A crew member of an Army Black Hawk helicopter mans a machine gun as the aircraft flies over Baghdad on Monday. (Liu Jin / Agence France-Presse)
Posted on 08/17/2005 4:08:26 PM PDT by Gucho
By Kathleen T. Rhem - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2005 – Once used only for remote reconnaissance, unmanned aircraft technology has rapidly evolved in recent years. Such systems now feature strike capabilities and are being used for force-protection and signals-collection missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Unmanned aerial systems "have helped reduce the complexity and time lag in the 'sensor-to-shooter chain' for acting on 'actionable intelligence,'" according to a document released earlier this month.
The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap 2005-2030, released Aug. 4 with more than 200 pages, explains these diverse systems range from "micro air vehicles, weighing less than a pound, to massive aircraft weighing more than 40,000 (pounds), and vary in cost from a few thousand dollars to tens of millions."
The roadmap, now in its third iteration, lays out technology goals for developing unmanned systems over the next 25 years, explained Dyke Weatherington, deputy director of DoD's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Planning Task Force.
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Weatherington explained that even the name of the roadmap has changed from previous iterations. "Unmanned aerial vehicle," generally referred to as UAV, has been the most commonly accepted term for such aircraft. DoD planners have recently changed that terminology to "unmanned aircraft system."
UAS better denotes that much more than just the vehicle is needed to make such systems useful to warfighters. "A UAV by itself doesn't do anything for anybody other than sit on the ramp and provide shade," Weatherington said. "I need an integrated capability to do the mission. ... That's a vehicle; that's sensor systems; that may be weapons; that's communication systems; that's command and control; that's trained operators. All those elements are critical to deliver the capability."
Unmanned systems are particularly well-suited for "information, surveillance and reconnaissance" missions at the tactical level, Weatherington said. Specific useful capabilities of such systems include full-motion video and "persistence" -- they can stay in an area observing a developing situation for extended lengths of time.
He said "well-over" 1,000 small, unmanned systems are currently in use in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The top technology goal in the roadmap is to develop the Joint Unmanned Combat Air System, to provide a key capability predominantly delivered by manned aircraft in operations today.
"Primarily, for mobile, dynamic targets, the solution today is to send manned tactical aircraft in to find, (identify) and destroy those," Weatherington said.
Manned aircrews aren't the ideal choice for these missions because they put aircrews at risk, he said.
Smaller unmanned systems are "somewhat disposable," Weatherington said. "We don't intend to dispose of them. But ... if you need to put them in a situation to save a life, and you end up leaving the aircraft, it's not a significant loss."
By Layla Bohm - News-Sentinel Staff Writer
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2005 - 06:57:42 am PDT
Two Lodi men jailed on charges of lying to FBI agents about a terrorism investigation are once again asking that a federal judge grant them bail.
Defense attorneys filed the court documents Monday night -- the same day two Lodi men were deported to Pakistan and a third agreed to deportation. In the six-page motions, the attorneys argued that Umer and Hamid Hayat should be granted bail because they are not charged with terrorism and pose no flight risk.
The father and son have been jailed for more than two months after being arrested in an ongoing terror investigation. A total of five Lodi men were arrested in June, but the other three only faced administrative immigration violations.
Defense attorneys Johnny Griffin III and Wazhma Mojaddidi pointed out in their court filings that, though the other three men were accused of having ties to the Taliban and of making plans to recruit terrorists in Lodi, they were never charged.
"It is disingenuous for the government to argue that (the Hayats) must remain in custody while others with seemingly direct ties to Osama bin Laden are set free," the attorneys wrote, asking for a hearing in U.S. Eastern District Court next Monday.
In immigration court proceedings earlier this month, the FBI agent leading the investigation showed a diagram allegedly linking former Lodi imams Mohammed Adil Khan and Shabbir Ahmed to bin Laden.
The men, along with Adil Khan's 19-year-old son, Mohammed Hassan Adil, were detained but never charged criminally. The Khans left for Pakistan on Monday, and Ahmed is expected to leave in two to three weeks, according to his attorney.
Now, only the Hayats face charges.
Umer Hayat, 47, has lived in the United States since 1976 and has been an ice cream truck driver in Lodi for 15 years. He, his wife of 25 years and their four children are all U.S. citizens, according to defense attorneys.
Hamid Hayat, 22, was born in Stockton and has lived in the area except for a family trip in 2003 to Pakistan. He stayed there for about two years and got married, then returned to the U.S. on May 30.
