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Why The F-22 Is Vital Part 11
disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only
by Rebecca Grant
Arlington, Va. (UPI) Mar 27, 2009
The developments most likely to interrupt the ability of the United States to carry out missions up to and including conventional airstrikes and thus imperil deterrence come from a range of technologies. Developments in these areas can be seen as pacesetters.
-- Fighters. After a long lull, the world fighter market has seen new procurement plans and research on advanced types. First up are variants incorporating advanced tracking and targeting systems explicitly intended to match current U.S. fighters. In March 2008, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the defense ministry to add more Sukhoi Su-35s and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-35s -- an upgrade of the MiG-29 Fulcrum -- in the interim before Sukhoi's "fifth-generation" PAK-FA type is developed, Alexey Komarov reported in his article "Bear Market" in Aviation Week and Space Technology on March 3, 2008.
Together, Russia and China have 12 open military-aircraft production lines.
-- Jammers. Digital radio-frequency memory is an electronics countermeasure technology that samples and digitally duplicates a waveform. The digitized waveform can be reconstructed at will and projected back to give false information on position, speed, heading and more.
-- Infrared search and track. New systems like the one incorporated on the MiG-35 are capable of passive detection of heat from air resistance on a missile nose cone. Coupled with laser range-finding or other techniques, infrared search and track offers a potential fire control solution, too. While IRST has some operational disadvantages, it has the potential to be a formidable new weapon.
-- Ultra-long-range missiles. According to the Air Force, new missiles are under development that will cut into some Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile and stealth tactics. Longer-range adversary missiles will make fighter aircraft speed crucial because it enables the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor to engage at longer ranges with the same effect.
These are just some of the technical trends relevant to conventional deterrence as it relates to the ability to conduct air strikes. Many of these technologies debuted in rudimentary form years ago, and most are in the inventory or well within reach of the U.S. and Western partners. Together, they open tactical possibilities that present a near-even match with current U.S. fighters.
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor was designed to combat developments like these. Much of its edge is built into the aerodynamics of the platform. The whole intent of the F-22 Raptor was to create one fighter with the performance to ensure superiority against upgraded and new adversary fighters, even as they add advanced capabilities.
-- Part 11: The primary role of fifth-generation air superiority fighters in guaranteeing the deterrence capabilities of the U.S. Air Force.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Why_The_F-22_Is_Vital_Part_11_999.html
Airmen provide show of force
by Staff Sgt. Tim Beckham
U.S. Air Forces Central, Baghdad Media Outreach Team
3/27/2009 - SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNS) -- The use of show of force is intended to warn or intimidate an opponent and to demonstrate capability or the will to act if provoked. For two female Airmen here the showing of force is more than just a term, it's a way of life.
For Senior Airman Elizabeth Gonzalez and Staff Sgt. Vida Reveles, 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron heavy weapon operators, manning the .50 caliber machine guns here is a job they take very seriously.
"We are here to secure the flightline area and deny unauthorized entry into Sather Air Base," said Sergeant Reveles, who is a native of Las Cruces, N.M. and is deployed from the 204th Security Forces Squadron at Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss, Texas. "It's a different beast working with the .50 cal, but a real privilege."
"Our primary duty is to provide direct fire to any unauthorized personnel or vehicles trying to gain access to the base but if we are firing this weapon it means something bad is happening," added Airman Gonzalez, who is a native of El Paso, Texas, and is also deployed from the 204th SFS. "I have shot eight different weapons and this is the best, it is very powerful and accurate and I just love it."
The .50 cal guns, used in combat since World War II, have predominately been manned by men in the past, but partly in thanks to these two Airmen, seeing a female behind the trigger has become more and more common.
"It can be very difficult and challenging at times, physically, but the guys expect us to be able to lift and mount the weapon ourselves so it's just something we have to be able to do," said Sergeant Reveles.
"It's challenging because people are always underestimating the female, we probably have to be twice as tough as the guys, but I have always liked guns more than doing my makeup," said Airman Gonzalez.
Whether they are patrolling the base perimeter in a Humvee, or manning a post overlooking the flightline, the show of force these Airmen provide is part of the reason people here can sleep well at night.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/03/mil-090327-afns06.htm
Air Force officials deliver first C-130 to Polish military
by Capt. Tony Wickman
U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs
3/27/2009 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) -- American and Polish airmen delivered the first of five refurbished C-130E Hercules military transport planes and spare parts March 24 to the Polish air force at Powidz Air Base, Poland.
"It's a great day for them to celebrate the arrival of the Hercules. It's vital to them being able to -- own their own -- organically pick up and go," said Air Force Maj. Gen. William A. Chambers, the U.S. Air Forces in Europe director of air and space operations.
"They're one of our allies who are very willing to go," he said. "Whether it is Afghanistan or Iraq, they've been alongside the Americans in both fights. The 'Herc' is a great symbol of the American-Polish partnership, and we're grateful to be alongside them."
It was a sentiment echoed by Polish Brig. Gen. Tadeusz Mikutel, the 33rd Air Base commander.
"This is a milestone for our air defense. The plane is able to carry 17 tons of equipment or 90 equipped soldiers. That is why the plane will leave (our) CASA planes behind," General Mikutel said.
Also on hand for the celebration were Stanislaw Komorowski, Poland's vice minister of defense; Polish Lt. Gen. Andrzej Blasik, commander of the Polish air force; Pamela Quanrud, the deputy chief of mission for the American Embassy in Warsaw; and several Polish military and local government authorities.
