Erik

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. All rights reserved.

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.

Air Shows Near You This Weekend Moffett Field Air Show 07 August, 2010 California, USA SeaFair Air Show 07-08 August, 2010 Washington, USA NAS Point Magu Air Show 07-08 August, 2010 California, USA Wetaskiwin Air Show 07 August, 2010 Alberta, Canada Thunder Over Michigan Air Show 07 August, 2010 Michigan, USA RAF Benevolent Fund Air Show 07 August, 2010 Lincolnshire, United Kingdom Military and Flying Machines 07 August, 2010 Essex, United Kingdom International SAR Event 2010 07 August, 2010 Netherlands Hungarian International Air Show 07 August, 2010 Hungary International Military History Show 07 August, 2010 Belgium French Aircraft and Auster Fly-In 08 August, 2010 Hampshire, United Kingdom ---- For OD. Plan Ahead! Lackland Air Fest 06-07 November, 2010 Texas, USA

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.

I can do some testing with this later. I have some more pressing issues to work on now. For now consider switching your download accelerator / manager off when using this site.

There's a perfectly good reason for this.

Azerbaijan to buy training target drones from Turkey Azerbaijan will buy Turna unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for training and target practice from Turkey, the Baku based ARA news agency reported on Friday. "Negotiations on a deal are underway with Turkey," Turkish military sources were quoted as saying. They also said a group of Azerbaijani servicemen had been trained in Turkey in how to use, operate and service the aircraft. Turna aircraft are manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI). Turna UAVs have been used for training Turkish air defense units since 2001. BAKU, August 6 RIA Novosti

SJAFB canceled their air show for November. Not sure why. I also can't confirm that Moffett Field Air Show is happening this weekend. It is possible it's been canceled I can't find any news on the event or if it's been scrubbed.

Plan Ahead! Lackland Air Fest 06-07 November, 2010 Texas, USA

Is that UdoBot Dark Orbit? Is there a reason you use a download manager / accelerator?

Lockheed's F-16 shows resilience as Oman is interested in buying more By Bob Cox rcox@star-telegram.com Lockheed Martin will someday build the last F-16 fighter jet at its Fort Worth plant, but that day is still years away. Lockheed could be close to landing another foreign order for F-16s after the Defense Department notified Congress on Tuesday that the government of Oman requested permission to negotiate to buy 18 planes, weapons and other equipment worth about $3.5 billion. It would be Oman's second F-16 purchase after taking delivery of the first of 12 in August 2005. Just a year ago Lockheed's F-16 order backlog was down to about 80 planes, and production was slated to end in 2012. But late last year, Egypt and Morocco each ordered 24 planes, extending the production line another year. "I think we're into 2013, and 18 F-16s for Oman would extend the line until summer of 2014," Lockheed spokesman Joe Stout said. The F-16 order backlog was 81 planes at the end of June. The Oman deal still faces several hurdles. Congress has 30 days to veto the proposed sale. If that does not occur, the U.S. government would extend a formal offer to sell planes to Oman. Once that offer is accepted, Oman and Lockheed would negotiate terms of a sale. The Block 50/52 model aircraft Lockheed is now building and delivering to most foreign customers is essentially on a par with the latest aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force. In addition to the 18 planes, at cost of $60 million each, Oman would purchase weapons systems, radars, navigation and other electronics systems. It would also get upgraded components for its 12 existing F-16s. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which handles controlled weapons sales, said in its message to Congress that the proposed sale would not upset the military balance of power in the Middle East and would enable Oman to cooperate with U.S. and allied forces. Lockheed delivered 31 F-16s last year. It is building about two a month, with 11 delivered in the first six months of 2010. Teal Group aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia said it's conceivable that F-16 production could extend beyond 2015 or well beyond if a couple of large deals are consummated. "If you adjust [the price] for inflation, the F-16 is an incredibly good deal," he said. Lockheed is pressing India to select the F-16 for an order of 126 multirole fighters the nation has been considering buying in a drawn-out procurement process. Taiwan would like to buy 66 new model F-16s, but both the Bush and Obama administrations have refused for fear of upsetting China. Sales of the F-35 joint strike fighter were supposed to have sealed the fate of the F-16, but years of delays and soaring cost estimates could keep the F-16 production line going. "The most interesting thing is Israel. Given the sticker shock they seem to be having about the F-35, they could decide to opt for a high-low mix of some F-35s and more F-16s," Aboulafia said. He said Israel and other F-16 owners could decide to buy some additional jets over the next several years to replace their oldest planes. Bob Cox, 817-390-7723 Star-Telegram

