France's Lagarde Confident About Airbus

SINGAPORE - French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said Feb. 25 confident about Airbus' ability to compete in the global market after the European aircraft maker lost a key U.S. military contract to rival Boeing.
Lagarde, who is on a visit to Singapore, would not comment on the Pentagon's decision on Feb. 24 to award the $30 billion contract to supply aerial refueling tankers for the U.S. air force to Boeing.

"I have no comment at this stage," she told reporters.
"All I know is Airbus is a magnificent company and I have full trust and confidence in its ability to face competition and challenges of the markets," Lagarde told reporters.
A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Berlin on Feb. 25 that the Pentagon's decision was disappointing and Washington had missed a chance to deepen the transatlantic relationship.
The head of EADS, Airbus' parent company, has also said he was "disappointed and perplexed" by the decision.
Boeing is now tasked with delivering 18 aircraft by 2017, but the contract is expected to grow to 179 tankers.
The planes, effectively flying filling stations, give the U.S. air force global reach and allow Washington to project military power well beyond its borders.
The decision capped a nearly 10-year attempt by the U.S. air force to begin to replace an ageing Boeing-built fleet of 400 tankers dating from the 1950s.

Father Of Soviet Submarines Dead At 91

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia - Sergei Kovalyov, the father of the Soviet Union and Russia's nuclear submarine program, has died at the age of
91 in his native Saint Petersburg, his colleagues said Friday.

A towering figure in the secret world of strategic arsenals, Kovalyov is credited with designing 92 types of submarines at a time when Moscow and Washington fought a bitter war for supremacy of the world's seas.
He began his career in 1948, working at first on the design of a revolutionary S-99 model that became the fastest submarine in the Soviet Union's nascent naval forces.
Kovalyov began designing his first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine in 1958, the same year he was appointed in charge of the Soviet Union's entire strategic naval forces program.
In a congratulatory message issued on Kovalyov's 90th birthday, President Dmitry Medvedev called him "a designer who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of the national ship building industry."
Most recently, Kovalyov was involved in designing off-shore oil and natural gas production platforms, an industry vital to Russia's efforts to develop the energy reserves trapped off its Pacific coast.

Pakistan Navy to participate in Aman 11 exercise

The top Pakistan and Chinese defense officials held a meeting where the new projects to expand their military cooperation, were discussed. The timely completion of the current projects was also an important part of the meeting.
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Army Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne met Administrator of China”s State Administration of Science Technology and Industry for National Defence Chen Qiufa discussed the issues related to defense cooperation and the present and future projects that the two countries are involved together.
General Wynne is in China to take part in the eight round of Pakistna-China security dialogue and he publicly thanked Chen Qiufa for the support in all defense projects and showed his appreciation for the active of SASTING in ensuring the timely completion of all current joint projects.
At the moment the major supplier of weapon systems for Pakistan – China, is being involved in a list of defense projects which include the development of the new modern fighter – The JF-17 Thunder which is currently being produced in both countries and the engines for the fighters are being supplied by the Russian military.
China is also involved in the construction of Naval Frigates for the Pakistan Navy which has so far received three of those frigates and the fourth one is currently being constructed in the Karach Shipyard and Engineering Works with the cooperation of the Chinese navy.

Raytheon discussing pilot training with Pakistan

The US defence major Raytheon has just won a competition for a $42.8 million contract to train the Afghan airforce pilots in the Middle East. This is the first contract of this type in the region.
According to Vice President of Raytheon, Kevin Massengill, the company is also negotiating for the training of Pakistan pilots as well. Massengill said that the contract has been signed and the training will take place in an Arab Gulf country. However, he declined naming the country where the training programme will be performed. The entire programme is expected to last a couple of months by the end of which, the Afghanistan army will have a batch of well-trained pilots

Former military officers say cuts will damage defence

Harrier jump jets were among the victims of the strategic defence review

Ten retired senior military officers have written to the prime minister to voice their concerns over the loss of the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.

A former field marshal, three generals and six admirals say the loss of Ark Royal and its fleet of Harrier jets has damaged Britain's defence capabilities.
They say Britain can no longer mount amphibious operations without putting troops' lives at "considerable risk".
Defence Secretary Liam Fox has defended the "difficult decisions".
The BBC's defence correspondent, Jonathan Beale, said the letter, which was leaked to the Daily Telegraph, raises questions about what military rescue operation forces could mount in the future.
In December, Dr Fox announced that the frigate sent to evacuate British nationals from Libya - HMS Cumberland - is to be decommissioned in April, following the strategic defence and security review (SDSR).

