Erik

Remote-controlled model airplanes roll in for annual event Sunday, August 29, 2010 By Shannon M. Nass, Special to the Post-Gazette Nestled among the woods of South Park is a quiet stretch of land known as Jack Coates Memorial Field. Unlike other grassy patches in the park, this one has a landing strip down the center. Most days the gates leading up to it are locked with access limited to day hikers and mountain bikers who traverse the trails that cross and surround it. However, on clear evenings the skies above thunder and the field is transformed into a museum display as models and renditions of war birds, jets and helicopters are scattered about awaiting their turn for glory in the sky. The pilots of these planes are members of SPARKS (South Park Radio Kontrol Society), one of 131 Pennsylvania clubs chartered by the Academy of Model Aeronautics. The club boasts 50 members and is one of five located in the Pittsburgh metro area. SPARKS members are currently practicing their takeoffs, landings, loops and rolls in anticipation of the 5th annual Big Sky Fly-In to be held Sept. 11-12 at 268 Sky Kings R/C Field in Kittanning. Flying begins at 10 a.m. each day and continues until after dark. This family-friendly event draws hundreds of pilots and spectators from all over Western Pennsylvania and is open to AMA members and guests. Ed Andrews of Brookline with a plane he built from scratch. Ed's plane is also featured at the top. "It's like a miniature air show," said SPARKS vice president Ed Andrews of Brookline. "Fly whatever you bring and show it off to the best of your ability. If you just fly it around in circles, that's good enough." Andrews started flying model airplanes at the age of 6 and has been interested in aircraft ever since. He holds a pilot's license, but surprisingly prefers to fly model planes. "I actually prefer the radio-controlled planes because of the camaraderie that you have here," he said. "With a big plane, you're by yourself and you're talking on the radio until you get to your destination. But here you're always around others." Unlike other remote-control sports that draw fierce competition, one of the main attractions to model aircraft piloting is camaraderie. Most SPARKS members share an interest in aviation in general and fly their planes for the sheer fun of it, said Andrews. The wide variety of aircraft available to be piloted offers continuous challenges, making it nearly impossible to ever truly master the sport. "It's so diverse and that's what draws me to it. As soon as I get pretty good at one particular facet of it, I can move on to the next phase and it's like starting over again," said Andrews. This diversity carries over into the mixture of people attracted to the sport. While it is male dominated, women and children maintain a presence at the fields and are always welcomed and encouraged to participate. Chris Stefano of Mt. Lebanon, with his electric motor plane, as part of SPARKS, or the South Park Radio Controlled Society. The youngest member of SPARKS is 15-year-old Michael Camella of Baldwin, who began flying planes three years ago after attending an air show that was sponsored by the club. An airplane and military enthusiast, model airplane piloting appeals to Michael on many levels. "I've been fascinated by flight since I was little, and it's amazing to think that man can fly. It's amazing what these things can do and I'm impressed by ... stories of pilots in war time. It's just incredible," Michael said. Although relatively new to the sport, Camella is already proficient at piloting and has begun to delve into aerobatic maneuvers with his plane. This has sparked some interest in competitions, but for the most part, Camella says he flies simply because "it's a blast." As college looms ahead, said he's Camella considering expanding his interest in aviation into a career by either joining the military or pursing an education in robotics. No matter where the sport leads him, adventure, challenges and a lifetime of learning are guaranteed as he continues to explore the many aspects of piloting. Like most model airplane enthusiasts, Camella started young and does not see his hobby as a passing phase. He echoes the sentiments of model airplane pilots everywhere when he says, "I'll be doing this for my entire life and it will last." Images: Bill Wade/Post-Gazette Post Gazette

You have to love Internet Explorer and it's error messages. You'd almost think the "server" was having problems based on that message, would you? The server is fine. Our logs indicate you are running Internet Explorer 8 and I also see you have the download manager for IE8 installed and running. Here's what I would advise. -- To test this before you get into a bunch of trouble shooting download and install a new browser specifically I'd recommend FireFox. Then try downloading your file. If the test works for you and you want to diagnose and continue to use IE then you'll need to fix these issues. A) Remove or disable the download manager for IE8 (usually in add-ons) B) Resolve the TTL restriction on your machine. This can be in a browser setting or in a setting of a Internet Suite or Firewall like McAfee or Norton. A browser connection to a website normally only lasts in short bursts as you request and receive information. During a download the receive part (especially for larger files) takes longer. Either your browser or your Internet Suite can consider this a security risk and close those connections that WAIT over a specific time. I suspect this is what is happening. You request a file >> We receive the request and open a download window for transfer (your browser goes into WAIT) >> You start receiving the file and your TTL expires which closes the connection. Now that I detail this I'd look at your security software first or firewall. That's all I can come up with based on what you've shared. Be sure to let me know your fix.

ThirdWire Sneek Peek of Upcoming Release 28 August 2010 -- DanW In a surprise announcement today Dan from ThirdWire shares with the community some images and news of their upcoming release. In no great detail and without any release dates the news of the release has so far been positively received by the ThirdWire Community. From the looks of the expected release a mission editor and other terrific enhancements are on the horizon for the Strike Fighters 2 series. The original thread in the SF Forums: CLICK HERE ThirdWire

