Friday, July 2, 2010

DTN News: Russia To Sell $1 Billion Worth Of Arms To Yemen - Expert

Defense News: DTN News: Russia To Sell $1 Billion Worth Of Arms To Yemen - Expert
Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 2, 2010: Russia and Yemen could sign an arms contract worth over $1 billion, an international arms expert said on Thursday.
A Yemeni delegation led by President Ali Abdullah Saleh discussed sales of Russian arms to the Arab republic on Wednesday during the leader's short visit to Moscow.Igor Korotchenko, head of a Moscow-based think tank on the international arms trade, said Yemen "is interested in a very broad range of Russian arms and military equipment," especially MiG-29 SMT jet fighters (up to 30), Mi-35 and Ka-52 helicopter gunships and Mi-17 military transport helicopters.
He said Saleh's wish list also included T-72M1 tanks, Kornet E antitank complexes, Smerch multiple launch rocket systems (up to 20 units), and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles.
"In addition, Yemen is interested in building an air-defense system with [Russian made] S-300MPU and S-300 PMU1 surface-to-air missile complexes," Korotchenko said.
He said Yemen would also like to modernize the weaponry it bought from the Soviet Union, including BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance vehicles, whose number currently exceeds 1,000.
Furthermore, he said, Yemen needs warships, in particular high-speed patrol boats, to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

DTN News: Cyberwar - The Threat From The Internet

Defense News: DTN News: Cyberwar - The Threat From The Internet
*It is time for countries to start talking about arms control on the internet
Source: DTN News - compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including Economist.com
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 2, 2010: THROUGHOUT history new technologies have revolutionised warfare, sometimes abruptly, sometimes only gradually: think of the chariot, gunpowder, aircraft, radar and nuclear fission. So it has been with information technology. Computers and the internet have transformed economies and given Western armies great advantages, such as the ability to send remotely piloted aircraft across the world to gather intelligence and attack targets. But the spread of digital technology comes at a cost: it exposes armies and societies to digital attack.
The threat is complex, multifaceted and potentially very dangerous. Modern societies are ever more reliant on computer systems linked to the internet, giving enemies more avenues of attack. If power stations, refineries, banks and air-traffic-control systems were brought down, people would lose their lives. Yet there are few, if any, rules in cyberspace of the kind that govern behaviour, even warfare, in other domains. As with nuclear- and conventional-arms control, big countries should start talking about how to reduce the threat from cyberwar, the aim being to restrict attacks before it is too late.
The army reboots
Cyberspace has become the fifth domain of warfare, after land, sea, air and space (see article). Some scenarios imagine the almost instantaneous failure of the systems that keep the modern world turning. As computer networks collapse, factories and chemical plants explode, satellites spin out of control and the financial and power grids fail.
That seems alarmist to many experts. Yet most agree that infiltrating networks is pretty easy for those who have the will, means and the time to spare. Governments know this because they are such enthusiastic hackers themselves. Spies frequently break into computer systems to steal information by the warehouse load, whether it is from Google or defence contractors. Penetrating networks to damage them is not much harder. And, if you take enough care, nobody can prove you did it.
The cyber-attacks on Estonia in 2007 and on Georgia in 2008 (the latter strangely happened to coincide with the advance of Russian troops across the Caucasus) are widely assumed to have been directed by the Kremlin, but they could be traced only to Russian cyber-criminals. Many of the computers used in the attack belonged to innocent Americans whose PCs had been hijacked. Companies suspect China of organising mini-raids to ransack Western know-how: but it could just have easily been Western criminals, computer-hackers showing off or disillusioned former employees. One reason why Western governments have until recently been reticent about cyber-espionage is surely because they are dab hands at it, too.
As with nuclear bombs, the existence of cyber-weapons does not in itself mean they are about to be used. Moreover, an attacker cannot be sure what effect an assault will have on another country, making their deployment highly risky. That is a drawback for sophisticated military machines, but not necessarily for terrorists or the armies of rogue states. And it leaves the dangers of online crime and espionage.
All this makes for dangerous instability. Cyber-weapons are being developed secretly, without discussion of how and when they might be used. Nobody knows their true power, so countries must prepare for the worst. Anonymity adds to the risk that mistakes, misattribution and miscalculation will lead to military escalation—with conventional weapons or cyberarms. The speed with which electronic attacks could be launched gives little time for cool-headed reflection and favours early, even pre-emptive, attack. Even as computerised weapons systems and wired infantry have blown away some of the fog of war from the battlefield, they have covered cyberspace in a thick, menacing blanket of uncertainty.
One response to this growing threat has been military. Iran claims to have the world’s second-largest cyber-army. Russia, Israel and North Korea boast efforts of their own. America has set up its new Cyber Command both to defend its networks and devise attacks on its enemies. NATO is debating the extent to which it should count cyberwar as a form of “armed attack” that would oblige its members to come to the aid of an ally.
But the world needs cyberarms-control as well as cyber- deterrence. America has until recently resisted weapons treaties for cyberspace for fear that they could lead to rigid global regulation of the internet, undermining the dominance of American internet companies, stifling innovation and restricting the openness that underpins the net. Perhaps America also fears that its own cyberwar effort has the most to lose if its well-regarded cyberspies and cyber-warriors are reined in.
Such thinking at last shows signs of changing, and a good thing too. America, as the country most reliant on computers, is probably most vulnerable to cyber-attack. Its conventional military power means that foes will look for asymmetric lines of attack. And the wholesale loss of secrets through espionage risks eroding its economic and military lead.
Hardware and soft war
If cyberarms-control is to America’s advantage, it would be wise to shape such accords while it still has the upper hand in cyberspace. General Keith Alexander, the four-star general who heads Cyber Command, is therefore right to welcome Russia’s longstanding calls for a treaty as a “starting point for international debate”. That said, a START-style treaty may prove impossible to negotiate. Nuclear warheads can be counted and missiles tracked. Cyber-weapons are more like biological agents; they can be made just about anywhere.
So in the meantime countries should agree on more modest accords, or even just informal “rules of the road” that would raise the political cost of cyber-attacks. Perhaps there could be a deal to prevent the crude “denial-of-service” assaults that brought down Estonian and Georgian websites with a mass of bogus requests for information; NATO and the European Union could make it clear that attacks in cyberspace, as in the real world, will provoke a response; the UN or signatories of the Geneva Conventions could declare that cyber-attacks on civilian facilities are, like physical attacks with bomb and bullet, out of bounds in war; rich countries could exert economic pressure on states that do not adopt measures to fight online criminals. Countries should be encouraged to spell out their military policies in cyberspace, as America does for nuclear weapons, missile defence and space. And there could be an international centre to monitor cyber-attacks, or an international “duty to assist” countries under cyber-attack, regardless of the nationality or motive of the attacker—akin to the duty of ships to help mariners in distress.
The internet is not a “commons”, but a network of networks that are mostly privately owned. A lot could also be achieved by greater co-operation between governments and the private sector. But in the end more of the burden for ensuring that ordinary people’s computer systems are not co-opted by criminals or cyber-warriors will end up with the latter—especially the internet-service providers that run the network. They could take more responsibility for identifying infected computers and spotting attacks as they happen.
None of this will eradicate crime, espionage or wars in cyberspace. But it could make the world a little bit safer.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

