Analysts say the deaths of Americans in Juarez last weekend may put more pressure on the Obama administration to act. The U.S. already gives hundreds of millions of dollars to Mexico for its drug fight.

Thousands of Mexican troops and hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid have failed to stem the drug wars plaguing Mexico’s northern border region.

Now, the killing of Americans last weekend in Ciudad Juarez is likely to escalate the conflict and Washington’s already substantial involvement in the fight, analysts say.

“Americans are being targeted, which was not the case before. That makes it more possible for the Obama administration to get the support to provide more resources,” says Mauricio Cardenas, director of the Latin American initiative at the Brookings Institution.

Almost 18,000 people have been killed across Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched the military offensive against drug traffickers in December 2006.

According to the government, most of those dead are rival smugglers. But the Security Commission of the Mexican Senate also reports that the dead include at least 620 women, 1,500 police officers, and 87 soldiers.

Last weekend there were some 50 victims of drug gang-related violence in Mexico — including an American consular employee and her husband gunned down in their car. Their baby was found unharmed in the backseat of the car.

Analysts say the deaths of the Americans may put more pressure on the Obama administration to act.

“The tragedy of this weekend just underscores how severe and significant a danger this represents to Mexico, to the United States, to the hemisphere,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters on Monday.

In 2007, the Bush administration and its Mexican counterpart signed the Merida Initiative, a three-year $1.5 billion plan to fight the narcotics trade. While the money has been appropriated, the spending of it is still in the works.

So far, U.S. assistance has come in the form of big-ticket items like helicopters and speedboats. They arrived only late last year, though. The lag time is substantial because a lot of the equipment is custom built.

And the enemy is formidable, says Crowley. “You’re talking about violence fueled by drug use that produces vast sums of money, that produces significant capabilities, that could rival … the strength of any army.”

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials and the FBI are already helping elite Mexican forces in intelligence gathering, collecting evidence for trials and providing training on how to lead investigations that will eventually stand up in court.

But Mexican officials say the U.S. must do more to help in the battle against the drug cartels.

For years, Mexican leaders have urged the U.S. to stop the flow of guns south across the border. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms reported last year that more than 7,700 guns sold in America were traced to Mexico.

But experts believe that is just a small fraction of the total. More than 2,000 guns — from 9 mm handguns to automatic assault rifles — are trafficked from U.S. border states to Mexico every day, according research by the Brookings Institution.

During the State Department briefing, spokesman Crowley said there were things the U.S. could do to help, “in terms of money, guns, to try to diminish and ultimately defeat these cartels,” but he didn’t say if authorities would step up security at border crossings.

While U.S. financial aid is impressive, it is a trickle compared to the massive assistance Washington gave Colombia — about $700 million a year for five years — to help fight its drug war, Cardenas says.

About 90 percent of the cocaine and much of the marijuana that enters the U.S. comes through Mexico. That is another reason the U.S. government needs to be more involved in Mexico’s fight, says Shannon O’ Neil, a fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

“Our security is intricately tied with Mexico’s security, and so we should be investing in our relationship with Mexico, it’s in our own self interest to do so,” she says.

O’ Neil says the U.S. aid to Mexico should focus on strengthening law enforcement institutions, cleaning up the court system and providing telephone hotlines and other ways for citizens to get involved.

Mexico’s police force has long been corrupt and its courts lacking transparency.

But that is now changing, O’Neil says, with background checks for police officers and police recruits and reforms in the legal system.

“They do a background check [on police recruits] to make sure you don’t have a lot of money and then they do periodic lie detector tests once you’re in, since so many are approached years into the job” by drug cartels looking to bribe them, O’Neil says.

The court system is also changing, with an increase in public trials with oral presentations rather than the traditional Mexican system of having a judge review written arguments and make a ruling from his chambers.

O’Neil says that “should make the whole system much more open and transparent and make people witness to the judicial system.”

But all of this will take time.

“The fundamental problems that Mexico has are issues of institutional effectiveness and capacity … weeding out corruption,” O’Neil says. “None of those issues are things that can be solved overnight, no matter how much money you throw at them.”

Copyright 2010 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/03/16/american-deaths-escalate-mexicos-drug-war/

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The Boeing A160T Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft met or exceeded all requirements during a sling-load cargo demonstration for the U.S. Marines held March 9 – March 11 at the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. An A160T is shown here during a previous sling-load test flight in Victorville, Calif., in January

Boeing showed that the A160T can deliver at least 2,500 pounds of cargo from one simulated forward-operating base to another 75 nautical miles away in well under the required six hours. The simulated mission carried 1,250-pound sling loads over two 150-nautical-mile round trips, with the A160T operating autonomously on a preprogrammed mission.

“The Hummingbird’s performance was outstanding, as we had expected,” said Vic Sweberg, director of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Boeing Military Aircraft. “The A160T’s capabilities can fulfill our customer’s near-term need for 24/7, reliable cargo resupply. It also provides unmatched flexibility to carry out a variety of other missions, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; target acquisition; direct action; and communication relay.”

The A160T completed seven test flights during the demonstration, including a two-minute hover at 12,000 feet with the 1,250-pound sling load, and a nighttime delivery to a simulated forward operating base. The A160T’s ability to execute extremely accurate autonomous deliveries also was demonstrated.

The A160T has a 2,500-pound payload capacity. It features a unique optimum-speed-rotor technology that significantly improves overall performance efficiency by adjusting the rotor’s speed at different altitudes, gross weights and cruise speeds. The autonomous unmanned aircraft, measuring 35 feet long with a 36-foot rotor diameter, has hovered at 20,000 feet and cruised at more than 140 knots. The A160T established a world endurance record in its class in 2008 with an 18.7-hour unrefueled flight.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.

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15 Mar 2010 8ak: In 2001, the then leaders of the U.S. and India, George W. Bush and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had the foresight to set up a council to promote high-tech trade between the two countries, India-US High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG). As the American.com reports, since then “U.S.-India trade has nearly tripled from $13.5 billion in 2001 to $37.6 billion in 2009. Last year, high-tech products accounted for more than 13 percent of total bilateral trade and nearly 25 percent of all U.S. exports to India.”

The potential is much higher especially in the context of defence manufacturing but both sides have legal and political issues to overcome. India says that U.S. laws are too restrictive and is scared of sanctions as in post-nuclear tests in Indian in 1999. America, on the other hand, wants India to acknowledge the benefits of its efforts to ensure that weapons don’t fall in to the hands of the wrong groups/country’s (U.S.’s non-insurgency-specific weapons sales to Pakistan continues to baffle indians). In this light, the ongoing 2 day meeting of the group is significant with a focus on how the barriers can be broken to enhance more trade. In terms of export controls, American.com puts this in context, “In 1999, 24 percent of total U.S. exports to India required a “dual-use” license from BIS, today that number is less than 0.2 percent.”

Excerpts from Obama’s speech on the issue – “We’ve conducted a broad review of the Export Control System, and Secretary Gates will outline our reform proposal within the next couple of weeks. But today, I’d like to announce two steps that we’re prepared to take.

