lmets to measure the force of roadside explosions and gather data that might be useful in treating traumatic brain injury, a researcher said Tuesday.
David Mott, a researcher at Naval Research Laboratory, presented findings showing that helmets, while providing protection against blasts, channel the shock wave to different parts of the head.
"The medical community does not really understand what causes TBI (traumatic brain injury). There are some theories regarding direct pressure on the head. There are other theories regarding cumulative effects of lower level explosions," he said.
With the helmet sensor being developed, a Marine would have a history of all the blasts to which he or she was exposed over the course of a deployment, he said in a telephone interview from a scientific conference at San Antonio, Texas.
"It will record pressure history as well as accleration, which will give us an idea of the severity and directionality of the blast," he said.
The helmet ideally would stay with the same marine over the course of a deployment, he said.
"So you would get a total history of every event they have been involved with whether it was severe enough that they went to the medic or whatever it was," he said.
"Down the road if health issues come up, or there is some other event you'll have that history and maybe you'll be able to relate it to what other type of injuries you may have.
Mott said prototypes of the sensor have been developed, but the project was still in the research and development phase.
The findings he presented at the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics in San Antonio drew from research conducted by teams at NRL and Canadian Allen-Vanguard Technologies.
The teams examined what happens when 1.5 kilograms of C-4 explosives detonates within meters of a crash dummy wearing a combat helmet with sensors.
Mott then modeled the fluid dynamics of the shock wave and found that it entered the gap between the helmet and the head and traveled about the head.
The helmet provided protection to the side of the head facing the blast, he said.
"But it gathered some of the wave that comes underneath in that gap and it can cause higher pressure on the backside of the head," he said.
"The pressure that is produced on that backside is comparable to what that incident wave would produce on an unprotected surface," he said.
He said the impact was not likely to be as severe on a human because there were differences in the case of a crash dummy that were not taken into account in the model.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Sensors for combat helmets could gather blast data
Sensors for combat helmets could gather blast data
(NSI News Source Info) Washington - November 27, 2008: The US Navy is developing sensors for combat he
lmets to measure the force of roadside explosions and gather data that might be useful in treating traumatic brain injury, a researcher said Tuesday.
David Mott, a researcher at Naval Research Laboratory, presented findings showing that helmets, while providing protection against blasts, channel the shock wave to different parts of the head.
"The medical community does not really understand what causes TBI (traumatic brain injury). There are some theories regarding direct pressure on the head. There are other theories regarding cumulative effects of lower level explosions," he said.
With the helmet sensor being developed, a Marine would have a history of all the blasts to which he or she was exposed over the course of a deployment, he said in a telephone interview from a scientific conference at San Antonio, Texas.
"It will record pressure history as well as accleration, which will give us an idea of the severity and directionality of the blast," he said.
The helmet ideally would stay with the same marine over the course of a deployment, he said.
"So you would get a total history of every event they have been involved with whether it was severe enough that they went to the medic or whatever it was," he said.
"Down the road if health issues come up, or there is some other event you'll have that history and maybe you'll be able to relate it to what other type of injuries you may have.
Mott said prototypes of the sensor have been developed, but the project was still in the research and development phase.
The findings he presented at the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics in San Antonio drew from research conducted by teams at NRL and Canadian Allen-Vanguard Technologies.
The teams examined what happens when 1.5 kilograms of C-4 explosives detonates within meters of a crash dummy wearing a combat helmet with sensors.
Mott then modeled the fluid dynamics of the shock wave and found that it entered the gap between the helmet and the head and traveled about the head.
The helmet provided protection to the side of the head facing the blast, he said.
"But it gathered some of the wave that comes underneath in that gap and it can cause higher pressure on the backside of the head," he said.
"The pressure that is produced on that backside is comparable to what that incident wave would produce on an unprotected surface," he said.
He said the impact was not likely to be as severe on a human because there were differences in the case of a crash dummy that were not taken into account in the model.
lmets to measure the force of roadside explosions and gather data that might be useful in treating traumatic brain injury, a researcher said Tuesday.
David Mott, a researcher at Naval Research Laboratory, presented findings showing that helmets, while providing protection against blasts, channel the shock wave to different parts of the head.
"The medical community does not really understand what causes TBI (traumatic brain injury). There are some theories regarding direct pressure on the head. There are other theories regarding cumulative effects of lower level explosions," he said.
With the helmet sensor being developed, a Marine would have a history of all the blasts to which he or she was exposed over the course of a deployment, he said in a telephone interview from a scientific conference at San Antonio, Texas.
"It will record pressure history as well as accleration, which will give us an idea of the severity and directionality of the blast," he said.
The helmet ideally would stay with the same marine over the course of a deployment, he said.
"So you would get a total history of every event they have been involved with whether it was severe enough that they went to the medic or whatever it was," he said.
"Down the road if health issues come up, or there is some other event you'll have that history and maybe you'll be able to relate it to what other type of injuries you may have.
Mott said prototypes of the sensor have been developed, but the project was still in the research and development phase.
The findings he presented at the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics in San Antonio drew from research conducted by teams at NRL and Canadian Allen-Vanguard Technologies.
The teams examined what happens when 1.5 kilograms of C-4 explosives detonates within meters of a crash dummy wearing a combat helmet with sensors.
Mott then modeled the fluid dynamics of the shock wave and found that it entered the gap between the helmet and the head and traveled about the head.
The helmet provided protection to the side of the head facing the blast, he said.
"But it gathered some of the wave that comes underneath in that gap and it can cause higher pressure on the backside of the head," he said.
"The pressure that is produced on that backside is comparable to what that incident wave would produce on an unprotected surface," he said.
He said the impact was not likely to be as severe on a human because there were differences in the case of a crash dummy that were not taken into account in the model.
