Monday, August 09, 2010

DTN News: NORAD, Russia To Conduct First-Ever Joint Air Defense Drills

DTN News: NORAD, Russia To Conduct First-Ever Joint Air Defense Drills
Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, U.S. - August 10, 2010: The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the Russian Air Force will hold their first-ever joint air defense exercise on August 8-11, NORAD said. The exercise, dubbed VIGILANT EAGLE, involves Russian, Canadian and U.S. Air Force personnel operating from command centers at the Elmendorf airbase in Alaska, and in Khabarovsk, Russia. "Airborne warning and control aircraft [AWACS E-3B and A-50] from Russia and the United States will be involved along with fighter-interceptor aircraft and refueling aircraft from both countries," NORAD said in a statement on Tuesday. The exercise scenario, put together by NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, will create a situation that requires both the Russian Air Force and NORAD to launch or divert fighter aircraft to investigate and follow a U.S. flagged commercial air carrier on an international flight that has been taken over by terrorists. The exercise will be carried out under a cooperative military agreement between Russia and the United States, which tasks NORAD, the bi-national U.S. and Canadian command, and the Russian Air Force to conduct a live-fly exercise for up to five days.

DTN News: Kyrgyzstan TODAY August 10, 2010 - Kyrgyzstan Denies New U.S. Base Talks

DTN News: Kyrgyzstan TODAY August 10, 2010 - Kyrgyzstan Denies New U.S. Base Talks
Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - August 10, 2010: The Kyrgyz interim government is not negotiating with the United States on the establishment of a new military base in the republic, government spokesman Farid Niyazov said on Monday. The Washington Post reported on Saturday that the United States is planning to move ahead with construction of a $10 million military training base in Osh, called "the Osh Polygon." It said discussions continued "under the new Kyrgyz president, Roza Otunbayeva, with whose government Washington is trying to broaden relationships." "The interim government is conducting no negotiations with the United States on this subject. President Roza Otunbayeva has repeatedly stated that this decision will be the prerogative of a popularly elected parliament," Niyazov said. Parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan have been set for this coming fall. Defense Ministry spokesperson Aizada Igibayev said reports "about the establishment of a U.S. military base in the republic are at odds with the facts." The Washington Post said Osh Polygon will consist of "a secure garrison compound with officers' quarters and barracks for enlisted personnel, plus range facilities, firing pistols, rifles, crew-served weapons and explosive ordnance." It said so far this year, the United States has contributed $45 million to the Kyrgyz government and paid $13 million in fees for use of the Manas Base, "a key facility aiding the war in Afghanistan." Washington recently pledged an additional $8.6 million in humanitarian assistance to the Bishkek government as its contribution at a World Bank donors conference.
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DTN News: Former Enemies US, Vietnam Now Military Mates

