Thursday, September 2, 2010

DTN News: Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News Dated September 2, 2010

Defense News: DTN News: Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News Dated September 2, 2010
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including latest updates Defense News, Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News& Yahoo
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 2, 2010: Comprehensive daily news related to Aerospace/Defense for the world of TODAY.

*Comprehensive daily news related on Aerospace/Defense for the world of TODAY.

Thursday September 2, 2010

Wednesday September 1, 2010
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DTN News: Boeing Receives AC-130U Gunship Support Contract

Defense News: DTN News: Boeing Receives AC-130U Gunship Support Contract
Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla., - September 2, 2010: Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that it has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide spare servo-actuators for the AC-130U gunship. The five-year contract, which includes a base year plus four out-year ordering periods, is worth up to $7.2 million. A total of $1.2 million of the first phase has been obligated.
Between now and July 2011, Boeing will provide 10 servo-actuators for the Trainable Gun Mount Systems needed to install 40-millimeter guns on four AC-130Us. The contract was issued by Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins, Ga., to Boeing’s Special Operations Forces subdivision. The work will be performed by Boeing teams in Fort Walton Beach.
"These servo-actuators are a critical part of the Air Force's ability to maintain readiness for the AC-130U gunship, which is a vital platform supporting missions around the world," said Ken Hill, director, Boeing Special Operations Forces. "Tight turnaround times are required to repair these aircraft and get them back in the fight. We are fully committed to meeting our customer's expectations."Boeing has manufactured the AC-130U from existing C-130 airframes since 1987. In 2009, the company received its first contract award under the Air Force’s Future Flexible Acquisition and Sustainment Tool (F2AST) program. The initial $19.1 million F2AST contract was for the sustainment and maintenance of operational flight and simulation software, field service representative support, intermediate-level repairs and other services.
Boeing's work on the C-130 platform extends to the Avionics Modernization Program; the Avionics Part Task Trainer and Cockpit Familiarization Trainer; the C-130H aerial refueling tanker for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force; and the Precision Container Aerial Delivery System (PCADS) program, designed to help combat wildfires.
Boeing's Fort Walton Beach site employs approximately 500 people who primarily support the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Forces.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.
Contact:
Forrest Gossett
Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades
Mobile: 314-363-0650
Boeing Related News - (Click on date for link)
*Sep. 2, 2010 Boeing Receives AC-130U Gunship Support Contract
*Sep. 2, 2010 Boeing, US Navy Flight Testing Distributed Targeting System for Super Hornet
*Sep. 2, 2010 Boeing Projects $700 Billion Commercial Airplanes Market in North America
- Strong demand seen for new, more fuel efficient single-aisle airplanes
*Sep. 1, 2010 Boeing-built GOES-15 Weather Satellite Enters Service for NASA, NOAA
*Aug. 31, 2010 Boeing CEO McNerney Statement on U.S. Export Control Proposals
*Aug. 31, 2010 Boeing to Provide Landing Gear Exchange Service to Qantas Airways
Qantas is launch customer for 747-400ER landing gear program
*Aug. 30, 2010 1st Boeing C-130 AMP Low-Rate Initial Production Aircraft Inducted at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center
*Aug. 30, 2010 Boeing Opens New Intelligence Collaboration Center to Counter Global Threats
*Aug. 30, 2010 1st Boeing-built GPS IIF Satellite Enters Service with US Air Force
*Aug. 27, 2010 Boeing Sets 787 First Delivery Date for Mid-First Quarter 2011
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DTN News: Russia To Sell Mi-17 Helicopters To Argentina

Defense News: DTN News: Russia To Sell Mi-17 Helicopters To Argentina
Source: DTN News / Ria Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - September 2, 2010: Russia has signed a "historic" contract on Mi-17 helicopter deliveries to Argentina, a member of a Russian delegation said on Wednesday."The contract provides for the delivery of two Mi-17 helicopters to the Argentinean Air Force," the official said, adding that the contract was signed on Tuesday evening.
The sale is the first time the Argentinean military has bought Russian military hardware, he said.
"Until now there has been no military-technical cooperation between Russia and Argentina," he said.
Vyacheslav Davidenko, spokesman for Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, confirmed the contract.
**This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail
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DTN News: Pakistani Officers Protest Over Treatment At US airport

