Erik

Most of this is all water under the bridge at this point. I'll take responsibility for this as it ultimately was a basic difference of opinion coupled with an inability to fit this into my schedule. While I probably won't win any popularity contests around here I'm responsible for and handle more than most care to even imagine. A full time day job, family, social life, managing upwards of 60 emails a day (just for this site), managing multiple sites affiliated with CombatACE, millions of lines of code base, and a network of equipment that keeps us humming along leaves me little time to deal with long drawn out issues. Coupled with my desire to want to please the masses sans the razor edge dictatorial absolutes I opened Pandora's Box with some decisions about acceptability and posting standards. All in all it culminated in a divide where the decision was binary but not permanent. Whether Al decides to post here again is up to him. Throughout all of this Al's ability was never severed and he's been free to resume posting for some time now. I do with all good faith, and the hopeful support of the community, pray there's some kind of understanding that I'm just human like the rest of you. My sincerest apologies where due. Erik

Our relationship with Russia is strong and getting stronger by the day. I wouldn't read anything into this news that has anything to do with USA and Russia. Respect is mutual here. This is and always will be a touchy situation and it's nothing more than France protecting her interests globally, very wise. Think of it this way. You and your wife have a wonderful marriage. You don't like one of your wife's friends at work and he has crabs. When you come down with crabs the marriage is over. It's always about the third party party favors. :wink2:

Nuclear weapons don't have a need to be pointed anywhere. That position is sorta like Swiss Cheese, it has a lot of holes in it. :wink2: When you're talking about an entire platform like an aircraft carrier there's a lot of arms agreements that go into consideration. Most of the times it's not as simply as A sells technology or products to B. More likely it's A sells technology to B who sells it to C who then sells it to D where A and C have no agreements it's impossible to prevent the sale to D if A opposes it. More to the point if B sells something that A doesn't want sold to D by selling it to C then B gets.

More U.S. Helicopters Arrive in Pakistan to Support Flood Relief Two U.S. Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters arrived in Pakistan today as part of the continued U.S. humanitarian assistance to Pakistan in support of flood relief from the monsoon floods. The two aircraft are part of the contingent of 19 helicopters urgently ordered to Pakistan on Wednesday by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The incoming aircraft flew into Pakistan today from aboard the USS Peleliu, which is positioned in international waters in the Arabian Sea. They will join the four U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E helicopters and one other MH-53E helicopters which arrived earlier this week at Ghazi Air Base, bringing to seven the total number of aircraft in Pakistan from the USS Peleliu. The remaining aircraft will arrive over the next few days and will include 12 U.S. Marine Corps CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters. The U.S. helicopters will operate in partnership with the Pakistan military throughout the country's flood-affected areas. Since August 5, the U.S. military helicopters have rescued more than 3,500 people and transported more than 412,000 lbs. of emergency relief supplies in spite of bad weather. For more information please visit www.state.gov/pakistanflooding Source: U.S. Department of State

French warships for Russia to be armed with Ka-52 helicopters 14/08/2010 RIA Novosti Anton Denisov Mistral-class helicopter carriers, which Russia plans to buy from France, will be armed with Russian Ka-52 Alligator helicopters, Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin told the Ekho Moskvy FM station on Saturday. He emphasized that the Ka-52 Alligator helicopters are very advanced and are equal to best foreign models. The Ka-52 is armed with 30-mm cannon, Vikhr (Whirlwind) laser guided missiles, rockets, including S-24s, as well as bombs. The Ka-52 is a modification of the basic Ka-50 Hokum model. The development of the Ka-52 started in 1994 in Russia, but its serial production began only in 2008. The helicopter is also equipped with two radars, one for ground and one for aerial targets and a Samshite nighttime-daytime thermal sighting system. Russia is negotiating the purchase of at least one French-built Mistral-class amphibious assault ship and plans to build three more vessels of the same class in partnership with the French naval shipbuilder DCNS. A Mistral-class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 armored vehicles including 13 battle tanks, and 450 personnel. The Russian military has said it plans to use Mistral ships in its Northern and Pacific fleets. Many Russian military and industry experts have questioned the financial and military sense of the purchase, and some believe that Russia simply wants to gain access to advanced naval technology that could be used in the future in potential conflicts with NATO and its allies. In April, the head of the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, Mikhail Dmitriev, said the Mistral deal would be concluded by the end of the year. MOSCOW, August 14 RIA Novosti

In the ROF options under graphic settings make sure the settings are optimal for your card. The artifact rendering is related to how your card handles and processes rendering like OpenGL and the like.

