Saturday, July 3, 2010

DTN News: Malaysia's Second Submarine Arrives In Lumut....NSI News Source Info # 703

Source: DTN News - Special Report
(NSI News Source Info) LUMUT, Malaysia - July 4, 2010: The KD Tun Razak, the Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN) second of two Scorpene submarines, arrived at the RMN Base, here, at 4.40pm yesterday.
The official welcoming ceremony was attended by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah and the Raja Dihilir of Perak, Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa, while the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah got onboard the ship from Langkawi, Kedah.
Also seen welcoming the submarine were Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

DTN News: Somalia - In Chaos Or Aleardy A Failed State....NSI News Source Info # 702

Source: DTN News By Roger Smith
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 3, 2010: DTN News reports, Somalia rated the worst of the worst among failed states, Somalia tops the annual Failed States Index for the third consecutive year.
Out of 177 countries indexed by Foreign Policy Magazine and The Fund for Peace published on Monday, Somalia was given the highest score on 12 indicators including delegitimization of the state, security apparatus, and factionalized elites.The past half-century has seen a continuous saga of disaster played out in Somalia.
The eastern horn of Africa officially became the independent Democratic Republic of Somalia, by shaking off Italian and British colonial rule, in 1960.In 1963, Somalia signed a military aid agreement with the Soviet Union and six years later Somalia’s longest standing president and military dictator Muhammad Siad Barre came to power in a military coup after the assassination of then President Abdi Rashid Ali Shermarke.
Siad Barre proclaimed Somalia a socialist state a year after gaining control. He then began nationalizing the country. He ruled based on his own version of “scientific socialism” that promoted self-reliance, modeled somewhat after China, the Soviet Union, and elements of the Quran.

DTN News: Somalia - In Chaos Or Aleardy A Failed State....NSI News Source Info # 701

DTN News: Somalia - In Chaos Or Aleardy A Failed State
*At least 31 civilians have been killed and 93 others injured in two days of clashes in Mogadishu between Somali government forces and local fighters. Medics said on Friday that most of the casualties occurred when heavy artillery hit residential houses

DTN News: US Offers Top-Of-Line Weapons To India....NSI News Source Info # 700

Source: DTN News - compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources
(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - July 3, 2010: As India inches closer to finalising the purchase of 126 fighter aircraft, the US has offered India top of the line defence weapon systems.
The Pentagon has said that three agreements that are currently being negotiated between India and the US would allow the country to share key American technologies. “Pentagon is working with India to put three foundational agreements in place with New Delhi that would allow American frontline technologies to be shared with the country,” top Pentagon official Michele Flournoy was quoted as saying.
Her comments come as India is in the final stages of finalising the $10 billion deal to buy 126 fighter aircrafts. US companies Boeing with its F-18 super hornet and Lockheed Martin with its F-16 fighting Falcons are among the bidders for the contract.

Friday, July 2, 2010

DTN News: UK Ministry Of Defence Signs Scout SV Contract With General Dynamics UK....NSI News Source Info # 699

Source: DTN News / General Dynamics UK
(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, U.K. - July 3, 2010: The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with South Wales-based General Dynamics UK to deliver the Specialist Vehicle (SV) for the British Army. The demonstration phase, which has been activated by the signature of the contract by Peter Luff MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Equipment, Support & Technology is worth £500m. The demonstration phase will see the development of seven prototypes for the Scout reconnaissance vehicle and supporting variants built on the ASCOD SV Common Base Platform, as well as providing associated training equipment.

DTN News: Oshkosh Defense Announces New Delivery Orders For Heavy-Duty Army Vehicles...NSI News Source Info # 698

Source: DTN News / Oshkosh Corporation Dt. June 30, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) OSHKOSH, Wis. - July 3, 2010: Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) announced today its Defense division has received two delivery orders from the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) for the U.S. Army’s Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV).
The two delivery orders are valued at roughly $600 million, and extend production for nearly 1,900 new and recapitalized severe-duty Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT A4) vehicles, the backbone of the Army’s logistics and resupply fleet, and more than 530 Palletized Load System (PLS) trailers.

