SeaWaves Naval News February 16, 2006

Seattle February 14, 2006 - The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star arrived in McMurdo Station, Antarctica Monday, after a non-stop 8,200 nautical mile transit from its homeport of Seattle.

Polar Star, a 399-foot polar class icebreaker with a 130-person crew, provided a relief channel and brief escort of US Naval Ship Lawrence H. Gianella before mooring in McMurdo.

While on deployment, Polar Star will conduct icebreaking operations in McMurdo Sound and continue grooming a shipping channel previously opened by the Russian icebreaker Krasin. The channel ensures that vital cargo ships can deliver supplies to McMurdo Station, Antarctica's largest scientific and support community. Polar Star also acts as a floating research platform for scientists that travel onboard.

For the past 50 years, Coast Guard icebreakers have deployed to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze, where ships have broken through as much as 84 nautical miles of ice to produce a navigable shipping channel into McMurdo Station. This vital shipping channel allows supply ships to deliver more than six million gallons of fuel and four thousand metric tons of cargo, enabling McMurdo Station and South Pole Station to remain manned and operational throughout the harsh winter months.

Polar Star, which was specifically designed for solo icebreaking in remote Polar Regions, turned 30 years old Jan. 17. The cutter's red reinforced hull is made of 1.75 inches of steel that covers a specially contoured icebreaking bow. The cutter can call on 75,000 shaft horsepower enabling it to break up to 21 feet of ice. Polar Star has deployed 15 times in support of Operation Deep Freeze.

Lagos February 15, 2006 (AA) - Director, Navy Education, Commodore Sunday Emmanuel Akintomide Olamilokun has flagged off the sale of entrance forms into Navy Secondary Schools across the nation.

Akintomide told newsmen in Lagos that the reason for the official flagging off ceremony was to create awareness among members of the public who may want their children to attend Navy Secondary School.

According to him, the Nigerian Navy has been contributing to the development of the nation educationally. "This is the first time we will be flagging off the entrance exam and the reason is not far fetch. We believe that the navy is an integral part of the society. We have not only the mandate to protect the territorial waters of the nation, but to also contribute to the national development," he added.

He explained that at first, the Nigerian Navy schools was established to cater for the educational needs of service personnel, but it was discovered that children of personnel may be unknowingly militarized if they are only allowed to associate with naval children.

Olamilokun further stated that what the naval authority has decided to do this year was to open the entrance procedure to members of the public so that they will know that naval school are also their school.

He said at present, the Nigerian Navy Secondary school is located in Ojo, Lagos State, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Port Harcourt Rivers State and Calabar, Cross River State respectively.

German Warships Visit Namibia

Windhoek February 15, 2006 (AA) - Two warships and an auxiliary vessel from the German Navy, each towering some 35 meters above water, docked in the Walvis Bay on Monday.

The two frigates, Hamburg and Rheinland-Pfalz, and the fleet auxiliary vessel Berlin are part of a German Navy task group heading for Cape Town for maneuvers with the South African Navy and Air Force.

Namibia is the third stopover in this four-month training session for future naval officers.

The vessels departed from Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on January 11 and called on ports in the Netherlands and Spain en route to Walvis Bay.

According to Task Group Commander Eckhard Boedeker, the reason for the stopover in Namibia is that Walvis Bay has the only deep-sea harbor that can accommodate vessels of such a size.

He said during his last visit to Walvis Bay nine years ago, not much was happening at the harbor and he was surprised to see the significant signs of growing cargo exchange at the port.

A total of about 700 crewmembers are on board the three vessels. Approximately 100 are women.

Boedeker said, apart from medical positions, a career in the navy became possible for women some four years ago and today officer candidate crews are up to 25 per cent female.

The fourth vessel that is part of the task group is the Westerwald, an auxiliary ship that stopped over at Walvis Bay two weeks ago and carried supplies and equipment for the training.

The task group will leave for Cape Town on Friday, but in the meantime the crew will tour to Cape Cross and enjoy the various fun activities offered at the coast, including paragliding and sandboarding, said Boedeker.

Russia Urged to Prepare for Black Sea Fleet Withdrawal

Kiev February 15, 2006 (Xinhuanet) - Russia's Black Sea Fleet must prepare for its withdrawal from the Ukrainian territory from now on, Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatoly Gritsenko said on Tuesday.

Work must begin now on a concrete plan for withdrawing the Russian fleet in accordance with the time frame agreed on by Ukraine and Russia, the minister said.

According to a 1997 accord, Russia's Black Sea Fleet can remain in Ukraine until 2017, and during that period, Ukraine will provide all necessary conditions for the Russian troops to fulfill their duty, he said.

The two sides will continue consultations over Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine, Gritsenko added.

After years of bitter argument, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in 1997 on the division of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet that allowed the Russian Navy to remain in the Crimean port of Sevastopol until 2017 for an annual rent of US$93 million.

Guantanamo Naval Base, Illegal from the Start

By Angel Rodriguez Alvarez

AIN Special Service (Propaganda)

On Cuba's southeastern coast there has been a US Naval Base occupying 117.6 square kilometers of Cuban territory for the last 103 years.

This military enclave was born of the Platt Amendment, an appendix to the 1901 Cuban Constitution imposed by Washington as a condition to end the military occupation of the island and lead the way to the establishment of a Republic.

