Wednesday, November 28, 2012

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, San Diego, Calif., For Operations And Maintenance Services In Support of MQ-8B Fire Scout

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, San Diego, Calif., For Operations And Maintenance Services In Support of  MQ-8B Fire Scout
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources U.S. Department of Defense No. 930-12 - November 28, 2012
(NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - Novembe 29, 2012: Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $15,010,161 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for operations and maintenance services in support of the MQ-8B Fire Scout.
  


Work will be performed in Afghanistan (90 percent), and Patuxent River, Md. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2013.  

This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1.  

Contract funds in the amount of $1,500,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 

 The remaining funding will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued.  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-13-C-0018).


Northrop Grumman's Transformational Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle system provides unprecedented situation awareness and precision targeting support for U.S. Armed Forces of the future.

The MQ-8B Fire Scout has the ability to autonomously take off and land on any aviation-capable warship and at prepared and unprepared landing zones in proximity to the soldier in contact.

 The U.S. Navy has selected Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) to produce the next-generation Fire Scout unmanned helicopter using the Bell 407 airframe. The new variant provides greater range, endurance and payload capacity to ship commander's intelligence-gathering efforts.

According to a U.S. Department of Defense news release on contract awards released April 23, the company will produce a total of eight Fire Scouts within an amount not to exceed $262 million. The Navy plans to purchase a total of 28 aircraft under a rapid development effort.

The Fire Scout endurance upgrade has been designated as the MQ-8C.

"Through our company-funded Fire-X demonstration effort we proved that using the mature unmanned systems architecture developed for the MQ-8B Fire Scout paired with the Bell 407 helicopter would provide greater capability efficiently and affordably," said Duke Dufresne, vice president and general manager for unmanned systems. "By using systems that have many years of development already invested in them we can meet the Navy's needs quickly."

Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the MQ-8C program. Major suppliers for new variant include Bell Helicopter and Rolls Royce.

Final assembly of the new Fire Scout variant will be completed at Northrop Grumman's Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources U.S. Department of Defense No. 930-12 - November 28, 2012
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - KOREAN PENINSULA NEWS: Satellite Images Suggest 'Looming' N.Korea Missile Test

DTN News - KOREAN PENINSULA NEWS: Satellite Images Suggest 'Looming' N.Korea Missile Test
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP
(NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - November 28, 2012: North Korea could carry out a long-range missile test in the next three weeks, with new satellite images showing increased launch site activity, according to satellite operator DigitalGlobe Inc.


The global provider of commercial high-resolution earth imagery said Monday that the new pictures showed significant movement at North Korea's Sohae (West Sea) Satellite Launch Station.

"Given the observed level of activity noted, of a new tent, trucks, people and numerous portable fuel/oxidizer tanks, should North Korea desire -- it could possibly conduct its fifth satellite launch event during the next three weeks," it said.

DigitalGlobe said the type of activity was consistent with preparations observed before North Korea's failed launch of its Unha-3 missile in April.

Pyongyang insisted the April launch bid was aimed at putting a satellite in orbit, but the United States and United Nations denounced the mission as a disguised ballistic missile test.

The test put a halt to international efforts to engage the isolated nation, with the United States calling off plans to deliver badly needed food assistance.

The North is in the final stage of preparations for a launch after missile parts were transported to the launch site early this month, an unnamed senior military official told Yonhap news agency.

"(The South Korean military) is judging that there is high possibility of (the North's) firing off the missile between December and January of next year," the official was quoted as saying.

Any test in the next three weeks would cast a heavy cloud over South Korea's presidential election on December 19.

There have been widespread concerns in Seoul that the North would seek to influence the ballot by conducting a missile launch or provoking a border clash.

The Japanese Asahi Shimbun newspaper had reported last week that the US government had already warned Japan and South Korea that an imminent test was possible.

Last month, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said satellite images showed North Korea had conducted motor tests at the Sohae site to improve its long-range missiles.

Some analysts believe that a North Korean rocket, if successfully developed, could eventually reach the range to hit the United States.


North Korea is known to have an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) in development -- the Taepodong-2 -- but it has never been tested successfully.

Days after the failed April test, North Korea raised eyebrows by displaying what appeared to be a new set of ICBMs at a military parade to mark the 100th birthday of the North's late founder Kim Il-Sung.

But Western military analysts and UN sanctions experts concluded that the display models were simply mock-ups.


Full coverage

Second North Korean missile launch would be unprecedented

CNN (blog) - ‎3 hours ago‎
While new satellite images show preparations for what is believed to be a coming long-range missile launch by North Korea, a second attempt in 2012 would be unprecedented, a top satellite image analyst told CNN. There have been four launches of this ...

