Monday, August 17, 2009

DTN News: Taiwan's CSIST Shows Off Missiles, UAVs At TADTE

DTN News: Taiwan's CSIST Shows Off Missiles, UAVs At TADTE
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) TAIPEI, Taiwan - August 17, 2009: In a surprise move, CSIST displayed the Hsiung Feng 3 (Brave Wind) anti-ship missile and Tien Kung-3 (Sky Bow) air defense missile. It is only the second time the military has allowed public access to the two missiles. The first time was in 2007, when both were displayed during the Ten-Ten military parade. CM32 8X8 Yunpao [Cloud Leopard] Armored Vehicle ~ The CM-32 is an 8x8 armored vehicle based on the design of the 6x6 CM-31. The vehicle takes its moniker from Taiwan's nearly extinct clouded leopard, or "Yunpao," because of its agility and stealth. The design was developed by Timoney of Ireland. Timoney Technology Limited was formed as a campus company at University College Dublin in 1968 and still retains close links with the college. The Timoney Technology Group designs and develops a variety of vehicles for commercial applications, mainly utilising their unique Independent Suspension Technology. Timoney's range of high mobility vehicles includes Armoured Personnel Carriers, Combat Support Vehicles, Heavy Transporters and Airport Crash Fire Rescue Vehicles. There was initially little definitive information about the CM-32 available. Some reports suggested that Taiwan will build the vehicles within the country, under license from a foreign developer. This is probably an 8x8 version of the Timoney Mk8, known as the CM31 in Taiwan. In 2001 it was announced this Irish company had won the competition to supply an 8x8. Pressure was applied by the US to have this decision overturned in favor of the Stryker, though it seems this efforts was unsuccessful. Other reports suggest that the vehicle will be both indigenously designed and built entirely by Taiwan. In a military reform plan that was completed in 2001, Taiwan's military cut troop numbers but increased their mobility and firepower. This marked an end to the debate in the army over whether the next generation of armored vehicles should be tracked or wheeled. The choice suggests that mobility was given top priority. The first model, which is similar in design to the French-made Piranha armoured vehicle, was completed in February 2004. Mass production of the new vehicle, which will not begin until it passes tactical evaluation, is slated for 2007. The new vehicles would replace some 700 M-41 tanks, while M48-Hs and M60-A3s would remain the backbone of the army's tank force. The procurement project could cost the army up to 36 billion Taiwan dollars (1.05 billion US). Estimated to cost NT$65 million each, the military claims it is about one-quarter of the price of the Stryker. The eight-wheeled vehicle, specially designed for the challenges presented by Taiwan's demanding local environment, represents a breakthrough for the military which previously had to buy more expensive foreign equipment. The military rolled out three prototypes of the eight-wheeled vehicle 11 January 2005 at a ceremony at the Ordinance Readiness Development Center in Nantou, where the vehicle will be mass-produced beginning in 2007. The ORDC has the capacity itself to produce 30 of the armored vehicles a year, although the private sector may be tapped to help since the military projects it will receive requests for up to 1,400 carriers. CSIST also exhibited a sounding rocket. A Taiwan defense analyst said the rocket was originally a cover program for Taiwan's ballistic missile development. However, CSIST officials denied this, stating the rocket was for scientific experiments conducted by the National Space Program Office (NSPO). "CSIST and NSPO joined together on this program in 1997," said a CSIST official. "We have 10-15 sounding rocket launches planned with the NSPO before 2018. We build them as NSPO needs them." The two-stage solid fuel rocket is 7.7 meters in length, has a speed of Mach 7, a maximum altitude of 280 km and can carry a 130 kg payload. The Taiwan defense analyst said the fact that it is a two-stage sounding rocket raises questions and "CSIST was careful to make sure they only acknowledged a maximum altitude of 280 km," just short of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) 300 km/500 kg range/payload minimum. UAVs showcased CSIST also displayed a wide variety of UAVs at this year's TADTE, including an operational Chung Shyang for the first time. A CSIST representative said the first one was built in 2007 and CSIST now has five operational prototypes. "The army and air force are interested in the Chung Shyang," he said. "With the recent typhoon, the army could have conducted a damage assessment, but the army has no UAV capability at this time. We expect a decision from the military in 2010 with a potential order of twenty." The Chung Shyang has both day and night surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. It can also serve as a communications relay. It has a range of 100 km, cruising speed of 60 knots with an eight-hour endurance. The Taiwan coast guard has dropped interest in the platform for budgetary reasons, he said. CSIST also showed off its Cardinal mini-UAV system and Blue Magpie mini-UAV system, both hand-launched platforms. The 2.1 kg Cardinal began development in 2007 and there are now ten in production for further testing. It has a range of 15-20 km, speed of 30 knots, endurance of 1.5 hours, and a maximum altitude of 4.5 km. Payload options include a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, night vision camera, goggle manual and autopilot. The military has expressed interest in procuring the Cardinal, but no decision has been made. However, the Blue Magpie has garnered no interest by the military. The system is extremely small with a weight of only 1.0 kg. It has a CCD payload and can be flown by autopilot or manual. It has a range of three kilometers, maximum altitude .6-1.5 km, cruising speed of 25 knots with a one-hour endurance. The UAV can "transmit real-time images … and can be used for reconnaissance and target acquisition," said a CSIST representative. It has been in development since 2006. Clouded Leopard A representative of the Combined Logistics Command, under the Ministry of National Defense, confirmed the 8x8 CM-32 Clouded Leopard was still being considered by the military, despite local media reports the program had been killed. "The army will make a final decision in 2010 on the fate of the platform," he said. There have been reports in the local media the CM-32 was overweight, suffered from transmission problems, lacked amphibious capabilities, and the turning radius was too wide.

