Saturday, May 12, 2012

DTN News - LIBYA TODAY: Libyan Soldier Holds Libyan National Flag During Military Parade In Martyrs' Square, Tripoli

DTN News - LIBYA TODAY: Libyan Soldier Holds Libyan National Flag During Military Parade In Martyrs' Square, Tripoli 

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 12, 2012: A soldier from Libya's National Army sitting on a car holds a Kingdom of Libya flag, which has been adopted by the National Transitional Council (NTC), during a military parade to boost the National Army, and end armed demonstrations, in Martyrs' Square, Tripoli May 11, 2012.
(Photo - Reuters)

DTN News - LIBYA TODAY: A Woman Holds Libyan National Flag During Military Parade In Martyrs' Square, Tripoli

DTN News - LIBYA TODAY: A Woman Holds Libyan National Flag During Military Parade In Martyrs' Square, Tripoli 

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 12, 2012: A woman waves a Kingdom of Libya flag, which has been adopted by the National Transitional Council (NTC), and shouts slogans, as a group watches soldiers of the National Army taking part in a military parade, in order to boost the National Army, and end armed demonstrations, at Martyrs' Square in Tripoli May 11, 2012. (Photo - Reuters)

Friday, May 11, 2012

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Two Lockheed Martin F-35Bs Ferried To Eglin, Marking 25th DOD Delivery

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Two Lockheed Martin F-35Bs Ferried To Eglin, Marking 25th DOD Delivery

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 11, 2012: Two Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) production aircraft were ferried to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., today, marking the 24th and 25th F-35 deliveries to the Department of Defense. 

The 5th Generation multirole fighter jets were delivered to the United States Marine Corps and are now assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron 501 residing with the host 33d Fighter Wing.

U.S. Marine Corps pilots Maj. Joseph Bachmann and Lt. Col. Matt Kelly piloted the aircraft, known as BF-9 and BF-10 respectively, which departed Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas at 1:26 p.m. and 1:42 p.m. CDT for an approximate 90-minute flight to Florida’s Emerald Coast. The jets became the 10th and 11th F-35s to join Eglin’s fleet. Both jets will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the F-35 Integrated Training Center there.  

One additional STOVL production jet, BF-11, will join the fleet at Eglin in the coming days. All three jets were formally accepted by the U.S. Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) on behalf of the Marine Corps with the signing of Department of Defense Form 250 (DD-250). 

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing Completes 1st Flight of QF-16 Aerial Target For US Air Force

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing Completes 1st Flight of QF-16 Aerial Target For US Air Force

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 11, 2012: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Air Force completed the first manned flight of the QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) on May 4 at Cecil Field in Jacksonville. The QF-16 took off at 3:05 p.m. Eastern time and climbed to an altitude of 41,000 feet during its 66-minute flight.

The Air Force awarded a multi-year contract to Boeing in March 2010 that represented Phase I of the initial engineering, manufacturing and development of the QF-16, with options to buy up to 126 FSATs.

"With this successful first flight of the QF-16, the Air Force, Boeing and our supplier-partners have laid the groundwork for the program to enter low-rate production in 2013 and make its first production delivery in 2014," said Torbjorn Sjogren, Boeing vice president, Global Maintenance and Upgrades.

The functional check flight of the F-16, under control of a Boeing test pilot, validated the basic aircraft performance with the QF-16 drone modification package installed. The additional hardware Boeing installs allows the QF-16 to fly in an unmanned mode while under the control of a ground-based control system such as the Gulf Range Drone Control System (GRDCS) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., or the Drone Formation Control System (DFCS) at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), N.M. During the current test phase in Jacksonville, a GRDCS mobile trailer with portable transmission towers provides communications between the flight controller and other personnel on the ground and the QF-16 pilot.

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing KC-46 Tanker Program Successfully Completes Preliminary Design Review

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing KC-46 Tanker Program Successfully Completes Preliminary Design Review

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 11, 2012:  The Boeing [NYSE: BA] KC-46 Tanker program has completed a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) with the U.S. Air Force, a key milestone in the development of the next-generation aerial refueling tanker.

The review, which began March 21 and ended April 27, demonstrated that the preliminary design of the KC-46A Tanker meets system requirements and establishes the basis for proceeding with detailed design. Boeing remains on plan to deliver 18 combat-ready KC-46A Tankers by 2017.

"I'm happy with Boeing's performance. They're maintaining a very tight focus on meeting commitments and staying on or ahead of schedule. The program remains on a good path," said Air Force Maj. Gen. Chris Bogdan, KC-46 Program executive officer. "This is important news for the nation's warfighters, because it reaffirms our commitment to delivering the KC-46A tanker on schedule."

