Blogs have become an important source of information with a blog being created about every second, there are bound to be many more good ones. The bottom line is that they all are produced by passionate people who have a wealth of information about their corner of the tech world.
There are a lot of reasons people find particular blogs worthy of their time. Some are valued solely for their aggregation of pertinent news, while others have formed a devoted following based on the robust and educated comments of their readers. Still others have become popular because of their humor or for the biting tone of their writers' opinions.
DTN News: Wishing Our Readers & Viewers a fabulous 2010 with full of great achievements and experiences. A meaningful chapter waiting to be written HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
DTN News: To Our Readers & Viewers ~ Wishing You, A Very Happy New Year 2010 & Best Wishes From DTN News Defense-Technology News
DTN News: To Our Readers & Viewers ~ Wishing You, A Very Happy New Year 2010 & Best Wishes From DTN News Defense-Technology News
*Source: DTN News
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 30, 2009: New Year's Day, or January 1, is the first day of the year and is an occasion that witnesses the biggest annual celebration across all countries of the world. It is the time when we ring out the old year and welcome the present year with open arms, with eyes filled with new dreams and hearts replete with new expectations.Blogs have become an important source of information with a blog being created about every second, there are bound to be many more good ones. The bottom line is that they all are produced by passionate people who have a wealth of information about their corner of the tech world.
There are a lot of reasons people find particular blogs worthy of their time. Some are valued solely for their aggregation of pertinent news, while others have formed a devoted following based on the robust and educated comments of their readers. Still others have become popular because of their humor or for the biting tone of their writers' opinions.
DTN News: Wishing Our Readers & Viewers a fabulous 2010 with full of great achievements and experiences. A meaningful chapter waiting to be written HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!
Blogs have become an important source of information with a blog being created about every second, there are bound to be many more good ones. The bottom line is that they all are produced by passionate people who have a wealth of information about their corner of the tech world.
There are a lot of reasons people find particular blogs worthy of their time. Some are valued solely for their aggregation of pertinent news, while others have formed a devoted following based on the robust and educated comments of their readers. Still others have become popular because of their humor or for the biting tone of their writers' opinions.
DTN News: Wishing Our Readers & Viewers a fabulous 2010 with full of great achievements and experiences. A meaningful chapter waiting to be written HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!
DTN News: Iran TODAY December 30, 2009 ~ Tens Of Thousands At Pro-Government Rallies In Tehran
DTN News: Iran TODAY December 30, 2009 ~ Tens Of Thousands At Pro-Government Rallies In Tehran
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN, Iran - December 30, 2009:Tens of thousands of government supporters rallied in cities across Iran on Wednesday swearing allegiance to the clerical establishment and accusing opposition leaders of causing unrest in the Islamic state.
Iran's police chief on Wednesday warned supporters of opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi only to expect harsh treatment if they joined illegal anti-government rallies, three days after eight protesters were killed in demonstrations. 
Pro-government protester waving a poster of Shiite radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, during a demonstration Wednesday Dec. 30, 2009, through the streets of Tehran, Iran. The large crowd are seen waving various banners and flags during the pro-government demonstration.
Tens of thousands took part in the government-organized demonstrations, which state television broadcast live, chanting slogans against the opposition leaders Mousavi and moderate defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karoubi.
"You should repent ... otherwise the system will confront you as a 'mohareb' (enemy of God)," cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda told reformist leaders at a Tehran rally, state TV reported. Under Iran's Islamic sharia law the sentence for a mohareb is death.
In Tehran, crowds burned American and British flags.
There was no word about any opposition supporters on the streets on Wednesday, despite talk of demonstrations on reformist websites. Foreign media are restricted from moving around to report on such protests which are illegal.
In Iran's bloodiest unrest since the aftermath of the disputed June 12 presidential election, eight people were killed on Sunday and at least 20 pro-reform figures, including three senior advisers to Mousavi were arrested.
Raising the stakes further in the crisis, a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that opposition leaders were "enemies of God."
Television footage of the rallies in various cities showed people chanting "Mousavi is responsible for bloodshed ... We support our Supreme Leader." Some of them carried pictures of Khamenei. Similar rallies took place on Tuesday.
CLASHES AT ASHURA RITUAL
Since the deadly weekend clashes during the Shi'ite Muslim religious ritual of Ashura, political turmoil has entered a new phase in Iran with the clerical establishment piling pressure on the reform movement to end street protests.
"People want the leaders of sedition to be punished. We will not remain silent over insulting the religion," one speaker told a Tehran rally, state TV reported.
Oil prices briefly rose above $79 a barrel to a fresh five-week high on Tuesday, supported by expectations of colder U.S. weather and concerns over political unrest in Iran.
Iran's police chief said on Wednesday "there was no more room for tolerance over participants in illegal rallies."
"Those who participate in illegal rallies will be confronted more harshly and the judiciary will confront them more decisively," said Esmail Ahmadi-Moqadam, the official IRNA news agency reported. "Some of Sunday's protesters are ... considered as mohareb and will be confronted firmly."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, locked in a row with the West over Iran's nuclear program, said that the opposition rallies on the religious ritual of Ashura was a foreign-backed "nauseating masquerade."
Pro-government demonstrators also chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Britain," state TV reported. Iran has accused foreign powers of meddling in its affairs, which has provoked robust denials.
When the June poll returned hardline Ahmadinejad to power, his reformist opponents cried foul and thousands of Iranians took to the streets in the biggest anti-government unrest in the 30-year history of the Islamic Republic.
