla, U.S. Is Torn Between Allies (June 2, 2010)

*Rethinking the Gaza Blockade Is there a way to prevent attacks against Israel while providing humanitarian relief to the Palestinians?

DTN News: Glitch Shows How Much US Military Relies On GPS

DTN News: Glitch Shows How Much US Military Relies On GPS

Source: DTN News / By DAN ELLIOTT (AP)

(NSI News Source Info) DENVER, U.S. - June 2, 2010: A problem that rendered as many as 10,000 U.S. military GPS receivers useless for days is a warning to safeguard a system that enemies would love to disrupt, a defense expert says. The Air Force has not said how many weapons, planes or other systems were affected or whether any were in use in Iraq or Afghanistan. But the problem, blamed on incompatible software, highlights the military's reliance on the Global Positioning System and the need to protect technology that has become essential for protecting troops, tracking vehicles and targeting weapons. "Everything that moves uses it," said John Pike, director of Globalsecurity.org, which tracks military and homeland security news. "It is so central to the American style of war that you just couldn't leave home without it." The problem occurred when new software was installed in ground control systems for GPS satellites on Jan. 11, the Air Force said. Officials said between 8,000 at 10,000 receivers could have been affected, out of more than 800,000 in use across the military. In a series of e-mails to The Associated Press, the Air Force initially blamed a contractor for defective software in the affected receivers but later said it was a compatibility issue rather than a defect. The Air Force didn't immediately respond to a request for clarification. The Air Force said it hadn't tested the affected receivers before installing the new software in the ground control system. One program still in development was interrupted but no weapon systems already in use were grounded as a result of the problem, the Air Force said. The Air Force said some applications with the balky receivers suffered no problems from the temporary GPS loss. An Air Force document said the Navy's X-47B, a jet-powered, carrier-based drone under development, was interrupted by the glitch. Air Force officials would not comment beyond that on what systems were affected. Navy spokeswoman Jamie Cosgrove confirmed the X-47B's receivers were affected but said it caused no program delays. At least 100 U.S. defense systems rely on GPS, including aircraft, ships, armored vehicles, bombs and artillery shells. Because GPS makes weapons more accurate, the military needs fewer warheads and fewer personnel to take out targets. But a leaner, GPS-dependent military becomes dangerously vulnerable if the technology is knocked out. James Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the glitch was a warning "in the context where people are every day trying to figure out how to disrupt GPS." The Air Force said it took less than two weeks for the military to identify the cause and begin devising and installing a temporary fix. It did not say how long it took to install the temporary fix everywhere it was needed, but said a permanent fix is being distributed. All the affected receivers were manufactured by a division of Trimble Navigation Limited of Sunnyvale, Calif., according to the Air Force. The military said it ran tests on some types of receivers before it upgraded ground control systems with the new software in January, but the tests didn't include the receivers that had problems. The Air Force said it traced the problem to the Trimble receivers' software. Trimble said it had no problems when it tested the receivers, using Air Force specifications, before the ground-control system software was updated. Civilian receivers use different signals and had no problems. Defense industry consultant James Hasik said it's not shocking some receivers weren't tested. GPS started as a military system in the 1970s but has exploded into a huge commercial market, and that's where most innovation takes place. "It's hard to track everything," said Hasik, co-author of "The Precision Revolution: GPS and the Future of Aerial Warfare." The Air Force said it's acquiring more test receivers for a broader sample of military and civilian models and developing longer and more thorough tests for military receivers to avoid a repeat of the January problem. The Air Force said the software upgrade was to accommodate a new generation of GPS satellites, called Block IIF. The first of the 12 new satellites was launched from a Delta 4 rocket Thursday after several delays. In addition to various GPS guided weapons systems, the Army often issues GPS units to squads of soldiers on patrol in Iraq and Afghanistan. In some cases a team of two or three soldiers is issued a receiver so they can track their location using signals from a constellation of 24 satellites. Space and Missile Systems Center spokesman Joe Davidson said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that the system is safe from hackers or enemy attack. "We are extremely confident in the safety and security of the GPS system from enemy attack," he said, noting that control rooms are on secure military bases and communications are heavily encrypted. "Since GPS' inception, there has never been a breach of GPS," Davidson said. He added that Air Force is developing a new generation of encrypted military receivers for stronger protection. The military also has tried to limit the potential for human error by making the GPS control system highly automated, Davidson said. GPS satellites orbit about 12,000 miles above Earth, making them hard to reach with space weapons, said Hasik, the defense industry consultant. And if the GPS master control station at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., were knocked out, a backup station at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., could step in. Iraq tried jamming GPS signals during the 2003 U.S. invasion, but the U.S. took out the jammer with a GPS-guided bomb, Hasik said. The technology needed to jam GPS signals is beyond the reach of groups like the Taliban and most Third World nations, Hasik said. Jamming is difficult over anything but a small area. "The harder you try to mess with it, the more energy you need. And the more energy you use, the easier it is for me to find your jammer," Hasik said. More worrisome, Hasik said, is the potential for an accident within U.S. ranks that can produce anything from an errant bomb to sending troops or weaponry on the wrong course. In 2001, a GPS-guided bomb dropped by a Navy F-18 missed its target by a mile and landed in a residential neighborhood of Kabul, possibly killing four people. The military said wrong coordinates had been entered into the targeting system.

