Admiral Codina Signs Contract to Acquire Type 23 Frigates

Santiago September 7, 2005 - Accompanied by the Minister of National defense, Jaime Ravinet Of the Source and the Chief of a main directorate of the Services of the Navy, Vice-admiral Juan Eduardo Ilanes, the Commanding admiral, Admiral Rodolfo Codina Diaz will today sign the contract of acquisition of the frigates type 23, units that will come to replace to the ships of National Escuadra which they are next to the limit of his life utility.

The act will be made in England, with the Minister of Acquisitions of Defense of this country, Lord Dryson.

The three units, that already are in average 15 years old to the service of the Royal Navy, will replace the frigates Class Leander PF "Minister Zenteno", PFG "Admiral Lynch" and PFG "Admiral Carlos Condell", constructed in 1967, 1971 and 1972, respectively.

TYPE 23

The frigates will begin to get at the country to count of the 2006 and will conclude the 2008, leaving to National Escuadra with eight greater units of surface with oceanic capacity and an average of 13 years of antiguedad.

The first ship in being transferred will be the HMS Norfolk, in September of 2006, that will replace to the PFG Minister Zenteno; in April of the 2007 Admiral Lynch will give itself to the HMS Grafton, terminating to the PFG; and, finally, in January of 2008, the HMS Marlborough by the PFG will arrive Admiral Carlos Condell.

National Escuadra will be conformed by eight units battle, four English and four Dutch, with modern systems of propulsion, which will imply a greater saving in terms of cost of fuel, finishing the propulsion by steam in ships of the Navy of Chile.

O'Higgins Delivery Scheduled for Friday

Santiago September 7, 2005 - In as much, the next Friday 9 of September the Minister of National defense, Jaime Ravinet Of the Source will on board preside over the ceremony of delivery to the Navy and hoisting of the National Pavilion of the SS "ÓHiggins", in Cherburgo, France, which he will attend the Admiral, Commanding admiral Rodolfo Codina Diaz, together the Chief of a main directorate of the Services of the Navy, Vice-admiral Juan Eduardo Ilanes Laso, the Chief of staff of the National defense, Vice-admiral Jorge Dusnmore Orchard and the Commander of Naval operations, Vice-admiral Gerald Covacevich French Castex, authorities and special guests.

This it is the first of the two units Scorpene class that constructs Franc-Hispanic partnership DCN-IZAR for the Navy of Chile. These will replace to the ships of the Oberon type -"Hyatt" and "ÓBrien" - that were terminated after turning than 30 years more on watch.

It is predicted that the ÓHiggins arrives at the country next December by the end of. The second unit of this type, the Carrera Submarine, was baptized in Spain the last year, and would have to arrive at the country the second semester from the 2006.

The conventional submarines Scorpene have 6 tubes of launching to 18 arms of conventional type (torpedoes). Ships are considered special to operate in oceanic, antisubmarine missions and of fight antisurface. They have 63.5 meters in length, 6.2 meters wide, an openwork of 5.2 meters, a surface displacement of 1,430 tons and 1,570 tons under the water. Submerged, they reach a speed of 21 knots and can operate to more than 300 meters of depth. Its permanence under the sea can reach to the 50 days. Its dowry, in as much, will be of 31 crew.

Sealift Command Charters Cruise Ships to House Evacuees

Washington September 7, 2005 (AFPS) - Along with thousands of active-duty and National Guard troops, several commercial passenger ships are also reporting to duty to support hurricane-relief efforts along the Gulf Coast, U.S. Northern Command officials announced.

The ships, contracted by the Navy's Military Sealift Command, are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's massive response to provide relief for displaced victims, officials said.

The command awarded contracts for four ships to provide interim housing to those displaced by the hurricane and possibly relief workers, as well. Three of the ships, Sensation, Holiday and Ecstasy, belong to Carnival Cruise Lines and the fourth, MV Scotia Prince, to Scotia Prince Cruises, officials said.

FEMA Director Michael D. Brown called the cruise ship option just one of many efforts under way to provide housing for those forced to flee the Gulf region in Katrina's wake.

"FEMA is handling the Herculean task of coordinating the relocation of many thousands of individuals and families whose lives have been torn apart by Hurricane Katrina," Brown said. "Every available alternative, including creative options for immediate housing, is on the table."

The four cruise ships were immediately removed from commercial service in response to FEMA's request for temporary housing, and Military Sealift Command chartered the ships for six months, beginning no later than Sept. 10.

Beginning today, FEMA-contracted buses are transporting hundreds of hurricane victims from Houston's Astrodome to temporary quarters on board Sensation and Ecstasy in the port of Galveston, Texas, where the ships are currently moored. The Holiday, in Mobile, Ala., and the MV Scotia Prince, which will moor at another Gulf Coast port, will also serve as mobile platforms for interim housing, officials said.

The Sensation and Ecstasy each accommodate 2,634 passengers; the Holiday carries 1,848; and the MV Scotia Prince, 1,000.

P-8A Blazes the Acquisition Trail With Live-Fire Testing

NAS Patuxent River September 7, 2005 - Though early in its System Development and Demonstration phase, the P8-A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft Program continues to set the standard for acquisition programs, this time in maybe one of the most critical areas - survivability.

