DTN News: Russia To Hold Tender For Purchase Of Helicopter Carrier - Paper

Defense News: DTN News: Russia To Hold Tender For Purchase Of Helicopter Carrier - Paper

* Topic: Russia's purchase of French Mistral-class warship

Source: DTN News / Ria Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - August 23, 2010: The Russian Defense Ministry will hold a tender on the purchase of a helicopter carrier, alongside ongoing negotiations with France on buying a Mistral-class ship, a Russian business daily said on Thursday.

Mistral-class helicopter carrier

Earlier Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) complained to the Federal Antitrust Service about the Defense Ministry's reluctance to allow Russian shipyards to compete with foreign shipbuilders on an equal footing, Kommersant said.

The USC has offered to build the ship for $500-700 million, which is higher than France's price of around $430-540 million.

The USC is set to participate in the tender with its three shipyards including Zvezda Shipbuilding Company in the Russian Far East, St.Petersburg's Admiralteyskiye Verfi shipyard and the Yantar shipyard in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad.

Zvezda shipyard, which has established a joint venture with South Korean Daewoo Marine Shipbuilding & Engineering, will offer the Dokdo helicopter carrier.

The Admiralteyskiye Verfi and Yantar shipyards will present a joint project with the Northern Design Bureau.

Foreign shipyards may also bid for the tender. Among the possible foreign equivalents to the Mistral are the Dutch Johan de Witt and the Spanish Juan Carlos, Kommersant said.

Regardless of which project the Defense Ministry chooses, the USC shipyards are ready to build the ship within 30 months, USC President Roman Trotsenko said.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

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DTN News: Pentagon Again Postpones Test Of Missile-Destroying Laser

Defense News: DTN News: Pentagon Again Postpones Test Of Missile-Destroying Laser

Source: DTN News / Ria Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - August 23, 2010: A test of a powerful missile-intercepting laser, scheduled for Sunday morning, was postponed for the fourth time due to technical problems, Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said on its website.

The laser, housed aboard a modified Boeing 747-400 Freighter, was to intercept a simulated short-range ballistic missile during Sunday's tests, to be held off California's coast. The previous postponements took place in the past three weeks.

The laser, housed aboard a modified Boeing 747-400 Freighter, was to intercept a simulated short-range ballistic missile during Sunday's tests, to be held off California's coast.

"Trouble shooting indicates that a hot bypass valve on the aircraft is in an abnormal condition thus not allowing for proper component cooling," the agency said in a statement. "The team is evaluating the potential causes."

"A new date for the experiment will be set for the upcoming week," the statement reads.

The Airborne Laser Test Bed (ALTB) uses two solid state lasers and a megawatt-class Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) against ballistic missiles. It uses six infrared sensors to detect the exhaust plume of a boosting missile.

As soon as a target is detected, a kilowatt-class solid state laser, the Track Illuminator, tracks the missile and determines a precise aim point.

The Beacon Illuminator, a second kilowatt-class solid state laser, then measures disturbances in the atmosphere, which are corrected by the adaptive optics system to accurately point and focus the high energy laser at its intended target.

Using a very large telescope located in the nose turret, the beam control/fire control system focuses the COIL beam onto a pressurized area of the boosting missile and holds it there until the concentrated energy compromises the structural integrity of the target, causing it to fail.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

DTN News: Former UN Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix Hails 'Positive' Bushehr Plant Launch

Defense News: DTN News: Former UN Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix Hails 'Positive' Bushehr Plant Launch

* One day after Iran launched its first nuclear power plant, former UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix has hailed "positive" cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.

Source: DTN News / Press TV

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 23, 2010: Iran began injecting the first supply of nuclear fuel into the Bushehr nuclear power plant on Saturday, after Russia delivered its first batch of nuclear fuel.

Frmer UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix

The fact that Russia is supplying Iran with fuel is "very positive," as it demonstrates that Tehran could rely on foreign suppliers for its fuel need, Blix told the BBC on Sunday.

The remarks came on the heel of similar claims by State Department spokesman Darby Holladay.

Holladay acknowledged that the Iranian nuclear facility carries no risk of proliferation but stressed that launching the power plant "underscores that Iran does not need an indigenous enrichment capability if its intentions are purely peaceful."

The west insists that Iran should exchange its low-enriched uranium abroad for fuel for a medical research reactor.

However, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi has rejected such claims.

"Suppose we receive the required nuclear fuel for the plant from the Russians for the next ten years, what are we going to do for the next 30 to 50 years?" the Iranian nuclear point man queried on Saturday.

