Preparing for War with China? General Dynamics, Pandemic Prep, +

"Key Resolve"

U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz arrives for joint exercise
http://www.kois.go.kr/News/News/NewsView.asp?serial_no=20080228020

A 97,000-ton U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea’s southern port city of Busan Thursday (Feb. 28) for a weeklong exercise that will begin early next week, the public affairs office of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) said.The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz, and its 5,300 crew members will play a key role in the annual joint exercise of South Korean and U.S. forces here.The exercise, Key Resolve, mainly aims to test the combined forces’ ability to host over 600,000 U.S. troops to be deployed here in case of an armed conflict while effectively defending the country from enemy hostilities."Key Resolve is a joint/combined command-post exercise designed to provide training for the ROK-US Combined Forces Command in various aspects of Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration of forces from bases outside of the country," CFC said in a press release, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea. Key Resolve replaces what was simply called RSO & I.....

IN THE DRAGON'S LAIR US prowls for China in the Philippines

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JB28Ae01.html

Since the closure of its military bases in the country in 1991, the United States has incrementally regained, transformed and deepened its military presence and intervention in the Philippines. The manner in which the US has attempted to re-establish basing in the Philippines illustrates its attempts to radically overhaul its global offensive capabilities to become more agile and efficient while overcoming mounting domestic opposition to its presence around the world. The objectives with which the United States has sought to achieve this in the Philippines - a country that is firmly within what US analysts and strategists call "the dragon's lair" - point to the
emerging US strategy toward what it has officially identified as the one country with "the greatest potential to compete with the United States" - China. In this strategy, the Philippines, by virtue both of its location as well as its political disposition towards the US relative to its neighbors, plays a crucial role.....

The Nightly News, Courtesy of General Dynamics

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/02/the-nightly-new.html

Forget lighting guns, I've decided that my new favorite punching bag is going to be the not-yet-established "strategic communication agency." Look, it's too late with lightning guns, the company formerly known as Ionatron is laughing all the way to the bank. But with the strategic communication agency, there's still hope. Actually, maybe it is all over.
Check out this job advertised on journalismjobs.com:
General Dynamics [the same company making those armed robotic sentries below -- ed.] is seeking English and foreign language editors in preparation for the launch of a string of web-based news sites around the world....

StratCom chief backs investing in new nukes
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/02/airforce_stratcom_022708w/

The nation’s nuclear stockpile is safe and reliable now, but Strategic Command boss Gen. Kevin Chilton told Congress Wednesday that more research is needed to develop a nuclear warhead to replace those built for the Cold War.
Chilton made his case for Congress to invest in the Reliable Replacement Warhead Design Definition and Cost Study at the U.S. Strategic Posture Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request for Strategic Programs hearing in order to provide more information into the viability of building a post-Cold War warhead....

Army Manual Upgrades Nation-Building

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jgPXz3dl2glsJmXPEki7sfnqqlVgD8V3FAB00

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — The Army on Thursday rolled out the first revision of its operations manual since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, putting stability operations — nation-building — on par with combat.
Army officials said the revision reflects a focus on fighting terrorism.
"The field manual is our Army's blueprint for an uncertain future," said Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV, commander of Fort Leavenworth, where the document was produced. "It does provide the blueprint for how we, as an Army, will operate over the next 10 to 15 years."......

OSI Geospatial Signs US$2.2 Million U.S. Marine Corps Contract

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/finance/article/osi-geospatial-signs-us22-million-marine-corps-contract_496712_9.html

OSI Geospatial Inc. delivers advanced geospatial systems and software that enable shared real-time situational awareness for military, safety and security applications. Our products and services enable our customers to integrate and visualize live data with any combination of sensor data, imagery, maps and charts. This capability provides our customers with enhanced operational performance, safety and security through shared real-time situational awareness...

States Prepared to Respond to Pandemic Flu Outbreak, Says Report

http://www.govtech.com/gt/268160?topic=117677

States are rapidly improving their preparedness for a pandemic outbreak, according to a new interim report by the NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center).
The report catalogs the results of five regional workshops involving 27 states and territories held between April and August 2007. The NGA Center convened the workshops to identify gaps in state pandemic preparedness, specifically in non-health-related areas such as continuity of government, maintenance of essential services and coordination with the private sector. In addition, the workshops examined strengths and weaknesses of coordination activities among levels of government, both vertically (state-federal and state-local) and horizontally (state-state and state-private sector).....

FEATURE-ER of future fights threats big and small http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN27619730

WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Like every U.S. hospital emergency room, the one at Washington Hospital Center is overwhelmed -- on any day patients lie on gurneys in the corridor, hooked up to monitors. Others wait for hours to see a doctor.But next door to the old and crowded emergency department is a bright oasis of calm. Backed by a $2.2 million federal grant and drawing on 600 different ideas from a task force of experts, the hospital is putting in what emergency department chairman Dr. Mark Smith hopes will be a first draft of the emergency department of the future.It is designed to handle a sudden influx of mass casualties from a natural disaster, biological attack or a pandemic, and at the same time prevent the ongoing disaster of hospital-acquired infections."Our goal is to build a center as a demonstration facility -- a model test bed for the rest of the country," Smith said in an interview.

Future Combat Systems "Threat to Humanity" + News

Automated killer robots 'threat to humanity': expert http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080227111811.y9syyq8p&show_article=1

