DTN News - PHILIPPINE DEFENSE NEWS: Philippine Air Force To Get 4 Polish-Made Brand New Helicopters

DTN News - PHILIPPINE DEFENSE NEWS: Philippine Air Force To Get 4 Polish-Made Brand New Helicopters 

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 8, 2012: Four brand new choppers for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will be turned over on Friday by a Polish manufacturer to the Philippine government, Malacañang said Thursday.

The four new aircraft signals the near completion of the initial phase of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Plan aimed at making the air force more equipped in performing its mandate, it said in a statement.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin will be the guest of honor during the formal turn-over of the choppers in a simple ceremony to be held at Air Force City in Clark, Pampanga.

PZL-SWIDNIK SA, a Polish manufacturing company headed by its president Mieczyslaw Majewski, will turn-over the initial four of eight SOKOL multi-purpose Combat Utility Helicopters (CUH) to the fleet of PAF under the Aquino administration's AFP modernization program.

The arrival of the brand new combat helicopter is part of the P2.8 billion acquisition contract between the AFP and PZL-SWIDNIK SA.

Certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), these six-tonne class twin-engine helicopters have been proven to be effective and reliable in all weather conditions. An added feature of the SOKOL helicopter includes its high flexibility and significant internal and external cargo capacity, making it capable of performing a wide range of operations and an excellent utility chopper.

Dubbed as "Back to Basics," the first phase of the Modernization Program focuses on improving the AFP’s ability to conduct Internal Security Operations. Under this phase, the target acquisition include eight combat utility helicopters, seven attack helicopters, one C-130 aircraft, a long-range patrol aircraft and 18 basic trainer aircraft.

For the Capability Upgrade Program, more advanced aircrafts are expected in Phases 2 and 3 where PAF-related components are grouped into the "Horizon Programs" with Horizon 2 expected to begin in the 2012 to 2016 time frame.

Under the Horizon 2, the Air Force expects the delivery of Territorial Defense assets such as Surface Attack Aircraft, Lead-in Fighter Trainers, Long-Range Patrol Aircraft, Air Defense Radar and a Special Mission aircraft, among other that will greatly boost the country’s defense stance against external threats.

Republic Act 7898 or the AFP Modernization Act of 1995 has provided the military an opportunity to modernize with a total fund of P331 billion.

The plan follows a strict schedule for upgrades in order to modernize the AFP to a level where it can effectively and fully perform its constitutional mandate to defend the sovereignty and protect and preserve the patrimony of the Republic. (SDR/Sunnex)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-philippine-defense-news.html

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Denies Obama Promised Bunker Busters To Netanyahu

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Denies Obama Promised Bunker Busters To Netanyahu

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 8, 2012: President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not discuss in their meetings this week a reported Israeli request for advanced U.S. military technology that could be used against Iran, the White House said on Thursday.

"In meetings the president had there was no such agreement proposed or reached," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. Obama and Netanyahu meet in the Oval office for two hours on Monday and then had lunch together.

Carney's comment came after an Israeli official quoted by the Maariv newspaper earlier on Thursday indicated that Israel has asked the United States for advanced "bunker-buster" bombs and refueling planes that could improve its ability to attack Iran's underground nuclear sites.

On Tuesday, Haaretz quoted a U.S. official as indicating that Netanyahu had asked Defense Secretary Leon Panetta for the GBU-28 bunker busting bombs as well as for advanced refueling aircraft.

The source added that Obama then instructed Panetta to start work on a request to work directly with Defense Minister Ehud Barak on the matter, indicating that the U.S. administration was inclined to look favorably upon the request as soon as possible.

Referring to the prospect of a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, Netanyahu told Channel 10 earlier Thursday that a strike of Iran's nuclear facilities could be a matter of years, saying:" If I don't make the right call [on Iran] maybe there won't be anyone to explain to."

"Who will I explain it to? The next generations? The ones that will not come?" the PM asked.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-israeli-defense-news-us-denies.html

DTN News - PAKISTAN NEWS: Pakistani Religious Group Rally To Condemn Quarns Burning At Bagram Airbase In Afghanistan

DTN News - PAKISTAN NEWS: Pakistani Religious Group Rally To Condemn Quarns Burning At Bagram Airbase In Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 8, 2012: Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Tanzeem-e-Islami hold a rally to condemn the disposal last week of a number of Qurans at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, March 3, 2012. (Photo - AP)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: The Defense Budget And American Power

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: The Defense Budget And American Power

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 7, 2012: Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking Member, other Members of the Committee, it is an honor to appear before the committee today. That is especially true for a Congressional Budget Office alum like myself who remembers well working for senators Domenici and Sasser and others some two decades ago, when the Cold War ended and we were collectively trying to reduce defense budgets responsibly. 

