Sunday, June 20, 2010

DTN News: G-20 Toronto Summit - Canada 2010

Defense War News Updates: DTN News: G-20 Toronto Summit - Canada 2010
*Since G-20 Toronto Summit - Canada 2010 being held in our Großstadt, DTN News would feature major participants Brazil, Russia, India And China (BRIC) in the coming days.
Source: DTN News By Roger Smith - Special Feature
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 21, 2010: The 2010 G-20 Toronto Summit is the fourth meeting of the G-20 heads of government in discussion of financial markets and the world economy, which will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Set to take place during June 26—27, 2010, the summit was initially proposed to take place in the town of Huntsville, which was also chosen as the host of the concurrent 36th G8 summit, by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The town was later deemed insufficient to provide hospitality for the large number of G-20 delegates and journalists, thus the G-20 summit was later finalized to take place in Toronto.
In his welcome speech at the G-20 sherpas' meeting, Harper announced the theme of the Toronto summit would be Recovery and New Beginnings, referring to an economic stimulus from the impact of the ongoing world recession. The Toronto summit's agenda calls for evaluating the progress of the financial sector reform, further developing sustainable stimulus measures, discussion of global bank tax, and promoting open markets.Since April 2010, an Integrated Security Unit, consisting of police officers from different regional departments, have been working on security in the Downtown core, where the summit will take place. Police officials have chosen locations to detain protestors and map traffic detours which would be in place during the two day summit. Several local events which were set to take place during the time of the summit, especially the Blue Jays' three-game series against Philadelphia, have been affected due to their proximity to the summit location. Total security cost for both summits was estimated to be over $1 billion, making it the largest and most expensive security operation in Canadian history.
Security
Security officials began preparing for summit security as early as April 2010. Policing and patrolling will be provided by the Toronto Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canadian Forces. The Peel Regional Police will aid in policing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga during the arrivals of world leaders. The five departments formed an Integrated Security Unit (ISU), similar to the ISU created during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
According to the Globe and Mail, 10,000 uniformed police officers, 1,000 security guards, and several Canadian military forces will be deployed during the summit. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) conducted Amalgam Virgo exercises on May 6-7 across the Greater Toronto Area using CF-18 Hornet jets, CH-124 Sea Kings and CH-146 Griffon helicopters at low altitudes. The total cost for security at both the G8 and the G-20 summits was determined to be $1.1 billion. The entire cost will be handled by the federal government, excluding local business damages.
The security perimeter begins with the outer boundary, specifically bordered by King Street to the north, Lake Shore Boulevard to the south, Yonge Street to the east, and Spadina Avenue to the west, which will be restricted to security officials and G-20 delegates only. Residents who live within the security zone were issued registration cards prior to the summit. Other pedestrians who wish to enter the security zone are required to present two pieces of photo identification and provide reasoning for entry. The surrounding area of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, itself, will be fenced and off-limits to civilians and protestors. Erecting the $5.5 million 3 metre-high unscalable fence began June 7. Toronto Police installed 77 additional closed-circuit television security cameras in the area and purchased four Long Range Acoustic Devices which would be in use exclusively during the summit.

Participants of the Toronto summit were announced by Stephen Harper on May 8, 2010. Harper extended invitations to the leaders ofEthiopia and Malawi to further represent the continent of Africa, along with South Africa, already a G-20 member. Netherlands, Spain,Vietnam, and later Nigeria were also invited. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Labour Organization, as well as Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Vietnam will make their first G-20 summit attendances in Toronto.

National representatives

G-20 members
Guest nations

Regional organizations

International organizations

A film studio located on Eastern Avenue was designated as a temporary holding centre for any individuals that may be arrested during the time of the summit. Toronto Police announced that Trinity Bellwoods Park would be the site for protesters, but following major opposition from local communities, police relocated the protesting site to north of Queen's Park. Canada Post announced that it will be removing any post boxes in the security zone. Toronto Parking Authority removed some parking meters in the security zone. Small trees along sidewalks around the convention centre were removed to prevent them from being used as weapons by protestors. Bus shelters, benches, and public trash cans were also removed from sidewalks.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com
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Saturday, June 5, 2010

DTN News: India Can Thrust War On Pakistan, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Tells Nato