Such "legislation", designed and sanctioned in the US Congress and approved by Cuba, but under pressure, gave the neighbor to the North among other privileges, the right to intervene in the island's internal affairs whenever it wanted and forced the country to "sell or rent the necessary lands to install coal or naval stations."

The first step to comply with this latter addition to the constitution was taken with the signing of the agreement through which Cuba rented to the US "for an indefinite term" and "for as long as they were needed", lands at Guantanamo Bay and Bahia Honda.

For various reasons and as an elemental principle in defense of its sovereignty, the Cuban government has been denouncing Washington's military presence there since 1959 and has refused to charge the 5,000 dollars a month rent.

The military installation, continuously denounced before international organizations, is illegal both by its origin and also the use to which Washington has put the enclave.

The territorial concession was made under coercion by the government whose armed forces had occupied Cuba. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that any negotiations from such a disadvantaged position was improper.

What stands out is the fact that the lands are being held in perpetuity. This aspect clearly contradicts the terms of any agreement, because according to what has been established internationally for many years, that the adoption of accords with terms must offer the signatories the opportunity to renounce, end or ratify them for another period.

It is also evident that there is a violation of the Geneva Convention on Treaties approved in 1969. Article 52 establishes that "no treaty may continue in effect if one of the parties is threatened by the use of force or where the circumstances are altered from its original purpose."

The base has stopped being used for its original purpose for decades. It has been turned into a military unit, violating one of the articles of the agreement signed in 1903 which established the "prohibition of the transfer of weapons and munitions from its side onto Cuban soil."

As you may recall, this site was used to supply the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista with bombs and fuel for its B26 planes in 1957 and 1958, which systematically bombarded the rebel army and civilian population in the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

But its criminal activity was expanded notably after the triumph of the Revolution in January 1959. It was turned into an instrument for the seditious plans of US administrations to subvert law and order in Cuba and defeat the revolutionary government.

From the Marine enclaves came daily insults and attacks against Cuban military personnel protecting the island's artificial borders.

Numerous soldiers were fatal victims of shots fired from the US watch towers and Cuban workers employed by the US suspected of being followers of the Revolution, were kidnapped and assassinated inside the base under circumstances that were never clarified.

In a period of 30 years, the US carried out, from inside the base, 10,455 provocations and attacks, to which there is abundant graphic testimonies and witnesses.

But the old and obsolete military installation has once again become news over the last four years. Now it is used as a concentration camp, with over 500 prisoners from some 30 countries. First arrested in Afghanistan the prisoners have been virtually kidnapped under the status of being "enemy agents."

That is how the Guantanamo Naval Base has been integrated into the international system of unofficial prisons or recognized as such, organized by the US government with the excuse of fighting terrorism. As such, these facilities conceal from the eyes of the world the most elemental violations of human rights.

For all these reasons, the return of this seized land to Cuba remains as one of the five main demands formulated by President Fidel Castro in October, 1962, during the missile crisis.

This is without a doubt an ideal opportunity for those "concerned" defenders of human rights in the educated and civilized Europe to finally decide to include the case of the US prison camp at Guantanamo on the agenda during the upcoming meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.

Former Aircraft Carrier Clemenceau

Paris February 14, 2006 - The Minister of Defense refers suspicions of irregularity during the former Clemenceau’s asbestos-removal works to the court.

Michèle Alliot-Marie, Minister of Defense, announced on 7 February 2006 to the Senate "that a medical follow-up of the Indian operators would be set up: a medical examination will take place at the beginning of the works, another one at the end of the works, and then yet another one a year after the end of the operations."

On 8 February 2006, Dominique Girard, Ambassador of France in India, went to Alang on the demolition site of the former Clemenceau. On the same day, Admiral Oudot de Dainville, Navy Chief of Staff, presented the ex--Clemenceau dismantling project to the National Assembly's "asbestos" mission.

On 26 January 2006, the spokesman of the ministry reminded that during the hearing organized by the Supreme Court experts committee, the Ambassador of France had indicated that the French State would carry out an independent control of the asbestos removal site. Besides, the ambassador had proposed, if the Indian authorities asked for it, that asbestos-containing products removed during the dismantling operations could be conveyed back to France and treated there.

Monday, 23 January at 12:18 PM local time, the hull of the former Clemenceau started sailing across the Suez Canal, towed by Egyptian tugboats. It entered the Red Sea, on Tuesday, 24 January in the morning.

On Sunday, 15 January 2006, Egypt granted the former Clemenceau the authorization to pass the Suez Canal. The Egyptian Minister of the Environment stated that "in its current legal and technical situation, the ship is not a danger for the Egyptian environment […]. Hence the absence of any direct legal or environmental aspect which may be in contradiction with the regulations of the Basel convention".

"We are delighted with the consultation we had with the Egyptian authorities", said Mrs Alliot-Marie on the Grand Jury - RTL-LCI broadcast on 15 January 2006.

Specialized companies have carried out asbestos removal operations on the former Clemenceau in Toulon. Works lasted for a year and amounted to 50,000 hours. All the crumbly, visible and accessible asbestos has been removed, that is, 115 tonnes out of a total estimated around 160 tonnes. About 45 tonnes of asbestos containing products remain – that is, least than 0.2% of the ship’s total mass (26,700 tonnes). The ship does not contain any hydrocarbons, PCBs (polychlorobiphenyls), or polluting agents.

