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Thanks to Skip Item Number:1 Date: 06/25/2010 AFGHANISTAN - AUSSIE TROOPS TO SERVE WITH U.S.-LED FORCE IN URUZGAN (JUN 25/AUS) THE AUSTRALIAN -- Australian troops in Afghanistan's southern Uruzgan province are expected to become part of a U.S.-led command later this year, reports the Australian. Combined Team Uruzgan will be launched on Aug. 1 after the withdrawal of Dutch forces, said Defense Minister John Faulkner. The U.S. will command the team under the auspices of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), according to the minister. Australia's 1,550 troops in Afghanistan have operated within a 1,880-strong Dutch task force in Uruzgan since 2006. When the changes occur, a senior Australian official will lead civilian efforts in the region, said Foreign Minister Stephen Smith. Item Number:2 Date: 06/25/2010 CHINA - JOINT COUNTER-TERRORISM DRILL PLANNED WITH PAKISTAN (JUN 25/XIN) XINHUA -- China and Pakistan are scheduled to hold a joint anti-terrorism drill next week in Qingtonxia in China's northwest Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, reports Xinhua, China's state news agency. The Friendship 2010 drills, the third such exercise involving the two nations, are expected to last from July 1 to 11. More than 100 personnel from each nation's special units will take part. The exercise is designed to boost mutual relations and enhance anti-terrorism capabilities, said China's Ministry of National Defense. Item Number:3 Date: 06/25/2010 CHINA - TERRORIST CELL FOUND IN XINJIANG, SAY POLICE (JUN 25/LAT) LOS ANGELES TIMES -- Chinese security officials say they have broken up a cell of Islamic separatists in Xinjiang province, the Los Angeles Times reports. The cell was said to have gathered knives, hatchets, bullets and homemade explosives between July and October 2009. Police linked the group to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). Police said they arrested 10 people, including two leaders who had connections to international terrorists. Those arrested were reportedly involved in attacks carried out around the time of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, police said. Item Number:4 Date: 06/25/2010 EAST TIMOR - AUSTRALIA, U.S. JOIN MARINE EXERCISE (JUN 25/ADOD) AUSTRALIAN DEPT. OF DEFENSE -- Military personnel from Australia and the United States are taking part in a marine exercise with local personnel in East Timor, reports the Australian Dept. of Defense. Exercise Crocodile 10, which wraps up June 26, is designed to boost multinational cooperation in the planning and conduct of a complex military exercise, said Australian officials. U.S. Marines and Navy personnel are involved in the maneuvers, along with East Timorese troops and members of the International Stabilization Force. Australians include personnel from the 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. Also drilling are the New Zealand 16th Field Regiment and 2nd/1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. The training includes weapon firing, amphibious assault, jungle, flight and helicopter operations. Amphibious ships USS Peleliu and USS Pearl Harbor are also participating. Item Number:5 Date: 06/25/2010 FINLAND - MISSILE BOAT MODERNIZATION WORK SET FOR PATRIA (JUN 25/PATRIA) PATRIA INDUSTRIES -- Finnish defense firm Patria says it has been engaged to upgrade four Finnish navy fast attack craft. The formal contract, worth 64.7 million euro (US$79 million), is expected to be signed on June 30, according to company officials. The firm indicated that Patria will serve as the prime contractor for the modernization program, which is designed to keep the vessels in service through 2020. Work is scheduled to begin later this year and conclude in 2013, with all four ships expected to return to operational readiness in 2014. Item Number:6 Date: 06/25/2010 GERMANY - COMPULSORY SERVICE REDUCED TO 6 MONTHS (JUN 25/DN) DEFENSE NEWS -- The Bundestag has reduced compulsory military and civil service in Germany from nine months to six months, Defense News reports. The government said it expects the move to increase costs up to 262 million euros (US$322 million). Basic pay and additional ancillary benefits for draftees now total about 454.7 million euros (US$559 million). The number of annually drafted troops is expected to rise from 40,000 to 50,000, said Dept. of Defense officials. Reducing civil service requirements will reportedly cut costs by 180 million euros (US$221 million) a year, but will probably add 75 million euros (US$92 million) in costs to other areas. While the law officially takes effect Dec. 1, those drafted July 1 will need to serve only six months. Item Number:7 Date: 06/25/2010 GREECE - PARCEL BOMB KILLS TOP SECURITY OFFICIAL (JUN 25/AFP) AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE -- A bomb disguised as a gift exploded Thursday in Athens, killing a top Greek security official, Agence France-Presse reports. A parcel bomb blew up in a seventh floor office next to that of Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chryssohoidis, killing his aide in charge of security and seriously damaging the building, police said. The building is supposed to be one of the country's most heavily guarded sites. No group has claimed responsibility. Prime Minister George Papandreou called it the act of "terrorists." Item Number:8 Date: 06/25/2010 JORDAN - TRAINING IN JORDAN EXPECTED TO HELP BRITISH IN AFGHANISTAN (JUN 25/UKMOD) U.K. MINISTRY OF DEFENSE -- Royal Air Force helicopter crews have been training in Jordan for the first time to get ready to serve in Afghanistan, reports the U.K. Ministry of Defense. Six Chinook and three Merlin helicopters were sent to Jordan for a month-long training exercise with the Jordanian air force at King Faisal Air Base near Amman, British officials said. Exercise Desert Vortex was the first bilateral drill between the Jordanian air force and elements of the British Joint Helicopter Force. In addition to developing relations with Jordan, the effort stressed pre-deployment training for Afghanistan and provided conditions similar to that country, said Wing Commander John Watson, who led the British detachment. Item Number:9 Date: 06/25/2010 KENYA - WITH OUTSIDE AID, PIRACY COURT OPENS IN MOMBASA (JUN 25/BBC) BRITISH BROADCASTING CORP. -- A special court aimed largely at trying pirates has opened in Kenya's port city of Mombasa, the BBC reports. International donors helped fund the $5 million courtroom at Shimo la Tewa prison, officials said. The funding was also used to refurbish the prison and support the prosecutor's office in Mombasa to speed up the cases, officials said. Earlier this year, Kenya vowed to stop trying pirates unless other countries agreed to share the burden. There are about 100 pirate suspects in Kenya, and 18 have already been convicted, said Kenyan officials. Item Number:10 Date: 06/25/2010 KYRGYZSTAN - OSCE URGED TO SEND POLICE FORCE (JUN 25/NYT) NEW YORK TIMES -- Kyrgyzstan's interim government called on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to deploy an international police force to help control ethnic violence in the Central Asian nation, the New York Times reports. This is Bishkek's fourth request for international help since the start of rioting earlier this month. The interim government was twice refused by Russia, then by the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The OSCE said it would consider the request during a July 1 meeting. A team from the organization arrived in the country on Thursday to examine the situation on the ground. If the request is approved, the international police force would include senior law enforcement officers from Western European and former Soviet countries, said an OSCE spokesman. Item Number:11 Date: 06/25/2010 NIGERIA - NEW BASE TO FOCUS ON DESERT TRAINING (JUN 25/DTRUST) DAILY TRUST -- The Nigerian Defense Academy has decided to create a permanent desert training base in the Gashua and Yusufari regions of the northern Yobe state, reports the Daily Trust (Abuja). The facility will provide cadets with training in operations in challenging terrain, said Maj. Gen. Mahmud Yerima, the commandant of the academy. The base was seen to be necessary, said the general, when academy officials discovered last year that most cadets found it difficult to cope with the challenges of peacekeeping missions in desert areas. Item Number:12 Date: 06/25/2010 NORTH KOREA - PYONGYANG TELLS SHIPS TO STAY AWAY FROM COAST (JUN 25/REU) REUTERS -- North Korea has warned ships not to sail off its west coast from June 19 to June 27, Reuters reports. The warning was probably linked to routine military drills, and there is no evidence of unusual military activity, said South Korean officials. There has also been speculation that a short-range missile test might be held by North Korea. Tensions between the rivals have been high since the torpedoing of a South Korean warship in March. Item Number:13 Date: 06/25/2010 PAKISTAN - NEW F-16S START ARRIVING FROM U.S. THIS WEEK (JUN 25/AFPS) AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE -- Pakistan is about to receive the first three of 18 F-16 Fighting Falcons ordered from the United States, the American Forces Press Service reports. The $1.4 billion contract covers a delivery of the Block 52 variant of the aircraft, said a U.S. Air Force spokesman. June 26 is the scheduled arrival date of the first three. This variant will give Pakistan's air force new capabilities, such as day-night, all-weather and precision-attack, said U.S. officials. Pakistan is also buying $1.3 billion in upgrades for its existing F-16 fleet, with those deliveries due to begin in 2012. The Air Force has also been training Pakistani pilots. The first eight recently finished training with the Arizona National Guard in Tucson, officials said. Item Number:14 Date: 06/25/2010 UKRAINE - LATEST PLAN CALLS FOR PROFESSIONAL MILITARY BY 2015 (JUN 25/RIAN) RUSSIAN INFORMATION AGENCY NEWS -- The Ukrainian Defense Ministry says it will complete its transition to a fully professional military force by 2015, reports RIA Novosti. Kiev has been planning the move for years, but budgetary issues have hindered the process. About 52 percent of the 200,000-strong armed forces are now professionals, according to the ministry. Item Number:15 Date: 06/25/2010 UKRAINE - RUSSIAN NAVAL PILOTS TO KEEP TRAINING IN UKRAINE (JUN 25/RIAN) RUSSIAN INFORMATION AGENCY NEWS -- Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov says Ukrainian facilities on the Crimean peninsula will continue to be used for the next few years for Russian naval pilot training, RIA Novosti reports. Russia has been using the Nitka Naval Pilot Training Center in Ukraine as its only naval aviation training facility since a 1997 bilateral agreement. There have been rumors indicating Ukraine would rent the facility to China. Moscow and Kiev have now reached an agreement for the use of the facility, said Serdyukov. The Nitka facility was built during the Soviet era for pilots to practice taking off from and landing on an aircraft carrier. Ukraine has no aircraft carrier. Moscow previously announced plans to begin construction this year of another naval aviation training facility on the Sea of Azov in southern Russia. Item Number:16 Date: 06/25/2010 UNITED KINGDOM - 140 JACKAL VEHICLES ORDERED BY MOD (JUN 