US To Spend Billions 'Modernizing' Nuclear Arsenal

The United States plans to spend billions to upgrade a decades-old atomic bomb designed to stop a Soviet invasion of Europe, as part of a controversial project to modernize its nuclear arsenal.

Some lawmakers and experts dismiss the effort as a colossal waste of money that could derail arms control talks with Russia.

But top commanders and government officials argue the B61 nuclear gravity bomb needs to be maintained so other weapons can be scrapped and to ensure America retains a “credible” force.

An undated file picture shows a B-2 Spirit Bomber dropping a B61-11 bomb casing from an undisclosed location. 

“The B61 is the only weapon in the stockpile that fulfills both tactical and strategic missions,” General Robert Kehler, head of Strategic Command, told a congressional hearing last week.

Designed as a short-range “tactical” weapon to deter Soviet forces from overrunning Western Europe, the bomb has been in service for the US Air Force since the 1970s.

There are five versions of the bomb, which has an estimated yield of 0.3 to 360 kilotons, equivalent to 360,000 tons of TNT.

Washington removed thousands of tactical atomic weapons from Europe after the Cold War ended. But 180 of the B61 bombs remain in Europe, the only American nuclear weapon still deployed on the continent, at NATO bases in Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.

Under President Barack Obama’s planned upgrade, the various models of the bomb would be replaced by a modified version, the B61-12, which would have a smaller yield and more accuracy.

US Think-Tank: North Korea Upgrading Main Launch Site

North Korea has undertaken major construction work at its main missile launch site, possibly to cater to larger and more mobile weapons, a US think-tank said Tuesday.

Satellite images taken earlier this month suggest construction of a second flat mobile launch pad at the Sohae missile site, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University posted on its 38 North website.

This picture taken by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Dec. 12, 2012, shows North Korean rocket Unha-3 lifting off from the launching pad in Cholsan county, North Pyongan province in North Korea.

Work has also been carried out on Sohae’s main launch pad, “possibly to upgrade that facility to handle future larger rockets,” the post said.

The pad was used for the launch in December of the North’s Unha-3 carrier, which successfully placed a satellite in orbit.

The launch was condemned by most in the international community as a disguised ballistic missile test that violated UN sanctions on Pyongyang.

North Korea insisted it was a purely scientific mission and vowed to push ahead with similar launches in the future.

“Activities related to the upgrading of the Unha launch pad may be completed soon, allowing Pyongyang to proceed with another space launch should it decide to do so,” the institute said.

North Korea is currently pushing for a resumption of six-party talks on its nuclear program, but the United States says it must first demonstrate a commitment to denuclearization.

Another long-range rocket launch would be taken as a step in the opposite direction and almost certainly result in fresh sanctions.

Last week, the US-Korea Institute said satellite images showed North Korea had built two tunnel entrances at its nuclear test site in a sign it plans more detonations. 

US Army Network Proves Mettle In Afghanistan

Integrated Team: Soldiers integrate Nett Warrior into their training during the Network Integration Evaluation 13.1 at Dona Ana Range, N.M. Budget cuts may slow the network exercises.

Despite some changes, one of the most celebrated innovations in soldier communication and situational awareness to hit the battlefield over the past 12 years of war is working just fine in Afghanistan, US Army leaders insist.

But leaders are concerned about the availability of funding to upgrade the network next year.

At the moment, Capability Set 13 — a suite of radios, smartphones and vehicle-mounted data terminals linked by a robust on-the-move network — is working well with elements of the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, which is tasked with training and advising the Afghan Army.

While the systems had been tested for several years in brigade-sized exercises at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., the 4/10 deployed with about half its combat strength as it focuses more on advising than war fighting.

They’re also one of the last units to deploy, as US troops prepare to pull out by the end of 2014.