"They pose a threat to humanity," said University of Sheffield professor Noel Sharkey ahead of a keynote address Wednesday before Britain's Royal United Services Institute.
Intelligent machines deployed on battlefields around the world -- from mobile grenade launchers to rocket-firing drones -- can already identify and lock onto targets without human help.
There are more than 4,000 US military robots on the ground in Iraq, as well as unmanned aircraft that have clocked hundreds of thousands of flight hours.
The first three armed combat robots fitted with large-caliber machine guns deployed to Iraq last summer, manufactured by US arms maker Foster-Miller, proved so successful that 80 more are on order, said Sharkey.
But up to now, a human hand has always been required to push the button or pull the trigger.
It we are not careful, he said, that could change.
Military leaders "are quite clear that they want autonomous robots as soon as possible, because they are more cost-effective and give a risk-free war," he said.
Several countries, led by the United States, have already invested heavily in robot warriors developed for use on the battlefield.
South Korea and Israel both deploy armed robot border guards, while China, India, Russia and Britain have all increased the use of military robots.
Washington plans to spend four billion dollars by 2010 on unmanned technology systems, with total spending expected rise to 24 billion, according to the Department of Defense's Unmanned Systems Roadmap 2007-2032, released in December.
James Canton, an expert on technology innovation and CEO of the Institute for Global Futures, predicts that deployment within a decade of detachments that will include 150 soldiers and 2,000 robots.
The use of such devices by terrorists should be a serious concern, said Sharkey.
Captured robots would not be difficult to reverse engineer, and could easily replace suicide bombers as the weapon-of-choice. "I don't know why that has not happened already," he said.
But even more worrisome, he continued, is the subtle progression from the semi-autonomous military robots deployed today to fully independent killing machines.
"I have worked in artificial intelligence for decades, and the idea of a robot making decisions about human termination terrifies me," Sharkey said.
Ronald Arkin of Georgia Institute of Technology, who has worked closely with the US military on robotics, agrees that the shift towards autonomy will be gradual.
But he is not convinced that robots don't have a place on the front line.
"Robotics systems may have the potential to out-perform humans from a perspective of the laws of war and the rules of engagement," he told a conference on technology in warfare at Stanford University last month.
The sensors of intelligent machines, he argued, may ultimately be better equipped to understand an environment and to process information. "And there are no emotions that can cloud judgement, such as anger," he added.
Nor is there any inherent right to self-defence.
For now, however, there remain several barriers to the creation and deployment of Terminator-like killing machines.
Some are technical. Teaching a computer-driven machine -- even an intelligent one -- how to distinguish between civilians and combatants, or how to gauge a proportional response as mandated by the Geneva Conventions, is simply beyond the reach of artificial intelligence today.
But even if technical barriers are overcome, the prospect of armies increasingly dependent on remotely-controlled or autonomous robots raises a host of ethical issues that have barely been addressed.
Arkin points out that the US Department of Defense's 230 billion dollar Future Combat Systems programme -- the largest military contract in US history -- provides for three classes of aerial and three land-based robotics systems.
"But nowhere is there any consideration of the ethical implications of the weaponisation of these systems," he said.
For Sharkey, the best solution may be an outright ban on autonomous weapons systems. "We have to say where we want to draw the line and what we want to do -- and then get an international agreement," he said.

L-3 Gets CDC Pact Worth Up to $215M
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5574361.html

NEW YORK — Defense contractor L-3 Communications said Wednesday it signed a blanket purchase agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worth up to $215 million over five years.
Under terms of the agreement, L-3 said it will assist the agency with preparedness efforts for all-hazards, including acts of bioterrorism and pandemic outbreaks.
The scope of work will include strategic and operational planning, training and exercise programs for CDC personnel, as well as institutional and organizational capacity and leadership building, L-3 said.

"Heartland Agressor", India Rising, Drills +

"Heartland Aggressor"

Illinois National Guard to support Homeland Security exercise March 1
http://www.cantondailyledger.com/articles/2008/02/26/news/news07.txt

RANTOUL — Soldiers and Airmen of the Illinois National Guard will participate in a homeland security training exercise in Champaign County this weekend.The exercise, known as Heartland Aggressor, is part of a series of homeland security activities that strategically positions the Illinois National Guard along side numerous outside agencies and local first responders to test preparedness and their ability to respond to large-scale emergencies....

Navy Conducts Accountability Exercise http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,162823,00.html


WASHINGTON - Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), in coordination with Command Navy Personnel Command (CNPC) and U.S. Fleet Forces Command will hold a Navywide large-scale personnel accountability (PA) exercise Feb. 25-29.....

......CPA 08-1 is the first of two early fiscal year 2008 Citadel PA Exercises conducted by CNIC. The second exercise will be in coordination with the National Level Exercise conducted in late April 2008. (cont...)

India tests underwater missile http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080226/ap_on_re_as/india_missile_test

NEW DELHI - India tested a nuclear-capable missile designed to be launched from a submarine, in a move aimed at expanding India's ability to respond in case of a nuclear attack, officials said Tuesday. .....

India to host next military exercise with China
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gnCDrDbzmOtJ414cgZPcJf9moixgNEW DELHI (AFP) — India will host the second joint military exercises with China, as the neighbours continue to mend ties after a brief but bitter border war in 1962, a report said.
The first-ever military manoeuvres between the world's most populous nations were held in China in December, when about 200 Indian and Chinese troops jointly "took out" a group of supposed terrorists along their border.
"The next joint exercise will be held in India this year," Defence Minister A.K. Anthony was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency....

U.S. missile shield plan nearly final, Czechs say http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/25/europe/shield.php


Senior Center, school may be used in emergencies (MA)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x677168726


In case of a disease outbreak or bioterrorism attack.....


The town should be able to handle 24,000 inoculations, most of the population, in two days, Gikas said.......


In emergency, center will be focal point (CT)
http://www.connpost.com/ci_8363174?source=most_viewed

BRIDGEPORT — Once it was the home of Producto Corp. Then it was vacant industrial land. Now it's on the way to providing greater safety for southwestern Connecticut.
Rising off Pequonnuck Avenue in the city's South End, a new, 911-emergency operations command and dispatch center is designed to serve 14 towns in the corridor from Stratford to Stamford in the event of terrorist attack, emergency or natural disaster.....


Providence Mayor appoints new emergency management director
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2008/02/25/providence_mayor_appoints_new_emergency_management_director/

FCS: "Crusher Robot", War Game/Drill Watch

DARPA Crusher Robot is Field Tested at Fort Bliss

UGCV PerceptOR Integration (UPI)Field Tests at Fort Bliss, Texas

Nancy Ott of CMU's National Robotics Engineering Center writes, "Here's the latest on the DARPA UPI program's Crusher robot (including pictures and video). Crusher is coming off a round of field tests at Ft. Bliss, TX, where it planned and executed missions designed by ordinary soldiers" The autonomous 6 wheeled Crusher robot is part of DARPA's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. The current field test are based on NERC's UGCV PerceptOR Integration (UPI) program which combined the original Crusher UGCV robot with the PerceptOR autonomous perception and navigation system. See also our previous stories on outdoor robot navigation systems that were tested on the Crusher robot.