DTN News: Colombia TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ Colombia-US Base Accord Reached

DTN News: Colombia TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ Colombia-US Base Accord Reached *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) BOGOTA, Colombia - August 17, 2009: Colombia says it has completed talks with Washington on allowing US troops to use seven of its military bases. Under the deal, the US military will be able to operate on Colombian soil to tackle drug-trafficking and terrorism. The United States maintains a complex web of military facilities and functions in Latin America and the Caribbean, what the U.S. Southern Command (known as SouthCom) calls its "theater architecture." U.S. military facilities represent tangible commitments to an ineffective supply-side drug war and to underlying policy priorities, including ensuring access to strategic resources, especially oil. Much of this web is being woven through Plan Colombia, a massive, primarily military program to eradicate coca plants and to combat armed groups (mostly leftist guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). In the last five years, new U.S. bases and military access agreements have proliferated in Latin America, constituting a decentralization of the U.S. military presence in the region. This decentralization is Washington's way of maintaining a broad military foothold while accommodating regional leaders' reluctance to host large U.S. military bases or complexes. A number of South American countries have condemned the plan and Argentina has said the bases are "not helpful". Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has expressed fears the move would amount to preparation for an invasion of his country by US forces. Colombia's foreign ministry said that Bogota had agreed the text of the deal with the US. "This agreement reaffirms the commitment of both parties in the fight against drug-trafficking and terrorism," the ministry said in a statement. The deal will now be reviewed in both countries before being signed. 'Climate of unease' Last week, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe visited several of his South American neighbours to try to calm fears over the proposed deal with Washington. On Monday, South American leaders at a regional summit had reiterated concerns over the deal. Mr Chavez warned that "the winds of war were beginning to blow" across the region. The Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called for a meeting between US President Barack Obama and the region's leaders, saying the "climate of unease disturbs me". Washington wants to use Colombia as a regional hub for operations to counter drug-trafficking and terrorism. The US has been forced to look for a new base for such operations after Ecuador refused to renew the lease on its Manta base, which the US military was using.