Authorities deny vote-rigging but the protests were showing no sign of subsiding six months after the election and despite a determined crackdown on protesters and opposition leaders.
The elite Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday accused the foreign media of conspiring with the opposition to harm Iran.
Hardliners who took to the streets on Tuesday also called for the punishment of opposition leaders. The opposition website Jaras said students at two Tehran universities clashed with hardline Basij militia.
"We have asked the judiciary to arrest the leaders of this sedition," said hardline MP Hasan Norouzi, without saying just how many lawmakers made the demand. "Karoubi, Mousavi and all those who ignite tension should be arrested and tried."
Analysts say the arrest of senior opposition leaders would increase tensions in the country. The opposition says more than 900 protesters were arrested on Sunday but police said 500 "rioters" were arrested, with 300 still in detention.
Police said the "suspicious" deaths on Sunday were under investigation, denying opposition claims that the people were killed by police.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirmed eight deaths, but Tehran's prosecutor dropped the number to seven.
The semi-official Fars news agency said Mousavi's nephew, who was killed in the bloodshed, was buried on Wednesday at Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.
Pro-government protester waving a poster of Shiite radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, during a demonstration Wednesday Dec. 30, 2009, through the streets of Tehran, Iran. The large crowd are seen waving various banners and flags during the pro-government demonstration.
Tens of thousands took part in the government-organized demonstrations, which state television broadcast live, chanting slogans against the opposition leaders Mousavi and moderate defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karoubi.
"You should repent ... otherwise the system will confront you as a 'mohareb' (enemy of God)," cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda told reformist leaders at a Tehran rally, state TV reported. Under Iran's Islamic sharia law the sentence for a mohareb is death.
In Tehran, crowds burned American and British flags.
There was no word about any opposition supporters on the streets on Wednesday, despite talk of demonstrations on reformist websites. Foreign media are restricted from moving around to report on such protests which are illegal.
In Iran's bloodiest unrest since the aftermath of the disputed June 12 presidential election, eight people were killed on Sunday and at least 20 pro-reform figures, including three senior advisers to Mousavi were arrested.
Raising the stakes further in the crisis, a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that opposition leaders were "enemies of God."
Television footage of the rallies in various cities showed people chanting "Mousavi is responsible for bloodshed ... We support our Supreme Leader." Some of them carried pictures of Khamenei. Similar rallies took place on Tuesday.
CLASHES AT ASHURA RITUAL
Since the deadly weekend clashes during the Shi'ite Muslim religious ritual of Ashura, political turmoil has entered a new phase in Iran with the clerical establishment piling pressure on the reform movement to end street protests.
"People want the leaders of sedition to be punished. We will not remain silent over insulting the religion," one speaker told a Tehran rally, state TV reported.
Oil prices briefly rose above $79 a barrel to a fresh five-week high on Tuesday, supported by expectations of colder U.S. weather and concerns over political unrest in Iran.
Iran's police chief said on Wednesday "there was no more room for tolerance over participants in illegal rallies."
"Those who participate in illegal rallies will be confronted more harshly and the judiciary will confront them more decisively," said Esmail Ahmadi-Moqadam, the official IRNA news agency reported. "Some of Sunday's protesters are ... considered as mohareb and will be confronted firmly."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, locked in a row with the West over Iran's nuclear program, said that the opposition rallies on the religious ritual of Ashura was a foreign-backed "nauseating masquerade."
Pro-government demonstrators also chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Britain," state TV reported. Iran has accused foreign powers of meddling in its affairs, which has provoked robust denials.
When the June poll returned hardline Ahmadinejad to power, his reformist opponents cried foul and thousands of Iranians took to the streets in the biggest anti-government unrest in the 30-year history of the Islamic Republic.
Authorities deny vote-rigging but the protests were showing no sign of subsiding six months after the election and despite a determined crackdown on protesters and opposition leaders.
The elite Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday accused the foreign media of conspiring with the opposition to harm Iran.
Hardliners who took to the streets on Tuesday also called for the punishment of opposition leaders. The opposition website Jaras said students at two Tehran universities clashed with hardline Basij militia.
"We have asked the judiciary to arrest the leaders of this sedition," said hardline MP Hasan Norouzi, without saying just how many lawmakers made the demand. "Karoubi, Mousavi and all those who ignite tension should be arrested and tried."
Analysts say the arrest of senior opposition leaders would increase tensions in the country. The opposition says more than 900 protesters were arrested on Sunday but police said 500 "rioters" were arrested, with 300 still in detention.
Police said the "suspicious" deaths on Sunday were under investigation, denying opposition claims that the people were killed by police.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirmed eight deaths, but Tehran's prosecutor dropped the number to seven.
The semi-official Fars news agency said Mousavi's nephew, who was killed in the bloodshed, was buried on Wednesday at Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.
DTN News: China May Build Middle East Naval Base
DTN News: China May Build Middle East Naval Base
*China's rapidly-expanding navy is considering building its first foreign naval base, according to a senior admiral.
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media By Malcolm Moore
(NSI News Source Info) SHANGHAI, China - 
December 30, 2009: In a sign of the growing confidence of the Chinese military, Admiral Yin Zhuo said that the country may set up a base in the Gulf of Aden in order to support missions against Somali pirates.
Since the end of last year, China has sent four flotillas to the Middle East in order to take part in anti-piracy operations together with US, European, Indian and Russian warships. (Image/photo: Members of the Chinese navy honour guard marching during a welcoming ceremony). The latest mission, which departed from China in October, involved two missile frigates.