France and Gulf allies in war games amid Iran tensions
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL2545241220080225


DUBAI (Reuters) - Forces from France, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar began their first joint war games on Monday in the Gulf amid lingering tensions between Iran and the West.
The "Gulf Shield 01" exercises took place on UAE territory and in international waters near key oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, with combined operations to include mock attacks on a "hostile" island, the French military said.
"The main scenario involves a large fictitious island in the Gulf that threatens the UAE and Qatar, so we intervene in the framework of defense pacts to protect these two countries," Lieutenant-Colonel Thierry Fusalba told Reuters.
The exercises last until March 5 and involve 1,500 French, 2,500 UAE, and 1,300 Qatari troops operating on land, at sea, and in the air. Around a half dozen warships, 40 aircraft, and dozens of armored vehicles are involved....

High-tech war games put premium on readiness
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/feb/25/hightech_war_games_put_premium_readiness/?city_local
Fort Leavenworth — Army Maj. Jake Peterson pondered his next steps after his armored battalion led the capture of a communications center and road network.
That victory came at a price. The battalion, one of two under Peterson’s command, took a beating.
“They threw everything they had at it,” Peterson said of the enemy troops trying to protect what maps on his computer screen labeled Objective Bravo. “That unit was rendered combat ineffective.”
The year is 2013. The country of Azerbaijan has been invaded by neighboring Ahuristan, a breakaway province from Iran. Azerbaijan asked the U.S. and its coalition allies, Great Britain and Turkey, for help in repelling the invaders.
In reality, Ahuristan doesn’t exist, and the war scenario was played recently over five days at Fort Leavenworth’s Command and General Staff College and Combined Arms Center. Participants used an elaborate computer system called Command Post of the Future and PM Battle Command........
The U.S. and U.K. are planning computerized war exercises that will have them working together while each stays on its side of the Atlantic. A major exercise is planned for 2010, Collett said.....

"Operation Fowl Play"

Virginia Beach prepares for the possibility of a pandemic flu outbreak
http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=7912475&nav=menu45_2

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA.(WAVY.com) -- How prepared is the city of Virginia Beach to deal with pandemic influenza?
City departments, military representatives and hospital staffers met for a table top exercise on the subject Friday morning at the city's convention center. The health department's Erin Sutton tells WAVY.com, "We want to make sure the city is prepared to deal with this because it's unlike any other emergency."....

General Dynamics to build robot vehicles
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/32325-1.html

General Dynamics will build robotic vehicles to conduct surveillance and other security tasks for the Army under a five-year contract that could be worth as much as $40 million.
The semi-autonomous security vehicles are designed to perform a number of surveillance activities without the aid of a human driver, including checking for intruders and monitoring stored ordnance.
The contract calls for General Dynamics Robotic Systems of Westminster, Md., to produce 24 vehicles, spare parts and training and technical services – all part of the Army’s Robotic Mobile Detection and Assessment and Response System. ....

The big bucks from DHS http://www.washingtontechnology.com/print/23_03/32299-1.html

$562M Integrated Coast Guard Systems
$360M IBM Corp.
$347M L-3 Communications Corp.
$315M Unysis Corp.
$292M SAIC
$265M Boeing Co.
$240M Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
$192M Accenture Ltd.
$191M Lockheed Martin Corp.
$188M General Electric Co.
*Integrated Coast Guard Systems is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Corp.

SAIC gets urban warfare research work http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/32280-1.html

Science Applications International Corp. will assist the Army in developing technology that will allow troops to see inside buildings during urban military operations under a $5.2 million contract, the Defense Department announced Feb. 19.
Under the contract, SAIC will help the Army develop and test technology for the concept known as VisiBuilding.
VisiBuilding is a project by the Strategic Technology Office in the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. In urban warfare, warfighters no longer have the advantages of traditional surveillance and reconnaissance methods after enemy forces retreat indoors. The goal is to find ways to help troops determine building layouts, find unusual quantities of materials inside structures and locate people in buildings. To accomplish this requires using signal, sensor and modeling technologies, according to DARPA....

Lockheed Martin Donates to Purdue! (home to SWS, and fraudulent WTC simulation)http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/BUSINESS/80222021

Purdue University officials today announced that Rick and Cheryl Kosdrosky, engineers at Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas, have pledged a combined $2.2 million to the university's college of engineering and college of technology....

LEPC prepares for disaster drill (OK)
http://www.pryordailytimes.com/local/local_story_056094316.html

Laser Weapons Better Against Rockets?http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/02/israelis-demand.html

Has America started a new arms race? http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7257000/7257215.stm

* Please ignore previous post, lengthy run of the flu and some entanglements with internet trolls had me down. It was momentary, this information is too important to not continue...

Signing Off...

Signing Off -the military surveillance tool, the Internet.

I am taking yet another hiatus from this intractable debacle. I have tried to stay away from
the attacks of 9/11(serious fatigue) and focus on what the perps are planning next, yet i keep getting sucked back into endless hours of reading every detail of what every one is doing in the 9/11 movement, which is really one giant COINTLEPRO mind F--K!

I believe, as I have stated elsewhere, many still plugging away in the 9/11 "movement"are suffering from PTSD and obsessive compulsive disorder as much as from any desire to see
an end to this through justice. The only thing that matters now is activism, which I will pursue
off the net and away from spook infiltration.

All the best to the real ones out there!

Greg Nixon
2/20/08

Homeland Security, Exercise Initial Thunder, Terror Sim, + News

“Don’t lose sleep over the Patriot Act. Your government can demolish you in a thousand worse ways,”

Homeland security: More than just the Patriot Act
http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=6650

Colorado State Patrol Sgt. Matt Packard, who is the state planning coordinator for the Colorado Department of Safety, joined a panel of experts in homeland security to talk to students at Front Range Community College in Longmont



LONGMONT — Soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, attorneys, FBI agents and local law-enforcement officers — all are working in the name of homeland security.
“There are many aspects of homeland security,” said Colorado State Patrol Sgt. Matt Packard, who is a supervisor in the Colorado Information Analysis Center in Denver. The center collects and analyzes information regarding possible threats, then disseminates it to local agencies as needed, he explained.
Packard and four other men discussed their work Monday night during Front Range Community College’s seminar “Everything you always wanted to know about homeland security but were afraid to ask.”
The Patriot Act — passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as anti-terrorism legislation — became a topic of debate between two of the speakers and two students who questioned the power it gives the government.....




Firms to tackle terror simulation
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7253275.stm


A counter terrorism seminar for businesses is to be held for the first time in the Highlands.