"Fire is a major contributor to catastrophic failure of aircraft," said Silvia Seng, P-8A live fire test lead with the Weapons Survivability Laboratory (WSL) at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division in China Lake, Calif. "We are doing developmental live-fire testing early enough in this program so that the results can have a positive influence on the actual design of the aircraft."

A team of engineers from Patuxent River, China Lake and Boeing worked together on the P-8A program to execute the approved Live-Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E) Strategy. This strategy is focused on vulnerability reduction and survivability enhancement while fulfilling congressionally mandated LFT&E requirements. LFT&E testing began in April and will conclude in 2012, prior to the P-8A entering full-rate production.

"The primary goal of the P-8A program is to provide the Maritime Patrol Aircraft fleet commander an aircraft that is continually effective and suitable for its intended missions in maritime and littoral environments," said Dave Legg, P-8A Survivability lead in NAVAIR’s Maritime Surveillance Aircraft Program Office (PMA-290). "Vulnerability reduction and survivability enhancement are part of that goal."

Preliminary fire suppression testing for P-8A began at the WSL in April. The results remain classified, but based on data from those preliminary tests Boeing is working with several vendors to develop an effective fire-suppression system. Development and verification testing of the system began in August and will continue through 2009. Full-scale live-fire testing is slated for 2011 using a P-8A static test aircraft.

Using data and information provided by their Boeing teammates, engineers at China Lake design the required test articles using Computer-Aided Design. That design is then brought to reality a few hundred yards away at the machine shop on-site. Seng then oversees the set-up of the test on one of the six test pads at the WSL, and the execution of the tests from a fire control room.

Testing began Aug. 16 on a fabricated leading edge of a P-8A wing. The simulated wing was hung on a test stand in front of a High-Velocity Airflow System that can simulate in-flight conditions up to 690 mph. This particular test event called for 19 shots to be fired at the wing leading edge dry bay. A dry bay is an area in the aircraft adjacent to an area where fuel is located, or one that contains hydraulic lines or reservoirs. Test results will be classified.

Seng will provide Boeing the raw data collected from the tests within two weeks. Boeing is then responsible for analyzing and reporting the results to P-8A program management and incorporating design features as appropriate.

Assessments by the Navy/Boeing team of advanced technologies and systems will be an ongoing effort to meet emerging requirements with effective solutions. The next fire-suppression test for the P-8A program will be on the trailing edge of a fabricated wing and is scheduled for September at the WSL.

"We have assembled a great team that is working closely together to ensure the safest and most effective warfighting solution for the future," said Cmdr. Mike Moran, NAVAIR’s P-8A department head. "The P-8A will deliver a broad array of technologies for protecting the aircraft and its crew in order to maximize the likelihood of mission completion."

The P-8A MMA is the Navy’s replacement platform for the P-3C Orion, securing the Navy’s future in long-range maritime patrol. Built on a modified Boeing 737-800ERX, P-8A will bring together a highly reliable airframe and high-bypass turbo fan jet engine with a fully connected, state-of-the-art open mission systems architecture. This approach, coupled with a combined set of low risk non-developmental and next-generation sensors, will dramatically improve Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance capabilities well into the 21st century. P-8A MMA will use state-of-the-art simulation and training systems and implement innovative performance based logistics concepts. The platform will provide more combat capability with a smaller force and less infrastructure than the venerable P-3C. Successful execution of SDD is critical toward getting the first operational aircraft squadron forward deployed in 2013. Full operational capability is slated for 2019.

Mayport FL September 7, 2005 (NNS) - Mexico was formally inducted at the fifth Inter-American Naval Telecommunications Network (IANTN) Conference, held at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., Aug. 29 through Sep. 1.

IANTN is the means to exchange communications between the United States and Latin American countries. A member country hosts the conference every two years to work toward better communications between navies. It was formally established in March 1962 to provide the only classified releasable exchange of information in participating Latin American countries.

Participants included navies from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay, and the United States.

Mexico was accepted in the IANTN after being accepted by the International Inter-American Conference in 2004. Mexican membership in IANTN signals improved cooperation and integration with the U.S. Navy and the other Inter-American Naval Conference (IANC) members. As with any network, increased membership exponentially increases the value of IANTN.

Communications is the lynchpin in those efforts, and membership in IANTN ensures Mexico will be included in the forum of communicators addressing issues important to the Inter-American Naval Conference.

Capt. Felipe Solano Armento of Mexico’s Navy said, "We are very happy to participate in this conference, because in this group forum we can work with all these navies to improve our capabilities."

Cmdr. Larry Flint, IANTN Secretariat, felt the conference was a great success, saying, "Things went well. There were good briefs by all participants, good discussions, and after hours good friendships and relationships developed."

"Improving communication between the United States and Latin American countries strengthens the development of combined activities during peacetime posture and under emergency conditions," said Flint. "Conferences like this help immeasurably when we work together at sea."

NATO Response Force in Gdynia

Warsaw September 8, 2005 - Embargo operations, search and rescue, disaster relief and humanitarian aid operation as well as maritime interdiction, escort duties and counter-terrorist operations - these are the tasks of navy ships from STANMARGROUP 1 that will enter the Port of Gdynia on Friday, 9 September 2005 at 0900. The Force is preparing for the DANEX 05 multinational naval exercise.