That is again our challenge today. As former chairman of the joint chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen, has persuasively argued, federal debt and with it the possible erosion of our national economic foundations have become national security threats themselves. I begin from the premises that the right dose of defense budget cutbacks, as part of comprehensive deficit reduction, can strengthen American power and influence over time. Put differently, it can be the least risky option—accepting some near-term, modest, and calculated reductions in military strength now to help shore up our longer-term economic prospects and with them our long-term national security. 

As I argued in my 2011 book, The Wounded Giant, no great power in history has remained great while its economy eroded. Trillion dollar deficits are not compatible with U.S. economic health, as Brookings colleagues such as Alice Rivlin have convincingly shown, and thus they are not compatible with long-term American global leadership. And as another Brookings colleague, Robert Kagan rightly argues in his new book, there is no credible alternative to U.S. leadership at present. Absent such leadership, the general stability among major powers that we take for granted in today’s world would no longer be such a given, and extremist states such as Iran and North Korea might feel further emboldened to assert themselves aggressively in their respective regions as well. The trick is to get the balance right, and to combine defense budget reductions of the right magnitude and character with other measures of fiscal restraint and revenue increases. 

The Obama administration’s new defense strategy and budget plan, building on earlier cuts made by Secretary Gates during his tenure in office, is a good step in the right direction in my eyes. In fact it gets us, responsibly, most of the way towards where we need to go in defense—even if I would submit respectfully that neither the administration nor the Congress has done as well in regard to entitlement spending or tax reform. As a result of this budget, national security spending would decline from current levels of about 4.5% of GDP to just over 3%. (For comparison, norms were 8 to 10 percent of GDP in the 1950s and 1960s, 5 to 6 percent in the 1970s and 1980s, 3 percent by the end of the 1990s, and 4 percent during most of the Bush presidency). Looked at differently, U.S. defense spending as a share of the global total will decline from about 45 percent in recent years to 35 percent or so, and the American military edge over China might decline from roughly 4:1 today (using Pentagon estimates of China’s actual military spending adjusted for purchasing power parity) to 3:1 within half a decade. 

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-defense-news-defense-budget.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Pentagon Helps New Stealth Fighter Cheat On Key Performance Test

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Pentagon Helps New Stealth Fighter Cheat On Key Performance Test

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 7, 2012: It seemed like a promising step for America’s next stealth fighter: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter passed a key Pentagon test of its combat capability. But it turns out that the family of jets cleared the mid-February exam only because its proctor agreed to inflate its grade. In essence, the military helped the F-35 cheat on its midterms.

The collusion between the Pentagon testing body, known as the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC), and the F-35 program — first reported by Inside Defense – confirmed that the US’ most expensive warplane met previously established performance criteria. Specifically, the review was meant to show that the jet can fly as far and take off as quickly as combat commanders say they need it to.

But the review council, which includes the vice chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, eased the standard flying profile of the Air Force’s F-35A model — thereby giving it a range boost of 30 miles. And it tacked an additional 15m onto the required takeoff distance for the Marines’ F-35B version, which US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta just took off budgetary probation.

The grade inflation comes at a critical time for the new warplane. The military’s new five-year budgeting blueprint, also released in February, cut more than 100 existing Air Force fighters while leaving intact plans to produce nearly 2500 F-35s — essentially doubling down on the new plane despite a recent report listing13 serious design flaws. The total cost to buy and fly the full fleet of F-35s over 50 years is estimated at around $US1 trillion, once inflation is factored in, making it the costliest defence program in

human history.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-defense-news-pentagon-helps.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: 10 Companies Profiting Most From War

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: 10 Companies Profiting Most From War

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 7, 2012: Global sales of arms and military services by the 100 largest defense contractors increased in 2010 to $411.1 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The increase reflects a decade-long trend of growing military spending. Since 2002, total arms sales among the 100 largest arms manufacturers have increased 60 percent.

The institute recently published its annual report on the leading arms producing companies in the world -- SIPRI Top 100. The report identifies the largest companies in the sector and provides each company’s arms sales as a percentage of its total sales. Based on the report, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 companies with the highest revenue from arms sales. These companies alone account for $230 billion -- over half of all arms sales that year.

While many industries continued to suffer in 2010 as a result of the financial crisis, leaders in the arms and military services were largely unaffected. According to SIPRI arms industry expert Susan Jackson, when sales dropped, it was not because of the financial crisis. Instead, Jackson notes that loss in sales was due to “the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq and the subsequent expected decrease in related equipment sales.”

The composition of the 10 largest manufacturers reflects the state of modern warfare. More and more, battles are fought remotely through air surveillance and strikes rather than on-the-ground combat. As a consequence, seven of the 10 largest companies are among the leading aerospace companies. Surveillance and battlefield communications also are increasingly important in modern warfare. All of the companies in the top 10 have significant electronics divisions.

