DTN News - MIDDLE EAST HOT SPOT: Israeli Troops Enter Gaza To Take Out Missile Sites

DTN News - MIDDLE EAST HOT SPOT: Israeli Troops Enter Gaza To Take Out Missile Sites

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources By Dean Schabner - ABC +
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 13, 2014: Israeli ground troops entered northern Gaza tonight to take out a number of missile launch sites, according to the Israeli military.
The move comes after weeks of growing tensions and nearly a week of escalating missile strikes from both sides.

The mission was launched early Sunday local time comes after the UN Security Council urged the two sides to reach a cease fire, and the Israeli government said it hit northern Gaza "with great force" to prevent more Hamas rocket attacks.

The IDF, the Israeli military, said its goal in crossing into northern Gaza was to dismantle some of the sites that Hamas militants have been using to launch rockets into northern Israel.

During the incursion there was an exchange of fire with militants that left four Israeli soldiers lightly wounded, according to the IDF.

The IDF troops returned to Israel after the mission, and no soldiers were left in Gaza, the Israeli military said.

The Israeli naval commando raid in Gaza reported earlier occurred in the Al-Sudaniya beach to the northwest of the Strip, Al Jazeera reported.

The Israeli force encountered Palestinian gunmen, and a battle ensued that included the use of heavy arms. Palestinian sources said three Hamas fighters were killed, DPA reported.

What is not clear is whether this brief surge into northern Gaza by the Israeli military is a pre-cursor to a full scale ground invasion, but all along the road toward northern Gaza ABC News correspondents have seen what appear to be the preparations for one. There are tanks and troops amassed by the border.

The Israeli military has been saying for a couple of days that it is ready, and tens of thousands of troops have been mobilized in support of a potential ground invasion.

The IDF had earlier warned residents of the northern Gaza Strip to leave their homes, saying it was for their own safety.

The conflict had already escalated Saturday, with Hamas bombarding Tel Aviv with the most rockets yet, and Israel responding by pummeling the Gaza Strip.

In the five days of bombardment by Israeli missiles, more than 156 Palestinians have been killed, according to officials there.

One of the Israeli strikes hit a center for the disabled where Palestinians said two patients were killed and four people seriously hurt. In a second attack, on Saturday evening, an Israeli warplane flattened the home of Gaza's police chief and damaged a nearby mosque as evening prayers ended, killing at least 18 people, officials said.

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*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources By Dean Schabner - ABC +
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DTN News - IRAQ DEFENSE NEWS: Iraq Sending 4,000 Volunteers To Help In Ramadi

DTN News - IRAQ DEFENSE NEWS: Iraq Sending 4,000 Volunteers To Help In Ramadi

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources airforcetimes.com 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 12, 2014: (BAGHDAD) — Iraq is airlifting some 4,000 volunteers to an embattled city west of Baghdad to help bolster government forces locked in a running battle with Sunni militants there, authorities said Saturday.

Around 2,500 of the volunteers arrived in Ramadi, located 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of the capital, on Friday and are to be joined by the remaining 1,500 on Saturday, said Gen. Rasheed Flayeh, the commander of operations in Anbar province. The men are being ferried out to Ramadi from Baghdad by helicopter, he added.

The vast majority of volunteers are Shiites who have answered a call from the country's top Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to defend Iraq from the militants who have overrun of much of the country's north and west over the past month. The Sunni militant blitz is led by the Islamic State extremist group, which has unilaterally declared the establishment of an Islamic state ruled by Shariah law in the territory it controls straddling the Iraq-Syria border.

The government's reliance on Shiite militias — who have deployed in sizeable numbers to several cities across the country — to help counter the threat from Sunni militants has ramped up sectarian tensions, and helped fuel fears that Iraq could return to the wholesale sectarian bloodletting that engulfed the country in 2006 and 2007.

There are already worrying signs of such violence.

Human Rights Watch said Friday that Iraqi security forces and government-affiliated militias appear to have killed at least 255 prisoners in six cities and villages since June 9. It said five of the mass killings took place when security forces were fleeing as militants advanced, and that the vast the prisoners killed were Sunni.

Most members of the security forces and militias are Shiite. The six incidents appear to be aimed at avenging the deaths of Shiites captured and killed by the Islamic State group, Human Rights Watch said.