DTN News: US Voices Concern Over Syria-Iran Ties

Defense News: DTN News: US Voices Concern Over Syria-Iran Ties
Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - July 2, 2010: The United States voiced concern Thursday overcooperation between Syria and Iran after reports Tehran had sent a radar system that would boost defenses against Israel.
The Wall Street Journal, quoting anonymous Israeli and US officials, reported that Iran last year sent the sophisticated radar that could help the Islamic republic detect an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities.
State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said it was "hard" for the United States to determine whether such a transfer had taken place, but added: "We have concerns about the relationship between Iran and Syria."
"We don't believe that Iran's designs for the region are in Syria's best interest," Crowley told reporters.
While acknowledging that all countries "have the right to protect themselves," the spokesman said the reported radar delivery would be of concern due to Syria's relationship with the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.
"Our concern, obviously, in the case with Syria is the transfer of technology to Hezbollah," Crowley said, noting the issue was "something that we do raise with Syria in our periodic discussions with them."
President Barack Obama's administration has been trying to engage Syria and has asked the Senate to approve the first US ambassador to Damascus in five years.
The appointment has proven controversial in Washington, especially after Israeli President Shimon Peres said this year that Syria was supplying Hezbollah with Scud missiles that could cause major damage on Israeli cities.
But Syria has denied transferring Scuds to Hezbollah and the United States has not publicly confirmed the allegations.
The Pentagon declined comment on the Journal's report.
A senior US official said that even if Iran sent the radar system, it was unclear if the transfer broke any international resolutions as Syria is under only some military sanctions.
"Radars are by definition a defensive system by themselves," the official said on condition of anonymity.
"The real issue is what are they going to do with that and are those developments stabilizing or destabilizing."
Hezbollah, which has close ties with Iran, showered rockets on Israel in 2006, triggering a devastating war.
Israel and Western nations suspect Iran is developing nuclear weapons, although the clerical regime says its program is only for peaceful purposes.