First, we’re going to streamline the process certain companies need to go through to get their products to market — products with encryption capabilities like cell phone and network storage devices. Right now, they endure a technical review that can take between 30 and 60 days, and that puts that company at a distinct disadvantage to foreign competitors who don’t face those same delays. So a new one-time online process will shorten that review time from 30 days to 30 minutes, and that makes it quicker and easier for our businesses to compete while meeting our national security requirements.

And second, we’re going to eliminate unnecessary obstacles for exporting products to companies with dual-national and third-country-national employees. Currently, our exporters and foreign consumers of these goods have to comply with two different, conflicting set of standards. They’re running on two tracks, when they could be running just on one. So we’re moving towards harmonizing those standards and making it easier for American and foreign companies to comply with our requirements without diminishing our security. And I look forward to consulting with Congress on these reforms, as well as broader export control reform efforts.” Full speech here..

American.com notes that “the Indian government has not yet signed the Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA), the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation (AGC), which are crucial to providing mutual logistical support and enabling the exchange of sensitive communications and equipment. Full news here.

After Putin’s visit, it seems that India-U.S. are doing the talking and Russia is doing the deals?

Posted by Manu Sood at 11:26:31 AM

http://www.8ak.in/8ak_india_defence_news/2010/03/obamas-proposal-for-key-changes-to-hightech-export-regulation.html

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Photo image from Felix Sanchez was shot on Dec. 21 in Gifu, Japan. The arrival of Boeing KC-767 aerial refueling tanker built for the Japan Air Self Defense Force. The fourth of four tankers ordered and built by Boeing Tanker Programs. Modification work done in Wichita, Kansas, which is where the originating flight was for the ferry trip over. Contracted photographer by Boeing in Japan. Photographer: Keiji KUMA Yoshida , KC-767 Aerial Tanker Arrival , SLF10-0004

“Pratt & Whitney is honored to partner with Boeing on the NewGen platform to be offered as America’s next generation of tankers for the U.S. Air Force’s KC-X program,” said Bill Begert, Pratt & Whitney Vice President of Military Business Development and Aftermarket Services. “The PW4000 engine has an exceptional track record of performance and reliability with numerous commercial customers operating the engine globally. We are confident it will meet Boeing and the U.S. Air Force’s performance requirements and expectations.”

Pratt & Whitney has delivered more than 2,500 PW4000-94” commercial engines that collectively have logged more than 100 million flight hours on commercial aircraft around the world. The PW4062 is the highest thrust model in Pratt & Whitney’s PW4000-94” commercial engine family and is offered for both commercial freighter and military tanker applications. Two PW4062 engines, each delivering 62,000 pounds of thrust, will power The Boeing Company’s NewGen Tanker.

The PW4000 family of engines includes models with thrust ratings ranging from 52,000 pounds to 98,000 pounds. These engines have an outstanding safety record, high reliability, excellent performance and low maintenance costs. The PW4000 family meets all required emissions and noise regulations, and offers superior fuel economy and maintainability. The PW4000-94” engine operates commercially on Boeing 747, 767 and MD-11 aircraft and the Airbus A300/310 series.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in government procurement priorities and practices, budget plans and availability of funding, and in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in the companies’ Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.

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© 2010, United Technologies Corp. – Pratt & Whitney

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Video by Lockheed Martin

Expands the Family of Available Target & Sounding Rockets

SAN DIEGO, March 15, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS), a leading National Defense, Information Technology, Assurance and Security Solutions provider, today announced the award of a $4.9 million dollar task order under the U.S. Army Multiple Award Contract (MAC) for Theoretical Studies and Engineering Research (TSER).

The Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division White Sands Detachment (NSWC PHD Det WS) has a requirement to engineer, integrate and flight test a family of sub-orbital rockets to be used as diagnostic, tracking and target vehicles. Under this Task Order Award, the Rocket Support Services (RSS) Business Unit of Kratos, through its contract with NSWC PHD Det WS, will evaluate the suitability of combining a surplus Pedro rocket with the Oriole rocket. They will assess other alternative rocket systems, and support up to four (4) launches of these rocket systems.

“We are extremely pleased to continue our support of NSWC PHD Detachment White Sands to provide a low cost solution to meet AEGIS BMD test and other technology development requirements,” said David Carter, President of Kratos’ Defense Engineering Solutions Division.

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS) provides mission critical engineering, IT services, strategic communications and war fighter solutions for the U.S. federal government and for state and local agencies. Principal services include C5ISR, weapon systems sustainment, military weapon range operations and technical services, network engineering services, information assurance and cybersecurity solutions, security and surveillance systems, and critical infrastructure design and integration. The Company is headquartered in San Diego, California, with resources located throughout the U.S. and at key strategic military locations. News and information are available at www.KratosDefense.com.

Informaton about Aegis BMD here.

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3/3/2010 – DAYTON, Ohio (AFNS) – National Museum of the Air Force officials revealed a new exhibit Feb. 26 here dedicated to Mexican airmen who fought alongside U.S. forces in World War II.

Members of the Mexican air force Escuadron 201, commonly referred to as the Aztec Eagles, are featured in the exhibit. “The Mexican Air Force,” is part of the growing display of the “Airmen in a World at War” exhibit.

Mexican officials declared war against Japan, Germany and Italy May 28, 1942, and Mexican servicemembers fought alongside the U.S. forces in the South Pacific during World War II. Manuel Avila Camacho, the President of Mexico during World War II, accepted a U.S. invitation to provide Mexican air force units in the war against Japan after breaking off diplomatic relations with those countries shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Terry Aitken, the senior curator of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, noted that these treatise included agreements for the unlimited reciprocal use of airfields and facilities as well as the establishment by the U.S. Army Air Forces of a number of bases in Mexico to train personnel.

In the summer of 1945, airmen from the Mexican air force flew combat missions along with their American allies. Mexico’s Escuadron 201, equipped with Republic P-47D Thunderbolt fighter aircraft, distinguished themselves in providing close-air-support to American ground units as well as long-range bombing strikes deep into Japanese held territory.

“The outstanding work made my those men (Escuadron 201) demonstrated that good things can only be achieved with leadership, teamwork and sacrifice, fighting side-by-side and shoulder-to-shoulder,” said Lt. Col. Jose Nunez, Mexico’s Foreign Liaison Officer from the Air Force Security Assistance Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, during the exhibit opening ceremony.

This unit of 33 pilots and more than 270 support personnel, along with a Mexican expeditionary air force (Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana) headquarters, moved to the Philippine Islands in February 1945. In March of 1945, Escuadron 201 members were attached to the U.S. 5th Air Force and the 58th Fighter Group which was based at Porac, Luzon in the Philippine Islands. The 58th Fighter Group merged the Escuadron 201 into combat operations and provided support to the new unit during its first combat missions.

In early July 1945, 58th Fighter Group members deployed to Okinawa, Japan, and Escuadron 201 members assumed responsibility for air operations in their area. The airmen provided close-in-ground support to the advancing U.S. 25th “Tropic Lightning” Division and Philippine Army units on Luzon, and seven-hour long-range fighter strikes on strategic Japanese targets on the island of Taiwan.

Retired Lt. Col. Justino Reyes Retana, one of only three remaining Aztec Eagles from World War II, was unable to make the trip to the exhibit opening ceremony, however, his son, Lorenzo Reyes Retana, relayed a message on his behalf.