New to the data collection effort this year is the Global Hawk, a high-altitude, jet-powered unmanned surveillance drone about the size of a corporate jet. AP FILE Government to use drones to study how hurricanes intensify By TONY WINTON Associated Press The U.S. government is preparing to launch a study to solve one of the most vexing questions about hurricanes: Why do some storm systems rapidly intensify into destructive cyclones, while most remain weak? Starting this week, a squadron of manned and unmanned aircraft is poised to investigate an intriguing theory that one leading researcher has likened to a kangaroo's pouch -- the pocket where the animal's offspring develop. Michael Montgomery, the lead investigator and a meteorology professor at the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School, said researchers believe there are pockets or ``pouches'' within a storm system that somehow nurture a hurricane's development. If it exists, the pouch, or column of air, would be hidden from space-based weather satellites, which take visual and heat readings, but cannot see deep inside a storm. Where nine out of 10 thunderstorm systems never coalesce into a hurricane, those pockets may help answer why the 10th storm becomes a monster. ``We basically invoke an analogy from biology,'' Montgomery said as he flashed an image of a kangaroo on a screen Wednesday at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. The theory suggests that such regions, or pouches, can be detected by sampling areas that otherwise wouldn't ever be scanned by hurricane hunter planes, or by technology that weather satellites lack, Montgomery said. The combined fleet of manned aircraft and unmanned high-altitude surveillance drones, able to drop probes deep into the clouds, will be able to send back a real-time, wide-ranging image of an entire storm system, not just observations from a single plane or distant satellite. ``The reason we're sampling the whole domain with this many aircraft is that we can get a better idea of what these embryonic systems look like, said Frank Marks, the director of NOAA's Hurricane Research Division. The research is being driven by forecasters' inability to make good predictions about when storms will rapidly strengthen. ``Ninety percent of the time, we simply don't catch the rapid intensification,'' said Bill Read, director of NOAA's National Hurricane Center. ``You miss the fact that it goes up 40 or 50 miles per hour in a 24-hour time frame.'' Forecasters have made steady progress on predicting where a storm will go, but it's critical for the public and emergency managers to know how likely a storm is to intensify, Read said. New to the data collection effort this year is the Global Hawk, a high-altitude, jet-powered unmanned surveillance drone about the size of a corporate jet. It's used by the military to do reconnaissance in Afghanistan and Iraq. The aircraft -- given to NASA by the Air Force -- will launch missions from Dryden, Calif., fly over the U.S.-Mexico border, and then into the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike a piloted craft, which must return to land so the crew can rest, it can spend 24 hours on station, Marks said. While forecasters are hoping to catch a storm in formation, they know that most won't. ``We're going to sample a lot of duds,'' he said. Still, researchers believe that even knowing what weather systems are ``duds'' is worthwhile, if it leads to more accurate forecasts. Miami Herald

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MiG-35 stalls in Indian fighter tender contract 10/08/2010 © RIA Novosti. Ilya Pitalev Russia's MiG-35 multirole fighter aircraft has failed to make the short-list in a $10 billion international tender for 126 combat aircraft for the Indian air force, according to Indian media reports quoted by Kommersant daily. The favorites to win the tender are the French Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon, Indian media say. Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the holding company for most of the Russian aircraft industry, and its fighter subsidiary MiG, have not officially confirmed the reports. "The official results of the tender have not yet been announced," said UAC's Press Secretary Konstantin Lantratov. "The MiG-35 is not leaving the tender, and I have no official information about this," said UAC First Vice-President Mikhail Pogosyan. A MiG source quoted by Kommersant said it was too early to say what the Indians had decided. "The envelopes with the commercial proposals should be studied by the tender commission only this week," the source said. Several sources quoted by the paper listed a raft of problems around the MiG-35 program, including a lack of financing to support it. One source said the lack of state funding to support the program had been noted by UAC President Aleksei Fyodorov as long ago as the end of 2008, but the issue was not resolved. The MiG-35 is said to be a cheaper aircraft than its rivals but is said to have problems with engine life. "Time between overhauls should be at least 2000 hours and overall life 4000 hours, but the RD-33 doesn't meet these parameters now," said one source. India already operates the early model MiG-29A fighter aircraft and is taking delivery of the MiG-29K naval fighter, which it will operate from a Russian-built aircraft carrier which is currently under refit. The selection of two favored aircraft for the Indian tender follows a long trials process, which also involved Sweden's SAAB Gripen, America's Lockheed Martin with the F-16, and Boeing's F-18 Super Hornet, as well as the Russian MiG-35. MOSCOW, August 10 RIA Novosti