CAEW – Conformal Airborne Early Warning Aircraft, Israel
CAEW – Conformal Airborne Early Warning Aircraft, Israel
(NSI News Source Info) November 27, 2008: The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) conformal airborne early warning and control (CAEW) aircraft was first unveiled in public at the UK's 2008 Farnborough Air Show. The prime contractor, system developer and system integrator for the CAEW is Elta Systems Ltd, a subsidiary of IAI. 
The CAEW provides improved performance in terms of higher operating altitude, longer range and increased time on station.
The CAEW aircraft is based on the G550 airframe from Gulfstream Aerospace of the USA. The operationally proven G550 CAEW aircraft is the third generation of airborne early warning and control systems developed by IAI Elta since the mid-1980s.
Gulfstream was awarded a contract for four (plus two options) G550 modified aircraft in August 2003. First flight of the modified aircraft was in May 2006 and it was delivered to Elta for the installation of the mission systems in September 2006. The first and second CAEW aircraft were delivered to the Israel Air Force in February and May 2008 and since then have been in operational use.
The Singapore Air Force has also ordered a number of CAEW aircraft to be delivered during 2009 and 2010.
The CAEW provides improved performance in terms of higher operating altitude, longer range and increased time on station. The main AEW performance advantages result from the capability to point the radar beams in any direction in space at any time, with the beam's parameters controlled by the radar computer.
CAEW airframe
The CAEW aircraft is based on the Gulfstream G550 airframe, which is an upgraded variant of the Gulfstream V-SP with improved aerodynamic performance. The aircraft is manufactured at the Gulfstream business jet production centre in Savannah, Georgia, USA and transferred to IAI Elta Systems Ltd in Ashdod, Israel.
Compared to the original G550, the CAEW redesigned aircraft has an increased zero-fuel weight, a modified structure, additional cabling, three (instead of one) power generators and a liquid cooling system to accommodate the mission equipment. One particular specification is the aircraft's low drag aerodynamic profile.
IAI's Bedek Aviation is contracted to provide the maintenance and logistic support for the Israeli CAEW aircraft.
Cockpit
The baseline G550 aircraft uses a Honeywell Primus Epic avionics suite and the two-man flight deck has a Gulfstream PlaneView cockpit. The CAEW flight deck provides the pilot with real-time 360°, three-dimensional AEW information.
Mission systems
The AEW system has six multi-purpose, Windows-based, operator stations with 24in colour monitors that are installed in the rear half of the main cabin. The forward section of the main cabin behind the cockpit accommodates the electronics.
The Elta AEW system provides rapid target acquisition and target information with total 360° coverage. Avoiding host aircraft obstruction is achieved by using the placement of a number of conformal antennae combined with dynamic beam allocation to the targets. The multiple conformal antennae provide the coverage without the need for a large mushroom-shaped radar system installed on comparable aircraft.
The aircraft is equipped with the Elta EL/W-2085 AEW system which includes a phased array airborne early warning radar, an identification friend or foe system, electronic support measures (ESM), electronic intelligence (ELINT) and communications intelligence (COMINT) systems.
The system is highly automated and uses advanced multi-sensor data fusion techniques to cross-correlate data generated by all four sensors - the radar, IFF, ESM / ELINT and CSM / COMINT. The data is combined with an automatically initiated active search by one sensor for specific targets that have been detected by other sensors.
"The Elta AEW system provides rapid target acquisition and target information with total 360° coverage."
The phased array airborne early warning radar, an active electronic steering array (AESA), operates in L and S bands (1GHz to 2GHz and 2GHz to 4GHz) and provides 360° azimuthal coverage. The system has high-accuracy three-dimensional tracking, low false-alarm rate, flexible and high target revisit time, electronic counter-countermeasures and programmable search and track modes of operation.
The modes of operation include track initiation, extended detection range mode with long dwell time, and target verification. When a target has been identified as a priority the radar switches to a high scan rate tracking mode with optimised beam to target characteristics.
The forward-facing hemisphere radar array and the weather radar are mounted in the nose radome. The lateral arrays are housed in conformal radomes along the sides of the forward fuselage. The radome located on the tailcone houses the aft facing hemispherical array.
The information friend or foe system uses the radar's receive / transmit modules and antennae and provides target interrogation, decoding, target detection, location and target tracking.
The electronic support measures and electronic intelligence systems use multiple narrow and wideband receivers. The ESM / ELINT also provides the radar warning receiver function and supports the aircraft's self-protection system. The antenna pods are mounted under the wingtips. An electronic support measures antenna is mounted in a fairing above the nose cone which houses the weather radar. The direction finding function uses differential time of arrival.
The automated communications intelligence system covers the high (HF) to very-high (VHF) frequency bands from 3MHz to 3GHz.
Communications
The aircraft's communications suite provides network-centric operations capability and is interoperable with air force, navy and ground force assets and includes U/VHF, HF, satellite communications, voice over internet protocol (VoIP), secure voice, secure data link and intercom.
"The CAEW aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR710C4-11 turbofan engines."
The aircraft is fitted with a robust jam-resistant full duplex EL/K-189 satellite communications and datalink. The satellite communications operates at Ku band, 12.5GHz to 18GHz. The satellite antenna dish and one planar array are housed in the vertical tail surface top fairing and another planar array is housed in a ventral blister radome. The antennae are dual axis stabilised with pointing capability. The carrier link can provide voice, data and compressed video.
The aircraft can be fitted with the data link specified by the customer country.
CAEW countermeasures 
The aircraft is fitted with an integrated self protection suite with 360° radar warning receiver (RWR), missile approach warning system (MAWS), chaff and flare decoy dispensers and directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM).
Engines
The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR710C4-11 turbofan engines rated at 68.4kN and fitted with full authority digital engine control (FADEC). The engines are fitted at the rear of the fuselage. The integral wing tanks have a fuel capacity of 23,400l and the fuel system is equipped with an automatic fuel distribution system to accommodate the changing fuel load during flight.