Two days later, he went to work picking cherries, and he plans to file immigration papers so his wife may move to the U.S.
Additionally, the attorneys wrote in their motions, the FBI took the Hayats' passports, which would make it much harder for them to travel.
The father and son, along with Umer Hayat's brother-in-law, own property in Lodi. They would be willing to use the property and duplex, valued at $240,000, to secure bond, according to the court documents.
Based on evidence provided to the defense, the Hayats have been under investigation since August 2002. Griffin and Mojaddidi pointed out that, "notwithstanding this lengthy and intrusive investigation, the government has found no evidence to charge (them) with terrorist activity."
A trial had been set for Aug. 23, but a judge postponed it to at least October, citing the large amount of evidence being collected from federal agencies.
17 Aug 2005 22:08:58 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. military will send 700 Army paratroopers to Iraq to help provide security at detention centers, officials said on Wednesday, as it prepares to open a fourth major prison and eventually leave the Abu Ghraib jail, the site of last year's prisoner abuse scandal.
An infantry battalion from the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will go to Iraq over the next two months on an open-ended deployment to help provide security at the U.S.-run detention facilities, defense officials said.
"There's an expansion in the detention operations going on," said Air Force Lt. Col. John Skinner, a Pentagon spokesman on detainee issues.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said last month the longer-term plan was to turn over responsibility for the detainees to the Iraqi government.
The prisoner population doubled from last fall to this spring amid a series of offensives against the Iraqi insurgency and a greater role by Iraqi security forces.
The U.S. military is enlarging its three main detention facilities in Iraq -- Abu Ghraib on the outskirts of Baghdad, Camp Bucca in the southern desert close to the border with Kuwait, and Camp Cropper near Baghdad international airport, home to "high-value" prisoners, officials said. The expansion of the other facilities in part is in preparation for ending the use of Abu Ghraib, officials said.
The United States faced international condemnation last year following revelations of sexual humiliation and physical abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison. More recently, human rights activists have expressed concern about possible new abuses as the detainee population in Iraq rises.
Late next month, the U.S. military is also expected to complete a new detention facility called Fort Suse to hold 2,000 detainees at a Russian-built former military barracks near Sulaimaniya in northern Iraq, officials said.
There now are about 12,000 prisoners jailed in U.S. military detention facilities in Iraq, officials said. About 10,800 are at Abu Ghraib, Camp Bucca and Camp Cropper, with the rest detained at smaller facilities operated by various U.S. military brigades and divisions, officials added.
The paratroopers might serve in a site-protection role at the main prisons, provide security in transporting prisoners from one place to another, Army officials said, while a small number could serve as prison guards.
Defense officials said the deployment was not a sign U.S. forces are over-burdened by a growing prison population, and maintained that sending paratroopers to assist in detention operations should not be seen as unusual.
Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman, said the paratroopers had undergone training at Fort Bragg to prepare to work in detention operations.
About 6,000 detainees are held at Camp Bucca, which is being expanded to house 1,400 more, officials said. There are about 4,000 detainees at Abu Ghraib, which was expanded to house another 800, officials said. Camp Cropper holds about 100 detainees and is being expanded to hold 2,000.
The Pentagon offered no timetable for turning over responsibility for the detainees to the Iraqi government.
"We've been engaged with the Iraqi government on the process of having them ultimately assume control of detainees. We have a planning team that is meeting regularly to work through the details," Skinner said.
Rumsfeld, during his visit to Iraq on July 27, said the United States was asking Iraqi leaders to provide people to train and equip for operating detention facilities. Rumsfeld said he would like to hand responsibility for detainees to the Iraqi government "as soon as is feasible."
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Wednesday, August 17, 2005
A Spanish soldier walks toward a helicopter as it prepares to take off from Herat Airport to the site of a helicopter that crashed on Tuesday in the south of Herat, western Afghanistan August 17, 2005. Spanish investigators suspect an accident rather than an attack caused the crash that killed all 17 soldiers on board, officials said on Wednesday. (REUTERS/Ahmad Masood)
August 17, 2005
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- The first Air Force Stryker unit marked its first deployment with the high-tech Army vehicle when it departed here Aug. 14 for Iraq.
About 20 Airmen from the 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron deployed with the Army’s 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, both stationed at nearby Fort Wainwright.