Mr Yin said a permanent base in the region would help supply Chinese ships. "We are not saying we need our navy everywhere in order to fulfil our international commitments," he said, cautiously. "We are saying to fulfil our international commitments, we need to strengthen our supply capacity."
His words, which came just a few days after China rescued 25 sailors from Somali pirates, were posted in an interview on the Defence ministry website. China is reported to have paid a USD4 million (Pounds2.5 million) ransom to free the De Xin Hai, a coal carrier.
Mr Yin, who is a senior researcher at the navy's Equipment Research centre, pointed out that the first Chinese ships in the Gulf of Aden spent 124 days at sea without docking, a logistical challenge.
However, Chinese ships have since been permitted to dock at a French base.
"If China establishes a similar long-term supply base, I believe that the nations in the region and the other countries involved with the (anti-pirate) escorts would understand," he said. "I think a permanent, stable base would be good for our operations."
Yin added he was aware that Chinese naval ships in the waters near the Gulf have aroused suspicions, but believed other nations understood Beijing's intention was to counter pirates. As the world's largest importer of oil, China is believed to want to establish bases throughout the Indian Ocean and South China Sea to protect its tankers.
December 30, 2009: In a sign of the growing confidence of the Chinese military, Admiral Yin Zhuo said that the country may set up a base in the Gulf of Aden in order to support missions against Somali pirates.
Since the end of last year, China has sent four flotillas to the Middle East in order to take part in anti-piracy operations together with US, European, Indian and Russian warships. (Image/photo: Members of the Chinese navy honour guard marching during a welcoming ceremony). The latest mission, which departed from China in October, involved two missile frigates.
Mr Yin said a permanent base in the region would help supply Chinese ships. "We are not saying we need our navy everywhere in order to fulfil our international commitments," he said, cautiously. "We are saying to fulfil our international commitments, we need to strengthen our supply capacity."
His words, which came just a few days after China rescued 25 sailors from Somali pirates, were posted in an interview on the Defence ministry website. China is reported to have paid a USD4 million (Pounds2.5 million) ransom to free the De Xin Hai, a coal carrier.
Mr Yin, who is a senior researcher at the navy's Equipment Research centre, pointed out that the first Chinese ships in the Gulf of Aden spent 124 days at sea without docking, a logistical challenge.
However, Chinese ships have since been permitted to dock at a French base.
"If China establishes a similar long-term supply base, I believe that the nations in the region and the other countries involved with the (anti-pirate) escorts would understand," he said. "I think a permanent, stable base would be good for our operations."
Yin added he was aware that Chinese naval ships in the waters near the Gulf have aroused suspicions, but believed other nations understood Beijing's intention was to counter pirates. As the world's largest importer of oil, China is believed to want to establish bases throughout the Indian Ocean and South China Sea to protect its tankers.DTN News: Boeing-Built DIRECTV 12 Satellite Delivers 1st Signals From Space
DTN News: Boeing-Built DIRECTV 12 Satellite Delivers 1st Signals From Space
*Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) EL SEGUNDO, Calif., - December 30, 2009: Boeing [NYSE: BA] has received the first on-orbit signals from DIRECTV 12 nine hours after launch, indicating that the satellite is healthy and operating normally. DIRECTV 12 is a Boeing 702 commercial satellite that will provide consumer television programming to millions of U.S. households.DIRECTV 12 lifted off on an International Launch Services Proton Breeze M vehicle on Dec. 28 at 4:22 p.m. Pacific time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Controllers at the ground station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa, reported spacecraft acquisition at 1:38 a.m. Pacific time today.
"Yesterday's launch marks the 10th satellite Boeing has built and launched for DIRECTV, as well as the 22nd Boeing 702 satellite to fly in space," said Craig Cooning, Boeing vice president and general manager of Space and Intelligence Systems. "We are pleased that DIRECTV 12 is performing as planned and will continue to support the satellite through on-orbit testing in the coming months. From design and integration to launch and signal acquisition, our team has ensured that DIRECTV's new 702 will help them continue to deliver high-definition (HD) digital programming while maintaining excellent quality service."
Handover of DIRECTV 12 is scheduled for early 2010. Together with DIRECTV 10 and 11, the new satellite will help significantly expand DIRECTV's HDTV broadcasting to consumers across the contiguous United States, Hawaii and Alaska.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide
DTN News: Airlines News TODAY December 30, 2009 ~ MAS Sign Agreement With Airbus For 15 Aircraft
DTN News: Airlines News TODAY December 30, 2009 ~ MAS Sign Agreement With Airbus For 15 Aircraft
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - December 30, 2009: Malaysia Airlines and Airbus announced last week the signing of a Memorandum of Un
derstanding for an order of 15 A330-300s and purchase options for another 10.
The aircraft, costing a total of USD5 billion at list prices, will be delivered from 2011 to 2016.
MAS said the new aircraft would serve the growing markets of South Asia, China, North Asia, Australia and Middle East.
"The A330 will complement our incoming fleet of 6 A380 and 35 B737-800” said MAS CEO Tengku Dato’ Azmil Zahruddin.
“The new fleet will create a strong platform for us to profitably grow – the A380 will serve key long haul destinations such as London and Sydney, the A330 for medium haul markets while the B737-800 will be used to strengthen our domestic and regional routes.
Zahruddin said that the airline planned to “transform from a 100% leased fleet to owning at least a third of the aircraft” in its core fleet.