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY July 2, 2010 - Pakistan Suicide Blasts Kill At Least 37: Official

Defense News: DTN News: Pakistan TODAY July 2, 2010 - Pakistan Suicide Blasts Kill At Least 37: Official
Source: DTN News / AFP Arif Ali
(NSI News Source Info) LAHORE, Pakistan - July 2, 2010: Twin suicide blasts killed at least 37 people Thursday and injured scores more at a crowded shrine to an Islamic saint inLahore, Pakistan's cultural capital, a city official said.
"At least 37 people were killed and 175 injured" in two suicide attacks at a complex housing the tomb of a Sufi saint, Lahore city police chief Aslam Tareen told AFP.
Another senior city police official, Chaudhry Shafiq also confirmed two suicide attacks and said one bomber blew himself up in the courtyard while the second one detonated his explosive vest in the basement of the shrine.
A senior investigating officer told AFP that the bomber in the basement set off his vest after he was intercepted by a group of worshippers.
He said that both the bombers were aged 17-22 years, adding that police were combing the scene for more detailed forensic clues.
Thousands of people were at the shrine dedicated to Hazrat Syed Ali bin Usman Hajweri, popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, at the time of the attacks on Thursday night.
"There were at least 2,000 to 2,500 people present in the shrine when the twin attacks took place," caretaker of the shrine, Mian Mohammad Munir said.
He said the blasts occurred within minutes, triggering panic among people, who ran in different directions.
"It was a suicide bombing and we have found the heads of two suicide bombers," Khusro Pervez, commissioner of Lahore said, adding "We are looking into the circumstances around how the bombers penetrated the area despite strict security."
Television channels aired live pictures from the scene of the carnage, showing people crying and beating their chests and heads.
Bystanders helped ambulance crews load the wounded into vehicles before they were rushed to hospital.
"The first blast occurred in the basement followed by another one with a deafening sound," an eye witness said.
"I saw dead bodies and injured people lying on the floor in pools of blood," another witness said.
People were seen hugging each other as police cordoned off the area to prevent any further attack.
Earlier, police and city administration officials had said there were three suicide attacks at the busy shrine, known as Data Darbar, in the crowded centre of Lahore, home to around 10 million people.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the attacks, saying: "Terrorists have no consideration for any religion, faith or belief."
"These terrorists neither respect human values nor care for human lives, and their brutal act is manifestation of their evil designs," he said.
"The government is committed to eradicate the menace of terrorism at all costs".
Gilani said he had directed the provincial government and the law enforcement agencies to investigate the attack and catch those responsible.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility, but Pakistan has been hit by a wave of deadly attacks carried out by the Taliban and other Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist extremists.
More than 3,400 people have been killed in a series of suicide attacks and bomb explosions in Pakistan during the last three years.
In May suspected Sunni Muslim militants wearing suicide vests burst into two Ahmadi prayer halls in Lahore and killed 82 worshippers.
They were the worst attacks in Pakistan since a suicide bomber killed 101 people on January 1 at a volleyball game in Bannu, which abuts the tribal belt along the Afghan border that Washington calls Al-Qaeda's global headquarters.
Pakistan's leading rights group said the Ahmadi community -- an offshoot of Islam that is not recognised by Pakistan's mainstream Muslims -- had received threats for more than a year. Officials blamed that attack on Islamist militants who have killed more than 3,400 people in bombings over the last three years.
Lahore has increasingly suffered Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked violence, with around 265 people killed in nine attacks since March 2009.
The city is a playground for Pakistan's elite and home to many top brass in its military and intelligence establishment.
Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have orchestrated the three-year bombing campaign in Pakistan to avenge military operations and the government's alliance with the United States over the war in neighbouring Afghanistan.