Hull Q790 left Toulon on the 31 December 2005.

The French Navy is the first ship owner to have proceeded to a preliminary asbestos removal prior to the dismantling of a ship, with the transfer of equipment and skills to a qualified site in India. This is a world first. The dismantling of the former aircraft carrier is truly a pilot case, based upon an innovative process, worker and environment-friendly. It is a concrete advance in the processing of degraded ships.

Ukraine Not to Revise Agreement on Black Sea Fleet

Kiev February 15, 2006 (Itar-Tass) - President Viktor Yushchenko said Ukraine would not revise the agreement on the deployment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea.

He said the purpose of the Ukrainian-Russian talks on the stationing of the Black Sea Fleet, which started on Tuesday, is to bring "the actual state of affairs in compliance with the agreement".

The president said he was optimistic about the outcome of the talks.

Yushchenko stressed that the bilateral talks on the Black Sea Fleet would be open to Ukrainian society.

The president said the first results of the talks would be available within days and he would make them known to the public.

Royal Navy's Valentine Rendezvous With Lone British Oarswoman

London February 15, 2006 - Type 42 Destroyer, HMS Southampton made a brief rendezvous on the afternoon of 14 February 2006 with solo British oarswoman, Roz Savage, the only female solo entrant in the Atlantic Rowing Race.

Type 42 Destroyer, HMS Southampton made a brief rendezvous on the afternoon of 14 February 2006 with solo British oarswoman, Roz Savage, the only female solo entrant in the Atlantic Rowing Race.

Roz was in good spirits and accepted nothing but a Valentine card from the crew. The warship and rowing boat made their rendezvous 1200-km (750 miles) east of Antigua in mid-ocean in Sea State 4 with 17-knot winds (rough).

Roz, who set out on 27 November 2005, is the only solo female taking part in the Atlantic Rowing Race. After an eventful voyage during which her boat "Sedna Solo" has been rolled upside down by huge waves, she is now almost three-quarters of the way across the Atlantic and likely to finish in Antigua in early March 2006.

The Royal Navy has supported Roz in this epic voyage, providing her with some challenging training before her departure. The Ship has followed the race on the world-wide-website and had planned on making the rendezvous for some time.

During the brief meeting, the warship's Second in Command, Lieutenant Commander Ben Carroll handed Roz a Valentine's card with a goodwill message from the crew. He went across in the boat to deliver the card along with some messages from other well wishers who had e-mailed the Ship:

"The race rules do not allow us to provide any support to her," he said, "but no-one can complain about a Valentine card. We did offer her the Captain's bath and some Radox, which she seemed quite tempted by, but had to turn down!"

The Atlantic Rowing Race was inaugurated in 1997, and to date, 141 courageous individuals have successfully rowed across the Atlantic Ocean as participants in the race. The 2006 event sees 26 team entries, made up of 60 individuals, four crews of four – two each of male and female crews, 21 pairs - including the celebrity crew of Ben Fogle and James Cracknell, and two solo entries - 24-year-old Christopher Martin and 37-year-old Roz:

"Roz appeared in good heart, even though she's got another month to go," said Leading Seaman Danny Nichol, the Southampton's boat coxswain. "We all wish her the best of luck – she's very brave."

From Roz's website:

"It has to be the ultimate Valentine's greeting - HMS Southampton dropped by today en route from Grenada to say hello and wish me a happy Valentine's Day. They would have happily brought chocolates (and a bacon butty) as well, but unfortunately race rules forbid.

"I got a text from my mother this morning: SOUTHAMPTON IMMINENT, so I was on the lookout for them and luckily I spotted them before they spotted me, giving me time to make myself decent. Thank heavens they didn't see me leaning in through my hatch, desperately trying to find some shorts, full moon on display.

"Four guys came speeding over in a RIB to say hi - the first human faces I'd seen since 27th December. And what nice cheery faces they were too. They passed on greetings from my friends Rodney Byram and Jill and Colin Habgood.

"Once they'd returned to their vessel and I'd taken up my oars again, there was a magical moment - HMS Southampton steered alongside me, Her Majesty's Ship looking impressively huge, Sedna Solo looking incredibly small, and they sounded their klaxon. The men on deck waved to me and I waved back, then the great ship pointed herself east and with a roar of her engines and a gust of diesel fumes she cruised off into the distance.

"Who could ask for a more special Valentine than that?"

Roz Savage was born in Nantwich, Cheshire, in 1967 and graduated from University College Oxford in 1989. Unsporty at school, she initially took up rowing whilst at Oxford in order to eat more without gaining weight. Having started, she took to it with all the zeal of the convert and won two half blues when representing Oxford against Cambridge.

In 1988 Roz participated in the Greek Trireme expedition of 1988, when a crew of 170 oarsmen rowed a reconstruction of an ancient Greek battleship around the Aegean. She has run in the New York and London marathons, finishing both in the top 2% of women and clocking a personal best of 3 hours and 19 minutes.

Roz, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, was the sponsorship organizer for the 2003 Anglo-American expedition that discovered Inca ruins in the Andean cloud forests near Machu Picchu and went on to spend another three months travelling solo in Peru, trekking, mountaineering and researching her first book.