"Our guys are ready and they’re focused," said Lt. Col. Russell Smith, 3rd ASOS commander. "We’re deploying with the Stryker brigade and I’d say this is a great partnership. We’re truly a part of one team."
The 3rd ASOS serves as the primary air liaison between the Army and Air Force during ground operations. The squadron became the first Air Force unit to receive the Stryker in May at the Army’s Joint Training Center at Fort Polk, La., where training continued in preparation for the Iraq deployment.
"Having the Strykers will help us by improving our capability and survivability during fast-paced ground operations," Colonel Smith said of the 3rd ASOS transition from Humvees to the same Stryker vehicle used by its Army partners.
Not only will the 3rd ASOS be able to complete the mission more effectively, Colonel Smith said, but they will benchmark techniques and procedures for future operations.
"They are setting the standard on how to do business for years to come," said Col. Paul Johnson, commander of the 354th Operations Group here to which the 3rd ASOS is assigned. "Stryker vehicles have proven themselves throughout Iraq, and our joint terminal attack controllers will benefit from the same level of protection and firepower as their brethren Soldiers.
"Special communications and sensor equipment, essential to their unit, have been installed on their vehicles," Colonel Johnson said. "With these new state-of-the-art vehicles, our 3rd ASOS personnel will not only fight today's fight, they will develop the tactics, techniques and procedures our Stryker-equipped Airmen will be using in the future.
"We’re the first Air Force unit to have Strykers and we’re excited to use them in combat," Colonel Johnson said of the five customized tactical air control party Strykers 3rd ASOS Airmen will use to perform their mission.
The squadron provides a bird’s-eye view of the battle for the battle commander by serving as the liaison between air and ground forces. They play a critical role in the 172nd SBCT mission, Colonel Smith said. Having specially modified TACP armored Stryker vehicles offers more top cover for Army ground troops.
"We are the Air Force experts at the ground commander’s right hand," Colonel Smith said. "Without airpower expertise on the battlefield, we leave the great American Soldier on the ground exposed. The Army has transformed into an agile and light fighting force, but in doing so, it has become far more reliant upon air power."
TACPs manage the air space above Army ground troops, guiding reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft and pointing out enemy targets for pilots performing close air support missions. They also coordinate with higher headquarters arranging theater airlift.
In addition, combat weather Airmen assigned to the 3rd ASOS provide weather forecasts to tell the ground commander how the weather will affect the ongoing battle plan. The current or anticipated weather may significantly affect what types of aerial support the Air Force can provide, and how effective the support will be.
TACPs consist of joint terminal attack controllers who are experienced Airmen specially trained to give weapons delivery clearance to close-air support aircraft.
The 3rd ASOS will deploy in two rotations of about six months each.
By 1st Lt. Teresa Sullivan - 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
|
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 17, 2005
Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq -- The Coalition’s Multi-National Division Central-South, or MND CS, handed over seven cars to Iraqi Police in the southern city of Ad Diwaniyah on Aug. 16. The MND CS Civil Military Cooperation team, usually called CIMIC, made the transfer possible.
CIMIC is defined as the co-ordination and co-operation, in support of mission, between the commander and civil populations, including national and local authorities as well as international, national and non-governmental organizations and agencies.
The mission of the MND CS CIMIC in Iraq takes part in all activities concerning civil environment. CIMIC supports Iraqi people in rebuilding process. The most important issues are water, electricity, medical, educational and security infrastructure. CIMIC supports the democratization process and development of provincial and local authorities, civil administration and common institutions.
To increase the economical development in Iraq CIMIC implements projects trying to employ as many Iraqis as possible in the provinces of Qadisiyah, Babil and Wasit.
The vehicles will be used as police cars, allowing Iraqi Police to patrol the streets of the city.
Other current CIMIC projects include water, electricity, medical assistance, education and security.
This release was provided by Lt. Cmdr. Bartosz Zajda, a staff press officer for MND CS
ping for later reference
Bump - You are welcome and thank you for the great post.
Bump
August 17, 2005
Although dropping ordnance may be what fighter-attack aircraft are known for, Operation Iraqi Freedom has slightly altered the F/A-18 Hornet squadron’s mission. The Moonlighters of Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 332, like other fighter-attack squadrons flying today, are serving more of a reconnaissance role in Iraq.
In combat, intelligence and other forms of gathering information can give a unit the edge needed to win battles. With the increased dependence on surveillance, the Marines of the communication and navigation shop who maintain those systems become an integral part of the fight.
