Erik

Russian air force completing MiG-31BM modernization program 13/08/2010 RIA Novosti. Skrynnikov The Russian air force is completing a modification program for its MiG-31 interceptor aircraft to the MiG-31BM standard, the force's commander Col.Gen. Alexander Zelin said on Friday. "The air force is currently carrying out the vital task of deep modification of the MiG-31 aircraft to MiG-31BM standard. This task is being successfully carried out," he said. The MiG-31BM is fitted with upgraded avionics and digital datalinks, a new multimode radar, color multi-function cockpit displays, a new, more powerful computer and ability to carry new air-to-air and possibly air-to-surface missiles such as the AS-17 Krypton anti-radar missile. Information on display next to a MiG-31BM in 2009 associated the aircraft with air-to-air missiles including the Vympel R-73 (AA-11 Archer), R-77 (AA-12 Adder), and R-33S (upgraded AA-9 Amos) and the K-37M (AA-X-13 Arrow). The air force is also accepting other new aircraft, including the Su-34 strike aircraft, the forthcoming Su-35, the Yak-130 advanced trainer, and Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters, he said. Manufacturer's tests are also underway on the Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter prototype. Zarya (Moscow Region), August 13 RIA Novosti

If you have another video card I'd try swapping it out. The artifacts you're seeing can be caused by a bad video card, driver, or memory.

IAF going in for massive upgrade of airfields, helipads Rajat Pandit, TNN, Aug 13, 2010, 02.07am IST NEW DELHI: From new Sukhoi-30MKI bases at Chabua (Assam), Halwara (Punjab) and Jodhpur (Rajasthan) to one for Tejas fighters in Sulur (Tamil Nadu), IAF is going in for a massive upgrade of its airfield and helipad infrastructure across the country. This will not only bolster operational logistics and flexibility on both the eastern and western fronts with China and Pakistan, apart from plugging existing gaps over central and peninsular India, but also make IAF airbases more accessible to civilian aircraft. This is in tune with IAF's aim to have 42 fighter squadrons by 2022, up from the existing 32, with progressive induction of 270 Sukhois, 126 multi-role combat aircraft, 120 indigenous Tejas Light Combat aircraft and the first lot of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft to be developed with Russia. A major endeavour in all this is the soon-to-be-launched MAFI (modernisation of airfield infrastructure) programme, under which 30 of IAF's 51 operational airbases will be upgraded in Phase-I over 42 months. "Commercial negotiations with the Tata Power-led consortium for MAFI Phase-I, at a cost of around Rs 1,300 crore, is in the final stages now. Bhatinda airbase will be taken up as the pilot project,'' said a source. Under Phase-II, remaining IAF, Army, Navy and Coast Guard airfields will be modernised. The upgrade includes resurfacing, expansion and lighting of runways for night operations as well as installation of new tactical navigational (TACAN), instrument landing (Cat-2 ILS), air traffic management and air-to-ground radio communication (RCAG) systems. The North-East is a major thrust area, with upgrade of airbases in Chabua, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Mohanbari, Hasimara, Guwahati and Bagdogra, among others. The Tezpur airbase already houses Sukhois after it underwent an upgrade last year. Then, after reactivating western sector ALGs (advanced landing grounds) like Daulat Beg Oldi, Fukche and Nyama in eastern Ladakh, IAF is now concentrating on upgrading eastern sector ALGs like Pasighat, Mechuka, Walong, Tuting, Ziro and Vijaynagar as well as several helipads in Arunachal. This is meant to strategically counter China's massive build-up of military infrastructure all along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control, which includes 14 airbases directed against India in Tibet. The focus on the western front, of course, remains as sharp as before. The Phalodi airbase in Rajasthan, just 102 km away from the Pakistan border, for instance, began fighter operations earlier this year. "The aim is to make all the bases capable of operating all kinds of aircraft. This will, for instance, allow our IL-78 mid-air refuellers to support fighters from virtually anywhere in the country,'' said the source. The Times of India