The aircraft is equipped with a Hamilton Sundstrand electrical power generation system and the CAEW aircraft also has power generators mounted on the engines providing 240kW of power.
Gulfstream was responsible for the design and supply of the liquid cooling system to accommodate the high power consumption of the airborne electronics.
The CAEW provides improved performance in terms of higher operating altitude, longer range and increased time on station.
The CAEW aircraft is based on the G550 airframe from Gulfstream Aerospace of the USA. The operationally proven G550 CAEW aircraft is the third generation of airborne early warning and control systems developed by IAI Elta since the mid-1980s.
Gulfstream was awarded a contract for four (plus two options) G550 modified aircraft in August 2003. First flight of the modified aircraft was in May 2006 and it was delivered to Elta for the installation of the mission systems in September 2006. The first and second CAEW aircraft were delivered to the Israel Air Force in February and May 2008 and since then have been in operational use.
The Singapore Air Force has also ordered a number of CAEW aircraft to be delivered during 2009 and 2010.
The CAEW provides improved performance in terms of higher operating altitude, longer range and increased time on station. The main AEW performance advantages result from the capability to point the radar beams in any direction in space at any time, with the beam's parameters controlled by the radar computer.
CAEW airframe
The CAEW aircraft is based on the Gulfstream G550 airframe, which is an upgraded variant of the Gulfstream V-SP with improved aerodynamic performance. The aircraft is manufactured at the Gulfstream business jet production centre in Savannah, Georgia, USA and transferred to IAI Elta Systems Ltd in Ashdod, Israel.
Compared to the original G550, the CAEW redesigned aircraft has an increased zero-fuel weight, a modified structure, additional cabling, three (instead of one) power generators and a liquid cooling system to accommodate the mission equipment. One particular specification is the aircraft's low drag aerodynamic profile.
IAI's Bedek Aviation is contracted to provide the maintenance and logistic support for the Israeli CAEW aircraft.
Cockpit
The baseline G550 aircraft uses a Honeywell Primus Epic avionics suite and the two-man flight deck has a Gulfstream PlaneView cockpit. The CAEW flight deck provides the pilot with real-time 360°, three-dimensional AEW information.
Mission systems
The AEW system has six multi-purpose, Windows-based, operator stations with 24in colour monitors that are installed in the rear half of the main cabin. The forward section of the main cabin behind the cockpit accommodates the electronics.
The Elta AEW system provides rapid target acquisition and target information with total 360° coverage. Avoiding host aircraft obstruction is achieved by using the placement of a number of conformal antennae combined with dynamic beam allocation to the targets. The multiple conformal antennae provide the coverage without the need for a large mushroom-shaped radar system installed on comparable aircraft.
The aircraft is equipped with the Elta EL/W-2085 AEW system which includes a phased array airborne early warning radar, an identification friend or foe system, electronic support measures (ESM), electronic intelligence (ELINT) and communications intelligence (COMINT) systems.
The system is highly automated and uses advanced multi-sensor data fusion techniques to cross-correlate data generated by all four sensors - the radar, IFF, ESM / ELINT and CSM / COMINT. The data is combined with an automatically initiated active search by one sensor for specific targets that have been detected by other sensors.
"The Elta AEW system provides rapid target acquisition and target information with total 360° coverage."
The phased array airborne early warning radar, an active electronic steering array (AESA), operates in L and S bands (1GHz to 2GHz and 2GHz to 4GHz) and provides 360° azimuthal coverage. The system has high-accuracy three-dimensional tracking, low false-alarm rate, flexible and high target revisit time, electronic counter-countermeasures and programmable search and track modes of operation.
The modes of operation include track initiation, extended detection range mode with long dwell time, and target verification. When a target has been identified as a priority the radar switches to a high scan rate tracking mode with optimised beam to target characteristics.
The forward-facing hemisphere radar array and the weather radar are mounted in the nose radome. The lateral arrays are housed in conformal radomes along the sides of the forward fuselage. The radome located on the tailcone houses the aft facing hemispherical array.
The information friend or foe system uses the radar's receive / transmit modules and antennae and provides target interrogation, decoding, target detection, location and target tracking.
The electronic support measures and electronic intelligence systems use multiple narrow and wideband receivers. The ESM / ELINT also provides the radar warning receiver function and supports the aircraft's self-protection system. The antenna pods are mounted under the wingtips. An electronic support measures antenna is mounted in a fairing above the nose cone which houses the weather radar. The direction finding function uses differential time of arrival.
The automated communications intelligence system covers the high (HF) to very-high (VHF) frequency bands from 3MHz to 3GHz.
Communications
The aircraft's communications suite provides network-centric operations capability and is interoperable with air force, navy and ground force assets and includes U/VHF, HF, satellite communications, voice over internet protocol (VoIP), secure voice, secure data link and intercom.
"The CAEW aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR710C4-11 turbofan engines."
The aircraft is fitted with a robust jam-resistant full duplex EL/K-189 satellite communications and datalink. The satellite communications operates at Ku band, 12.5GHz to 18GHz. The satellite antenna dish and one planar array are housed in the vertical tail surface top fairing and another planar array is housed in a ventral blister radome. The antennae are dual axis stabilised with pointing capability. The carrier link can provide voice, data and compressed video.
The aircraft can be fitted with the data link specified by the customer country.
CAEW countermeasures The aircraft is fitted with an integrated self protection suite with 360° radar warning receiver (RWR), missile approach warning system (MAWS), chaff and flare decoy dispensers and directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM).
Engines
The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR710C4-11 turbofan engines rated at 68.4kN and fitted with full authority digital engine control (FADEC). The engines are fitted at the rear of the fuselage. The integral wing tanks have a fuel capacity of 23,400l and the fuel system is equipped with an automatic fuel distribution system to accommodate the changing fuel load during flight.
