Daily wages laborers stand near an election poster of Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai, center, with first vice president Mohammad Qasim Fahim and second vice president Mohammad Karim Khalili, right, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. The U.N. is warning that violence in Afghanistan could increase after the results from the country's disputed presidential election are finally tallied and disclosed. Preliminary results from the Aug. 20 vote show President Hamid Karzai with 54.6 percent.
Taliban assassination attempts against Afghan officials have intensified this year, with more than 100 officials and pro-government tribal elders attacked, half of them fatally.
The convoy carrying Energy Minister Ismail Khan, a powerbroker in the western region of Herat, was headed to the airport when a suicide car bomb exploded outside a high school, said Raouf Ahmadi, a police spokesman.
Ahmadi said four civilians died and 17 people were wounded, including four of Khan's bodyguards. He said Khan escaped unharmed and arrived safely at the airport.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility and said the explosion targeted Khan, who was once governor of Herat, a western province bordering Iran.
The Taliban assassination campaign is a strong sign of deteriorating security in the country, where a record number of US and NATO troops have also died this year.
The Obama administration is now debating whether to send more American troops to Afghanistan as its government faces allegations of widespread fraud from the disputed Aug. 20 presidential election.
Two US service members died Saturday in the country's south, one from a roadside bomb explosion and the other from an insurgent attack, the NATO-led force said.
A British soldier died Sunday from a bomb explosion while patrolling in southern Afghanistan, Britain's Defense Ministry said.
Elsewhere, three French soldiers died in a violent storm in northeastern Afghanistan late Saturday. One soldier was struck by lightning while two were swept away by a rain-swollen river during an operation in Kapisa province, said military spokesman Christophe Prazuck.
This year has been the deadliest of the eight-year war for US and NATO troops. The latest six deaths bring to 64 the number of NATO troops killed this month.
Elsewhere in western Afghanistan, three Afghan civilians died when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Farah province. Gen. Mohammad Faqir Askir, Farah's police chief, said the vehicle had just turned off the main highway toward a village when the bomb exploded.
Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said seven Taliban militants were killed in a gunbattle Saturday with police in Kunduz province, once a relatively peaceful region in the north of the country that has recently seen more violence as militants try to expand control.-
Sunday, September 27, 2009
DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY September 27, 2009 ~ Six foreign troops killed in Afghanistan
DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY September 27, 2009 ~ Six foreign troops killed in Afghanistan
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - September 27, 2009: A suicide car bomb explosion targeting Afghanistan's energy minister killed four civilians Sunday, while attacks and a violent storm killed six international troops, including three French and two American forces, officials said. Daily wages laborers stand near an election poster of Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai, center, with first vice president Mohammad Qasim Fahim and second vice president Mohammad Karim Khalili, right, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. The U.N. is warning that violence in Afghanistan could increase after the results from the country's disputed presidential election are finally tallied and disclosed. Preliminary results from the Aug. 20 vote show President Hamid Karzai with 54.6 percent.
Taliban assassination attempts against Afghan officials have intensified this year, with more than 100 officials and pro-government tribal elders attacked, half of them fatally.
The convoy carrying Energy Minister Ismail Khan, a powerbroker in the western region of Herat, was headed to the airport when a suicide car bomb exploded outside a high school, said Raouf Ahmadi, a police spokesman.
Ahmadi said four civilians died and 17 people were wounded, including four of Khan's bodyguards. He said Khan escaped unharmed and arrived safely at the airport.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility and said the explosion targeted Khan, who was once governor of Herat, a western province bordering Iran.
The Taliban assassination campaign is a strong sign of deteriorating security in the country, where a record number of US and NATO troops have also died this year.
The Obama administration is now debating whether to send more American troops to Afghanistan as its government faces allegations of widespread fraud from the disputed Aug. 20 presidential election.
Two US service members died Saturday in the country's south, one from a roadside bomb explosion and the other from an insurgent attack, the NATO-led force said.
A British soldier died Sunday from a bomb explosion while patrolling in southern Afghanistan, Britain's Defense Ministry said.
Elsewhere, three French soldiers died in a violent storm in northeastern Afghanistan late Saturday. One soldier was struck by lightning while two were swept away by a rain-swollen river during an operation in Kapisa province, said military spokesman Christophe Prazuck.
This year has been the deadliest of the eight-year war for US and NATO troops. The latest six deaths bring to 64 the number of NATO troops killed this month.
Elsewhere in western Afghanistan, three Afghan civilians died when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Farah province. Gen. Mohammad Faqir Askir, Farah's police chief, said the vehicle had just turned off the main highway toward a village when the bomb exploded.
Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said seven Taliban militants were killed in a gunbattle Saturday with police in Kunduz province, once a relatively peaceful region in the north of the country that has recently seen more violence as militants try to expand control.-
Daily wages laborers stand near an election poster of Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai, center, with first vice president Mohammad Qasim Fahim and second vice president Mohammad Karim Khalili, right, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. The U.N. is warning that violence in Afghanistan could increase after the results from the country's disputed presidential election are finally tallied and disclosed. Preliminary results from the Aug. 20 vote show President Hamid Karzai with 54.6 percent.
Taliban assassination attempts against Afghan officials have intensified this year, with more than 100 officials and pro-government tribal elders attacked, half of them fatally.
The convoy carrying Energy Minister Ismail Khan, a powerbroker in the western region of Herat, was headed to the airport when a suicide car bomb exploded outside a high school, said Raouf Ahmadi, a police spokesman.
Ahmadi said four civilians died and 17 people were wounded, including four of Khan's bodyguards. He said Khan escaped unharmed and arrived safely at the airport.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility and said the explosion targeted Khan, who was once governor of Herat, a western province bordering Iran.
The Taliban assassination campaign is a strong sign of deteriorating security in the country, where a record number of US and NATO troops have also died this year.
The Obama administration is now debating whether to send more American troops to Afghanistan as its government faces allegations of widespread fraud from the disputed Aug. 20 presidential election.
Two US service members died Saturday in the country's south, one from a roadside bomb explosion and the other from an insurgent attack, the NATO-led force said.
A British soldier died Sunday from a bomb explosion while patrolling in southern Afghanistan, Britain's Defense Ministry said.
Elsewhere, three French soldiers died in a violent storm in northeastern Afghanistan late Saturday. One soldier was struck by lightning while two were swept away by a rain-swollen river during an operation in Kapisa province, said military spokesman Christophe Prazuck.
This year has been the deadliest of the eight-year war for US and NATO troops. The latest six deaths bring to 64 the number of NATO troops killed this month.
Elsewhere in western Afghanistan, three Afghan civilians died when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Farah province. Gen. Mohammad Faqir Askir, Farah's police chief, said the vehicle had just turned off the main highway toward a village when the bomb exploded.
Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said seven Taliban militants were killed in a gunbattle Saturday with police in Kunduz province, once a relatively peaceful region in the north of the country that has recently seen more violence as militants try to expand control.-
DTN News: Iran Test-Fires Missiles Amid Nuclear Tension
DTN News: Iran Test-Fires Missiles Amid Nuclear Tension
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info)TEHRAN, Iran - September 27, 2009: Iran test-fired short-range missiles as its elite Revolutionary Guards began war games on Sunday aimed at boosting the Islamic Republic's deterrent capabilities, official media reported. 
In this photo released by the Iranian semi-official Mehr News Agency, Revolutionary Guard's Zelzal missile is launched in a drill, Sunday Sept. 27, 2009, near the city of Qom, 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Tehran, Iran. Iran said it successfully test-fired short-range missiles during military drills Sunday by the elite Revolutionary Guard, a show of force days after the U.S. warned Tehran over a newly revealed underground nuclear facility it was secretly constructing.*
The missile maneuvers coincide with increased tension in Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, after last week's disclosure by Tehran that it is building a second uranium enrichment plant.
State radio said the Guards on Monday would test-fire the Shahab 3 missile, which Iranian officials say has a range of around 2,000 km, potentially putting Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf within reach. It has been tested several times before.
Iran's English-language Press TV said two short-range missiles as well as a multiple missile launcher were tested on the exercise's first day.
It showed footage of a missile launch in desert-like terrain, leaving a vapor trail.
"Iran tests two short-range missiles," it said in a scrolling headline, naming them as the ground-to-ground Fateh (Victorious) missile and the Tondar (Thunder) naval missile.
The Revolutionary Guards said "the drill aims to maintain and boost the country's armed forces deterrent capabilities," Press TV said.
The United States, which suspects Iran is seeking to build nuclear bombs, has previously expressed concern about Tehran's missile programme. Iran says its nuclear work is for peaceful power generation purposes.
Iran often conducts war games or tests weapons to show its determination to counter any attack by foes such as Israel or the United States.
"FABRICATED WESTERN CLAMOUR"
Neither the United States nor its ally Israel have ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the nuclear row.
Iran has said it would respond to any attack by targeting U.S. interests in the region and Israel, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world oil supplies.
Iran acknowledged the existence of the enrichment plant near the holy city of Qom for the first time on Monday in a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
U.S. officials said the disclosure was designed to pre-empt an announcement by Western governments, which were aware of the site, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the plant was legal and open for inspection by the IAEA.
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday the discovery of a secret nuclear plant showed a "disturbing pattern" of evasion by Iran which added urgency to its talks with six world powers in Geneva on Thursday.
An Iranian official warned that "fabricated Western clamour" over the new enrichment plant would negatively affect the talks, state radio said on Sunday.
Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's IAEA envoy, said, referring to the six powers: "This Western approach will have a negative impact on Iran's negotiations with the 5+1 countries."
Earlier this month, Obama scrapped a Bush-era plan to deploy missiles in Poland that had been proposed amid concerns Iran was trying to develop nuclear warheads it could mount on long-range missiles.
In this photo released by the Iranian semi-official Mehr News Agency, Revolutionary Guard's Zelzal missile is launched in a drill, Sunday Sept. 27, 2009, near the city of Qom, 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Tehran, Iran. Iran said it successfully test-fired short-range missiles during military drills Sunday by the elite Revolutionary Guard, a show of force days after the U.S. warned Tehran over a newly revealed underground nuclear facility it was secretly constructing.*
The missile maneuvers coincide with increased tension in Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, after last week's disclosure by Tehran that it is building a second uranium enrichment plant.
State radio said the Guards on Monday would test-fire the Shahab 3 missile, which Iranian officials say has a range of around 2,000 km, potentially putting Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf within reach. It has been tested several times before.
Iran's English-language Press TV said two short-range missiles as well as a multiple missile launcher were tested on the exercise's first day.
It showed footage of a missile launch in desert-like terrain, leaving a vapor trail.
"Iran tests two short-range missiles," it said in a scrolling headline, naming them as the ground-to-ground Fateh (Victorious) missile and the Tondar (Thunder) naval missile.
The Revolutionary Guards said "the drill aims to maintain and boost the country's armed forces deterrent capabilities," Press TV said.
The United States, which suspects Iran is seeking to build nuclear bombs, has previously expressed concern about Tehran's missile programme. Iran says its nuclear work is for peaceful power generation purposes.
Iran often conducts war games or tests weapons to show its determination to counter any attack by foes such as Israel or the United States.
"FABRICATED WESTERN CLAMOUR"
Neither the United States nor its ally Israel have ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the nuclear row.
Iran has said it would respond to any attack by targeting U.S. interests in the region and Israel, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world oil supplies.
Iran acknowledged the existence of the enrichment plant near the holy city of Qom for the first time on Monday in a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
U.S. officials said the disclosure was designed to pre-empt an announcement by Western governments, which were aware of the site, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the plant was legal and open for inspection by the IAEA.
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday the discovery of a secret nuclear plant showed a "disturbing pattern" of evasion by Iran which added urgency to its talks with six world powers in Geneva on Thursday.
An Iranian official warned that "fabricated Western clamour" over the new enrichment plant would negatively affect the talks, state radio said on Sunday.
Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's IAEA envoy, said, referring to the six powers: "This Western approach will have a negative impact on Iran's negotiations with the 5+1 countries."
Earlier this month, Obama scrapped a Bush-era plan to deploy missiles in Poland that had been proposed amid concerns Iran was trying to develop nuclear warheads it could mount on long-range missiles.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
DTN News: South Korea Could Swiftly Hit North Korea Nuke Bases Says General Lee Sang-Eui
DTN News: South Korea Could Swiftly Hit North Korea Nuke Bases Says General Lee Sang-Eui
*Source: DTN News / Defense Media
(NSI News Source Info) SEOUL, South Korea - September 26, 2009: South Korea could mount swift and precise attacks on North Korea's nuclear bases should war break out on the peninsula, Seoul's incoming top military officer said Thursday. 
The North has about 600 Scud missiles capable of hitting targets in South Korea, and possibly also of reaching Japanese territory in some cases. There are another 200 Rodong-1 missiles which could reach Tokyo. In addition the North has three times test-launched long-range Taepodong missiles, most recently in April.*
General Lee Sang-Eui, named as next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Seoul had a list of major targets its forces would strike first should a conflict erupt.
Nuclear weaponry would pose the greatest threat, he told a parliamentary confirmation hearing, pledging to "mobilise all means available to precisely and swiftly strike" such bases.
New Defence Minister Kim Tae-Young told his own confirmation hearing last week that Seoul knew where the North was storing its nuclear arsenal.
Kim said Seoul could strike the sites through quick consultations with Washington if North Korea tried to fire a nuclear weapon at the South.
Lee, quoted by Yonhap news agency, said the North was believed to have up to 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of plutonium, enough to build at least six nuclear bombs.
After months of hostility including missile and nuclear tests, Pyongyang began making peace noises to Washington and Seoul in August.
South Korean officials have expressed scepticism about the overtures, saying the hardline communist state has not changed its fundamental attitude.
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan accused the North last week of developing nuclear weapons to launch an attack on the South and "communise" the peninsula.
Lee in Friday's parliamentary hearing said Seoul should seek longer-range missiles to deter threats from its neighbour.
"As North Korea is threatening us with various missiles such as Rodongs and Scuds, we also need to upgrade our missile capability," Lee said.