DTN News: Obama Warns Iran Of New Pressure, Signs Sanctions

Defense News: DTN News: Obama Warns Iran Of New Pressure, Signs Sanctions
Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - July 2, 2010: President Barack Obama warned Iran Thursday it faced mounting pressure and isolation, as he signed tough new US sanctions he said would strike at Tehran's capacity to finance its nuclear program.
The measures, on top of new UN Security Council and European sanctions, aim to choke off Iran's access to imports of refined petroleum products like gasoline and jet fuel and curb its access to the international banking system.
"With these sanctions -- along with others -- we are striking at the heart of the Iranian government's ability to fund and develop its nuclear programs," Obama said at a White House ceremony, before signing the sanctions into law.
"We are showing the Iranian government that its actions have consequences, and if it persists, the pressure will continue to mount, and its isolation will continue to deepen.
"There should be no doubt -- the United States and the international community are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons."
The US Senate and House of Representatives approved the legislation -- which backers described as the toughest ever unilateral US sanctions against the Islamic republic -- by crushing 99-0 and 408-8 margins last week.
The United States spent months assembling an international coalition for new United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iran, which passed last month.
The measures, the fourth such set of UN penalties levied on Iran, are meant to punish Tehran for refusing to halt its uranium enrichment work, the most sensitive part of its atomic drive.
In response, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday he would postpone nuclear talks as a "penalty" to world powers as a result of the latest UN sanctions.
The new US sanctions are effectively designed to force foreign firms to chose whether to do business with Iran or the United States.
The law shuts US markets to firms that provide Iran with refined petroleum products that the oil-rich nation must import to meet demand because of a weak domestic refining capability.
It also takes aim at firms that invest in Iran's energy sector, including non-US companies that provide financing, insurance, or shipping services.
It could also see non-US banks doing business with certain blacklisted Iranian entities -- including Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and several banks -- shut out of the US financial system.
Obama noted that Iran had spurned the offer of dialogue that he had made last year on coming to office.
"To date, Iran has chosen the path of defiance," he said.
"That is why we have steadily built a broader and deeper coalition of nations to pressure the Iranian government."
World powers led by Washington have accused the Islamic Republic of seeking to build nuclear weapons and demanding it freeze its uranium enrichment activity, which can be a key step towards developing an atomic arsenal.
Iran denies its nuclear program has a military use.
"The government of Iran still has a choice," Obama said in the prepared remarks.
"The door to diplomacy remains open. Iran can prove that its intentions are peaceful. It can meet its obligations under the (Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty) and achieve the security and prosperity worthy of a great nation."

DTN News: Boeing Completes Firm Configuration Of 787-9 Dreamliner

Defense News: DTN News: Boeing Completes Firm Configuration Of 787-9 Dreamliner
Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) EVERETT, Wash., - July 2, 2010: Boeing (NYSE: BA) July 1 announced the completion of firm configuration for the 787-9 Dreamliner. Boeing reached this milestone after years of collaboration with airline customers and partners to determine the optimal configuration for the new stretch version of the Dreamliner.
"Firm configuration means the airplane's structural, propulsion and systems architectures are defined and not changing," said Mark Jenks, vice president of 787-9 development, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Boeing has completed the trade studies required to finalize the airplane's overall capability and basic design, allowing the airplane manufacturer and its suppliers to begin detailed design of parts, assemblies and other systems for the 787-9. As detailed designs are completed and released, production can begin. The first 787-9 delivery is scheduled for late 2013.
"We have a disciplined process in place to ensure we have completed all of the requirements for the development stage of the program," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The team has done a fantastic job to get us through this important milestone."
The 787-9 is the second member of the 787 family. A slightly bigger version of the 787-8, the airplane will seat 250-290 passengers, 16 percent more than the 787-8. The 787-9 will have a range of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 km).
"We have been working closely with our customers for years to reach this milestone," said Mark Jenks, vice president of 787-9 development. "We are excited about the performance and capability this airplane will offer our customers."
The 787 Dreamliner is an all-new twinjet designed to meet the needs of airlines around the world in providing nonstop service between midsize cities with new levels of efficiency. The airplane will bring improved levels of comfort to passengers with larger windows, bigger baggage bins and advances in the cabin environment, including lower cabin altitude, higher humidity and cleaner air. Delivery of the first 787 is planned for the fourth quarter of 2010.