Defense War News Updates: DTN News: India Can Thrust War On Pakistan, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Tells Nato
* Gilani shows concern over increase in New Delhi’s military budget
Source: The News (Pakistan Media) By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir & Asim Yasin Dt. Saturday, June 05, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) BRUSSELS, Belgium - June 6, 2010: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, while pointing towards the Pakistan-specific Indian military doctrines such as the Cold Start, has urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) to take active interest in South Asian security perspective.
“We remain concerned over Pakistan-specific Indian military doctrines such as the Cold Start envisaging a limited conventional war under the nuclear overhang, huge increase in Indian military budget and massive weapon acquisitions,” he said.
“These together with discriminatory policies especially in the nuclear and technological arena have accentuated the regional imbalance in South Asia,” he said while addressing the North Atlantic Council (NAC) here on Friday. Gilani said it was a nuclearised region and issues of peace, strategic stability and security pose formidable challenges to Pakistan and impinge on global peace and security.
He said Pakistan-India relations had a significant bearing on South Asian security, adding, unfortunately, outstanding disputes such as Kashmir, Siachen, and Sir Creek continue to fester and require a just and peaceful resolution.
“Our region is also water stressed. As a lower riparian, these water issues have started to impact Pakistan’s agriculture and the wellbeing of our people,” he added. Prime Minister Gilani said issues of peace and security, in particular, strategic stability needed to be addressed in a forthright manner.
Gilani said Pakistan believed that all these and other issues between Pakistan and India must be resolved peacefully through dialogue. Prime Minister Gilani said regrettably since the past two years, the composite dialogue process was stalled, adding the ostensible reason given by India was the Mumbai terror attack.
He, however, pointed out that Pakistan acted swiftly to get the suspects arrested. “We have done our utmost to bring the perpetrators to justice. We have indicated to India that only serious, sustained and pragmatic cooperation is the sure way of addressing each others concerns on terrorism.”
Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan had suggested that the Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism be reactivated, adding: “We desire good neighbourly and cooperative relations with India”. He said Pakistan and India had no option, but to resolve peacefully all outstanding disputes including Kashmir, Siachen and water.
“We must also work closely on eliminating terrorism and forging closer economic and trade relations,” he added. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani while vowing not to allow any space to terrorists in Pakistan said the country had done and accomplished more in Afghanistan than the international forces. He focused on Pakistan relations with Nato, Afghanistan and India and said it knew fully well how to plan its strategy to cope with all challenges it was confronting. “We know better than most outsiders how best to prosecute our counter-terror efforts,” he said and added Pakistan had not only proven its ability to do so but also managed the internally dislocated people by terrorism in a short span of time.
“We would never allow terrorism and violent extremism to overtake our way of life, our culture, our traditions and disrupt our societal harmony,” he said. The prime minister said Pakistan had utilised its own national capacity to effectively deal with militancy and terror imposed from across the border from Afghanistan.
He said the turbulence in Pakistan’s adjoining regions had continued to have a serious detrimental effect on realising the full development potential.
The Pakistani nation, Gilani said, was fully united in eliminating the menace of terrorism and mentioned that his government had given political ownership to the counterterrorism campaign that was being brilliantly executed by the Pakistan Armed Forces and the security agencies.
“It is our national resolve not to allow terrorists any space on our territory. Equally, we will not permit the use of territory of our neighbours for sponsoring, supporting or abetting acts of terror against Pakistan.”
Gilani said Pakistan had done more and accomplished more than the international forces in adjoining Afghanistan. “All this has been at a considerable cost. Over 30,000 casualties, $50 billion worth of losses in property and infrastructure and thousands of disabilities. The economic costs are astounding. Yet we will press ahead and will not relent.”
Gilani said he was here at the Nato headquarters to seek understanding, and neither acknowledgement nor gratitude. “Pakistan has done its utmost. We will continue to do what is right and just. We do it for our own sake.”
He said Pakistan was happy to partner with Nato on the anti-terrorism front. “We only want you to understand that we are fully capable of determining how best to proceed in the prevailing environment given our national capacities,” he stressed.
“Pakistan and Nato share a common objective of making the regional and global pace possible and the close practical cooperation between the Nato and Pakistan, which we have been able to foster in recent years, is crucial for achieving the cherished goal,” said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani at a joint press conference with Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen here at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels.
“We agreed that Pakistan and Nato will jointly cooperate to defeat terrorism,” said Nato Secretary General Rasmussen. In a reply to a question, the Nato secretary general said the organisation would consider the option, if Pakistan requested for the training of its civil law enforcement agencies. “We have already military to military cooperation and agree that the cooperation should expand,” he added.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com
Disclaimer statement
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein, DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed herein are those of the author of the page and do not necessarily represent the corporate views of DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News.
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DTN News: Canada Accepts First Of 17 Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules

Defense War News Updates: DTN News: Canada Accepts First Of 17 Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules
Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin Dt. June 4th, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) MARIETTA, Ga., - June 5, 2010: Canada formally accepted the first of 17 Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-130J Super Hercules aircraft today at ceremonies here and at Canadian Forces Base Trenton.
Canada finalized its CC-130J contract with Lockheed Martin in December 2007, with a subsequent agreement from the U.S. Air Force to ensure an early delivery of the first two Canadian aircraft. The balance will be delivered by the end of 2012. The CC-130Js (the Canadian designation) are the "stretched" configuration of the C-130J and are of similar specification to those already operated by the U.S. and other worldwide air forces.
"This year is the 50th anniversary of the first CC-130 Hercules aircraft accepted by Canada," said the Honourable Peter MacKay, the Canadian Minister of National Defence. "I am proud to mark this milestone by welcoming the J-model Hercules into our fleet – on budget and on schedule – ensuring the Canadian Forces have the equipment it needs to be a modern, multi-role force able to take on the challenges of the 21st century."
"Lockheed Martin is proud to again support Canada and the Canadian Forces," said Tony Frese, Lockheed Martin C-130J program director. "The C-130J Super Hercules is an operationally proven platform and the ideal aircraft to replace Canada's existing C 130 fleet. The current C-130s have been Canada's indomitable workhorse for decades and this new aircraft will now meet the demanding tactical airlift needs of the Canadian Forces."
The C-130J generates greater operational efficiency than Canada's existing E and H models, by flying further, faster, with more payload and higher reliability. The aircraft's increased performance gives it an enhanced range with a payload capability of over 4,000 nautical miles. In addition, its short-field performance allows the aircraft to engage in direct support missions for frontline forces down to the last tactical mile.
C-130Js are currently deployed in several theatres and are operating at a high tempo efficiently and reliably. C-130Js are used daily for troop and equipment re-supply via ground delivery and airdrop, for air-to-air refueling, ground refueling, humanitarian relief and search and rescue.
Lockheed Martin recently announced the team of Canadian companies that will provide maintenance and support for Canada's new CC 130J fleet. The initial in-service support (ISS) contract period is for six-and-a-half years from contract award in December 2009 to June 30, 2016.
"Through a rigorous and competitive process, we assembled a team to support Canada's CC 130J fleet that rivals any such team in the world," Frese said."This team – as well as the expertise and capabilities in Canada to fulfill our industrial benefits obligation – stands as a testament to the quality of Canada's high-technology industrial base."
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.
Media Contact:
Peter Simmons
Office: 770-494-6208
Mobile: 678-662-4747
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DTN News: Burma's Military Budget To Increase Significantly