“Start Quote

The government's plans were based on strategic and international geo-political assumptions, many of which have been shaken over the past month”

End Quote Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy

Our correspondent says this is not the first time former military top brass have warned that recent cuts in the armed forces have left Britain dangerously exposed.

Labour has already called for the defence review to be reopened in light of events in Egypt, Bahrain and Libya.
The letter - written before the current evacuation operation in Libya - is signed by, among others, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, a former chief of the defence staff; Maj Gen Julian Thompson and Adm Sir Jeremy Black, who commanded the carrier Invincible during the Falklands conflict.
Dr Fox insists Britain still has the "right military assets" in place to respond to crises.
But this group of former military commanders is calling on the prime minister to reassess the decisions made in the defence review.

HMS Cumberland is due to be scrapped in April

They have called for a re-evaluation of the SDSR, which they say is "unduly trusting in an uncertain, fast-moving and dangerous world".
However Dr Fox defended the steps taken to tackle the £38bn deficit left by Labour and said the review would not be reopened.
"For our future carrier strike capability, it makes strategic sense to move towards greater inter-operability with the US and France and installing catapult and arrestor gear will deliver this.
"Sustaining both Tornado and Harrier would be prohibitively expensive in this current economic climate and Tornado continues to provide vital support to the front line in Afghanistan," he said.
Referring to Libya, he said Hercules C-130 aircraft had lifted 51 UK citizens to safety on Thursday - and more than 100 were on their way to Malta on HMS Cumberland.
"None of our allies have seen fit to position an aircraft carrier off the coast of Libya as this is not the tool required for this task; there is no requirement for ground attack aircraft, but even if there were we would use our extensive regional basing and overflight rights," he said.
But shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said: "The government's plans were based on strategic and international geo-political assumptions, many of which have been shaken over the past month.
"Recent dramatic events mean that the defence review must be reopened and perhaps even rethought. It would be sensible to stop and reflect again on our nation's strategic defence needs."

Lawmakers React to USAF Tanker Pick

Here are the initial statements from several U.S. lawmakers on the U.S. Air Force's decision to select Boeing to build the service's KC-X next-generation tanker.
■ Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wa.: "Today's long-awaited decision by the Pentagon is the right one for our military, our taxpayers and our nation's aerospace workers," said Murray, an avid Boeing supporter. Boeing intends to build its 767-based tankers in her home state.