"We will study, over the long term, ways to bolster missile capability while taking into account our security needs."
Under an agreement with the United States, which stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, Seoul restricts its missiles to a maximum range of 300 kilometres (187 miles).
There have been calls to end the pact since North Korea launched a long-range rocket in April and staged its second nuclear test in May.
But in July General Walter Sharp, commander of US forces in South Korea, said he saw no immediate need for South Korea to develop longer-range missiles.
The North has about 600 Scud missiles capable of hitting targets in South Korea, and possibly also of reaching Japanese territory in some cases.
There are another 200 Rodong-1 missiles which could reach Tokyo.
In addition the North has three times test-launched long-range Taepodong missiles, most recently in April.
The two Koreas have remained technically at war since their 1950-1953 war ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty.
The North has about 600 Scud missiles capable of hitting targets in South Korea, and possibly also of reaching Japanese territory in some cases. There are another 200 Rodong-1 missiles which could reach Tokyo. In addition the North has three times test-launched long-range Taepodong missiles, most recently in April.*
General Lee Sang-Eui, named as next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Seoul had a list of major targets its forces would strike first should a conflict erupt.
Nuclear weaponry would pose the greatest threat, he told a parliamentary confirmation hearing, pledging to "mobilise all means available to precisely and swiftly strike" such bases.
New Defence Minister Kim Tae-Young told his own confirmation hearing last week that Seoul knew where the North was storing its nuclear arsenal.
Kim said Seoul could strike the sites through quick consultations with Washington if North Korea tried to fire a nuclear weapon at the South.
Lee, quoted by Yonhap news agency, said the North was believed to have up to 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of plutonium, enough to build at least six nuclear bombs.
After months of hostility including missile and nuclear tests, Pyongyang began making peace noises to Washington and Seoul in August.
South Korean officials have expressed scepticism about the overtures, saying the hardline communist state has not changed its fundamental attitude.
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan accused the North last week of developing nuclear weapons to launch an attack on the South and "communise" the peninsula.
Lee in Friday's parliamentary hearing said Seoul should seek longer-range missiles to deter threats from its neighbour.
"As North Korea is threatening us with various missiles such as Rodongs and Scuds, we also need to upgrade our missile capability," Lee said.
"We will study, over the long term, ways to bolster missile capability while taking into account our security needs."
Under an agreement with the United States, which stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, Seoul restricts its missiles to a maximum range of 300 kilometres (187 miles).
There have been calls to end the pact since North Korea launched a long-range rocket in April and staged its second nuclear test in May.
But in July General Walter Sharp, commander of US forces in South Korea, said he saw no immediate need for South Korea to develop longer-range missiles.
The North has about 600 Scud missiles capable of hitting targets in South Korea, and possibly also of reaching Japanese territory in some cases.
There are another 200 Rodong-1 missiles which could reach Tokyo.
In addition the North has three times test-launched long-range Taepodong missiles, most recently in April.
The two Koreas have remained technically at war since their 1950-1953 war ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty.
DTN News: Capgemini Competing For Scorpion Architect Contract
DTN News: Capgemini Competing For Scorpion Architect Contract
*Source: DTN News / Defense Media
(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - September 26, 2009: Consulting 
firm Capgemini is a contender for the architect's contract in the French Army's Scorpion 10 billion euro ($15 billion) modernization program, defense executives said. (Image: The Rotem KW1 Scorpion armored personnel carrier is fully amphibious).
EADS, meanwhile, has enlisted U.S. consulting company SAIC as a subcontractor in its bid for the architect's job. SAIC worked with Boeing on the Future Combat Systems before the U.S. Army canceled portions of the complex program.
The tender for architect has attracted a great deal of industry attention and information systems specialist Capgemini works on a number of important contracts for the Defense Ministry, an executive said.
Nexter and Thales have made a joint bid to be architect, Safran's Sagem has partnered with Boeing, while the CS consultancy has teamed with Ineo, a division of energy group GDF Suez.
Scorpion is intended to deliver a coherent system of systems comprising command-and-control networks and new armored vehicles.
Industry has now received the Scorpion tender terms and conditions from the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement procurement office and have until the end of October to reply. A selection is expected around March.
The bidders are free to reform their industrial teams in the light of the terms and conditions."
firm Capgemini is a contender for the architect's contract in the French Army's Scorpion 10 billion euro ($15 billion) modernization program, defense executives said. (Image: The Rotem KW1 Scorpion armored personnel carrier is fully amphibious).
EADS, meanwhile, has enlisted U.S. consulting company SAIC as a subcontractor in its bid for the architect's job. SAIC worked with Boeing on the Future Combat Systems before the U.S. Army canceled portions of the complex program.
The tender for architect has attracted a great deal of industry attention and information systems specialist Capgemini works on a number of important contracts for the Defense Ministry, an executive said.