The aircraft is equipped with a Hamilton Sundstrand electrical power generation system and the CAEW aircraft also has power generators mounted on the engines providing 240kW of power.
Gulfstream was responsible for the design and supply of the liquid cooling system to accommodate the high power consumption of the airborne electronics.
Russia Test Fires Intercontinental Missile
Russia Test Fires Intercontinental Missile
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - November 26, 2008: Russia on Wednesd
ay successfully test-fired for the third time its new RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile, designed to counter air defense systems like the controversial US missile shield.
The missile was fired from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in north Russia and hit targets on the Kamchatka Peninsula that juts into the Pacific Ocean 4,000 miles to the east, Russian news agencies reported.
"The targets that were set were reached. The tasks were fully carried out," the commander of Russia's strategic missile forces, Nikolai Solovtsov, was quoted as saying by Interfax.
"The deployment of the RS-24 missiles, which have a detachable warhead, strengthens the military options of the Russian missile forces in overcoming missile defense systems."
Military spokesman Alexei Zolotukhin told Interfax that "the missile... was launched from a mobile launcher. This is the third test-firing of the RS-24 in the last two years."
Russia in May 2007 first test-fired the RS-24, which the military has said is designed to overcome air-defense systems such as the controversial US missile shield planned for deployment in eastern 
Europe.
The second test, which was also successful, was in December 2007. Experts and Russian news agencies have said the missile is capable of carrying three nuclear warheads.
The new test comes after Moscow has repeatedly expressed its fury over US plans to place a missile defense radar system in the Czech Republic and linked interceptor missiles in Poland.
Both President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have urged Barack Obama to drop the plans when he takes over the White House in January but the US president-elect has yet to reveal his intentions.
ay successfully test-fired for the third time its new RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile, designed to counter air defense systems like the controversial US missile shield.
The missile was fired from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in north Russia and hit targets on the Kamchatka Peninsula that juts into the Pacific Ocean 4,000 miles to the east, Russian news agencies reported.
"The targets that were set were reached. The tasks were fully carried out," the commander of Russia's strategic missile forces, Nikolai Solovtsov, was quoted as saying by Interfax.
"The deployment of the RS-24 missiles, which have a detachable warhead, strengthens the military options of the Russian missile forces in overcoming missile defense systems."
Military spokesman Alexei Zolotukhin told Interfax that "the missile... was launched from a mobile launcher. This is the third test-firing of the RS-24 in the last two years."
Russia in May 2007 first test-fired the RS-24, which the military has said is designed to overcome air-defense systems such as the controversial US missile shield planned for deployment in eastern 
Europe.
The second test, which was also successful, was in December 2007. Experts and Russian news agencies have said the missile is capable of carrying three nuclear warheads.
The new test comes after Moscow has repeatedly expressed its fury over US plans to place a missile defense radar system in the Czech Republic and linked interceptor missiles in Poland.
Both President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have urged Barack Obama to drop the plans when he takes over the White House in January but the US president-elect has yet to reveal his intentions.
Royal Netherlands Navy Launches Harpoons From New Frigate
Royal Netherlands Navy Launches Harpoons From New Frigate
(NSI News Source Info) ST. LOUIS - November. 26, 2008 -- Boeing, Nov. 
25 today announced that the Royal Netherlands Navy has successfully test-launched two Boeing Harpoon missiles from air defense and command frigate (LCF) HMS De Zeven Provinciën. The exercise, which was the first LCF launch of a Harpoon, was held off the coast of Virginia on Nov. 8.
In the exercise scenario, a hostile ship attacked the Dutch frigate, which responded with a salvo of two Harpoon Block IC missiles, marking the first time the Dutch Navy has launched multiple Harpoons on a single target. Both Harpoons hit and destroyed the target. The Netherlands has been a Harpoon customer since 1975.
"We are extremely pleased with the performance of the Harpoon Weapon System during this test, and we congratulate the Royal Netherlands Navy on achieving this new milestone," said Jan Browne, Boeing director of Stand-Off Strike Weapons. "Harpoon is an extremely reliable weapon system in use by the United States and 27 allied countries. We are proud of Boeing Weapons Programs' 33-
year relationship with the Netherlands."
Boeing has delivered more than 7,000 missiles to U.S. and allied navies. The Harpoon Block I missile is capable of flying in excess of 67 nautical miles and carries a 500-pound warhead. In 2001, Boeing delivered the first Harpoon Block II missile, which incorporates a Global Positioning System navigation system to provide autonomous, over-the-horizon capabilities, even in adverse weather. The Harpoon Block III missile, which includes a data link system for in-flight target updates, is currently in development.
25 today announced that the Royal Netherlands Navy has successfully test-launched two Boeing Harpoon missiles from air defense and command frigate (LCF) HMS De Zeven Provinciën. The exercise, which was the first LCF launch of a Harpoon, was held off the coast of Virginia on Nov. 8.
In the exercise scenario, a hostile ship attacked the Dutch frigate, which responded with a salvo of two Harpoon Block IC missiles, marking the first time the Dutch Navy has launched multiple Harpoons on a single target. Both Harpoons hit and destroyed the target. The Netherlands has been a Harpoon customer since 1975.
"We are extremely pleased with the performance of the Harpoon Weapon System during this test, and we congratulate the Royal Netherlands Navy on achieving this new milestone," said Jan Browne, Boeing director of Stand-Off Strike Weapons. "Harpoon is an extremely reliable weapon system in use by the United States and 27 allied countries. We are proud of Boeing Weapons Programs' 33-
year relationship with the Netherlands."