Roz is aiming to raise £30,000 for the Prince's Trust, which exists to help young people to overcome their barriers and get their lives working. Through practical support including training, mentoring and financial assistance, it helps 14-30 year olds to realize their potential and transform their lives. The Trust focuses its efforts on young people who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law. Since the charity was founded by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 1976, it has helped more than half a million young people.

Commander Rob Vitali, the ship's captain, expressed the Royal Navy's admiration for a fellow seafarer:

"She epitomizes many of the qualities we admire and develop in our own sailors – self-belief, courage, and the will to succeed."

Portsmouth based HMS Southampton was built by Vosper Thornycroft Ltd, at Southampton. Laid down on Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1976, and launched on the 29 January 1979, she is the sixth vessel to bear the name and was re-dedicated in January 2000.

HMS Southampton is on her way home after a six-month deployment to West Africa, the Falkland Islands and most recently the Caribbean, where the ship was involved in a record three-and-a-half-tonne cocaine drug-bust and in another incident, rescued six sailors from their sinking motor vessel. She arrives home at the end of February 2006.

Trafalgar Coin to Help Fund Armed Forces Memorial

London February 14, 2006 - Two announcements made on 13 February 2006 will continue to ensure that British veterans from recent campaigns remain in the nation's memory.

Secretary of State for Defense, John Reid, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, have announced that the proceeds raised from the Trafalgar Coin will help fund the new Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire.

John Reid said:

"I am delighted that crucial funding for this very important national memorial to all those who have sadly lost their lives serving their country can proceed. It seems fitting that funds raised through a coin to commemorate a battle which took place two hundred years ago is providing such an appropriate and lasting memorial to today's heroes."

To enable the Armed Forces Memorial project to proceed to its next phase, £1.5 million will be provided from the Trafalgar Coin proceeds.

The £5 Trafalgar Coin, available in 22 carat gold and sterling silver, went on sale in January 2005, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar. The reverse design, by sculptor Clive Duncan, depicts two approaching British ships off Cape Trafalgar as if viewed through a telescope from the French or Spanish fleets during the great sea battle.

The Armed Forces Memorial will commemorate members of the UK Armed Forces (Regular and Reserve) killed on duty or by terrorist action since the Second World War, and will be located at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Merchant Navy who have died while in support of the Armed Forces in conflict zones will also be commemorated by the Memorial.

John Reid has also announced the extension of the eligibility criteria for a HM Armed Forces Veterans' Badge. From 27 June 2006 applications will be accepted from veterans who served at any time up to 31 December 1959.

Mr Reid said:

"The many heroic acts and sacrifices of our veterans must never be forgotten. This is why we established the Veterans Badge in the first place. It has proved enormously popular, with nearly 190,000 issued to date.

"We are keen to ensure that all those entitled to receive a badge do so at the earliest opportunity and I am pleased to be able to confirm that from 27 June applications will be accepted from eligible veterans who served at any time up to the 31 December 1959. After the demand from this group of veterans has been met we will further extend the eligibility to apply until all veterans have received their badge."

The HM Armed Forces Veterans' Badge was launched in May 2004 with the intention that it would be made available to all First World War veterans and the Second World War veterans who, under the Heroes Return scheme, traveled back to the battlefronts they had fought on.

Because the badge was so popular, eligibility was quickly extended to include all Second World War veterans and those who have served at any time up to 31 December 1954.

Amongst the veterans included by the extension of the eligibility criteria will be those who served in the following campaigns and theatres:

• Cyprus 1955 - 1959
• Near East (Suez) 1956
• Arabian Peninsular 1957 – 1960

Further extensions to the eligibility criteria of the Badge will be announced in due course, along with updates on the modification of the badge for Merchant Seaman who served during military operations.

Russia, NATO Conduct Joint Exercise in Mediterranean

Moscow February 15, 2006 (RIA Novosti) - Russian and NATO naval forces have carried out a joint training exercise in the Mediterranean Sea, a spokesman for Russia's Black Sea Fleet said Wednesday.

A Russian naval group from the Black Sea Fleet and a NATO naval group practiced an inspection of a detained vessel and a cargo transfer operation, the spokesman said.

"A mock inspection was conducted aboard the UK destroyer HMS Nottingham. The sides also practiced transferring impounded cargo from ship to ship," he said.

The program Operation Active Endeavor began at the end of last week, and the Russian naval group will proceed with a combat duty tour after its completion.

During the first day of the exercise, Black Sea Fleet and NATO ships rehearsed joint maneuvering, communication protocol, and countering air and seaborne attacks.

Speaking last week, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said the goal of the joint exercise was to practice coordination between NATO and Russian ships in the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the illegal arms trade, and illegal migration.

Ivanov said the group would return to its homeport of Sevastopol in Ukraine's Crimea in two or three months, after visiting Tartus, a Syrian port on the Mediterranean.

Ivanov also said he was planning to meet with his Italian counterpart in the port of Messina in Sicily.

At a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) last November, a joint plan for 2006 was approved, including 42 events designed to enhance the interoperability of Russian and NATO forces.

The NRC was established in May 2002 as a forum to advance relations between the 26 NATO members and Russia, and to identify and pursue opportunities for joint action on strategic priorities and common security challenges.

The decision to establish the NRC came following the September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.