There is also evidence the militants have carried out mass killings. The Islamic State group posted graphic photos online last month showing the militants killing dozens of police and soldiers. The Iraqi military confirmed the photographs and said around 170 soldiers were killed. Human Rights Watch put the number between 160 and 190.

Ramadi is the capital of Anbar, an overwhelmingly Sunni province and one of the most active battle fronts in Iraq. The Islamic State group and other Sunni militant groups seized control of the Anbar city of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi in January. The government has since reasserted its control of Ramadi, but Fallujah remains in insurgent hands.

The militant onslaught over the past month has touched off Iraq's worst crisis since the last U.S. troops left in 2011 and sapped public — and international — confidence in Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The Iraqi leader's opponents, and even many of his former allies, accuse him of trying to monopolize power and alienating the Sunni community, and are pushing him to step aside and not seek a third consecutive term. Despite the pressure, al-Maliki has vowed not to withdraw his candidacy for the prime minister's post, and points to his State of Law bloc's capturing the most seats in April elections to claim he has a mandate.

Iraq's new parliament is scheduled on Sunday to hold its second session since the elections amid hopes that lawmakers can quickly decide on a new prime minister, president and speaker of parliament — the first steps toward forming a new government. It failed to make any progress in its first session, and postponed its second session until Sunday.

On Saturday, the U.N. special envoy to Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, warned that failure to quickly elect new leadership "risks plunging the country into chaos."

"It will only serve the interests of those who seek to divide the people of Iraq and destroy their chances for peace and prosperity," he said. "Iraq needs a team that can bring people together. Now is not the time for mutual accusations, now is the time for moving forward and compromising in the interest of the Iraqi people."

He urged lawmakers to attend Sunday's session and succeed in choosing a new speaker of parliament.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources airforcetimes.com 
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Safe Boats International, To Construct Four MK VI Patrol Boats For U.S. Navy

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Safe Boats International, To Construct Four MK VI Patrol Boats For U.S. Navy

Source: K. V. Seth DTN News + U.S. DoD issued No. CR-125-14 July 2, 2014
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 2, 2014: Safe Boats International, LLC*, Bremerton, Washington, is being awarded a $34,518,536 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of four MK VI Patrol Boats. 

This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total cumulative value of this contract to $52,295,843. Work will be performed in Tacoma, Washington (82 percent); Kent, Washington (7 percent); Wichita, Kansas (6 percent); New Zealand (3 percent); and in Canada and Berwick, Louisiana (less than 2 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2018. 

Fiscal 2013 and 2014 National Guard and Reserve Component equipment account funds in the amount of $34,518,536 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Under FAR Part 8.405-6 (a)(1)(i)(C) the new work is a logical follow on to an original Federal Supply Schedule delivery order, number N00024-l2-F-2223. The original order was placed competitively in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures. 

The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-14-C-2230).

 US Navy MK VI Patrol Boat 
The MK VI Patrol Boat is the Navy’s next generation patrol boat and will serve as part of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC), which serves as the single functional command for the Navy’s expeditionary forces and as central management for the readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of those forces. The MK VI Patrol Boat is the U.S. Navy’s first true patrol boat developed since the 1980’s. 

The primary mission of these craft is to persistently patrol shallow littoral areas beyond sheltered harbors and bays for the purpose of force protection of friendly and coalition forces and critical infrastructure. 

MK VI Patrol Boats can be configured in multiple ways in order to be transported inside the well deck of LHD, LPD, and LSD class amphibious warfare ships. 


SAFE Boats International (SBI) was awarded a contract to provide the Navy with five MK VI Patrol Boats on May 14, 2012. The 85-foot craft has a hull optimized for performance, fuel economy, and firepower. The MK VI PB is configured with both a pilothouse and a main deck cabin for a sizeable crew. The boats can reach speeds in excess of 30 knots at full load and can be armed with a variety of crew and remotely operated weapon systems up to 25mm. The boat has a range in excess of 600 nautical miles and is equipped with a propulsion system consisting of twin diesel engines and waterjets.

The primary mission of the Mark V is medium range insertion and extraction platform for Special Operations Forces (primarily SEAL combat swimmers) in a low to medium threat environment. The secondary mission is limited Coastal Patrol and Interdiction, specifically limited duration patrol and low to medium threat coastal interdiction. The typical Mark V SOC mission duration is 12 hours.

