pmaidhof

Guam hosts talks on military buildup The Associated Press Posted : Friday Aug 24, 2007 8:30:09 EDT HAGATNA, Guam — U.S. representatives and business leaders converged on Guam this week as preparations for a $15 billion military buildup of the U.S. island territory kick into high gear. About 1,200 businessmen and women from Australia to Japan and New York to San Francisco gathered in Guam hotels to learn how they could profit from the buildup. The U.S. and Japanese governments plan to spend a combined $10 billion moving 8,000 Marines to Guam from the southern Japanese island of Okinawa by 2012. The Navy and Air Force also plan infrastructure upgrades on Guam that are expected to cost about $5 billion. The buildup comes as the U.S. military looks to Guam to play a bigger role in U.S. defense strategy, given the isle’s proximity to potential security flashpoints in Taiwan and the Korean peninsula. “Guam is very, very important to our country,” said Rep. Ike Shelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, in a brief statement as the delegation he led stepped off a U.S. government plane. The lawmakers will tour Air Force, Navy and National Guard facilities on the island. They will also visit the industry forum. “It’s a good sign that you have the chairman of the Armed Services Committee come here to be able to listen, look and see,” said Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va. Reps. John Spratt Jr., R-S.C., Robin Hayes, D-N.C., Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., have also joined the delegation. Guam’s nonvoting delegate to Congress, Madeleine Bordallo, is with them. “This visit will help them better understand Guam’s strategic importance in the Asia-Pacific region and the challenges facing our community,” Bordallo said. Guam officials want the congressional visitors to hear the territorial government’s requests for federal financial assistance to upgrade the island’s ports, power and water plants. Local small-business owner Joey Lopez, who attended the industry forum, said he hopes to learn more about how small businesses can benefit from the buildup. One major disadvantage small businesses have compared to big defense contractors is the small entrepreneurs’ lack of deep pockets to meet contracting requirements, such as performance bonds. But Lopez hopes there’s a way for small businesses to offer their services to the military directly instead of having to settle for subcontracts from a bigger contractor. Information from Pacific Daily News: http://www.guampdn.com Navy Times article here.

Furlough is over...I expect this squadron to be flying this weekend!

Start of Production for the Second Batch of German Fuel Cell Submarines On August 21, about 150 guests were present when the production of the first of two Class 212A submarines for the German Navy was started by Harald Stein, Deputy President of the German Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement. The ceremony took place at the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems’ shipyard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in Kiel. Both boats will be built of non-magnetic steel and equipped with an air-independent propulsion system based on the fuel cell. The second batch of these submarines for the German Navy will be constructed according to the general design for the first four submarines. This design will be adapted to the future operational requirements of the German Navy. In addition to expanded and improved surface and underwater sensor technology, the new submarines feature major innovations in the field of communications technology. This means that the submarines can be optimally deployed in network centric warfare. The delivery date for the two submarines is fixed for 2012 and 2013. The contract between the consortium "ARGE 2. Los 212A"and the German Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement was signed on September 22, 2006. The “ARGE” consists of Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft and Nordseewerke, which both belong to the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems shipyard alliance. The first batch of these revolutionary fuel cell submarines is already in the service with the German Navy. The U34 was the fourth and last boat to be commissioned in May 2007. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AG, with its head office in Hamburg, Germany, is part of ThyssenKrupp Technologies AG within the ThyssenKrupp Group. Since 2005 it has been the umbrella organisation for eight European shipyards – Blohm + Voss, Blohm + Voss Repair, HDW-Gaarden, Hellenic Shipyards, Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kockums, Nobiskrug, Nordseewerke – and various marine engineering companies. With its technological competence, extensive portfolio and continuous innovations the corporate group, employing around 8,800 staff, is one of the leading systems houses in European shipbuilding. Find article here.

Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) August 22, 2007 Air Force Mulls Maverick Raytheon says newer, laser-guided version of combat-proven missile could meet the need for a precision-strike weapon By Jack Gillum, Arizona Daily Star Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems says the U.S. Air Force is interested in using the company's laser-guided Maverick missile to fill a need for precision-guided weapons. The Maverick AGM-65E air-to-surface missile, currently used by the Navy and Marine Corps, has a relatively small warhead and laser guidance that helps limit collateral damage when striking targets. The Air Force currently uses earlier, television- and infrared-guided versions of the Maverick, which was first used in Southeast Asia more than 30 years ago. The Air Force has said it has "an urgent operational need for a close air support weapon to defeat high-speed moving targets with minimal collateral damage," and has "expressed interest in re-establishing production" of the laser-guided Maverick, Raytheon said. "Maverick has proved itself over many years of service to be a very versatile weapon system, and the newest laser version will significantly enhance the Air Force's precision capability required to save lives in close combat and quick-reaction situations," Harry Schulte, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president of strike products, said in a prepared statement. To give Air Force aircraft that capability quickly, the Navy has agreed to transfer some of its inventory of laser-guided Mavericks to the Air Force, Schulte said. Air Force officials could not be reached for comment. Ramping up production of the laser-guided Maverick could have long-term implications for Raytheon, perhaps allowing the company to not only produce Mavericks but to develop future surface-attack weapons for the Air Force, said Paul Nisbet, a financial analyst and principal in Newport, R.I.-based JSA Research Inc. Besides the Maverick, other missiles made by Raytheon Missile Systems include the Navy's Tomahawk cruise missile, the Standard Missile series of ship-defense weapons, the Javelin portable anti-tank missile, the Sidewinder air-to-air missile and the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. Raytheon said the laser-guided Maverick would help the Air Force provide close-air support for fighters in urban settings, the company said. Raytheon produced components for the Air Force's TV-based Mavericks under a $49.5 million contract ending in 2005. Carried by Air Force A-10, F-15E and F-16 aircraft, Mavericks range in cost from $17,000 to $110,000 each, depending on the version, according to the Air Force. A military analyst said the Maverick's laser-guided precision could help reduce collateral damage in settings such as Iraq. "It's a small but important element in putting a lid on the violence" in Iraq, said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org in Alexandria, Va. Such weapons can send the message to fighters that they "cannot operate with impunity because they cannot use the civilian population as human shields," Pike said. The transfer of Navy Mavericks, Pike said, allows the Air Force to get "something into the fight this summer" in Iraq, while also "retaining some elements of competitive procurement" for future bids. In 2005, Raytheon was awarded a $5.3 million U.S. Air Force contract option to conduct an evaluation of the Lock-On-After-Launch, or LOAL, version of the Maverick. The LOAL Maverick uses satellite data and radio links to allow pilots to retarget missiles in flight for more precise attacks at greater range. Raytheon said in February 2006 that it had completed test flights of the LOAL Maverick at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, but there has been no word since on that program. Raytheon Missile Systems is Southern Arizona's biggest employer, with more than 11,000 full-time workers at the end of 2006, according to the Star 200 survey of major employers.

Russia's Military Might Is Center Stage At Show By Associated Press ZHUKOVSKY, Russia -- The largest air show in Russia's post-Soviet history opened yesterday to show off the country's growing military might and to try to boost the country's sagging civilian plane-making sector. "The task stands before us of supporting our leadership in the production of military aviation technology," President Vladimir Putin said at the International Aviation and Space Show at the once-secret Zhukovsky military airfield in Moscow's outskirts. He said Russian manufacturers "must more actively enter the world market for passenger and transport aircraft with competitive production." Russian passenger planes are of such outdated design that airlines flying to European and U.S. destinations must use Western-made planes to meet noise and emissions requirements. The six-day exhibition will showcase the enhanced MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets and the new S-400 missile defense system, an outgrowth of massive spending bolstered by Russia's oil and gas revenues. Almost 800 companies from about 100 countries are participating in the biennial show, the state arms trader Rosoboronexport said. The largest foreign delegations are from China, Latin America and Arab countries. The previous show had delegates from 70 countries. The exhibition follows highly visible moves to reassert Russia's military strength, including last week's joint military exercises with China -- the first ever on Russian soil -- and Mr. Putin's announcement that long-range bombers had resumed patrols over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. The resumption of bomber patrols comes amid a growing chill in U.S.-Russian relations, strained over Washington's criticism of Russia's democracy record, U.S. missile defense plans in Europe, and differences over global crises. "If Russia feels as though they want to take some of these old aircraft out of mothballs and get them flying again, that's their decision," said U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. After the Soviet collapse, the Russian government drastically cut spending on its aircraft industry. Factories producing military planes fared better than those building civilian aircraft, in part because they benefited from arms sales abroad. But Russia started to fall behind the West in the design of advanced fighters and other military aircraft. Civilian aircraft manufacturers were much harder hit. Russia's passenger airlines own about 2,500 aircraft -- of which just 100 are Western-made models. But those 100 planes, accounting for just 4% of the Russian fleet, carry nearly one-third of all passengers. Russian officials said they planned to build about 4,500 civilian aircraft by 2025 as part of an ambitious program to revive an industry that fell on hard times. The government will spend about $250 billion to boost the industry, said Alexei Fyodorov, president of state-controlled United Aircraft Corp., an umbrella group for Russia's plane makers. Russian news agencies reported yesterday that Indonesia had signed a memorandum at the show that is effectively a contract for six Su-30 fighter jets.