Nexter and Thales have made a joint bid to be architect, Safran's Sagem has partnered with Boeing, while the CS consultancy has teamed with Ineo, a division of energy group GDF Suez.
Scorpion is intended to deliver a coherent system of systems comprising command-and-control networks and new armored vehicles.
Industry has now received the Scorpion tender terms and conditions from the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement procurement office and have until the end of October to reply. A selection is expected around March.
The bidders are free to reform their industrial teams in the light of the terms and conditions."
DTN News: White House Again Threatens Veto Over F-22, F-35 Engine, VH-71
DTN News: White House Again Threatens Veto Over F-22, F-35 Engine, VH-71
*Source: DTN News / Defense Media
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - September 26, 2009: Just days before the new fiscal year, the Obama administration Sept. 25 issued a new warning to Congress that he will veto 2010 defense spendin
g that includes monies for F-22 fighter, a second F-35 power plant or additional funds for the VH-71 Presidential Helicopter programs.
"The administration appreciates that the committee does not include unrequested funding" for the three programs because such actions "could result in a veto" of the spending bill, according to a Sept. 25 Statement of Administration Policy.
Congressional sources have said lawmakers are poised to offer amendments either on the Senate floor or during a coming House-Senate conference to hammer out a final version of the appropriations measure that would add funds for several of those efforts. It is expected such a move will be taken by proponents of the alternate F-35 engine, most likely in conference.
"The Congress is urged to oppose funding these programs during floor action and in conference," according to the policy statement.
Additionally, the statement urges lawmakers to support the Pentagon's desires to stop C-17 production. The measure would add $2.5 billion for 10 Boeing-made C-17s the administration says defense officials have concluded are not needed for future missions.
The White House also opposes lawmakers' stripping $900 million from an account to fund efforts to build up Afghanistan security forces. "Accelerating the growth … of the Afghanistan National Security Forces is a key component of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan," according to the policy statement. "The president's full request reflects the commander's plan for Afghan forces to assume a greater share of responsibility for security as quickly as possible."
The administration also highlights its "significant concerns" with other funding reductions in the Senate bill for several classified cybersecurity programs.
For C-17, the Afghanistan effort and the cyber work, the administration merely urges lawmakers to act as it desires. The statement does not threaten the president will veto a bill that sustains lawmakers' plans for those things.
g that includes monies for F-22 fighter, a second F-35 power plant or additional funds for the VH-71 Presidential Helicopter programs.
"The administration appreciates that the committee does not include unrequested funding" for the three programs because such actions "could result in a veto" of the spending bill, according to a Sept. 25 Statement of Administration Policy.
Congressional sources have said lawmakers are poised to offer amendments either on the Senate floor or during a coming House-Senate conference to hammer out a final version of the appropriations measure that would add funds for several of those efforts. It is expected such a move will be taken by proponents of the alternate F-35 engine, most likely in conference.
"The Congress is urged to oppose funding these programs during floor action and in conference," according to the policy statement.
Additionally, the statement urges lawmakers to support the Pentagon's desires to stop C-17 production. The measure would add $2.5 billion for 10 Boeing-made C-17s the administration says defense officials have concluded are not needed for future missions.
The White House also opposes lawmakers' stripping $900 million from an account to fund efforts to build up Afghanistan security forces. "Accelerating the growth … of the Afghanistan National Security Forces is a key component of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan," according to the policy statement. "The president's full request reflects the commander's plan for Afghan forces to assume a greater share of responsibility for security as quickly as possible."
The administration also highlights its "significant concerns" with other funding reductions in the Senate bill for several classified cybersecurity programs.
For C-17, the Afghanistan effort and the cyber work, the administration merely urges lawmakers to act as it desires. The statement does not threaten the president will veto a bill that sustains lawmakers' plans for those things.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
DTN News: Britain To Upgrade Chinooks in Afghanistan
DTN News: Britain To Upgrade Chinooks in Afghanistan
*Source: DTN News / Defense Media
(NSI News Source Info) ODIHAM AIRBASE, England - September 24, 2009: Britain announced September 24 a 408-million-pound upgrade for its Chinook helicopters in Afghanistan, following criticism of a shortage of air power there. 
The Chinook is a multi-mission, heavy-lift transport helicopter. Its primary mission is to move troops, artillery, ammunition, fuel, water, barrier materials, supplies and equipment on the battlefield. Its secondary missions include medical evacuation, disaster relief, search and rescue, aircraft recovery, fire fighting, parachute drops, heavy construction and civil development.
The 38 aircraft will be fitted with more powerful Honeywell engines and more advanced digitized cockpits, to enable them to work more effectively in high altitudes and extreme temperatures in Afghanistan, officials said.
The $660 million (445-million-euro) upgrade to the twin-rotor heavy lift choppers will notably allow them to fly longer without refueling, and to spend longer on the frontline without needing to be serviced.