Related articles *Glitch shows how much US military relies on GPS The Associated Press *Glitch shows how much US military relies on GPS The Associated Press

*American Achilles Heel: GPS ThreatsWatch.Org

DTN News: $9 Billion Pricetag Likely For Canada's Next-Generation Fighter Aircraft

DTN News: $9 Billion Pricetag Likely For Canada's Next-Generation Fighter Aircraft

Source: By David Pugliese

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 1, 2010: Replacing Canada's CF-18s with a new generation of fighter aircraft will cost taxpayers around $9 billion, one of the most expensive military equipment purchases ever, the Ottawa Citizen has learned. The Conservative government confirmed in 2008 its plans to purchase 65 fighter aircraft and is expected to approve the project some time this year, air force officials say. The Defence Department would not provide a cost estimate, claiming that to make the figure public would undercut the procurement process for what is being called the next generation fighter. "To date, no decision has been made by the government of Canada on the choice of a next-generation fighter aircraft or on the procurement approach," added DND spokeswoman Jocelyn Sweet. But in April, Col. Randy Meiklejohn, of the Directorate of Aerospace Requirements, told a gathering of defence-industry representatives in Ottawa that the cost of the program would be about $9 billion. The air force, he pointed out, plans to have the new aircraft in service starting in 2017. The figure he used would include not only the 65 aircraft but also spare parts and long-term support. A number of different fighter aircraft could be considered as a replacement for the CF-18s, but the military has been partial to the U.S.-built Joint Strike Fighter. The Defence Department's claim that it cannot release any figures associated with a new aircraft purchase until the project is approved by government appears to contradict its previous position. DND documents obtained through the Access to Information law previously estimated the full cost to replace at least 80 CF-18 fighter aircraft would be $10.5 billion. Steven Staples, president of the Ottawa-based Rideau Institute, said DND didn't want to provide the $9-billion figure because it's worried about a backlash from taxpayers. "Their plan is to keep this in the backrooms and try to get this deal signed without anyone noticing," said Staples, who has spoken out against what he says are high levels of military spending. "The government wants to spend $9 billion on a stealth fighter when this country has a $50 billion deficit. They should try spending a little more on health care instead." Staples noted that the cost of the project is creeping up without explanation — at one point the government was going to spend $10.5 billion on 80 fighters; now it is $9 billion for 65. "Who knows what this will end up costing Canadians?" he said. NDP defence critic Jack Harris, who raised the issue of the next-generation fighters in the House of Commons Thursday, said it is not clear at this point why Canada needs to spend billions on a new fighter jets. He pointed out that in March, the Canadian Forces received the last of its newly upgraded CF-18 fighters. That project cost $2.6 billion. An air force study produced last year also noted the need for manned fighter aircraft will decrease starting after 2019 as unmanned aerial vehicles — or drones — and other advanced technologies became more common. But there are those in the defence community who say the new jets are needed. The Air Force Association of Canada has pointed out that the jets are necessary to support military forces overseas and to protect Canadian sovereignty. Piloted aircraft can't be fully replaced by drones, the association argues. Meanwhile, in the Commons Thursday, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said a new generation fighter would not only contribute to making sure the military has the right equipment, it would also provide opportunities for domestic aerospace companies. "There is eye-watering technology now available, and a fifth-generation fighter aircraft will be brought to Canada after the year 2017," he said. But MacKay also appeared to contradict DND's claim that no decision had been made on how the procurement program for the new fighter aircraft will be handled when he said there would be an open competition. MacKay went on to suggest the decision would be between the Joint Strike Fighter and another aircraft he didn't name. Alan Williams, a former assistant deputy minister at DND, said he found it strange the department was not being more forthcoming about the new fighter program. "Whenever you're going to be spending billions of dollars, you need to involve industry, involve the public and involve Parliament," said Williams. "It makes no sense to hide this." He noted that when he was with the Defence Department, it was common for equipment project leaders to talk about their programs as well as give details on the rough estimates of project costs — now that isn't being done. Williams said since he left DND in 2005, there has been a significant increase in secrecy around military-procurement programs.