Another approximately 3hrs of game time "cat and mouse" today. At some point early on the Kilo's skipper decided to try and close on the expected amphibs. In doing so he would get out from under the USN's Burke, Perry, and harrassing Seahawks. It took a few turns to finally roll low enough to move from medium range (12-25nm) to short range (4-12nm) of the amphibs. During which time the sub was successfully detected, localized, and unsuccessfully fired on by a helo launched Mk46. The Kilo stopped sprinting at that point yet continued attempting to close with the amphibs. Toward the end of the sixth hour of this scenario, the Kilo was again detected, localized and another SH-60B Seahawk made a run at it and launched a second Mk46 torpedo. This weapon hit the sub but for whatever the reason, fog of war, on caused light damage. This damage caused, among other things, the sub to raise above "The Layer". This may help the USN in finishing off the Kilo, but that will need to wait until tonight, at the earliest. Question - Mk46. H4.1 data declares it an Active/Passive guided torpedo. Would I consider that somewhere between a wire guided and completely unguided torpedo? There is a -2 modifier wire guided, and -5 for unguided, so made up a -3 for Act/Pas per 4.1.

Spent 3hrs of game time (<1hr) conducting cat and mouse ASW between an approaching Burke DD and Perry FFG versus a lurking Kilo. The Kilo often detected the US ships but was waiting for the prized LHD, who was trailing by 10nm. The fact that the US ships could detect a contact occasionally allowed it to warn the LHD, LSDs to stand clear and the Perry was rotating SH-60B's. Through this play through the Kilo often avoided detection, and when it could not avoid, the US ships failed their localization. Awfully Slow Warfare is the word of the day. I need an idea of how long the sub would play this game before breaking contact and try a re-approach. The sub is lying in wait so not exactly certain when it would need to come up to snorkel. Any thoughts appreciated.

Carrier Relaunches Jets After 2 Years MOSCOW -- Russia has started flying jets again from its only operational aircraft carrier after a two-year break, state-run television reported yesterday in the latest show of the country's reviving military capability. "Aircraft are taking off and landing from the deck of the Kuznetsov after a gap of two years. To the pilots and crew [the gap] seemed enormous," Channel One television said in a report from on board the vessel. Last week, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia was returning to its Soviet-era practice of sending long-range bomber aircraft on regular patrols near to NATO airspace. Observers saw those sorties as a sign of Russia's growing assertiveness and ambitions to extend its global reach -- helped by a budget swelled by revenues from energy exports. Russia's other aircraft carriers have been decommissioned or sold. The television report did not say why flights from the Admiral Kuznetsov had been halted. (Reuters)

6x Kilo SS and 3x Victor I SSN's yesterday. More FSU/Soviet to follow. Subs are pretty tiny, not taking anything away from the LCAC's though. Will try to get a photo up in a day or two, although black on deep sea blue does not give much contrast. My pressing need for a sub was my gaming which I had everything represented in mini except for the cardboard counter for the kilo. Finally, what I initially thought were Spruance CG's, but later determined that Spruances were DD's, now turns out that the model is Bunker Hill CG (developed from the Ticonderoga). I reviewed my packing list which confirmed to me that they are my Bunker Hill's?

And I thought it was simply Just Me!

Played a couple of cooperative missions with Brain, Tony, and Brad. I was a dead weight on them most of the time. Got to watch Brains and Brad running strike after strike on an airfield as I sat in a hide position waiting for CSAR. Later 2 vs 2 furballs, good time had by all, think I even got a kill that time. I definitely need some practice.

