DTN News: Indonesia To Buy 50 Controversial Fighter Jets From South Korea....NSI News Source Info # 778

(NSI News Source Info) SEOUL, South Korea - July 17, 2010: Indonesia agreed on Thursday to join a South Korean project to develop a new fighter jet which has been delayed for years by technical and budget problems.
Indonesia will acquire about 50 of the KF-X fighters in return for shouldering 20 percent of the development costs in the multi-million dollar project, the South Korean defense ministry said.
The two sides also agreed to work together in production and marketing.
The deal was signed in Seoul by Byun Moo-Keun, commissioner for the ministry’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), and his Indonesian counterpart Eris Herryanto.

DTN News: India’s First Naval Variant Of Light Combat Aircraft - TEJAS....NSI News Source Info # 777

(NSI News Source Info) - July 17, 2010: India has introduced for the first time the Marine version of the LCA (Light Combat Aircraft).
This new device will complement the fleet of MiG-29 K Marine version that will equip future buildings Vikrant class (ICC Aircraft Carrier) currently under construction in India.The program of Light Combat Aircraft LCA TEJAS named (“Glorious” in Sanskrit language) is an Indian national program launched in 1982 with the development lasted 26 years. The first aircraft for the Indian Air Force began to arrive. It is the smallest multi-role combat aircraft in the world. This program is under the responsibility of the Indian manufacturer HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd).

DTN News: JF-17 To Represent Pakistan In Farnborough Air Show....NSI News Source Info # 776

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - July 17, 2010: Indigenously developed aircraft by Pakistan with the help of China will make its maiden appearance at an international show being held in the United Kingdom.
In line to make their physical appearance in Farnborough Air Show 2010 along with other modern aircraft, being held 19-25 July in the UK, two JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft of PAF on Friday flew into the UK from a PAF Base.
These aircraft are manufactured at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra. The JF-17s would be displayed for the first time in the Farnborough Air Show alongside other modern aircrafts of the world.
The JF-17 Thunder distinguishes PAF as the only air force in the world that manufactures combat aircraft. It is an all-weather, multi-role, combat aircraft that has the potential to be the mainstay of any modern air force.

Defense News: DTN News: Canada To Buy 65 F-35 Jet Fighters In C$9 Billion Deal....NSI News Source Info # 775

(NSI News Source Info) OTTAWA, Canada - July 17, 2010: Canada will buy 65 new fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) for C$9 billion ($8.6 billion), one of the biggest arms deals in the nation's history, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said on Friday.
The first Joint Strike Fighter should be delivered in 2016. The F-35s will replace Canada's CF-18s, which are due to reach the end of their working lives in about 2020.
MacKay brushed off criticism from opposition legislators who say the planes are too expensive and who question why Lockheed Martin received a sole-source contract.

DTN News: Boeing, Jacksonville Community Celebrate Arrival Of F-16s For Aerial Target Program....NSI News Source Info # 774

(NSI News Source Info) JACKSONVILLE, Fla., - July 17, 2010: Boeing [NYSE: BA] employees joined congressional representatives, local government officials and community leaders on July 9 at Cecil Field in Jacksonville to celebrate the arrival of the first F-16s for the QF-16 aerial target program.
Boeing received a $69.7 million contract from the U.S. Air Force in March to convert up to 126 retired F-16s into QF-16 Full-Scale Aerial Targets that can fly either manned or unmanned. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2014.
"This is an important program for the Air Force and Boeing," Steve Waltman, Boeing director of Aircraft Sustainment & Maintenance, told the audience. "This is a significant off-platform project for our company, and we have confidence that our Cecil Field teammates will deliver the aerial targets to our customer on budget and on time."

DTN News: ITT/Boeing Next Generation Jammer Team Wins $42 Million Navy Award To Mature Technology....NSI News Source Info # 773

(NSI News Source Info) CLIFTON, N.J.- July 17, 2010: The team of ITT Corporation (NYSE: ITT - News) and The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA - News) today announced an award of $42 million from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to proceed to the Technology Maturation stage of the Next Generation Jammer program, designed to be the world’s most sophisticated airborne electronic attack system.
The program, valued at over $2 billion, will replace the current inventory of aging ALQ-99 jamming pods on the Navy’s newest airborne electronic attack aircraft, the Boeing EA-18G Growler. The Next Generation Jammer pod will also be a stepping stone to an F-35, Joint Strike Fighter, Electronic Attack capability.