The new plane expands the Polish air force's ability to transport troops and equipment, while providing support for evacuation and humanitarian operations. Its presence in the Polish fleet will also increase their interoperability with other air forces because the C-130 is used by several nations around the world, to include NATO allies.
The C-130 received an escort to Powidz AB by F-16s from the Polish air force when it neared its final destination, and performed two flyovers of the gathered crowd to showcase the newest addition to the Polish inventory. Upon landing, both the American and Polish crews were recognized for the achievement.
"I think we can accomplish a lot of missions to deliver cargo to our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq," said Polish Sgt. Andrzej Kozera, a C-130 flight engineer.
The Reserve aircrew from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and an active-duty loadmaster from Edwards AFB, Calif., picked the plane up in Waco, Texas, with their Polish counterparts after its refurbishment and flew it across the Atlantic, stopping at Ramstein AB. It made its final leg to Powidz AB, where it will become part of the 14th Lift Squadron.
The entire project, including total refurbishment of five aircraft, support equipment, supplies, training and contracted logistics support, is valued at $120 million. The donation is a result of an American pledge to provide Poland with such a capability, and is fully funded through bilateral military assistance grant money.
The delivery of the five modernized and upgraded aircraft is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2010.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/03/mil-090327-afns05.htm
Marines to Test New Expeditionary Vehicle in 2010
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 27, 2009 – The Marine Corps’ first expeditionary fighting vehicles –- 17-passenger armored vehicles -- are slated to be delivered to the Marine Corps for testing in May 2010, the vehicle’s program manager said.
The Marine Corps’ EFV program successfully released a critical design review in the first quarter of this fiscal year, allowing it to go into a second system development and demonstration phase.
“We’re currently building seven new prototypes to that new design. Those vehicles are currently going through fabrication and machining the hulls at Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio. They’ll begin assembly this summer,” Marine Corps Col. Keith Moore said in a “DoDLive” bloggers roundtable March 25.
“The Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity will run the vehicle through 10 to 12 mission-profile scenarios to assess the overall performance, as well as the reliability of the vehicle,” Moore added.
An analysis of the system reliability was conducted in December 2008 and it projected a 61 hours mean time between operational mission failures, which is significantly above what the requirements were to continue the program forward, Moore explained.
The reliability testing conducted in December involved an overall reassessing of the total ground vehicle structure for the Marine Corps and a critical design review for the redesigned vehicle.
“We’ll go back through a reliability growth program of testing those, identifying additional failure modes, and redesigning components to get them up to the required reliability,” Moore said.
A result of limited testing and redesign, the failure of the initial SDD phase prototypes to demonstrate acceptable reliability during the 2006 operational assessment was a significant concern driving the 2007 certification and restructure of the program, officials said. This restructure allowed a second SDD-2 phase to be conducted with an updated series of newly manufactured prototypes.
Moore added that the EFV is a critical element of the national security capability.
“There is no other alternative to providing that capability for less or equal cost,” Moore said.
During prototype testing in May next year, the Marine Corps will determine if the vehicle meets their expectations.
“We just need the time to get to when we had planned this next demonstration of capability, and then we can revisit, ‘Did it meet the expectations?’ If it doesn't meet the expectations, is it because of something that's fixable, or is it because this is just too hard to do?” Moore said.
In response to a question about the need for an amphibious capability, Moore said that from 1982 to 2006, the Marine Corps had been involved in 102 amphibious operations.
“This capability is oftentimes more effective, and serves a larger strategic and operational purpose in the employment of it, but you have to have the credible threat of being able to do it,” Moore said.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity’s Emerging Media directorate.)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/03/mil-090327-afps08.htm
Priced Out Of The Battlefield
March 28, 2009: There is a debate going on within the Russian military over how to proceed with reforming the military. Many generals believe that the military industries that produced a wide range of weapons for the Soviet Union are now either gone or no longer capable of producing competitive weapons or equipment. An example is the Mi-8 helicopter. This was Russia's answer to the radical American UH-1 ("Huey"). While the UH-1 was replaced by the much improved UH-60 in the 1980s, the Mi-8 has gone through lots of upgrades (to the current Mi-171), but never a new design. Russian industry has a new design, the Mi-38, but no customers. Even the Russian military cannot afford to buy the more expensive, which is competitive with the UH-60. This is typical of the fundamental situation throughout the Russian military. They cannot afford modern equipment, and as a result, Russian military industries are not getting the orders required to keep them in business. The government has, in the last decade, announced that it was going to buy new equipment for the military. But the new stuff never shows up. Oh, some does, in fits and starts. But, as many of the generals and admirals have noted, the money isn't there. And with the low price of oil, and other raw materials Russia exports, the money won't be there for a while. Many generals oppose the current reforms, which includes dismissing thousands of generals and disbanding the mass reserve army. For over a century, this reserve army was organized to raise millions of troops, armed with low-tech weapons and poorly trained, to defend Russia from invasion.
Further investigation has revealed that the Cyber War attacks on Estonia and Georgia (which temporarily shut down Internet access in those countries), while carried out by nationalistic Russian hackers, was done at the instigation of Russian government officials (who got in touch with leaders of Russian hacker groups and requested the attacks).
The government has reduced the list of weapons subject to export control (you need permission to sell abroad). The weapons still on the list are; shoulder fired surface-to-air missile systems, portable antitank guided missile launchers (ATGMs), portable anti-tank rocket grenade launchers (RPGs), and portable flamethrowers. Several weapon types, which used to be controlled, are no longer. These include revolvers and self-loading pistols, rifles, sub-machineguns, automatic rifles, light machineguns, antiaircraft machineguns, antitank guns, and light and medium mortars (caliber less than100 mm).