Of the 100 companies on the list, 44 are based in the U.S., including Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. The American companies account for more than 60 percent of arms sales revenue of the 100 manufacturers. Seven of SIPRI’s top 10 are American, one is British, one is Italian and one is a multinational EU conglomerate. The U.S. federal government has contract deals with all seven American companies. These seven are among the top 10 U.S. federal contractors by amount procured, according to the government’s Federal Procurement Data System.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-defense-news-10-companies.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35A Takes Flight At Eglin

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35A Takes Flight At Eglin

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 7, 2012: The 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., flew its first local F-35 Lightning II sortie March 6, marking a major milestone for the Joint Strike Fighter training program.

Piloted by U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Eric Smith, Director of Operations for the 58th Fighter Squadron, the local orientation flight launched at 10:09 a.m. and included operational flight checks. An F-16 chase plane was piloted by Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, 58th Fighter Squadron Commander.

"Our first sortie is truly a milestone for the program," said Col. Andrew Toth, 33d Fighter Wing commander. "There has been a lot of preparation that has gone into this historic event. Our integrated training team members were truly excited to see the jet take off today."

Early in the flight, F-16 chase pilots observed a small amount of fluid venting from the F-35 aircraft. The pilot, following standard operating procedures, returned the aircraft safely back to the base after an approximate 20 minute flight.

"The objective for today was to be able to launch an aircraft out, conduct an operational check flight with the system, get it out to the airspace and then bring that aircraft back safely and effectively and we achieved many of those objectives," said Col. Toth.

"Since F-35s arrived last summer, we've been conducting engine runs and taxi operations, maintenance training with instructors and virtual trainers, as well as developing pilot curriculum. We completed multiple successful small group tryouts on our training systems and will continue to improve those processes as we prepare for training."

The wing's two F-35 pilots, in conjunction with its integrated team of military members, civilians and contractors, will begin to slowly build up their number of sorties with an initial goal of flying twice a week for the first couple of weeks and then steadily increasing the weekly sortie count.

"I'm very pleased with the work that's been done by our entire team to bring us to this phase in the F-35 program," said Gen. Edward Rice Jr., commander of Air Education and Training Command, who approved F-35 flight operations to begin. "We continue to make steady progress towards our goal of standing up a world class training program at Eglin."

The F-35 Integrated Training Center at Eglin AFB will be the benchmark for F-35 pilot and maintainers worldwide. The center includes pilot and maintenance training equipment, support, systems and facilities for all three aircraft variants and will train approximately 100 pilots and 2,200 maintainers annually.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-defense-news-f-35a-takes.html

DTN News - JAPAN DEFENSE NEWS: What If Japan Dumps Lockheed Martin?

DTN News - JAPAN DEFENSE NEWS: What If Japan Dumps Lockheed Martin?

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 7, 2012: Japan recently made its first public announcement that it may cancel its big order for Lockheed Martin's (NYS: LMT) F-35 fighter planes if the company adds to the pre-decided price or extends the delivery period of these planes. The cancellation can potentially wipe out more than $5 billion that Lockheed is expected to earn from the deal.

A flashback

After the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il late in 2011, uncertainty and instability cropped up in the Korean peninsula, an area where 1.7 million troops from North Korea, South Korea, and the U.S. are stationed. In the wake of North Korea improving its ballistic missiles and both Russia and China developing stealth fighters, Japan -- with the world's sixth-largest defense budget -- also planned on improving its air defense network.

Japan placed an order to buy 42 F-35 fighter jets, costing between $114 million and $122 million per unit. This marked the F-35's first win in a competitive tender, as well as Japan's costliest fighter jet procurement. The company is expected to begin delivery of the planes in 2016, beginning with four jets.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-japan-defense-news-what-if.html

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated March 6, 2012

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated March 6, 2012

  

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 6, 2012: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued  March 6, 2012 are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

NAVY

            Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc.*, Virginia Beach, Va. (N65236-12-D-4113); CDW Government, L.L.C., Vernon Hills, Ill. (N65236-12-D-4114); Global Technology Resources, Inc.*, Denver, Colo. (N65236-12-D-4115); GTSI Corp.*, Herndon, Va. (N65236-12-D-4116); iGov Technologies, Inc.*, McLean, Va. (N65236-12-D-4117); Mercom, Inc.*, Pawleys Island, S.C. (N65236-12-D-4118); Science Applications International Corp., McLean, Va. (N65236-12-D-4119); Scientific Research Corp., Atlanta, Ga. (N65236-12-D-4120); and World Wide Technology, Inc., St. Louis, Mo. (N65236-12-D-4121), are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price, multiple award supply contract for the procurement of commercial-off-the-shelf, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, information operations, and information awareness equipment and related incidental support services.  Each contractor will be awarded $11,111 at the time of award.  These contracts include options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative combined value of these contracts to an estimated $500,000,000.  Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Va.; Vernon Hills, Ill.; Denver, Colo.; Herndon, Va.; McLean, Va.; Pawleys Island, S.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; and St. Louis, Mo.  Work is expected to be completed by March 2013; if all options are exercised, work could continue until March 2017.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The multiple award contracts were competitively procured by full and open competition via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center e-Commerce Central website and the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 13 offers received.  The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, S.C. is the contracting activity.