Indra’s Electronic Defense Systems for Italian U212 Submarines By Indra on August 13, 2010 Indra will implement its electronic defence systems in two new U212 submarines to be acquired by the Italian Navy after signing an agreement with Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani. The system will allow this traditional submarine, which is one of the most noiseless and hard to detect, to notice any active radar within a certain range. The analysis capacity of the system enables detection of nearly 100% of the signals, not only the weakest but also those with low probability of detection. The solution will also facilitate followup of the signal transmitter and identification. The analysis of the radio electric spectrum takes place in real time which offers an advantage for the submarine crew over other platforms. This is possible thanks to the high information processing capacity of the system and its intelligence since it is capable of recognising the electronic finger print which distinguishes radar types. Besides this, it offers the possibility to record all the data for further analysis. Another distinguishing feature of the solution is its high integration capacity with other systems, either command and control systems and communications or with other transmitters embarked on the U212. Already into service for the German Navy One of the key aspects which made this contract possible was the successful implementation of the system for the German Navy's U212. In addition to this, the solution meets NATO requirements for international missions. All this offers a significant advantage over competitors and has granted Indra this important international reference. The company is also broadly experienced in the sector of electronic defence and is the supplier of this type of systems for the Spanish fleet. The system has been implemented in the new F100 frigates, the Strategic Projection ship or the future S80 submarines. Indra's equipment is also present in cutting edge platforms such as Eurofighter or the A400M, among others. Indra is the premier Information Technology company in Spain and a leading IT multinational in Europe and Latin America. It is ranked as the first European company in its sector according to investment in R&D and is the second Spanish company in absolute value investments in R&D. In 2009 revenues reached EUR 2,513 M of which a 40% came from the international market. The company employs more than 29,000 professionals and has clients in more than 100 countries. Defense Talk

Logistics system release transforms combat support By Air Force News Agency on August 13, 2010 WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio: A new age for Air Force logisticians began when a pilot version of the Expeditionary Combat Support System went live July 31 at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. The Expeditionary Combat Support System will transform business processes, alter management and control systems, and affect personnel roles and organizational structures across the entire logistics arena. "Developing and fielding ECSS is a monumental task that requires transformational changes in the way the Air Force does business," said Col. Stefan Dosedel, an ECSS Release One program manager. The previously used, stove-piped systems often resulted in duplicated efforts, non-standardized reporting and data integrity issues. When fully implemented, ECSS will provide standardized business processes, an enterprise view of the supply chain and efficiencies across the Air Force, while also impacting personnel roles and organizational structures. "The end result is to have one, single database, no matter what Air Force location you are at, that has consistent processes and data," said Scott Argo of Computer Sciences Corporation, the system integrator. "It moves the Air Force from base-centric, standalone systems to an enterprise approach." The ECSS program, managed by the Electronic Systems Center's Enterprise Logistics Systems Program Executive Office at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is an integrated data environment that combines financial, manufacturing, distribution and other business processes into a single, commercial off-the-shelf, Oracle-based technology solution hosted on the Air Force Global Combat Support System. It replaces more than 240 Cold War-era standalone, or stove-piped, systems being used today. Hanscom AFB was chosen as the pilot base for implementing ECSS because of its small size and relatively low number of impacted users. Planned for release in increments, this first phase, known as Release One-Pilot A, focuses on vehicle maintenance and involves about 40 to 50 Hanscom AFB users. Pilot B will expand to equipment custodians at Hanscom AFB, and Pilot C, which will involve supply functions, will bring the potential number of Hanscom AFB ECSS users to between 75 to 100 people. Hanscom AFB will continue to be the ECSS pilot base until 2011, when the program enters Initial Operational Test and Evaluation at MacDill AFB, Fla., and Ellsworth AFB, S.D. The first work order for Pilot A was opened Aug. 2 when mechanic Bruce Trainer of the 66th Logistics Squadron opened the "Scheduling Workbench" on his computer screen. From the workbench, he accessed ECSS and scheduled the first job of the day: replacing a faulty light bulb on a base fire truck. Shortly thereafter, Rick Lord, also of the 66th LRS, started the maintenance operations, recorded the use of the replacement part, recorded his time and completed the work order. Since ECSS standardizes processes, the same job will be done the same way at Air Force bases around the world, Mr. Argo said. It also transfers the process from a paper-based system to an electronic one. "While Pilot A is primarily being conducted by the 13 vehicle maintenance workers at Hanscom (AFB), there are 300-plus people at the Program Management Office at Wright-Patterson (AFB) and more than 500 CSC employees in Beavercreek, Ohio, working to implement the system across the Air Force," Mr. Argo said. "Engineers at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., are also working the related vehicle engineering bill of materials and routings so that maintenance activities have a standard set of activities, tools and parts." Robins AFB engineers essentially will build the processes used Air Force-wide, and load them into ECSS, Mr. Argo said. Aug. 2, the ECSS Logistics Management and Support Office hosted a gathering at Wright-Patterson AFB to mark the Air Force's first ECSS implementation. Lynn Moad, the Systems Integration Division chief and Air Force Materiel Command ECSS champion, said she was thrilled with the progress of the system. "Everyone at Hanscom (AFB) and Warner Robins (AFB) is so enthused," she said. "Each person has worked so hard to make this happen, and is so excited." While this release signals a big stride in Air Force logistics, the ECSS program executive officer said that more program developments are on the horizon. "Today is a big day for ECSS, but it marks just another step in a long journey to delivering the full promise of ECSS," said Brig. Gen. Kenneth J. Moran, the director and Air Force program executive officer of Enterprise Logistics Systems. "We can, and should be, immensely proud of what's been achieved; but we must remain diligent and focused on the work ahead." Defense Talk

