Saturday, April 28, 2012

DTN News - TAIWAN DEFENSE NEWS: US Raises Hope Of Sale Of New F-16 Fighter Jets To Taiwan

DTN News - TAIWAN DEFENSE NEWS: US Raises Hope Of Sale Of New F-16 Fighter Jets To Taiwan

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 28, 2012: The Obama administration will give “serious consideration” to selling Taiwan new Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) (LMT) F-16 fighter jets, a White House official said, creating a potential new flashpoint with China ahead of next week’s high- level meetings between U.S. and Chinese officials.

A jet sale “warrants serious consideration given the growing military threat to Taiwan,” Robert Nabors, the White House’s director of legislative affairs, said in a letter yesterday to Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican.

The comments risk spawning a political clash with China as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner prepare to meet their Chinese counterparts in Beijing next week for annual talks. China, which insists that Taiwan be reunited with the mainland by force if necessary, has cut military contacts with the U.S. in the past over American arms sales to the island.

“This is going to cause huge problems for the Chinese,” Bonnie Glaser, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said in an interview. The tension may be compounded if a human-rights group’s speculation bears out that an activist who escaped house arrest in eastern China this week is holed up at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, she said.

New F-16 C/D fighters would replace aging F-5 jets and supplement a refurbishment program for Taiwan’s F-16 A/Bs that President Barack Obama’s administration announced in September.

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Russia-China Joint Naval Exercise Held From April 22 To 27 At Naval Base In Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, China

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Russia-China Joint Naval Exercise Held From April 22 To 27 At Naval Base In Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, China

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 28, 2012: In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a Chinese military band performs as they see off the leaving Russian Navy's missile cruiser Varyag in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Friday, April 27, 2012. 

The Chinese and Russian navies announced on Friday the conclusion of their six-day joint naval exercise, Xinhua said.   (Photo - AP)

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Russia-China Joint Naval Exercise Held From April 22 To 27 At Naval Base In Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, China

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Russia-China Joint Naval Exercise Held From April 22 To 27 At Naval Base In Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, China

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 28, 2012: In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a Chinese military band performs as they see off the leaving Russian Navy's missile cruiser Varyag in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Friday, April 27, 2012. 

The Chinese and Russian navies announced on Friday the conclusion of their six-day joint naval exercise, Xinhua said.   (Photo - AP)

DTN News - AFRICA DEFENSE NEWS: Burkina Faso Colonel-Major Barro Gnibanga Appointed Commander Of The ECOWAS Force In Guinea-Bissau

DTN News - AFRICA DEFENSE NEWS: Burkina Faso Colonel-Major Barro Gnibanga Appointed Commander Of The ECOWAS Force In Guinea-Bissau

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 28, 2012: Burkina Faso Colonel-Major Barro Gnibanga, appointed commander of the ECOWAS force in Guinea-Bissau, poses for a photograph at the end of an emergency ECOWAS summit held to discuss violence and unrest in Mali and Guinea Bissau, on April 26, 2012, in Abidjan. 

The ECOWAS leaders announced that a regional military force would be sent to northern Mali and between 500 and 600 troops to Guinea-Bissau to help 'secure' the transition after the outbreak of political and military crises in the two countries. (Photo - Getty)

DTN News -SRI LANKA DEFENSE NEWS: Sri Lanka's Former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka Incarcerated On Political Aspect

DTN News -SRI LANKA DEFENSE NEWS: Sri Lanka's Former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka Incarcerated On Political Aspect

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 28, 2012:Sri Lanka's former army chief Sarath Fonseka (C) is escorted from jail to a Colombo hospital by security officers on April 27, 2012. Fonseka was taken to a private hospital following complaints of respiratory problems. 