For example in 2003, in one of the first actions of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mark V SOCs operating out of Kuwait disembarked at least two platoons of Navy SEALs to capture Iraqi offshore oil terminals

The Mark V has the capacity to carry sixteen fully equipped SEALs to missions 500 miles (800 km) away from where they are based. They ride on seats that are designed for maximum comfort and shock mitigation in high seas or heavy maneuvering, and allows occupants to either stand or sit. With a beam of 17½ feet, the craft has enough room to carry four CRRCs with six outboard motors (2 spares) and fuel, to deploy forces from a clandestine distance. The ramp on the stern allows SEAL teams to ride their CRRC's right up the stern of the boat, for fast extraction and insertion.

To support the SOF missions in the medium to low threat environment, the Mk Vs are outfitted with five gun mounts for small caliber weapons supporting any combination of: M-2 .50cal heavy machine guns, M240 or the M60 7.62 mm machine guns or Mk19 40 mm automatic grenade launchers. Together these provide 360 degrees of firing coverage. To defend against aircraft, the craft has a station for firing the Stinger Man-portable Air Defense System (MANPADS). Later improvements include mounting stations for GAU-17 Miniguns, MK 95 Twin 50 cal machine gun, MK 38 chain gun and Mk48 25 mm guns. Personal small arms of the crew and passengers can also be used to defend the craft.


The Mark V has many special features, besides its weapons, that make it more survivable while delivering sailors to their missions. Its angular design and low silhouette reduces its radar signature making it harder to spot and detect. Its V-hull design gives it good handling qualities in rough water as well as speed and shallow draft (four feet when cruising on-step). Its twin MTU 12-cylinder TE94 Diesel engines give it power and reliability and, coupled with the two K50S water jets, provides fast acceleration for operations near shore or in shallow waters as well as cutting down on the rooster tail effect that can make fast boats easier to see and track.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth DTN News + U.S. DoD issued No. CR-125-14 July 2, 2014
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DTN News - CANADA DAY NEWS: DTN News Wish All Friends And Canadian A Happy & Sparkling Canada Day

DTN News - CANADA DAY NEWS: DTN News Wish All Friends And Canadian A Happy & Sparkling Canada Day

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 30, 2014:  Canada Day is celebrated on July 1st across the country. July 1st marks the anniversary of the formation of the union of the British North America provinces in a federation under the name of Canada - that's the technical explanation, but Canada Day also means fireworks and the year's biggest national party. The Canada Day holiday is akin to the U.S. July 4th celebration but on a more Canadian scale.

What To Expect on Canada Day - Schools, banks, government offices and many other stores and businesses are closed on July 1st. Call ahead to restaurants, stores and tourist attractions to confirm Canada Day hours.

Typically, Canada Day celebrations include parades, fireworks, barbecues and other get-togethers. Get the complete Canada Day Checklist, including lyrics to O Canada in French and English.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
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DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: India's Rafale Fighter Jet Deal in Final Lap, Awaits Government's Nod

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: India's Rafale Fighter Jet Deal in Final Lap, Awaits Government's Nod

*Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday met French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in New Delhi. Fabius arrived in Delhi on Sunday night for a two-day visit. He will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to make a pitch for speeding up the Rafale aircraft deal.
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 30, 2014: (New Delhi)  The Indian Air Force or IAF may lose its traditional conventional edge against Pakistan if the contract to buy 126 Rafale medium multi-role combat aircraft or MMRCA is not clinched immediately, senior IAF officials told Defence Minister Arun Jaitley at an extensive briefing recently. (Defence Minister Briefed on Indian Air Force's Operational Preparedness)

French aerospace major Dassault Aviation had won the contract to supply the fighter jets to the IAF in 2012. 

The Air Force, which ideally requires 44 squadrons but can manage with 39, currently only has 32 squadrons; 12 of them of the near-obsolete MiG-21s. 

Mr Jaitley had only one query: what is the cost of the contract? 

The IAF's answer -- Rs. 100,000 crore spread over 10 years -- immediately evoked a positive reaction from Mr Jaitley, sources in the Ministry of Defence told NDTV. (Dassault Hopes to Sign Rafale India Deal This Year)

The enthused IAF brass now says that if the government gives the final clearance, the massive, and in many ways the first-of-its-kind contract, may be clinched in the next six months. 

