MRAP vehicles

MRAP vehicles (NSI News Source Info) September 27, 2008: Travis crew delivers 10,000th MRAP Travis members unload the 10,000th mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle from a C-5 Galaxy in Southwest Asia recently. The delivery was a milestone for Air Mobility Command Airmen who have worked to deliver the vehicles since their introduction in 2007. A crew of Team Travis members prepare to unload the 10,000th mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle in Southwest Asia recently. Since the MRAPs introduction in 2007, Air Mobility Command Airmen have worked continuously to deliver the vehicles to troops supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Team Travis members unload the 10,000th mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle in Southwest Asia recently. Since April 2007, the Pentagon has deployed 10,000 MRAP vehicles to South-West Asia, and deliveries. The 10,000th vehicle, a Cougar, is seen being unloaded from a C-5 Galaxy.

Indian Navy Seeks Six More Diesel Submarines After Scorpene

Indian Navy Seeks Six More Diesel Submarines After Scorpene (NSI News Source Info) September 27, 2008: India has initiated the process of acquiring six more submarines on the lines of the under-construction Scorpenes to augment its underwater warfare capabilities. "The Navy has initiated the process of acquisition of six more diesel-electric submarines and has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to major manufacturers across the globe," top Defence Ministry sources told a news agency on Friday. "The Defence Ministry will now await responses from these companies and will follow it up with global tenders or Request for Proposals (RFP) next year," they said. In all, Navy plans to procure 30 new submarines to have formidable underwater fighting capabilities. India already has 16 submarines of the Russian Kilo and German HDW Shishumar Class. Among the countries from where India is seeking information are France, Russia and Italy, all with major submarine manufacturing capabilities. The new submarines would be procured as a follow-on of the six Scorpene submarines being built at the Defence Public Sector Undertaking shipyard, Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL), in Mumbai. "The additional six submarines will start joining the Indian Navy fleet after all the first set of six Scorpenes have joined the naval fleet," the sources said. The Navy would continue to place orders for new submarines after the completion of procurement of these new submarines, which is expected to take at least three to four years. The Navy intends to build 30 new submarines under Project-75 and all of them would be constructed in India. The future submarines to be built under the project would be added with latest armament, sensor and other essential hi-tech equipment, sources said. Interestingly, the new submarines construction order may not go to MDL this time, as the Navy would like to develop another shipyard with submarine-building capabilities within the country, sources said. India signed the Rs 16,000-crore contract for six submarines in October 2005. New Delhi had to upgrade the MDL infrastructure and facilities for constructing the six Scorpenes in collaboration with French consortium, DCNS. The first Scorpene from MDL is expected to join the Indian Navy by the end of 2012. The remaining five would join the Navy at the rate of one each per year from 2013. All the six submarines would add lethal power to the Indian Navy by year 2018, sources said.

Medvedev observes missile test-launch in Urals

Medvedev observes missile test-launch in Urals (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - September 27, 2008: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev observed the test launch of a tactical missile in a command and staff exercise in the southern Urals on Friday, a senior military commander said. A Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) short-range tactical ballistic missile was launched at 3:10 p.m. Moscow time (11:10 GMT) at the Donguz proving ground in the Orenburg Region as part of a 74-day exercise, Ground Forces Commander Gen. Vladimir Boldyrev said. He said a total of 40,000 servicemen were taking part in the exercise in the Volga-Urals Military District, named Tsentr-2008, and that it was the largest exercise of its kind in 20 years. The drills involve motorized rifle, tank, artillery, antiaircraft, missile, and support units with over 700 armored vehicles (tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and self-propelled artillery systems) and more than 40 combat aircraft and helicopters. The Tochka-U is a 1989 modification of the Tochka missile system that went into service with the Soviet military in 1976. It has an effective range of 120 km.

