DTN News: Putin Rides Harley Davidson "Tricked Out" Trike At Ukrainian Bike Show....NSI News Source Info # 825

(NSI News Source Info) SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine- July 25, 2010: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived to the bike show in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol, riding three-wheeled Harley Davidson "tricked out piece of iron".
The bikers, gathered at the 14th International annual bike show, welcomed premier who headed the line of bikers. He was riding posh Harley Davidson trike decorated with Russian and Ukrainian flags.
"Bike is the most democratic transport vehicle. Bike is the most daring, challenging as it gives its owner the tempting feeling of freedom, that is why one can say without any exaggeration, bike is a symbol of freedom," Putin said.
The image of the premier was totally matching the biker's one. He was wearing black jeans, black shirt, sunglasses and biker gloves.
"There are such tricked out vehicles, such tricked out pieces of iron, like the one that I ride today," Putin said.
The premier talked to bikers and put his autographs on several bikes.
"You came here, because you are free people, and you can go wherever you want," Putin said, adding it was deeply symbolic that people from all over the Europe gathered at the bike show.
Finally, before leaving the show Putin urged the bikers not to chase the wind.
"Say no to the mad ride," he said.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-putin-rides-harley-davidson.html

DTN News: Russia Plans To Upgrade 3 Nuclear-Powered Cruisers By 2020....NSI News Source Info # 824

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 25, 2010: Russia will upgrade and put on active duty three mothballed Soviet-era nuclear-powered missile cruisers by 2020, a high-ranking Navy official told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
Russia built four Kirov class nuclear-powered cruisers in 1974-1998. One of them, the Pyotr Veliky, is in active service as the flagship of the Northern Fleet.
"Cruisers Admiral Nakhimov, Admiral Lazarev and Admiral Ushakov will be modernized and returned to the Russian Navy's combat force in 10 years," the official said, adding that their equipment and weapons will be fully modernized.
The Kirov class heavy cruisers are second in size only to aircraft carriers, and are similar in size to a World War I battleship.The Admiral Ushakov (former Kirov) was commissioned in 1980 and suffered a reactor accident in 1990 while serving in the Mediterranean Sea. Repairs reportedly have never been carried out, due to lack of funds and the ensuing collapse the Soviet Union.
The Admiral Lazarev (former Frunze) was commissioned in 1984 and mothballed in 1998.
The Admiral Nakhimov (former Kalinin) was commissioned in 1988 and mothballed in 1999. The ship has been reportedly undergoing a major overhaul at the Severodvinsk Shipyard since 2005. The Kirov class main weapons include 20 SS-N-19 Shipwreck missiles, designed to engage large surface targets, and air defense is provided by 12 SA-N-6 Grumble launchers with 96 missiles and 2 SA-N-4 Gecko with 40 missiles.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-russia-plans-to-upgrade-3.html

DTN News: Tiger Attack Helicopter Gunship Debuts With French Forces In Afghanistan....NSI News Source Info # 823

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England- July 24, 2010: Thales has announced that together with the Tiger helicopter gunship, its TopOwl helmet-mounted sight and display system (HMSD) has been deployed with the French forces in Afghanistan to provide high levels of night vision performance and targeting capabilities for pilots.
“The combat-proven Thales TopOwl HMSD has been involved in bringing major operational benefits to helicopter crews,” a Thales statement issued during the ongoing Farnborough Air Show said.
“TopOwl is the only helmet-mounted sight and display system offering both conformal piloting symbology, dark night vision performance and accurate targeting together with an unmatched level of comfort and fatigue reduction - key for war missions and the high levels of stress involved,” the statement added.
TopOwl night vision performance has recently been upgraded to reach “level 5”, which corresponds to levels of visibility equivalent to a cloudy night with no moon, no peripheral light source and no starlight.
“With its exclusive architecture featuring the projection of intensified images directly onto the helmet visor, TopOwl offers a seamless transition between head-up piloting and head-down instrument monitoring, together with a well-balanced centre of gravity, eliminating the pilot fatigue generated by standard night vision goggles,” the statement said.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-tiger-attack-helicopter.html

DTN News: US Resumes Ties With Indonesian Special Forces....NSI News Source Info # 822

(NSI News Source Info) JAKARTA, Indonesia - July 24, 2010: The United States said Thursday it would resume ties with Indonesian special forces after a 12-year hiatus as part of efforts by Washington to reach out to the world's largest Muslim nation.

The announcement, made during a visit by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates to Indonesia, comes as Washington seeks to resume training for the Kopassus unit as part of growing military cooperation with Jakarta.

"The United States will begin a gradual, limited programme of security cooperation activities with the Indonesian Army Special Forces," Gates said referring to the Kopassus unit, with which Washington suspended ties in 1998.The decision came "as a result of Indonesian military reforms over the past decade... and recent actions taken by the Ministry of Defence to address human rights issues," he said after talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono."Our ability to expand upon these initial steps will depend upon continued implementation of reforms within Kopassus and TNI (the Indonesian armed forces) as a whole," he said, describing the move as "a very significant development".

The announcement is controversial as Kopassus has been implicated in human rights abuses, including in East Timor, and some figures in the US Congress have opposed embracing the force before it accounted for its past.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-us-resumes-ties-with.html

DTN News: Raytheon And Elcome Marine Complete Phalanx Maintenance For Indian Navy....NSI News Source Info # 821

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 24, 2010: Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and Elcome Marine Services of Mumbai, India, completed inspection and maintenance on two Phalanx Close-in Weapon Systems for the Indian Navy.
"Raytheon and Elcome worked together to complete this project in just a few days," said Cynthia Davis, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president of International Business Development. "The Indian Navy now has two highly effective Phalanx systems to defend the INS Jalashwa and its sailors."In 2007, the U.S. government transferred the INS Jalashwa to India. The landing platform dock arrived in India with two Phalanx Block 1 systems on board.
Maintenance on the Phalanx systems included the replacement of circuit cards and other work.
The Phalanx Block 1 configuration features a proven 20 mm Gatling gun, which fires armor-piercing rounds at 3,000 or 4,500 shots per minute. Phalanx Block 1 also includes an advanced search and track Ku-band radar with closed-loop spotting technology to provide autonomous target detection and engagement. The system can interface with virtually any ship combat system and can provide target designation for other shipboard weapons.
"We are talking with the Indian Navy about upgrading its Block 1 systems and acquiring additional Phalanx systems, as well as other Raytheon products to defend India's fleet and sailors," Davis added.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-raytheon-and-elcome-marine.html