DTN News: Former Enemies US, Vietnam Now Military Mates
Source: DTN News / AP
(NSI News Source Info) ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON - August 10, 2010: Cold War enemies the United States and Vietnam demonstrated their blossoming military relations Sunday as a U.S. nuclear supercarrier cruised in waters off the Southeast Asian nation's coast — sending a message that China is not the region's only big player. The visit comes 35 years after the Vietnam War as Washington and Hanoi are cozying up in a number of areas, from negotiating a controversial deal to share civilian nuclear fuel and technology to agreeing that China needs to work with its neighbors to resolve territorial claims in the South China Sea. The USS George Washington's stop is officially billed as a commemoration of last month's 15th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between the former foes. But the timing also reflects Washington's heightened interest in maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific amid tensions following the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which killed 46 sailors. North Korea has been blamed for the attack, but has vehemently denied any involvement. Last month during an Asian security meeting in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also angered China by unexpectedly calling on the Communist powerhouse to resolve territorial claims with neighboring Southeast Asian countries over islands in the South China Sea. "The strategic implications and importance of the waters of the South China Sea and the freedom of navigation is vital to both Vietnam and the United States," Capt. Ross Myers, commander of the George Washington's air wing, said aboard the ship Sunday as fighter jets thundered off the flight deck above. "I'm certain that the Chinese government and the Chinese people are trying to protect their interests," he added when asked about China's increased aggressiveness within the area. "It is more important for Vietnam (and) its partners to establish that they have an equal right to economic prosperity and peace within the region as well." Chinese navy ships were seen shadowing the USS George Washington at a distance over the past several days as the supercarrier made its way throught the South China Sea along Vietnam's eastern coast, U.S. Navy officials said Sunday. China claims the entire sea and the disputed Spratly and Paracel islands over which it exercises complete sovereignty. But Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines also have staked claims on all or some of the territory, which straddles vital shipping lanes, important fishing grounds and is believed rich in oil and natural gas reserves. Clinton announced that the U.S. has a national interest in seeing the claims resolved. "The problem is that China has now committed herself, publicly, to sovereignty of the South China Sea and to push that back, if only to the status of a claim that is not enforced, is going to be very difficult," said Arthur Waldron, an international relations specialist at the University of Pennsylvania. "So we are playing catch up, reminding the Chinese that we have not collapsed into post-great powerdom yet, and that we have other friends in the region." Vietnam has long been vocal about the issue, protesting China's plans to bring tourists to the islands and most recently seismic studies conducted near the Paracels. Last month China also held naval drills in the South China Sea. "Vietnam does not support containing China, but like most other ASEAN members would like to see each major power offset the other," Carl Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defense Force Academy in Canberra, said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "Quite simply, these are not too subtle signals that Vietnam wants the United States to stay engaged in the region to balance China." The formidable USS George Washington is a permanent presence in the Pacific, based in Japan. As one of the world's biggest warships, it is a floating city that can carry up to 70 aircraft, more than 5,000 sailors and aviators and about 4 million pounds (1.8 million kilograms) of bombs. It lurked Sunday about 200 miles (320 kilometers) off the central coast of Danang, Vietnam's jumping-off point for the disputed islands. A group of high-ranking Vietnamese military officials was flown onto the carrier Sunday along with other Vietnamese government officials and the U.S. ambassador to the country. The supercarrier came to Vietnam following four days of high-profile military exercises last month with South Korea aimed at showing solidarity following the sinking of the 1,200-ton Cheonan navy ship. The drills enraged Pyongyang and drew repeated criticism from its Chinese ally. A Chinese newspaper ran a front-page story last week strongly hinting that China also is not happy about reports that Vietnam and the U.S. are negotiating a civilian nuclear fuel and technology deal that could allow Vietnam to enrich uranium on its own soil. U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said China had not been consulted about the talks, but he would not discuss the specifics of the enrichment provision. Congressional aides have said the agreement will likely not contain a no-enrichment pledge, which the U.S. promotes as the "gold standard" for civilian nuclear cooperation accords to ensure materials are not being used to build a nuclear weapon. Vietnam has denied having any plans to enrich uranium on its own soil. The aircraft carrier's visit is particularly symbolic as it cruises off the coast of central Danang, once the site of a bustling U.S. military base during the Vietnam War, which ended April 30, 1975, when northern communist forces seized control of the U.S.-backed capital of South Vietnam, reuniting the country. Some 58,000 Americans and an estimated 3 million Vietnamese were killed during the war. Relations have thrived since the former foes shook hands in 1995. The U.S. is Vietnam's top export market and Americans are the country's No. 1 foreign investor. Two-way trade reached $15.4 billion in 2009. Military ties have also grown since the first U.S. warship ship visited Ho Chi Minh City in 2003, including high-level defense talks and training. The USS John McCain destroyer will pay a port call to Vietnam later this week. The two navies are expected to have cultural exchanges along with training exercises, such as search and rescue operations.