In another attempt to clean up the corrupt and inefficient national police, a code of conduct has been issued for the force. Bribery, drinking on the job and adultery (among many other forms of misbehavior) are now forbidden.
The government has ordered army and police authorities in Chechnya to set up a timetable to officially end their operations there. Chechen police have been taking over more of the security work in the province for the last few years. While corrupt and brutal, the local police are capable of dealing with local gangsters and trouble makers (Islamic radicals and anti-Russian nationalists.) The official end to the war would make it easier for Chechen companies to import and export goods.
The Russian Navy announced its intention to resume the use of nuclear warheads for some of its anti-ship missiles (those launched via torpedo tubes by submarines). This would enable these missiles to destroy a group of warships, and to avoid defensive weapons (like Phalanx and SeaRAM). The U.S. and Russia withdrew their tactical nuclear weapons from their navies at the end of the Cold War.
Canada and Russia are engaged in a growing dispute over who controls certain Arctic waters, and natural resources that may be present on the seabed beneath. Russia says it is going to set up a special military force to patrol Arctic waters it believes it "owns". Precisely who controls Arctic waters has never been spelled out by international treaty, and the Russians have expressed a determination to define what they own, by themselves, and see who will do what to oppose these claims.
March 21, 2009: In Dagestan, three days of fighting in a wooded area, left five policemen and at least a dozen rebels (a combination of gangsters, Islamic radicals and people just angry at the corrupt local government) dead.
March 20, 2009: The government admitted that permanent military bases were being established in the former Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These two areas have joined Russia, becoming the first Russian territorial annexation since the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991 (and broke up an empire that took four centuries to put together.)
http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/russia/articles/20090328.aspx
Creating Combat Ready Gadgets
March 28, 2009: The U.S. Army is trying to develop bomb proof computer displays (screens). With more electronics on the battlefield, there is a need for displays that don't break so easily. Commercial computer makers have "ruggedized" models of laptops, but the displays are still based on glass components. Same for everything from digital watches, to cell phones and PDAs. Civilian "rugged" and army infantry "rugged" are two different things. Even on a construction site, field work or a factory floor, a sturdier, shock proofed laptop will withstand most of the punishment it normally encounters. But the infantry have to deal with explosions (a common destroyer of computer displays), plus a degree of roughness rarely encountered in any civilian endeavor.
There has always been commercial research on "digital paper", but the demand was never large enough to attract a lot of research money. The existing display technology got the job done at an attractive price. Since the various digital paper technologies would produce a more "bomb proof", and much more expensive, display, it was not commercially viable. There was just not a big enough market for such a rugged electronic display. But now the U.S. Army believes they have a real need for this sort of thing, even if the displays cost several times what existing, glass based ones, do. There are several digital paper designs nearly ready for mass production. So the army put money into the Flexible Display Center (a university research operation) to get some of the more promising models out of the lab and onto the assembly line. Within 4-5 years, the army expects to have new flat panel displays that can take an explosion or two, and keep on shining. The new displays will also be, in some cases, literally "digital paper," and bendable. This makes it possible to put displays in more places, for more uses.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htecm/articles/20090328.aspx
Creating Combat Ready Gadgets
March 28, 2009: The U.S. Army is trying to develop bomb proof computer displays (screens). With more electronics on the battlefield, there is a need for displays that don't break so easily. Commercial computer makers have "ruggedized" models of laptops, but the displays are still based on glass components. Same for everything from digital watches, to cell phones and PDAs. Civilian "rugged" and army infantry "rugged" are two different things. Even on a construction site, field work or a factory floor, a sturdier, shock proofed laptop will withstand most of the punishment it normally encounters. But the infantry have to deal with explosions (a common destroyer of computer displays), plus a degree of roughness rarely encountered in any civilian endeavor.
There has always been commercial research on "digital paper", but the demand was never large enough to attract a lot of research money. The existing display technology got the job done at an attractive price. Since the various digital paper technologies would produce a more "bomb proof", and much more expensive, display, it was not commercially viable. There was just not a big enough market for such a rugged electronic display. But now the U.S. Army believes they have a real need for this sort of thing, even if the displays cost several times what existing, glass based ones, do. There are several digital paper designs nearly ready for mass production. So the army put money into the Flexible Display Center (a university research operation) to get some of the more promising models out of the lab and onto the assembly line. Within 4-5 years, the army expects to have new flat panel displays that can take an explosion or two, and keep on shining. The new displays will also be, in some cases, literally "digital paper," and bendable. This makes it possible to put displays in more places, for more uses.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htecm/articles/20090328.aspx
China Loots Wreckage Of The Empire
March 28, 2009: While Russia has been a major victim of China's program of stealing military technology, other countries have been more willing to share Russian military technology. When the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, 14 new nations were created from bits of the defunct empire. The new nations owned all Soviet weapons and defense factories that were on their territory. This provided China with many more opportunities to get Soviet military technology without having to deal with Russia (which is quite unhappy with China's plundering ways.)
Even Belarus, the former part of the Soviet Union that is most closely allied with Russia, has been eager to peddle Soviet military technology to China. Former Soviet factories in Belarus manufactured heavy trucks for transporting and launching large ballistic missiles. Thus Belarus is selling components and technology to assist China in building a transporter for its four ton DF11 ballistic missile. The Chinese WS2400 8x8 heavy duty truck used to carry the DF11 is very similar to Russian models.