“I was honored to be recognized by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force for the work which the Aztec Eagles did, and this space will serve as a reminder of our efforts and job we did for generations to come,” he said.

During its operational history, Escuadron 201 airmen flew 795 combat sorties, accumulated nearly 2,000 hours of combat flying and lost seven pilots. The Escuadron 201 remains the only military unit in the history of Mexico to engage in combat outside of its national borders.

Source: USAF
(U.S. Air Force photo)

http://www.aviationnews.eu/2010/03/03/usaf-national-museum-of-the-air-force-remembers-aztec-eagles/

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“Achieving initial service release means the F135 CTOL/CV engine, with more than 13,000 test hours, has met all necessary requirements and proven the safety, reliability and performance of this product for operational use in the field,” said Warren Boley, Vice President of F135 Engine Programs. “I am so proud of the F135 CTOL/CV team and our partners at Hamilton Sundstrand, Lockheed Martin and the Joint Program Office for this great program accomplishment. We look forward to seeing the F135-powered Lightning II in operational flight.”

Pratt & Whitney has delivered 17 flight test engines, as well as the first production F135 engine, and expects to deliver the final short take off and vertical landing (STOVL) flight test engine early this year.

“The F135 CTOL/CV propulsion system has been certified for Low Rate Initial Production and flight operations,” said Rob Burnes, F-35 Joint Program Office, Propulsion Director. “I congratulate the entire F135 team on achieving this milestone.”

Pratt & Whitney has designed, developed and tested the F135 to deliver the most advanced fifth generation fighter engine for the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, as well as for eight international partner countries. The F135 is derived from proven technology of the only operational fifth generation fighter engine, the Pratt & Whitney F119 that powers the F-22 with more than 275,000 operational flight hours. It has been further enhanced with technologies developed in several Air Force and Navy technology programs.

The F135 propulsion system has proven it can meet diverse aircraft requirements, and the ground and flight test experience demonstrates the capability of the F135 engine for armed forces around the world.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.

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© 2010, United Technologies Corp. – Pratt & Whitney

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Aviation Week’s DTI | David Eshel | March 10, 2010
Source: Military.com

This article first appeared in Defense Technology International.

The Israel Defense Forces medical corps is looking at procuring an innovative unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will evacuate critical casualties directly from the battlefield to the hospital. This would get more wounded to the hospital within the “golden hour,” the critical time in which a medical evacuation has the best chance of saving a wounded soldier’s life.

One of the candidates for the program is the AirMule, a vertical takeoff and landing UAV developed by Urban Aeronautics Ltd., an Israeli company specializing in Fancraft technology. Other aircraft being considered include helicopters converted to unmanned vehicles.

Lt. Col. Gil Hirschorn, a doctor and former flight medic who leads the medical corps’ trauma branch, says an important benefit of AirMule is its ability to land in areas of a fire-saturated battlefield that would be inaccessible to other vehicles. Hirschorn says the UAV, which is now being tested, will be equipped with stretchers, air conditioning and a communications system that establishes video contact between injured soldiers and the medical center. The wounded will be transported in a protected compartment and monitored throughout the flight. The current design holds two wounded soldiers lying prone. Future versions will include space for a medic.

The vehicle would add an important capability to the logistics of casualty evacuation, and be able to support amphibious operations as well as ground forces.

AirMule is a ducted-fan vehicle that uses Urban Aeronautics’ patented Fancraft lift system, based on internal rotors that provide lift and propulsion systems. The core of the technology is the Vane Control System (VCS), which consists of a cascade of vanes at the inlet and outlet ducts that can be deflected simultaneously (top and bottom) or differentially to generate side force or a rolling movement. Front and rear ducts are deflected differentially for yaw. “The VCS generates six degrees of freedom independent of one another. For the first time we have a vehicle that moves sideways without the need to roll,” says Rafi Yoeli, founder and CEO of Urban Aeronautics.

The company successfully completed the first phase of tethered flight trials, which consisted of autonomous hovers in which the vehicle maintained stable height and attitude. An onboard fly-by-wire system controls pitch, roll and yaw. The next series of tests will evaluate the AirMule’s position-keeping capability, and the vehicle will fly untethered for the first time.

The UAV is powered by a 730-shp. Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 turboshaft engine, which drives the fore and aft ducted rotors and aft thrusters through gearboxes and shafts. Its unique propulsion capabilities reportedly enable safe flight through areas of dense vegetation, in urban areas, over rough terrain and at high temperatures. The flight-control developed by Urban Aeronautics is a four-channel redundant system that relies almost entirely on inertial measurements and is augmented by GPS for translational position and velocity readings. Two laser altimeters indicate the vehicle’s height above ground. According to Yoeli, data show that the AirMule will hover with high precision even in gusty wind.

The vehicle carries a useful payload of 227 kg. (500 lb.). It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1 ton, and is designed to fly missions of 2-4 hr. at up to 100 kt. Its maximum ceiling is 12,000 ft. An operational version is expected to be available by 2012.

The concept of ducted-fan technology was popular among aircraft designers in the late 1950s and early 1960s when Piasecki Co. developed ducted-fan vehicles known as “flying jeeps” for the U.S. Army. The configuration was similar to the design used by Urban Aeronautics — two ducts, fore and aft, with a cabin in the middle. The concept, though, was ahead of the technology needed to develop a viable aircraft. The flying jeeps were difficult to control and had little endurance — only about 20 min. Because of this, vertical takeoff and landing remained a feature exclusive to helicopters. An array of technologies that have evolved since — efficient, lightweight engines, composite materials and flight-control computers — solved most of the problems associated with ducted-fan vehicles. What remained were aerodynamic challenges, notably in the areas of drag and controllability. Urban Aeronautics patented a package of innovations that reportedly resolves these problems.

The company is working on two other unmanned applications of the Fancraft technology — Panda, a small, electrically powered surveillance UAV, and Mule, a mid-sized UAV with a 500-lb. payload capacity.

In 2006 the company began working with Bell Helicopter to design the X‑Hawk, a large, man-carrying ducted-fan vehicle for urban missions in the military and civilian sectors.

Photo: Urban Aeronautics

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,211969,00.html?ESRC=dodnews.RSS

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Last update – 03:26 15/03/2010
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Source: Haaretz

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, has told the country’s diplomats there that U.S.-Israeli relations face their worst crisis in 35 years, despite attempts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office to project a sense of “business as usual.”

Israel

Oren was speaking to Israeli consuls general in a conference call on Saturday night. Sunday, Netanyahu continued to consult with the forum of seven senior cabinet ministers over a list of demands that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made in a telephone conversation Friday.

Clinton harshly criticized the announcement last week of plans to expand the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in East Jerusalem while U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was visiting Israel.

Haaretz has learned that Clinton’s list includes at least four steps the United States expects Netanyahu to carry out to restore confidence in bilateral relations and permit the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians.

1. Investigate the process that led to the announcement of the Ramat Shlomo construction plans in the middle of Biden’s visit. The Americans seek an official response from Israel on whether this was a bureaucratic mistake or a deliberate act carried out for political reasons. Already on Saturday night, Netanyahu announced the convening of a committee to look into the issue.