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Iridium VAD Introduces Automatic Vessel Tracking Service

Bethesda MD February 14, 2006 - Global Marine Networks LLC (GMN) has developed a new automatic vessel tracking service that uses the Iridium satellite system to transmit location reports from ship to shore. GMN, an Iridium value-added developer (VAD) is offering the vessel tracking service as a new feature with its XGate satellite e-mail system.

Four expedition cruise ships and multiple passenger vessels operating in Arctic and Antarctic waters have installed the XGate vessel tracking system. The four cruise ships include the Polar Star, Aurora Expeditions’ Polar Pioneer, Akademik Ioffe and Akademik Sergey Vavilov.

"Iridium’s constellation of 66 low-earth orbiting (LEO) satellites ensures seamless vessel tracking anywhere on the globe, including the extreme Polar Regions beyond the coverage area of Geostationary satellites," said Don Thoma, executive vice president of Iridium Satellite.

The XGate vessel tracking system provides flexible choices for transmitting position reports. The data – including GPS time, latitude and longitude, course and speed, and selected weather parameters – can be embedded in the header of ship-to-shore e-mail messages, and/or can be reported to a central database with every e-mail session.

Alternatively, the shipowner can specify automatic tracking reports on a predetermined schedule. The ship owner can easily combine reports from multiple ships to create a fleetwide reporting and tracking solution.

"The XGate software-based solution allows shipowners to add automatic vessel tracking without investing in additional third-party hardware," said Dr. Luis Soltero, president of Global Marine Networks. "The software includes a GPS repeater that interfaces with existing on-board navigation systems to extract data for transmission through the ship’s Iridium satellite terminal. No additional hardware is needed."

Dr. Soltero noted that the company has recently released an enhanced Web-based vessel tracking system for shore-based offices. Shore-based offices can now track their entire fleet by logging into a Web site. The Web site provides the latest position, course, and speed for each vessel as well as past position tracks. Vessels offshore can also benefit from viewing fleet tracks by using XGate’s on-board tracker, which downloads position reports for the entire fleet (efficiently via Iridium) to be displayed on a local PC.

NetFires LLC Successfully Completes Second Significant Program Milestone

Tucson February 15, 2006 - The NetFires Limited Liability Company (LLC) composed of Raytheon Missile Systems and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control successfully passed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the Non Line-of-Sight-Launch System (NLOS-LS) Container Launch Unit (CLU).

This represents the accomplishment of another significant milestone in meeting the design and performance parameters of the NLOS-LS system, supporting the Army's FCS Spin Out 1 and the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship, Flight Zero requirements. The successful accomplishment of the CLU PDR provides the Army and Navy a "systems level perspective" of NLOS-LS, a joint Army/Navy program currently in the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase. Work under this contract began in 2004.

The NLOS-LS CLU is being co-developed by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin and their component suppliers.

"The CLU PDR was completed on schedule and reflects a dedicated team effort," said Ric Magness of Lockheed Martin, president of the NetFires LLC, and Scott Speet of Raytheon, executive vice president of the NetFires LLC, in a joint statement. "Our team worked hard to meet this critical milestone, and the results reflect what we can accomplish when our two companies come together under the NetFires LLC."

NLOS-LS, which was developed under a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program called NetFires, successfully conducted numerous flight tests from the CLU during the DARPA program. That program focused on innovative design and performance of missiles launched from a compact, networked, self-contained, platform-independent launcher. The demonstrated flight successes from the CLU during the DARPA program supported transition to the Army SDD and the decision by the Army to accelerate fielding of the NLOS- LS PAM (Precision Attack Missile) and CLU.

"We're very pleased with the manner in which the NLOS-LS team worked to reach PDR," said Col. Doug Dever, the Army's NLOS-LS program manager. "They have demonstrated a preliminary design that meets all design and performance requirements for the Container Launch Unit."

The NLOS-LS system consists of Raytheon's PAM, Lockheed Martin's Loitering Attack Missile (LAM) and a joint CLU. In 2004, the Army decided to accelerate the Raytheon PAM and joint CLU for incorporation into the Army's Evaluation Brigade Combat Team, Spin Out 1. The LAM is positioned for reentry into SDD to support future FCS spirals.

The Navy entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Army in 2005 for the NLOS-LS system. The Navy has selected the NLOS-LS PAM and CLU for integration on the Littoral Combat Ship that also is scheduled for delivery in fiscal year 2008. Successful completion of the CLU PDR is a major step along the development path to support both services' requirements for the system.

NLOS-LS provides both Army and Navy commanders with immediate, precise and responsive fires on high payoff targets with real time target acquisition and battle effects.

Goodrich to Develop Technology for STOVL F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Clutch

Charlotte NC February 15, 2006 - Goodrich Corporation has been awarded a research and development contract to apply its advanced friction material expertise to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), Short Take-off, Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant's LiftFan(TM) clutch by Rolls-Royce.

According to Paul Walsh, Vice President of Goodrich's high temperature composites team, "We're honored to have been selected by Rolls-Royce to provide additional technology for this high-profile program. The F-35's clutch transmits power from the engine drive shaft, which Goodrich produces, to power the LiftFan which helps the plane perform short takeoffs and vertical landings. Tremendous heat is generated during the short clutch engagement, which is where our expertise comes into play. Our special high temperature composite materials function well in the extremes of this environment."