Persistent Wireless Broadband Communications Network for the Battlefield By Lockheed Martin on August 13, 2010 Private Military Network Brings Secure Smartphone Technology to Warfighter VALLEY FORGE, Pa.: Warfighters on the battlefield will have a persistent wireless broadband network available for tactical use with a new MONAX™ communications system from Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] that combines the convenience of smartphone technology with the power and flexibility of a secure, highly portable network infrastructure. “With the MONAX system, we’ll be able to place smartphone technology in the hands of warfighters with a private network they can take anywhere,” said Gerry Fasano, President of Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions-Defense. “This affordable system will reduce time spent searching for information, improve battlefield communications and situational awareness, and increase mission effectiveness through more informed decision making.” The MONAX communications system connects a commercial off-the-shelf smartphone to a ground or airborne 3G base station with a MONAX Lynx portable sleeve, enabling the warfighter’s use of a single, convenient, touch screen device for mission success at “the first tactical mile.” The system is frequency flexible, connects hundreds of users to a single base station, and delivers superior range and link performance in voice, video and data transmission. The network uses a secure RF link, protected through exportable encryption for joint and coalition operations. Lockheed Martin also offers a rich set of applications and governance, leveraging smartphone application development and application store model. Applications are available for mission reporting, situational awareness, command and control, facial recognition for checkpoint use, cyber security situational awareness and protection, and enterprise intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data access. Defense Talk

Mock military combat and falsely claiming to be a service veteran are two very different things. Go out have fun and get a few notches in your man card, then see your local recruiter.

The only resolve that would satisfy me personally is to have him earn each and every badge, ribbon, star, and uniform he disgraced. If he can't then he should be deported and stripped of his citizenship. If he can I can guarantee he'll have the respect needed to wear them and he'll definitely be 300 lbs thinner or at least have a BMI less than 20.

Some of those links in the original post are from back in 2003. I wonder if this isn't one of those recirculated incidents.