25/BABCOCK) BABCOCK INTERNATIONAL -- The U.K. Ministry of Defense has ordered scores of additional Jackal patrol vehicles from the Supacat-Babcock partnership group, reports Babcock International. The 45 million pound (US$67 million) contract covers 140 Jackal vehicles to support operations in Afghanistan. This order will bring the total number of Jackals in British service to more than 400. The contract covers Jackal 2a vehicles, which feature a new cab design with integrated mine-blast protection. Item Number:17 Date: 06/25/2010 UNITED KINGDOM - HIDDEN BOMB DISARMED NEAR IRISH BORDER (JUN 25/UPI) UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL -- A bomb was discovered this week concealed in a beer keg and hidden under a hedge in Northern Ireland, United Press International reports. Found Tuesday in the Armagh village of Keady, the bomb had probably been there for three days, police said. The nearby area was evacuated until the device was disarmed on Thursday. Police said they believe Irish republican dissidents planted the bomb on Saturday in an attempt to ambush police officers. Item Number:18 Date: 06/25/2010 UNITED KINGDOM - MOST-WANTED BASQUE TERROR SUSPECT ARRESTED IN N. IRELAND (JUN 25/DPA) DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR -- Police in Northern Ireland say they have arrested a suspected member of the Basque separatist group ETA, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports. The arrest was made jointly by Spanish and British police, according to authorities in the U.K. Fermin Vila Michelena, 40, was captured overnight in Belfast, where he may have been on a logistics mission, Spanish police said. The suspect was on the list of most wanted terrorists in both the U.S. and the European Union. Vila has been linked to several attacks, including a car bombing that killed a police officer in Madrid in July 2001, said police. Item Number:19 Date: 06/25/2010 USA - 1,200 GUARDSMEN TO BE ASSIGNED BORDER DUTIES (JUN 25/DOD) DEPT. OF DEFENSE -- The Obama administration is sending about 1,200 National Guard personnel to support the Dept. of Homeland Security secure the Southwest border, reports the Dept. of Defense. Guardsmen from four border states will provide criminal investigative analysis and entry identification teams to monitor the border with advanced surveillance and detection tactics and technology for one year, said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The deployment is part of a multi-layered effort targeting illicit networks trafficking in people, drugs, illegal weapons and money, according to Guard officials. The president has also requested $500 million in supplemental funds for enhanced border security and law enforcement activities. Critics have described the effort, first made public a month ago, as symbolic and too little to make much of a difference, noted the New York Times. Item Number:20 Date: 06/25/2010 USA - 14 NAVIES DRILL IN PACIFIC (JUN 25/NNS) NAVY NEWSSTAND -- The U.S. Navy's biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise is underway in Hawaii, reports the Navy NewsStand. The drills involve 14 nations, 32 ships, five submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 20,000 personnel, officials said. RIMPAC has three phases. The harbor phase is the first. It concludes July 5, and includes operational planning meetings and safety briefings. The second stage lasts through July 24. It includes live-fire gunnery and missile exercises, maritime interdiction and vessel boardings, anti-surface warfare, undersea warfare, and naval maneuvers, air defense exercises, as well as, explosive ordnance disposal, diving and salvage operations, mine clearance operations and an amphibious landing, according to the Navy. The final, tactical phase concludes July 30. This consists of simulated operations designed to strengthen maritime skills and capabilities and improve communications and operations in simulated hostile scenarios. Participants are Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Peru, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and the United States. Item Number:21 Date: 06/25/2010 USA - AFTER 33 YEARS, USS PHILADELPHIA FACES DECOMMISSIONING (JUN 25/NTIMES) NAVY TIMES -- The fast attack submarine Philadelphia is set to be decommissioned on Friday, exactly 33 years after it was commissioned into service, the Navy Times reports. The Los Angeles-class sub completed its 16th and final deployment Feb. 3 when it returned to Naval Submarine Base New London, Conn. It was the third boat in its class and the sixth vessel to bear the city's name. Item Number:22 Date: 06/25/2010 USA - BOEING HIRED TO UPGRADE KC-10 TANKER COCKPITS (JUN 25/BOEING) BOEING -- The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract to upgrade its KC-10 aerial tankers, reports the St. Louis-based defense firm. The $216 million contract covers the installation of a new communication, navigation, surveillance and air-traffic management (CNS/ATM) system on all 59 KC-10s. The new systems will enable the fleet to comply with the expected 2015 CNS/ATM Federal Aviation Administration/International Civil Aviation Organization standards, which allow shared access within both civil and military airspace, said company officials. The aircraft is scheduled to be modified and flight tested in 2012 at Boeing's San Antonio facility, with the final deliveries planned for 2015. Item Number:23 Date: 06/25/2010 USA - MISSILE RANGE SHIP TO BE CHRISTENED IN MISS. (JUN 25/DOD) DEPT. OF DEFENSE -- The U.S. Navy will christen its newest missile range instrumentation ship on Saturday at the VT Halter Marine shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., reports the Dept. of Defense. The Howard O. Lorenzen (TAGM-25) is named after the Naval Research Laboratory electrical engineer who helped develop U.S. electronic intelligence capabilities. Lorenzen worked on radar, electronic countermeasure systems and intelligence satellites, as well as leading the first successful reconnaissance satellite program and electronic intelligence satellite. The ship will monitor missile launches and collect data that can be used to improve missile efficiency and accuracy, said the Pentagon. Item Number:24 Date: 06/25/2010 YEMEN - MILITANTS CAUGHT IN ADEN RAIDS (JUN 25/REU) REUTERS -- Yemeni police and suspected Al-Qaida militants clashed Friday in the port city of Aden, Reuters reports. Police raids were launched for a group responsible for attacking an intelligence building in Aden, officials said. Several militants were arrested, including the head of the group, police said. Eleven people were killed during the militant attack last Saturday, and multiple detainees were released, according to authorities. The Interior Ministry said it had increased security in an attempt to prevent militants from entering or smuggling arms into the city. Item Number:1 Date: 06/28/2010 AFGHANISTAN - 4 NORWEGIANS AMONG NATO DEATHS (JUN 28/REU) REUTERS -- NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) reports that five alliance troops were killed Sunday in Afghanistan, Reuters reports. Four Norwegians were killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan's north, Norwegian defense officials said. A fifth ISAF soldier was killed in an insurgent attack in the south, said NATO military officials. Another six ISAF troops were also killed in separate incidents over the weekend, said ISAF officials. Item Number:2 Date: 06/28/2010 AFGHANISTAN - U.S. ARMY STEPS UP MINE-DETECTION EFFORTS WITH HUSKIES (JUN 28/ARMY) ARMY TIMES -- The U.S. Army has decided to double the number of its Husky Mounted Detection Systems in the Afghan war zone, the Army Times reports. To be installed on the Husky tactical support vehicle, the NIITEK-produced system features a ground-penetrating radar called the VISOR 2500. The radar system allows soldiers to detect threats through the ground -- including improvised explosive devices that metal detectors wouldn't pick up, said company officials. The Army's most recent contract, valued at $106.5 million, covered the installation of 76 systems, as well as spare parts, maintenance support and training. Item Number:3 Date: 06/28/2010 AFGHANISTAN - WOMAN'S DISGUISE DIDN'T WORK FOR TALIBAN COMMANDER (JUN 28/DPA) DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR -- A senior Taliban leader disguised in women's clothing in Afghanistan's Logar province was killed on Saturday, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports. Joint Afghan and NATO forces surrounded a militant compound in the provincial capital of Pul-e-Alam on Friday night to arrest Ghulam Sakhi, military officials said. Troops called for all women and children to exit, said officials. According to a NATO statement, Sakhi came out in a burqa and opened fire with a pistol and grenade. When the Taliban leader was shot, he dropped the grenade, which injured a woman and two children when it exploded, said officials. Item Number:4 Date: 06/28/2010 AUSTRALIA - NEW DEFENSE INDUSTRY POLICY AIMS AT ENHANCING COMPETITION (JUN 28/ADOD) AUSTRALIAN DEPT. OF DEFENSE -- Greg Combet, the minister for defense materiel, has launched a new defense industry policy for Australia, reports the Australian Dept. of Defense. The policy outlines more than Aus$445 million (US$387 million) of programs designed to improve Australian industries competitiveness, innovation, ability to enter export markets, win local contracts and boost the skills of their workforces, said Combet. The new policy is based on four principles: setting clear investment priorities; strengthening the relationship between the Defense Dept. and industry; seeking opportunities for growth; and building skills, innovation and productivity. Canberra expects to invest Aus$292.8 million (US$255 million) towards innovation, boosting productivity and skills development in Australian industry; creating more than 7,500 training opportunities; and providing up to Aus$188.8 million (US164 million) in funding towards defense innovation. Item Number:5 Date: 06/28/2010 AUSTRALIA - PARAMETERS SET FOR BASE ATTACKS (JUN 28/AAP) AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS -- Australian troops have been authorized to use deadly force against terrorists attacking their military facilities, reports the Australian Associated Press. A review of base security led to several improvements and legislative changes, said Defense Minister John Faulkner. The general right of self-defense is the current legal basis for Australian troops resorting to force, said Faulkner. Proposed changes would provide certainty about what actions are authorized. Civilian police will still have primacy in responding to security incidents at defense facilities, said Faulkner. Item Number:6 Date: 06/28/2010 BURMA - MORE N. KOREAN ROCKET SYSTEMS WITNESSED (JUN 28/IRRAW) IRRAWADDY -- The Burmese army has reportedly received additional North Korean-built truck-mounted multiple launch rocket systems, reports the Irrawaddy, which covers Burmese affairs from Thailand. The systems were recently delivered to missile operation commands in Mohnyin, Kachin state, Naungcho and Kengtung, Shan state, and Kyaukpadaung, in Mandalay division, according to unnamed military sources. The various missile commands were established last year. Acquisition of the 240-mm rocket systems are part of the military's modernization effort, said sources. The military government