So while the size and scope of the mission is much different from what the capability sets were tested for, commanders say the technology is just as useful in a smaller environment.As US forces leave — there are still about 50,000 soldiers deployed to Afghanistan, which will drop to about 33,000 by the 

spring — the capability sets “are also enabling our retrograde operations so that we don’t have to leave that infrastructure in place. We can take it down” while still giving the 4/10 full situational awareness, said Col. Mark Elliott, director of the Army’s LandWarNet/Mission Command Directorate.

“The mission that we had planned for Capability Set 13 was a brigade mission,” Brig. Gen. Dan Hughes, program executive officer for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), told Defense News. But since that mission no longer exists in Afghanistan, the brigade commander uses the assets a bit differently.

For instance, vehicles equipped with gear to allow them to function as mobile tactical operations centers are called points of presence. Col. Mario Diaz, the 4th Brigade Combat Team’s (BCT’s) commander, used his point of presence “more than he is using the lower pieces of [the network], because he needed to go deeper through some valleys” where communications were only possible through satellites, Hughes said. “He didn’t put in the pieces that we thought. He uses the point of presence and got enough bandwidth out of that to do his mission.”

As US Aid Dollars Flow, Afghanistan Closing Off to US Oversight

The US government-funded watchdog that tracks billions of dollars worth of American development aid to Afghanistan says much of the country is too dangerous for inspectors to check in on US-funded projects. And when NATO forces leave, things will get even worse.

According to a Monday letter from the head of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) to US government officials, the percentage of the country accessible to US civilian oversight personnel has been quickly shrinking from about 68 percent of the country in 2009 to about 45 percent.

And that area is expected to constrict even further to about 21 percent by the end of 2014, when most US and NATO troops are scheduled to complete their withdrawal, SIGAR chief John Sopko wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Rajiv Shah, head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

“We have also been told by State Department officials that this projection may be optimistic,” Sopko warned, “especially if the security situation does not improve.”

Afghanistan is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and the waste and abuse involved in reconstruction projects has been a problem that has proven too widespread for NATO forces and their civilian partners to crack.

Last year, the United Nations predicted that Afghans pay about US $3.9 billion a year in bribes to public officials.

Despite the fact that the United States has allocated more than $96 billion for Afghan aid and reconstruction over the past 12 years, Washington’s anti-corruption activities in Afghanistan “are not guided by a comprehensive US strategy or related guidance that defines clear goals and objectives for US efforts to strengthen the Afghan government’s capability to combat corruption and increase accountability,” SIGAR reported in September.

Sopko’s letter asks the Pentagon and State Department for help in planning oversight missions outside of what he called the “oversight bubbles” that exist around major population centers such as Kabul, Kandahar and Herat where US civilians can operate with some degree of security.

Anything outside of those bubbles is essentially off-limits. American military officials have told the SIGAR staff that they will provide civilian access “only to areas within a one-hour round trip of an advanced medical facility,” Sopko wrote, making any aid projects outside of those bubbles a mystery, even though US dollars continue to be spent on projects there.

The tightening restrictions have already had some real effects. This year, SIGAR inspectors were unable to visit $72 million worth of projects in northern Afghanistan, Sopko wrote.

The oversight chief didn’t merely write his letter to complain, however.He is asking the Pentagon and State Department for help in finding ways to break free from the bubble.

US Military Targeted Shebab In Somalia Drone Strike

 The US military carried out a drone strike targeting al-Shebab militants in Somalia on Monday, a senior administration official told AFP.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed media rep

orts that American forces had carried out the aerial attack with unmanned robotic aircraft but did not specify who in Shebab had been targeted.

“We share Somalia’s concern about al-Shebab,” the US official said.

In Somalia, witnesses recounted hearing aircraft overhead and a loud explosion, with missiles striking a car believed to be carrying senior leaders of Shebab in the country’s south.

The air strike comes after a raid earlier this month by US Navy SEALs at the southern port of Barawe that failed to capture or kill the alleged target, a senior Shebab leader called Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir, also known as Ikrima.