DTN News: Rolls-Royce Inks $1.7 Billion In Airshow Orders....NSI News Source Info # 820

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 24, 2010: British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR.L - News) said it secured $1.7 billion in orders at the Farnborough Airshow, including deals for its Trent 700 engine, the leading engine for the Airbus (Paris:EAD.PA - News) A330.
Rolls-Royce said on Friday it won orders totaling more than $1 billion for Trent 700s to power 17 Airbus A330s from Russia's Aeroflot and Garuda Indonesia Airlines.
Rolls-Royce also signed new service agreements with Sichuan Airlines, and extended service deals with Garuda and Air Transat at the show in south-east England.
International Aero Engines, in which Rolls-Royce is a partner, received orders for V2500 engines from Yemenia, China Southern and Vietnam Airlines, with a value to Rolls-Royce of about $470 million, and its defense business won a $70 million contract to support the Canadian Air Force CC-130J fleet.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-rolls-royce-inks-17-billion-in.html

DTN News: Raytheon Joint Standoff Weapon C-1 Completes Captive Flight Test Series....NSI News Source Info # 819

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 24, 2010: The U.S. Navy completed a series of three captive flight tests on Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) Joint Standoff Weapon C-1, putting the program closer to achieving initial operating capability in 2012.
JSOW is a family of low-cost, air-to-ground weapons that employs an integrated GPS- inertial navigation system and terminal imaging infrared seeker, guiding the weapon to the target. JSOW C-1 adds moving maritime target capability and the two-way Strike Common Weapon Datalink (SCWDL) to the combat-proven weapon.
"The Raytheon-U.S. Navy team completed a test series that showed JSOW C-1's seeker can detect moving maritime targets. The tests also demonstrated that JSOW C-1 can communicate via its two-way SCWDL," said Phyllis McEnroe, Raytheon's JSOW program director. "The JSOW platform is a 'truck' with many options that continues to evolve to meet emerging threats. Though not a program of record, we are working on a JSOW extended range variant with an objective range of up to 300 nautical miles (345 statute miles)."
JSOW ER completed its first demonstration flight in October 2009, flying more than 260 nautical miles.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-raytheon-joint-standoff-weapon.html

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated July 23, 2010....NSI News Source Info # 818

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - July 24, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued July 23, 2010 are undermentioned;
CONTRACTS
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Propper International, Inc., Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, is being awarded a maximum $78,800,418 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for coats and trousers. Other locations of performance are Mississippi, North Carolina and various locations throughout Puerto Rico. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is July 22, 2012. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM1C1-10-D-1073).
Graybar Electric, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a maximum $66,000,000 indefinite/delivery, indefinite/quantity contract for maintenance, repair and operations supplies. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was Web solicited with six responses. This contract is exercising the fifth option year period. The date of performance completion is July 28, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-04-D-BP11).
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-u.html

DTN News: AIRSHOW-US Continuing To Work With Saudis On Arms Deal....NSI News Source Info # 817

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 23, 2010: The United States is working closely with Saudi Arabia on a possible arms sale worth close to $30 billion that includes 84 Boeing Co (BA.N) F-15 fighter jets, U.S. government officials familiar with the plan said on Thursday.
The arms sale package, still subject to congressional approval, would include dozens of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters built by Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N), missile defense equipment and ships.
"Those are all work in progress," Navy Vice Admiral Jeffrey Wieringa, director of the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, told Reuters in an interview at the Farnborough Airshow. "We'll just continue to move forward."
Wieringa, who oversees foreign arms sales, said he could not give any timetable for completion of the deal, given recent appointments of new air force and navy chiefs in Saudi Arabia.
"They may have different defense visions and I need to be respectful of the new leaders," said Wieringa, who is due to retire at the end of the month. "It's important for us to work together."
Boeing declined comment. No comment was immediately available from United Technologies. The arms sale would also likely include new coastal warships.
The U.S. Navy is expected to pick the winning designs for the new warships in mid-August. Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and the U.S. unit of Australia's Austal (ASB.AX) are competing for the deal, valued at well over $5 billion.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-airshow-us-continuing-to-work.html

DTN News: AIRSHOW-Drones Set To Gain From Defense, Troop Cutbacks....NSI News Source Info # 816

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 23, 2010: Makers of unmanned military planes said cuts in defense spending and Western troop withdrawal from Afghanistan would not hit demand, and they stood to benefit from fewer boots being on the ground in the future.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or drones, are used extensively in Afghanistan. Some companies exhibiting their UAVs at the Farnborough Airshow this week said they are likely to benefit from a general drive to let robots do dangerous or boring work, taking soldiers out of harm's way.
"(Cuts) will always have an effect ... but intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tends to be the first thing deployed before a battle begins and the last thing before it ends," Ed Walby, Northrop Grumman's business development direct for the Global Hawk, told Reuters.
"In theory, something like a Global Hawk should do well in a budget tightening," he said on the sidelines of the airshow.
The Global Hawk has been used by the Pentagon in Afghanistan since 2001 when U.S. and Afghan forces ousted the Taliban in a military operation following the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
Unlike General Atomics' Predator, which is used extensively in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, the high-altitude Global Hawk is unarmed and is primarily used to collect satellite and infrared images of land.
The Global Hawk also costs significantly more than the Predator, with a price tag of at least $30 million, something which Walby defended on grounds that it lasts for many years, making it less disposable than a Predator.
Both Washington and London have said they want their troops out of Afghanistan within the next five years and U.S. President Barack Obama sees his troop withdrawal timetable starting as early as next year.
The scale-down by NATO's top two contributors in the conflict does not faze France's Thales (TCFP.PA) either, which is the only company making drones for Britain's Defence Ministry (MOD).
Thales has developed the Watchkeeper drone for the MOD and expects it to be used in Afghanistan from next year. At least six of its Hermes 450 UAVs are leased to the MOD in Afghanistan.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-airshow-drones-set-to-gain.html

DTN News: Eurofighter Typhoon Squares Up To F-35 Challenge....NSI News Source Info # 815

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 23, 2010: The Eurofighter Typhoon is unique in modern combat aircraft in that there are four separate assembly lines. Each partner company assembles its own national aircraft, but builds the same parts for all 683 aircraft (including exports). A fifth assembly line will be established for the final 48 Saudi aircraft.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine canard-delta wing multirole aircraft designed and built by a consortium of three companies: Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems, and EADS working through a holding company Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986. The project is managed by NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency) which acts as the prime customer.