DTN News: Fourth C-130J Heads Home To Norway....NSI News Source Info # 697

Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin Dt. July 1st, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) MARIETTA, Ga., - July 3, 2010: Norway’s fourth C-130J leaves the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] facility in Marietta. Norway placed a contract in November 2007 for four C-130J Super Hercules through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The first was delivered in November 2008. The new fleet enables Norway to meet its national airlift mission requirements and missions in support of international organizations like the U.N. and NATO.

DTN News: Russia To Sell $1 Billion Worth Of Arms To Yemen - Expert....NSI News Source Info # 696

Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 2, 2010: Russia and Yemen could sign an arms contract worth over $1 billion, an international arms expert said on Thursday. A Yemeni delegation led by President Ali Abdullah Saleh discussed sales of Russian arms to the Arab republic on Wednesday during the leader's short visit to Moscow. Igor Korotchenko, head of a Moscow-based think tank on the international arms trade, said Yemen "is interested in a very broad range of Russian arms and military equipment," especially MiG-29 SMT jet fighters (up to 30), Mi-35 and Ka-52 helicopter gunships and Mi-17 military transport helicopters.

DTN News: Cyberwar - The Threat From The Internet....NSI News Source Info # 695

Source: DTN News - compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including Economist.com
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 2, 2010: THROUGHOUT history new technologies have revolutionised warfare, sometimes abruptly, sometimes only gradually: think of the chariot, gunpowder, aircraft, radar and nuclear fission.
So it has been with information technology. Computers and the internet have transformed economies and given Western armies great advantages, such as the ability to send remotely piloted aircraft across the world to gather intelligence and attack targets. But the spread of digital technology comes at a cost: it exposes armies and societies to digital attack.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

DTN News: Lion Air Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary With Two New 737-900ERs....NSI News Source Info # 694

Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) SEATTLE, - July 2, 2010: Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of Lion Air, Boeing (NYSE: BA) today delivered two Next-Generation 737-900ERs (extended range) to the Jakarta-based carrier. Lion Air, which operates an all-Boeing fleet, was the launch customer of the 737-900ER and is currently the largest operator of the airplane. With today's deliveries, the Lion Air fleet consists of 36 737-900ERs and two 747-400s. In addition, Lion Air is a launch customer for the new 737 Boeing Sky Interior.

DTN News: Obama Warns Iran Of New Pressure, Signs Sanctions....NSI News Source Info # 693

Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - July 2, 2010: President Barack Obama warned Iran Thursday it faced mounting pressure and isolation, as he signed tough new US sanctions he said would strike at Tehran's capacity to finance its nuclear program.The measures, on top of new UN Security Council and European sanctions, aim to choke off Iran's access to imports of refined petroleum products like gasoline and jet fuel and curb its access to the international banking system.

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY July 2, 2010 - Pakistan Suicide Blasts Kill At Least 37: Official....NSI News Source Info # 692

Source: DTN News / AFP Arif Ali
(NSI News Source Info) LAHORE, Pakistan - July 2, 2010: Twin suicide blasts killed at least 37 people Thursday and injured scores more at a crowded shrine to an Islamic saint in Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital, a city official said.
"At least 37 people were killed and 175 injured" in two suicide attacks at a complex housing the tomb of a Sufi saint, Lahore city police chief Aslam Tareen told AFP.

DTN News: US Voices Concern Over Syria-Iran Ties....NSI News Source Info # 691

Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - July 2, 2010: The United States voiced concern Thursday over cooperation between Syria and Iran after reports Tehran had sent a radar system that would boost defenses against Israel.
The Wall Street Journal, quoting anonymous Israeli and US officials, reported that Iran last year sent the sophisticated radar that could help the Islamic republic detect an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities.

DTN News: Turkey, Israel Hold Secret Talks To Repair Ties....NSI News Source Info # 690

Source: DTN News / AFP Sibel Utku Bila
(NSI News Source Info) ANKARA, Turkey - July 2, 2010: Turkey and Israel held secret talks to seek a way out of a deep crisis in bilateral ties over a deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ships, officials said Thursday, as the United States welcomed the effort.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Israeli Trade Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer met Wednesday in Brussels, where Davutoglu was on a visit to discuss his country's EU membership bid.