"We maintain the surveillance systems, communications, navigation and radar systems onboard the aircraft," said Staff Sgt. Richard Medina, the communication and navigation section staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge for VMFA(AW)-332 and Washington D.C., native.
"Our surveillance systems provide Marines on the ground a view from the sky," said Lance Cpl. Tim Mcelrath, a communication and navigation technician and San Diego native. "It gives them a distinct advantage on the battlefield over their opponent."
Along with the surveillance equipment, a major mission of the communications and navigations shop is the maintenance of the communications equipment. Without the equipment that allows their pilots to communicate with each other and forward air controllers on the ground, they would not be as precise when targeting the enemy.
"An aircraft doesn’t fly if it’s communications gear is malfunctioning," Medina said. "That is the most important piece of equipment in the aircraft."
After settling into the operational tempo of a combat environment, the Moonlighters communications and navigations Marines are learning how vital they are to the mission.
"We can’t send aircraft into combat that aren’t fully capable to accomplish the mission," McElrath said.
The Marines have already faced many challenges in the few weeks they have been aboard Al Asad, but none greater than the adjustment and realization of transitioning to a combat environment.
"Our biggest obstacle is getting in the mindset that we’re here," Medina said. "But now all of our Marines are getting in the swing of things. They have been performing great under the circumstances and ready to continue the mission through the beginning of next year."
The transition for the communication and navigation Marines, along with the rest of the Moonlighters was made easier by the many exercises the squadron participated in before deploying.
"Because of our exercises, like Desert Talon, we were able to get a taste of the operational tempo we would experience here," Medina said. "We have been able to adjust to the high paced tempo much faster and easier due to our training."
Between troubleshooting during launches and working on fragile gear that makes the Moonlighters reconnaissance mission work, the communication and navigation Marines are constantly repairing and maintaining the radar and weapon systems. They are eager to do their part in supporting the forward deployed II Marine Expeditionary Force in its quest to forge a brighter future for the people of Iraq.
By Cpl. C. Alex Herron - 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
August 17, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It was 118 degrees in the shade, and there was precious little of that as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a troupe of USO performers visited servicemembers here today.
Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers is in the midst of a 10-day trip to assess morale. He and sports personality and model Leeann Tweeden, legendary Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers, and comedians Jeffrey Ross and Colin Quinn thanked troops for their service and their sacrifices.
Myers and the entertainers have visited Wiesbaden, Germany; Camp Bondsteel in Serbia and Montenegro's Kosovo province; and two bases here. Temperatures on the tour have ranged from cold and rain in Kosovo to crushing heat in Kuwait.
The show has settled into a routine. The general thanks the troops and introduces Leeann Tweeden, who acts as emcee. Tweeden, making her seventh USO trip, including two previously with the chairman, thanks the troops and reassures them that Americans fully support them.
Tweeden introduces Sayers, and the pro football hall of famer tells the servicemembers what they are doing is important and speaks to the importance of being on a team. Sayers, whose stellar career was cut short by injuries, speaks of the need for drive and focus and praises the men and women for their commitment.
Following Sayers, Ross, who specializes in quick, off-the-cuff remarks, takes the stage. Ross, who studied film in college, is on his second USO tour. He produced an award-winning movie of his previous trip.
Ross is followed by Saturday Night Live alum Colin Quinn. Brooklyn born and bred, Quinn takes the audience by storm and never fails to hit the mark.
Following the show, Myers and the celebrities meet with the servicemembers to sign autographs, stand for pictures, or just shake hands.
Then it's on to the next show.
By Jim Garamone - American Forces Press Service
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, greets a multinational military audience gathered for an Aug. 16 USO show in Kuwait. (Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF)
Servicemembers enjoy an Aug. 16 performance by comedian Jeffrey Ross during a USO show in Kuwait. (Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF)
Sports personality and model Leann Tweeden signs an autograph for a servicemember Aug. 16 in Kuwait. (Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF)
Pro football hall of famer Gale Sayers signs a football for a servicemember during a USO tour Aug. 16 in Kuwait. (Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF)
Pro football hall of famer Gale Sayers expresses his thanks to troops gathered in Kuwait for a USO show Aug. 16. (Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF)
Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, throws a souvenir football into the audience gathered for a USO show Aug. 16 in Kuwait. (Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF)
Aug 17, 2005
By BURT HERMAN - Associated Press Writer
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - Russia and China launched their first-ever joint military exercises Thursday on a Chinese peninsula jutting into the Yellow Sea — an-eight day event that symbolizes the two countries' bolstered ties since the end of the Cold War.