2. Reverse the decision by the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee to approve construction of 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo.

3. Make a substantial gesture toward the Palestinians enabling the renewal of peace talks. The Americans suggested that hundreds of Palestinian prisoners be released, that the Israel Defense Forces withdraw from additional areas of the West Bank and transfer them to Palestinian control, that the siege of the Gaza Strip be eased and further roadblocks in the West Bank be removed.

4. Issue an official declaration that the talks with the Palestinians, even indirect talks, will deal with all the conflict’s core issues – borders, refugees, Jerusalem, security arrangements, water and settlements.

Two advisers of the prime minister, Yitzhak Molcho and Ron Dermer, held marathon talks Sunday with senior White House officials in Washington and U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell and his staff to try to calm the situation. Mitchell will return to Israel Tuesday and expects to hear if Netanyahu intends to take the proposed steps.

At the beginning of Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu tried to convey a message that there was no crisis in relations with the United States. But he sent precisely the opposite message to Oren in Washington.

In Oren’s Saturday conference call with the Israeli consuls general, he said that the current crisis was the most serious with the Americans since a confrontation between Henry Kissinger and Yitzhak Rabin in 1975 over an American demand for a partial withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula.

At Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the matter had been blown out of proportion by the media. He added that “there was an unfortunate incident here that was innocently committed and was hurtful, and certainly should not have occurred.”

He said steps would be taken to prevent such cases in the future. “It is extremely important to understand that the State of Israel and the United States have common interests,” he said, adding that those interests “also require us to take decisions to change the situation in the country.”

Four consuls discussed the conference call with Haaretz. Some noted that in previous conference calls with Oren, the ambassador took pains to make clear that relations with the United States were excellent. This time, however, Oren sounded extremely tense and pessimistic. Oren was quoted as saying that “the crisis was very serious and we are facing a very difficult period in relations [between the two countries].”

Oren told the consuls to lobby congressmen, Jewish community leaders and the media to convey Israel’s position. He said the message to be relayed was that Israel had no intention to cause offense to Vice President Biden and that the matter had stemmed from actions by junior bureaucrats in the Interior Ministry and was caused by a lack of coordination between government offices. “It should be stressed that [our] relations with the United States are very important to us,” Oren reportedly said.

Several of the consuls suggested waiting, but Oren hinted that his approach reflected Netanyahu’s wishes. “These instructions come from the highest level in Jerusalem,” he was quoted as saying, adding that the utmost must be done to calm matters.

Oren told participants in the conference call of a meeting he was summoned to on Friday with Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg for a reprimand. Oren spoke of his surprise at being summoned after believing that the crisis had ended on Thursday.

“Steinberg read to me from the [American] letter of protest, whose content was extremely harsh,” Oren reportedly said. Despite several requests for a reaction from the embassy, no response was forthcoming at press time.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1156467.html

<---End of Quote--->

Related Article:
Israel Confident Diplomatic Crisis With US Will Blow Over

16 March 2010
Source: Voice of America
Luis Ramirez | Jerusalem

Israel’s foreign minister says his country has no intention of halting the expansion of a settlement in East Jerusalem that is fueling what some officials say is the worst rift in relations with Washington in decades.

Israeli police clashed with Palestinian demonstrators in East Jerusalem, throwing stun grenades and firing tear gas to disperse the mostly young Palestinians who pelted police with rocks.

Photo: AP - Palestinian demonstrators hurl stones at Israeli troops in east Jerusalem, 16 Mar 2010

The sporadic violence also spread to several villages and towns in the West Bank, including Ramallah and Nablus. Demonstrations also took place in the Gaza Strip.

For a fifth consecutive day, thousands of Israeli police deployed around East Jerusalem, including the Old City. Israeli national police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told VOA authorities continue to restrict entry by Palestinians to the Old City.

“The age limit is all males from the age of 50 and upwards are allowed on the Temple Mount area,” said Rosenfeld. “Apart from that, the Temple Mount is closed to visitors, to Israelis, to Muslims, to foreigners. This is a measure that is necessary to be taken in order to prevent any disturbances or any injuries around that area.”

Tensions have been fueled by the belief among Palestinians that Israeli Jews are extending their claims over East Jerusalem. The latest clashes erupted after Jews re-dedicated a synagogue not far from the al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem years after capturing it from Jordan in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, in a move not recognized by the international community.

Tens of thousands of Jewish residents have since moved in, angering Palestinians who claim the east of the city as the capital of a Palestinian state.

The United States has demanded that Israel stop or restrict expansion of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, pending final status negotiations with the Palestinians.

There was no sign of Israel backing down. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman spoke on Israeli radio and rebuffed Washington’s demands, describing them as unreasonable.

The top Israeli diplomat said he believes the diplomatic crisis with Washington will, over time, calm down. He said Israel will not accept a situation where only the Jews are not permitted to build in Jerusalem, while Arabs are allowed to build and buy.

The Obama administration condemned Israel’s decision last week to approve the construction of 1,600 housing units for Jewish residents in an East Jerusalem settlement. Israel angered Washington by announcing the decision as Vice President Joe Biden was visiting Jerusalem.

U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell had been due in Israel in an effort to get Israelis and Palestinians to start indirect negotiations. Mr. Mitchell postponed his visit to an unspecified date.

Israelis and Palestinians two weeks ago agreed to hold the talks, but the Palestinians say they might not engage in the negotiations as long as Israel keeps building settlements.

Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan Khatib laid out conditions for a return to talks.

He said the Palestinians want a guarantee from the United States that Israel will stop all kind of occupation activity, especially settlement expansion.

He said the Palestinians are also demanding that all issues, including the status of Jerusalem, be part of the negotiations, which he said should be carried out according to a timeline.

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Israel-Confident-Diplomatic-Crisis-With-US-Will-Blow-Over–87800527.html

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Defence and security company Saab has received an order from FMV (the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) concerning development of the existing Gripen fleet. The order value amounts to SEK 2 billion for Saab, split over a period of four years.

Swedish Gripen refuelling from french KC-135. Exercise.

The capability of the Swedish Air Force’s Gripen C/D aircraft is continuously subject to adjustment and upgrading in order that it can operate and remain effective and advanced also in the future. The order includes further adjustments for increased operational effect, like for instance upgraded countermeasure and communication systems. The order also includes other measures to further reduce the operating costs, based on experience gathered from more than 130,000 flight hours.

Also included is integration of new weapons, and the existing radar is gaining an increased range along with new functions. Improvements are also being introduced to reduce the noise and emissions from test runs during engine maintenance.

Work will mainly take place at Saab’s plants in Linköping, Gothenburg, Järfälla, Kista and Arboga.

The information is that which Saab AB is required to declare by the Securities Business Act and/or the Financial instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication on 10 March at 08.10.

Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to civil security. Saab has operations and employees on all continents and constantly develops, adopts and improves new technology to meet customers´ changing needs.

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U.S. Naval Air Systems Command grounded 104 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets March 12 after inspectors discovered the airframes were developing cracks much earlier than engineers had thought.