Tensions Rise As China Launches Show Of Force by Louisa Lim August 5, 2010 -- China's air force this week is conducting a five-day exercise involving scores of aircraft and 12,000 soldiers. Dubbed "Vanguard 2010," it is the latest sign of China flexing its muscles amid rising military tensions with the United States. The strains — especially over operations in the South China Sea — represent a new area of dispute between China and the U.S. China's military drills were once top secret, announced only after they were completed. But these days China's armed forces seem to want to broadcast its movements to the world. This latest exercise is taking place in the central province of Henan and eastern province of Shandong, which abuts the Yellow Sea, and includes 100 military aircraft. It is the latest in a series of high-profile maneuvers, including naval exercises last week in the South China Sea, which were the largest of their kind. U.S. Asserts Its Regional Interests China's renewed military assertiveness comes after pointed comments by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last month at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Hanoi. Clinton defended freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. She said the U.S. had a national interest in resolving claims on islands in the South China Sea, an area disputed by China, Taiwan Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. It is the first time the United States has become involved in regional territorial tensions, and China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi reacted with fury. Shi Yinhong, director of the Center for American Studies at People's University in Beijing, called Clinton's comments an "ambush." "I don't think Washington made any serious pre-consultation or even [gave any] information to China, then suddenly launched this in Hanoi," Shi says. "I think that this strategic dispute is very unique and quite bad." China had already been angered by joint war games between South Korea and the U.S. in the Sea of Japan, off the east coast of South Korea. Actions, Reactions Following Sinking Of Ship Those drills were aimed at North Korea following the sinking in March of the Cheonan, a South Korean warship. But China also felt threatened by the proximity of the exercises. "What will Americans feel if the Chinese or Russian military travel across the ocean to hold exercises in the high seas not far from the coast of Florida, California or New York?" the China Daily asked in an editorial. Now Beijing is issuing its own response with its recent military drills. "What you see with the very rapid rise of China as a great naval power is the fact that China can flex its muscles a little bit more," says Ralf Emmers of Singapore's Nanyang Technological University and the author of a book about geopolitics and maritime territorial disputes in East Asia. "We don't know to what extent China would use military force to impose its claims on the South China Sea. In fact, what we have seen since 1995 [is] a lot of restraint, a willingness to negotiate with various Southeast Asian countries and try come up with a code of conduct," Emmers says. 'Core National Interest' No one knows how far China would go. In March, a senior Chinese official spoke for the first time of the South China Sea as a "core national interest," a category which formerly only encompassed Taiwan and Tibet. Beijing's sovereignty claims over the South China Sea are not new, but it is clearly becoming more assertive. It has been exercising these claims by seizing Vietnamese fishing boats, detaining Vietnamese fishermen and pressuring western oil companies not to do business with Vietnam. Now China's increased assertiveness is scaring the same Southeast Asian neighbors that Beijing has been wooing assiduously with loans and investment. "A lot of Asian countries seem to be willing to join the hedging game against China, like Vietnam and Indonesia — both want to have some military cooperation with the U.S.," says Huang Jing, an expert in China and security issues of the National University of Singapore. He says the latest developments could reflect a worrying trend. "It seems to me that Chinese navy has outgrown China's strategic thinking. The strategic thinkers are lagging behind the naval expansion, which could be very, very dangerous," he says. Lacking A Strategy? China's navy and top generals don't "really have a thought-through strategy. They just behave according to capacity. There are very bad historical lessons — number one is Japan in the 1930s — but I think Chinese leaders should be more sophisticated than that," he says. The escalation of tension is taking place at a time when military ties between the U.S. and China have been suspended. China cut military contacts in January in protest at arms sales to Taiwan. "I don't think there's a real risk of open conflict in the South China Sea," Emmers says. "But misunderstandings and the risk of accidents should not be counted out. The Pentagon and the [Chinese military] will have to find channels of communication to prevent such misunderstandings from potentially escalating into diplomatic rows and then crises." With this proliferation of war games, the heat is rising. And it could rise further. The South Korean navy is reportedly planning more war games in the Yellow Sea and monthly drills with the United States. China's army-run daily newspaper is in a bellicose mood, warning that the army should "strengthen preparation for warfare." NPR

