DTN News: Turkey TODAY June 18, 2009 - Turkish Military During Mock Search Exercise Of Coast Off Cyprus

DTN News: Turkey TODAY June 18, 2009 - Turkish Military During Mock Search Exercise Of Coast Off Cyprus

*Source: DTN News

(NSI News Source Info) ANKARA, Turkey - June 18, 2009: A Turkish military Cougar helicopter searches for survivors of sea accident as crew members of the Turkish frigate, TCG Gemlik, rushes to the aid of some of them during a mock search and rescue exercise by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot forces on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 off Cyprus, where tensions run high over Greek Cypriot plans to expand search for oil and gas despite strong objections by Turkey.

A Turkish military Cougar helicopter evacuates a frogman from sea during a mock search and rescue exercise by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot forces on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 off Cyprus, where tensions run high over Greek Cypriot plans to expand search for oil and gas despite strong objections by Turkey.

DTN News: Cyprus to Purchase Russian T-80U Tanks / Greek-Cypriots To Purchase Russian T-80U Tanks

DTN News: Cyprus to Purchase Russian T-80U Tanks / Greek-Cypriots To Purchase Russian T-80U Tanks

(NSI News Source Info) NICOSIA, Cyprus - June 8, 2009: The government of the Greek-dominated portion of Cyprus plans to purchase new armored vehicles for its armed forces.

The T-80 is a main battle tank (MBT) designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union. A development of the T-64, it entered service in 1976 and was the first production tank to be equipped with a gas turbine engine for main propulsion (the Stridsvagn 103 only used a supplementary gas turbine by 1971). The T-80U was last produced in a factory in Omsk, Russia, while the T-80UD and further-developed T-84 continue to be produced in Ukraine. The T-80 and its variants are in service in Belarus, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine. The chief designer of the T-80 was the Russian engineer Nikolay Popov.

The T-80 main battle tank has been in production since the late 1970s. KBTM of Omsk, Russian Federation, manufactures the T-80U for general use in infantry and tank units and the T-80UK command tank and XKBM, Kharkov, Ukraine, manufactures the T-80UD and the T-84. 320 T-80UD tanks have been ordered from Ukraine by Pakistan, and are being delivered. In August 2002, it was announced that South Korea is to purchase from Russia a number of T-80 tanks.

Cyprus is the first foreign country to officially obtain T-80 tanks. Russia sold 27 T-80U and 14 T-80UK for $174 million to Cyprus. The tanks arrived in two batches. The first one consisting of 27 T-80U MBTs arrived in 1996 while the second one consisting of 14 T-80UK MBTs arrived in 1997. This significantly reinforced the army of this country the best tank of which up until then was AMX-30B2. New tanks also gave the Cypriot National Guard the edge in a possible confrontation with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. As of now Cypriot government is interested in buying Ukrainian T-84 MBTs as, in the eyes of Cyprus, the Russians have demanded too much money for their T-80 tanks.

The Greek-Cypriot government will soon conclude a deal to acquire Russian-built tanks. Under this contract, Russia will deliver an unspecified number of T-80U tanks to the Greek-Cypriot National Guard.

The T-80U tanks are built by Omsk Transport Machine-Building Bureau. The island of Cyprus is divided into Greek and Turkish controlled sections.

UN Demands Explanation From Iran And Syria On Arms Ship

UN Demands Explanation From Iran And Syria On Arms Ship

(NSI News Source Info) March 12, 2009: Iran and Syria have until next week to explain to a United Nations sanctions committee how they were involved with a ship detained off Cyprus in January and found to be loaded with explosives believed to be bound for Gaza.The ambassadors of France and Britain described the episode at a Security Council meeting held Tuesday in New York as a “gross violation” of existing resolutions banning Iranian arms exports. “The United Kingdom looks forward to the committee receiving explanations from Iran and Syria as to why the shipment was permitted by Iran as the reported state of origin and as to the involvement of Syria as the reported state of destination,” said British envoy John Sawers. Both countries are required to respond within ten working days, according to a statement from Japanese ambassador Yukio Takasu, who chairs the Security Council committee set up in 2006 to oversee Iran sanctions. The committee determined on February 6 that Iran was in violation of existing sanctions but has not taken any punitive action. Both French ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert and US envoy Susan Rice invited Iran to use the opportunity to engage in diplomatic negotiations on its nuclear and other arms programs. “The United States will not waver in its determination to ensure that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons but the United States also sees an opportunity - a chance for the Iranian government to demonstrate that it is willing to unclench its fist and begin a serious, responsible discussion about a range of issues,” Rice said in her formal remarks. She added that President Barack Obama, who had his first formal meeting Tuesday in Washington with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, was engaged in a comprehensive review of US policy on Iran. Neither Iran nor Syria sent representatives to speak at Tuesday’s meeting. Both have denied allegations from Washington that the munitions were intended for delivery to Hamas. Syria sent a delegation to Cyprus in late February to pressure officials there into handing over the cargo from the ship, according to an Associated Press report that cited unnamed government officials from an undisclosed Middle Eastern country. AP said Cypriot officials denied any formal negotiations with the Syrians over the cargo. Diplomats in New York have told The Jerusalem Post that Cyprus has been eager to cooperate with its European Union allies on the issue, but the island nation has not yet taken any steps to destroy the cargo offloaded from the Cypriot-flagged ship Monchegorsk. The ship docked on January 29 in Cyprus after being turned away from an Egyptian port. The British have offered help to dispose of the munitions “in whatever way we can.” Tuesday’s Security Council session was overseen by Libyan charge d’affaires Ibrahim Dabbashi, who currently holds the month-long presidency of the Security Council. Speaking for Libya, he noted that he and other Arab diplomats found it “frustrating” that the Security Council was not equally concerned with Israeli nuclear programs as with Iran’s suspected efforts to build an atomic bomb. Officials at the Israeli mission told the Post that they would not respond to Dabbashi’s comments.