Boeing has delivered more than 7,000 missiles to U.S. and allied navies. The Harpoon Block I missile is capable of flying in excess of 67 nautical miles and carries a 500-pound warhead. In 2001, Boeing delivered the first Harpoon Block II missile, which incorporates a Global Positioning System navigation system to provide autonomous, over-the-horizon capabilities, even in adverse weather. The Harpoon Block III missile, which includes a data link system for in-flight target updates, is currently in development.
India Sank Wrong Ship in Pirate Attack
India Sank Wrong Ship in Pirate Attack
(NSI News Source Info) November 26, 2008: The "pirate mother ship" blown out of the water by the Indian n
avy in the Gulf of Arden last week was actually a Thai fishing trawler that had been seized by the pirates, the International Herald Tribune reports. The boat's owner learned of the mistake when a surviving crew member was rescued after holding on to a floating barrel for five days. Fourteen others are missing and presumed dead.
"The Indian navy assumed it was a pirate vessel because they may have seen armed pirates on board the boat, which had been hijacked earlier," said an official from the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center. A spokesman for the Indian navy defended the sinking, saying it had received threats from the vessel and acted accordingly.
avy in the Gulf of Arden last week was actually a Thai fishing trawler that had been seized by the pirates, the International Herald Tribune reports. The boat's owner learned of the mistake when a surviving crew member was rescued after holding on to a floating barrel for five days. Fourteen others are missing and presumed dead.
"The Indian navy assumed it was a pirate vessel because they may have seen armed pirates on board the boat, which had been hijacked earlier," said an official from the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center. A spokesman for the Indian navy defended the sinking, saying it had received threats from the vessel and acted accordingly.
Sri Lanka rebel HQ 'to fall soon'
Sri Lanka rebel HQ 'to fall soon'
(NSI News Source Info) Source - BBC News, November 26, 2008: The Sri Lankan army has said that the capture of the Tamil Tiger rebels' stronghold of Kilinochchi is imminent.
Kilinochchi is the rebels' de facto capital in the north and troops have been attacking it from three directions since Sunday morning.
Sri Lankan soldiers patrol in a railway station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008. Sri Lankan soldiers captured a Tamil Tiger rebel training camp, while air force helicopters bombed two rebel groups in the north, the military said
The rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for Tamils in the north and east since 1983 and 70,000 people have died in the violence.
The Tamil Tigers have not yet commented on the army claims.
Eastern clashes
"The fall of Kilinochchi is very imminent," defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.
The spokesman said the rebels appeared to be retreating.
Heavy fighting has been going on in the area for the past few days as the Sri Lankan military makes a final push to claim the territory.
The defence ministry has said in a statement that its soldiers are also closing in on Mullaitivu, where the rebels are believed to have concentrated their forces following recent army advances elsewhere in the north. The rebels say they are mounting a successful defence.
"Troops of the 59th division advancing towards the Tigers' most strategic commanding base in the north-eastern coastal belt, Mullaitivu, are further consolidating and extending their defences," the ministry said.
On Tuesday the army said troops had captured the village of Olumadu, on the A34 road to Mullaitivu.
The pro-rebel website, TamilNet, has not commented on the latest fighting but on Tuesday released photos of "dead soldiers" from the fighting around Kilinochchi.
Correspondents say the photos - if genuine - are the first to be publicly released of the weekend offensive by the army to capture Kilinochchi.
Tensions are also running high in the east, where police say at least nine people, including two soldiers, were killed in separate incidents on Tuesday.
It was the greatest loss of life in a single day for months in the east.
The eastern region is governed by a coalition led by a party that defected from the Tamil Tigers, known as Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP).
The campaign group, Human Rights Watch, alleges that the TMVP is responsible for some of the recent killings and abductions.
Correspondents say that with the battle raging in the north, some view the increase in attacks on security forces in the east as a diversionary tactic by the rebels.
On Thursday the Tigers' leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is to deliver his only speech of the year as the rebels commemorate their dead.
Sri Lankan soldiers patrol in a railway station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008. Sri Lankan soldiers captured a Tamil Tiger rebel training camp, while air force helicopters bombed two rebel groups in the north, the military saidUS has never advised Israel against Iran strike: Olmert
US has never advised Israel against Iran strike: Olmert
(NSI News Source Info) Washington - November 26, 2008: The United States has not pressured Israel to rule out military action in order to halt Iran's nuclear program, Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday after talks with President George W. Bush.
The outgoing prime minister, who ends what is probably his last visit to Washington in office, said he had "spoke at length with Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the president on Iran."
"There is a basic, deep understanding about the Iranian threat and the need to act in order to remove threat," he told reporters.
Israel considers Iran its greatest threat, because of Tehran's accelerating nuclear program and repeated statements by its leaders predicting the Jewish state's demise.
Israel -- the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear power -- and the United States accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran has insisted its program is entirely peaceful.
The Jewish state has refused to rule out military response to the nuclear standoff and Olmert said on Tuesday that the Bush administration has never advised them against such action.
"I don't remember that anyone in the administration, including in the last couple of days, advised me or any other of my official representatives not to take any action that we will deem necessary for the fundamental security of the state of Israel, and that includes Iran," Olmert said.
As Bush prepares to leave the White House on January 20 and with Olmert set to step down amid a corruption scandal after February elections, the premier wanted to clinch new US commitments on Iran before president-elect Barack Obama takes office.
Officials said Olmert would press Bush and Congress to allow Israel to purchase dozens of F-35 stealth fighter jets, which would considerably boost the Israeli air force's ability to carry out long-range strikes.
The Pentagon has announced that Israel had asked to buy up to 75 jets, but Congress has yet to give the 15-billion dollar (12-billion euro) deal a green light.
Over the past year, the United States has considerably increased its already tight defense ties with its ally, giving the Jewish state an unprecedented 10-year, 30-billion dollar defense aid commitment.
Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday after talks with President George W. Bush.