STANMARGROUP 1 is a multi-national seagoing force, tasked to provide the NATO an ability to respond quickly and with flexibility to promote NATO’s interests anywhere in the world. The Force is one of four maritime standing elements of the newly formed joint NATO Response Force (NRF) and as such is well prepared for crisis and conflict operations acting as a nucleus for additional forces. Standing NATO Response Force Maritime Group 1 currently consists of six frigates and a support vessel from six NATO nations: FGS Bayern (Germany), the Flag Ship, HMCS Halifax (Canada), HDMS Niels Juel (Denmark), HNLMS Willem Van de Zaan (The Netherlands), NRP Corte Real (Portugal), USS Klakring (United States), the support vessel FGS Rhoen (Germany). The NATO-Force STANMARGROUP 1 is commanded by Rear Admiral Wolfgang Kalähne. The Polish frigate ORP Pulaski will be training with the Force during the exercise before joining the Force as the Polish contribution from February to April 2006. STANMARGROUP 1 ships will be open to visitors on Sunday, 11th September 1400-1600.

Washington September 7, 2005 - Twenty-seven Sailors from the National Capital region will receive their advancements to chief petty officer in a ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial on Friday, Sept. 16 at 4:30 p.m.

The promotion ceremony will be hosted by Rear Adm. Jan Cody Gaudio, USN, Commandant, Naval District Washington. CNO-Directed Command Master Chief (SW/AW/FMF) Bennie O. Pearce of Naval District Washington, will be the senior member of the CPO community.

"The ceremony is a wonderful tradition," said Retired Rear Adm. Richard A. Buchanan, USN, president and CEO of the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation. "It marks the rite of passage as these Sailors don their new uniforms and accept their responsibilities as Navy chief petty officers."

A fitting place for this ceremony, the Navy Memorial honors chief petty officer history and heritage. The Memorial is home to the CPO Centennial Time Capsule and the Chiefs' Bell; both placed here in 1993. Annually, the Memorial's Education Institute also conducts the CPO history class "Foul Anchor," which has been presented to thousands of chiefs over the last several years.

During the September 16 event, the chief "selectees" will be accompanied by their spouses and family members for the pinning ceremony, in which the CPO rank insignia will be placed on the new chief's collar. The ceremony will also include a reading of the Chief Petty Officers Creed.

The ceremony is free and open to the public. For more information about the event at the Navy Memorial, call Tami Faram, director Public Relations at (202) 380-0718.

The U.S. Navy Memorial is a "living memorial" dedicated to honoring the men and women of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine who have served, and our serving, our nation around the world.

Nyzhny Novgorod September 7, 2005 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian mini-sub that caught the world's attention when it became trapped on the Bering Sea floor in August will be modernized, the head of the plant that built it said Wednesday.

Nikolai Zharkov, the director-general of Krasnoye Sormovo, said work on the Priz AS-28 mini-sub, which surfaced after a British craft cut loose all the cables that had held the vessel for four days, would start at the Nizhny Novgorod plant (in the Volga region) later this year.

According to Zharkov, the plant has all the equipment and personnel to start the work, which is expected to last for 14 months. The mini-sub's designers from the Lazurit design bureau will assist in the overhaul and new electronics supplied from St. Petersburg will be installed on the craft, he added.

News that the mini-sub with seven men on board had become entangled at a depth of 190 meters (620 feet) in fishing nets and cables was made public on August 4 this year. By this time, the crew had already spent almost a day near the seafloor.

The rescue operation took three days and on August 7 at 7.19 a.m. Moscow time (3.19 a.m. GMT) the mini-sub surfaced.

Kiev September 7, 2005 (RIA Novosti) - The Ukrainian government has ordered Ukrspetsexport, the state-owned arms trader, to look for potential buyers for a missile cruiser that is currently being built.

A government order signed on September 5 said the ministries for foreign affairs and industry would assist Ukrspetsexport in the deal. The defense ministry was instructed to take the Ukraina (the Ukraine), which is a 95% complete but is not equipped with military hardware, and pay for its maintenance.

In June 2002 a former Ukrainian prime minister, Anatoly Kinakh, and Russia's ambassador to Ukraine, Viktor Chernomyrdin, discussed an acceptable agreement on the missile cruiser, as a Russian-Ukrainian agreement of 1993 stipulated that both parties should make joint decisions on military facilities and equipment that had not been completed in the Soviet era. The cruiser falls under the agreement, as work on it began in 1983.

Washington September 7, 2005 - The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Hospitalman Robert N. Martens, 20, of Queen Creek, Ariz., died Sept. 6, from injuries sustained as a passenger when his HMMWV rolled over in Al Qaim, Iraq. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Martens was assigned to II Marine Division, Camp Lejeune NC.

Washington September 6, 2005 - NOAA, with support from the Office of Naval Research), will return this week to the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" to continue the hunt for the Alligator, the U.S. Navy’s first submarine. The joint expedition will take place Sept. 9-12 off Cape Hatteras, N.C., where the Civil War-era vessel was lost during a fierce storm in 1863.

"NOAA is proud to partner with the Office of Naval Research in the hunt for the Alligator," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "Through the hunt for the Alligator, we are expanding our knowledge of both the nation’s marine resources and rich maritime history."

Based in Ocracoke, N.C., the 2005 survey is part of an ongoing effort by NOAA, ONR and partners to solve the mystery of the Alligator’s fate, while promoting scientific and historical research, education and ocean literacy. Researchers will deploy a robot sub and metal detector and other remote sensing equipment from ONR’s 108-ft. YP-679 Afloat Lab to investigate targets identified during a NOAA-ONR survey in August 2004 and a NOAA survey of opportunity in May 2005.

