Erik

Well my point exactly and I'm not saying I'd like to punch out of a 47 ahead of those big fans but it's a strong argument for a decent evac plan on cargo birds.

Click the Downloads Link in the menu bar above. On the main downloads page toward the top just above the category listings you'll see a button to upload. http://combatace.com/index.php?app=downloads&module=post&section=submit&c= Looks like this, link above.

Tragedy. Way too early to speculate on anything but the dubious smoke in the cabin and loss of avionics both forward are not good signs. The high approach leaves you to wonder if they weren't seeing three green down and locked with their tanks full of fuel. Definitely a lot to manage even for two very experienced 47 drivers. Usually when things go wrong in such a redundant platform they're unrecoverable. Makes me always wonder why the SOP for a two crew bird with no passengers wouldn't have been to punch out while putting the aircraft into the Persian Gulf. FC what's Fred's policy? E

Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer Offers Strong Bilateral Economic Benefits Defence Professionals -- 16:14 GMT, September 1, 2010 WARSAW, Poland | Poland’s plans to procure a new advanced jet training system can act as a catalyst for Polish industry in a number of industrial sectors, not just in aerospace and defence, according to Alan Garwood, group business development director at BAE Systems - the world’s second largest defence, security and aerospace company. Speaking ahead of his company’s participation in the MSPO defence exhibition in Kielce (September 6-9) Garwood said that a key requirement for the Polish government should be ensuring that large defence procurements, such as the advanced jet trainer programme, sustain Polish jobs and support the development of skills and high-end technology transfer, through mutually beneficial industrial partnerships. “BAE Systems delivers on its promises and has an unrivalled track record of producing economic and industrial benefits for its customers, in support of defence equipment sales,” Garwood says. “If our Hawk advanced jet trainer is selected to meet Poland’s new generation pilot training requirements, it will present opportunities for Polish industry to become part of a global supplier network, not just of BAE Systems but also its partners such as Rolls-Royce, which already has a significant presence in Poland. “This would give Polish companies access to and involvement in the development of the latest emerging technologies in both the defence and commercial business sectors,” he adds. In neighbouring Czech Republic, where BAE Systems is delivering a 10 year US$1.3 billion industrial partnership programme in support of the Gripen fighter lease, delivery is approaching 80% of requirement, some 2 years ahead of plan. “Our approach has been to provide Czech companies with access to inward investment, export promotion, research and development and manufacturing opportunities, linked to the global footprint of BAE Systems and its supplier base,” states Garwood. BAE Systems will be using its participation in MSPO Kielce to highlight its capabilities in the land systems, security and aerospace sectors, with a particular focus on its ability to meet Poland’s stated need for a new fast jet pilot training system. The company’s Hawk advanced jet trainer is already training frontline pilots to fly the world’s most advanced and capable combat aircraft, including F16 Block 50/60, F18 Super Hornet, F35, Su30, Gripen and Eurofighter Typhoon. Air powers ranging from Australia to the United States, with 20 others in between, choose Hawk to meet their lead-in fighter trainer requirements. Last month, India committed to buying a further 57 Hawk advanced jet trainers, in addition to the 66 already in manufacture. These aircraft, to be built in India through a partnership with local aerospace company Hindustan Aeronautics, will be used to train Navy and Air Force pilots in preparation for flying the Su30 and India’s next generation fighter aircraft. Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen NG, F18 Super Hornet and a number of other combat aircraft are currently being evaluated by the Indian MoD. The advanced training systems built into today’s new generation Hawk jet trainers enable one aircraft to carry out a number of tasks, for which its rivals may need two or more aircraft. “Today’s Hawk advanced jet trainer will be training some of the world’s most capable frontline pilots for decades to come. It builds on a pedigree of success, established by previous generations of this highly successful platform which, although entirely different to today’s aircraft, share the same name,” comments Garwood. “For Poland, we will offer a low risk solution based on the aircraft selected by the UK to train its frontline F-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon pilots. This will provide a seamless entry into service and delivery of the required training capability, from day one.” Defence Professionals