Images suggest DPRK to test missile

China Daily - ‎5 hours ago‎
A new satellite image shows a marked increase in activity at a missile launch site of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, pointing to a possible long-range ballistic missile test by Pyongyang in the next three weeks. The imagery taken by satellite ...

North Korea's Illegal Weapons Pipeline Flows On

Wall Street Journal - ‎5 hours ago‎
Illegal shipments of missile technology and weapons from North Korea have flowed unabated under the leadership of Kim Jong Eun, dashing Western hopes that Pyongyang's new leader might moderate his country's aggressive proliferation activities.

US analysts detect 'activity' at North Korea missile site

Irish Times - ‎5 hours ago‎
A new satellite image shows a marked increase in activity at a North Korean missile launch site, pointing to a possible long-range ballistic missile test by Pyongyang in the next three weeks, according to satellite operator DigitalGlobe Inc. The imagery was ...

Images suggest looming North Korea missile test

Business Recorder (blog) - ‎6 hours ago‎
North Korea could carry out a long-range missile test in the next three weeks, with new satellite images showing increased launch site activity, according to satellite operator DigitalGlobe Inc. The global provider of commercial high-resolution earth imagery ...

North Korea Missile Test Likely In Next 3 Weeks, Satellite Photo Suggests

Huffington Post - ‎10 hours ago‎
A newly released satellite photo of North Korea indicates the country may be preparing for a long-range missile test in the next several weeks. The photo, taken by DigitalGlobe, a satellite operator that provides imagery for U.S. intelligence officials, shows ...

South Korea says North may be preparing for new rocket launch

Washington Post - ‎13 hours ago‎
SEOUL — Fresh satellite images show increasing activity at North Korea's launch site, an indication that it could be ready to fire a long-range rocket within several weeks, South Korean officials said Tuesday. “There is a high possibility” of a launch in ...

S. Korean church scraps border Christmas lights plan

Bangkok Post - ‎14 hours ago‎
A South Korean church group has scrapped plans to display Christmas lights near the border with North Korea after residents voiced fears Pyongyang might shell the illuminations, officials said Tuesday. A North Korean (right) looks across the demilitarized ...

Photo shows more activity at N.Korean launch site

NBCNews.com - ‎14 hours ago‎
A satellite image of the Sohae launch facility on November 23, showing increased activity at the North Korean missile launch site. By Andrea Shalal-Esa. updated 11/26/2012 9:00:05 PM ET 2012-11-27T02:00:05. Print; Font: +; -. A new satellite image shows a ...

Seoul warns of N Korean rocket launch plan

Financial Times - ‎14 hours ago‎
Seoul believes North Korea is preparing to launch a ballistic missile, posing a possible new threat to stability on the peninsula ahead of South Korea's presidential election in December. “It's clear that they're in preparation for a possible launch,” a senior ...

North Korean Car Maker Seems Set to Shut Down

Wall Street Journal (blog) - ‎15 hours ago‎
An experiment in building cars in North Korea appears about to end, though it will do little to ease the world's oversupply of auto manufacturing capacity. Pyeonghwa Motors Corp., a company started by the South Korea-based Unification Church in 1999 that ...

North Korean assassin captured with Bond kill-kit

The Sun - ‎16 hours ago‎
A CAPTURED North Korean assassin was found with a cache of secret James Bond style-weapons. The hidden "kill-kit" included a device that appeared to be a torch - but was actually a gun that was capable of firing a bullet. The sneaky hitman was arrested ...

Satellite images hint at North Korean missile test

The Australian - ‎17 hours ago‎
SATELLITE images released yesterday show a flurry of recent activity at North Korea's Sohae rocket launch station, suggesting the rogue state could be eyeing a missile test as South Korea embarks on presidential elections. Reports in Japanese newspapers ...

Seoul reveals poisoned pen plot

The Australian - ‎17 hours ago‎
WHEN the elegantly suited Mr An was arrested in Seoul last year, the contents of his pockets seemed innocuous enough: two ballpoint pens and a small, cheap-looking torch. Beneath the items' innocent casings, however, were the precision tools of a North ...

South Korean church to end car venture with North: source

AsiaOne - ‎17 hours ago‎
SEOUL - One of the more bizarre joint ventures in car-making is set to come to an end following the death of the head of South Korea's Unification Church which it is to give its stake in the Pyeonghwa Motors operation to North Korea. Pyeonghwa, which ...