The series production of the Eurofighter Typhoon is underway, and the aircraft is being procured under three separate contracts (named "tranches"), each for aircraft with generally improved capabilities.

The aircraft has entered service with the British Royal Air Force, the German Luftwaffe, the Italian Air Force, the Spanish Air Force and the Austrian Air Force. Saudi Arabia has signed a contract worth £4.43 billion (approx. €6.4 billion c. 2007, $9.5 billion) for 72 aircraft.
Typhoon fighter jet test pilot Craig Penrice no longer flies.Seven years ago he ejected from a jet with engine failure and ended up with a broken back and a new career.

These days Mr Penrice is a member of Eurofighter's business development team, pitching the Typhoon to air crews, air forces and defence ministries around the world.

"I want the boys who do the jobs I used to do to have the best equipment available," he says.

When the Typhoon was introduced in the mid 90s, Mr Penrice was the first Royal Air Force pilot to fly it.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-eurofighter-typhoon-squares-up.html

DTN News: Russian Air Force Will Receive New Su-35S Multi-Role Fighter In 2010....NSI News Source Info # 814

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 23, 2010: The modernized Su-35's new nose holds an improved passive electronically scanned array radar and the aircraft featured many other upgrades to its avionics and electronic systems, including digital fly-by-wire and a rear-looking radar for firing Semi-Active Radar missiles.
The Russian air force will take delivery of its first Su-35S fighter by the end of 2010, with a Libyan deal for the aircraft also anticipated to be concluded in the same time-frame.
Sukhoi CEO Mikhail Pogosyan, speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow, confirms that the air force would begin to receive the latest upgrade of the Su-27 Flanker before the year is out.
The Su-35S, sometime also known as the Su-27M2, matches the Flanker airframe with more powerful 117S engines, thrust vector control and new avionics and systems.Sukhoi executives say the aircraft’s radar signature has been reduced through the use of radar absorbent coatings as well as reducing the number of protruding sensors.
Preliminary testing of Su-35 has now been concluded according to the company. The initial flight test program was completed using two rather than the planned three aircraft after the third was lost as a result of a fire following a problem during taxi trials. So far 270 flights have been made totaling 350 flight-hours.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-russian-air-force-will-receive.html

DTN News: Israeli Soldiers Kill Palestinian Inside Settlement....NSI News Source Info # 813

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 23, 2010: Israeli soldiers on Thursday shot dead a Palestinian man who infiltrated a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, an army spokeswoman said.
Two Palestinians, one of them "suspected of being armed," penetrated into the Barkan settlement close to the West Bank city of Nablus, the spokeswoman said.
It was earlier reported that one of the Palestinians was armed.
She added that soldiers stationed at the settlement shot at the infiltrators after the customary warnings, killing one, while the other fled during the dawn incident.
Soldiers were stationed at the settlement after a string of burglaries in the past few months, the spokeswoman said, while a police source said the suspect was believed to be a thief.
A joint investigation was opened with the Palestinians, the army said.
Palestinian police identified the victim as Bilal Abou Libneh, 25, from the town of Qalqilya, and said he was not a member of any armed group.
In an official statement, Ghassan Khatib, spokesman of the Palestinian government, said that the victim "was only suspected" of having a weapon on him.
He denounced what he said was the Israeli army's "current practice of shoot now and ask questions later."
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-israeli-soldiers-kill.html

DTN News: Five Yemeni Soldiers Killed In Qaeda-Style Ambush....NSI News Source Info # 812

(NSI News Source Info) SANAA, Yemen - July 23, 2010: Suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen on Thursday ambushed a Yemeni army patrol under cover of darkness in the mountainous east of the country, killing five soldiers and wounding one, a security official told AFP.
The attack on an army vehicle took place in Ataq, capital of Shabwa province, a stronghold of radical cleric and key leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Anwar al-Awlaqi.
The cleric was added last Friday to a US list of terrorism supporters.
"Five soldiers were killed and the sixth was injured in ... Shabwa in an armed attack by suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Yemen's ruling party's official website, almotamar.net, quoted Shabwa security chief General Ahmed al-Maqdashi as saying Al-Qaeda was to blame.
"Al-Qaeda elements in cooperation and coordination with subversive elements attacked an army patrol in the city of Ataq ... which resulted in the martyrdom of five and the injury of a sixth soldier," Maqdashi said.Members of the separatist Southern Movement had supported the assailants who used "light and medium machine-guns," he said.
They escaped after the ambush "despite the massive presence of security forces in Ataq and checkpoints set up around the city," according to the security official.
The killings follow simultaneous attacks on July 14 by some 20 suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen on the intelligence and security service headquarters in the south Yemen town of Zinjibar in which three policemen were killed and 11 wounded.
Al-Qaeda has also claimed responsibility for a deadly June attack on the country's intelligence headquarters in the southern port city of Aden in which 11 people -- seven military personnel, three women and a seven-year-old boy -- were killed.Shabwa along with the Abyan region in former South Yemen have become regrouping bases for Islamist militants, with a top US counter-terrorism official warning the country could be turned into base by Al-Qaeda for training and plotting attacks.
Among the heavily-armed tribes based in Shabwa is that of Awlaqi.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-five-yemeni-soldiers-killed-in.html

DTN News: Israeli, Greek Leaders Vow Closer Ties....NSI News Source Info # 811

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 23, 2010: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with visiting Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Thursday, announcing a tightening of ties between the two nations.
The visit comes at a time of crisis in the once-warm relationship between Israel and Greece's arch-rival, Turkey, since an Israeli commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship in which nine Turkish activists were killed on May 31.
"At the end of the meeting they agreed to a major upgrade of relations between Israel and Greece on a range of bilateral issues," said Netanyahu's office, adding that Papandreou had invited Netanyahu to visit Athens.
Papandreou, on a two-day visit to the region, was to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas later on Thursday.
Netanyahu asked the Greek leader to urge Abbas to begin direct peace talks with Israel.
The Palestinians have refused to move from US-brokered indirect talks to face-to-face peace negotiations without a complete freeze on Israeli settlement expansion on occupied land.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-israeli-greek-leaders-vow.html