Ukraine, which has frosty relations with Russia, has been exporting engines for China's K8 jet trainer, as well as engines for Chinese helicopters. Ukraine is also willing to sell technology, and send personnel to teach the Chinese how to build it. The Central Asian nations that were formerly part of the Soviet Union have also sold Soviet military technology to China.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htlead/articles/20090328.aspx
they give russia more power than they actually have. they are a bunch of paranoid nuts jumping at every shadow.
they should be more concerned with china and their intentions than what we are doing
nice to see you here!
ill have to watch that later, its longer than i realized
French military to get Pentagon-style Paris HQ
by Staff Writers
Paris (AFP) March 26, 2009
France's defence ministry and armed forces are to get a new Pentagon-style headquarters in southern Paris under plans unveiled on Thursday intended to boost military cooperation.
Fifteen key ministry and armed forces divisions, currently scattered over a dozen sites in and around the capital, are to move to the new HQ, to be built by 2014 on a military-owned site in the far southwest of the capital.
"Our armies work together in operations all across the world. They have to stop working as separate entities at command level," Defence Minister Herve Morin told reporters as he presented the plans.
Architects will be invited to put in bids this year for the site in Balard next to the Paris inner ring road, which will eventually host 10,000 people, with the chosen project to be unveiled in 2011, Morin said.
Built under a public-private partnership, the new defence headquarters should have a design "worthy of the 21st century, and of the planet's fourth biggest military power," the minister said.
Under the plans, the defence ministry will move from the 18th-century Hotel de Brienne south of the River Seine, where it was installed by General Charles de Gaulle after World War II.
The armed forces chief of staff will leave an underground bunker in the Latin Quarter.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/French_military_to_get_Pentagon-style_Paris_HQ_999.html
Analysis: China can't buy Sukhoi jets
Su-33 shipborne fighters.
by Andrei Chang
Hong Kong (UPI) Mar 25, 2009
Some Western media have reported that China is negotiating with Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi Co. for the procurement of 14 Su-33 shipborne fighters, claiming that the contract on the deal will be signed soon.
However, Boris D. Bregman, first deputy general director of Sukhoi, said the talks with China are still only at the consultation stage. While confirming that contacts were ongoing, he said no official negotiations had been initiated so far.
The information that China intended to import 14 Sukhoi Su-33 fighters came from the Russian military industry delegation attending the Zhuhai Air Show in 2006. Members of the delegation said China had indicated it would eventually require about 50 Sukhoi Su-33s to arm several aircraft carrier battle groups.
China had initially requested only two fighters, then raised its request to 14, to be procured in two groups of seven, a Russian military-industry source said. However, given its past record of copying Russian technology, suspicions were high that the Chinese intended to produce their own version of the fighter plane, using the Sukhoi Su-33 as a model.
A Russian official told United Press International that producing only seven aircraft in one batch was not feasible, as production of the Sukhoi Su-33 had already been suspended and the cost of reconstructing the production facilities was too high for such a small order.
However, Bregman told the author that his company could produce an upgraded variant of the Sukhoi Su-33 for export, according to the purchaser's requirements, if the deal was right.
Some reports have suggested that a version of the aircraft specifically designed for China -- referred to as the Sukhoi Su-33K -- could be built to the standard of the Sukhoi Su-30MK2, which has upgraded electronics that support anti-ship missiles, or even fitted with Irbis or Bars phased-array radar systems. The former is currently installed on Sukhoi Su-35 fighters.
However, these modifications seem unlikely. The Irbis has a maximum power output of 20 kilowatts; therefore, the Sukhoi Su-33's power supply would be far from enough to support it.
The Bars passive phased-array radar is mainly employed on the Sukhoi Su-30MKM/MKI fighters currently in use by the Malaysian and Indian air forces. The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet officially approved the export of this type of radar system to China.
China and Russia have not yet been able to reach agreement on the procurement of the Sukhoi Su-33 fighters. Negotiations on the deal are still only in the initial stages, and China will place its priorities elsewhere in 2009.
The Chinese navy will continue its work on constructing an aircraft carrier; at the same time, it will consider its options with regard to the selection of shipborne fighter aircraft. Since the aircraft carrier construction is likely to take at least another five to six years, it is not impossible that China may develop a shipborne variant of its own J-10A and J-11BH fighters during this period.
However, Sukhoi may eventually restart its Su-33 production line because the Russian navy is about to resume its own "grand aircraft carrier program."
Aviation weapons observers based in Moscow say that a more realistic purchase order of Sukhoi Su-33 fighters would be 24 or more in order to make the start-up of the production line cost-effective. Therefore, China may either have to increase its order or find another solution to the problem of procuring shipborne fighter aircraft.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Analysis_China_cant_buy_Sukhoi_jets_999.html
Pakistan spy agency funnels cash to Afghan militants: report
Even though the United States has protested alleged links between Pakistan's spy agency and militants for more than one year, the latest details "reveal that the spy agency is aiding a broader array of militant networks with more diverse types of support than was previously known," the Times said.
by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) March 26, 2009
Operatives in Pakistan's military intelligence agency provide cash, supplies and strategic advice to militants in Afghanistan where the United States is fighting a resurgent Taliban, the New York Times said Thursday.
The assistance extends to Taliban militants and other insurgents, and is coordinated by the S Wing of Pakistan's spy service, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the report said.
"The support consists of money, military supplies and strategic planning guidance to Taliban commanders," it added, citing a "half-dozen American, Pakistani and other security officials" who requested anonymity.