previously acquired 107-mm Type 63 and 122-mm Type 90 multiple-launch rocket systems from China. Item Number:7 Date: 06/28/2010 CANADA - MULTINATIONAL NAVAL DRILLS WRAP UP IN HALIFAX (JUN 28/CHER) CHRONICLE HERALD -- A Canadian-led naval exercise wrapped up on Friday in Halifax, reports the Halifax Chronicle Herald. The 10-day Halcyon RV drills, which involved warships, fighter jets and submarines, took place in the Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Virginia. The exercise was designed to improve interoperability in humanitarian and counter-terrorism operations. The drill scenario involved a fictional nation, dubbed Coral, which was in the midst of political upheaval, which developed into a humanitarian crisis, Canadian officials said. Item Number:8 Date: 06/28/2010 INDIA - MINING PAYOFFS SEEN FUNDING MAOISTS (JUN 28/CALTEL) CALCUTTA TELEGRAPH -- Indian officials say that Maoist insurgents are being funded by the mining industry. The government may direct the National Investigation Agency to probe illegal mining, reports the Calcutta Telegraph. A law under consideration would authorize the government to terminate leases of companies engaged in illegal operations and those paying Maoists or other insurgents protection money to leave their operations alone. Such payments are thought to represent a major source of funding for insurgents. Item Number:9 Date: 06/28/2010 INDONESIA - OFFICIALS CITE NEED FOR INDEPENDENT COAST GUARD (JUN 28/JAK) JAKARTA POST -- The Indonesian government has decided to create an independent coast guard in the near future, say officials cited by the Jakarta Post. The navy now is responsible for safeguarding national waters, including investigating fishermen operating without permits. A coast guard is needed for law enforcement tasks to free up the navy for defense tasks, according to officials backing the change. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has appointed the coordinating political, law and security affairs minister to set up a coast guard, said Fadel Muhammad, the minister for maritime affairs and fisheries. Item Number:10 Date: 06/28/2010 ISRAEL - BLOCKADE-BUSTING TO RESUME AFTER WORLD CUP, SAYS HAMAS (JUN 28/HA) HAARETZ -- A top Hamas leader says that at least eight ships will be launched from the Persian Gulf to break Israel's Gaza blockade after the end of the World Cup soccer tournament, Ha'aretz (Israel) reports. Mahmoud a-Zahar also said that even more ships would be dispatched in August during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Egypt has no right to stop the vessels under international law, said the Hamas official. Item Number:11 Date: 06/28/2010 ISRAEL - PALESTINIANS, POLICE CLASH OVER PLANNED DEMOLITION (JUN 28/NYT) NEW YORK TIMES -- Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters late Sunday in an East Jerusalem neighborhood where 22 Palestinian homes are set to be razed for a tourist park, the New York Times reports. Jerusalem's mayor approved the demolition of the illegally built houses, reported Ha'aretz (Israel). About 200 to 250 Palestinian youths threw stones, bricks and Molotov cocktails near a Jewish house in the Silwan neighborhood, police said. Six police officers were slightly wounded, a police spokesman said. Last week, the city approved plans for an archaeological park, shops and housing in the neighborhood. Item Number:12 Date: 06/28/2010 KYRGYZSTAN - CSTO MEMBERS AGREE TO LEND HELICOPTERS, VEHICLES (JUN 28/INT-AVN) INTERFAX-MILITARY NEWS AGENCY -- The Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has agreed to loan military equipment to Kyrgyzstan, including helicopters and armored vehicles, reports Interfax-AVN. The interim government in Bishkek requested the equipment. Helicopters are being provided by Kazakhstan and Russia, with vehicles and other equipment from other CSTO members, said Kyrgyz officials. The assistance is being provided to Kyrgyzstan on a bilateral basis. The helicopters will be returned as soon as they are no longer required by Kyrgyzstan, officials said. Item Number:13 Date: 06/28/2010 NIGERIA - COUNTER-TERRORISM CENTER BEING BUILT IN JAJI (JUN 28/LEADERSHIP) LEADERSHIP -- The Nigerian army has decided to establish a counter-terrorism center in Jaji in Kaduna, a state in the central part of the country, reports the Leadership (Abuja). The center is expected to train Nigerian soldiers on counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency skills. A temporary site has been designated, with the permanent facility now under construction in Jaji, officials said. Item Number:14 Date: 06/28/2010 PAKISTAN - DRONES KEEP PRESSURE ON IN N. WAZIRISTAN (JUN 28/AFP) AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE -- Missiles fired from American unmanned aircraft killed six militants on Sunday in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal agency, Agence France-Presse reports. Missiles were launched at a militant compound in the village of Tabbi Torkhel, 2.5 miles north of Miramshah, Pakistani officials said. A vehicle was also destroyed in the attack. Another drone strike on Saturday killed two militants and wounded two others, security officials said. In another attack, Pakistani forces bombed hideouts in the Orakzai agency, killing eight militants, reported security officials cited by the Dawn (Pakistan). Item Number:15 Date: 06/28/2010 RUSSIA - MOSCOW MAY TAKE OVER UNFINISHED UKRAINIAN CRUISER (JUN 28/RIAN) RUSSIAN INFORMATION AGENCY NEWS -- The Russian navy is considering purchasing an unfinished Ukrainian Slava-class missile cruiser, RIA Novosti reports. Construction of the Admiral Lobov began in 1984 at the Nikolayev shipyard in Ukraine, but budget cuts halted the effort. The cruiser, which is about 50 percent complete, was renamed the Ukraina in 1992. Officials from a Russia-Ukraine intergovernmental commission recently discussed the purchase in Sevastopol, Russian navy officials said. Repairs and upgrades to the Ukraina would cost about 35 billion rubles (US$1.13 billion), a senior Russian navy official said. Item Number:16 Date: 06/28/2010 SOUTH KOREA - WARTIME COMMAND TRANSFER DEFERRED TO 2015 (JUN 28/AFP) AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE -- The United States and South Korea have pushed back until late 2015 the scheduled transfer of wartime command of South Korean forces, Agence France-Presse reports. The U.S. now maintains command of all U.S. and South Korean forces should war break out on the peninsula, but under a 2007 agreement Seoul was to take over in April 2012. President Obama said the postponement was made at a meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Toronto. Lee said that his government made a formal request to Washington to postpone the transfer. Item Number:17 Date: 06/28/2010 TAJIKISTAN - ARMY TRAINING CENTER PROMISED BY U.S. (JUN 28/INT-AVN) INTERFAX-MILITARY NEWS AGENCY -- The United States government plans to build a national training center for the Tajik army, reports Interfax-AVN (Russia). The U.S. ambassador to Tajikistan said US$10 million will be spent for the facility's construction in Karataga. The center will be managed by the Tajikistan National Guard, but will be available for use by all Tajik armed forces, said Ambassador Ken Gross. The base will not house any U.S. forces or weapons, but could be used by American troops providing training to their Tajik counterparts, Gross said. Item Number:18 Date: 06/28/2010 UNITED KINGDOM - 37 MASTIFFS ADDED TO MRAP FLEET (JUN 28/DN) DEFENSE NEWS -- The United Kingdom has ordered 37 additional Mastiff mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) armored vehicles from Force Protection, which is based in South Carolina, Defense News reports. The British army already operates 277 Mastiff vehicles, most of them in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense began buying the vehicles from Force Protection in 2006. While the deal has not been officially announced, an MoD spokesman confirmed a contract had been signed recently. Last week, ministry officials also announced the purchase of 28 Wolfhound armored trucks from Force Protection; they are expected this summer. Item Number:19 Date: 06/28/2010 USA - ENGINE WOES SCRUB ICEBREAKER'S ANTARCTIC MISSION (JUN 28/NTIMES) NAVY TIMES -- An engine breakdown has forced the U.S. Coast Guard to cancel the planned fall Antarctic deployment of the icebreaker Polar Sea, the Navy Times reports. The icebreaker was supposed to support Operation Deep Freeze in the resupply of McMurdo Station, the American research center in Antarctica. The Polar Sea will likely be unavailable until January, according to a Coast Guard announcement. Commissioned on Feb. 23, 1978, the icebreaker has already exceeded its 30-year life cycle. A 2006 rehabilitation project was supposed to extend its service life to 2014. The Coast Guard has only one other heavy, polar icebreaker -- the Polar Star. She is undergoing a seven- to 10-year service life extension and will not be ready until 2013. Item Number:20 Date: 06/28/2010 USA - HERCULES UPGRADE PROGRAM GETS NOD FROM AIR FORCE (JUN 28/BOEING) BOEING -- The U.S. Air Force has approved low-rate production of the C-130 Hercules Avionics Modernization Program (AMP), reports Boeing, which is responsible for the modernization. The approval was granted following a successful Milestone C production reviews, including engineering and manufacturing evaluations and a flight-test program. The first two low-rate initial production aircraft are scheduled to begin Lot 1 installations at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Ga., in August and October, respectively, said company officials. Five C-130s are scheduled to be modernized as part of the initial production run. The C-130 AMP includes a fully integrated, night-vision-goggle-compatible, digital glass cockpit and new digital avionics that increase situational awareness and enhance safety. The upgrade will also bring avionics commonality to the C-130 fleet. Item Number:21 Date: 06/28/2010 USA - ICBM TESTED WITH MOCK NUCLEAR WARHEAD (JUN 28/NNSA) NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION -- The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and U.S. Air Force have recently completed a successful test of a joint test assembly (JTA) for the W87 nuclear warhead, reports the agency. The W87 assembly flew from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., aboard a Minuteman II missile. The Air Force used the trial to assess missile performance and reliability, while the NNSA did the same for the warhead, said officials. The Series 4 W87 JTA, the most sophisticated and complete warhead replica, was flown for the third time and performed as intended, according to those involved in the test. The JTA includes a telemetry system that collects and transmits data on the warhead. The data are fed into a reliability model developed by Sandia National Laboratories and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to evaluate warhead reliability. Item Number:22 Date: 06/28/2010 USA - INSURGENTS NOT INTERESTED IN RECONCILIATION, SAYS CIA CHIEF (JUN 28/WP) WASHINGTON POST -- The head of the Central Intelligence Agency says there is no evidence that Afghan insurgents are truly interested in reconciliation with the government, the Washington Post reports. On ABC's "This Week," program, Director Leon Panetta said that insurgent leaders will never give up