Goodrich has been supplying clutch friction material since the inception of the F-35 JSF program. This new research and development contract will involve Goodrich's high temperature composite team in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., its Aircraft Wheel & Brake team in Troy, OH as well as its Materials and Simulation Technical Center in Brecksville, OH, in the development of a longer life, higher performance clutch material.

In addition to this new research and development contract, Goodrich is providing the landing system for the Air Force's Conventional Take-off and Landing (CTOL) variant of the aircraft. As the landing systems integrator, Goodrich is responsible for the design, manufacturing and testing of unique landing systems for the STOVL and the Carrier Variant (CV) of the aircraft. Goodrich's Actuation Systems team provides the downlock and retract actuators for the landing gear system, and the wiring harnesses are also provided by Goodrich.

Furthermore, Goodrich is supplying: the Rolls-Royce LiftFan anti-icing system for the STOVL version of the aircraft; the LiftFan drive shaft also for the STOVL variant; the Rolls-Royce three-bearing swivel nozzle cross lock and up lock; the fuel quantity gauging components and the associated wiring harnesses; the weapons bay door drive system and the electronic control unit for the system; utility actuators; and the ice detection system. In addition, Goodrich is developing the air data system.

Boeing Defense and Homeland Security Technology Wins Top Trial Designation

St Louis February 15, 2006 - Boeing information sharing technology that supports defense and homeland security has received a top trial designation from the US Department of Defense following a demonstration last year.

The technology allows the sharing of information in near real-time among various governmental users and doesn't require significant architecture changes to already fielded operational systems. It provides assured means to connect various networks used by government and civil agencies to process information.

Known as the Multi-Level-Secure Information Infrastructure, or MI2, the technology provides the capability to share information between security levels and between agencies. With MI2, communities can control information sharing between network domains at all tactical and operational levels.

"MI2 addresses some of the critical interoperability capabilities that are necessary to protect our nation from terrorist threats," said Brian Knutsen, general manager of Boeing S &IS Mission Systems. "MI2 successfully demonstrated the ability to act as a 'middle-man' for data exchanges between the various systems, agencies and networks and provided a capability to pass data among unclassified networks, the internet, and classified networks without compromising security."

The top trial designation for MI2 was made in February 2006 by the Coalition Warfare Interoperability Demonstration (CWID) Senior Management Group following a demonstration in June 2005. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff sponsored the demonstration. The demonstration enabled US Combatant Commands and the international community to investigate solutions for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) that focus on relevant and timely objectives for enhancing coalition interoperability. MI2 recently was recommended by the US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) for further evaluation and funding.

MI2 was developed by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems and uses technology from Tenix America, Inc. MI2 integrates Boeing's Secure Network Server (SNS) and Total Domain information management middleware with the Tenix Interactive Link Data Diode (IDD) to allow users to share and manage the flow of information between agencies and across security domains.

"Today's intelligence and homeland security communities need cross domain security and information sharing solutions," said Sam Maccherola, president of Tenix Datagate. "Having CWID recognize our Data Diode so shortly after it received an EAL-7 certification from the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) reinforces that this technology is ready for deployment.

We are honored to work with our partner Boeing as part of the MI2 solution and feel that together we offer a great method for providing interoperability between disparate organizations operating at different security levels."

EDO to Develop Weapon-Release System for Predator UAS

New York February 14, 2006 - EDO Corporation has been awarded a contract from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to develop a weapon carriage and release system for the MQ-9 Predator B unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The initial system design and development contract is valued at $1.4 million.

GA-ASI is the prime contractor for the successful Predator UAS.

The MQ-1 Predator has been operational since 1995 and has flown thousands of missions in support of NATO, UN and US operations. In 2005, GA-ASI received a contract from the USAF to acquire the MQ-9 "Hunter-Killer" version of the aircraft. The MQ-9 is the next generation of the Predator, whose military role is expected to expand considerably over the next few years.

"The Predator UAS Series is clearly an important focus of future defense capabilities," said James M. Smith, EDO’s chief executive officer. "We are very pleased to be working with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to solve the engineering challenges needed to provide improved weapons carriage and release capabilities for Predator B. We believe that the Predator is one of the most promising and proven UAS platforms."

The current planned total production of the MQ-9 Predator B is well over 100 aircraft. The MQ-9 has significantly higher performance than the original Predator. It has an operational ceiling of 50,000 feet, a maximum internal payload of 800 pounds, and an external payload of 3,000 pounds.

INMARSAT Launches Swap Program

London February 14, 2006 - 2006 - Inmarsat Partner Telenor Satellite Services (TSS) is offering free airtime and BGAN equipment discounts for customers who trade in old satellite handsets for new BGAN terminals.

The offer will run until the end of June, or while stocks last.

TSS, a subsidiary of Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor, has also waived BGAN activation fees and monthly subscription fees.

Under the terms of the program, BGAN users can receive a combination of free airtime and equipment discounts worth up to US$1,500, depending on the terminal model purchased.

In lieu of monthly fees, users of the service agree to a low charge for 10MB of airtime per month, which is valid for one year. Unused monthly portions automatically roll over to the next month.

BGAN is commercially available to customers in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, with commercial launch throughout the Americas expected in the second quarter of 2006.