Unmanned Helicopter Being Developed For U.S. Military Red Orbit: Friday, 27 August 2010 Lockheed Martin is developing an unmanned helicopter for the U.S. military designed to lift supplies and equipment to troops in Afghanistan. The Kaman K-MAX helicopter can fly without a pilot and carry up to 6,000 pounds of cargo, which is more than the aircraft's empty weight. The helicopter's primary use would be to transport equipment to troops at forward operating bases on the frontline. K-MAX will help reduce the need for large vehicle convoys lowering the risk of soldiers being ambushed or injured by IEDs (improvised explosive devices). The aircraft can be flown into under-fire areas without risking an aircrew. A ground-based operator controls the aircraft by using a laptop. The operator can input a flight plan detailing the destination and route. K-MAX can also be flown hands-on from the cockpit if necessary and uses counter-rotating intermeshing rotor blades to generate its lifting power. The helicopter reaches a maximum airspeed of 92 mph and can be programmed to release at different times. It also flies in weather conditions that normally ground other helicopters. K-MAX is being developed for the U.S. Army's "Autonomous Technologies for Unmanned Air Systems" (ATUAS) program. However, U.S. Marine Corps may also end up using the aircraft. If testing goes as planned, then the helicopter could be sent to Afghanistan for assessment sometime towards the end of 2011. Image: The Unmanned K-MAX launches from the pad with a 1500 lb sling load during contractor flight tests at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ, January 2010. Red Orbit

Replacement of Swiss Fighter Jets Postponed Defence Talk — By SwissInfo on August 27, 2010 The Swiss government has delayed the partial replacement of the army’s Tiger fighter jets for financial reasons, the Federal Chancellery announced on Wednesday. The government confirmed it planned to replace 54 “obsolete” planes but has postponed the purchase until 2015 at the latest, on the recommendation of Defence Minister Ueli Maurer. Some jets in the Tiger fleet are over 30 years old. Buying 22 new planes would have cost up to SFr4.8 billion ($4.6 billion). In a statement, the government said it could not use supplementary credits under the current budget constraints to buy the replacements, and existing resources had to be used to cover other army costs. The defence and finance ministries will decide by the end of 2011 how much can be spent on replacements and when. The decision stirred up various reactions. The Swiss People’s Party said it was regrettable but understandable. The Social Democrats were pleased, saying it would have been wrong to spend the money when other budget cuts were being made elsewhere. The Group for Switzerland without an Army commented that the outcome showed the planes were not urgently needed. Defence Talk

I don't see any reason then why you can't do what you've been doing all along. Can you PM me the images so I can see if there's something wrong with them that the software doesn't like?

You may have hit a maximum size of images per thread or thread size. I'm suspecting image size limit was hit. Can you check this again? Thanks.

What does the error message say?