The grounding order affects the first four varieties of Hornet – models A through D – and does not apply to aircraft now flying combat missions over Iraq or Afghanistan. The number of Hornets affected makes up 16 percent of the Navy-Marine A through D fleet.

There have been no crashes or other mishaps related to the problem, said Navy spokesman Lt. Nate Christensen. The March 10 crash of a Marine F/A-18D Hornet from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 224 off South Carolina – in which both the pilot and weapons officer were rescued – was not related to this problem, he said.

Of the 104 grounded jets, 77 are in flight status. Of those, 23 are in Navy and Marine Corps fleet squadrons; five are forward-deployed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan; five belong to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team; and 44 are in fleet replacement squadrons. The other 27 Hornets are in a maintenance status.

The grounding notice from NavAir covered a “high stress focus area” that engineers already knew about as part of the Hornets’ service-life assessment program, Christensen said, so NavAir issued a set of instructions for affected aircraft.

Squadrons have been ordered to perform a magnetic field inspection on jets included in the grounding. If they don’t find cracks, their Hornets go back to unrestricted flight status, although crews are required to visually inspect the wings after every 100 hours of flight.

If a squadron can’t do the magnetic inspection on a jet included in the grounding, its crews have been ordered to inspect its wings visually. Even if they find no cracks, the Hornet pilots will not be allowed to pull more than four Gs during flight.

Christensen said he did not have a breakdown for each type of Hornet – A, B, C and D – affected by the grounding. He also did not describe where the cracks were forming on each jet – for example, in their center barrels, wings, or elsewhere.

There are a total of 635 A- through D-model jets in the Navy and Marine Corps fleet.

All content © 2010, Army Times Publishing Company

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4537356&c=AME&s=AIR

<---End of Quote--->

Non Related Accident

MCAS BEAUFORT, (March 10, 2010) A dual-seat Marine F/A-18D Hornet attached to Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224, impacted the ocean approximately 35 miles off of the South Carolina coast at approximately 5:17 p.m. Wednesday.

The Marine pilot, Maj. Duane Litpak, 35 and his 29 year-old Weapons Systems Officer, Capt. Jonathan Hutchison, ejected safely and were recovered thanks to a quick response by a Coast Guard search and rescue unit out of Charleston.

The pilot and WSO were forced to eject following an aircraft malfunction during the flight home after performing routine training over the ocean.

The Deployable Flight Incident Recording System was recovered by the Coast Guard this morning. It ejects from the aircraft whenever the ejection seats punch out.

Ejecting from a jet can be dangerous if not fatal. It is not uncommon to break limbs, said Lt. Col. Joseph Maybach, the commanding officer for VMFA(AW)-224. The air crew had the presence of mind to slow down the aircraft and prepare for ejection when they knew they werent going to make it back.

Both aviators were evaluated by medical personnel and are currently home spending time with their families. An internal investigation will be conducted to determine the specific cause of the mishap.

The egress systems in the aircraft and the survival systems in the ocean worked perfectly, said Maybach. The brave efforts of Coast Guard responding immediately to the search and rescue were the big factors in getting the air crew recovered quickly.

For more information, please contact the Air Station Public Affairs office at (843) 228-7201.

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By USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs

USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, At Sea (NNS) — USS Abraham Lincoln successfully completed a test firing of its Close In Weapons System (CIWS) March 9, after receiving an upgrade during the ship’s 2009 maintenance period.

Upgrades to the close-in self-defense weapon system included transition from block 1 baseline 0, to block 1 baseline 2, allowing the gun to fire 4,500 rounds per minute instead of 3,000 as previously capable by using compressed high pressure air instead of hydraulics to release the rounds faster.

CVN-72

The test fire, called a Pre-action Aim Calibration Fire or PACFIRE, lasted about an hour and resulted in the successful firing of approximately 900 rounds from the ship’s three CIWS mounts. The purpose of the PACFIRE is to calibrate the aim of the system, ensuring the rounds reach exactly where the radar sees the target.

“The upgrade worked perfectly. We’re a much more capable and combat-ready ship with the new software and hardware,” said Fire Controlman 1st Class Ian D. Warner of the combat systems department. “One mount is brand new and two others are completely refurbished, so we’re fully ready to go out execute the maritime strategy.”

Prior to the live fire, Sailors from Lincoln’s combat systems and operations department first conducted a simulated detect-to-engage scenario using the ship’s radars and electronic sensors. Pre-fire maintenance and safety checks are then verified before firing.

Finally, post-fire maintenance includes taking apart and inspecting the guns, verifying they’re in working condition, then cleaning and lubricating the moving parts before putting the guns back together.

Pronounced “sea-whiz” throughout the fleet, the CIWS is the ship’s last line of defense against an incoming missile threat. Phalanx CIWS is a fast reaction terminal defense against low and high flying, high-speed maneuvering anti-ship missile threats that have penetrated all other ships’ defenses. With an effective range of one nautical mile and a 4,500 rounds-per-minute rate of fire, the CIWS is an integral element of the fleet defense in-depth concept and the ship self-defense program. The Phalanx CIWS is used on approximately 190 U.S. Navy ships and 20 foreign navies, as well as in the U.S. Army as a land-based weapon system.

For more news from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn72/.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Despite setbacks during an extensive repair cycle, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) returned a heavily modified NP-3D “Billboard” Orion with its distinctive radar panel to the Fleet Jan. 15.

Following extensive repairs, FRCSE returns one of only two heavily modified NP-3D Billboard Orion aircraft serving the Fleet to Naval Weapons Test Squadron (VX) 30 Jan. 15. (Photo by Marsha Childs)

The Naval Weapons Test Squadron (VX) 30, based in Point Mugu, Calif., took receipt of the specialized aircraft built by Lockheed in 1963 and modified in 1979 with Extended Area Test System (EATS) radar. The “Bloodhounds” fly the only two Billboards in the Fleet.

Test pilots Cmdr. Joseph Buckler (FRCSE) and Lt. Cmdr. Rick Foster (VX-30) taxi down the NAS Jacksonville runway as they prepare to fly the P-3 Billboard with its distinctive radar panel to Point Mugu, Calif. where it is home-based. (Photo by Marsha Childs)

The aircraft’s over-the-horizon telemetry assists the squadron with its vital mission of clearing the Pacific Missile Test Range, the Department of Defense’s largest overwater missile test range with 36,000 square miles of controlled sea and airspace.

The Billboard’s phased array antenna is capable of receiving data from various locations throughout the Pacific and providing vital information to tactical users and sea and shore command centers.

An NP-3D Billboard Orion taxis down the NAS Jacksonville runway as it prepares to depart for the long trip to NAS Point Mugu, Calif. (Photo by Vic Pitts)

The aircraft’s sophisticated telemetry system is used to locate and track targets for weapons testing and missile-range clearance. A distinctive radar panel approximately 6 feet high and 12 feet long sits atop the fuselage just forward of the vertical stabilizer.

FRCSE inducted the 46-year-old aircraft for phased depot maintenance in September 2006. Artisans initially estimated the project would take about 30,000 man-hours to inspect and repair.

Aircraft Mechanic Stephen Depay installs a wing-to-fuselage fillet fairing on a P-3 Billboard undergoing an extensive sustainment action at FRCSE. (Photo by Vic Pitts)

Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) technicians conducted a special structural inspection, which led to additional NDI testing revealing stress corrosion cracks in seven metal planks. These planks comprise the outer wing and run from the fuselage to the wingtip.