He is serving two separate jail terms having been convicted by a military and a civil court for corruption related charges.   (Photo - Getty)

*Presented & compiled by DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News

DTN News - US-PH Balikatan Exercises: Philippine And US Marines Aboard Rubber Speed Boat In Palawan island During Joint Military Exercise Ended April 27 2011

DTN News -  US-PH Balikatan Exercises: Philippine And US Marines Aboard Rubber Speed Boat In Palawan island During Joint Military Exercise Ended April 27 2011

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 28, 2012: Philippine and US marines aboard a rubber boat speed towards the beach of Tagcauayan, in Puerto Princesa, Palawan island, south of Manila on April 23, 2012, during a beach raid simulation as part of their jount military exercise. 

The Philippines said war games with the US that ended April 27, had showcased its resolve to fend off external aggressors, amid an escalating territorial dispute with China. (Photo - Getty)

Friday, April 27, 2012

DTN News - Rare Photo: Nargis, Mother of Actor Sanjay Dutt

DTN News - Rare Photo: Nargis, Mother of Actor Sanjay Dutt

Sanjay Dutt and Nargis

Presented & compiled Rare Photo for DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S., Japan Agree On Okinawa Troop Relocation

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S., Japan Agree On Okinawa Troop Relocation

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 27, 2012: U.S. and Japanese officials announced yesterday the two nations have agreed on a plan to relocate U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam.

The joint statement of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee spells out unit moves, land and facilities on Okinawa the United States will return to the Japanese government, and the costs each government will pay for the relocation.

The joint statement is the latest result of negotiations between the two countries dating to the 2006 Realignment Roadmap and the 2009 Guam International Agreement.
 
The two nations issued a joint defense posture statement in February that “delinked” the two agreements so parts of the relocation plan could move forward more quickly.

“I am very pleased that, after many years, we have reached this important agreement and plan of action,” Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said in a statement yesterday. He praised Japanese Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka for “spearheading discussions” leading to the joint statement.

“We will work closely with our partners in the Japanese Self Defense Force to implement these decisions and to further improve this vital alliance of ours,” the secretary added.
Panetta said he looks forward to strengthening the two nations’ partnership “as, together, we address security challenges in the region.”

During a Pentagon background briefing to reporters yesterday, senior State and Defense Department officials outlined the agreement.

About 9,000 Marines will relocate from Okinawa, with about 5,000 moving to Guam and the rest transferring to other locations in the Pacific such as Hawaii and Australia, the defense official said.

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S., Japan Unveil Revised Plan For Okinawa

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S., Japan Unveil Revised Plan For Okinawa

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 27, 2012: The United States and Japan announced on Thursday a revised agreement on streamlining the U.S. military presence on Okinawa that will shift 9,000 Marines from the southern Japanese island to Guam and other Asia-Pacific sites.

The new plan, unveiled days before Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda meets President Barack Obama in Washington, helps the allies work around the central but still-unresolved dispute over moving the Futenma air base from a crowded part of Okinawa to a new site that has vexed relations for years.

"I am very pleased that, after many years, we have reached this important agreement and plan of action. I applaud the hard work and effort that went into crafting it," U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said in a statement.

"Japan is not just a close ally, but also a close friend."

Under the agreement, 9,000 U.S. Marines will be relocated. Five thousand will go to Guam and the rest to other sites such as Hawaii and Australia, a joint U.S.-Japanese statement said.

The updated version of a long-delayed 2006 plan was needed to achieve "a U.S. force posture in the Asia-Pacific region that is more geographically distributed, operationally resilient and politically sustainable," the statement said.

Snags over Okinawa had raised questions about the viability of the Obama administration's strategy of shifting U.S. forces from other regions to the Asia-Pacific to deal with nuclear saber-rattling by North Korea, the rapid military buildup of China and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Friction over U.S. bases intensified after the 1995 gang rape of a Japanese schoolgirl by U.S. servicemen. The case sparked widespread protests by Okinawans, who had long resented the American presence due to crime, noise and deadly accidents.

There are about 47,000 U.S. troops in Japan under a 1960 bilateral security treaty.

