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Military


05 February 2003 Military News

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

  • USS NIMITZ TO CONDUCT SOUTHERN CA TRAINING 3rd Fleet Press Release 05 Feb 2003-- The USS Nimitz Aircraft Carrier (CVN68) will get underway from its homeport of San Diego Thursday morning (6 Feb) to conduct two days of training in the Southern CA operating area.
  • USS Tarawa Crew Trains, Maintains Readiness Navy News Stand 05 Feb 2003 -- There's a sense of something both important and urgent these days aboard USS Tarawa (LHA 1).
  • Marines Integrate With Bonhomme Richard's AIMD Navy News Stand 05 Feb 2003 -- Nearly 100 Marines from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron Thirteen (MALS 13) have integrated with Sailors from the aircraft intermediate maintenance department (AIMD) aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6).
  • Naval Hospital Jacksonville Medical Platform Deploys Navy News Stand 05 Feb 2003 -- A medical support platform comprised of nearly 100 medical personnel from Naval Hospital Jacksonville recently received orders to deploy to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations to support the global war on terrorism and to prepare for future contingencies as directed.
  • Cave-Clearing Ops Proceed in Spin Boldak Area AFPS 05 Feb 2003 -- Coalition soldiers continue to clear caves in the Spin Boldak area, U.S. officials said in Afghanistan.
  • AFRCC takes lead in shuttle search, recovery AFPN 05 Feb 2003 -- Fifteen minutes after NASA's Mission Control in Houston lost contact with Space Shuttle Columbia, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center here was dispatched to begin search and rescue efforts.
  • Civil Support Teams Help in Columbia Debris Search AFPS 05 Feb 2003 -- The National Guard Civil Support teams called to duty to handle the aftermath of the Columbia tragedy are uniquely suited to the purpose.
  • DDMS responds to Columbia disaster AFSPC 05 Feb 2003 -- Within seconds of NASA's announcement that it had lost contact with Space Shuttle Columbia Feb. 1, the Department of Defense Manned Space Flight Support here initiated their catastrophic incident checklists. The DDMS mission is to coordinate NASA requests for DOD's unique capabilities in support of the manned space flight program, if search and rescue is needed.
  • Knighthawk Completes First Deployment Since Introduction Navy News Stand 05 Feb 2003 -- Helicopter Combat Support (HC) Squadron 5, Det. 6 completed the Navy's first deployment of the new MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter aboard an amphibious ship Jan. 30 on USS Essex (LHA 2).
  • Commander visits deployed Tinker troops AMCNS 05 Feb 2003 -- As hostilities with Iraq deepen and a decade-long commitment to enforce the Southern No-Fly Zone continues, aircraft maintainers here serve a vital readiness role.