Russia to revive bomber patrols Putin says Moscow to resume practice ended with Soviet Union's collapse The Associated Press Updated: 9:47 a.m. ET Aug 17, 2007 MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he had ordered the military to resume regular long-range flights of strategic bombers, news agencies reported, returning to a practice that ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Speaking as Russian and Chinese forces held major war games exercises for the first time on Russian territory, Putin said a halt in long-range bombers’ flights after the Soviet collapse had affected Russia’s security as other nations had continued such missions — an oblique reference to the United States. “I have made a decision to resume regular flights of Russian strategic aviation,” Putin was quoted as saying by Russian agencies. “We proceed from the assumption that our partners will view the resumption of flights of Russia’s strategic aviation with understanding,” Putin was quoted as saying. The war games, which took place near the Urals Mountain city of Chelyabinsk, came on the same day that Russia's air force said its strategic bombers flew several missions ranging far over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. ‘Pilots have been grounded for too long’ Putin said that 20 Russian bombers were involved in the exercise. “Starting today, such tours of duty would be regular,” Putin said. “Our pilots have been grounded for too long, they are happy to start a new life.” Soviet bombers routinely flew such missions to areas from which nuclear-tipped cruise missiles could be launched at the United States, but stopped in the post-Soviet economic meltdown. Booming oil prices over recent years have allowed Russia to sharply increase its military spending. “Starting in 1992, the Russian Federation unilaterally suspended strategic aviation flights to remote areas,” Putin said. “Regrettably, other nations haven’t followed our example. That has created certain problems for Russia’s security.” Find MSNBC/AP story here.

The actions and intrigue surrounding the dissolution of the former Soviet Union have been extremely interesting. From Georgia to the Baltic States, the incarnation of Belurussia as a hardline state, competition and conflict with Ukraine, Chechnya and many of FSU's 'stans. Plenty of fodder ground ground and air scenarios.

Apparently no dogfights tonight. However, at 8:00 EDT, not at 9:00 there is Modern Marvels: F/A-22 Raptor. Built around "first look, first shot, first kill" design, the F/A-22 Raptor, the most advanced aircraft of its breed, is set to become the Air Dominance Fighter of the 21st century. Deadly and undetectable at long-range, this super-jet is the latest in 5th generation fighter technology. Capable of super-cruise and packing an array of deadly missile systems, this stealth jet blends dogfighting skill with precision-strike ground attack capability and can intercept and strike any target with near impunity. In the 1980s, as Cold War tensions heightened and US defense spending increased, the Air Force decided it needed a replacement fighter for its F15 Eagle. The Advanced Tactical Fighter program was born, and the largest, most expensive program of its kind hatched the Raptor. Follow the 25-year development of America's deadliest fighter and see how stealth, super-cruise, and integrated avionics combine to create a fighter without equal.