DTN News: Russia Pacific Fleet Warships Return From U.S.....NSI News Source Info # 772

(NSI News Source Info) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - July 16, 2010: A group of Russia's Pacific Fleet warships led by the missile cruiser Varyag on Thursday returned from the United States to the Russian port of Vladivostok.
The group, including the missile cruiser Varyag, the rescue tugboat Foty Krylov and the tanker Boris Butoma commanded by Rear Admiral Vladimir Kasatonov, visited San Francisco, California, on June 21 -July 26.
The voyage to California and back was held as part of an effort to promote U.S.-Russian military cooperation. On June 23, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited the missile cruiser Varyag in San Francisco when he was on an official visit to the United States. He met with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and visited the Silicon Valley before heading off to Washington, DC, to meet with President Barack Obama.

DTN News: Russian Defense Ministry Lukewarm On South Korean Warship DealNSI News Source Info # 771

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 16, 2010: The Russian Defense Ministry has effectively dismissed the idea of buying a South Korean warship in place of a French Mistral-class amphibious assault ship, a Russian business daily reported on Thursday.
According to Kommersant, the United Shipbuilding Corporation proposed the purchase of a $650 million Dokdo helicopter carrier from South Korea.In a letter to Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, USC CEO Roman Trotsenko said his corporation could buy a license to build a Dokdo-class ship at a Russian shipyard within three years.

DTN News: Russia Plans To Seal SSJ 100 Deal At Farnborough Air Show....NSI News Source Info # 770

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 16, 2010: The Russian Sukhoi Aircraft Design Bureau plans to conclude a contract with a South-East Asian air company on the delivery of 30 Sukhoi Superjet 100s at the U.K. Farnborough Air Show (FIA), the bureau's press service said on Thursday.
Superjet-100 is a family of medium-haul passenger aircraft developed by Sukhoi in cooperation with U.S. and European aviation corporations, including Boeing, Snecma, Thales, Messier Dowty, Liebherr Aerospace and Honeywell.Specific details of the potential deal have not been released.
FIA, one of the most preeminent global aviation events, will be held from July 19 - 25 this year near London. The first five days of the show will be dedicated to concluding deals and the exhibition will then be open to the public over the weekend.

DTN News: Shebab Threaten More Attacks After Uganda Bombings....NSI News Source Info # 769

(NSI News Source Info) KAMPALA, Uganda - July 16, 2010: Somalia's Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab Thursday vowed further attacks after two deadly bombings in Uganda, as Kampala said it would send more troops to boost the African Union force in Mogadishu.
Sunday's bomb attacks on entertainment spots in Kampala where crowds were watching the World Cup final killed at least 73 people and underscored the risk posed by the Somali rebel movement to the entire region."What happened in Kampala is just the beginning," elusive Shebab leader Mohamed Abdi Godane said in an audio message broadcast on several Mogadishu radio stations.

DTN News: Iran TODAY July 16, 2010 - Two Suicide Attacks On Iran Mosque Kills More Than 20....NSI News Source Info # 768

(NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN, Iran - July 16, 2010: Two suicide bombings at a Shiite mosque in heavily Sunni southeast Iran killed more than 20 people Thursday, including worshippers and members of the Revolutionary Guards, state media reported.
The attack came as people celebrated the birthday of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed, a day also set apart each year to honour the Revolutionary Guards.
More than 100 people were wounded in the attacks, which came only minutes apart, at the Jamia mosque in the restive city of Zahedan, capital of southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"Two explosions in front of the Zahedan Jamia mosque left more than 100 wounded and more than 20 martyred," Fariborz Rashedi, the head of the emergency services of Sistan-Baluchestan province, told state news agency IRNA.

DTN News: The Russian-Indian BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile....NSI News Source Info # 767

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 16, 2010: The BrahMos PJ-10 is a short-range, ramjet powered, single warhead, supersonic anti-ship cruise missile developed and manufactured by India and Russia. Ship-, air-, ground-, and submarine-launched versions exist. It is currently among the most formidable cruise missiles in development.
The BrahMos, which derives its name from the Brahmaputra and Moscow rivers in India and Russia, is based on the earlier Russian design for the SS-N-26 (3M55 Oniks) cruise missile. In 1998, a joint venture was set up between the Indian Defense Ministry’s Defense Research and Development Organization and Russia’s Mashinostroyeniye Company. The two entities formed a company now known as Brahmos Aerospace, which would develop and manufacture the BrahMos PJ-10. Sources indicate that by 2006 India and Russia had already invested $300 million in the company.

DTN News: Israelis See Obama As Pro-Palestinian: Poll....NSI News Source Info # 766

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 16, 2010: Forty-six percent of Israelis believe US President Barack Obama is more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israeli, according to an opinion poll published by the English-language Jerusalem Post on Friday.

DTN News: Saudi Arabia King 'Takes Charge Of Arms Sales' Due To Royal Family Agenda....NSI News Source Info # 765

(NSI News Source Info) MANAMA, Bahrain, - July 15, 2010: King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia has taken charge of arms negotiations with the United States and is seeking to downgrade the power of the defense ministry, which is run by his ailing designated heir, Prince Sultan, Paris's Intelligence Online says.
The cancer-stricken Sultan, who is the monarch's half-brother but from a rival branch of the royal family, is reported to be "enfeebled and unable to comprehend government affairs," says Simon Henderson, an expert on Saudi Arabia with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

DTN News: Russia's New Generation S-500 Missile Defense System To Enter Service....NSI News Source Info # 764

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 15, 2010: Russia's new generation S-500 air defense system will resolve the country's missile defense problems when it enters service, Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin said on Tuesday.
"The S-500 air defense system is a system that will solve Russia's missile defense problems," Zelin said.
Answering a question about the S-500's technical specifications, Zelin said: "I would not compare the S-500 with the U.S. missile defense since they have different technical characteristics".

DTN News: Russian Air Force To Buy Over 60 Fifth-Generation Fighters....NSI News Source Info # 763

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 15, 2010: The Russian Air Force will receive more than 60 fifth-generation fighters from 2015-16, the force commander said on Tuesday."The Air Force will start taking delivery [of fifth-generation fighters] in 2015-16. The preliminary number is over 60," Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said.He also said the first batch of new fighters would be provided with older, "non-fifth" generation engines.

DTN News: Lockheed Wins 10-Year Contract Worth Up To $5 Billion....NSI News Source Info # 762

(NSI News Source Info) ORLANDO, Fla. - July 14, 2010: Lockheed Martin Corp. said Tuesday it won a 10-year defense contract that could be worth up to $5 billion.Under the contract, Lockheed will provide logistics support to troops around the globe, from aircraft and vehicle maintenance to electronics help.

DTN News: Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors Make Permanent Home In Hawaii....NSI News Source Info # 761

Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin Dt. July 12th, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) HICKAM AFB, Hawaii, - July 14, 2010: Officials at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, formally dedicated two Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-22 Raptors on July 9, inaugurating the base as the newest permanent home for the aircraft and marking the start of a partnership between the Hawaii Air National Guard and the active-duty Air Force in flying the F-22.
Pilots from the 199th Fighter Squadron, 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard, and from the active-duty 19th Fighter Squadron, 15th Wing, will fly the F-22 at Hickam. A combination of Hawaii ANG personnel and active-duty airmen will maintain the base’s eventual fleet of 20 Raptors.

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Delivers First Mid-Life Upgrade P-3 Orion....NSI News Source Info # 760

Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin

(NSI News Source Info) GREENVILLE, S.C.,- July 14, 2010: The first Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] P-3 Orion with new Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) enhancements was delivered to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in ceremonies here today.

The newly re-winged P-3 will soon make its first flight and will immediately be a game-changer for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This aircraft is the first of many that will benefit with increased availability and reliability for critical homeland security missions.