Defense War News Updates: DTN News: Burma's Military Budget To Increase Significantly
*In 2009, Burma signed a contract with Russia for the purchase of 20 MiG-29 jet fighters at a cost of nearly US $570 million.
Source: DTN News / Irrawaddy
(NSI News Source Info) YANGON, Myanmar - June 5, 2010: At the four-monthly meeting of Burma's top generals held in Naypyidaw during the last week of May, the junta significantly increased its military budget from last year, according to sources close to the Burmese military.
A military source told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that although the amount budgeted to the military is unavailable, it is known to be much larger than last year's military budget. “The money allocated to the military was budgeted under the heading 'Defense Budget', but there was no specific line items for separate expenses,” he said.
The military source added, however, that it is generally believed that large military equipment purchases will be made within the next six months.
In 2009, Burma signed a contract with Russia for the purchase of 20 MiG-29 jet fighters at a cost of nearly US $570 million.
Analysts believe that many of Burma's future military purchases may come from North Korea.
According to a report by UN experts obtained by The Associated Press last month, North Korea is exporting nuclear and ballistic missile technology and using multiple intermediaries, shell companies and overseas criminal networks to circumvent UN sanctions.
The UN's seven-member panel monitoring the implementation of sanctions against North Korea said its research indicates that Pyongyang is involved in banned nuclear and ballistic activities in Iran, Syria and Burma.
In November 2008, Gen Thura Shwe Mann, the regime’s No 3 ranking general, made a secret visit to North Korea and signed a memorandum of understanding, officially formalizing military cooperation between Burma and North Korea with his North Korean counterpart, Gen Kim Kyok-sik.
During his trip to Pyongyang, Shwe Mann also visited sites of secret tunnel complexes built into the sides of mountains to store and shield jet aircraft, missiles, tanks and nuclear and chemical weapons.
In addition, according to Burmese Maj Sai Thein Win, a former deputy commander of a top-secret military factory who defected and brought with him top secret documents and photographs about Burma's nuclear projects, secret underground bunkers and tunnels have been built at many locations in Burma.
Sai Thein Win, who was trained in Burma as a defense engineer and later in Russia as a missile expert, said that about 10,000 Burmese officials have been sent to Russia thus far to study military technology, including nuclear technology.
Sai Thein Win also said in a report that Burma is trying to build medium-range missiles such as SCUDs under a memorandum of understanding with North Korea. “Burma wants to have rockets and nuclear warheads. Burma wants to be a nuclear power,” Sai Thein Win said.
One reason the regime is able to increase its military budget and import expensive military equipment and technology may be its expected increase in energy revenues.
A study by the Washington-based United States Institute of Peace said that Burma's export earnings from the country's growing energy sector will double in the next five years, due mainly to oil and gas transit pipelines now being built from Burma to China. The Institute said the calculation is based on energy exports—mostly gas—accounting for at least 45 percent of the $6.6 billion earnings declared by Burmese interests in 2008.
Burma's military regime is infamous for spending a large percentage of its national budget on the military, rather than on education, health and other public services. According to Burma military experts, 40 to 60 percent of the national budget is allocated to the military.
In contrast, 0.4 percent of the national budget is spent on healthcare, while 0.5 percent is spent for education, according to a report released in 2007 by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think-tank based in London.
In other news regarding the four-monthly meeting, according to military sources there was no major military reshuffle in Naypyidaw.
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DTN News: China Creates Pirate Copy of Russia’s Su-33 Deck-Based Fighter Jet