Russia's Resurgent Military Fueled by billions in oil wealth, it looks to reclaim the USSR's status as a global military power. By Fred Weir, Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor As a newly self-confident, oil-rich Russia teams up with China in joint military exercises Friday, it is moving to reclaim the former Soviet Union's status as a global military power. A seven-year, $200-billion rearmament plan signed by President Vladimir Putin earlier this year will purchase new generations of missiles, planes, and perhaps aircraft carriers to rebuild Russia's arsenal. Already, the new military posture is on display: This summer, Russian bombers have extended their patrol ranges far into the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, forcing US and NATO interceptors to scramble for the first time since the cold war's end. "Diplomacy between Russia and the West is increasingly being overshadowed by military gestures," says Sergei Strokan, a foreign-policy expert with the independent daily Kommersant. "It's clear that the Kremlin is listening more and more to the generals and giving them more of what they want." Economic bloc ups military teamwork On Friday, Mr. Putin will join leaders of China and other members of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Russia's Chelyabinsk region to view the final stage of the group's most ambitious joint military maneuvers yet, to include 6,500 troops and over 100 aircraft. Also on hand will be leaders of SCO observer states and prospective members, among them India, Pakistan, Iran, and Mongolia. At an SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan Thursday, Putin stressed that while Russia is not seeking to build a cold war-style "military bloc," he does see the SCO expanding from its original purpose as an economic association to take on a greater military role. "Year by year, the SCO is becoming a more substantial factor in ensuring security in the region," he said. "Russia, like other SCO states, favors strengthening the multipolar international system providing equal security and development potential for all countries. Any attempts to solve global and regional problems unilaterally have no future," he added. The SCO, founded in 2001, is often referred to as a "club of dictators" due to less-than-democratic ex-Soviet members such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. The group has been holding joint war games since 2005, when it also demanded that the US vacate military bases it had acquired after 9/11 in former Soviet Central Asia, whose oil and gas reserves are garnering increased attention from the West. "The SCO clearly wants the US to leave Central Asia; that's a basic political demand," says Ivan Safranchuk, Moscow director of the independent World Security Institute. "That's one reason why the SCO is holding military exercises, to demonstrate its capability to take responsibility for stability in Central Asia after the US leaves." New naval base, long-range missiles Moscow's growing military footprint-- and the apprehensions of others about it-- is evident in a spate of recent news events. •Last week the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia accused Russian warplanes of invading its airspace and firing a missile, which failed to explode, at a radio station. Russian officials denied the allegation and suggested that Georgian leaders fabricated the incident. Tensions have been high between Russia and Georgia over Moscow's support for two breakaway Georgian regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are protected by Russian "peacekeeping" troops. •Russian naval chief Admiral Vladimir Masorin announced this month that Russia may reclaim a naval base at Tartus, in Syria, from which Soviet warships used to keep tabs on US ships. "The Mediterranean is an important theater of operations for the Russian Black Sea Fleet," he said. "We must restore a permanent presence of the Russian Navy in this region." •In July, amid worsening relations between Russia and Britain over the still unsolved poisoning death of ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko, two Russian Tu-95 bombers flew deep into NATO territory for the first time since the cold war's end and, according to Britain's defense ministry, briefly entered British airspace before being escorted away by British fighter planes. Last week, in another post-Soviet first, Russian bombers "revived the tradition of our long-range aviation to fly far into the ocean, to meet US aircraft carriers and greet US pilots visually," ending up near the American Pacific base of Guam, Russian Air Force Maj. Gen. Pavel Androsov told Russian media. He added that the pilots on both sides "exchanged grins." •Russia has recently conducted tests of new land- and sea-based intercontinental missiles, which are expected to soon replace the country's aging Soviet-era nuclear deterrent. As a partial response to US missile defense plans, Russia will develop a missile defense "project that will include not only air defense systems but also antiballistic missile and space defense systems" to protect Moscow and other Russian centers, Russian Air Force chief Col. Gen. Alexandr Zelin told Russian media last week. Critics are skeptical that, despite major Putin-era infusions of cash, Russia's weak industrial base can deliver on the Kremlin's ambitions to restore a global military presence. "Now our military leaders have enough money to create a kind of caricature of the Soviet armed forces, and they want to do a lot of the same old things," says Alexander Goltz, military expert with the independent online magazine Yezhednevny Zhurnal. "But their plans are a confused mixture of realistic goals and unworkable Soviet-style symbolism," says Mr. Goltz.

Now that the rudder is fixed, you guys need to stay with me or teach me to use radar and other neat tools. In the end Brad informed me of the keystroke to "lock-on" to a target, so hopefully I now have a reason to stay close and engage badguys. As it was, while marching to the beat of my own drum, I was dodging SA-2's, taking out SAM sites with mavericks and in one instance an AIM-120, then on the deck strafing villages, and taking flak when I flew over a city. Brains, drop the paint brush, and back away. Fun program despite being long in the tooth.

Not so fast, looks like I will need to be talked onto the target with regards to the most recent patch. Also, getting onto multi-player. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. In online games that be me.