"The Chinook is the cornerstone of our helicopter support effort in Afghanistan," said junior defence minister Quentin Davies.
"These improvements will increase its capability and ensure it can play an even more valuable role in supporting our forces and NATO coalition allies in tackling insurgency in Afghanistan," he added.
Claims of a shortage of helicopters were at the center of a political row over inadequate equipment for the armed forces amid a surge in the British death toll in Afghanistan earlier this year.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has defended the government's strategy in Afghanistan, after British forces have in recent months suffered their highest casualty rate since the U.S.-led invasion of the country in 2001.
The surge in deaths to more than 200 has been in particular due to an increase in roadside bombs planted by Taliban insurgents - critics claim such casualties could be lowered by using helicopters more to move troops.
Last month two British Chinooks were lost within days of each other, when one crash landed and had to be destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands, while another was hit by enemy fire and exploded.
The Chinook is a multi-mission, heavy-lift transport helicopter. Its primary mission is to move troops, artillery, ammunition, fuel, water, barrier materials, supplies and equipment on the battlefield. Its secondary missions include medical evacuation, disaster relief, search and rescue, aircraft recovery, fire fighting, parachute drops, heavy construction and civil development.
The 38 aircraft will be fitted with more powerful Honeywell engines and more advanced digitized cockpits, to enable them to work more effectively in high altitudes and extreme temperatures in Afghanistan, officials said.
The $660 million (445-million-euro) upgrade to the twin-rotor heavy lift choppers will notably allow them to fly longer without refueling, and to spend longer on the frontline without needing to be serviced.
"The Chinook is the cornerstone of our helicopter support effort in Afghanistan," said junior defence minister Quentin Davies.
"These improvements will increase its capability and ensure it can play an even more valuable role in supporting our forces and NATO coalition allies in tackling insurgency in Afghanistan," he added.
Claims of a shortage of helicopters were at the center of a political row over inadequate equipment for the armed forces amid a surge in the British death toll in Afghanistan earlier this year.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has defended the government's strategy in Afghanistan, after British forces have in recent months suffered their highest casualty rate since the U.S.-led invasion of the country in 2001.
The surge in deaths to more than 200 has been in particular due to an increase in roadside bombs planted by Taliban insurgents - critics claim such casualties could be lowered by using helicopters more to move troops.
Last month two British Chinooks were lost within days of each other, when one crash landed and had to be destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands, while another was hit by enemy fire and exploded.
DTN News: Taiwan Secures MAWS for P-3s
DTN News: Taiwan Secures MAWS for P-3s
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) NEW YORK, USA - September 24, 2009: U.S. company Alliant Techsystems' Integrated Systems Division will supply Taiwan with the AAR-47 Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) under a $1.7 million contract awarded by the Pentagon.
The systems will be installed on 12 P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft now on order from Lockheed Martin for Taiwan. 
The aircraft can carry weapons in the bomb bay and on ten underwing pylons. The bomb bay is in the underside of the fuselage forward of the wing. It is capable of carrying a 2,000lb mine such as the mk25, mk39, mk55 or mk56. Alternative ordnance includes 1,000lb mines, depth bombs, torpedoes, or nuclear depth bombs. The underwing pylons can carry 2,000lb mines, torpedoes, rockets, rocket pods and 500lb mines. The US Navy P-3C aircraft are equipped to carry the Harpoon AGM-84 anti-ship and stand-off land attack missile. During the late 1990s the US Navy P-3C Orions armed with the Harpoon were deployed in Yugoslavia. US Navy P-3Cs are also being upgraded with the WESCAM 20 multi-sensor system, which includes thermal imager and CCD sensors. In February 2004, the Boeing SLAM-ER standoff land attack missile completed integration on the US Navy P-3C Orion. 59 aircraft are to be modified to carry the missile by the end of 2004.
The deal, announced Sept. 22, will include 60 AAR-47 A(V)2 optical sensor converters, 15 AAR-47 A(V)2 control indicators and 15 AAR-47A(V)2 computer processors. Work is expected to be completed by March 2012.
MAWS is a passive missile approach warning system."
The aircraft can carry weapons in the bomb bay and on ten underwing pylons. The bomb bay is in the underside of the fuselage forward of the wing. It is capable of carrying a 2,000lb mine such as the mk25, mk39, mk55 or mk56. Alternative ordnance includes 1,000lb mines, depth bombs, torpedoes, or nuclear depth bombs. The underwing pylons can carry 2,000lb mines, torpedoes, rockets, rocket pods and 500lb mines. The US Navy P-3C aircraft are equipped to carry the Harpoon AGM-84 anti-ship and stand-off land attack missile. During the late 1990s the US Navy P-3C Orions armed with the Harpoon were deployed in Yugoslavia. US Navy P-3Cs are also being upgraded with the WESCAM 20 multi-sensor system, which includes thermal imager and CCD sensors. In February 2004, the Boeing SLAM-ER standoff land attack missile completed integration on the US Navy P-3C Orion. 59 aircraft are to be modified to carry the missile by the end of 2004.