Royal Navy’s Most Advanced Destroyer Sets Course into Service By UK Ministry of Defence While appearing at Portsmouth Navy Days the first of the Royal Navy's new Type 45 Class destroyers, HMS Daring, was declared formally available for tasking on Saturday 31 July 2010. HMS Daring was commissioned into the Royal Navy fleet in July 2009. Since then the ship has been undertaking a series of MoD-managed trials and acceptance activities to test and confirm the ship's technical capability and ensure that it is ready to join the Royal Navy as a front line warship. This period has included Daring's crew undertaking rigorous basic operational sea training and the Type 45 making its first overseas visit, to Ireland. Now, the 7,500-tonne ship can officially begin to play a key role in various operations around the world. HMS Daring's ability to operate a range of helicopters from its flight deck and embark up to 60 troops, in addition to the ship's own company, make the warship a versatile Royal Naval asset, able to support land forces and carry out humanitarian missions. Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Peter Luff, said: "The first in-service date for the Type 45 Class is a significant achievement for both the programme and the Royal Navy. It represents the first step towards delivering the fleet of the future. "Along with her five sister ships, Daring will set new standards in air defence and will demonstrate her wider ability across the future challenges faced by the Armed Forces. I have no doubt that Daring will provide sterling service throughout its life." Captain Paddy McAlpine, Daring's Commanding Officer, said: "Daring represents a step change for the Royal Navy. Her technology and design make her an easy ship to fight with and my ability to control the airspace around the task force is unsurpassed. "My ship's company and I are proud and privileged to serve in this truly magnificent ship, forging the way for the class. The potential that I have witnessed to date promises that this capability is set to become the cornerstone of the future Royal Navy." Head of the Type 45 programme, Commodore Steve Brunton, said: "This milestone is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work over five years of construction, and another two years of trials and development, by 4,000 workers at the Clyde and Portsmouth shipyards, many more at suppliers across the UK, and staff at MOD and in the Royal Navy. "The strong relationship between MOD, industry and the Royal Navy has been critical to achieving today's success." HMS Daring was in Portsmouth at the weekend as part of Navy Days, the Royal Navy's annual event that gives the public the chance to meet the people and the ships of the modern Navy. More than 25,000 visitors flocked to Portsmouth Naval Base for the three-day event which ended on Sunday 1 August. HMS Daring and sister vessel Dauntless opened their doors to the public along with six other ships, including 'floating hospital' Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Argus, fresh from a recent refit. Historic ships HMS Victory and HMS Warrior also proved a big draw, as did a BAE Systems exhibition featuring the company's current shipbuilding projects, including the two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, and a glimpse of the future, the Type 26 combat ship, which is expected to enter service in the early 2020s and will replace the Navy's current fleet of Type 22 and 23 frigates. Commodore Rob Thompson, Naval Base Commander, said: "Navy Days was a huge success. The mainly dry and warm weather played a part but a big draw was seeing the Royal Navy's ships and personnel at close hand. "The event proved an exciting opportunity to show the general public the wide role of the Royal Navy and what its men and women are up to across the globe - from taking the fight to the Taliban in Afghanistan to countering pirates in the Gulf of Aden." HMS Daring is due to undergo further operational training and capability development in preparation for her first operational deployment, planned for 2011. DefenceTalk.com