DTN News: India TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) Militant Killed In Pulwama

DTN News: India TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) Militant Killed In Pulwama
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) SRINAGAR, India - August 17, 2009: A militant was killed in a gunbattle with a joint team of J-K Police and Army in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The slain militant, a resident of Tral, was associated with Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Indian army soldiers take cover during a gun battle with militants holed up in houses at Aarmulla Village in Pulwama some 42 kilometers (26 miles) south of Srinagar, India, Sunday, Aug.16, 2009. A Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed Sunday in a gun battle with security forces police said according to local news reports. J-K Police said the joint team launched an operation at Aarmullah village of Pulwama after specific inputs about the presence of militants there. As the security forces tried to cordon off the area, the militant opened fire from a house and the joint team retaliated.
The fierce battle between the holed-up militant and the joint team of police and Army lasted more than two hours and ended with the death of the militant. Police sources said two soldiers were also injured in the encounter. The police have identified the slain militant as Jan Mohammad Ahnagar alias Hamza, a resident of Buchoo village in Tral. They said he was associated with the LeT.

DTN News: Malaysia TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ UK Pilot 'Killed' In Malaysia Testing New Plane

DTN News: Malaysia TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ UK Pilot 'Killed' In Malaysia Testing New Plane
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - August 17, 2009: A British pilot killed in a fiery crash in Malaysia was an aviation entrepreneur conducting a test flight of his Jetpod "flying taxi", reports said Monday. The Jetpod is a unique, lightweight, Very Quiet Short Take-Off and Landing (VQSTOL), 6-seat, twin-jet powered aircraft. The Jetpod also comes in two Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) variants based on the same design. The Jetpod cruises at 300 knots (350 mph) and only requires an incredible 125 metres (410 feet) to take-off or land. This is achieved through a combination of horizontal and vertical thrust management as developed by Avcen. The Jetpod does not require a runway and can operate from grass and roughly prepared dirt strips. The Jetpod has been designed to withstand multiple daily low-level flight sectors using a rugged undercarriage. The Jetpod has a wide-bodied, high ceiling appeal, with an easy to enter set of rear-clamshell passenger doors and walk-in foot-ramp. Avcen has developed its own noise attenuation technologies, enabling its noise output to be lower than the latest and quietest jet engines by an additional -17 to -20 decibels. The Jetpod, with its twin-engined safety, will sell for under one million US Dollars. Michael Robert Dacre, 53, died Sunday when the prototype aircraft crashed and burst into flames shortly after take-off from a landing strip in the northern town of Taiping, Malaysian police said. The Star daily said Dacre was an inventor and the managing director of British-based Avcen Ltd. which planned to have the "Jetpod" eight-seater flying taxi in production by 2010. It quoted witnesses as saying that the aircraft attempted to take off several times before soaring into the sky and then abruptly veering to the left and crashing to the ground. The Jetpod was designed to have a cruising speed of 350 miles (550 kilometres) per hour, be quieter and quicker than a helicopter, and require just 125 meters to take off and 300 meters to land. In interviews when plans for the dual jet engine aircraft were unveiled, Dacre had said he hoped the Jetpod would transform inner-city transport.

DTN News: North Korea TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ China's Nuclear Envoy To Visit North Korea ~ Official Report

DTN News: North Korea TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ China's Nuclear Envoy To Visit North Korea ~ Official Report
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) SEOUL, South Korea - August 17, 2009: China's chief nuclear negotiator is likely to visit North Korea later Monday in an attempt to persuade it to return to six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, South Korean media reports said. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, Beijing's nuclear envoy, center, is surrounded by reporters after he met South Korean nuclear negotiator Wi Sung-lac at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea. Top nuclear negotiators for China and South Korea held discussions Monday on how to break the impasse in negotiations over North Korea's atomic program, as South Korea's president called for a get-tough approach on Pyongyang. "Chances are high that Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei will fly to Pyongyang on an Air China flight that departs at 5:20 pm (0920 GMT)," Yonhap news agency quoted a diplomatic source as saying. Wu will try to persuade the North to come back to the talks which also involve South Korea, the United States, Russia and Japan, the source said. Hankyoreh newspaper said Wu would leave Monday and stay a week in the North. South Korean officials were not available for comment. China has hosted the talks, which began in 2003 and reached a deal under which the North would scrap its nuclear weapons in return for energy aid and major diplomatic and security benefits. But Pyongyang announced on April 14 it would quit the forum and restart its atomic weapons programme in protest at the United Nations Security Council's condemnation of its rocket launch earlier that month. On May 25 it staged a nuclear test, its second since 2006. Washington has since then led a drive for tougher enforcement of UN sanctions. In signs of a possible easing of tensions, former US president Bill Clinton went to Pyongyang this month to meet leader Kim Jong-Il and win a pardon for two American journalists. Washington said officials had indicated to Clinton that they want better relations. The hardline communist state says it wants direct talks with the United States. Washington says this is possible but only alongside six-party negotiations. Last week the North freed a South Korean worker it had detained for over four months. Earlier Monday it announced it would resume cross-border tours, ease restrictions on frontier crossings and restart reunions for separated families.