The United States has access to a network of airfields in East Africa, flying Reaper drones out of a base in Djibouti and in southern Ethiopia.

In May, a US drone crashed south of Mogadishu.

Top Ten Special Operations Forces in the World

Countries throughout the world train special operation forces within their military, so coming up with a list of top special operations forces in the world is difficult at best.  All special ops forces train their military men to be the best of the best, to take the impossible task and make it possible.  In that respect, all Special Operations units are top.  While the list below may not be everyone’s top ten, some of those listed would certainly be a part of any top ten lists.

10.  Russian Spetsnaz – What sets the Russian Spetsnaz apart from other specially trained special ops units around the world is their daily

exposure to physical punishment.  The purpose for this portion of their training is to teach them to endure physical pain and to work the mind to “enjoy” it since it is impossible to ignore it.  They are permitted to leave the training anytime they desire.  Their missions generally involve reconnaissance and close quarter combat.   Many of the bodyguards chosen for the high-tanking political figures of Russia are chosen from the Spetsnaz.

9.  Pakistan Special Service Group – This Pakistan Special Service Group (SSG) is also known as “Black Storks” a name derived from their unique headgear the “Maroon Beret”.  The SSG has ten specific missions for which they are trained:

• Asymmetric Warfare
  
• Special Operations
• Counter-Proliferation
• Unconventional Warfare
• Foreign Internal Defense
• Special Reconnaissance
• Direct Action
• Hostage Rescue
• Counter-Terrorist
• Personnel Recovery

This elite group from Pakistan is somewhat similar to the US Army’s Green Berets and the British Army’s SAS.  They often conduct exercise missions with Special Forces from other countries such as China and the UK.

8.  Austria Eko Cobra – This special ops tactical unit is involved mainly in counter-terrorism.  The group retains a low

 profile, despite their high-speed involvement in the war on terror.  In Europe, they are known for their competitive edge over other countries at S.W.A.T. and other competitions throughout Europe.  Though their covert missions are carried without with little or no media, they are still considered by many as one of the best trained counter-terrorist units in the world.

7.  French Army Special Forces Brigade – This French Special Ops group has one of the most rigorous qualification training programs in the world.  This group is subdivided into three specially trained

 areas:

• 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d’Infanterie de Marin which is based in Bayonne.
• 13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes based in Martignas-sur-Jalle.
• 4e Régiment d’Hélicoptères des Forces Spéciales, the unit based in Pau.

Army Looks to Blend Cyber, Electronic Warfare Capabilities On the Battlefield

As new technologies emerge and new cyber and electronic warfare threats plague Soldiers in the field, U.S. Army scientists and engineers continue to define next-generation protocols and system architectures to help develop technology capabilities to combat these threats in an integrated and expedited fashion.

As part of the Integrated Cyber and Electronic Warfare, or ICE, program, the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command’s communications-electronics center, known as CERDEC, researches the technologies, standards and architectures to support the use of common mechanisms used for the rapid development and integration of third-party cyber and electronic warfare, or EW, capabilities.

“Currently, within cyber and EW disciplines there are different supporting force structures and users equipped with disparate tools, capabilities and frameworks,” said Paul Robb Jr., chief of CERDEC Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate’s Cyber Technology Branch.

“Under the ICE program we look to define common data contexts and software control mechanisms to allow these existing frameworks to communicate in a manner that would support the concurrent leveraging of available tactical capabilities based on which asset on the battlefield provides the best projected military outcome at a particular point in time,” said Robb.

The boundaries between traditional cyber threats such as someone hacking a laptop through the Internet, and traditional EW threats such as radio-controlled improvised explosive devices that use the electromagnetic spectrum have blurred allowing EW systems to access the data stream to combat EW threats, according to Giorgio Bertoli, senior engineer of CERDEC I2WD’s Cyber/Offensive Operations Division.