Delegates will be asked to respond to a simulated terrorist attack designed by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, under its Project Argus scheme.
The event in Insches Church, Inverness, on 11 March will be hosted by Northern Constabulary and Grampian Police.
NaCTSO founder Richard Flynn will attend along with representatives of the emergency services.
'Not immune'
Police said an expert panel would answer any questions on dealing with an attack.
Chief Supt Bruce Duncan, head of operations at Northern, said: "Events in Glasgow last summer illustrate that Scotland is not immune from terrorism.
"Our aim is to ensure that the north of Scotland is as equally prepared and protected as anywhere else in the UK."

"Exercise Initial Thunder"

Mock 'dirty bomb' attack tests Canada's terror response
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jvcHKEDWvWp7BT1ckemtWLe_ArAA


VANCOUVER, Canada, Feb 19, 2008 (AFP) — A mock dirty bomb explosion here Monday launched a week-long exercise to pit authorities and emergency responders against terrorists attacking Canada's west coast.
"We all hope Canada will never have to face a terrorist attack," said Ted Sykes of Ottawa's defence department, who also is director of Exercise Initial Thunder, Canada's largest ever such drill.
Sykes said the one-million-dollar exercise, encompassing a score of federal and local agencies, national police as well as Interpol, and including some 300 local "players," involves a series of scripted challenges.
The drills aim to test whether Canada's military technology is fit to face a terrorist challenge, and also test how well different responders cooperate with each other, said Sykes.
The operation is the largest counter-terrorism exercise to be held in Canada focused on radioactive, chemical or biological explosives, said a Department of National Defence statement.
It began here at the massive Port of Vancouver, and will move during the week to Esquimalt, a major Canadian naval base on Vancouver Island, 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of here.
The week launched at 6:30 am (1430 GMT) Monday, when routine screening detected radiation emissions from two containers at the port.
Fire trucks, ambulances, police and border service officers, along with military scientists, thronged onto Ballantyne Pier, a secondary cruise ship facility adjacent to the container terminal.
"In real life, the radioactive emissions could have been detected in the container's country of origin, but in the (exercise scenario) it was detected in this city," said Sykes.
At mid-morning Monday, the script called for a simulated bomb to explode in one of the containers. At exactly the same time, a mock illegal human smuggling ring moved 12 fugitives past the container.
The pretend blast, which had a 300-meter (nearly 1,000 feet) radius, injured all 12 -- really health care workers volunteering to act out parts as smugglers moving illegal transients.
"They were unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Sykes, straight-faced.
All responders were measured for radiation exposure, and decontamination tents were set up to treat the illegal migrants, said Tim Armstrong, of the hazardous materials division of Vancouver's Fire Rescue Services.
Although two of the pretend casualties had life-threatening injuries by the end of the day only one person had actually died, said Sykes.
And true to form in this city known as "Hollywood North" for its active film industry, the identity of the dead person was predictable.
"It was the bad guy," said Sykes.



Weapons Debate Puts China in Focus
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120338456726575869.html?mod=googlenews_wsj



Companies Featured in This Article: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, United Technologies, BAE Systems
The perceived new military threat from China is a growing factor in a Pentagon debate over weapons spending.
In recent weeks, the Department of Defense has been roiled by an unusually fierce fight over the future of the F-22 Raptor, a $143 million jet produced by Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. that the Air Force and others hope will uphold the nation's pre-eminence in the skies.
With the U.S. focused on fighting insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, such weaponry for battling superpowers has been seen by some U.S. officials as less important to the wars of the future....

Lasers light the way to future of combat
http://www.lcsun-news.com/news/ci_8291935

Soldiers in the field own the night thanks to tests being run at White Sands Missile Range.
Soldiers will be able to see, coordinate, and fight better thanks to a new series of laser aiming and illumination devices being tested by the Material Test Directorate's Future Force Division Unmanned Vehicle/Soldier Branch

CSC names VP in Homeland Security business http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2008/02/18/daily12.html

A high-tech wish list
DARPA procurement plan shows Pentagon's IT research priorities

http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/45847-1.html

Among the most prominent technology areas that DARPA seeks to fund via the BAA are:
space and near-space sensors and systems;
strategic and tactical networks;
information assurance;
counter underground facilities;
weapons-of-mass-destruction defense;
small-unit operations;
maritime operations; and
core strategic technologies.

Police State, Booz Allen, Emergency X's, PMC News

http://www.drudgereport.com/

AMTRAK passengers will have to submit to random screening of carry-on bags in a major new security push that will also include officers with automatic weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling platforms and trains, the railroad is set to announce Tuesday. The initiative represents a significant shift for AMTRAK, which, unlike the airlines, saw relatively little increase in security after the 2001 terrorist attacks... Developing...

Booz Allen wins AF biometrics work http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/32268-1.html
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. has won a contract worth $6.3 million to conduct a biometrics research project at the request of the Air Force, the Defense Department announced yesterday.
Under the contract, the McLean, Va., company will help conduct research for a new 3-D facial recognition biometrics program, DOD said.
The company will conduct the research at the Information Assurance Technical Analysis Center in Herndon, Va. As part of its work, the company will produce a final technical report detailing its findings. IATAC conducts scientific and technical research for DOD.

Stadium stages emergency exercise (UK)

http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines/display.var.2050878.0.stadium_stages_emergency_exercise.php

A mock evacuation was staged at Oxford United's match with Droylsden yesterday.
Steward went through their paces during the staged evacuation of the Kassam Stadium, although the crowd was not asked to move.
Keith Carter, the stadium's safety officer, said: "As part of our safety certificate we have to regularly train the stewards to evacuate the stadium in the event of an emergency.....

London Resilience Partnership

Major flood exercise to be held

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7245733.stm

Simulated problems:
Bob Broadhurst, from the Metropolitan Police, said: "London has had a considerable experience in dealing with a multitude of different emergencies and disasters over the years.
"When dealing with something on this scale, command and control arrangements are key and this exercise will give us the opportunity to learn and develop our plans and to test our co-ordination with the different organisations who would be involved."
Those involved in the exercise will aim to work together to tackle a host of problems caused by rising floodwater from the loss of power, loss of public transport to the evacuation of worried residents.
The London Resilience Partnership was created after the 11 September terrorist attacks in New York. .......