F-22 Raptor fleet consolidated Examiner -- By Pierre A. Kandorfer The US Air Force is in the process of redistributing the F-22 flight squadrons. The Secretary of the Air Force and the chief of staff of the Air Force determined the most effective basing for the F-22. This requires redistributing aircraft from one F-22 squadron to units at four F-22 bases. A second squadron will be relocated to an existing F-22 base. The affected Air Force bases are: • Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.: Deactivate one squadron of F-22s and disperse that squadron's aircraft to other F-22 units. Relocate the remaining squadron to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. • Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska - receive six additional aircraft • Langley Air Force Base, Va. - receive six additional aircraft • Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. - receive two additional aircraft • Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. - receive one additional squadron "This plan maximizes combat aircraft and squadrons available for contingencies," said Kathleen Ferguson, deputy assistant secretary for installations. "By consolidating aircraft at existing bases, F-22 operational flexibility is enhanced." Several teams surveyed four F-22 bases, evaluating them for feasibility, timing, cost, and planning purposes to accept additional F-22 aircraft. The secretary of the Air Force and the chief of staff of the Air Force carefully considered the site survey results and military judgment factors in making these basing determinations. These actions will be finalized subject to completion of appropriate environmental analysis. The F-22 Raptor combines stealth, super-cruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability, and represents an exponential leap in war-fighting capabilities. Examiner

Lased and Confused: Off-the-Shelf Infrared Lasers Could Ward Off Missile Attacks on Military Helicopters Scientific American -- By Charles Choi A newly developed broad-spectrum laser mounted on choppers could effectively dazzle shoulder-launched antiaircraft weapons in flight, and prevent them from finding and destroying their targets. Helicopter-mounted lasers that can dazzle and defend against heat-seeking missiles are now under development, researchers reveal. The military often relies heavily on helicopters in areas such as Afghanistan, where rough terrain can make it hard for airplanes to land and for troops and vehicles to travel on the ground. However, as the Soviet Union discovered in the 1980s during their war there, copters are easy targets for enemies with shoulder-launched missiles, "and now, unfortunately, the U.S. is on the other side with Afghanistan," says Mohammed Islam, a laser and fiber-optics scientist at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. "To consider the magnitude of the problem, there are about 3,000 helicopters in the U.S. armed forces." Islam and his colleagues are now devising a way to protect helicopters from such attacks using off-the-shelf lasers. The missiles normally home in on aircraft by targeting the infrared radiation given off by the latters' engines; the lasers jam the sensors on these heat-seekers from up to three kilometers away by shining infrared beams at them, buying the helicopters enough time to maneuver away. Most lasers emit just one wavelength, or color. To deflect missiles, the researchers are employing what are known as mid-infrared supercontinuum lasers, or MISCLs, that give off a much broader range of wavelengths—from the visible (800 nanometers) to the mid-infrared (4.5-microns). (A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; A micron is one millionth of a meter.) Because these lasers emit such a broad spectrum, they inundate the opposing sensors with all the infrared wavelengths the missile might look for; any attempts by opponents to block these dazzling rays by painting reflective or absorptive coatings on the missile beforehand would also blind its sensors to the same wavelengths from the copter engine. Less than 10 percent of the light from the laser is a visible dim red; the rest falls within the infrared range. Altogether, the latest version of the device packs about 10 watts of power concentrated into a searing beam. "People who put their hands in its beam quickly move the hand away," Islam says. The new laser uses technology from the telecommunications industry, which relies on multiple wavelength lasers to create many highway lanes for data signals to travel within fiber optics. "It's a clever way of using lasers that you can essentially buy off the shelf," said laser scientist Anthony Johnson at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who did not take part in this research. Laser-based defenses have already found their way onto some aircraft, but the laser optics in these systems can currently have up to 84 moving pieces—precision components that can easily get knocked out of alignment by the rumbling on a copter. "Our lasers have no moving parts, which means they can withstand a helicopter's shake, rattle and roll," Islam explains. The hope is to replace the lasers in existing aircraft antimissile defense systems that detect and train beams on their targets. The system is being commercialized through Islam's company, Omni Sciences. In terms of weight current laser-based aircraft antimissile defense systems weigh on the order of 16 kilograms, whereas this new laser is more in the 4.5-kilogram range. When it comes to cost, "for our next prototypes, we'll probably have the parts cost $25,000 to $30,000, and with the packaging and testing we could probably sell it profitably for $100,000," Islam says. In comparison, laser-based aircraft defense systems today cost roughly $1 million, he explains. The researchers developed a first-generation, DVD player–size prototype for the U.S. Army in 2008, and are working on a second-generation, laptop-size device for 2011 that is four times more powerful. Although Islam says that helicopters probably face the greatest need for such laser-based protection against missiles, "it's potentially applicable to all aircraft," he suggests. Islam says the laser could also aid in border surveillance—the chemicals involved in explosives often emit specific light wavelengths when hit by infrared rays, which means these lasers might be able to detect guns and bombs from afar. "You could put them maybe a kilometer or two apart at borders to monitor someone passing, instead of having a border patrol agent every 60 feet," he says. Scientific American