"I'm delighted to report that some of the Navy's finest technologists from our Naval Warfare Center in Panama City will be joining us this year," said ONR spokesperson Daniel S. Dayton. "These are experts who specialize in finding objects on the ocean floor. They will be using acoustics, magnetic, and electro-optic systems. These technologies are utilized in mine warfare and diving operations. These technologies have been used for other search projects to find a black box from a plane crash (Swiss Air off of Halifax) and to search for drowned victims."

In December 2003, NOAA and ONR unveiled the only known blueprints of the sub, which was designed for the U.S. Navy by French inventor Brutus de Villeroi. The 2004 expedition and discovery of the blueprints will be featured in a Science Channel documentary, "The Hunt for the USS Alligator," airing on October 5.

"The hunt for the Alligator combines history, mystery and technology," said Daniel J. Basta, director of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program, which houses NOAA’s Maritime Heritage Program. "Through the hunt for the Alligator, we are working not only to unlock the secrets of the deep and the past, but also to inspire the next generation of explorers."

Launched in 1862, the Alligator represented a significant leap forward in naval engineering. Among the sub’s most notable features was an airlock designed to allow a diver to exit the vessel while submerged and place an explosive charge on an enemy ship. The Alligator’s design also included an air purification system. Both are standard components of modern submarines. In April 1863, while being towed south to participate in the Union attack on Charleston, S.C., the Alligator was lost in a storm off Cape Hatteras, and never seen again.

More information about the hunt for the Alligator, including daily expedition logs, mission plans, and resources for teachers, is available online:

<http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/alligator>.

Moscow September 8, 2005 (RIA Novosti) - Somewhere under the Atlantic, a Soviet sub commander has just made a fateful decision. The Red October is heading West. The Americans want her. The Russians want her back. And the most incredible chase in history is on...

This synopsis of novelist Tom Clancy's first novel, written in 1984, "The Hunt for Red October," leads us into the super secret world of submarines and their lethal weapons. The nuclear tipped Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Submarine-launched ballistic missiles, once the Soviet Unions' most formidable cold war deterrent, date back to September 16, 1955, when the small diesel submarine B-67 (Project 611 Zulu) surface- launched the world-first R-11FM (SS-1 Scud) missile, designed by Sergei Korolev, the architect of the Soviet space program.

Four years later, several torpedo submarines were upgraded for the missiles that soon gave way to the new R-13s (SS-N-4 Sark) - missiles that Western defense experts were quick to dismiss as hopelessly lagging behind the U.S. counterpart Polaris A1. At the same launch weight, they said, the Polaris was effective at 2,200 km, while the Soviet missile only at 650 km.

Well, that is true. Except for two little things - that the Polaris A1 had two stages while the Sark had only one and its 1,598-kg (3,520-lb) yielded a 1-Mt (megaton) nuclear capability, while the Polaris, with its two stages, carried only a 326-kg (718-lbs) warhead (650 kiloton nuclear). Interestingly, the Sark was in fact always tipped with a warhead intended for the more powerful R-7, in effect the world's first ICBM - for cost and time saving reasons.

As the Sark was poised for commissioning, the first Soviet nuclear-powered submarine (Project 658 Hotel 1) entered service, with eight such subs built between 1958 and 1964. The fate of the first one, the notorious K-19, is too well known to speculate about, but it explains why the other seven entered upgrade programs when they were still at the shipyard. The upgrades, though, have been successful, and the submarines survived the R-13 decommissioned in 1973 and remained in service until the last days of the Soviet Navy.

However, they were hardly the best and most powerful weapons the Soviets had. As far back as 1963, new submarines with 1,400-km missiles were launched, and 1968 marked the advent of the first SSBN strategic nuclear-powered submarine the Delta Class. (Delta I/Delta III, "underwater cruiser" in the Russian Navalese). These new subs were armed first with G2 2,400-km RSM-25 (SSN-6 Sawfly) ballistic missiles whose range was increased to 3,000 km after an upgrade, then with more powerful RSM-40s (SSN-8 Sawfly, 7,800 km and 9,100 km before and after upgrade). Newer submarines, the Typhoons and Delta IVs, were armed with the RSM-50s (SSN-18 Stingray, 6,500 km and 8,000 km), RSM-52s (SSN-20 Sturgeon, 8,300 km), and RSM-54s (SSN-23 Skiff, 8,300 km).

Returning to "The Red October." American Patrick Thompson, resident scholar and critic said, "the Typhoon-class ballistic missile submarine is no ordinary Russian sub, it is equipped with an extremely silent drive system capable of fooling Soviet and American SONAR (a method for detecting and locating objects submerged in water by echolocation) detectors alike." This clearly gave the Soviets a strategic cold war advantage as the advanced stealth class Typhoons could engage targets across the United States without actually leaving their base and having to deal with enemy anti-submarine defenses - though they were indeed silent enough to penetrate wherever they wanted.

Currently the Russian Navy operates 12 SSBNs armed with 672 nuclear warheads on 192 ICBMs - nearly a third of the Russian nuclear triad which Sergei Ivanov, the Russian defense minister, promised would be updated soon.

"In 2005, we are going to begin flight tests of the Bulava, a new solid fuel-propelled sea-launched missile," he said recently at the Plesetsk Space Center.