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

DTN News: Russia May Export 232 New Fighter Jets In Next 3 Years - Report

DTN News: Russia May Export 232 New Fighter Jets In Next 3 Years - Report

Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - June 1, 2010: Russia may export 232 new multi-role fighters worth over $10 billion in 2010-2013, a Russian think tank reported on Monday. "A total of 821 fighter jets worth $53.3 billion will be sold on world markets in 2010-2013. The Russian share during this period will be 19% in revenues and 28.2% in quantity," Russian-based World Arms Markets Analysis Center said in a report. The think tank estimates the exports of 175 Su-family fighter jets worth $7.7 bln and 57 MiG-family aircraft worth $2.4 bln under existing contracts, licensed production contracts or deals that are close to be concluded. Russian arms sales were worth over $8.5 billion last year, including $7.4 billion via state arms exporter Rosobornexport, whose sales increased 10% y-o-y. Sales of combat aircraft constitute the bulk of exported weaponry. Russia expects to boost arms sales by 12% in 2010 and continue the growth trend in the future. Russia's main arms customers are India, Algeria, China, Venezuela, Malaysia and Syria. Vietnam also emerged as a key importer after it signed a deal to buy submarines, aircraft and other military hardware from Russia late last year. Related News *Russia wins large contract to modernize Indian Su-30MKI fighters - media *India to arm 40 Russian-built fighters with BrahMos missiles *Russia completes delivery of Su-30 fighters to Algeria *Rosoboronexport earned $3.5 bln since start of 2010 - CEO