He added the airline planned to fund its aircraft purchases through a combination of a proposed rights issue and borrowings. MAS said it expects to gain annual savings of RM300 million when the 15 A330 aircraft are delivered.
derstanding for an order of 15 A330-300s and purchase options for another 10.
The aircraft, costing a total of USD5 billion at list prices, will be delivered from 2011 to 2016.
MAS said the new aircraft would serve the growing markets of South Asia, China, North Asia, Australia and Middle East.
"The A330 will complement our incoming fleet of 6 A380 and 35 B737-800” said MAS CEO Tengku Dato’ Azmil Zahruddin.
“The new fleet will create a strong platform for us to profitably grow – the A380 will serve key long haul destinations such as London and Sydney, the A330 for medium haul markets while the B737-800 will be used to strengthen our domestic and regional routes.
Zahruddin said that the airline planned to “transform from a 100% leased fleet to owning at least a third of the aircraft” in its core fleet.
He added the airline planned to fund its aircraft purchases through a combination of a proposed rights issue and borrowings. MAS said it expects to gain annual savings of RM300 million when the 15 A330 aircraft are delivered. Tuesday, December 29, 2009
DTN News: Iran TODAY December 29, 2009 ~ Ali Larijani Raps US, UK Over Tehran Protests
DTN News: Iran TODAY December 29, 2009 ~ Ali Larijani Raps US, UK Over Tehran Protests
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN, Iran - December 29, 2009: Iran's parliament speaker condemns US and British officials for their reactions to disturbances in Tehran, saying that they orchestrated the "sacrilegious" events. 
In Europe protester supporting the Iranian opposition holds a sign depicting Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during demonstrations in front of the Iranian embassies in Paris, Brussels and Berlin December 28, 2009.
Addressing the parliament on Tuesday, Ali Larijani said that Iran was not surprised about the stance that Washington and London had taken towards the anti-government protests, which were held during Sunday's Shia Muslim ceremonies of Ashura.
According to Tehran chief prosecutor general Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, seven people were killed in the clashes that broke out between security forces and demonstrators in Tehran on Sunday. The Tehran police headquarters said that the police forces neither used violence nor fired a single bullet on Sunday.
"US and British officials' disgraceful comments about the sacrilegious events of Ashura are so disgustingly vivid that they clarify where this movement stands when it comes to destroying religious and Revolutionary values," Ali Larijani said. "Israel's restlessness and its covert efforts to secure more Western aide for these sacrilegious movements has worsened the political situation. The anxiety of royal Wahhabi media has also caused an especially big scandal," he added.
Larijani also singled out US President Barack Obama's defense of Sunday's anti-government protests and said that his reactions was a "gift from God" that would prevent any "naive interpretations" about a possible shift in US policy. "Washington's behavior during the past few months was nothing but an opportunist attempt to harm the national interest of Muslim Iranians.
"That goes for its childish interference in our internal affairs and its duplicitous gestures on the nuclear issue," he said. After the Sunday protests, Obama condemned what he called “Iran's crackdown on protesters” and called for the release of the people who were detained.
“We call for the immediate release of all who have been unjustly detained within Iran,” Obama said on Monday in Hawaii, where he is on vacation. Obama said that the US will support protesters during the “extraordinary events.” On Monday, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also hailed what he called the “great courage” of those who took part in the illegal protests.
Iran's Foreign Ministry has vowed to summon the British Ambassador to Tehran, Simon Lawrence Gass, in reaction to Miliband's remarks.
In Europe protester supporting the Iranian opposition holds a sign depicting Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during demonstrations in front of the Iranian embassies in Paris, Brussels and Berlin December 28, 2009.
Addressing the parliament on Tuesday, Ali Larijani said that Iran was not surprised about the stance that Washington and London had taken towards the anti-government protests, which were held during Sunday's Shia Muslim ceremonies of Ashura.
According to Tehran chief prosecutor general Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, seven people were killed in the clashes that broke out between security forces and demonstrators in Tehran on Sunday. The Tehran police headquarters said that the police forces neither used violence nor fired a single bullet on Sunday.
"US and British officials' disgraceful comments about the sacrilegious events of Ashura are so disgustingly vivid that they clarify where this movement stands when it comes to destroying religious and Revolutionary values," Ali Larijani said. "Israel's restlessness and its covert efforts to secure more Western aide for these sacrilegious movements has worsened the political situation. The anxiety of royal Wahhabi media has also caused an especially big scandal," he added.
Larijani also singled out US President Barack Obama's defense of Sunday's anti-government protests and said that his reactions was a "gift from God" that would prevent any "naive interpretations" about a possible shift in US policy. "Washington's behavior during the past few months was nothing but an opportunist attempt to harm the national interest of Muslim Iranians.
"That goes for its childish interference in our internal affairs and its duplicitous gestures on the nuclear issue," he said. After the Sunday protests, Obama condemned what he called “Iran's crackdown on protesters” and called for the release of the people who were detained.
“We call for the immediate release of all who have been unjustly detained within Iran,” Obama said on Monday in Hawaii, where he is on vacation. Obama said that the US will support protesters during the “extraordinary events.” On Monday, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also hailed what he called the “great courage” of those who took part in the illegal protests.
Iran's Foreign Ministry has vowed to summon the British Ambassador to Tehran, Simon Lawrence Gass, in reaction to Miliband's remarks.
