DTN News: Russia To Deploy 2 Armies In Belarus For Zapad Military Drills

DTN News: Russia To Deploy 2 Armies In Belarus For Zapad Military Drills

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - June 6, 2009: Russia will deploy two full-sized armies in Belarus during large-scale joint military exercises in September, the Russian chief of General Staff said on Friday. "This year we will start a series of large-scale drills in line with current military reforms. During the Zapad [West] large-scale exercises on September 8-29, we will deploy two full-sized armies in Belarus," Gen. Nikolai Makarov said. The exercises will, among other things, rehearse interoperability within the framework of the Belarusian-Russian integrated air defense system, which the two countries agreed to establish recently. Makarov also said that in addition to the Zapad exercises, Russia will conduct two large-scale drills and a brigade-level exercise on its own territory, which will involve units from three military districts and three fleets. "On June 29 - July 10, we will conduct a large-scale exercise involving all brigades of the North Caucasus military district, the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla," he said. "From August 10 to September 28, all units of the Leningrad military district, and several units of the Siberian military district, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet will take part in the Ladoga exercises," the general added. According to Makarov, over 60,000 military personnel will participate in the exercises. Russia's Ground Forces are deployed in six military districts: Moscow, Leningrad, North Caucasus, Urals, Siberian, and Far Eastern. The central focus of the current reforms is the reorganization of the military command and control system from a four-tier (military district - army - division - regiment) to a three-tier structure (military district - operational command - brigade).

DTN News: Pakistan Wants US To Write Off $1.35 Billion Loan

DTN News: Pakistan Wants US To Write Off $1.35 Billion Loan

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD - June 6, 2009: Pakistan formally requested the United States on Friday to write off its debt to help it overcome the economic crisis caused by the war against terrorists, displacement of people from the Malakand region and global recession. PM Gilani, in his meeting with Richard Holbrooke, also asked for a substantial increase in aid and to put on a fast track military supplies for Pakistan’s campaign against terrorism. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani made the request during a meeting with the US envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke who is reported to have said that the US would look into the matter. Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs Hina Khar told Dawn that Pakistan owed $1.35 billion to the US. The US envoy said measures were being taken to accelerate military supplies to Pakistan. The prime minister urged the US administration to initiate action in the Congress for a substantial increase in aid and to put on a fast track military supplies for Pakistan’s campaign against terrorism. Mr Gilani acknowledged that the US had helped Pakistan in providing relief to the displaced people through an aid package of more than $300 million. He expressed the hope that major European and Muslim countries would follow the US lead and come up with timely assistance. The prime minister said the nation was united on the vital issue of army operation against Taliban and the government had taken all national institutions on board in fighting terror. He said there was national cohesion and a spirit of reconciliation on national issues among all political forces. Ambassador Holbrook praised the overall condition in the camps for displaced people. He praised the tradition of Pukhtunwali and the hospitality of the people of the country in accommodating the displaced people in their homes and catering to their needs despite their own meagre resources.

DTN News: D-Day Celebrations At The German Military Cemetery Of La Cambe, Normandy

DTN News: D-Day Celebrations At The German Military Cemetery Of La Cambe, Normandy

(NSI News Source Info) NORMANDY, France - June 6, 2009: German and US soldiers stand side by side during a commemoration ceremony on June 5, 2009 at the German Military Cemetery of La Cambe, Normandy. Preparations are underway for the upcoming D-Day celebrations to mark the 65th anniversary of the June 6, 1944 allied landings in France, then occupied by Nazi Germany.

US President Barack Obama is to lead commemorations attended by thousands of Americans on June 6 at the ceremony above Omaha Beach, where more than 9,000 US troops fought and died in June 1944.

DTN News: US President Barack Obama Arrives At US military Airbase In Southern German City Of Ramstein

DTN News: US President Barack Obama Arrives At US military Airbase In Southern German City Of Ramstein

(NSI News Source Info) DRESDEN, Germany - June 6, 2009: US President Barack Obama arrives at the US military airbase in the southern German city of Ramstein on June 5, 2009.

U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel tour the Buchenwald Concentration Camp with the Crematorium in the background in Germany June 5, 2009. Pictured are concentration camp survivor Bertrand Herz, Merkel, Obama, and survivor Elie Weisel.

After policy talks and a news conference in Dresden, Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel travelled to Buchenwald, the former Nazi concentration camp where more than 56,000 prisoners died in horrendous conditions.