DTN News: Northrop Grumman's Fire Scout Vertical Unmanned System Successfully Completes Testing Under Extreme Environmental Conditions....NSI # 759

DTN News: Northrop Grumman's Fire Scout Vertical Unmanned System Successfully Completes Testing Under Extreme Environmental Conditions....NSI News Source Info # 759

Source: DTN News / Northrop Grumman
(NSI News Source Info) ABU DHABI, UAE, - July 14, 2010: With the support of the United States Navy, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC- News) and its industry partners (Sikorsky/Schweizer, Rolls-Royce, Raytheon, FLIR Systems, Cubic, Kearfott, Rockwell-Collins, General Electric, Sierra Nevada, Telephonics, and L-3 Communications) today successfully completed a rigorous set of flight demonstrations of the MQ-8B Fire Scout vertical unmanned aerial system (VUAS) in the United Arab Emirates under extreme environmental conditions.A social media version of this news release, which includes key facts, quotes, photos, video clip and other relevant links and information can be found at http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=196314
The test flights were conducted in early July over a ten day period in the United Arab Emirates. They validated Fire Scout's steady system maturation and helped signal its readiness for the U.S. Navy's upcoming Operational Evaluation of the system, planned for late 2010 aboard the USS Halyburton (FFG-40).

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY July 14, 2010 - "We're Hiding Rogue Afghan Gunman" Says Taliban....NSI News Source Info # 758

Source: DTN News - this article / report compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including BBC News & Sky News(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - July 14, 2010: The Taliban has said the renegade Afghan soldier who killed three British troops, including a senior commander, has joined its cause and is under its protection.
The killer launched his attack on soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles at a joint patrol base near Helmand Province's capital, Lashkar Gah, in southern Afghanistan.

DTN News: U.S. May Label Pakistan Militants As Terrorists....NSI News Source Info # 757

(NSI News Source Info)WASHINGTON, U.S.A. - July 14, 2010: The new American military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David H. Petraeus, is pushing to have top leaders of a feared insurgent group designated as terrorists, a move that could complicate an eventual Afghan political settlement with the Taliban and aggravate political tensions in the region.
General Petraeus introduced the idea of blacklisting the group, known as the Haqqani network, late last week in discussions with President Obama’ssenior advisers on Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to several administration officials, who said it was being seriously considered.

DTN News: UK Uveils Taranis Unmanned Combat Jet Prototype....NSI News Source Info # 756

(NSI News Source Info) WARTON/LONDON, U.K. - July 13, 2010: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has unveiled a prototype of its first unmanned combat aircraft. The plane will test the possibility of developing a stealth jet fighter with no pilots.
The MoD says the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) would be able to precisely strike targets at long range and would be controlled by military crews on the ground.

DTN News: China Seals Y-12 Light Aircrafts Deal With Venezuela....NSI News Source Info # 755

(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - July 13, 2010: The China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) has concluded a delivery contract with Venezuela on twenty five multi-purpose Y-12 light aircraft and two helicopters, the China Daily said on Tuesday.
The aircraft will be used by a new airline company to be established by the South American state. An AVIC source denied the Chinese side planned to invest $300 million in the new air carrier.

DTN News: Russia To Deliver 21 Mi-17 Transport Helicopters To Afghanistan....NSI News Source Info # 754

(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - July 13, 2010: Russia will supply Afghanistan with 21 Mi-17 Hip military transport helicopters, an Afghan television channel reported on Monday.
According to Tolo television, the contract is worth $300 million and was concluded with the approval of the с command in Afghanistan.
Russian envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin told RIA Novosti on Monday that NATO had yet to agree on the exact delivery date of some time in July, although the alliance has voiced the need for Russian transport helicopters a long time ago.
The Mi-17 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship.

DTN News: Russian Warship To Visit British Port Ahead Of FRUKUS 2010 Drills....NSI News Source Info # 753

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 13, 2010: The Severomorsk destroyer from Russia's Northern Fleet will make a port call in Plymouth from July 16-23 before joining NATO warships in the FRUKUS 2010 naval drills."The visit will continue until July 23 and is linked with the ship's participation in the FRUKUS 2010 international exercises," a spokesman for the Russian Navy said on Monday.
The FRUKUS 2010 exercises will be held from July 22-25 in the North Atlantic.
The annual naval drills, which traditionally involve France, Russia, Britain and the United States, practice interoperability for future joint operations under a UN mandate.

