Iran Posturing Again as They Move the World Closer to War

It seems that the IAEA has given a report showing that Iran continues to enrich uranium to make nuclear weapons, and in that report it shows a tremendous amount of deception, hidden programs, and failure to outline the realities. Meanwhile, Iran is interfering in Iraq, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and several other nations which it simultaneously calls friend or foe depending on the time of day.

This type of international behavior is not helping anyone, especially Iran. Indeed, when Iran's public leader Ahmadinejad stands up in front of the UN and gives a one-hour speech of hatred and excuses towards Israel and the United States for his behavior, it does in fact send a stark message to the world that Iran has no intention of preventing war, or maintaining peace. Each time there is a problem in Iran, regardless of the reason, they blame it on the West.

There was an interesting article on this topic recently on in SpaceWar Online News titled "Iran to Stage Missile Wargames Immediately" by Staff Writers in Tehran and published on June 26, 2011.

"Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards are to launch military exercises on Monday with the firing of different range ballistic missiles, the state news agency IRNA reported. The exercises, codenamed Great Prophet-6, are to start on Monday, said a Guards commander, General Ami Ali Hadjizadeh, quoted by IRNA, without specifying how long the manoeuvres will last - "short-, medium- and long-range missiles will be fired, especially the Khalij-Fars, Sejil, Fateh, Ghiam, and Shahab-1 and -2 missiles," he said."

Now then, is this move from Iran in response to the USA putting a Patriot Missile Battery Anti-Missile Shield in the UAE? Raytheon has just completed those tests. We've seen Iranian warships sail into the Mediterranean as NATO was setting up the no-fly zone for Libya. We've seen Iran attempt to break Israeli maritime blockades, and threatened to blow Israel off the map. It seems that every time we turn around Iran is posturing again as it moves the world closer to war.

As if this was not enough Iran and North Korea are sharing nuclear and missile technologies, and Iran is also sharing various military technologies of an unknown kind with Venezuela. If Iran is bringing weaponry into Iraq to destabilize the country, and kill US troops, as well as bringing weapons into Afghanistan to help the Taliban against NATO and US forces, then in fact Iran is already at war with the West, and many nations.

At some point this behavior has to stop, otherwise there will be no choice. It appears to me that we are at that point now. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6385328

Gripen passes 160 000 flight hours during mission over Libya

Saab Gripen Multi Role fighters are now flying with great success in five different air forces around the world. Integration of new weapons and capabilities are ongoing and the demonstrator for the future Gripen NG has been flying with new avionics and displays since May 19.

Gripen is also now operational in Thailand following delivery to the Royal Thai Air Force in February of the first six aircraft, out of a total requirement of twelve. Thailand now formally joins Sweden, South Africa, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the UK based Empire Test Pilot School as a Gripen user.

Another first is the Swedish participation in the NATO led operation ‘Unified Protector’ over Libya. Since April 2 eight Gripen fighters, based at the Sigonella air base in Sicily, are flying daily reconnaissance and air supremacy missions. So far more than 300 recce missions have produced over 80 000 photos.

Among the upgrades of the existing Gripen C/D fleet, two new weapons are being integrated. In May Denel Dynamics, South Africa, completed the integration of the A-Darter fifth generation air-to-air missile on Gripen. While at the Vidsel test range in Sweden Saab is integrating Small Diameter Bombs on the Swedish Air Force Gripen.

On May 19 the Gripen NG demonstrator aircraft flew with new avionics for the first time. At this stage of flight testing, after almost 200 flights, an open system architecture avionics system that separate flight critical from mission critical functionality is integrated in the aircraft. Also integrated are new Tactical Mission Computers, Ethernet networks and new Rockwell Collins displays.

Source Gripen International

Arizona wildfire: 2nd largest in history

A huge wildfire in eastern Arizona grew Wednesday, prompting the Apache County Sheriff's office to order the full evacuations of two towns, home to about 8,000 people.

Residents of Eagar and Springerville received the order late Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Other communities were warned they could be next.

"We had a lot of spot fires today," said Jim Whittington, public information officer for the Southwest National Incident Management Team.

Hot and dry conditions, with winds out of the southwest, continued to make firefighting efforts difficult, Whittington told CNN.

While firefighters battled the fast-moving blaze, residents in its path faced serious choices: whether to stay -- and what to take with them if they leave.

"We're going to get out of here because they want us out of here. That's the main reason," said Eagar resident Bob Meador. "We don't want to go."

Authorities have evacuated thousands of people since the wildfire, known as the Wallow Fire, began sweeping through the Apache National Forest late last month. It had burned about 389,000 acres by Wednesday.