DTN News: India, Russia May Agree Admiral Gorshkov Cost By August, 2009: Media Report

DTN News: India, Russia May Agree Admiral Gorshkov Cost By August, 2009: Media Report

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - June 5, 2009: India and Russia could reach a final agreement by the end of July on the cost of overhauling the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier to be delivered to the Indian navy, the Hindu newspaper said on Friday. The original $1.5 billion 2004 contract between Russia's state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport and the Indian Navy, which includes the delivery of MiG-29K Fulcrum carrier-based fighters, envisioned that work on the aircraft carrier would be completed in 2008. However, Russia later claimed it had underestimated the scale and the cost of the modernization, and demanded an additional $1.4 billion, which New Delhi said was "exorbitant." A joint Indian-Russian working group met last week in Moscow to start preparing a revised agreement on the Admiral Gorshkov (future INS Vikramaditya) by the end of July. The Hindu said that "although a final price tag is yet to be determined, Indian officials familiar with negotiations said on Thursday that the eventual figure would be closer to the $2.2 billion estimate." The aircraft carrier is currently docked at the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia, with over 2,000 workers carrying out repairs. According to the paper, the Indian delegation led by Defense Secretary Vijay Singh has asked Russia to ensure delivery of the aircraft carrier by December 2012. The Admiral Gorshkov carrier is to replace India's INS Viraat carrier, which, although currently operational, is now 50 years old. After modernization, the carrier is expected to be seaworthy for 30 years.

DTN News: Iran Has Enough Uranium For Nuclear Bomb: UN / Iran 'Has Atomic Bomb Capability'

DTN News: Iran Has Enough Uranium For Nuclear Bomb: UN / Iran 'Has Atomic Bomb Capability'

(NSI News Source Info) VIENNA - June 5, 2009: Iran has significantly expanded uranium enrichment with almost 5,000 centrifuges now operating and this has made it harder for U.N. inspectors to keep track of the disputed nuclear activity, an IAEA report said on Friday.

A United Nations report says Iran now has enough uranium to make a nuclear bomb. The UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, says Iran has more than 1,300 kilograms of low-enriched uranium, which is well over the amount needed to make a single nuclear bomb. The UN Security Council has ordered Iran to suspend its enrichment related activities until the IAEA can verify the exact nature of Tehran's controversial nuclear program. But Iran says it is enriching uranium solely for nuclear energy.

DTN News: Cost Of F-22 Fighter For Japan As Much As $250 Million

DTN News: Cost Of F-22 Fighter For Japan As Much As $250 Million

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - June 5, 2009: The U.S. Air Force estimates it would cost Japan as much as $250 million per plane to buy dozens of radar-evading F-22 fighter jets, a U.S. senator told Japan's ambassador in a letter, saying he hopes to reverse a current U.S. ban on such exports. The F-22's engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine, especially in military (non-afterburner) power. Called "super cruise," this characteristic allows the F-22 to efficiently cruise at supersonic airspeeds without using afterburners. This capability greatly expands the F-22's operating envelope in both speed and range over current fighters that must use afterburner to operate at supersonic speeds.

The F-22 has been extensively designed, tested and refined aerodynamically during the demonstration/validation (dem/val) phase and the current Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. The F-22's sophisticated aero-design and high thrust-to-weight ratio provide the capability to outmaneuver all current and projected threat aircraft. To ensure the F-22 provides air dominance for deep-interdiction aircraft, it operates at medium and high altitude at ranges superior to current generation air dominance aircraft.

To ensure operational flexibility, the F-22 has better reliability and maintainability than any military fighter in history. Increased F-22 reliability and maintainability pays off in less manpower required to fix the aircraft and consequently less airlift required to support a deployed squadron. Additionally, reduced maintenance support provides the benefit of reduced life-cycle cost and the ability to operate more efficiently from prepared or dispersed operating locations.

The above characteristics provide a synergistic effect that ensures F-22 lethality against an advanced air threat. The combination of reduced observability and super cruise drastically shrinks surface-to-air engagement envelopes and minimizes threat capability to engage and shoot the F-22.

