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Daily News
by Gail Helmer
Jane's News Briefs
Friday, August 31, 2001Jane's Defence Weekly
NATO deploys Task Force Harvest NATO formally launched Operation 'Essential Harvest' on 22 August to collect weapons from the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, setting in train air and sealift operations to deploy almost 4,000 troops to the country.
EU 'neglects air force role'
A senior air force officer in Europe has called for an "urgent, concentrated effort" to assign more emphasis to the role of air power in the EU's effort to establish a 60,000-strong autonomous rapid reaction force by 2003.
US warns Turkey over changes to King Cobra mission computer The US administration, in a letter to the Turkish government on 15 August, warned that it will not issue an export licence to Bell-Helicopter Textron if Ankara continues to insist on the indigenous development of the AH-1Z King Cobra attack helicopter's mission computer, the most critical issue of a proposed co-production agreement.
China wins Thai patrol vessel bid China has secured the tender to provide the Royal Thai Navy with two offshore patrol vessels, completing a process that has been under consideration for at least three years.
US Army to field radar that can penetrate trees The US Army is to field initial prototypes of a radar developed by Lockheed Martin that can help it defeat enemy efforts to camouflage and conceal their forces in trees and brush by next year - a shortcoming experienced during the 1999 war in Kosovo.
AIDC to show upgraded F-5 The Republic of China's (Taiwan's) state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) has completed its development of a modified Northrop F-5 Tiger fighter, and will next month unveil its first prototype aircraft prepared under the Tiger 2000 Avionics Upgrade Programme.
Russia's OZTM struggles to sell more T-80 tanks With little market for its advanced T-80 tanks, the survival of Russia's Omsk Plant for Transport (OZTM) hinges on whether the company can find more buyers for its tanks and its newly unveiled upgrades for the venerable T-55 tank in service in many countries.
Rafael loses out on US pod deal Israel's Rafael Armament Development Authority has lost out on a US Air Force contract, as a result of what Israeli defence officials and executives agree was its failure to complete a draft accord to co-operate with Lockheed Martin on the development and marketing of aircraft navigation and targeting pods.
Jane's Defence Upgrades
First FBRV delivered to UK's Royal Marines The first of four Future Beach Recovery Vehicles (FBRV) for the UK's Royal Marines has now been delivered by prime contractor Hagglaunds Moelv of Norway. Following an extensive series of trials in north Devon, any improvements required will be incorporated into the main FBRV production run. This will be completed between late 2002 and mid-2003.
USMC explores LAV gun upgrade US Marine Corps (USMC) planners are investigating possible upgrade packages that would increase the lethality of the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV), currently armed with a 25mm cannon turret, by up-gunning to a 30mm weapon, among other items.
BGTI award for Thales Thales Optronics (formerly Pilkington Optronics) has won the Battle Group Thermal Imaging (BGTI) upgrade for the British Army's Warrior armoured fighting vehicles and Scimitar combat vehicle reconnaissance (tracked) platforms. The BGTI is designed to give the vehicle crew 24-hour all round surveillance and a weapon-pointing capability for the 30mm RARDEN cannon (see JDU Vol. 5 No.4 p7 for more details).
Re-engined Super Mirage F1 revived for MAKS The so-called Super Mirage F1 testbed airframe, fitted with a Russian SMR-95 turbofan engine for evaluation by the South African Air Force in 1994, has been revived and was exhibited at the MAKS 2001 air show at Zhukovsky, near Moscow. The latest development is the integration of the Vympel R-73E (AA-11 'Archer') short-range air-to-air missile into the aircraft's weapon system.
INDUSTRY INITIATIVE: Another 'Hind' upgrade offered The Rostvertol plant of Rostov-on-Don and Moscow-based Mil design bureau joined forces to display another modernised Mil Mi-35M 'Hind' (export designation of the Mi-24) at the Paris air show in June. Piotr Butowski explains the details of the latest improvements.
BACKGROUND BRIEF: US Army Helicopter round-up The US Army's helicopter force is, in one area or another, undergoing 'recapitalisation' or modernisation. By way of a round-up, David C Isby and Michael J Gething on recent milestone events for the CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache programmes.
Jane's Intelligence Digest
Peace and war in Macedonia Despite widespread scepticism that its presence in Macedonia will contribute to a reduction in regional tension, NATO's deployment started this week. Since the first British troops arrived violence has continued and the UK has already suffered its first fatality. JID examines Operation 'Essential Harvest' and explains why this mission was destined to fail long before the troops landed.
Jane's Intelligence Watch Report and Jane's Terrorism Watch Report
India - Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) - Police on 21 August said that they have arrested a senior Indian Navy officer working in the Naval Armament Depot (NAD) of the Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, Times of India reported. The officer was suspected of being a close associate of Rajbeer Singh, who is alleged to be an agent of Pakistan's ISI. Singh was arrested on 14 August for allegedly passing vital naval information to foreign agents in Nepal. Police interrogation revealed that the NAD officer and Singh had visited the Nepalese capital Kathmandu twice.