DTN News: Indian Air Force Su-30MKI Back In Full Swing And Formation
DTN News: Indian Air Force Su-30MKI Back In Full Swing And Formation
*Source: DTN News / Defense Media
(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - December 29, 2009: Last m
onth November, 2009 an IAF Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed near Jaisalmer in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. As a result the entire fleet of Su-30MKIs was grounded while the cause of the problem was investigated. According to official reports, IAF Su-30MKIs an air superiority fighter which can also act as a multirole, strike fighter jets are back in full swing and formation.
The Indian Air Force IAF has close to 120 of the Su-30MKI fighters in its inventory and has placed an order for 230 aircraft. Out of this, the majority of 140 fighters would be manufactured or assembled by HAL. The earlier batch of aircraft that have been in operation for the past few years were imported from Russia.
The Su-30MKIs aircrafts are primarily for air defence and air superiority purposes. However, most of them have significant strike and close air support capabilities. The MKI variant features several improvements over the basic K and MK variants and is classified as a 4.5 generation fighter. Due to similar features and components, the MKI variant is often considered to be a customized Indian variant of the Sukhoi Su-35.
The Su-30MKI is the IAF's prime air superiority fighter. The Su-30K variant was first acquired in 1996. That year, the IAF signed a US$1.6 billion contract with Russia for the supply of 50 Su-30MKIs and the technology transfer and license to manufacture 140 Su-30MKIs by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The two-seat, multi-role fighter has a maximum speed of 2500 km/h (Mach 2.35) and a service ceiling of 20,000 meters. With one mid-air refueling, it can travel as far as 8000 km, making it a suitable platform to deliver strategic weapons. In 2007, the IAF spent US$700 million to upgrade its remaining 10 Su-30Ks and 8 SU-30MKs to MKI Std variant and signed a contract for the supply of 40 additional MKIs with Russia. 
The Su-30MKIs total ordered (50+140+40) + (Additional 50 still to be ordered, as per Force India/ no official confirmation so far) will be procured/produced/assembled by 2015-2016 bringing the total number to 280. All 50 of the first batch delivered (1 crashed)/ 52 of the 140 HAL built delivered so far (1 crashed)(balance 88 at the rate of 14 per year by HAL ) and, 3 of the 40 ordered delivered so far(balance 37 by 2012-13).
The Indian Air Force is going to augment its attack capability in near future by getting its own version of BrahMos, a supersonic cruise missile that will be fitted on Sukhoi 30-MKI.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) which has already developed the land and sea version of the BrahMos in partnership with Russia s NPO Mashinostroeyenia, is working on the air version of the supersonic cruise missile for the Air Force.
.jpg)
onth November, 2009 an IAF Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed near Jaisalmer in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. As a result the entire fleet of Su-30MKIs was grounded while the cause of the problem was investigated. According to official reports, IAF Su-30MKIs an air superiority fighter which can also act as a multirole, strike fighter jets are back in full swing and formation.
The Indian Air Force IAF has close to 120 of the Su-30MKI fighters in its inventory and has placed an order for 230 aircraft. Out of this, the majority of 140 fighters would be manufactured or assembled by HAL. The earlier batch of aircraft that have been in operation for the past few years were imported from Russia.
The Su-30MKIs aircrafts are primarily for air defence and air superiority purposes. However, most of them have significant strike and close air support capabilities. The MKI variant features several improvements over the basic K and MK variants and is classified as a 4.5 generation fighter. Due to similar features and components, the MKI variant is often considered to be a customized Indian variant of the Sukhoi Su-35.
The Su-30MKI is the IAF's prime air superiority fighter. The Su-30K variant was first acquired in 1996. That year, the IAF signed a US$1.6 billion contract with Russia for the supply of 50 Su-30MKIs and the technology transfer and license to manufacture 140 Su-30MKIs by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The two-seat, multi-role fighter has a maximum speed of 2500 km/h (Mach 2.35) and a service ceiling of 20,000 meters. With one mid-air refueling, it can travel as far as 8000 km, making it a suitable platform to deliver strategic weapons. In 2007, the IAF spent US$700 million to upgrade its remaining 10 Su-30Ks and 8 SU-30MKs to MKI Std variant and signed a contract for the supply of 40 additional MKIs with Russia. The Su-30MKIs total ordered (50+140+40) + (Additional 50 still to be ordered, as per Force India/ no official confirmation so far) will be procured/produced/assembled by 2015-2016 bringing the total number to 280. All 50 of the first batch delivered (1 crashed)/ 52 of the 140 HAL built delivered so far (1 crashed)(balance 88 at the rate of 14 per year by HAL ) and, 3 of the 40 ordered delivered so far(balance 37 by 2012-13).
The Indian Air Force is going to augment its attack capability in near future by getting its own version of BrahMos, a supersonic cruise missile that will be fitted on Sukhoi 30-MKI.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) which has already developed the land and sea version of the BrahMos in partnership with Russia s NPO Mashinostroeyenia, is working on the air version of the supersonic cruise missile for the Air Force.
DTN News: Japan ~ Moving U.S. Base To Guam 'Unreasonable'
DTN News: Japan ~ Moving U.S. Base To Guam 'Unreasonable'
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) TOKYO, Japan - December 29, 2009: Relocating a contentious U.S. airbase from southern Japan to Guam is "unreasonable" from the standpoint 
of national security, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told a radio program.
Hatoyama said it would not be practical to shift the whole base, which has been the subject of friction between Tokyo and Washington, from Okinawa to the U.S.-controlled Pacific Ocean territory.