Lockheed Martin Hypersonic ATACMS Motor Boosts Experimental Scramjet in First Flight DALLAS, TX and SACRAMENTO, CA, August 10th, 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today that its Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rocket motor successfully boosted the experimental X-51A WaveRider beyond Mach 4.5, the speed at which a scramjet will start and begin to provide thrust. The successful boost helped the X-51 hypersonic scramjet engine to accelerate to a historic Mach 5, a first for the vehicle. The X-51 WaveRider is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed for extended hypersonic flight durations. The successful boost with the ATACMS rocket motor will allow for future advancements in hypersonic flight. In this test, the modified ATACMS motor was air-launched from a B-52 aircraft at 50,000 feet, and data collected validates its performance well beyond the original design specifications. This was the first time an ATACMS rocket motor has been used as a booster for an air-launched vehicle. More tests using the ATACMS motor are planned. The modified motor included a Boeing designed lightweight, high performance exit cone which was produced by Aerojet, a GenCorp [NYSE:GY] company, for Lockheed Martin. The program is managed by a Boeing and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne team for the U.S. Air Force and DARPA. “The ATACMS rocket motor has proved its power in combat, and now we’re happy to see it performing a mission that advances hypervelocity flight technology,” said Scott Arnold, vice president of Precision Fires at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We are proud to have played a part in this new milestone in hypersonic flight and to have been given the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to modify existing motor designs for future applications,” said John Myers, vice president of Tactical Programs for Aerojet. Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real estate assets. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.5 billion. Lockheed Martin

Chinese fighter jets train over Tibet (TibetanReview.net, Aug08, 2010) J-11 planes, the most modern Chinese jet fighters said to be pirated copies of Russia’s Su-27, have for the first time been shown in training over the Tibetan Plateau recently. While the Chinese media only showed a picture of some of these planes in the air, with a caption referring to the training flight, Strategy Page online Aug 6 said, reporting on it, that China had no combat aircraft stationed in Tibet, saying there were logistical and attitude problems in doing so. However, it said, J-7s (cloned from older, MiG-21 Russian jets) had been flying in regularly for temporary duty at major commercial airports in Tibet. The report said the J-11 jets had been appearing in more unexpected places (like the Chinese naval air force), although fewer than 150 had been built since they were introduced in the late 1990s. 1995 China paid $2.5 billion for the right to build 200 Su-27s. Russia was to supply the engines and electronics, with China building the other components according to Russian plans and specifications. But after China built 95 of these aircrafts Russia cancelled the agreement, saying the former was copying Su-27 to build their own aircraft, the J-11. The report said the main reason for not stationing fighter squadrons in Tibet had probably to do with the high altitude of the area, and the expense of moving large quantities of fuel and other supplies needed to maintain air units. It pointed out that there was only one rail line into Tibet (recently built) and few heavy duty truck roads. China also has a serious problem in Tibet with altitude sickness among its troops. The report said the Chinese military was spending a lot of time, effort and money trying to solve this problem. It said currently, most of the troops in the Chinese Chengdu Military Region were in the eastern, lowland half. In the western portion (Tibet), they had stationed the 52nd and 53rd Mountain Brigades, and were struggling to keep these 5,000 troops fit for duty. In case of an emergency, as there was two years ago, the nearby 13th and 14th Group Armies can send troops from their lowland bases, the report said. Over 20 percent of these troops will be hampered by altitude sickness once they reach the highlands, and commanders are trained to deal with that, it added. It said that given the alertness required of aircraft maintenance personnel, and pilots preparing for flights, plus the logistical problems, the Chinese air force had declared Tibet fit to visit, but not to base aircraft units in. However, because the Chinese air force may one day have to fight in the air space over Tibet, training up there was necessary. Tibetan Review

