Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 31, 2011

BF-5 takes off. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

Steps Forward, Step Back For F-35 -- Aviation Week

Lockheed Martin flew the fifth STOVL F-35B yesterday (Jan 27), taking the number of aircraft in the development flight-test program to 10. The fourth CTOL F-35A, meanwhile, was ferried to Edwards AFB on Jan 22.

Under the current plan, two more development aircraft remain to fly, F-35C carrier variants CF-2 and -3. They are expected to ferry to NAS Patuxtent River by June. But construction of a third CV test jet, CF-5, has begun and more aircraft of all three variants will be added to the flight-test program under the replan now being put in place.

Read more ....

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

JPO on STOVL F-35 Design Issues -- Ares/Aviation Week

AF Worries JSF Costs May Soar -- DoD Buzz

Russia to offer fifth-generation prototype fighter to Brazil? -- RIA Novosti

With own 5G jet plan, India 'rejects' US offer -- Times Of India

Korea seeking early purchase of stealth jets: sources -- Yonhap News Agency

A look at Egyptian military capability -- ELP Defens(c)e Blog

Factbox - Egypt's powerful military -- Reuters

Somali pirates could soon face US military action -- East African

Indian Defence Production Policy: Got the policy, where’s the plan? -- Defpro

Canada has no way to refuel new jets in air -- Ottawa Citizen

Obama Administration Could Adopt EU Space Code -- Global Security Newswire

Corps’ first armed tanker supports grunts -- Marine Times

Northrop's Last Ship Aces Its Sea Trials -- Defense News

War Wounded: Father, Son Suffer TBI -- Military.com

US troops revamp training for foggy battlefields -- AFP

Electronic warfare a new career field -- Army.mil

Sessions Warns on U.S. DoD Spending -- DoD Buzz

Ex-Enterprise Commander: Superiors OK’d Videos -- Military.com

The Way The Military Is Supposed To Work -- Time Magazine

Information Warfare: Stuxnet Autopsy Fascinates And Frightens -- Strategy Page

Major Spy Ring Broken In Oman

Oman Uncovers 'Spy Network But UAE Denies Any Links -- BBC

The authorities in Oman say they have uncovered a network of spies working for the United Arab Emirates, according to the state news agency.

The alleged agents for the UAE are said to have spied on the Omani government and military.

The UAE government denies any knowledge of - or link with - such a network, according to its news agency.

The neighbouring countries are members of the Gulf Co-operation Council and normally enjoy good relations.

Read more ....

More News On Oman Uncovering A Spy Ring From The UAE

Oman says uncovers UAE spy network -- Reuters
Oman says busts UAE spy ring, Abu Dhabi denies -- AFP
Oman breaks up UAE ‘spy ring’ -- Financial Times
Oman accuses UAE of links to spy network targeting military and government -- Canadian Press/AP
Oman uncovers UAE spy network -- International Business Times
UAE spy network busted in Oman --Press TV (Iran)

My Comment: Allies spying on each other .... nothing new there.

Britain's Own Version Of 'The Hurt Locker'

Afghanistan: The Bomb Hunters -- The Telegraph

The 350th British soldier to die in Afghanistan was killed last week by a booby-trapped device. In an extract from his new book, Bomb Hunters, defence correspondent Sean Rayment follows the Army’s explosives disposal team who risk their lives to rescue their comrades.

“If you’re lucky, and I mean really lucky, you will leave Helmand with your team intact – no one killed or injured, no amputees. But you know you are going to get blown up, you know you are going to get shot at. You just have to hope that luck is on your side. But there are only so many rolls of the dice you can have before you get a double six.”

Staff Sergeant Gareth ‘Woody’ Wood, ATO (Ammunition Technical Officer), 11 EOD Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, serving with JFEOD Group, in Nad e-Ali, Afghanistan, March 2010

Read more ....

My Comment: A fascinating look at bomb disposal experts from a British perspective.

Niger To Hold Presidential, Parliamentary Elections A Year After Coup

Niger To Hold Presidential, Parliamentary Elections Nearly A Year After Military Coup -- Canadian Press

NIAMEY, Niger — Niger holds elections Monday, almost a year after renegade officers stormed the presidential palace in broad daylight and kidnapped the elderly president — but few believe a vote will bring radical change to the impoverished West African country.

On Monday, the country's 6.7 million registered voters will choose between 10 presidential candidates, including the country's first female presidential hopeful, and vote in 116 legislative races nationwide.

Read more ....

Update: Niger to vote after one year of military rule -- AFP

My Comment: This is a surprise, and a welcome development that breaks the perceived mold of Africa being a land of despots and dictators.

Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal Is More Than 100 Deployed Weapons

New Estimates Put Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal At More Than 100 -- Washington Post

Pakistan's nuclear arsenal now totals more than 100 deployed weapons, a doubling of its stockpile over the past several years in one of the world's most unstable regions, according to estimates by non-government analysts.

The Pakistanis have significantly accelerated production of uranium and plutonium for bombs and developed new weapons to deliver them. After years of approximate weapons parity, experts said, Pakistan has now edged ahead of India, its nuclear-armed rival.