India offers Pakistan joint naval exercises

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5huMJOhZdjUoX_NsJnWKp9fgman4Q

NEW DELHI (AFP) — India, which recently staged its first military exercises with China, is ready to carry out naval manoeuvres with arch-rival Pakistan, the navy chief has said.
Admiral Sureesh Mehta made the offer late Thursday on the sidelines of the inaugural Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in New Delhi.
"It would have followed as a matter of course if they (Pakistan) were here," he replied to questions on the possibility of a joint naval manoeuvre with Pakistan, which has fought three wars with India since partition in 1947.
However, a first exercise with Pakistan may not happen in Indian waters, the admiral said.
"But now I suppose it (exercise) may happen in a third country," Mehta said.....

All-star line-up at first Singapore Airshow

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gVZG0JPiU_DXjeZ1vGdSsJbNI5dg

SINGAPORE, Feb 17, 2008 (AFP) — Fighter jets, commercial planes and unmanned drones will jostle for attention at Asia's biggest airshow this week as titans Boeing, Airbus and other manufacturers take their wares to the booming Asian market, organisers said....

Ionatron changes name, focus
Defense contractor to become Applied Energetics http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/biz-topheadlines/225245.php

Ionatron Inc., one of Tucson's few publicly traded companies, is announcing today it plans to change its name and stock ticker to reflect a shift from its directed-energy weapons for the battlefield.
The new name, Applied Energetics Inc., will "reflect the broadening of our targeted markets and applications" to include a mix of engineering and production programs for military, aerospace and industrial customers, said Chairman and CEO Dana Marshall....

DHS may accept Project 28 http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/32271-1.html

The Homeland Security Department will “likely accept” in the next few days the first task order of DHS’ multibillion-dollar project to use technology and tactical infrastructure to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff said Feb. 13.....

March to War: Militarization of Space, Drills + PMC News

United States is planning an anti-satellite test?
http://russianforces.org/blog/2008/02/united_states_is_planning_an_a.shtml

This is not about Russian forces, but given the recent news about weapons and space, I think it is a question worth asking - Exactly how the planned destruction of the USA 193 satellite is not an ASAT test? And how it would be different from the Chinese ASAT test of January 2007?.......

See: The Final Frontier: Washington Prepares for Arms Race in Space http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/1233/1/

China, Russia propose to ban weapon use in space http://www.cctv.com/english/20080214/101282.shtml

US opposes treaty on space weapons
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/5639546/US-opposes-treaty-on-space-weapons

Guns in SpaceWhat's the point of putting weapons in orbit?
http://www.slate.com/id/2184375

India plans weapons in space
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE120080214134221&Title=Bangalore&Topic=0

Mock terror drill at Delhi metro stations
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/mock-terror-drill-at-delhi-metro-stations_10017557.html


New Delhi, Feb 14 (ANI): The first-ever mock drill was conducted within the premises of the Delhi Metro railway stations, to train the staff against a possible attack by terrorists.The drill was monitored by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which used multi-hazardous situations to review the efficacy of the Metro staff, police and medical facilities in such eventualities.The drills were carried out simultaneously at Rajiv Chowk (terror attack), Chawri Bazar (toxic gas release), Rithala (bomb blast at parking area) and Shastri Park (call about planting of bomb at train depot) at around 6:15 am.“When such an incident takes place, the first reaction should be to stop the trains and to evacuate the passengers from the stations. Apart from being an important mode of transportation, Delhi Metro is also a heritage, which needs to be protected,” said N C Vij, Vice Chairman, NDMA.The mock drill was not a surprise as it was just a rehearsal, but a surprise mock drill could be carried out later to evaluate the efficiency of the administration, he added......

Another Russian Air Force drill in the North
http://www.barentsobserver.com/another-russian-air-force-drill-in-the-north.4457705-58932.html

The Russian Air Force today announced the launch of a tactical exercise involving long-range aviation in "northern latitudes".
The drill, including two heavy-bomber regiments and one aerial tanker regiment, is practicing midair refueling, flights over uncharted terrain and in difficult weather conditions, as well as landings on off-base, alternate airfields. Over 30 Tu-95 (Bear) strategic bombers, Il-78 (Midas) four-engine aerial refueling tankers, and Tu-22 (Blinder) supersonic bombers are participating in the exercise, RIA Novosti reports.The Russian Air Force today announced announced the launch of a tactical exercise involving long-range aviation in "northern latitudes". More than 30 aircrafts will take part in the rehearsal.

See also:
Russian military exercises do not imply confrontation with West - Putin
http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=11968262

China blasts 'Cold War thinking' of spy claims
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/14/wchina114.xml

"We urge the United States to abandon its Cold War thinking and stop groundless accusations and instead contribute to mutual trust and friendship between our two peoples."

Menasha site of war games (WI)
Guard members train using simulated air attacks
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/APC0101/802130571/1003/APC01

MENASHA — A fighter jet simulated a bomb drop over Menasha City Hall on Tuesday afternoon.
It was the first in a series of controversial attack simulations planned over northeastern Wisconsin.

Technical sgt. Mark Black of the 194th Air Support Operations Group from the Washington Air National Guard out of Tacoma, Wash., participates in a Close Air Support and Time Sensitive Targeting training exercise Tuesday in downtown Menasha. Post-Crescent photo by Kirk Wagner

Air Force chief lays out new strategy
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0208/021308g1.htm

A new Air Force strategy document says the service must control not only the skies, but space and cyberspace too, or risk U.S. security and the failure of future military operations.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley laid out his service's strategy for the next two decades and the "urgent actions required to cope with today's and tomorrow's challenges" in a Dec. 29, 2007, white paper released earlier this month. "No future war will be won without air, space and cyberspace superiority," he said.
The Air Force must achieve and maintain "cross-domain dominance," Moseley said, to be able to carry out strikes at will and prevent any attacks on U.S. interests from the skies, space or the electromagnetic spectrum. Only Air Force dominance across those realms, will enable the other services -- the Army and Navy - to conduct operations ranging from humanitarian relief to full-blown war.
Future wars are unlikely to resemble current fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the United States must be prepared to win large-scale wars, Moseley said. In the strategy paper he emphasized the importance of maintaining a modern Air Force as a deterrent against any potential enemy. "Deterrence is a function of capability, will and credibility and, thus, exists in the eye of the beholder," he said. The Air Force must be able to see and destroy any potential target anywhere in the world.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Awards Lockheed Martin Next Generation Identification Program http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/industrials/article/federal-bureau-investigation-awards-lockheed-martin-generation-identification_477102_6.html

ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb 12, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT: 107.10, -1.77, -1.62%) a ten-year, $1 billion contract today to develop and maintain the Bureau's Next Generation Identification (NGI) system, a multi-modal, state-of-the-art biometrics system for use by state, local and federal authorities.