their weapons or denounce Al-Qaida unless they believe the U.S. will win in Afghanistan. Panetta also dismissed reports that senior Pakistani military and intelligence officials are seeking to broker a deal with the Haqqani network that would lead to a power-sharing agreement in Kabul. Item Number:23 Date: 06/28/2010 USA - MARINES SELDOM USE OSPREY BELLY GUN (JUN 28/MCT) MARINE CORPS TIMES -- During Afghan operations, a remotely operated 7.62-mm belly gun is often left behind by Marines flying in the Osprey, the Marine Corps Times reports. The Corps shipped the weapons to Afghanistan last winter when the Osprey was criticized for being vulnerable to enemy attack. The weapon's drawbacks outweigh its benefits, according to some Marines. Marines have said that operating the system's digital view screen can cause nausea during maneuvers. Using the 800-pound gun also reduces carrying capacity. Rules of engagement, designed to limit civilian casualties, also limit when the weapon can actually be fired, said Marine officials. Item Number:24 Date: 06/28/2010 USA - WEST POINTERS GET TIPS IN NEGOTIATION (JUN 28/USA) USA TODAY -- The U.S. Army has been training cadets at West Point in the skills of negotiation based on lessons learned from operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, reports USA Today. The U.S. Military Academy began offering courses on negotiation as a leadership skill in 2006. Three years later it launched the West Point Negotiation Project to spread the training throughout the Army. "This is something we stumbled across in Iraq and Afghanistan: that our leaders need this competency," said Brig. Gen. H.R. McMaster, of the Training and Doctrine Command. Among other points, instructors teach cadets that negotiating should be about building relationships and understanding motives. Students are taught to study those with whom they are negotiating and avoid jumping immediately into a discussion of price or other specifics. The goal, said officials, is to find a creative solution leaving both sides satisfied. Item Number:1 Date: 06/29/2010 AFGHANISTAN - AMERICANS, AFGHANS LAUNCH KONAR ASSAULT (JUN 29/WP) WASHINGTON POST -- About 700 U.S. and Afghan troops have started a major assault in Konar province along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, the Washington Post reports. The goal of the operation is to destroy a growing insurgent haven and blunt rising violence in the area, senior Army officials said. The troops were inserted early Sunday by Black Hawk helicopters in the mountainous Marawara district, Army officials said. After seizing the high ground, the joint force repelled a force of about 200 militants, killing 150 of them, said the officials. Two U.S. soldiers were reported killed. The Afghan government recently estimated that as many as 250 insurgents had infiltrated the remote district. Item Number:2 Date: 06/29/2010 AFGHANISTAN - OPERATIONS HAVE CAPTURED, KILLED 130 TOP INSURGENTS, SAY OFFICIALS (JUN 29/NYT) NEW YORK TIMES -- U.S. military officials say that commando raids over the last four months have taken out scores of insurgent leaders in Afghanistan, the New York Times reports. About 130 important insurgent figures have been captured or killed in Afghanistan over the past 120 days, military commanders said. Those targets have reportedly included Taliban shadow provincial governors, military commanders, financiers, trainers and bomb-makers. The troop surge in Afghanistan is also allowing coalition forces to confront the Taliban in previously uncontested districts, NATO officials said. The operations are beginning to show results, with intelligence indicating that some Taliban leaders are considering reconciliation with Kabul, said officials. Item Number:3 Date: 06/29/2010 CHINA - ARTILLERY DRILL TO BEGIN IN EAST CHINA SEA (JUN 29/REU) REUTERS -- The Chinese military says it will hold six days of live-fire artillery drills in the East China Sea starting on Wednesday, Reuters reports. The drills have been reported as a response to a planned military exercise between South Korea and the United States. Chinese officials, however, called the timing a coincidence. China's Foreign Ministry expressed concern last week over rumors that a U.S. aircraft carrier would take part in an exercise next month in the Yellow Sea. Item Number:4 Date: 06/29/2010 FINLAND - GARRISON FOOD SERVICES TO BE OUTSOURCED (JUN 29/STT) FINNISH NEWS AGENCY -- The Finnish military says it will privatize food services at its garrisons, reports the Finnish News Agency (STT). The military expects to retain full responsibility for providing meals during a crisis, according to a defense release. The change is intended to increase efficiency and provide savings. The 570 personnel now employed in the military food services will remain with the new company and be protected from dismissal for four years, according to the military. The reorganization will not take place for at least a year. Item Number:5 Date: 06/29/2010 FRANCE - ASTER 30 MISSILE COMPLETES SERIES OF TESTS (JUN 29/MBDA) MBDA CORP. -- European missile manufacturer MBDA says it has successfully completed a series of firing trials of its Aster 30 air defense missile. The trials were conducted from the Italian frigate Andrea Doria, French frigate Forbin and British trials barge Longbow at two different Mediterranean ranges, said MBDA. The tests included a range of scenarios of increasing complexity, concluding with a final trial featuring a salvo firing against a sea skimming target performing a high-g terminal maneuver, officials said. All of the firings were said to be successful, with both the Principal anti-aircraft missile system (PAAMS) equipment and Aster missiles performing as expected. The tests were held after an internal investigation of problems in two Aster 30 firing trials last year. Item Number:6 Date: 06/29/2010 GERMANY - U.A.E., GERMAN NAVIES ORDER MASS DECOY SYSTEMS (JUN 29/RHEINAG) RHEINMETALL AG -- Germany and United Arab Emirates have placed orders for electronic countermeasures with Rheinmetall, reports the German defense firm. The U.A.E. navy has ordered Multi-Ammunition Softkill Systems (MASS) for its Abu Dhabi and Falaj 2-class vessels. Meanwhile, the German navy ordered four MASS sets for its Baden-Wurttemberg-class frigates, said the company. The MASS is a fully automatic system that fires omnispectral decoys that provide protection in all relevant wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, including radar, infrared, laser, electro-optical and ultraviolet. The total value of the three contracts was 12.5 million euros (US$15.5 million), according to Rheinmetall. Item Number:7 Date: 06/29/2010 INDIA - FIGHTING, PROTESTS CONTINUE IN KASHMIR (JUN 29/BBC) BRITISH BROADCASTING CORP. -- The Indian army has been involved in fierce fighting with militants trying to cross the Line of Control into the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir, the BBC reports. Five militants and three soldiers were reportedly killed in the gun battle in Nowgam area. Fighting began on Sunday and lasted through Monday night, Indian military officials said. Separately, two protesters were reportedly killed in the town of Anantnag when police opened fire on the crowd. Pro-independence protests have been going on for two weeks, also directed against the killings of civilians by the police and paramilitaries in Kashmir. Item Number:8 Date: 06/29/2010 INDIA - MORE RADARS CONSIDERED TO HALT CHINESE AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS (JUN 29/PTI) PRESS TRUST OF INDIA -- With an eye toward China, the Indian air force plans to deploy radars along its mountainous northern and eastern borders, reports the Press Trust of India. The air defense systems will track and identify aircraft and helicopter flying near the frontier, air force officials said. Officials said the decision was prompted by an incident last year in which two Chinese Mi-17 helicopters entered Indian air space in the Leh region of north Jammu and Kashmir and air-dropped cans of frozen pork and eggplant. Item Number:9 Date: 06/29/2010 INDIA - WAY CLEARED FOR EXPEDITED DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS (JUN 29/DN) DEFENSE NEWS -- The Finance Ministry in India has proposed a new set of regulations to speed the acquisition of defense equipment, reports Defense News. Under the new rules, the Defense Ministry could award contracts worth up to US$108.6 million without Finance Ministry approval, said defense officials. The current limit is US$21.7 million. Similarly, defense awards worth less than US$217.3 million would not be subject to the approval of the Cabinet Committee of Securities. The changes could take effect in the next month, officials said. The Defense Ministry has been forced to surrender more than US$1 billion at the end of each budget year due to the current regulations that delay final contract decisions. If implemented, the changes are expected to clear at least a dozen contracts valued at around US$100 million each year and facilitate the approval of spare parts and maintenance contracts, said Defense Ministry officials. The government is also considering allowing foreign direct investment in Indian defense companies to increase from the current 26 percent level to as much as 74 percent, according to military sources. Item Number:10 Date: 06/29/2010 IRAQ - SEVERAL CAR BOMBINGS ROCK BAGHDAD AREA (JUN 29/CNN) CABLE NEWS NETWORK -- A string of car bombings in and around Baghdad killed at least eight people on Tuesday, CNN reports. An Iraqi army brigadier general was killed when a bomb attached to his car exploded in northwestern Baghdad's Kadhumiya neighborhood, Interior Ministry officials said. In the Hurriya neighborhood in northwestern Baghdad, a car bomb killed one civilian and wounded two others. In southern Baghdad's Dora neighborhood, another car bomb killed one civilian and wounded four others, said officials. Five people were reportedly killed and nine others injured by a car bomb in Salahdeen province, 118 miles north of Baghdad. Item Number:11 Date: 06/29/2010 ISRAEL - AIRSTRIKE KILLS GAZA MILITANT, WOUNDS 2 (JUN 29/HA) HAARETZ -- The Israeli air force says it bombed a target in the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing a Palestinian militant and wounding two other people, Ha'aretz (Israel) reports. The Palestinians had fired a rocket-propelled grenade at Israeli soldiers that damaged a vehicle, military officials said. There were also reports of a mortar fire from Gaza into Israel. No casualties were reported. The suspected militants were thought to be from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the BBC reported. Item Number:12 Date: 06/29/2010 MEXICO - FRONT-RUNNER FOR GOVERNOR KILLED IN AMBUSH (JUN 29/WSJ) WALL STREET JOURNAL -- The front-running gubernatorial candidate of a Mexican border state was killed early Monday when his convoy was ambushed on a rural highway, the Wall Street Journal reports. Rodolfo Torre, who was reportedly leading for this week's election in Tamaulipas, died along with his chief of staff, campaign chief and at least one bodyguard, officials said. This was the highest-level assassination since President Felipe Calderon declared war on drug cartels in 2006. Drug-traffickers are suspected, said police. Torre had made improved security a top campaign pledge, noted Bloomberg News. Item Number:13 Date: 06/29/2010 NORTH KOREA - PYONGYANG REJECTS U.N. TALKS OVER SUNKEN SHIP (JUN 29/JOON) JOONGANG DAILY -- North Korea has declined to talk with the U.N. Command in Seoul on the sinking of a South Korean corvette in March, reports the JoongAng Daily (South Korea). Pyongyang argued that the U.N. Command would base its arguments on a recent multinational investigation that accused North Korea of sinking the Cheonan with a torpedo. The U.S.