Defense News: DTN News: Pakistani Officers Protest Over Treatment At US airport
Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - September 2, 2010: A delegation of Pakistani officers refused to attend a defense conference in the United States this week in protest over their treatment at a Washington airport, officials said Wednesday.
The nine Pakistanis were about to fly to Tampa, Florida from Dulles International Airport for a three-day conference at US Central Command when they were pulled off the plane and questioned for more than two hours.
The crew of the United Airlines flight became concerned over a remark by one of the officers, a Pakistani official said.
"One of the crew members or one of the passengers overheard one of the officers saying to another officer...'I hope this is going to be our last flight,'" the official said.
The officer was merely complaining about the lengthy journey that had started from Pakistan but the crew viewed it as "something scary or related to terrorism," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
The Pakistanis showed security authorities their passports, their letters of invitation to the conference at Central Command and details of their escort with the US military, the official said.
By the time they were released, they had missed their flight.
"As a matter of protest at this incident, they cancelled the meeting and turned back to Pakistan," he said.
US officials often speak about the need to overcome a "trust deficit" with Pakistan -- a crucial partner in the fight against Al-Qaeda and its associates -- but Tuesday's incident appeared to complicate that effort.
A Pentagon spokesman expressed regret over the episode.
"It's certainly an unfortunate incident, any time things of this nature happen," Colonel Dave Lapan told reporters.
But he said it was up to the commercial airline how it dealt with security concerns.
"It's completely within the purview of airlines to handle security situations as they fit," he said.
The delegation had planned to attend an annual US-Pakistan conference at Central Command, officers said.
It was not the first time an official Pakistani delegation had objected to how it was treated in a visit to the United States. A parliamentary delegation about a year ago had a similar experience, the Pakistani official said.
"Certainly we're concerned about what happened and they should not have been treated like this. But I hope that relations will not be harmed by this," he said.
The Pentagon and Central Command had apologized over the incident, he added.
**This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail
Related articles
*US-Pak strategic talks suffer serious blow The Nation, Pakistan - 3 hours ago
*Pakistan General wrongly interpreted, head home on Boss Order Spooftimes.com (satire) - 22 hours ago
*Pakistan Army cancels US trip after security check row Earthtimes - 23 hours ago
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DTN News: Mexico Drug Kingpin Says He Received Trailers Of US Cash