            The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $8,086,000 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N00019-09-C-0019) to procure aircraft armament equipment for the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18 G fighter aircraft including 57 SUU-78 A/A pylons, and 40 ALE-50 well covers.  Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed in December 2014.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

            CareFusion Solutions, San Diego, Calif., was awarded a fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract with a maximum $75,000,000 for medical equipment, maintenance and/or spare parts/repair parts of medical equipment.  There are no other locations of performance.  Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies.  There were 70 responses to the Web solicitation.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012 through 2017 Defense Working Capital Funds.  The date of performance completion is March 5, 2017.  The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM2D1-12-D-8302).

AIR FORCE

            Applied Research Associates, Albuquerque, N.M., is being awarded a $15,295,188 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a program to develop technologies to aid the analyst in geolocating images and videos in any outdoor terrestrial location in the world.  The location of the performance is Albuquerque, N.M.  Work is expected to be completed Aug 6, 2016.  AFRL/PKDB, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-12-C-7214).

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-us-department-of-defense_06.html

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Ripple Effect From India's Biggest Defense Deal

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Ripple Effect From India's Biggest Defense Deal

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 6, 2012: First it was the United States that got annoyed, and now it is Britain's turn to ask some tough questions about its India policy. Ever since the French Rafale fighter was declared the lowest bidder in the multibillion dollar contract to provide a new generation fighter for the Indian Air Force, a debate has been raging in the United Kingdom as to what went wrong with Prime Minister David Cameron's charm offensive in wooing India.

His visit to India in 2010 was widely viewed as a highly successful. He made all the right noises in India about Pakistan and terrorism, and there was a sense that U.K.-India ties had finally turned a corner. The Cameron government has also decided to give India £1.4 billion between now and 2015, amounting to almost 1 percent of Britain's own £159 billion debt.

But when it came to the much sought-after Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract, France was the winner and the Eurofighter, produced by a consortium of four nations, including Britain's BAE systems, lost. Apparently, saying the right things and giving aid doesn't get you any influence in New Delhi!

From the very beginning, this saga has been rather interesting. Last year in April, India rejected bids by Lockheed Martin and Boeing (along with Russian and Swedish bids) for the $10 billion-plus contract for the 126 combat aircraft, despite extensive lobbying by the U.S. military-industrial complex, supported by President Barack Obama himself.

Nothing works better in New Delhi than a putdown to the U.S. — and that was quite a snub indeed! Instead, New Delhi short-listed Dassault Aviation's Rafale and the Eurofighter Consortium's Typhoon. There were extensive field trials, and technical considerations ostensibly drove the final decision. But the dismay in Washington was widespread and, to some extent, understandable given the investment that the U.S. has made in cultivating India in recent years.

The focus then shifted to the French vs. British, Rafale vs. Eurofighter rivalry in which the French came out on top. Dassault Aviation, Rafale's French manufacturer, will be entering into commercial negotiations with India over the next few months before final deals are signed. As this is a company that has been struggling to get foreign buyers, it would be keen on signing the contract more or less on Indian terms.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-india-defense-news-ripple.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing Delivers 1st P-8A Poseidon Production Aircraft To US Navy‏

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing Delivers 1st P-8A Poseidon Production Aircraft To US Navy‏

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 6, 2012: Boeing [NYSE: BA] on March 4 officially delivered the first production P-8A Poseidon aircraft to the U.S. Navy in Seattle. The P-8A is the first of 13 anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft Boeing will deliver as part of a low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract awarded in 2011.

“Delivering this capability to the warfighter is the ultimate goal and we’re proud to be able to meet our commitment and hand over the P-8A ‘keys’ to the Navy fleet,” said Chuck Dabundo, Boeing vice president and P-8 program manager. “This is a great day for Boeing, our supplier teammates and our Navy customer.”

“The Navy fleet is more than ready to receive the P-8A, which will provide the users and operators a step increase in mission capabilities,” said Rear Admiral Paul Grosklags, U.S. Navy Program Executive Officer for Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault & Special Mission Programs. “Thanks to Boeing and the entire team for its efforts and great partnership to date.”

Following delivery in Seattle, Navy pilots flew the first production P-8A, LRIP1-1, to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., where it will be used for aircrew training.

The Poseidon team is using a first-in-industry in-line production process that draws on Boeing’s Next-Generation 737 production system. All P-8A-unique aircraft modifications are made in sequence during fabrication and assembly.

Along with production aircraft, the P-8A team also has built and is testing six flight-test and two ground-test aircraft. The flight-test aircraft are based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and have completed more than 1,500 flight hours.

A derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800, the Poseidon is built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation.