The deal, announced Sept. 22, will include 60 AAR-47 A(V)2 optical sensor converters, 15 AAR-47 A(V)2 control indicators and 15 AAR-47A(V)2 computer processors. Work is expected to be completed by March 2012.
MAWS is a passive missile approach warning system."
DTN News: Israel To Supply Radar Systems to South Korea
DTN News: Israel To Supply Radar Systems to South Korea
*Source: DTN News / Defense Media
(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - September 24, 2009: Israel Aerospace Industries announced September 23 it has been awarded two contracts to sell radar systems worth $280 million to South Korea. 
The T-50 Golden Eagle, formerly known as the KTX-2, jet trainer and light attack aircraft is being built for the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF). The aircraft is being developed in the T-50A advanced trainer and T-50B lead in fighter trainer versions. The T-50 LIFT is called the A-50 by RoKAF. The T-50 is designed to provide pilot training for current and next-generation fighters like advanced F-16s, F-22s and the joint strike fighter. The first flight of the T-50 took place in August 2002. The RoK Air Force has a requirement for 50 T-50 trainers and 44 T-50 LIFT. RoKAF placed a production contract for the first 25 T-50 in December 2003 and the first production aircraft was rolled out in August 2005.
Under the terms of one contract, IAI subsidiary ELTA Systems will develop and supply an advanced radar system specifically for the FA/TA jets South Korea is developing.
The radar enhances a fighter jet's air-to-air, air-to-ground, and air-to-sea capabilities, enabling long-range target detection and high-resolution mapping, the company said.
The second contract is for the supply of an advanced air defense system, also ELTA Systems Ltd.
Officials in Seoul announced earlier this month South Korea will buy the Green Pine Block-B radar system from Israel to detect and track North Korean ballistic missiles.
The radars would be capable of monitoring ballistic missiles in flight at ranges of up to 500 kilometers (312 miles), covering nearly all North Korean soil if deployed in South Korea by 2012, the officials said.
North Korea has about 600 Scud missiles capable of hitting targets in South Korea, and possibly Japanese territory in some cases.
There are another 200 Rodong-1 missiles, which could reach Tokyo"
The T-50 Golden Eagle, formerly known as the KTX-2, jet trainer and light attack aircraft is being built for the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF). The aircraft is being developed in the T-50A advanced trainer and T-50B lead in fighter trainer versions. The T-50 LIFT is called the A-50 by RoKAF. The T-50 is designed to provide pilot training for current and next-generation fighters like advanced F-16s, F-22s and the joint strike fighter. The first flight of the T-50 took place in August 2002. The RoK Air Force has a requirement for 50 T-50 trainers and 44 T-50 LIFT. RoKAF placed a production contract for the first 25 T-50 in December 2003 and the first production aircraft was rolled out in August 2005.
Under the terms of one contract, IAI subsidiary ELTA Systems will develop and supply an advanced radar system specifically for the FA/TA jets South Korea is developing.
The radar enhances a fighter jet's air-to-air, air-to-ground, and air-to-sea capabilities, enabling long-range target detection and high-resolution mapping, the company said.
The second contract is for the supply of an advanced air defense system, also ELTA Systems Ltd.
Officials in Seoul announced earlier this month South Korea will buy the Green Pine Block-B radar system from Israel to detect and track North Korean ballistic missiles.
The radars would be capable of monitoring ballistic missiles in flight at ranges of up to 500 kilometers (312 miles), covering nearly all North Korean soil if deployed in South Korea by 2012, the officials said.
North Korea has about 600 Scud missiles capable of hitting targets in South Korea, and possibly Japanese territory in some cases.
There are another 200 Rodong-1 missiles, which could reach Tokyo"
DTN News: Singapore Seeks More F-16 Training In U.S.
DTN News: Singapore Seeks More F-16 Training In U.S.
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) TAIPEI, Taiwan - September 24, 2009: The Singapore Air Force plans to continue F-16 pilot training in the United States. 
RSAF four-ship of the original Peace Carvin I program over the Singapore skyline. Alpha's #881 and #882 and Bravo's #885 and #887. [Photo by Peter Steineman]
On Sept. 9, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the U.S. Congress of two F-16 pilot training programs - a $250 million deal with Singapore to continue the Continental United States (CONUS) pilot proficiency training program for the Singapore Peace Carvin program at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.; and a $75 million CONUS program at Springfield Air National Guard Base, Ohio, where the Singapore Air Force will lease U.S. Air Force F-16s.