-led U.N. Command oversees the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953. A dispatch from North Korea suggested that a bilateral meeting be arranged with Seoul after its own inspectors review the evidence. Item Number:14 Date: 06/29/2010 OMAN - THALES ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS TO EQUIP SHIPS (JUN 29/THALES) THALES -- Thales has signed a contract with the Omani navy for the delivery of electronic support measures (ESM) for patrol boats and corvettes. The order includes Vigile 200 and Vigile 400 ESM systems, said the company. The value of the contract was not made public. The Vigile system is designed to monitor, measure and analyze electromagnetic signals, providing crewmembers with early warning and electronic intelligence in open ocean and coastal environments, according to Thales. The system is based on a modular architecture consisting of an antenna system, signal reception and processing units and an operator display console. Item Number:15 Date: 06/29/2010 PAKISTAN - DRONE HITS TALIBAN COMPOUND IN S. WAZIRISTAN (JUN 29/DAWN) DAWN -- A U.S. drone fired missiles at a militant compound on Tuesday in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal agency, the Dawn (Pakistan) reports. At least six militants were killed, including a possible Al-Qaida operative, said Pakistani intelligence officials. The targeted house was known to be frequented by members of Al-Qaida, said the officials. One intelligence official told Reuters that an Al-Qaida man of foreign origin was among those killed. The compound was reportedly being used by a group of Punjabi Taliban. Item Number:16 Date: 06/29/2010 PHILIPPINES - NPA BASE SEIZED IN SEARCH FOR ABDUCTED SOLDIERS (JUN 29/PDI) PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER -- Philippine troops seized a New People's Army (NPA) rebel camp in Cateel, in Davao Oriental province in Mindanao in a search for abducted servicemen, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Personnel from the 25th Infantry Battalion were searching for two soldiers who were abducted by the communist guerrillas in nearby Monkaya when they discovered the NPA encampment. There was a 30-minute gunfight on Sunday with around 50 rebels. Two communists were killed and several others wounded, according to the military. The camp consisted of 40 wooden bunkers, each capable of accommodating around 100 people. Six assault rifles and four explosive devices were also discovered, officials said. Personal belongings of one of the missing soldiers were found at the site, but the troops did not see the captives, said the military. Item Number:17 Date: 06/29/2010 RUSSIA - DESTROYER-LED TASK FORCE ABOUT TO RESUME ANTI-PIRACY MISSION (JUN 29/RIAN) RUSSIAN INFORMATION AGENCY NEWS -- A Russian navy task force is due to arrive off the Somali coast on July 3 to counter pirates in the Gulf of Aden, RIA Novosti reports. The Black Sea Fleet task force is comprised of the Admiral Levchenko destroyer, the Olekma tanker and the tugboat SB-36, Russian navy officials said. Moscow has maintained a naval presence in the region since October 2008. Item Number:18 Date: 06/29/2010 RUSSIA - OFFICER TRAINING TAKES HIT, SCHOOLS TO FOCUS ON NCOS (JUN 29/INT-AVN) INTERFAX-MILITARY NEWS AGENCY -- Schools in Russia run by the Defense Ministry schools to train officers will be used for NCOs beginning in September, reports Interfax-AVN. Due to the drastic cuts in the officer corps stemming from the defense reform program, higher educational institutions will cease training officers in 2012, according to an unnamed ministry source. On Sept. 1, most of the ministry schools will begin offering a 34-month sergeant training course. Between 5,000 and 10,000 NCOs are expected to be trained at the schools, the source said. Item Number:19 Date: 06/29/2010 TURKEY - ANKARA BARS ISRAELI MILITARY OVERFLIGHTS (JUN 29/NYT) NEW YORK TIMES -- The Turkish government has closed its airspace to Israeli military flights after last month's Gaza flotilla raid that left nine Turkish activists dead, the New York Times reports. The restrictions do not affect civilian flights, said officials. The Israeli air force rarely crossed through Turkish airspace before the ban, so it is unclear how many flights would be affected, said officials. Recent Israeli media reports said that a plane carrying some of its military officers to Poland had been barred from flying over Turkey. Item Number:20 Date: 06/29/2010 UNITED KINGDOM - CAMERON SEEKS AFGHAN WITHDRAWAL BY 2015 (JUN 29/SCOT) THE SCOTSMAN -- British Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated he wants to end Britain's combat operations in Afghanistan by 2015, reports the Scotsman. Cameron said the U.K. should have a long-term relationship with Afghanistan, including military training assistance and civil society development, after the majority of British troops have been withdrawn. His remarks were made on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Canada. The minister emphasized that he was not committing himself to a deadline for ending the British mission. Item Number:21 Date: 06/29/2010 USA - FEDS BUST RUSSIAN SPY RING (JUN 29/AFP) AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE -- U.S. federal agents have arrested 10 people charged with spying for Russia while an 11th remains at large, Agence France-Presse reports. The suspects were charged Monday with acting as agents of a foreign government, said prosecutors. Nine were also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Some of the suspects were said to have operated in the U.S. since the early 1990s. The FBI said it investigated the suspects for more than 10 years, bugging their homes and tapping their phones. One suspect was observed in New York in May 2004 receiving a bag of cash from a Russian U.N. diplomat, said prosecutors. Item Number:22 Date: 06/29/2010 USA - MCCHRYSTAL ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT (JUN 29/UPI) UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL -- Gen. Stanley McChrystal has announced that he will retire from the Army, United Press International reports. The former commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan informed the Army of his decision on Monday, a military spokesman said. No date was set, and formal retirement papers have not yet been submitted. President Obama removed McChrystal from his post last week after a magazine article featured the general and his staff making disparaging remarks about top administration officials. McChrystal graduated from West Point in 1976 and rose through the ranks for 34 years. Item Number:23 Date: 06/29/2010 USA - MORE FLEXIBILITY SOUGHT FOR AVIATION BRIGADES (JUN 29/S&S) STARS AND STRIPES -- The U.S. Army aims to revamp its combat aviation brigades for more flexibility, reports the Stars and Stripes. The goal is to convert all of the brigades into the "medium" configuration and add unmanned aircraft, according to a spokesman at Fort Rucker, Ala. Currently, brigades are divided into heavy, medium or light categories. Medium brigades generally consist of one AH-64 Apache battalion, one OH-58D Kiowa Warrior reconnaissance squadron, one UH-60 Black Hawk assault battalion and one CH-47 Chinook support battalion. A 13th aviation brigade is also expected to be added, officials said. The reorganization has already begun with the light 10th Mountain Division Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Drum, N.Y., recently exchanging helicopters with the heavy 3rd Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade in Savannah, Ga., to bring both to the medium configuration. Plans also call for reconnaissance squadrons to be equipped with 21 Kiowa Warriors and eight RQ-7 Shadow drones. Item Number:24 Date: 06/29/2010 USA - OFFICERS SOUGHT FOR NAVY'S INFORMATION DOMINANCE CORPS (JUN 29/NTIMES) NAVY TIMES -- The U.S. Navy has created a new officer designator and aligned four others as part of its Information Dominance Corps, reports the Navy Times. The new cyberwarfare engineer designator (1840) is intended to meet the demand for officers with specific computer network operations knowledge, skills and abilities. Five officers are to be recruited into the position in fiscal 2010 to work with Fleet Cyber Command to enhance the Navy's cyber capabilities. The Navy is looking for direct-commission ensigns with "outstanding technical academic records in the field of computer science and computer engineering degree programs" to fill the posts, according to a statement. The service also established a non-discrete 185X billet designator for cross-detailing purposes and aligned the information warfare, information professional, intelligence and cyberwarfare engineer designators within the 1800 series. The Navy's Information Dominance Corps was created earlier this year. It includes the enlisted communities of information systems technicians, cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialists and aerographer's mates. Item Number:1 Date: 06/30/2010 AFGHANISTAN - KARZAI'S OFFICE DENIES PRESIDENT MET WITH HAQQANI (JUN 30/ALJAZ) AL JAZEERA -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai reportedly met with insurgent leader Sirajuddin Haqqani in Kabul over the weekend, Al Jazeera (Qatar) reports. The account was refuted by Karzai's office. Haqqani was said to have been accompanied by Pakistan's army chief and the head of the intelligence services, Afghan and Pakistani sources said. The Haqqani network, one of the three main militant groups in Afghanistan, is believed to be based in the tribal areas of Pakistan. The president's office denied the reports of the meeting with the Al-Qaida-linked group leader. Item Number:2 Date: 06/30/2010 AFGHANISTAN - TALIBAN FAIL IN ATTACK ON JALALABAD AIRBASE (JUN 30/AFP) AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE -- Taliban fighters attacked a NATO airbase in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan with a car bomb and rocket-propelled grenades on Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports. Suicide bombers were also involved in an attempt to breach the gate, Afghan government officials said, as noted by the New York Times. Several militants were killed and two NATO soldiers were injured, according to a statement from the International Security Assistance Force. While the insurgents did not breach the base's perimeter, the firefight disrupted traffic for hours, military officials said. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack. Item Number:3 Date: 06/30/2010 AFGHANISTAN - U.N. STAFFER KILLED IN KABUL (JUN 30/UNNS) UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE -- An Afghan working for the United Nations was killed Tuesday in an attack in Kabul, the Afghan capital, reports the U.N. News Service. Two Afghan staff members were traveling in a U.N.