Submariners Give Rare Glimpse Into ‘Silent Service’ Defence Talk — By US Navy on August 25, 2010 ABOARD THE USS RHODE ISLAND: On a recent sun-soaked morning hundreds of miles off Florida’s Atlantic coast, this Trident ballistic missile submarine surfaced for an unusual operation. About a dozen journalists, many representing the military, watched from a contracted 250-foot support vessel as the sleek, black back of the submarine ascended above gentle waters in the open ocean and maneuvered alongside the boat. With just a few feet separating the two vessels and a Coast Guard cutter on watch, the support boat’s crew extended a catwalk bridge from its deck over to the Rhode Island. A pod of dolphins played in the wake below as the journalists hobbled quickly over to the submarine. “Keep moving! Keep moving!” a submariner shouted, as a slowdown easily could lead to a foot or leg getting caught and injured, or causing a “man overboard” situation. After exchanging quick greetings with the attending crew, the journalists climbed in turn through the hatch and down the steep, narrow ladder into the belly of the sub. The Aug. 16 media visit offered a rare glimpse into what is known as “the silent service,” the community of Navy submariners who man and control the vessels that carry weapons under the sea. Journalists were invited to embed on the Trident after a military-commissioned survey showed that Americans know less about the Navy than the other services, and even less about submarines and those who serve on them, Lt. Rebecca Rebarich, public affairs officer for Submarine Group 10 at King’s Bay Naval Base, Ga., said. The visit also coincided with increasing media attention on the submarine community following two major changes in Navy policy earlier this year: lifting the ban on women serving on submarines, and ending smoking on subs. The Navy chose 21 women early this summer to begin the 15-month training to serve on subs beginning in the fall of 2011. The smoking ban takes effect Jan. 1. The Nuclear Triad The Rhode Island is an Ohio-class submarine, the largest model in the U.S. fleet. At about 560 feet long and 42 feet in diameter, Ohio-class submarines hold 24 Trident ballistic missile tubes and four torpedo tubes. The Navy’s fleet of 14 SSBNs is based at King’s Bay and at Bangor, Wash. The Trident subs, known as “boomers,” are powered by a single-shaft nuclear reactor. They can carry more than 16 tons, travel more than 20 knots -- more than 23 miles per hour -- and submerge more than 800 feet, according to Navy officials who keep their exact capabilities secret. Part of the nuclear deterrent triad along with land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and Air Force bombers, the Tridents’ sole mission is to deter a nuclear attack through its ultimate strike capabilities. A command from the President, passed through U.S. Strategic Command and ultimately to the ship’s captain, allows the crew to fire a long-range ballistic missile in a matter of minutes. The Trident is a three-stage missile powered by solid rocket motors. It’s about 44 feet long and 7 feet in diameter, and weighs about 120,000 pounds, according to information provided by public affairs officials. Each has a range of more than 4,000 miles. Touring the Boomer The boomer’s design of massive missile tubes occupying the bulk of the midsection and extending vertically through four levels is the focal point of the vessel and a reminder of the singular mission of deterrence. The space between the tanks makes up the hallways. Small rooms, such as the nine-person enlisted berthing cabins -- three sets of bunks with three beds each -- and a couple of bathrooms, known as “heads,” are tucked in between. The galley and crew’s mess are nearby on the same level and they present a nearly constant hub of activity. The Navy is known for providing good meals, and if the Rhode Island is an indication, submarines are among the best. The boat’s head chef, Petty Officer 1st Class Daniell Pinero, a former chef for the secretary of defense, and his crew provide three hot meals each day as well as late-evening snacks. Stocking the galley for a three-month tour is no small undertaking. A lengthy shopping list includes, for example, 530 pounds of coffee, 22,140 eggs, 800 pounds of butter, 504 bags of microwave popcorn and 21,000 biodegradable weights to sink trash in the ocean. Because all food must be purchased and stored before the start of the tours, fresh produce is a scarce commodity enjoyed in the early days of each patrol. Still, there are few complaints. Pizza, spaghetti, turkey and dressing, ham and sweet potatoes, rolls, cakes and pies -– all homemade -– were provided during the media visit. “I gain 10 pounds every time we go out,” Cmdr. Robert J. Clark, commanding officer and captain for one of the Rhode Island’s two rotating crews, said. Exercise equipment is placed sporadically around the ship – cardio machines and free weights – wherever there is a little spare room. But as Clark and others noted, any weight gained on board is lost during shore duty. A Tight-knit Community Clark is the commanding officer and captain of the Rhode Island’s blue crew, which carried the media representatives during their visit. His executive officer, or second in command, is Lt. Cmdr. Paul Pampuro. Each Trident sub includes two crews of 15 officers and about 140 enlisted men, known as the blue and gold crews, each with its own commanding officer. Each crew rotates onto submarine duty about every 112 days, while the other crew stays at base for training and preparation for the next time at sea. A snapshot of the crew is one that is young, smart, and committed to the mission and fellow crewmembers. The average age is 23, and many have engineering, math or science degrees. Ask submariners what they enjoy most about their work and the answer usually is the camaraderie of a tight-knit community, the highly specialized work, and the importance of the mission. Lt. Colin Myers is a Naval Academy graduate who serves as the sub’s main propulsion assistant, assistant security manager, intelligence officer and ship self-assessment coordinator. He said he enjoys the Rhode Island because of the quality of the crew. “These are a lot of really smart guys,” Myers said. “Some are double majors. It’s a volunteer force, so they really want to be here.” He added that because the submarine force is small, there are many opportunities and officers advance quickly; some obtain command by their mid-30s. Serving on a submarine -– mostly submerged for three months with only periscopes to see out -- also can be stressful, tedious and boring, submariners say. The days are long, sleep is minimal, and submariners are surprisingly disconnected. E-mail is sporadic, only coming through every couple of days when an antenna is connected to the sail -- a submarine’s exterior tower-like structure -- and attachments are not allowed. There are no phone calls; no text messages. Still, some say they don’t mind being disconnected. “You either love it or hate it,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Calvin Hurt, the torpedo room supervisor. Reality in Mission Control Around 9 p.m., some off-duty crew members gather in the mess to wind down with a movie. The chef has made pizza and buffalo wings, and someone pops in the 1995 submarine movie, “Crimson Tide.” “This is a comedy!” a long-time submariner proclaimed as the crew laughed at the creative license Hollywood took in producing the action-packed drama of a Trident submarine executive officer, played by Denzel Washington, who leads a mutiny after the captain, played by Gene Hackman, decides to launch a ballistic missile at a perceived Soviet threat. In the real world of Trident subs, protocol and procedures rule. In the control room, the sub’s nerve center, each area is manned in six-hour shifts with full attention on the equipment. The mission is to keep the boomer undetected, while detecting everything else around it. In the front of the room, three enlisted men watch location and conditions on monitors while two of them do their part to “drive” the sub with long-handled steering wheels. Behind them, two others man multiple screens that track sonar and acoustics, analyzing sounds from as far away as 75,000 yards. Behind them, an officer always is watching through the periscope, and those images are provided on computer screens. Coordinates are constantly being called out above the sound of the equipment, and the standard response “very well” acknowledges receipt of the information. Many of the screens are marked “Secret,” and all of the crew has security clearances. While each has his own job specialty, all are cross-trained and expected to be able to do multiple jobs, Rolinger said. “Everyone is an expert at damage control,” he said, noting the crew practices multiple drills -– from firing torpedoes to putting out fires –- several times per week. During a missile release test, Clark stands in the center of the control room receiving information from every possible data point, some relayed repeatedly to ensure conditions have not changed. “All missiles will be released,” he announces along with the exact time so all clocks are synchronized to the exact second. “This is the captain. This is an exercise,” Clark says over the sub’s speaker system. Down the hall, two crew members man the missile control center, divided between “launcher” and “fire” controls. The U.S. ballistic missile fleet fires four test missiles each year, and has had 134 consecutive successful tests in 20 years, Cmdr. Michael Sowa, deputy chief of staff of strategic weapons for Submarine Group 10, said. The tests also serve as a deterrent, and foreign countries are notified before testing begins, he added. “The system works well, even better than it was designed to work,” Sowa said. The British, French, and Russians also test ballistic missiles, and the Chinese are developing the capabilities, he said. “The SSBN mission is to deter,” Sowa added. “So, if we must launch, we’ve failed our mission.” Earning Their Dolphins A more likely scenario than the release of a Trident missile is the release of a torpedo. Back toward the front end of the sub and down the stairs next to the smoking room, two crew members man the torpedo controls, watching red and green lights for the status of torpedoes that lie horizontally on hydraulic lifts. They hold several exercises each week to practice firing torpedoes, and avoiding torpedoes from an enemy. “Everything we do down here, we get one minute to do it in,” Hurt said. A submariner for four years, he said he now loves the job that is very trying for the first two years. Three sailors earned the title of submariner here on Aug. 16 when they were presented the coveted Dolphin pins, which come only after a new crew member proves within 10 months that he has a basic understanding of everything on the boat. Clark presented the pins during a ceremony in the crew’s mess. “The whole thing is a little overwhelming,” Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Iverson, 20, of Freeport, Ill., said after receiving his pin. “With this, you know you’ve earned the respect of your fellow shipmates.” Petty Officer 1st Class Herwin Marcia, who has served on submarines for 13 years, still remembers the stress of being new on a submarine. “It’s a big culture shock,” he said. “You have to catch up to where you can support everyone else. You have to be ready when called on. We don’t have time to wait.” Defence Talk

