Monthly Archives: May 2009
Marketing…
Marketing videos are so FUN ! Everything just works…..
H/T- New Wars
What is in a picture? Poor decisions
What does this photo show? It shows two aircraft in production that have value.
The F-22 will end production based on what senior USAF officials state is a “high-risk” plan. The Super Hornet E/F model is being bought in such low numbers in the 2010 budget that it will cost $118 million each. If it was bought in quantity it would cost a lot less. And, the U.S. Navy does need quantity to fill out the carrier deck.
Not counting senior USAF leadership ignoring the ASA mission, and you have two really incredibly stupid decisions. All wrapped up in a pretty bow under the lie of “saving money.”
With Gates et al suffering “this war-itis” on Operations: USELESS DIRT 1 and 2, which provide no real defense for the U.S. taxpayer, the rest of the forces that do provide defense and deterrence will go to seed. Misery accomplished.
Sensor Package for Block 40 Global Hawk
This odd looking aircraft helps to test the new sensor fit for the Global Hawk.
This has been going on for some time.
Recent progress has this to say.
“At this point we’re delivering on the promise of advanced radar capability for the Global Hawk with completion of GMTI and SAR modes,” said Col. Jim Shaw, commander of the 851st Electronic Systems Group, which is leading the effort. “This is a capability that the warfighter needs in the overseas theater today.”
Radar system level performance verification testing on the advanced electronically-scanned array radar system verified performance of the Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR, and Ground Moving Target Indicator, or GMTI, modes. SAR imagery includes collection of high-resolution spot images, while GMTI focuses on moving ground targets. The testing was conducted on a Proteus test aircraft.
“The sensor performed very well on SAR, and clearly exceeded warfighter requirements in the GMTI modes,” the colonel said.
The testing included 186 flights with 1,063 flight hours on Proteus. Of those, 64 flights and 376 flight hours were needed to complete the testing, referred to as RSLPV, after a focus on calibration issues in late August and early September 2008.
Program managers hope to incorporate the sensor onto the first production Block 40 Global Hawk.
Malaysia, Fighter Deal and Industry
Malaysia will receive the last 6 of its SU-30MKM fighter aircraft by the end of the year bringing the total to 18.
Here is a look at how fighter deals are done on the other side of the fence.
Malaysia and the Russian government agency, Rosoboronexport, signed a US$900 million (RM3.4 billion) contract for 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM (Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Malaysia or Modernised Commercial Malaysia) aircraft.
In return for the purchase, Russia agreed to train and send a Malaysian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) and also buy palm oil from Malaysia.
Malaysia is also looking at the A-400M. Most likely no palm oil in that deal, just delay and high cost.
Azizan said RMAF would also take delivery of four Airbus A400M aircrafts, two in 2013 and another two in 2014.
Also in the news, the new Malaysian defense boss wants to increase the scale of the defense industry.
Speaking to Bernama here today, Ahmad Zahid, who assumed the post of Defence Minister two months ago, said he made this known when he met several ministers and defence representatives from the Asia Pacific region who were in Singapore to attend a regional security dialogue.
“We are taking an unconventional approach in military relations, not just in terms of cooperation for military training but more towards marketing our defence products to them,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is here to attend the 8th Shangri-La Dialogue 2009, had met with representatives and defence ministers from Brunei, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, United Kingdom and the United States.
He said the defence ministry could help the country’s economy as it had the potential of raking in millions of ringgit should the industry be developed with the right marketing strategy.
He said that the country was able to market local products such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), bullets for various types of firearms, military vehicles and specialist services such as repairing planes.
The ministry itself had a special department to conduct research on weaponry and military equipment called STRIDE (Science And Technology Research Institute For Defence), which could also market its research services abroad, Ahmad Zahid said.
He said several local companies were already known for their defence products such as SME Ordnance Sdn Bhd (SMEO) which manufactures explosives and bullets, DRB-HICOM which is known for their military trucks and AIROD known for their skills in repairing military aircraft.
