Erik

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

Iran claims to have smuggled anti aircraft missile systems into country By Damien McElroy Iran claimed it had smuggled four S-300 anti aircraft missile systems with a 90 mile range in defiance of United Nations sanction that prompted a Russian ban on selling the sophisticated defence system to Tehran. US and British officials responded with delight when Moscow unexpectedly pulled out of a deal to sell the system to Iran after the UN passed sanctions including an arms embargo on the Islamic state in June. But Tehran now claims it received two S-300s from Belarus and two others from another unspecified source. If the news is confirmed, the threat posed by the system would be a serious deterent to military planners contemplating a strike on Iran's nuclear programme. The S-300 is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges of more than 90 miles and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet. Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian dictator, forged close ties with Tehran, while Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who visited the ex-Soviet nation in 2007, has called the Belarusian leader one of his best friends. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Sunday the United States has drawn up the plan to prevent Iran getting nuclear weapons, but was "extremely concerned" about the consequences of an attack. telegraph.co.uk

Delay Scuttles Chance at $40 Billion Air Force Deal By Noah Shachtman Somehow, against all odds, the already-surreal competition to build America’s next fleet of tanker planes just got sillier and more venal. A tiny, troubled aerospace firm and its Ukrainian partner have been disqualified from the bidding because they handed in their proposal five minutes too late. The companies, for their part, insist that their messenger had a few minutes to spare. For at least a decade, the Defense Department has been trying to replace its creaky cadre of Eisenhower-era refueling aircraft — the planes that keep the entire American fleet flying. A combination of corruption, jingoism, political preening, lack of will and sheer incompetence has kept Washington from accomplishing what should have been a relatively straightforward task. (Compared to, say, fighter jets, these tankers are technically simple.) In 2003, the Air Force gave Boeing a $20 billion deal to lease some tankers. But the contract award process turned out to be beyond-shady; the deal was canceled. In 2008, EADS and Northrop seemingly beat out Boeing in a fair fight, winning up to $40 billion in business. Then the Government Accountability Office ruled that the competition wasn’t so fair, after all. The ongoing drama has been manna for journalists and publishers, as Nathan Hodge recently pointed out. Not only has the tanker saga included everything from back room deals to dramatic reversals to heated Congressional hearings to military officials going to the pokey. The two main competitors, Boeing and EADS, also indirectly subsidized with their advertisements and marketing just about every defense industry publication around. Then, on July 2nd, just when the steel cage match between Boeing and EADS looked like it might be heading for some sort of final resolution, into the octagon stepped a third wrestler. Tiny California firm U.S. Aerospace said it would enter the tanker throw-down by partnering up with Antonov, a Ukrainian plane-maker. Never mind the SEC report about regulators’ “substantial doubt about the [u.S. Aerospace's] ability to continue as a going concern.” Never mind that the tag team wasn’t sure which plane it would modify for tanker duty, even though bids were due just a week hence. Aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia called the whole thing “dumb beyond belief.” U.S. Aerospace didn’t exactly work hard to disprove Aboulafia. A few days later, the company asked for an extra 60 days to submit its bid. (“Somewhere inside the Pentagon, a harried staffer has received an urgent, high-level tasker to check a thesaurus for appropriate and non-profane alternatives to the term “hell, no,” quipped Flight Global’s Stephen Trimble.) The new team scrambled to get in its proposal on time, only to be rejected by the Air Force. So U.S. Aerospace turned to the Government Accountability Office for redress. After all, the GAO had already helped overturn the tanker deal once. Maybe they’d do it again. According to Aviation Week ace Amy Butler, the company claims its messenger delivered the proposal to the gate of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio by 1:30 pm on July 9th. But the messenger had time to spare: The deadline was 2 p.m. that day. (What, you wouldn’t leave a contract worth tens of billions of dollars to the last half-hour, too?) Anyway, Air Force guards allegedly denied the messenger access to the base. Then the guy got lost, once he was inside. “By the time the papers reached their destination, the Air Force stamped the proposal as being received at 2:05,” Butler reports. Too late, in other words. Air Force officials subsequently told a company representative that delays at installation gates are common (and they are — I’ve been subject to more than a few), and that the company should have anticipated this potential snag and planned appropriately. But, the U.S. Aerospace argument is that Air Force personnel “intentionally delayed the messenger from delivering the proposal in order to create a pretext for refusing to consider it because they have political issues” with the principal supplier, Ukrainian state owned Antonov, according to the industry executive. If this is proven to be true, it will bring the KC-X competition and the entire U.S. Air Force acquisition system to its knees after and already rough decade of missteps and scandals. wired.com Photo: USAF