Planned Maintenance Interval Program Manager Clark Huffman oversaw the sustainment action to extend the aircraft’s service life. “The more we peeled the onion, the greater the scope of repair,” he said. “Sometimes when you’re repairing one failed part, you expose adjacent parts that would have not been inspected or repaired due to limited access.”

Avionics Mechanic John Dzioba checks for static air pressure leaks on the P-3 Billboard in October 2009. (Photo by Vic Pitts)

Former first-line supervisor Clinton Batten and his team were immediately faced with challenges. Batten said, “Aging aircraft require extensive measures. There were no structural repair manual references that covered this kind of extended damage.”

The second challenge dealt with parts availability. “When there are no parts on the shelves, you have to make them,” said Batten. A commercial vendor fabricated seven wing planks, which took more than 18 months.

An NP-3D Billboard Orion aircraft, one of two in the Navy's Fleet, sits on the back tarmac awaiting paint in early December 2009. (Photo by Vic Pitts)

FRCSE artisans continued the work out of sequence, a necessary but inefficient way to execute repairs. Sheet metal mechanics repaired extensive corrosion damage using numerous plank patches, the largest covering 21 square feet.

When FRCSE finally returned the aircraft to VX-30, artisans had expended more than 65,000 man-hours. The lengthy rework not only had a severe impact on the aircraft’s turnaround time but also hindered progress on other P-3 aircraft undergoing phased maintenance at the facility.

FRCSE encountered many challenges during the sustainment action of the 46-year-old Billboard. Artisans must maintain older aircraft as the Navy brings in new replacements. (Photo by Vic Pitts)

FRCSE P-3 Project Officer Cmdr. Joseph Buckler and VX-30 Navy test pilot Lt. Cmdr. Rick Foster flew the aircraft to Point Mugu, Calif. Foster said, “We are the only squadron that operates this aircraft. We use them for in-flight telemetry for the Tomahawk and other long-range missiles.”

Until the Navy brings in a new generation of aircraft, the older models must be maintained to support the maritime mission. With only two Billboards serving the Fleet, the successful return of this asset greatly contributes to VX-30’s mission success.

//USN//

The Billboard sits outside the FRCSE Paint Hangar in early November 2009. The Paint Shop paints aircraft to protect the asset from corrosion. The artisans also install unit insignias and identifying markings. (Photo by Vic Pitts)

Electronics Mechanic Dan Harper performs a remote-controlled test of the Pitot Static System, which provides the aircrew with pressure information such as airspeed and altitude changes. (Photo by Vic Pitts)

The Billboard s outer wing is composed of metal planks that run from the fuselage to the wingtip. FRCSE artisans perform plank insertions to repair extensive damage caused by corrosion. (Photo by Vic Pitts)

FRCSE artisans repair corrosion to the Billboard wing planks with metal patches during extensive phased depot maintenance. (Photo by Vic Pitts)

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ATHENS – Greece announced March 13 that it had reached an agreement with German defense group ThyssenKrupp in a long-running dispute over the supply of four submarines.

The row began when Athens rejected the first submarine supplied by ThyssenKrupp, the Papanikolis, on the grounds that it was defective.

Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Venizelos said a resolution had been found for the deal, which has been blocked since 2006.

“We have reached a solution, which should be signed [March 18] and which protects the interests of the Greek navy as it means it will finally receive modern, functional submarines,” Venizelos said in a statement released by the ministry.

Media reports in Greece suggest that under the agreement, Athens will acknowledge receipt of the Papanikolis, which will be sold to a third party, and order two further submarines from Hellenic Shipyards.

In return, the defense company will drop a compensation claim for breach of contract, reports said.

ThyssenKrupp bought Hellenic Shipyards, near Athens, from the Greek government in 2005, and the submarine deal should smooth the way for the conglomerate to shed 75 percent of its stake to the Abu Dhabi Mar group.

The Greek government, struggling with a debt crisis and facing a huge effort to restructure the economy, said March 1 the sale of the shipyard offered a chance to save the jobs of 1,400 workers.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4538150&c=EUR&s=SEA

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NEW DELHI: India, which has tripled its defense spending in a race against China’s military buildup, is having trouble converting the funding into weapons and equipment its military says are urgently needed.

The government in five years has canceled two tenders for artillery guns, a contract for ammunition propellant and two helicopter tenders, together worth at least $4 billion. No contract exceeding $100 million has been awarded through competitive bidding in at least 23 years, said military analyst V.K. Kapoor. Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said he couldn’t immediately identify the last such deal.

India’s “military capacity and preparedness are being reduced because of the inadequacy of the procurement process,” said Uday Bhaskar, director of the National Maritime Foundation, a New Delhi research institute on strategic issues. The military’s upgrading is “on hold and its obsolescence is increasing.”

The cancellations have disrupted attempted weapons sales by Textron Inc.’s Bell Helicopter unit in Fort Worth, BAE Systems Plc and South Africa’s Denel Ltd. Bhaskar said they have hurt troop readiness along more than 4,200 kilometers (2,600 miles) of Himalayan frontiers, where India has fought three full-blown wars with Pakistan and one with China.

India took 20 years to negotiate a 2004 contract for jet trainers, even as 157 pilots died in three decades of jet fighter crashes blamed partly on inadequate training craft.

Obsolete Weapons
The Defense Ministry, which wields the world’s 10th-largest military budget, has surrendered 3% to 9% of its announced budget in each of the past seven years because it couldn’t spend all the money allocated for arms, according to a January report by the New Delhi office of accounting firm KPMG and the Confederation of Indian Industry. Half of India’s weapons are obsolete, the report said.

China has almost quadrupled its official defense spending since 2000 to $78 billion for fiscal 2011, 7.5% more than in the previous year. India will spend $32 billion on defense this year, triple its 2000 outlay and 4% more than in fiscal 2010.

India has bought no artillery for more than 23 years, a period during which the government has sought to buy more than 1,500 155 mm guns for use mainly along the Pakistani and Chinese borders. Such guns were used to defeat Pakistan in a 1999 conflict at Kargil in Kashmir; India would have had too few had that fight grown into a full-scale war, said Kapoor, who is also a retired army lieutenant general.

Howitzer Delays
India’s military is adequately prepared on its borders and will benefit from an accelerating modernization program, Minister of State for Defense M.M. Pallam Raju said at a conference with defense companies in New Delhi on Feb. 16. “In the past five years we have created a faster, more transparent procurement process,” he said.

That process is being tested as India’s air force conducts flight trials in the world’s biggest fighter-jet purchase in 15 years. Chicago-based Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. and four European builders are vying under a 2007 tender to sell India 126 warplanes worth $11 billion.

India is expected to sign a separate deal for 29 naval MiG- 29 fighters during this week’s visit by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

John Giese, a spokesman for Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, called the fighter tender “one of the most challenging competitions in the history of fighter aviation.” Given the complexity, “the competition has been very efficient, transparent and professionally managed,” Boeing spokeswoman Mary Ann Brett said in an e-mail.