Defense Policy / Programs

  • WEST VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, AND MICHIGAN CIVIL SUPPORT TEAMS CERTIFIED 05 Feb 2003 -- The Department of Defense notified Congress today that Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST) from the West Virginia, Tennessee, and Michigan National Guard are now certified. These teams are fully ready to assist civil authorities respond to a domestic weapon of mass destruction incident, and possesses the requisite skills, training and equipment to be proficient in all mission requirements.
  • C-40B ready for operational capability AMCNS 05 Feb 2003 -- The newest addition to the Andrews fleet, the C-40B, was declared ready for operations Jan. 24 during a ceremony here.
  • Total force strikes the Pacific PACAFNS 05 Feb 2003 -- True Air Force airpower was demonstrated at sunset Feb. 4, over the Hawaiian Islands when two KC-135 Stratotankers from the Hawaii Air National Guard here re-fueled two Air Combat Command B-1B Lancers.
  • 25th ASOS conducts rare training with B-2 PACAFNS 05 Feb 2003 -- Hawaiian airspace recently saw a first-time visitor from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., as three B-2 Spirit bombers came to train with members of the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron, Wheeler Army Air Field, Hawaii.
  • Eglin engineers test bombs with brains AFPN 05 Feb 2003 -- Determining if warheads can penetrate underground targets and detonate after counting floor levels or measuring depth was the focus of recent sled testing on a Hard Target Smart Fuze here.
  • Ex-Im Bank Offers Incentives to Buyers of U.S. Aircraft Washington File 05 Feb 2003 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has offered financial incentive to buyers of U.S. aircraft in countries that sign, ratify and implement an international treaty aimed at facilitating financing and leasing of aircraft equipment.
  • United States Welcomes Effort to Bolster Cease-Fire in Sudan Washington File 05 Feb 2003 -- The United States welcomes the Addendum to the ceasefire signed by the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement strengthening the cease-fire that was signed last October.
  • Reserve Seabees Provide Super Support Through Super Storm Navy News Stand 05 Feb 2003 -- "First the electricity went out. Then the rain came, then the wind. It was raining so much, and the wind was blowing so fast, the rain looked like a mist. The walls were sweating, the ceilings were sweating," said Construction Electrician 1st Class David Benavides, describing his experience during Typhoon Pongsona in the barracks at West Camp Covington.
  • U.S., India Sign Agreement Boosting Bilateral High Technology Trade Washington File 05 Feb 2003 -- U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce Kenneth I. Juster and Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal signed an agreement February 5 to boost bilateral high technology trade between the two countries, including trade in dual-use goods and technologies, according to a February 5 Department of Commerce press release.
  • SECAF, Chief of Staff offer condolences USAFENS 05 Feb 2003 -- On Saturday, Feb. 1, our nation and the world lost seven courageous, talented individuals when the Space Shuttle Columbia Orbiter experienced catastrophic failure 15 minutes prior to landing at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Among these brave astronauts were two officers from the Air Force family: Col. Rick Husband, mission commander, from Amarillo, Texas; and Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, payload commander, from Spokane, Wash.
  • JSOW Weapons On Target! NAVAIR 05 Feb 2003 -- Three Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW-A) baseline missiles were successfully launched recently from a U.S. Air Force F-16D and a U.S. Navy F/A-18C aircraft, at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Pacific test range in southern Calif.
  • NAVAIR Depot North Island makes fleet readiness top priority NAVAIR 05 Feb 2003 -- In the fast-moving world of naval aviation, time can mean the difference between being ready to fight the battle when it must be fought or being less than ready to face the enemy from the strongest position. At the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Depot North Island, the artisans who provide maintenance, repair and modification to the Navy's top-of-the-line strike fighter, the F/A-18 Hornet, made time their top priority.
  • Rorke takes command of VX-23 NAVAIR 05 Feb 2003 -- Capt. Stephen C. "Chewy" Rorke officially took command of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 in a combined Marine Corps and Navy change of command ceremony here Jan. 24.
  • Rumsfeld Tells Congress Changes Needed to Increase Flexibility AFPS 05 Feb 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld asked Congress to enact sweeping changes in the way the department is managed as he presented the defense portion of the president's fiscal 2004 budget request.
  • '04 Budget Request First to Incorporate Bush Priorities AFPS 05 Feb 2003 -- The fiscal 2004 defense budget request is the first to incorporate the Bush administration's new defense strategies and priorities, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the House Armed Services Committee today.

Defense Industry

  • BAE SYSTEMS Reaches Definitive Agreement To Acquire MEVATEC Corporation BAE Systems 05 Feb 2003 -- BAE Systems North America today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to purchase all of the stock of MEVATEC Corporation of Huntsville, Alabama for $82 million in cash, which includes an element of potential deferred consideration.
  • GE T700 Well Suited For India's Multipurpose Helicopter GE Aviation 05 Feb 2003 -- GE's T700 helicopter engine is well suited to power India's new multipurpose helicopter.
  • General Dynamics Awarded $82 Million for Abrams Tank Programs General Dynamics 05 Feb 2003 -- The U. S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), two contracts totaling $82 million for Abrams tank programs.
  • RAYTHEON AND LOCKHEED MARTIN JOIN FORCES FOR SECOND PHASE OF CEC PROGRAM Lockheed Martin 05 Feb 2003 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today announced that they have teamed to bid for the U.S. Navy's Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) Block 2 program. The Block 2 phase is expected to be worth approximately $1 billion, and when combined with the $2 billion CEC Block 1 effort, the program's "end-to-end" value is pegged at $3 billion.
  • Lockheed Martin Canada To Deliver State-Of-The-Art Health Information System To The Department Of National Defence Lockheed Martin 05 Feb 2003 -- Lockheed Martin Canada, a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT), has been awarded a multi-year contract by the Department of National Defence to deliver a state-of-the-art health care information system. The system will ensure Canadian Forces members that their health information is accurately collected, protected and made available to authorized personnel wherever they serve and receive health care services.
  • Mission Success for Boeing-Built Micro-satellite Boeing 05 Feb 2003 -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] announced today that the successful 12-hour mission of the first micro-satellite, known as XSS-10, proves that an autonomous space system can operate near other orbiting space objects.
  • Boeing ScanEagle UAV Plays Integral Role in Navy Giant Shadow Experiment Boeing 05 Feb 2003 -- ScanEagle, a Boeing [NYSE: BA] long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, demonstrated the ability to relay real-time data and provide video to participants during the U.S. Navy's Giant Shadow experiment at a test site in the Bahamas.