The program's next major milestone is a Critical Design Review (CDR) that will take place in the summer of 2013. The CDR will determine that the design of the KC-46A is mature and ready to proceed to the manufacturing phase.

DTN News - AIRLINES NEWS: Boeing, EVA Air Announce Order For Three 777s

DTN News - AIRLINES NEWS: Boeing, EVA Air Announce Order For Three 777s

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 11, 2012:  Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Taipei-based EVA Air today finalized an order for three 777-300ERs (Extended Range) airplanes. The order also includes purchase rights for an additional four airplanes.

"The 777-300ER is the flagship of our long-haul fleet and will play an important role in growing our global operations," said Chang Kuo-wei, president of EVA Air. "The highly efficient, technologically advanced airplane will enhance the premium flying experience for passengers and will also allow us to open new destinations around the world."

The Taiwan-based carrier is in the midst of growing its airplane fleet to increase frequency to mainland China and new destinations in North Asia. The new airplanes will help the airline position itself as the preferred premium airline in Taiwan.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

DTN News - TAIWAN DEFENSE NEWS: Taiwan Military Held Mass Wedding Ceremony In Taipei - 264 Couples Tied The Knot For Blissful Marriage

DTN News - TAIWAN DEFENSE NEWS: Taiwan Military Held Mass Wedding Ceremony In Taipei - 264 Couples Tied The Knot For Blissful Marriage

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 10, 2012: Couples participate in a military mass wedding ceremony in Taipei May 10, 2012. 264 couples tied the knot together on Thursday, with Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu as the witness for the ceremony.

DTN News - TAIWAN DEFENSE NEWS: Taiwan Military Held Mass Wedding Ceremony In Taipei - Brides And Grooms Rushing To Wedding Venue

DTN News - TAIWAN DEFENSE NEWS: Taiwan Military Held Mass Wedding Ceremony In Taipei - Brides And Grooms Rushing To Wedding Venue

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 10, 2012: Brides and grooms rush to a military mass wedding venue in Taipei May 10, 2012. 264 couples tied the knot together on Thursday, with Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu as the witness for the ceremony.

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program Remains The Centerpiece Of Future Tactical Aviation

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program Remains The Centerpiece Of Future Tactical Aviation

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 10, 2012: Senior leaders from the Air Force and Navy affirmed yesterday that the F-35 joint strike fighter remains the centerpiece of the tactical aircraft program and will play a large part in the services’ ongoing modernization plans.

Navy Vice Adm. David J. Venlet, F-35 Lightning II program executive officer, told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s airland subcommittee that the F-35’s basic engine designs were deemed sound and deliverable after a battery of tests and observations over the past year.

“While there is still risk in the program, it is risk-balanced,” Venlet said. “I have confidence in the resilience of the plan to absorb further learning discovery and stay on track.”
Still, Venlet said, the program will “not execute itself,” and will require resources, tools and processes to enable disciplined decisions on development and incremental capability delivery. (Read complete strory on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

DTN News - NATO SUMMIT IN CHICAGO: Summit Will Deal With Range Of Issues, NATO General Says

DTN News - NATO SUMMIT IN CHICAGO: Summit Will Deal With Range Of Issues, NATO General Says

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 9, 2012: Afghanistan will dominate the NATO summit in Chicago later this month, but alliance leaders will deal with other issues as well, a senior NATO commander said here yesterday.

Gen. Stephane Abrial of the French air force told the Defense Writers Group the nations’ leaders also will deal with partnership capability, “smart defense” and other matters. Abrial is commander of NATO’s transformation command.

“On partnership, there will be a reaffirmation that NATO does not operate in isolation,” the general said. The alliance is keen to work more closely with all kinds of partners from other nations to international institutions to no-governmental organizations, he added.

The NATO-led actions in Libya are an example of the alliance working with non-NATO partners, such as the United Arab Emirates and the Arab League. NATO also works with the European Union to ensure that the two institutions work together smoothly, when needed.

How to work together with these disparate groups is part and parcel of the Allied Command Transformation mission, Abrial said.

On capabilities, the leaders will discuss the progress on decisions made at NATO’s 2010 summit in Lisbon, Portugal, including the smart defense initiative. Smart defense is about how the alliance will continue to develop and maintain the capabilities needed to fulfill its missions despite the new era of austerity.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

DTN News - PENTAGON NEWS: Panetta Hosts Chinese Minister Of National Defense At Pentagon

DTN News - PENTAGON NEWS: Panetta Hosts Chinese Minister Of National Defense At Pentagon

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 9, 2012: U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta hosts an honor cordon to welcome Chinese Minister of National Defense Gen. Liang Guanglie to the Pentagon, May 7, 2012. 