The outgoing prime minister, who ends what is probably his last visit to Washington in office, said he had "spoke at length with Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the president on Iran."
"There is a basic, deep understanding about the Iranian threat and the need to act in order to remove threat," he told reporters.
Israel considers Iran its greatest threat, because of Tehran's accelerating nuclear program and repeated statements by its leaders predicting the Jewish state's demise.
Israel -- the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear power -- and the United States accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran has insisted its program is entirely peaceful.
The Jewish state has refused to rule out military response to the nuclear standoff and Olmert said on Tuesday that the Bush administration has never advised them against such action.
"I don't remember that anyone in the administration, including in the last couple of days, advised me or any other of my official representatives not to take any action that we will deem necessary for the fundamental security of the state of Israel, and that includes Iran," Olmert said.
As Bush prepares to leave the White House on January 20 and with Olmert set to step down amid a corruption scandal after February elections, the premier wanted to clinch new US commitments on Iran before president-elect Barack Obama takes office.
Officials said Olmert would press Bush and Congress to allow Israel to purchase dozens of F-35 stealth fighter jets, which would considerably boost the Israeli air force's ability to carry out long-range strikes.
The Pentagon has announced that Israel had asked to buy up to 75 jets, but Congress has yet to give the 15-billion dollar (12-billion euro) deal a green light.
Over the past year, the United States has considerably increased its already tight defense ties with its ally, giving the Jewish state an unprecedented 10-year, 30-billion dollar defense aid commitment.
Russian warships cruise into US back yard to make power point
Russian warships cruise into US back yard to make power point
(NSI News Source Info) La Guaira, Venezuela - November 26, 2008: Russian warships arrived in Venezuela Tuesday, for the first time in regional waters since the Cold War, ahead of a two-day visit by Russian President Dmitry Medve
dev.
It was a major symbolic show of military and diplomatic force as Russia moves to underscore its international heft amid intense frustration with Washington over a European-based missile shield and over the war in Georgia. Oil-rich Venezuela is among the staunchest US critics worldwide.
The Venezuelan navy welcomed the warships, including the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great and destroyer Admiral Chabankenko, at the northern port of La Guaira, near Caracas, for a week of joint maneuvers.
Medvedev was due to arrive Wednesday for a two-day visit, before heading to communist Cuba, to promote ties and oversee the start of the exercises, as Moscow seeks to rebuild influence in the Americas that eroded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and even expand it.
The exercises, dubbed VenRus 2008, would take first take place in dock and then at sea on December 1, vice admiral Luis Morales Marquez, a Venezuelan operations commander, told journalists here.
The aim was to "strengthen links of friendship and solidarity with the Russian fleet and the Bolivarian national armed forces," Marquez said.
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said the maneuvers were not a provocation, but an exchange between "two free, sovereign countries that are getting closer," at a news conference late Monday.
"We carried out maneuvers with Brazil recently, with France, with the Netherlands and now with Russia," Chavez said.
But analysts see the Russian leader as boldly bringing a defiant message to Washington's doorstep, in the wake of Russian outrage at US plans to install a strategic missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, and support for the brief Georgia war in August.
"If the Venezuelans and the Russians want to have, you know, a military exercise, that's fine, but we'll obviously be watching it very closely," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday in Washington.
"I don't think there's any question about who ... the region looks to in terms of political, economic, diplomatic and as well as military power," McCormack added.
The US has expressed concern, however, about Russian arms supplies to the oil-rich OPEC country.
The two countries have signed 4.4 billion dollars in bilateral arms deals since 2005, including radars, 24 Sukhoi-30 planes, 50 helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikovs.
Medvedev was expected to expand arms deals during his visit, as well as economic and energy ties, including plans for a joint civilian nuclear reactor.
Some 1,600 Russian forces traveling on four Russian ships joined 700 Venezuelans for the exercises.
Venezuela was due to mobilize three frigates, an amphibious warfare ship and eight patrol boats, as well as Sukhoi planes recently purchased from Russia.
Marquez suggested more exercises could take place in Russian waters at a later date.
A Russian naval spokesman said in Moscow that the exercises would include operation planning, helping ships in distress and supplying ships on the move.
"Until a few years ago, we did a lot of maneuvers with the United States. Now we don't do maneuvers with the United States, of course. We got out of that defense system and we're creating our own system of defense," Chavez said.
In September, two Tu-160 Russian strategic bombers carried out training for several days in Venezuela.
"Nations frequently exercise with each other. Russia is free to exercise peacefully with anyone that they want to exercise with," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Monday.
"But also people note through these exercises the company that nations keep."
Medvedev's four-nation Latin America tour began in Peru where he signed a series of economic and political accords before traveling to regional economic powerhouse Brazil.
dev.
It was a major symbolic show of military and diplomatic force as Russia moves to underscore its international heft amid intense frustration with Washington over a European-based missile shield and over the war in Georgia. Oil-rich Venezuela is among the staunchest US critics worldwide.
The Venezuelan navy welcomed the warships, including the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great and destroyer Admiral Chabankenko, at the northern port of La Guaira, near Caracas, for a week of joint maneuvers.
Medvedev was due to arrive Wednesday for a two-day visit, before heading to communist Cuba, to promote ties and oversee the start of the exercises, as Moscow seeks to rebuild influence in the Americas that eroded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and even expand it.
The exercises, dubbed VenRus 2008, would take first take place in dock and then at sea on December 1, vice admiral Luis Morales Marquez, a Venezuelan operations commander, told journalists here.
The aim was to "strengthen links of friendship and solidarity with the Russian fleet and the Bolivarian national armed forces," Marquez said.
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said the maneuvers were not a provocation, but an exchange between "two free, sovereign countries that are getting closer," at a news conference late Monday.
"We carried out maneuvers with Brazil recently, with France, with the Netherlands and now with Russia," Chavez said.