DTN News: Raytheon Receives $14 Million Ship Self Defense System Contract....NSI News Source Info # 752

(NSI News Source Info) TEWKSBURY, Mass., - July 13, 2010: Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a $14.2 million contract to deliver the Ship Self Defense System (SSDS Mk 2) Open Architecture for four U.S. Navy ships and one land-based test facility. SSDS is an open, distributed combat management system for aircraft carriers and expeditionary warfare ships. It is designed to expedite the detect-to-engage sequence to defend against anti-ship cruise missiles. SSDS links and automates stand-alone sensors and weapon systems to provide the required combat reaction. With its open and modular design, SSDS can be modified to support additional domestic and international combatants.

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated July 12, 2010....NSI News Source Info # 751

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - July 13, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued July 12, 2010 are undermentioned;

DTN News: Boeing Unveils Unmanned Phantom Eye Demonstrator....NSI News Source Info # 750

(NSI News Source Info) ST. LOUIS, - July 13, 2010: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today unveiled the hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system, a demonstrator that will stay aloft at 65,000 feet for up to four days.
"Phantom Eye is the first of its kind and could open up a whole new market in collecting data and communications," Darryl Davis, president of Boeing Phantom Works, said today at the unveiling ceremony in St. Louis. "It is a perfect example of turning an idea into a reality. It defines our rapid prototyping efforts and will demonstrate the art-of-the-possible when it comes to persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The capabilities inherent in Phantom Eye's design will offer game-changing opportunities for our military, civil and commercial customers."

DTN News: U.S. Navy Awards $59 Million to Raytheon for Aegis Advanced Procurement....NSI News Source Info # 749

(NSI News Source Info) TEWKSBURY, Mass., - July 13, 2010: The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) $59.2 million for advanced procurement of critical components of the Aegis weapons system for the next two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, DDG 114 and DDG 115.
The contract represents the latest chapter of the Navy and Raytheon's 30-year partnership on the Aegis program.Under the contract, the Navy will receive advanced procurement materials and associated services for the AN/SPY-1D(V) transmitter group and MK99 Mod 8 Fire Control System. Raytheon's radar and fire control system equipment is key to the Aegis weapon system's ability to track and defend against multiple threats, including planes and missiles.
"For three decades, Raytheon has provided highly capable naval radar components and world-class support for Aegis-equipped ships worldwide," said Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' (IDS) John Kelly, director of Sensor Systems. "This contract validates the quality and effectiveness of our systems and provides an opportunity for us to continue our long history of reliable performance."

DTN News: Boeing Completes Initial Tests for Army Brigade Combat Team Modernization Increment 1....NSI News Source Info # 748

(NSI News Source Info) ST. LOUIS, - July 13, 2010: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced July 12, that Increment 1 of the Brigade Combat Team Modernization (BCTM) program has completed its Technical Tests, the first key milestone in the 2010 testing cycle."While this is just the first step in the 2010 test and evaluation process, we are encouraged by the performance of the Increment 1 capabilities," said Derek McLuckey, BCTM Increment 1 program manager for Boeing. "As we enter the next phase of testing, we will continue to show increased system reliability and performance for all Increment 1 capabilities."
The tests evaluated aspects of Increment 1's capabilities and performance. Data and soldier feedback from these tests will lead to additional improvements in Increment 1 capabilities as the program prepares for the Force Development Test and Evaluation and the Limited User Test in September.

DTN News: Twin Bomb Blasts In Uganda Kill 64.....NSI News Source Info # 747

(NSI News Source Info) KAMPALA, Uganda - July 12, 2010: Twin bombs tore into crowds watching the World Cup final in the Uganda capital, killing 64 including an American and wounding scores in one of the deadliest attacks to hit the city, officials said Monday.
The country's police chief said the blasts at an Ethiopian-owned restaurant and a rugby club in Kampala late Sunday were a terrorist attack that may be linked to threats from Al Qaeda-inspired Islamist Shebab rebels in Somalia.
Security officers deployed to the scene blocked roads and cordoned off the damaged buildings, keeping journalists out as the injured were ferried to hospitals."We have 64 dead and 65 injured. The nationalities of all the fatalities will be released later," national police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba said.Earlier police said at least 23 people had been killed.