-marked vehicle when it came under fire at a busy traffic circle in the city, officials said. The shooting occurred between the U.S. Embassy and an American military base. The other staff member was unharmed. U.N. security teams are working with Afghan security forces to investigate the incident, according to a U.N. statement. Item Number:4 Date: 06/30/2010 AUSTRALIA - DATA CENTER MOVE AIMS FOR SAVINGS (JUN 30/AUS) THE AUSTRALIAN -- The Australian Dept. of Defense has decided to consolidate its data centers to save more than Aus$400 million (US$349 million), reports the Australian. The department has selected a 10,800 square foot (1,000 square meter) facility outside of Canberra and awarded a five-year contract to a new supplier, officials said. There are presently about 200 defense data centers and server rooms spread across seven locations. By early 2014, the department plans to consolidate this infrastructure into fewer than 10 facilities. These facilities will include two restricted data centers and a disaster recovery site, according to defense officials. Item Number:5 Date: 06/30/2010 AUSTRALIA - HORNET FIGHTERS WRAP UP CENTER BARREL REPLACEMENT PROGRAM (JUN 30/BAE) BAE SYSTEMS -- The Australian air force has taken delivery of its 10th and final F/A-18 Hornet after the completion of a modernization program, reports BAE Systems Australia. BAE was a primary subcontractor under L-3 Communications MAS Canada for the F/A-18 Classic Hornet upgrade program, which began in 2006. The modernization involved the complete replacement of the aircraft's center fuselage near the wing root as part of the air force's structural refurbishment program phase 2 (SRP2). The upgrade is designed to keep the aircraft flying until their scheduled retirement in 2020, said Defense Materiel Minister Greg Combet. Item Number:6 Date: 06/30/2010 BANGLADESH - VARIOUS PROTESTS TURN VIOLENT (JUN 30/REU) REUTERS -- At least 80 people were wounded Wednesday in clashes with police during protests across Bangladesh, Reuters reports. Supporters of Bangladesh's biggest Islamic political party, Jamaat-e-Islami, were protesting the arrest of three of its leaders who have been charged with insulting Islam. Clashes took place in at least half a dozen districts, including Brahmanbaria and Dhaka, the capital. Police said they detained 20 activists. Other protests are linked to labor disputes. Police used clubs, tear gas and water cannons against textile workers demanding back pay and an immediate rise in monthly wages. At least 30 people, including 10 police, were injured in those clashes. On Sunday, there were 160 arrests in Dhaka during a violent opposition strike, reported CNN. Item Number:7 Date: 06/30/2010 GERMANY - DEFENSE MINISTER CALLS FOR LIMITS ON NATO MISSIONS (JUN 30/INDEP) INDEPENDENT -- German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg urged NATO to reduce the aims of its operations in Afghanistan and adopt new criteria to ensure the alliance does not commit to open-ended missions in the future, reports the Independent (U.K.). Speaking Monday at a London think-tank after talks with British officials, the minister noted the difficulties of obtaining public support for the Afghan mission and laid out four criteria for operations. These recommended criteria: taking action only if there is "great and imminent danger to another NATO member"; having a clearly defined political goal; launching operations only if there is no alternative; and acting "only if the capability for success was provided from the beginning. "Item Number:8 Date: 06/30/2010 INDIA - 26 PARAMILITARIES SLAIN IN MAOIST AMBUSH IN CHHATTISGARH (JUN 30/TI) TIMES OF INDIA -- Maoist rebels ambushed a paramilitary patrol Tuesday in the Narayanpur district in the Bastar region of the eastern Chhattisgarh state, reports the Times of India. A 70-man Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) patrol was attacked in the forests about 2.5 miles (4 km) from their base, officials said. At least 26 CRPF personnel were killed and seven injured, reported the Press Trust of India. About 90 Maoists were involved in the ambush, reported Asian News International. Item Number:9 Date: 06/30/2010 INDIA - NAVY COMMISSIONS 2 MORE FAST ATTACK CRAFT (JUN 30/PTI) PRESS TRUST OF INDIA -- The Indian navy has just commissioned two water-jet propelled fast attack craft into service at a base in Visakhapatnam on the east coast, reports the Press Trust of India. Commissioned on Tuesday, the Cankarso and Kondul are the fifth and sixth vessels in the Car Nicobar class. The navy plans to build 10 of the boats at a cost of US$133 million, according to service officials. The craft are capable of shallow water operations in day or night conditions and can reach speeds of more than 35 knots (65 kmh), according to the navy. The ships are armed with 30-mm CRN-91 guns. Item Number:10 Date: 06/30/2010 IRAN - IRGC SEEKS MORE SPECIALIZED UNITS (JUN 30/FARS) FARS NEWS AGENCY -- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), which is growing increasingly influential in Iran, plans to develop more specialized units as part of a reform program, reports the semi-official Fars News Agency. The change is intended to boost the IRGC's preparedness to counter all threats, said Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the IRGC commander. All IRGC formations, particularly within the ground forces and paramilitary Basij group, should focus on "upgrading their equipment, training and special facilities and possibilities together with learning specialized tactics and techniques in a bid to become specialized in the mission of their departments," Jafari said. Item Number:11 Date: 06/30/2010 IRAN - MISSING NUCLEAR SCIENTIST SHOWN ON SEVERAL VIDEOS (JUN 30/BBC) BRITISH BROADCASTING CORP. -- There has been a battle of videos over an Iranian nuclear scientist. A video shown on Iranian state television shows what appears to be the scientist saying he escaped U.S. custody in Virginia, the BBC reports. Shahram Amiri disappeared last year while on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Two videos concerning the scientist surfaced earlier this month. One indicates he was kidnapped and tortured by the U.S.; in the other, the scientist says he defected and was living freely in Arizona. In the latest video to appear, the man claiming to be Amiri denies reports of his defection from Iran, saying he was forced to make the video saying he was in Arizona. A U.S. official called the allegations ludicrous. Item Number:12 Date: 06/30/2010 ISRAEL - NEGEV FACTORY DAMAGED BY ROCKET (JUN 30/JP) JERUSALEM POST -- A Kassam rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip Wednesday, striking a factory in southern Israel, the Jerusalem Post reports. The damaged packaging plant was located in the Sdot Negev Regional Council area. No injuries were reported in the attack, police said. The nearby Kerem Shalom crossing was closed shortly after the rocket strike. The attack occurred as the Israeli Cabinet is scheduled to discuss easing the Gaza blockade. On Tuesday, officials agreed to allow 150 aid trucks into the Gaza Strip daily, an increase of 20. Item Number:13 Date: 06/30/2010 ISRAEL - SOLDIER CALLED HEZBOLLAH SPY (JUN 30/HA) HAARETZ -- A career Israeli soldier has been arrested on charges of spying for Hezbollah, Ha'aretz (Israel) reports. The unnamed suspect was accused of being a member of a drug-smuggling gang that operated in Lebanon, said Israeli officials. He allegedly gave sensitive information to a Hezbollah operative. Military police said they arrested the suspect several weeks ago following a joint investigation with the Galilee police. Five additional suspects have also been arrested, said police. Item Number:14 Date: 06/30/2010 NORTH KOREA - U.N. DENIES HEAVY WEAPONS ALLEGATIONS IN DMZ (JUN 30/VOA) VOICE OF AMERICA NEWS -- North Korea accused the U.S. and South Korea of bringing heavy weapons into the truce village of Panmunjom last Saturday, the Voice of America News reports. The U.N. Command denied the charges on Tuesday. Pyongyang threatened retaliation if the unspecified weaponry were not removed from the demilitarized zone. Only pistols and rifles are allowed in the DMZ. An American military spokesman said North Korea should bring its concern to the appropriate forum -- the general officer military talks at Panmunjom. Item Number:15 Date: 06/30/2010 PAKISTAN - FIGHTER JETS STEP UP PRESSURE IN ORAKZAI (JUN 30/DAWN) DAWN -- Pakistani warplanes bombed militant positions in Orakzai tribal agency on Wednesday, reports the Dawn (Pakistan). At least 20 militants were killed and 10 others were wounded in the airstrikes, said military officials. Six militant hideouts were also destroyed in the action, officials said. The military says it has secured most of lower and central Orakzai, but is still facing resistance in the upper portion of the region. Item Number:16 Date: 06/30/2010 PHILIPPINES - DAVID TAPPED AS NEXT CHIEF OF STAFF (JUN 30/MANBUL) MANILA BULLETIN -- President-elect Benigno Simeon Aquino III has named army Lt. Gen. Ricardo David Jr. to be the next chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, reports the Manila Bulletin. The head of the Northern Luzon Command, David is scheduled to serve until his planned retirement in March 2011. The general will replace Gen. Delfin Bangit, who assumed the post in March 2010. A change of command ceremony is scheduled for July 2. Item Number:17 Date: 06/30/2010 RUSSIA - DEFENSE MINISTRY EYES FRENCH ARTILLERY NAVIGATION SYSTEM (JUN 30/RIAN) RUSSIAN INFORMATION AGENCY NEWS -- The Russian Defense Ministry is about to discuss the possible purchase of an artillery navigation system with France's Sagem Defense Securite, RIA Novosti reports. Moscow is interested in the Sigma 30 inertial navigation system for its Smerch and Grad multiple rocket launchers, said Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin. Sagem says they system is designed for high-precision firing at short notice. It is already in use by other Russian weapons manufacturers, including Sukhoi. Item Number:18 Date: 06/30/2010 RUSSIA - TENS OF THOUSANDS INVOLVED IN VOSTOK DRILLS (JUN 30/RIAN) RUSSIAN INFORMATION AGENCY NEWS -- The Russian army has begun a major military exercise in the Far East region, reports RIA Novosti. The Vostok 2010 drills will involve up to 20,000 troops, 2,500 armored vehicles, 70 aircraft and 30 warships before they conclude on July 8, officials said. The training is going to include live-firing drills and simulated airborne and amphibious assaults, said Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the head of the Russian General Staff. A scheduled scenario will be the deployment of additional troops in Siberia and the Far East to reinforce the regional military contingent in a military conflict. The Vostok drills are held every two years. Item Number:19 Date: 06/30/2010 UGANDA - ARMY BOOSTS BORDER PRESENCE (JUN 30/NEWV) NEW VISION -- The Ugandan army has deployed additional personnel along the western border to deal with potential rebel incursions, reports the New Vision (Kampala). Ugandan officials said that the the Ugandan Allied Democratic Forces militant group, which has bases in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is planning attacks in Uganda following an offensive by Congolese security forces. The rebel group attacked western Uganda in 2007 in an attempt to disrupt oil exploration activities there, but were repulsed, officials said. The Ugandan military also called for calm over the reported buildup of Rwandan forces near their