Officials Wednesday said they feared flying embers could cause the fire to spread, and expanded evacuations. The fire was moving around the city Greer, subject of a Monday evacuation.

It also was threatening New Mexico, where residents have felt the effects of smoke and ash. A firefighting team will operate out of Reserve, New Mexico, about 20 miles east of the border, Whittington said. On Wednesday, the front of the fire was just three miles away from the Meador family's Eagar Street home.

Bob Meador and his son, Rodney, loaded what they could into a pair of pickup trucks.
"We packed up a bunch, we're just hoping it ain't going to burn, hoping and praying," Rodney Meador said.         

But not everything fit, forcing them to make tough decisions. The Xbox made the cut, but family photos stayed behind.

Their 18-year-old dog, Tigger, got a seat in the cab of the truck, but the family cat remained at home.

Firefighters are focusing on saving homes in Eagar and nearby Springerville. But Bob Meador said he wasn't ready to take any chances.

As smoke filled their neighborhood, the Meadors hit the road, hoping they would have a home to return to once the fire passes.

"I've seen them wildfires in California just rip through places, so that's what I worry about," Bob Meador said.

Next-door neighbor Dave Hunt, speaking before the evacuation order, said he was determined to stay, and was putting his faith in the roughly 2,500 firefighters who are battling the blaze.

"We have so many firefighters here that are so into their jobs and the have protected other small communities that I know they are going to do a good job protecting Eagar," he said.

The driveway of Hunt's home is lined with white stones, each a souvenir of a trip his father and stepmother took to the nearby White Mountains over 17 years. Fire has already engulfed most of the mountains where they vacationed, but the stones are reminders of good times, he said.
"My dad built this place, and he's gone now, and I love this area so much. I've lived all over the country, and this is it. This is where I'm at," he said.

Even so, he said he'll join the steady stream of residents heading for safer ground if conditions get worse.

"I'm not a dummy. When the wind shifts when the ash starts to get heavy, when the smoke changes, it's time to go," he said.

Source http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/08/arizona.wildfires/index.html

Russia Likely to Purchase An-70 Aircraft in 2012-2013

Russia is likely to begin purchasing Ukrainian-built An-70 propfan military transport aircraft in 2012-2013, Russian Air Force deputy commander major general Viktor Bondarev said.
"The plane is undergoing factory tests, and next year it will be tested by [Russian] military pilots," he added.

The Russian State commission will finally decide the purchase on the basis of the factory test results.

The An-70 is a medium-range propfan-powered military transport plane developed by Ukraine's Antonov design bureau.

The aircraft is intended to replace Russia's ageing An-12 aircraft, according to RIA Novosti.
The Russian Air Force has about 300 transport aircraft in service including An-12 Cub, Il-76MD and An-124 Condor transport aircraft.

Source
http://www.airforce-technology.com/news/news120738.html

India to Buy 10 Boeing Jets in Largest U.S. Deal

India approved buying 10 Boeing Co. (BA)C-17 military cargo aircraft for $4.1 billion, its largest ever defense deal with the U.S., strengthening the country’s capability to transport troops, vehicles and artillery.

The cabinet’s committee on security headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today gave its final approval for the purchase of the heavy-lift Globemaster III planes at a meeting in New Delhi, according to a defense ministry official who didn’t wish to be identified before a public announcement.

The decision comes after fighter jets manufactured by Boeing and fellow American aircraft maker Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)in April failed to make a shortlist for India’s procurement of 126 warplanes at a cost of about $10 billion. Jets made by France’s Dassault Aviation SA (AM) and the European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Co. are now competing for the world’s biggest fighter-jet order in 15 years. 

Foreign governments and companies struggling to recover from global recession are competing to sell $120 billion worth of arms that India may buy between 2012 and 2017 as it seeks to overhaul its defense capabilities, according to a 2010 estimate by the Confederation of Indian Industry and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt. The country is modernizing its military as it looks beyond a traditional rivalry with Pakistan to counter China’s rising power. 

India’s current military cargo fleet is dominated by ageing Russian-built Ilyushin and Antonov aircraft.

Source http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-06/india-said-to-buy-10-boeing-planes-in-largest-u-s-defense-deal.html 

Canada Prefers Accuracy Over Economy In Libya

Canada has ordered another 1,300 Paveway laser guided bombs. This order was apparently triggered by the large number of bombs used during current operations in Libya. There, Canadian CF-18 fighter-bombers have flown over 300 sorties, which could have resulted in the use many Paveways. In practice, the -1CF8s have probably used less than 500 smart bombs so far. The Libyan troops loyal to dictator Moamar Kaddafi have quickly learned how not to appear as a likely target to jets overhead. So NATO fighter-bombers often come back with the four or more smart bombs they went out with

 .