Liang has been visiting U.S. military bases and meeting with U.S. military leaders to discuss U.S.-Chinese cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
 
DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley. 

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

DTN News - INTELLIGENCE REPORT/NEWS: CIA Derails Plot To Plant Al-Qaida Underwear Bomb

DTN News - INTELLIGENCE REPORT/NEWS:  CIA Derails Plot To Plant Al-Qaida Underwear Bomb

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 8, 2012:  Experts at the FBI's explosives lab in Virginia are picking apart a sophisticated new al-Qaida bomb to figure out whether it could have slipped past airport security and taken down a commercial airplane. U.S. officials say the unexploded bomb represents an intelligence prize, the result of a covert CIA operation in Yemen that thwarted a suicide mission in recent weeks.

The device did not contain metal, meaning it probably could have passed through an airport metal detector. But it was not clear whether new body scanners used in many airports would have detected it.

The device is an upgrade of the underwear bomb that failed to detonate aboard a jetliner over Detroit on Christmas 2009.

DTN News - INTELLIGENCE REPORT/NEWS: CIA Derails Plot To Plant Al-Qaida Underwear Bomb

DTN News - INTELLIGENCE REPORT/NEWS:  CIA Derails Plot To Plant Al-Qaida Underwear Bomb

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 8, 2012:  Experts at the FBI's explosives lab in Virginia are picking apart a sophisticated new al-Qaida bomb to figure out whether it could have slipped past airport security and taken down a commercial airplane. U.S. officials say the unexploded bomb represents an intelligence prize, the result of a covert CIA operation in Yemen that thwarted a suicide mission in recent weeks.

The device did not contain metal, meaning it probably could have passed through an airport metal detector. But it was not clear whether new body scanners used in many airports would have detected it.

The device is an upgrade of the underwear bomb that failed to detonate aboard a jetliner over Detroit on Christmas 2009.

Monday, May 7, 2012

DTN News - HILLARY CLINTON IN INDIA: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Meets Congress's Chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi

DTN News - HILLARY CLINTON IN INDIA: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Meets Congress's Chief  Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 7, 2012: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, meets India's Congress party president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 7, 2012. 

Clinton urged energy-starved India on Monday to reduce its Iranian oil imports to keep up pressure on the Islamic republic to come clean about its nuclear program.

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: UN Monitors Speaks With Syrian Soldiers During Visit To Syrian Military Outpost In Village Of Ain Hawr In Rif of Damascus

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: UN Monitors Speaks With Syrian Soldiers During Visit To Syrian Military Outpost In Village Of Ain Hawr In Rif of Damascus

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 7, 2012: UN monitors speaks with Syrian soldiers as they climb on top of an army tank during a visit to a Syrian military outpost in the village of Ain Hawr in the Rif of Damascus on May 6, 2012. 

Three people died in violence overnight in Damascus province, one of them shot dead by regime troops and the other two killed in a blast, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. (Photo - Getty)

DTN News - NICOLAS SARKOZY: Is A Different Kind Of French President - Populist, Flamboyant, Gentle - Media Is Going To Miss The Humble Nicolas Sarkozy

DTN News - NICOLAS SARKOZY: Is A Different Kind Of French President - Populist, Flamboyant, Gentle - Media Is Going To Miss The Humble Nicolas Sarkozy

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 7, 2012: Outgoing French President Nicolas Sarkozy leaves after addressing supporters at his Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party headquarters after the the preliminary results of the second round of the presidential elections were announced in Paris Sunday May 6, 2012. 

Socialist Francois Hollande defeated Sarkozy on Sunday to become France's next president, heralding a change in how Europe tackles its debt crisis and how France flexes its military and diplomatic muscle around the world. Sarkozy conceded defeat minutes after the polls closed, saying he had called Hollande to wish him "good luck" as the country's new leader.

DTN News - NICOLAS SARKOZY: Is A Different Kind Of French President - Populist, Flamboyant, Gentle - Media Is Going To Miss The Humble Nicolas Sarkozy

DTN News - NICOLAS SARKOZY: Is A Different Kind Of French President - Populist, Flamboyant, Gentle - Media Is Going To Miss The Humble Nicolas Sarkozy

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 7, 2012: Outgoing French President Nicolas Sarkozy leaves after addressing supporters at his Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party headquarters after the the preliminary results of the second round of the presidential elections were announced in Paris Sunday May 6, 2012. 