DTN News: North Korea Condemns US Sanctions, Naval Drills....NSI News Source Info # 810

(NSI News Source Info) HANOI - July 23, 2010: North Korea on Thursday condemned imminent US-South Korea naval exercises as a threat to global peace as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Vietnam for Asia-Pacific security talks.
A spokesman for the North Korean delegation at the talks in Hanoi also dismissed fresh US sanctions against the isolated regime for its alleged sinking of a South Korean warship, saying they violated a UN statement.
"Such movements pose a great threat not only to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula but also to global peace and security," the spokesman, Ri Tong Il, told reporters.
"If the US is truly interested in the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, it must take the lead in creating an atmosphere (for dialogue) rather than... staging military exercises or imposing sanctions."
The nuclear-armed North has warned of war if it is punished over the sinking of the Cheonan in the Yellow Sea in March with the loss of 46 lives, an incident that has sharply raised tensions on the peninsula.
The United States says its naval exercises starting Sunday and involving an aircraft carrier, destroyers and thousands of troops are meant as a "deterrence" against North Korean "aggression".
In Washington State Department spokesman Philip Crowley rejected North Korea's accusations that the drills were a provocation and said Pyongyang was the real threat to regional peace.
Clinton said the sanctions were designed to pile pressure on the Pyongyang leadership and not aimed at the North Korean people, "who have suffered too long due to the misguided and malign priorities of their government".
State Department officials said Clinton would ask Beijing to do more to wring change from its ally North Korea during bilateral talks with China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Hanoi.
The two are expected to meet Friday on the sidelines of the 27-member ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Asia-Pacific's biggest security dialogue.
Crowley has said Clinton would ask Yang to look at additional steps to pressure North Korea to stop what Clinton called its "destabilising, illicit and provocative policies".South Korea, the United States and other nations -- citing the findings of a multinational investigation -- have accused the North of sending a submarine to torpedo the ship.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-north-korea-condemns-us.html

DTN News: India And Russia Continue Fifth Generation Fighter Talks....NSI News Source Info # 809

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 22, 2010: India and Russia are still discussing the terms of an agreement for their proposed Fifth Generation Fighter Programme, with Sukhoi Aircraft chief executive Mikhail Pogosyan expecting a contract to be signed by the end of 2010.
A deal on the aircraft, which will be based on Russia's PAK-FA, was expected at the end of 2009. But it was held up as they hammered out issues relating to technology transfer and the cost of the programme.
India and Russia will launch the joint fifth generation fighters by year end and have agreed to collaborate to develop heavy lift cargo helicopters and futuristic infantry combat vehicles. The path for more hi-tech defence collaboration between Moscow and New Delhi was paved with the signing of the joint defence protocol by Defence Minister AK Antony and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov.
The protocol extends military interaction between the two countries till 2020 and this is expected to make the path clear for inking more major defence joint ventures during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in early December. The protocol was signed here at the end of 9th session of India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on military-technical cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) after assurances from Moscow that all pending issues like the delivery of aircraft carrier Gorshkov and nuclear submarine Nerpa would be resolved at the earliest.
The protocol provides for completion of formalities by the year end to launch the joint designing, development and production of fifth generation fighter aircraft project.
Besides the development of a state-of-the-art multi-role transport aircraft (MTA) through a joint venture along the lines of highly successful BrahMos JV, India and Russia have also agreed to jointly develop a heavy lift cargo helicopter and futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV). A joint statement released after the meeting said that India and Russia will collaborate in up-gradation of IAF's main strike fighter Su-30MKI, the older Mig-27 and T-72M1 battle tanks. It said that the two sides had also worked out the production in India of Main Battle Tanks (MBT) T-90S with full technology transfer.
In his closing statement at the 9th session of IRIGC-MTC - the apex body for coordination of defence cooperation, Antony announced that both sides have agreed to extend their military interaction programme till 2020 and the concrete projects would be identified shortly for signing during Singh's Moscow visit in December.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com. and may be forwarded or republished on your website with attribution to http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/

DTN News: Eurocopter And Kawasaki Heavy Industries Sign New Cooperation Agreement....NSI News Source Info # 808

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 22, 2010:At the Farnborough Air Show today (July 20), Shigeru Murayama, President of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Aerospace Company (KHI) and Lutz Bertling, President and CEO of Eurocopter, signed a new cooperation agreement for the EC145, a new evolution from the BK117 helicopter family. After more than 30 years of successful cooperation in the BK117/EC145 programme, today’s (July 20) signature will extend the partnership of the two companies by another 15 years, until 2025.
Lutz Bertling, CEO of Eurocopter, stated, “The cooperation between KHI and Eurocopter in Germany works very smoothly despite the long distance, time zone difference and cultural differences. The extension of our contract by another 15 years underlines the success story of our joint product”.
The German-Japanese cooperation started in 1977 with the mutual development of the BK117 helicopter, which had its maiden flight in June 1979. Several upgrades of the BK117 were carried out over the years until, in 1999, the latest development, the EC145 (designated BK117 C-2 in Japan) took off for its maiden flight.Until today (July 20), more than 800 helicopters of BK117/EC145 helicopters have been delivered worldwide by the two partner companies who share development and manufacturing, with three final assembly lines: one in Donauwörth in Germany, one in Gifu, Japan and one in Columbus, Mississipi, U.S.A.
The programme’s biggest success to date came in 2006 when the EC145 was selected by the U.S. Army as its new Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The contract is envisaged to comprise more than 350 LUHs in total. More than 100 helicopters, which are designated UH-72A in their U.S. Army configuration, have been delivered to the customer on time and on cost from American Eurocopter’s production line in Columbus, Mississippi.
Both KHI and Eurocopter are confident of further market success of the BK117/EC145 family and future derivatives.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/dtn-news-eurocopter-and-kawasaki-heavy.html

DTN News: AIRSHOW-FACTBOX-Civil Plane Orders At Farnborough....NSI News Source Info # 807