mutual border, reports the Daily Monitor (Uganda). Item Number:20 Date: 06/30/2010 USA - NAVY SEEKS MISSILE DEFENSE HOME IN EUROPE (JUN 30/NTIMES) NAVY TIMES -- U.S. Navy officials have been talking with European countries about a possible location to forward-deploy surface ships as part of the proposed European missile shield, the Navy Times reports. Using European ports would allow the Navy to keep the missile defense ships closer to their stations. The ships are due to begin patrols in early 2011. Although the 6th Fleet has not named any ports, U.S. bases at Gaeta, Italy, and Rota, Spain, are said to be contenders. Other details of the missile defense mission are not fixed, including tracking targets and command and control, as well as cooperation with European countries, said Naval Forces Europe officials. Item Number:21 Date: 06/30/2010 USA - OBAMA EMPHASIZES INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN SPACE (JUN 30/OS) ORLANDO SENTINEL -- President Obama has unveiled a new national space policy, which focuses on international cooperation and reducing the amount of space junk in orbit, reports the Orlando Sentinel. The U.S. will also consider proposals for space arms control measures "if they are equitable, effectively verifiable, and enhance the national security of the United States and its allies," according to the administration's policy paper. The paper says that the U.S. is no longer "racing against an adversary" and should cooperate more with space-faring nations, including China and Russia. The government said it will develop a better system to monitor space debris and reduce the chances of future incidents, such as the collision between an American and Russian satellite in 2009. There are reportedly more than half a million pieces of space junk larger than half an inch in orbit at speeds of more than 18,000 mph (29,000 kmh), potentially endangering satellites and astronauts. The New York Times characterized the new policy as a reversal of President Bush's "unilateral" approach and an effort to prevent an "arms race" in space. Item Number:22 Date: 06/30/2010 USA - PETRAEUS WINS COMMITTEE APPROVAL EASILY (JUN 30/LAT) LOS ANGELES TIMES -- The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved Gen. David Petraeus' appointment as leader of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, the Los Angeles Times reports. The general faced little opposition. "You're not allowed to presume confirmation, by the way," said Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.). "But I am." Under questioning by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Petraeus said that no military officer had recommended the July 2011 date to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan, as set by President Obama. The full Senate is to vote on the nomination on Wednesday. Item Number:23 Date: 06/30/2010 USA - RAYTHEON WINS AWARDS FOR MORE SIDEWINDERS (JUN 30/RAYTHEON) RAYTHEON -- The U.S. Air Force and Navy have each awarded Raytheon a contract for the supply of AIM-9X air-to-air missiles, reports the Dept. of Defense. The Air Force contract, worth $88 million, covers Lot 10 production of 121 AIM-9X Block I all-up rounds, including 55 for South Korea; 12 Block I captive air training missiles (CATM) also for South Korea; 15 Block I special air training missiles (NATM) for the Air Force; seven Block II CATMs for the Air Force; and 21 Block II NATMs for the Air Force. In addition, the Air Force contract covers five Block I CATM guidance units (GU) for the Air Force; 15 Block II CATM GUs for the Air Force; seven Block II active optical target detectors for the Air Force; six Block I propulsion steering sections for the Air Force; 30 containers for the Air Force and 22 for South Korea; as well as associated tooling and test equipment. Raytheon also received a $40 million award from the Navy for Lot 10 production of 54 AIM-9X Block I all-up-round missiles, including nine for South Korea; seven Block I CATMs for South Korea; and four Block II CATMs for the Navy. In addition, the deal covers 15 Block II NATMs for the Navy; three Block I CATM guidance units (GU) for the Navy, eight each for Singapore and Australia and two for South Korea; seven Block II CATM GUs for the Navy; four Block II active optical target detectors for the Navy; and four Block I propulsion steering sections for the Navy. Work under both contracts is scheduled to be completed by August 2012. Item Number:24 Date: 06/30/2010 USA - SOLDIER'S 1-YEAR CAPTIVITY NOTED (JUN 30/UPI) UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL -- Relatives and friends of a captured U.S. soldier are marking the one-year anniversary of his seizure in Afghanistan, United Press International reports. Spec. Bowe Bergdahl, 23, of Hailey, Idaho, went missing on June 30, 2009, in southeastern Paktia province. His status was changed to "Missing-Captured" on July 3. Bergdahl served in the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, out of Fort Richardson, Alaska. A Taliban video apparently showing Bergdahl was released in April. Item Number:1 Date: 07/01/2010 AFGHANISTAN - MILITARY OFFICERS TO BE TRAINED IN PAKISTAN (JUL 01/WP) WASHINGTON POST -- President Hamid Karzai has agreed to send a group of Afghan military officers to Pakistan for training, the Washington Post reports. Pakistan is attempting to enlarge its role in Afghanistan, sensing that the U.S. war effort is faltering. Karzai needs Pakistan as an ally to end the insurgency, whether through military action or negotiations, Afghan officials said. The training assignment for a small number of officers is meant to demonstrate confidence in Pakistan, the officials said. Item Number:2 Date: 07/01/2010 AFGHANISTAN - MORE RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON VULNERABLE HUMVEES (JUL 01/USA) USA TODAY -- Restrictions have been tightened on the use of Humvees after a string of roadside bombs killed eight U.S. soldiers over the last month in Afghanistan, reports USA Today. Before the renewed attacks, troops needed at least a lieutenant colonel to approve leaving a protected base in a Humvee, according to an Army spokesman. It now takes a full colonel to approve Humvee use. Coalition forces identified 1,128 improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in May, more than double the same month in 2009, according to the Pentagon's Joint IED Defeat Organization. Attacks resulting in wounded or killed coalition troops increased by 205 percent over the period. Item Number:3 Date: 07/01/2010 AFGHANISTAN - TALIBAN DISTRICT CHIEF SEIZED IN HELMAND (JUL 01/CNN) CABLE NEWS NETWORK -- NATO and Afghan forces have captured and wounded a Taliban district chief in Afghanistan's Helmand province, CNN reports. The four-hour battle, in which a "large number" of insurgents were killed, took place in a compound outside a village in the Baghran district, said NATO officials on Thursday. Insurgents opened fire on a security patrol with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, said the officials. The joint force recovered dozens of automatic weapons, RPG launchers and rounds, a machine gun, grenades and ammunition, said officials. Item Number:4 Date: 07/01/2010 CYPRUS - WANTED IN U.S., SPY SUSPECT SKIPS BAIL (JUL 01/BLOOMBERG) BLOOMBERG NEWS -- The alleged paymaster of a Russian spy ring, facing possible extradition to the United States, has jumped bail in Cyprus, Bloomberg News reports. Cypriot police said that Robert Christopher Metsos, 54, did not check in as scheduled at a Cyprus police station on Wednesday. They have no information on his whereabouts. Metsos may have fled to the Turkish side of the island, said a police spokesman. Metsos, who claims to be Canadian, was arrested Tuesday at a Cyprus airport while flying to Turkey, the day after the FBI arrested 10 alleged Russian spies in the U.S. Item Number:5 Date: 07/01/2010 DEM REP OF CONGO - 80 RWANDAN, UGANDAN REBELS KILLED, SAYS GENERAL (JUL 01/ANO) AFRICA NEWS ONLINE -- An army general says Congolese troops killed 80 rebels from neighboring Uganda and Rwanda who crossed the border into the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa News reports. Gen. Amuli Bahigwa said Congolese anti-rebel operation began on June 1. Four government soldiers and eight civilians were also killed, he said. The eastern part of DR Congo has been wracked by violence since Rwanda's 1994 genocide. Ugandan rebels have also fought in the region for two decades. Item Number:6 Date: 07/01/2010 GUINEA-BISSAU - MUTINY LEADER BECOMES ARMY CHIEF (JUL 01/SAPA) SOUTH AFRICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION -- Gen. Antonio Indjai assumed his post as chief of Guinea-Bissau's army on Tuesday less than three months after leading a mutiny and threatening to kill the prime minister, reports the South African Press Association. On April 1, Indjai ordered soldiers to arrest army Chief of Staff Gen. Jose Zamora Induta and Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Jr. The U.S. government said it regretted the appointment and announced the withdrawal of support for security sector reform in Guinea-Bissau. The West African nation has suffered numerous coups since obtaining independence from Portugal in 1974. It has also attracted South American drug cartels as a conduit for narcotics to Europe. Item Number:7 Date: 07/01/2010 MEXICO - EX-POLICE COMMANDER ARRESTED FOR ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT (JUL 01/LAT) LOS ANGELES TIMES -- Mexican authorities have arrested a key suspect in the April ambush of a security convoy in Michoacan state, the Los Angeles Times reports. Miguel Ortiz Miranda, also known as "El Tyson," allegedly directed operations in Morelia for the Michoacan-based La Familia. Until 2008, he also worked as a police commander, said officials. Authorities said that Ortiz helped plan the April 24 ambush of a convoy carrying Minerva Bautista Gomez, the state security chief. She survived the attack; two bodyguards and two passersby were killed. The suspect has also been linked to a June 14 ambush outside Zitacuaro that killed at least 10 federal police agents. Item Number:8 Date: 07/01/2010 OMAN - NH90 HELICOPTERS START ARRIVING (JUL 01/NHI) NH INDUSTRIES -- The Omani air force has received the first two of 20 NH90 helicopters it has ordered, reports NH Industries, the European firm that builds the helicopters. Another two NH90s are set to be delivered ahead of schedule in July, according to the company. The helicopters, in the tactical transport configuration, are expected to perform VIP and troop transport, as well as search-and-rescue missions. Item Number:9 Date: 07/01/2010 PAKISTAN - S. WAZIRISTAN CLEARED OF INSURGENTS, SAYS ARMY (JUL 01/DAWN) DAWN -- The Pakistani army says it has cleared the South Waziristan tribal agency of militants, the Dawn (Pakistan) reports. No insurgent hideouts remain in the area, an army spokesman said. During the latest operation, troops arrested several foreign fighters and seized foreign weapons. The political administration is now fulfilling its duties, said a military spokesman, and refugees are returning to the agency. Item Number:10 Date: 07/01/2010 RUSSIA - PAIR OF UNMANNED HELICOPTERS EXHIBITED AT TRADE SHOW (JUL 01/RH) RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS -- Russian Helicopters just unveiled two new unmanned helicopter designs at the UVS-Tech 2010 exhibition in