European Competitors
Lockheed and Boeing are competing with Paris-based Dassault Aviation SA, Stockholm-based Saab AB, European Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co., which has headquarters in Paris and Munich, and Moscow-based OAO United Aircraft Corp.

While the military says rules last amended in November let it sign a contract within 20 to 34 months, it is too early to judge their effectiveness, said Gurpal Singh, a deputy director general for the industry federation in New Delhi.

The air force asked the government in 1983 to order advanced jet trainers because pilots taught mainly in subsonic jets were losing control of supersonic MiG-21 fighters that were more than three times faster. Political and bureaucratic battles under 11 prime ministers added to the delays before BAE Hawk jets were purchased.

India’s main political blocs — led by the Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — have fought over arms buying since 1987. Indian newspapers reported then that Swedish artillery builder Bofors, now a unit of London-based BAE, bribed officials to buy its guns. The scandal scuttled most of the deal and helped drive the Congress government of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to defeat in 1989 elections.

Reviewing Deals
India was still seeking artillery in 2004 when Congress was elected, and halted bidding as it reviewed defense deals under the previous BJP administration. When police investigated Pretoria-based Denel for paying illegal commissions in winning a 2002 army order for rifles, the government blacklisted the state-owned company.

Four more foreign companies were barred from defense contracts last year, after the Central Bureau of Investigation said they were being investigated on suspicion of bribery. That forced Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. out of the race, leaving London-based BAE as a single vendor and prompting officials to halt the tender.

http://www.bloombergutv.com/news/latest-business-news-india/46815/china-outguns-india-in-arms-purchase-.html

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New Delhi: Russia will build more than 1,000 stealth fighter jets within four decades, including at least 200 for its traditional weapons buyer India, the head of plane maker Sukhoi said on Friday.

Sukhoi test-flew its long-delayed fifth-generation fighter at the end of January, and Moscow said it would be able to compete with its U.S. F-22 Raptor rival built more than a decade ago.

Sukhoi said last week it hoped the fighter, codenamed T-50, would be ready for use in 2015.

“If you talk about warplanes of this type, there is definitely a market for it if we produce more than 1,000 jets,” Sukhoi director Mikhail Pogosyan told reporters on the sidelines of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to India.

“We have all grounds to believe that there will not be tough competition on the world market,” he said.

He said Russia would produce more than 1,000 of the planes within 35 to 40 years.

After the test flight, Putin said Russia had plenty of work to do on the plane.

Analysts say Russia’s plans for a joint venture with India to produce the stealth fighters will likely be watched with unease by India’s uneasy neighbour Pakistan and regional rival China.

Pogosyan said an agreement on joint output of the jet with India was still in the works and did not say when a deal might be signed.

“I believe that more than 200 planes will be delivered (to India),” Pogosyan said.

“I think (Russia’s) defence ministry will buy no less than this amount,” he said. About 600 of the planes would be sold elsewhere, he said.

Analysts say several nations, including Libya and Vietnam, have already expressed interest in the fifth-generation fighter.

“Apart from America, the only other fifth-generation project is Russia’s, while the Europeans have given up such plans,” Pogosyan said.

“Probably the Chinese will try and promote such a product, but I think they face an immense amount of work to make their product competitive,” he said.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/russia-to-make-200-stealth-fighter-jets-for-india/111475-3.html?from=tn

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The Air Force’s $35 billion KC-X competition may not end up being a sole-source competition. It appears that EADS is looking to buy time to find a new partner to bid in the fight against tanker rival Boeing.

“We’re hearing that EADS has approached DoD and asked for an extension to the tanker bid submittal deadline,” one congressional aide said today.

The deadline is in mid-May.

Meanwhile, Pentagon Acquisition chief Ashton Carter dodged numerous questions from reporters on the matter during a March 12 press conference at the Pentagon. All Carter would say is that the Pentagon “values the contribution of European industry to the choices that we can make as a department.” He said that although the Pentagon doesn’t have “an indication of any additional bidders, [DoD] is happy to have a competition.”

Carter had earlier in the day refused to talk about the matter earlier during an interview with Defense News.

EADS North America officials also refused to comment on the matter, with company spokesman Guy Hicks saying March 12, “We don’t comment on any communications between [EADS] and our customers.”

One senior EADS official said earlier this week that he had serious doubts the company has enough time to find a new U.S. partner that could handle a $35 billion deal, such as Lockheed Martin, L-3 Communications or Raytheon.

However, Raytheon issued a cryptic statement March 12 when asked whether company officials were in talks with EADS about a tanker partnership.

“We have the technology and capabilities to support the tanker program in a number of ways, but we have to refer [inquiries on the matter] to EADS,” a company spokeswoman said.

Lockheed and L-3 were unavailable for comment at press time.

MOVING AHEAD
Meanwhile, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and service Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told lawmakers during a March 10 House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing that they intend to move ahead with the competition as planned.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said later in the week that the Pentagon will have to sharpen its pencils when negotiating with Boeing to ensure that the company doesn’t try to use the de facto sole-source bid to gouge taxpayers on its 767-based bid, which is reportedly much cheaper than EADS’ Airbus A330-based bid.

Northrop and EADS say that the final KC-X request for proposals emphasized cost and other factors that “heavily weigh in favor of the smaller, less capable Boeing tanker,” according to a March 8 statement from EADS North America Chairman Ralph Crosby. “Northrop Grumman’s analysis of the RFP reaffirmed those concerns and prompted the decisions not to bid.”

Despite recent developments, several analysts agree that time may have run out for EADS.

“Finding someone else would be tough to do unless they have already done the ground work” to establish a brand new KC-X partner, said Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Senior Fellow Mark Gunzinger on March 10.

Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group was even more dubious, saying in a March 9 e-mail when asked whether he thought the Air Force might grant EADS extra time to put together a new tanker partnership.

“Hell, no,” Aboulafia wrote. “EADS today said they were withdrawing — period.”

John T. Bennett and Vago Muradian contributed to this report

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2010/03/airforce_DN_031210_eads_tanker_partner_web/

<---End of Quote--->

Related Article:
Tanker bid: EU warns of U.S. protectionism

Published: March. 10, 2010 at 12:14 PM

BRUSSELS, March 10 (UPI) — The European Union warned of U.S. protectionism after a consortium led by European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. dropped out of the bidding race for a U.S. tanker contract.

The U.S. partner of EADS, Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman, retracted its bid this week, saying the race was clearly favoring rival Boeing. EADS won’t bid without Northrop Grumman, which means that Boeing is the only company left trying to win the $40 billion contract.

The European Commission called the decision by the European-led consortium to drop out “highly regrettable” and warned of U.S. protectionism.

“The European Commission would be extremely concerned if it were to emerge that the terms of tender were such as to inhibit open competition for the contract,” it said in a statement.

EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said “open procurement markets guarantee better competition and better value for money for the taxpayer.”

The contract would have secured thousands of jobs in the EADS partner countries Britain, France, Germany and Spain. Under the proposal, the fuselages for the planes would have been built in France and Germany, the wings in Britain and the tails in Spain. Northrop would have assembled and equipped the aircraft in the United States.

The decision to pull out of the bidding ends a fierce and years-long competition between EADS and Boeing.