DTN News: $580-Million Tag For IAF's C-17 Aircraft Can Be Cut ~ Boeing

DTN News: $580-Million Tag For IAF's C-17 Aircraft Can Be Cut ~ Boeing

Source: DTN News / Business Standard By Ajai Shukla / New Delhi May 31, 2010

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - June 1, 2010: Operation Cactus in 1988 boosted India’s regional stature when Russian-built IL-76 aircraft airlifted hundreds of paratroopers 2,000 km, non-stop, to the Maldives within 12 hours of an SOS from that country’s coup-embattled president. With India’s fleet of 24 IL-76 aircraft now obsolescent, planners have decided to buy Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III, widely acknowledged as the world’s most versatile military transport aircraft. The downside: At over half a billion dollars a piece, the Globemaster is also the world’s most expensive air-lifter. With criticism rising of India’s $5.8 billion (Rs 27,000 crore) purchase of 10 Globemasters, Boeing now says India could actually pay far less. Responding to a question from Business Standard about the Globemaster’s high cost, Vivek Lall, the India chief of Boeing Defence Space & Security (BDS), clarified by email that the $5.8 billion, “is on the higher side of what the actual cost could be…. India may not need all the services and items that the US Air Force is offering them. The final cost will be determined by the actual requirements of the Indian Air Force and after negotiations are held.” In accordance with US law, the US Congress (legislature) was notified on April 23 that India wanted to buy 10 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft directly from the US government (under the Foreign Military Sale, or FMS, programme) for an estimated $580 million per aircraft. In contrast, the IL-76 can be bought for less than one-tenth that price: about $50 million per aircraft. The $580-million tag could become even bigger if India buys secure communications (COMSEC) and Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation aids, by signing two safeguard agreements that US law demands but New Delhi has so far rejected: The Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation. The recent Congress notification indicates that India’s C-17s will not be fitted with COMSEC equipment; GPS security devices; and certain “Government Furnished equipment”. AlternativesLall indicated that Boeing would provide alternatives to the COMSEC and GPS, but said, “We do not discuss detailed aircraft components, as the deal is a foreign military sale and is between the two governments.” Business Standard has examined requests, placed to the US Congress over several years, for C-17 sales to NATO, Canada, Australia, the UAE and Oman to determine how Boeing’s ex-factory price of $200-220 million for each unfitted C-17 Globemaster escalates to $580 million for each of the fully-kitted military aircraft that India is buying. The data indicate that the basic military aircraft, built at Boeing’s Long Beach facility outside Los Angeles, California, costs about $350 million. An additional $150 million per aircraft goes on spare engines, maintenance spares, electronic protection systems, and logistics. Finally, Boeing’s global maintenance network for the C-17 — called the Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership or GSP charges $75 million every three years — i.e. $25 million per year — to ensure each aircraft covered in this plan remains flying, functional and available almost 90 per cent of the time. Boeing has confirmed that India was joining the GSP and that the notification to the US Congress included that cost. Largest C-17 userOnce India’s planned procurement of 10 Globemaster IIIs is completed, it will be the largest C-17 user outside the US, which operates 198 Globemasters. Other users are the UK (six aircraft); Australia and Canada (four aircraft); Qatar (two aircraft) and NATO (three aircraft). Operating from short, mud-paved landing strips such as those on India’s borders, the C-17 can lift 75-tonne payloads to anywhere in China, Central Asia, the Gulf countries and much of Southeast Asia, without refuelling. Capable of carrying 188 passengers, or 102 fully-kitted paratroopers, Globemasters have brought out as many as 300 refugees at a time during humanitarian missions from disaster zones like Haiti. The C-17 can also transport a battle-loaded Arjun or T-90 tank, or a Chinook helicopter with its rotors dismantled.

DTN News: Syria, Lebanon Say Flotilla Attack Can Lead To War

DTN News: Syria, Lebanon Say Flotilla Attack Can Lead To War

Source: DTN News By Roger Smith complied from Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 1, 2010: Syrian President Bashar al—Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Monday that Israel’s attack on a flotilla of aid bound for Gaza threatens to ignite a war in the region. Syria and Lebanon “condemn the heinous crime committed by Israel through the brutal attacks on unarmed civilians on board the Freedom Flotilla,” both leaders said in a joint statement, after a pre— planned meeting in Damascus. They have warned that Israel’s “violations of basic humanitarian norms and international laws threatens to plunge the Middle East into a war which will not only affect the region.” Israel’s navy on Monday stormed the flotilla, made up of six boats carrying some 700 pro—Palestinian activists and 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip. At least 10 died as a result of the raid. Meanwhile, hundreds of Lebanese, Palestinians and followers of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, demonstrated in front the UN headquarters in Beirut. “This is a crime against humanity,” read one banner carried by the protestors, who chanted anti—Israel slogans. They handed a letter of condemnation of the event to UN spokesman in Beirut, Bahaa al Kossi. A ‘crazy move’ Earlier, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri said the Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla was “dangerous” and a “crazy move,” which would inflame the region. The premier called on the international community to take action and said Lebanon was in contact with a number of countries to coordinate responses to the incident. Reports in Beirut said the head of the Lebanese mission to the “Freedom Flotilla” Hani Suleiman, had been wounded in the attack. Turkish and pro-Palestinian demonstrators shout on a protest march to the Israeli Embassy in Kensington, west London May 31, 2010. Israel's storming of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla set off a diplomatic furore, drawing criticism from friends and foes alike and straining ties with regional ally Turkey, which called off planned joint military exercises. Israelis wearing snorkels attend a demonstration in support of Israel following a deadly raid by Israel's navy on an aid flotilla bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip, outside the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, May 31, 2010. The killing of at least nine pro-Palestinian activists in the raid Monday battered Israel's already shaky international standing and sharply raised Mideast tensions at a time the U.S. is making a new push for regional peace. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah described the attack as a “premeditated crime against humanity by the Israelis.” At their meeting, al—Assad and Hariri also “demanded the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Security Council and the international community to act immediately” and put an end to Israel’s actions. The two officials also discussed the outcome of Mr. Hariri’s recent trip to Washington and his talks with US President Barack Obama as well as his meeting with UN Secretary—General Ban Ki—moon in New York last week. A source in the Lebanese government had said earlier that discussing threats by some Israeli cabinet ministers over comments by Mr. Hariri that Arabs have the right to use all means to remain on lands occupied by Israel was on their agenda. On Saturday, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said the Lebanese government and its prime minister will pay a heavy price in case of a new war with Hezbollah. According to a source close to the premier, Mr. Hariri’s trip to Damascus comes as part of an Arab tour that is to include Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.