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ Pakistani Troops Hurt In Suicide Bombing

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ Pakistani Troops Hurt In Suicide Bombing *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) PESHAWAR, Pakistan - August 17, 2009: A suicide bomber blew himself up as soldiers tried to arrest him, a military spokesman in northwest Pakistan said Monday, and seven Taliban militants were killed separately in a gunfight. The suicide bomber blew himself up overnight in the town of Mingora, in the Swat valley, after being "encircled" by the soldiers, the military spokesman in the area told AFP. Four soldiers were lightly wounded in the explosion. Separately, seven Taliban militants were killed in Kabal village, also in the Swat valley, during an exchange of fire with troops late Sunday, the spokesman added. Another senior military official confirmed the suicide attack and gunfight casualties. Pakistan's military claims to have cleared Swat of Islamist extremists in an offensive launched earlier this year after militants extended their grip into the valley. Swat slipped out of government control after radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah mounted a violent campaign in which his followers beheaded opponents, burnt schools and fought government troops to enforce sharia law. The Pakistani army launched an offensive in late April to dislodge Taliban guerrillas from the districts of Buner, Lower Dir and Swat after rebels flouted a peace deal and marched further south towards the capital, Islamabad. Pakistani officials show ammunition allegedly recovered from Pakistani Talibans in Karachi, Pakistan on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009. According to police official, a large quantity of ammunition was recovered from the Taliban, planning violence in Karachi and killing of high officials. Pakistan says more than 1,800 militants and over 166 security personnel have been killed in the offensive since late April, but the death tolls are impossible to verify independently.

DTN News: Famous People Painting ~ Discussing The Divine Comedy With Dante

DTN News: Famous People Painting ~ Discussing The Divine Comedy With Dante *A Truly Amazing Painting ~ The painting itself is great. As you run the cursor over the people, it tells you who they are ...... BUT ..... (click on a person) and you obtain their life history. This is fascinating ... You should also click on the 'camel' for a surprise ! (Click here for link) *Source: DTN News / Courtesy D. K. Seth (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 17, 2009: This is an amazing painting of 103 people that changed the world! You scroll over it to see the names of the people. If you click on them it will bring you to information on them. Be sure to scroll right and down as it's a huge painting. Also, at the bottom you can click on a link that will bring you to a list of the people in the painting, the photo that they used when they painted them, and information on them. We'll definitely be using this in school this year!Here's what they had to say about it: "Painting of 103 Famous People That Changed the World. Includes Wikipedia links & mouse-over tagging. Chinese art - Discussing the Divine Comedy with Dante." Chinese Artists Dai Dudu, Li Tiezi, and Zhang An, 2006, oil on canvas.

DTN News: Indonesia TODAY August17, 2009 ~ Strong Quake Off Indonesia's Sumatra, No Tsunami Alert

DTN News: Indonesia TODAY August17, 2009 ~ Strong Quake Off Indonesia's Sumatra, No Tsunami Alert *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) PADANG, Indonesia - August 17, 2009: A strong earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra Island on Sunday, but no tsunami warning was issued, the country's meteorological agency said. Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.0 and said it struck near the Mentawai islands off Sumatra at a depth of 32 km . The tremor injured seven people in the West Sumatra capital of Padang and damaged a house, Rustam S. Pakaya, head of the health ministry's crisis centre, said in a text message. The epicentre was 43 km southeast of Siberut island off Sumatra's west coast, the meteorological agency said in a text message. "The quake was felt in Bukittinggi town, sending people rushing out of their homes," Fauzi, head of the seismology centre at the agency, told Reuters. Fauzi said Indonesian authorities had not issued a tsunami alert but the Japan Meteorological Agency said in an email alert there was a very small possibility of a destructive local tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The quake was followed by at least three aftershocks measuring 5.2, 5.5 and 5.6 in the same area, the Indonesian meteorological agency said in a text message alert.