DTN News: Finland Upgrading Hornet Fighters

DTN News: Finland Upgrading Hornet Fighters Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including YLE Finnish Broadcasting Corp.; issued Aug. 8, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 10, 2010: The Finnish Defence Forces are preparing to spend more than a billion euros in the upgrading of its fleet of F-18 Hornet jet fighters. The US-built planes are at about the halfway point of their effective lifespans. The upgrade is set to extend their usefulness so that new fighters would not be needed before 2025. Nevertheless, the Finnish Air Forces is looking at other possible jet fighters on the market. The most recent achievement of advanced military aviation is the American F-35 fighter, which Norway’s air force is planning to acquire. Finland is also looking at the F-35, although the super-modern jet is also super expensive. Precision Weapons for Hornet The Air Force says that it is now concentrating on the upgrading of the Hornet. The planes, which are primarily attended to give the Finns the capability to repulse an attack, are being modified to function as assault planes, capable of hitting land targets from a long distance. Army Also Upgrading Equipment The Finnish Army is also planning to upgrade much of its materiel. East German equipment, including Leopard tanks which were acquired in the 1990s, is becoming obsolete. A key requirement in new acquisitions is compatibility with NATO systems, even though Finland has no immediate plans to join the alliance.
Finnish Air Force - F-18 Hornet The F-18 Hornet is the Finnish Air Force variant of the Boeing IDS F/A-18 Hornet multi-role attack and fighter aircraft. The aircraft is almost identical to a late F/A-18C/D used by the US Navy, as well as the Hornets used by the Swiss Air Force, although no air-to-ground equipment or weapons were purchased with the aircraft. The decision to rename the aircraft to F-18 was mainly a political decision to underline the air defense role of the fighters.
The decision to purchase the aircraft (64 in total, with 7 two-seat F-18D models and 57 single-seated F-18C models) was made in 1992, soon after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. The original plan was to buy about 40 western fighters and about 20 Soviet fighters due to political reasons, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union this was no longer necessary. The plan changed to 60 single-seat + 7 dual seat fighters of the same type, and the F-18 won the contest. To keep the budget the number of fighters to be purchased was decreased by three, to 57+7. The 57 single-seat aircraft were produced in Finland by Patria.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com
YLE Finnish Broadcasting Corp. ~ Related News

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated August 9, 2010

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated August 9, 2010 Source: U.S. DoD issued August 9, 2010 (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - August 9, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued August 9, 2010 are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $450,827,357 contract to provide engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II) program (nomenclature, Guided Bomb Unit-53/B). SDB II is a joint Air Force and Navy program. The SDB II will initially be integrated on the F-15E, F-35B and F-35C aircraft. At this time, $23,500,000 has been obligated. Miniature Munitions, AAC/EBMK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8672-10-C-0002).

United Paradyne Corp., Santa Maria, Calif., was awarded a $44,429,836 contract to provide aerospace support services contract for the following services: unconventional propellants; cryogenics and fuels accountability; personal protective equipment operations; hazardous operation support; fleet management; systems and safety engineering; training, and transient aircraft maintenance/aerospace ground equipment support services. Precision measurement equipment laboratory includes test, calibration, and repair of test measurement diagnostic equipment. At this time, no money has been obligated. 30 CONS/LGCZG, Vandenberg, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA4610-10-C-0008).

Boeing Co., St Louis, Mo., was awarded a $20,327,974 contract modification to provide eight Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) extended user evaluation assets: eight MOP warheads and eight MOP toolkits. The modification will also provide various support items: eight MOP loading adapters; eight carriage and release equipment; 16 separation nuts; 16 fuzes; and four separation nut simulators, with associated proposal preparation charges. At this time, $10,000,000 has been obligated. AAC/EDBK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8681-09-C-0280; P00009).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

General Electric, Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum $12,481,700 firm-fixed-price sole-source contract for turbine controls. 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 Feb. 28, 2013. The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA812209G0001-UN55).

ARMY

Willis Mechanical, Inc., Norcross, Ga., was awarded on Aug. 6 a $12,240,200 firm-fixed-price contract to construct and renovate the second hangar addition at Eastover Army Aviation Support Facility at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, to include base award and six options. Work is to be performed in Eastover, S.C., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 13, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 12 bids received. USPFO for South Carolina, Columbia, S.C., is the contracting activity (W912QG-10-C-0005).