The Navy plans to purchase 117 Boeing 737-based P-8A aircraft to replace its P-3 fleet. Initial operational capability is planned for 2013.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-defense-news-boeing-delivers.html

DTN News - CHINA THE FIRE DRAGON : Assessing China's Strategy ~ By Stratfor

DTN News - CHINA THE FIRE DRAGON : Assessing China's Strategy ~ By Stratfor

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 6, 2012: Simply put, China has three core strategic interests.

Paramount among them is the maintenance of domestic security. Historically, when China involves itself in global trade, as it did in the 19th and early 20th century, the coastal region prospers, while the interior of China -- which begins about 100 miles from the coast and runs about 1,000 miles to the west -- languishes. Roughly 80 percent of all Chinese citizens currently have household incomes lower than the average household income in Bolivia. Most of China's poor are located west of the richer coastal region; this disparity of wealth time and again has exposed tensions between the interests of the coast and those of the interior. After a failed rising in Shanghai in 1927, Mao Zedong exploited these tensions by undertaking the Long March into the interior, raising a peasant army and ultimately conquering the coastal region. He shut China off from the international trading system, leaving China more united and equal, but extremely poor.

The current government has sought a more wealth-friendly means of achieving stability: buying popular loyalty with mass employment. Plans for industrial expansion are implemented with little thought to markets or margins; instead, maximum employment is the driving goal. Private savings are harnessed to finance the industrial effort, leaving little domestic capital to purchase the output. China must export accordingly.

China's second strategic concern derives from the first. China's industrial base by design produces more than its domestic economy can consume, so China must export goods to the rest of the world while importing raw materials. The Chinese therefore must do everything possible to ensure international demand for their exports. This includes a range of activities, from investing money in the economies of consumer countries to establishing unfettered access to global sea-lanes.

The third strategic interest is in maintaining control over buffer states. The population of the historic Han Chinese heartland is clustered in the eastern third of the country, where ample precipitation distinguishes it from the much more dry and arid central and western thirds. China's physical security therefore depends on controlling the four non-Han Chinese buffer states that surround it: Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Tibet. Securing these regions means China can insulate itself from Russia to the north, any attack from the western steppes, and any attack from India or Southeast Asia.

Controlling the buffer states provides China geographical barriers -- jungles, mountains, steppes and the Siberian wasteland -- that are difficult to surmount and creates a defense in depth that puts any attacker at a grave disadvantage.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-china-fire-dragon-assessing.html

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Air Force And Army Conducting Joint Military Exercise In NEFA

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS:  Air Force And Army Conducting Joint Military Exercise In NEFA

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 5, 2012: The air force and the army are conducting an exercise across the eastern and northeastern states to test defences and special operations in the event of hostilities with China. This is the largest exercise of its kind.

“This time we are focused on the Brahmaputra Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Mizoram to exercise our entire capabilities in all roles in conjunction with the army to disrupt enemy intrusion and take the battle to the adversary,” Air Marshal M. Matheswaran, senior air staff officer of the Shillong-headquartered Eastern Air Command, told The Telegraph.

Codenamed “Pralay”, the exercise was designed by the Calcutta-headquartered Eastern Army Commander, Lt General Bikram Singh, and the Eastern Air Commander, Air Marshal S. Varthaman.

The exercise area is spread over the eight northeastern states and Bengal but action is mostly concentrated along the Brahmaputra Valley and Arunachal.

The air force has also deployed its assets from other commands to the east and northeast for the exercise, which is expected to conclude on March 3. “Pralay” began on February 29 but the mobilisation for it started on February 20.

More than 70 aircraft — including the airborne warning and control system (AWACS) planes, Sukhoi 30MKi, MiG-29, MiG-27 and Mirage 2000 combat planes — have been deployed.

This is the first time that the Israeli Phalcon AWACS are being tested in a simulated combat environment on such a scale. AWACS are designed to detect, acquire and designate targets for other fighter aircraft. Mid-air refuellers have also been deployed to practise long-range strike missions.

“Drills that will help us validate joint operational directives in the valleys and the hills are being emphasised,” Matheswaran said.

The air force spokesperson, Wing Commander Gerard Galway, said the eastern command holds an annual exercise. But the deployment of assets from the western and central air commands to the east shows that the scale this time is much larger.

The war-gamed scenario is of a short but intense conflict. Matheswaran said the AFNET — the air force’s own optic-fibre cable grid — was being used for voice, data and visual communication.

“This exercise is bringing out the net-centric capabilities that we are developing,” he said. The exercise would culminate by concentrating on a few unspecified areas in Assam and Arunachal.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-india-defense-news-air-force.html

DTN News - RUSSIA DEFENSE NEWS: Northern Fleet Gets Modernized Anti-Submarine Plane

DTN News - RUSSIA DEFENSE NEWS: Northern Fleet Gets Modernized Anti-Submarine Plane

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 5, 2012: The Russian Navy's Northern Fleet has accepted into service a modernized Ilyushin Il-38N anti-submarine warfare aircraft, which will also carry out electronic intelligence (ELINT) duties, the Northern Fleet's press spokesman Captain Vadim Serga said on Monday.