Yuri Solomonov, head of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, the Bulava designer, said the first submarine launch - provided the project was appropriately funded - "could be made in 2006."

The missile will be used with G5 nuclear submarines to be commissioned within one or two years. Sevmashpredpriyatiye is currently making the first two Project 955 Borei subs (already christened Yuri Dolgoruky and Alexander Nevsky), with three to be ready by 2010. Each will carry 12 Bulava-Ms.

The M in the missile index stands for "morskoy," or "naval," because the Bulava is, in effect, a derivative of the land-based missile Topol (SS-27). However, Solomonov argues, referring to the size and weight restrictions for sea-launched missiles, that "here there is no talk of unification because you get two basically different theoretical approaches."

Nonetheless, he admits, the designers took as much as they could from the SS-27 because in today's Russia - a far cry from the Soviet era - cost effectiveness also becomes a priority. So far, human resources have made up for scarce financing: people who can design, test, and deploy state-of-the-art missiles appropriately for the little money they receive are certainly worth their weight in gold. But what next?

Older Typhoon Project 941 submarines are also expected to undergo an upgrade for the new Bulavas. One of them, the Dmitry Donskoy, already tested the new system, firing a dummy version in the White Sea last year. It did not cause any harm and fell into the sea within seconds: the actual missile is still far from flying.

All of this brings us back to Clancy and his "The Hunt for Red October." His accurate use of military procedures and disclosure of highly classified military technical information was shocking at the time. Maybe he did an excellent job of researching specific procedures and terminology that the military uses to reduce confusion and ensure the highest probability of success in their mission. Rather than deriding military protocol as pompous and arcane, Clancy demonstrates its positive qualities and proves that it can be as fascinating as police procedure. Anyone with a military background can relate. Where did he really get all that information? I wonder....

Yuri Zaitsev is an expert at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Sochi September 8, 2005 (RIA Novosti) - Su-33 Flanker carrier-based fighters will remain on military service, the director general of the Sukhoi aviation holding said Thursday.

Mikhail Pogosyan said, "The military use of the fighters will continue despite the accident on September 5."

On Monday, a Su-33 fighter crashed off the deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier after its brake cable snapped when it landed during a routine mission in the North Atlantic. It sank to a depth of 1,100 meters (about 3,500 feet).

Pogosyan said it would be impossible to raise the fighter.

He said, however, the future of Su-33 fighters would be finally decided after a special commission investigation the accident completed its work.

The export price for a Su-33 carrier-based fighter is $30 million, he added.

Crane Ship Arrives in Gulf

Washington September 8, 2005 - U.S. Transportation Secretary Mineta Announces Return of Commercial Air Traffic to the Gulf Region and Arrival of Crane Ship to Aid with

Recovery Efforts

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced continued progress in rebuilding the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast's transportation system, including the return of passenger flights to the area and the arrival of the first Department of Transportation ship to aid recovery efforts.

"Every day we are making more progress in repairing the transportation systems destroyed by Hurricane Katrina," Mineta said. "It is our goal to help restore stability and quality of life to the people of the Gulf Coast as quickly as possible."

Commercial flights began serving the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport today, the first since the airport was severely damaged last Monday. Northwest and Mesa Airlines each flew one round-trip flight between Mississippi's Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport and Memphis, Tennessee. In addition, starting today the Department's Federal Aviation Administration will be operating the Lafayette Regional Airport 24 hours a day to accommodate air cargo operations from New Orleans that have been displaced by Katrina

The crane ship Diamond State, which left Houston, Texas yesterday, is expected to arrive later today at the Port of New Orleans. The crane ship will provide working cranes for the Nashville Street Warf in order to load and unload ships in the port. The Diamond State will also provide power to some of the port's shore-side facilities and equipment to help get the port back up and running. The Diamond State is one of the Department of Transportation's Ready Reserve Force vessels, which typically helps re-supply oversees U.S. military bases.

Also, the SS Wright, which departed Baltimore, Maryland yesterday, continues to travel to the Gulf Coast for additional support. Several other ships also continue to prepare for departure and will follow shortly. Secretary Mineta last week took the unprecedented step of mobilizing the U.S. Ready Reserve Force to support recovery and rebuilding efforts

Air Force Orions Deploy to the Middle East

Canberra September 9, 2005 - A group of 80 Air Force members from RAAF Base Edinburgh are being farewelled today for the Middle East Area of Operations as part of Australia's contribution to the rebuilding of Iraq and the fight against terrorism.

Defense Minister Robert Hill said the group will deploy as a rotation and will be the first AP-3C Orion aircraft fitted with Electronic Warfare Self Protection aimed to provide greater operational flexibility and increase safety and protection for aircrew.

The AP-3C Orion is the RAAF Maritime Patrol Aircraft which is currently fulfilling a vital intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance role for Coalition operations in Middle East as part of Operation Catalyst and Operation Slipper.

Senator Hill said the electronic warfare system protects against ground based weapon systems and will enable the aircraft to conduct a wider range of missions, especially surveillance over land.

Senator Hill joined family and friends at a ceremony at Edinburgh today to farewell the aircrew, maintenance and support staff from Number 92 WING.

"The completion of the first phase of the $43.5 million Self-Protection upgrade to the AP-3C Orion aircraft will increase their flexibility and provide better protection to the aircrew," Senator Hill said.