Additionally, significant technological advancements including a trend towards wireless in commercial applications and military systems have occurred over the last decade, said Bertoli.

“This blending of networks and systems, known as convergence, will continue and with it come significant implications as to how the Army must fight in the cyber environment of today and tomorrow,” said Bertoli.

“The concept of technology convergence originated as a means to describe the amalgamation of traditional wired versus wireless commercial services and applications but has recently evolved to also include global technology trends and U.S. Army operational connotations — specifically in the context of converging cyber and EW operations,” said Bertoli.

The Army finds itself in a unique position to help mitigate adverse outcomes due to this convergence trend.

“Post force deployment, the Army has the vast majority of sensors and EW assets on the tactical battlefield compared to any other service or organization posing both risks and opportunities. Our military’s reliance on COTS [commercial-of-the-shelf] systems and wireless communications presents a venue for our adversaries to attack. Conversely, the proximity and high density of receivers and transmitters that we deploy can be leveraged to enable both EW and cyber operations,” said Bertoli.

“The ability to leverage both cyber and EW capabilities as an integrated system, acting as a force multiplier increasing the commander’s situational awareness of the cyber electromagnetic environment, will improve the commander’s ability to achieve desired operational effects,” said Robb.

A paradigm shift in how the Army views system and technology development will further enhance CERDEC’s ability to rapidly adapt to new cyber and EW threats.

“The biggest hindrance we have right now is not a technological one, it’s an operational and policy one,” said Bertoli. “The Army traditionally likes to build systems for a specific purpose – build a radio to be a radio, build an EW system to be an EW system, but these hardware systems today have significantly more inherent capabilities.”

To demonstrate the concepts of multi-capability systems, CERDEC chose not to solely focus its science and technology efforts on researching solutions to address specific cyber and EW threats but also to develop the architecture onto which scientists and engineers can rapidly develop and integrate new, more capable solutions.

Raytheon Test Fires Enhanced Anti-Tank Weapon System

Raytheon Company successfully completed an initial round of live-fire testing with a new U.S. Marine Corps Light Armored Vehicle Anti-Tank (LAV-AT) weapon system. The upgraded, highly mobile, anti-armor LAV-AT weapon system is designed to protect reconnaissance and light infantry. Its mission is to defeat threats at long-range, day or night, and in all weather conditions.

“Raytheon is delivering an enhanced capability designed to save Marines’ lives,” said Michelle Lohmeier, vice president of Land Warfare Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. “The new turret and thermal systems can perform surveillance and targeting on the move, providing greater situational awareness. Raytheon has also reduced the size of the equipment to provide more crew space inside the vehicle.”

In April 2012, the U.S. Marine Corps awarded Raytheon a contract to develop and integrate an anti-tank weapon system on four LAV-ATs. All four vehicles will go into development testing later this year, with operational testing to follow in late 2014.

Raytheon Company, with 2012 sales of $24 billion and 68,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass.

F-35A completes 1st in-flight missile launch

An F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft completed the first in-flight missile launch of an AIM-120 over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range, June 5. 

It was the first launch where the F-35 and AIM-120 demonstrated a successful launch-to-eject communications sequence and fired the rocket motor after launch -- paving the way for targeted launches in support of the Block 2B fleet release capability later this year.

The Air Force F-35A variant has seen significant development in training and operations recently including the beginning of pilot training at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the delivery of the first operational test aircraft to Edwards and Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., the first operational aerial refueling and the completion of high angle of attack testing. 

"It's a testament to the entire military-industry test team," said Lt. Col. George "Boxer" Schwartz, F-35 Integrated Test Force director, who also piloted the flight. "They've worked thousands and thousands of hours to get to the point where we are today. It's fantastic to see that it's all paid off. We're rolling into a lot of additional weapons work in the coming months to put that expanded capability on the aircraft."