Universal Detection Technology Launches Campaign to Market Anti MRSA Products http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/energy/article/universal-detection-technology-launches-campaign-market-anti-mrsa-products_477449_11.html LOS ANGELES, Feb 13, 2008 (PrimeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Universal Detection Technology (www.udetection.com) (OTCBB:UDTT) (Frankfurt:PO8), a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, announced today that it has launched a new campaign to draw traffic to its new hub for online sales and marketing of anti microbial products.

U.S.Resembling A 'Third-World Country'
http://wcbstv.com/campaign08/bloomberg.federal.government.2.654315.html

WWIV Watch,Chertoff Threataganda, China, FCS, + News

Navy Intercepts Russian Bombers

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8UODA4G0&show_article=1

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. fighter planes intercepted two Russian bombers, including one that buzzed an American aircraft carrier in the western Pacific during the weekend, The Associated Press has learned.
A U.S. military official says that one Russian Tupolev 95 flew directly over the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz twice, at a low altitude of about 2,000 feet, while another bomber circled about 58 miles out. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because the reports on the flights were classified as secret.
The Saturday incident, which never escalated beyond the flyover, comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans for a missile defense system based in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Such Russian bomber flights were common during the Cold War, but have been rare since.
The bombers were among four Russian Tupolev 95s launched from Ukrainka in the middle of the night, including one that Japanese officials say violated their country's airspace over an uninhabited island south of Tokyo.
U.S. officials tracked and monitored the bombers as two flew south along the Japanese coast, and two others flew farther east, coming closer to the Nimitz and the guided missile cruiser USS Princeton.
As the bombers got about 500 miles out from the U.S. ships, four F/A- 18 fighters were launched from the Nimitz, the official said. The fighters intercepted the Russian bombers about 50 miles south of the Nimitz.
At least two U.S. F/A-18 Hornets trailed the bomber as it came in low over the Nimitz twice, while one or two of the other U.S. fighters followed the second bomber as it circled. .....

Threataganda

'Earth-Shattering' Events Worry Chertoff

http://www.wtopnews.com/?sid=1342138&nid=251

WASHINGTON - Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff's eyes narrow and his voice develops a stern, urgent tone as he reveals America's biggest vulnerability to terrorism.
"The great weapon they have is persistence and patience, and the one weakness that we have is the tendency to lose patience and become complacent," Chertoff tells WTOP.
"It strikes me as hard to accept that anybody would believe the threat is over. There is nothing these terrorists are doing or saying that could lead a reasonable person to believe that they have somehow lost interest. Our biggest challenge is making sure we do not drop our guard because time passes." ......

Defense Focus: China's weapons -- Part 4

http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Analysis/2008/02/11/defense_focus_chinas_weapons_--_part_4/5289/

By MARTIN SIEFFUPI Senior News AnalystWASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The continuing weakness of China's armaments industry has profound implications for China's diplomacy, grand strategy and choice of conflicts it would be prepared to undertake for many years to come.First, this weakness puts Russia in the driver's seat of the Russian-Chinese alliance. Although never formalized as such, this alliance has been a reality ever since both nations formed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on June 15, 2001, with the residents of four former Soviet republics in Central Asia.China therefore looks certain to remain dependent upon Russia for years, possibly decades to come, for two crucial staples of great power status: enough oil and gas to keep its rapidly growing industries operating; and the modern, rugged, state-of-the-art weapons, especially for ground forces and for the rapid overseas projection of military power, that China still cannot produce.If the European Union finally loosens its sanctions on China, European high-tech weapons manufacturers may expect a floodtide of orders. China may order some German Dolphin submarines of the kind Israel operates to make itself less dependent on Russian-built Kilo subs. It may wish to buy French Scorpion submarines as well, but France may not want to endanger the growing demand for such submarines in India by selling to China, too. Companies like Britain's BAE Systems may be on the receiving end of major Chinese orders too, but BAE in particular is so dependent upon the U.S. government and armed forces for its sales that it may well be reluctant to make such a deal for fear of alienating Washington.China remains especially dependent on Russian goodwill to buy Main Battle Tanks, multiple launch rocket systems and robust armored personnel carriers. If Russia continues in its refusal to sell such advanced systems to China, and if Sino-American relations do not dramatically and unexpectedly warm up in the near future, then China will remain weak in the deployment of large land forces against its immediate neighbors. This vulnerability will force China to seek continued good relations with Russia and defuse tensions with India and, indeed, these are exactly the developments we have seen over the past few years.By contrast, China remains confident and aggressive in pushing its interests and expanding its naval and air presence in the South China Sea, in Southeast Asia and in the Indian Ocean. It is also moving energetically to secure its claim to the oil-rich region of the Spratly Islands, despite the strong opposition of Japan and Vietnam in particular.Of course, this is in large part dictated by China's need to protect its long and vulnerable oil supply lines from the Middle East. But it is also a reflection of the current and probable procurement strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese armed forces.China has an excellent air force with a large number of relatively low-tech but still formidable Sukhoi and Sukhoi-type interceptors and fighter-bombers, and it has expanded its navy with its own submarines, Russian-built Kilo diesel subs and four Russian-built Sovremenny destroyers with powerful anti-ship ballistic missile firepower.Therefore, while the continuing structural weakness of the Chinese arms industry has shaped Beijing's broader strategy, it has not prevented the Chinese government from focusing on its armed forces' existing and growing strengths in shaping it.Ironically, this appears to have been Russia's aim, too. Russian policy has not been to ignore or impose China's rise to superpower status on the Eurasian landmass, but to constructively engage China and try to direct Chinese expansion into directions that do not threaten Russia and that are compatible with Russia's own strategic goals. The continuing strength of the Russian armaments industry and China's continued need for the output of the Russian military-industrial complex have played a key role in allowing the Kremlin to successful prosecute this policy.-- Next: Will China's arms industry ever come of age?

Congress eyes defense cuts
The Army's multibillion-dollar modernization program, the Future Combat System, faces serious challenge this year.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0211/p03s03-usmi.html

Washington - Congress will have a greater impact on the massive defense budget this year, looking afresh at many programs long thought to be a sure thing. This includes the Army's multibillion-dollar modernization program, the controversial Future Combat System (FCS).
A high-tech series of air and ground vehicles linked by a wireless network, FCS has faced criticism before for being expensive and complicated. Lawmakers have previously been quick to cut funding from the program. But senior defense officials acknowledge that this year the system is facing real trouble.
"The program is really in jeopardy, and I think it's on the ropes," says one senior officer, who wished to speak anonymously and only on background because of how sensitive the issue has become.
The fiscal 2009 budget released last week included $3.6 billion for FCS, continuing a program now thought to cost $120 billion by completion....