DTN News: Lion Air Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary With Two New 737-900ERs

Defense News: DTN News: Lion Air Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary With Two New 737-900ERs
Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) SEATTLE, - July 2, 2010: Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of Lion Air, Boeing (NYSE: BA) today delivered two Next-Generation 737-900ERs (extended range) to the Jakarta-based carrier. Lion Air, which operates an all-Boeing fleet, was the launch customer of the 737-900ER and is currently the largest operator of the airplane.
With today's deliveries, the Lion Air fleet consists of 36 737-900ERs and two 747-400s. In addition, Lion Air is a launch customer for the new 737 Boeing Sky Interior.
Lion Air plans to carry 20 million passengers this year to destinations within Indonesia as well as to Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia. The carrier is based at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia.

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated July 1, 2010

Defense News: DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated July 1, 2010
Source: U.S. DoD issued July 1, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - July 2, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued July 1, 2010 areundermentioned;<>
CONTRACTS
NAVY
~Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz.,
is being awarded a $65,264,580 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024 09 C-5305) for low-rate initial production of the fiscal 2010 Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) Block I all-up-rounds, instrumentation kits, design agent services, spares and containers. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (50 percent); Camden, Ark. (23 percent); Boston, Mass. (5 percent); Dallas, Texas (4 percent); Hanahan, S.C. (3 percent); Anniston, Ala. (2 percent); San Jose, Calif. (2 percent); and other locations (11 percent). Work is expected to be completed by December 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
~Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $51,753,660 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to the previously awarded contract (N00024-03-C-2101) for the planning efforts of the submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) post-shakedown availability (PSA). Work to be performed will include performing planning efforts, including long-lead time material procurement, in preparation to accomplish the maintenance, repair, alterations, testing and other work on the submarine during its scheduled PSA. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn. (99 percent), and Quonset Point, R.I. (1 percent); and is expected to be completed by July 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Groton, Conn., is the contracting activity.
~L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $51,295,003 firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable requirements contract to provide aircraft maintenance and logistics life cycle support for 54 Navy and 11 Marine Corps C-12 aircraft. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS), Corpus Christi, Texas (38 percent); NAS Patuxent River, Md. (8 percent); NAS North Island, Calif. (6 percent); Naval Support Activity, Bahrain (5 percent); NAS Norfolk, Va. (5 percent); Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi, Japan (5 percent); NAF Andrews, Md. (3 percent); NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (3 percent); NAF Kadena, Japan (3 percent); Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, N.C. (3 percent); MCAS Yuma, Ariz. (3 percent); NAS New Orleans, La. (3 percent); MCAS Iwakuni, Japan (3 percent); MCAS Futenma, Japan (1.5 percent); NAS Willow Grove, Pa. (1.5 percent); NAS Dallas, Texas (1.5 percent); NAS Miramar, Calif. (1.5 percent); NAF Misawa, Japan (1.5 percent); MCAS Beaufort, S.C. (1.5 percent); NAS Jacksonville, Fla. (1.5 percent); and Manassas, Va. (1.5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in August 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-10-D-0038).
~The Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a $27,308,090 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the acquisition of scientific, engineering and technical services for design, development, fabrication, test, repair, and fleet implementation of the AN/BQH-9(V) signal data recording set; the AN/UNQ-9 tactical data recorder; AN-BQH-5(V)4 data gathering set; and the tape processing system. Work will be performed in Seattle, Wash., and is expected to be completed by September 2015. Contract funds in the amount of $4,091,053 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, West Bethesda, Md., is the contracting activity (N00167-10-D-0002).
~General Dynamics C4 Systems, Scottsdale, Ariz., is being awarded a $9,234,410 modification P00212 under a previously awarded contract (M67854-02-C-2052) to purchase 35 ground-based operational surveillance system remote ground station kits; 35 duct plenum adapter kits; and 35 generator, ECU and tent trailers. Work will be performed in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by March 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
~LOGANEnergy, Corp.*, Sandy Springs, Ga., is being awarded a $5,738,792 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of two molten carbonate fuel cell systems, which will include installation, service and maintenance. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., and is expected to be completed in October 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $2,869,396 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, with one offer received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-10-C-0104).
AIR FORCE
~Northrop Grumman Information Systems, San Diego, Calif., was awarded a contract modification not-to-exceed $45,192,154 which will provide maintenance and support of the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node payload installed in Global Hawk Block 20 unmanned aerial vehicle in support of overseas contingency operations from June 2010 through June 2011. At this time, $44,080,803 has been obligated. 653d ELSG/PK, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity. (FA8726-09-C-0010 Modification P00012)
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
~American Apparel, Inc., Selma, Ala., is being awarded a maximum $28,502,578 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for coats and trousers. Other locations of performance are Mississippi, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is March 30, 2012. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM1c1-10-D-1066).
~Lockheed Martin, Owego, N.Y., is being awarded a maximum $23,984,352 firm-fixed-price, undefinitized, sole-source contract for procurement of automated radar periscope detection discriminator system components. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is March 2013. The Defense Logistics Agency Philadelphia (DSCR-ZCBA), Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPRPA1-09-G-002Y-0003).
~Fox Apparel, Inc.*, Asheboro, N.C., is being awarded a maximum $22,111,008 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for trousers. Other locations of performance are Mississippi and North Carolina. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is June 30, 2012. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM1C1-10-D-1071).
*Small business