Socialist Francois Hollande defeated Sarkozy on Sunday to become France's next president, heralding a change in how Europe tackles its debt crisis and how France flexes its military and diplomatic muscle around the world. Sarkozy conceded defeat minutes after the polls closed, saying he had called Hollande to wish him "good luck" as the country's new leader.

DTN News - BIRTHDAY GREETINGS: Happy Birthday To Everyone, Who's Birthday Is On May 7, 2012

DTN News - BIRTHDAY GREETINGS: Happy Birthday To Everyone, Who's Birthday Is On May 7, 2012


Happy Birthday & God Bless You


Presented & compiled Birthday Greetings for DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News

DTN News - MID EAST HOT SPOTS: Saudi Arabia Is Israel’s Last Hope ~ Report

DTN News - MID EAST HOT SPOTS: Saudi Arabia Is Israel’s Last Hope ~ Report

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: A recent report by Tel Aviv University says Saudi Arabia is the last hope and defense line for Israel and describes the Saudis as Tel Aviv’s last chance to protect its political interests in the Arab world.

The Al Saud family is very important to Israel because Saudi Arabia is very actively working in countries such as Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon to reduce Iran's influence in those countries.”  Tel Aviv University Report

The report said most of Israel’s allies in the region have collapsed and cannot play a significant role in the Arab world. 

It added that Saudi Arabia is the only country that stands against the Islamic Republic of Iran and thus it is Tel Aviv’s last line of defense against Tehran. 

The report noted that the Al Saud family is very important to Israel because Saudi Arabia is very actively working in countries such as Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon to reduce Iran's influence in those countries. 

Last March, a senior Egyptian cleric accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of meddling in the internal affairs of other Muslim nations, calling the two states “Israel’s servants.” 

Sheikh Mohammad Alaedin Madhi said the two countries were implementing an Israeli-US plan in Syria. 

He also criticized the Saudi-owned television network Al-Arabiya and the Qatar-owned broadcaster Al-Jazeera for "serving Israeli interests." 

Moreover, in emails leaked by WikiLeaks and obtained by the Beirut-based newspaper Al-Akhbar, it was revealed that Saudi Arabia had reached out to the Mossad, which assisted the kingdom with, as Al-Akhbar reports, "intelligence collection and advice on Iran." 

According to a source quoted in the emails, "Several enterprising Mossad officers, both past and present, are making a bundle selling the Saudis everything from security equipment (to) intelligence and consultation."

DTN News - RUSSIA DEFENSE NEWS: Iran, Pakistan, N. Korea May Pose Nuclear Threat to Russia

DTN News - RUSSIA DEFENSE NEWS: Iran, Pakistan, N. Korea May Pose Nuclear Threat to Russia

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: A nuclear-armed Iran, Pakistan and North Korea could potentially trigger regional chain reactions that ultimately threaten Russia's security, the former director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Vyacheslav Trubnikov, said.

“Even if Iran, Pakistan and North Korea are not Russian adversaries, their current and projected nuclear potential could destabilize the regional situation. It could trigger a chain reaction of proliferation (Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) that gives rise to a new missile threat for Russia,” Trubnikov said in an article included in the digest for an international conference on missile defense in Moscow.

History shows that relations with unstable states and radical regimes can rapidly deteriorate and their nuclear potential could become a real threat to Russian national security, Trubnikov said.

That is why Russia needs to work toward mutual understanding with the United States and NATO on the issue of missile defense, he said.

DTN News - RUSSIA DEFENSE NEWS: Iran, Pakistan, N. Korea May Pose Nuclear Threat to Russia - World's Nuclear States Map - World's Nuclear States Map

DTN News - RUSSIA DEFENSE NEWS: Iran, Pakistan, N. Korea May Pose Nuclear Threat to Russia - World's Nuclear States Map - World's Nuclear States Map

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: A nuclear-armed Iran, Pakistan and North Korea could potentially trigger regional chain reactions that ultimately threaten Russia's security, the former director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Vyacheslav Trubnikov, said.

“Even if Iran, Pakistan and North Korea are not Russian adversaries, their current and projected nuclear potential could destabilize the regional situation. It could trigger a chain reaction of proliferation (Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) that gives rise to a new missile threat for Russia,” Trubnikov said in an article included in the digest for an international conference on missile defense in Moscow.

History shows that relations with unstable states and radical regimes can rapidly deteriorate and their nuclear potential could become a real threat to Russian national security, Trubnikov said.