[This one's for you Brad] Chavez’s Bid For Russian Arms Pains U.S. By C. J. Chivers MOSCOW, Aug. 15 — A proposed contract between Russia and Venezuela that could transfer thousands of sniper rifles to Venezuela has raised concerns in the United States about the potential use or regional distribution of the weapons by the socialist-inspired government of President Hugo Chávez. The rifles are the latest variant of the Dragunov, a long-barreled, semiautomatic design with a telescopic sight. It is derived in part from the much more widely circulated Kalashnikov assault rifle. First manufactured in 1963 for use by militaries and intelligence agencies in the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact nations, the Dragunov and its clones have become among the most lethal and effective weapons against American troops and their allies in Iraq. Venezuela is negotiating a contract with Rosoboronexport, the Kremlin-controlled arms export agency, to purchase about 5,000 modernized Dragunov rifles, according to officials at Izhmash, the rifle’s manufacturer. Venezuela has about 34,000 soldiers in its army and 23,000 in its national guard, according to estimates by Jane’s Information Group, which analyzes military forces and regional risks. Because sniper rifles are specialized infantry weapons and not typically issued to large numbers of soldiers, diplomats and military officers and analysts said, a purchase of several thousand Dragunovs would not seem to have a conventional military use for Venezuela’s armed forces. “Sales like this, and other sales of military equipment and arms to Venezuela, don’t seem consistent with Venezuela’s needs,” David J. Kramer, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said by telephone. “It does raise questions about their ultimate use,” he added. “We’re not sure what their purpose would be.” Mark Joyce, the Americas editor for Jane’s Country Risk, part of Jane’s Information Group, said that a purchase of thousands of sniper rifles would fit with the continuing military reorganization in Venezuela under Mr. Chávez. The changes emphasize large civilian reserve forces, which bypass the traditional military chain of command and report directly to Mr. Chávez and could become the core of a domestic guerrilla force if Venezuela were invaded. “Obviously, what he has in mind is some sort of urban, guerrilla war against an invading force, and the model for that is Iraq,” Mr. Joyce said. Venezuela has purchased 100,000 AK-103s, a modern Kalashnikov rifle that shares much of the underlying design of the original AK-47. With Russian technical assistance, the country is also planning to build a plant to produce its own Kalashnikov line and a second plant to make the ammunition that Kalashnikovs fire. These contracts do not defy any sanctions and are legal. But they also drew criticism in Washington, which has expressed worry that Mr. Chávez’s government was buying more weapons than it needed and could distribute weapons to South American guerrillas or terrorists. Mr. Joyce noted that Venezuela had long been accused of providing weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a large and heavily equipped Marxist group that the State Department classifies as a foreign terrorist organization. Venezuela has disputed those allegations. Washington’s concerns about Mr. Chávez led to a suspension of United States arms sales to Venezuela in 2006. Mr. Chávez has scoffed at the suspension and negotiated equipment purchases from Russia, including military jets, helicopters, rifles and, potentially, submarines. The Venezuelan Embassy in Moscow declined several requests since last week for an interview about the latest proposed contract, details of which were discussed last week by officials at Izhmash. On a tour last week of the factory where Kalashnikov and Dragunov rifles were being assembled, Vladimir V. Farafoshin, a deputy director at Izhmash, said that the full order of 100,000 AK-103s had been manufactured and delivered to Venezuela, and that Russia was negotiating the sale of “about 5,000” Dragunovs as part of a separate arms deal. New Dragunov rifles were being assembled nearby as he spoke, although their destination was not clear. Vladimir P. Grodetsky, the general director at Izhmash, expressed satisfaction with the contracts with Venezuela, saying that the country was a reliable partner that made its scheduled payments regularly and on time. The gun manufacturing lines at Izhmash, which were almost halted after the collapse of the Soviet Union, have increased production in recent years. The contracts with Venezuela are its largest foreign sales that are publicly known.