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 22, 2010: Following is a summary of commercial plane orders at the July 19-25 Farnborough Airshow (** order announced Wednesday):
** AMERICAN AIRLINES
American Airlines (AMR.N) exercised 35 Boeing (BA.N) 737-800s, pushing numbers of the aircraft in its narrowbody fleet up to 195.
** GAZPROMAVIA (GAZP.MM)
The airline of Russia's Gazprom signed a letter of intent for 10 Sukhoi SuperJet 100s.
** ALAFCO (ALAF.KW)
The Kuwait-based international Aviation Lease and Finance Co. has converted its existing firm order for 12 Airbus A350-800's, placed in 2007, into the higher capacity A350-900 model.
** CRECOM
The Malaysian carrier will buy 50 MC-21 passenger jets from Russia's Irkut, a unit of state-controlled UAC (UNAC.RTS).
** THAI AIRWAYS
The carrier will place a preliminary order for seven more Airbus (EAD.PA) A330-300 planes, worth $1.5 billion at list prices, an industry source said.
** QATAR AIRWAYS
The Middle Eastern airline ordered two Boeing (BA.N) 777s.

DTN News: GE Aviation And Its JV Companies Announce $16 Billion In Deals At The 2010 Farnborough Air Show....NSI News Source Info # 806

(NSI News Source Info) FAIRFIELD, Conn. - July 22, 2010: GE Aviation along with its joint venture companies, CFM International and the Engine Alliance, have amassed engine and services orders valued at more than $16 billion (USD) at the 2010 Farnborough Air Show.
“GE Aviation is excited with the tremendous amount of engine and services orders that received at the 2010 Farnborough Air Show,” said David Joyce, president and chief executive office of GE Aviation. “The level of activity at the show demonstrates that the aviation industry is beginning to emerge from the economic downturn.”
GE Aviation and its joint companies garnered $11 billion in engine orders and $5 billion in long-term, high-margin service agreements. Highlights include:

DTN News: Russia's Moskva Missile Cruiser Sets Off To Its Naval Base In Ukraine....NSI News Source Info # 805

(NSI News Source Info) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - July 21, 2010: The flagship of the Black Sea fleet, the Moskva missile cruiser, has set off from the port of Vladivostok in Russia's Far East to its home port in Ukraine's Sevastopol, a Navy spokesman said on Wednesday.
The Moskva missile cruiser was participating in Russia's Vostok 2010 military drills jointly with the flagship of the Northern Fleet, the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser, and the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, the Varyag guided-missile cruiser.
"After a short rest in Vladivostok, the Moskva set off for the Black Sea to its home base in the port of Sevastopol. It will have to pass across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans," the spokesman said.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet is stationed in Ukraine's port of Sevastopol under a lease agreement. Moscow and Kiev signed earlier in the year a deal extending the lease on the fleet's base in Sevastopol for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017.
Vostok-2010 exercises in Siberia and the country's Far East started on June 29 and ended on July 8. They involved 20,000 troops, up to 2,500 pieces of military hardware, 70 warplanes and 30 warships.
During the exercises, warships of the three Russian fleets conducted live firing at naval and aerial drones and practiced combat interoperability and repelling simulated attacks by hostile submarines and aircraft.
Russia holds Vostok strategic command-and-staff drills every two years.

DTN News: S-70iTM International BLACK HAWK Sales Launched With Purchase By Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior....NSI News Source Info # 804

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England- July 21, 2010: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced today that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) has become the launch customer for the new S-70iTM helicopter. The MOI signed a contract to acquire three of the latest model aircraft in the celebrated BLACK HAWK helicopter line, and has taken options to acquire 12 additional S-70i helicopters. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).
Delivery of the first helicopter is scheduled for early 2011. The aircraft will perform transport, border protection and other missions.
“We are proud to announce the sales launch of the S-70i international BLACK HAWK to our valued customer, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior. The S-70i helicopter continues the legendary BLACK HAWK history of providing safe and reliable transportation for militaries around the world with exceptional value,” said Michael Ambrose, Vice President of international military programs at Sikorsky. “Sikorsky has a long and honored history with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the S-70i is the next exciting chapter in our relationship. We also look forward to further expanding this relationship in the years to come.”

DTN News: “Team Germany” Offering Cyclone Helicopter For German Navy And Air Force....NSI News Source Info # 803

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, United Kingdom - July 21, 2010: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today announced its German Multi-Role Helicopter Team (GMRHT), consisting of several partnership agreements that will work together to introduce the Cyclone multi-role helicopter into Germany. The team collectively is offering a comprehensive solution for the requirements of the German Navy and Air Force. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).
In June, Sikorsky finalized partnership agreements with Tier One German and European defence companies, Rheinmetall Defence Group, RUAG, MTU Aero Engines (MTU), and ZFL.
“Together with General Dynamics Canada, our international integrated mission systems partner, the team is continuing to identify and select German companies to partner with on this initiative,” said Joseph Gigantelli, Sikorsky Vice President, European Sales. “We believe we have a strong team and an equally strong offering of products and services for the German armed forces. We intend to provide Germany with the best technology that is available in-country and from around the world, and in doing so, provide a technologically superior aircraft.”
The Cyclone helicopter provides multi-mission capabilities including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and search and rescue. The aircraft is a derivative of the S-92® helicopter, which gets its basic design from the BLACK HAWK helicopter, a proven, rugged and durable aircraft.

DTN News: Sikorsky Aircraft Delivers 200th UH-60M BLACK HAWK Helicopter To U.S. Army....NSI News Source Info # 802

(NSI News Source Info) STRATFORD, Conn., - July 21, 2010: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced today the delivery of the 200th UH/HH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter to the U.S. Army. Sikorsky is a United Technologies Corp.
With a new airframe, avionics and propulsion system, the UH-60M and HH-60M helicopters are the latest and most modern in a series of BLACK HAWK variants that Sikorsky has been delivering to the army since 1978.
Since the program launched with its first delivery in July 2006, Sikorsky Aircraft also has delivered UH-60M aircraft to agencies from the U.S. Federal government as well as international customers.
"The UH-60M aircraft have been performing phenomenally well in theater, supporting our troops and providing them with the latest technology for the mission," said Doug Shidler, Sikorsky Vice President, Army Programs. "The feedback from the U.S. Army has been extremely positive, as more "M" models are introduced into the fleet. The new UH-60M and HH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopters are ideally suited for its mission, providing reduced pilot workload, increased lift, better protection and enhanced survivability. "It is a proven, reliable combat aircraft."
Sikorsky is continuing to develop the next variation of the aircraft, through the UH-60M Modernization program.