Tactical Air Defense Submits Proposal to Purchase Military Aircraft CARSON CITY, Nev., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: TADF), an Aerospace/Defense Services contractor that offers air-combat training, aerial refueling, aircraft maintenance, disaster response services, and other Aerospace/Defense services to the United States and Foreign militaries and agencies, is pleased to announce that it has submitted a proposal for the purchase of 12 Dassault Mirage military aircraft to the government of a foreign allied country. To support its air services growth strategy, post-acquisition of Tactical Air Support, Inc., ("Tac-Air"), TADF believes that the acquisition of the 12 Mirage military aircraft would better position the Company, together with Tac-Air, to capture the aerial services contracts that it is currently pursuing or evaluating with the U.S. and foreign-allied governments. The Mirage aircraft that TADF is negotiating to purchase are advanced super-sonic fighter jets that are used by militaries around the world. To know more about Dassault Mirage aircraft, please go to www.dassault-aviation.com/en/defense.html. Alexis C. Korybut, Chief Executive Officer of TADF, stated, "We believe the acquisition of a fleet of Mirage aircraft, in conjunction with the military aircraft currently owned by Tac-Air, would position TADF to capture a much larger portion of the rapidly growing business of supplying aerial services to the U.S. and foreign militaries." PRNewswire

What browser and accelerator are you using specifically? Ranging is allowed for partial file download and resuming. From my checks it's working as it should. Your download limits are being influenced by your download accelerator. I'll need the above to look into this further.

Russian hellish fires completely destroyed naval base outside Moscow: 200 aircraft burnt down The forest fire has destroyed a large Russian naval base outside Moscow. Its occurred on July 29, but became known only on August 3. A Russian news agency, Life News, was the first to report about the incident: according to its data, 200 aircraft with the value of about $ 670 million had been reduced to ashes outside Moscow. The very base of 100 hectares was completely burnt down, the agency reported citing its source. Other sources confirm the report. "Initial inquiry is being conducted on a fire on the naval base", the military investigations department at the Moscow military district commented on the information, giving neither the number of military aircraft, nor the damages caused fires. Later, the ITAR-TASS news agency issued a statement by the defense ministry: indeed, "the upstream fire spread to the territory of one of the units in the Kolomna district on July 29". "The fire spread over to a secret unit of the area of 100 hectares in 10 minutes", a source of Life News said. At the same time, it said, it is not only from an emergency situation from that the servicemen suffered. "One building in the storage area of the Navy was also burnt down. The damage there is several times less - about $ 33 million", the source added. Official spokesman for Investigations Committee, Vladimir Markin, confirmed that an initial inquiry into the fire is being conducted by the military investigations department. The fire occurred on Thursday 29 July. It took place at about 04:00 pm on the storage base of aviation and technical equipment belonging to the Russian Navy, which is located near the town of Kolomna, Moscow Region, Markin said to the Moscow Interfax news agency. He said nothing about 200 jets and helicopters and $ 670 million damage, but pointed out that the HQ, a financial unit, a club, two buildings of the car park, 13 storage facilities with different aircraft, 17 open storage areas for equipment with cars on them, were burnt down. "On July 30, the hotbeds of fire were localized. No one was suffered as a result", claims Markin. According to unofficial data, the Central Aerotechnical Base (CAB) of the Russian Navy Air Force and Air Defense is located on the outskirts of the town of Kolomna (Shurovo District in Moscow Region). The main tasks of the military unit are receiving, storing and processing aerial, hydrographic and navigating equipment coming from industrial enterprises, aviation and technical units, military schools and repair facilities of the Navy. Russian Northern Fleet, Pacific Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, the Caspian flotilla, the St. Petersburg Naval Base, units of the Russian Navy Air Forces, received maintenance at the CAB for 60 years. No more. The fire completely destroyed this largest military base of the Russian Navy. Department of Monitoring Kavkaz Center