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

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

American fighter jets prepare to take off from the USS George Washington, cruising waters about 320 kilometers (200 miles) off Vietnam's central coast in the South China Sea on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010. Cold War enemies the United States and Vietnam demonstrated their blossoming military relations Sunday as the U.S. nuclear supercarrier cruised in waters off the Southeast Asian nation's coast, sending a message that China is not the region's only big player. (AP Photo/Margie Mason) Former enemies US, Vietnam now military mates By MARGIE MASON (AP) ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON — Cold War enemies the United States and Vietnam demonstrated their blossoming military relations Sunday as a U.S. nuclear supercarrier cruised in waters off the Southeast Asian nation's coast — sending a message that China is not the region's only big player. The visit comes 35 years after the Vietnam War as Washington and Hanoi are cozying up in a number of areas, from negotiating a controversial deal to share civilian nuclear fuel and technology to agreeing that China needs to work with its neighbors to resolve territorial claims in the South China Sea. The USS George Washington's stop is officially billed as a commemoration of last month's 15th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between the former foes. But the timing also reflects Washington's heightened interest in maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific amid tensions following the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which killed 46 sailors. North Korea has been blamed for the attack, but has vehemently denied any involvement. Last month during an Asian security meeting in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also angered China by unexpectedly calling on the Communist powerhouse to resolve territorial claims with neighboring Southeast Asian countries over islands in the South China Sea. "The strategic implications and importance of the waters of the South China Sea and the freedom of navigation is vital to both Vietnam and the United States," Capt. Ross Myers, commander of the George Washington's air wing, said aboard the ship Sunday as fighter jets thundered off the flight deck above. "I'm certain that the Chinese government and the Chinese people are trying to protect their interests," he added when asked about China's increased aggressiveness within the area. "It is more important for Vietnam (and) its partners to establish that they have an equal right to economic prosperity and peace within the region as well." Chinese navy ships were seen shadowing the USS George Washington at a distance over the past several days as the supercarrier made its way throught the South China Sea along Vietnam's eastern coast, U.S. Navy officials said Sunday. China claims the entire sea and the disputed Spratly and Paracel islands over which it exercises complete sovereignty. But Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines also have staked claims on all or some of the territory, which straddles vital shipping lanes, important fishing grounds and is believed rich in oil and natural gas reserves. Clinton announced that the U.S. has a national interest in seeing the claims resolved. "The problem is that China has now committed herself, publicly, to sovereignty of the South China Sea and to push that back, if only to the status of a claim that is not enforced, is going to be very difficult," said Arthur Waldron, an international relations specialist at the University of Pennsylvania. "So we are playing catch up, reminding the Chinese that we have not collapsed into post-great powerdom yet, and that we have other friends in the region." Vietnam has long been vocal about the issue, protesting China's plans to bring tourists to the islands and most recently seismic studies conducted near the Paracels. Last month China also held naval drills in the South China Sea. "Vietnam does not support containing China, but like most other ASEAN members would like to see each major power offset the other," Carl Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defense Force Academy in Canberra, said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "Quite simply, these are not too subtle signals that Vietnam wants the United States to stay engaged in the region to balance China." The formidable USS George Washington is a permanent presence in the Pacific, based in Japan. As one of the world's biggest warships, it is a floating city that can carry up to 70 aircraft, more than 5,000 sailors and aviators and about 4 million pounds (1.8 million kilograms) of bombs. It lurked Sunday about 200 miles (320 kilometers) off the central coast of Danang, Vietnam's jumping-off point for the disputed islands. A group of high-ranking Vietnamese military officials was flown onto the carrier Sunday along with other Vietnamese government officials and the U.S. ambassador to the country. The supercarrier came to Vietnam following four days of high-profile military exercises last month with South Korea aimed at showing solidarity following the sinking of the 1,200-ton Cheonan navy ship. The drills enraged Pyongyang and drew repeated criticism from its Chinese ally. A Chinese newspaper ran a front-page story last week strongly hinting that China also is not happy about reports that Vietnam and the U.S. are negotiating a civilian nuclear fuel and technology deal that could allow Vietnam to enrich uranium on its own soil. U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said China had not been consulted about the talks, but he would not discuss the specifics of the enrichment provision. Congressional aides have said the agreement will likely not contain a no-enrichment pledge, which the U.S. promotes as the "gold standard" for civilian nuclear cooperation accords to ensure materials are not being used to build a nuclear weapon. Vietnam has denied having any plans to enrich uranium on its own soil. The aircraft carrier's visit is particularly symbolic as it cruises off the coast of central Danang, once the site of a bustling U.S. military base during the Vietnam War, which ended April 30, 1975, when northern communist forces seized control of the U.S.-backed capital of South Vietnam, reuniting the country. Some 58,000 Americans and an estimated 3 million Vietnamese were killed during the war. Relations have thrived since the former foes shook hands in 1995. The U.S. is Vietnam's top export market and Americans are the country's No. 1 foreign investor. Two-way trade reached $15.4 billion in 2009. Military ties have also grown since the first U.S. warship ship visited Ho Chi Minh City in 2003, including high-level defense talks and training. The USS John McCain destroyer will pay a port call to Vietnam later this week. The two navies are expected to have cultural exchanges along with training exercises, such as search and rescue operations. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.