"There is even evidence that ISI operatives meet regularly with Taliban commanders to discuss whether to intensify or scale back violence before the Afghan elections."
The reported cited US officials as saying they had gleaned evidence of the ties between militants and Pakistani spies through "electronic surveillance and trusted informants."
The Pakistani officials who were interviewed for the report cited "firsthand knowledge of the connections, though they denied that the ties were strengthening the insurgency."
Even though the United States has protested alleged links between Pakistan's spy agency and militants for more than one year, the latest details "reveal that the spy agency is aiding a broader array of militant networks with more diverse types of support than was previously known," the Times said.
Pakistan's leaders have denied any militant links.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pakistan_spy_agency_funnels_cash_to_Afghan_militants_report_999.html
Outside View: Why F-22 is vital -- Part 10
disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only
by Rebecca Grant
Arlington, Va. (UPI) Mar 26, 2009
Mobile missile launchers could threaten everything from an anti-satellite attack to use of nuclear weapons. Mobile launchers are notoriously difficult to pin down.
Scud-hunting in Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War soaked up resources from the U.S. Air Force. A decade later, despite years of work, the U.S. armed forces and their allies still encountered unlocated, mobile surface-to-air missiles as the war with Iraq began in March 2003.
Holding mobile missile launchers at risk of attack will probably be the gold standard for conventional deterrence. Some analysts maintain that standoff missiles are a valid option against important targets deep in enemy airspace.
While they have their uses, standoff missiles suffer from a big drawback in attacking mobile targets. To reach a target, the missile is launched and then flies in to make the strike. The time of flight may be several minutes. That is ample time for the target to move far enough to avoid being killed or even damaged. Harassment is not deterrence.
Nor can all aircraft withstand the risks. Hunting for mobile targets could also take the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor deep into enemy defenses, where it will probably be outnumbered by enemy fighters.
In that scenario, F-22 Raptors may have to fight off enemy aircraft, then continue on to strike the assigned mobile target. The superior internal carriage of the F-22's air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons will help it survive and complete its mission.
Conventional deterrence is driven by the military weight in each side of the balance and the calculation of interests that goes into the decision to act. Interests vary, but it is easier to track over time the rise and fall of the military power.
Will the United States be "deterred" from taking military actions in support of international aims? Americans like to think of their military forces deterring bad actions of others. Yet as balances shift, there's a real possibility that American forces might find their options more constrained if they cannot establish that conventional over-match so central to cold, hard conventional deterrence.
Based on the last decade of experience, the freedom to act may range from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance over-watch to the use of special forces to limited strikes. However, none of these will be possible if U.S. air dominance slips to the point of self-deterring action.
The developments most likely to interrupt the ability of the United States to carry out missions up to and including conventional airstrikes and thus imperil deterrence come from a range of technologies. Developments in these areas can be seen as pacesetters.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Outside_View_Why_F-22_is_vital_Part_10_999.html
Is Obama Warming to a Permanent U.N. Security Council Seat for Africa?
By James Butty
Washington, DC
27 March 2009
Will Africa finally get a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council during the Obama administration? James Warlick, acting assistant Secretary in the State Department's Bureau of International Organization Affairs told the Foreign Press Center in Washington last week that the clamor for a permanent Security Council seat for Africa was a legitimate concern.
In a question and answer session, Warlick reportedly said while the U.S. has not taken a position on whether Africa should get a permanent seat, there was no question Africa needed to have a voice in the Security Council.
Kabiru Mato, chief of the political science department at Nigeria's University of Abuja told VOA that democratizing the Security Council to involve Africa would be a welcome development giving the continent's immensity.
"I think (a permanent seat for Africa) is possible only to the extent that the United Nations itself continues to remain relevant in international politics, and the relevance of the organization in international politics, I think, must be understood from the perspective of the efficacy of decisions that the council normally takes. Not the United Nations organization that we have seen in the recent which basically has become a toothless bulldog where one or two superpowers within the Security Council may decide to behave unilaterally as America has behaved in Iraq in 1991," he said.
Mato said Africa will benefit significantly from a permanent seat on the Security Council.
"Africa is the only continent that does not have a membership in the United Nations Security Council, that is permanently, and the real benefit of course would be that an African member of the Security Council will have a veto power. Apart from the veto power will have also leverage to participate in the very sensitive decisions that are taken by permanent members of the Security Council," Mato said.
He said democratizing the United Security Council involving Africa is a welcoming development, and Mato said the Obama administration has a serious challenge in retaining the sanctity of the United Nations Security Council.
Mato said the International Criminal Court would not have been able to issue an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir had Africa been on the U.N. Security Council.
"I really think an African membership on the Security Council would have frowned at that because the position of the African Union as far as the arrest warrant is concerned is that it is illegitimate, and that it simply explains the nature of double standard that international capitalism apparently subjects to other countries that are economically less advantageous to them," Mato said.
He said the International Criminal Court (ICC) cannot enforce an arrest warrant against Sudan because just like the United States, Sudan is not a member of the ICC.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/03/mil-090327-voa04.htm
USN Buys Another Of Them Funny Little Ships
March 27, 2009: The US Navy has ordered a second LCS (Littoral Combat Ship) from Lockheed Martin. This came after the first ship of this design, the USS Freedom (LCS 1), completed its sea trials, and made its way from Lake Michigan, via a network of narrow locks, to the Atlantic ocean. The trip continued, via the Panama Canal, to San Diego, and gave the Freedom an opportunity to show how well an LCS operates on a long voyage. The ship is now at its home port, San Diego.