Defense War News Updates: DTN News: China Creates Pirate Copy of Russia’s Su-33 Deck-Based Fighter Jet
Source: DTN News / Pravda.Ru
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - June 5, 2010: China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation created a copy of a Russian deck-based Su-33 fighter jet. The Chinese model of the aircraft was called J-15, Interfax reports with reference to the May issue of the Kanwa Asian Defence military publication.
The Chinese fighter jet is based on the Soviet T10K training aircraft, which China received from Ukraine. Chinese engineers found it very difficult to solve the problem of folding wings of deck-based fighter jets. Now the problem has been solved.
It is not clear yet, if the new plane has performed its first flight yet: the Chinese Air Force does not have its own test center for the sea aviation.
China earlier attempted to purchase two Su-33 planes from Russia to study the aircraft performance. Moscow rejected the deal over the fear of technology leak, as it previously happened with the J-11 aircraft, RBC reports.
When trying to enter the Chinese arms market, Russia handed over the assembly technology for the Su-27CK fighter jet to China. As a result, China modernized the plane and began to work on a serial production of the J-11 plane. Such a step can give China an opportunity to put competitive pressure on Russia on the arms market of third countries, experts said.
Russia started delivering Su-27CK planes to China in 1992. The sides signed an agreement for 76 fighters of the class. In 1995, Russia sold the license for the production of 200 more fighters. China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation started assembling them as J-11 with the use of Russian components.
By 2003 Russia had delivered 95 packages for J-11 and was supposed to ship 105 more, although China did not sign the contract for them. In 2007, China demonstrated first prototypes of the J-11B jet – nearly the absolute copy of Russia’s Su-27CMK.
For the time being, China has launched the serial production of J-10, J-11 and FC-1 fighter jets. These planes bear a striking resemblance to Russia’s Su-27/30 and MiG-29. In the nearest future, China intends to build and sell not less than 1,200 fighters – the prices on them will be significantly lower than those on the Russian “originals.”
After the incident with J-11, Russia officially notified China of the violation of international agreements and promised to launch legal proceedings to defend its intellectual property.
China is not the only country that established the pirated production based on Russian technologies. Russia’s defense export giant Rosoboronexport said that over 15 countries (including Bulgaria, Romania, Egypt) produce Kalashnikov assault rifles either on expired licenses or without any license at all. Arms pirates also eye multiple artillery rocket systems, tank equipment and radars.
The Sukhoi Su-33 (NATO reporting name: Flanker-D) is a carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft produced by Russian firm Sukhoi beginning in 1982. It is a derivative of the Su-27 ‘Flanker’ and was initially known as the Su-27K. The main differences from the Su-27 are that the Su-33 can operate from aircraft carriers and is capable of aerial refueling.
Unlike comparable American carrier-borne fighters like the F-14 Tomcat, the Su-33 uses a ski-jump instead of catapult for carrier takeoff. Using the ski-jump avoids the high catapult-induced loads, and provides the aircraft with a positive pitch and climb angle upon launch. However, when using a ski-jump, the Su-33 cannot launch at maximum takeoff weight.
The Su-33 sports canards that shorten the take-off distance and improve maneuverability, but required reshaping of the leading edge extensions. The canards counter pitch-down force generated by leading and trailing edge flaps reducing approach speed by 1.5 times; they also act as destabilizers in supersonic flight, by reducing pitch trim drag. The wing area was also increased, though the span remained unchanged. The wings were fitted with power-assisted folding, and the vertical tails were shortened to allow the fighter to fit in the typically crowded hangars of an aircraft carrier. The rear radome was shortened and reshaped to allow for the tail hook, as well as to save space inside the hangars. The IRST was moved to provide better downward visibility and an L-shaped retractable refuelling probe was fitted to increase range.
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Friday, June 4, 2010

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated June 4, 2010

Defense War News Updates: DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated June 4, 2010
Source: U.S. DoD issued June 4, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - June 4, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued June 4, 2010 are undermentioned;<>
CONTRACTS
NAVY
~Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., is being awarded a $99,557,548 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-2217) for long lead time material (LLTM) for ships four and five of the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) program. This contract provides LLTM for main propulsion engines, aluminum, waterjets, reduction gears, generators and other components to support construction of JHSV ships four and five, commencing in fall 2010. Work will be performed in Detroit, Mich. (38 percent); Chesapeake, Va. (18 percent); Henderson, Australia (13 percent); Gulfport, Miss. (10 percent); Ravenswood, W.Va. (9 percent); Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (4 percent); Mobile, Ala. (3 percent); Auburn, Ind. (2.6 percent); Winter Haven, Fla. (1 percent); Gardena, Calif. (1 percent); and Davenport, Iowa (0.4 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
~Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded a $46,102,093 firm-fixed-priced modification under contract (M67854-07-D-5031) delivery order #0018 for the purchase of 2,451 automatic fire extinguisher system kits to be installed on the Cougar Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. Work will be performed Sterling Heights, Mich., and is expected to be completed February 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $46,102,093 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
~Northrop Grumman Corp., Integrated Systems Sector, San Jose, Calif., was awarded a $23,706,450 contract which will manage the day-to-day engineering, manufacturing and design contract operations for the Global Hawk. At this time, $6,851,097 has been obligated. 303 AESG/SYK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (F33657-01-C-4600).
~L3 Communications Corp., Arlington, Texas, was awarded a $21,031,116.50 contract which acquires a fully immersive Block 40/50 F-16 mission training center and spares that will be delivered to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 677 AESG/SYK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8621-09-C-6292).
~Sabreliner Corp., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $7,460,790.28 contract which will provide engineering and analysis tasks supporting an assessment of the C/KC-135 fleet. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 10th Contracting Squadron, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., is the contracting activity (FA7000-10-D-0014).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
~CFI International, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum $7,557,400 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for aircraft turbine cases. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is January 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency (DSCR-ZBAB), Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8104-08-G-0002-UNY7).
~McRae Industries, Inc.*, Mt Gilead, N.C., is being awarded a maximum $6,543,446 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, total set-aside, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for men’s and women’s combat boots. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. The original proposal was Web-solicited with six responses. The date of performance completion is June 3, 2011. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM1C1-10-D-1080).
*Small business
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Thursday, June 3, 2010