"The AP-3C Orion aircraft have been deployed to the Middle East since early 2003 and since that time have conducted over 650 sorties.

"I would like to congratulate the Defense and industry partners Tenix Defense, Australian Aerospace, Jacobs Sverdrup, Nova Aerospace who worked together with help from some small engineering companies in South Australia to complete the first phase of this Self Protection upgrade to the Orions.

"This is an outstanding achievement and reflects the Howard Government's commitment to respond to the changing strategic environment and threat levels.

"This is important occasion and I particularly thank the families for their support, which has been essential to the success of the men and women who are about to deploy.

"I commend this group for their dedication and professionalism and wish them a successful mission and a safe return. I also thank the efforts of the other members of Number 92 Wing and the Combat Support Squadrons who have gone before them."

Anti-Ship Missile Capability For ANZAC Ships

Canberra September 9, 2005 - Canberra-based CEA Technologies has been selected to deliver a cutting edge high technology solution to protect the Navy's ANZAC Class frigates from the increasing threat of anti-ship cruise missiles.

Defense Minister Robert Hill said the Federal Government has approved the second phase of a project to provide the world class anti-ship missiles capability.

CEA Technologies has been chosen to provide a lightweight Active Phased Array Radar system designed and developed at its Fyshwick facility in Canberra.

"The CEA phased array radar system offers the Navy a significant capability boost," Senator Hill said.

"CEA has developed a product that has a genuine competitive advantage in the important criteria of weight, cost, capability and overall value for money.

"These radars have a clear export potential and the market for this technology is estimated in the billions of dollars."

"This new phase of the project is estimated to create up to 130 jobs during acquisition and installation, and 25 jobs to support the capability through the life of the ANZAC Class frigates with around $260 million to be spent in Australia."

The major components of the CEA system are a search and track radar (CEA-FAR) and a phased array missile illuminator (CEA-MOUNT).

In addition to providing self-protection, the ANZAC's Anti-Ship Missile Defense system will also be able to protect closely escorted assets such as Amphibious ships, Auxiliary support vessels and merchant vessels.

The Anti-Ship Missile Defense system integrates the radars into the eight ANZAC Class frigates through ANZAC Alliance Team members Tenix Defense Pty Ltd and SAAB Systems Pty Ltd.

Both CEA and the Howard Government have committed significant resources towards reducing the risks inherit in such a high-end technology project including conducting sea trials last year.

The selection of CEA further supports the objectives of the Defense Electronic Systems Sector Strategic Plan which includes the development of niche capabilities in RADAR as being of strategic importance to Australia.

The second phase of the project brings the total investment in the ANZAC’s Anti Ship Missile Defense system to over $700 million. The ANZAC Alliance Team has already commenced work to upgrade the ships' command and control system and install an infra-red search and track system which will provide improved detection of low level aircraft and anti-ship missiles when close to land.

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N-G to Compete in KC-135 Tanker Replacement Program

Los Angeles September 7, 2005 - Northrop Grumman Corporation announced today that it would compete as the prime contractor for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation air refueling tanker.

Northrop Grumman's KC-30 tanker will be tailored to meet the Air Force requirements and provide a robust mission-enabling capability that is expected to create greater than a thousand jobs for Americans. The U.S. content of the KC-30 program will exceed 50 percent, further expanding the U.S. industrial base in modern wide-body aircraft.

As the prime contractor, Northrop Grumman will include EADS as a principal subcontractor and teammate. EADS North America recently announced its U.S. assembly site in Mobile, Ala. for the advanced refueling airframe based on the successful A330 commercial aircraft currently in production. In recent global competitions, EADS has been selected to provide military tankers for the United Kingdom and Australia.

"We have carefully analyzed the competitive landscape and the expected requirements for the Air Force's program of record, and believe that the KC-30 will offer enhanced capabilities to the warfighter in range, fuel capacity and mission flexibility," said Scott Seymour, president of Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. "We've heard both Congress and the Air Force stress the need for a competition and we are prepared to address that need by forming a strong industry team based on demonstrated capability, performance, management and affordability."

Northrop Grumman brings a long history of developing advanced aircraft technology, integrating large complex systems and converting commercial aircraft for military missions. Northrop Grumman is a recognized industry leader in systems integration with a proven record as the prime contractor for the B-2 Stealth Bomber, the E-8C Joint STARS advanced ground surveillance and battle management system and on the E-10A aircraft weapon-systems integration program.

N-G Provides Operational/Damage Assessment of Hurricane Katrina

Los Angeles September 8, 2005 - Northrop Grumman Corporation stated today that the impact of Hurricane Katrina ("Katrina") will affect the near-term operations and financial results of its Ship Systems sector, which is reported as part of the Ships segment in the company's financial reports. Other Northrop Grumman sectors operate smaller facilities in the Gulf Coast region that have also been impacted by Katrina, but to a much lesser extent than the Ship Systems operations. While the company's facilities have incurred significant damage and its operations have been impacted, the company also stated that it has adequate resources and liquidity to meet its current obligations and does not expect a material impact to its overall financial health. The company presently expects that its 2006 financial guidance will be largely unaffected by the hurricane, as there are aggressive efforts underway to restore the shipyards to full operations.