 Canada prefers to use the more accurate (hits within one meter/3.1 feet) JDAM laser guided bomb, even though it is three times as expensive (about $100,000 each) than the GPS guided JDAM (hits within ten meters/31 feet). The greater accuracy means less risk of missing the target, or causing harm to nearby civilians or friendly troops. 

From http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairw/articles/20110525.aspx

F-22s Grounded By Gas Shortage

The new American F-22 fighter may be having a problem with its OBOG (On Board Oxygen Generating) system, causing pilots to get drowsy, or even black out, from lack of oxygen. As a result, on May 3rd, all F-22s were grounded because of suspected problems in the OBOG. But the U.S. Air Force is checking the OBOGs in F-16, F-15E, A-10, F-35 and T-6 aircraft as well. The problem may just be with the F-22 OBOG, or a general problem with all air force OBOGs. 

OBOGs have been around for over half a century, but only in the last two decades have OBOGs become compact, cheap and reliable enough to replace the older compressed gases or LOX (liquid oxygen) as a source of breathable air for high flying aircrew. Each aircraft, especially the F-22 and F-35, get an OBOG tweaked for space, weight or other conditions specific to that warplane design.

Because aircraft have been staying in the air longer (because of in-flight refueling), carrying enough compressed oxygen has become untenable, and OBOG solves the problem. Since the 1990s, most American military aircraft have replaced older oxygen systems with OBOG. Most Western nations, and Russia, have followed, at least with their latest model aircraft. Most OBOG systems work by using a chemical reaction to remove nitrogen from the air taken in to the OBOG, and then sending out air with the proper amount of oxygen to the aircrew.

Even helicopter pilots sometimes need additional oxygen. The U.S. Army has encountered this in Afghanistan. That's because helicopter pilots there often operate at high (over 3,200 meters/10,000 feet) enough altitudes that they need oxygen to maintain alertness. Currently, crew members get the oxygen via tubes from 45 kg (hundred pound) tanks. This restricts mobility inside the helicopter. So the army has developed a portable (2.3 kilograms/5 pound) device that you can wear on your chest. A sensor gives you additional oxygen when it detects a need. The PHODS (Portable Helicopter Oxygen Delivery System) provides enough oxygen for 2-3 hours.

Source http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20110601.aspx

More than 1,000 dead in Syria since mid-March, U.N. chief says

More than 1,000 people have died in Syria since the conflict there started in mid-March, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday, a grim milestone that reflects his alarm over the "escalation of violence" in the authoritarian Arab country. 

The unrest, which started percolating in the southern city of Daraa and then spread to the rest of the country, claimed more lives Friday in Hama, the city known for a 1982 government massacre against the civilian population. 

At least 34 were killed Friday and many more were wounded, according to Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an entity in regular touch with activists in the country. 

He said all of the deaths came from indiscriminate gunfire toward demonstrators, reviving 

 memories of the decades-old crackdown.

One witness, a dentist, told CNN he was taking part in the demonstrations when marchers were "surprised" by the military and the shabiha, armed pro-regime elements, opened fire in what he called an "intense" situation.

The witness provided the names of nine slain people, whose bodies were seized by pro-regime people, and estimated the number of casualties at around 100.

Another witness there reported at least one demonstration in which tens of thousands of people took to the streets.

The witness said people were heading toward a square in the center of town and chanted, "Freedom, freedom! National unity! Christians and Muslims are one! Leave, leave" and, "The people want the fall of the regime."

That same witness later reported small demonstrations in some areas, with protesters burning tires amid intermittent gunfire.

Rahman said the wounded were being treated in private clinics, and while he's unclear about the situation at the city's main hospital, he said the medics he was talking to were in tears.

CNN can't independently confirm the accounts.

The Baathist government of Hafez al-Assad, who once ruled Syria, crushed the 1982 revolt in Hama against the Sunnis, who are the majority religious group in Syria.

Estimates put the death toll then at between 10,000 and 30,000 people; the exact number was never known. The government has been dominated by the al-Assad family's Alawite community, a minority religious group that is an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

The Hama protests erupted after this week's Friday Muslim prayers, which were dedicated to the children who have taken part in the persistent and angry uprising against the Syrian government.

At least 51 children have been killed by security forces since the anti-government protests started in mid-March, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria.