DTN News: Turkey, Israel Hold Secret Talks To Repair Ties

Defense News: DTN News: Turkey, Israel Hold Secret Talks To Repair Ties
Source: DTN News / AFP Sibel Utku Bila
(NSI News Source Info) ANKARA, Turkey - July 2, 2010: Turkey and Israel held secret talks to seek a way out of a deep crisis in bilateral ties over a deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ships, officials said Thursday, as the United States welcomed the effort.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Israeli Trade Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer met Wednesday in Brussels, where Davutoglu was on a visit to discuss his country's EU membership bid.
Davutoglu said he insisted for an apology over the raid, stressing that Ben Eliezer requested the talks as an envoy for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
It was the first ministerial meeting since relations between the one-time allies plunged into deep crisis when Israeli commadoes stormed a Turkish ship leading an aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip on May 31, killing nine activists. "Israel has been seeking contact -- through direct and indirect ways -- ever since," Davutoglu said in parliament.
"Ben Eliezer came as a special envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and asked for the meeting, saying he was bringing a message from Netanyahu," he said.
"The issue of an apology and the other issues... were conveyed to them directly... We are determined to take any measure and implement any sanction, depending on Israel's attitude," he added.
Davutoglu told Ben Eliezer that Turkey expected Israel to apologise over the bloodshed, compensate the victims' families, agree to an international inquiry into the raid and end Gaza's blockade, foreign ministry spokesman Burak Ozugergin told AFP.
The United States, alarmed over the rift between its two main allies in the Middle East, was reportedly involved in organising the meeting.
Turkey's Hurriyet daily said "the ground for the secret talks was laid" last week when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with US President Barack Obama in Toronto. Ozugergin declined to comment on the report.
Washington had said earlier it was working to heal the Turkish-Israeli rift amid fears that Turkey, NATO's sole mainly Muslim member, was sliding away from the West.
US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley welcomed the secret talks.
"We certainly support this kind of dialogue that hopefully can help repair the fractures that have existed in recent weeks and months," he said Thursday.
"A relationship between Turkey and Israel is not only in the best interest of the region, it ... supports our interests in the region as well," he added.
An official at Netanyahu's office confirmed that Ben Eliezer held talks Wednesday with "a Turkish official."
The talks sparked tensions in Israel as it emerged that Netanyahu gave the go-ahead for the meeting without informing hawkish Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Eight Turks and a dual US-Turkish citizen were killed in the raid on the Turkish Mavi Marmara ferry.
Ankara recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv and cancelled three planned joint military exercises following the raid. It also twice denied permission to Israeli military aircraft to use its air space.
Bilateral ties had already been strained since Israel's devastating war on Gaza last year, which triggered vehement criticism from the Islamist-rooted government in Ankara.
Ben Eliezer is known as an advocate of good ties with Turkey. He was the first Israeli minister to visit Ankara last year, after the Gaza war began to poison ties.
"Ben Eliezer has always been a one-man Turkish lobby -- he is someone they trust, with whom they have had long-standing ties, so it makes sense," an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity.
"Having another minister step in is one thing, but doing this without informing the foreign minister -- that is really offensive," he said.
Lieberman's office slammed the incident as "an insult to the norms of accepted behaviour and a heavy blow to the confidence between the foreign minister and the prime minister."
The meeting was held in a hotel suite and lasted more than two hours, Turkey's NTV news channel said, adding that it was kept secret also from two Turkish ministers who were in Brussels with Davutoglu.
Turkish-Israeli ties had flourished for years after the two countries signed a military cooperation accord in 1996.