Okinawa, occupied by the United States from 1945-72, accounts for less than 1 percent of Japan's total land but hosts three-quarters of the U.S. military facilities in the country in terms of land area.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

DTN News - ISRAEL CELEBRATES 64TH INDEPENDENCE DAY: Military Weapon Display To Mark 64th Anniversary Of Israel's Independence At West Bank Settlement Of Efrat Near Bethlehem

DTN News - ISRAEL CELEBRATES 64TH INDEPENDENCE DAY: Military Weapon Display To Mark  64th Anniversary Of Israel's Independence At West Bank Settlement Of Efrat Near Bethlehem 

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012: An Israeli boy plays with a rifle during a traditional military weapon display to mark the 64th anniversary of Israel's Independence at the West Bank settlement of Efrat on April 26, 2012 near the biblical city of Bethlehem. 

Israelis are marking Independence Day, celebrating the 64th year since the founding of the Jewish State in 1948 according to the Jewish calendar.  (Photo - Getty)

DTN News - ISRAEL CELEBRATES 64TH INDEPENDENCE DAY: Hercules C-130 Israeli Planes Flies Over Haifa During Military Weapon Display To Mark 64th Anniversary Of Israel's Independence

DTN News - ISRAEL CELEBRATES 64TH INDEPENDENCE DAY: Hercules C-130 Israeli Planes Flies Over Haifa During Military Weapon Display To Mark  64th Anniversary Of Israel's Independence

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012:  A Hercules C-130 Israeli military transport planes flies over Haifa, on Israel's north coast, during a military display to mark the 64th anniversary of Israel's Independence on April 26, 2012. 

Israelis are marking Independence Day, celebrating the 64th year since the founding of the Jewish State in 1948 according to the Jewish calendar.   (Photo - Getty)

DTN News - RUSSIA VICTORY DAY: Russian Military Vehicles During Rehearsal For Victory Day Military Parade At Moscow's Red Square

DTN News - RUSSIA VICTORY DAY: Russian Military Vehicles During Rehearsal For Victory Day Military Parade At Moscow's Red Square 

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012: Russian military vehicles make their way down a road during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade which will take place at Moscow's Red Square on May 9 to celebrate 67 years since victory in WWII, in central Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 26, 2012. (Photo - AP)

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated April 26, 2012


DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated April 26, 2012
  
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued  April 26, 2012   are undermentioned; 
                                                                                                            CONTRACTS


                                                                                                                  NAVY


            Systems Engineering Associates Corp., Middletown, R.I., is being awarded an $11,178,285 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide engineering, technical, and logistic support services in support of submarine imaging, electronic warfare, communication, antenna, and special project programs.  This contract will provide a bridge to allow for continuation of support to the Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Department until the follow-on Seaport-e task order is awarded.  Work will be performed in Middletown R.I. (60 percent), and Newport, R.I. (40 percent), and is expected to be completed by July 2012.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured.  The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity (N66604-12-C-0865).


            ERAPSCO, Inc., Columbia City, Ind., is being awarded a $10,538,501 firm-fixed-price contract for 2,006 AN/SSQ-101A sonobuoys in support of Navy antisubmarine forces for the mission of detection, classification, and localization of adversary submarines during peacetime and combat operations.  Work will be performed in DeLeon Springs, Fla. (53 percent), and Columbia City, Ind. (47 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2014.  Contract funds in the amount of $257,421 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1.  The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-12-C-0047).


            P&S Construction, Inc.*, North Chelmsford, Mass., is being awarded $9,527,000 for firm-fixed-price task order 0009 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N40192-10-D-2804) for design and construction of the Conventional Munitions Maintenance Facility at Andersen Air Force Base.  The facility will consist of drive-through work bays, office space, bench stock/tool room, a break/training/ready room, administrative space, and supporting functions to include electrical, communications, mechanical, compressor room, and a janitor’s closet.  The project also includes site infrastructure improvements and utilities necessary to support the facility.  Work will be performed in Yigo, Guam, and is expected to be completed by July 2014.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Six proposals were received for this task order.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity.