Saab Courts Asia, Eastern Europe to Save Gripen Warplane Bloomberg -- By Howard Mustoe and Ola Kinnander Saab AB is stepping up a campaign to sell its Gripen warplane in Asia and eastern Europe as Switzerland’s decision to delay a $1 billion fighter purchase threatens to curtail production of the 1,320 mile-per-hour jet. Orders from Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia and a follow-on contract from Thailand are “major near-term opportunities” for the Gripen, which competes with models from Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co., Dassault Aviation SA and Eurofighter GmbH, Saab Aeronautics chief Lennart Sindahl said in an interview. Switzerland will wait until 2015 before awarding a contract to replace ageing Northrop F-5 Tigers, its defense ministry said on Aug. 25, halting a tender regarded as key to the Gripen’s future by analysts including Teal Group’s Richard Aboulafia. Saab is still betting on orders from Brazil and India to save the flagship fighter as the production backlog shrinks, with Malaysia another prospect, Hakan Buskhe, the company’s new chief executive officer, said in his first interview in the role. “We were a little bit sad that the Swiss postponed, but there was a tricky situation with the financing and I wasn’t totally surprised,” Sindahl said by telephone yesterday. “The good thing is that we haven’t lost the contract.” Saab rose 1.6 percent to 95 kronor in Stockholm, where the company is based, paring the stock’s decline this year to 19 percent and valuing it at 10.4 billion kronor ($1.4 billion). Dwindling Workload The Swedish manufacturer, which is competing with Dassault and Eurofighter in Switzerland, requires new orders as work on 26 Gripens for South Africa and an initial six planes for Thailand runs out in 2012, with an upgraded version not due to enter service with Sweden’s air force until at least 2017. Saab also needs export orders to establish the Gripen as the model of choice in former Soviet and non-aligned markets not dominated by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which is grabbing contracts with its F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Saab’s ability to offer the Gripen with in-house radar technology is being pitched as an advantage over rival planes and helped it win the existing Thai order, Sindahl said. Still, the Gripen’s prospects have been harmed as delays to contract decisions bring newer models into the reckoning which were unavailable at the time of tender, said Sandy Morris, an analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc in London with a “buy” recommendation on Saab stock. New Generation Regarded as the first of a new generation of fighter planes, the Gripen has been operational with the Swedish military since 1997, whereas the first Eurofighter Typhoon entered service in Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain in 2004. “The Gripen was a capable fighter-bomber long before the Eurofighter was anything more than a pure fighter and you’d have thought there was a window of five-to-seven-years to sell to export markets,” Morris said. “But unfortunately these competitions just kept shifting.” Saab views Brazil’s requirement for 36 jets as a live competition even after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva indicated last year that he favored the Dassault Rafale, Sindahl said, with no contract for the order yet signed. In order to boost its chances of winning the $1.8 billion deal Saab has offered to establish joint manufacturing of the Gripen in Brazil, which currently operates Dassault’s Mirage. ‘Good Offer’ “Every day that nothing new comes from Brazil I think we have gained a little bit,” Sindahl said. “The longer it takes, the more discussions there are and the more they start realizing how good the offer is both with respect to the product and also to the package for Brazilian industry.” South America’s biggest economy is unlikely to choose between the Gripen, Rafale and Boeing Co. F/A-18 Super Hornet before a presidential election in October, the executive said. India may announce the preferred supplier for a 126-plane requirement by the end of this year after scrapping an April 27 deadline to select a replacement for Russian-built MiG jets dating to the 1970s, Sindahl said. The $10 billion order is the world’s biggest fighter-jet purchase in 15 years and has attracted bids from Lockheed, Boeing, Dassault, Eurofighter and Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. Saab hasn’t given up on winning Dutch and Danish orders for the Gripen, CEO Buskhe said at the company’s Stockholm offices yesterday. The Netherlands has selected Lockheed’s F-35 as its preferred candidate and like Denmark is one of eight partner countries with the U.S. in developing the plane. Saab is also pursuing a contract to provide day-to-day maintenance for Swedish air force Gripens that could be sealed this year or early in 2011, Sindahl said. An agreement would mirror one to maintain Sweden’s Saab 105 jet trainers. Bloomberg -- To contact the reporters on this story: Howard Mustoe in London at hmustoe@bloomberg.net; Ola Kinnander in Stockholm at okinnander@bloomberg.net