"Thinking realistically, it would be unreasonable to relocate all its functions to Guam from the standpoint of deterrence," Hatoyama told a Nippon Radio program Dec. 26.
The U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station currently sits in a crowded urban area of tropical Okinawa island. Tokyo and Washington agreed in 2006 to move it out to a coastal region, away from the population, many of whom resent its presence.
The agreement was part of a broader realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and includes the redeployment of around 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to the U.S. territory of Guam.
Soon after coming to power, Hatoyama's centre-left government announced a review of the agreement, provoking irritation in Washington.
However, Hatoyama appeared to soft pedal the review in his weekend comments to the broadcaster.
"It's been decided that 8,000 Marines and their families are to be moved to Guam. I expressed my idea that moving more than (8,000) is very difficult from the viewpoint of deterrence," Hatoyama said Dec. 27 before leaving for India, when asked by reporters about his Dec. 26 comments.
Since its defeat in World War II, officially pacifist Japan has relied on a massive U.S. military presence to guarantee its security, initially as an occupier and later as an ally.
But the dispute over Futenma has raised fears among some Japanese that this alliance might cool, at a time when a rising China is making its presence felt across Asia.
Hatoyama's comments drew the ire of the Socialists in his ruling coalition, who favor shifting the base out of the country and have threatened to leave the coalition over the base row.
"The Socialist Party regards the relocation to Guam as the best plan. We will pursue this possibility with our utmost efforts," said Mizuho Fukushima, head of the Socialists.
Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) needs votes from Socialists and another junior coalition partner for a majority in the upper house of parliament.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano is due Dec. 28 to chair a meeting with coalition partners on the base issue.
Referring to the Dec. 28 meeting, Hatoyama said "finding a new location for the Futenma base is important, but naturally, discussing deterrence is inevitable."
Hatoyama's government took power in Japan in August after half a century of almost continuous conservative rule, pledging to review past agreements on the U.S. military presence and to deal with Washington on a more "equal" basis.
The United States, which defeated Japan in World War II and then occupied the country, now has 47,000 troops stationed there, more than half of them on Okinawa, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Touching on possible amendments to the U.S.-imposed pacifist constitution for the first time since taking office, Hatoyama said: "I bear in my mind a desire to draft a constitution which serves the country in the best possible manner."
But he added his plan "is not necessarily about Article Nine" which says Japan renounces the use of military force in settling international disputes. "I want to make amendments which serve local autonomy by reversing the positions of the central government and local governments."
Hatoyama's government has pledged to transfer more authority to local government from powerful bureaucrats in the central government.
of national security, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told a radio program.
Hatoyama said it would not be practical to shift the whole base, which has been the subject of friction between Tokyo and Washington, from Okinawa to the U.S.-controlled Pacific Ocean territory.
"Thinking realistically, it would be unreasonable to relocate all its functions to Guam from the standpoint of deterrence," Hatoyama told a Nippon Radio program Dec. 26.
The U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station currently sits in a crowded urban area of tropical Okinawa island. Tokyo and Washington agreed in 2006 to move it out to a coastal region, away from the population, many of whom resent its presence.
The agreement was part of a broader realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and includes the redeployment of around 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to the U.S. territory of Guam.
Soon after coming to power, Hatoyama's centre-left government announced a review of the agreement, provoking irritation in Washington.
However, Hatoyama appeared to soft pedal the review in his weekend comments to the broadcaster.
"It's been decided that 8,000 Marines and their families are to be moved to Guam. I expressed my idea that moving more than (8,000) is very difficult from the viewpoint of deterrence," Hatoyama said Dec. 27 before leaving for India, when asked by reporters about his Dec. 26 comments.
Since its defeat in World War II, officially pacifist Japan has relied on a massive U.S. military presence to guarantee its security, initially as an occupier and later as an ally.
But the dispute over Futenma has raised fears among some Japanese that this alliance might cool, at a time when a rising China is making its presence felt across Asia.
Hatoyama's comments drew the ire of the Socialists in his ruling coalition, who favor shifting the base out of the country and have threatened to leave the coalition over the base row.
"The Socialist Party regards the relocation to Guam as the best plan. We will pursue this possibility with our utmost efforts," said Mizuho Fukushima, head of the Socialists.
Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) needs votes from Socialists and another junior coalition partner for a majority in the upper house of parliament.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano is due Dec. 28 to chair a meeting with coalition partners on the base issue.
Referring to the Dec. 28 meeting, Hatoyama said "finding a new location for the Futenma base is important, but naturally, discussing deterrence is inevitable."
Hatoyama's government took power in Japan in August after half a century of almost continuous conservative rule, pledging to review past agreements on the U.S. military presence and to deal with Washington on a more "equal" basis.
The United States, which defeated Japan in World War II and then occupied the country, now has 47,000 troops stationed there, more than half of them on Okinawa, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Touching on possible amendments to the U.S.-imposed pacifist constitution for the first time since taking office, Hatoyama said: "I bear in my mind a desire to draft a constitution which serves the country in the best possible manner."
But he added his plan "is not necessarily about Article Nine" which says Japan renounces the use of military force in settling international disputes. "I want to make amendments which serve local autonomy by reversing the positions of the central government and local governments."
Hatoyama's government has pledged to transfer more authority to local government from powerful bureaucrats in the central government.
