Finmeccanica: Libyan Rebels Will Honor Contracts

Representatives of Libyan rebels fighting Col. Moammar Gadhafi have told Finmeccanica that they will honor the Italian firm's Libyan contracts should they take over the country, a Finmeccanica official said.
Before civil conflict erupted in Libya in February, Finmeccanica was expecting to see between 250 million and 350 million euros in revenue this year from contracts signed with Gadhafi's government, mainly covering border control systems, government service helicopters and civil transport.

The firm's current backlog of orders from Libya stands at 800 million euros, 80 percent of which is related to transportation contracts, Finmeccanica has said.
"We have met with the interim government, and they have told us all present contracts would be confirmed," said Finmeccanica CFO Alessandro Pansa, referring to the Benghazi-based rebels.
"They are interested in border control and railway systems," he told analysts in a conference call April 28 to coincide with the release of Finmeccanica's first-quarter results.
In the first three months of 2011, Finmeccanica reported a 92 percent decline in net profit to 7 million euros, a fall it attributed to higher finance charges. Revenues dropped 5 percent to 3.86 billion euros.
Pansa said the conflict in Libya would not change Finmeccanica's revenue prediction for 2011 of between 18.3 billion and 19 billion euros.
"We don't expect to suffer much from the defense cuts of the U.S.," he added.

India Shortlists Rafale, Eurofighter for Jet Deal

NEW DELHI - India has shortlisted Dassault's Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon for a $12 billion dollar fighter jet deal, cutting out U.S. bidders from one of the largest military contracts of recent years.

A Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft (top) and a Dassault military jet Rafale are seen. India shortlisted the Rafale and the Typhoon for a $12 billion fighter jet deal on April 28, cutting out U.S. giants Boeing and Lockheed, sources said. (AFP FILE PHOTOS / PIERRE VERDY / PAUL ELLIS)

The U.S. embassy in New Delhi confirmed April 28 that Lockheed Martin's F-16 and Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet had both been ruled out of the running for India's planned purchase of 126 multirole combat aircraft.

Ambassador Timothy Roemer, who announced separately April 28 that he was resigning his post for personal reasons, said the U.S. government was "deeply disappointed" by the decision.
The long-delayed fighter jet deal has seen fierce competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, Sweden's Saab AB, France's Dassault Aviation, a European consortium with its Eurofighter Typhoon and the Russian makers of the MiG 35.
It was also the object of intense lobbying during visits to India last year by U.S. President Barack Obama, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
"It is confirmed Eurofighter and Rafale have been selected and the remaining four are off," a senior Indian defence ministry official told AFP.
"The grounds for their rejection have been individually conveyed,: said the official, who declined to be identified.
He added that the government hoped to sign the final fighter deal by March 2012.
Saab AB confirmed April 27 that it had been notified its JAS-39 Gripen fighter was no longer in contention.
The Eurofighter is made by the four-nation EADS, representing Germany and Spain, Britain's BAE Systems and Italy's Finmeccanica.
The contract includes the outright purchase of 18 combat aircraft by 2012 with another 108 to be built in India.
India, the biggest importer of military hardware among emerging nations, issued the request for proposals to the six firms in 2007 and trials of the aircraft competing for the deal began a year later.
In his statement, Roemer said he had been "personally assured" at the highest levels of the Indian government that the procurement process for the multirole fighter "has been and will be transparent and fair."
The procurement of the fighter jets is a key part of India's military modernization program, aimed at securing its borders against its traditional and emerging rivals Pakistan and China.
International consultancy firm KPMG estimates New Delhi will hand out military contracts worth $112 billion by 2016.

Italian Jets Fly First Libyan Strike Mission

ROME - Italian aircraft launched their first strikes on Libyan targets April 28, two days after the Italian government said it would participate in NATO air raids on forces led by Col. Moammar Gadhafi.
Defence Ministry sources said "at least a couple" of Tornado aircraft took off from Trapani air base in Sicily to take part in raids.

The Italian government has hitherto refrained from launching strikes on Libya, citing sensitivities over its colonial role in the country. Italian Air Force jets have instead participated in no-fly zone patrols. Italian Tornado ECR aircraft have also monitored the status of Libyan air defense radars.
Italy has made its air bases available to air forces from other nations now flying over Libya.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi reportedly switched policy on strike missions after speaking to U.S. President Barack Obama earlier this week.

UAE F-16 Crashes While Landing In Italy: Report

ROME - A fighter jet taking part in military operations over Libya crashed April 27 on landing at an air base in Italy, a NATO official told AFP.

"An F-16 crashed on landing at Sigonella Air Base. The pilot ejected and his further condition is being assessed," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The plane was not on a combat operation and was being transferred from Decimomannu Air Base in Sardinia to Sigonella, the official said.
The official declined to give further details on the condition of the pilot.
Italy's ANSA news agency reported that the fighter jet belonged to the United Arab Emirates and said the base had been temporarily shut down.
The UAE, which is not a member of NATO, last month deployed 12 fighter jets at Decimomannu, including six F-16s and six Mirages, for the enforcement of a no-fly zone on Libya mandated by the U.N. Security Council.

Italy Wants IED Inhibitor on All Afghan Vehicles

ROME - The Italian Army intends to mount IED-inhibiting technology on every Italian vehicle in Afghanistan by 2012 to fulfill the service's top priority - troop safety."All our attention is on Afghanistan, where individual safety is fundamental," said Gen. Giuseppe Valotto, who was appointed Italy's top Army official in 2009.
Last year in Afghanistan, the Army started mounting the Guardian IED jamming system on its LMV Lince vehicles, which have been likened to up-armored Humvees. Now the system is being placed on Italy's larger Freccia vehicles. Seventeen of the eight-wheeled, 26-ton armored vehicles were dispatched to Afghanistan last year and are based in Shindad.
The Guardian, built in the U.K. by Finmeccanica unit Selex Communications for use in vehicles and by foot soldiers, jams signals used to detonate IEDs and can be programmed to operate on various bandwidths and levels of intensity.
"We have nearly 200 and are buying more to put one on every vehicle," said Valotto. "We hope to conclude the purchase this year or during 2012, the resources are there."
Valotto said the system in use offered a "bubble" of protection 60-70 meters across, allowing one in every two convoy vehicles to be kitted out. The system, he added, works at the low frequencies used by garage door remote controls, as well as the high frequencies used to send cellphone text messages.
"The British collaborated at the start, supplying the threat library," he said. "Each system consists of a vehicle-borne element and a man-portable element used by soldiers who need to dismount to remove IEDs."
Industry officials integrating the system in Afghanistan have shifted antennae for greater effectiveness and are tackling overheating issues, Valotto said.
Italy is meanwhile planning to buy an upgraded version of the LMV, known as version 1A, which will provide greater electrical power for systems, including jammers.
"At the start, with other U.S. and British systems we used, the signal would be interrupted when we turned on the radio, but not with this system," Valotto said.
Valotto, who ran Italy's military interforce command in Rome for a year before his appointment to lead the Army, said the purchase of Guardian systems was part of his drive to increase troop safety in Afghanistan, where Italy has suffered losses from IEDs.
"We are looking to new sensors, UAVs and protected vehicles to carry out the mission, but above all, safeguard the soldier," he said.
After the deaths of soldiers traveling in Lince vehicles, Italy last year dispatched 17 Freccias to Afghanistan, just months after they were delivered by joint manufacturers Italian firms Oto Melara and Iveco.
The vehicles have been involved in firefights with insurgents but have not been hit by an IED explosion, "possibly because they have served as a deterrent so far," said one Army source.
With industry officials on hand at a dedicated hangar in Shindand, the Freccias have been operated by three different regimental companies rotated in to gain experience, while upgrades have also been made.
"There have been small changes," said Valotto. "We have increased the cooling for the Guardian, which was built to handle a maximum temperature of 40 centigrade, but out there we get up to 45-50 centigrade."
Sending the closed-hull Freccia out to patrol alongside the Lince has coincided with the installing of remote gun turrets on the roofs of the Linces, replacing the gunner who stood in a hatch and was vulnerable if the vehicle overturned. Both measures risk distancing Italian troops from the local residents they are seeking to build trust with, but Valotto said the soldiers would have plenty of other occasions to push dialogue.
The so-called Italian way of peacekeeping in Afghanistan is based on "the capability to dialogue with local populations," he said. "Our soldiers respect customs, traditions and religions and talk to people," he said, "it is an incredible resource that helps achieve the mission."
Separately, Italy's Mangusta attack helicopters, which form a purely offensive part of the Italian mission in Afghanistan, are soon to be equipped with the Spike missile, which is also being purchased for mounting on Lince and Freccia vehicles.
Also being integrated on the Mangustas is the Rafael Toplite targeting system, which will provide targeting information to the missile. But a defense source said that recent flight trials in Italy had paved the way for further uses of the Toplite.
"Italy requested that the Toplite also provide laser targeting for other aircraft, as well as registering laser targets painted by other aircraft. In the recent tests, an Italian AMX fighter bomber dropped a GBU munition on a target designated by a Mangusta," he said.

Italy Will Not Join Libya Bombardments

ROME - Italy insisted April 15 that its fighter jets would not take part in bombardments in Libya, saying that the country was doing enough to support the U.N. resolution to protect civilian lives.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told members of parliament at a cabinet meeting that Rome was "already doing enough" as part of the international coalition, government sources were cited on ANSA news agency as reporting.

"Bearing in mind our geographical position and colonial past, an engagement that goes beyond our current commitment would not make sense," he said.
Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa also ruled out a change of course for Italy, telling reporters at a press conference after the meeting that Italy had "already done a lot."
"We are not considering altering our contribution to military operations in Libya...we will carry on as we have done up to now. The government is united in thinking this is the correct line for Italy to take," he said.
Berlusconi said Italy's role was to "provide the maximum support with its air bases," seven of which have been put up for use by the coalition.
Italy has also taken part in air raids over Libya but only in order to neutralize Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's radar and defense systems.

Coalition Against Gadhafi Growing

Overall direction of the extended, multi-national effort to enforce a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone over Libya is not yet clear. While the U.S. is leading military operations, several key NATO partners are also involved in combat operations which began March 19.

One of about 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles launched by coalition forces against Libyan government targets March 19 rises from the U.S. destroyer Barry. (Interior Communications Electrician Fireman Roderick Eubanks / U.S. Navy)

"The U.S. is militarily in the lead," Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, director of the U.S. Joint Staff, said at a March 20 Pentagon briefing, but the goal is to shift to a coalition-led leadership structure.

"We do not know when we'll be ready to do that and we don't yet know what that structure will be," he told reporters.
The immediate goal of the combat operations is not to oust Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, but to protect civilians with the establishment of a no-fly zone over Libya's northern regions, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said while making the rounds of Sunday-morning talk shows,
U.S. forces gathered to conduct military operations against Libya are organized under U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), commanded by Army Gen. Carter Ham from his headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. Adm. Samuel Locklear is in tactical command of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn aboard the flagship Mount Whitney in the Mediterranean. Locklear is triple-hatted as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe, U.S. Naval Forces Africa and of the Allied Joint Force Command, headquartered in Naples, Italy.
British Major Gen. John Lorimer described the command structure at a morning briefing March 20. "This operation is currently under U.S. command, supported closely by French and U.K. armed forces. AFRICOM is the supported Combatant Command, and U.K. has liaison officers and staff embedded at every level," Lorimer said.
A French defense ministry source told Agence France-Presse March 20 that coalition members conducting air strikes on Libyan targets are coordinating their actions but there is no central command organizing the attacks.
"There is no centralized headquarters and at this stage everyone is using their own headquarters in a coordinated manner," the French source said.
The French are operating out of Mont Verdun, near Lyon in the east of the country, where the air force has its chief air defense control center. The British headquarters are at Northwood, in the suburbs of London, and those of the United States at Ramstein in southwest Germany. The American HQ has the "greater planning capacity," the French source said.
He added that there were "exchanges of staff between the three HQs," in particular between Mont Verdun and Ramstein, and a "definition of command structures as the deployment takes place."
The purpose of Operation Odyssey Dawn, according to AFRICOM, "is to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, which is centered on protecting Libyan citizens from any further harm from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's regime."

First Strikes 'Effective'

Forces from the U.S., France, Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom were involved in the initial operations and strikes on Libya on March 19, which included the launch of at least 110 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles from U.S. surface ships and submarines and one British submarine.
Gortney said on March 20 that more Tomahawks had been launched since then, bringing the total to 124.
Combat aircraft from the U.S., U.K., and France took part in the first strikes on Libyan targets. Many of the aircraft are operating from at least seven air bases in southern Italy.
The first strikes were aimed at Libya's air defense systems, including SA-2, SA-3 and SA-5 surface-to-air guided missiles, and their guidance radars.
"We judge these strikes to have been very effective in degrading their systems," Gortney said. "There has been no new air activity by the regime," he said. "The fixed missiles, SA-2, 3 and 5, and early warning radars have been taken down and we do not see them emitting."
Further strikes were conducted March 20 against Libyan government forces about 10 miles south of Benghazi, Gortney said. While battle reports are still coming in, "we judge those strikes at having been quite successful at halting ground movement."
"Benghazi is certainly not safe from attack but is certainly safer than yesterday," he added.
The attacks were carried out by U.S., British and French strike aircraft, Gortney said, supported by U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft flying from land bases.
Strikes were also conducted against the Ghadrabiya air base, a joint military and civilian facility, Gortney said. U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers using joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs) took on the mission, flown from their base at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, he added. A number of military targets at the base were destroyed, he said.
There were no indications of civilian casualties, Gortney said.
The Libyan government has claimed that at least 48 people have died in the assaults.
Libyan leader Gadhafi is not a target.
"At this point I can guarantee that he is not on a targeting list," Gortney said.
No coalition aircraft have been lost, he noted.
Coalition forces are not now targeting mobile anti-aircraft sites, Gortney, said, including SA-6 and SA-8 mobile missile launchers or the many hand-held SA-7 missile launchers, nor are anti-aircraft guns being directly targeted.
"There are so many mobile guns that it's better to avoid them," he explained.
Gortney would not answer questions about specific nations allowing coalition aircraft to operate from their bases or about overflight issues.
Gadhafi's call for a cease fire garnered little respect from Gortney.
"I question anything that Gadhafi calls for," Gortney said. "He moved troops into Benghazi after he called for a cease fire."
Gortney noted growing support for the coalition operations.
"Shortly before I came, in here the Arab League endorsed our enforcement of the no-fly zone," he said.

Coalition Growing

The coalition supporting the no-fly zone against Libya is growing, Gortney said, and is not limited.
"We'll take as many coalition partners as will commit to do this with us," he said. "We have many nations that are waiting to announce themselves."
More forces from the first five countries are en route to the region, and several other nations have joined the coalition or appear about to join.
Here is a country-by-country breakdown of the forces as of March 20:

UNITED STATES

· Submarines Providence, Scranton and Florida launching Tomahawks.
· Destroyers Barry and Stout launching Tomahawks.
· Amphibious assault ships Kearsarge and Ponce, carrying Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
· Command ship Mount Whitney.
· Support ships Lewis and Clark, Robert E. Peary and Kanawha.
· U.S. Navy aircraft include EA-18G Growler electronic air warfare aircraft, at least four P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and one EP-3E Aries electronic surveillance aircraft, all flying from land bases in the Mediterranean. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jets are operating from the Kearsarge.
· Air Force aircraft include B-2 stealth bombers flying from Missouri and F-15 and F-16 fighters from unspecified bases.
· The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group will deploy from Norfolk,Va., on March 23 ahead of schedule to support Odyssey Dawn operations. The group includes the amphibious ships Bataan, Mesa Verde and Whidbey Island carrying the 22nd MEU.

FRANCE

· Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle left its base at Toulon March 20 en route to waters off Libya. De Gaulle is carrying 20 aircraft, including Rafale and Super Etendard strike fighters, and is escorted by the destroyers Dupleix and Forbin, frigate Aconit, oiler La Meuse, and an unnamed nuclear attack submarine.
· Destroyer Jean Bart already on the scene.
· French land-based strike aircraft spearheaded the March 19 attacks on Libya.

ITALY

· Destroyer Andrea Doria Frigate Euro Support ship Etna As of early March 20, more ships were to be en route from Italy: Destroyer Francesco Mimbelli; frigate Fenice; patrol ships Libra and Sirio; amphibious ships San Giorgio and San Marco.
· At least 4 Tornado strike aircraft and 4 other combat aircraft are available.

CANADA

· Frigate Charlottetown Six CF-18 Hornet strike fighters Canada's forces are operating as part of Operation Mobile.

UNITED KINGDOM

· Unnamed Trafalgar-class nuclear attack submarine launching Tomahawks.
· Frigates Westminster and Cumberland.
· Typhoon and Tornado strike aircraft operating from Gioia del Colle air base in southern Italy. Tornado GR4s with Storm Shadow cruise missiles took place in the initial strikes on March 19, flying from the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Marham in Norfolk, eastern England. Agence France-Presse reported the aircraft conducted four mid-air refueling operations during the 3,000-mile, eight-hour mission, the longest Royal Air Force bombing mission since the 1982 Falklands war. The British effort against Libya is dubbed Operation Ellamy.
· Additionally, E3-D Sentry, Sentinel and Tristar surveillance aircraft and VC-10 aerial tankers are operating.

BELGIUM

· Six F-16 fighters to be ready for operations March 21.

DENMARK

· Six F-16 fighters and a transport are operating from Sigonella air base on Sicily.

QATAR

· Four combat aircraft reportedly are in operation by March 20.

SPAIN

· Four F-18 strike fighters are operating from Decimomannu air base on the Italian island of Sardinia.
· One aerial tanker and one CN-235 maritime surveillance plane.
· A submarine and frigate are to deploy this week pending parliamentary approval, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

· Strike aircraft are reported en route to Decimomannu air base.
The U.S. aircraft carrier Enterprise, which recently passed through the Mediterranean, is now in the Arabian Sea conducting air operations over Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom.
Compiled from reports from U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Navy, British Ministry of Defence, Canadian Forces, Agence France-Presse and Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Western, Arab Warplanes Converge on Italy for Libya Mission

ROME - Western and Arab warplanes were converging on Italy's air bases March 20 to join the international campaign to cripple the ability of Moammar Gadhafi's forces to attack Libyan civilians.
France, which spearheaded the U.N.-mandated Operation "Odyssey Dawn" with air strikes on Libya on March 19, also sent its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to join the campaign on March 20.

The French Navy's flagship set off from the southern French naval port of Toulon at about 1:10 p.m. and was expected to reach the Libyan coast within 48 hours.
Meanwhile aircraft from the United Arab Emirates were due to arrive March 20 at the Decimomannu air force base on the Italian island of Sardinia, which is already hosting four Spanish F-18 fighter jets that arrived on March 19.
The UAE, along with Jordan, Morocco and Qatar, was among Arab nations that took part in a summit in Paris on March 19 on the Libyan crisis.
The Italian air bases are a key staging point for strikes by Western-led coalition forces to destroy Libya's air defenses and impose a no-fly zone to prevent Gadhafi's forces from crushing a popular uprising.
Italian Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa said Rome also assigned eight combat aircraft, including four Tornado jets, for the operation and they can be used "at any time".
And British Defence Secretary Liam Fox said Typhoon and Tornado jets would fly this weekend to the Gioia del Colle air base in southern Italy, where they will be ready to deploy as part of the mission dubbed "Operation Ellamy".
Six Danish F-16 fighters were also ready to take off from Italy's Sigonella air base March 20 to join Odyssey Dawn which saw U.S., British and French forces hammer Libyan forces from the air and sea.
In the West's biggest intervention in the Arab world since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, mounted exactly eight years earlier, U.S. warships and a British submarine fired more than 120 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Libya on March 19.
This prompted Gadhafi to warn March 20 of a long war in the Mediterranean "battlefield" as Tripoli reported dozens of deaths.
Belgium said March 20 six of its F-16 fighter-bombers would be operational Monday for the Libya mission.
"We will be able to take part in operations under the command of the coalition from tomorrow," said Defense Minister Pieter de Crem, who added that 250 people would be assigned to support the six aircraft and their pilots.
In addition to its four F-18 fighter jets, Spain sent a refueling aircraft to Italy and said it would also deploy an F-100 frigate, an S-74 submarine and a CN-235 maritime surveillance plane to help enforce an arms embargo on Libya, once parliamentary approval has been received.
Spain had already announced on March 18 it would allow NATO to use two military bases, at Rota and at Moron de la Frontera in the south of the country, for the operation over Libya.
The U.N. Security Council last week passed a resolution approving "all necessary measures" to impose a no-fly zone in Libya, protect civilian areas and pressure Gadhafi into accepting a ceasefire.
The Security Council last month also ordered an arms embargo against Libya and other sanctions against Gadhafi's family.

China Regrets Multinational Air Strikes in Libya

BEIJING - China expressed regret on March 20 over the multinational air strikes in Libya, saying in a foreign ministry statement that it opposed the use of force in international relations.
"China has noted the latest developments in Libya and expresses regret over the military attacks on Libya," the statement said.

Russia also issued a similarly worded statement in which it called for a ceasefire as soon as possible.
China's statement made no mention of a ceasefire and stressed that China respected the North African country's "sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity".
"We hope Libya can restore stability as soon as possible and avoid further civilian casualties due to an escalation of armed conflict," it added.
Multinational forces led by France and Britain began bombarding Libya with missiles from air and sea on March 19 to enforce a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone and protection of rebels from Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
China and Russia were the most prominent voices in opposition to military action in Libya within the 15-member United Nations Security Council.
However, neither blocked the U.N. resolution authorizing the operation, abstaining in the Security Council vote on the issue rather than using their veto power.
France and Britain had led the demands for a no-fly zone, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy wrote to the heads of state or government of all the other council members seeking urgent backing for the measure.
China said earlier it abstained after having taken into account "the concerns and positions of Arab countries and the African Union, as well as the current special circumstances in Libya", without elaborating further.
China, which faces frequent foreign criticism over its own human rights record and treatment of restive minority groups, consistently opposes moves deemed as interfering in the affairs of other countries.
"China has always opposed the use of force in international relations," Sunday's statement said, adding that Beijing supported the spirit and principles of the U.N. Charter, without elaborating.
China's leaders have watched with concern as a mix of issues ranging from the economy to corruption - and a lack of democracy - sparked popular uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and elsewhere in the Arab world.
Premier Wen Jiabao last week rejected any comparison to the situation in the Middle East and North Africa with China.
Nonetheless, leading web censors have blocked results for "Egypt" and other terms that could be related to the uprisings, for instance on the popular web portal sina.com.
It has also poured security forces into the streets in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities across the country in response to anonymous calls for weekly Sunday "strolling" rallies in major Chinese cities.
The calls have largely fizzled under the smothering police response, and no obvious protest actions have been reported.

Turkey Opposes NATO Libya Intervention: PM

ISTANBUL - Turkey on March 14 reiterated its opposition to NATO intervention in Libya, warning it would trigger dangerous consequences.
"Military intervention by NATO in Libya or any other country would be totally counter-productive," the Anatolia news agency quoted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying during an address here at an international forum.

"In addition to being counter-productive, such an operation could have dangerous consequences."
Turkey, a NATO member, has made it clear that the 28-member military alliance can intervene only when one of its members is attacked.
President Abdullah Gul on Monday echoed Erdogan's view, saying: "A direct NATO intervention in Libya is out of the question."
"The people, government and opposition in Libya do not want a foreign force in the country," Anatolia quoted Gul as saying.
The president added that an intervention would require a U.N. resolution "within the framework of international legitimacy."
During a visit to Germany late last month, Erdogan said a NATO intervention in Libya would be "unthinkable" and "absurd".
He also raised strong objections to imposing sanctions on Libya, saying innocent people would suffer and accusing world powers of making "calculations" over oil.
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen meanwhile said early this month that the alliance did not intend to intervene in oil-rich Libya but was planning for "all eventualities".
He has insisted that the U.N. Security Council would have to approve any military action in Libya, including the enforcement of a no-fly zone.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization appeared divided meanwhile on the usefulness of such a measure as well as the idea - attributed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy - to launch air strikes in Libya.
The organization decided to reinforce its naval presence in an area near Libya, and assess the humanitarian aid that the United Nations could request.
The no fly-zone issue is to figure prominently as a two-day ministerial session of G8 powers gets under way in Paris.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and their counterparts from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan are taking part.

India World's Biggest Arms Importer: SIPRI Report

STOCKHOLM - India has been the world's biggest weapons importer over the past five years, Swedish think-tank SIPRI reported March 14, naming four Asian countries among the top five arms importers.
The report also highlighted how the world's major arms supplying countries had in recent years competed for trade in Libya, and in other Arab countries gripped by the recent wave of pro-democracy uprisings.

"India is the world's largest arms importer," the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said as it released its latest report on trends in the international arms trade.
"India received 9 percent of the volume of international arms transfers during 2006-10, with Russian deliveries accounting for 82 percent of Indian arms imports," it said.
Its arms imports jumped 21 percent from the previous five-year period, with 71 percent of its orders being for aircraft.
India's arms purchases were driven by several factors, said Siemon Wezeman of SIPRI'S Arms Transfers Program.
"The most often cited relate to rivalries with Pakistan and China as well as internal security challenges," he wrote.
China and South Korea held joint second place on the list of global arms import, each with 6 percent, followed by Pakistan, on 5 percent.
Aircraft accounted for 45 percent of Pakistan's arms imports, which had bought warplanes from both China and the United States. Pakistan's arms imports were up 128 percent on the previous five-year period, SIPRI noted.
Greece rounded off the top-five list arms importers, with 4 percent of global imports.
Since the lifting of a U.N. arms embargo on Libya in September 2003, Britain, France, Italy and Russia had all competed to win orders from Moammar Gadhafi's regime, said the report.
Gadhafi's forces are currently using tanks, artillery and warplanes to reclaim territory held by the opposition forces.
Egypt had received 60 percent of its major arms imports from the United States between 2006 and 2010, said the SIPRI report.
They included "M-1A1 tanks and M-113 armored vehicles of the type present during demonstrations in the country in January 2011," it added.
A pro-democracy uprising forced Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to step down on Feb. 11, after nearly three decades of autocratic rule, after pro-democracy uprising.
But the conflict left at least 384 dead and more than 6,000 injured.
Russia, Montenegro, the Netherlands and China had also supplied weapons to the Mubarak regime, said the SIPRI report.
The United States remained the world's largest military equipment exporter, accounting for 30 percent of global arms exports in 2006-10, 44 percent of which went to Asia and Oceania, SIPRI said.
The rest of the top five arms suppliers were: Russia, with 23 percent of the total market; Germany (11 percent); France (7 percent); and Britain (4 percent).
"There is intense competition between suppliers for big-ticket deals in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America," said Dr Paul Holtom, head of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Program.
He cited the efforts of the Eurofighter consortium to sell their plane across the world against rival warplanes, with competition particularly fierce for the markets in Brazil and India.
Britain, France, Germany and Italy were also competing for orders for naval equipment from Algeria, noted SIPRI.
The think tank, which specializes in research on conflicts, weapons, arms control and disarmament, was created in 1966 and is 50 percent financed by the Swedish state.

Canada Opposition Unhappy With F-35's Costs

OTTAWA - Canada significantly overpaid for new fighter jets jointly developed with the United States and its allies, a parliamentary watchdog said March 10.
Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page said in a report that Canada should expect to dole out as much as C$29.3 billion ($30 billion) for the purchase and maintenance of 65 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter over 30 years.

The estimate is nearly double the amount suggested by the government, and opposition parties pounced on the report to criticize Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet, set to replace a large part of the U.S. and Canadian warplane fleets, has become the most expensive weapons program ever, drawing increased scrutiny at a time of tight public finances.
The fifth-generation fighter was built with features designed to help avoid enemy radar and ensure supremacy in the skies for decades.
But it has been criticized for a series of cost overruns and delays, and now there is potential competition from China, which in January unveiled its first radar-evading combat aircraft.
At the same time, the contract awarded in 2001 had been planned to last 10 years, but has been extended to 2016 because of testing and design issues.
The United States is covering 90 percent of its development costs but has participation from Britain, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Australia and Canada.
Other nations, including Israel and Singapore, have signed contracts to buy the plane.
Canada's main opposition Liberals, which committed to the F-35 program when in power in 1997, are now using the lack of open competition to replace Canada's aging fleet of fighter jets to press for a change in government.
Jay Paxton, spokesman for Defense Minister Peter MacKay, however stood by the government's procurement cost projections of C$9 billion ($9.2 billion) to buy and C$250-300 million ($256-308 million) annually to maintain over 20 years.
"The F-35 is the only jet that can meet the needs of the Air Force, as noted by Mr. Page," Paxton added. "Simply put, this is the best plane for the best price."

Finmeccanica Seeks Partnership with Turkish Group

ANKARA - Italian defense giant Finmeccanica, the largest company operating in Turkey's defense and aerospace industries, is seeking a partnership model to join forces with an umbrella group that houses several Turkish top defense manufacturers, a senior official from the Italian company said.

Finmeccanica's strategic objective in the Turkish market is to reach a global agreement with the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, Paolo Pozzessere, Finmeccanica's commercial director, said March 7.

"We cannot fail to dedicate special attention to this group, which is very similar to our own," Pozzessere said. "Today, we are looking to focus on defense electronics, where we regard Turkish companies, particularly those of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, are our main partners."
Pozzessere said that Finmeccanica's main objective is to maintain its current position in the Turkish market and use its potential to increase penetration into countries in the region.
The Turkish Armed Forces Foundation owns majority stakes in the country's top defense companies, including military electronics firm Aselsan, software company Havelsan and rocket manufacturer Roketsan. These three are among Turkey's five biggest defense companies.
Finmeccanica opened a Turkish office here in November. Finmeccanica subsidiaries, including AgustaWestland and Telespazio, already have grabbed Turkish contracts worth billions of dollars in total for attack helicopters and for Turkey's first military satellite. On Nov. 8, the company and Turkey's procurement office signed a nearly 150 million euro (nearly $210 million) contract for the company's urgent production of nine T129 attack helicopters for the Turkish Army.
Turkey already has a separate, multibillion-dollar contract with AgustaWestland for joint manufacture of 51 T129 attack helicopters, a Turkish version of the company's A129.
Finmeccanica S.p.A. is the second-largest industrial group and the largest of the high-tech industrial groups based in Italy. It works in the fields of defense, aerospace, security, transport and energy. It is partially owned by the Italian government, with the Treasury holding about 30 percent of Finmeccanica's shares.
"In the short and medium term, for example, Turkey already has or will soon have requirements for passenger and military air transport and latest-generation trainer aircraft, for which Finmeccanica Group companies offer themselves as partners for national companies," Pozzessere said.

Roxel To Provide 258 Rocket Motors for GMLRS

PARIS - Roxel, the Anglo-French missile propulsion company, received in December an order from Lockheed Martin for a first batch of 258 rocket motors for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), known in French as the Lance-Roquette Unitaire (LRU), said Françis Rodriguez, Roxel vice president for sales and business development.
Lockheed Martin said in a statement, "The French DGA (Délégation Générale de l'Armement) is also in the process of finalizing its selection of an upgraded fire control system to support the guided precision munitions."

Lockheed has pitched its Universal Fire Control System against a competing offer of the European Fire Control System, proposed by a consortium of three European companies. A DGA spokesman said studies are being conducted on selection of the fire control system, and an industry executive said a choice is expected by the end of the first half of the year.
Gen. Elrick Irastorza, Army chief of staff, said March 1 that French land forces of the future will need precision artillery of 1meter accuracy, day and night. The LRU offered just that capability, an Army officer said.
Roxel expects further orders for LRU rocket motors, built under license from Aerojet. The LRU system was bought under a memorandum of understanding signed by Britain, Germany, France, Italy and the United States.

Finmeccanica Eyes Sell-off of Some DRS Units

ROME - Three years after acquiring U.S. defense electronics firm DRS, Italy's Finmeccanica is planning to sell off some DRS units with total revenue of up to $800 million, managers said March 3.
The selloff at DRS, which saw $4 billion in revenue last year, is part of a move away from "non-core" activities. It will also help cut debt at parent Finmeccanica, CFO Alessandro Pansa told financial analysts in a meeting in London.

Some of the proceeds from the sales will also be plowed back into new acquisitions for DRS, which could be outside the U.S., said CEO Pierfrancesco Guarguaglini.
"If DRS can be more present outside the U.S., it will give the possibility to increase revenue," Guarguaglini said at the meeting.
Guarguaglini has previously said that DRS could benefit from expanding outside the U.S. market, guided by the global know-how of its parent company, Finmeccanica.
Without naming which units might be sold, Finmeccanica said it would seek to divest activities operating in "non-core segments for the group, markets with limited growth opportunities in the near future and markets where DRS lacks scale. …We are currently initiating the process to implement this portfolio optimization by 2011."
Proceeds from the sales would be partly used to help ease Finmeccanica's debt of 3.13 billion euros ($4.32 billion). Finmeccanica is also planning property sales and sale of a stake in energy unit Ansaldo Energia to reduce debt.
Targets for DRS acquisitions have already been identified by Finmeccanica, the company said, and were small to medium-sized. The company is interested in "control of enabling technologies, ease of integration within group products," and that possible acquisitions be in "key DoD programs of interest for the group that can be effectively integrated within DRS and foster growth in strategic areas."

Italian Report Details Arms Sales to Libya

ROME - Italy has sold Libya explosives, gun targeting equipment and other military hardware worth tens of millions of euros (dollars) in the past two years, Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported on Feb. 26.
The newspaper quoted an official report from the Italian interior ministry that listed signed contracts as well as ongoing negotiations between Libya and several major Italian defense companies including industry giant Finmeccanica.

Missile systems maker Mbda Italia signed a deal worth 2.5 million euros in May 2009 to supply Libya with "material for bombs, torpedoes, rockets and missiles," the interior ministry report was quoted as saying.
Helicopter maker Augusta Westland signed two contracts with Libya in October 2010 worth 70 million euros. Also last year, Selex Sistemi Integrati signed a 13-million-euro deal to provide Libya with gun targeting equipment.
Italy and its former colony Libya signed a friendship treaty in 2008 that opened the way for major business deals. Italy is now Libya's top trade partner and Italian energy major ENI is the biggest foreign energy producer in Libya.
Saturday's report said artillery company Oto Melara had also begun talks with Libya in November 2010 for "weapons or weapons systems with a caliber of more than 12.7 mm, as well as material, spare parts, know how and equipment."
This year, military shipmaker Intermarine Spa started negotiations with Libya for contracts worth a total of 600 million euros.
Selex Sistemi Integrati, Augusta-Westland and Oto Melara are also in talks with Libya for contracts totaling 150 million euros.

Italy on Alert as Libyan Colonels Flee to Malta

ROME - Italy put its air bases on maximum alert on Feb. 21 after two Libyan air force colonels fled to the Mediterranean island of Malta in fighter jets saying they had refused orders to bomb protesters.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who had been reticent to criticize veteran Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, also condemned the "unacceptable" use of violence against civilians and said he was "alarmed" at the turmoil in Libya.

The violence in Libya also sent shockwaves through the Italian stock market, which dropped 3.59 percent as some of Italy's biggest companies have extensive Libyan capital or major investments in the north African state.
Meanwhile, authorities in Malta said they were holding two Libyan pilots who landed earlier on Feb. 21 for questioning after the men said they were forced to flee their base in eastern Benghazi when it was taken over by protesters.
"One of the pilots requested political asylum" after the two descended from their single-seater Mirage F1 jets, a government spokesman said.
Two helicopters also landed at the same time carrying seven passengers who said they were French nationals working on oil rigs near Benghazi, the base of the popular uprising.
The markings on the French-registered Super Puma helicopters were for Heli Union - a company specializing in air transport for oil and gas majors.
The helicopters were given permission to land but had not been given clearance to leave Libya, indicating they had escaped, military sources said.
Malta is the European Union member state closest to Libyan shores, located just 340 kilometres (210 miles) north of the Libyan coastline.
After the landings in Malta, Italy said it had put its air bases on high alert and was moving air force and navy helicopters to southern Italy.
Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said Italy was also deploying the Elettra, a military vessel used for intelligence and reconnaissance.
Italian experts have warned of a massive influx of refugees from Libya if there is a power vacuum in the country.
Berlusconi is to meet with the defense, foreign and interior ministers Feb. 22 for talks on the crisis in north Africa.
Italy and Libya signed a friendship treaty in August 2008 that opened a new chapter in relations and led to massive investments, formally ending historic resentment against Italy - Libya's colonial ruler between 1911 and 1942.
Berlusconi said at the time that Italy would invest five billion dollars in Libya as compensation for colonization over the next 25 years.
Italy has since become the biggest exporter to Libya, with a 17.5 percent share of the market, and it is the main outlet for Libyan exports.
Libya and veteran ruler Moamer Kadhafi's family have also taken major stakes in leading Italian businesses including its biggest bank UniCredit, the defense and industry giant Finmeccanica and first-division football club Juventus.
Italian energy giant ENI, the biggest foreign oil producer in Libya, saw its share price plummet 5.12 percent after it said it was evacuating "non-essential" expatriate employees and the families of all foreign staff.
Finmeccanica, whose share price dropped by 2.69 percent and in which Libya has a 2.01 percent stake, also said it was also pulling out of the country.

Italian Air Force Receives 1st Tanker From Boeing

ROME - The Italian Air Force took delivery on Jan. 27 of the first of four Boeing KC767-A tanker aircraft it has acquired.
The aircraft, MM 62229, flew from Boeing's Wichita, Kan., facility to the Italian Air Force's Pratica di Mare base south of Rome for a hand-over ceremony, the Air Force said in a statement.

The aircraft will now "undergo a series of tests and activities" before entering service, the statement said.
"The second aircraft, which should be delivered in the coming months, is now undergoing tests at Boeing," added the statement.
Boeing has previously said that the last two of the four aircraft would feature "enhanced capabilities," without giving details.
The KC767-A replaces the B-707T/T tanker previously flown by the Italian Air Force. It is configured for troop and cargo transport, as well as refueling from a rear boom and three hose and drogues - one under each wing and one under the main fuselage.
Three crew are required for transport flights and four for refueling missions.
After first promising delivery of the tanker in 2005, Boeing's schedule slipped as it sought to fix a vibration problem with a wing pylon, and then tackle a stability problem on the centerline hose and drogue.