C-5 Becomes A ‘Superstar’ Lockheed Martin MARIETTA, Ga., September 2nd, 2010 -- Another Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-5 is being transformed into the world’s most capable strategic airlifter, the C-5M Super Galaxy. With more than 70 improvements, the Super Galaxy is rapidly becoming the linchpin of success in achieving global reach. The next C-5M Super Galaxy will be delivered on Sept. 30, 2010 and will be stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The C-5M Super Galaxy recently achieved a 96 percent departure reliability rate while delivering critical cargo to troops in Afghanistan and was called upon to carry the 7.5-ton Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to be launched on the last space shuttle flight next year. Lockheed Martin

http://combatace.com/files/file/1549-desert-storm-1991-light-patch/ There's the file you're looking for. I'm not sure what that other link is. Erik

There's no specific reason based on your member status. I would need more information to properly address this, the question is too vague. Thank you.

Russia to sell Mi-17 helicopters to Argentina RIA Novosti. Alexei Kudenko Russia has signed a "historic" contract on Mi-17 helicopter deliveries to Argentina, a member of a Russian delegation said on Wednesday. "The contract provides for the delivery of two Mi-17 helicopters to the Argentinean Air Force," the official said, adding that the contract was signed on Tuesday evening. The sale is the first time the Argentinean military has bought Russian military hardware, he said. "Until now there has been no military-technical cooperation between Russia and Argentina," he said. Vyacheslav Davidenko, spokesman for Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, confirmed the contract. MOSCOW, September 1 RIA Novosti

First Flight for New HELLFIRE II Missile Design Lockheed Martin ORLANDO, Fla: Lockheed Martin's new multi-functional AGM-114R Hellfire II missile scored a direct hit during its first proof-of-principle (POP) flight test recently at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. The Hellfire II design, now entering the qualification phase, features a new multi-purpose warhead that enables a single missile to cover all of the target sets of the current laser-guided Hellfire II variants. The POP 1 flight test featured a lock-on-before-launch engagement of a stationary target board at 3.2 miles (5.1 km). The team used a ground-based laser designator to illuminate the target. The inert missile, which was ground-launched, was equipped with an enhanced telemetry package. In addition to proving out the new components and software, the flight also verified backward compatibility with Hellfire II platforms that cannot provide targeting information to the missile. "The multi-functional Hellfire II missile is one missile for many missions," said Ken Musculus, director of Air-to-Ground Missile systems Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Its multi-functional warhead enables the AGM-114R to neutralize a broad set of targets previously covered by four different warhead models - everything from armor and air defense systems to patrol boats and enemy combatants in SUVs or caves. Warfighters won't have to decide ahead of time what they might encounter and load the appropriate combination of missiles; with the multi-functional Hellfire II, they can meet many contingencies with a single missile." Prior to the first POP flight test, Lockheed Martin completed a battery of warhead tests, including 10 precursor warhead tests, four main warhead tests and five tests of tandem warheads within the Hellfire guidance section. The next two POP flight tests, scheduled for early next year, will feature live warheads. "This new Hellfire II can be fired from both rotary-wing and unmanned platforms," Musculus said. "A new inertial measurement unit enables properly equipped platforms to launch missiles at targets behind them without first having to turn the aircraft around. Getting the missile on target that much quicker gives the enemy less time to react or escape." Musculus said many of the new improvements are software-driven. "We've replaced a host of circuit boards, transistors and other hardware components with software," he added. "Turning hardware into software contributes to the modular design of the missile and offers an efficient path to future upgrades." With more than 25,000 rounds produced for the U.S. and 14 international customers, Hellfire II has been successfully integrated with attack helicopters in the U.S. and many Allied fleets. It is also capable of surface launch from ground vehicles, tripods and small vessels. More than 10,000 Hellfire missiles have been successfully fired in combat. Lockheed Martin