DTN News: China's Growing Military And Economic Influence Globally

Defense War News Updates: DTN News: China's Growing Military And Economic Influence Globally
*Analysis ~ As of Last week, without China assistant U.S. and Jeju summit held in South Korea by Japan, China and the host were unable to produce positive energy to punish Pyongyang for warship sinking, as China ignored to condemn North Korea on the incident. The world is helplessly listening to drum tunes of U.N. sancations against Pyongyang of no avail.
Due to daisy chain reaction, it has created the hasty departure of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama after only eight months in office could paralyze Japanese politics or force the creation of a new ruling coalition, analysts said Wednesday, with key elections looming and the battle over the future of a major U.S. military base still unresolved. Hatoyama's Democratic Party, which will name a new chief Friday, moved quickly to keep Hatoyama's resignation from creating political chaos in the world's second-largest economy.
At the moment, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is in Myanmar, to further curtail U.S. influence in India and spread it's wings over Indian ocean with Chinese navy port facilities in Pakistan, China has supplied a vast array of advanced military hardware to Myanmar, including fighter planes, naval vessels and tanks, and other infantry support weapons.
Basic motive of China is to secure energy lanes from Middle Eastern countries, taping every energy leads in Africa and Latin America for it's growing domestic needs. Beijing's growing economic and military influence will be highly visible in the coming years. By Roger Smith DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News
Source: Roger Smith DTN News
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 3, 2010: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Myanmar on Wednesday for talks with the military junta chief who has promised elections later this year.
Mr. Wen, the first Chinese premier to visit Myanmar since 1994, is scheduled to hold talks with Senior General Than Shwe in the military capital Naypyitaw on Thursday, diplomat sources said. He was scheduled to visit Yangon’s famed Shwedagon Pagoda on Wednesday and fly to Naypyitaw, 320 kilometres north of Yangon, on Thursday.China, one of Myanmar’s few international allies, has expressed concern over the junta’s efforts to force several ethnic minority groups in the north—eastern part of the country to lay down their arms and join government—led militias prior to polls this year.
Several groups such as the Wa, Shan and Karen have refused to disarm, raising fears of fighting in the Shan State, which borders China’s southern province of Yunnan.
Last year, Myanmar troops attacked the Kokang, a minority group that is ethnically Chinese, who had refused to surrender their arms to the government. The attack forced thousands of Kokang to flee into China.
While in Naypyitaw, Mr. Wen is also scheduled to meet his Myanmar counterpart Thein Sein and sign agreements boosting economic ties.
“He will sign the bilateral agreements on economy and trade in Naypyitaw when he meets the Myanmar leaders,” a Chinese diplomat in Yangon said.
According to official figures, trade volume between Myanmar and China was 2.9 billion dollars in 2009. Chinese investment had reached 1.8 billion dollars by January, accounting for 11.5 per cent of direct foreign investment in the country.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010