The F-35A 5th Generation fighter is designed to carry a payload of up to 18,000 pounds using 10 weapon stations. The F-35A features four internal weapon stations located in two weapon bays to maximize stealth capability. The CTOL aircraft can also utilize an additional three external weapon stations per wing if required. 

The U.S. Air Force has established an F-35A initial operating capability target date of December 2016. By this date, the Air Force will have fielded an operational squadron with at least 12 aircraft along with Airmen trained and equipped to conduct basic close air support, interdiction and limited suppression, and destruction of enemy air defense operations in a contested environment. 

Moving into the active phase of weapons test is another large step toward delivering Block 2B software capability that will enable initial combat deployment.

$1.1B Deal on F-35 Engines

An F-35A flies with afterburner over Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in April. Engine maker Pratt & Whitney and the Pentagon agreed on final pricing on the sixth lot of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engines for $1.1 billion

Aircraft engine maker Pratt & Whitney and the Pentagon reached an agreement for final pricing on the sixth lot of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engines.

The deal, worth $1.1 billion, covers 38 total engines, including 18 of the conventional take off and landing (CTOL) engines for the US Air Force F-35A variant, seven engines for the Navy’s F-35C carrier variant, and six engines for the Marine F-35B jump-jet model. The Air Force will also receive two spare engines.

The low-rate initial production (LRIP) six contract also includes three CTOL propulsion systems for Italy and two for Australia, the first engines for those partner nations.

Pratt has consistently declined to share cost-per-unit, citing competitive reasons. However, a joint statement between the company and the Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) said the price on the engines used in the F-35A and F-35C models dropped roughly 2.5 percent from LRIP-5, while the F-35B engines decrease 9.6 percent compared with the last batch.

As with the LRIP-5, Pratt has assumed risk for cost overruns. However, LRIP-6 is the first batch where it’s responsible for cost overruns for spare modules. Deliveries are scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year.

“The engine price has been going down and that trend will continue,” Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, the F-35 Program’s executive officer, said in the joint statement. “I’ve meet with Pratt & Whitney’s senior leaders and they are working closely with the supply chain to continue to bring down the cost to the government.”

Lockheed Protests US Navy Radar Decision

Raytheon's AMDR would replace Lockheed SPY-1D radars on US Navy ships.

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin, stung Oct. 10 by a US Navy decision to award Raytheon the contract to develop and build a new radar that could be installed on generations of new missile ships, filed a protest Tuesday against the decision.

The move was not unexpected. Lockheed has dominated the Navy’s missile ships since the 1970s, when, in partnership with the sea service, it developed the Aegis combat system and its family of SPY-1 radars. Aegis remains the pre-eminent naval combat system worldwide.

The Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) is to be a new sensor to operate with the Aegis system, providing an enhanced ability to track and target ballistic missiles and other targets, and to be scaled up or down to fit a variety of ship designs.

Raytheon has fought several major competitions to break Lockheed’s dominance, but the Navy’s choice of the electronics giant to build the AMDR shocked both Lockheed and Northrop Grumman, the two competitors for the award.

“After careful consideration, Lockheed Martin has protested the Navy’s award of the Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) contract,” Keith Little, a spokesman for Lockheed’s Mission Systems and Training business, said on Tuesday.

“We submitted a technically compliant solution at a very affordable price,” Little added. “We do not believe the merits of our offering were properly considered during the evaluation process.”

The Navy briefed Lockheed officials Oct. 17 on the AMDR decision, Little said. The company had until Tuesday to file a protest.

With the protest now filed, the Navy is expected to issue a stop-work order to Raytheon to await the conclusions of the Government Accountability Office. The GAO is required to render a decision within 100 days of the protest, making a decision likely in late January.

Are America’s Stealth Bombers Ready for Action?

The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber can avoid most modern adversaries’ defenses, but it is currently facing a different threat: defense budget cuts.