*Small business


http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/04/dtn-news-us-department-of-defense_26.html

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Ukraine On Brink Of Missile Deal With India Reports Media

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Ukraine On Brink Of Missile Deal With India Reports Media

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012: Ukraine is close to signing one of its biggest ever defense deals for air-to-air missiles with India, according to Russian media reports.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta says the deal for R-27 missiles, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, is in the final stages and is waiting for approval from the Ukrainian leadership.

The Vympel R-27 (AA-10 Alamo) missile is a medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It is similar to U.S. AIM-7 Sparrow.

The missile comes in infrared-homing (R-27T), semi-active-radar-homing (R-27R), and active-radar-homing (R-27AE) versions. It would be fitted to India’s MiG-29 and Su-30 fighter jets.

While the deal has not been confirmed officially, the paper quotes a source close to Ukraine’s national security and defense council, saying both nations are sensitive to Russian concerns over the deal and want to make sure that it would not irritate Moscow.

Tensions between Kiev and Moscow could arise later because if the deal is successful, India may want to buy other weaponry from Ukraine, entering a market dominated by Russia, defense analysts quoted by the paper said.

Some industry experts believe Moscow would not oppose the deal as the Ukrainian company is the only manufacturer of these missiles, although Russian firms supply some components for R-27.

The R-27 was originally designed by Vympel, a Russian missile design bureau, in the 1980s. Vympel is now part of Russia's Tactical Missiles Corporation, which now produces successor weapons to R-27.

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract $31,073,677 To General Dynamics Land Systems Related To U.S. Army For The Procurement Of 46 Abrams M1A2 System Enhancement Package V2 Vehicles

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS:  U.S. DoD Awarded Contract $31,073,677 To General Dynamics Land Systems Related To U.S. Army For The Procurement Of 46 Abrams M1A2 System Enhancement Package V2 Vehicles

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012: General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded a $31,073,677 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the procurement of 46 Abrams M1A2 system enhancement package V2 vehicles. 

Work will be performed in Lima, Ohio, Scranton, Pa., Anniston, Ala., and Tallahassee, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2014. 

One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-12-C-0198).

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Oshkosh Corp Amounting $16,090,170 To Provide Services In Support Of M-ATV

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS:  U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Oshkosh Corp Amounting $16,090,170 To Provide Services In Support Of M-ATV 

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012: Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded a $16,090,170 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the services in support of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle.  

Work will be performed in Afghanistan, Japan, Germany, and Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2012.  Five bids were solicited, with five bids received. 

 The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0111).

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To ITT Corp For The Procurement Of 15 AN/ALQ-211(V) Related To Royal Air Force Oman F-16 C/D Model Production Aircraft

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS:  U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To ITT Corp For The Procurement Of 15 AN/ALQ-211(V) Related To Royal Air Force Oman F-16 C/D Model Production Aircraft

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012:  ITT Corp., Clifton, N.J., is being awarded a $47,530,000 firm-fixed-price contract to procure 15 AN/ALQ-211(V); four airborne integrated defensive electronic warfare suites; and two sets of antenna couplers for support production.  

The effort is in support of the Royal Air Force Oman F-16 C/D model production aircraft.  The location of the performance is Clifton, N.J.  

Work is to be completed by Dec. 31, 2014.  WR-ALC/GRWKB, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8540-12-C-0014).     

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Boeing For Rotor Brake System On Australian Defense Force CH-47 Aircraft

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Boeing For Rotor Brake System On Australian Defense Force CH-47 Aircraft

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012: The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., was awarded a $9,611,350 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract.  The award will provide for the addition of a rotor brake system on the Australian Defense Force CH-47 aircraft.  

Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2015.  One bid was solicited, with one bid received.  

The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-04-G-0023).