Three sub-sets of the complicated deal have been completed, say sources. The committees that were in charge of Offsets, Maintenance, Transfer of Technology have concluded their work; it took them over two years to prepare documents running into thousands of pages. These include details of work share between Dassault and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd or HAL, liabilities and costs to maintain and run the 126 jets. (A big step in India's Rafale jet deal with France)

Over 41 articles in the defence procurement procedure or DPP have been taken on board while arriving at the final documentation. HAL has been designated the lead domestic production agency. 18 of the 126 jets will be produced in France and the remaining 108 will be manufactured at the production unit in India. (Depleted fighter fleet is worrisome, says Air Chief)

But the committee responsible for costs and contract is yet to finalise its report. Once the deal officially receives clearance, this part of the contract may be ready for signing in less than two months, say sources. (France sees first Rafale jet deliveries to India by 2016)

Meanwhile, many of Rafale's competitors are lobbying hard against the contract and running down the fighter aircraft over various counts, including 'prohibitive' costs. 

But the IAF top brass is clear that the process to buy the MMRCA is irreversible, notwithstanding a view that the IAF must induct the HAL-made Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas instead of buying the expensive Rafale. 

IAF officials point out that the Tejas is yet to receive final operational clearance despite the home-grown fighter aircraft being in the making for over 30 years. As per revised timelines, the first full Tejas squadron in the Initial Operational Clearance configuration will be in place only by 2016-2017. 

"We have been hand-holding the LCA for a long time and will continue to support it. But it is not a replacement for a medium, multirole fighter aircraft. Its reach is barely 200 km while we need an aircraft with a reach of at least 1000-km if we have to pose any challenge in the Tibet Autonomous Region, where India expects a major threat to its air combat power in case of a conflict with China," said a top IAF officer.

Meanwhile, the Rafale deal is likely to be on top of the agenda during French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius's two-day visit to India, which starts today.

The question now is whether prime minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Arun Jaitley will also treat the deal as a matter of top priority. 


*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Reuters
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DTN News - RAMADAN GREETINGS: Ramadan Mubarak

DTN News - RAMADAN GREETINGS: Ramadan Mubarak
*Ramadan Mubarak....Best Wishes From Staff & Management of DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Canada

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 27, 2014: Ramadan in 2014 is set to start tomorrow.

The Muslim holiday will begin on Saturday, June 28 and run through the evening of Monday, July 28, according to the Fiqh Council of North America.

The dates are based on astronomical calculation, using Makkah al-Mukarrama as a conventional point and takes the position that the conjunction must take place before sunset in Makkah and moon must set after sunset in Makkah.

The end of Ramadan is also known as the 1st of Shawwal.

Many Muslims fast during the daylight hours of Ramadan, which is a period of prayer, fasting, charity-giving, and self-accountability for Muslims.

It is said that the first verses of the Koran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during the last third of Ramadan, making that portion an especially holy period.

Some Muslims work to read the entire Qur’an during the holiday, while most conduct acts of charity such as donating to the homeless or others in need.

*Ramadan 2014: http://www.ramadan-2014.net/

The month of Ramadan begins with a new moon, which marks the start of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth
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DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated June 26, 2014

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated June 26, 2014
Source: K. V. Seth - DTN News + U.S. DoD issued No. CR-121-14 June 26, 2014
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 26, 2014: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued June 26, 2014 are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Connecticut, has been awarded a $1,277,618,606 fixed-price-incentive-firm at target price/firm-fixed-price contract for the initial engineering, manufacturing and development Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) program. The CRH program will replace the aging HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter with new air vehicles, training systems, and product support required for the Personnel Recovery mission.  The requirement is for 112 new air vehicles (most probable quantity); however, the contract has been structured to handle fluctuations of quantities.  The contract will include the development, integration, production, and initial sustainment of the entire CRH system.  Work will be performed at Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by June 2029, if all options are exercised.  This award is the result of a competitive acquisition.   If all options are exercised, the total contract amount is estimated at $7,900,000,000.  One offer was received in response to the solicitation issued Oct. 19, 2012.  Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $298,458,978 are being obligated at time of award.  Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WISV, Rotary Wing Branch of Special Operations Forces and Personnel Recovery Division/ISR Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8629-14-C-2403).