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Austin, Texas, was awarded on Aug. 6 an $11,014,052 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for the acquisition of 390 L-Rod aluminum bar armor kits, associated bracketry required for kit installation, and field service representative support outside the contiguous United States, for the RG-31 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle on the base obligation for this undefinitized modification. Work is to be performed in Austin, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 26, 2010. One bid was solicted with one bid received. TACOM Contracting Center, Detroit Arsenal, Warren, Mich., is the contractign activity (W56HZV-09-C-0311)

Hunter Contracting Co., Gilbert, Ariz., was awarded on Aug. 6 a $10,972,945 firm-fixed-price contract. This project is to construct three inline basins and modifying the inlet on High School Wash at Park Avenue. Work is to be performed in Tucson, Ariz., with an estimated completion date of May 30, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with eight bids received. US Army Engineer District, Los Angeles, Calif., is the contracting activity (W912PL-10-C-0032).

Tarlton Corp., Inc., St Louis, Mo., was awarded on Aug. 6 a $9,675,825 firm-fixed-price contract to install pre-stress rock anchors on east and west wall lock monoliths at Lock and Dam 27 located in Granite City, Ill. Work is to be performed in Granite City, Ill., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 15, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three bids received. U.S Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, St. Louis, Mo., is the contracting activity (W912P9-10-C-0429)

General Tactical Vehicles, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Aug. 5 a $8,985,020 cost-share contract. This effort is for the design and development of three Joint Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) subconfigurations for Australia in the right hand drive, and the delivery of two JLTV subconfiguration vehicles and one companion trailer for government testing. Work is to be performed in Livonia, Mich. (47 percent); Sterling Heights, Mich. (41 percent); Muskegon, Mich. (9 percent); and South Bend, Ind. (3 percent), with an estimated completion date of May 19, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with seven bids received. TACOM Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-C-0108).

NAVY

Seaward Marine Services, Inc., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $12,648,498 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for waterborne hull cleaning and associated work to support the director of ocean engineering, supervisor of salvage and diving. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide hull cleaning, hull inspection, and other related ship husbandry services on the underwater portion of Navy, Coast Guard, Army, and Military Sealift Command ships and craft. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $51,175,930. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va. (54 percent); Mayport, Fla. (24 percent); Ingleside, Texas (17 percent); and New London, Conn. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by August 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $50,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-D-4170).

AT&T Wireless Services, Hanover, Md. (N00244-05-D-0010); Sprint-Nextel, Lone Tree, Colo. (N00244-05-D-0011); and Verizon Wireless, Laurel, Md. (N00244-05-D-0012), are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract extension to provide nationwide wireless cellular phone service to the Navy. For AT&T, the estimated amount of the extension is $10,000,000. For Sprint-Nextel, the estimated amount of the extension is $10,000,000. For Verizon Wireless, the estimated amount of the extension is $10,000,000. Work is to be performed in various locations in and outside the United States, and is expected to be complete December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This requirement was not awarded through full and open competition. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co., Biloxi, Miss., is being awarded $6,826,767 for firm-fixed-price task order #0003 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62467-05-D-0183) for the construction of an Aerial Port Facility at Keesler Air Force Base. Project includes parking, security fencing, exterior lighting and parking for aerial port material handling vehicles. Project includes all site work, utilities, and fire protection. This facility shall be constructed in accordance with current anti-terrorism/force protection standards. Work will be performed in Biloxi, Miss., and is expected to be completed by December 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.

CORRECTION: Defense Logistics Agency contract number SPM500-05-D-BP07, published in news release 679-10 on July 30, 2010, announced an award amount of $180,000,000 in error. The correct award amount is $36,000,000.

DTN News: Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News Dated August 9, 2010

DTN News: Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News Dated August 9, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 9, 2010: Comprehensive daily news related on Aerospace/Defense for the world of TODAY.
*Comprehensive daily news related on Aerospace/Defense for the world of TODAY.

Monday August 9, 2010

Friday August 6, 2010