DTN News: F-35 Engine Makers Trade Barbs At Air Show....NSI News Source Info # 801

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 21, 2010: Engine makers fighting over a potential $100 billion market to power the Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jet traded barbs at the Farnborough Airshow in England on Tuesday, far from the halls of the U.S. Congress where the matter will be decided.
Dave Hess, president of United Technologies Corp's (UTX.N) Pratt & Whitney unit, acknowledged that his company was actively lobbying lawmakers on the issue but insisted the rival team of General Electric Co (GE.N) and Britain's Rolls Royce (RR.L) was spending "orders of magnitude" more. Jean Lydon-Rodgers, president of GE Aviation's military business and former head of the GE-Rolls engine team, said the issue was clearly an "enormous priority" for both GE and Rolls, but he rejected Pratt's criticism as "unfair" since General Electric's lobbying efforts extended to other issues.
Both teams lauded progress on their respective engines, and argued their cases forcefully.
Pratt & Whitney is trying to shore up support for its F135 engine, but some U.S. lawmakers are trying to maintain funding for an alternate engine being developed by GE and Rolls Royce in the face of a veto threat by President Barack Obama.

DTN News: Italy To Axe Eurofighter Orders....NSI News Source Info # 800

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England,- July 21, 2010: Italy upset Europe's defence industry on Tuesday by announcing plans to axe its share of the final production run of the Eurofighter combat jet at the Farnborough air show where foreign rivals were showcasing their own jets.
The unexpected announcement by one of four nations involved in the project highlighted the pressures being put on European defence budgets and came hours after reluctant arms firms agreed to cough up the funds to develop a new radar for the plane to boost exports.
"We have decided to cut 25 Eurofighters with a saving of 2 billion euros," Italian defence minister Ignazio la Russa told reporters at the air show in southern England.
Italy, Britain, Germany and Spain ordered a total of 620 Eurofighter jets in the 1990s and split the order into three tranches, each of which needed separate funding approval.
The third tranche of 236 planes was split into two in 2008 when nations were already facing a squeeze on budgets, and manufacturers have been pressing governments to plug the remaining budget gap to avoid having to lay off workers.
La Russa did not say which planes he was referring to but air show delegates said he clearly meant Italy's entire allocation of 25 planes under the final tranche, known as 3B.

DTN News: GTV Delivers Right-Hand Operation JLTV Technology Development Vehicles On Schedule....NSI News Source Info # 799

(NSI News Source Info) LIVONIA, Mich.,- July 21, 2010: The General Tactical Vehicles (GTV) team of General Dynamics Land Systems and AM General today delivered two Right-Hand Operation (RHO) Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), one companion trailer and supporting equipment on schedule to the U.S. government for Technology Development (TD) phase testing in support of the U.S. and Australia's Land Force Capability Modernization Project Arrangement (PA). The PA enables tactical vehicle interoperability and integration between the two countries. Delivery of the RHO JLTVs follows GTV's previous ahead-of-schedule deliveries of armor samples, ballistic hulls, seven vehicles and four trailers and spare parts for the TD phase.
Test and evaluation of the RHO JLTVs includes a five-month reliability and durability test and evaluation process at the Monegeetta Proving Ground in Monegeetta, Victoria, Australia. Test site management for GTV will be performed by General Dynamics Land Systems-Australia and supported by Australian in-country suppliers.

DTN News: Force Protection Selected To Continue In Canadian TAPV Program....NSI News Source Info # 798

(NSI News Source Info) Ladson, SC- July 21, 2010: Force Protection, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRPT), a leading designer, developer and manufacturer of survivability solutions and provider of total life cycle support for those products, (July 20, 2010) today announced it has received notification from the Government of Canada that it has been selected to continue in the procurement for the Tactical Armored Patrol Vehicle Project (“TAPV”). Force Protection responded to the Solicitation of Interest and Qualification (SOIQ) phase with their Cougar 4x4 and 6x6 variants in June 2010.
In addition to the two Cougar variants, seven vehicles from other equipment manufacturers have been selected in the TAPV program to now move into the Request for Proposal (“RFP”) phase. The procurement is for up to 600 vehicles and related long term support services. Contract award to the final selected bidder is expected in 2011.
Randy Hutcherson, Chief Operating Officer of Force Protection, Inc. commented, “We are pleased that we have been selected to continue in the TAPV competition in Canada. The Cougars and Buffalos currently in service with the Canadian Forces are proven to save lives and perform critical missions to the efforts in Afghanistan. We look forward to responding to the request for proposal and continuing to build on our strong relationship with the Canadian Forces.”

DTN News: China Denies IEA Claim On Energy Consumption....NSI News Source Info # 797

(NSI News Source Info) HONG KONG - July 21, 2010: China on Tuesday dismissed claims that it was the world’s largest energy consumer, calling the latest estimates from the International Energy Agency “not very credible”.
The energy watchdog disclosed on Monday that China had overtaken the US in energy consumption, according to preliminary estimates. The news – and China’s quick reaction – underlines the sensitivities that surround China’s thirst for energy, particularly as the government struggles to meet ambitious efficiency targets by the year’s end.
Zhou Xian, head of the general office of the Nat ional Energy Administration, dismissed the numbers. “When the IEA came to China to publish its energy outlook a couple of days ago, they also overestimated China’s energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions,” he said. “We think that is because of a lack of knowledge about China, especially about China’s latest developments of energy conservation and renewable energy.”

DTN News: Afghanistan Eyes 2014 Security Handover....NSI News Source Info # 796

(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - July 21, 2010: The international community on Tuesday endorsed sweeping Afghan government plans to take responsibility for security by 2014, forge peace to end nine years of war and take greater control of aid projects.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led about 80 organisations and countries at a key conference in Kabul aiming to put Afghanistan on the road to stability -- and allow foreign troops to draw down.
President Hamid Karzai is under intense Western pressure to crack down on corruption, make better use of billions of dollars of aid money and quell a virulent Taliban insurgency.
The Taliban, overthrown in a 2001 US-led invasion, control large swathes of the south and have put up stiff resistance to a troop surge deploying 150,000 US and NATO troops as part of a counter-insurgency strategy.
Karzai delivered a keynote address seeking to convince the international community he was capable of assuming responsibility for security and cleaning up government, but the lasting impact of the conference remains unclear.