Defense News: DTN News: Mexico Drug Kingpin Says He Received Trailers Of US Cash
Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) MEXICO CITY - September 2, 2010: A captured Mexican drug kingpin admitted to "investments" in Colombia and said he had received trailers full of dollars from the United States, in a first interrogation video released here.
US-born Edgar Valdez, alias "the Barbie" for his fair complexion, was captured this week, in a major coup for the Mexican government as it struggles to contain raging drug violence.
Valdez, 37, was a key lieutenant of Arturo Beltran-Leyva, who headed the Beltran-Leyva cartel and was Mexico's third most wanted man until his December 2009 death in a military operation. Mexican justice officials on Wednesday interrogated "the Barbie" and were set to decide whether he would be sent to the United States, where he has been indicted in several drug trafficking cases.
US and Mexican officials both offered some two million dollars for information leading to his arrest.
The broad-faced drug trafficker wiped sweat off his face as he replied to questions from a female voice in images released by the attorney general's office late Tuesday.
He said his networks extended to Colombia and he received payments from the United States in dollars hidden in vehicle trailers.
"I have investments in Colombia," Valdez said, "in my field of work."
"Is it drugs?" his interrogator asked.
"Drugs," Valdez replied, adding that they were transported via Panama and Mexico.
Colombian authorities on Tuesday announced the arrest of 11 people linked to Valdez's network and said that leftist FARC rebels from Colombia had delivered up to three tonnes of cocaine to him per month.
Valdez, who headed a brutal assassination squad, said he had always worked alone. But he said he had met Mexico's top drug kingpins, including Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the country's most wanted man and the head of the powerful Sinaloa cartel.
He also admitted hiding a man accused of shooting Paraguayan soccer star Salvador Cabanas in a Mexico City bar last January, saying: "I put him in one of my offices... for around three months."
Valdez said the assailant, Jose Jorge Balderas, alias "The JJ," had previously been friends with Cabanas, who survived the attack and still has the bullet in his skull.
Mexico has arrested several top drug bosses in recent months, but the military crackdown on organized crime has been accompanied by a spike in violence -- more than 28,000 people have been killed in suspected drug attacks since 2006.
A top US drug official lauded the latest capture in Mexico City Wednesday, while underlining the need to stem the violence.
"The level of violence here remains quite disturbing so we're focused not just on the capture of individuals but on the work with our Mexican counterparts to remove these organizations and to take them apart," said David Johnson, from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
Valdez was thought to have been involved in a power struggle to replace Beltran-Leyva after the gang was dealt a severe blow with their leader's death last December, followed by the arrest of his younger brother, Carlos.
Born in the Texan border city of Laredo, Valdez was responsible for dozens of brutal deaths in central Mexico and near the Pacific beach resort of Acapulco in recent months, according to Mexican authorities.
In his interrogation, Valdez said he had commissioned a movie relating his life story, for 200,000 dollars, but that he had not seen it finished.
**This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail

Latin America News

At least 17 migrants kidnapped in northern Mexico

At least 17 migrants kidnapped in northern Mexico
AFP - Thursday, September 2

TIJUANA, Mexico (AFP) - - At least 17 migrants have been kidnapped near the US border in northern Mexico by human traffickers, Tijuana police said. More »

  • Chile miners' morale leaps as rescue inches closer

    Chile miners' morale leaps as rescue inches closer

    AFP - Thursday, September 2

    COPIAPO, Chile (AFP) - - The morale of 33 miners trapped in Chile soared after music and hot meals were supplied, while NASA advisers praised their "courage" and provided advice on daylight deprivation, as a rescue drill inched closer.

  • Mexico drug kingpin says he received trailers of US cash

    Mexico drug kingpin says he received trailers of US cash

    AFP - Thursday, September 2

    MEXICO CITY (AFP) - - A captured Mexican drug kingpin admitted to "investments" in Colombia and said he had received trailers full of dollars from the United States, in a first interrogation video released here.

  • Ecuador announces second survivor of Mexican massacre

    AFP - Thursday, September 2

    QUITO (AFP) - - Ecuador's president and Mexican officials confirmed Wednesday that a second person, a Honduran, had survived the massacre of 72 migrants in Mexico last week.

  • NASA team advises Chile on trapped miners

    AFP - Wednesday, September 1

    COPIAPO, Chile (AFP) - - NASA experts advised Chilean officials to be frank with 33 miners trapped deep underground about how long their rescue will take, as a giant drill slowly burrowed toward the desperate men.

  • Mexico, US open joint office to combat drug gangs

    Mexico, US open joint office to combat drug gangs

    AFP - Wednesday, September 1

    MEXICO CITY (AFP) - - Mexican and US officials opened a first joint office to manage the distribution of more than 1.3 billion dollars in US security aid to help fight brutal drug gangs.

  • Mexico lauds capture of top drug lord as violence rages

    AFP - Wednesday, September 1

    MEXICO CITY (AFP) - - Mexican authorities on Tuesday paraded a top drug lord in public, presenting his capture as a much-needed victory in the escalating battle against the country's vicious traffickers.

  • Eight killed in attack on Cancun bar

    Eight killed in attack on Cancun bar

    AFP - Wednesday, September 1

    CANCUN, Mexico (AFP) - - At least eight people were killed when molotov cocktails were thrown into a bar in the Mexican town of Cancun, a resort area popular with US tourists, officials said Tuesday.