Israel reconstruction: How the Gaza aid flotilla attack unfoldedMinutes before violent chaos engulfed the Gaza aid flotilla, a British activist frantically tapped away in the darkness, broadcasting an SOS from his laptop. The Israeli Defence Force released a video with captions showing how their commandos were attacked as they boarded the ship. Photo: BBC/IDF Kevin Ovenden, aboard the lead ship, the Turkish Mavi Marmara, sensed a tense game of cat-and-mouse in the Mediterranean sea was about to come to a dramatic climax.

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

DTN News: Deaths As Israeli Forces Storm Gaza Aid Ship

DTN News: Deaths As Israeli Forces Storm Gaza Aid Ship

Source: DTN News By Roger Smith complied from BBC News, AP + Press TV

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 31, 2010: More than 10 people have been killed after Israeli commandos stormed a convoy of ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army says. Armed forces boarded the largest vessel overnight, clashing with some of the 500 people on board. It happened about 40 miles (64 km) out to sea, in international waters. Israel says its soldiers were shot at and attacked with bars and knives; the activists say Israeli troops came on board shooting. The European Union has called for an inquiry to establish what happened. 'Guns and knives' The six-ship flotilla, carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid, left the coast of Cyprus on Sunday and had been due to arrive in Gaza on Monday. Israel says its soldiers boarded the lead ship in the early hours but were attacked with knives, bars and gunfire. We were not going to pose any violent resistanceAudrey Bomse Free Gaza Movement "Unfortunately this group were dead-set on confrontation," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told the BBC. "Live fire was used against our forces. They initiated the violence, that's 100% clear," he said. Organisers of the flotilla said at least 30 people were wounded in the incident. Israel says 10 of its soldiers were injured, one seriously. A leader of Israel's Islamic Movement, Raed Salah, who was on board, was among those hurt. Audrey Bomse, a spokesperson for the Free Gaza Movement, which is behind the convoy, told the BBC Israel's actions were disproportionate. "We were not going to pose any violent resistance. The only resistance that there might be would be passive resistance such as physically blocking the steering room, or blocking the engine room downstairs, so that they couldn't get taken over. But that was just symbolic resistance." She said there was "absolutely no evidence of live fire". Israel says it will tow the boats to the port of Ashdod and deport the passengers from there. It says it will deliver the ships' aid to Gaza. Condemnation Turkish TV pictures taken on board the Turkish ship leading the flotilla appeared to show Israeli soldiers fighting to control passengers. The footage showed a number of people, apparently injured, lying on the ground. A woman was seen holding a blood-stained stretcher. Al-Jazeera TV reported from the same ship that Israeli navy forces had opened fire and boarded the vessel, wounding the captain. The Al-Jazeera broadcast ended with a voice shouting in Hebrew, saying: "Everybody shut up!" Israel's deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said his country "regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome". He accused the convoy of a "premeditated and outrageous provocation", describing the flotilla as an "armada of hate". Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel's actions, saying it had committed a massacre. Most of the people on board the boats were Turkish. Turkey said it "strongly condemn[ed] these inhumane practices of Israel", AFP news agency reported. In Turkey, dozens of protesters tried to storm the Israeli consulate in the Istanbul, while Israeli ambassadors have been summoned to the Turkish, Greek and Spanish foreign ministries to explain what happened. Blockade Israel had repeatedly said it would stop the boats, calling the campaign a "provocation intended to delegitimise Israel". Israel and Egypt tightened a blockade of Gaza after the Islamist movement Hamas took power there in 2007. Israel says it allows about 15,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid into Gaza every week. But the United Nations says this is less than a quarter of what is needed. The incident comes a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington after one of the most strained periods in US-Israeli relations in year.