F-4 group holding conference in Panama City DANIEL CARSON / News Herald Writer PANAMA CITY — A national nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the history of the F-4 Phantom fighter jet will hold its annual conference in the Panama City area this year, a group spokesman said Monday. The F-4 Phantom II Society’s “PhanCon” is scheduled for Sept. 20-23, with the group’s members planning to visit Tyndall Air Force Base and Pensacola’s Naval Air Museum as part of the conference. The F-4 group last held its annual meeting in Panama City about five years ago, said James Thompson, the society’s event coordinator. The society chose to return to Panama City because of its proximity to Tyndall and the base’s use of converted QF-4 jets as aerial targets, he said. The 82nd Aerial Target Squadron at Tyndall and Holloman AFB, N.M., operates the Department of Defense's only full-scale aerial target program, maintaining an inventory of 50 modified QF-4 Phantom II aircraft for this purpose. “It’s a sad thing to see, but it’s a good thing for training,” Thompson said. According to Boeing, more than 800 F-4 Phantom II aircraft are still on active duty with the defense forces of eight nations: Egypt, Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Spain and Turkey. Almost 100 Phantoms have been converted into QF-4 drones and missile targets that still serve the U.S. Navy and Air Force. Thompson, who served as an F-4 maintainer for almost 15 years, said the F-4 society includes former pilots, maintenance personnel and members with a general appreciation of the fighter jet and its place in military history. “It’s a pretty prestigious fighter of all of the fighters built,” Thompson said of the F-4, which first took to the air in 1958. He said previous PhanCon conventions have taken place at Holloman and Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., also known as “The Boneyard.” The society tries to hold its conferences near Air Force bases where the F-4 is still utilized for training purposes. “We’re running out of places to go,” Thompson said. Convention-goers will visit Tyndall’s 82nd Aerial Target Squadron on Sept. 20, with society members also planning to see the base’s F-22 squadron. Thompson said he expects between 75 and 80 people to attend the conference, including 10 international members based in Switzerland, England, Germany and Belgium. The group’s U.S. membership is spread throughout the country, he added. Retired Brig. Gen. Dan Cherry, author of “My Enemy, My Friend,” will be the guest speaker for this year’s conference. The Walton Sun

Iceland set to embrace war-game fliers Gudmundur Petursson worked for years as a contractor for the US military at Keflavik airbase on the Reykjanes peninsula, south-west Iceland. Now, he is waiting for a green light from the Icelandic government to start building a 15,000 sq metre hangar for a fleet of Russian-made fighter jets. Mr Petursson, chief executive of FM Service, an Icelandic facility management company, is a cheerleader for plans by a private military training company to base up to 33 Sukhoi “flanker” jets at Keflavik for use by air forces worldwide as mock enemy in aerial war games. “Most people around here are very positive about it because it will bring a lot of jobs and keep technological expertise here,” he said. Iceland’s readiness to embrace ECA Program, the company involved in the plan, highlights its need for jobs and investment after a banking crisis shattered the country’s economy in 2008. The Keflavik area was struggling before the crisis after the departure of the US air force in 2006 pushed up unemployment. The base closure ended 60 years of US presence at Keflavik and left Iceland, which has no armed forces of its own, without any permanent military protection. Critics have portrayed ECA Program as a mysterious “private army” seeking to fill Iceland’s security vacuum. But Melville ten Cate, the company’s Dutch co-founder, insists that there is nothing sinister about his plan to buy €1.2bn ($1.5bn, £983m) of warplanes from Belarus and bring them to Iceland. The aircraft will not be equipped to carry ammunition, allowing them to be licensed as commercial aircraft, and no military exercises will take place in Icelandic airspace, he says. “We couldn’t take out a pigeon unless it flew into the engine.” ECA had previously targeted Goose Bay airbase in Canada as a potential home but turned to Iceland when negotiations with Canadian authorities broke down. Detailed talks have been under way for more than a year over the lease of space at Keflavik and much of the certification needed to import the jets and associated ground equipment has been secured. Support for the project is far from universal within the Icelandic government but officials say ECA is close to winning conditional approval. A few similar companies, such as Airborne Tactical Advantage Company of the US and Top Aces of Canada, offer a similar service using older Israeli, French and US jets. But, if all goes to plan, ECA’s will become by far the biggest and newest fleet of its kind. The aircraft are to be backed up by ground equipment, including radar and communications jamming technology and simulated surface-to-air missile systems, to create realistic training conditions. Several defence industry officials contacted by the Financial Times are deeply sceptical of ECA’s business plan, given the cost of buying and maintaining fighter aircraft. Mr ten Cate insists he can pull it off. He says most air forces use their aircraft to mimic the enemy – a waste of resources, he argues, that risks creating a false sense of security. “With the cost per hour of flying fighter jets, you cannot afford to have guys boring holes in the sky not learning anything. Training should involve flying against different aircraft to your own, behaving like your enemy.” SU-27s are an important part of Russian and Chinese air power but Mr ten Cate insists that ECA is not aiming to imitate either. “Russian fighter jets have been sold around the world so they are widely used,” he says. “We’re a generic enemy.” A recruitment drive is under way for up to 45 qualified fighter pilots, as well as maintenance technicians. An advertisement was placed in an aviation trade publication last month offering pilots a salary of €160,000 a year – more than all but the most senior commercial airline pilots. Source: The Financial Times Limited 2010