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been awarded a $656,656,998 modification (P00532) on a cost-reimbursable, no-fee contract (FA8721-05-C-0002) for the operation of the Lincoln Laboratory Federally Funded Research and Development Center.  This contract modification provides an additional $656,000,000 in contract ceiling for research and development work under the basic contract for several agencies of the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense.  Work will be performed at the Lincoln Laboratory facilities in Lexington, Massachusetts, on Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, and in several remote locations.  This contract is incrementally funded; additional funds are not being  obligated at time of award.  Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Enterprise Acquisition Division/PZM, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity.

General Atomics - Aeronautical Systems, Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a $15,293,442 firm-fixed-price contract for the MQ-9 Fuel Bladder Retrofit Kits, Time Compliance Technical Orders (TCTO) and initial spares. This contract action is for the build and delivery of certified O-level TCTO to enable the removal of existing Aero Tech Labs fuel bladders and enable the installation of the new fuel bladders on MQ-9 Reaper Block 1 aircraft. This effort is also for the build and delivery of O-level retrofit hardware kits, update existing technical orders and manuals, as well as produce and deliver initial retrofit spares with the components of the respective fuel bladder retrofit kits.  Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be completed by March 6, 2017.  This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition.  Fiscal 2013 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $8,134,540 and fiscal 2012 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $7,158,902 are being obligated at time of award for Delivery Order 0071.  Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WIIK, Medium Altitude Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-10-G-3038).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Warner Robins, Georgia, has been awarded a $15,212,790 firm-fixed-price contract for the repair of the AN/ALQ-135 Electronic Countermeasures System's Band 3 and Bands 1&2 Traveling Wave Tubes.  Work will be performed at Warner Robins, Georgia, and is expected to be completed by June 25, 2015. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition and is 100 percent foreign military sales for Saudi Arabia.  FMS funds in the amount of $15,212,790 will be obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WNKCB, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8540-14-C-0009).

ARMY

Accenture Federal Services, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $42,446,917 modification (P00352) to a firm-fixed-price, multi-year contract (WN00104-04-A-ZF12) to exercise option year nine for the general fund enterprise business system.  Funding and performance location will be determined with each order.  The estimated completion date is June 27, 2015.  Army Contracting Command – Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, Illinois is the contracting activity.

Smiths Detection, Edgewood, Maryland, was awarded a $21,867,004 modification (P00040) to  firm-fixed-fee contract (W911SR-07-C-0080) to exercise the option to purchase 3,353 M4A1 joint chemical agent detectors, 580 communication adapter kits, one platform interface kit, 2,713 Stryker communication adaptors, 137 sieve packs and 25 nozzles.  Appropriations were obligated at the time of award as follows: fiscal 2014other procurement (Army): $12,653,175, $6,978,033 and $162,462; fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army): $110,149; fiscal 2013 other procurement (Army): $569,350; fiscal 2012 other procurement (Army): $1,285,473 and $106,888; and other: $1,474.  Work will be performed at Edgewood, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2016.  Army Contracting Command – Edgewood Division, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland is the contracting activity.

EMI Technologies*, Las Cruces, New Mexico, was awarded a $20,000,000 modification (P00004) to a firm-fixed-price contract (W9124R-11-D-0207) to acquire general purpose instrumentation vans shelters and trailers in support of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.  Funding and performance location will be determined with each order.  Estimated completion date is June 25, 2015.  Army Contracting Command, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, is the contracting activity.

Northrop  Grumman, Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $15,000,000 modification (P00106) to a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (W31P4Q-08-C-0418) for research and development for Advance Electronic Protect, Integrated Air and Missile Defense system of systems capability, and IAMD Battle Command System system development and demonstration.  Two bids were solicited via the Internet with two received.  Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of  $15,000,000 are being obligated at award.  Work will be performed at Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2015.  Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal – Missile, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