That is why Russia needs to work toward mutual understanding with the United States and NATO on the issue of missile defense, he said.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: Israel Gets Its 4th German-Made Nuke-Capable Submarine

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: Israel Gets Its 4th German-Made Nuke-Capable Submarine

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: Israel has taken delivery of its fourth German-made Dolphin-class submarine capable of carrying nuclear warheads with an operating range of 4,500 kilometers (2796 miles).

The INS Tannin submarine was delivered to Israeli naval officials in Hamburg, Germany on Thursday and is expected to undergo final tests before arriving in Israel in 2013, the Associated Press reported. 
Israeli Minister of Military Affairs Ehud Barak said that the submarine will increase Tel Aviv's capabilities and strength in the face of regional challenges. 

An Israeli navy official said the submarine can "stay underwater for longer." 

Israel had placed order with Germany for the submarine as well as its fifth Dolphin-class sub in 2006, while, in 2012, the two sides signed a contract for a sixth such submarine. The fifth and sixth orders are due for delivery in 2014 and 2016 respectively. 

Three earlier-model Dolphin submarines were delivered to Israel between 1998 and 2000. 

The Germans paid for the first two and split the cost of the third with Israel. Tel Aviv paid only one-third of the cost for the fourth one. 

Israel is the only possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East and has never allowed international inspections of its nuclear facilities nor has it joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty based on its policy of nuclear ambiguity. 

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Harmonizing European Defense Efforts

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Harmonizing European Defense Efforts

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: The European Union is trying to bring the defense programs of its 27 member nations into synchronicity before the budget boom is lowered on military spending. This harmonization has been a goal for several years, but now it has assumed greater urgency in a time of both greater limitations and more diverse missions.

With the United States the world’s undisputed military superpower and NATO the prevailing defense alliance, the European Union (EU) is striving to develop a military force among member nations that is both effective and efficient. It has participated in several multinational operations, some of which are ongoing. However, the EU force has yet to achieve a satisfactory complementary role with NATO, and the budgetary pressures that are affecting democracies around the world threaten to derail EU efforts to build a distinct military force with its own identity in the global security realm.

So, that force is working to improve its functionality in a time of rising demand and declining resources. Solutions for the two issues may go hand-in-hand as the continent grapples with achieving its long-term goals.

Gen. Håkan Syrén, SWN, is the chairman of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC). He states that solving most of the challenges facing the European Union may require the effective pooling and sharing of defense efforts, which will allow the European Union to attain greater operational effect without increases in spending. This approach would not entail all EU members engaging in the same activity; rather, it would involve clusters of nations cooperating in complementary ways. Areas where this approach would bear fruit quickly include training and exercising, procurement and surveillance, the general points out.

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing Wins $658 Million In Apache Helicopter Orders

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing Wins $658 Million In Apache Helicopter Orders

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: Boeing Co (BA) has won two U.S.Army orders worth $658 million for work on AH-64D Apache Block III helicopters for the U.S. military and Taiwan, the Pentagon said on Friday.

In a daily digest of major arms contracts, the Defense Department said Boeing had won a firm, fixed-price contract of $486 million for low-rate initial production of 51 remanufactured Apache helicopters in the new configuration.

Boeing began work on the orders in October, under a preliminary contract while it was finalizing the terms of the contract with the Army. Work on the helicopters is due to be completed by the end of November 2014.
Boeing also won a $172 million, firm-fixed-price contract to deliver an unspecified number of Apache Block III helicopters to Taiwan in a deal that would run through the end of 2014.
(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa)

*SPECIAL NOTICE - Typical Error: This article's original caption was "Boeing wins $668 million in Apache helicopter orders"., the amount should be $658 million per DoD Ref: 246-12 dated May 4, 2012 contracts awarded to Boeing as undermentioned;

-The Boeing Co., Mesa, Ariz., was awarded a $486,370,418 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the AH-64D Apache Block III low rate initial production and related support.  Work will be performed in Mesa, Ariz., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2014.  The bid was solicited through the Internet, with one bid received.  The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-C-0161).

 -The Boeing Co., Mesa, Ariz., was awarded a $171,777,672 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the procurement of Apache Block III aircraft and related services in support of Foreign Military Sales.  Work will be performed in Mesa, Ariz., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 30, 2014.  One bid was solicited, with one bid received.  The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-12-C-0089).

*Reference;
*DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated May 4, 2012
*U.S. Department of Defense Contracts No: 346-12 May 4, 2012