First GPS IIF satellite on station By Air Force News Agency on August 11, 2010 LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.: Officials from the Air Space Command's Global Positioning Systems Wing at the Space and Missile Systems Center here have announced the first GPS IIF satellite arrived on station Aug. 1. This indicates the satellite is in its designated orbital position and ready for its final phase of on-orbit checkout and testing, to be completed before September. The satellite then will be cleared to serve navigation and timing users as part of the operational GPS constellation. The next-generation GPS IIF satellites will provide improved accuracy through advanced atomic clocks, a longer design life than legacy GPS satellites and a new operational L5 civil signal that benefits civil aviation and other safety-of-life applications. It also will continue to deploy the modernized capabilities that began with the eight modernized GPS IIR satellites, including a more robust military signal. GPS IIF satellites will provide improved signals that will enhance the precise global positioning, navigation and timing services supporting both the warfighter and the growing civilian needs of the global economy. The GPS constellation remains the most robust and capable system in the history of space. Air Force Space Command and Space and Missile Systems Center personnel are charged with developing, acquiring, fielding and sustaining the world's best space and missile capabilities for warfighting forces and for the nation. Air Force specialists are committed to providing uninterrupted GPS service at or above our performance commitments for decades to come. Defense Talk

U.K. Eyes Improved Counter-IED Capabilities By Robert Wall London The U.K.’s effort to upgrade the Astor ground-surveillance aircraft to enhance detection of improvised explosive devices (IED) is one in a series of equipment upgrades European militaries plan to bolster their military presence in Afghanistan. The effort comes as the debate over the course ahead in Afghanistan continues in many European countries, signaled most starkly by the formal end of the Dutch participation in the operation on Aug. 1. The U.K. has been operating the R1 Sentinel Airborne Standoff Radar (Astor) and supporting ground forces by monitoring routes that logistics convoys have to pass through, in some cases augmenting their own sensors with unmanned aircraft. U.K. military officials note that includes forensic analysis to determine where insurgents have come from or headed after an attack. The ground moving target indicator capability also has been used to help alert ground personnel to the potential presence of IEDs. So far, however, that has concentrated on monitoring ground movements and, when locals notably avoid an area, alert troops on the ground about a potential threat at that location. But further, more sophisticated technical steps are in the works, including using the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to conduct change detection analysis on the fly. Under such a system, Astor would be used to detect small changes in the ground to alert troops about the potential emplacement of an IED. The Royal Air Force recently conducted trials of this capability at the Salisbury Training Area. The initial SAR system could not perform that function, but with software advances, change detection “is developing,” says a ground operations officer who had deployed with the R1 Sentinel in support of Afghanistan operations. The U.K. also has been flying unmanned aircraft in the hunt for IEDs, with indications that advanced payloads are being quietly operated in the theater. On a visit last week to RAF Waddington, where the R1 Sentinels are based, U.K. Defense Minister Liam Fox noted that “highly detailed imagery provides our ground forces with the incredibly accurate information they need to detect insurgent activity and spot potential IEDs.” Providing ground forces improved airborne intelligence collection also is on the agenda in Germany, where there has been controversy much of the year over concerns that deployed forces are under-equipped. The German parliament’s military ombudsman, Hellmut Konigshaus, has repeatedly urged that known shortcomings be rectified. Most of those concerns have focused on ground equipment, which Berlin is trying to take great strides to improve, benefiting other materiel along the way. For instance, the German air force this month expects to field a third Heron-1 unmanned aircraft in Mazar-e-Sharif. The Heron-1s are providing direct tactical support to ground forces, while the reconnaissance Tornados, now equipped with a real-time imaging pod, support headquarters functions. Germany acquired four real-time digital RecceLite reconnaissance pods for the Tornados, and in 2012 expects to field four more. The imagery from those sensors is also helping detect IEDs using change detection algorithms. The German mission to Afghanistan will require parliamentary renewal in the coming months. The current mandate expires Dec. 13, but equipment planners are betting that troops will remain in country in 2011, when a raft of upgrades to ground equipment are due to hit the field. Meanwhile, the Afghan National Army Air Force has begun live-fire training launching rockets from its Mi-17 helicopters for ground attack. The helos, used for troop transport, eventually also are to supplant the Mi-35s in a ground support capacity. Credit: High G Technologies Aviation Week