Ex-USSR awash in radioactive ‘dirty bomb’ substances Defence Talk — By Agence France-Presse on August 30, 2010 Moscow: It has been of one of Europe's worst nightmares: traffickers obtaining highly-radioactive materials on the loose in the former Soviet Union with the help of corrupt officials and passing them on to rogue groups looking to make a dirty bomb. The seizure this month of two kilograms of uranium in Moldova, an impoverished ex-Soviet nation bordering the EU member Romania, is a stark reminder of just how available and poorly guarded nuclear materials can be, analysts said. Moldovan police said this week they had seized a container with 1.8 kilogrammes of highly-radioactive Uranium-238 and arrested a group of suspected traffickers who had sought to sell it for nine million euros (11 million dollars). The United States has said it provided technical assistance to Moldova in the case, which the US State Department described as a "serious smuggling attempt". "Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of uranium lie in storage at industrial sites, one can take bagfuls of them," independent Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer told AFP. "There are people who try to sell them at a high price and most often they fall into the hands of security services," he said. The SBU security service in Ukraine, site of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, have recently reported three cases of seizing radioactive materials. Nine people were arrested in March as they tried to sell 2.5 kilograms of uranium 235 and 238 and strontium in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, their radioactivity levels 100 times higher than acceptable norms. A container "with radioactive materials" was seized in December 2009 in the western region of Lviv, while in April that year, three Ukrainians were arrested in the nearby Ternopil region with four kilograms of plutonium which could be used to make a dirty bomb. The plutonium container's radiation levels were 250 times higher than the norm, officials said. In 2006, a suspected Russian trafficker was busted in Georgia as he attempted to sell "100 grams of 90-percent-enriched uranium" to a Georgian policeman who passed himself off as a member of a radical Islamic group. The case drew concern from the International Atomic Energy Agency. "The entire territory of the former Soviet Union is awash in radioactive material which was used in Soviet times for some 30 various ministries and services, in medicine or agriculture," independent Russian military expert Alexander Golts said. "Most often those materials are enriched to just three to five percent, which cannot be used to make nuclear weapons," he said. However the radioactive matter still presents a danger because potential traffickers while searching for clients may keep it in close proximity to people, for example in garages and unwitting passers-by can find themselves within 100 meters of the storage area, Golts said. As for highly-enriched substances, "they are under a very different level of protection," he said. The uranium intercepted in Moldova, Golts said, "could be used to make a dirty bomb that could cause contamination and panic." Levels of radiation emanating from the uranium were 60 times higher than is safe for humans, authorities said. Officials said Thursday talks were underway to send the uranium to Germany to pinpoint its origin and degree of enrichment because Moldova does not have laboratories to do the required analysis itself. But some experts are not convinced that the poorly guarded nuclear materials are dangerous, even if they end up in the wrong hands. "There is no real black market for nuclear materials, there is trafficking in radioactive substances," said Bruno Tertrais, expert at the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS). "In most cases of sales -- or attempted sales -- of nuclear substances, there are only a few grams being sold, too little by far to make a bomb," Tertrais said. A Vienna-based Western expert, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said: "If the material is as reported, then there is no immediate danger from the material itself." "Of greater concern is whether this represents a larger smuggling effort and where the material came from." Defence Talk