"A modernized Il-38N was accepted into service at a Northern Fleet air base" he said. "It has a wider range of combat capabilities. These aircraft can be used for mapping the magnetic and gravitational fields of the Northern Ice sea, and also for conducting scientific oceanographic research and underwater and air reconnaissance," he added.

He did not specify if the aircraft was the first of its type to be delivered to the Northern Fleet.

The majority of the fleet's Il-38s will be modernized to the new standard, according to a source who spoke to RIA Novosti. The Il-38N is fitted with the Novella sensor system, capable of detecting targets within a 320 km radius of the aircraft as well as radar observation of underwater, surface and airborne targets.

The Novella system includes a digital computer manned by two operators. The system also has a new high resolution thermal imaging system, a magnetic anomaly detection system, an optical detection system (including laser, TV and thermal channels), gravitational anomaly detector and other equipment.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-russia-defense-news-northern.html

DTN News - AUSTRALIAN DEFENSE NEWS: Quickstep Wins Military Aircraft Contract

DTN News - AUSTRALIAN DEFENSE NEWS: Quickstep Wins Military Aircraft Contract

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 5, 2012: Australia's Quickstep Holdings says it has been awarded the tender to build part of the C-130J Hercules military transport aircraft.

The Perth-based company said on Monday it would be the sole supplier of the wing flaps on Lockheed Martin's C-130J.

Quickstep managing director Philippe Odouard said in a statement the wing flaps would be built at Bankstown Airport in Sydney's west and could create 60 jobs.

The Bankstown site was previously used by current supplier Boeing Aerostructures Australia, before it consolidated its manufacturing facilities at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne.

Quickstep said first aircraft parts were due to be delivered in 2014 and that it had secured a right of first refusal on most of Boeing's existing C-130J manufacturing facilities at Bankstown Airport in Sydney.

The company closed up 2.5 cents, or 15.15 per cent, at 19 cents.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-australian-defense-news.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Fifth Generation Fighters Crucial To Air Superiority

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Fifth Generation Fighters Crucial To Air Superiority


(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 5, 2012: The Air Force is the world's most advanced air and space force and, with the integration of fifth generation aircraft, is gaining new tactical advantages that transcend beyond just stealth into areas such as enhanced maneuverability, multi-role capabilities and fused sensor and avionics systems that can communicate with other weapons systems.


That's why it is imperative that U.S. forces continue to develop and begin to use fifth-generation fighters as they transition to the new Pacific-based strategy, according to Lt. Gen. Herbert J. "Hawk" Carlisle, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.


During the Air Force Association monthly breakfast here Feb. 28, he said fifth-generation fighters, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the F-22 Raptor, are critical to maintaining air superiority and global precision attack core competencies.


"The threat environment is continuing to grow, so as we look at how we're going to maintain those competencies in the future, that's where fifth generation fighters come in," he said. "It's not just about stealth."


"The F-22 is better than any other aircraft in the world at air-to-ground except for the F-35, and the F-35 is better than any other aircraft in the world at air-to-air except for the F-22," said Carlisle.


The general said the Air Force can continue to maintain the most elite fourth generation aircraft in the world, but that won't prepare the U.S. to handle threats in the future.
"Our Air Force has got to keep evolving to meet these new challenges as we move forward into the future," said Carlisle.


To illustrate this evolution and fifth generation fighter jet technology, the general shared a scenario in which an F-22 data-links coordinates to a Navy submarine-launched tomahawk missile onto a target.


"Now you have two stealth platforms, a submarine and an F-22, communicating with naval ordnance," he said.


That level of interoperability is a large part of what makes the fifth generation aircraft so vital to the Air Force and U.S. military in general, he added. Aircraft must not only be stealth, but also be highly maneuverable, be able to conduct multiple roles, and these aircraft must also be able to handle sensor and avionics information in a network integrated way not only for the pilot, but for the entire joint force.


"We have to have a fused system capability and have them networked and integrated across the force," he said. "To me, that's as important on a fifth-generation fighter as anything."


http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-defense-news-fifth-generation.html

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Helicopter Makers Such As Boeing, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp, Bell Helicopter Eye Indian Military Deals

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Helicopter Makers Such As Boeing, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp, Bell Helicopter Eye Indian Military Deals

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 5, 2012:  A raft of helicopter makers such as Boeing, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp, Bell Helicopter, Eurocopter andAgustaWestland are hovering over the civil market in India. But they are also eyeing a bigger prize: military deals. The Indian armed forces are upgrading their ageing fleet and that means big orders and big money, running into billions of dollars, for these companies. 

According to Reuters, Indian Navy plans to induct 50 light helicopters. First off the block is an order for 16 multi role helicopters. Indian Army has a joint requirement for about 400 light helicopters along with the Air Force. Some companies are upbeat about the recent contact to buy war planes worth $15 billion that the government awarded to France's Dassault Rafale. 