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force has contracted six aircraft for the special forces for $1 billion without military-grade secure equipment because Washington denied the technology after New Delhi refused to sign a communications secrecy pact. The air force is now in the process of contracting another 10 very heavy strategic airlifters under the same technology-denial regime for an estimated $3 billion. India contracted six C-130J Super Hercules in 2007 and the first of these aircraft is likely to be delivered by January 2010 ahead of schedule by its maker, Lockheed Martin, under a government-to-government foreign military sales programme. One of the scenarios in which the Hercules (“Hercs” for short) is to be used involves inserting special airborne troops (paratroopers) by flying into hostile territory where an adversary can try to intercept and/or jam electronic communication. “We are aware that some of the equipment we desire may not be available. But it is up to us to use the platform the way we want to with modifications once we have it,” a senior air force officer told The Telegraph. A US defence official told this newspaper “anything that requires encryption, which includes military-grade global positioning systems (GPS)” will not be mounted on the C-130J or the C-17 Globemaster III (made by Boeing) because India has not yet signed the Communications Inter-Operability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA). The CISMOA was proposed by the Pentagon to the Indian defence ministry in 2006. A standard text for another crucial agreement, the End-User Monitoring Arrangement, was agreed last year after more than three years of negotiations. A secure GPS is indispensable for mobile military platforms that are designed to track targets in all-weather and all-time circumstances. “The military GPS system is encrypted and thus not available without a communications agreement,” the US defence official said. He claimed that “US military equipment is designed utilising the best systems available, such as military-grade GPS, which is more accurate and less likely to be spoofed (intercepted) than civilian GPS”. Asked if there was any way India could access the equipment without signing the CISMOA, he replied “there is no way around this”. He said the CISMOA would apply to the proposed sale of the C-17 also. Trials for the aircraft were completed last month and the Indian Air Force has decided to buy it. The four-engine turbo-prop Hercs — a workhorse for the US military — is a “tactical airlifter” with a payload capacity of 20 tonnes or about 120 fully-equipped airborne troops capable of landing on dirt strips and with short take-off and landing capability. The giant C-17 jet is also rugged but capable of flying much longer distances with much heavier payloads. The Indian Air Force has projected a dire need for these two different classes of aircraft because its Russian/Soviet-origin aircraft are outdated. The air force is set to order six more Hercs in addition to the six already contracted. The Coast Guard and the Border Security Force are also in line to acquire two Hercs each. The Hercs are to be based at Hindon, just east of Delhi, where the Indian Air Force base is being refurbished. The Hercs for India have been modified for special missions and are equipped with an infrared detection set for low-level flying in adverse conditions. Although the communications systems would not have the desired level of security for the Indian Air Force, an official said that India was getting the Hercs with the configuration it wants. They will have self-protection and mid-air refuelling ability. The Hercs is in service in 10 countries. Telegraph India

Sikorsky Challenges Navy Plan To Buy Russian-Made Helicopters for Afghanistan By EZRA R. SILK and ERIC GERSHON, esilk@courant.com -- 8:42 PM EDT, August 4, 2010 Sikorsky Aircraft has formally protested a Navy plan to buy the same Russian-made helicopters for military operations in Afghanistan that the Russians used there during the 1980s. In a document filed with the federal government Tuesday, the Stratford-based helicopter company challenged the Navy's plan to acquire 21 additional Mi-17 helicopters built by Kazan Helicopters of Russia, which is affiliated with a Russian state corporation. Sikorsky said it should be allowed to compete for the contract because there is an alternative — its own S-61 helicopter, developed in the late 1950s. Sikorsky said it had recently provided S-61 aircraft to the U.S. Department of State for use in Afghanistan. The Navy intends to provide the helicopters for the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, which trains the Afghan National Army Air Corps, Sikorsky said. The military already has been criticized by Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., for procuring the Russian helicopters for the war effort. U.S. Air Force officials responded last month, saying that almost all Afghan Air Corps pilots were trained to fly Russian helicopters, and that training an entire flight crew can take two to five years. "The Mi-17 fits in directly with the experience of Afghan pilots' and mechanics' training," said Richard Aboulafia, a defense industry analyst with the Virginia-based Teal Group. "They need something simple, robust, maintainable — something basically that isn't built today, unless you're in Russia." Sikorsky spokesman Paul Jackson says the company could provide the necessary training for Afghan pilots, but declined to provide an estimate for how long that would take. According to the protest document, the Navy sought bids for the work on July 8, but specified that it wants Mi-17-variant helicopters and parts, which are built only by Kazan. The bids are due today. Aboulafia characterized the dispute as a "race to the past." "Its like saying we want to buy an obsolete Russian truck that was still built today and an American company saying we have all these leftover 1960s trucks that we can retrofit," he said. "If you want something that the Afghans can easily interface with as quickly as possible, then Mi-17s are the way to go. If you want U.S. industry to benefit from U.S. cash, you understand the Sikorsky argument." Sikorsky said it wants "a full and open competition that is not unduly restrictive on the basis of a particular brand-name peculiar to just one manufacturer." Sikorsky, a division of Hartford-based United Technologies Corp., filed its protest with the Government Accountability Office in Washington. The GAO's Bid Protest Forum will have 100 days to write a recommendation to the agencies involved. "This is an unusual situation," said Ralph White, managing associate general counsel for procurement law at the GAO. "The Navy has specified that it wants a Russian helicopter. We haven't seen many instances of that kind of limitation and we'll wait and see what the Navy has to say." Mark Wright, a Department of Defense spokesperson, declined to comment. Dodd and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, condemned previous Mi-17 procurements in a December 2009 open letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Jackson declined to say whether Sikorsky had lobbied Dodd or Delauro, but that the company has voiced its "concerns with appropriate channels." Dodd affirmed the Sikorsky protest in a statement Wednesday. "I find it troubling that [the Department of Defense] would supply aircraft for our Afghan partners without holding a fair and open competition to include helicopters made right here in Connecticut by Connecticut workers," he said. CTnow