A crew of 40 is pretty small for a ship this size (which, in the past, would have about four times as many sailors). But the LCS is highly automated. On the Freedom, the captain decided that officers, including himself, would pitch in with maintenance and housekeeping chores. More so than in larger ships, sailors learn to do other jobs on an LCS, and, as a result, work is lot more interesting and less boring. But it can get intense at times, and there are still questions about whether the smaller crew, and all the "smartship" tech can really handle the kind of damage control emergencies that crop up on military ships
Normally, an LCS would have another 35 crew manning its "mission package". The LCS is designed for a variety of interchangeable modules (e.g., air defense, underwater warfare, special operations, surface attack, etc.), which will allow the ships to be quickly reconfigured for various specialized missions. Crews will also be modularized, so that specialized teams can be swapped in to operate specific modules. Thus about 40 percent of the ship is empty, with a large cargo hold into which the mission package gear is inserted (and then removed, along with the package crew, when it is no longer assigned to that ship.) Thus the LCS has two crews when underway, the "ship" crew and the mission package crew. The captain of the ship crew is in charge, and the officer commanding the mission package is simply the officer in charge of the largest equipment system on board.
Three years ago, when construction began on LCS 1, it was to displace 2,500 tons, with a full load draft of under ten feet (permitting access to very shallow "green" and even "brown" coastal and riverine waters, where most naval operations have taken place in the past generation. Top speed is expected was to be over 80 kilometers with a range of 6,300 kilometers. The 378 foot long ship still has the range and top speed it was designed for. Basic endurance is 21 days. Thus the Freedom had to refuel and resupply several times on its way to San Diego.
Built using "smartship" technologies, which greatly reduce personnel requirements, the basic LCS was expected to require a crew of 40 in basic configuration, but will have billeting for about 75 personnel. The sea trials gave the smartship features a workout, which, so far appears to be successful. The successful sea trials were very important, because the LCS project is over budget, behind schedule and, worst of all, an untried new concept.
There are actually two different LCS designs, a semi-planning monohull from Lockheed-Martin and a trimaran from General Dynamics. LCS 1 was laid down by Lockheed Martin in Marinette, Wisconsin, in June of 2005 and was expected to be commissioned in 2007, after months of sea tests in late 2006. That schedule slipped, with the ship not completed until late 2008, and sea trials not starting until January, 2009.
LCS 2 was laid down by General Dynamics in late 2005. These, and LCS 3 and LCS 4, were to be built by Lockheed and General Dynamics, respectively. These are essentially prototypes, and serial procurement was expected to begin this year, after initial design flaws had been worked out. Ultimately, the Navy hoped to have 55 LCSs by 2014-18, at a cost of $90 million each. Congress has capped the price of LCS ships at $460 million, after years of increases, and threats to cancel the project.
There were a lot of problems with the LCS design. The USS Freedom ended up costing $500 million, about twice what the first ship in the class was supposed to have cost. LCS 2 will not be delivered until later this year, with sea trials completed by the end of the year. Next year, the navy will choose which of the designs will serve as the model for all future LCS class vessels. At that point, the winner will build two more ships of their design, and the loser one. All five of these LCS ships will be used heavily to determine what changes in the basic design are required. Then, mass production will commence, to build another 50 ships.
LCS 1 ended up displacing 2,900 tons, and most observers in 2005 believed that it would end up closer to 3,000 tons. The LCS is armed with a 57mm gun, four 12.7mm machine-guns, and an eleven cell SeaRam system for air and missile defense. The RAM (RIM-116 "Rolling Air Frame") missiles replace Phalanx autocannon. SeaRAM has a longer range (7.5 kilometers) than the Phalanx (two kilometers).
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsurf/articles/20090327.aspx
Longer And Smarter
March 27, 2009: The U.S. Navy has bought 350 more AGM-154C1 JSOW (Joint Stand Off Weapon), at a cost of about $300,000 each. These will start delivery to the navy, and some export customers, next year. Two years ago, Poland and Greece have bought 118 JSOW. Poland is getting 78, Greece the rest.
JSOW is basically a smart bomb with wings. That enables it to glide up to 130 kilometers from the aircraft dropping it. Range is about 50 kilometers if dropped from low altitude. JSOW also contains more elaborate fins and software that enables it to follow a specific route. Like the wingless JDAM smart bomb, JSOW uses GPS and inertial guidance (as a backup) to find its target. Like JDAM, JSOW will hit within 30 feet of its aiming point.
There are three versions of JSOW. AGM-154A carries 145 bomblets that attack personnel and vehicles. AGM-154B contains six SADARM bomblets that seek out and destroy armored vehicles in an area 300 by 600 meters. This one costs $490,000 each. The AGM-154C carries a 794 pound warhead that can penetrate concrete or earth before detonating the high explosives it carries. This model contains a video link that allows for hitting very small targets (like going through a window). The C1 version is able to hit moving targets.