Russia sends warship to fight piracy near Somalia

Russia sends warship to fight piracy near Somalia (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - September 27, 2008: Russia's Navy has sent a missile frigate to waters off the Somali coast to fight piracy in the region, a Navy spokesman said on Friday. "The Neustrashimy (Fearless) frigate from the Baltic Fleet left the main naval base in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad on Wednesday to ensure security in several regions of the world oceans," Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said. He added that Russia had decided to periodically send its warships to regions plagued by sea piracy to protect its citizens and commercial vessels. Pirates are increasingly active in the waters off Somalia, which has no effective government and no navy to police its coastline. The International Maritime Bureau said more than 30 incidents of piracy were registered in the region in 2007. According to UN data, 26 attacks have been committed so far this year off the coast of the East African nation. Russian nationals are frequently among the crews of civilian ships hijacked by pirates off the Somalia coast. In the most recent case pirates off the coast of Somalia seized a Ukrainian ship en route to Kenya with three Russian, 17 Ukrainian and one Latvian national on board. "We are planning to participate in international efforts to fight piracy off the Somalia coast, but the Russian warships will conduct operations on their own," Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky earlier said. At the beginning of June, the UN Security Council passed a resolution permitting countries to enter Somalia's territorial waters to combat "acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea." The Neustrashimy is the only Project 1154 Yastreb class missile frigate in active service with the Russian Navy to have been built before the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is designed as a general purpose ASW ship to follow on from the Krivak class frigates and incorporates some 'stealth' technology. The ship's armament includes SS-N-25 Switchblade anti-ship missiles, SA-N-9 Gauntlet SAM, a 100-mm gun, torpedoes and depth charges. The frigate also carries a Ka-27 ASW helicopter.

Venezuela to spend $1 bln Russian loan on air-defense systems

Venezuela to spend $1 bln Russian loan on air-defense systems (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - September 27, 2008: Venezuela plans to use most of the $1 bln loan granted by Russia to buy air-defense systems, a Russian military analyst said on Friday. Russia announced the loan offer earlier on Friday, during a visit by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. "Venezuela needs primarily Tor-M1 surface to air systems to protect the airfields where the 24 Su-30 MK2 jet fighters it bought from Russia are based," said Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy director of the Center for Strategic Analysis, a Moscow based think tank. "Twenty Tor-M1 complexes will cost $600 mln, and the portable SAM systems approximately $70-80 mln," he said. Caracas is likely to buy Igla-S portable SAM systems, and will also want Il-78 aerial tankers and Il-76 military freight aircraft. The tankers and freight planes for the Venezuelan Air Force will cost around $300 mln, Makiyenko said. Between 2005 and 2007 Russia signed 12 contracts worth more than $4.4 billion to supply arms to Venezuela, including fighter jets, helicopters and Kalashnikov assault rifles. Russian aircraft leasing company Ilyushin Finance said on Friday it would deliver several passenger planes to Venezuela. The deal was reached earlier this month during a visit to Venezuela by a Russian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, the company said in a press release. The contracts could be signed before the end of this year.

U.S. Deploys Radar, Troops To Israel

U.S. Deploys Radar, Troops To Israel

(NSI News S0urce Info) September 27, 2008: U.S. European Command (EUCOM) has deployed to Israel a high-powered X-band radar and the supporting people and equipment needed for coordinated defense against Iranian missile attack, marking the first permanent U.S. military presence on Israeli soil. More than a dozen aircraft, including C-5s and C-17s, helped with the Sept. 21 delivery of the AN/TPY-2 Transportable Radar Surveillance/Forward Based X-band Transportable (FBX-T), its ancillary components and some 120 EUCOM personnel to Israel's Nevatim Air Base southeast of Beersheba, said sources here and in Stuttgart, Germany.