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

Related News:

*Deaths as Israel storms aid ship *Israeli Arabs charged with spying *Israeli PM accepts Obama invite *Israel bombs Gaza in night raid *Mid-East talks show no progress

DTN News: IAF Combat And Heavy-Lift Chopper Trials To Begin By July

DTN News: IAF Combat And Heavy-Lift Chopper Trials To Begin By July

Source: DTN News / IANS Indo-Asian News Service

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 31, 2010: The Indian Air Force (IAF) seems set for trials of new combat and heavy lift helicopters this summer, possibly from June or July, as Boeing gets ready to field its latest versions of AH 64D Apache and Chinook CH-47F helicopters. So confident is Boeing that its top executives say the company is looking forward to be the first in the trials so as to set benchmarks that others in the competition cannot possibly match. The US spends so much on Research & Development (R&D) that "our products are unbeatable in hi-tech and precision engagement", Dean Millsap, Regional Director, Asia Pacific for Boeing Rotorcraft Systems told India Strategic (http://www.indiastrategic.in/) defence magazine. The heavy lift Chinook, for instance, is the only helicopter that can land on water in an emergency, and also operate just above the water level to land or evacuate troops or people in a natural disaster situation. IAF is looking for 22 Attack and 15 Heavy Lift helicopters as replacement for its Soviet vintage Mi 35 Attack and Mi 26 Heavy Lift machines which have served well but are too old now either to carry on or bear the burden of modern technology. The RfP for the two new aircraft was issued last year and besides Boeing, Russia's Rosoboronexport has offered newer versions of Mi 35 and Mi 26. Italy's Finmeccanica, which owns AgustaWestland now, has offered the Mangusta attack helicopter, currently in service with the Italian Army. AgustaWestland has already won the IAF's order for 12 VIP helicopters. As in case of the combat jets for the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCAs), trials for which have just been over, field trials for both the new helicopters would be held in hot and humid weather in the deserts of Rajasthan and the heights of the Himalayas, Jaisalmer and Leh included. The Indian Army and Air Force are already holding trials for the utility helicopters in these regions, which are required in large numbers from imported and indigenous production kits. There is no Transfer of Technology (ToT) clause though for manufacturing the Attack and Heavy Lift helicopters in India. Notably, IAF's Mi 35s have been upgraded over the last few years with Israeli night-fighting devices, but the airframes are too old for any more technology insertions. IAF had acquired half a dozen Mi 26 choppers for ferrying supplies to the Himalayas but hardly a couple of them are now able to fly, one problem being the lack of spares as its manufacturing facilities have closed down after the disintegration of the Soviet Union 20 years back. Mi 26 is a huge machine though, equivalent to an An-12 aircraft that the IAF once used to fly. But Millsap says: "No helicopter can match the stability of the Chinook, whose contra-rotating twin-rotors withstand rough weather in land, mountains and sea." In Afghanistan, where the US and NATO forces are fighting the Al Qaida and Taliban terrorists, Chinooks maintain a steady supply to the troops while the Apaches give them cover if required in a battlezone. Adds Vivek Lall, vice president and India country head for Boeing Defense and Space (BDS): "The Apache will be a capable and lethal defender of India's troops and assets, while the Chinook will answer many of the Indian military and humanitarian requirements." While Millsap briefed a visiting Indian media group, invited by Boeing, on the capabilities of the AH 64D Block III, which is still under development, other company executives, Jack Dougherty and Mark Bellow, highlighted the capabilities of the Chinook with graphic footage from the troubled Afghan mountains. The first Block III Apache would be delivered to the US Army in 2011 and to the IAF within three years or less of the signing of an agreement, Boeing officials said.

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