DTN News: Glitch Shows How Much US Military Relies On GPS

Defense War News Updates: DTN News: Glitch Shows How Much US Military Relies On GPS
Source: DTN News / By DAN ELLIOTT (AP)
(NSI News Source Info) DENVER, U.S. - June 2, 2010: A problem that rendered as many as 10,000 U.S. military GPS receivers useless for days is a warning to safeguard a system that enemies would love to disrupt, a defense expert says.
The Air Force has not said how many weapons, planes or other systems were affected or whether any were in use in Iraq or Afghanistan. But the problem, blamed on incompatible software, highlights the military's reliance on the Global Positioning System and the need to protect technology that has become essential for protecting troops, tracking vehicles and targeting weapons.
"Everything that moves uses it," said John Pike, director of Globalsecurity.org, which tracks military and homeland security news. "It is so central to the American style of war that you just couldn't leave home without it."
The problem occurred when new software was installed in ground control systems for GPS satellites on Jan. 11, the Air Force said.
Officials said between 8,000 at 10,000 receivers could have been affected, out of more than 800,000 in use across the military.
In a series of e-mails to The Associated Press, the Air Force initially blamed a contractor for defective software in the affected receivers but later said it was a compatibility issue rather than a defect. The Air Force didn't immediately respond to a request for clarification.
The Air Force said it hadn't tested the affected receivers before installing the new software in the ground control system.
One program still in development was interrupted but no weapon systems already in use were grounded as a result of the problem, the Air Force said. The Air Force said some applications with the balky receivers suffered no problems from the temporary GPS loss.
An Air Force document said the Navy's X-47B, a jet-powered, carrier-based drone under development, was interrupted by the glitch. Air Force officials would not comment beyond that on what systems were affected.
Navy spokeswoman Jamie Cosgrove confirmed the X-47B's receivers were affected but said it caused no program delays.
At least 100 U.S. defense systems rely on GPS, including aircraft, ships, armored vehicles, bombs and artillery shells.
Because GPS makes weapons more accurate, the military needs fewer warheads and fewer personnel to take out targets. But a leaner, GPS-dependent military becomes dangerously vulnerable if the technology is knocked out.
James Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the glitch was a warning "in the context where people are every day trying to figure out how to disrupt GPS."
The Air Force said it took less than two weeks for the military to identify the cause and begin devising and installing a temporary fix. It did not say how long it took to install the temporary fix everywhere it was needed, but said a permanent fix is being distributed.
All the affected receivers were manufactured by a division of Trimble Navigation Limited of Sunnyvale, Calif., according to the Air Force. The military said it ran tests on some types of receivers before it upgraded ground control systems with the new software in January, but the tests didn't include the receivers that had problems.
The Air Force said it traced the problem to the Trimble receivers' software. Trimble said it had no problems when it tested the receivers, using Air Force specifications, before the ground-control system software was updated.
Civilian receivers use different signals and had no problems.
Defense industry consultant James Hasik said it's not shocking some receivers weren't tested. GPS started as a military system in the 1970s but has exploded into a huge commercial market, and that's where most innovation takes place.
"It's hard to track everything," said Hasik, co-author of "The Precision Revolution: GPS and the Future of Aerial Warfare."
The Air Force said it's acquiring more test receivers for a broader sample of military and civilian models and developing longer and more thorough tests for military receivers to avoid a repeat of the January problem.
The Air Force said the software upgrade was to accommodate a new generation of GPS satellites, called Block IIF. The first of the 12 new satellites was launched from a Delta 4 rocket Thursday after several delays.
In addition to various GPS guided weapons systems, the Army often issues GPS units to squads of soldiers on patrol in Iraq and Afghanistan. In some cases a team of two or three soldiers is issued a receiver so they can track their location using signals from a constellation of 24 satellites.
Space and Missile Systems Center spokesman Joe Davidson said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that the system is safe from hackers or enemy attack.
"We are extremely confident in the safety and security of the GPS system from enemy attack," he said, noting that control rooms are on secure military bases and communications are heavily encrypted.
"Since GPS' inception, there has never been a breach of GPS," Davidson said. He added that Air Force is developing a new generation of encrypted military receivers for stronger protection.
The military also has tried to limit the potential for human error by making the GPS control system highly automated, Davidson said.
GPS satellites orbit about 12,000 miles above Earth, making them hard to reach with space weapons, said Hasik, the defense industry consultant. And if the GPS master control station at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., were knocked out, a backup station at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., could step in.
Iraq tried jamming GPS signals during the 2003 U.S. invasion, but the U.S. took out the jammer with a GPS-guided bomb, Hasik said.
The technology needed to jam GPS signals is beyond the reach of groups like the Taliban and most Third World nations, Hasik said. Jamming is difficult over anything but a small area.
"The harder you try to mess with it, the more energy you need. And the more energy you use, the easier it is for me to find your jammer," Hasik said.
More worrisome, Hasik said, is the potential for an accident within U.S. ranks that can produce anything from an errant bomb to sending troops or weaponry on the wrong course.
In 2001, a GPS-guided bomb dropped by a Navy F-18 missed its target by a mile and landed in a residential neighborhood of Kabul, possibly killing four people. The military said wrong coordinates had been entered into the targeting system.
*American Achilles Heel: GPS ThreatsWatch.Org
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DTN News: $9 Billion Pricetag Likely For Canada's Next-Generation Fighter Aircraft