NORAD downplays Russian bomber interception CBC News -- Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | 8:23 PM ET NORAD is downplaying an incident on Tuesday that saw two CF-18s shadow a pair of Russian military aircraft as they flew within 56 kilometres of Canadian soil. In a statement Wednesday, NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defence Command, said the CF-18s "intercepted and visually identified" two TU-95 Bear bombers that entered the Canadian Air Defence Identification Zone. "At no time did the Russian military aircraft enter Canadian or United States sovereign airspace," said NORAD spokesman Lt. Desmond James, a Canadian naval officer. "Both Russia and NORAD routinely exercise their capability to operate in the North. These exercises are important to both NORAD and Russia and are not cause for alarm." In a "readout" email to media early Wednesday, PMO communications director Dimitri Soudas said the aircraft were spotted approximately 220 kilometres north of Inuvik, N.W.T. The CF-18 jets from 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alberta shadowed the Russians until both aircraft turned around, Soudas said. "Thanks to the rapid response of the Canadian Forces, at no time did the Russian aircraft enter sovereign Canadian airspace," he said. The Canadian aircraft returned to base without incident. NORAD said its aircraft have intercepted four Russian bombers so far this year and 16 times in 2009. James said NORAD recognizes that all countries have the right to operate in international airspace, but may conduct identification missions should aircraft approach the North American Air Defence Identification Zone. Soudas said Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is in the Canadian North for his annual Arctic tour, was briefed during and at the end of the mission. A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Ottawa noted that Canadian authorities repeatedly confirmed the Russian bombers never entered Canadian airspace. Spokesman Sergey Khudyakov said Russia respects Canada's "territorial integrity, including the vast Arctic territories under the Canadian sovereignty." "All flights are being conducted within the international airspace with solely training purposes," Khudyakov wrote in an email to CBC News on Wednesday. Defence committee to probe F-35 purchase News of the encounter comes ahead of the House of Commons defence committee's meetings on Wednesday to examine the government's single-bid purchase of the new generation of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. Soudas's email touted the "new, highly capable and technologically advanced" F-35s, which are slated to replace Canada's CF-18s sometime in the next decade. "It is the best plane our government could provide our Forces, and when you are a pilot staring down Russian long-range bombers, that's an important fact to remember," Soudas said. The contract, one of the biggest military equipment purchases in Canadian history, is worth $9 billion, but the full cost could rise to as much $18 billion once the government signs a maintenance contract. The Liberals want the committee to question other potential bidders and procurement experts to determine whether a sole-sourced contract gives maximum value to the government and taxpayers. Last week, the prime minister declared the protection and promotion of Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic a "non-negotiable priority." 'Diversion' from criticism Liberal MP Larry Bagnell said he did not know the full details surrounding the latest incident, but suggested the Conservatives had used a previous CF-18 encounter with Russian planes in July as a "diversion" from criticism of the F-35 purchase. Bagnell told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday that the government was "needlessly" creating a foreign relations issue with Russia just days after saying that working with other countries to resolve Arctic border disputes was Canada's top foreign affairs priority. "How are we going to work with a country we've just chastised for not even coming into our airspace?" Bagnell said. NDP defence critic Jack Harris dismissed the government's interpretation of the encounter, saying there's not been any incursion into Canadian airspace in decades. Russia, Harris said, resumed these flights a couple of years ago "just to prove they could get their planes in the air." "But there's certainly no threat to our sovereignty," he added. 'Nothing else will do it' But Conservative MPs said the interceptions show that Canada must exercise its Arctic sovereignty by being present in the North, including militarily. "The only way we can be in the North rapidly to counter someone who is also trying to exercise sovereignty is with an airplane like the F-35," said Tory MP Laurie Hawn, a retired RCAF lieutenant-colonel who serves as parliamentary secretary to Defence Minister Peter MacKay. "Nothing else will do it." NORAD is a binational military organization established in 1958 by Canada and the U.S. to monitor and defend North American airspace. Earlier this month, military personnel from Canada, the United States and Russia teamed up for the first time to test their response to a hijacked commercial jet over North American airspace. Photo: Two CF-18s, similar to this one, shadowed a pair of Russian military aircraft Tuesday north of Inuvik, N.W.T. The encounter came a day before parliamentarians were to discuss the government's purchase of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, slated to replace Canada's CF-18s. (Louis Nastro/Canadian Press) CBC News