DTN News: Financial News TODAY December 29, 2009 ~ Air Terrorism Attempt Reveals Bigger 'System' Failure
DTN News: Financial News TODAY December 29, 2009 ~ Air Terrorism Attempt Reveals Bigger 'System' Failure
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media By Eugene Robinson
(NSI News Source Info) - December 29, 2009: Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano's initial assessment of the Christmas Day airliner attack -- that "the system worked" -- doesn't quite match the absurdity of "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." But only because she quickly took it back. 
Passengers go through a security checkpoint at Washington's Reagan National Airport on Saturday. (Sarah L. Voisin/the Washington Post)
A 'system' dangerously off course; A system that allows a man identified to U.S. officials as a potential threat -- by his own concerned father -- to board a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit with powerful explosives sewn into his underwear? That lets this man detonate his bomb as the plane prepares to land, igniting a potentially catastrophic fire? That depends on a young, athletic passenger to be seated nearby? That counts on this accidental hero to react quickly enough to thwart the terrorist's plans?
If that's how the system works, we need a new system.
Don't misunderstand. I'm not blaming the Obama administration for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's alleged terrorist attack, and it would be reprehensible for anyone to try to use the incident to score political points. The White House is guilty only of defensiveness in not immediately recognizing the obvious: We have a problem. Actually, we have two problems.
The first is that the incident reveals serious deficiencies in the "system" that Napolitano and others were so quick to defend. At this point, no one can doubt that civilian aviation remains a major target of al-Qaeda, affiliated groups and imitators. Most of us are under the impression that removing our shoes at the airport and limiting ourselves to those tiny, trial-size containers of toothpaste, shaving cream and lotion are enough to ensure a safe flight. For passengers on Northwest Flight 253, this was not the case.
One solution -- expensive and intrusive, but effective -- would be to make use of new airport screening technology mandatory. Either a "whole-body imaging" scanner, which gives a much more detailed picture than a regular metal detector, or a "sniffer" machine, which analyzes trace chemicals, would have been likely to detect the explosives that Abdulmutallab allegedly was carrying.
In this instance, however, the system seems to have malfunctioned well before Abdulmutallab reached Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. Abdulmutallab's father, wealthy Nigerian banker Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, had warned U.S. and Nigerian authorities about his son's increasing radicalization -- information that led U.S. officials to put Abdulmutallab's name in a database, along with 550,000 other names, but not to revoke his multiple-entry visa or keep him off a Detroit-bound jetliner.
It is an ordeal for anyone from the developing world to obtain a visa to enter the United States. We already turn away multitudes. It will be no small task, but the system needs to be re-engineered to let the right people in and keep the dangerous people out.
When Abdulmutallab allegedly set his lap on fire, there were no air marshals on board to handle the situation. I realize it is not possible to provide an armed federal escort for every flight. But whatever algorithm officials use to determine which flights get marshals evidently needs improvement.
The second problem we face is much bigger, and there is no real solution in sight.
According to reports of Abdulmutallab's statements to authorities after his arrest, he claims to have gotten the bomb -- and instruction on how and when to use it -- from al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen. As noted previously in this space, and illustrated by a sobering report Monday in The Post, Yemen features prominently in al-Qaeda's expansion plans. Abdulmutallab's story suggests that an infrastructure for indoctrination, training and bomb-making is already in place, and that this ambitious young branch of al-Qaeda is confident enough to launch an attack on what the George W. Bush administration infelicitously called the "homeland."
Our enemy apparently sees its future in places such as Yemen -- or perhaps Somalia, a failed state for almost two decades, where militant fundamentalist Islam is on the march. The enemy's leadership is believed to be ensconced in remote areas of Pakistan, beyond the government's reach. Yet the United States will soon have about 100,000 troops chasing shadows in Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda's presence is now minimal.
I understand and appreciate the fear that if the Taliban were to take power again, it could invite al-Qaeda back into Afghanistan to set up shop. But I can't escape the uneasy feeling that we're fighting, and escalating, the last war -- while the enemy fights the next one.
The writer will be online to chat with readers at 1 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday. Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
Passengers go through a security checkpoint at Washington's Reagan National Airport on Saturday. (Sarah L. Voisin/the Washington Post)
A 'system' dangerously off course; A system that allows a man identified to U.S. officials as a potential threat -- by his own concerned father -- to board a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit with powerful explosives sewn into his underwear? That lets this man detonate his bomb as the plane prepares to land, igniting a potentially catastrophic fire? That depends on a young, athletic passenger to be seated nearby? That counts on this accidental hero to react quickly enough to thwart the terrorist's plans?
If that's how the system works, we need a new system.
Don't misunderstand. I'm not blaming the Obama administration for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's alleged terrorist attack, and it would be reprehensible for anyone to try to use the incident to score political points. The White House is guilty only of defensiveness in not immediately recognizing the obvious: We have a problem. Actually, we have two problems.
The first is that the incident reveals serious deficiencies in the "system" that Napolitano and others were so quick to defend. At this point, no one can doubt that civilian aviation remains a major target of al-Qaeda, affiliated groups and imitators. Most of us are under the impression that removing our shoes at the airport and limiting ourselves to those tiny, trial-size containers of toothpaste, shaving cream and lotion are enough to ensure a safe flight. For passengers on Northwest Flight 253, this was not the case.
One solution -- expensive and intrusive, but effective -- would be to make use of new airport screening technology mandatory. Either a "whole-body imaging" scanner, which gives a much more detailed picture than a regular metal detector, or a "sniffer" machine, which analyzes trace chemicals, would have been likely to detect the explosives that Abdulmutallab allegedly was carrying.