Other Conflicts

  • IVORY COAST / DEATH SQUADS VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- A U-N report says death squads responsible for a wave of executions in Ivory Coast have links to some government officials in the country. The report has been submitted to the U-N Security Council.
  • IVORY COAST / UNREST VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- In Ivory Coast, there were new demonstrations by workers who want President Laurent Gbagbo to back out of a deal granting key government posts to rebels who control half the country.
  • COTE D'IVOIRE: IRIN Interview with ECOWAS Executive Secretary Mohamed Ibn Chambas IRIN 05 Feb 2003 -- Mohamed Ibn Chambas is the Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which has been spearheading efforts to bring peace to Cote d’Ivoire. While attending the African Union summit in Addis Ababa he talked with IRIN about the Marcoussis agreement, a peace pact concluded in late January by the Ivorian government, political parties and rebel groups, and the role which the AU and UN should be playing.
  • COTE D'IVOIRE: Implement peace agreement, Security Council urges IRIN 05 Feb 2003 -- The UN Security Council called on Tuesday for the full and immediate implementation of a peace agreement signed on 24 January 2003 by Côte d'Ivoire's political forces and adopted by a Conference of Heads of State on Côte d'Ivoire that met in Paris on 25-26 January.

  • SOMALIA: UN teams visiting Puntland IRIN 05 Feb 2003 -- A high-level United Nations team is visiting the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, to consolidate cooperation, according to a UN source.
  • SUDAN: Oil displaced allowed to return home IRIN 05 Feb 2003 -- The government of Sudan and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army have committed themselves to "effect the immediate voluntary return" of civilian populations displaced in the country's main oil-producing area, Western Upper Nile (WUN), to their homes.
  • NIGERIA: Talks consider sharing of resources in disputed area IRIN 05 Feb 2003 -- Talks sponsored by the United Nations to end the border dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria opened in Abuja on Tuesday.
  • LIBERIA: 5,000 displaced in renewed fighting IRIN 05 Feb 2003 -- At least 5,000 people have fled fighting in western Liberia between government troops and Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebels, humanitarian sources in Monrovia said.

News Reports

  • SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 05 Feb 2003
  • SHAPE News Summary Analysis SHAPE 05 Feb 2003
  • RUSSIA / PAKISTAN VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, have pledged to increase cooperation between their two countries, especially in fighting terrorism. News of the greater cooperation came after talks between the two leaders in the Kremlin.
  • Human Rights Must Be Integrated into Afghan Reconstruction Efforts Washington File 05 Feb 2003 -- Numerous U.S. government officials emphasized that a real concern for human rights must and will be integrated into the development of Afghanistan's economic, political, and security institution.
  • UNHCR Projects in Afghanistan Receive Additional $15 Million from U.S. Washington File 05 Feb 2003 -- The United States is contributing an additional $15 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to help fund its programs for Afghan returnees, refugees, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 2003.
  • AUSTRALIA HOWARD NO-CONFIDENCE VOA 04 Feb 2003 -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard has suffered a historic defeat in the upper house of Parliament over his handling of the Iraq crisis. Opposition parties passed a motion of no-confidence in the government, illustrating the deepening divide in Australia over the country's involvement in any war in the Gulf.
  • VENEZUELA/POLITICAL CRISIS VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- : In Venezuela, opponents of President Hugo Chavez have lifted most of the general strike that shut down the South American nation's commercial sector for two-months. But the political unrest in that country is far from over.
  • GEORGIA / PIPELINE VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- Construction begins soon on a pipeline that will move crude oil from Azerbaijan, through Georgia and into Turkey. When finished, the 17-hundred kilometer line will send 50-million tons of crude oil each year to a terminal on the Mediterranean coast. But in Georgia, residents who live near the proposed route have environmental, economic and security concerns.
  • INDIA BANGLADESH VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- Tensions between India and Bangladesh are intensifying as a dispute rages on the nationality of more than 200-people stranded on their common border. Arguments heat up over what India says is a massive influx of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants - a charge Bangladesh denies.
  • INDIA BANGLADESH VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- : Tensions between India and Bangladesh are intensifying as a dispute rages on the nationality of more than 200-people stranded on their common border.
  • THAILAND CAMBODIA VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says Wednesday he will send a diplomat guarded by Thai commandos to Cambodia. Thailand's conciliatory gesture follows a downgrade in diplomatic relations with its neighbor after last week's anti-Thai riots in Phnom Phen.
  • ZIMBABWE/ TRIAL VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- There was dramatic video and testimony Wednesday in the treason trial of Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
  • ARAB REFORM VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- A United Nations report found that there is less freedom in Arab countries than anywhere else. The report, written by a panel of Arab scholars and intellectuals, concluded that Arab countries will stagnate without democratization. Secretary of State Colin Powell and other U-S officials have joined the call for democracy in the region. President George W. Bush has promised that if the United States leads a coalition to disarm Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, a democratic Iraq will be a primary goal.
  • ZAMBIA: Focus on pressure on Mwanawasa to resign IRIN 05 Feb 2003 -- Pressure is mounting on Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa to step down and call fresh elections following damaging testimony before the Supreme Court suggesting electoral fraud helped him into office last year.



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