Upgraded Surveillance Aircraft Arrive in Afghanistan Defence Talk — By UK Ministry of Defence on August 25, 2010 at 5:51 am Upgraded Desert Hawks - hand-launched, remote-controlled surveillance aircraft which can record video footage day and night, sending it directly to troops on the ground - arrived in Afghanistan this weekend. The latest version of the Desert Hawk has been bought as part of a £3m Urgent Operational Requirement to provide a further boost to the surveillance capability on the front line. The Desert Hawk's cameras have been upgraded, giving a huge improvement to image clarity and stability. It also has a new wing design which improves its performance in the hot and high conditions of Afghanistan. The aircraft is just 91cm long, with a wingspan of 137cm, but it can fly for 90 minutes with a range of nine miles (14km). Desert Hawk is operated in Afghanistan by 47 Regiment Royal Artillery. It is light and easily transportable by patrols, weighing about 3.7kg. It can be dispatched in ten minutes and is virtually undetectable once it is in the air. Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Peter Luff, said: "Continuing to support this capability demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that troops on the front line get the cutting-edge equipment to help them in the fight against the insurgents. "The improved Desert Hawk is a remarkable piece of kit. It provides a detailed picture of what is happening on the ground for our troops, giving them an operational advantage and keeping them safer." Staff Sergeant Dan Gardner from 47 Regiment Royal Artillery, who recently used Desert Hawk on operations in Afghanistan, said: "Desert Hawk provides an eye in the sky that has become indispensable to troops on the ground in Afghanistan. "The fact that it is hand-launched and lightweight means we get a very quick and thorough appraisal of the tactical situations faced on operations. "It is used in a variety of roles, including reconnaissance and surveillance of troops and patrols, and it provides valuable situational awareness to commanders of troops in contact with the enemy." Duncan Robbins, programme manager for mini-unmanned air vehicle systems at the MOD's Defence Equipment & Support organisation, said: "Recent technology advances have resulted in front line troops getting crystal-clear imagery from the cameras now being introduced. "General improvements in Desert Hawk 3 introduced by Lockheed Martin allow it to operate more effectively in difficult conditions and provide our soldiers with greater situational awareness in a timely manner. "These air vehicles are essential in delivering highly flexible and responsive intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance [iSTAR] to soldiers on the front line." Desert Hawk is one part of the range of ISTAR assets that are operated by the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army to support our forces in Afghanistan. The ISTAR aircraft systems supporting troops in Afghanistan include: -- Sentinel aircraft and radar system which provides wide area detailed surveillance of ground movements. -- Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado GR4, RAPTOR, which can read the time on Big Ben in London from the Isle of Wight. -- Reaper, Desert Hawk and Hermes 450 remotely-piloted aircraft which provide tactical levels of surveillance direct to troops on the ground. The RAF's combat ISTAR assets like Reaper remotely-piloted aircraft and Tornado GR4 can provide detailed surveillance for ground forces but can also deliver an armed response should it be required. Defence Talk

Saudi pilot killed as Eurofighter crashes in Spain Flight Global -- 24/08/10 by Niall O’Keeffe A Eurofighter aircraft has crashed at Spain's Morón air base with one fatality, the Spanish ministry of defence has confirmed. The combat aircraft, which was on a regular training flight, crashed into the ground "moments after take-off" from the base near Seville, according to the ministry's statement. It was being piloted under dual control by a lieutenant colonel from the Saudi Arabian air force, who was killed, and a Spanish air force commander, who ejected before the crash. The ministry says the Spanish pilot is "well" and required only a "basic" level of medical attention. CITAAM, the Spanish body responsible for investigating military aircraft accidents, has despatched a team to Morón to identify the causes of the incident. The Saudi lieutenant colonel was at the Spanish base after the two nations signed a Eurofighter training contract. Flight Global

Mexico buys drones, may use for marijuana search REUTERS --MEXICO CITY | Tue Aug 24, 2010 6:08pm EDT Mexico has purchased Israeli-made unmanned drone aircraft, the government said, which may be used for spotting remote drug fields as officials fight powerful cartels. Mexico's defense ministry said it bought an unspecified number of Hermes 450 drones last year from Israel's Elbit Systems Ltd for $23.25 million, according to a filing seen by Reuters on Tuesday. The defense ministry declined to say how it would use the drones. But Javier Oliva, a security analyst at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said the military was likely using the remote-controlled drones, which can fly for 20 hours and are equipped with cameras, to locate marijuana and opium in the northwestern states of Sinaloa, Durango and Chihuahua. "These are areas that are very difficult for troops to reach," Oliva said, adding that the military had started to use the planes over the past five or six months. Mexico is the main transit route for South American cocaine into the United States but is also a major marijuana and heroin producer. President Felipe Calderon launched a major military-backed assault on drug cartels upon taking office in late 2006 with millions of dollars of aid from Washington. More than 28,000 people in Mexico have died in Calderon's drug war but the president said on Tuesday he was sticking to his strategy even though more violence is likely. The defense ministry made the drones' purchase public under Mexico's freedom of information rules after a request from leading Mexican newspaper La Jornada. REUTERS

Chilean Air Force Seeks To Buy Six Embraer Military Jets The Wall Street Journal - 8/25/2010 SAO PAULO (Dow Jones)--Chile's Air Force is considering the acquisition of six KC-390 military cargo jets from Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer (ERJ, EMBR3.BR), the company said Tuesday in a statement. In addition, the company said that Chile's Defense Ministry plans to help Embraer to develop the KC-390. Embraer is developing the KC-390 tactical transport for the Brazilian Air Force and offers military variants of its ERJ145 regional jet used for maritime and ground patrol and airborne early warning. The company did not unveil an estimate price for the planes. Earlier this year, the Brazilian Air Force announced a plan to buy 28 KC-390 cargo jets. The Wall Street Journal

I hate posts like these because it's in my nature to do everything possible for folks. That said let's see what we can accomplish. I checked the logs and your first step of removing the download manager / accelerator was absolutely spot on. Yesterday your download manager opened 6 connections to get one file that you ultimately didn't get and 6 of your available 8 downloads for the day were used in one failed attempt. After that I see that two single connections for two separate files occurred which leads me to believe that your download manager has been successfully switched off. Good job! Your downloads will reset and with the download manager off you'll have your full downloads available for the day, you're spot on there too. We're doing good. Next your connection. I'd call your provider unless your on some special setup for your township or village. Standardized cable and phone line connections can be remedied from having the type of signal loss where it just goes away. Usually this is caused by noise to signal ratio which causes your modem to go into a reset. This condition is most noticeable on large downloads or gaming where a constant connection is required. If that's not possible and a home remedy is needed try this first, put your internet modem first in line. This means that from the box where the connection is made outside you want a home-run or direct feed right to that box. From the line coming into that box from the provider you want only a single splitter which means their line goes on one side and your two lines going into the house will be 1. a primary home run right to your modem and 2. the other line used for TV's, phones, or whatever. This will eliminate any loss in signal generated in the house and within your setup which also minimizes connectors which can and do go bad. Make sure your cable connections look visibly ok and are not loose, also make sure the copper conductor is the right length, check the internet for a guide (too long or too short will cause problems). If you still have problems it's possible your signal may need a booster or is too high and needs a pad. Either of which a qualified tech should handle as they have the equipment to check line quality. Hope that helps. E

Please check the staff forums. I'm looking for someone to do a product review.