New Satellite Images Suggest N. Korea Missile Activity

Voice of America - ‎18 hours ago‎
A satellite imagery company is reporting increased activity at a North Korean launch site, suggesting a long-range missile test could take place in just weeks. The image released Monday by DigitalGlobe shows an increased level of personnel, trucks and other ...

Images suggest looming N Korea missile test: DigitalGlobe

Hindu Business Line - ‎20 hours ago‎
North Korea could carry out a long-range missile test in the next three weeks, suggest new images released by satellite operator DigitalGlobe Inc showing increased launch site activity. The global provider of commercial high-resolution satellite imagery said ...

`Increased activity at North Korean missile launch site`

Zee News - ‎21 hours ago‎
`Increased activity at North Korean missile launch site` Pyongyang: A new satellite image has shown a marked increase in activity at a North Korean missile launch site, suggesting a new launch could be possible in the next few weeks. The image at North ...

James Bond-style weapons used by a would-be North Korean assassin ...

Daily Mail - ‎22 hours ago‎
It may look like an innocuous ballpoint, but despite being disguised to look like a Parker pen it is actually a deadly weapon employed by a North Korean spy in an assassination attempt last year. Like something straight out of a James Bond film, the pen ...

Japan, North Korea officials to meet again in Beijing

Channel News Asia - ‎22 hours ago‎
TOKYO: Senior Japanese and North Korean diplomats will meet in Beijing in December following rare talks earlier this month, Tokyo's top spokesman said on Tuesday. The talks will be held on December 5-6, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said.

North Korea preparing for missile test, satellite photos suggest

The Guardian - ‎22 hours ago‎
North Korea may conduct a long-range ballistic missile test in the next three weeks, according to a satellite company that has analysed images of the launch site. The images were released days after a Japanese newspaper, the Asahi Shimbun, reported that ...

North Korea May Be Planning Rocket Test, Satellite Operator Says

New York Times - ‎22 hours ago‎
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has stepped up what could be preparations to launch a new rocket from its northwestern launching station in defiance of a United Nations ban, the satellite operator DigitalGlobe said Tuesday, citing recent satellite imagery ...

Bond-style weapons carried by North Korean assassin unveiled

Telegraph.co.uk - ‎Nov 26, 2012‎
Footage of three weapons that were found on a North Korean assassin when he was arrested on the platform of a subway in Seoul in September 2011 were shown on CNN on Monday. The weapons, which would not be out of place in a James Bond film, ...

Newly released document contradicts Seoul's claim on Mt. Kumkang tourism

The Hankyoreh - ‎Nov 26, 2012‎
North Korea provided a written guarantee for the safety of tourists at Mt. Kumkang during 2010 working level talks with the South Korean government. The draft of the inter-Korean working level agreement to resume tourism at Mt. Kumgang and Kaesong, ...

Japan to Hold Talks With North Korea Dec. 5-6 in China

Businessweek - ‎Nov 26, 2012‎
Japan and North Korea will hold a second round of working level talks next month in China after meeting earlier this month, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said. Shinsuke Sugiyama, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Asia-Pacific ...

North Korean assassin found with Bond-like weapons

Ninemsn - ‎Nov 26, 2012‎
Officials demonstrate a poison pen and gun disguised as a torch that were found on a spy who made an assassination attempt in South Korea. When South Korean authorities intercepted a spy on his way to assassinate a political activist, they found deadly ...

It really is that bad: A powerful speech on North Korea

Washington Post (blog) - ‎Nov 26, 2012‎
It's not easy to talk to people about North Korea. The story is so awful, and so static, what more is there to do, or even to say? This speech by Adrian Hong, a strategic consultant who also co-founded a U.S.-based NGO that assists North Korean escapees, ...

Poison pen is mightier than the sword for North Korea's assassins

The Independent - ‎Nov 26, 2012‎
The first weapon looks like an innocuous electric torch, except it is able to fire three bullets. The second is a ballpoint pen with a poisoned needle. The third is another "poison pen", containing a bullet that both punctures the skin and releases a deadly toxin.

Govt to boost N. Korea missile info gathering

The Daily Yomiuri - ‎Nov 26, 2012‎
The government will make greater efforts to gather information on a possible North Korean missile launch, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Monday. In a press conference, Fujimura referred to recent indications that North Korea may be ...

Murderous pens found on North Korean assassin

The Independent - ‎Nov 26, 2012‎
Q might have fashioned 007 tools like these, but in the hands of real-life North Korean assassins they look a whole lot less retro-cute. Three weapons - all indistinguishable from everyday objects - have been seen by CNN after a bust in South Korea stopped a ...


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS