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Latest News As Of June 14, 2008

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36th Year

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A KC-135 Stratotanker from the Alaska Air National Guard's 168th Air Refueling Wing refuels an F-22 Raptor from the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jonathan Steffen

Front Page

An F-22 Raptor flies Feb. 4 over Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Members of the 3rd Wing and Air Force Reserve Command's 477th Fighter Group from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, combined for its first F-22 Raptor deployment to Tyndall AFB for Combat Archer. The 132 Reserve and active-duty Airmen and eight F-22s from Alaska were in Florida for Weapons System Evaluation Program training. Colonel Shower is the 90th Fighter Squadron commander and Sergeant Grantham is assigned to the 90th Aircraft Maintenance Unit.

U.S. Air Force photo/Scott Wolfe

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Old World War II era Control Tower during the Sierra Wave effect.

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F-22 Raptors prepare for takeoff Feb. 4 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Members of the 3rd Wing and Air Force Reserve Command's 477th Fighter Group from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, combined for its first F-22 Raptor deployment to Tyndall AFB for Combat Archer. The 132 Reserve and active-duty Airmen and eight F-22s from Alaska were in Florida for Weapons System Evaluation Program training.

U.S. Air Force photo/Scott Wolfe

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Latest News As Of June 14, 2008

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Eurofighter Typhoon

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Most Interviews contained herein are Corporate "In House" production designed to get information out to the Public via Press Release. The majority of the quotes presented in Press Release articles in this ILIPS Group Publication are Corporate, In House. We are concentrating heavily on Press Releases as we expand outward into the World community to acquire the News ourselves.

We will usually identify when quotations or interviews are conducted and reported directly by ILIPS Group personnel. Otherwise, anticipate that the interview was provided courtesy of Public Relations or Media Personnel from Corporate or other sources outside of ILIPS Group International, including other Mainstream and Alternative News Services who have released the materials into Public Domain.

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Front Page

An F-22 Raptor flies Feb. 4 over Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Members of the 3rd Wing and Air Force Reserve Command's 477th Fighter Group from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, combined for its first F-22 Raptor deployment to Tyndall AFB for Combat Archer. The 132 Reserve and active-duty Airmen and eight F-22s from Alaska were in Florida for Weapons System Evaluation Program training.

U.S. Air Force photo/Scott Wolfe

Front Page

Col. Jeff Harrigian and Lt. Col. Mike Hernandez fly a pair of F-22A Raptors over Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., June 2. The jets are two of the newly assigned aircraft to arrive at Holloman AFB. Prior to landing, the jets flew over the Tularosa Basin, allowing the community members a chance to see the new aircraft. Colonel is the 49th Fighter Wing commander and Colonel Hernandez is the 7th Fighter Squadron commander.

U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jamal D. Sutter

Front Page

Are you SURE you wanna do that!?

Tom Olexa shoots pyrotechnics in front of the runway here to disperse a flock of birds before a pair of F-22 Raptors (background) take off March 5 at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Wet areas around the runway attract all sorts of wildlife, including birds, which pose a hazard to launching aircraft. Mr. Olexa, a U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife biologist, works with the 1st Fighter Wing's Bird and Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard team.

U.S. Air Force photo

Editor's Note: "Oh, I see~ I thought he was shooting at an F-22 to protect the little birds!" <g>

An F-22 Raptor flown by Col. Jeff Harrigian arrives June 2 at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., June 2. Holloman AFB is one of four bases the F-22s will be assigned at. Prior to landing, the jets flew over the Tularosa Basin, giving community members a chance to see the new aircraft.

U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Anthony Nelson

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An F-22 Raptor from the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, rejoins the fight after refueling during Northern Edge 2008 May 8. Twelve Elmendorf AFB F-22s were part of the more than 120 aircraft participating in the largest military training exercise in Alaska. An Alaska Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska's, 168th Air Refueling Wing delivered the fuel during the refueling mission.

U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Mikal Canfield

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Two F-15 Eagles fly in formation with an F-22 Raptor April 24 during a support mission near Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The F-15s act as "aggressors" to replicate potential adversary air force capabilities, tactics, training and equipment.

U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Scott Reed

Editor's Choice ™

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Link Takes You Offsite to Washington Post.Com

Naturalization Ceremony Moves to Arlington Cemetary
Photo Slideshow With Audio

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Link Takes You Offsite to Washington Post.Com

The Bustle on the Base ~ Andrews AFB
Photo Slideshow With Audio

Wounded Soldiers Arriving Home

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Links Take You Offsite To MSNBC.Com

U.S. Airstrike Video on Militants

Predator Drone video disputes Pakistani claims that U.S. killed their soldiers...

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Road to Adventure (Videos)

Paragliding

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Link Takes You to Inside Bay Area.Com

Hayward Pilot Feels the Need for Speed at Reno Air Race

Marilyn Dash campaigns in the Sport Biplane Class

Expanded to Include Televised Video from Local News Stations:

Story

http://cbs5.com/local/marilyn.dash.pilot.2.742794.html

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06/12/2008

08:11 a.m. PST

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“The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times...”

~ Justice Anthony M. Kennedy

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The United States Supreme Court has ruled that Terror suspects currently being held at Guantanamo Bay have the full right of appeal. For more on this subject:

New York Times

Link Takes You Off Site...

Front Page Australia ~ Passages

DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE CPA 176/08

Saturday, 14 June 2008

RETIRED CHIEF OF DEFENCE FORCE STAFF, GENERAL SIR FRANCIS HASSETT, PASSES AWAY

One of Australia’s most distinguished war time leaders, General Sir Francis Hassett AC, KBE, CB, DSO LVO psc, IDC, Chief of Defence Force Staff from 1976 to 1977 passed away on the 11 June 2008. General Hassett entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon aged 16, graduating in 1938. His career spanning more than 42 years saw him undertake a wide variety of positions, including Chief of the Defence Force Staff. He saw active service in World War II, Korea and Malaya.

At age 23, he was the youngest officer promoted to Lieutenant Colonel during WWII, a rank at which he served with great distinction in the Korean War. As the Commander of the 3rd Battalion, of the newly formed Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), he led the Battalion through some of the toughest fighting of the Korean War. General Hassett is best remembered for his achievements in command of an under-strength battalion at Maryang San, regarded as perhaps the single greatest feat of arms by the Australian Army in the Korean War. He went on to be an innovative leader in Malaya, developing successful counter insurgency techniques that still inform Army tactics today. He served his nation with distinction, being mentioned in Dispatches for bravery twice and receiving an immediate Distinguished Service Order following the battle of Maryang San.

A significant, enduring legacy was his reorganisation of the Army from state based regional commands to commands based on the core functions of Training and Field Forces. As his many decorations and honours testify, General Hassett was recognised for his inspiring leadership, constant achievement and his relentless dedication to duty, in a sequence of tough and challenging appointments.

General Hassett served as Chief of the General Staff (now Chief of Army) and as Chief of Defence Force Staff. Shortly after his appointment to Chief of Defence Force Staff, General Hassett received a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1976. General Sir Francis Hassett retired in April 1977 and lived in Canberra. He was a fine man, warrior chief, and remarkable servant of the nation. Details of services and media arrangements will be advised separately.

BIOGRAPHY GENERAL SIR FRANCIS HASSETT AC, KBE, CB, DSO, LVO

Francis George Hassett was born in Sydney on April 11th 1918. After completing his education at Canterbury High School, he entered the Royal Military College Duntroon, graduating in 1938. His first posting was to the Darwin Mobile Force, where he commanded the Mortar Platoon. Ironically, due to the constraints of the Defence Act, the DMF was officially designated an artillery unit and he thus began his infantry career in the artillery.

The experience gained in this unusual Unit clearly prepared him well for the demands of war service. The outbreak of the war saw the then Captain Hassett posted as Adjutant to the 2/3rd Infantry Battalion. His career progressed rapidly, to Brigade Major of the 18th Brigade and, at 23 years of age, to Lieutenant Colonel and a senior staff job on the headquarters of the II Australian Corps. He finished the war as GSO I of the 3rd Australian Division on Bougainville. He was Mentioned in Despatches twice and wounded during the Libyan campaign while serving with the 2/3rd.

After the War, he was able to hone his professional education with a stint as Instructor at the Staff College before the Korean War saw him thrust once more into battle. After briefly commanding 1RAR in Australia, he took command of 3RAR, part of the 28th Commonwealth Brigade in Korea, on 6 July 1951 and led the Battalion through some of the toughest fighting of the War. This reached its peak in October-December 1951 in Operation Commando. In this operation, designed to strengthen the Allied position, the Commonwealth Division’s objective was a line of hills to its front – 3 RAR’s being Hill 317, perhaps better known as Maryang San. With careful and innovative planning and decisive leadership, 3 RAR achieved where several previous attempts by American forces had failed.

Following Korea, he spent several years in key instructional and administrative posts before returning, in 1960, to the 28th Commonwealth Brigade, now in Malaya, as its commander. The Brigade was a key part of the Far East Strategic Reserve. On leaving Malaya, he attended the Imperial Defence College in London then spent a period as DCGS and 1968 to 1970 as GOC Northern Command. However, in the words of the entry in the Oxford Companion to Australian Military History, his most important overall contributions to the Army were still to come.

In 1970-71, he headed the Army Reorganisation Planning Staff and was instrumental in a major overhaul of the Army’s internal structures. Having proposed the new structures, he was then appointed Vice-CGS and charged with implementing the changes. In 1973, he was appointed CGS of the revitalised Australian Army and in 1975 Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. After a diverse and demanding career, General Hassett retired in April 1977 and lives in Canberra. He has published a number of learned articles and papers on Defence topics.

Front Page Australia

Rising Sun collar badge uncovered in Fromelles

Photo: Australia DoD

Front Page Australia

THE HON. WARREN SNOWDON MP
Minister for Defence Science and Personnel

Saturday, 14 June 2008
073/2008

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF LIMITED EXCAVATION IN FROMELLES

Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP,
today confirmed work at the limited excavation of a World War One
burial site at Pheasant Wood, France came to a close Friday afternoon 13
June 2008 (Central European Time).

“The limited excavation phase of our investigation in Fromelles has
been completed on schedule and with all three of its objectives
achieved,” Minister Snowdon said.

The purpose of the excavation was to confirm the presence or otherwise
of human remains at the site, as well as to provide an assessment of
the number and condition of the remains.

“The Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) team
has confirmed there are significant numbers of human remains buried at
the site along with artifacts which signify their Australian and
British nationality.”

“Preliminary reports indicate the human remains are of a skeletal
nature and appear to be in good condition. The team has also estimated
the number of individuals buried at the site may be as high as several
hundred.”

A simple but moving ceremony was held in Fromelles on Friday morning to
acknowledge the significance of the ground, and provide the local
community with an opportunity to pay their respects to those who have lain
buried in their field for more than 90 years.

“I am pleased to report that the ceremony in Fromelles yesterday was
well received by local townspeople and provided a meaningful
opportunity for the GUARD team to reflect on the significance of their discovery.

“It is important that we recognise the professionalism of the survey
team and the support they have received from the British government,
the French authorities, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the
local community. And of course we must remember that it is likely that
none of this would have happened without the foresight and dedication of
Mr Lambis Englezos, the amateur historian and head of the Friends of
the 15th Brigade whose research lead to Army’s decision to
investigate.”

Once the research report is finalised, the future of the site and human
remains buried there will be carefully discussed and agreed upon by
the relevant authorities.

“I have spoken to the British Minister for Veterans, Derek Twigg, and
we have agreed that any decisions about the next steps in relation to
this discovery of this burial site at Fromelles should wait until we
receive the official Report from GUARD.

“Any discussions about future decisions will need to include not only
the British and French authorities but the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission.”


Media note: Details of local ceremony

A local ceremony was held on site at 11am Friday 13 June 2008 (Central
European Time).

The ceremony included prayers for peace from Reverend John Porter-
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and; Father Roger Duprez- a local
priest.

The ceremony also included a moving rendition of the Last Post by
bugler British Army Artillery Band Bugler, Lance Bombardier Danckert; and; a
reciting of ‘The Ode’ by United Kingdom Ministry of Defence-
Defence Services Secretary, Major General Matthew Sykes.

Senior Australian Army Representative on the Fromelles Evaluation
Group, Major General Mike O’Brien, remarked upon the significance of the
site and thanked the British and French Governments for their assistance
and collaboration, as well as the GUARD team for their dedication over
the three-week excavation.

Official wreaths were laid by the Australian Ambassador to France, His
Excellency Mr David Ritchie; the Mayor of Fromelles, Mr Hubert
Huchette; Senior Australian Army Representative on the Fromelles Evaluation
Group, Major General Mike O’Brien; United Kingdom Ministry of Defence-
Defence Services Secretary, Major General Matthew Sykes; Director-
France, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Mr David Symons, and; Head of
Australian Army History Unit, Mr Roger Lee.

Members of the public, including Fromelles residents and Australian
nationals, were also invited to lay wreaths.

Front Page Australia

THE HON. WARREN SNOWDON MP
Minister for Defence Science and Personnel
&
MR DAMIAN HALE MP
Federal Member for Solomon


Saturday, 14 June 2008
072/2008

CELEBRATE – OPENING OF THE NEW DARWIN SUBURB OF LYONS

The new suburb of Lyons, Darwin, was officially opened this week by the Member for Solomon, Damian Hale MP.

Representatives of the local Larrakia people performed a ‘welcome to country’ ceremony to commemorate the launch of the new suburb, which was followed by an open-air concert featuring local performance group ‘Jabiru’, local schools, and Jessica Mauboy.

“The opening of Lyons marks far more than a collection of Defence houses; with the neighbourhood centre and park spaces, it is a new Darwin community,” said Mr Hale.

Lyons will hold more than 700 new homes, with 300 of these homes being for Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families, while the remainder of the homes will be available to the public.

Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, said the development reflects the consultation between Defence Housing Australia (DHA), the Canberra Investment Corporation (CIC), the Larrakia people, members of the Darwin council and the general community.

“Darwin plays an extremely important role in the operations of Defence and the scale of the Lyons development reflects this,” said Mr Snowdon.

DHA Managing Director Michael Del Gigante said currently 33 houses have been completed and ADF families have moved in. A further 28 houses are under construction, and another 75 houses are to be constructed during 2008-09. It is expected that the suburb will be completed by 2010-11.

“This is a very exciting milestone for DHA in particular as we celebrate 20 years of operation. The suburb of Lyons and the comfortable living standards it offers is an excellent example of DHA’s achievements since then.”

Front Page Australia

Friday, 13 June 2008

DSD COMPLETES SECURITY EVALUATION OF SENETAS’ CYPHERNET®

The Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) has completed a rigorous security
evaluation of Senatas’ CypherNET® a high-speed; standards based
multi-protocol encryptor specifically designed to secure voice, data and
video information.

“DSD and Senetas have worked collaboratively throughout the entire
evaluation period to ensure that the CypherNet® family of products meet
the strict information security needs of government,” said the
Director of DSD, Mr Ian McKenzie.

“Government departments need assurance that there will be appropriate
levels of protection for their information that doesn’t impede their
day to day business.

“The Australasian Information Security Evaluation Program (AISEP)
provides that level of assurance,” Mr McKenzie said.

The successful conclusion of the evaluation was marked by a meeting
between Mr McKenzie, and Senetas’ Chief Executive Officer, Mr. John
DuBois.

“The exhaustive evaluation process of the CypherNet® family of
products involved many of Senetas’ team of 25 engineers over the past two
years and it is now the only Layer 2 encryption products on the
Australian Government’s Evaluated Products List,’ Mr DuBois said.

“CypherNet® is now sold in over 32 global markets and we trust that,
having been successfully evaluated for Australian Government use, that
departments and agencies will recognise Senetas for its world
leadership in high speed network encryption.”

About DSD

DSD is Australia's national authority for information security. One of
DSD’s principal functions is to provide Information Security
(InfoSec) products and services to the Australian Government and its Defence
Force.

Front Page Australia

THE HON. WARREN SNOWDON MP
Minister for Defence Science and Personnel

Friday, 13 June 2008 071/2008

CONFIRMED: BRITISH SOLDIERS BURIED BESIDE DIGGERS IN FROMELLES

The discovery of two British General Service buttons at the limited
excavation of a group burial site in Fromelles confirms that fallen
British First World War soldiers have lain beside their Australian comrades
for almost 92 years.

Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon Warren Snowdon,
said the discovery provides physical confirmation of the findings from
both the historical and non-invasive research carried out earlier in the
investigative process.

“We now have artifacts that show we have uncovered the remains of
both British and Australian soldiers in Fromelles, which makes this a very
significant site for both nations,” Minister Snowdon said.

The find follows the unearthing of two Australian Rising Sun collar
badges earlier this week, as well as several items of Commonwealth
equipment which were used by soldiers of both nationalities during the First
World War.

“The unearthing of two British General Service buttons is an
important find, similar to the discovery of Rising Sun badges for Australia,
and we join with the British Ministry of Defence in welcoming the
news.”

Once assessments and research is complete, the Australian Government
will be presented with a Report from the project contractor, Glasgow
University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD), and will need to
consider the next step in consultation with other authorities.

“This discovery highlights the need to continue our close working
relationship with the British and French Governments as well as the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and cements the need to reach a bilateral
decision regarding the future of the site.”

Skeletal human remains were first encountered at the site on the second
day of excavation, 27 May 2008, and have now been uncovered in all
five of the pits expected to contain human remains and an adjacent sixth
pit in which body parts have been found.

Researchers on site estimate numbers buried at the site may reach as
high as several hundred with a summary of numbers and condition of the
remains to be released following completion of the excavation.

The excavation is scheduled to conclude on Friday 13 June with a small,
local ceremony planned to mark the closing of this phase and the
significance of the find.

Front Page Australia

Tuesday, 10 June 2008

UPDATE TO WOUNDED SOLDIER CONDITION

The Australian soldier injured in a vehicle fire last week in
Afghanistan has returned to Australia for additional medical treatment.

The soldier was serving with the Reconstruction Task Force near Tarin
Kowt and was injured in an accident on Tuesday 3 June.

The soldier suffered the effects of smoke inhalation while attempting
to extinguish a fire in a Bushmaster vehicle.

The soldier has returned for additional specialist medical assessment
and treatment at the Army’s Holsworthy military hospital.

He remains in a satisfactory condition.

At the family’s request, Defence will not be releasing further
details about the soldier nor is he available for interview.

Information on the ADF’s commitment to Afghanistan can be found at

http://www.defence.gov.au/opslipper/default.htm

Front Page Australia

Tuesday, 10 June 2008

A LIFE OF VALUE AND ADVENTURE SHARED IN AIR FORCE AUTOBIOGRAPHY

The Chief of Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, today
launched an autobiography by the Royal Australian Air Force’s highest
ranking Medical Officer at the Australian War Memorial.

The autobiography of Air Vice-Marshal Eric Stephenson, AO, OBE titled
‘Three Passions and a Lucky Penny’ describes a life of adventure
throughout a service career that has spanned more than 66 years.

Eric joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 during World War II and trained
as a navigator. Narrowly escaping a fatal aircraft accident while in
training, he was posted to Bomber Command and took part in the deadly
night raids over Germany as part of a Lancaster crew. In December 1943,
Eric was forced to bail out of his stricken aircraft after it was
attacked by a German night-fighter over Berlin. After 18 months in captivity,
enduring privations and forced marches across eastern Germany, Eric
was finally liberated by the Russian Army as the war was coming to an
end.

Repatriated to England, he went on to study medicine and graduated as a
doctor. After working in hospitals and general practice in the United
Kingdom, Eric responded to an advertisement from Australia and joined
the Royal Australian Air Force as a Medical Officer in 1955, rising to
the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said Eric was considered virtually an
institution in the Royal Australian Air Force and was certainly one of its
most iconic figures.

“Over a number of months, the Office of Air Force History worked
closely with Eric to recount a lifetime of extraordinary experiences and
lessons which are of equal value to Air Force members today,” Air Chief
Marshal Houston said.

“A service that does not value its history does not value its people.
By ensuring that the incredibly rich story of Eric’s career is
preserved and available in published form, it is manifestly clear that the
Royal Australian Air Force does value its people, and its past,” he
said.

Eric’s autobiography shares stories of a life filled with adventure.
The book will be available through the Air Power Development Centre’s
online book sales at

http://www.raaf.gov.au/airpower/html/publications/publications.htm

or
through the Australian War Memorial Book Shop.

Front Page Australia

THE HON. WARREN SNOWDON MP
Minister for Defence Science and Personnel

Monday, 9 June 2008
068/2008

CONFIRMATION OF AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS BURIED AT FROMELLES

Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon,
today confirmed that an Australian Rising Sun collar badge had been
discovered during the limited excavation of a First World War burial site in
Fromelles, France.

“Our archaeology team in Fromelles has unearthed a Rising Sun badge
in Pit 4, which proves that the remains of Australian soldiers are
buried at this important site,” Minister Snowdon said.

“This is a momentous discovery and makes this field at Pheasant Wood
on the other side of the world, of national significance for all
Australians.”

The limited excavation was commissioned with three purposes: to confirm
the presence or otherwise of human remains at the site; to make an
assessment on the condition of human remains, and to estimate the number
of human remains.

“The team has already confirmed the presence of remains and will
continue to excavate the site to establish the condition and estimate the
number of human remains at the site,” Minister Snowdon said.

At this stage, the human remains uncovered are of skeletal nature and
are reported to be in good condition. There is very little surviving
fabric and many of the pieces of equipment had been removed prior to
burial.

“Any future excavation of the site or testing of the human remains
will require agreement from the British and French Governments as well as
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. We continue to liaise closely
with each of these authorities and thank them for their ongoing
support.”

“Once we receive the reports and assessments from the Glasgow
University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) who are conducting the
excavation, we will be better placed to discuss the next step in this
process.”

The limited excavation is scheduled to finish on Friday 13 June 2008
when the site will be returned to its original condition and the human
remains left in position. An executive summary of the Report from the
GUARD team is anticipated shortly afterwards with the full technical
archaeological report to follow in due course.

Front Page Australia

Front Page Australia

Photo: Australia DoD

Front Page

Two F-22 Raptors from the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, fly beside a KC-135 Stratotanker May 8, 2008, prior to refueling. The aircraft are part of the more than 120 participating in Northern Edge 2008, the largest military training exercise in Alaska. Aircrews train in counter-air, close-air-support and air-interdiction missions. An Alaska Air National Guard KC-135 from Eielson Air Force Base's 168th Air Refueling Wing, delivered the fuel during the mission.

U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Mikal Canfield

Front Page

June 14, 2008

Front Page

Homecoming

The space shuttle Discovery touched down at 11:15 a.m. EDT, Saturday, June 14, 2008, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the 13-day mission, Discovery and the crew of STS-124 delivered new components of Kibo, the Japanese Experiment Module, to the International Space Station and the Canadian-built Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator, also known as Dextre, to the International Space Station.

Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Front Page

NASA, Astronauts Celebrate Successful Mission



Five men and one woman who flew back to Earth after two weeks in space today looked over the outside of space shuttle Discovery as it sat on the shuttle's runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle landed on time at 11:15 a.m. EDT.

Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Ken Ham and Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum and Japan's Akihiko Hoshide surveyed the black heat shield on the belly of Discovery as ground crews serviced the spacecraft and NASA officials talked to them about the mission and landing.

"It was a really exciting mission and we're glad to be back here in Florida," Kelly said soon after Discovery landed.

Astronaut Garrett Reisman, who was returning after three months on the International Space Station, also joined the crew on the SLF. The congratulatory spirit was shared by NASA officials who hailed the flight.

"I can't think of a mission really that's been better than this one," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator of Space Operations. "We're starting to break that tie to planet Earth and get out and do what exploration is."

Discovery returned to its base in good shape, said Michael Leinbach, shuttle launch director.

"It's just a terrific day here at the Kennedy Space Center."

Front Page

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Discovery drops from the blue sky preparing to land on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. This 69th landing at Kennedy ended the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. On the ground before the runway are the Ball-Bar Light System, which provide a visual reference to provide inner glide slope information. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station.

Photo credit: NASA/Kevin O'Connell,Scott Haun

Front Page

KSC-08PD-1694 (06/14/2008) --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to end the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. This landing was the 69th at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station.

Photo credit: NASA/Mike Kerley

Front Page

KSC-08PD-1690 (06/14/2008) --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the 69th landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery comes to a stop on Runway15 with the aid of a drag chute to end the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station.

Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Front Page

Station in Full View
Backdropped by a blue and white part of Earth, the International Space Station is seen from space shuttle Discovery as the two spacecraft begin their relative separation.

Earlier the STS-124 and Expedition 17 crews concluded almost nine days of cooperative work on board the shuttle and station.

Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred at 7:42 a.m. EDT.

Photo: NASA

Front PageSpectacular View

STS-124 Mission Specialist Karen Nyberg looks through a window at the Earth below in the newly installed Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station.

Photo: NASA/JSC
June 10, 2008

Front Page

KSC-08PD-1697 (06/14/2008) --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the 69th landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a drag chute slows space shuttle Discovery's landing on Runway 15 to end the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station.

Photo credit: NASA/Chris Lynch

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June 14, 2008


RELEASE: 08-150

NASA'S SHUTTLE DISCOVERY GLIDES HOME AFTER SUCCESSFUL MISSION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its crew landed at
11:15 a.m. EDT Saturday, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
completing a 14-day journey of more than 5.7 million miles in space.

The STS-124 mission was the second of three flights to launch
components to the International Space Station to complete the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Discovery delivered
Kibo's tour bus-sized Japanese Pressurized Module, or JPM, which is
the station's largest module. The mission included three spacewalks
to install and outfit the JPM and activate its robotic arm system.
The lab's logistics module, which was delivered and installed in a
temporary location in March, was attached to its permanent position
on top of the JPM.

Mark Kelly commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Ken Ham,
Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Greg
Chamitoff, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko
Hoshide. Chamitoff remained aboard the space station, replacing
Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who returned to Earth
on Discovery after nearly three months on the station. Chamitoff will
return on shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission, targeted for launch
November 10.

STS-124 was the 123rd space shuttle flight, the 35th flight for
shuttle Discovery and the 26th flight of a shuttle to the station.

With Discovery and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the
launch of STS-125 on October 8. Atlantis' mission will return the
space shuttle to the Hubble Space Telescope for one last visit before
the shuttle fleet retires in 2010. Over 12 days and five spacewalks,
Atlantis' crew will make repairs and upgrades to the telescope,
preparing it for at least another five years of research.

For more about the STS-124 mission and the upcoming STS-125 mission,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

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It's Great to Be Back on Earth

STS-124 Commander Mark Kelly, right, talks with NASA Associate Administrator Chris Scolese and NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier underneath space shuttle Discovery shortly after landing.

Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
June, 14, 2008

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STS-124 and Expedition 17 Crew

The STS-124 crew members pause for a portrait.

From the left (front row) are NASA astronauts Karen Nyberg, Garrett Reisman, Mark Kelly, Greg Chamitoff and Ken Ham. From the left (back row) are Akihiko Hoshide, Ron Garan and Mike Fossum.

Reisman who joined the station's crew in March is being replaced by Chamitoff, who arrived at the station with the STS-124 crew.

Photo: NASA/JSC
June 9, 2008

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Third Spacewalk Completed

With the blackness of space and the Earth's horizon as a backdrop, astronaut Ron Garan completes the third spacewalk of the mission.

Photo credit: NASA/JSC
June 8, 2008

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Room for a Crew

The expansive interior of the Japanese Experiment Module, also known as Kibo is shown in this photo after its installation to the International Space Station.

Photo credit: NASA/JSC
June 7, 2008

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Lots to Do

On flight day 9, STS-124 astronauts Mike Fossum (right) and Ron Garan are busy with the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity.

During the six-hour, 33-minute spacewalk, Fossum and Garan exchanged a depleted Nitrogen Tank Assembly for a new one, removed thermal covers and launch locks from the Kibo laboratory, reinstalled a repaired television camera onto the space station's left P1 truss, and retrieved samples of a dust-like substance from the left Solar Alpha Rotary Joint for analysis by experts on the ground.

Photo credit: NASA/JSC
June 8, 2008

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Crew Cabin in View

A nadir view of space shuttle Discovery's crew cabin and the forward section of the payload bay. One of the Expedition 17 crew members snapped the photo with a digital still camera after Discovery undocked from the space station.

Photo credit: NASA/JSC
June 11, 2008

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Record Keeping a Must!

STS-124 Commander Mark Kelly makes an entry in the International Space Station ship's log in the Kibo laboratory. Also visible in the log is the STS-124 mission logo.

Photo credit: NASA/JSC
June 10, 2008

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First Spacewalk

On flight day 4 astronauts Ron Garan and Mike Fossum (out of frame) participate in the first spacewalk of the STS-124 mission as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station.

Photo credit: NASA/JSC
June 3, 2008

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Headed for Space

At this angle, the columns of fire below space shuttle Discovery's solid rocket boosters appear to jettison pink smoke as the shuttle hurtles into space on its STS-124 mission.

Photo credit: NASA/Jerry Cannon, George Roberts
May 31, 2008

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External Tank Falls Away

Backdropped by a blue and white part of Earth, the STS-124 external fuel tank begins its relative separation from the space shuttle Discovery.

An STS-124 crew member recorded the scene with a digital still camera.

Photo credit: NASA/JSC
May 31, 2008

Front Page

A Bouquet of Astronauts

The STS-124 crew members pose for a portrait in the the Kibo Japanese Pressurized Module of the International Space Station while space shuttle Discovery is docked with the station.

Pictured (clockwise) from the bottom are Karen Nyberg, Ken Ham, Mark Kelly, Akihiko Hoshide, Ron Garan and Mike Fossum.

Photo credit: NASA/JSC
June 9, 2008

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BAE SYSTEMS COMPLETES INTEGRATION OF FIRST NON-LINE-OF-SIGHT CANNON PROTOTYPE FOR THE U.S. ARMY

13 Jun 2008 | Ref. 183/2008

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota - BAE Systems has completed the integration of the first Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) Cannon prototype: the U.S. Army's first fully integrated Future Combat Systems (FCS) Manned Ground Vehicle.


NLOS Cannon, designed and built by BAE Systems, in partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems and the FCS Lead System Integrator team of Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation, is an integral part of the FCS Program and the lead vehicle in the family of eight FCS Manned Ground Vehicles.

"The Army and its industry partners have taken a monumental step in ensuring our soldiers continue to have an overwhelming battlefield advantage against our enemies," said Jim Unterseher, vice president of Army Programs at BAE Systems. "NLOS Cannon gives our troops the best opportunity to achieve their mission objectives more safely and precisely than ever before. This is an important occasion for soldiers, the U.S. Army and the development of future ground combat vehicles."

The NLOS Cannon which is being developed in partnership with the Lead Systems Integrator team of Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation will be the first of the eight Manned Ground Vehicle variants to be developed and fielded as part of the FCS program. BAE Systems is taking the NLOS Cannon prototype through a series of initial system checks before it goes on public display during events celebrating the U.S. Army's 233rd birthday this week. It will then begin soldier testing this fall.

"Integration of this first NLOS Cannon prototype marks a major step toward our goal of delivering to the Army an entire new family of networked vehicles with next-generation survivability and sustainability features," said Roger Besancenez, Boeing Integrated Product Team leader for FCS Manned Ground Vehicle.

The NLOS Cannon prototype boasts a series of combat vehicle "firsts" that demonstrate the distinct advantages the FCS Manned Ground Vehicle family will bring to American soldiers.

NLOS Cannon firsts include:

FCS Manned Ground Vehicle - Much of the advanced technology being developed for the NLOS Cannon is being incorporated into the design and development of other vehicles in the Manned Ground Vehicle family. Maximizing commonality between the vehicles reduces Army maintenance and logistics burdens.

Two-man howitzer vehicle crew - Today's howitzers require teams of five or more soldiers to operate effectively. NLOS Cannon requires only two soldiers to operate and provides them with the ability to conduct all vehicle operations from the comfort of a climate-controlled, user-friendly, digitized cockpit.

Fully automated ammunition handling system for a U.S. howitzer - The fully automated ammunition handling system holds 155-mm projectiles and Modular Artillery Charge System propelling charges. The automation eliminates the physical handling of ammunition that weighs more than 100 pounds and provides soldiers the ability to fire rounds at sustained rates with the push of a button.

Hybrid electric drive system - The NLOS Cannon is the first vehicle in the U.S. Army's fleet with sustainable hybrid technology. Soldiers will complete missions using a system that generates its own electricity, recharges its own batteries, uses less fuel and maintains a very low carbon footprint. The hybrid propulsion system provides more take-off power than today's combat vehicles.

U.S. combat vehicle to use band tracks - The NLOS Cannon chassis features highly durable, lightweight band tracks that provide a smoother ride over conventional steel tracks.

BAE Systems and industry partners will integrate four more NLOS Cannon prototypes. As part of the Army's Special Interest Production program, 18 NLOS Cannon vehicles will be produced by 2012 for use with the Army's Evaluation Task Force at Ft. Bliss, Texas. The NLOS Cannon vehicles are key test assets for the FCS Manned Ground Vehicle program. Lessons learned from the NLOS Cannon prototype testing will be used to enhance and finalize the design for the common components of the other seven Manned Ground Vehicle types as they begin testing and production in future years.


About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is the premier global defense and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 97,500 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £15.7 billion (US $31.4 billion) in 2007.

Front Page Canada

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency Buys Two Bombardier 415 Multipurpose Aircraft

Montréal, June 13, 2008


Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency becomes Asian launch customer for the Bombardier 415MP aircraft

Today, Bombardier Aerospace announced that the government of Malaysia has placed a firm order for two Bombardier 415 multipurpose amphibious aircraft (Bombardier 415MP) for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). With this order, the Malaysian government becomes the launch customer in Asia for the specialized Bombardier 415MP aircraft.

In addition, the contract includes aircraft integration and training.

A variant of the rugged Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft, the only aircraft specifically designed for aerial firefighting, the two Bombardier 415MP will be modified with maritime surveillance capabilities to meet the specialized needs of the MMEA. As such, the two Bombardier 415MP aircraft will be equipped with a state-of-the-art surveillance suite that includes two side-looking airborne radars, one forward-looking infrared radar, an airborne maritime surveillance system and other avionics and communications equipment.

“The aircraft’s ability to fly at low speed and low altitude with great manoeuvrability and to land on water also makes it an ideal aircraft for coastal patrol missions,” said Michel Bourgeois, President, Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft Division, Bombardier Aerospace.

“Our Bombardier 415MP aircraft also offers unique multi-mission capabilities for a wide range of missions as it combines the capabilities of a traditional surveillance aircraft with the added benefit of being able to execute direct interventions on water. It is a very capable and cost-effective aircraft, able to carry out a multitude of specialized missions that previously required dedicated vessels and aircraft,” added Mr. Bourgeois.

Since delivery of the first Bombardier 415 aircraft in 1994, Bombardier Aerospace has delivered 67 Bombardier 415 aircraft in Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Ontario, Québec and Spain, with 42 aircraft in operation in the Mediterranean region alone.

The multi-purpose Bombardier 415MP can be used in a variety of specialized missions such as search and rescue, environmental protection, coastal patrol and transportation. It is fitted with sophisticated sensors to locate and identify vessels, people in distress and pollutants.

About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2008, were $17.5 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com .

Bombardier, Bombardier 415, Bombardier 415MP and CL-215 are trademarks of Bombardier Inc., or its subsidiaries.

Front Page Canada

Northern Jet Takes Delivery of 100th Manufactured Bombardier Learjet 40 XR Aircraft

Wichita, June 12, 2008

Bombardier today announced the delivery into service of the 100th manufactured Learjet 40 XR light business jet to Northern Jet Management, an aircraft management and shared ownership company headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI. A special delivery ceremony was held on May 30 at Bombardier’s Learjet assembly facility in Wichita to highlight the program milestone.

The new Learjet 40 XR joins The Company Jet fleet, Northern Jet’s shared ownership program, which currently features three Learjet 40 XR and one Learjet 45 XR aircraft. The Company Jet’s fleet is based at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.

“The Learjet 40 XR jets are a great addition to The Company Jet fleet. This high-performance aircraft offers our fractional jet owners greater range and faster travel times, increases our client’s productivity and provide them with significant advantages over their competitors that still fly on commercial airlines”, said Charles R. (Chuck) Cox, president, Northern Jet Management. “We are thrilled that our valued strategic partner Bombardier Learjet delivered their milestone aircraft, the 100th Learjet 40 XR aircraft, to Northern Jet Management. ”

Northern Jets’ association with Learjet dates back to the early 1960’s, when Northern Air, its sister company, purchased a new Learjet aircraft.

“This milestone delivery for the Learjet program clearly highlights our customers’ confidence in Learjet aircraft. We are delighted that Northern Jet has selected the high-performance Learjet 40 XR aircraft to contribute to the ongoing growth of their shared ownership program,” said Ed Thomas, regional vice-president, Learjet Sales, United States, Bombardier Business Aircraft.

Since acquiring Learjet in 1990, Bombardier has carried forward the brand’s proud legacy by launching eight high-performance and fuel-efficient Learjet aircraft.

Learjet 40 XR

The six-to-seven passenger Learjet 40 XR aircraft features the widest and most spacious cabin in its class and a full aft lavatory. This premium light jet delivers impressive time-to-climb performance under all conditions – particularly in hot and high operating environments – requiring only 23 minutes to reach 43,000 feet (13,106 m)**. The Learjet 40 XR jet can connect Detroit-Phoenix non-stop**.

About Northern Air

For over 60 years, Northern Jet and Northern Air, have brought service excellence to passengers, pilots and operators, through aircraft management, sales, operation and maintenance, service and customer services. The Company Jet was established in 2002 to offer shared jet ownership to business customers.

About Bombardier

A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2008, were $17.5 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com.

Bombardier, Learjet, Learjet 45 XR and Learjet 40 XR are either registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

Front Page Canada

Bora Jet Signs for Global Express XRS Jet

Istanbul, Turkey, June 12, 2008

Bombardier Aerospace today announced that Bora Jet Exclusive Charter A.S. has placed an order for an ultra-long range Global Express XRS jet.

“Our Global Express XRS jet will be the very first to be based in Turkey, and will join our existing charter service fleet,” said Faruk Bayindir, managing director, Bora Jet. “This prestigious aircraft will enhance the services we provide our customers.”

Based in Istanbul, Turkey, Bora Jet – a sister company of Orphan Air A.S. – will operate a multi-aircraft fleet, which will also include a Challenger 605 aircraft ordered in February 2008. A new company established to meet the growing V.I.P. travel needs in Turkey, Bora Jet offers aircraft charter services to various destinations throughout the region.

“We are delighted that Bora Jet has selected Bombardier aircraft to serve as the foundation of their business,” said Khader Mattar, regional vice-president, sales, Middle-East and Africa, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “Bora Jet is commited to offering its customers the ultimate in comfort, luxury and technology, and that is reflected in their decision to add the Global Express XRS jet to their fleet.”

Global Express XRS: The pioneering Global Express XRS business jet features the largest cabin of any purpose-built corporate aircraft in service today – offering more cabin volume and more floor space than its closest competitor. Built from a proven and reliable platform, no other business jet in the ultra long-range segment matches the high-speed range capability delivered by this aircraft. Offering the ultimate in cabin comfort, this impressive jet can link Istanbul-Rio de Janeiro non-stop with eight passengers and three-to-four crew**.

About Bombardier

A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2008, were $17.5 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com .

Bombardier, Challenger 605 and Global Express XRS are either registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

Editor’s note
* Pricing subject to change and based on standard configuration.
**Under certain conditions.

Front Page

June 13, 2008

Front Page

The Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Va., is the first Air Guard unit to fly the F-22 Raptor, like this F-22 seen here refueling behind a KC-10 Extender on April 17 while at 26,000 feet above Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.

U.S. Air Force Photo/Airman 1st Class Jonathan Snyder

Front Page

192nd first Air Guard unit to fly F-22 for Operation Noble Eagle



by David Hopper
Air Combat Command Public Affairs

6/13/2008 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing here is the first Air Guard unit to fly the F-22 Raptor in support of Operation Noble Eagle.

Operation Noble Eagle was established by President George W. Bush to protect the American homeland following the terrorist attacks in September 2001.

Aircrews from the wing's 149th Fighter Squadron fly the Raptor.

"The mission for the protection of the homeland has not changed for us since the inception of Operation Noble Eagle," said Lt. Col. James Cox, 149th FS commander. The capability of the 149th to carry out the mission has been greatly increased because of the abilities of the F-22.

The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions providing a diverse aerial combat capability for operational concepts. One concept the F-22 has become involved with here is Total Force Integration. An example of TFI is the combination of two force components -- active duty and Air Guard in this case -- sharing the responsibility of one mission -- Operation Noble Eagle.

Under the TFI construct, the active duty 1st FW and the 192nd FW provide combat forces in a more cost-effective manner to support the defense of the nation, said Lt. Col. David Nardi, 149th Fighter Squadron operations officer. This is the first time the Air Guard has operated with a front-line fighter soon after it reached full operational capability.

The 1st FW and 192nd FW combined in October 2007 under TFI. That move made the 192nd the first Air Guard unit to operate the F-22.

"The integration of the two wings provides the combat capabilities we need to execute the Operation Noble Eagle mission," said Colonel Nardi. The TFI construct adds a tremendous amount of ability from all critical areas required in protecting the nation and fulfilling the Air Force mission around the world.

The F-22 flew its first active-duty flight in support of Operation Noble Eagle in January 2007. The 1st FW's 27th FS was the first unit to conduct an operational flight with live ordnance loaded in the Raptor.

"We do the same thing for Operation Noble Eagle as we would do in theater, in support of the troops," said Colonel Cox. "The F-22 has performed brilliantly and we have seen our best response times to date."

Front Page

An RC-26 aircraft provided live footage about washed out roads, damage to infrastructure and other information that Indiana may have lacked June 11 for the Indiana National Guard. The aircraft and aircrew were from the 130th Airlift Wing out of Charleston, W.V.

US Army photo/Staff Sgt. Marvin Cornell

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Air Guard plane provides documentation of flood damage



by Army Spc. Cassandra Groce
Kentucky National Guard

6/13/2008 - INDIANAPOLIS (AFPN) -- The Indiana National Guard here has received live footage of flood damage throughout the state from an advanced Air National Guard counterdrug aircraft to assist with missions and help local governments plan to repair the damage.

"It can show officials where roads are washed out and what damage there is to infrastructure," Maj. Mark Jeffries, the missions systems officer for the 130th Airlift Wing based in Charleston, W.V.

Major Jeffries is part of the unit's RC-26 aircrew, which is one of 11 surveillance planes operated by the Air National Guard. While originally designated for counterdrug work, it has since been used for other domestic duties such as support for natural disasters.

The RC-26's advanced visual capabilities are superior to typical footage captured with cameras.

"The RC-26B is equipped with an infrared camera which can pick up any leakage from a power plant, for example," Major Jeffries said. "We can also get nice prints from the still cameras."

Still photos of damage can be helpful during planning stages, allowing users to write on photos if necessary and also show the damage from a bird's-eye view with a wider angle. Video footage is shot at a different angle. The RC-26 can also stay in the air at least twice as long as a helicopter.

This response is not just a one-time, one-state focused effort, said Lt. Col. Mike Shiels, the branch chief for Counterdrug Aviation at the National Guard Bureau.

"It is part of an overall national response framework that the NGB has spent countless man hours developing with all 54 states and territories," he said. "It is by no means perfect, and we have numerous improvements to be made. We learn more and get better at it each time we employ this capability."

An RC-26 from the 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian, Miss., arrived in Wisconsin on June 11 to fly over dozens of affected areas in the state and provide live, broadcast-quality video of problem areas.

The capability, which allows engineers on the ground to begin the planning process for reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, was employed after Hurricane Katrina, tested during last year's California wildfires, and is operational for the first time in these flooded states.

The Mississippi aircraft was made available as a substitute for Wisconsin's own RC-26 from the 115th Fighter Wing in Madison, Wis., which is currently deployed to support the war on terrorism.

Front Page

Maj. Mark Jeffries packs up after a flood damage assessment flight in Indiana June 11 on board an RC-26. Major Jeffries was one of several pilots to fly over Indiana in the RC-26 providing live footage of the area for the Indiana National Guard. Major Jeffries is a mission systems officer in the 130th Airlift Wing in Charleston, W.V.

US Army photo/Spc. Cassandra Groce

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Master Sgt. Meril Monteagudo gives Staff Sgt. Christina Styer information on the Airman Readiness Center's family support services during the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator's Info Fair and 10K Run event titled "Do Something Unreasonable" April 19 at the Blatchford-Preston Complex Fitness Center at a Southwest Asian air base. Sergeant Monteagudo is the Airman Readiness Center superintendent.

Courtesy photo

Front Page ~ Through the Eyes of an Airman ™

Deployed fathers find ways to keep in touch with families




by Senior Airman Carolyn Viss
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

6/13/2008 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- This Father's Day, many deployed servicemembers have mixed feelings about being away from their children and having their "area of responsibility" shift from the home front to the war front.

But many fathers in the AOR feel their commitment to their families is also a big part of their identity as Airmen.

"I am an Airman to provide security for my family and my country," said Chief Master Sgt. Eric Welsh, who served as the acting 379th Air Expeditionary Wing command chief for May. "The two are inextricably tied together. I love my country and family, and I talk about my duty to my chosen profession with them."

Part of that commitment is keeping in touch with children at home and including them in your deployment, he said. This can be challenging at times, but it is still feasible here.

"I like e-mail and morale calls," the chief said. "I build a set time to call and they are always available or try to be. It helps to have a routine. My son also e-mails me questions he has on homework and school stuff and that keeps me in the loop and connected. I will give advice and e-mail back."

Most first sergeants have calling cards that are available for Airmen in their units to use to keep in touch with loved ones, Chief Welsh said.

Additionally, the Airman and Family Readiness Centers offer families many options to keep in touch. From letter packets, which include stationary, envelopes and stickers; to phones, computers, Web cams and fax machines; to seminars on "Staying connected" and "New dads," the ARC staff is ready to help in any way possible.

"Celebrating fathers in the AOR should (happen) not only on Father's Day but also every day, and you can do that by staying connected with your family," said Master Sgt. Bob Monteagudo, the ARC superintendent.

Your family still needs dad to call home, when he can, from the latest deployed site, to help out with math problems or discuss issues of adolescent life with, Chief Welsh said. The biggest challenge for Air Force fathers is being a good father on the move and communicating efficiently with home.

Tech. Sgt. Miguel Cruz, a 379th AEW paralegal, whose sons are ages 7 and 6, cross-trained from security forces to his current Air Force specialty code because when he and his wife, Rosie, wanted to start a family, he didn't want to be away from home as much as he knew he would be as a defender.

"This is the first time I've been deployed since my kids were born," Sergeant Cruz said. "When I told them I had to deploy, my son asked, 'Are you and your legal forces going to help Soldiers fight?' They know this is my job, and they have a lot of love for America, even at their young ages."

He said he is keeping the tradition of bedtime reading alive by reading to them on DVD, and is getting ready to send them a care package -- something to "distract" them from missing him so much.

"You can't lose sight of why you're doing what you're doing," the Airman of 15 years said.

Chief Welsh said it can be a difficult balance at times.

"I have to maintain a life balance to operate at peak performance for my mission. I have to be aware of what a good balance is for me between my God (spirituality), country and Air Force, and my family," the father of two teens said. "(Airmen) are engaged in the biggest battle we've ever been in, and it's difficult not to get so wrapped up in the business of executing an air campaign that we neglect our children's needs."

Being a good father helps set the foundation for children to rise up into adults, Chief Welsh said. "Integrity, service before self, and excellence are principles I learned from my mother and father. I can't think of a better role model (for children) than Airmen in the service of our country."

Front Page

Chief Master Sgt. Eric Welsh properly clears the barrel of his M-9 handgun June 12 at a Southwest Asian air base. Staff Sgt. Torrey Kilpatrick observes and double-checks the barrel as a safety precaution. Both are assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron.

U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Domonique Simmons

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Capt. Todd Hale shows an authentic former Soviet Union flag displayed in the 18th Aggressor Squadron June 9 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The flag lends to the ambience pilots created to place themselves in the "enemy" mindset for Red Flag-Alaska 08-3. The 18th AGRS chose the pretense of the Soviet Union to emulate since they represented a past threat. Captain Hale is a pilot with the 18th AGRS who obtained the flag during the two years he spent in Russia as a missionary.

U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Nora Anton

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Soviet kitsch gets 'Aggressors' into bad-guy role



by Airman 1st Class Nora Anton
354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

6/13/2008 - EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) -- The walls are decorated with old Soviet Union propaganda, urging admirers of the art to note a "Glory to the Soviet People -- The Creator of Powerful Aviation", and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics flags with the infamous hammer and sickle graphic are spread throughout the building.

However, these walls covered in Soviet decor belong to a group of American Airmen replicating the threat posed by the former USSR. The "Aggressors" accomplish this by using aircraft painted in old Soviet-style blue, black and forest flanker themes, Soviet-style air tactics.

The 18th Agressor Squadron chose the pretense of the Soviet Union because they represented a serious historical threat to us, although they are no longer (a threat) because the Cold War is over, said Capt. Todd Hale, an 18th AGRS pilot.

However, Russia is currently the largest exporter of military equipment and military technology, so those countries who buy that equipment end up fighting war with the same doctrines and instruction.

"We do learn as much as we possibly can about Russian technology and how they do their job," Captain Hale. said. "This is beneficial to our training because of the way the enemy fights war typically ends up being similar to the way the Russians do it."

The Aggressor's job is to know, teach and replicate the threat better than any other squadron.

"My level of knowledge about enemy threat systems has increased exponentially," said Capt. Jenner Torrence, another pilot with the 18th AGRS. "It's a change in tactical mindset; you have to train like you're going to fight and the Aggressors provide that training."

"It is vitally important to replicate the enemy threat with more than just painting our jets with old Soviet flanker themes," Captain Hale said. "We do our best to replicate every aspect of the exercise, including missiles, information operations and ground operations."

He said the Blue Foxes completely immerse themselves in a Soviet-way of thinking and have even been known to play the Russian national anthem from time to time.

They have even translated their motto, "Have at You!" into Russian: ??? ? ????! (pronounced dai u tebya). The saying is taken from the movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which the pilots loosely interpret as: "Somebody is going to attack you."

"We even fly the way they fly," the captain said. "The 'Red Aircraft' (enemy), or the Blue Foxes, are controlled by ground controllers, whereas the 'Blue Aircraft' (friendly) fly somewhat autonomously -- the way the Western world tends to fly."

Captain Hale also speaks fluent Russian, which he learned while he spent two years in Russia as a missionary. While he was there he acquired an authentic antique USSR flag, which has the hammer and sickle graphic surrounded by "Working Class of All Nations Unite" embroidered in the fourteen different languages of the USSR. He said this is the most authentic relic in the squadron.

The 18th AGRS prepares combat air forces, joint and allied, for tomorrow's victories through challenging, realistic threat replication, training, test support, academics and feedback.

Front Page

June 12, 2008


CONTRACT RELEASE: C08-037

NASA AWARDS CONSTELLATION PROGRAM TECHNICAL SUPPORT CONTRACT

WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. in
Houston a contract for technical support services for the Constellation
Program, which is developing new spacecraft to travel beyond low
Earth orbit. The Constellation fleet includes the Orion crew vehicle,
the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles, and the Altair human lunar
lander. The five-year contract has a base two-year value of $17.6
million, with a total potential value of $49.5 million if three
one-year extension options are exercised.

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. will provide the resources to conduct tasks
in support of the Constellation Program systems engineering and
integration, and test and evaluation. Tasks include the definition,
analysis, assessment, engineering study and documentation of
operations concepts, technical and programmatic requirements and
processes, and system implementations in support of NASA-led
activities.

The two-year base period of the indefinite-delivery,
indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract and firm-fixed
price contract begins Aug. 1. Phase-in of the contract begins July 1.

Work for the contract will be performed at NASA's Johnson Space Center
in Houston. Subcontractors include Orbital Sciences Corp. in
Greenbelt, Md., and ARES Corporation in Houston.

For more information about the contract, visit:

http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/CTSC

For information about NASA's Constellation program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/constellation

Front Page

June 13, 2008



RELEASE: 08-149

NASA TESTS LUNAR ROBOTS AND SPACESUITS ON EARTHLY MOONSCAPE

WASHINGTON -- Conditions on the moon will be harsher, but prototype
NASA robotic vehicles braved sand storms and unprecedented
temperature swings this month on sand dunes near Moses Lake, Wash.,
to prepare for future lunar expeditions. Teams from seven NASA
centers and several universities conducted the tests from June 2-13.

"The goal was to gain hands-on experience with specific technical
challenges anticipated when humans return to the moon by 2020, begin
to explore the lunar surface, and set up outposts," said Test
Director Bill Bluethmann of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA's Human Robotic Systems Project, part of the agency's Exploration
Technology Development Program, focused on human and robotic mobility
systems for the moon, but also looked at communication and command
and control systems that will connect the explorers with Earth and
each other. The Moses Lake dunes provided a wide variety of soil
consistencies and terrain that allowed the team to put prototype
scout robots, rovers, cargo carriers, cranes and spacesuits through
tests in a harsh and changing environment.

The prototype tests will be used to inform developers of specific
requirements needed in lunar surface support systems for the
Constellation Program. The program is building the launch vehicles
and spacecraft that will take a new generation of explorers to the
moon, as well as lunar landers, habitats, life support systems,
vehicles and robots to support them. A ground control team located
thousands of miles away at Johnson operated the robots and
coordinated the movements of the suited explorers.

NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., tested two K10
rovers that surveyed simulated lunar landing sites and built
topographic and panoramic 3-D terrain models. One rover used a
ground-penetrating radar to assess subsurface structures. The other
used a 3-D scanning laser system known as LIDAR to create topographic
maps. The scout robots are designed to perform highly repetitive and
long-duration tasks, such as site mapping and science reconnaissance.

"It's as close as we can get in a terrestrial environment to the lunar
environment," said Brian Wilcox, principle investigator for the
All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer robot, known as
ATHLETE, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

JPL tested two ATHLETE cargo-moving rovers. Each rover has six legs
capable of rolling or walking over extremely rough or steep terrain.
This will allow robotic or human missions on the surface of the moon
to load, manipulate, deposit and transport payloads to desired sites.
The team includes members from Johnson, Ames, Stanford University and
The Boeing Co. of Chicago.

NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, and Carnegie Mellon
University of Pittsburgh tested an autonomous drilling rover that
could be used to search for valuable resources under the lunar
surface in the moon's polar regions. The team also includes members
from Ames, Johnson, NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Canadian Space
Agency and the Centre for Advanced Technology Inc. in Sudbury,
Ontario.

Engineers from Johnson tested a crew mobility chassis prototype, or
lunar truck, and advanced spacesuit designs that could be used to
greatly expand the exploration range of human explorers. NASA's new
concept for a lunar truck was built in less than a year with unique
features that allow each of its six wheels to move independently,
giving the vehicle the ability to drive in any direction. Human
drivers stood in turrets on the trucks that can pivot 360 degrees,
contributing to easy steering.

To practice soil-moving techniques for the moon, Kennedy developed a
bulldozing blade for the lunar truck, named the Lunar Attachment Node
for Construction Excavation, or LANCE. A lightweight, composite
technology such as LANCE will be used on the moon to clear landing
pads and protect outposts from dust and debris generated by arriving
spacecraft. The tests will help NASA evaluate the feasibility of
excavating lunar soil, or regolith, for landing pads, blast
protection berms, pathways, foundations and lunar operations areas.

NASA's Langley Research Center of Hampton, Va., demonstrated a lunar
surface crane that could be used to lift and reposition heavy cargo,
including modules used for crew quarters. The Lunar Surface
Manipulator System is a lightweight lifting and precision positioning
device that could give astronauts a helping hand during early outpost
construction and follow-on operations. The crane can be operated
autonomously, remotely or manually in backup mode, and can be
reconfigured to perform different tasks. NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center of Greenbelt, Md., provided lunar payload mockups that were
used with the lunar crane to demonstrate payload handling operations.


Participants in the June tests will evaluate their data and prepare
for additional tests in October at another site, yet to be announced,
with moon-like conditions.

For an image gallery and video from the tests, as well as more
information about the work NASA is doing to return to the moon,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration

Front Page

NTSB PRESS RELEASE

National Transportation Safety Board

Washington , DC 20594



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 13, 2008

SB-08-28

NTSB CHAIRMAN LAUDS FAA FOR QUICK ACTION ON ECLIPSE 500


Washington , DC – National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark
V. Rosenker today applauded the Federal Aviation Administration for its
fast response to the urgent recommendations issued yesterday by the
Safety Board on the serious airworthiness issue involving the Eclipse 500.

Last night, the FAA issued an airworthiness directive addressing dual
engine control failures on the Eclipse 500. The directive informs pilots of
the incident where a pilot lost left and right engine control while landing
an Eclipse 500. It also provides pilots with operational procedures to
recover the control of their engines in the event of a similar incident.

The AD, which is being sent to all owners and operators of Eclipse
Aviation Corporation Model EA500 airplanes, also calls for a test
procedure of the throttle quadrant to be conducted before their next flight.
And, the pilots are required to report the test results to the FAA.

“The quick FAA response to the urgent recommendations we issued could
save lives,” Rosenker said. “Additionally, the NTSB is looking forward
to reviewing the results of the FAA-required inspections of these aircraft.”

Next week, the FAA and Eclipse will be conducting further evaluations
and tests on the throttle quadrant from the incident aircraft.

Front Page

June 13, 2008



RELEASE: 08-148

NASA A TEAM RECIPIENT OF CELEBRATED COLLIER TROPHY

WASHINGTON -- NASA is part of a team that received one of the most
prestigious awards in aviation on June 12.

Judges for the Robert J. Collier Trophy, awarded by the National
Aeronautic Association, chose the Automatic Dependent
Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS-B, team of public and private groups
to receive the 2007 honor.

Instead of relying on radar, ADS-B uses Global Positioning System
satellite information to give pilots and controllers highly accurate
traffic data, as well as displays that update in real time. The
system also will give pilots access to weather services, terrain maps
and flight information services. Government and industry leaders have
worked for more than a decade to develop and implement this
technology for the next generation of air traffic management.

According to the selection committee, "ADS-B is a ground-breaking
effort for next-generation airborne surveillance and cockpit
avionics. Its implementation will have a broad impact on the safety,
capacity and efficiency of the national airspace system."

Researchers at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and
NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., were part of the
extensive team that developed and tested ADS-B.

"NASA is proud to have been a part of ADS-B research and development,"
said Karlin Roth Toner, Airspace Systems Program director for the
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA's Headquarters in
Washington. "This is the kind of research NASA specializes in and
that will help transform the air traffic control system to satisfy
future traffic demands."

Established in 1911, the Collier Trophy is awarded for "the greatest
achievements in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect
to improving the performance, efficiency and safety of air or space
vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by
actual use during the preceding year."

The trophy has been given to many of America's greatest aerospace
pioneers, including Orville Wright and Neil Armstrong.

This is the 21st time research and development projects that included
NASA or its predecessor agency, the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics, have received a Collier Trophy.

For more information about NASA's Aeronautics research, visit:

http://aeronautics.nasa.gov

Front Page

June 9, 2008

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691


FBI Response to the OIG Review of the FBI's Security Check Procedures for Immigration Applications and Petitions

The following is the response from FBI Assistant Director John Miller to today's OIG report:

“The Inspector General of the Department of Justice has today issued a report titled, The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Security Check Procedures for Immigration Applications and Petitions. We appreciate the Inspector General’s (IG) findings regarding the successful operation of the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) and the great strides made in reducing the National Name Check Program (NNCP) backlog. Included in the IG’s findings are:

The NNCP received more than 4 million name check requests in Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 alone, and processes ‘about 86 percent of name check requests within 60 days.'
While processing approximately 77,000 total name check requests per week, the FBI completed nearly 97 percent of all name checks submitted in the last five years.
The majority of name checks processed—nearly 90 percent—were completed within 120 days, well within the USCIS requirement of completion within 180 days.
By March 2008, the NNCP’s employees working on name check requests had increased to 371, a nearly 30 percent increase since November 2007. This number of employees is expected to increase to 597 by the end of FY 2008.
The FBI has reduced the backlog of name check requests by completing more name checks than it received in FYs 2004, 2005, and 2007.
In FY 2007, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requested 3.2 million fingerprint identifications from IAFIS, most of which were processed by the FBI within 24 hours.
“While the IG’s report cites a backlog, this stems from an agreement between the FBI and USCIS, then the Immigration and Naturalization Service, to ‘re-run’ 2.7 million names through a more in-depth name check process following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. This unexpected deluge of immigration-related name checks overwhelmed existing resources. As a result, the NNCP was not able to address the increasing demand. Corrective actions implemented over several years have improved the NNCP’s operations, resulting in record numbers of completed name checks and a reduced backlog.

The FBI concurs with the IG’s 21 recommendations, 15 of which were underway before the report was published. We appreciate the IG’s efforts to enhance the FBI’s security check procedures, and we stand committed to further increasing the progress we have made in minimizing the name check backlog and improving the NNCP and IAFIS. We will continue to work with the Department of Justice to improve these programs in furtherance of national security and public safety.”

# # #

Front Page

Health Care "Report Card" Gives VA High Marks

Peake: Demonstrates VA's Openness and Accountability

WASHINGTON (June 13, 2008) - A new "hospital report card" by the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives the Department's health care
system high marks, with VA facilities often outscoring private-sector
health plans in standards commonly accepted by the health care
industry.

"This report is a comprehensive snapshot of the quality of care VA
provides to our veterans," said Dr. James B. Peake, Secretary of
Veterans Affairs. "From waiting times and staffing levels to hospital
accreditation and patient satisfaction, this report demonstrates VA is
providing high quality care to the veterans we serve."

Among the report's findings:

* 98 percent of veterans were seen within 30 days at primary care
facilities, 97 percent at specialty clinics. (Veterans requiring
emergency care are seen immediately.)

* All of VA's 153 medical centers are accredited by the
independent Joint Commission which accredits all U.S. health care
facilities.

* The quality scores for older veterans are similar to those for
younger veterans.

Although screening for breast and cervical cancer for women in VA
facilities exceeds screening in private-sector facilities, women
veterans lag behind their male counterparts in some quality
measurements, the report noted.

VA has already launched an aggressive program to ensure women veterans
receive the highest quality of care, including placement of women
advocates in every outpatient clinic and medical center. Health care
will be a major topic at VA's National Summit on Women Veterans Issues
scheduled for June 20-22 in Washington.

The report also found minority veterans are generally less satisfied
with inpatient and outpatient care than white veterans. That disparity
will be the focus of an in-depth study, based upon input from veterans,
which will be completed this summer.

"Disparities in treatment and satisfaction based on gender or ethnic
background are unacceptable," Peake said. "VA has a robust program to
look at disparities and to deal with the underlying causes."

The report card is available on the Internet at
http://www.va.gov/health/docs/Hospital_Quality_Report.pdf. In
February,
Congress directed VA to complete the report card, highlighting
measurements of quality, safety, timeliness, efficiency and
"patient-centeredness."

"This report demonstrates VA's determination to be open and accountable
for the quality and safety of the care we provide," Peake said. "No
other health care organization provides this much information about its
ability to care for its patients."

Front Page

VA Reaching Out to Vets with Mortgage Problems

June 12, 2008

Peake: VA Has a “Solid Record of Success” in Helping

WASHINGTON – Many home owners have found it difficult recently to pay their mortgages, but quick intervention by loan counselors at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has actually reduced the number of veterans defaulting on their home loans.

“VA is reaching out to veterans -- both those who use our home-loan guaranty program and those who don’t take advantage of our guaranties -- to keep people in their homes,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “I’m proud of our solid record of success in helping veterans and active-duty personnel deal with financial crises.”

Accounting for much of this success are VA counselors at nine regional loan centers who assist people with VA-guarantied loans avoid foreclosure through counseling and special financing arrangements. The counselors also can assist other veterans with financial problems. VA counselors have helped about 74,000 veterans, active-duty members and survivors keep their homes since 2000, a savings to the government of nearly $1.5 billion.

Depending on a veteran’s circumstances, VA can intercede with the borrower on the veteran’s behalf to pursue options -- such as repayment plans, forbearance, and loan modifications -- that would allow a veteran to keep a home.

To obtain help from a VA financial counselor, veterans can call VA toll-free at 1-877-827-3702. Information about VA’s home loan guaranty program can be obtained at www.homeloans.va.gov.

Since 1944, when home-loan guaranties were offered with the original GI Bill, VA has guarantied more than 18 million home loans worth $911 billion. Last year, about 135,000 veterans, active-duty service members and survivors received loans valued at nearly $24 billion.

About 2.3 million home loans still in effect were purchased through VA’s home-loan guaranty program, which makes home loans more affordable for veterans, active-duty members and some surviving spouses by protecting lenders from loss if the borrower fails to repay the loan. More than 90 percent of VA-backed home loans were given without a downpayment.

April data shows that foreclosures are down more than 50 percent from the same months in 2003. VA attributes this to prudent credit underwriting standards, its robust supplemental loan servicing program and VA financial loan counselors.

# # #

Front Page

Indianapolis Set to Host National Veterans Golden Age Games

June 11, 2008

22nd Year of VA-Sponsored Sporting Competition

WASHINGTON – An estimated 600 “golden age” veterans from across the country will travel to Indianapolis to compete in the largest sports and recreational competition for senior veterans in the world August 20-24.

"Staying active and healthy through sports and fitness is important to all our nation’s veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "We are proud to offer the Golden Age Games as a premier sporting event for our senior veterans.”

Golden Age Games competitions are open to all U.S. military veterans age 55 or older who receive care at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility. The games give participants the opportunity to compete in ambulatory, visually-impaired and wheelchair divisions, according to their ages. Events include swimming, bicycling, bowling, croquet, air rifle, golf, shuffleboard, horseshoes, discus and shot put.

The 22nd National Veterans Golden Age Games are co-sponsored by VA, Help Hospitalized Veterans (HHV) and the Veterans Canteen Service (VCS). This year’s event is hosted by the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis.

The National Veterans Golden Age Games is the only national multi-event sports and recreational seniors’ competition program for older veterans. It is designed to improve the quality of life for all older veterans, including those with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. For a number of events, the games will serve as a qualifying competition for participating in the 2009 National Senior Games in San Francisco. The National Senior Games is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

“After HHV’s initial co-sponsorship of the games in 2007, we are extremely pleased to announce our continued support of this therapeutic program,” said Mike Lynch, Executive Director of HHV. “The games touch numerous lives, and we could not pass up the chance to be a part of this great event again.”

“An active lifestyle is vital to everyone’s health and well being, and is even more important as we enter our senior years,” said Marilyn Iverson, Director of the Veterans Canteen Service. “It is a great way to stay healthy and prevent illness.”

The majority of the Golden Age Games events, including opening and closing ceremonies, will be held at the Indiana Convention Center. The opening ceremony will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20. The competition begins with golf on Thursday, August 21, at 8:00 a.m., at Coffin Golf Course. Closing ceremonies will be at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 24, at the convention center.

For more information on the Golden Age Games, look online at www.veteransgoldenagegames.va.gov, or call Jenny Tankersley Ballou, National Veterans Golden Age Games Public Affairs Coordinator, at (757) 728-3450 or (757) 254-6058.

# # #

Front Page

VA Secretary, Elected Officials and Universities Discuss Veterans Health Care in Omaha

June 9, 2008


WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake, Sen. Ben Nelson, Rep. Lee Terry, Mayor Mike Fahey, leaders from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Creighton Medical Center and key Omaha business partners met on Monday to discuss the future of veterans care at the Omaha VA Medical Center.

“VA’s outstanding relationships with the elected officials of Nebraska and the universities here in Omaha have resulted in productive discussions on how best to meet the needs of Nebraska’s veterans now and in the future,” said Secretary Peake.

Among the issues discussed at the meeting were the facility’s infrastructure needs and space requirements. According to Senator Nelson, "The Omaha VA has some of the best medical professionals in the country. It's important that we provide them with the most advanced technology, tools and facilities so they can keep America's commitment of quality health care for veterans."

“I welcome Secretary Peake to Omaha and I look forward to continuing our discussions on how best to support Nebraska and Western Iowa veterans,” said Representative Terry. UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., added, "UNMC is fully committed to assisting the VA in providing world-class health care to veterans in Nebraska and the region. We stand ready to help in any way deemed appropriate."

"Creighton University's collaboration with the Omaha VA Medical Center gives our students and faculty the opportunity to work with Americas' veterans and help them with their health care needs, which is a critical part of fulfilling our Jesuit university's mission to contribute to the betterment of society," said the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S. J., Creighton’s president.

The VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System serves more than 172,500 veterans in Nebraska, western Iowa and sections of Kansas and Missouri. The Omaha VA Medical Center offers both inpatient and outpatient primary and specialty care services. The system also operates a nursing home care facility in Grand Island, and community-based outpatient clinics in Lincoln, Grand Island, North Platte, Norfolk and Holdrege.

Front Page

VA Names 13 to Rural Health Advisory Committee

June 5, 2008


Peake: Group Includes “Strong Advocates” for Vets in Rural Areas

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake has appointed 13 people to a new Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee, which will advise him on health care issues affecting veterans in rural areas.

“This distinguished panel includes strong advocates for the needs of VA patients in rural areas,” Peake said. “This is an important step in expanding access to VA’s world-class health care system for veterans.”

The 13-member group will examine ways to enhance Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care services for veterans in rural areas by evaluating current programs and identifying barriers to health care.

The committee, chaired by James F. Ahrens, former head of the Montana Hospital Association, includes affected veterans, rural health experts in academia, state and federal professionals who focus on rural health, state-level veterans affairs officials, and leaders of veterans service organizations.

Members of VA’s Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee are listed below.

Membership


VA’s Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee

James F. Ahrens of Cascade, Mont. Former member of Montana governor’s task force on health care.

Dr. Robert Moser of Tribune, Kan. Physician who practices in rural Kansas and Colorado.

Cynthia Barrigan of Centreville, Va. Veteran, now acting executive director of Virginia Telehealth Network.
Charles Abramson of Missoula, Mont. Air Force veteran who served on the medical staff ethics committee of St. Patrick Hospital.

Maj. Gen. John W. Libby of Sidney, Maine. Adjutant general of the Maine National Guard.

Hilda Heady of Morgantown, W.Va. Social worker and associate vice president for West Virginia Rural Health Association.

Dr. Ronald Franks of Theodore, Ala. Psychiatrist and vice president of the College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama.

Bruce Behringer of Johnson City, Tenn. Assistant vice president at East Tennessee State University for Rural and Community Health.

Rachel Gonzales Hanson of Uvalde, Texas. Member of National Association of Community Health Centers.

Tom Ricketts, Ph.D., of Chapel Hill, N.C. Director of North Carolina Rural Health Research Program.

Michael Dobmeier of South Grand Forks, N.D. National Judge Advocate of the Disabled American Veterans and president of the North Dakota Veterans Home Foundation.

Terry Schow of Ogden, Utah. Veteran and executive director of the Utah Division of Veterans Affairs.

James Floyd of Salt Lake City. Native American and director of the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center.


# # #

Front Page

Sarasota VA National Cemetery Dedicated

June 1, 2008


Ground Broken for New Shrine Honoring America’s Veterans

WASHINGTON – Ground was broken today in Sarasota, Fla., in a ceremony dedicating the new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery.

“Serving veterans where they live is a top priority for VA,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “By building a national shrine in this part of Florida, we will provide a final resting place and lasting tribute to the men and women who have faithfully served our nation.”

The ceremony included remarks by VA’s Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs William F. Tuerk and local officials. The dedication plaque was unveiled and military honors were performed by a joint service firing detail. The ceremony ended with the playing of “Taps.”

Located on a 295-acre site in Sarasota County along State Route 72, the new cemetery will begin burials late this year. It will be available for nearly 400,000 veterans and their family members who live in southwestern Florida.

VA selected Sandra M. Beckley as the cemetery’s first director. Most recently, she served as director at VA’s Georgia National Cemetery near Atlanta.

VA will begin construction this summer on a 15-acre section. The section will be comprised of 2,000 pre-placed concrete vaults and 2,000 sites for in-ground cremated remains. The cemetery staff will work initially from a temporary office, a committal service shelter and an equipment facility until construction is completed.

The cemetery’s remaining 60-acre 10-year construction plan will contain 18,200 casket gravesites, including 15,200 pre-placed concrete vaults; a 7,000-unit columbarium for cremation remains; 7,500 graves for in-ground cremated remains; and a scattering garden.

When completed, the new cemetery will include an administration and public information complex with an electronic gravesite locator and public restrooms; a maintenance facility; entrance and flag assembly areas; a memorial walkway; and two committal shelters. Other infrastructure elements include roadways, landscaping, utilities and irrigation.

Veterans with a discharge other than dishonorable, their spouses, and eligible dependent children can be buried in a national cemetery. Other burial benefits available for all eligible veterans, regardless of whether they are buried in a national cemetery or a private cemetery, include a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and a government headstone or marker.

In the midst of the largest expansion since the Civil War, VA operates 125 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico and 33 soldiers' lots and monument sites. More than three million Americans, including veterans of every war and conflict, are buried in VA’s national cemeteries on nearly 17,000 acres of land.

Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the Internet at http://www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at (800) 827-1000. For information on the Sarasota VA National Cemetery, call the cemetery office at (941) 861-9840 or, toll-free, at (877) 861-9840. To make burial arrangements at the time of need, call the national cemetery scheduling office at (800) 535-1117.

# # #

Front Page

FedEx Latin America President Unveils Findings of FedEx Study on the Private Sector's Role in Mexico and Brazil Public Education

Photo above, right to left: Juan N. Cento, President of FedEx Express Latin America and the Caribbean; discusses how education is key to economic development. To his left Josefina Vázquez Mota, Secretary of Public Education; Roberto Salinas, President of Mexico Business Forum and Carlos Elizondo Mayer-Serra, professor at the CIDE (academic institution in Mexico dedicated to research and education).
Mexico, June 5th, 2008-FedEx Express Latin America and Caribbean President Juan N. Cento unveiled the findings of a FedEx-commissioned study on the role of the private sector in Mexico and Brazil public education. The study, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, was presented to Mexico's Minister of Public Education during the Economist Government Roundtable in Mexico City June 5th. The study will be presented in Brazil on July 11th during the Council of the America's conference in Sao Paulo.

The FedEx-commissioned study on education can be downloaded at

www.eiu.com/sponsor/FedEx/LatinAmericanEducation/

FedEx Express Latin America and Caribbean services more than 50 countries and territories and employs more than 3,400 people committed to total customer satisfaction. FedEx Express LAC has acted as a pillar of growth for the region and continues its commitment through the FedEx PyMEx Membership program, the first initiative to partner with small and medium exporters by offering

Front Page

COMMENTARY:

General Carlson: ‘We must re-focus, fix problems’



AFMCNS07 — June 13, 2008

By Gen. Bruce Carlson
Commander, Air Force Materiel Command

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFMCNS) — By now Air Force Materiel Command’s work force should be aware of the June 5 resignations of the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

This was unprecedented and I want to make sure you know I am fully committed to finding and fixing the root causes of the Air Force shortfalls recently identified by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Together we owe it to the citizens of our great nation to address this situation directly in order to resolve systemic problems and regain our credibility as guardians of our nation's nuclear arsenal.

Let there be no misunderstanding, the stewardship of our nuclear enterprise is one of our most sacred responsibilities –- and we will identify and fix the gaps in our execution of this critical strategic mission.

The facts surrounding the unauthorized B-52 flight with live nuclear weapons onboard and the recent mis-shipment of four Mark 12 nose cones to Taiwan highlighted a brutal truth: there are problems within our nuclear enterprise. Some of those problems lie within this command and we will fix them.

We started to repair the kinks in our nuclear enterprise several years ago. To regain unity of command in the acquisition and sustainment of the ICBM fleet we stood up the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland AFB, N.M. We continue today with the development of the commercially-based Expeditionary Combat Support System for more positive inventory control, improved in-transit visibility and more accurate parts forecasting.

These are good first steps and we must continue to reinforce their success. However, organizations and systems alone will not be enough. It will take the personal involvement of each person on the Air Force team — military, civilian, contractor, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves.

During the next few months there will likely be several reports, studies and audits conducted. I ask for your personal commitment to attack head-on the root causes and systemic shortfalls identified in any of these reports.

After all, this is not just a nuclear enterprise issue, it’s also about regaining the culture which created the world's most feared and respected Air Force — a culture based on discipline, adherence to standards and strict attention to detail. So these incidents must serve as our wakeup call. We each need to actively execute the fundamentals of our profession every day.

Whatever job you hold in AFMC, you are a critical link in the chain and our overall success depends on your actions, your individual discipline, adherence to standards and our strict attention to detail.

In 1979 a commercial aircraft took off from New Zealand with 257 people aboard for a sightseeing trip to Antarctica . Unbeknownst to the crew, ground personnel had introduced a two-degree error in their navigational computer. When the aircrew flew down below the clouds over the snow and ice of that frozen continent, they had no way of knowing that this small error placed them directly in the path of an active volcano, the 12,447-foot Mount Erebus . The white clouds above and snow covered land below masked the rapid approach to the large mountain.

By the time the cockpit warning sounded it was too late and everyone aboard perished in a tragic accident caused by a very small error put in place well before the actual mission launched. Similarly, a single error in a logistics system, on a shipping document or in an RFP each has the potential to throw the entire Air Force off course with tragic results.

The Air Force’s priorities remain unchanged: win today's war, take care of our people and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges. We must join together and exercise the teamwork and discipline which created this nation's great Air Force. Now is not the time to speculate or become defensive. It is a time to act, to fix, to succeed. Together we must rededicate ourselves to excellence by recommitting to the basic fundamentals of our profession … discipline, adherence to standards and strict attention to detail.

As one of your wingmen, I stand beside you as we work together to restore the nation’s confidence in our great Air Force. Thank you for your service.

Gen. Bruce Carlson

Front Page

SAS takes over GO

As the majority owner, SAS has bought out the other shareholders in the travel experience company GO. The company will be merged with the vacation and leisure unit at SAS.

"Dynamic packaging is an absolute necessity in the leisure market and we are pleased to be able to offer customers our products that are developed by GO," says Robin Kamark, SVP, Airline Commercial at SAS.

SAS established the company GO in 2007 in cooperation with Reitan Service Handel. SAS is now taking over highly user-friendly technology and the contracts that GO has with suppliers of attractive travel experiences.

"Through the SAS website, customers can compose their journeys and experiences according to their own wishes and preferences. This may include air travel, concerts, hotels or sports events. We can now offer customers our `one stop shop' with all types of experiences in one place," says Kamark.

The SAS website has several hundred thousand unique users every week and is an effective channel for offering these travel experiences.

Using a special events calendar, customers can see where and when there are exciting concerts or soccer matches. With its takeover of GO, SAS will strengthen its offering in the vacation and leisure market.

Front Page

Ariane 5 scores its 25th consecutive success with the launch of Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:13:37 -0400

Ariane 5's on-target launch with Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A tonight (June 12) marked numerous key milestones for this workhorse Arianespace vehicle.

The flight was Ariane 5's 25th consecutive commercial success, confirming its role as the commercial launcher of reference for satellite operators and manufacturers worldwide. In addition, Skynet 5C was the 30th military payload orbited by Arianespace, while Turksat 3A represented the 53rd Thales Alenia Space-built satellite lofted by the launch services company.

"This 25th success in a row is a world record.which is the result of our strategy to perform dual-payload launches with the same launcher configuration every time: the Ariane 5 ECA," explained Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. "It is a winning strategy that is backed by a total quality guarantee and operational visibility for our customers, along with taking the time needed for full testing before liftoff - which was the case for tonight's flight. This is what the customers want: perfect launches that are within the targeted timeframe."

Le Gall added that Arianespace is committed to supporting its clients over the long term, with the mission pace for Ariane 5 continuing to accelerate, along with the future introduction of Soyuz and Vega launchers at the Spaceport.

During tonight's mission, a tracking camera followed the launcher's initial climb-out and ascent during the live video broadcast on www.arianespace.com, providing remarkable views of the two solid rocket boosters' separation two minutes into the mission, followed by the jettisoning of Ariane 5's protective payload fairing 1 minute later.

Ariane 5 then deployed Skynet 5C, releasing the spacecraft approximately 27 minutes after liftoff. This 4,700-kg.-class satellite was built by EADS Astrium using the Eurostar E3000 platform, and it will be positioned at 17.8 degrees West.

Skynet 5C followed the Skynet 5A and 5B payloads, which were orbited by Ariane 5s in March and November of 2007. The Skynet 5-series platforms deliver resilient, survivable and secure communications for military and government users, carrying hardened Ultra High and Super High Frequency (UHF/SHF) payloads that operate with multiple, steerable spot beams.

Turksat 3A was deployed from the Ariane 5 at about 32 minutes into tonight's mission. It will be utilized by Ankara-based Turksat to provide telecommunication services and direct TV broadcasting for Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. The 3,110 kg. payload is based on Thales Alenia Space's Spacebus 4000B2 spacecraft design, and carries 24 Ku-band transponders. Turksat 3A's operational orbital slot is 42 deg. East.

This successful Ariane 5 mission was the third of seven flights planned in 2008 by Arianespace -- the most active year since the launcher's commercial introduction in 1999. Arianespace's initial flight of 2008 was conducted on March 9, when an Ariane 5 ES launcher version orbited the first Automated Transfer Vehicle for servicing of the International Space Station. It was followed by an Ariane 5 ECA heavy-lift flight on April 18 that carried Star One C2 and VINASAT-1.

With tonight's mission in the record books, Arianespace continues its preparations for the following launch. Scheduled for July 4, this upcoming Ariane 5 ECA flight will orbit the ProtoStar I and BADR-6 spacecraft.

For full details on tonight's milestone Ariane 5 flight, see Arianespace's website for the Mission Update, along with photos from the Spaceport and a recap of the launcher's 25 consecutive successful missions.

Front Page

June 12, 2008

Michael Curie
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4715
michael.curie@nasa.gov

Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-118

SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY SET TO LAND SATURDAY

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The space shuttle Discovery crew is expected
to complete its 14-day flight to the International Space Station with
a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:15 a.m. EDT
on Saturday, June 14.

The STS-124 mission began May 31 and delivered two new sections of the
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory to the station.
During three spacewalks, the crew installed the Japanese Pressurized
Module, or JPM, and Kibo's robotic arm system. Kibo's logistics
module, which had been attached temporarily to the Harmony node
during the STS-123 mission in March, was attached to the JPM. The
flight also delivered station resident Greg Chamitoff to the outpost.
Discovery will return with Garrett Reisman, who spent three months
aboard the complex.

NASA managers will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before
permitting Discovery to return to Earth. Saturday landing
opportunities at Kennedy are at 11:15 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. Two hours
after landing, NASA officials will hold a media briefing to discuss
the mission. The participants will be:

- Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations
- Kaoru Mamiya, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Vice President
- Mike Leinbach, NASA Space Shuttle Launch Director

After touchdown, the astronauts will undergo physical examinations and
meet with their families. The STS-124 crew is expected to hold a news
conference at 4:15 p.m. Saturday. Both news events will be broadcast
live on NASA Television. Media interested in participating must
pick-up their accreditation badges on Saturday.

The Kennedy News Center will open for landing activities at 7 a.m.
Saturday and close at 6 p.m. The STS-124 media badges are in effect
through landing. The media accreditation building on State Road 3
will be open on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The last bus will
depart from the news center for the Shuttle Landing Facility one hour
before landing. For updated information about the landing, call
321-867-2525.

If landing is diverted to one of the shuttle's backup runways after
Saturday, media should call the Dryden public affairs office at
661-276-3449 or the White Sands Missile Range public affairs office
at 505-678-1134. Dryden has limited facilities available to
previously accredited journalists for landings at Edwards Air Force
Base. Journalists with STS-124 mission badges from NASA will be
issued credentials at White Sands Missile Range.

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming
video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For the latest information about the STS-124 mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For more on the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Front Page

Boeing Receives Satellite Industry Leadership Award

ST. LOUIS, June 12, 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced that it received the Satellite Industry Leadership Award on Wednesday at the 2008 International Satellite and Communications exchange (ISCe) in San Diego, Calif.

"More than 2,500 years of cumulative on-orbit service demonstrates that, for more than four decades, Boeing continues to design and deliver superior satellites," said David Bross, ISCe conference chairman. "Boeing was selected by the distinguished members of the ISCe Advisory Board based on the company's consistent and significant leadership in the advancement of the satellite and communications sector."

Boeing Satellite Systems International President Stephen T. O'Neill accepted the award on Boeing's behalf.

ISCe is the premier West Coast satellite and communications event. It highlights satellite-based services, technologies and solutions for the commercial, civil and military industries. Past winners of the Leadership Award are DIRECTV Inc. (2002), News Corp. (2003), U.S. Strategic Command (2004), SES Global (2005), JSAT Corp. (2006) and Intelsat General Corp. (2007).

Boeing is competing for the Transformational Satellite Communications System program for the U.S. Air Force and for the next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, known as the GOES R series, for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The company is committed to program execution and quality on commercial, civil and military satellite systems.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32.1 billion business with 71,000 employees worldwide.

###

Front Page

June 12, 2008



CONTRACT RELEASE: C08-037

NASA AWARDS CONTRACT FOR CONSTELLATION SPACESUIT FOR THE MOON

WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded a contract to Oceaneering International
Inc. of Houston, for the design, development and production of a new
spacesuit system. The spacesuit will protect astronauts during
Constellation Program voyages to the International Space Station and,
by 2020, the surface of the moon.

The subcontractors to Oceaneering are Air-Lock Inc. of Milford, Conn.,
David Clark Co. of Worcester, Mass., Cimarron Software Services Inc.
of Houston, Harris Corporation of Palm Bay, Fla., Honeywell
International Inc. of Glendale, Ariz., Paragon Space Development
Corp. of Tucson, Ariz., and United Space Alliance of Houston.

"The award of the spacesuit contract completes the spaceflight
hardware requirements for the Constellation Program's first human
flight in 2015," said Jeff Hanley, Constellation program manager at
NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Contracts for the Orion crew
capsule and the Ares I rocket were awarded during the past two years.


The cost-plus-award-fee spacesuit contract includes a basic
performance period from June 2008 to September 2014 that has a value
of $183.8 million. During the performance period, Oceaneering and its
subcontractors will conduct design, development, test, and evaluation
work culminating in the manufacture, assembly, and first flight of
the suit components needed for astronauts aboard the Orion crew
exploration vehicle. The basic contract also includes initial work on
the suit design needed for the lunar surface.

"I am excited about the new partnership between NASA and Oceaneering,"
said Glenn Lutz, project manager for the spacesuit system at Johnson.
"Now it is time for our spacesuit team to begin the journey together
that ultimately will put new sets of boot prints on the moon."

Suits and support systems will be needed for as many as four
astronauts on moon voyages and as many as six space station
travelers. For short trips to the moon, the suit design will support
a week's worth of moon walks. The system also must be designed to
support a significant number of moon walks during potential six-month
lunar outpost expeditions. In addition, the spacesuit and support
systems will provide contingency spacewalk capability and protection
against the launch and landing environment, such as spacecraft cabin
leaks.

Two contract options may be awarded in the future as part of this
contract. Option 1 covers completion of design, development, test and
evaluation for the moon surface suit components. Option 1 would begin
in October 2010 and run through September 2018, under a
cost-plus-award fee structure with a total value of $302.1 million.

Option 2 provides for the Orion suit production, processing and
sustaining engineering under a cost-plus-award fee or a
firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract
structure with a maximum value of $260 million depending on hardware
requirements. Option 2 would begin at the end of the basic
performance period in October 2014, and would continue through
September 2018.

Images and animation of the new designs, as well as more information
about NASA's Constellation Program, are available online at:

http://www.nasa.gov/constellation

To view a feature on the evolution of spacesuits, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/spacesuit_gallery

Front Page

Stennis' Cat 1 Launches 50,000th Aircraft

Release Date: 6/12/2008 2:54:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Elliott J. Fabrizio, USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs

USS JOHN C. STENNIS, At Sea (NNS) -- The crew of Stennis launched their 50,000th aircraft off catapult, June 8.

"Reaching this milestone represents all of the hard work we put in manning up and maintaining these catapults," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate Equipment 1st Class Richard Dawson, bow catapult leading petty officer.

In recognizing their 50,000th launch, the Sailors from the bow catapult shop celebrated their hard work.

"There was a celebration right after the 50,000th shot," said Assistant Catapult Captain, Aviation Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Christopher Henry. "Everyone was yelling, screaming and jumping around. It just feels good to be a part of this, knowing that 50,000 aircraft have launched from this catapult."

The launch and arresting gear division gathered every Sailor involved in launching aircraft from the bow catapults for a cake and ice cream party, formally celebrating their accomplishment.

"I couldn't be more satisfied with their accomplishment and my ability to be a part of it," said Flight Deck Division Officer Lt. Jason Wells, the "shooter" who launched the 50,000th catapult shot. "It shows their ability to maintain gear that's obviously been through a lot. This gear is 14 years old and they still make it work to perfection."

During each catapult launch, a variety of people must work together to ensure pilots can safely takeoff from the flight deck.

Below deck, panel operators verify the catapult's systems are functioning correctly. Above deck, topside personnel attach the aircraft to the catapult's launching shuttle, while safety observers watch for errors. A shooter then verifies everything is ready and signals the deck-edge operator to launch the aircraft.

"Everybody has to do their part perfectly, all day, to ensure each catapult can launch safely," said Safety Observer Aviation Boatswain's Mate Equipment 2nd Class Arras Saul. "We can work anywhere from 16 to 20 hours, and then we still have to do maintenance."

Each catapult requires daily maintenance, and Sailors from the launch and arresting division work around the clock to ensure that their catapults are operational.
"We have 50 required checks each week, and that doesn't include corrective maintenance," said Dawson. "We have a least 30 man-hours of work per person spent running maintenance."

By keeping their equipment running effectively through continual use, Stennis Sailors are ensuring their ship maintains operational readiness so it can fulfill the needs of America's Maritime Strategy.

For more news from USS John C. Stennis, visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn74/

Front Page

June 12, 2008


UNIVERSITY FACULTY AND STUDENTS TO 'ROCKON!' WITH NASA

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- University faculty and students from across the
country will RockOn! with NASA during a workshop June 22 - 27 at
NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island in Virginia. During
RockOn!, they will learn the basics of building experiments for
flight on suborbital rockets.

RockOn! teams will build the experiments from kits developed by
students from the Colorado Space Grant Consortium and learn about the
steps and procedures for creating payloads for flight. Each
experiment package will include a Geiger counter and sensors for
measuring temperature, acceleration and pressure. The experiments
then will be integrated into payload cans for launch.

The week will culminate with the launching of the experiments early in
the morning June 27 aboard a NASA Orion sounding rocket. The 20-foot
tall, single-stage rocket is expected to fly to an altitude of 41
miles. After launch and payload recovery, participants will do
preliminary data analysis and discuss their results.

"The NASA Sounding Program historically has been a program for
scientists, engineers and technicians to develop the skills necessary
for developing and building advanced satellites and other
spacecraft," said Phil Eberspeaker, chief of the NASA Sounding
Program office at Wallops.

Almost 60 people from universities in 22 states and Puerto Rico are
participating in RockOn!. Eighty-percent of the participants are
faculty members.

"This workshop will equip faculty with the skills and knowledge to
start their own student-led sounding rocket payload programs at their
university or college," said Chris Koehler, director of the Colorado
Space Grant Consortium in Boulder. "This workshop adds a new level of
hands-on programs for higher education students. It is expected that
many of the participants will have students come to Wallops to fly
their own sounding rocket payloads in the coming years."

NASA's Space Grant program sponsors university-based consortia that
focus on developing our nation's future scientist and engineers, as
well as improving science, engineering and technology education.
Using the lessons learned through RockOn!, participants will work to
make flight experiments a part of the educational process at their
home institutions.

"The workshop builds on NASA's interest in reaching out to
universities for engagement with sounding rocket payload research and
educational experiences," said Mary Sandy, director of the Virginia
Space Grant Consortium in Hampton, Va. "It taps into the National
Space Grant College and Fellowship Program interest in having
students and faculty participate in space experimentation and real
space missions."

For more information on NASA education programs on the Internet,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education

Front Page

NTSB PRESS RELEASE

National Transportation Safety Board
Washington , DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 12, 2008

SB-08-27


NTSB ISSUES URGENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO FAA TO INSPECT ALL ECLIPSE 500 THROTTLE QUADRANTS


Washington , DC --The National Transportation Safety Board
today issued two urgent recommendations to the Federal
Aviation Administration to address a safety issue concerning
a failure that resulted in uncontrollable engine thrust in
an Eclipse 500 airplane and the lack of emergency procedures
developed for that failure.

The Safety Board recommended that the FAA should require
immediate inspection of all Eclipse 500 airplane throttle
quadrants to ensure that pushing the throttle levers against
the maximum power stops will not result in an engine control
failure, and that the FAA should further require that all
units that fail inspection be replaced and replacement parts
be similarly inspected.

The Board also recommended that the FAA require Eclipse to
immediately develop for the Eclipse 500 airplane an
emergency procedure for a dual engine control failure and
incorporate the procedure into the airplane flight manual
and quick reference handbook via an airworthiness directive.

On June 5, 2008, an Eclipse 500 airplane, N612KB, on
approach to Chicago Midway Airport , experienced a failure
that resulted in uncontrollable maximum power thrust from
two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan engines. After
referencing the emergency procedures of the airplane’s quick
reference handbook, the pilots shut down one of the engines.

However, following the shutdown of the engine, the other
engine rolled back to idle power and continued to be
unresponsive to the throttle. The pilots declared an
emergency, were cleared to land on any runway and were able
to land the plane without injury to the two pilots or two
passengers.

“The Eclipse 500 is still a new aircraft model, with some
200 hundred having been delivered,” NTSB Chairman Mark V.
Rosenker said. “This incident demonstrated a technical
safety-of-flight issue that we believe needs immediate
attention.”

The Safety Board noted that the dual-channel failure of both
throttle levers occurred after the airplane had accumulated
only 238 hours and 192 cycles since new. As a result, the
Board is concerned about the reliability of an assembly that
fails in such a short time.

Furthermore, when the failed throttle quadrant assembly was
replaced on the accident airplane, pushing the throttle
levers on the replacement unit against maximum power stops
caused an R ENG CONTROL FAIL message to appear on the crew
alerting system display.

The Board further noted that the Eclipse 500’s flight manual
and quick reference handbook provide an emergency procedure
for a single engine control failure, but not for a dual
engine control failure, such as occurred in the incident.

The Safety Board is concerned that should there be another
dual engine control failure aboard an Eclipse 500, pilots
will be without guidance and may be unable to restore
control.

On Tuesday, June 10, 2008, the Safety Board gave a
preliminary briefing to the FAA on the status of its
investigation into this incident and informed the agency of
the Board’s intention to issue urgent recommendations.

The Safety Board is continuing its investigation.

A copy of the Board’s safety recommendation letter may be
accessed on the NTSB’s website at the following link:

http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2008/A08_46_47.pdf

Front Page

June 12, 2008


CONTRACT RELEASE: C08-035

NASA AWARDS SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE CONTRACT MODIFICATION

WASHINGTON -- NASA has signed a $16.8 million contract modification to
space shuttle main engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
Inc. of Canoga Park, Calif., to incorporate an employee retention
plan implemented by the company. Incentives are being provided to
eligible personnel to ensure mission success and construction of the
remaining engines to support space shuttle requirements through
September 2010.

Retention of the knowledgeable and skilled space shuttle main engine
workforce is necessary to produce the remaining shuttle hardware.
This contract modification supports the agency's priorities of safely
flying and retiring the space shuttles.

The contract will end Sept. 30, 2010. This modification brings the
total value of the contract, awarded in January 2002, to $2.181
billion.

The three main engines are 14 feet long and seven and a half feet in
diameter at the nozzle exit. They are liquid propellant rocket
engines that have a combined thrust of more than 1.2 million pounds.
Along with the solid rocket boosters, they provide the thrust to
launch the shuttle.

For more information about NASA's Space Shuttle Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Front Page

June 9, 2008


RELEASE: 08-137

ORION'S NEW LAUNCH ABORT MOTOR TEST STAND READY FOR ACTION

WASHINGTON -- NASA and Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, unveiled Monday a
new vertical test stand that will be used later this summer to
support NASA's Constellation Program. The stand will be used to test
fire the full-scale abort motor for the launch abort system, which
will sit atop the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The abort motor is
designed to pull the crew module away from the Ares I launch vehicle
in an emergency situation on the launch pad or during the first
300,000 feet after launch.

A full scale inert motor, without oxidizer in the propellant, is now
secured top end down in the test stand with its nozzles pointing
skyward at ATK's facility in Promontory, Utah. Engineers will spend
the next few months performing a final checkout.

"We're breaking new ground with the development of this critical
motor, which must have sufficient thrust to leave the vehicle quickly
and get the crew to safety," said Ted Kublin, who is the lead
engineer for the propulsion abort motor at NASA's Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "The launch abort system is one of
the most vital components of the Orion spacecraft, requiring
innovative engineering to ensure success."

The abort motor stands more than 17 feet high and three feet in
diameter and is equipped with four nozzles. The motor's specially
designed manifold uses a reverse flow technology that forces hot gas
through the manifold's four nozzles, creating a pulling force. The
hot gas exits the top of the motor, allowing the resulting plume to
clear the crew module.

A bench test firing of the abort motor's igniter assembly is scheduled
to take place in early June. The igniter assembly is a small rocket
motor inside the abort motor that provides the ignition source for
the motor propellant. Once ignited, the motor propellant burns at a
very high rate, resulting in four individual plumes that are more
than three times the motor length. Total abort motor burn time is
five seconds and creates a half-million pounds of thrust. However,
the majority of the high impulse propellant will be expended in the
first three seconds, which corresponds with the critical time frame
for the Orion crew module to escape from any potentially
life-threatening situation.

The abort system is a key element in NASA's continuing efforts to
improve safety as the agency develops the next generation of
spacecraft to return humans to the moon. NASA's Langley Research
Center in Hampton, Va., manages the launch abort system design and
development effort with partners and team members from Marshall.
Langley's Launch Abort System Office performs this function as part
of the Orion Project Office located at NASA's Johnson Space Center in
Houston. Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va., is building the
entire launch abort system for Lockheed Martin Corporation of Denver,
the prime contractor for Orion.

For images of the test stand and more information about NASA's
Constellation Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/constellation

Front Page

Skynet 5C - triple success for AstriumSuccessful launch completes Skynet 5 fleet

Third Ariane 5 launch from French Guiana this year

Paradigm providing enhanced services to UK MoD

Kourou, 12 June 2008


Astrium has completed the Skynet 5 military satellite communications fleet with the successful launch of Skynet 5C – the third Skynet 5 satellite - from Kourou, French Guiana on 12 June.

François Auque, CEO of Astrium, said: “Completing the Skynet 5 fleet with the successful launch of Skynet 5C is a remarkable milestone and I congratulate the combined teams across Astrium. We are already providing significantly enhanced services to the UK Ministry of Defence with Skynet satellites 5A and 5B, through our subsidiary Paradigm, and Skynet 5C is the pinnacle achievement for this programme.

“It’s a triple success for Astrium. As prime contractor for the launcher Ariane 5, for the satellites, and also for the services provided, we have proved that Astrium is well and truly capable of providing a world-class secure military communications system from start to finish.”

Malcolm Peto, Managing Director of Paradigm said: "The Skynet 5 programme has been carefully planned for more than 10 years with meticulous detail given to delivering the best possible milsatcom services to the UK Ministry of Defence. This latest success will ensure we continue to provide our customers with nothing but the best – and I would like to thank all the individuals who contributed to this fantastic achievement.”

Paradigm, part of Astrium Services, as owner and operator of the Skynet 5 system, is responsible for delivering secure communications services as part of a service provision contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) until 2020. Following the successful launches of Skynet 5A in March 2007 and Skynet 5B in November 2007, Paradigm is already providing enhanced secure services to the UK MoD.

Astrium Space Transportation is prime contractor for the Ariane 5 system, responsible for the delivery of fully integrated and tested launch vehicles to Arianespace.

Astrium Satellites is responsible for the Skynet 5 satellites and the complete communications system. Following launch, Skynet 5C, designed and built by Astrium Satellites, will now undergo a period of intensive in-orbit testing of both satellite and payload before moving to its operational position at 17.8°W.

Skynet 5C is the third satellite that completes the new constellation to meet the UK MoD’s milsatcoms requirements.

Following the successful launch at 22.05 GMT, Skynet 5C is currently in its low Earth orbit phase, which began with partial deployment of the solar panels. Skynet 5C will then reach its geostationary orbit, followed by the deployment of the UHF receivers and transmitters and a full testing programme will commence before the first operations begin.

The achievements of the Skynet 5 programme are underpinned by effective partnering between the MoD and industry. Paradigm, Astrium Satellites, Serco, Logica, EADS DS and the MoD have worked together to make the project a success for all the stakeholders.

Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2007, Astrium had a turnover of €3.5 billion and 12,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, and Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment, and its wholly owned subsidiary Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services.

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2007, EADS generated revenues of €39.1 billion and employed a workforce of more than 116, 000.


Paradigm – meeting all satellite communications requirementsParadigm has a contract worth £3.6bn with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the provision of military satellite communications services to 2020. The programme, procured as a Private Finance Initiative (PFI), provides the next generation of UK Milsatcom capability. The Paradigm team includes Astrium Satellites, the system designer and provider. For further information visit www.paradigmsecure.com

In addition to complete X-band packages, Paradigm is able to offer capacity, coverage augmentation, anchoring and back-haul services, as well as terminal leasing.

From the outset, Paradigm planned for the Skynet 5 system to be far more capable and larger than that required to meet the UK MoD requirements. Paradigm is, therefore, able to offer services to other militaries and government organisations and has supplied milsatcom services to NATO, the Netherlands, Portugal, Canada, France, Germany, Australia and the US.

Paradigm's WelComE services enables service personnel to make telephone calls and have access to the Internet from operational theatres worldwide, as part of the MoD funded welfare package. Paradigm has provided over 3 million hours of welfare telephone calls and provides Internet and email services that are free for use to all UK service personnel deployed on operations overseas.

Paradigm

www.paradigmsecure.com

EADS Defence & SecurityA partner in the enterprise, EADS DS has delivered integral elements of the new system including design, development and supply or installation of the baseband network and encryption systems. Installed across three UK sites, 38 naval vessels and 45 deployable ground stations, the baseband network that EADS DS has developed comprises a number of bespoke solutions, customising off-the-shelf platforms, and incorporating specific developments, such as the Resilient Rate Adaptor (RRA) – that manages and prioritises the flow of communication through the system, and Baseband Element Management Application (BEMA) a configuration fault and performance reporting tool that supports automatic, rapid provision of service/links in response to controller demand. Three new encryption technologies were developed to ensure completely secure and robust communications and EADS DS achieved on time delivery as promised three years earlier. To meet this delivery timescale work started prior to contract award.

EADS Defence & Security (DS) is a systems solutions provider for armed forces and civil security worldwide. Its portfolio ranges from sensors and secure networks through missiles to aircraft and UAVs as well as global security, service and support solutions. In 2007, DS – with around 22,000 employees – achieved revenues of € 5.5 billion.

EADS Defence & Security

www.eadsdsuk.com

SercoSerco has been an integral part of the Paradigm team for Skynet 5 since the award of the PFI Study Contract in 1999 and is a full member of the Enterprise.


Serco provides spacecraft control, communications network management and facilities management services, including staff deployed in theatre in support of these services. In addition, Serco provides support to Paradigm's welfare communications services, for deployed forces in operational theatres around the world, enabling service men and women to maintain contact with home.

Serco’s track record in the provision of such vital services started over 40 years ago when the government entrusted it to maintain the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System at RAF Fylingdales. From this landmark contract, the company has established a strong reputation in the defence and aerospace markets for reliability, innovation and successful long-term working partnerships.

Serco is an international service company, which combines commercial know-how with a deep public service ethos. It improves services by managing people, processes, technology and assets more effectively. Serco’s people offer operational, management and consulting expertise in the aerospace, defence, health, home affairs, local government, nuclear, science, technology, transport and commercial sectors.


Serco

www.serco.co.uk

LogicaLogica has developed the fully integrated Operational and Business Support system for Skynet 5 containing over 1 million lines of code. These systems demonstrate how commercial technology is at the centre of the delivery of complex communications services to the UK Ministry of Defence. As the prime contractor for the Skynet 5 software, Logica combines its extensive commercial and defence expertise to undertake the development and operations of the Skynet management system. With Skynet 5, the Logica systems allow Paradigm to plan, manage and deliver a wide range of communication services.

Logica has worked with the MoD for nearly 40 years from the business to the battlespace, and is the European leader in military satellite communications ground systems.

Logica is a major international force in IT services. It employs around 39,000 people across 36 countries. Logica’s focus is on enabling its customers to build and maintain leadership positions using Logica’s deep industry knowledge and its track record for successful delivery. The company provides business consulting, systems integration and IT and business process outsourcing across diverse markets including telecoms, financial services, energy and utilities, industry, distribution and transport and the public sector. More information is available from www.logica.com/uk

Logica
www.logica.com/uk

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For over 17 years, the European spacecraft Ulysses explored the Sun and its influence on the Earth. It was the first spacecraft ever to fly across the two poles of our central star, and represents a milestone in the study of the Sun and its influence on the Earth.

EADS Astrium Photo

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Ulysses – longest serving spacecraft goes into retirementTechnical Masterpiece from Astrium is 17 Years in Space

Journey in the third Dimension around the Sun

Sun Explorer catches Stardust

Friedrichshafen, 12 June 2008

For over 17 years, the European spacecraft Ulysses explored the Sun and its influence on the Earth. It was the first spacecraft ever to fly across the two poles of our central star, and represents a milestone in the study of the Sun and its influence on the Earth. Ulysses far exceeded its nominal service life of five years. But now the onboard power supply is failing. The spacecraft can no longer be heated, and the hydrazine fuel that powers the attitude control system is freezing solid. This marks the end of an enormously successful mission. The engineers and technicians at Astrium, under whose leadership the spacecraft was built under contract to the European Space Agency ESA, are proud that Ulysses has proved so reliable.

Marathon mission with a difficult startThe Sun is not such a peaceful celestial body as it appears to us from Earth. There are frequent eruptions of radiation and particles, and the dark sunspots are evidence of an eleven-year cycle of activity. A constant particle wind blows into space, also impacting the Earth. All these phenomena are due to the same cause: a magnetic field. This can meanwhile be observed very well from Earth, but the view of the poles is obscured from this position. Yet the polar regions are of particular interest because these are where the magnetic field lines of the dipole field enter and leave the body of the Sun.

Because of this fact, the desire to send a spacecraft across the Sun’s poles arose a very long time ago. The project started to materialise in 1977, when the space agencies in the USA and Europe, NASA and ESA, decided to build two spacecraft. These were to fly simultaneously across the south and north poles of the Sun. However, budget cutbacks forced NASA to pull out of the project. ESA thus decided to build its own spacecraft, which it named ‘Ulysses’ (the mythical seafarer Odysseus).

The main contract for the project was awarded to Astrium GmbH of Friedrichshafen. The company was responsible for the entire management, for the integration tests, and for supervising the launch and the mission itself. It also built various components including the propulsion module, the attitude control system and the nutation dampers, these latter being designed to prevent the spacecraft from going into a spin.

Astrium delivered the finished spaceship at the end of 1983. However, the launch was subsequently postponed until 1986 due to problems associated with the space shuttle development programme. Just a few months before the scheduled launch date, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just after lift-off. This disaster led to the suspension of the American space programme, and Ulysses had to wait a further four years for launch. Not until 6 October 1990, seven years after its completion, was the spacecraft finally borne into space on the space shuttle Discovery.

Although the technology on the spacecraft is now over 25 years old, it still works perfectly and would probably continue to do so for many years more. However, the end of the power supply by the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) has brought about a ‘natural’ end to the mission.

Catapulted into the third dimension and three solar orbitsOnce Ulysses had left the space shuttle’s cargo bay, a rocket booster was ignited. This accelerated the spacecraft to the highest speed ever reached by an artificial space vehicle. Yet it was still not sufficient to catapult Ulysses out of the Earth’s orbital plane and into a trajectory across the sun’s poles. This called for some ingenious thinking. First of all, the spacecraft travelled away from the Sun to the outer planet Jupiter. In 1992 it crossed Jupiter’s north pole, where the strong gravitation field catapulted it vertically out of the planet’s orbital plane. After this swing-by manoeuvre, the spacecraft flew back to the Sun, which it reached in the summer of 1994. It began by passing the south pole at a distance of 300 million kilometres, then flew in a wide arc to the north pole, which it passed over in mid-1995.

Because the measuring instruments and the spacecraft were functioning perfectly, ESA extended the mission. On its further travels the spacecraft moved away from the Sun again, and flew back to its orbit around Jupiter. On arrival it turned back again and reached the Sun’s south pole for the second time in autumn 2000. It orbited the Sun, passing across the north pole in autumn 2001. It finally made a third flight over the south pole in winter 2006/2007, and over the north pole a year later.

Sophisticated technical requirements Ulysses consists primarily of two large units: the instrument platform and the antenna. The platform is roughly square in shape, with a side length of 3.2 metres and a height of 2.1 metres. It carries nine scientific instruments that measure the particles of the solar wind and the electric and magnetic fields. Two of these devices were built under German direction at the Max Planck Institutes for Solar System Research in Katlenburg/Lindau and for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. The entire spacecraft weighs 367 kilograms, only 55 kilograms of which is accounted for by the instruments.

Astrium was responsible for the overall design, which included several unique features. The highly sensitive measuring instruments, for instance, had to be mounted in such a way that they would not interfere with one another. To make this possible, two magnetometers, plasma wave sensors and measuring instruments for x-ray and gamma ray eruptions had to be mounted on a 5.5-metre arm. In addition, a 72.5-metre dipole antenna and a 7.5-metre monopole antenna for measuring plasma waves were unfolded in space.

These antennas gave the spacecraft a slight imbalance which could have sent it into a spin during flight. This risk had to be prevented because the antenna used for data transmission had to point constantly towards Earth with an accuracy to within 0.2 degrees. Perfect orientation was ensured by a nutation damper designed by Astrium, which operated purely mechanically and did not require any fuel.

The unusual orbit also made special demands on the spacecraft’s technology. Ulysses travelled in an elongated ellipse, circled the Sun and then flew to an orbit around Jupiter. Its distance from the Earth varied between about 50 million and 900 million kilometres, or between 0.3 and 6 times the Earth’s distance from the Sun. The signals between the spacecraft and the Earth took up to 50 minutes to reach their destination. This meant that it was essential for Ulysses to be capable of operating largely autonomously. In other words, the onboard computer had to decide for itself when and how to actuate the nutation dampers, for example. During the swing-by manoeuvre, too, Ulysses was left to its own devices. It was also capable of seeking contact with Earth of its own accord if it was no longer receiving any signals from there.

Due to the tremendous variations in the vehicle’s distance from the Sun, huge temperature fluctuations occurred on board. The spacecraft therefore had to be cooled when it was close to the Sun and heated when it was a long distance away. This was particularly important for the fuel lines, where the temperature could not be allowed to drop below two degrees Celsius because otherwise the hydrazine would freeze. This task was performed by the RTG, which had been supplied by the American project partners. The RTG contains radioactive material which generates heat as it decays. The heat thus released is directly converted into electricity for the instruments, and is also used for heating. Solar cells were not an option because they cannot deliver sufficient power at a distance of 900 million kilometres from the Sun. The initial power output of 285 watts delivered by the RTG has meanwhile dropped to less than 200 watts. This is no longer sufficient to heat the spacecraft, which has just passed over the Sun’s north pole and is on its way back to orbit around Jupiter.

Data of a life cycleUlysses was the first-ever mission to investigate the Sun’s magnetic field and particle wind from all directions in space. This is not possible from Earth. The scientific readings obtained constitute the foundation of the first-ever three-dimensional image of the solar environment, which radically changed the scientists’ conception of the Sun and its surroundings.

Ulysses’ unexpectedly long service life also made it possible to observe the activity of the Sun throughout almost two cycles of solar activity. Solar activity fluctuates in cycles, each lasting about eleven years. Times of minimum activity are peaceful, and very few sunspots are formed. At times of maximum activity, however, numerous large sunspots are formed, and there are frequent explosive eruptions in which particles are emitted at extremely high speeds. Such particle storms can hit the Earth’s magnetic field within one or two days and, in extreme cases, cause nationwide power cuts on our planet and interfere with the radio contact between aircraft and ships.

Ulysses has allowed these phenomena to be observed from minimum to maximum activity and back to minimum. The scientists watched how the condition of the Sun changed and how the polarity of the magnetic field was reversed during the course of a cycle. This process took several months to complete, as Ulysses found out.

The collected treasury of data will give the scientists plenty to think about for many years to come. Here are just a few selected scientific highlights:

When Ulysses first approached the Sun, the researchers discovered that the velocity of the solar wind increased the higher Ulysses rose above the Earth’s orbital plane. While the instruments registered low particle speeds of about 400 km/s in the vicinity of the solar equator, the speeds rose to 800 km/s close to the poles.

On its first two polar crossings, Ulysses baffled the experts. They had expected the magnetic field to have a dipole shape like that on Earth. If this were true, the field lines would be closer together at the poles, where they enter and leave the surface, than at lower latitudes. But in actual fact Ulysses discovered an almost uniformly shaped field. The scientists assume that this is due to the effect of the particle wind, which distorts the magnetic field.

However, Ulysses not only took solar research a great leap forwards, but was also able to chalk up a number of other discoveries. It managed for the first time to prove the existence of dust particles reaching us from interstellar space – that is, from distant stars – and entering our solar system. Never before had it been possible to capture stardust.

Ulysses also illustrates the fact that a basic research experiment can reveal phenomena that nobody had ever even thought about. On 1 May 1996, an instrument on the spacecraft unexpectedly registered a stream of electrically charged particles for a period of several hours. Careful analysis revealed that this must have been caused by a comet. The source proved to be the comet Hyakutake, through whose tail Ulysses had flown. This must have been almost 500 million kilometres long, or about 3½ times the distance between the Earth and the Sun. It is thus the longest comet tail known to man.

Solar research with AstriumAstrium (Germany) has been involved in European extraterrestrial solar research for several decades. Back in the 1960s, the company built the two Heos spacecraft for the European space agency of the time, ESRO. This was followed by the German satellites Azur and Aeros and the two German-American spacecraft Helios 1 and 2. They orbited the Sun at about one-third of its distance from Earth and delivered valuable readings from 1974 to 1986. Astrium (France) is the prime contzractor for the Solar Observatory SOHO, which was launched in December 1995).

A highlight in more recent times was Astrium GmbH’s lead management in the construction of ESA’s four Cluster satellites. This quartet is orbiting the Earth and investigating the effect of the solar wind on the Earth’s magnetic field. ESA’s next major solar mission, the Solar Orbiter, is scheduled for launch in 2015. Astrium’s wealth of experience makes it eminently suitable for the task of building this spacecraft.

Polar flyovers by Ulysses

South pole
July 1994 – October 1994,
September 2000 – January 2001,
November 2006 – April 2007
North pole
June 1995 – September 1995,
September 2001 – December 2001,
November 2007 – March 2008

About Astrium Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2007, Astrium had a turnover of €3.5 billion and 12,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, and Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment, and its wholly owned subsidiary Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2007, EADS generated revenues of €39.1 billion and employed a workforce of more than 116, 000.

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The European spacecraft Ulysses

EADS Astrium Photo

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CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan -Maggy Albini and her children Kylie (left) and Kayla particpate in a walk as part of the "172 Miles in Their Shoes" campaign June 7 to show support to the Marines and sailors of Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, which is currently deployed to Iraq.

Photo: Pfc. Jeffrey Cordero / USMC
6/13/2008

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Spouses walk in support of their Marines on Okinawa

6/13/2008 By Pfc. Jeffrey Cordero , III MEF

CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan — Family members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 gathered at the Foster Field House on Camp Foster June 7 to begin the "172 Miles in Their Shoes" campaign in a show of support to the Marines and sailors of the unit who are currently deployed to Iraq.
The campaign was conceived after the family members learned in a letter from the sergeant major of MWSS-172, Sgt. Major Mario Marquez, that the unit established the "172 Mile Run Club" in Iraq.

The goal of the club is to get every Marine and sailor in the unit to run 172 miles and complete 1,720 pull ups while deployed, Marquez stated in the letter. The MWSS-172 families were quick to follow suit, according to Amanda J. Daniels, the family readiness officer for Marine Wing Support Group 17. According to Daniels, participating families will run, walk or jog their own 172 miles to reflect each individual 172-mile pledge made by the deployed Marines and sailors.

The family members will record their progress with pedometers supplied by Marine Corps Community Services Health and Wellness. Although participants can accumulate miles themselves, there will be official "172 Miles in Their Shoes" events every month until the Marines return from deployment, Daniels said.

The purpose of the events are to promote health and wellness, and offer camaraderie to family members, Daniels said.

The family members who turned out for the inaugural walk seemed excited to participate in the event, stating that showing any type of support is important.

"We want to do whatever we can," said Heather L. Fairman, a Marine spouse. The family members, walked and talked for about three hours, keeping their spirits up the whole time.

"It's a lot of fun," Fairman said.

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KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, Japan--Pfc. Phillip Chavis, a dog handler with the Marine Corps Base Camp Butler Provost Marshal’s Office, gets attacked
June 6 during a demonstration at Kadena Elementary School.

Photo: Cpl. Kevin M. Knallay/USMC
6/6/2008 9:26 AM

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Okinawa Marines, airmen demonstrate working dogs to elementary school pupils

6/13/2008 By Lance Cpl. Joseph A. Cabrera, III MEF

KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, Japan — A military working dog demonstration captured the attention of Kadena Elementary School students June 6. Marine dog handlers from the Marine Corps Base Provost Marshal's Office and airmen from the 18th Security Forces Working Dog Section put on the demonstration to highlight for the students the duties of military working dogs and how they are trained.
The dogs displayed their ability to chase, effectively stop, and subdue aggressive and non-aggressive suspects during the demonstration. The students appeared impressed during the demonstration as a "noncompliant" suspect fell prey to the dog's speed, agility and bite.

Handlers also demonstrated how the dogs are used to search for explosives. During the demonstration, a training aid emitting a scent consistent with explosive material was discretely placed under a courtyard bench where it was quickly located by one of the dogs.

"It was a nice interaction between students and the military. It builds respect for the services," said Ron Uhl, the assistant principal of Kadena Elementary School. "We can't wait to have them here next year."

The demonstration illustrated how working dogs are often used in combat to locate weapons caches or improvised explosive devices, said Tech. Sgt. Bradley Stem, 18th Security Forces Working Dog Section working dog trainer. The benefit of having a working dog during a search is invaluable as the dog's keen sense of smell enables military police to quickly locate illegal material that could go undetected without a dog, even in an exhaustive search, said Marine Sgt. Aaron Nuckles, assistant kennel master for PMO.

"When you have been working with a dog long enough, and you walk into a room, you can notice immediately the dog's behavior, and you know something is there," he said.

Another benefit of working with dogs is their unwavering loyalty, Nuckles said.

"They don't talk back, and you're the boss," he added. "They live to make you happy; their whole life is to make you happy."

The dogs and their handlers receive their training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The handlers and K-9's must complete a 90-day training program. During the course, the dogs are trained and certified to respond to aggressive behavior, and are conditioned to search for either narcotics or explosives but, for safety reasons, not both, Stem said.

Currently the two breeds of dogs selected for military service are German Shepherds and Belgian Milionis. Stem said they typically perform better than other breeds and adapt quicker to climate changes. The two breeds display a natural aggression that is needed to perform the duties of a military working dog.

Working dogs typically serve eight to ten years before being retired. Those involved said the demonstration went very well and the staff at Kadena Elementary School is looking forward to hosting a similar event next year.

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Burma relief effort unites US, Indonesian forces

6/13/2008 By Lance Cpl. Aaron D. Hostutler , III MEF

MEDAN, Indonesia — Two Marine Corps C-130s arrived at Polonia International Airport June 6 to pick up more than 70 tents to be provided to the disaster relief effort in Burma.
The tents were donated by the United Nations Children's Fund in an effort to reestablish school facilities destroyed by Cyclone Nargis, which ripped through the county May 3 killing thousands and wiping out crops and communities. The U.S. Marine Corps, Indonesian military and UNICEF combined forces to prepare the tents to be sent out to the areas most affected by the storm, primarily the Irrawaddy Delta.

"The children and their families have suffered extensive trauma through the cyclone," said Anna Stechert, the officer in charge of UNICEFs Banda Ache office. "These school tents will be used by students to continue their studies."

While basics such as food, water, clothing and shelter remain chief concerns during the relief effort, some people think there are other factors to consider.

"With the catastrophe that's happened, there is a lot of chaos, so the best thing we can do for these children is to provide them with structure and a sense of normalcy," Stechert said.

Each tent measures 72 square meters in size and can facilitate at least 50 children, according to Stechert.

Officials also stated that with such a large capacity, the tents could serve more than one purpose.

The tents could serve as temporary public facilities since people have nowhere to congregate due to the loss of so many buildings in the affected areas, said Michael Rousek, the deputy principle officer at the U.S. consulate in Medan Sumatra.

The tents were taken to Thailand to be unpacked and then repackaged with other relief supplies for transport to Burma, Rousek said.

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3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade showcases helicopter relief capabilities

6/13/2008 By Lance Cpl. Aaron D. Hostutler, III MEF

U-TAPAO ROYAL THAI AIRFIELD, Thailand — — Using C-130 aircrafts, the U.S. Marine Corps has continued to send relief supplies to Burma in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, a storm that ravaged the country May 3 killing thousands and destroying crops and infrastructure.
However, many of the supplies can not make it to areas severely affected due to impassable roadways.

Recent CNN reports cite 130,000 people either dead or missing as a result of the cyclone. The United Nations Children’s Fund has estimates that only 50 percent of the affected areas have received help.

U.S. officials have tried for weeks to convince the military leaders of Burma to allow helicopters to deliver supplies, but the isolationist regime has refused any such offer.

To increase pressure on Burmese officials to allow more U.S. aide, the Marine Corps put on an air show of sorts at U-Tapao Royal Thai Airfield May 31 to demonstrate to various international news agencies the capabilities of the U.S. helicopters, attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The event included a refueling display and a CH-46 supply movement demonstration. The Marines also gave rides to members of the media to allow them to document first hand the versatility of the helicopters.

“These helicopters have a grand capability,” said Brig. Gen. Ronald Bailey, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. “They can be used in several ways.”

Helicopters deliver supplies more efficiently to remote areas than a C-130, especially when there is a small landing zone is available, Bailey said. But even if the helicopter can not land, it can still hover and drop the supplies to the people. The helicopters can also make multiple deliveries in one trip to an area.

“We originally came to Thailand for Cobra Gold, an exercise that helps build relations and interoperability between nations for cases just like this,” Bailey said. “Now we have a chance to put that training to use. We just want to gain the opportunity to provide further assistance.”

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SALINAS, Peru-Brig. Gen. John Croley (center) commander of U.S. Marines Forces South, watches the amphibious assault with Capt. de Navio Carlos Tello (left) commandant of the Peruvian Marine Corps, and Tello's chief of staff. SPMAGTF 24 is currently supporting Partnership of the Americas 2008, a U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) sponsored operation designed to strengthen regional partnership and improve multi-national interoperability, while enhancing the operational readiness of all assigned units.

Official US Marine Corps Photo
6/9/2008 6:32 AM

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Special Marine Air Ground Task Force 24 conducts amphibious assault in Peru

6/10/2008 By Maj. Winston Jimenez, 24th Marine Regiment

SALINAS, Peru — "He who wishes peace, should prepare for war; he who desires victory, should carefully train his soldiers.”

The above quote is universally attributed to Publius Favius Vegetius Renatus, a Roman military writer during the 4th century. Centuries later, those words inspired the motto for the 24th Marine Regiment, “si vis pacem, para bellum” – if you want peace, prepare for war.

Living up to their motto, the Marines of Special Marine Air Ground Task Force 24 (SPMAGTF 24), comprised mainly of Marines from the 24th Marine Regiment, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., conducted an Amphibious Assault with Peruvian Marines on the desolate, Spartan beaches of Salinas, as part of Partnership of the Americas 2008.

The motto, if you want peace prepare for war, is an ‘in your face’ way of stating a universal truth and parallels the venerable Marine Corps motto of being “the most ready when the nation is the least ready”.

For most of the 500 plus Marines, this assault, the largest of its kind conducted on a regimental level, was the first time they have conducted an amphibious assault and for many the first time on ship.

“It’s been a long time since Marines have even done amphibious operations at this level,” said Maj Bill Sablan, Assistant Operations Officer, SPMAGTF 24. “With everything that’s been going on over the last seven years [the Long War] we’ve gotten away from our core capabilities…this allows them to see where the Marine Corps started.”

LtCol. Russell Scott, SPMAGTF 24 Operations Officer, parallels Sablan’s sentiments. “Ninety percent of the Marines of the SPMAGTF 24 are combat veterans from operations in Iraq, but most have never been on a ship much less an amphibious assault."
There is another aspect as to why we train with our allies.

“Training scenarios and bilateral exchanges address key aspects of multinational and combined operations such as technology standardization and common operating procedures that are vital to improving interoperability throughout Latin America," said Col Brent Dunahoe, Commanding Officer, SPMAGTF 24. “Only by working, communicating, knowing each other’s processes and procedures, can we hope to have the relationships we need in the event of a crisis requiring a multinational effort.”

Underscoring a commitment to understand each other's operating procedures, the U.S. Marines in Peru exchanged squads embedding them into each other’s assault forces reinforcing a requirement to understand processes between the allied nations while conducting combined operations.

"Living aboard a Peruvian ship and working hand in hand with the Peruvian Marines was a once in a life time experience," said 2ndLt Michael Becker, officer in charge of the embedded squad of Marines aboard the BAP Paita. "Having the chance to conduct an amphibious assault with, and helping them grow as a Corps while we also got a chance to practice amphibious assaults mitigated the challenges our own Marine Corps currently faces."

The SPMAGTF, comprised mainly of Marines from the 24th Marine Regiment, has the support of detachments from 3rd Force Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Intelligence Support Battalion, 6th Communications Battalion, Marine Corps Systems Command and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 764.

From Apr 18th until June 22nd, SPMAGTF 24 is in the US Southcom Area of Operations to conduct operations and exercises with Partner Nation military forces. The operations are looking to train a multinational force trained in combined naval operations with the objective of raising the level of joint operations, as well as seeking mutual confidence, cooperation and friendship.

It also looks to contribute to the regional stability via interaction, the exchange of professional experiences when it comes to planning, defense, combat doctrine, crisis management, logistics, communications and other themes of mutual interest.
The Marines of the SPMAGTF 24 are now combat hardened veterans with the experiences expected of Marines -- trained in Amphibious Assaults.

“This is why we are here to train with our Peruvian allies, ‘Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum.’ If you want peace we have to prepare for war,” Dunahoe said.

POA is an annual U.S. Marine Corps Forces South multi-national exercise in support of the Theater Security Cooperation Plan and UNITAS, a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored, multi-national naval exercise executed by U. S. Naval Forces Southern Command. POA 08 focuses on interoperability and theater security cooperation events, at sea and on shore. U.S. maritime forces work jointly

With partner nation governmental forces throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America to develop the relationships needed to ensure maritime security in the region.

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HATTIESBURG, Miss.- Ruby Lucas, widow of Medal of Honor recipient Jack Lucas, is comforted by friends and family during graveside services here June 9. Hundreds gathered to say farewell to Jack Lucas, who enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 14 and later went on to receive the nation's highest military decoration at 17 for his actions on Iwo Jima.

Official photo by Gunnery Sgt. J.J. Connolly, Jr. / USMC
6/9/2008 1:25 PM

Front Page ~ Passages

A hero’s farewell

6/9/2008 By Gunnery Sgt. J.J. Connolly Jr., Marine Forces Reserve

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Marine Forces Reserve leathernecks said goodbye to one of their own, joining military, civic and veterans groups in honoring the youngest recipient of the Medal of Honor in Marine Corps history here June 9.

Jacklyn Harold “Jack” Lucas, who passed away June 5 following a struggle with cancer, was laid to rest at Highland Cemetery in his adopted hometown. Support provided by MFR included pall bearers, a ceremonial firing detail and two buglers to perform echo taps.

Prior to internment, more than 500 people gathered at the Lake Terrace Convention Center for a service to remember the man so eager to serve in the Marine Corps that he forged his mother’s signature in order to enlist at the age of 14.

According to a biographical account, Lucas landed on Iwo Jima as a member of the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division, just five days after his 17th birthday. On D-plus one, Lucas and three other Marines were ambushed by an enemy patrol. During the close combat, two enemy hand grenades landed in front of the three Marines. Lucas threw himself on the first grenade and pulled the other under him, absorbing the brunt of the blast. He was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on Oct. 5, 1945.

Warm tales were told by those who crossed paths with Lucas, from military comrades to those who recently became acquainted.

“He was a down to Earth person … not conceited or stuck up, and we all enjoyed having him in our presence,” said 79-year-old Charlie D. Jones, an Army veteran and fellow member of the local Scottish Rite. “He was proud of who he was and what he’d accomplished during his lifetime.”

Jerry Strickland, a former member of the Marine Corps Reserve, established a year-long friendship with Lucas after seeing his memoir “Indestructible: The Unforgettable Story of a Marine Hero at the Battle of Iwo Jima” in a local bookstore. He described Lucas as patriotic, independent and very humorous.

“Jack Lucas had one of the funniest senses of humor that I’ve ever seen in my life,” said the social worker from Gulfport, Miss. Strickland went on to explain that as time passed, he felt that Lucas’s story needed to reach a wider audience and offered to help sell copies of the book. “He was also an incredibly patriotic man who had a lot of insight into people … he was the kind of person that everybody liked”

“He was a grateful American who loved life and cut a wide swath,” recounted the Honorable H.C. "Barney" Barnum Jr., deputy assistant secretary of the Navy
(Reserve Affairs) and fellow member of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Barnum fondly recalled hearing tales of Lucas’s exploits during a Marine Corps career that spanned more than 27 years.

In the years after receiving the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam on December 18, 1965, Barnum was able to meet Lucas, and foster a relationship over the next forty-two years.

When asked what advice he thought Lucas would have to offer young Marines of today, Barnum was quick to respond. “Work hard, take care of the Marine on your left and your right, keep up the Marine Corps traditions and don’t ever do anything to discredit or embarrass the United States Marine Corps.”

Front Page ~ Northrop Grumman In-house Editorial

Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won -- Superior Air Refueling

Highlighting Reasons the U.S. Air Force Selected the KC-45 Tanker as Best for Our Men and Women in Uniform.

WASHINGTON -- June 12, 2008 -- The U.S. Air Force found Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) bid to build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers superior to Boeing's in four of the five most important selection criteria. Despite this fact, the losing bidder wants the Government Accountability Office to overturn the Air Force decision to award the contract to Northrop Grumman even though the Air Force conducted what even Boeing described as a fair, open and transparent bidding process. Here is another reason Northrop Grumman won, drawn from a list of facts included in a redacted version of a protected Air Force selection document.


Fuel Offload

When it published its Request For Proposal (RFP) for America's next generation of aerial refueling tankers, the Air Force clearly stated it was placing a priority on superior refueling capacity, the number-one mission for a tanker, even as it sought an aircraft more versatile than the one it was replacing. In the document in which it explained to both companies why Northrop Grumman's bid was superior, the Air Force concluded that Northrop Grumman was better able to transfer fuel to other aircraft -- and receive fuel from other tankers -- than Boeing, earning Northrop Grumman a clear win in this vital evaluation category.

Northrop Grumman "provides better fuel offload at all distances from bases," the document noted. "Benefit: A single (Northrop Grumman tanker) can refuel more receivers and/or provide more fuel per receiver than" Boeing's aircraft.

The reason for this is that Boeing's proposed aircraft would be smaller and would be able to carry less fuel than Northrop Grumman's. Boeing's smaller, less-flexible proposed aircraft left it behind Northrop Grumman in a variety of categories.

"Northrop Grumman offered a superior fuel offload and receive rate...compared to Boeing's," the document notes.

The Air Force also made clear that it found Northrop Grumman's fuel offload capability to be more efficient than Boeing's.

"The (Northrop Grumman aircraft) also provides more pounds of fuel offload per pound of fuel used compared to the (proposed Boeing aircraft) at all ranges."

In its written summary, the Air Force said Northrop Grumman's "Aerial refueling capability was compelling" to its decision. "Northrop Grumman's offer was a superior solution to the air refueling requirement, which is a key performance parameter."

About the KC-45

The KC-45 Tanker aircraft will be assembled in Mobile, Ala., and the KC-45 team will employ 48,000 American workers at 230 U.S. companies in 49 states. It will be built by a world-class industrial team led by Northrop Grumman, and includes EADS North America, General Electric Aviation and Sargent Fletcher.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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AL QA'IM, Iraq-Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders arrive at Camp Al Qa'im, Iraq, on a CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter to sign autographs and meet the Marines and sailors of Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5, June 6. The cheerleaders volunteered to go out and show support for deployed troops by putting on performances and visiting bases in Kuwait and Iraq.

Photo: Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray / USMC
6/5/2008 9:52 PM

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Eagles send in the troops

6/6/2008 By Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray, Regimental Combat Team 5

AL QA'IM, Iraq — Dust and debris filled the air as a CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter approached the landing pad with gunners manning their weapons on the port and starboard sides of the helicopter. The rear platform dropped and a team quickly disembarked, ready to continue its mission.

The team wasn’t made up of Marines, however, it was five cheerleaders with the Philadelphia Eagles on a tour to visit deployed service members in Kuwait and Iraq.

The cheerleaders’ quest to get into country and visit deployed troops was not an easy one and took almost two years to accomplish. They finally got their wish and headed to Kuwait on June 1. They stopped at a few bases along the way and arrived here June 6, where the “Warlords” of Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5, reside.

“An e-mail was sent out to all the (National Football League) teams,” said Eagles’ cheerleader Nikki Bell. “We absolutely wanted to do this. The five of us begged to go, because we wanted to do it two years ago, but couldn’t for security reasons.”

Service members lined up out the door of the Morale Welfare and Recreation center for nearly three hours to get autographed photos and have their pictures taken with them.

“The girls knew there would be a good response to their visit, but it has really been an overwhelming one,” said Brian Lee, the cheerleaders’ tour manager.

The ladies and their manager have had the chance to experience different aspects of the Corps, including using military helicopters for transport and learning about certain weapons systems.

“It’s an awesome experience for us,” Bell said.

Aircrafts aren’t the only pieces of Marine Corps culture the cheerleaders got to partake in. They have had to live, sleep and eat in the same conditions as the Marines they visit.

“Living conditions and the food turned out to be much better than expected,” Lee said. “We’ve been treated very well since we got here.”

Only three hours after their arrival, the girls finished up their autographs, said their goodbyes and were off to the landing pad, ready to board a helicopter and fly to another base.

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AL QA'IM, Iraq-Rachael Washburn, a cheerleader with the Philadelphia Eagles, signs an autograph for a Marine with Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5, June 6. The cheerleaders are making their way across Kuwait and Iraq after volunteering to
visit deployed troops.

Photo: Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray / USMC
6/5/2008 10:49 PM

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AL QA'IM, Iraq-Nikki Bell, a cheerleader with the Philadelphia Eagles, holds a unit coin given to her by Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5, June 6 at Camp Al Qa'im, Iraq. Bell and four other cheerleaders volunteered to visit deployed troops in Kuwait and Iraq almost two years ago, but certain circumstances made it difficult to achieve. "The five of us begged to go," Bell said. "We wanted to do it two years ago, but couldn't for security reasons."

Photo: Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray / USMC
6/6/2008 12:14 AM

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BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES $10 MILLION GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION CONTRACT FOR OUTER TACTICAL VESTS

12 Jun 2008 | Ref. 182/2008

PHOENIX, Arizona? BAE Systems has been awarded a $10 million contract from the General Services Administration for Outer Tactical Vests (OTV) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War On Terrorism. The OTV, when combined with Small Arms Protective Insert plates, provides advanced protection against fragments from mines, grenades, mortar shells, artillery fire, and from rifle projectiles.

BAE Systems has manufactured more than 334,000 OTVs since the product's inception in 2003. Over 155,000 Improved Outer Tactical Vests, an advanced version of the OTV fielded to the U.S. Army, have been manufactured by BAE Systems to date. Production for the OTV will be completed at facilities located in Tennessee and Alabama with deliveries scheduled for completion by June 2008.

BAE Systems employs nearly 675 individual equipment employees at its Tennessee and Alabama facilities and combined, has over 186,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space at these locations. The Individual Equipment business unit is a world leader in the development and manufacture of individual warfighter and tactical systems for militaries and homeland security forces. Operating 12 factories with over 2,300 employees around the U.S., Individual Equipment manufactures head-to-toe integrated survivability products including body armor, vests, hydration systems, assault packs, helmets, flotation collars, parachutes, air crew ensembles and other protective products.


About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is the premier global defense and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 97,500 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £15.7 billion (US$31.4 billion) in 2007.

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BAE SYSTEMS PILOT TAKES WORLD LATEST FIGHTER AIRBORNE FOR THE FIRST TIME

12 Jun 2008 | Ref. 179/2008

Fort Worth, Texas – With BAE Systems test pilot Graham Tomlinson at the controls, the first short take off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 Lightning II has taken to the skies above Fort Worth, Texas, for the first time.

The former Royal Air Force Harrier pilot, now employed by F-35 programme partner BAE Systems at its military aircraft business in Lancashire North West England, flew this latest member of the F-35 family, from Lockheed Martin’s Forth Worth facility. The F-35 Lightning II is the world’s biggest ever fighter aircraft programme.

As planned, initial F-35 STOVL flights will be conventional, with transitions to short take off, hovers and vertical landings commencing during the aircraft’s flight test programme.

Speaking after the flight Graham said: “A great team effort led to a relaxed first flight, with the aircraft handling and performing as predicted following earlier flights by the conventional variant of F-35 and many hours of simulator testing.”

Mick Ord, BAE Systems’ F-35 Lightning II Managing Director added: “The STOVL variant of the
F-35 Lightning II is one of the most complex aircraft ever built. BAE Systems, with its long STOVL experience from development and manufacture of the Harrier fighter, is a key partner in this cutting edge technology programme.”

Three versions of the F-35 Lightning II are planned: a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL), a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) and a carrier variant (CV). Each is derived from a common design, and will ensure that the F-35 meets the performance and affordability needs of the US Air Force, US Marine Corps, US Navy, the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and export customers.

BAE Systems’ involvement in the F-35 Lightning II involves businesses based on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to design, development and manufacturing activities in the United Kingdom,the Company’s American businesses deliver key capabilities including electronic warfare, advanced low observable apertures, advanced countermeasure systems, the platform management computer and active inceptor systems, among others.

The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), will be the world’s first and only stealthy, supersonic, multi-role fighter. The F-35 is being developed to replace the US AV-8B Harrier, A-10, F-16 and the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, and for the UK’s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy to replace the Harrier GR9.


About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is the premier global defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 97,500 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £15.7 billion (US $31.4 billion) in 2007.

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BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES $10 MILLION GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION CONTRACT FOR OUTER TACTICAL VESTS

12 Jun 2008 | Ref. 182/2008

PHOENIX, Arizona? BAE Systems has been awarded a $10 million contract from the General Services Administration for Outer Tactical Vests (OTV) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War On Terrorism. The OTV, when combined with Small Arms Protective Insert plates, provides advanced protection against fragments from mines, grenades, mortar shells, artillery fire, and from rifle projectiles.

BAE Systems has manufactured more than 334,000 OTVs since the product's inception in 2003. Over 155,000 Improved Outer Tactical Vests, an advanced version of the OTV fielded to the U.S. Army, have been manufactured by BAE Systems to date. Production for the OTV will be completed at facilities located in Tennessee and Alabama with deliveries scheduled for completion by June 2008.

BAE Systems employs nearly 675 individual equipment employees at its Tennessee and Alabama facilities and combined, has over 186,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space at these locations. The Individual Equipment business unit is a world leader in the development and manufacture of individual warfighter and tactical systems for militaries and homeland security forces. Operating 12 factories with over 2,300 employees around the U.S., Individual Equipment manufactures head-to-toe integrated survivability products including body armor, vests, hydration systems, assault packs, helmets, flotation collars, parachutes, air crew ensembles and other protective products.


About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is the premier global defense and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 97,500

Front Page

BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES $10 MILLION GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION CONTRACT FOR OUTER TACTICAL VESTS

12 Jun 2008 | Ref. 182/2008

PHOENIX, Arizona? BAE Systems has been awarded a $10 million contract from the General Services Administration for Outer Tactical Vests (OTV) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War On Terrorism. The OTV, when combined with Small Arms Protective Insert plates, provides advanced protection against fragments from mines, grenades, mortar shells, artillery fire, and from rifle projectiles.

BAE Systems has manufactured more than 334,000 OTVs since the product's inception in 2003. Over 155,000 Improved Outer Tactical Vests, an advanced version of the OTV fielded to the U.S. Army, have been manufactured by BAE Systems to date. Production for the OTV will be completed at facilities located in Tennessee and Alabama with deliveries scheduled for completion by June 2008.

BAE Systems employs nearly 675 individual equipment employees at its Tennessee and Alabama facilities and combined, has over 186,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space at these locations. The Individual Equipment business unit is a world leader in the development and manufacture of individual warfighter and tactical systems for militaries and homeland security forces. Operating 12 factories with over 2,300 employees around the U.S., Individual Equipment manufactures head-to-toe integrated survivability products including body armor, vests, hydration systems, assault packs, helmets, flotation collars, parachutes, air crew ensembles and other protective products.


About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is the premier global defense and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 97,500 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £15.7 billion (US $31.4 billion) in 2007.

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Fury shares some components with the BAE Systems HERTI, seen above.

Photo: BAE Systems

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FURY JOINS UNMANNED SYSTEMS FAMILY

11 Jun 2008 | Ref. 176/2008


San Diego, California - BAE Systems has unveiled the latest member of its UAS (Unmanned Autonomous System) family. Sharing a similar airframe and some vehicle system components with the HERTI reconnaissance and surveillance UAS, Fury is an armed reconnaissance and close air support UAS which features latest generation mission systems avionics, a newly developed stores management system and a proven weapon guidance system.

Unveiled to coincide with the start of a major autonomous systems exhibition in San Diego, Fury is the product of a distinct military development programme. It has been developed and trialled in partnership with Thales UK’s missile business in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This latest member of the BAE Systems’ UAS family is armed with the new Thales Lightweight Multi-role Missile (LMM) system, selected for Fury due to its suitability for lightweight manoeuvrable platforms, and for its ability to fire on the move while delivering significant precision effects. LMM is small in size and builds on the heritage of combat proven munitions such as Starstreak and Starburst.

Speaking at the start of a major autonomous systems exhibition in San Diego, California, BAE Systems’ project director Chris Clarkson said: “Fury is an affordable and reliable platform which has the ability to perform a number of military roles. With a high degree of autonomy, it combines many of the already proven elements of our other unmanned platforms, including a small logistic footprint and low operator workload with a reliable and highly accurate weapon system.”

Trials have seen the successful completion of missile blast effects analysis trials on the fuselage, successful target engagement with a live round fired from a static Fury UAS and the successful capture and tracking of ground targets from an airborne Fury UAS. Airborne trials have also simulated remote firing of the missile towards a fixed target.

Future trials will demonstrate the guided launch of a live weapon from an airborne Fury vehicle. These will demonstrate the safe separation of the weapon from the aircraft and that the avionics and weapon systems can successfully guide a live weapon to the target. Target acquisition, designation, tracking, and guidance are performed by the avionics and mission system, while target confirmation and authority to launch the weapon are given by the weapons operator from the ground station, via a high-integrity data link.

Other members of BAE Systems’ unmanned autonomous systems family include the HERTI reconnaissance and surveillance UAS which was successfully deployed in Afghanistan by the Royal Air Force in 2007 and Taranis, a £124m Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator programme that will help inform the UK MoD on the balance and capability of its ‘future force mix’.


About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is the premier global defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 97,500 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £15.7 billion (US $31.4 billion) in 2007.

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Another member of the BAE Autonomous Control Family is the CORAX "Flying Wing," seen here.

Photo: BAE Systems

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ABOARD USS ESSEX -Crew members push a Marine attack squadron's AV-8B Harrier onto the ship's aircraft elevator. Preparing for possible disaster-relief efforts following the catastrophic cyclone that ripped through Myanmar, Marine Attack Squadron 513, attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, recently collected and delivered supplies and passports in Thailand to the USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group floating off Myanmar's coast.

Photo: Petty Officer 3rd Class Gabriel S. Weber / USN
4/29/2008 10:37 AM

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Harrier squadron provides unlikely and vital assistance

6/4/2008 By Staff,
Marine Attack Squadron 513


ABOARD USS ESSEX, Andaman Sea — The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit had an immediate need to obtain passports as well as helicopter parts and supplies for possible humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts to support the victims of Cyclone Nargis.

The problem was the passports were at the American embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, requiring a delivery route of over 900 nautical miles.

Fortunately, an out-of-the-box solution was offered by the 1st Marine Air Wing to deliver the passports as soon as they were completed by the embassy. The AV-8B Harriers of Marine Attack Squadron 513 would be used to make the long-range delivery to the USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group, floating off the coast of Burma.

On May 17, the VMA Marines took a short break from close air support training with the Thai military in support of Exercise Cobra Gold '08 and quickly reconfigured their aircraft with baggage pods to carry the urgently needed supplies. The Harriers worked closely with the Marines of Marine Aerial Refueler Squadron 152, another 1st MAW unit, to plan the mission.

Two Harrier pilots flew from Korat to Utaphao, Thailand, to pick up helicopter parts and the passports. The pilots then set course for the USS Essex, a circuitous route which was almost entirely over water and was complicated by the fact that they had to stay completely clear of Burmese airspace. The mission also required quick response from the USS Essex ARG to relocate to a politically suitable recovery location. VMA-513 maintenance Marines and the USS Essex Air Department recovered the AV-8Bs onboard the ship and quickly exchanged parts and documents.

The Harriers launched and rendezvoused with VMGR 152’s KC-130Js still orbiting overhead. In total, the Harrier pilots flew over 1800 nautical miles to the USS Essex and back to Thailand, refueling once on the ship and twice airborne with the help of VMGR 152’s Hercules planes. Total mission time was five hours.

“The mission was so important because if we get the opportunity to actually go into Burma and help, the necessary people will now have the tools they need for success,” said Maj. Cory Simmons, a pilot with VMA-513. “We did it in a timely fashion due to basing flexibility. We were the only ones with the legs to complete the mission. And as an added benefit, both us and the KC-130s accomplished important strategic tanker qualification training.”

For those units on the ships, the VMA’s efforts were a success as it ensured total mission readiness of MEU and USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group service members.

“The Harriers brought us the necessary parts to bring us one step closer to having all of our helicopters fully operational,” said Master Sgt. William Schmidt, a maintenance crew chief with HMM-265.

Commodore, Amphibious Squadron Eleven, Capt. Anthony Pachuta said of the mission, “This was crucial to the Navy/Marine team on being able to execute any mission inside of Burma with the requirement that all Air, LCU and LCAC crews have passports. The pilots of VMA -513 gave new meaning to the mission of COD (carrier onboard delivery) and provided if in the future we are tasked to conduct HADR mission into Burma that execution would not have been possible without them being able to fly the passports out to the ESSEX. Success is defined by small victories and this success was a small victory for the Navy/Marine team on the ESX ARG.”

The mission completed by the VMA pilots was the first MEU mission in support of Joint Task Force Caring Response. The Harriers were the only aircraft in the Pacific Theatre able to fly from Uthapao to the USS Essex ARG and deliver supplies. The mission highlights the Harrier’s flexibility and versatility.

MEU commanding officer, Col. John Mayer, said of the mission, “Considering the Burmese governments requirement for everyone to have a passport and our location off the coast of Burma, the Harriers were the only platform in the JTF that could respond quickly, from land base to ship, and over the distance necessary to support the mission. As a MEU commander, I appreciate the flexibility of Short Take off Vertical Landing aviation.”