Are you interested in participating at CombatACE? CombatACE -- 22 August 2010 by Erik Thompson We are currently looking for a few good people who are interested in participating as news staff editors to help us out with creating, referencing, and posting our daily news. I'm aware there are many more relevant and interesting topics we should report on not to mention the interest of our own content which is why we are looking for participants. If you share the passion and interest in reporting and developing news and have a few minutes a day to spare we want to hear from you. A principle position I'd like to fill is Editor in Chief . As a key participant you should possess the interest and ability to manage a small staff and be willing to be responsible to vendors and news feed sites. If you would like to participate with either submitting news articles or developing the news section as a Staff Editor we want to hear from you as well. Those interested please reply here with a short note on what you'd like to help with. Applicants must possess an ability to write and proof read concisely and accurately in English. If you would like to share news in a language other than English the same native abilities would apply. Ideally all interested like to keep current and knowledgeable in a segment of topical news for this site (ie gaming hardware, software, military aircraft, gaming news, and related content). Be brave, be bold, be part of our community here at CA.

West Point ranked high in Forbes picks for best colleges Defense Talk — By Agence France-Presse on August 20, 2010 at 2:05 am WEST POINT, N.Y.: A report released Aug. 11 by Forbes ranked the U.S. Military Academy at West Point fourth in the country in their annual ranking of America's Best Colleges. "West Point is again honored and pleased to be selected as one of America's top five best colleges. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our exceptional cadets, faculty and staff operating in world-class facilities. This excellence, as recognized by Forbes, is a key element in preparing our cadets for the challenges they will face as future Army officers," said West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. David Huntoon. "We review just nine percent of the 6,600 accredited post-secondary institutions in the U.S., so appearing on our list at all is an indication that a school meets a high standard," Forbes stated in their release. Forbes uses more than 10 factors in compiling these rankings, with no single factor counting as much as 20 percent. The rankings are objectively determined, with the only subjective judgments being those of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity and Forbes as to which factors to include and the weights to be used in evaluating each factor. The Center for College Affordability and Productivity in conjunction with Forbes, compiled its college rankings using five general categories, with several components within each general category. The weightings are listed below: 1. Student Satisfaction 27.5 percent 2. Postgraduate Success 30 percent 3. Student Debt 17.5 percent 4. Four-year Graduation Rate 17.5 percent 5. Competitive Awards 7.5 percent Also, U.S. News & World Report announced its "2011 America's Best Colleges Rankings" this week and ranked West Point the "Top Public Liberal Arts College" for the third consecutive year. West Point was also named the third-best "Undergraduate Engineering Program," where a doctorate is not offered, tying with Cooper Union (N.Y.). Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Ind., and Harvey Mudd College, Calif., were first and second, respectively. In the Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs category, West Point's Civil Engineering Program was ranked second, Mechanical was tied for second and Electrical tied-for third. "We are very pleased with U.S. News & World Report's acknowledgment of the quality of the educational experience at West Point," said Dean of the Academic Board Brig. Gen. Tim Trainor. "We are proud of our nationally renowned curriculum and the well-earned recognition our engineering program receives from independent organizations." The engineering rankings are based solely on a spring 2010 peer survey of deans and senior faculty that asked them to rate each program they are familiar with on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (distinguished). West Point's average was 4.1. Out of 266 liberal arts colleges that U.S. News categorized as awarding more than half of their degrees in the arts and sciences, West Point was listed as tied for 16th-best Liberal Arts College overall, when combining both private and public colleges. Williams College, Mass., was ranked number one. In other categories U.S. News ranked West Point second in The High School Counselors' Picks. West Point was also ranked second in two categories under Key Criteria in Judging Schools, Lowest Acceptance Rate and Highest Proportion of Classes Under 20. Defense Talk

Halo: Reach getting matchmaking in its campaign mode Destructoid -- 22 August 2010 by Matthew Razak Here's some good news for all of you out there who hated the fact that you couldn't just hop into a game of Halo 3's campaign through a matchmaking system. Halo: Reach will indeed have matchmaking for its single-player. This means that instead of only being able to charge through the campaign with your friends you can charge through it with anyone. My plan? Find someone ridiculously better than me at the game by doing matchmaking on Legendary as much as possible then ride his coattails to victory and glorious Achievements I don't actually deserve. Then I can roll up to places like I'm some sort of Halo OG and get mad props from my peeps. My street cred aside, is there anyone who doesn't see this as a very welcome feature? Halo: Reach will feature campaign matchmaking That VideoGame Blog -- 21 August, 2020 by Eddie Makuch Bungie has announced that when the hotly hyped Halo: Reach hits shelves next month, not only will the Firefight mode get matchmaking support, but the campaign will too. Wait, what? Yes. When you pick up your copy of Reach on September 14, you’ll be able to enlist the help of a random soldier and fight across the game’s entire campaign. For reference, Halo 3 didn’t include campaign matchmaking (much to my annoyance). You could hop into a game with an Xbox Live friend, but you couldn’t search for a buddy. Also, Halo games on Legendary difficulty are notoriously difficult and the decision to include matchmaking for campaign will make sure no one has to play alone. Destructoid TVGB