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"At a time when our economy is hurting and good-paying aerospace jobs are critical to our recovery, this decision is great news for the skilled workers of Everett and the thousands of suppliers across the country who will help build this critical tanker for our Air Force," she said." This decision is a major victory for the American workers, the American aerospace industry and America's military. And it is consistent with the President's own call to 'out-innovate' and 'out-build' the rest of the world.
■ Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Ala.: "After having already won the competition three years ago and having brought to the table the best refueling aircraft for our military, it's deeply disappointing that Mobile and the Gulf Coast were not chosen as the home of the new Air Force tanker," said Bonner. EADS intended to assemble its tankers in Bonner's district of Mobile, Ala. "Unfortunately, the best tanker for our military was not selected. I intend to demand a full accounting as to why.
"While there was great optimism that our team would ultimately prevail, we've also been conditioned to expect the unexpected," he continued. 'This competition has been challenged before and it's not unlikely it will be challenged again. It will ultimately be up to EADS to determine whether they will protest this decision and I will fully support whatever decision they make."
■ Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.: "I am deeply disappointed that the EADS team was not selected to build the next air refueling tanker for the Air Force," Sessions said. "Three years ago, EADS won this competition because their aircraft had objectively superior capabilities and offered dramatic savings for the taxpayer. In light of today's result, I intend to examine the process carefully to ensure it was fairly conducted.
"Regardless of today's unfortunate outcome, the EADS team's decision to manufacture the aircraft in Mobile was a clear affirmation by a world-class corporation of our state's remarkable workforce," he continues. "EADS would not have chosen Alabama if they did not firmly believe that our state was a great place to do business in the global economy. I look forward to assisting them in expanding their presence in Alabama."
■ Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.: "I applaud the Obama administration for this decision, especially after such a long process, and I am delighted to see the Department of Defense select the best air refueling tanker for our nation's brave war fighters at the best price for our taxpayers," said DeLauro. Boeing intends to install Pratt & Whitney-built engines, which are built in Connecticut.
"The award comes at a critical time when we need to be creating jobs and driving long-term economic growth, in Connecticut and nationwide," she said. "Along with terminating the costly and unnecessary Joint Strike Fighter alternate engine program, this has been a great week for defense manufacturing jobs in Connecticut."
■ Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.: "Today, I applaud the United States Air Force and Boeing on bringing 50,000 jobs to our nation and taking the first step in assuring current and future U.S. air dominance," Inhofe said. "The KC-135 tanker aircraft has proven essential to our nation's defense as the success of our recent military operations would not have been possible without the utilization of our tanker inventory. Replacing the first 179 aging Eisenhower-era KC-135s is paramount to maintaining our military's strategic advantage.
"Now, we must ensure that funding levels remain constant and quality planes are delivered on time. I look forward to the next steps, including determining basing locations," he said. "The 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus, AFB has long stood ready to train the next generation of tanker operators, and they look forward to continuing the mobility training mission. The 76th Maintenance Wing (MXW) and Oklahoma Air Logistics Center Aerospace Sustainment Directorate at Tinker, AFB will play key roles in maintaining the new tanker."
■ Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Kent Conrad, D-N.D., co-chairmen of the Senate Tanker Caucus: "I'm pleased the Defense Department has finally awarded the contract to replace our nation's aging fleet of KC-135 tanker aircraft," said Hatch.
"The awarding of this contract is long overdue," Conrad said. "The men and women of our Air Force need and deserve the most up to date equipment. That includes the best refueling tankers in the world. This announcement is the first step to getting a long, drawn-out process back on track so that we can deploy these much-needed replacements to support our troops."
■ Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.: "I am pleased that the Air Force has made a decision to award a contract for a replacement aerial refueling tanker," McCain said. "The tanker aircraft that the Air Force will ultimately buy under this contract will be critical to how joint operations are conducted for the foreseeable future. I look forward to the Air Force demonstrating over the next few weeks how today's decision was made fairly, openly and transparently. Only such a process will ensure that we obtain the most capable aerial refueling tanker at the most reasonable cost."
■ House Armed Services Committee leaders: "Today's announcement moves us closer to providing the world's premier aerial fighting forces with a new and much-needed aerial refueling capability," they said. 'Our primary goal on the Armed Services Committee is to provide our military's men and women with the resources they need in the most effective and efficient way possible.
"Moving forward, the committee will continue the necessary oversight to ensure the evaluation was transparent and fair to each competitor," they continued. "We look forward to receiving more information from the Air Force as we review their decision-making processes. The Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee will hold a hearing on this issue as soon as enough information is publicly available."

Envoys Discuss North Korea's Nuclear Program

WASHINGTON - South Korea's nuclear negotiations chief met with U.S. special envoy for North Korea Stephen Bosworth on Feb. 24 to discuss Pyongyang's uranium enrichment program, officials said.
The program disclosed last November potentially gives the North a second way to make nuclear weapons, in addition to its plutonium stockpile and envoy Wi Sung-Lac's visit came a day after the North's main ally China blocked publication of a United Nations report criticizing the program.

Wi also held talks with Robert Einhorn, the U.S. State Department's special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control, and with his U.S. counterpart Sung Kim, according to a spokesman.
State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Wi would hold talks Friday with Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt Campbell.
Prior to his departure, Wi told reporters his trip would focus on how to cope with the uranium program at the U.N. Security Council and consider ways to create the right conditions for resuming long-stalled six-party talks on the North's nuclear disarmament.
The sanctions panel report blocked by China calls for tougher implementation of the measures and outlines the progress the North has made on uranium enrichment, according to diplomats.
It describes the enrichment as a new violation of sanctions imposed following atomic tests in 2006 and 2009.
China chairs the talks grouping China, Japan, Russia, the United States and the two Koreas last held in December 2008 and has been trying to revive them to ease overall tensions on the Korean peninsula. It says the uranium issue should be dealt with at that forum.