Iranian officials have repeatedly said that they do not "trust" the West and cannot rely on it for nuclear fuel supply.

Israel and its allies accuse Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program through its enrichment program.

Tehran rejects the accusations, arguing that as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency and a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty it has the right to peaceful nuclear energy

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

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DTN News: Indian Coast Guard Two Hi-Tech Hovercraft To Be Based At Chennai

Defense News: DTN News: Indian Coast Guard Two Hi-Tech Hovercraft To Be Based At Chennai

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - August 23, 2010: With 12 more hovercraft likely to be inducted in the Coast Guard in next three years, the agency's eastern region is likely to purchase two such craft and base them off Chennai to improve security along the coastline.

Indian coast guard uses six Griffon hovercrafts.

Indian coast guard uses six Griffon hovercrafts.Indian coast guard uses six Griffon hovercrafts.Indian coast guard uses six Griffon hovercrafts.

The Coast Guard already has six hovercrafts and 12 more are under construction. Out of these, the Coast Guard's eastern region is planning to purchase two for Chennai, two for Rameswaram and two for Puducherry.

The cost of a hovercraft is approximately Rs8 crore. According to Coast Guard officials, the presence of hovercraft in Chennai will enhance the force's preparedness in meeting any eventuality, like the need for sudden evacuation in the shortest time.

Speaking to reporters after a demonstration on Hovercraft H-181's performance on Tuesday, Coast Guard Commandant Venu Madhav said, ''Hovercraft are best suited for law enforcement duties at sea for their ability to move at a relatively high speed over shallow water and on land during a hot pursuit, which a speedboat cannot do.''

''Of the Coast Guard's six hovercraft vessels, we have positioned two at western borders in Okha, two at Haldia, West Bengal, and another two at Mandapam,'' Madhav said. The H-181 hovercraft was brought to Chennai from Mandapam to provide additional security cover from seashore during the Independence Day celebrations.

Hovercraft have been utilised for landing troops from ship to land, to cruise over mined waters, passenger liners/freight carriers. In the military, these can be used for fast attack, assault missions, logistics support and also for mine clearances.

The craft moves on water and land as well on a cushion of air pressure. Because of its design, hovercraft can even manoeuvre over marshy land, desert and undulated surface, and can pass over an obstacle of a significant height. The hovercraft is powered by two 12 cylinder air-cooled turbo charged engines, and produces 800 horse power of thrust.

Madhav said the use of hovercraft had helped to reduce smuggling from the western borders and rescue fishermen lost at sea.

As of now, the Coast Guard western region has four hovercrafts and the eastern region has two. "The hovercrafts will help enhance close coast patrolling. Even now we do this, but with these vehicles we can patrol faster and more efficiently," said Coast Guard Inspector General (eastern region) A Rajasekhar.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

DTN News: Pakistan In Pictures Of The Day - Flood Devastation August 22, 2010

Defense News: DTN News: Pakistan In Pictures Of The Day - Flood Devastation August 22, 2010

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 22, 2010: Flood Devastation