Together with Northrop Grumman, EADS submitted its KC-45 tanker for a contract to outfit the U.S. Air Force with 179 refueling tankers. Based on the Airbus A330, the KC-45 won the contract in February 2008 but the decision was overturned four months later by the Government Accountability Office after Boeing challenged it.

The GAO said it found problems with the bidding and the contract is up for grabs.

Boeing is bidding with an altered version of its 767, a plane smaller than the KC-45 and one favored by the bidding conditions, EADS and even U.S. lawmakers claim.

“The Air Force had a chance to deliver the most capable tanker possible to our warfighters and blew it,” U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., whose state would have been home to a Northrop Grumman facility to build the tankers, said in a statement. “This so-called competition was not structured to produce the best outcome for our men and women in uniform; it was structured to produce the best outcome for Boeing.”

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said he regretted that Northrop won’t submit a bid for the tanker replacement program but denied unfairness.

“We strongly believe that the current competition is structured fairly and that both companies could compete effectively,” he said in a statement.

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2010/03/10/Tanker-bid-EU-warns-of-US-protectionism/UPI-92951268241295/

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by Staff Writers
Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Mar 10, 2009

The Israeli air force has rolled out a fleet of massive pilotless planes that fly for a full day with the ability to reach the Persian Gulf. Made by Israel Aerospace Industries, the Heron TP unmanned aerial vehicles have a massive wingspan of 84 feet, nearly equal to a Boeing 747 passenger jet.

Also named Eitan, meaning “strong” in Hebrew, the spy plane is Israel’s largest and, with its 24-to-36 hour endurance it can fly well within the reach of Iran.

Launched at the Tel Nof Air Base in central Israel, the plane has the potential “to be able to conduct new missions down the line, as they become relevant,” air force chief Maj. Gen. Ido Nehustan was quoted as saying by The Jerusalem Post.

Military experts say the drone strongly resembles its predecessor but can fly much higher — 36,000 feet — and stay in the air longer.

Israeli military officials have declined to disclose the size of the fleet or whether it was purposely designed for use against Iran.

The launch, though, comes at precarious moment and could be seen as a message for Tehran. Israel worries about Iran because of Tehran’s controversial nuclear program, missiles and repeated threats against the Jewish state.

Despite its huge proportions, the aircraft’s silent engine makes it a valuable asset for surveillance operations.

Israeli-made drones have come a long way over the past 30 years, “from the humble beginnings of small UAVs with operational outputs during the first Lebanon war, to the varied array of high-tech and multi-operational UAVs that accompany almost operational aspect of the air force,” Nehushtan was quoted saying by the Post.

While suited to watch Iran, analysts suggest the drone could run into problems if sent in that direction.

“The Eitan can certainly reach Iran but only by flying through Iraqi airspace — something which would cause massive offense to the people it was flying above,” the Observation Postm, a blog associated with London’s Daily Mirror, reported.

Similar to the U.S.-made MQ-9 Reaper, the Eitan, said the report, “does not have the capability to fly around the Arabian Peninsula, reach Iran and return to Israel.”

Israel is suspected of planning pre-emtive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites if it is shown Tehran is developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nucelar program is for peaceful purposes.

Iran is shielded by a sophisticated ground-to-air missile system and both “America and Israel would be unlikely to use piloted planes, except for major targets,” the Observation Post said.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/New_Israeli_drones_can_reach_Iran_999.html

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F/A-18 equipped with LITENING pod on the centerline station. Photo by Rick Harvey.

“During the 1.5 hour flight conducted at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., LITENING demonstrated its performance, flexibility and interoperability under operationally representative conditions,” said Mike Lennon, vice president of Targeting and Surveillance Programs for Northrop Grumman’s Targeting Systems Division. “With LITENING, Northrop Grumman offers advanced sensor technology, unique features, high reliability, proven worldwide support and a demonstrated ability to easily integrate emerging technologies, all at a very competitive price and delivery schedule. As a result of this successful integration of LITENING on the F/A-18E/F aircraft, potential international Super Hornet customers now have another advanced targeting system choice to maximize their targeting and surveillance capabilities.”

Northrop Grumman’s LITENING pod is a self-contained, multi-sensor system that enables operators with surveillance and situational awareness, and the ability to detect, acquire, identify, and auto-track targets for highly accurate delivery of both conventional and precision-guided weapons. Fully integrated to support both air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements, LITENING features advanced image processing for target identification; coordinate generation for GPS weapons; a 640 x 512 or 1,024 x 1,024 pixel forward-looking infrared sensor for effective day and night operations; a 1,024 x 1,024 pixel charge-coupled device television sensor; a dual waveband infrared laser designator and eye-safe laser range finder; a laser spot tracker; an infrared laser marker; and optional air-to-ground video data link and digital video recorder.

To date, more than 600 LITENING pods have been ordered by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and seven allied nations. More than 500 systems have been fielded, the largest number of any advanced targeting and sensor system. LITENING is combat proven on the AV-8B, A-10A/C, B-52H, EA-6B, F-15E, F-16 (Blocks 15-52) and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. Together, all variants of the LITENING pod have amassed more than 1,000,000 flight hours, with over 500,000 hours logged under deployed or combat conditions.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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Saturday, Mar 13, 2010
Source: The Hindu

Islamabad: The Pakistan Navy on Friday fired a variety of missiles and torpedoes from warships, submarines and aircraft in an intensive firepower drill in the north Arabian Sea. It said the exercise was a message to “nefarious” forces, an apparent reference to India.

“While [giving a reassurance about the] Pakistan Navy’s commitment to defending the motherland, this strike capability would also send a message of deterrence to anyone harbouring nefarious designs against Pakistan,” a Navy statement said after the manoeuvres.

In this handout picture released by the Pakistan Navy, a target ship is hit by a missile during a naval firepower test conducted by the Pakistan Navy in the north Arabian Sea on March 12, 2010. Pakistan successfully test fired new missiles and torpedoes from ships, submarines and aircraft in the Arabian Sea, the navy announced. RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE AFP PHOTO/HO/PAKISTAN NAVY

The manoeuvres were aimed at assessing the lethality, precision and efficacy of weapon systems, the statement said.

Newly-inducted weapons systems, including anti-surface missiles on Chinese-made F-22 P frigates and air-to-surface missiles of the P3C maritime surveillance aircraft were among those tested.

An important feature of the drill was the firing of subsurface-to-surface missiles by Agosta 90B submarines.

“The target set was successfully engaged,” the statement said.

Naval Chief Admiral Noman Bashir, who witnessed the event, expressed satisfaction at the operational readiness of the Pakistan Navy fleet, and commended officers and men for their commitment and professionalism.

Area cleared
The weapon firing zone, spread over hundreds of miles, was cleared of all merchant ships and fishing craft during a special operation to ensure the safe conduct of the drill. The missiles fired included the French-acquired SM 39 surface-to-surface missiles, and the AM 39 air launched version of the same missile.

The naval exercise comes after Pakistan reportedly recently acquired 120 Chinese C802 long-range anti-ship cruise missiles to counter the Indian Navy’s BrahMos missiles. — PTI

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/13/stories/2010031356422600.htm

Video of launch and impact here.

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