EADS-NA, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $14,436,295 modification (P00811) to a firm-fixed-price contract (W58RGZ-06-C-1094) to exercise options for contractor logistics support for the Utility Helicopter 72A Lakota.  Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds for $14,436,295 were obligated at the time of the award.  Work will be performed at Columbus, Mississippi with an estimated completion date of May 15, 2015.  Army Contracting Command Redstone Arsenal - Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Carahsoft, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $14,424,968 modification (P00031) to firm-fixed-price contract (W91QUZ-11-F-0027) to add additional users and products for software and licenses and support for Army Enterprise Resource Planning.  Multiple funding appropriations obligated at the time of the award are: fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds of $3,623,968; fiscal 2014 other procurement (Army) funds of $10,775,000; and fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds of $26,000.  Work will be performed at Reston, Virginia with an estimated completion date of June 23, 2016.  Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Arriba Corp., Norfolk, Virginia was awarded a $7,890,050 firm-fixed-price contract for addition to and alteration of the Curtis Bay Army Reserve Center, Baltimore, Maryland.  Work will be performed in Maryland with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2016.  Fiscal 2010 military construction funds in the amount of $158,963; fiscal 2013 military construction funds in the amount of $7,612,086 and fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $119,000 are being obligated at award.  Bids were solicited via the Web with five received.  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Louisville District, Louisville, Kentucky is the contracting activity (W912QR-14-C-0023).

NAVY

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is being awarded a $63,070,969 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-07-C-0055) for the Phase II continuation of post-demonstration activities in support of the Navy Unmanned Combat Air System program.  These activities include continued X-47B aircraft systems, test bed and flight test support at both shore-based locations and associated carrier detachments, continued development of Fleet Concepts of Operations, X-47B maintenance support, lab and test bed operational support and continued flight test opportunities.  Work will be performed in San Diego, California (70 percent) and Patuxent River, Maryland (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2015.  Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $45,877,152 will be obligated at time of award, of which $42,551,064 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. 

Northrop Grumman Corp., Bethpage, New York, is being awarded $8,258,253 for ceiling priced delivery order 7252 under a previously awarded Basic Ordering Agreement (N00383-12-G-034G) for the repair of 51 line items for the Advanced Hawkeye system used on the E-2D aircraft.  Work will be performed at Melbourne, Florida (40.26 percent); Liverpool, New York (18.39 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (13.74 percent); Davenport, Iowa (6.54 percent); Falls Church, Virginia (5.56 percent); and 12 other various locations in the United States (15.51 percent).  Work will completed by June 25, 2015.   Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,258,253 will be obligated at the time of award, and these funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year.  This is a non-competitive requirement in accordance with 10 U.S.C 2304(c)(1).  The NAVSUP Weapons System Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.

Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $7,694,320 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-09-C-0069) to exercise an option for the procurement of AN/ARC-210(V) Electronic Radios and ancillary equipment for a variety of aircraft.   This option provides for the procurement of 80 RT-1939(C)/ARCs and 80 994M-4 Link 11 Smart Mounts without Isolators.  Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in May 2016.  Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,694,320 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Innova Systems International, LLC, San Diego, California, was awarded a $6,663,365 firm-fixed-price contract in support of the U.S. Marine Corps Training and Education Command, Aviation Standards Branch, for software maintenance to support and implement enhanced functionality of the Marine Corps Sierra Hotel Aviation Readiness Program (M-SHARP) software.  Work will be performed at Quantico, Virginia, and is expected to be completed June 30, 2015.  With all options exercised, work will continue through June 30, 2017.   Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $6,663,365 are being obligated at the time of award.  Contract funds in the amount of $6,663,365 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities Government website, with one offer received.  The Regional Contracting Office – National Capital Region, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M00264-14-C-1008).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $8,102,691 firm-fixed-price contract for aircraft blade assemblies. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. This is a 39-month base contract with no option periods.  Location of performance is Texas with an Aug. 31, 2017 performance completion date.  Using military service is Navy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRPA109G004Y-6220). 

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $7,907,537 firm-fixed-price contract for aircraft blade assemblies. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. This is a 39-month base contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Texas with an Aug. 31, 2017, performance completion date.  Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRPA109G004Y-6221).

*Small business

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth + U.S. DoD issued No. CR-121-14 June 26, 2014 
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DTN News - INDIA NEWS: Delhi Court Summons Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi In National Herald Case

DTN News - INDIA NEWS: Delhi Court Summons Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi In National Herald Case
**DTN News - INDIA NEWS: Sonia Gandhi ~ Congress Debacle In Elections 2014 - Due To Unending Scams And Corruption In UPA Government

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources TOI
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 26, 2014: (NEW DELHI) Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and vice-president Rahul Gandhi were on Thursday summoned by a local court as accused in a criminal complaint lodged by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in acquiring ownership of now-defunct daily National Herald.