HYDERABAD: Flood water has forced its way into the outskirts of Shahdadkot amid efforts to save the city from inundation while Kotri Barrage is in very high flood, Geo News reported Sunday. GETTY IMAGES 1 HOUR AGO MUZAFFARGARH, PAKISTAN - AUGUST 22: Houses are seen surrounded by flood waters from aPakistan Army helicopter on August 22, 2010 in the village of Shah Jamaal west of Muzaffargarh in Punjab, Pakistan. The country's agricultural heartland has been devastated, with rice, corn and wheat crops destroyed by floods. Officials say as many as 20 million people have been effected during Pakistan's worst flooding in 80 years. The army and aid organizations are struggling to cope with the scope of the wide spread scale of the disaster that has killed over 1,600 people and displaced millions. The UN has described the disaster as unprecedented, with over a third of the country under water. Raju Nizamani area of Thatta has also been submerged while floodwater is pushing hard against many embankments of River Indus besides those in Larkana, Khairpur, Dadu. GETTY IMAGES 5 HOURS AGO A Pakistani army commando (2 R) frisks flood-affected survivors before they board a US rescue helicopter to be evacuated from Kallam, a town of Swat valley, on August 22, 2010. UN agencies stepped up calls for donors to deliver on their pledges for Pakistan to prevent what UN chief Ban Ki-mooncalled a 'slow-motion tsunami' from wreaking further catastrophe. Torrential monsoon rains unleashed the worst floods for 80 years, affecting 20 million people and an area the size of England in Pakistan's worst natural disaster that has already created economic, political and humanitarian chaos. High tide in River Indus resulted in flooding of dozens of villages near Amri, Khanot and Badapur including a railway track along these areas, keeping the train service between Karachi and Quetta suspended. GETTY IMAGES 2 HOURS AGO MUZAFFARGARH, PAKISTAN - AUGUST 22: Houses are seen surrounded by flood waters from aPakistan Army helicopter on August 22, 2010 in the village of Shah Jamaal west of Muzaffargarh in Punjab, Pakistan. The country's agricultural heartland has been devastated, with rice, corn and wheat crops destroyed by floods. Officials say as many as 20 million people have been effected during Pakistan's worst flooding in 80 years. The army and aid organizations are struggling to cope with the scope of the wide spread scale of the disaster that has killed over 1,600 people and displaced millions. The UN has described the disaster as unprecedented, with over a third of the country under water. Fear has spread in surrounding localities due to seepages developed in dykes at Baodero, Jakhri, Sekhat and Galyan near Matiari. GETTY IMAGES 5 HOURS AGO Pakistani army commandos escort a US rescue helicopter as Pakistani and US soldiers unload relief supplies for flood-affected survivors in Kallam, a town of Swat valley, on August 22, 2010. UN agencies stepped up calls for donors to deliver on their pledges forPakistan to prevent what UN chief Ban Ki-mooncalled a 'slow-motion tsunami' from wreaking further catastrophe. Torrential monsoon rains unleashed the worst floods for 80 years, affecting 20 million people and an area the size of England in Pakistan's worst natural disaster that has already created economic, political and humanitarian chaos. Floodwater, after ravaging thousands of acres of land in Jhark area, has now entered Raju Nizamani. Although, most of the residents of the areas at risk of flooding have already relocated to safer places, hundreds of people remain stranded there. Meantime, repair work is fast in progress on emergency basis on protective embankments in Shahdadkot, where administration in District Dadu’s tehsil KN Shah and Juhi has issued warning. Also, the floodwater sustained pressure at Dadu-Moro bridge. Kotri Barrge is witnessing flooding of high degree, as over 40 villages in Ameri and Khanot have been submerged by the flooding in River Indus, leaving the residents marooned. The train service between Karachi and Quetta is hitherto suspended as the railways track have sunk under water near Ameri, Khanot and Badapur areas of Jamshoro. River Indus bunds near Nawabshah including Mud Mangli, Mekaro Dhoro, Bachalpur, Lakhat and Daulatpur are persistently under mounting water pressure. The seepage from embankment of Chhandan Canal—a tributary of River Indus near Mkaro Dhoro—triggered panic among the residents, who have started evacuation in view of imminent flooding as a result of breach in the river.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

Defense News: DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News ~ SPECIAL APPEAL TO THE WORLD on Humanitarian grounds to support the effected flood victims in Pakistan.

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY August 21, 2010 - Afghan President Hamid Karzai Confirms He Intervened To Get Arrested Official Released

Defense News: DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY August 21, 2010 - Afghan President Hamid Karzai Confirms He Intervened To Get Arrested Official Released

Source: DTN News / By the CNN Wire Staff

(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - August 22, 2010: Afghan President Hamid Karzai confirmed Sunday that he engineered the release of Mohammed Zia Saleh, a top security official arrested earlier this year on suspicion of corruption.
Karzai told the ABC program "This Week" that Saleh's arrest at his home evoked memories of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
"I have intervened," Karzai said. "I am the president of the country. I must uphold the constitution and do things legally."
Karzai's commitment to ending chronic corruption in Afghanistan has been questioned due to incidents such as Saleh's release and the president's efforts to exert control over anti-corruption units set up with assistance from U.S. security agencies.
"The bodies will stay to work, but they should be within the confines of the Afghan law, within the confines of the Afghan penal code, and within respect of human rights and should be sovereign Afghan bodies, not run or paid by any outside entities," Karzai said.
He said he would announce on Monday "a new instruction to bring these two bodies in accordance with Afghan laws and within the sovereignty of the Afghan state."
Karzai said he "intervened very strongly" in the Saleh case because "this man was taken out of his home in the middle of the night."
Such a detention reminded the Afghan people of the Soviet occupation, Karzai said.
"That case is already investigation," Karzai said. "Corruption should be handled most effectively and dedicatedly and with a lot of pressure, but it has to be across the board and apolitical and without vested foreign interest."

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com
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