As the MEU and the USS Essex ARG continue preparations to support Operation Caring Response, Harriers from VMA-513 stand ready to provide whatever unique support is required from an attack aircraft during humanitarian assistance operations.

"This was untraditional tasking for a Harrier squadron but it was a good mission,” said Lt. Col. Christopher J. Parkhurst, commanding officer, VMA-513. “It was great to contribute to the contingency effort while highlighting the flexibility of Short Take off Vertical Landing aviation. The MAGTF has always prided itself on its ability to accomplish tasks that no one else can, and this is just one more example of that."

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ABOARD USS ESSEX, Andaman Sea-Cpl. Steven Cabrera, right, assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265, aboard the USS Essex (LHD 2), carries supplies transported from the USNS Walter S. Diehl during an underway replenishment. The Marines and sailors of the 31st MEU and Essex Amphibious Ready Group are currently off the coast of Myanmar, awaiting approval to provide humanitarian aide and disaster relief in wake of cyclone Nargis.

Photo: Staff Sgt. Marc Ayalin / DoD
6/1/2008 10:49 AM

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A flight of U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60A helicopters in trail. The U.S. Army has just completed fully equipping the 4-101 Assault Battalion with the new UH-60M Blackhawk.

Sikorsky Photo

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Sikorsky Aircraft Fully Equips First U.S. Army Unit With UH-60M BLACK HAWK Helicopters


June. 11, 2008

STRATFORD, Conn., June 11, 2008 – Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today delivered the 30th UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter to the U.S. Army for the 4-101 Assault Battalion, making it the First Unit Equipped (FUE) with the aircraft. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

The new aircraft provide the Army with many enhancements critical to supporting its missions. These enhancements include a new fully digitized cockpit with four multi-function displays, a four-axis fully coupled flight director, digital map, dual embedded global positioning/inertial navigation system, and an integrated vehicle health management system (IVHMS). The model also features wide chord composite blades and an increased shaft horsepower performance engine.

“Our employees showed tremendous determination and teamwork to produce these aircraft and get them to the field on time,” said Sikorsky President Jeffrey P. Pino. “The new program required a major ramp-up and a necessary learning curve, but we were united in our commitment that we were not going to let our soldiers down.”

“What has been accomplished over the past seven months is nothing short of phenomenal,” said Lt. Col. Bert Vergez, Army UH-60M Helicopter Product Manager, upon receiving the final FUE aircraft. “Thanks to Sikorsky, the 4-101 Assault Battalion will have aircraft to carry them through to victory. In all my 22 years of active service, I have never been more proud of America's citizen soldiers – the Sikorsky team is truly above the best.”

The UH-60M helicopter is slated to replace older BLACK HAWK helicopters currently in the U.S. Army’s fleet and represents the Army’s third standard baseline BLACK HAWK version in the 30-year production history of the program. In December 2007, the U.S. government and Sikorsky Aircraft signed a five-year, multi-service contract for 537 H-60 HAWK™ helicopters to be delivered to the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. In addition to the UH-60M helicopters, the contract involves HH-60M MEDEVAC, MH-60S SEAHAWK™ and MH-60R SEAHAWK® aircraft. The contract value for expected deliveries is approximately $7.4 billion and includes options for an additional 263 aircraft, spares, and kits, with the total contract value potentially reaching $11.6 billion. Pentagon acquisition priorities and funding allocations set by Congress will determine actual production quantities year by year over the life of the program. Deliveries are scheduled to take place from 2007 to 2012.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. The company’s long commitment to safety and innovation is reflected in its mission statement: “We pioneer flight solutions that bring people home everywhere … every time.”™ United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in government procurement priorities and practices or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corporation's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

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BAE SYSTEMS APPOINTS NEW NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

11 Jun 2008 | Ref. 178/2008

BAE SYSTEMS APPOINTS NEW NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
London, United Kingdom – The Board of BAE Systems plc has today appointed Carl Symon as a non-executive director of the Company.

Carl Symon retired from IBM in 2001 having held a number of senior positions in the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia; including Chairman and Chief Executive of IBM UK Ltd. He is a former non-executive director of Rolls-Royce Group plc.

He is Chairman of HMV Group plc and a non-executive director of Rexam plc and BT Group plc.

Welcoming Carl Symon’s appointment, Dick Olver, Chairman of BAE Systems said: “I am very pleased that Carl Symon has agreed to join the BAE Systems Board. During his career with IBM he managed a company rich in technology as it developed its business globally. The experience and knowledge he brings will further strengthen the BAE Systems Board.”

From 11 June 2008 the BAE Systems Board of Directors will be as follows:



Non Executive Directors
Dick Olver, chairman
Andy Inglis
Philip Carroll Jr.
Michael Hartnall
Sir Peter Mason
Sir Nigel Rudd
Roberto Quarta
Carl Symon
Ravi Uppal



Executive Directors
Mike Turner CBE, Chief Executive
George Rose, Group Finance Director
Ian King, Chief Operating Officer, UK & Rest of World
Walt Havenstein, Chief Operating Officer, President and CEO, BAE Systems, Inc.


About BAE Systems
BAE Systems is the premier global defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 97,500 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £15.7 billion (US $31.4 billion) in 2007.

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A Dakota DC3 undergoing a facelift.

Photo: MoD

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Veterans relive daring WWII operation in Poland - Monday 9 June 2008


Polish veterans of a World War II secret operation watched as a Dakota DC3 from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flew over a remote field in Matczyn near Lublin, the scene of their daring act 64 years ago.

As part of the Goraszka Air Show which took place this weekend near Warsaw, veterans were able to relive the mission which saw Flight Lieutenant Ted Harrod make an unprecedented landing to rescue General Stanislaw Tatar, Deputy Commander of the Polish underground forces, and four of his senior staff.

On 15 April 1944, Flt Lt Harrod made the gruelling 18 hour flight from Brindisi in Italy. In a small beetroot field at Matczyn, the Polish underground army, known as the AK, hastily set up a temporary landing strip. Harrod landed his Dakota in the dead of night, guided by just a few flares, dropped off two agents and boarded a precious cargo including Deputy Commander Tatar.

Against all odds, with barely 800 yards of runway, Harrod and his crew managed to get the Dakota airborne and brought the passengers safely to Italy, from where they were transferred to the UK. For his bravery and exemplary flying, Flt Lt Harrod was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and was later decorated with the Virtuti Militari Silver Class by the Polish Government.

Ted Harrod’s widow, two sons, daughter and grandchildren had made the pilgrimage to Matczyn to see the BBMF Dakota over-fly the original landing site, joining the AK veterans who had participated in that operation on the ground as perimeter guards and aircraft marshals.

Patricia Harrod watched with her sons Stephen and Jonathan as the Dakota made four passes, commenting afterwards that:

"It makes me absolutely certain of what I already know, that I married a wonderful man. He never really talked about all this, but it is clear from the reaction of the local people that he and his crew did something very special"

Squadron Leader Al Pinner, Officer Commanding the BBMF, was also on the ground with the veterans. He said:

"We must always remember that there were many nations fighting alongside us during World War II, among the staunchest being the Poles, some of whom were killed in Nazi reprisals after this operation. For that reason it is very important that we were able to make this flypast today."

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Jonathan and Stephen Harrod watch the flyover in honour of their father and his crew.

Photo: MoD

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Inside a control ground station RAF and USAF aircrew remotely fly a Reaper on a mission.

Photo: MoD

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RAF Reaper deploys ground attack munitions

Friday 6 June 2008


An RAF Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle used its weapons system in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan earlier this week. As with any other munitions this was carried out under strict Rules of Engagement.

This action follows the announcement by the MOD, also this week, that the Reapers of No: 39 Squadron are now authorised to carry weapons.

Unlike the United States Air Force Reapers, which are frequently used to provide Close Air Support to troops, RAF Reapers are used predominately to provide Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) data to coalition and UK forces on Operations.39 Squadron, which is the RAF’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron, was reformed in January this year and operates from Nevada in the USA as part of the USAF 432nd Wing.

The Reaper aircraft are based in Afghanistan but are remotely controlled by satellite link from the USA. The Officer Commanding 39Sqn, Wg Cdr Andy Jeffrey, described his Squadron’s role: “Our mission is to provide persistent ISTAR, and where required offensive support to UK and Coalition forces involved in Operations.” He added more succinctly: “We are here to make a difference and save lives.”

Although it’s an RAF Squadron, 39Sqn is comprised of personnel from all three UK services; RAF, Royal Navy and the Army. The mix of different service personnel is seen by Wg Cdr Jeffrey as very much a key asset: ”To have an army soldier or Royal Marine who’s had ‘boots on the ground’ in Afghanistan [as part of the Squadron] is absolutely fantastic”.

During a mission the Reaper is controlled by a pilot and a sensor-operator both of whom are experienced aircrew. In addition, a mission coordinator present in the ground station alongside the aircrew is often an experienced soldier or Royal Marine.

Although operating from a purpose built ground station thousands of miles from where the Reaper is actually operating, Wg Cdr Jeffrey was keen to acknowledge the close bond between his Reaper crews and the troops on the ground on operations: “You are in that fight, you are listening to the guy on the ground, on that radio, and who’s taking incoming fire.” He added, “It comes back to people, of saving lives and making a difference, and we are doing that.”

The Ministry of Defence is procuring four Reaper UAVs as part of a UOR or Urgent Operational Requirement. The fourth Reaper will replace the one lost in an accident in April this year.

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SIDM completed its flight acceptance operations

05 June 2008

SIDM, the French interim system of medium-altitude longendurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has successfully completed its flight acceptance operations at Air Base 118, Mont-de-Marsan. The SIDM performance validation trials were conducted by the missile and UAV management unit (UM MID) of the French armaments directorate DGA, assisted by the Flight Test Centres (CEV) of Istres and Cazaux with participation from the electronic Centre of Armament (CELAR) at Bruz. SIDM which is a latest-generation system in the medium-altitude longendurance (MALE) category of UAVs, is dedicated to reconnaissance and tracking operations in the depth of the battlefield. Being equipped with optical sensors and radar, it will ensure that missions can be staged around the clock in all weathers. Thanks to its long endurance capability and the secure data transmission, the UAV will also be capable of transmitting data in real time to national and international joint command structures. This programme is led by EADS as prime contractor and system integrator, with significant contributions from Israel Aerospace Industry (IAI) which has developed and manufactured the aerial platform and other sub-systems.

Since December 2007, an integrated team of personnel from the DGA and the French Air Force has been carrying out verification of this UAV system consisting of three aerial vehicles, the payloads, the laser designator, two ground stations, the line-of-sight (LOS) supplied by EADS Defence & Security through its integrated activity Military Air Systems and satellite data link system supplied by InSNEC. These operations were conducted in perfect synergy between the teams from the authorities and from industry and the system demonstrated the capabilities required to carry out the assigned mission.

The acceptance campaign was concluded with the system being transferred into the ownership of the French Ministry of Defence, thus enabling training of the personnel at the French Military Flight Test Centre (CEAM). Following this, it will be the task of the UAV squadron to bring the system into operational service in the course of a test phase carried out in conjunction with CEAM.

Military Air Systems is an integrated activity of EADS Defence & Security (DS). DS is a systems solutions provider for armed forces and civil security worldwide. Its portfolio ranges from sensors and secure networks through missiles to aircraft and UAVs as well as global security, service and support solutions. In 2007, DS – with around 22,000 employees – achieved revenues of €5.5 billion. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2007, EADS generated revenues of €39.1 billion and employs a workforce of about 116,000.

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Date: 10/06/2008

Japan National Police Agency Orders Five More AW109 Powers


AgustaWestland and Kanematsu Corporation are pleased to announce they have been awarded a contract by the Japan National Police Agency (JNPA) to supply a further five AW109 Power Law Enforcement Helicopters as part of an on-going program to modernise the Police helicopter fleet. The 2008 order represents selection of the AW109 Power for the fourth consecutive year and demonstrates the Police’s satisfaction with the aircraft, the cost effectiveness of the aircraft and their confidence in Kanematsu’s product support infrastructure in Japan. This order will bring the total number of AW109 helicopters in service with the JNPA to twenty-one and continues AgustaWestland’s growing share of the Japanese light twin engine market. AgustaWestland expects this growth to continue over the coming years.

Giuseppe Orsi, CEO, AgustaWestland said "This latest order is further evidence of the growing success we have experienced in the Japanese helicopter market in recent years, meeting commercial, government and military requirements by offering the best solutions and establishing strong relationships with our local partners. We are committed to building on this success by offering the best solutions for future rotrcraft requirements in Japan. The recent opening of the AgustaWestland regional business headquarters in Tokyo will play a major role in supporting our expanding and already important presence in this key market."

This success builds upon the recent order by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for a second AW139 helicopter. In March 2008, the first AW139 maritime patrol and search and rescue helicopters were delivered to the Japan Coast Guard bringing the number of AW139 helicopters operating in Japan to four. In September 2007, the first KHI manufactured CH101 Antarctic Survey Helicopter, a variant of AgustaWestland’s AW101, was delivered to the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, bringing the number of helicopters in service with the JMSDF to three.

Front Page

Date: 09/06/2008

PZL-Swidnik Deliver 200th AW139 Airframe


In a ceremony held at PZL-Swidnik's facility in Poland last week the 200th AW139 airframe to be manufactured by PZL-Swidnik was accepted by AgustaWestland. Bruno Spagnolini, Managing Director – Operations said in a statement "We are delighted with PZL-Swidnik’s major contribution to the AW139 programme and that PZL-Swidnik and its employees are benefiting from the sales success the AW139 is having worldwide. Our long running successful and expanding cooperation will continue to grow as the sales of our helicopters continue to increase around the world.”

Since PZL-Swidnik and AgustaWestland started cooperation in 1996 PZL-Swidnik has manufactured nearly 800 airframes for AgustaWestland. PZL-Swidnik currently manufactures and assembles AW119 Ke, AW109 Power, AW109 LUH, Grand and AW139 airframes, sustaining nearly 1000 skilled staff at its Swidnik plant near Lublin. At current production rates of 15 airframes per month it is expected that PZL-Swidnik will deliver the 1000th airframe to AgustaWestland in the second half of 2009. The AW139 airframes constructed by PZL-Swidnik supply the two AW139 final assembly lines located at AgustaWestland's facilities in Vergiate, Italy and Philadelphia, USA.

AgustaWestland is the biggest industrial partner of PZL-Swidnik and provides work that represents over 30% of its annual turnover. PZL-Swidnik as a partner in the AW139 programme assisted in the design of the aircraft and manufactured the first prototype airframe in April 2000, marking the first time that PZL-Swidnik had participated in the construction of a new helicopter with a foreign company. The AW139 has become the best selling helicopter in its class worldwide with orders for almost 350 aircraft already placed by customers in 40 countries to date, making it the benchmark helicopter in the medium twin category for a number of tasks. Designed with inherent multi-role capability and flexibility of operation, the AW139 can perform many roles including law enforcement, offshore transport, search and rescue, emergency medical service, VIP/corporate transport and military utility missions. Approximately 150 aircraft are already in service worldwide.

Front Page

Date: 06/06/2008

Finnish Border Guard Orders Three AW119 Ke Helicopters

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that the Finnish Border Guard has chosen the AW119 Ke as its new helicopter to sustain its fleet modernization and enhancement programme. A total of three AW119 Ke single turbine powered helicopters have been ordered with an option for one additional aircraft. These helicopters will be used to perform various tasks including border patrol, special operations and firefighting. These new helicopters will be delivered in 2010 and will operate from Helsinki and Rovaniemi (Polar Circle) bases, flying in the harshest environmental and weather conditions and covering the entire Russian border. Vice Adm. Jaakko Smolander, Chief of Border Guard and Italian Ambassador Elisabetta Kelescian attended the signing ceremony held in Helsinki today.

The AW119 Ke was selected as the best helicopter in its class capable of carrying out a variety of demanding missions following a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation process by Finnish Border Guard officials, particularly focusing on performance and costs. The customer will also be provided with a dedicated training and support package. This order marks the entrance of AgustaWestland’s AW119 Ke helicopter into the European law enforcement and homeland security helicopter market. Moreover, this purchase continues and strengthens the longstanding relationship between AgustaWestland and the Finnish Border Guard who recently achieved a significant accomplishment of 100,000 flight hours with its AgustaWestland supplied AB206 and AB412 helicopters. The Finnish Border Guard‘s AW119 Ke helicopters will be fitted with dedicated tactical equipment and certified to perform NVG-capable missions. The AW119 Ke’s law enforcement and homeland security variant has a patrol time of approximately 5 hours and also has the largest cabin in its class which can be quickly reconfigured for different missions.

The Finnish Border Guard adds to a large number of leading customers operating this helicopter type for homeland security and government purposes in several countries including the United States, Mexico and China. Over 170 helicopters including both the A119 Koala and AW119 Ke have been ordered to date in more than 20 countries by almost 80 customers to perform various roles such as law enforcement, EMS, VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport and utility. The Finnish Border Guard is responsible for Finland's internal security, reporting to the Ministry of the Interior. The main functions of the Border Guard are guarding Finland’s land borders and territorial waters, carrying out passport control at border crossing points, ports and airports, as well as law enforcement, maritime safety and performing search and rescue operations, especially at sea.

Luftwaffe in Training at Red Flag 08-3

Front Page

Joint training at Red Flag Alaska 08-3

Two German crew chiefs prepare a Tornado for take off to participate in Red Flag-Alaska 08-3 June 9 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Red Flag-Alaska is a series of Pacific Air Forces commander-directed field training exercises for U.S. forces, providing joint offensive counter-air, interdiction, close-air-support and large force-employment training in a simulated combat environment.

U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Griffin

Front Page

Joint training at Red Flag Alaska 08-3

Two German Air Force pilots go through a pre-flight inspection June 9 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The Germans are participating in Red Flag-Alaska 08-3, a 10-day air combat training exercise held up to four times a year over Alaskan and Western Canadian airspace. The training helps pilots, aircrews and support members overcome the differences that might arise in the area of responsibility when working with foreign countries in combat situations.

U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Griffin

Front Page

Joint training at Red Flag Alaska 08-3

A German crew chief directs the pilot of a Tornado down the taxiway to take off June 9 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, during Red Flag-Alaska 08-3. Red Flag-Alaska is a series of Pacific Air Forces commander-directed field training exercises for U.S. forces, providing joint offensive counter-air, interdiction, close-air-support and large force-employment training in a simulated combat environment.

U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Griffin

Front Page

Joint training at Red Flag Alaska 08-3

German crew chiefs watch a Tornado prepare to take off during Red Flag-Alaska 08-3 June 9. Coordinating the training is the responsibility of Airmen with the 353rd Combat Training Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Coalition and American pilots, aircrews and support members are able to train in a realistic environment during the exercise.

U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Griffin

Front Page

Joint training at Red Flag Alaska 08-3

Two German Tornados fly over the flight line June 9 during Red Flag-Alaska 08-3 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Red Flag-Alaska is a series of Pacific Air Forces commander-directed field training exercises for U.S. forces, providing joint offensive counter-air, interdiction, close-air-support, and large force-employment training in a simulated combat environment.

U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Griffin

Front Page

Let's do a flight check ...

Capt. Jamie Riddle and an Iraqi Flight Instructor School student walk to the flightline before a recent mission at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. The Iraqi air force recently established the school for Iraqi pilots. Capt. Riddle is an instructor pilot with the 52nd Flying Training Squadron.

U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Allen

Front Page

080612-N-0640K-205 PACIFIC OCEAN (June 12, 2008) Capt. Ken J. Norton, commanding officer of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and Command Master Chief Jim Delozier salute to pay respect during a burial-at-sea ceremony aboard the ship.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jennifer S. Kimball (Released)

Front Page

080610-N-3659B-327 PACIFIC OCEAN (June 10, 2008) A Sailor passes control of an EA-6B Prowler assigned to the "Cougars" of Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (VAQ) 139 to another aircraft director on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is on a routine deployment in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility operating in the western Pacific and Indian oceans.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph M. Buliavac (Released)

Front Page

'Ever seen an elephant fly?'

May 18, 2008

A CH-47D Chinook helicopter with the Company B "Pachyderms" of 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) undergoes hover checks during a maintenance test flight at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 14, 2008. Photo courtesy Lt. Col. Clarence S. Kelley, Task Force AVCRAD

Photo by Clarence S. Kelley

Front Page

080606-N-9860Y-004 OAK HARBOR, Wash. (June 6, 2008) Members of the Marine Aviation Training Support Group 53 color guard lead the opening lap of cancer societies around the Oak Harbor Middle School track for the opening ceremony of the Relay For Life of North Whidbey, June 6. Relay For Life is a fundraiser held by the American Cancer Society to raise money for cancer research and to promote cancer awareness.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tucker M. Yates (Released)

Front Page

080525-N-5505M-005 NEW YORK (May 24, 2008) A color guard team parades the flag during the Sunset Parade aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) at Stapleton Pier in Staten Island, N.Y. Saluting the colors are Vice Adm. Marty Chanik, left, commander, U.S. Navy 2nd Fleet; Capt. Todd W. Bostock, commanding officer of the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61); Rear Adm. Frank Pandolfe, commander, Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group/Carrier Strike Group 2; and Monsignor James J. Dorney, a U.S. Coast Guard and former Navy Catholic chaplain.

U.S. Navy photo by Equipment Operator 1st Class Ruben Martinez (Released)

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Historic shot of a formation takeoff by a pair of Swedish Air Force SAAB J37 Viggen fighter jets during an afterburner takeoff from an Air Base in Sweden.

Photo: SAAB AB Archives