F-15 Eagles soar for last time at Hickam Defence Professionals -- 30 August 2010 Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young Defense Media Activity-Hawaii / AFNS JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR - HICKAM, Hawaii | Pilots from the 199th Fighter Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard, completed their last training mission with the F-15 Eagle from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii Aug 25. The HIANG is upgrading to the F-22 Raptor, a fifth generation fighter, and received their first two Raptors in July. The ANG is the lead in a total force concept that already exists at JB Hickam with the C-17 Globemaster III. The 199th FS will fly and help maintain the 20 F-22 Raptors that bring another capability to the HIANG. Many of the current F-15 pilots of the HIANG are eager to start training and flying the Raptor, but will still sorely miss the Eagle aircraft, which the unit has flown since 1987, said Lt. Col. James Sage, a pilot with the 199th FS. "It's like saying goodbye to a good friend," said Colonel Sage said. "It was exciting flying it for the last time, and especially against a F-22, but at the same time the F-15 has always brought me home safely and been an outstanding aircraft." The three remaining F-15s will depart JB Hickam Sept. 1, and with that, two of the fighters will move onto the 56th Aggressors Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev., while the other will move onto the 120th Fighter Wing of the Montana Air National Guard. The Montana unit has assumed the HIANG's air-defense mission for the next year as the HIANG transitions to the F-22 said 199th pilot Lt. Col. Mark Ladtkow. "It's somewhat a bittersweet feeling flying the last training mission of the F-15 with our unit," Colonel Ladtkow said. "I'm blessed to have the upcoming opportunity to fly the F-22, but the F-15, which I've flown for 17 years, is a friend of mine and will be missed." Colonel Ladtkow is a 20-year veteran of the military, with the last six being part of the ANG. He is slated to deliver his jet to the Montana ANG in September. "The 199th (FS) proves that National Guard forces are capable of maintaining a strategic presence with its active-duty association and providing a great value to our nation and the state of Hawaii," said Gen. Craig R. McKinley the chief of the National Guard Bureau. The F-22, a single-seat, twin-engine aircraft, which utilizes stealth technology, was originally designed as an air-superiority fighter. "These F-22 Raptors are the state-of-the-art, air-superiority fighters, and couldn't be located at a better place," said General McKinley. Defence Professionals

Jump jets to fall victim to spending cuts Telegraph -- By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent -- 30 August 2010 In a move that could put hundreds of British manufacturing jobs at risk, defence chiefs are ready to abandon plans to buy a vertical-landing fighter jet for the Royal Navy. Instead, a cheaper conventional-landing warplane will replace the Navy’s Harriers when they retire. The decision is the first to emerge from the Strategic Defence Review to have direct consequences for British industry. Rolls Royce will be hard hit by the move, which could also strain British relations with the US. The Navy is buying two new aircraft carriers at a cost of more than £5 billion. Army and RAF chiefs have questioned that plan and suggested that one carrier should be scrapped or shared with the French navy. Attempting to defend the carriers, Royal Navy chiefs are seeking cuts elsewhere in their planned spending. Aircraft carriers now in service carry Harrier jets, which are can take off from a short runway and land vertically by directing the blast of their engines downwards. The next generation of carriers are expected to carry US-made Joint Strike Fighters. Originally, the Navy was planning to buy a specially-adapted short take-off vertical-landing (STOVL) variant of the JSF, which would take off and land on the carriers much as Harriers do now. However, developing and building the special STOVL version of the JSF would cost more than buying the conventional version, and insiders say that cost cannot be justified. The military value of vertical landing has also been questioned by senior officers, who say conventional fighters are more useful because they can fly further and faster and carry more weapons. Using conventional jets would also make it easier to conduct joint operations with allies including the US and France, whose carriers As a result of those calculations, the STOVL aircraft is set to be scrapped in favour of the cheaper conventional JSF, which would be launched from the new carriers using catapults. In recent weeks, the MoD has quietly commissioned design work on catapults to launch jets from the new carriers, due to enter service in 2014 and 2016. Because construction work on the ships is still at an early stage, adapting their designs to accommodate conventional aircraft is said to be relatively easy. In addition, a team of 12 Royal Navy pilots has been sent to the US to train with conventional take-off aircraft on carriers. Much of the specialised engine system for the STOVL jet is being made by Rolls Royce in Bristol, and the switch would jeopardise hundreds of jobs there. The decision to abandon the STOVL jet could be rubber-stamped at a meeting of the National Security Council next week, although ministers are aware that the move could be controversial. Giving up on the STOVL aircraft could lead to accusations of waste, since the Ministry of Defence has already spent more than £500 million on the programme. But insiders say the overall saving of buying standard fighters instead will more than justify writing off that spending. Pulling out of the STOVL project could also strain British relations with the US. The STOVL jet is being jointly developed with the US Marine Corps, and without British involvement, US costs are likely to increase. Government sources said ministers will blame the previous administration for the need to change plans on the carriers and their aircraft. A source said: “Labour chose the wrong type of aircraft and the wrong configuration of carrier, and they wasted a lot of money doing it. What’s going on now is about trying to fix that mess.” An MoD spokesman said: “The Defence Secretary has made clear that tough decisions will need to be made but the complex process of a Strategic Defence and Security Review will be concluded in the Autumn and speculation at this stage about its outcome is entirely unfounded.” Telegraph