  • Venezuelan hunger striker dies after Chavez protest

    Venezuelan hunger striker dies after Chavez protest

    AFP - Tuesday, August 31

    CARACAS (AFP) - - A Venezuelan farmer who held a months-long hunger strike to protest President Hugo Chavez's policies of land nationalization has died at a military hospital, his relatives said.

  • Rescue shaft drilling begins at collapsed Chile mine

    Rescue shaft drilling begins at collapsed Chile mine

    AFP - Tuesday, August 31

    COPIAPO, Chile (AFP) - - A powerful mechanical digger began digging a rescue shaft on Monday at a collapsed Chile mine where 33 men are trapped some 700 meters (2,300 feet) below ground, a government source said.

  • Army clashes with drug gangs in eastern Mexico: seven dead

    Army clashes with drug gangs in eastern Mexico: seven dead

    AFP - Tuesday, August 31

    VERACRUZ, Mexico (AFP) - - At least seven people have been killed in clashes between Mexican soldiers and likely drug gangs not far from where 72 migrants were massacred last week, the military said Monday.

  • Drug war intensifies in Mexico

    Drug war intensifies in Mexico

    AFP - Monday, August 30

    NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico (AFP) - - Mexico's blood-soaked drug war intensified in northeastern Tamaulipas state over the weekend, with fresh violence attributed to the Zetas, the drug cartel blamed for slaughtering 72 illegal migrants.

  • Drilling rescue shaft for trapped miners to start Monday

    Drilling rescue shaft for trapped miners to start Monday

    AFP - Sunday, August 29

    SANTIAGO (AFP) - - Workers will begin drilling a rescue shaft for 33 miners trapped deep underground in northern Chile early Monday, the engineer in charge of the rescue operation said.

  • Investigator disappears during Mexico deaths probe

    Investigator disappears during Mexico deaths probe

    AFP - Saturday, August 28

    CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AFP) - - An official probing the massacre of 72 migrants in northeast Mexico has gone missing along with a police officer as more bodies were identified and two car bombs shook the region.

  • Killer rains leave at least 34 dead in Nicaragua

    Killer rains leave at least 34 dead in Nicaragua

    AFP - Saturday, August 28

    MANAGUA (AFP) - - Floods and landslides have killed at least 34 dead and affected some 84,000 people in Nicaragua this rainy season, which began on May 15, officials said Friday.

  • Car bomb explodes outside Mexican TV station

    Car bomb explodes outside Mexican TV station

    AFP - Saturday, August 28

    CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AFP) - - A car bomb exploded early Friday outside the local affiliate of Televisa TV network in the northeastern city Ciudad Victoria, with no casualties, military officials and the network said.

  • Neighbors help Mexico identify massacre victims

    Neighbors help Mexico identify massacre victims

    AFP - Friday, August 27

    CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AFP) - - Mexico sought help Thursday from Latin American nations to identify 72 presumed migrants murdered near the US border, after officials blamed the brutal Zetas drug gang for the massacre.

  • Mexican officials blame migrant killings on drug gang

    Mexican officials blame migrant killings on drug gang

    AFP - Friday, August 27

    SAN FERNANDO, Mexico (AFP) - - Blame for the killing of 72 presumed migrants at a ranch in Mexico fell on the Zetas drug gang Thursday, as President Felipe Calderon condemned the murders and cartel attacks on migrants.

  • Trapped Chilean miner's family sues

    Trapped Chilean miner's family sues

    AFP - Friday, August 27

    COPIAPO, Chile (AFP) - - The family of one of 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine following a collapse early this month announced Thursday it will sue the owners of the shaft and government inspectors.

  • Mexican president strongly condemns migrant massacre

    Mexican president strongly condemns migrant massacre

    AFP - Friday, August 27

    MEXICO CITY (AFP) - - Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Thursday strongly condemned the massacre of 72 people, believed to be migrants who refused to work as hitmen for drug traffickers.
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