DTN News: Yonex-Sunrise BWF World Championships 2009 ~ Lin Dan Chases Hat-Trick Of World Titles

DTN News: Yonex-Sunrise BWF World Championships 2009 ~ Lin Dan Chases Hat-Trick Of World Titles
*Source: DTN News / BWF
(NSI News Source Info) HYDERABAD, India - August 17, 2009: Chinese ace Lin Dan is poised to become the first player in World Badminton Championship history to win three successive men's singles titles. China's Lin Dan returns a shot against compatriot Chen Jin during their final men's singles match in the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad August 16, 2009. Defending champion and Olympic gold medalist Lin, winner of the World Championship in 2006 and 2007, has held an edge over his Malaysian archrival Lee Chong Wei in major events and will hope to extend that in the event beginning Monday in Hyderabad. His aggressive style, which earned Lin the nickname of 'Super Dan', was the feature of his triumphs over No.1-ranked Lee in the finals at last year's Beijing Olympics and at the All-England Open in Birmingham. Lin will carry that confidence into the upcoming tournament, while Lee will be burdened by the unhappy memory of his last sojourn to this southern Indian city, where he made a first-round exit from the Indian Open five months ago, after a bout of food poisoning. Lin and his top-seeded archrival Lee are both drawn in the top-half of the championship along with seasoned Danish star and former silver medalist Peter Gade, who is seeded No. 3. In the other half, second-seeded Chinese Jin Chen and former world champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, No. 4 seed this time, have a relatively easier draw. Title holder Lin's low No. 5 seeding is because his world ranking dropped due to non-participation in several Super Series events. A potential semifinal encounter between Lin and Lee could be the showpiece of the event, with Lee eager to clinch his maiden World Championship. "I'm in my top form and this is my prime time to win the World title," says Lee. "It's always tough to play against Lin Dan ... he's that sort of a player, but I've prepared hard for this challenge "He's always attacking, and one's got to produce his best game to contain him." Lee did beat Lin in the Swiss Open in March, before the Chinese outsmashed the Malaysian in straight games in the All-England final. "Earlier, I used to commit mistakes during crucial points and also succumb to pressure," says Lee, whose coach Misbun Sadek, a former world No. 2, has been working hard on ironing out these problems. Before Lin's triumphs in the World Championships at Madrid (2006) and Kuala Lumpur (2007), the only player in badminton history to have won successive men's singles titles was his compatriot Yang Yang, but that was before it became an annual event. There was no event in 2008 because it was an Olympic year. China's Lin Dan (2nd L) with his compatriot Chen Jin (L) and Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat with his compatriot Sony Dwi Kuncoro (R) pose with their medals during an award ceremony in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad August 16, 2009. Dan won the gold as Jin the silver and Hidayat and Kuncoro were both semi-finalists in the final men's singles event in the World Badminton Championships. The World Championships were held every three years until 1983, and then became a biennial event from 1985. The format was changed again when it became an annual tournament from 2005. In the women's singles, another player chasing a record third title is Chinese player Xie Xingfang. Other fancied players are world No. 1 Zhou Mi of Hong Kong, the top seed, and No. 2 Wang Lin of China. Xie, silver medalist in the Beijing Olympics last year, is hoping to surpass former Chinese stars Li Lingwie, Han Aiping and Ye Zhaoying _ who all have two World championship women's singles titles to their credit. India, subject to sporadic acts of terrorist violence, has devoted heavy security to the event, with 1,000 police officers making a five-cordon security ring around the venue and team hotels.