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated April 25, 2012

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated April 25, 2012
 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 25, 2012: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued  April 25, 2012   are undermentioned;

                                      CONTRACTS
                          DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
            American Medical Depot*, Opa-Locka, Fla., was awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum $400,000,000 for integrated operating room, components, system options and accessories, upgrades, training, maintenance services, and turnkey installation.  There are no other locations of performance.  Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies.  There were four responses to the Web proposal.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012 Defense Working Capital Funds.  The date of performance completion is April 24, 2017.  The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM2D1-12-D-8211).

            Steris Corp., Mentor, Ohio, was awarded a fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum $400,000,000 for integrated operating room, components, system options and accessories, upgrades, training, maintenance services, and turnkey installation.  There are no other locations of performance.  Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies.  There were four responses to the Web proposal.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012 Defense Working Capital Funds.  The date of performance completion is April 24, 2017.  The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM2D1-12-D-8212).  

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman Upgrade Fire Scout Unmanned Helicopter For U.S. Navy

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman Upgrade Fire Scout Unmanned Helicopter For U.S. Navy

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 25, 2012: The U.S. Navy has selected Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) to produce the next-generation Fire Scout unmanned helicopter using the Bell 407 airframe. The new variant provides greater range, endurance and payload capacity to ship commander's intelligence-gathering efforts.

According to a U.S. Department of Defense news release on contract awards released April 23, the company will produce a total of eight Fire Scouts within an amount not to exceed $262 million. The Navy plans to purchase a total of 28 aircraft under a rapid development effort.

The Fire Scout endurance upgrade has been designated as the MQ-8C.

"Through our company-funded Fire-X demonstration effort we proved that using the mature unmanned systems architecture developed for the MQ-8B Fire Scout paired with the Bell 407 helicopter would provide greater capability efficiently and affordably," said Duke Dufresne, vice president and general manager for unmanned systems. "By using systems that have many years of development already invested in them we can meet the Navy's needs quickly."

Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the MQ-8C program. Major suppliers for new variant include Bell Helicopter and Rolls Royce.

Final assembly of the new Fire Scout variant will be completed at Northrop Grumman's Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

DTN News - TURKISH DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing Begins Maintenance Training For Turkey's Peace Eagle AEW&C Aircraft

DTN News - TURKISH DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing Begins Maintenance Training For Turkey's Peace Eagle AEW&C Aircraft

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 24, 2012: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has begun an extensive maintenance training program for Turkey's Peace Eagle Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) program at a Boeing facility near Seattle.

Classroom training for 10 Turkish Air Force personnel and two Turkish Airlines employees is being conducted by instructors from Boeing Defence Australia and Boeing Training and Flight Services. Turkey's Peace Eagle Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C)

The students will have access to computer-based training, simulators, training devices, and hands-on experience aboard the first Peace Eagle aircraft.

"Training is a critical part of the full capability Boeing is providing in the Peace Eagle program," said Mark Ellis, Peace Eagle program manager for Boeing. "Boeing is working closely with the Turkish Air Force and Turkish industry to ensure that they can effectively use and maintain this powerful airborne surveillance, communications and battle-management system."

81 students are scheduled to take the system maintenance courses at the Boeing facility over the next 10 months. Another 85 will train at the Peace Eagle main operating base in Konya, Turkey. Additionally, mission crew training is under way for 20 Turkish Air Force personnel at a Seattle-area facility.

The Peace Eagle program includes four 737 AEW&C aircraft plus ground support segments for mission crew training, mission support and system maintenance. System requirements verification testing is ongoing at Boeing facilities in Seattle and in Turkey. Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara, Turkey, is modifying three aircraft and providing flight operations. HAVELSAN in Ankara is providing system software and the Ground Support Center. Boeing is on plan to deliver the first aircraft by the end of 2012.

The 737-700 commercial airplane on which the AEW&C aircraft is based features 21st century avionics, navigation equipment and flight deck. Because of its advanced technology and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment, the aircraft requires minimal downtime for maintenance.