In this instance, however, the system seems to have malfunctioned well before Abdulmutallab reached Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. Abdulmutallab's father, wealthy Nigerian banker Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, had warned U.S. and Nigerian authorities about his son's increasing radicalization -- information that led U.S. officials to put Abdulmutallab's name in a database, along with 550,000 other names, but not to revoke his multiple-entry visa or keep him off a Detroit-bound jetliner.
It is an ordeal for anyone from the developing world to obtain a visa to enter the United States. We already turn away multitudes. It will be no small task, but the system needs to be re-engineered to let the right people in and keep the dangerous people out.
When Abdulmutallab allegedly set his lap on fire, there were no air marshals on board to handle the situation. I realize it is not possible to provide an armed federal escort for every flight. But whatever algorithm officials use to determine which flights get marshals evidently needs improvement.
The second problem we face is much bigger, and there is no real solution in sight.
According to reports of Abdulmutallab's statements to authorities after his arrest, he claims to have gotten the bomb -- and instruction on how and when to use it -- from al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen. As noted previously in this space, and illustrated by a sobering report Monday in The Post, Yemen features prominently in al-Qaeda's expansion plans. Abdulmutallab's story suggests that an infrastructure for indoctrination, training and bomb-making is already in place, and that this ambitious young branch of al-Qaeda is confident enough to launch an attack on what the George W. Bush administration infelicitously called the "homeland."
Our enemy apparently sees its future in places such as Yemen -- or perhaps Somalia, a failed state for almost two decades, where militant fundamentalist Islam is on the march. The enemy's leadership is believed to be ensconced in remote areas of Pakistan, beyond the government's reach. Yet the United States will soon have about 100,000 troops chasing shadows in Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda's presence is now minimal.
I understand and appreciate the fear that if the Taliban were to take power again, it could invite al-Qaeda back into Afghanistan to set up shop. But I can't escape the uneasy feeling that we're fighting, and escalating, the last war -- while the enemy fights the next one.
The writer will be online to chat with readers at 1 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday. Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
DTN News: Technology News TODAY December 28, 2009 ~ China Launches World's Fastest Train Service
DTN News: Technology News TODAY December 28, 2009 ~ China Launches World's Fastest Train Service
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - December 28, 2009: China on Saturday launched what it described as the world’s fastest train service covering a distance of 1,068 kms at the average speed of 350 kms an hour. The distance between Wuhan in central China and Guangzhou in the country’s south was covered by the high-speed train in two hours forty five minutes.
ZHUZHOU, CHINA - DECEMBER 26: A CRH train runs out of Zhuzhou West Railway Station on December 26, 2009 in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province of China. Trainwomen are ready for the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway's running out at the Wuhan Railway Station on December 26, 2009 in Wuhan, Wubei Province of China. The Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway, which boasts of the world's fastest train journey with a 350-km-per-hour average speed, debuts on Saturday.
The new service will cut the travel time between these cities by more than six hours. The train reached a maximum speed of 394.2 km per hour during trail runs that begun on December 9.
The commercial operation was launched today with two trains covering the distance while passing through 20 different cities along the route. The high speed line will use technology developed in co-operation with foreign firms such as Siemens, Bombardier and Alstom, sources said.
The new service is expected to act as a catalyst in the development of central China that includes backward areas like Xianning by linking it to the highly developed Pearl River Delhi, which is an industrial hub in south China.
Chinese railway authorities pointed out that the average speed of the high-speed railways is 243 km per hour in Japan, 232 km per hour in Germany and 277 km per hour in France. The era of high speed railway began in China in 2004 when Guangzhou was linked to Shenzhen, both in Guangdong Province, with a train traveling at 160 km per hour.
This was followed by the launch of a high-speed line linking the capital with the port city of Tianjin at the time of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The government recently announced it plans to build 42 high-speed lines by 2012 in order to spur economic growth amid the global downturn. China has unveiled a massive rail development program, considered to be the world’s biggest plan outside the United States.
The goal is to take the rail network from the current 86,000 kilometers to 120,000 kilometers.
ZHUZHOU, CHINA - DECEMBER 26: A CRH train runs out of Zhuzhou West Railway Station on December 26, 2009 in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province of China. Trainwomen are ready for the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway's running out at the Wuhan Railway Station on December 26, 2009 in Wuhan, Wubei Province of China. The Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway, which boasts of the world's fastest train journey with a 350-km-per-hour average speed, debuts on Saturday.
The new service will cut the travel time between these cities by more than six hours. The train reached a maximum speed of 394.2 km per hour during trail runs that begun on December 9.
The commercial operation was launched today with two trains covering the distance while passing through 20 different cities along the route. The high speed line will use technology developed in co-operation with foreign firms such as Siemens, Bombardier and Alstom, sources said.
The new service is expected to act as a catalyst in the development of central China that includes backward areas like Xianning by linking it to the highly developed Pearl River Delhi, which is an industrial hub in south China.
Chinese railway authorities pointed out that the average speed of the high-speed railways is 243 km per hour in Japan, 232 km per hour in Germany and 277 km per hour in France. The era of high speed railway began in China in 2004 when Guangzhou was linked to Shenzhen, both in Guangdong Province, with a train traveling at 160 km per hour.
This was followed by the launch of a high-speed line linking the capital with the port city of Tianjin at the time of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The government recently announced it plans to build 42 high-speed lines by 2012 in order to spur economic growth amid the global downturn. China has unveiled a massive rail development program, considered to be the world’s biggest plan outside the United States.
The goal is to take the rail network from the current 86,000 kilometers to 120,000 kilometers.
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