Read more ....

My Comment: India is going to respond .... and it looks like we are now going to be a witness to a nuclear arms race in one of the most unstable regions in the world.

Mass Evacuation Of Foreign Nationals In Egypt Begins

Thousands of travelers waited at Cairo International Airport for available flights on Sunday. Scott Nelson for The New York Times

Our Egypt Terror, By Siege Britons: Panic Grips Airports As Gun Battles Rage In The Streets -- The Daily Mail

British tourists stranded in Cairo told yesterday how their relaxing winter sunshine breaks turned into a terrifying ordeal.

Some cowered in their hotel rooms as gun battles raged outside, while others slept on the stone floor of the airport rather than risk the 6pm curfew.

One tourist group found themselves caught between police and demonstrators as violence in the centre of Egypt’s capital reached its peak.

Lesley Broadhurst, 58, from Derbyshire, told the Daily Mail: ‘This was the most horrible experience of my life.’

Read more ....

More News On Foreign Nationals Being Evacuated From Egypt

Governments scramble to fly citizens out of Egypt -- Reuters
The exodus from Egypt begins -- Mirror
For Many Fleeing Egypt, a Long Wait -- New York Times
Britons returning from Cairo speak of their relief -- BBC
Egypt crisis: Britons struggle to get home as Cairo airport in meltdown -- The Telegraph
Asian nations raise alarm on Egypt travellers -- AFP
Russia's Lavrov urges measures to protect tourists in Egypt -- RIA Novosti
Egypt not safe, Australians warned -- The Age
Countries Step Up Warnings on Egypt Travel -- Wall Street Journal
Flights to Egypt airports disrupted -- Press Association

China's Economy Faces Dangerous Property Bubble

Photo from Marc Faber's Blog

'China Syndrome' Means Country Faces Dangerous Property Bubble -- The Telegraph

One of China's leading economists has said that the country is facing the possibility of a dangerous real-estate bubble and rising inflation which could put growth at risk.

Yu Yongding, senior fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and former member of the monetary policy committee of the People's Bank of China, said that the demand for new property was so high that prices were in danger of soaring out of control.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Yongding said that China's authorities would have to act to calm the market and that the rate of growth would have to be lowered: "Definitely inflation is the biggest concern so far. At the same time we are concerned about a real estate bubble.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Telegraph has another Article that reveals the seriousness of China's housing situation. That post is here.

Picture Of The Day

MANGOW SECURITY - U.S. Army Spc. Mason Lembke and Afghan soldiers provide security during a patrol through Mangow village in Afghanistan's Laghman province, Jan. 21, 2011. Lembke, assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, pulled security while members of the 319th Tactical Psychological Operations Company, talked to villagers about security. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kristina L. Gupton

60 Minutes Talks To the Founder Of Wikileaks Julian Assange

Julian Assange, The Man Behind WikiLeaks -- CBS News

Talks To Steve Kroft About The U.S. Attempt To Indict Him And The Criticism Aimed At Him For Publishing Classified Documents.

(CBS) Just a few months ago, most people had never heard of a Web site called WikiLeaks, or of its mysterious and eccentric founder, Julian Assange. But in that short period of time both have managed to rattle the worlds of journalism, diplomacy, and national security. WikiLeaks, which solicits and publishes secrets and suppressed material from whistleblowers around the world, has been under cyber attack from governments that want to shut it down. And Assange is currently under legal attack from the U.S. government which would like to charge him with espionage for publishing volumes of classified material from the Pentagon and the State Department.

Read more ....

My Comment: The second part of this interview can be found here.

How Could An Army Private In The U.S. Military Have Access To Hundreds Of Thousands Of Secret Documents

Photo: Pfc. Bradley Manning

Bradley Manning Copied Secret Documents Thanks To Lack Of Safeguards, Book Claims -- The Telegraph

An astonishing security lapse allegedly allowed an American soldier to pass hundreds of thousands of secret documents to the Wikileaks website, a new book will reveal.

The army private who is accused of downloading the material in Iraq had “unrestricted access” to millions of classified documents “with virtually no supervision or safeguards”, according to a publication obtained by The Daily Telegraph.

The authors, David Leigh and Luke Harding, of The Guardian, name Specialist Bradley Manning, the soldier being held in a US military jail, as the alleged source of the information which was passed on to The Guardian by WikiLeaks.

Read more ....

More News On Bradley Manning

Army Was Warned Not to Deploy Bradley Manning to Iraq -- Threat Level
Report: Army ignored advice to not send WikiLeaks soldier to Iraq -- USA Today
Marines Replace Commander in Charge of Detention of Bradley Manning, Accused WikiLeaker -- CBS News
Lawyer for soldier suspected in WikiLeaks case hopes new brig commander will ease confinement -- The Canadian Press
Pentagon Disputes Bradley Manning Mistreatment Allegations -- ABC News
The Cost of Manning The Wars -- Time Magazine
Assange, Manning: Parallels, But Links Unclear -- NPR