The F-22 has a secondary role to attack surface targets. The aircraft will be capable of carrying two 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) internally and will use on-board avionics for navigation and weapons delivery support. Senator Daniel Inouye, who heads the Senate Appropriations Committee, said this price included the cost of creating an export version of the most advanced U.S. fighter, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. This assumes production would begin in four to five years, with deliveries in seven to nine years, according to two sources familiar with the letter. Rob Blumenthal, a spokesman for Inouye, confirmed the senator had sent letters on the F-22 issue to the ambassador, Ichiro Fujisaki, and to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. He declined to release the letters or discuss their content. The sources, who asked not to be named since the issue is still far from decided, said the U.S. Air Force had reversed its opposition to F-22 exports after studying the issue of F-22 exports again over the past four to six months. The estimated cost is far higher than the roughly $150 million paid by the Air Force for its last batch of fighters, but the price tag would come down considerably if Congress decides to add funding for more U.S. F-22s to the fiscal 2010 budget, the sources said. "That would help quite a bit because it would avert the cost of restarting the production line once it had stopped," said one of the sources. Gates in April said the Pentagon would halt production of the F-22 fighter at 187 airplanes, after ordering four more in fiscal 2009 that ends Sept. 30. Top Air Force officials say they support Gates' decision given budget constraints, but had pushed in the past for as many as 60 more, or a total of 243. Creating an export version of the F-22 fighter would also keep the door open to a possible resumption of F-22 production for the U.S. Air Force in the future. Japan for years has expressed interest in buying two squadrons of its own F-22s, which could translate into orders of 40 to 60 more airplanes for Lockheed. Foreign sales of the F-22 fighter are banned under an amendment by House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey that was passed in 1998, but recent North Korean missile launches and continued interest by Japan in buying the F-22 may be softening congressional opposition, particularly since the F-22 production line is now nearing a shutdown. The sources cited growing support for dropping the export ban, noting that tens of thousands of jobs were at stake around the country. "There's decent support, but it's not a slam-dunk," one said.

The source said it might be easier now to drop the export ban, given recent missile development activity by North Korea, the U.S. recession and strong U.S. ties to Japan. Loren Thompson, analyst with the Lexington Institute, this week said Japan had expressed a willingness to pay the cost of modifying the sophisticated fighter jets for export. Analysts say the bill for removing highly classified equipment could be close to $1 billion, but the prestige of owning and operating the world's top fighter jet could make it a worthwhile investment for Tokyo. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

DTN News: Microsoft Introduces Window 7 At Computex Fair Taipei

DTN News: Microsoft Introduces Window 7 At Computex Fair Taipei

(NSI News Source Info) TAIPEI, Taiwan - June 5, 2009: A Microsoft staff member explains the latest Windows 7 operating system during the Computex fair in Taipei on June 2, 2009.

Asia's biggest information technology trade show opened in Taiwan, with the spotlight on low-priced notebook computers and advanced broadband Internet mobile technology.A model poses with a Microsoft Multi-Touch-enabled computer installed with Windows 7 during the 2009 Computex exhibition in Taipei June 2, 2009. Touchscreen technology is sweeping the consumer electronics market as technology brands hope to come up with the next iPhone, but these new toys could be little more than plenty of hype especially in the PC market. To match analysis