Among the U.S. personnel is at least one representative from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), though officials said the agency had little to no say in the deployment decision. MDA involvement has been confined to providing equipment and advice on technical aspects of its deployment, one official said. The Raytheon-built FBX-T system is the same phased-array radar that was deployed to northern Japan with the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) in 2006. The high-powered, high-frequency, transportable X-band radar is designed to detect and track ballistic missiles soon after launch. Its ancillary gear included cooling systems, generators, perimeter defense weaponry, logistics supplies and dozens of technicians, maintenance specialists and security forces to operate and defend the U.S. installation. EUCOM has repeatedly deployed troops and Patriot air defense batteries for joint exercises and Iraq-related wartime contingencies, but has never before permanently deployed troops on Israeli soil. A EUCOM spokesman declined to comment. MDA officials referred to the U.S. State Department, which did not provide comment by press time. An Israeli military spokesman said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) enjoys longstanding strategic cooperation with all branches of the U.S. military. "This cooperation is varied and comes in multiple forms, and it is not our practice to discuss details of our bilateral activities," he said. Nevertheless, in previous interviews, U.S. and Israeli officials confirmed that the X-band deployment plan was approved in July, first by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his Israeli counterpart, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi; and then by. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Shaving Minutes From Reaction Time The radar will be linked to the U.S. Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS), which receives and processes threat data transmitted by U.S. Defense Support System satellites. According to U.S. and Israeli sources, JTAGS will remain in Europe, but its essential cueing data will stream into the forward-deployed X-band radar, where it instantaneously shares information with Israel's Arrow Weapon System. Once operational, the combined U.S. and Israeli system is expected to double or even triple the range at which Israel can detect, track and ultimately intercept Iranian missiles, according to Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, director of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency. During a visit to Israel in early August, Obering said the X-Band radar could add precious minutes to the time in which Israel has to respond to incoming missile attacks. "The missile threat from Iran is very real, and we must stay ahead of the threat ... that's why we're working so hard with all our allies to put the most optimized, effective, anti-missile capabilities in place," Obering said. "In the context of Israel, if we can take the radar out here and tie it into the Arrow Weapon System, they'll be able to launch that interceptor way before they could with an autonomous system," he added. Ilan Biton, a brigadier general in the Israel Air Force (IAF) reserves and former commander of the nation's air defense forces, could not comment on the latest developments associated with the X-band radar. However, he said that an IAF air defense brigade established during his 2003-2006 tenure has continuously demonstrated its ability to interoperate well with American forces. "We advanced tremendously on multiple levels and have developed very impressive cooperation," Biton said at a Sept. 22 conference in Herzliya. Referring to bilateral Juniper Cobra air defense exercises and the 2003 deployment of Patriot batteries prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Biton noted: "At the human level, we've developed a common language and at the technical level, we've put in place the interfaces that allow our systems to speak to one another." The end result, according to Biton, is a combined ability "to manage battles, execute debriefs and implement corrections, all in real time." Twin Messages As U.S. public affairs officers last week mulled whether to publicly disclose the Israel deployment, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at a U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, continued to defend his country's nuclear enrichment and missile development program. "Iran's [nuclear] activities are peaceful," Ahmadinejad said Sept. 23, adding that in Israel, "the Zionist regime is on a definite slope to collapse." A U.S. government source said the X-band deployment and other bilateral alliance-bolstering activities send parallel messages: "First, we want to put Iran on notice that we're bolstering our capabilities throughout the region, and especially in Israel. But just as important, we're telling the Israelis, 'Calm down; behave. We're doing all we can to stand by your side and strengthen defenses, because at this time, we don't want you rushing into the military option.'" But in Israel, frustration is mounting at what is roundly perceived as a lack of international resolve to halt Iran's nuclear weapons drive. At a Sept. 21 meeting of the Israeli Cabinet, an Israeli military intelligence officer reported that Iran is accelerating the pace at which it enriches uranium, and that Tehran already possesses possibly half of the fissionable material needed to produce its first nuclear warhead. Reflecting Israeli concern about the ineffectiveness of sanctions against Tehran, Brig. Gen. Yossi Baidatz, head of Military Intelligence's research department, reported: "The international front against Iran is weak and not consolidated, and isn't putting enough pressure on the regime to stop enriching uranium." According to selected excerpts from the briefing released by the Israeli Prime Minister's office, Baidatz warned that Iran is "galloping toward a nuclear bomb." He added, "The sanctions have very little influence and are far from bringing to bear a critical mass of pressure on Iran." Vago Muradian contributed to this report from Washington, Barbara Opall-Rome from Tel Aviv.