Lockheed Martin Hypersonic ATACMS Motor Boosts Experimental Scramjet in First Flight DALLAS, TX and SACRAMENTO, CA, August 10th, 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today that its Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rocket motor successfully boosted the experimental X-51A WaveRider beyond Mach 4.5, the speed at which a scramjet will start and begin to provide thrust. The successful boost helped the X-51 hypersonic scramjet engine to accelerate to a historic Mach 5, a first for the vehicle. The X-51 WaveRider is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed for extended hypersonic flight durations. The successful boost with the ATACMS rocket motor will allow for future advancements in hypersonic flight. In this test, the modified ATACMS motor was air-launched from a B-52 aircraft at 50,000 feet, and data collected validates its performance well beyond the original design specifications. This was the first time an ATACMS rocket motor has been used as a booster for an air-launched vehicle. More tests using the ATACMS motor are planned. The modified motor included a Boeing designed lightweight, high performance exit cone which was produced by Aerojet, a GenCorp [NYSE:GY] company, for Lockheed Martin. The program is managed by a Boeing and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne team for the U.S. Air Force and DARPA. “The ATACMS rocket motor has proved its power in combat, and now we’re happy to see it performing a mission that advances hypervelocity flight technology,” said Scott Arnold, vice president of Precision Fires at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We are proud to have played a part in this new milestone in hypersonic flight and to have been given the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to modify existing motor designs for future applications,” said John Myers, vice president of Tactical Programs for Aerojet. Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real estate assets. 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’s 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.5 billion. Lockheed Martin

China and Pakistan Push Chengdu JF-17 Fighter for Export By: Chris Pocock In the same week that the Chengdu JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft made its international debut at the Farnborough airshow, the product of this co-development between China and Pakistan was offered to Indonesia. The Pakistan Defence Minister signed a defense cooperation agreement with his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta. The list of countries that the Sino-Pakistan joint venture is targeting for sales is expanding fast: it reportedly also includes Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Congo, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkey, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. At Farnborough, joint-venture partners Catic and PAC described the JF-17 as a multi-role light fighter with an “outstanding performance-to-cost ratio.” The two aircraft on display were ferried to Farnborough but did not fly during the show, and officials were reluctant to allow journalists into the cockpit to view the three multifunction displays plus head-up display, HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) and other avionics. The aircraft were shown with PL-5II IR-guided air-to-air missiles on wingtip rails and ferry tanks on the centerline and inner wing stations, leaving the outer wing stations unloaded. Mockups of five Chinese stores were displayed next to the aircraft: a C802A anti-ship missile; an SD-10A active radar-guided air-to-air missile; an LS-6 glide bomb; a WMD-7 targeting pod; and a KG300G electronic warfare pod. Program officials said that a development JF-17 is now flying in China with a Chinese-developed engine, presumably the WS-13 Taishan. All other JF-17s are powered by the Russian-supplied RD-93 turbofan. On the eve of Farnborough, a Russian newspaper reported the opposition of Sukhoi and MiG director-general Mikhail Pogosian to a further sale of RD-93s to China because the JF-17 is competing with the MiG-29 for export sales. At the show, however, Russian officials, including Pogosian, played down this concern. AINonline