DTN News: India TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Vows To Fight Terror After Mumbai Attacks

DTN News: India TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Vows To Fight Terror After Mumbai Attacks
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - August 17, 2009: India on Saturday celebrated the anniversary of its independence from British rule with a vow to eradicate terrorism from its soil in the wake of last year's "horrific" militant Islamic attacks on Mumbai. Indian paramilitary soldiers and police officers march during a ceremony to mark India's 62nd Independence Day in Srinagar, India, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009. India was boosting its security to prevent assaults such as the carnage in the country's financial capital last November, in which gunmen killed 166 people, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said. "After the horrific terror attacks in Mumbai last November our government has taken various steps and our intelligence agencies and security organisations are being strengthened," Singh said in an address to the nation from the heavily guarded Red Fort in the Indian capital. "We will succeed in eradicating terrorism from Indian soil," Singh added from behind a bullet-proof screen at the Mughal-built fort. The annual Independence Day address marks the end of British rule in 1947 and partition of the subcontinent into mainly Hindu India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, a split that has caused endless tension in the region. Singh did not mention India's rival Pakistan by name but reiterated that India wants to live in peace and harmony with its neighbours. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars, two over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, began a peace process in 2004 that was put on hold after the Mumbai attacks. India says "official agencies" of Pakistan abetted the attackers who arrived by sea and targeted two hotels, a congested rail station and a Jewish centre. Islamabad rejects the allegations but accepts the attackers were Pakistani citizens and says it is making efforts to bring the plotters to justice. In restive Indian Kashmir, where an insurgency against New Delhi's rule has been under way for two decades, troops killed four Muslim rebels on the eve of the Independence Day celebrations. On Saturday, a strike called by separatists paralysed the Muslim-majority region as they described the festivities as a "black day." But Singh said recent elections in Kashmir were "proof that there is no place for separatist thought in the region." Singh also pledged to crack down on Maoist insurgents who have set up base in nearly half of the country and who say they are fighting against the exploitation of landless farmers. Indian paramilitary soldiers march during a ceremony to mark India's 62nd Independence Day in Jammu, India, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009. "People who think they can rule with the power of the gun underestimate the power of Indian democracy," Singh said. New Delhi was under a huge security blanket with armed commandos guarding the imposing sandstone fort where cabinet ministers, diplomats and guests were invited to hear Singh's speech. Police barricades blocked roads. The prime minister also sought to allay fears that patchy monsoon rains, which have led to drought in many parts of the country, could lead to food shortages in the nation of more than one billion people. "We have adequate stocks of foodgrains and all efforts will be made to control the rising prices of foodgrains, pulses and other goods of daily use," Singh said. But the premier described putting India's economy back on its blistering annual growth path of nine percent as "the greatest challenge." Growth slipped to 6.7 percent in the last financial year to March due to the global economic slump and economists forecast expansion of around six percent or lower this year. "Restoring our growth rate to nine percent is the greatest challenge we face," Singh said. "We expect that there will be an improvement in the situation by the end of this year, but till that time we will all have to bear with the fallout of the global economic slowdown," he said. While six percent growth looks strong compared with anaemic rates in the US, Japan and Europe, India says it needs to return to nine percent expansion or higher to reduce widespread, crushing poverty.

DTN News: Oshkosh Defense Awarded $26 Million Delivery Order For U.S. Army Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles

DTN News: Oshkosh Defense Awarded $26 Million Delivery Order For U.S. Army Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles
*Source: DTN News / Oshkosh Corporation
(NSI News Source Info) OSHKOSH, Wis. - August 17, 2009: Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), has been awarded a delivery order from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM LCMC) for more than 100 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) A2s. The vehicles will be configured with Common Bridge Transporter (CBT) equipment. The Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV) delivery order is worth more than $26 million. The HEMTT A2 CBT is an integral part of the U.S. Army’s Multi-Role Bridge Company. It is designed to support the Engineer Corps in transporting all bridging assets to include ribbon, improved ribbon and heavy dry support bridges as well as bridge erection boats. The CBT is equipped with a load handling system, allowing soldiers to be where they need to be with what they need. The Oshkosh HEMTT’s 13-ton payload and off-road capabilities make it the backbone for the U.S. Army’s logistics fleet. Since its introduction in 1985, the HEMTT has helped keep the Army on the move during major conflicts such as Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, is an industry-leading global designer and manufacturer of tactical military trucks and armored wheeled vehicles, delivering a full product line of conventional and hybrid vehicles, advanced armor options, proprietary suspensions and vehicles with payloads that can exceed 70 tons. Oshkosh Defense provides a global service and supply network including full life-cycle support and remanufacturing, and its vehicles are recognized the world over for superior performance, reliability and protection. For more information, visit www.oshkoshdefense.com About Oshkosh Corporation
Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire & emergency and military vehicles and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corp. manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Medtec®, Jerr-Dan®, BAI™, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™, SMIT™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®. Oshkosh products are valued worldwide in businesses where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and long-term value are paramount. For more information, log on to www.oshkoshcorporation.com

DTN News: Japan TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ Japan Voices WWII Remorse As Ex-Premiers Visit Shrine

DTN News: Japan TODAY August 17, 2009 ~ Japan Voices WWII Remorse As Ex-Premiers Visit Shrine
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) TOKYO, Japan - August 17, 2009: Japan expressed remorse for its actions in World War II on Saturday, the anniversary of its 1945 defeat, but two former premiers visited a controversial war shrine seen as a symbol of its past militarism. Prime Minister Taro Aso and Emperor Akihito, whose father Hirohito surrendered exactly 64 years ago, attended a memorial service in Tokyo and expressed sorrow for the suffering the nation had caused. "Our nation inflicted significant damage and pain on many countries, especially on people in Asian countries," Aso said during the nationally broadcast service. "On behalf of our people, I express deep remorse and humble condolences for all of the people who fell victim," Aso told the ceremony attended by 5,000 people, mostly elderly veterans and bereaved families. Emperor Akihito said: "I profoundly express my condolences... with my sincere hope that such war sufferings will never be repeated." But amid Japan's efforts to own up to its wartime aggression former prime ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe visited the Yasukuni shrine, which honours some 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including 14 leading war criminals. Koizumi's 2001-2006 premiership was beset by tensions with China and South Korea, which accused him of condoning militarism by visiting the shrine every year. Abe, Koizumi's successor who had avoided the shrine while he was prime minister, made his second consecutive annual visit Saturday. "Today, I made a visit here to share respect and veneration for spirits of the war dead," Abe told reporters. Aso has indicated he will stay away from the shrine, although consumer affairs minister Seiko Noda visited. Last year three ministers, including Noda, visited the shrine. "I renewed my strong belief that we must not wage a war," Noda told reporters at the shrine. Ahead of the August 30 national election, some 40 conservative politicians also made a pilgrimage to the shrine. Japan's opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama, widely tipped to become the next prime minister, expressed his condolences for those who lost their lives in the war, while staying away from the shrine. "It is our responsibility and duty to establish peace by facing history so that we will neither forget about the bitter and mindless war nor repeat the tragedy," Hatoyama said in a statement. Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan is studying a plan to create "an alternative non-religious national memorial," which prime ministers and cabinet members could officially visit without controversy. Hirohito, who was revered as divine and had never spoken to the public before, went on the radio on August 15, 1945 to announce Japan had to "bear the unbearable" and surrender as its cities lay in ruins, two of them struck by US nuclear bombs. Under bright sunshine Saturday, many Japanese veterans and their families worshipped at the Yasukuni shrine, where right-wing activists also congregated. "I came here for the first time as I feel younger generations should take over the respect for the war dead," said Masatoshi Kawano, 19, wearing a traditional kimono with a Japanese "Rising Sun" national flag in his hand. "Individuals -- soldiers or ordinary people -- should not be blamed," Kawano said. "It was a tough time for everyone. All of them were the victims of the war." Kenji Hata, 66, said: "No matter what other countries say, it is our duty to respect those who devoted their lives to the country. We can't help but say any criticism against a visit to Yasukuni is an interference in domestic affairs."