United States - National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) - US authorities on 24 August alleged that retired US Air Force sergeant Brian Regan used his access and his expertise in encryption to collect an array of sensitive secret documents and conspire to hand them over to a foreign government, The Guardian reported on 25 August. Regan, 38-year-old father of four from Bowie, Maryland, was arrested on 23 August at Dulles International Airport outside Washington as he prepared to board a German airliner to Switzerland via Germany. He was charged with conspiracy to commit espionage since August 2000 and ordered held without bail. The Washington Post on 25 August reported that Regan was a master sergeant posted at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in Chantilly, Virginia before his retirement in August 2000. He then worked for the government contractor TRW Inc. in Fairfax, Virginia, which sent him back to work at NRO. Government sources told the Post that the suspected foreign country he was spying for is Libya.
Afghanistan - Taliban and Northern Alliance - The BBC reported on 26 August that Taliban troops have been defecting to the Northern Alliance. Reports state that Pushtun Taliban forces in Samangan and Faryab provinces have taken up positions against Taliban forces led by Amir Jan-e Qalacha-e. The forces were subsequently attacked by loyal Taliban and Pakistani army troops.
Australia - Australian immigration officials have implemented a terrorist watch list to monitor visitors ahead of a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) meeting in Brisbane in September, Bernama news agency reported on 26 August. Officials are using a database with more than a million details on suspected terrorists. The military will mobilize more than 1,600 personnel and police will have additional forces in the streets around the Brisbane Convention Center for the two-day meeting. The CHOGM is the largest meeting of world leaders outside of the UN, with 52 heads of state attending.
Indonesia - Free Aceh Movement [Gerakin Aceh Merdeka (GAM)] -Indonesian authorities plan to launch a "real" military campaign to crack down on GAM rebels in an attempt to end the unrest in Aceh, Kyodo news agency reported on 26 August. Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said, "No country solves its armed movement problems with dialogue." Yudhoyono gave no particulars about the upcoming operation, but stated that the government will also attempt to improve economic conditions in the province.
The Philippines - Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) - The Philippine Star reported on 27 August that ASG guerrillas opened fire on a passenger vehicle in Cabcaban village in Basilan. At least six people were killed and six wounded. The attackers were able to elude troops sent to the area immediately after the incident. Troops are searching the island for 18 hostages held by the ASG.
Police Review
Football thugs face new 'get tough' policy BRITISH Transport Police is mounting proactive operations against what it says is a hardcore of over 100 of the most violent football gang members who regularly use the rail network on match days to attack their officers on trains and at railway stations. News of the initiative follows concerns raised by a senior BTP officer last week that his staff were at risk when good intelligence placed them between opposing gangs seeking a confrontation.
Basic command unit urged to improve custody record system A CLEVELAND basic command unit has been told to shape up its custody records system after an HMIC inspection found 'significant shortcomings' in its authorisation and reviews of detentions. Inspectors who toured the Langbaurgh Ridge BCU in May and took a sample of 85 custody records over a two-month period also found that completed records were not stored securely and that there had been no active inspection of live and completed records.
Officers accused of equal opportunities complacency OFFICERS have become complacent about equal opportunities issues in the police service, the president of the British Association of Women Police has claimed. Julie Spence, an assistant chief constable at Thames Valley Police, said: 'The organisation has had an attack of complacency, believing that three women chief constables and 15 assistant chief constables indicates that women can achieve - so things must be OK.'
Jane's World Airlines
NATIONAL AIRLINES CONTINUES PROGRESS TOWARD FILING RESTRUCTURING PLAN Based in Las Vegas, National Airlines has announced that it is continuing to make progress with its prospective investors in respect of filing a restructuring plan with the Court by mid-October. The airline filed for reorganisation on 6 December 2000 but has continued to operate its full schedule without interruption.
LOT LEASE BOEING 737-500 AIRCRAFT The Polish carrier, LOT Polish Airlines has become a new customer for debis AirFinance which is headquartered at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. Debis has purchased two Boeing 737-500 aircraft from Euralair International and the aircraft are now on lease to LOT Polish Airlines.
THAI AIRWAYS APPOINTS ADDITIONAL VICE CHAIRMAN TO THE BOARD Thai Airways International has announced the appointment of Thanong Bidaya as the fifth Vice Chairman of its Board of Directors. Thai's Board of Directors has also approved the airline's corporate strategy and has created a Long Term Plan Committee. The strategies most important areas include: supportive strategy; business strategy; financial strategy; operation strategy and good governance. As part of the business strategy, Thai Airways is to reorganise its operations in order to establish Business Units.
US AIRWAYS TO ADD PORTLAND FLIGHTS TO ITS ROUTE STRUCTURE US Airways will be adding Portland, Oregon as a new destination to its route network. The new destination will be added with the introduction of roundtrip services from both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, effective 2 June 2002.
VANGUARD AIRLINES TAKES DELIVERY OF FOURTH MD-80 SERIES AIRCRAFT Based in Kansas, USA, low-fare carrier Vanguard Airlines has taken delivery of an MD-82, its fourth MD-80 series aircraft. The airline is also committed to leasing a further five MD-80 series during 2001.
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