The Topol-M mobile ballistic missile system Russia's missile forces chief to inspect Teikovo division 01:37 10/08/2010 RIA Novosti By: Ilia Pytalev New commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) will inspect on August 10-12 the rearmament of a missile division in central Russia with new mobile missile systems. During his first inspection as Russia's missile forces chief, Lt. Gen. Sergei Karakayev will visit the 54th Strategic Missile Division in the town of Teikovo about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Moscow. The division, which had Topol (SS-25 Sickle) mobile ballistic missile systems on combat duty since 1988, has been recently rearmed with 18 Topol-M (SS-27 Stalin) mobile systems and at least three RS-24 mobile systems. According to SMF, Topol-M and RS-24 missiles will be the mainstay of the ground-based component of Russia's nuclear triad and account for not less than 80% of the SMF's arsenal by 2016. As of June 2010, the SMF operated at least 50 silo-based and 18 road-mobile Topol-M missile systems. The RS-24 was commissioned in 2010 after successful testing. The Topol-M missile, with a range of about 7,000 miles (11,000 km), is said to be immune to any current and future U.S. ABM defense. It is capable of making evasive maneuvers to avoid a kill using terminal phase interceptors, and carries targeting countermeasures and decoys. It is also shielded against radiation, electromagnetic pulse, nuclear blasts, and is designed to survive a hit from any form of laser technology. The RS-24 is heavier than Topol-M, and was created in response to the missile shield that the United States was planning to deploy in Europe. The missile, equipped with a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) warhead, is expected to replace the older SS-18 and SS-19 missiles by 2050 and greatly strengthen the SMF's strike capability. MOSCOW, August 10 (RIA Novosti)

American fighter jets prepare to take off from the USS George Washington, cruising waters about 320 kilometers (200 miles) off Vietnam's central coast in the South China Sea on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010. Cold War enemies the United States and Vietnam demonstrated their blossoming military relations Sunday as the 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. (AP Photo/Margie Mason) Former enemies US, Vietnam now military mates By MARGIE MASON (AP) ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON — 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. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. 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Stephen Hawking: Abandon the Earth (CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) - Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has some advice for the people of Earth - it's time to get off. "I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be in space," Hawking said to Big Think , a global forum that includes interviews with experts. "It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster on planet Earth in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand, or million. The human race shouldn't have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet. Let's hope we can avoid dropping the basket until we have spread the load." The physicist called humankind's survival "a question of touch and go" and referred to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1963 as one time people narrowly avoided extinction. He also referred to the 22,600 stockpiled nuclear weapons, including 7,770 still operational, scattered around the planet. If that doesn't drive us off, University of Sussex astrophysicist Dr. Robert Smith said global warming may reach a point "where all of Earth's water will simply evaporate." He said life will disappear on Earth long before the 7.6 billion years some say the aging sun will expand and destroy Earth. CNet news said that Hawking has concerns about how humans "are eating up finite resources" and has claimed man's genetic code "carries selfish and aggressive instincts" that have helped humanity survive in the past. Hawking suggests that if man can avoid disaster for the next two centuries "our species should be safe as we spread into space." According to the Daily Mail , Hawking warned earlier this year that humans should be cautious in trying to contact other alien life forms because there is no way to know if they will be friendly. "If we are the only intelligent beings in the galaxy we should make sure we survive and continue," he said. Vernos Branco, a Las Vegas Sun reader, suggested in a letter to the editor that it may not be that easy to escape. He wrote about how humans have continued to move from one place to another as they settle in an area, use all the resources, pollute the area and move on. He said now that man has technology that can destroy the environment faster, we are running out of space to live in. "The planet will be fine and heal; it is man who will vanish," he wrote. "... If we develop the technology for space travel, we will do the same to that environment, until we learn not to. Man will become extinct due to his greed." It may not be that easy anyway to just hop to another planet. University of Michigan astrophysicist Katherine Freese told Big Think that the closest star to Earth is Proxima Centauri. That's 4.2 light years away, which means man could reach the star in 4.2 years - if man could travel at the speed of light. At this point man travels at about ten thousandth of light speed, which would make that journey about 50,000 years. There is also the cosmic radiation danger unless man creates a warp drive or cryogenic freezing technology. If man can develop the technology needed, she said, man could travel into the future. Watch the clip of Hawking. http://www.myfoxnepa.com/dpps/news/stephen-hawking-abandon-the-earth-dpgoha-20100809-fc_9088678#ooid=F5ZTltMTrEofc-JoHGJQmfcQgxx4P8R0