Of the 20 B-2s in existence, only 16 are operational at any given time due to maintenance schedules; a recent report claims there may only be nine available. In addition, a handful of B-2s are constantly used for training, so the availability of combat-ready Spirits actually declines further.

The B-2 Spirit is the most advanced stealth bomber on the planet. It has served the U.S. since the 1990s in both strategic and conventional bomber roles, performing strikes over Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya while also contributing to America’s nuclear deterrence missions. With a combination of low-visibility, long-range, high-altitude capability, and advanced weapons systems, the B-2 is a valuable asset for fighting security threats, but it is not receiving the support it needs to continue performing its missions.

The Air Force flies two other bombers: the B-52 Stratofortress and the B-1B Lancer. Yet these two aircraft lack the stealth capabilities of the B-2. With the emergence of “anti-access/area denial” capabilities in foreign militaries, the B-2 will increasingly be the only aircraft able to perform bomber missions in contested airspace, especially in the Asia–Pacific region. The B-1B also no longer performs strategic nuclear missions, putting additional responsibility on B-2s.

Maintenance concerns permeate the whole bomber fleet. The last time the U.S. military procured a B-52 was in 1962—61 years before today but only 59 years after the Wright Brothers first flew an airplane. While the B-52s have undergone comprehensive maintenance and weapons system upgrades throughout the years, they cannot remain in the air indefinitely.

Meanwhile, the B-1B fleet is 25 years old. According to the Congressional Research Service, “many of the systems on the B-1 are original equipment and suffer from diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortfalls that impact reliability, availability and maintainability.”

The Air Force’s answer to its bomber fleet concerns is the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B). Building on the stealth capabilities of the B-2, this aircraft can be launched from aircraft carriers and is capable of performing unmanned missions that extend its range far beyond that of any current bomber aircraft.

‘Iron Man’-style suit in early stages of development

U.S. Special Operations Command wants its operators to be protected with what it informally calls an Iron Man suit, named after the fictional superhero.

In September, U.S. Special Operations Command, known as SOCOM, made a Broad Agency Announcement for proposals for prototypes of the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, or TALOS.

The goal of TALOS is to provide ballistic protection to Special Operations Forces, along with fire-retardant capability, said Michel Fieldson, TALOS lead, SOCOM.

“We sometimes refer to it as the Iron Man suit, frankly to attract the attention, imagination and excitement of industry and academia,” he said.

“We’re hoping to take products we’re developing in several technology areas and integrating them into a consolidated suit to provide more protection for the [Special Operations Forces].”

Other technologies include sensors, communications, energy and material that can store and release energy to prevent injuries and increase performance.

Materials that can store and release energy might be similar to the Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis, now used by some wounded warriors for lower leg limb injuries.

So TALOS would be something that wounded warriors might benefit from, he said.

Besides wounded warriors, Fieldson said Homeland Security and firefighters have expressed an interest in this technology. Also, it might eventually become available for other Soldiers.

“Our goal right now is to try to get the word out and bring industry partners together,” he said, since the technologies that will go into its development are varied and it is unlikely one contractor would be able to specialize in the entire ensemble.

The traditional approach, he said, was to pick a prime contractor, usually a traditional defense partner, give them the design requirements and let them come up with the solution. That would take a long time, he noted.

“In this case, the government will be the lead integrator and we’ll look to work with traditional or non-traditional partners in industry and academia who are innovative,” he said. “We’ll leave no stone unturned.”

The goal, he said, is to begin integrating capabilities over the next 12 months and have the first suit ready for full field testing in four to five years.

Fieldson thinks TALOS will become a reality because “it protects the warfighters and has the backing of SOCOM’s commander, Adm. William H. McRaven.

“I’m very committed to this,” McRaven said to industry representatives at a TALOS demonstration, July 8, 2013 in Tampa, Fla. “I’d like that last operator that we lost to be the last one we ever lose in this fight or the fight of the future; and I think we can get there.