Metropolitan magistrate Gomati Manocha issued summons to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi besides AICC treasurer Moti Lal Vohra, general secretary Oscar Fernandes, and Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, the other directors of Young Indian Ltd (YI), a company that was incorporated in 2010 and which took over the "debt" of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of National Herald.

Swamy had accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by just paying Rs.50 lakh by which YI obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which the AJL had owed to the Congress party.

"Complainant has established a prima facie case against the accused under section 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property, 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.

"Hence, let the accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Moti Lal Vohra, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda be summoned for August 7, 2014. Let the Young Indian be summoned through it's authorised representative for the same date," said Manocha.

Reacting to the development, Congress spokesman and a senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the party will respond "vigorously" to the allegations made by Swamy.

"Dr Swamy is known for his personal, motivated campaign against the Congress and you can take it that as and when we receive the papers and take the full legal advice a very vigorous response will be filed in respect of this completely false and motivated complaint.

"Issuance of process over a stale complaint made a year ago is not something to be excited about. Let's seek comprehensive legal advice and you will see how all allegations are legally demolished," Singhvi said.

The court, in its order, said, "From the complaint and the evidence led so far, it appears that YI was in fact created as a sham or a cloak to convert public money to personal use or as a special purpose vehicle for acquiring control over Rs 2000 crores worth of assets of The Associated Journals Ltd.(AJL).

"Since all the accused persons have allegedly acted in consortium with each other to achieve the said nefarious design, there are sufficient grounds for proceeding against all of them," the court said.

It said the accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Moti Lal Vohra, Oscar Fernandes were the office bearers and trustees of the funds of the Congress party and the funds of the party were not the personal property of the accused.

"The funds entrusted to them by the party were to be utilised to advance the purposes for which the Congress party was formed ...

"These funds could not have been advanced in the form of an interest-free loan to AJL, as no provisions exists in the Representation of the People Acts or the constitution of the party permitting grant of any such loan to a company engaged in commercial activities," the court said.

"The accused, prima facie appears to have committed criminal breach of trust on the existing share holders of AJL as well as against the company," it added.

The court further said that the accused appeared to have cheated the state exchequer as well by claiming tax exemption by showcasing the objective the donations, etc. were sought by the Congress from the people and diverting those funds to commercial purposes.

Swamy, in his complaint, alleged that AJL was formally closed in 2008 as it was under a huge unpaid debt of around Rs 90 crores.
*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources TOI
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DTN News - IRAQ IN TURMOIL: Iraq's Crisis Changes The Battle Space In Syria

DTN News - IRAQ IN TURMOIL: Iraq's Crisis Changes The Battle Space In Syria

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Stratfor
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 26, 2014: Concerns that violence in Iraq could disrupt supplies have stoked volatility and driven international benchmark Brent above $114 a barrel. OPEC is ready to pump extra oil in the event of any supply disruptions caused by Iraq and its biggest producer, Saudi Arabia, can ramp up to capacity if needed, oil officials said on Tuesday. For now the market is well-supplied and prices above $114 a barrel are the result of market nervousness, OPEC Secretary General Abdullah al-Badri said. Here’s a look at Iraq’s oil and gas production.

Summary

The conflicts in Syria and Iraq are connected. The border between the two countries has become meaningless, and the emerging crisis in Iraq has direct consequences on the fighting in Syria. Neither the Syrian regime nor the rebels that oppose it stand to gain a decisive advantage from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant's recent actions in Iraq. As things stand now, the primary beneficiary will be the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant itself.

Analysis

Because of the way its military advance in Iraq has played out, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has earned prestige and a propaganda boost -- it is viewed as a competent organization capable of decisive results. This growing perception will be crucial in the group's ability to attract a growing share of the foreign fighters heading toward the region, and possibly draw additional Syrian rebel fighters to its ranks. The group's seizure of weapons and vehicles -- much of this equipment taken from retreating Iraqi soldiers -- and reportedly more than $1 billion in funds during the recent Iraq offensive will only increase its attractiveness to jihadist fighters. 