Northrop Grumman expects to begin a phased resumption of shipbuilding activity at its Ship Systems operations in New Orleans, La., Pascagoula, Miss. and Gulfport, Miss. during the month of September. Despite extensive damage to the shipyard facilities, major shipyard assets, such as cranes, dry docks and most fabrication facilities have survived the hurricane and are being brought back to an operational status.

Approximately 2,500 people are now working to clean up and help bring the shipyards back to production.

For 2005, Northrop Grumman expects its financial results to be affected by Katrina in three primary categories: cost of damage repair, delay of work and cost growth on contracts. With respect to the cost of damage repair, Northrop Grumman has insurance coverage addressing damage resulting from Katrina and is closely coordinating with its underwriters as the damage-assessment process continues. Although the company cannot currently estimate the full extent of the property damage, Northrop Grumman believes its insurance is adequate to cover the preponderance of any such costs.

Closure of the three operations as a result of the hurricane will significantly delay work in process at all sites. In addition to the clean up and repair required on site, basic infrastructure in the surrounding area has been severely damaged. Many of the company's employees have also been individually impacted, causing delays in work proceeding. Northrop Grumman expects that contract work will resume in a phased approach at all three sites. The company's previous financial guidance for 2005 included an expectation of approximately $950 million in revenue from the three operations for the remainder of the year. Northrop Grumman now expects revenues and operating margin to be lower due to work disruption and delay. As the shipyards are brought back into operation, the rate of business resumption will determine the impact on the 2005 results. The company's current expectation is that work delay will negatively impact its 2005 earnings by $.06 to $.12 per share.

Northrop Grumman also expects to encounter cost growth on Ship Systems contracts. As a result of the delay and disruption associated with repairing the shipyards, the phased restart of work effort, the costs associated with the retention of employees and other ongoing expenses, it anticipates additional costs will be assigned to current contracts within Ship Systems. These additional costs are generally allowable under government contracts, but margin under those contracts may be affected by varying cost-share arrangements. The company is working with its customers and underwriters to mitigate the potential impact of these cost effects. The company cannot presently estimate, but is working to assess, the degree to which the earnings impact of this cost growth will be recognized in current periods, the extent to which these impacts are recoverable and the degree to which such recovery may be reflected in subsequent period results.

The projected effects of the above categories of impact are based on prior experience in achieving recovery of operations and expenses following storms; however, the broad scale of economic impact resulting from Katrina is more extensive than the events associated with the company's relevant prior experience. The company will assess its progress toward recovery, and will review whether there is a need for an impairment test of certain of its long-lived assets at the affected locations.

Northrop Grumman is proud of the hard work and dedication of its Gulf Coast employees in the face of extreme personal hardship. The company is equally dedicated to the rapid resumption of our work serving America's critical defense needs.

Mobilisa Successfully Launched Navy ID Solution at Air Expo '05

Seattle September 8, 2005 - Mobilisa, a leading global provider of mobile and wireless technology solutions, successfully launched the Navy ID system during the Air Expo '05 at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River on September 3 and 4, 2005. During the two-day event, the Navy ID system identified 81 people resulting in a significant reason to deny them access to the base.

"The Navy ID verification system was used to check IDs of people attending the event," said MAC(SW) David Muehlhauser. "It secured the base quickly and efficiently using a mobile, handheld device with intelligent software that determined the authenticity and status of each individual entering the base."

Mobilisa was hired by the Navy to keep the base secure during the Air Expo as the general public came flooding through the gates. The system used advanced technology so that security guards and law enforcement officers would be able to identify terrorists or any other suspicious characters before they were allowed entry onto the base. Any form of existing ID that people had with them was able to be used.

"The most common, of course, was a driver's license or a military ID card," said Dr. Nelson Ludlow, Mobilisa's CEO. "By scanning the IDs, cars and people moved through the gates quickly and without delay, all the while keeping the Naval Air Station secure. We identified 81 unauthorized individuals."

The system instantly queries federal, state and local "Most Wanted" lists, as well as military law enforcement databases. It's been in place at the bases in Navy Region Northwest since late last year, having caught over 1,300 "bad guys" and scanned more than 650,000 IDs.

Prior to the advent of Mobilisa's Navy ID verification system, a security guard would need to read the ID card and physically compare names against a list containing thousands of names in an extremely limited timeframe. Now, the check can be done instantaneously and is accurate. The database is updated regularly, and the system has the capability of taking photos and recording gate turn-aways as well as other suspicious activity.

"The system not only met my needs, it exceeded my needs," said Thomas Dougherty, Regional Police Chief, Law Enforcement OPS, Navy District Washington. "I would love to see this system at every site."

Naval Air Station Patuxent River serves as the Navy's principal research, development, test, evaluation, engineering and fleet support activity for naval aircraft, engines, avionics, aircraft support systems and ship/shore/air operations. The complex stretches across 25 miles of shoreline and covers 6,500 acres.

Lockheed Martin to Build Electronic Archives of the Future

Rockville MD September 8, 2005 - The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) today awarded Lockheed Martin a $308 million contract to build a permanent archives system to preserve and manage electronic records created by the federal government.

Today's announcement, by Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein at the National Archives in Washington, DC, initiates a six-year program to develop the Electronic Records Archives (ERA) system for NARA. Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin offices in Greenbelt, MD, in coordination with NARA offices in the Washington metropolitan area.