US think tank disputes North Korea nuclear progress Report

A US think tank Friday disputed a study that North Korea’s nuclear program was developing beyond the world’s ability to control it and, as evidence, pointed to support by China.

At a conference last month in Seoul, two US scholars presented a report saying that North Korea appeared to be capable of producing key components of the gas centrifuges needed to enrich uranium.

Joshua Pollack, who produced the report with Massachusetts Institute of Technology nuclear scientist Scott Kemp, said that the findings showed that the longstanding global response to North Korea of export controls, sanctions and interdiction “has probably reached its limit of effectiveness.”

But the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security said it saw flaws in the analysis and stressed that much remains murky about North Korea.

The institute said it has learned of North Korea’s recent import from China, its main ally, of restricted computer-numerically controlled machine tools, which would indicate it is not able to produce such advanced products itself.

The institute also said that pictures of a key component — a computer-numerically controlled flow forming machine — raised suspicions it was manufactured in Europe.

The institute’s David Albright and Olli Heinonen praised their fellow scholars’ efforts but said that, barring other technical evidence, their conclusions are “likely incorrect, or at least overstated.”

“The possible conclusion of the paper that export controls and sanctions are no longer effective or are unable to ever control the supply of illicit goods to North Korea may undermine, as a matter of policy, the justification for these efforts,” they wrote.

“If anything, the priority is strengthening these measures with China’s cooperation,” they wrote.

US secures Romanian air base for Afghan pullout

The United States agreed a deal Friday with Romania allowing use of an air base on the Black Sea as a transit point for American troops departing Afghanistan, officials said.

The agreement allows the US to shift its flight operations to Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu air base from an airport in Kyrgyzstan, which charged steep rental fees and had ruled out a lease beyond July 2014.

The arrangement, approved in talks Friday at the Pentagon between US and Romanian defense chiefs, resolves a crucial logistical challenge.

The United States is preparing to pull out most of its combat forces and equipment from Afghanistan by the end of next year. The cost of using the Manas air field in Kyrgyzstan proved a recurring problem for Washington.

Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel and Romania’s Defense Minister Mircea Dusa “finalized an agreement for Romania to support logistics into and out of Afghanistan, including both personnel and cargo movement,” press secretary George Little said in a statement.

“Secretary Hagel praised this agreement, which is particularly important as the US prepares to wind down transit center operations at Manas, Kyrgyzstan next year,” he added.

In Friday’s talks, the United States also agreed to transfer technology that will allow Romania to buy 12 used F-16 fighter jets from Portugal, he said.

The two sides discussed progress on setting up a site for US anti-missile interceptors as part of a NATO ballistic missile defense system. A groundbreaking ceremony for the site at Deveselu is scheduled for next month, officials said.

Officials did not release the details of the terms for access to the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base in eastern Romania, which would serve as the main hub for flying troops out of Afghanistan back to the United States, as well as some equipment.

Five US military personnel are currently stationed at the air base and the number of American troops and contractors would dramatically increase if the agreement goes ahead. In Kyrgyzstan, about 1,500 US troops and contractors work at the base.

The United States has about 51,000 troops in Afghanistan and almost the entire force will be pulled out — along with huge quantities of vehicles and weapons — by the end of 2014.

Research Alliance Looks to Guide US Army's Cyberwarfare Future

he Army is concerned that near-peer adversaries will one day use cyber attacks to target soldiers’ laptops, radios or other small computers that surround them in vehicles and weapon systems on the battlefield. The enemy might insert malicious software to steal, destroy or fake information, or to misdirect a flying drone, send a soldier spoofed orders or detonate some ordnance prematurely.

To fight back, the Army Research Laboratory is exploring how soldiers one day might calculate risk, detect intrusions and make networks agile to evade attacks as part of a newly formed consortium of academic institutions, the defense industry and the Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center. It’s also researching the psychosocial perspective on attackers, defenders and the soldiers who use the networks.