Israel concerned over Lebanese arms imports JERUSALEM, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- This week's military clash along the Israeli-Lebanese border has raised concerns in Israel about U.S. military assistance to Lebanon. In 2009 the United States approved $100 million in assistance to the Lebanese military and the Obama administration has requested a similar amount for 2011, in addition to small increases for anti-narcotics, anti-terror and military training programs. Since 1976 Israel had been the largest annual recipient of U.S. foreign assistance, with Congressional Research Service in a November 2001 report, "Israel: U.S. Foreign Assistance," placing U.S. aid to Israel over the last five decades at $81.3 billion. Israel remains the top recipient of U.S. military and economic assistance, with annual assistance now running approximately $3 billion annually, of which about $1.8 billion a year consists of Department of Defense Foreign Military Financing grants, with State Department Economic Support Funds accounting for the remaining $1.2 billion. Israel is concerned that the recent border incident involved Lebanese Armed Forces personnel, as the Israel Defense Force's Northern Command assumes that border incidents would involve Hezbollah rather than LAF soldiers. Besides the border incident, regional tensions are rising as a U.N. tribunal is expected shortly to issue indictments in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, with Beirut-based Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah remarking that the tribunal will wrongfully implicate several Hezbollah members in Hariri's assassination. While Israel views with growing alarm what it sees as the increasing radicalization of the LAF and increasing anti-Israeli rhetoric, it is also noting with concern recent Lebanese arms purchases from the United States and Russia. These include combat air-support aircraft fitted with Hellfire anti-armor missiles as well as Raven miniature unmanned aerial vehicles, while reports indicate that Russia is selling Lebanon several attack helicopters. During last month's Farnborough 2010 air show, Rosoboronexport delegation head Sergei Kornev, who is also the head of the Rosoboronexport department for exporting air force special equipment and services, said, "We received a request from the Lebanese side on obtaining helicopters and could not fail to respond to it. The possibility is currently being considered to deliver Mi-24, Mi-17 and Ka-32 helicopters. As soon as we agree with our partners what type of helicopters they need, it will be possible to conclude a contract and report the timeframe for its implementation." Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior IDF official said, "If the LAF is becoming more radical and aligning itself with Hezbollah, the U.S. would do well to reevaluate the continued military support it is providing Lebanon." The Israeli and Lebanese armed forces are currently separated along the Israeli-Lebanese border by approximately 12,000 U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon peacekeepers, where UNIFIL forces have been deployed since 1978. UPI - United Press International

.... but he called me a politician. Soon to be Dave

We've corresponded about this before. There is nothing I can do from the server side of things to help your machine free up or use its resources better. If I were in your position I'd start looking at the root of the problem instead of the "what I'm doing now" problem solving method. Open your task manager and look at the open applications and resources being used by the services on your machine. The diagnostics has to start on your side, sorry about that. As for the static content of the aTeams site, it is what it is.

I've started wars over nicer statements than that. You're on my radar from here on out. Consider yourself blessed.

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I can not provide the actual explanation as I'm not at liberty to discuss it. I can only vaguely confirm or elude to a good reason. I've done my job, case closed.

I just did a quick test with Orbit software. We won't be supporting Orbit's use anytime soon. For each download Orbit opens an entirely new connection via your local machine to the remote machine. That's abusive. In short if you have 20 downloads available to you per day and you set Orbit to open 20 connections you will use all 20 downloads on one file. Point in case, your recent download of: F-23A Black Widow II Ver 3.0 for SF2 connected 20 times which filled your download limit. The only solution I have for you if you want to continue to use that file rape software is to buy a subscription which will remove your download limits, otherwise turn it off. Thanks and sorry I couldn't be more help.