SAAB Unveils Thai Air Defence Solutions Air Force News — By Saab on August 19, 2010 at 1:49 am At a ceremony at Saab’s factory in Linköping today, Saab unveiled the Thai integrated air defence system for its Thai customer. The ceremony was held to celebrate the contract between Sweden and Thailand. Many prominent guests attended the event including Commander in Chief, ACM Itthaporn Subhawong from the Royal Thai Air force, Gunnar Holmgen, General Director for the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and Åke Svensson, CEO, for Saab. The Royal Thai Air Force has procured an integrated air defence system with Gripen C/D, the ERIEYE airborne early warning system and a Command and Control C2 system including data link communication. In combination with bilateral Co-operation mainly focused on technology transfer, this will provide Thailand with the foundation for an advanced network based defence system. The Royal Thai Air Force will receive six of the latest version Gripen C/D multirole fighter aircraft at the beginning of 2011. One ERIEYE Airborne Early Warning radar system aboard a Saab 340 aircraft and one additional Saab 340 aircraft will be delivered in December 2010. One Command and Control C2 system including equipment for three ground based Radio sites will be delivered in March 2011. The first Thai Gripen aircraft made its maiden flight on 16 September 2009 and Thai pilots, technicians and aviation mechanics responsible for maintenance and support of the aircraft have started their training at the Armed Force Technical School (Air Force) in Halmstad and at F7 Såtenäs. Air Force News

An image posted on the internet by a Chinese citizen allegedly shows a North Korean aircraft that went down in Liaoning Province, China Photo: EPA Intelligence experts analyse 'North Korean fighter jet crash' By Peter Foster, Beijing Intelligence experts are analysing reports that a North Korean fighter jet crash-landed in northern-eastern China on Tuesday afternoon, leading to speculation of a failed defection attempt by the plane’s pilot. Photographs of the crash site posted on a microblog on China’s sina.com, one of the country’s leading web portals, appeared to show the remains of a MiG-21 fighter with distinctive North Korean air force markings on its fuselage. China’s official news agency, Xinhua, partially confirmed the incident in a one-sentence report but stated only that an aircraft of “unidentified nationality” had crashed in Lagu county, Liaoning Province on August 17, and “the case was under investigation”. However Mike Gething, aviation analyst with IHS Janes, the specialist defence publisher, confirmed to The Telegraph that the picture showed a North Korea jet. “It is a MiG-21 'Fishbed’ and from the markings, it is North Korean,” he said. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing intelligence sources, also said the aircraft appeared to be a North Korean fighter jet, adding that the pilot had been killed. “The pilot died on the spot,” Yonhap quoted the intelligence source as saying, adding that the pilot was the only person aboard the craft. The report quoted a second source as saying the plane may have lost its direction while attempting to fly to Russia to escape from North Korea. China has a repatriation pact with North Korea and frequently hands economic refugees back to Pyongyang, which could explain why the pilot decided to choose Russia as a destination, the report added. North Korea, reeling under the impact of international sanctions following a series of illegal missile and nuclear tests, is facing chronic food shortages that have started to affect even senior officials and army staff, according to reports. Yonhap added that the North Korean soldiers defecting from the North has increased in recent months as food shortages deepen further. Pictures from the crash site approximately 155 miles inside Chinese territory showed the plane, still largely intact, had ploughed into a field of maize, with villagers and rescue workers apparently looking on. The incident provoked a wave of excitable speculation among the Chinese, asking why the plane was apparently allowed to get so far into Chinese airspace and wondering whether it had crashed or been shot down. Comments on Tiexue.net — a popular military fans site that translates as 'ironblood.net’ traded possible explanations. “It is OK if it was shot down to the ground,” said one member, “But if it crashed, what is our Air Force doing be noted the aircraft was already 250km into our territory” Another speculated further. “Definitely it was flown by a defector! Possibility 1: it was forced down due to lack of oil or machinery breaks; possibility 2: it refused our contact and was shot down by our Air Force”. Defence experts estimate that North Korea possess up to 120 later-variant MiG-21s — a now-ageing aircraft known as “Fishbed” to Nato forces and produced in large numbers between 1959 and 1985, becoming the most produced combat aircraft since the end of the Korean War. According to an assessment by Jane’s, North Korean air force pilots manage to fly only 15-25 hours per year because of a shortage of aviation fuel. A MiG-21 was reported to have crashed in North Korea in April last year while on a reconnaissance mission. Telegraph.co.uk