They include Hamza Ali al-Khateeb, the 13-year-old Daraa boy whose killing has captured the world's attention, and a 4-year-old shot in Rastan, a town in restive Homs province.

The overall death toll in Rastan has reached 80, the coordination group said, and an activist near Rastan said he heard the sounds of gunfire and artillery overnight.

An eyewitness in Rastan said there wasn't a call to prayer Friday, people could not leave their homes and there were no demonstrations because security personnel promptly shelled gatherings when they saw them. 

Demonstrations after Friday prayers have energized the opposition in Syria and every week there have been different protest themes. The focus on children dovetails with the outcry over Hamza's death.

Ban reflected the worldwide outrage toward the Syrian regime when said he is "deeply troubled by the continued serious violations of human rights, including disturbing reports of the deaths of children under torture, live ammunition and shelling." He also said that many people have been injured and thousands arrested over nearly three months.

While noting the "announcement by the Syrian authorities of an amnesty and the establishment of a committee to establish a national dialogue," Ban emphasized that "violent repression by security and military forces must end immediately for a genuine and inclusive dialogue to take place and lead to the comprehensive reforms and change called for by the Syrian people."

UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency, said this week that since mid-March, "reports of children injured, detained, displaced and at times killed have been increasing."

It said the use of live ammunition on demonstrators has reportedly killed at least 30 children, but it hasn't been able to independently verify casualty figures and the "circumstances of their death."

It said Syria is a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and "has an obligation to ensure children's right to life" their safety and other human rights, such as freedom of expression.

"We are particularly disturbed by the recent video images of children who were arbitrarily detained and suffered torture or ill-treatment during their detention, leading in some cases to their death. We call on the government to thoroughly investigate these reports and ensure that perpetrators of such horrific acts are identified and brought to justice," the agency said.

Another group caught in the middle of the discord in Syria is the Iraqi refugee community, an estimated 1 million people, according to the International Organization for Migration. They fled to Syria during the war in Iraq.

The organization said Friday that there is "growing concern" of an influx of people returning to Iraq. It is working with government authorities and other humanitarian groups to prepare for immediate and long-term help for those people and the communities hosting them.

There have not been "significant" increases in returns, but "smaller-scale returns have been reported, primarily in Anbar and Baghdad," the group said.

Migration organization monitors in Baghdad last month learned that "126 families had returned from Syria due to violence and instability. Interviews are currently being conducted with these and other returnee families to better understand their reasons for return and their future intentions."

"With nearly one million Iraqis still displaced within the country, the possibility of a major increase in returns from Syria poses a considerable challenge to Iraq's stability," said the International Organization for Migration's Iraq chief of mission, Michael Pillinger.

"IOM remains committed to working with the government to closely monitor the return situation and, if necessary, provide immediate assistance to vulnerable returnees," he said.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/06/03/syria.unrest/index.html

USAF and Navy F-35s Could Deploy Before IOC Dates

So there’s been much fretting lately (well for years, actually) about the prospect of increased cost growth and schedule delays for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program despite the definite up-tick in its flight testing. The plane’s initial operating capability dates which basically dictate when the jet will be able to perform basic combat missions have been pushed more than two years to beyond 2016 for the Navy and Air Force. This delay causes a host of headaches that we won’t get into here, but lets just say a lot of people were planning on having the F-35 replace their aging jets before 2016, now they’ve got to figure out how to keep those planes flying; in some cases, past their service lives, an ever more expensive task.

One of the key features for the Navy and Air Force in determining the jet’s ability to execute missions is the integration of the Block 3 operating software which contains thousands of lines of code for mostly classified combat capabilities. Now, Air Force and Navy officials are saying that they may deploy the jets in combat before that software is installed.Keep in mind, the Marines planned on declaring IOC with their F-35Bs (and now Cs, too) with Block 2 software since the jet will still be a very potent fighter compared to many existing planes. The Corps’ IOC date has been bumped two to three years to 2014 or 2015.

This means the planes won’t formally have all their combat capability but they’ll still be flying missions around the world and potentially seeing combat. This means the pilots and ground crews will be gaining valuable experience operating the jets and Lockheed’s customers can start retiring their older fighters. As one of the last paragraph in the Defense News story says, maintaining the IOC dates based on the Block 3 software’s readiness may simply be a tactic to keep Lockheed hustling, not necessarily a reflection of the jet’s ability to perform in combat.

 Still, I’d like to know more about the safety considerations the Rear Adm. Philman was talking about. Was he talking about basic maintenance and flight procedures or was he talking about enemy threats to the stealthy jet?