A major initiative to help enable the successful move to government-wide electronic records management, the ERA system will capture electronic information -- regardless of its format -- save it permanently, and make it accessible on whatever future hardware or software is currently in use. While the full system is scheduled to be completed by 2011, a functional subset of the system will be operating within two years.

"We're extremely pleased our team was selected by the National Archives for a program that will be critical in preserving the acts and facts of our entire federal government," said Don Antonucci, president of Lockheed Martin Transportation and Security Solutions. "We are committed to helping the NARA team build a digital archives solution that will set the standard for authenticity, persistence and service."

"The Lockheed Martin team was selected for its systems integration expertise, developing innovative technologies for large-scale government IT projects," said Kenneth Thibodeau, NARA's project director. "The team's solution offers a highly flexible, scalable system that will allow NARA to adapt and expand its archiving capabilities as new technologies emerge."

As the prime contractor for the ERA project, Lockheed Martin will lead a team of companies with archiving and data management expertise. The team includes BearingPoint Inc., McLean VA; Fenestra Technologies Corp., Germantown, MD; FileTek Inc., Rockville, MD; History Associates Inc., Rockville, MD; EDS Corp., Plano, TX; Image Fortress Corp., Westford, MA; Metier Ltd., Washington, DC; Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), San Diego, CA; and Tessella Inc., Newton, MA.

"With the ERA initiative, the National Archives is taking a true leadership position in the digital preservation challenge," said Andy Patrichuk, Lockheed Martin's vice president responsible for the ERA program. "Not only are archives across the globe facing the challenge of maintaining electronic data, this innovation could have countless positive implications for individuals, private businesses, and government organizations alike."

"Our Lockheed Martin team stands ready to use our proven systems integration skills to bring a functional electronics records archives online - - one that is ready to serve our nation, citizens and the men and women on the National Archives team," he added.

NARA ensures, for the citizen, the President, the Congress and the Courts, ready access to essential evidence that documents the rights of citizens, the actions of federal officials, and the national experience

Historic World War II Flying Squadron to Appear at NAS Oceana Air Show

Virginia Beach September 8, 2005 - Before there were F-14 Tomcats and F-16 Fighting Falcons, there was the venerated North American SNJ- 2 that served as the trainer for most of the Allied pilots who flew in World War II.

A squadron of these historic World War II planes will demonstrate low level precision formation flying at the NAS Oceana Air Show in Virginia Beach, Va., on September 16-17.

The squadron, also known as Skytypers for its unusual sky messaging capabilities, features the SNJ-2s, originally designed as a transition trainer between basic trainers and first-line tactical aircraft.

GEICO Gecko named honorary squadron member

GEICO is sponsoring the exhibition flying of the Skytypers Air Show Team at the event. Skytypers has named the GEICO Gecko an honorary member of the squadron and he will be appearing at the weekend event.

The Skytypers Air Show Team delivers a form of aerial messaging known as "skytyping." During skytyping aerial exhibitions, the pilots fly their aircraft in a line-abreast formation, and a computer in the lead aircraft sends signals to the smoke systems in each of the other aircraft in the formation to create a dot matrix pattern. Individual letters are up to 1,200- feet tall and complete messages may be up to five miles long.

Exide Earns First USN Contract for Valve-Regulated Submarine Batteries

Alpharetta GA September 8, 2005 - Exide Technologies announced today that it has been awarded a production contract by the U.S. Navy for sealed valve-regulated batteries for its submarine fleet. The contract, which is the U.S. Navy's first procurement of such batteries for its submarine fleet, is valued at approximately $3.5 million.

For more than 50 years, U.S. Navy submarines have relied on flooded battery technology. During the past decade, Exide's GNB Industrial Power group has been the sole supplier of these batteries.

Recently, however, Exide's GNB Industrial Power group applied its commercial-market Absolyte(R) valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) technology to become the first industrial battery company to qualify a VRLA submarine battery for U.S. Navy use.

"With the advancement of submarine technology, the Navy approached Exide with its desire to increase power density, eliminate gassing, reduce maintenance and enhance safety on the submarine," said Mitch Bregman, President - Industrial Energy Americas at Exide. "Working in conjunction with the Navy during the past few years, we have determined that valve-regulated technology can replace the flooded battery technology prevalent on submarines for more than 50 years.

"We are pleased to have been a long-term strategic partner of the U.S. Navy for more than 50 years," Mr. Bregman added. "We have enjoyed a solid working relationship and are proud to be at the forefront of developing the next evolution of battery technology for the U.S. Navy submarine fleet."

Exide expects to deliver the first VRLA batteries to the U.S. Navy in 2006. The batteries will be produced at Exide's plant in Ft. Smith, Ark., where the Company currently manufactures its Absolyte and Champion(R) VRLA industrial batteries.

As a result of the U.S. Navy's transition to the advanced VRLA technology, Exide expects to cease production of flooded submarine batteries later this year at its plant in Kankakee, Illinois. At that time, the Company expects that it will permanently close the plant, which currently employs 62 people.

"For more than half a century, the Kankakee plant has played an important role for both our Company and the nation," Mr. Bregman said. "With the elimination of flooded battery technology for use in navy submarines, we are forced to make the difficult decision to close the Kankakee plant.

"The Exide management team would like to thank the many dedicated team members at the Kankakee plant and our suppliers, who have worked for many years to produce a quality flooded submarine battery that has supported the U.S. Navy and its submarine fleet," Mr. Bregman said.