The Belarusian government denied on Wednesday rumors that Minsk had allegedly sold S-300 air defense systems to Iran. The Associated Press earlier cited the Iranian semi-official news agency Fars as saying that Iran had acquired two S-300PT (SA-10 Grumble) systems from Belarus and two more systems from an unidentified supplier. Iranian officials have not confirmed the fact so far. "The State Military-Industrial Committee can officially state that Belarus has never held talks with Iran on the deliveries of the S-300 air defense systems," committee's spokesman Vladimir Lavrenyuk told RIA Novosti. "Belarus has never supplied S-300 systems or their components to Iran," he said, adding that Minsk strictly complied with international arms control regulations. Jane's Defense Systems News reported as far back as in January 2008 that Tehran was in the final stages of negotiations with Belarus for the acquisition of two surplus trailer-mounted towed S-300PT systems. These outdated systems were deployed near Minsk and Belarus allegedly asked $140 mln for the two systems (including parts, maintenance and training). The actual sale has never been confirmed. Belarus has no right to resell air defense systems supplied by the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation. Russia signed a contract on supplying Iran with at least five S-300 systems in December 2005, but the contract's implementation has so far been delayed. On June 9, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1929 imposing a fourth set of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, including tougher financial controls and an expanded arms embargo. The sale of S-300 air defense systems is believed to fall under the sanctions, though earlier Russia said the delivery would not be affected since the weapons are not included in the UN Register of Conventional Arms. The S-300 PT is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges of over 90 miles (144 kilometers) and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet (27,432 meters). MINSK, August 4 RIA Novosti

JERUSALEM (JTA) August 3, 2010 -- Two Israeli military helicopters made emergency landings in Romania following a technical failure. The emergency landings Tuesday morning came a week after another Israeli helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain during a joint search-and-rescue military exercise, killing six Israeli soldiers and one Romanian soldier. The helicopters forced to make emergency landings were returning to Israel from the 10-day exercise. They are being repaired at a Romanian air base near Bucharest, Haaretz reported. Seven of the CH-53 Yasur helicopters participated in the exercise. The helicopter landed, following regular protocol, after an emergency light went on in the aircraft. The second helicopter landed also following standard procedure, according to Ynet. JTA

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

Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo will become the training base for the F-16 and will acquire 48 F-16 fighter jets by 2013 Gov. Bill Richardson said the U.S. Air Force will remove two squadrons of F-22 aircraft from Holloman. But he added that state officials expect that the new mission will have a bigger economic impact than the other two squadrons. The Air Force has “robust plans” to use F-16 fighter jets and their training mission through 2030, Richardson said. The decision to locate the F-16s at the base is evidence that the Department of Defense sees Holloman as a strong base that can support diverse military missions, the governor added. New Mexico Business Weekly

Canadian aircraft intercept Russian bombers Canadian fighter jets have scrambled to repel Russian bombers that intruded into Canadian airspace. The Russian Tupolev-95 is a long-range bomber capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Canadian defence minister Peter MacKay says CF-18s were sent to intercept two of the bombers that made several attempts to enter Canadian airspace. Military officials say there was no advance warning and Mr MacKay says all such incursions will be met with a swift response. Intelligence analysts say the frequency of these attempts has been increasing, especially as Canada and Russia are in a race to lay claim to huge sections of the Arctic seabed believed to hold vast reserves of oil and gas. The incursions also come during the debate over whether Canada needs a new generation of high-tech military fighter jets. ABC News