Moscow and Beijing will stage a mock intervention to stabilize an imaginary country riven by ethnic strife. But they insist the "Peace Mission 2005" exercises — which started Thursday and include some 10,000 troops from land, sea and air forces — aren't aimed at a third country.
The war games began with the chiefs of the Chinese and Russian general staffs starting strategic consultations at the Vladivostok headquarters of Russia's Pacific Fleet, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Analysts agree Russia and China are unlikely to team up against a common foe. They say the maneuvers are more of an exhibition of Russian arms — including its long-range strategic bombers, which can carry nuclear weapons — in the hope of luring Chinese buyers.
Still, both countries will be looking to prove their military might during the eight days of war games on the Shandong peninsula.
The U.S. Defense Department said last month that China's military was increasingly seeking to modernize and could become a threat in the Asia-Pacific region as it looked to spread its influence.
The Russian military is also eager to show it still has muscle despite much-publicized woes. Its weaknesses were highlighted again earlier this month when Russia had to call for outside help to rescue seven men stranded in a mini-submarine off its Pacific coast.
The exercises come amid warming ties between the countries since the end of the Cold War, driven by mutual concerns about the United States' dominance in world affairs and a shared interest in combating extremism in Central Asia.
The two are the dominant countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes four former Soviet republics in Central Asia and added Iran, India and Pakistan this year as observers. Representatives from the organization's countries have been invited to watch the exercises.
At a July summit, the organization called on Washington to set a date for the withdrawal from Central Asia, where its forces have been deployed since after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to help support operations in neighboring Afghanistan.
The United States had said it would withdraw from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan once combat operations in Afghanistan were finished. Last month, however, Uzbekistan ordered U.S. troops to leave the country within 180 days.
Kyrgyzstan's new administration called for a re-evaluation of the U.S. base in that country, but Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld later won assurances that American troops can stay for as long as they are needed to bring stability to Afghanistan.
The United States said it has been advised of the exercises by both China and Russia, but isn't sending observers.
"We expect that whatever activities take place would be ones that would further what we believe is everybody's shared goal of stability and peace in the region," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington. "We would hope that anything that they do is not something that would be disruptive to the current atmosphere in the region."
Despite Russia and China's shared interest in Central Asia, Beijing's main focus for now lies on Taiwan, which China lays claims to and has threatened to invade if the island declares formal independence.
Russian news reports said Beijing had pushed to have the exercises staged closer to Taiwan — making it appear to be a possible rehearsal for an invasion.
Analysts have noted the involvement of Russia's Tu-95 strategic bombers and Tu-22M long-range bombers in the exercises — warplanes that can carry conventional or nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and are not usually part of peacekeeping operations. But the aircraft are expected to top China's shopping list both to deter U.S. assistance to Taiwan in the event of a conflict and project Chinese strength across the region.
During the drills, the Tu-95s will conduct demonstration flights in the area while the Tu-22Ms will test-fire missiles at ground targets, the deputy chief of Russia's Land Forces in charge of the exercise, Col. Gen. Vladimir Moltenskoi, said last week.
Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, head of the Russian armed forces general staff, said in a newspaper interview last week the aircraft were taking part because the exercises are being staged far from Russian bases and would help enforce a simulated aerial blockade. But Russia's air force chief said earlier this year that the bombers would be involved in the exercises to tempt Chinese buyers.
"These weapons that China is buying are clearly designed for a possible standoff over Taiwan," said Pavel Felgenhauer, an independent defense analyst based in Moscow.
The purchase of such strategic items in the past has been prevented by the Russian military, which must approve all sales to outside countries, he said.
"Having such exercises demonstrates the closeness of the two militaries. That's important if China wants to buy these weapons systems," he said. "This is a political military exercise, much more political than military."
Beyond the sales pitch, it seems highly unlikely Russia would ever join China in a fight over Taiwan, said Robert Karniol, Asia-Pacific editor for military journal Jane's Defense Weekly. "There are no indications of coming together to form a strategic alliance of Moscow and Beijing," he said.
However, the exercises demonstrate a shift in the Chinese military's policy from its typical inward focus, Karniol said.
"They've come to increasingly accept multilateral solutions and accepted the understanding that there are things to learn from exercising with other countries," he said.
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