First C-27s Delivered to Pentagon

First C-27s Delivered to Pentagon (NSI News Source Info) September 26, 2008: The first C-27J Spartan cargo aircraft was delivered to the Pentagon on Sept. 25, on time and on budget, according to officials at L-3 Communications, the lead contractor on the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) contract. "We are very proud to have achieved this critical milestone in meeting our commitment to our customer," said Michael T. Strianese, president and CEO of L-3. "With Alenia, we have consistently performed well throughout all phases of the JCA program, and we look forward to continuing to lead this successful effort." The $2 billion contract, awarded in June 2007, includes 54 twin-engine turboprop light cargo planes for the U.S. Army and 24 for the U.S. Air Force. Six planes for the Army have now been ordered, with Air Force orders expected to begin in 2010. The first 14 for the Army will be produced by Alenia, a unit of Italy's Finmeccanica, in Turin, Italy. "L-3, Alenia Aeronautica and Alenia North America have worked very hard to ensure that we present the C-27J on time to the U.S. Army," said Pierfrancesco Guarguaglini, chairman and CEO of Finmeccanica, parent company to aircraft manufacturer Alenia Aeronautica. "This event demonstrates our group's capability and our strong commitment to the U.S. market." A formal delivery ceremony will be held in October at L-3's Waco, Texas, facility, where the Italian-built planes are modified and tested. The C-27J will replace the Army's C-23 Sherpas and portions of the C-12 and C-26 fleets. For the Air Force, the mid-range multifunctional plane will extend the intratheater lift fleet, capable of handling logistical re-supply, medical evacuations, troop movement, airdrop operations, humanitarian assistance and homeland security missions.

China Finger in Every Pie

China Finger in Every Pie

(NSI News Source Info) September 25, 2008: Although the United States is the major trading partner for China, the enemies of America are also major customers for Chinese weapons. Iran, Venezuela and any dictator with cash can buy weapons from China. Other things are for sale, like the diplomatic veto China possess by virtue of its permanent seat on the UN security council. This gives the Chinese government more power abroad than at home. A food processor scandal (industrial chemicals being used illegally, and poisoning infants, young children, and even adults) has caused a growing panic over the safety of processed foods. The deaths of about a dozen infants, and nearly 100,000 getting sick, has led the public to fear massive damage to an entire generation. The Internet and cell phone chatter is out of (government) control, and the security forces do not know where this might go. The Chinese are learning a lesson absorbed in the West a century ago; without regulation, intense competition in the food business will produce food contamination. It happened in the U.S. and Europe in the late 19th century. It's happened in other developing countries under similar circumstances (but not to a large enough extent to make the news in the West). The Chinese scandal is huge, even by Chinese standards. Even people in the military and security forces are grumbling about the safety of their food. Thus, twice in one year, the government has to come up with some innovative method for defusing a potential mass uprising. First earthquakes and shoddy schools collapsing, now this. What next? September 23, 2008: The Chinese military held several days of exercises near the capital. The main purpose was to test the ability of forces from all the services to rapidly communicate and coordinate combat operations. The model for all this is what Western, particularly American, forces have been doing in the past decade. Chinese military analysts have been watching U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and trying to extract useful lessons. September 13, 2008: The government admitted that milk companies have been adding industrial chemicals to baby formula (to increase the protein content, required to make the formula nutritious enough to sustain infants). Chinese food processors have been cheating with food additives for years, and were caught out last year when this practice created dog food, exported to the United States, that killed family pets. Then it was found to have gotten into human food as well. China promised to improve its quality control. But that attitude did not reach the Chinese baby food industry, and now, because most Chinese mothers use formula rather than breast feeding, a generation has been poisoned. The population is enraged and the Internet again made it impossible to control the story. The modern police state, as effective as it is, depends on control of the mass media to work. The Chinese government fears the worst from this loss of media control, although reformers in the government see the Internet as a tool to force reforms and a decrease in corrupt practices. September 6, 2008: The government continues to face hundreds of large scale demonstrations a week. These are caused by perceived injustices, like the death of a child in an industrial accident, large scale fraud or corruption. Over a 100,000 riot police are on constant stand-by for this all over the country, and soldiers train for riot control duties, and are also on call. But this is often inadequate. That's because a new form of mob protest has developed, using the Internet and cell phones (texting) to arouse and organize large numbers of people to go out and do something. The government fears that eventually these Internet inspired mobs will go after corrupt officials and police. September 4, 2008: A Chinese government committee admitted that lack of supervision allowed corrupt officials and builders constructed shoddy schools during the last decade of economic boom. Most of those schools collapsed during the central China earthquakes earlier this year. The deaths of over 10,000 children inside collapsed schools caused much public anger. The government kept all this under control by paying parents of dead children cash settlements, but demanding they agree to keep quiet. Very clever, and effective. Now the truth can comes out, when it's relatively say to do so.