Defense War News Updates: DTN News: $9 Billion Pricetag Likely For Canada's Next-Generation Fighter Aircraft
Source: By David Pugliese
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 1, 2010: Replacing Canada's CF-18s with a new generation of fighter aircraft will cost taxpayers around $9 billion, one of the most expensive military equipment purchases ever, the Ottawa Citizen has learned.
The Conservative government confirmed in 2008 its plans to purchase 65 fighter aircraft and is expected to approve the project some time this year, air force officials say.
The Defence Department would not provide a cost estimate, claiming that to make the figure public would undercut the procurement process for what is being called the next generation fighter.
"To date, no decision has been made by the government of Canada on the choice of a next-generation fighter aircraft or on the procurement approach," added DND spokeswoman Jocelyn Sweet.
But in April, Col. Randy Meiklejohn, of the Directorate of Aerospace Requirements, told a gathering of defence-industry representatives in Ottawa that the cost of the program would be about $9 billion. The air force, he pointed out, plans to have the new aircraft in service starting in 2017.
The figure he used would include not only the 65 aircraft but also spare parts and long-term support.
A number of different fighter aircraft could be considered as a replacement for the CF-18s, but the military has been partial to the U.S.-built Joint Strike Fighter.
The Defence Department's claim that it cannot release any figures associated with a new aircraft purchase until the project is approved by government appears to contradict its previous position. DND documents obtained through the Access to Information law previously estimated the full cost to replace at least 80 CF-18 fighter aircraft would be $10.5 billion.
Steven Staples, president of the Ottawa-based Rideau Institute, said DND didn't want to provide the $9-billion figure because it's worried about a backlash from taxpayers.
"Their plan is to keep this in the backrooms and try to get this deal signed without anyone noticing," said Staples, who has spoken out against what he says are high levels of military spending. "The government wants to spend $9 billion on a stealth fighter when this country has a $50 billion deficit. They should try spending a little more on health care instead."
Staples noted that the cost of the project is creeping up without explanation — at one point the government was going to spend $10.5 billion on 80 fighters; now it is $9 billion for 65. "Who knows what this will end up costing Canadians?" he said.
NDP defence critic Jack Harris, who raised the issue of the next-generation fighters in the House of Commons Thursday, said it is not clear at this point why Canada needs to spend billions on a new fighter jets.
He pointed out that in March, the Canadian Forces received the last of its newly upgraded CF-18 fighters. That project cost $2.6 billion.
An air force study produced last year also noted the need for manned fighter aircraft will decrease starting after 2019 as unmanned aerial vehicles — or drones — and other advanced technologies became more common.
But there are those in the defence community who say the new jets are needed.
The Air Force Association of Canada has pointed out that the jets are necessary to support military forces overseas and to protect Canadian sovereignty. Piloted aircraft can't be fully replaced by drones, the association argues.
Meanwhile, in the Commons Thursday, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said a new generation fighter would not only contribute to making sure the military has the right equipment, it would also provide opportunities for domestic aerospace companies.
"There is eye-watering technology now available, and a fifth-generation fighter aircraft will be brought to Canada after the year 2017," he said.
But MacKay also appeared to contradict DND's claim that no decision had been made on how the procurement program for the new fighter aircraft will be handled when he said there would be an open competition.
MacKay went on to suggest the decision would be between the Joint Strike Fighter and another aircraft he didn't name.
Alan Williams, a former assistant deputy minister at DND, said he found it strange the department was not being more forthcoming about the new fighter program.
"Whenever you're going to be spending billions of dollars, you need to involve industry, involve the public and involve Parliament," said Williams. "It makes no sense to hide this."
He noted that when he was with the Defence Department, it was common for equipment project leaders to talk about their programs as well as give details on the rough estimates of project costs — now that isn't being done. Williams said since he left DND in 2005, there has been a significant increase in secrecy around military-procurement programs.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com
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