It could inform future acquisitions, training, doctrine and tactical decisions, according to Alexander Kott, associate director for science and technology for the lab’s Computational and Information Sciences Directorate.

The collaborative research alliance, launched Sept. 20, is set to run for five years, with an optional five-year renewal at $3.3 million to $5.2 million annually.

It is led by Penn State University, and includes Carnegie Mellon University, Indiana University and the University of California-Davis and Riverside.

The first area, “risk research,” seeks to develop theories and more fluid models for risk assessment.

“We need to have much better abilities to change our ways on the fly, depending on what we observe the enemy doing,” Kott said.

The next, “detection research,” would shape cyber threat detection and recognition capabilities.

“The faster we can detect the enemy, the faster we can change our tactics to become less vulnerable to them,” Kott said. “Malware is the enemy on our networks, and if we can’t see it, it will stay on our networks and keep harming us.”

The last, “agility research,” supports planning and control of cyber maneuvers, ways to rapidly adjust Army networks and defenses to defeat or mitigate cyber threats and effects. As a frequency-hopping radio adjusts to evade would-be eavesdroppers, networks can be made more dynamic to shake off intrusive malware.

US to sell $10.8 bln in missiles, bombs to Saudis, UAE

The Pentagon said Thursday it plans to sell Washington’s Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates $10.8 billion worth of missiles and munitions, including “bunker-buster” bombs.

The move follows a series of US weapons deals in recent years that have bolstered the air power and missile arsenals of Gulf states, which view Iran as a menacing rival with nuclear ambitions.

The pending sale comes as the United States and five other major powers pursue high-stakes diplomacy on Iran’s disputed nuclear program, with talks this week portrayed as positive by both sides.

Officials said the Defense Department notified Congress this week of the planned deal that will provide a thousand bunker-buster GBU-39 bombs to the Saudis and 5,000 to the UAE.

The sale will also include sophisticated air-launched cruise missiles that can hit targets from a long distance.

CH-47 Chinook

              A CH-47 lifts an F-15 

The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its primary roles are troop movement, artillery placement and battlefield resupply. It has a wide loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage and three external-cargo hooks. With a top speed of 170 knots (196 mph, 315 km/h) the helicopter is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s. The CH-47 is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name is from theNative American Chinook people.

The Chinook was designed and initially produced by Boeing Vertol in the early 1960s; it is now produced by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems. It is one of the few aircraft of that era – along with the fixed-wing Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft – that remain in production and front-line service, with over 1,179 built to date. The helicopter has been sold to 16 nations with the U.S. Army and the Royal Air Force.

General characteristics:

• Crew: 3 (pilot, copilot, flight engineer)
• Capacity:
  • 33–55 troops or
  • 24 litters and 3 attendants or
  • 28,000 lb (12,700 kg) cargo
• Length: 98 ft 10 in (30.1 m)
• Rotor diameter: 60 ft 0 in (18.3 m)
• Height: 18 ft 11 in (5.7 m)
• Disc area: 5,600 ft² (520 m²)
• Empty weight: 23,400 lb (10,185 kg)
• Loaded weight: 26,680 lb (12,100 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 50,000 lb (22,680 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Lycoming T55-GA-714A turboshaft, 4,733 hp (3,631 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 170 knots (196 mph, 315 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 130 kt (149 mph, 240 km/h)
• Range: 400 nmi (450 mi, 741 km)
• Combat radius: 200 nmi (370.4 km)
• Ferry range: 1,216 nmi(1,400 mi, 2,252 km^[100])
• Service ceiling: 18,500 ft (5,640 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,522 ft/min (7.73 m/s)
• Disc loading: 9.5 lb/ft² (47 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.28 hp/lb (460 W/kg)

The US Navy's next-generation drone

The simulated aircraft carrier flight operations room at NAS Patuxent River

The control display unit for the X-47B is used to guide the aircraft
                            during aircraft carrier taxiing