Virtual Reality Used to Treat Traumatized Vets

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/02/11/virtual-reality-used-to-treat-traumatized-vets/?mod=googlenews_wsj

If a person has post-traumatic stress disorder after a car accident, a therapist might have him sit in a car for a while, then start the engine without going anywhere and, finally, start driving again. But what do you do for a soldier traumatized by a tour of duty in Iraq?
Academic researchers and military docs are developing virtual reality simulators with the hope of treating PTSD by exposing veterans to video game-like recreations of the kind of horrors they experienced in the war.....

Toledo apologizes to Grand Rapids
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/02/gramd_rapids_gets_apology_from.html

TOLEDO, Ohio -- As criticism spread over the Toledo mayor's decision to put the kibosh on downtown urban warfare training by a Grand Rapids-based Marine battalion, other city leaders were doing damage control today....

Combating Enemies Online: State-Sponsored and Terrorist Use of the Internet

http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?db85942e-9840-4c6d-b26f-5dafba1d7375

* just substitute the US military for "terrorists".....

Excerpt: "Internet Exploitation. One comprehensive sur­vey has identified specific ways that terrorists employ the Internet.[13] They use the Internet to:
Wage psychological warfare by spreading disinfor­mation, delivering threats to instill fear and help­lessness, and disseminating horrific images. For example, the grisly murder of Daniel Pearl was videotaped by his captors and posted on several terrorist Web sites.
Create publicity and spread propaganda."

'Invisible' Material Key to DARPA Dream Display

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/02/invisible-mater.html

A quiet rollout for FEMA 2.0With little fanfare, agency embarks on a $1B overhaul of major IT systems http://www.washingtontechnology.com/print/23_02/32227-1.html

2 CMBG Begins Exercise Southern Bear in Texas (Canada)http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=819726

Russia + China vs USA Watch, Purdue U Prez SAIC, PMC News +

* Note to readers, sorry for no updates since Tue.... A surprise blizzard here in VT dumped almost two feet of snow. I operate a plow truck to pay for activism/research....


Putin vows 'arms race' response
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7234817.stm

Russia's President Vladimir Putin says the world is engaged in a new arms race and Nato is failing to accommodate Russia's concerns

In a nationally-televised speech, he condemned Nato's expansion and the US plan to include Poland and the Czech Republic in a missile defence shield.
"It is already clear that a new phase in the arms race is unfolding in the world," Mr Putin said.
"It is not our fault, because we did not start it," he said....

China's Military Hardware Doctrine For The Early 21st Century Part Two http://www.spacewar.com/reports/China_Military_Hardware_Doctrine_For_The_Early_21st_Century_Part_Two_999.html


Aircraft carriers cost a fortune to build and operate. Instead China is turning to less costly methods of protecting it's immediate sphere of influence.

China is certainly in no state yet to produce its own long-range strategic bombers, air-refueling tankers or air transport aircraft like the C-130 Hercules or the C-17 Globemaster and must therefore continue to try and buy them off the shelf, if not from the United States because of deteriorating relations, then from Russia.....

Dr. France A. Cordova Elected to SAIC Board of Directors
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080207/neth029.html?.v=40

* Purdue U, home to perp protecting WTC BS simulation, SWS etc etc...

Sentient world: war games on the grandest scale http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/23/sentient_worlds/

Scientists and engineers simulate jet colliding with World Trade Center http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/2006/060911.Sozen.WTC.html

SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAIC, Inc. (NYSE: SAI - News) announced today that Dr. France A. Cordova, president of Purdue University and an internationally recognized astrophysicist, has been elected as a member of the SAIC board of directors effective Feb. 21, 2008. She will serve on the Compensation Committee and the Ethics and Corporate Responsibility Committee.

Boonville Guard to train on non-lethal combat maneuvers http://www.boonvilledailynews.com/articles/2008/02/08/news/news3.txt

BOONVILLE - The Missouri National Guard's Detachment 1, 1139th Military Police Company will train on non-lethal combat maneuvers this weekend during their monthly drill in Boonville.As part of their training, soldiers will focus on threat assessment, using and reacting to pepper spray, correct handling of a military police baton, basic ground fighting techniques and positioning moves.Non-lethal maneuvers are important when dealing with certain situations, such as crowd control, said Staff Sgt. Michael Niekamp, training noncommissioned officer for the unit.......

Tone it down, tell us of flights, NATO tells Russia
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-31836720080208


VILNIUS (Reuters) - NATO defence chiefs asked Russia on Friday for advanced warning of military exercises such as bomber sorties and repeated a call for Moscow to tone down the rhetoric in disputes with NATO members.
The issues were brought up by several NATO defence ministers during a cooperation meeting with Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Kolmakov in the Lithuanian capital.
A NATO spokesman declined to name the ministers who had made the requests to Russia. One alliance source said they represented "northern countries" in the 26-member alliance.
"Some of the ministers asked for advanced warning when they intend to send military equipment like bombers," a NATO spokesman told reporters.
"Ministers also asked them to lower the tone of their rhetoric," the spokesman added.
A latest example of Russia flexing its military muscles took place on Jan. 22 when two Russian long-range "Blackjack" bombers flew to the Bay of Biscay, off the coasts of NATO members France and Spain, to test-launch missiles.
Russia has also resumed 24-hour strategic air patrols over its territory and carried out long-range air missions over international airspace, nudging close to other NATO member states, Norway and Britain.
As well as such exercises, Russia has used tough language in response to NATO's plans for further expansion eastwards to countries like Georgia and Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin on Friday delivered an address with long passages of tough rhetoric aimed at the West, including accusing the United States of unleashing a new arms race.



Drill tests emergency crews
Disaster test held near Hard Rock Park, airport http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/story/341691.html

"....Organizers designed the drill around two incidents: a simulated plane crash at the Myrtle Beach International Airport and a chemical explosion at Hard Rock Park.
"How well can we manage two large-scale incidents simultaneously? That's what we're testing," Webster said."