TSS vice-president of sales Anders Kallerud said: "With BGAN, customers get the same low-cost voice calls, less than a dollar a minute, combined with high-speed data and Internet connectivity, in a 'go anywhere' satellite terminal.

"Telenor's BGAN Anytime Plan is ideally designed for both full-time and occasional users.

"The Anytime Plan can be readily activated electronically using Telenor's exclusive online management tool, The Source, or by filling out a standard Telenor subscription form."

Northrop Grumman Names Gaylene M. McHale Vice President and Program Manager, Large Deck Amphibious Ship Programs

Pascagoula February 15, 2006 - Northrop Grumman Corporation has named Gaylene M. McHale vice president and program manager of large deck amphibious ship programs for the Ship Systems sector, effective immediately.

McHale will manage the large deck amphibious shipbuilding programs, consisting of LHD and LHA class ships. In this role, she will have overall program responsibility for the construction and delivery of the multipurpose amphibious assault ship Makin Island (LHD 8) and the contract award, design, construction and delivery of LHA 6. Previously, she managed the construction of New Orleans (LPD 18) and the preliminary design and development for LHA 6.

"Gaylene brings many years of shipbuilding program management experience to our sector and I am confident her outstanding leadership abilities will fit well with our business plan," said Philip A. Teel, president of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems.

McHale joined Northrop Grumman in April 2004 after spending more than 20 years at General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine where she held several positions in construction, design, procurement and program management. She earned a bachelor's degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. and a master's degree in business administration from New Hampshire College in Manchester, NH.

Northrop Grumman's Defense Travel System Usage Surges, Spurred by Top Five Users

Reston VA February 16, 2006 - The Defense Travel System (DTS), designed and developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation, has successfully processed more than one million authorizations, including more than 110,000 last month for its growing US Department of Defense user base.

Based on the number of transactions conducted in January, the top contributors to the increase are the organizations associated to the following:

• US Army Recruiting Command -- 4,595
• US Air Force Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio -- 4,164
• US Army Garrison-Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Ala. -- 3,706
• US Naval Base, San Diego -- 2,661
• US Army Aberdeen Test Center, Md. -- 2,331

DTS is now available to more than 810,000 uniformed and civilian employees at more than half of the Defense Department's 11,000 sites.

"Northrop Grumman continues to implement an aggressive deployment and training schedule so the Defense Department and its personnel can realize the full scope of DTS benefits as quickly as possible," said Rich Fabbre, DTS program manager at Northrop Grumman's Mission Systems sector. "From installations in the United States to Europe to Korea, we are now conducting training classes every hour of every day somewhere in the world."

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service estimates that DTS can save $35 million in processing costs in fiscal year 2006 alone. DTS was developed at the urging of Congress in a move to address broad travel issues beyond the capability of traditional, less sophisticated systems. The government projects that the system will generate $178 million in productivity savings and reduce other costs by $56 million per year when fully deployed in 2007.

DTS is a Web-based, secure, end-to-end system that automates authorizations, reservations, voucher processing, payment and archiving for Defense Department travel transactions. It replaces manual travel administration with automated solutions, reducing travel costs, preventing waste and abuse, simplifying travel management and improving customer service.

In an online poll conducted last week, Federal Times asked readers to rate the DTS and eTravel travel systems. Positive responses led 2 to 1, with 31 percent of those responding categorizing the systems as "great" and 30 percent selecting "pretty good." Nine percent of the respondents had not used either system.

Northrop Grumman Finalizes Team for Joint Warfighting Center Bid

Suffolk February 15, 2006 - Northrop Grumman Corporation has formed its team that will bid to continue providing joint-training support to the US Joint Forces Command's Joint Warfighting Center (JWFC).

The JWFC provides a globally integrated, transformational training environment to best prepare US armed forces to fight. The winner of this $250 million, six-year contract will play an important part in helping the JWFC accomplish its mission of conducting, supporting and assessing joint training and developing joint doctrines.

Northrop Grumman's Mission Systems sector is leading the team, which combines a core of proven performers and a number of new members. The team members were carefully selected to provide the unique capabilities required to prepare US forces and government and coalition partners to operate in today's complex and ever-changing world.

"The core members of our team have a long history of supporting the ever-evolving requirements of joint training," said Keith Beavers, director of advanced warfighting solutions for Northrop Grumman Mission Systems. "The new members, which include several highly agile and leading-edge training technologists, bring the team even greater depth and breadth of training experience."

The members of Northrop Grumman's team are: Adayana Inc., Edina, Minn.; Anteon International Corp., Fairfax, Va.; Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va.; Capstone Corp., Alexandria, Va.; Concurrent Technologies Corp., Johnstown, Pa.; Cornerstone Industry Inc., Alexandria, Va.; Cubic Defense Applications, San Diego; General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Arlington, Va.; Intelligent Decision Systems Inc., Centreville, Va.; Lockheed Martin Corp., Bethesda, Md.; Loyola Enterprises Inc., Virginia Beach, Va.; MPRI, Alexandria, Va.; MYMIC, Portsmouth, Va.; System Studies and Simulation Inc., Huntsville, Ala.; and SRS Technologies, Newport Beach, Calif.

"As the JWFC mission has expanded over the years, we have been there to support the accomplishment of that mission," Beavers said. "With the nation at war, we owe the JWFC and, more importantly, the men and women of the US armed forces it trains, the strongest possible team to provide the very best in joint training. We see it as our duty and firmly believe we have formed just that team."