New DTN News Logos....NSI News Source Info # 689

New DTN News Logos....NSI News Source Info # 689

New DTN News Logo....NSI News Source Info # 688

New DTN News Logo....NSI News Source Info # 688

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

DTN News: Russian Helicopters And AgustaWestland Start Building Joint Civil AW139 Final Assembly Line Plant....NSI News Source Info # 687

Source: DTN News / Russian Helicopters
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 1, 2010: Russian Helicopters (subsidiary of JSC UIC Oboronprom, part of Russian Technologies State Corporation) and AgustaWestland (a Finmeccanica company) are pleased to announce that the set up of a joint civil AW139 medium twin helicopter final assembly plant started with a ground-breaking ceremony, solemnly laying a time capsule in the base of the foundation at the industrial area in Tomilino, near Moscow, during an official ceremony held today and attended by representatives and dignitaries from the partners.

DTN News: Northrop Grumman Highlights Unmanned Systems Capabilities at UV Europe 2010....NSI News Source Info # 686

Source: DTN News / Northrop Grumman Dt. June 29, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 30, 2010: Northrop Grumman Corporation is participating in the UV Europe conference and exhibition where it will highlight its comprehensive capabilities and experience in unmanned systems.Northrop Grumman is an industry leader in the ISR domain and has been in the unmanned systems business for more than 60 years, providing 100,000 unmanned systems to military customers in the U.S. and around the world. In unmanned ground systems, the company has served the military, explosive ordnance disposal and hazardous materials units and other first responders for more than 25-years as a leading provider of mobile robotic systems for applications in hazardous and potentially life-threatening environments.

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY June 30, 2010 - NATO Forces Repel Taliban Attack On Airbase....NSI News Source Info # 685

Source: DTN News - compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including VOA
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 30, 2010: Militants set off a car bomb and used rocket-propelled grenades to storm the entrance of an airbase outside Jalalabad, near the Pakistani border Wednesday. The Taliban say six suicide bombers killed dozens of Afghan and foreign forces in the brazen daylight attack.But NATO spokesman Brigadier General Josef Blotz refutes that claim."In this incident several insurgents were killed and I can tell you that the security perimeter was not breached and the insurgents were being stopped by Afghan and ISAF forces very effectively," Blotz said.The attack appeared planned and coordinated, much like a Taliban assault last May on the Bagram air base, NATO's biggest in Afghanistan.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

DTN News: Iran's Intelligence Ministry Urges Moving Away From Russia....NSI News Source Info # 684

Source: Golnaz Esfandiari - Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 30, 2010: Iran's Intelligence Ministry has called for a "decrease" in ties with Russia, according to Hossein Ebrahimi, a parliament deputy and a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.
Ebrahimi told the semiofficial ILNA news agency that the demand was discussed during a meeting between committee members and officials of the Intelligence Ministry.

DTN News: China Denies Military Exercise Aimed At U.S....NSI News Source Info # 683

Source: DTN News - compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Reuters & Ria Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - June 29, 2010: China denied on Tuesday media reports that an artillery drill in the East China Sea was in response to a planned military exercise between South Korea and the United States.

DTN News: Lockheed To Offer F-35 Fighters To Indian Navy....NSI News Source Info # 682

Source: DTN News - compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including Zee News
(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - June 29, 2010: US defence major Lockheed Martin Monday said it will offer its latest fifth generation F-35 fighters to meet Indian Navy's requirements for carrier-based combat aircraft.
"We have received the Request for Information (RFI) from the Navy seeking information about the F-35 aircraft, which are capable of taking off from aircraft carriers. We are going to offer our aircraft to them," Lockheed Martin vice president Orville Prins said here. He said presentations had been given to the Indian Navy about both the 'B' and 'C' versions of the aircraft in the recent past.

Monday, June 28, 2010

DTN News: France Pledges To Equip LAF With Modern Weapons....NSI News Source Info # 681

Source: DTN News - compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including The Daily Star(NSI News Source Info) BEIRUT, Lebanon - June 28, 2010: France has promised to provide Lebanon with modern weapons, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Wednesday.
During a meeting with Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr, his French counterpart Hervé Morin stressed France’s support to supply the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with modern weapons.