Japan At Risk From The Ocean

Japan At Risk From The Ocean (NSI News Source Info) September 25, 2008: On September 13th, the Japanese destroyer Atago spotted a submarine periscope about a kilometers away. Even the ship's captain got a look at it before it submerged. The Atago turned on its sonar, and radioed headquarters to see if there were any American or Japanese subs in the area (off Kochi prefecture, on the southeast Pacific coast). There weren't. The sub was in Japanese waters, and according to international law, should have surfaced and identified itself when pinged by sonar. But instead, the sub sped up and moved away. The Atago did not have a helicopter on board to aid in the search, and after 90 minutes, the sub slipped away. The sonar contact did reveal the sub to be, most likely, Russian or Chinese. The Japanese keep an eye on the choke points the Russians must use to get their subs out to the ocean, and, without giving anything away, said they did not believe the boat was Russian. That left the Chinese, who have been sending their subs farther and farther afield over the last few years. Four years ago, a Chinese nuclear powered sub was caught in Japanese waters, and the Chinese eventually apologized for that. The U.S. has underwater surveillance systems that cover most of the Pacific, but there was no public American report on whether any subs had been spotted in that area. The U.S. is very secretive about their wade area underwater sensor system, so as not to give any potential enemies useful information on what the system can, and cannot, track. The Atago incident caused Japanese politicians to call for a change in the current laws, so that Japanese ships can use force (depth charges, or even torpedoes) to go after subs that are illegally intruding into Japanese waters. But the most embarrassing aspect of the incident was the inability of the Japanese to track the intruder. Japanese still remember the starvation of the last year of World War II (1945), when submarines and naval mines cut off food imports and caused a deadly famine.

Indonesia’s Air Force Adds More Flankers

Indonesia’s Air Force Adds More Flankers (NSI News Source Info) September 25, 2008: Russia’s MAKS air show doesn’t have quite the international clout of Farnborough or Le Bourget, but the price and quality of modern Russian fighters ensures its place on the international circuit. In August 2007, Russian sources claimed that $3 billion in civil and military contracts were signed at MAKS 2007. That year, the top military contract came on opening day, when Rosoboronexport State Corporation and the Republic of Indonesia signed a $355 million Memorandum of Understanding for 3 SU-27SKM and 3 SU-30MK2 fighters.

SU-27SK

Indonesia’s 12 remaining F-16A/Bs and 16 remaining F-5E/F fighters experienced severe maintenance problems in the wake of a US embargo, which was triggered the Indonesian military’s widespread human rights abuses in East Timor. A $192 million contract began to address that in 2003 by buying 2 SU-27SK single-seat and 2 Su-30MKK twin-seat multi-role fighters from Russia, and Indonesia is continuing on that course despite the lifting of the US embargo in November 2005. August 2007 featured the $355 million agreement for additional fighters, and a month later that purchase was followed by a $1.2 billion array of submarines, armored vehicles, and armed helicopters. It’s all part of an oil-fueled modernization drive, backed by increased military spending. DID offers details regarding the new fighters and their regional implications, as well as the procedural snag that may delay their delivery… The SU-27SKM and SU-30MK2 are parallel upgrade programs with many modifications in common, including the addition of digital cockpits with updated avionics, additional wing hardpoints, carrying capacity upgrades to 8000 kg of weapons, a wider variety of weapon options, upgraded radars and ECM, and in-flight refueling capability. These modifications change the SU-27 from a dedicated air superiority fighter to a versatile attack aircraft as well, and both planes share the Sukhoi Flanker family’s combination of long range, large payloads, and air to air performance that can match or beat any American fighter except the F-22A Raptor. For more on the strategic and procurement issues tied up in this purchase, see UPI analyst Martin Sieff’s “Jets for Jakarta: A Whole New Strategic Game For Australasia” [UPI direct Part 1 Part 2], and Air Power Australia’s “Sukhoi Flankers: The Shifting Balance of Regional Air Power.”