The EC665 Tiger HAP (combat support) helicopter operated by the French Army's 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment, has now logged more than 1,000 flight hours in Afghanistan in less than a year. With an availability rate of 90% in extremely harsh operating conditions, the Tiger has once again demonstrated excellent performance and operability levels for both reconnaissance missions and combat support operations for joint tactical groups (GTIA), which have been unanimous in their praise. A key to this success has been the excellent cooperation between the French Army, the French Armament Procurement Agency (DGA), the OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armaments Co-operation) and Eurocopter, which has deployed a dedicated work structure since the beginning of the operations. In this framework, Eurocopter has been providing the French Army with nonstop support to meet the specific operational needs of the Afghan theater and guarantee the required availability levels. A team of Eurocopter technicians is on assignment in Afghanistan to assist the mechanics of the French Army Air Corps (ALAT). In addition, a customized logistics support service has been set up to respond at any time to any request and to quickly supply any necessary spare parts. Arabian Aerospace

Boeing P-8A Poseidon Aircraft T3 Enters Flight Test SEATTLE, Aug. 2, 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] P-8A Poseidon aircraft T3 successfully completed its first flight test in Seattle on July 29. T3 is the P-8A program's mission-system and weapon-certification aircraft. During the two-hour and 48-minute flight from Boeing Field, Boeing and U.S. Navy test pilots performed airborne systems checks including engine accelerations and decelerations, autopilot flight modes, and auxiliary power unit and engine shutdowns and starts. In the coming weeks, T3 will join the two P-8A test aircraft currently at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and complete additional ground and flight tests. "At Pax River, the Boeing and Navy team will use some of the ground test data we've gathered in Seattle for in-flight separation and delivery accuracy tests that will occur later this year," said Chris Ahsmann, P-8A chief engineer for Boeing. T3 is one of six flight-test aircraft that are being assembled and tested as part of the U.S. Navy System Development and Demonstration contract Boeing received in 2004. Airworthiness-test aircraft T1 entered flight test in October 2009 and arrived at the Navy's Patuxent River facility in April of this year. T2, the primary mission-system test aircraft, arrived at Pax River in June. The Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8A anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to replace its P-3 fleet. Initial operational capability is planned for 2013. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide. Boeing

Yep. Practicing for an air show a recently upgraded CF18 was lost. An investigation of the crash is currently underway. Regardless it's an expensive way to EOL your aging fleet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfiCyVKnSSw

Four killed in Air Force plane crash in Alaska ANCHORAGE Alaska (Reuters) - All four crew members were killed in a U.S. Air Force cargo plane that crashed in flames while practicing for an aviation show at Elmendorf Air Force Base, the Air Force said Thursday. The C-17 Globemaster went down Wednesday evening in a wooded area near an airfield in Anchorage shortly after taking off, the military said. The accident is believed to be the first crash of a C-17, manufactured by Boeing, since the massive jet joined the Air Force fleet in 1995 as its newest cargo plane. "We are confirming four dead," said Lieutenant-Colonel Karen Platt, an Air Force spokeswoman. A fireball and plume of smoke over the area were visible to nearby residents shortly after the crash. Some eyewitnesses said the plane appeared to be making a strange turn while flying low over the area just before it crashed. Three of the dead were members of the Alaska Air National Guard, and the fourth was on active duty at Elmendorf, the base said in a statement. The plane was assigned to the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf, a unit consisting of 6,000 Air Force personnel who fly fighter jets and other military aircraft. The base said a board of officers would investigate the crash. The names of the dead were being withheld pending notification of next of kin, base spokesman Bob Hall said. Lieutenant General Dana Atkins told a new conference on Wednesday the plane was "doing a practice demonstration profile" it was to perform at the annual Arctic Thunder air show this weekend when it crashed. In light of the accident, Atkins said, the military was considering whether to go on with the aviation show, which also features precision flying demonstrations by the Navy's Blue Angels and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. The crash occurred during damp, cloudy weather. Elmendorf's worst air crash was in September 1995 when several geese were sucked into the engine of an AWACS plane just after takeoff. That plane was on a training mission as well. All 24 crew members were killed. The first C-17 squadron went into operation in 1995. The aircraft is 174 feet long, has a wingspan of nearly 170 feet and can carry up to 170,900 pounds (77,500 kg), according to the Air Force. Aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group said Boeing has built about 200 of the planes, most of which went to the Air Force. He said the Elmendorf accident was the only crash he knew of involving the plane since it went into service. "It's got a very good reputation," Aboulafia said. July 30, 2010 Reuters