Mick Maurer, president of Sikorsky Military Systems, says the procurement process in India is getting better. "It is more rigorous and more transparent. We believe that suits us very well." Maurer says in the long term, Sikorsky sees a 3:1 ratio vis-a-vis the military and commercial sales in terms of the size of the market. But he says both are very complementary markets. Many of the machines can be used for commercial and quasi-defence activities. 

If the civil copter market in India has come alive, it is thanks to the armed forces. Foreign companies in the defence market are bound by what is called offset obligations. India's defence procurement policy rules that foreign companies require that win contracts of 300 crore or more must procure equipment worth at least 30% of the deal amount from local suppliers to boost the homegrown arms industry. 

The Indian military has also become smarter, according to foreign company executives. "Sometimes manufacturers give a special price on aircraft, but raise the price on the support side. India has become aware of this and now looks at the total lifecycle costs in deals," says Maurer. 

The upshot is that companies like Sikorsky and Eurocopter have partnered Indian counterparts to set up base in India. Sikorsky has formed two joint ventures with the Tatas to make helicopter cabins and aircraft components. Eurocopter, which formed an Indian unit in 2010, has tieups with the Mahindras, the Tatas and governmentowned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. AgustaWestland, the helicopter unit of Finmeccanica SpA of Italy, has a joint venture with the Tatas called Indian Rotorcraft. 

All these companies plan to expand in India. Textron, the parent company of Bell Helicopter, has opened a new global technology centre in Bangalore with more than 400 engineers. Bell plans to expand the workforce there over the next year, says the company's India head, BS Singh Deo. An AgustaWestland spokesman says the company recently opened a new larger office in Delhi. Copter makers are also expanding the customer support network by establishing authorised service centres along with a posse of engineers and technicians. 

All this bodes well for the commercial market. The AgustaWestland spokesman says construction work is about to start on the Indian Rotorcraft's facility in Hyderabad , which will produce the company's eight-seat utility helicopter AW119. Sikorsky eventually plans to produce helicopters that are virtually "100% done here" . "We are already a local company," says Maurer. 

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-india-defense-news-helicopter.html

DTN News - KOREAN PENINSULA NEWS: North Korea's Kim Visits DMZ, Orders High Alert

DTN News - KOREAN PENINSULA NEWS: North Korea's Kim Visits DMZ, Orders High Alert

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 4, 2012: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (front) looks at South Korea through binoculars as he visits the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, south of Pyongyang in this undated picture released by the North's KCNA news agency on March 4, 2012.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-north-korean-defense-news-kim.html

DTN News - KOREAN PENINSULA NEWS: North Korea's Kim Orders High Alert During DMZ Visit

DTN News - KOREAN PENINSULA NEWS: North Korea's Kim Orders High Alert During DMZ Visit

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 4, 2012:  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un points towards South Korea as he visits the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, south of Pyongyang in this undated picture released by the North's KCNA news agency on March 4, 2012.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-north-korean-defense-news-kim.html

DTN News - KOREAN PENINSULA NEWS: North Korean Soldiers Take Part In Anti-South Korea Rally In Pyongyang

DTN News - KOREAN PENINSULA NEWS: North Korean Soldiers Take Part In Anti-South Korea Rally In Pyongyang

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 4, 2012: Soldiers take part in an anti-South Korea rally in Pyongyang in this still image taken from video broadcast by North Korean state TV on March 4, 2012. 

North Korea threatened "sacred war" against the South in a huge rally in the capital on Sunday just days after the secretive state agreed with the United States to suspend its nuclear weapons tests and allow back international nuclear inspectors.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-north-korean-defense-news-kim.html

DTN News - PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA 2012: Putin Wins Russian Presidential Election-Exit Polls

DTN News - PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA 2012: Putin Wins Russian Presidential Election-Exit Polls

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 4, 2012: Vladimir Putin won a resounding victory in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed, securing a new six-year term in the Kremlin and a mandate to deal with opposition protests after a vote that opponents said was marred by fraud.

Two television exit polls, released after voting ended at 1700 GMT, forecast the former KGB spy would win 59.3 and 58.3 percent of the votes, enough to make a runoff against the second-placed candidate unnecessary.

His nearest rival, communist Gennady Zyuganov, fell short of 20 percent in both polls.

Putin's opponents said voting in many parts of the vast country was skewed to help him return to the presidency after four years as prime minister and vowed to step up the biggest protests since he rose to power 12 years ago.

But although they portray him as an authoritarian ruler who is out of touch, his victory had not been in any doubt.

The main challenge for Putin, credited by many Russians credit with rebuilding the country's image and overseeing an economic boom, was to win outright in the first round.

"I think the elections will be legitimate, fair, and Putin will win in the first round, unless the court rules otherwise," Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, was shown saying on Internet and cable television channel TV Dozhd before voting ended.