F-35 Lightning II Electro-optical Targeting System (EOTS) Lockheed Martin Conducts First Flight of F-35 Electro-Optical Targeting System on Cooperative Avionics Test Bed ORLANDO, FL, August 16th, 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has successfully conducted the first flight of the F-35 Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) on the Cooperative Avionics Test Bed (CATBird) platform. EOTS maturation on the CATBird is the final step prior to integration on the BF-4, the first mission systems-equipped F-35 test aircraft. “The CATBird’s dynamic flight environment provides the first opportunity to test and evaluate how EOTS integrates into the F-35’s fused sensor architecture,” said Rich Hinkle, program director of F-35 EOTS at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “After three years of rigorous testing on the Sabreliner aircraft, EOTS is more than ready for CATBird integration and we’re excited to reach this important milestone.” F-35 Lightning II EOTS High-Resolution Imagery The CATBird, a modified 737 aircraft, contains an actual F-35 cockpit and test stations to perform real-time analysis as mission systems are evaluated. The CATBird also provides the capability to fuse sensor information, which mimics how the F-35’s fused sensor architecture will offer pilots higher quality, shared sensor information compared with legacy platforms’ federated sensor architectures. During the current Block 1.0 software system test, EOTS operated in an integrated mode and collected aircraft navigation data for sensor alignment. The low drag, stealthy F-35 EOTS builds upon the success of Lockheed Martin’s Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pod to provide high-resolution imagery, automatic target tracking, infrared-search-and-track, laser designation and range finding, as well as laser spot tracking – all at greatly increased standoff ranges. Modular components allow the F-35 EOTS to be maintained on the flight line for true two-level maintenance. Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Team Completes Major Component Design Reviews on Joint Air-To-Ground Missile Program ORLANDO, FL, August 16th, 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [LMT: NYSE] and teammates Marvin Engineering and Aerojet have completed successful component and system Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs) on the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) Technology Development (TD) program, further demonstrating the missile’s technological maturity level. The Lockheed Martin-led JAGM team has completed PDRs on the JAGM rocket motor, with test data supporting the single-motor solution, and on the U.S. Navy’s rotary- and fixed-wing launchers, with data supporting successful AH-1Z Viper (Cobra), MH-60R Seahawk and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet platform integration efforts. “These successful PDRs are major milestones in the development of the JAGM missile and provide a high degree of confidence that JAGM will provide greater capabilities than existing weapons and will do so more affordably,” said Frank St. John, director of Close Combat Systems for Tactical Missiles/Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The PDRs confirmed the benefits of rigorous testing and the successful development path the team is taking to deliver this much needed precision, adverse weather, low-collateral-damage weapon.” JAGM Rocket Motor PDR Aerojet, a GenCorp [NYSE: GY] company, and Lockheed Martin have reported major strides in achieving the single-motor solution for JAGM through numerous tests and demonstrations. “The Aerojet propulsion team has confirmed our JAGM single-motor solution,” said Aerojet’s vice president for Tactical Programs, John Myers. “Key to the outstanding propulsion characteristics of our design is Roxel UK’s minimum-smoke propellant grain technology solution, already well proven with other missiles in service.” In addition to the successful PDR completion, two pre-flight readiness tests verified that the JAGM motor is certified for missile flight testing. The team continues to increase the severity of environmental testing to gain valuable reliability data for the current design in preparation for engineering manufacturing development. JAGM Platform Integration PDR Marvin Engineering and Lockheed Martin confirmed the successful development of prototype launcher hardware that meets Super Hornet, Viper and Seahawk platform integration requirements. The quad-rail Navy rotary-wing launcher will carry JAGM on the Viper and the Seahawk, and the triple-rail Navy fixed-wing launcher will carry JAGM on the Super Hornet. “We are very pleased with the results of the PDR on the JAGM launchers,” said Jerry Friedman, CEO at Marvin Engineering. “We have extensive experience in the aircraft interface of launchers like those we are building for Lockheed Martin’s JAGM. This includes U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, as well as the aircraft of many international customers. We have worked with and understand all the platforms that will be carrying JAGM.” Threshold aviation platforms for JAGM include the U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache attack helicopter and Extended Range Multi-Purpose Sky Warrior unmanned aerial system, the U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter, and the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk armed reconnaissance helicopter and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet fighter. “During the JAGM TD program, we have enjoyed the opportunity to work cooperatively with NAVAIR and Boeing in the wind tunnel test program, integrating JAGM on the Super Hornet,” St. John added. “The same holds true for our longstanding working relationship with Boeing on the Apache and in our proven teamwork with Bell on the Kiowa and Viper, and with Sikorsky on the Seahawk. We are confident in our ability to integrate JAGM on all required platforms.” Lockheed Martin

Gulf weapons sales reach $60b. By YAAKOV KATZ The United States has approved a long list of arms sales to friendly Arab countries in the Persian Gulf aimed at countering Iran’s growing influence in the region. The unprecedented sales could reach over $60 billion in pending deals with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The largest deal is the possible sale of 82 F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia for $30 billion. The deal has caused some concern within Israel which is reportedly in a dialogue with the Obama administration regarding its commitment to retain the IDF’s qualitative military edge in the region. For another $30 billion, the Saudis are also interested in purchasing as many as 60 Apache attack helicopters. Another deal, announced over the past week, is the possible sale of the latest Patriot missile defense system to Kuwait for $900 million. The proposed deal would include the sale of 209 missiles. Kuwait is interested in the Patriot system in face of Iran’s growing influence in the region. In its statement to Congress regarding the deal, the Pentagon said: “Kuwait needs these missiles to meet current and future threats of enemy air-to-ground weapons. Kuwait will use the increased capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense.” Israel is also looking to upgrade its Patriot systems and has held talks with the US about the possible sale of the latest version called the PAC-3. The PAC-3 is believed to be capable of intercepting most of Syria’s missiles. It is an improved version of the PAC- 2 in terms of coverage and lethality. The PAC-3 has an interceptor missile that uses a hit-to-kill system rather than an exploding warhead used by the PAC-2. The PAC-3 missile is also smaller and its launchers can fire 16 instead of just four missiles like the PAC-2. The Pentagon also notified Congress earlier this month about the possible sale of 18 F- 16 fighter jets to Oman for an estimated $3.5 billion. Oman is one of the few countries in the Gulf which maintains strong ties with both Iran and the US. The Pentagon’s approval of the deal is seen as an effort to bolster American influence in the country. Kuwait is also looking to improve its air force and has reportedly expressed interest in purchasing Boeing’s new stealthy F-15 Silent Eagle version. At the same time, Kuwait is also augmenting its mid-air refueling capability and is seeking around 10 new tanker aircraft from the US. In his recent visit to Washington DC, Defense Minister Ehud Barak discussed the pending sale of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to Israel as the first foreign customer. Under the pending deal, which has yet to be finalized, Israel will receive approximately 20 of the stealth fighter jets starting in 2015 as a first batch based on the American configuration of the aircraft. Later sales will already include the integration of Israeli indigenous systems. The Jerusalem Post

The 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield, Ohio, an Ohio National Guard unit, will be the first unit to convert to C-27J Spartan operations. Image: United States AirForce Ohio Guard unit is first to switch to C-27J By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer The Air Force’s adoption of the C-27J Spartan cargo plane reaches a milestone Saturday when the 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield, Ohio, becomes the first unit to convert to C-27J operations. The 179th, part of the Ohio National Guard, had flown the C-130H Hercules. In anticipation of the switch, crews traveled to the C-27J school house at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., for qualification training. The Air Force is buying 37 C-27Js whose crews will focus on flying airlift missions for Army units and state Guard units. Air Force Times