The deal will include 35,000 20mm cartridges, aircraft modification kits, maintenance, participation in joint training exercises, flight training and logistical support.
"Singapore is a firm supporter of U.S. overseas contingency operations," a DSCA press release said. "This program will enable Singapore to develop mission-ready and experienced pilots through its CONUS training program to support Singapore's current and future F-16 aircraft inventory."
Singapore's 425th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the Black Widows, has about a dozen F-16C/D Block 52 fighters assigned to Luke. Singaporean F-16 pilots have undergone training under Peace Carvin at Luke since the 1990s.
RSAF four-ship of the original Peace Carvin I program over the Singapore skyline. Alpha's #881 and #882 and Bravo's #885 and #887. [Photo by Peter Steineman]
On Sept. 9, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the U.S. Congress of two F-16 pilot training programs - a $250 million deal with Singapore to continue the Continental United States (CONUS) pilot proficiency training program for the Singapore Peace Carvin program at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.; and a $75 million CONUS program at Springfield Air National Guard Base, Ohio, where the Singapore Air Force will lease U.S. Air Force F-16s.
The deal will include 35,000 20mm cartridges, aircraft modification kits, maintenance, participation in joint training exercises, flight training and logistical support.
"Singapore is a firm supporter of U.S. overseas contingency operations," a DSCA press release said. "This program will enable Singapore to develop mission-ready and experienced pilots through its CONUS training program to support Singapore's current and future F-16 aircraft inventory."
Singapore's 425th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the Black Widows, has about a dozen F-16C/D Block 52 fighters assigned to Luke. Singaporean F-16 pilots have undergone training under Peace Carvin at Luke since the 1990s.
DTN News: Iranian Military Planes Crashes In Annual Parade
DTN News: Iranian Military Planes Crashes In Annual Parade
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) - TEHRAN, Iran: September 24, 2009: Iran's sole Simorgh AWACS aircraft was lost during a military parade Sept. 22, one of two Iranian military aircraft that crashed in Tehran while participating in a display to mark the anniversary of the start of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War. 
Iranian fighter jets fly over the mausoleum of late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, during a military parade ceremony marking the 29th anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war, just outside Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. An Iranian military plane crashed into fields just south of Tehran early Tuesday, according to the state IRNA news agency, saying the plane flew in the air force show that was part of the parade, but there is no immediate word of casualties or details about the plane.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force operated a single Simorgh, a former Iraqi Air Force Adnan. The Adnan AWACS was in turn a modification of a Soviet-built Ilyushin Il-76 transport.
The Simorgh collided with one of the Air Force's Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighters over the area of the Imam Khomeyni Shrine, southern Tehran. According to eyewitnesses, the crash occurred immediately after the parade. Apparently, no mayday call was issued.
Both aircraft crashed in flames. Initial reports indicate that seven crewmembers were killed in the crash. 
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2nd L), President of Iran, is greeted by officials after speaking during the United Nations General Assembly September 23, 2009 at UN headquarters in New York.
In total, Iraq built three AWACS aircraft, one Baghdad, and two Baghdad-2s, the latter later renamed Adnans. One Adnan and the Baghdad were evacuated to Iran during the 1991 Gulf War, while the second Adnan was destroyed on the ground by a coalition air strike in January 1991.
The exact status of the Iranian Simorgh and its onboard systems was long uncertain. However, photographs suggest that the aircraft was equipped with a newly fitted functioning radar suite.
Iranian fighter jets fly over the mausoleum of late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, during a military parade ceremony marking the 29th anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war, just outside Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. An Iranian military plane crashed into fields just south of Tehran early Tuesday, according to the state IRNA news agency, saying the plane flew in the air force show that was part of the parade, but there is no immediate word of casualties or details about the plane.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force operated a single Simorgh, a former Iraqi Air Force Adnan. The Adnan AWACS was in turn a modification of a Soviet-built Ilyushin Il-76 transport.
The Simorgh collided with one of the Air Force's Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighters over the area of the Imam Khomeyni Shrine, southern Tehran. According to eyewitnesses, the crash occurred immediately after the parade. Apparently, no mayday call was issued.
Both aircraft crashed in flames. Initial reports indicate that seven crewmembers were killed in the crash. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2nd L), President of Iran, is greeted by officials after speaking during the United Nations General Assembly September 23, 2009 at UN headquarters in New York.
In total, Iraq built three AWACS aircraft, one Baghdad, and two Baghdad-2s, the latter later renamed Adnans. One Adnan and the Baghdad were evacuated to Iran during the 1991 Gulf War, while the second Adnan was destroyed on the ground by a coalition air strike in January 1991.
The exact status of the Iranian Simorgh and its onboard systems was long uncertain. However, photographs suggest that the aircraft was equipped with a newly fitted functioning radar suite.
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