Putin was likely to portray the victory as strong backing against the opposition protesters, although he has promised not to crack down on them.

He is also expected to return to the Kremlin with tough fighting talk against the West, a trademark of his first presidency and election campaign.

Some voters expressed anger at being offered no real choice in a vote pitting Putin against four others - communist Zyuganov, nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, ex-parliamentary speaker Sergei Mironov and billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.

Others said Putin, 59, who has portrayed himself as a man of action and guardian of stability, was the tough national leader the world's biggest country and energy producer needed.

"I voted for Putin because he was a good president and our children were looked after and that's all. That's how I feel," said Maria Fedotova, a 92-year-old grandmother wrapped up in fur coat and hat, flanked by relatives.

Putin has remained Russia's dominant leader and its most popular politician since stepping aside in 2008 to make way for his ally, Dmitry Medvedev, because he was barred from a third straight term by the constitution.

But some voters are tired of his macho antics, such as horse riding bare chested, and a system that concentrates power in his hands. They fear he could win two more terms, ruling until 2024 - almost as long as Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Vote monitors from the opposition and bloggers posted allegations of election rigging across the country of 143 million. Golos, an independent monitoring group, said it had registered at least 2,283 reports of violations nationwide.

An Interior Ministry spokesman denied there had been any major violations. Election officials also dismissed reports of widespread fraud in a parliamentary election on Dec. 4 which triggered the opposition protests.

Thousands of opposition activists as well as an international observer mission were also monitoring the polls.

The opposition protests were sparked by the disputed Dec. 4 election, but anger was focused at Putin, who bungled the Sept. 24 announcement of his presidential bid by appearing simply to inform Russians that he would rule for another six years.

Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition leader and anti-corruption blogger, said before the vote that Putin's election could not be legitimate and called for more protests, including tent camps in Moscow. (Writing by Timothy Heritage, Editing by Douglas Busvine)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-presidential-elections-in.html

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR NEWS: U.S. Soldiers At Forward Operating Base Connolly In Nangarhar Province, Eastern Afghanistan

DTN News - AFGHAN WAR NEWS:  U.S. Soldiers At Forward Operating Base Connolly In Nangarhar Province, Eastern Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 4, 2012: U.S. soldiers from Comanche Troop, 3rd Squadron 4th Cavalry congratulate three fellow soldiers from their unit after a military re-enlistment ceremony at Forward Operating Base Connolly in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan March 4, 2012.

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DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Military Budget Tops $100 Billion

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Military Budget Tops $100 Billion

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 4, 2012: China's official defence spending will rise by 11.2% in 2012, pushing it above $100bn (£65bn) for the first time, the government has announced.

Beijing's defence budget has risen each year for two decades to become the world's second-biggest, behind the US.

It is developing an aircraft carrier, a stealth fighter jet, and missiles that can shoot down satellites.

The US promised to bolster its presence in the region last year, in a move seen as countering China's dominance.

Washington, which spends about $740bn on defence each year, already has bases housing thousands of American troops across the region.

The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says Chinese officials remain wary about growing American influence in the region, and believe Washington wants to encircle China.

'Peaceful development'

China's emerging military might has especially worried its near neighbours.

China has long-running territorial disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan, and has also positioned hundreds of missiles for a potential attack on Taiwan, which it views as part of its territory.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-china-defense-news-china.html

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: Setting The Record Straight By Obama And Israel

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: Setting The Record Straight By Obama And Israel

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 4, 2012: When President Obama addresses the annual conference of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) next week, he will be given an important opportunity to set the record straight on his administration's handling of U.S.-Israel relations. The president's outreach to the Arab and Muslim world, as well as his policy and personal differences with Prime Minister Netanyahu, have led to charges that he is either insufficiently "pro-Israel" or downright "anti-Israel." While these critics are a minority within the American Jewish community -- Obama won 78 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008 and will likely receive similar backing in November -- they and their Christian fundamentalist allies will be present in large numbers at the AIPAC gathering, which tends to disproportionately attract hawks on Israel.

Charges against Obama's pro-Israel credentials are ill-informed but have become all the more pronounced in this election year. GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney alleged that the president "threw Israel under the bus" when he announced last May that the foundation for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement would be a return to the pre-1967 borders, with adjustments based on demographic changes. Yet Obama's statement was consistent with more than a decade of U.S. policy dating to the Clinton Parameters of December 2000. It also echoed a widely-held view in Israel that was articulated by Netanyahu's predecessor, Ehud Olmert.

Chomping at the bit to take a swipe at Obama, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum made a similar throwing-Israel-under-the-bus accusation, suggesting that Obama would accept a nuclear Iran in return for a continued flow of oil. Newt Gingrich has likewise entered the fray in an ironic way, accusing the administration of being "out of touch with reality" for its approach to Middle East peace, while, at the same time, repeating the old canard that the Palestinians are an "invented" people.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-israeli-defense-news-setting.html