But analysts see the Russian leader as boldly bringing a defiant message to Washington's doorstep, in the wake of Russian outrage at US plans to install a strategic missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, and support for the brief Georgia war in August.
"If the Venezuelans and the Russians want to have, you know, a military exercise, that's fine, but we'll obviously be watching it very closely," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday in Washington.
"I don't think there's any question about who ... the region looks to in terms of political, economic, diplomatic and as well as military power," McCormack added.
The US has expressed concern, however, about Russian arms supplies to the oil-rich OPEC country.
The two countries have signed 4.4 billion dollars in bilateral arms deals since 2005, including radars, 24 Sukhoi-30 planes, 50 helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikovs.
Medvedev was expected to expand arms deals during his visit, as well as economic and energy ties, including plans for a joint civilian nuclear reactor.
Some 1,600 Russian forces traveling on four Russian ships joined 700 Venezuelans for the exercises.
Venezuela was due to mobilize three frigates, an amphibious warfare ship and eight patrol boats, as well as Sukhoi planes recently purchased from Russia.
Marquez suggested more exercises could take place in Russian waters at a later date.
A Russian naval spokesman said in Moscow that the exercises would include operation planning, helping ships in distress and supplying ships on the move.
"Until a few years ago, we did a lot of maneuvers with the United States. Now we don't do maneuvers with the United States, of course. We got out of that defense system and we're creating our own system of defense," Chavez said.
In September, two Tu-160 Russian strategic bombers carried out training for several days in Venezuela.
"Nations frequently exercise with each other. Russia is free to exercise peacefully with anyone that they want to exercise with," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Monday.
"But also people note through these exercises the company that nations keep."
Medvedev's four-nation Latin America tour began in Peru where he signed a series of economic and political accords before traveling to regional economic powerhouse Brazil.QNA Wins US Army Order For EARS Sniper Detectors
QNA Wins US Army Order For EARS Sniper Detectors
(NSI News Source Info) VA - November 26, 2008: QinetiQ North America's Technology Solutions Group has announced a $9.95 million order from the US Army's Rapid Equipping Force (REF) for SWATS Soldier-Wearable Acoustic Targeting Systems. Part of the Ears Gunshot Localization System product family, SWATS soldier-worn units will be deployed
to US Army troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan this year.
The deployment, expected to be complete by early next year, will also include QinetiQ North America personnel to provide training and field support.
This is the US Army's first large-scale deployment of any soldier-wearable gunshot and sniper detection solution.
According to Don Steinman, Director of Technology Marketing and Transition for QinetiQ North America's Technology Solutions Group, QinetiQ North America worked directly with the United States military to extensively test Ears, both in-theatre and in stateside demonstrations.
The results, he says, meet the US Army's requirement and give soldiers an important tool to help keep them safe. The Ears systems purchased by the REF will include next-generation sensors and rugged features that further address the environment in which the gunshot localization systems will be deployed.
"The soldiers gave us feedback and we acted on it," said Steinman.
"The result is a powerful, rugged, and lightweight gunshot localization system that helps the individual warfighter rapidly respond to dangerous situations."
to US Army troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan this year.
The deployment, expected to be complete by early next year, will also include QinetiQ North America personnel to provide training and field support.
This is the US Army's first large-scale deployment of any soldier-wearable gunshot and sniper detection solution.
According to Don Steinman, Director of Technology Marketing and Transition for QinetiQ North America's Technology Solutions Group, QinetiQ North America worked directly with the United States military to extensively test Ears, both in-theatre and in stateside demonstrations.
The results, he says, meet the US Army's requirement and give soldiers an important tool to help keep them safe. The Ears systems purchased by the REF will include next-generation sensors and rugged features that further address the environment in which the gunshot localization systems will be deployed.
"The soldiers gave us feedback and we acted on it," said Steinman.
"The result is a powerful, rugged, and lightweight gunshot localization system that helps the individual warfighter rapidly respond to dangerous situations."
Oshkosh 1070F Heavy Equipment Transporter, United Kingdom
Oshkosh 1070F Heavy Equipment Transporter, United Kingdom
(NSI News Source Info) November 26, 2008: The Oshkosh 1070F (8×8) heavy equipment transporter (HET) became the new British Army heavy tank transporter in 2001 replacing the Scammel Commander. The vehicle has been in production by Oshkosh since 1992 and they have supplied over 2,600 of them to the US Army in various engine configurations such as the 1070E and the 1070E1. The UK version (1070F) had to be supplied with compliance to European legislation on emissions (EURO III).
"The British Army heavy transporter contract was awarded as a 20-year PFI to the FASTRAX consortium."
UK contract 
The British Army heavy transporter contract was awarded as a 20-year PFI (private finance initiative) to the FASTRAX consortium (Kellogg Brown and Root, Deutsche Bank and the Oshkosh Truck Corporation).
FASTTRAX was awarded the £290m whole-life-cost contract for 92 tractor trucks, 89 King GTS 110/7 semi-trailers along with three Tru-Hitch recovery systems and also staff to operate them as Sponsored Reserves in January 2001. The vehicles were delivered by Oshkosh between 2003 and 2004.
Oshkosh 1070F features 
The Oshkosh 1070F HET has the same basic chassis and axle set-up as the M1070 model, but the cab, engine and transmission have been changed to meet European requirements.
The cab is an all-steel affair with two doors that seats six. The driver and front passenger are seated on suspension seats and the four passengers in the back are on a bench seat able to convert into two double bunks (the full crew for the truck and loaded tank is 12).
The 1070F uses the Caterpillar C-18 engine, which is an 18.1l six-cylinder in-line turbocharged and after-cooled diesel power unit that can produce 700hp and 2,576Nm torque at 1,300rpm. The vehicle provides the necessary power to move its 118,050kg GCW (72t Challenger II tank) at a speed of 80km/h on tarmac surfaces and 38km/h on a 2.5% gradient. The transmission used in the 1070F is the Allison HD 4076P, seven-speed automatic with TC-561 torque converter and second-gear start.