DTN News: Turkey TODAY June 28, 2010 - Turkey Closes Skies To Israel....NSI News Source Info # 680

Source: DTN News - compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including by Maayana Miskin - Arutz Sheva Israel news & PRESS TV (Iran)
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 28, 2010: Turkey is closing its skies to Israeli planes, Turkish media outlets reported Monday. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the closure in a meeting with Canadian journalists in Toronto, they said.
Erdogan reportedly described the move as another stage in Turkey's response to a recent clash between Israeli troops and pro-terror Turkish activists in which nine Turkish citizens were killed. The clash took place as foreign activists attempted to break Israel's naval blockade on Gaza. Members of the Turkish group IHH violently attacked and wounded Israeli soldiers as they attempted to board the ship Mavi Marmara, kicking off an armed struggle.
Turkey has demanded that Israel apologize for the incident, compensate Turkish citizens who were wounded, agree to an international investigation of the clash, and end the naval blockade on Hamas-run Gaza.

DTN News: Iran TODAY June 28, 2010 - Russia Says Alarmed By CIA View Of Iran's Weapons....NSI News Source Info # 679

Source: DTN News - compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including Guy Faulconbridge & David Storey - Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 28, 2010: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday he was alarmed by U.S. assertions that Iran may have enough fuel for two nuclear weapons and warned that if confirmed the Islamic Republic may face new measures.
Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta told ABC's "This Week" television program that the agency thinks Iran has enough low-enriched uranium now for two weapons, but that Tehran would have to further enrich the material first.
"As to this information -- it needs to be checked," Medvedev told reporters in Toronto, where he was attending the Group of 20 summit of rich and emerging nations.
"In any case, such information is always alarming because today the international community does not recognise the Iranian nuclear program as transparent," Medvedev said.
Russian leaders rarely comment on CIA statements and Medvedev's sharp comments indicate the gulf that has grown between Moscow and Tehran over recent months.

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY June 28, 2010 - Four NATO Troops Killed As CIA Warns On Afghan War....NSI News Source Info # 678

Source: DTN News - compiled from reliable sources including Lynne O'Donnell AFP by Roger Smith(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan- June 28, 2010: The death toll among foreign soldiers fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan closed in on the grim toll of 100 for June alone as the CIA chief warned that the war will be tougher and longer than expected. The deaths of four Norwegian soldiers on Sunday, when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in the northern province of Faryab, brought to 98 the number of NATO soldiers killed this month, according to an AFP tally.
The toll for the year to date is 318 -- compared to 520 for all of 2009.
"Norway has been hit hard. The loss deeply affects us all. It's hard and it reminds us of the risk we're taking," said Defence Minister Grete Faremo.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

DTN News: US Drone Strike Kills Six Militants In Pakistan....NSI News Source Info # 677

(NSI News Source Info) MIRANSHAH, Pakistan- June 27, 2010: A US drone attack killed six militants Sunday in Pakistan's North Waziristan district, a stronghold of Taliban and Al-Qaeda cohorts on the Afghan border, officials said. The attack targeted a militant compound in Tabbi Torkhel village about four kilometres (2.5 miles) north of Miranshah, the main town in the lawless tribal district. "The death toll has gone up to six," a security official said. A local administration official confirmed the attack and the casualties.
The missiles hit a compound and also destroyed a vehicle belonging to the militants, he said, adding: "The identity of the militants was not immediately known as the bodies were mutilated." Local officials said there was no immediate report of a "high-value" target among the dead. The attack was the latest in the surge of drone strikes in North Waziristan, where Pakistani commanders have come under increasing US pressure to carry out a military offensive.

DTN News: France Offers To Indian Air Force For Purchasing 40 Rafale Fighters....NSI News Source Info # 676

Source: DTN News - compiled from reliable sources by Roger Smith
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 27, 2010: A French company offered to sell 40 of its state-of-the-art aircraft Rafale fighter jets to India for a bi-lateral air exercise on Friday. An Indo-French joint exercise is to be held somewhere in India in 2011 – 12. The offer was made by the maker of the Rafale and Mirage fighters, Charles Edelstennie, who is also the scion of the Dassult family. Dassult is a multi-billion French military and civil aerospace company.