Northrop Grumman to Co-Sponsor National Toy Design Competition, TOYchallenge

Los Angeles February 15, 2006 - As a part of ongoing efforts to support math and engineering education, Northrop Grumman Corporation will co-sponsor the Sally Ride Science(tm) TOYchallenge(tm). TOYchallenge is an innovative national toy design competition that encourages 5th - 8th grade students, especially girls, to compete in the world of engineering and design.

For TOYchallenge, students create and build original toys and games fueled by their imagination. Teams, comprised of at least 50 percent girls, submit written descriptions and visual presentations of their original toy or game concepts based on themed categories including Games for the Family, Get Out and Play, and Toys that Teach.

"TOYchallenge offers an opportunity to inspire young people to develop through learning and see the value in teamwork," said Sandra Evers-Manly, president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation. "This is one way we are connecting with middle-school students to get them excited about math, science and engineering."

Three company employees -- Barbara Dreon, Alan Ladwig and Perry Luzwick -- will participate as judges for a preliminary TOYchallenge competition to be held in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 18. The event will coincide with the Discover Engineering Family Day, part of National Engineers Week (E-Week) 2006.

Northrop Grumman is co-sponsor of E-Week, which will be held Feb. 19-25. E-Week is a coalition of engineering, education and cultural societies, corporations and government agencies dedicated to raising public awareness of engineers' positive contributions to our quality of life. Ronald D. Sugar, Northrop Grumman's chairman, CEO and president is honorary chair of E-Week 2006.

In addition, Northrop Grumman has worked with Sally Ride Science since 2003. Sally Ride was the first American woman to travel in space and her company empowers girls to explore the world of science. The company will also partner with Sally Ride Science Festivals on April 1 at the California Institute of Technology and May 7 on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Raytheon Awarded $31.7 Million US Navy Contract for Submarine Combat Systems Extending the Company's Role as Prime Systems Integrator for VA Class Submarines

Tewksbury MA February 15, 2006 - Raytheon Company has been awarded a $31 million contract from Naval Sea Systems Command for integrated combat control systems for the next five Virginia class submarines.

As the prime systems integrator for the submarine combat control suite, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) will procure, produce, test and integrate all combat control hardware and software, including tactical software and logistics support, delivering the advanced communication, navigation and weapon launch capabilities that are critical to submarine combat operations. Under the contract, Raytheon will also provide combat control system modernization and technology refresh for the first two submarines of the Virginia class, the USS Virginia (SSN 774) and USS Texas (SSN 775).

"This contract further validates Raytheon's prime role, delivering a comprehensive, integrated solution that has become the combat control baseline for the US Navy's submarine fleet," said Dan Martin, IDS vice president of Maritime Mission Systems. "Building upon our strong partnership, we continue to be the Navy's best value solutions provider, maximizing capability, performance and affordability for the Virginia class submarine fleet."

The Virginia class submarine combat control subsystem consists of centralized data management systems for weapon control, interface and weapon launch capabilities. Raytheon's Weapon Interface Panel provides special purpose hardware to support generation and control of weapon data, control signals and weapon power for pre-launch, launch, and post-launch control of four horizontal tube-fired weapons and 12 vertical tube fired weapons.

Work on this and other submarine combat system programs is performed at Raytheon's Maritime Mission Center in Portsmouth RI.

UK Ministry of Defense Selects Raytheon for Next Phase of its MARS program

Harlow UK February 15, 2006 - Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL), the U.K.-based subsidiary of Raytheon Company, has been awarded a contract by the U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) to begin competitive "Assimilation Phase" studies for The Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) program.

MARS will provide logistics support to Royal Navy vessels at sea comprising Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers and specialist logistics ships to support expeditionary forces and carrier strike force operations.

The assimilation contract will lead to the final selection of the industry MARS Program Integrator, which will be responsible for forming the alliance to procure and support the MARS capability.

Jack Cronin, RSL's president and managing director, said: "This is an exciting contract for Raytheon and builds on our capability here in the U.K. as a major supplier to the MoD and experience as a Mission System Integrator for major US Navy programs.

"Raytheon has considerable experience in large naval programs where alliances with industry and the customer have been key to successfully developing cost effective system-of-systems solutions. The MARS program will be executed in the U.K. and will benefit from Raytheon 'reach-back' by leveraging the investment in tools, processes, and subject matter expertise developed on our major US Naval programs, which in turn delivers enhanced capabilities while minimizing risk to the MoD."

Upinder Dhinsa, vice president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, said: "MARS represents an ideal opportunity for Raytheon to further extend our global systems integration expertise and offer a solution that will draw on the experience we have gained through our role on US Navy programs, including DD(X), LPD 17, Australian Air Warfare Destroyer, CVN 21 and submarines.

"Our proven performance on ship systems integration programs, coupled with our established partnerships in the US and abroad, positions us well to deliver a highly capable and affordable solution to the Royal Navy and enhance RSL's in-country ship systems skills and naval program expertise."

RSL employs more than 1500 people. The company is a prime contractor and major supplier to the UK Ministry of Defense and is involved in numerous, high-priority programs for the US Department of Defense. RSL designs, develops and manufactures a range of high technology defense and commercial electronics.