Each JSOW weighs 1,100-1,500 pounds, depending on type. Not a lot of JSOWs have been bought because there is not a lot of demand for them. The purpose of a standoff weapon is to keep the aircraft away from enemy anti-aircraft defenses (mainly missiles.) Some JSOW have been used in Iraq (between 1999 and 2003) and Afghanistan (2001.) But in most cases, the much cheaper JDAM (about $26,000 each) does the job just as well. But against a better equipped foe, like China, Syria, Iran or North Korea, JSOW would be more useful.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairw/articles/20090327.aspx
Swiss Miss
March 27, 2009: Switzerland is not a major arms exporter (about $600 million worth last year). Although sales were up last year, that is not likely to continue. Many Swiss want arms exports banned, despite the large loss of jobs. Meanwhile, the Swiss government puts restrictions on who Swiss weapons can be sold to, including bans on the shipment of spare parts for weapons already sold. If the government decides that a customer nation has been behaving badly, shipments will be halted (even if already paid for.) Currently, Pakistan is the largest customer for Swiss weapons, but not for long. This is because the Swiss government has halted the shipment of replacement parts for Swiss anti-aircraft guns in Pakistan. The Swiss believe the political situation in Pakistan is too unstable, and that the Swiss weapons could be used to hurt the wrong people.
Many Swiss take their long (since the early 19th century) neutrality very seriously, and even want to disband the Swiss armed forces. So far, this proposal has not attracted the backing of a majority of Swiss voters. But it's moving in that direction.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20090327.aspx
Holy War Against Hamas
March 27, 2009: The recent 22 day war against Hamas touched a nerve with many Israelis, who are not happy with the constant rocket and mortar attacks coming out Gaza, and Hamas insisting that Israel must be destroyed and all Jews killed. So many of the Israeli troops going into Gaza were eager for a little payback. The Israeli army chaplains are a conservative bunch, and told the troops that the battle against Hamas was something of a holy war (because of the virulent anti-Semitic attitudes of Hamas) against a force that was dedicated to destroying Israel. Now the mainstream media has picked up on this and run with the "Israeli soldiers ordered to commit atrocities in Gaza" angle. All this is long on speculation and short on facts, but it sells newspapers, and that's what it's for.
Israel revealed that it has sent warplanes down the Red Sea to attack a convoy of trucks, near the Egyptian border in Sudan, carrying Iranian long range rockets destined for Gaza. Iran brings the rockets (and other weapons) in through Port Sudan, and then trucks them to Egypt. Sudan is an ally of Iran, and thus does not interfere. Egypt is not a friend of Iran, but the border police can be bribed. The January attack destroyed 17 truckloads of weapons, and killed the 39 men operating the vehicles. Since then, the smugglers have resorted to individual trucks, and the use of small boats moving up the Red Sea coast.
Negotiations between Hamas and Israel are stalemated over the release of about a hundred experienced and dedicated terrorists. Israel does not want to let these guys go, because that will result in dead Israelis. A major reason for the terrorist lack of success over the last few years, is the Israeli campaign against the terrorist leaders and technical experts. Hundreds have been killed or captured, and this has crippled the Palestinians terrorism capabilities. Hamas wants to get their terror mojo back by getting a hundred of their major players out of jail.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army is preparing for a second round of fighting in Gaza. With a new Israeli government formed (after the recent elections), decisions on military operations in Gaza can be made. Most Israelis believe that Hamas is beyond redemption, and that the only solution is to go in and do major damage to Hamas in Gaza. The Israelis feel that you can't really negotiate with a group who keeps insisting that the only end game here is the destruction of Israel and the death to all Jews.
http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/israel/articles/20090327.aspx
thanks
lol
i would like to know what he did exactly to earn this award?! as far as im concerned he has mostly shamed himself as a former Marine
she is blaming our country as a whole, when its mostly the politicians fault this is happening.
and i bet this administration does nothing but make the problem worse
im sure there are many jobs that cant be replaced without a lot of training for the replacement employee.
im amazed he has kept the country under control to the extent he has. his dad must have beat them down pretty good for them to go through the famines they have suffered and not revolt
almost time to get the board going again
i dont think the chicoms have as much control as they use to. the midget in control of the DPRK is starting to go a little nuts IMO. but i do agree that the chicoms are loving every minute of this crap.
the chicoms wouldnt be anywhere near what they have accomplished if it wasnt for slick willy allowing them to get our technology
that is a very good idea. you would have to make sure the companies replace those employees. im sure many companies wouldnt unless forced to do so
i do think it has very little chance of achieving anything because of the piss poor state that country is in.
hell russia has had oil money coming in left and right, up until recently, and they cant even get their new ballistic missile to launch without failures
in a sense it is our fault that the violence has risen to this extent. we have no fence and no troops stationed on the border.
private citizens have no right to stop ILLEGALS from crossing their property to enter here ILLEGALLY.
we should take Israel's example of a way to shut down the tunnels, bomb the hell out of them. then let the snipers practice their trade on the border.
i bet those drugs become a little to expensive to buy for those poor people who collect a check each month to sit on their asses.
thats a bet i wouldnt take, besides it might have help exploding. and im sure no one on our side would want to let the north koreans lose face by admitting to that help
that is a good one!
now you have me chuckling about it again
hey!!! my farts arent crusty. lol
glad to see you and your men home safe! and thank you guys very much
ps why didnt anyone let me know these guys were so old?!
thats awesome!
i think some women might be a little disappointed when they learn you cant wear diamond earrings out in the field snipping. lol
Why The F-22 Is Vital Part 8 And 9
US F-22 fighter jet crashes in California
Washington (AFP) March 25 - A US military F-22 aircraft, the world's most advanced fighter jet, crashed in the southern California desert Wednesday, an Air Force spokesman said. "An Air Force F-22 crashed at about 10:00 am (1700 GMT) approximately 35 miles northeast of Edwards Air Force Base, California," US Air Force Richard Johnson said. The jet left from Edwards Air Force base on a test mission, he said, adding: "One pilot was on board. His condition is unknown." In a separate statement, the Air Force said the crash was the second involving an F-22, built by US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin. "The first one was during the aircraft's test and evaluation period in December 2004 also at Edwards, during which the pilot ejected safely." Conceived during the Cold War, the F-22 has been criticized for being poorly suited to the type of asymmetrical warfare the United State faces in Afghanistan and Iraq. But the Air Force has defended the program, pointing to continued traditional threats from countries like China. "Its combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability represents an exceptional leap in war fighting capabilities," an Air Force statement said. "The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force. Lockheed boasts the F-22 Raptor is "only fighter capable of simultaneously conducting air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions with near impunity," according to the firm's website.