Future US Air Force Missile: Speeds Up To Mach 6.5 The X-51A program could mean that long-range strikes take a fraction of the time needed now. By Gordon Lubold, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor In the hunt for Osama bin Laden and other individuals the military considers high-value targets, the US Air Force is pursuing a new program that could put a missile on a target in minutes instead of hours. The Air Force is developing a "hypersonic" engine designed to fly bombs at Mach 6.5 speed, or more than 4,000 miles per hour, allowing commanders a chance to conduct long-range strikes on targets in a fraction of the time it takes now. The program, known as the X-51A scramjet, could be a valuable tool as a "manhunter" in fights such as those in Afghanistan or Iraq ? or as a deterrent against more conventional enemies in industrialized nations, officials say. It all comes down to speed, and that could change the nature of the fight in the war on terrorism, military officials say. "Faster is always better in air power," says Brig. Gen. Jim Poss, the Air Force's director of intelligence for its Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va. "What we've found from combat experience is that people realize very quickly you have to move to survive on the modern battlefield. And the best way to counter that is to get there with the appropriate weapon in the appropriate size very quickly." The program isn't a weapons program per se, but a demonstration of an engine that can move a weapon really, really fast. Unlike a rocket, which requires its own oxygen stored in heavy tanks, a scramjet engine mixes the oxygen already in the air with fuel at such a high rate that it can propel itself faster than anything else that can fly long distances within the atmosphere. Strap on a warhead, and the United States has a unique new weapon, analysts and military officials say. It sounds ideal from a military commander's standpoint. There's just one problem: The X-51A doesn't quite exist just yet. This spring, officials conducted an initial test of the SJX-61 Pratt & Whitney engine, which would drive the platform. An initial flight test could be held sometime in 2009. The platform wouldn't be operational for at least another eight years or so, the Air Force says. So far, the program is costing the service about $240 million, says Mark Lewis, the Air Force's chief scientist. While the Navy is working on a similar "global strike" capability, it is the Air Force's initiative, with help from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, that is getting the most attention. If and when it's fielded, the X-51A would allow the Air Force to contribute in a way that some think is more pertinent to the kind of ground operations in which the US is engaged. "The [Air Force] today is looking for ways to become more relevant in the global war on terrorism beyond the smart bombs and the unmanned aerial vehicles it's already providing mainly in support of ground (counterinsurgency) operations," writes Guy Ben-Ari, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, in an e-mail. In the fight against terrorism, the US's most-wanted, such as Mr. bin Laden, are essentially moving targets. If bin Laden wants to have a meeting with his top lieutenants, for example, it will be called at the last minute and be short, intelligence officials say. That leaves the US military a small window in which to strike, posing a challenge to commanders and intelligence officials at the Air Force, which often oversees such operations. One option is to have missile assets in the area of the target already, perhaps by basing a bomber squadron in that region. Last year, when the Air Force zeroed in on a building where Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was meeting, it was able to get two F-16C Fighting Falcon jets near the target in time to get Mr. Zarqawi, considered the head of Al Qaeda in Iraq. Other missiles, such as the Navy's Tomahawk cruise missile, which could be based farther away, require hours of planning. And once it gets in the air, it flies at less than the speed of sound-- about 550 m.p.h. By then, the target could have slipped away. "We've had some examples in Iraq where we've been able to do things quickly, but in other parts of the world where we'd be able to stand off at a distance and reach in, this would make an ideal weapon," Dr. Lewis says. Because of the speed of the X-51A, it would dramatically compress the time needed for a commander to receive intelligence, prepare to deploy the weapon, and hit a target, analysts and military officials say. "You're taking what could take a day and reducing it to a couple hours," says Chris Hellman, a military policy fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a think tank and advocacy group in Washington. The X-51A could also work as a deterrent, says Tom Ehrhard, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a think tank in Washington. "If a terrorist group had to worry about something like that coming in on their meeting area, that is something they would have to consider," says Mr. Ehrhard, a retired Air Force colonel who specialized in strategy for the service. And for more industrialized nations with their own air defense systems, the X-51A could effectively negate such systems, allowing US air power to get past them. But Ehrhard warns that a "persistent" surveillance system would have to be part of the X-51A platform to make it effective. "It's very sexy to talk about a Mach 6.5, but you have to ask a lot of hard questions about how you turn that Mach 6.5 into an effective weapons system," he says.

Got my first kill, albeit a recon drone. joystick controls are a big sensative at the moment...sure I will become used to it. Looks like fun, with a lot of potential amongst the FA'ers here.

You're the man. Thanks Brad. Pete P.S. Also helps to spell it correctly. Halcon vs Halcyon.

For what its worth Larry Bond's new web site

I'm looking toward employing my MEKO-140 and Halcon Corvetter/Large Parol Craft minis. Internet searches have not been very fruitful. I did find that the MEKO 140 is/was in use with the Argentinian Navy as the Espora Class an I have sufficient info on that. The Halcon is a different story. I have found that they were built by Spain for Mexico, and perhaps Argentina. What I have found on the Mexican Halcos is that the are armed with 40mm gun(s) and perhaps have the ability to launch a Bo-105 helo. Any additional information on the Halcon would be appreciated as they may make an appearance in a hypothetical scenario I'm brewing up. Thanks