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The equipment taken includes armored vehicles, small arms, ammunition, artillery, communication devices, uniforms and logistical vehicles. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant may have also seized night vision equipment and air defense weaponry. This gear would provide a substantial boost on the battlefield in Syria, and the group has indeed already begun to transfer some of this equipment across the border.
The growth in the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant's prestige could in theory have detrimental effects on the rebels and on the Syrian regime. Since the transnational jihadists serve the cause of neither, their efforts in Iraq will create a mixed set of variables for the combatants in Syria.

Effects on the Syrian Regime

Perhaps the greatest negative consequence for the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad is the shift of Iraqi Shiite militants back to their homeland to confront a resurgent Sunni opposition. The Syrian regime has come to rely heavily on foreign fighters -- be they Hezbollah combatants, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps advisers or Shiite volunteers from across the region -- to bolster its ranks and negate its demographic disadvantage. These foreign fighters, most notably the Hezbollah members, played a critical role in halting the string of defeats that beset the regime in late 2012, and they continue to spearhead regime offensives across Syria. Furthermore, and unlike what has happened with the Syrian rebels, the regime has not suffered from divisive infighting due to the influx of foreign fighters.

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With the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and its allies advancing south toward Baghdad from Mosul, and with sectarian emotions flaring across the region, Iraqi Shiite fighters are keen to return to their homeland -- they have made this desire abundantly clear in statements and videos. Even Hezbollah has threatened to dispatch fighters to Iraq. Though Hezbollah is unlikely to shift much of its efforts from Syria to Iraq -- partly for logistical reasons, but mostly due to the regime's critical dependence on the group -- it will probably move additional fighters to Syria to help offset losses of Iraqi militia. There is already substantial evidence that thousands of Iraqi Shiite fighters are on their way home. Iraqi fighters have reportedly withdrawn from Syrian fronts in the coastal province of Latakia and in al-Meliha, in the suburbs of Damascus, while witnesses have reported seeing convoys of trucks leaving the football stadium that served as the Iraqi militia base in the northern city of Aleppo. 

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant's current focus on Iraq has also wrought a notable decline in the intensity of rebel infighting. In the months prior to the fall of Mosul, rebel infighting in Deir el-Zour province in particular resulted in hundreds of rebel casualties as Jabhat al-Nusra and its rebel allies battled against Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant fighters. Though these clashes continue, particularly in Aleppo and Deir el-Zour provinces, the intensity of the fighting has markedly decreased, a clear sign that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has turned its attention, and likely a large number of its fighters, to Iraq. It could always move its forces back across the unrecognized border, but for now, the group appears to be prioritizing Iraq and will likely keep reinforcing its fight there against Iraqi government counteroffensives.

However, Washington and its allies will be increasingly nervous about supplying advanced weaponry to the rebels in Syria. Having shown it can seize weaponry from the Iraqi army, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant's potential ability to seize weapons delivered by the United States to often ragtag rebel groups worries the Americans. This re-evaluation comes at a particularly bad time for the rebels, who seemed on the verge of finally convincing the United States and other allies to deliver substantially more weapons to their fighters. 
Interestingly, while the regime preferred not to interrupt its enemies' infighting, it undertook a notable aerial bombing campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, both within Syria and across the border in Iraq, after the fall of Mosul. Two things can explain this turn of events. First and less important, the regime may sense an opportunity to strike at the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and relieve pressure on regime forces that come into contact with the militant rebels -- particularly the 17th division in Raqqa province -- while the group is busy in Iraq. The primary reason, however, is the regime's need to demonstrate that it is invested in the well-being of its allies, and in particular that it is attuned to the concerns of its patron, Iran. With the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant becoming a major threat to Baghdad, Hezbollah and Tehran's interests in Iraq, the Syrian regime will try to show that it is doing its part in the wider struggle. The al Assad regime can leverage an opportunity to share intelligence with others, since the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant is now the prevalent regional threat.

It is clear that the fall of Mosul and the spike in the fighting in Iraq have further complicated an already elaborate regional conflict where borders are fast losing their importance. For the Syrian battle space, the developments in Iraq bring a mixed array of advantages and disadvantages to the varying combatants. Even if it does not decisively tilt the battle, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant's Iraq pivot will play an important role in the conflict in Syria.

Read more: Iraq's Crisis Changes the Battle Space in Syria | Stratfor
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*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Stratfor
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