The Olympia may be headed to a watery grave John F. Lehman Former Secretary of the Navy A few months ago, one of our nation's most famous landmarks was deteriorating badly. Independence Hall had a roof leak and needed numerous expensive repairs. The city's historical commission met in April with the National Park Service to determine a course of action and on June 9, the park service announced that $4.4 million would be provided for a restoration of Independence Hall. The funding came from the stimulus bill. A few short blocks from Independence Hall there is another icon of American history in desperate need of restoration. The USS Olympia is moored at Penn's Landing on the Delaware River and is one of several historic vessels at the Independence Seaport Museum. The ship gained its place in history serving as Commodore George Dewey's flagship in the Battle of Manila Bay in the opening days of the Spanish-American War. It was from the deck of the Olympia that Dewey uttered those famous words "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley." With these words, the attack on the Spanish fleet was launched and, within six hours, Dewey's Asiatic Squadron had sunk or captured the entire Spanish Pacific fleet and silenced the guns on shore in Manila. America's victory in the Spanish-American War was an important event in U.S. history, marking the beginning of the nation's emergence as a world power. The Olympia saw additional service in the years after the Spanish-American War and had the honor of bringing home the remains of the "Unknown Soldier" from World War I in 1921. It was decommissioned Dec. 9, 1922, and was preserved by the Navy until 1957, when the ship was released to the Cruiser Olympia Association and became a museum open to the public in Philadelphia. In the years since, the city and private organizations have funded the Olympia's maintenance and its operation as a museum, but now the ship is in need of substantial restoration. The Olympia has been in the water continuously since 1945, and the hull has rusted to the point where the ship is in danger of sinking. The current owner, the Independence Seaport Museum, can no longer afford the upkeep on the ship, and it is scheduled to close in a few months. The plan now being discussed with the Navy is to close the ship Nov. 22 and remove it, towing the vessel either to a scrap yard or out into the Atlantic Ocean to be sunk as part of a barrier reef off the coast of Cape May. Yes, incredible as it may seem, that is the fate being contemplated for the Olympia, the oldest steel-hulled warship afloat and the only naval vessel from the Spanish-American War still in existence. Why is the Olympia worth investing $20 million to $30 million in private or taxpayer funds? Because preserving this nation's history is important to future generations. The Olympia is not just a historic warship. It was an engineering marvel for its time. It was one of the first naval combatants to have electricity and a powered-steering gear. The cruiser was part of a program of ships for the "New Navy" of the 1880s and 1890s, designed to correct the deficiencies of a weakened and neglected naval force. Its innovative design included high-speed engines (Olympia was said to be the second-fastest ship in the world at 22 knots), modern armament, and armor shielding that protected the engines and the magazines. When the Olympia was in danger of heading to the scrap heap in 1996, the Independence Seaport Museum stepped up and accepted responsibility for the ship. However, the museum can no longer maintain it. Now, the U.S. public needs to stand up, the same way it stood up for Independence Hall. For the last six months, former U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon and others have been putting together a plan to secure funding for a restoration of the Olympia and its possible relocation. The Independence Seaport Museum has had the ship's hull surveyed and repair plans have been drawn. The dredging necessary to remove this delicate structure from Penn's Landing could start soon after the funding is identified. I believe the Obama administration should dedicate stimulus funding for the Olympia's restoration. This is the kind of "shovel ready" project that could be launched in a matter of weeks. Funding this project would not only preserve a National Historic Landmark but would also create much-needed employment in the region. Like Independence Hall, the USS Olympia deserves to be restored and maintained, and this is certainly a legitimate role for the federal government. Philadelphia Inquirer