DTN News: US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron Navigate Lockerbie, BP Rows....NSI News Source Info # 795

(NSI News Source Info) WSAHINGTON, U.S. - July 21, 2010: British Prime Minister David Cameron Tuesday rejected an inquiry into Scotland's release of the Lockerbie bomber, and said BP did not sway the decision, as he met US President Barack Obama.
Cameron however told his top civil servants to assess whether new information needed to be made public on the release last year of terminally ill Libyan Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi.
"I don't need an inquiry to tell me what was a bad decision," Cameron said, but also rejected suggestions that a lobbying effort by energy giant BP helped win the release of Megrahi, who remains alive nearly a year after he was freed.
"That wasn't a decision taken by BP -- it was a decision taken by the Scottish government."
Obama and his visitor carefully picked through raw political sensitivities surrounding the release of Megrahi, and over British-based BP's pariah status in the United States following the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.
And both leaders insisted that war strategy in Afghanistan was correct, and said plans to hand over the country largely to Afghan forces by 2014, endorsed by an international Kabul conference on Tuesday, were realistic.
In their first White House meeting, they also both pledged fealty to the US-British "special relationship" as Obama attempted to stamp out suggestions he did not value the long alliance in the same way as his predecessors.

DTN News: Abbas Demands Israel Halt Settlement Before Talks....NSI News Source Info # 794

(NSI News Source Info) RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories - July 21, 2010: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement insisted on Tuesday that direct peace talks with Israel hinge on a complete halt to Jewish settlement building.
Negotiations are a means and the objective is to end the Israeli occupation, establish an independent Palestinian state," said Jibril Rajub, secretary of Fatah's Central Committee.
"And if settlement building is completely frozen and a timetable for the talks is set in line with clear and specified constants, we should not have a problem in negotiations with Israel."
But Rajub said Israel "does not recognise Palestinian rights."
"And it does not recognise international legitimacy. The international community therefore should reconsider the legitimacy of Israel, particularly if it continues to ignore Palestinian rights," he said.
He added that the central committee has set the foundation for direct talks with Israel.
"President Abbas has told US envoy George Mitchell that there will be no direct negotiations unless Israel freezes the settlements in all Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including east Jerusalem," Rajub said.
"President Abbas will go to Cairo to personally inform our Arab brothers at the Arab League on July 29 about international efforts related to the direct and indirect talks."
The Palestinians have long demanded a complete freeze on Israeli settlement expansion ahead of direct talks. They have accused Israel of undermining the process by approving new settler homes in mostly Arab annexed east Jerusalem, which they want as the capital of their promised state.
"The central committee wants to see progress in the issues of security and borders," senior Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan said in a statement.
"Without meeting Palestinian demands, Fatah cannot agree on the American request to have direct talk with Israel."
In May, Mitchell helped start indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians and has been shuttling between both sides to try and clinch an agreement to a face-to-face meeting between them.
The Palestinians suspended direct talks in December 2008 after Israel launched a devastating offensive against the Gaza Strip, and Abbas has said he will not renew them until there is progress on the contentious issues of borders and security.

DTN News: Israel To Deploy New Anti-Missile System In November....NSI News Source Info # 793

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 20, 2010: Israel will deploy in November its anti-missile system designed to combat threats from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the defence ministry said on Monday.
"The Iron Dome interceptor, in conjunction with air force and anti-aircraft systems, successfully downed a large number of threats in fully operational mode," the ministry said in statement.
"The first two batteries will become operational in November 2010," it said adding that "the defence ministry will soon place orders for additional batteries."
The system is designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells, of which Hamas and the Hezbollah have fired thousands at Israel in the past.
The system is expected to be first deployed along the border of Hamas-run Gaza from where a daily barrage of home-made rockets fired at the Jewish state prompted Israel to launch a devastating 22-day offensive on December 27, 2008.
It will then be deployed on Israel's border with Lebanon, where the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired some 4,000 rockets into northern Israel during a 2006 war. Israel believes Hezbollah now has an arsenal of some 40,000 rockets.
Defence Minister Ehud Barak praised the developers for the short timeframe in which they had managed to make the system operational."We will act to actively deploy the batteries in the field as soon as possible," he said in the statement.
In May, US President Barack Obama asked Congress to approve giving Israel 205 million dollars to develop the system, on top of the billions of dollars in aid it gives Israel each year.
The Iron Dome will join the Arrow long-range ballistic missile defence system in an ambitious multi-layered programme to protect Israeli cities from rockets and missiles fired from Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, Syria and Iran.A third system specifically aimed at countering medium-range missiles is still in development.

DTN News: "Deep concern" Over Ship Sinking: Asian Forum....NSI News Source Info # 792

(NSI News Source Info) HANOI, Vietnam - July 20, 2010: HANOI — Asia's largest security forum has "deep concern" over the sinking of a South Korean warship, according to a draft chairman's statement obtained on Monday.
"The ministers expressed deep concern over the sinking of the Republic of Korea's naval ship, the Cheonan," says the draft prepared for foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF), which is to meet Friday in Hanoi.
South Korea had said it wanted ARF to condemn North Korea for the torpedo attack which broke the corvette in two in March with the loss of 46 lives. Pyongyang vehemently denies involvement despite the findings of a multinational investigation, and said it was ready to retaliate if punished.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and foreign ministers of North and South Korea, Japan, Russia and China are among those expected at the meeting of the 27-member ARF.