U.N. Ban On Iranian Arms Exports To Hamas

U.N. Ban On Iranian Arms Exports To Hamas

(NSI News Source Info) February 15, 2009: Cypriot police officers with their motorcycles patrol the side where the Cypriot-flagged container ship Monchegorsk, seen in the background, believed to be the vessel that U.S. authorities suspect is carrying an Iranian arms shipment bound for Hamas militants in Gaza rests anchored off the Cypriot port of Limassol, Friday, Feb. 13, 2009. Cypriot authorities have started unloading a detained ship which the government says has breached a U.N. ban on Iranian arms exports. The U.S. military said it found artillery shells and other arms aboard the ship after stopping it last month in the Red Sea. Iran denies the ship contains weapons.

Cyprus Buys Russian Tanks; Missiles May Follow / Greek-Cypriots To Buy Russian Tanks, Considering Missile Purchases

Cyprus Buys Russian Tanks; Missiles May Follow / Greek-Cypriots To Buy Russian Tanks, Considering Missile Purchases (NSI News Source Info) NICOSIA, Cyprus - January12, 2009: The House Defense Committee of the Greek-Cypriot government has approved funds for the purchase of 41 Russian-built T-90 tanks. The money is included as part of the 2009 defense budget.

The T-90 is a Russian main battle tank (MBT) derived from the T-72, and is currently the most modern tank in service with the Russian Ground Forces and Naval Infantry, and the Indian Army. The successor to T-72BM, the T-90 uses the gun and 1G46 gunner sights from the T-80U, a new engine, and thermal sights. Protective measures include Kontakt-5 ERA, laser warning receivers, the EMT-7 electromagnetic pulse creator for the destruction of magnetic mines and the Shtora infrared ATGM jamming system. It is designed and built by Uralvagonzavod, in Nizhny Tagil, Russia.

Cyprus already operates the Russian-made T-80 tank. The Russian tanks were selected over a rival bid from France. The cost of this deal is EUR115 million.

Currently, the Greek-Cypriot National Guard operates aging AMX30B2 tanks purchased from France and EE-9 Cascavel armored personnel carriers (APCs) acquired from Brazil.

The Greek-Cypriot Defense Ministry is also calling for the purchase of TOR M2 (SA-15 Gauntlet) mobile air defense missile systems and KORNET (AT-14) anti-armor missiles.

Agusta Wins Additional AW139 Order From Cyprus / The Ministry of Justice Of Cyprus Orders Two AW139 Helicopters

Agusta Wins Additional AW139 Order From Cyprus / The Ministry of Justice of Cyprus Orders Two AW139 Helicopters (NSI News Source Info) January 9, 2009: AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the Ministry of Justice of Cyprus has placed an order for two AW139 medium twin engine helicopters. These aircraft will be used to perform law enforcement and search and rescue operations.

The AgustaWestland AW139 is a 15-seat medium sized twin-engined helicopter manufactured by AgustaWestland. Originally designed and developed jointly by Agusta and Bell Helicopters and marketed as the Agusta-Bell AB139, Bell withdrew from the project, which was then renamed the AW139. The AgustaWestland AW149 is a medium-lift military helicopter being developed by AgustaWestland as an enlarged version of the AW139.

This success follows on from the contract signed by the Ministry of Defence of Cyprus in December 2008 for three AW139s and is further evidence of the increasing success this model has found in the medium twin market where it continues to be the best selling helicopter.

The 15-seat AW139 is a new generation medium twin-turbine helicopter setting new standards in its class. The AW139 is the only new generation helicopter in its class, in service today, that fully complies with the latest certification requirements in terms of performance and safety. Its Pratt & Whitney turbines together with a state-of-the-art 5-bladed main rotor provide unequalled performance, even in demanding hot and high conditions at maximum all up mass. The availability of modular role kits allows easy and quick conversion to and from various configurations.

The law enforcement-configured AW139 is available with a wide range of mission equipment and with the most spacious cabin in the medium twin class is the helicopter of choice for demanding homeland security requirements.

A large number of customers have ordered or are already operating the AW139 for law enforcement and SAR duties in many countries including Japan, China, The Netherlands, the UK, Italy, Spain, Estonia, Republic of Korea and Malaysia.

Orders for over 430 AW139 helicopters have been placed by more than 100 customers from over 40 countries to carry out a wide range of missions including law enforcement and homeland security duties, EMS/SAR, utility, fire fighting, VIP/corporate transport and offshore transport.