Zhukovsky, southeast of Moscow, reports the aviation firm. The Korshun medium-range air vehicle weighs 1,100 pounds (500 kg) with a payload of 330 pounds (150 kg). It features a maximum range of 190 miles (300 km) and a top speed of 105 mph (170 kmh). The Ka-135 is a short-range coaxial helicopter powered by a piston engine. It weighs 660 pounds (300 kg) with a 220-pound (100-kg) payload. It has a range of 60 miles (100 km) and top speed of 105 mph (170 kmh), said company officials. Both designs are multi-role and can be equipped with a variety of functional modules. Potential missions include environmental monitoring, aerial patrol, cargo transport, meteorological and communications relay. Item Number:11 Date: 07/01/2010 SOMALIA - FIGHTING CONTINUES IN MOGADISHU, CENTRAL SOMALIA (JUL 01/REU) REUTERS -- Fighting across Somalia has left 21 people dead and 42 others wounded, Reuters reports. Inter-clan fighting in the central Somalia village of Huldonyale left 14 people dead and 24 injured, said human-rights officials on Thursday. The latest violence was believed caused by a water and pasture dispute. In Mogadishu, government troops and African Union peacekeepers shelled Al-Shabaab rebels, killing seven people and wounding 18 others, said officials. Item Number:12 Date: 07/01/2010 SOUTH KOREA - DEFENSE MINISTRY CALLS FOR 6.9 PERCENT BUDGET BOOST (JUL 01/KT) KOREA TIMES -- The South Korean Ministry of National Defense is seeking a 6.9 percent budget increase for 2011, reports the Korea Times. The ministry said it needs US$25.9 billion to bolster the nation's defense posture against North Korea. The draft budget includes US$17.8 billion, a 5.8 percent increase, in operational spending, including personnel wages, and US$8.2 billion (9.4 percent increase) for equipment modernization. The proposed increase follows the sinking of a South Korean corvette in March and calls for weapon systems to deter North Korea's asymmetrical tactics. Previous constraints have hindered ambitious defense reforms, officials said. Item Number:13 Date: 07/01/2010 SOUTH KOREA - DOMESTIC FIRM TO SHIP AVIONICS DEVICES TO U.S. AIR FORCE (JUL 01/DN) DEFENSE NEWS -- A South Korean electronics maker will deliver head-up display (HUD) systems for U.S. Air Force F-15s, Defense News reports. Under the $8 million contract with Rockwell Collins, Korea's LIG Nex1 will supply the systems to the U.S. and three other air forces operating the F-15, company officials said. Deliveries were set to begin on July 1. The contract is part of an offset deal with the Boeing Company in 2002, when the aerospace giant won the first phase of the F-X fighter program in South Korea to deliver 40 F-15K aircraft, LIG Nex1 officials said. Boeing also won the second-phase, 20-aircraft deal in 2008. F-15 operators include Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States. Item Number:14 Date: 07/01/2010 SRI LANKA - DEFENSE COOPERATION DISCUSSED WITH INDIAN NAVY CHIEF (JUL 01/HINDU) THE HINDU -- Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa met this week with Indian navy chief Adm. Nirmal Verma to discuss bilateral cooperation, reports the Hindu (India). The most senior Indian military official to travel to Sri Lanka in five years, Verma's five-day visit will include meetings with top Sri Lankan political and military officials. The talks are expected to focus on bilateral relations and enhancing security in the Indian Ocean. The admiral is also scheduled to visit Jaffna to discuss the refurbishment of the Kankesanthurai harbor, which will be surveyed by the Indian vessel Nirupak this week. The Indian destroyer Delhi is also visiting for joint training with Sri Lankan sailors. Item Number:15 Date: 07/01/2010 SUDAN - REBEL THREAT LEADS TO CLOSING OF BORDER WITH LIBYA (JUL 01/RFI) RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONALE -- The Sudanese government has announced it is closing its border with Libya, reports Radio France Internationale. The borders were ordered closed on Thursday in response to "banditry" in the area, according to the Sudanese Interior Ministry. Khartoum has expressed concern over Libya's harboring of Khalil Ibrahim, the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a Sudanese rebel group active in Sudan's Darfur region that borders Libya. The move is seen as a way to isolate Ibrahim from his followers in Darfur. Item Number:16 Date: 07/01/2010 SUDAN - WARRING DARFUR TRIBES SIGN U.N.-BACKED PEACE DEAL (JUL 01/UNNS) UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE -- Two rival Arab tribes in Sudan's Darfur region have signed a U.N.-facilitated agreement aimed at ending nearly four months of conflict, reports the U.N. News Service. More than 200 people have been killed and hundreds more displaced by violent clashes between the Misseriya and Rezeigat Nouaiba tribes. Tribal leaders formalized the deal in Zalingei on Monday in West Darfur state, according to the U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission (UNAMID). Peacekeepers say clashes in the region have often been caused by disputes over access to scarce resources. Item Number:17 Date: 07/01/2010 SYRIA - DAMASCUS SAID TO BE ARMED WITH ADVANCED IRANIAN RADAR SYSTEM (JUL 01/HA) HAARETZ -- Iran has provided Syria with an advanced radar system that could hamper an Israeli attack on Iran, Ha'aretz (Israel) reports. The radar could be effective against an air attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, Syrian defenses or Hezbollah in Lebanon by giving Syria early warning of Israeli air force sorties, officials said. The transfer took place sometime in mid-2009, according to Israeli and U.S. officials. The story first appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The alleged transaction violated a 2007 United Nations Security Council Resolution that forbids Iran from transferring, selling, or supplying arms or related material, Israeli officials said. Iran and Syria have denied the account. Item Number:18 Date: 07/01/2010 TANZANIA - TRAINING AIRCRAFT CRASHES ON HIGHWAY, KILLING PILOTS (JUL 01/CIT) CITIZEN -- Two Tanzanian military pilots were killed Tuesday when their training aircraft crashed, reports the Citizen (Dar es Salaam). Defense officials said the FT-5 aircraft crash-landed on the Segera-Chalinze highway, nearly colliding with a truck and a bus carrying tourists. The plane was attempting to land on the highway after developing technical problems during a training mission, said Lt. Gen. Abdurahman Shimbo, the military chief of staff. An investigation into the incident has been launched. Item Number:19 Date: 07/01/2010 USA - 2 INJURED IN ARMY HELICOPTER CRASH IN COLO. (JUL 01/UPI) UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL -- An Army helicopter made a hard landing west of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Wednesday night, United Press International reports. The two pilots suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Army officials said. The soldiers were reportedly involved in high-altitude training, which included flying night-vision missions, to prepare for operations in Afghanistan. The helicopter is part of the 10th Mountain Division's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Drum, N.Y., training at Colorado's Fort Carson. That brigade is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in August. Item Number:20 Date: 07/01/2010 USA - AL-QAIDA STRENGTH PLACED AT UNDER 500 (JUL 01/NYT) NEW YORK TIMES -- Michael Leiter, a top American counterterrorism official, estimates that "more than 300" Al-Qaida leaders and fighters are located in Pakistan's tribal region, the New York Times reports. CIA Director Leon Panetta recently said that 50 to 100 Al-Qaida operatives are fighting in Afghanistan, apparently bringing the total estimated regional strength to less than 500. U.S. officials note that Al-Qaida has forged close ties with many militant groups. Leiter, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said he sees considerable synergy between Al-Qaida and the Pakistani and the Afghan Taliban. Item Number:21 Date: 07/01/2010 USA - JUDGE GRANTS ASYLUM TO ISRAELI AGENT WHO SPIED ON HAMAS (JUL 01/JP) JERUSALEM POST -- A San Diego judge has granted asylum to the son of a Hamas founder who spied on the terror group for Israel's Shin Bet security service, the Jerusalem Post reports. The Dept. of Homeland Security had threatened to deport Mosab Yousef, 32, for engaging in terrorist activities. The acts allegedly occurred during his nine years of service as an undercover agent. In a 15-minute hearing on Wednesday, the judge ruled Yousef could stay in the U.S. after passing a routine background check. A Homeland Security attorney dropped objections to asylum. Yousef argued that he faced certain death if deported back to the Middle East after spying on Hamas and converting to Christianity. Code-named "Green Prince," Yousef arrived in California in 2007 on a tourist visa. Item Number:22 Date: 07/01/2010 USA - NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD CO RELIEVED OF DUTY (JUL 01/DPNN) DAILY PRESS (NEWPORT NEWS) -- The U.S. Navy has relieved the commander of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, reports the Daily Press (Newport News, Va.). Capt. William Kiestler had commanded the shipyard since June 2009. The service lost confidence in Kiestler's ability to command due to a "loss of situational awareness" with respect to ongoing projects, including submarine maintenance, said a Naval Sea Systems Command spokeswoman. Capt. Anthony Mullarky, the assistant deputy commander for industrial operations at NAVSEA, will command the shipyard until a new commander is assigned, officials said. Norfolk Naval Shipyard, located in Portsmouth, is one of NAVSEA's four shipyards specializing in repairing, overhauling and modernizing ships and submarines. Item Number:23 Date: 07/01/2010 USA - ORDER PLACED FOR UP TO 130 HIMARS SYSTEMS (JUL 01/DOD) DEPT. OF DEFENSE -- The U.S. Army has placed an order with BAE Systems' Global Tactical Systems of Sealy, Texas, for dozens of additional rocket artillery systems, reports the Dept. of Defense. The $24.9 million contract covers up to 130 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers with increased crew protection cabs and applique armor. The contract modification covers 63 vehicles, with options for another 67. Work at the Sealy facility is scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2011. Item Number:24 Date: 07/01/2010 USA - SCANEAGLE UAVS CHOSEN FOR AIR FORCE CADETS (JUL 01/INSITU) INSITU INC. -- The U.S. Air Force Academy has selected the ScanEagle unmanned aircraft for cadet training, reports its maker, the Bingen, Wash.-based defense firm Insitu. Insitu and BOSH Global Services will provide training to cadets on planning and executing missions using the ScanEagle within the service's Air Operations Center, company officials said. The training is designed to familiarize cadets with unmanned aircraft systems, giving them hands-on experience with integrating the UAVs with Air Force operations. As part of the program, cadets will also receive instruction on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, aerodynamics, mission planning, emergency procedures, visual observer duties and techniques and airmanship concepts. The eight-day course will include six 40-minute flights for each student, said the company. |
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