The Peace Eagle AEW&C aircraft is equipped with Northrop Grumman's Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array antenna with integrated Identification Friend-or-Foe capabilities. The system also includes a flexible, open architecture for cost-effective future upgrades, an extensive communications suite and aerial refueling capability.

DTN News - INDONESIA DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman To Collaborate With Indonesian Partner Companies To Produce Ground-Based Radar Systems

DTN News - INDONESIA DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman To Collaborate With Indonesian Partner Companies To Produce Ground-Based Radar Systems

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 24, 2012: Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) executed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Sixth National Radar Seminar in Bali, Indonesia with PT Industri Telekomunikasi Indonesia and the Research Centre For Electronics And Telecommunications of The Indonesian Institute Of Sciences to facilitate collaboration on pending ground-based radar opportunities in Indonesia.

The Northrop Grumman AN/TPS-78 is the latest generation of state-of-the-art radars made possible by advances in high power transistor technology and designed to operate in some of the harshest, most unforgiving environments. Proven in the field, the S-Band long-range AN/TPS-78 is the choice of the U.S. Air Force and customers worldwide.

"With this agreement, Northrop Grumman will bring its recognized leadership in ground radars together with our Indonesian business partners' combined expertise in electronics research and manufacturing and knowledge of the unique needs of the Indonesian government," said Robert Royer, vice president of international systems at Northrop Grumman's Land and Self Protection Systems Division. "Our team looks forward to participating in the upcoming Indonesian ground-based radar competition designed to help Indonesia increase air surveillance control and secure its border."

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

Monday, April 23, 2012

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Chinese Firm Suspected In Missile-Linked Sale To North Korea According To U.S. official

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Chinese Firm Suspected In Missile-Linked Sale To North Korea According To U.S. official

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 23, 2012: The United States believes a Chinese firm sold North Korea components for a missile transporter showcased in a recent military parade and will press Beijing to tighten enforcement of a U.N. ban on such military sales, a U.S. official said on Saturday.

The Obama administration suspects the Chinese manufacturer sold the chassis - not the entire vehicle - and may have believed it was for civilian purposes, which means it would not be an intentional violation of U.N. sanctions, the senior official said.

But such a sale - coming to light amid tensions over a failed North Korean rocket launch earlier this month - raises concerns in Washington on whether China is making enough of an effort to abide by the prohibition on weapons sales to Pyongyang.

The New York Times first reported on U.S. findings about the origin of parts of the transporter launcher system - essentially a large truck on top of which a missile is mounted - displayed in a parade in Pyongyang on Sunday.

The newspaper said the administration suspected the Chinese manufacturer involved in the transaction was Hubei Sanjiang. The official, who confirmed details of the administration's thinking on the matter, said the firm likely sold the part to a front company that was used to mask the buyer's true identity.

Beijing, reclusive North Korea's only major ally, has denied it has broken any rules, although a modern, eight-axle missile transporter spotted in the military parade to celebrate the founder of North Korea was said by some western military experts to be of Chinese design and possibly origin.

DTN News - IRAN DEFENSE NEWS: Iran Military Says Copying U.S. Drone

DTN News - IRAN DEFENSE NEWS: Iran Military Says Copying U.S. Drone

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 23, 2012: Iran's military has started to build a copy of a U.S. surveillance drone captured last year after breaking the software encryption, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace division, said engineers were in the final stages of decoding data from the Sentinel aircraft, which came down in December near the Afghan border, Mehr news agency reported.

Iran said the unmanned aircraft was shot down, but Washington disputes that and says the security systems mean Iran is unlikely to get valuable information from the Lockheed Martin Corp drone.

"The Americans should be aware to what extent we have infiltrated the plane," Fars news agency quoted Hajizadeh as saying. "Our experts have full understanding of its components and program."

Iran's military regular announces defense and engineering developments, but some analysts are skeptical as to how reliable those reports are.

U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, a member of the Armed Services Committee, voiced his own doubts.

"There's a history here of Iranian bluster, particularly now when they're on the defensive because of our economic sanctions against them," Lieberman said in a television interview.