DTN News: Boeing, GECAS Announce Order For 40 Next-Generation 737-800s....NSI News Source Info # 791

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, - July 19, 2010: Boeing (NYSE: BA) and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric (NYSE: GE), today announced an order for 40 Next-Generation 737-800s.The order is valued at approximately $3 billion at average list prices.
"We are pleased to announce this Boeing order and the further growth of our fleet," said Norman C.T. Liu, president and CEO of GECAS. "Over the years, GECAS has successfully leased many 737s to airlines around the world."
"Today's announcement with GECAS reaffirms the Boeing Next-Generation 737 as a highly successful asset, both in operation with airlines as well as in the financial community," said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "GECAS has more than 300 Next-Generation 737s in its fleet with another 105 to be delivered to lessees, including today's announcement."
Ideal for the leasing market, the Next-Generation 737 offers lessors the widest choice of customers to place the airplane and the best residual value retention of any airplane. GECAS' continuing acquisition of new 737s reflects solid demand for rapid addition of new airplanes by customers throughout the world.

DTN News: Boeing Delivers Final C-130 Avionics Modernization Program Test Aircraft....NSI News Source Info # 790

(NSI News Source Info) SAN ANTONIO, - July 19, 2010: Boeing [NYSE: BA] on June 30 delivered the last of three test aircraft for the U.S. Air Force C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) system design and development contract.
Boeing made the final delivery one week ahead of schedule after the aircraft completed a successful functional check flight on June 25. The test aircraft was flown by a joint Boeing and Air Force crew from the Boeing facility in San Antonio to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., where it will be prepared for programmed depot maintenance. The two other C-130 AMP test aircraft are on their way to Robins Air Force Base, Ga., for programmed depot maintenance.
"C-130 AMP is now ready to transition to low-rate initial production [LRIP]," said Mahesh Reddy, C-130 AMP director for Boeing. "This is a significant development for Boeing and the Air Force, as it is the most comprehensive avionics upgrade for the C-130 in its 50 years of Air Force service."
C-130 AMP improvements include a fully integrated, night-vision-goggle compatible, digital glass cockpit and new digital avionics that increase situational awareness and enhance safety. The AMP upgrade also brings avionics commonality to the C-130 fleet and flexibility in assigning aircrew, regardless of aircraft model. A total of 20 AMP kits will be installed during LRIP.
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.

DTN News: Sikorsky And Lockheed Martin Team To Jointly Pursue U.S. Air Force’s HH-60 Recap Helicopter Program....NSI News Source Info # 789

(NSI News Source Info) STRATFORD, Connecticut - July 19, 2010: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), and Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:LMT) will compete jointly for the contract to replace the U.S. Air Force’s fleet of combat search and rescue helicopters. The two companies signed a teaming agreement formalizing their intent to offer an advanced version of Sikorsky’s UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter for the Air Force’s HH-60 Personnel Recovery Recapitalization program (HH-60 Recap). The agreement positions Sikorsky as prime contractor, with Lockheed Martin as the major subsystems supplier.
The HH-60 Recap program seeks to replace the 112 existing HH-60G PAVE HAWKTM helicopter fleet with an equal number of new aircraft requiring minimum airframe modification or mission systems development. The initial operational capability of eight aircraft — four trainers and four mission-ready aircraft, plus test aircraft — is expected in fiscal year 2015.
“Our team has the resources and experience to rapidly deliver the proven UH-60M airframe design with mature situational awareness sensors and mission systems,” said Scott Starrett, president of Sikorsky Military Systems. “We believe a UH-60M aircraft missionized for the complexities of the combat search and rescue mission will fit seamlessly into established Air Force training and logistics operations, thus providing a fiscally responsible and reliable platform for rescue operations.”
Sikorsky submitted a response to the U.S. Air Force’s HH-60 Recap request for information on April 23. The document details how the UH-60M helicopter would be manufactured and integrated as a low-risk, off-the-shelf solution for the combat search and rescue mission.
Operational with the U.S. Army (including as a medevac helicopter in the HH-60M configuration), the UH-60M features a strengthened airframe, wider rotor blades and more powerful engines than earlier-design BLACK HAWK helicopters. Sikorsky has delivered 200 ‘M’ model helicopters to the U.S. Army since 2005.

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY July 19, 2010 - Afghan Militants Dismiss New Peace Offer....NSI News Source Info # 788

(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - July 19, 2010: On the eve of an international conference in Kabul on the future of Afghanistan, militant leaders have told Sky News "we will not surrender".
The conference, expected to be attended by representatives from 60 countries, comes as security is tightened across the capital after a suicide bomber struck.Just before noon on Sunday, a suicide bomber attacked a market killing three civilians and wounding dozens.
Thousands of Afghan soldiers and police are now being deployed to secure the capital for the one-day meeting.
One of the key issues in the conference will be the merits of negotiating with the Taliban and the other insurgent groups fighting coalition forces there.Sky's Alex Crawford met one of those militant groups known as Hezb-e-Islami in eastern Afghanistan.
The fighters rely on farming poppies for opium to help fund their fight against Nato and the International Security Assistance Force.
The militants Crawford met dismissed Afghan President Hamid Karzai's offer of money and land for peace, saying "we can't be bought".
They told her that for them the only peaceful resolution to the war would be the retreat of foreign forces from Afghanistan.

DTN News: Bombardier Likely To Unveil C-Series Order - Source....NSI News Source Info # 787

(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England, - July 19, 2010: Canada's Bombardier (BBDb.TO) is likely to announce at least one order for its new C-Series plane at the Farnborough Airshow this week, a source familiar with the project told Reuters on Sunday.
The move could put pressure on Boeing (BA.N) and Airbus (EAD.PA) to upgrade their own narrow-body airplanes, the source said, asking not to be identified.
"There is serious interest in the airplane," said the source, who has direct knowledge of the program.
There has been speculation that airlines such as Qatar Airways may place an order for the new 110-130 seat Bombardier jet, which aims to compete with Airbus and Boeing at the lower end of their 110-185 seat short- and medium-haul passenger jets.
"We are talking to many customers about C-Series. We are in no position to confirm any new orders for C-Series ... simply because it hasn't happened," said John Arnone, a spokesman for Bombardier Commercial Airplanes.
Qatar Airways has called a news conference immediately after Bombardier on Monday, but has not disclosed the subject. The airline is also an active buyer of other aircraft.Asked if Bombardier could make any big announcements at the biennial air show this week, the source said, "That is certainly a strong possibility."
Bombardier has secured orders for 90 of the C-Series planes, which sell for around $50 million to $77 million at list prices, as well as 90 options. Arnone added Bombardier has more than 60 active "campaigns," or ongoing talks with potential customers.