Iranian Unit To Be Labeled 'Terrorist' U.S. Moving Against Revolutionary Guard By Robin Wright, Washington Post Staff Writer The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country's 125,000-strong elite military branch, as a "specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S. officials, a move that allows Washington to target the group's business operations and finances. The Bush administration has chosen to move against the Revolutionary Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials have described as its growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East, the sources said. The decision follows congressional pressure on the administration to toughen its stance against Tehran, as well as U.S. frustration with the ineffectiveness of U.N. resolutions against Iran's nuclear program, officials said. The designation of the Revolutionary Guard will be made under Executive Order 13224, which President Bush signed two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to obstruct terrorist funding. It authorizes the United States to identify individuals, businesses, charities and extremist groups engaged in terrorist activities. The Revolutionary Guard would be the first national military branch included on the list, U.S. officials said -- a highly unusual move because it is part of a government, rather than a typical non-state terrorist organization. The order allows the United States to block the assets of terrorists and to disrupt operations by foreign businesses that "provide support, services or assistance to, or otherwise associate with, terrorists." The move reflects escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over issues including Iraq and Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iran has been on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1984, but in May the two countries began their first formal one-on-one dialogue in 28 years with a meeting of diplomats in Baghdad. The main goal of the new designation is to clamp down on the Revolutionary Guard's vast business network, as well as on foreign companies conducting business linked to the military unit and its personnel. The administration plans to list many of the Revolutionary Guard's financial operations. "Anyone doing business with these people will have to reevaluate their actions immediately," said a U.S. official familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced. "It increases the risks of people who have until now ignored the growing list of sanctions against the Iranians. It makes clear to everyone who the IRGC and their related businesses really are. It removes the excuses for doing business with these people." For weeks, the Bush administration has been debating whether to target the Revolutionary Guard Corps in full, or only its Quds Force wing, which U.S. officials have linked to the growing flow of explosives, roadside bombs, rockets and other arms to Shiite militias in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Quds Force also lends support to Shiite allies such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and to Sunni movements such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Although administration discussions continue, the initial decision is to target the entire Guard Corps, U.S. officials said. The administration has not yet decided when to announce the new measure, but officials said they would prefer to do so before the meeting of the U.N. General Assembly next month, when the United States intends to increase international pressure against Iran. Formed in 1979 and originally tasked with protecting the world's only modern theocracy, the Revolutionary Guard took the lead in battling Iraq during the bloody Iran-Iraq war waged from 1980 to 1988. The Guard, also known as the Pasdaran, has since become a powerful political and economic force in Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rose through the ranks of the Revolutionary Guard and came to power with support from its network of veterans. Its leaders are linked to many mainstream businesses in Iran. "They are heavily involved in everything from pharmaceuticals to telecommunications and pipelines -- even the new Imam Khomeini Airport and a great deal of smuggling," said Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations. "Many of the front companies engaged in procuring nuclear technology are owned and run by the Revolutionary Guards. They're developing along the lines of the Chinese military, which is involved in many business enterprises. It's a huge business conglomeration." The Revolutionary Guard Corps -- with its own navy, air force, ground forces and special forces units -- is a rival to Iran's conventional troops. Its naval forces abducted 15 British sailors and marines this spring, sparking an international crisis, and its special forces armed Lebanon's Hezbollah with missiles used against Israel in the 2006 war. The corps also plays a key role in Iran's military industries, including the attempted acquisition of nuclear weapons and surface-to-surface missiles, according to Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The United States took punitive action against Iran after the November 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, including the breaking of diplomatic ties and the freezing of Iranian assets in the United States. More recently, dozens of international banks and financial institutions reduced or eliminated their business with Iran after a quiet campaign by the Treasury Department and State Department aimed at limiting Tehran's access to the international financial system. Over the past year, two U.N. resolutions have targeted the assets and movements of 28 people -- including some Revolutionary Guard members -- linked to Iran's nuclear program. The key obstacle to stronger international pressure against Tehran has been China, Iran's largest trading partner. After the Iranian government refused to comply with two U.N. Security Council resolutions dealing with its nuclear program, Beijing balked at a U.S. proposal for a resolution that would have sanctioned the Revolutionary Guard, U.S. officials said. China's actions reverse a cycle during which Russia was the most reluctant among the veto-wielding members of the Security Council. "China used to hide behind Russia, but Russia is now hiding behind China," said a U.S. official familiar with negotiations. The administration's move comes amid growing support in Congress for the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and in the House by Tom Lantos (D-Calif.). The bill already has the support of 323 House members. The administration's move could hurt diplomatic efforts, some analysts said. "It would greatly complicate our efforts to solve the nuclear issue," said Joseph Cirincione, a nuclear proliferation expert at the Center for American Progress. "It would tie an end to Iran's nuclear program to an end to its support of allies in Hezbollah and Hamas. The only way you could get a nuclear deal is as part of a grand bargain, which at this point is completely out of reach." Such sanctions can work only alongside diplomatic efforts, Cirincione added. "Sanctions can serve as a prod, but they have very rarely forced a country to capitulate or collapse," he said. "All of us want to back Iran into a corner, but we want to give them a way out, too. [The designation] will convince many in Iran's elite that there's no point in talking with us and that the only thing that will satisfy us is regime change." Staff researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report.

Please don't let the silence overwhelm you. IMO, if polled the main gaming focus of this site and its many members is Harpoon Classic in its many forms. Maybe it is due to the long wait, that we have a believe it when we see it mentality - at least that's me and I just may be full of bull.