The RQ-170 Sentinel has been widely used since 2010 in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It played a role in the raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed last year, analysts say.

An Iranian defense official said recently that Tehran has received numerous requests for information on the craft and that China and Russia have shown most interest.

The loss of the plane sparked some concerns that sophisticated technology could fall into the hands of countries developing their own unmanned planes. The main worry centers on the special coatings on the craft's surface.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Fighter Jet’s Skyrocketing Costs Are On Congress’ Radar

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Fighter Jet’s Skyrocketing Costs Are On Congress’ Radar

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 22, 2012: The radar-evading F-35 fighter jet, a nearly $400-billion weapons program under development for more than a decade, is facing its worst turbulence since Washington decided to buy it in 2001 — when it was billed as the most affordable, lethal and survivable military aircraft ever built for the U.S. and its allies.

A two-star general serving as the military's project manager was fired over the program's never-ending problems. The Pentagon has delayed orders of the aircraft, and the fighter jet is caught in the middle of a major spending fight in Congress. What's more, the plane has roiled political debate in Canada, the Netherlands and other allies that are picking up 10% of the development costs.

GRAPHIC: F-35 joint strike fighter

The Obama administration wants to delay the purchase of 179 jets to save $15 billion. But there is pressure to cut more. Next week, the Pentagon's F-35 program manager is set to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Although much of the debate is taking place in Washington, the melodrama is being closely watched in Southern California, where much is at stake. Only last week, executives of F-35 maker Lockheed Martin Corp. made an appearance in El Segundo to remind local businesses and aerospace workers that the F-35 will have a huge financial effect in the years to come — pumping an estimated $6 billion into the state's economy and creating 27,000 jobs.

DTN News - PAKISTAN DEFENSE NEWS: Nato Aircraft Making Pakistani Airspace unsafe

DTN News - PAKISTAN DEFENSE NEWS: Nato Aircraft Making Pakistani Airspace unsafe

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 22, 2012: The Nato aircraft changing their flying levels without taking orders from the traffic control department during the monsoon season, is creating issues for the other traffic flying on different levels and thus making the airspace near Afghan border area more vulnerable to any collision.

The Green 325 area in Balochistan has no radar coverage for 100 miles despite high air traffic frequency, while no data is available of flights taking off from Afghanistan due to telex problems between the aviation authorities of both the countries, sources said.

“Changing the flying levels by the Nato planes on their own in the monsoon season is the biggest issue CAA is facing currently, because this makes the country’s airspace vulnerable to any disaster in this highly sensitive zone of Pak-Afghan border areas,” sources said.

Sources in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) informed that currently they were facing serious issues in Balochistan and near Afghanistan border areas where the frequency of air traffic was quite high.

“Due to the absence of radar coverage, we are not in a position to monitor the flying activities there and this is a very big security lapse,” sources said, adding that flights taking off from Afghanistan contacted the traffic control system of Pakistan CAA at the eleventh hour, which created complexities of routing the whole traffic and this could result in any untoward situation.

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: US Worried As China And Russia Prepare To Hold Historic Joint Naval Exercises

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: US Worried As China And Russia Prepare To Hold Historic Joint Naval Exercises

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 22, 2012: China and Russia are making military history this weekend with the first bilateral naval exercises the two governments have ever conducted together.

China is sending a group of 16 ships, including destroyers, frigates, and a hospital ship. Russia is sending 4 ships, including the cruiser Varyag and three air defense destroyers now moving south from Vladivostok to join the Chinese after navigating through the Sea of Japan.

Another Varyag, though, might steal the spotlight from the assembled fleet. It is the Chinese aircraft carrier of the same name, the first carrier in the People's Liberation Army Navy. Even though China has not said whether it will be participating in the joint exercises, it might.

The state-owned China News Service reported Friday that carrier trials may take place April 20-29 -- an interesting overlap with the China-Russia joint exercises April 22-27.