DTN News: Russian Hummer GAZ 2975 Tigr Is Rolling

DTN News: Russian Hummer GAZ 2975 Tigr Is Rolling (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - June 5, 2009: The "Tigr" ("Tiger"), which is often referred to as the "Russian Hummer", was developed by the GAZ Automobile Works for special-purpose militia units. The GAZ-2975 Tigr was officially taken into service at the end of 2006 and manufactured in 2007. The vehicle is intended to carry and protect personnel. It can accommodate up to 10 officers armed and in full gear. The vehicle has been field- and combat-tested before being sent to serve with OMON. Its armor can defeat 7.62-calibre ammunition and can withstand shell fragments. The GAZ-2975 "Tigr" is a Russian high-mobility multipurpose military vehicle, manufactured by GAZ. It is the military version of the GAZ-2330 "Tigr" and has been referred to as "the Russian Humvee" (while the civilian GAZ-2330 has been referred to as "the Russian Hummer"). The GAZ 2975 as Tigr [which means Tiger] is equipped with a powerful diesel engine with the turbocharging and air cooling system and a five-level manual gearbox.The independent torsion suspension of all the wheels, telescopic shock-absorbers and regulated pressure tires ensure exceptional crosscountry ability, high speed of 80 km/hour over rough terrain and up to 140 km/hour on the road. «Tiger» is capable to force a crossing over water ways with the depth of 1.2 meter. Various types of bodies may be installed on the chassis: armored, passenger, cargo ones, etc. The solid design, exclusive flotation ability and reliability of the automobile GAZ-2975 Tigr allows anyone to use it, even under the harshest conditions. Everyone who could steer Tiger, retains the strong impression from power and a running characteristics of this - without exaggeration to tell - "brutal" machine. Tigr causes lively interest both in managers of the oil-and-gas companies, and to the same extent representatives of military departments. The automobile GAZ-2975 Tigr is a joint development of OA GAZ and its affiliated firm "industrial - computer technologies". It was submitted for the first time in March, 2001 at the IDEX exhibition in Abu-Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). New development met all operational requirements on reliability, safety, and ecology. On the automobile is a turbodiesel with intercooler - Cummins B-180 (USA) - with a manual gear box. Installation of more powerful engines up to a volume of 6 litres both Russian, and foreign manufacture is possible. Equipped with independent suspension of all wheels, Tigr is capable to move on roads and impassability with speed of 120-140 kms / h. Exclusive flotation ability is promoted by the increased ground clearance and automatic regulation of pressure in tires. The automobile is equipped with the steering booster. Carrying capacity of Tigr is 1.5 tons. On VII Moscow International auto show "MIMS-2002" the automobile GAZ-2975 Tigr was awarded with a lot of various awards, including a nomination for "Best special automobile". The vehicle was designed at the expense of United Arab Emirates. The pilot production of GAZ-2330 “Tigr” started in 2004. In 2005 only 96 vehicles were made, mostly for MVD. The vehicle is very expensive now (by the Russian standards, of course), 60-65.000 US$ a piece. The main problem is the lack of appropriate Russian-made diesel engine. Now all Tigrs use the US engines Cummins ?-180 or B-215. This partly explains the high cost and unwillingness of the army to purchase this version. Though specialists consider GAZ-2330 a very successful vehicle. It is of the same class and dimensions as HUMVEE, but differs from the technical point of view and has the higher cross-country ability. It uses many original decisions and its very reliable running gear is unified with BTR-80 (in particular, suspension is the same). The demand for Tigr, especially for armored GAZ-233036, has considerably increased in 2006 and GAZ extends the producing facilities to 1000 vehicles per year. In 2007 the organized export will begin. But the decisive turn can be expected only in summer of 2008 when the Yaroslavl motor plant will begin producing the new engine YaMZ-536. Technically it occupies the same niche as the Vodnik. The Vodnik has been chosen over the Tigr, though other Russian paramilitary units might like it. Basically the standard armoured patrol vehicle has for some time been the BRDM-2. This has been superseeded recently by the Vodnik which is a modular family of vehicles including armoured and unarmoured vehicles. Without a Russian engine there is no way the Army will adopt this vehicle. They don't even really need it, they already have a vast array of vehicle types available to them for a wide range of tasks. 2330 Tigr Solid construction, high passability and reliability of automobile GAZ-2330 Tigr make it possible to use it under any, even most complex conditions. All, to whom it had the occasion to govern “the Tigr”, remain under the strong impression from the power and the running qualities of this without the exaggeration to say “brutal” machines. “The Tigr” in the identical degree causes lively interest both in the managers of enterprises in the natural gas field and in the representatives of military departments. By the specialists of joint stock company “GAZ” is developed the special-purpose automobile, which satisfies very high demands in the rational design both of the exterior forms and interior for the automobiles of this class. New development answers all operating requirements on the reliability, safety, ecology. On the automobile is established [turbodizel] with cooling of super-charging air Cummins V -180 (USA) with the mechanical gearbox. The line-up of automobile provides for the installation of the more high-powered engines with a volume of 6,0 liters both Russian and foreign production. The GAZ-2330 “Tigris”, equipped with independent torsion bar suspension of all wheels, it is capable to be moved both along the roads of general use and on the complete impassable road. To the high passability of automobile contribute the complete drive of wheels, increased road clearance and automatic pressure adjustment in the tires. Automobile is equipped with the hydraulic amplifier of steering control. Load capacity of the Tigr is 1,5 tons. At the Moscow international automobile exhibition “MIMS-2002” the automobile GAZ-2330 Tigr was honored a whole series of different rewards, including in the nomination “best special automobile”.

DTN News: Humvee Still Made In America / Humvee Production Will Stay In America

DTN News: Humvee Still Made In America / Humvee Production Will Stay In America

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - June 5, 2009: The military's High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, also known as a "HMMWV" or a "Humvee," will continue to be made in the United States, by an American-owned company.

This Humvee prepares for a convoy mission inside the yard at Convoy Support Center Scania, Iraq, April 16. The military's Humvee is manufactured by AM General, an American company in South Bend, Ind. General Motor's decision to sell to a Chinese manufacturer their Hummer brand of vehicles, which shares a common background with the Humvee, will not affect where the Humvee is made.

The recent announcement that Detroit-based General Motors will sell their Hummer brand of vehicles to Chinese-based Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company, has no bearing on the U.S. military's Humvee.

"The Army's Humvee and the civilian Hummer look similar and share a common appearance," said spokesman Lt. Col. Martin Downie. "But the rights to produce those two different vehicles are no longer owned by the same company."

Humvee manufacturer AM General is an American company based in South Bend, Ind. The company produced the first 55,000 Humvees for the Army in 1985. The company continues today to produce the Humvee for the military.

In the early 1990s, AM General began producing a civilian version of the Humvee, calling it a "Hummer." But by the late 1990s, AM General had sold the Hummer name to General Motors. While GM will sell the Hummer nameplate to Sichuan Tengzhong, the military's Humvee, its designs, unique performance capabilities and technologies will continue to be owned by, and the vehicle produced by, AM General.