DTN News: Twin Bomb Blasts In Uganda Kill 64 (# 2)....NSI News Source Info # 746

(NSI News Source Info) KAMPALA, Uganda - July 12, 2010: Twin bombs tore into crowds watching the World Cup final in the Uganda capital, killing 64 including an American and wounding scores in one of the deadliest attacks to hit the city, officials said Monday.
The country's police chief said the blasts at an Ethiopian-owned restaurant and a rugby club in Kampala late Sunday were a terrorist attack that may be linked to threats from Al Qaeda-inspired Islamist Shebab rebels in Somalia.
Security officers deployed to the scene blocked roads and cordoned off the damaged buildings, keeping journalists out as the injured were ferried to hospitals."We have 64 dead and 65 injured. The nationalities of all the fatalities will be released later," national police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba said.Earlier police said at least 23 people had been killed.

DTN News: France To Delay Air Programs - Due To "Zero Value" Increase In Defense Budget....NSI News Source Info # 745

(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - July 12, 2010: A sketchy outline of affected programs emerged during a July 7 hearing in which Defense Minister Hervé Morin appeared before the parliamentary defense committee. Morin said the government plans to postpone orders for a new fleet of multirole tanker and transport (MRTT) aircraft to replace the C-135 fleet and the 700 million euro ($888 million) upgrade of Mirage 2000D aircraft, according to Jean-Claude Viollet, a member of Parliament who attended the hearing.
Other programs to be pushed back include an upgrade to level four of the SCCOA national air command-and-control system, worth some 500 million euros to Thales in new radars, and elements of the Scorpion land systems modernization program, Viollet said.

DTN News: India-US Begin Price Negotiations On Boeing C-17 Airlifter For Indian Air Force (IAF)....NSI News Source Info # 744

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - July 12, 2010: India and the United States have begun talks here on the price and onboard equipment for the 10 Boeing C- 17 military transport aircraft that the Indian Air Force (IAF) wants.

DTN News: India's First Advanced, Full-Fidelity Helicopter Simulator Certified To Level D By DGCA And EASA....NSI News Source Info # 743

(NSI News Source Info) BANGALORE, India, - July 11, 2010: The Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF) -- a joint venture owned equally by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and CAE -- announced that its Bell 412 full-mission simulator has been certified to Level D, the highest qualification for flight simulators, by India's Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

DTN News: Israel Warning As Libya Aid Boat Eyes Gaza Landing....NSI News Source Info # 742

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 11, 2010: Israel on Sunday vowed to prevent a Libyan aid ship from running the Gaza blockade after it appeared to be heading for the besieged enclave despite a flurry of diplomatic efforts to divert it to Egypt.
"Israel will not let the boat reach Gaza," minister without portfolio Yossi Peled told Israel's public radio a day after the 92-metre (302-foot) freighter set sail from the Greek port of Lavrio, south of Athens.

DTN News: Comac - China's Challenge To Airbus And Boeing....NSI News Source Info # 741

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 11, 2010: China is fast learning the ABCs of aircraft manufacturing: A as in Airbus (EAD:FP), B as in Boeing (BA), and C as in the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China, or Comac. Approved in February 2007 by the State Council China's cabinet—Comac's mission is to produce homegrown jumbo jets and by 2020 to become the third major player in the worldwide commercial aircraft industry.
If all goes according to plan, Comac's first product, the C919 (a single-aisle plane with over 150 seats) could start competing with the A320 and B737 by the second half of the current decade. These types of planes constitute the single largest-selling category of commercial aircraft. Over the next 20 years, China is expected to buy about 100 such planes every year. Not coincidentally, Comac has indicated that after the initial ramp-up period, it expects to produce about 100 C919s annually and help China end its reliance on imported airplanes.