The 1070F's cab is 2.59m wide (3.67m including the mirrors), the height is 3.74m, the length is 9.49m, the ground clearance is 0.40m and the unladen weight is 20t (unladen weight with trailer is 46t).
The 1070F is equipped with an Eaton VORAD sideways radar to visualise blind spots on the nearside and has Rockwell air actuated S-cam Bendix ABS/ATC brakes.
The Oshkosh also has a central tyre inflation system (CTIS) operated via a series of buttons on the dash ('CC' for cross-country, 'HWY' for normal on a highway, 'MSS' for mud, snow and sand) that can keep a tyre inflated even if a bullet goes through it. The tyres used for the UK 1070F are Michelin 425/95 R20 (16.00 R20) 22 ply tubeless.
"The Oshkosh 1070F became the new British Army heavy tank transporter in 2001."
The truck (maximum speed of 85km/h) has a total fuel capacity of 947l with a range of 325 miles. The rig is fitted with a twin winch giving dual 24.9t pulling capacity and uses a Kings GTS 100 hydraulic tilting trailer (designed and built by King Trailers Limited of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, UK) with a length of 17.28m and a weight of 26t and 285/70R 19.5 (150/147J) tubeless tyres at a pressure of 116PSI. There are five steering axles on the trailer, the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th and the whole vehicle has a turning circle of 30.5m and a fording depth of 0.70m.
Steering and auxiliary systems 
The steering system for the rig is a two-axle Ackerman (front and rear) with integral hydraulic with dual steering gears on the front axle (20.1:1 front steering gear ratio, 25.0:1 rear steering gear ratio and 2.21:1 rear steering reduction ratio).
The suspension system in the front is a Hendrickson parabolic taper leaf spring and in the rear is a Tridem Hendrickson-Turner air ride. The 1070F has an auxiliary diesel power pack consisting of a Lister Petter LPA2 twin-cylinder direct-injection diesel to provide backup hydraulic power for adjustment of the live 'Hydroneck', power steering system balance pressure adjustment and power override, and the suspension system raise / lower facility. This can also be used in a cold start for the main engine.
The British Army heavy transporter contract was awarded as a 20-year PFI (private finance initiative) to the FASTRAX consortium (Kellogg Brown and Root, Deutsche Bank and the Oshkosh Truck Corporation).
FASTTRAX was awarded the £290m whole-life-cost contract for 92 tractor trucks, 89 King GTS 110/7 semi-trailers along with three Tru-Hitch recovery systems and also staff to operate them as Sponsored Reserves in January 2001. The vehicles were delivered by Oshkosh between 2003 and 2004.
Oshkosh 1070F features The Oshkosh 1070F HET has the same basic chassis and axle set-up as the M1070 model, but the cab, engine and transmission have been changed to meet European requirements.
The cab is an all-steel affair with two doors that seats six. The driver and front passenger are seated on suspension seats and the four passengers in the back are on a bench seat able to convert into two double bunks (the full crew for the truck and loaded tank is 12).
The 1070F uses the Caterpillar C-18 engine, which is an 18.1l six-cylinder in-line turbocharged and after-cooled diesel power unit that can produce 700hp and 2,576Nm torque at 1,300rpm. The vehicle provides the necessary power to move its 118,050kg GCW (72t Challenger II tank) at a speed of 80km/h on tarmac surfaces and 38km/h on a 2.5% gradient. The transmission used in the 1070F is the Allison HD 4076P, seven-speed automatic with TC-561 torque converter and second-gear start.
The 1070F's cab is 2.59m wide (3.67m including the mirrors), the height is 3.74m, the length is 9.49m, the ground clearance is 0.40m and the unladen weight is 20t (unladen weight with trailer is 46t).
The 1070F is equipped with an Eaton VORAD sideways radar to visualise blind spots on the nearside and has Rockwell air actuated S-cam Bendix ABS/ATC brakes.
The Oshkosh also has a central tyre inflation system (CTIS) operated via a series of buttons on the dash ('CC' for cross-country, 'HWY' for normal on a highway, 'MSS' for mud, snow and sand) that can keep a tyre inflated even if a bullet goes through it. The tyres used for the UK 1070F are Michelin 425/95 R20 (16.00 R20) 22 ply tubeless.
"The Oshkosh 1070F became the new British Army heavy tank transporter in 2001."
The truck (maximum speed of 85km/h) has a total fuel capacity of 947l with a range of 325 miles. The rig is fitted with a twin winch giving dual 24.9t pulling capacity and uses a Kings GTS 100 hydraulic tilting trailer (designed and built by King Trailers Limited of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, UK) with a length of 17.28m and a weight of 26t and 285/70R 19.5 (150/147J) tubeless tyres at a pressure of 116PSI. There are five steering axles on the trailer, the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th and the whole vehicle has a turning circle of 30.5m and a fording depth of 0.70m.
Steering and auxiliary systems The steering system for the rig is a two-axle Ackerman (front and rear) with integral hydraulic with dual steering gears on the front axle (20.1:1 front steering gear ratio, 25.0:1 rear steering gear ratio and 2.21:1 rear steering reduction ratio).
The suspension system in the front is a Hendrickson parabolic taper leaf spring and in the rear is a Tridem Hendrickson-Turner air ride. The 1070F has an auxiliary diesel power pack consisting of a Lister Petter LPA2 twin-cylinder direct-injection diesel to provide backup hydraulic power for adjustment of the live 'Hydroneck', power steering system balance pressure adjustment and power override, and the suspension system raise / lower facility. This can also be used in a cold start for the main engine.
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