Ahmad Zahid said this move would also improve the capabilities and increase business activities of local companies who had long been active in manufacturing defence products.
He added that the government was also ready to form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to offer financial packages to local companies to expand their businesses from being a service centre to manufacturer of defence products.
Gates the salesman
U.S. Defense Secretary Gates had a recent talk with the Indonesian Defense minister Juwono Sudarsono. Indonesia is trying to recapitalize their Defense situation and to become better at maintaining equipment.
Gates did some selling….
“With Gates we discussed the possibility of Hercules … but because the market of that particular plane is quite tight we have to wait our turn,” Sudarsono said in an interview.
“He promised for a discounted price but we don’t know how much the discount will be. Because it is in their interest for Indonesia to remain stable,” he said.
The country aims to raise its defence spending to 1.2 percent of gross domestic product within five years, from 0.68 percent or 33.6 trillion rupiah ($3.3 billion) now, Sudarsono said.
“It all depends on how quick the economy will recover,” he said
Sudarsono also stated,
Since Singapore is buying F-15 fighter jets, Indonesia was matching that move by buying Russian Sukhoi fighters, he said.
“Although it is a costly exercise, we have to do it to maintain the parity in the technology of our equipment with neighbouring countries.”
He said the defense spending of the world’s fourth-most populous nation, home to 226 million people, was far below neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Australia and Malaysia.
Travolta and Washington’s New Movie
Denzel talks about the grief of John Travolta over the loss of his son and a new movie.
A Hanging Judge
How does Iran deal with home terrorist events? They hang ‘em.
Teheran (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Iran has hanged three men for orchestrating a bombing of a Zahedan mosque that killed 25 people, injuring 125 people. At the same time Iranian leaders are accusing the United States of being behind the assault. The explosion – a suicide attack- took place May 28th last, during evening prayer, close to the Amir al-Momenin Mosque. The hangings took place this morning at 6 close to the mosque. According to state news agency Irna, the three men confessed to “illegally bringing explosives into Iran and giving them to the main person behind the bombing”. The three were arrested days before the attack. I tre condannati erano stati arrestati giorni prima dell’attentato. “They were convicted of being ‘mohareb’ [enemies of God] and corrupt on the earth and acting against national security”, said Hojatoeslam Ebrahim Hamidi, Sistan-Baluchestan public relations chief.
The Jundullah (God’s soldiers) opposition group declared its responsibility for the suicide bombing. In February 2007 they killed 13 pasdaran (revolutionary guards), the parallel army that depend directly from Ahmadinejad and the ayatollah.
Similar CNN story here.
Hiroshima survivor remembers lost U.S. airmen
The story of how a young Japanese Hiroshima survivor tries his best to track down the history and families of U.S. airmen that died as POWs at Hiroshima….
Hiroshima survivor remembers lost U.S. airmen
Doing a little searching… I found a family website that refers to one of the crew mentioned in the above article and the photo at the top. Salute.
On July 28, 1945, thirty-three B24 Liberator bombers from Okinawa attacked and sank one of Japan’s last battleships, the Haruna, in the heavily defended anchorage at Kure, thirty miles from Hiroshima.
Two B24s, Taloa and Lonesome Lady, were shot down. The surviving crewmen were brought into Hiroshima where they were held, together with other captured American airmen, in the local Japanese military police headquarters by chance, less than eight hundred yards from where the Enola Gay’s atom bomb was soon to explode. All the prisoners and their guards were killed, or died soon after.Lt. Durden William Looper was on board the B24 Liberator Lonesome Lady.
The other crew members were:
2nd. Lt. James M Ryan 2nd Lt. Ralph Neal Sgt. Hugh Atkinson Sgt. Buford Ellison Cpl. John Long
Helicopter Fun
This video of the hard working French out in Chad has been around a while. It never gets old and is always fun to watch.
The extreme low level travel isn’t done for sport. It is a measure to reduce the chances of a MANPAD shot.