by Rebecca Grant
Arlington, Va. (UPI) Mar 24, 2009
The return of Russia as a world power comes after a brief, economically driven absence in the late 1990s. Russia has been through periods of inward retrenchment before. However, with control over massive oil and gas reserves, Russia has re-emerged as a powerhouse. Now that nation is causing friction around its borders on issues from energy supplies to missile defense. New member states of the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization have been particular targets.
A series of Cold War antics is enough to worry Europe and the world. The F-22 squadrons at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska already have pictures of their Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptors flying alongside the Russian "Bear" bombers. Russian bombers also buzzed the nuclear-powered super aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
"All Russian air force flights are performed ... in strict accordance with international rules on the use of airspace over neutral waters without violating the borders of other states," said Russian air force spokesman Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky, according to a report in Moscow News on April 24.
Russia's ambitions are global. Rumblings about deployment of bombers to Venezuela coincided with a sale of 24 Sukhoi Su-30 fighters to President Hugo Chavez. "We do what we can to defend ourselves," said Chavez, who also oversaw a purchase of air defense from Russia via Belarus "just in case the Americans were thinking of doing anything similar to Venezuela," referring to the 2003 U.S. air campaign in Iraq. He was quoted by Jon Lee Anderson in his article, "Fidel's Heir," in The New Yorker, published on June 23.
It's hard to say what the future direction of Russian activity will be. Many analysts have noted a certain rustiness in Russian military actions. However, at this rate of activity, the Russian military will regain its form quickly enough.
Either way, deterring Russian conventional activity is once again a major task for NATO. Its member nations need credible air defenses and a collective ability to intervene in border regions if necessary.
Since 2004, the Brussels-based alliance has been deploying fighters to the former Soviet republic of Latvia, now a NATO member state, for air-defense patrols.
The Baltic air policing initiative is part of NATO's quick-reaction capability and is necessary since Latvia, for example, has an air force numbering fewer than 300 people and no air-defense capability of its own. Typically, detachments of four aircraft guard airspace over all three Baltic nations.
Recently, U.S. Air Force Boeing F-15E Eagles from the U.S. base at Lakenheath air base in Britain have joined in the rotation.
Part 9: Why the F-22 is needed to deter China in the 21st century
As threats shift, the ability of the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor to cover a volume of airspace against air and surface-to-air threats could become a significant edge.
There are no plans to base F-22 Raptors in Europe. Still, the time may come when they deploy there often. It's not hard to picture a situation where Russian fighters overwhelm a four-airÂcraft detachment of the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Being able to bring highly capable forces to bear would be the essence of deterrence over the Baltic region. Pair border probes with future capabilities and potential intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance degradation, and the case for F-22 availability in a NATO scenario becomes clear.
China is a world power, a major trading partner and, without question, a potential military competitor for the United States. With China, the United States may face a decades-long balance between confrontation and cooperation. Conventional deterrence will be a big part of calibrating the balance. For the United States, relying on airpower's conventional deterrent will be a prime tool.
China has already demarcated the realms of air, space and cyberspace as arenas for competition and de-emphasized its land forces. In 2004, China's defense white paper stated bluntly: "The army is streamlined by reducing the ordinary troops that are technologically backward while the navy, air force and Second Artillery Force (China's nuclear-weapons unit) are strengthened."
Instead, current Chinese military doctrine focuses on local, or regional, war under high-technology conditions, which they define as "a limited war, fought in a restricted geographic area for limited objectives with limited means and a conscious effort to curtail destruction."
Rapid defeat of the enemy is the main objective, and the preferred tool is to inflict strategic and operational paralysis or even defeat the enemy with one strike. The Chinese do not much worry about global power projection, stability operations or major land campaigns.
Deterring China will be all about providing persistence to make clear that the armed forces of the United States and its allies will not back off until goals are met. Credible deterrence will include the ability to target mobile launches like the one China used to shoot a missile into orbit to destroy its defunct weather satellite. That launch brought home how difficult it could be to track, target and kill mobile launchers.
Those mobile launchers could threaten everything from anti-satellite attack to use of nuclear weapons. Mobile launchers are notoriously difficult to pin down.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Why_The_F-22_Is_Vital_Part_Eight-Nine_999.html
i meant 3" x 1/2" planks, they are definitely hard wood.
as far as the plaster goes, its in good shape. i just hate the sand in the paint and pole sanding would take a long time
i want to say they are 3' by 1/2' planks, i havent pulled any up.
it looks like i may have to replace some of the planks because of previous animals, there are some black spots. not sure if those can be saved.
the plaster thing sucks. i have 3/4' plaster board covered by 3/4' plaster. makes fixing any walls difficult, i like to replace whole sections. and all my walls are painted with sand in the paint.
its a foam backing
mine are all oak, i think. definitely not pine though
im still considering just recarpeting over the hardwood floors. they are all over 50 yrs old
i removed carpet that had probably been down for about 20 yrs. it left some of the padding and i would like to stain them a different color stain