DARPA Nabs Big Bucks for Mach 6 Planes, Giant Robotic Blimps, Next-Gen Networks http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/02/darpas-big-buck.htmlbuck.html
DARPA, the Pentagon's mad science division, got a $324 million boost in the Defense Department's new budget -- a ten percent increase. Which means lots more cash for giant blimps, next-gen wireless networks, Mach 6 planes, shape-shifting drones, and improvised bomb-beaters.
One of the biggest changes in DARPA's budget for the next fiscal year is the ramping up of the Blackswift project. The agency will dump $70 million next year into a joint effort with the Air Force to build an aircraft that can go six times the speed of sound -- and land on a runway, just like a normal plane. The idea is to use a combination of turbines and ramjets to fly so quickly. But it won't be easy. Outside of a few demonstration projects, pretty much the only things that go that fast today are ICBMs and spaceships, taking off and returning to earth.
The agency is also pushing on with its efforts to put together the pieces for a giant, robotic spy blimp that will hover in the air for up to a year at a time. Funds for the "Integrated Sensor is Structure" (ISIS) program jump from $29 to $44 million next year, with the goal of tracking "rockets, artillery, and mortars," as well as "dismounted enemy combatant[s]" -- individual soldiers, from 65,000 feet up. Eventually, this is all supposed to be done from a unmanned airship big enough to fit a battleship inside.
"Tactical technology" projects get an extra $35 million, for a total of $371 million. That includes $4 million for a new effort, "Silversword," which aims to use gigawatts of microwave power to fry the electronics inside remotely-triggered bombs. $6.6 million will go to specialized nets, designed to catch rocket-propelled grenades before they strike. And $11.6 million will go to "C-Sniper" -- DARPA's laser-based program to find snipers before they fire.
DARPA is also adding $36 million more to its "Advanced aerospace" projects, for a total of $107 million. The Oblique Flying Wing -- the agency's shape-shifting, cockeyed, supersonic drone project -- clocks in at $29.5 million. Another $11 million goes to "Vulture," an aircraft that could stay aloft for five years, without landing. $15.9 million is slated for the rocket-powered "Rapid Eye" spy drone.......



Raytheon Delivers First Advanced SUV-Based Radiation Detection System
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Raytheon_Delivers_First_Advanced_SUV_Based_Radiation_Detection_System_999.html

Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems delivered the first advanced sports utility vehicle-based radiation detection system to the Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. The successful delivery of this system will allow DNDO to operate in urban environments and will enhance border security and national defense by preventing the smuggling of nuclear materials through ports of entry.....

Three giants compete for FBI biometric deal
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/32211-1.html

Three major federal contractors — IBM Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. — are in the running for the FBI’s new $1 billion biometric database contract expected to be awarded this week, company officials confirmed today.
The FBI’s Next Generation Identification System is an upgrade to the agency’s decade-old Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. The new system expands the amount of biometric data collected and is supposed to make it easier for the FBI to share data....

Colorado Preps For Pandemic Flu
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/health/15250593/detail.html?rss=den&psp=news

Martial Law Watch, Fascist Budget + News

Lieberman responds to report on military’s role in homeland security preparedness http://continuitycentral.com/news03751.htm

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., has reacted to a new report by the Commission on National Guard and Reserves entitled, ‘Transforming the National Guard and Reserves into a 21st-Century Operation Force.’
The report, requested by Congress, makes several homeland security recommendations, including that the Department of Defense (DoD) plan and train for a major role in responding to large-scale catastrophes in support of the Department of Homeland Security. It recommends that National Guard and Reserve forces take the lead in DoD operations during a homeland disaster and that rapid responders be properly manned, trained, and equipped at the highest level of readiness........

U.S. sees Russia, China, OPEC financial threat

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080205/tbs-security-usa-threats-7318940.html

WASHINGTON, Feb 5 - The United States is worried that Russia, China and OPEC oil-producing countries could use their growing financial clout to advance political goals, the top U.S. spy chief told Congress on Tuesday.

Such economic matters joined terrorism, nuclear proliferation and computer-network vulnerabilities as top U.S. security threats described by National Director of Intelligence Michael McConnell in an annual assessment.
McConnell said U.S. intelligence agencies had "concerns about the financial capabilities of Russia, China and OPEC countries and the potential use of their market access to exert financial leverage to political ends."...... * (current geopolitical analysis in a nutshell)

'Dragon Warrior'

U.S. Army Europe Signal Battalion prepares for future during network exercise 'Dragon Warrior' http://www.eucom.mil/english/FullStory.asp?art=1557

GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA, Germany — Army Sgt. Eric Lewis, 72nd Signal Battalion of U.S. Army Europe's 5th Signal Command, raises a line-of-site antenna during the battalion's network exercise "Dragon Warrior" here. (Department of Defense photo by Army Sgt. Elizabeth Sheridan)

GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA, Germany — Signal waves and U.S. Army Europe Soldiers blanketed the Bavarian fields here during a network training exercise dubbed "Dragon Warrior."The doubleheader exercise began in January, when Soldiers from the 72nd Signal Battalion of USAREUR's 5th Signal Command packed up convoys at their headquarters in Mannheim, Germany with their newly fielded Joint Network Node equipment for deployment to "Graf."

National Guard Multi-Agency WMD Response Exercise Scheduled for Pitt County(NC) http://www.witntv.com/home/headlines/15326061.html

Pitt County agencies, and Soldiers and Airmen of the North Carolina National Guard 42nd Civil Support Team, headquartered in Greenville, are scheduled to participate in a multi-agency exercise at the Pitt County Fairgrounds Wednesday, February 6, 2008.
The exercise at the fairgrounds, U.S. Highway 264 Bypass North, simulates a Weapons of Mass Destruction event in Pitt County. Many specialized vehicles and military helicopters will be in operation in the area near or on the Pitt County Fairgrounds. Personnel may be wearing protective suits and simulate military operations including detonation of training devices. .......

Australia to pull out of 'quad' that excludes China

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Australia_to_pull_out_of_quad_that_excludes_China/articleshow/2760109.cms

NEW DELHI: The US-Japan-Australia-India quadrilateral has hit a new hurdle. During the first strategic dialogue between Australia and China this week, the new Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith assured Beijing that Canberra would pull out of the "quad". Australia will keep the dialogue going with Washington and Tokyo but wants to keep India out. Australian media quoted Smith as saying that during his recent visit to China and Japan, he informed both countries that Australia would not be attending any more of the four-way security meetings. "I indicated when I was in Japan that Australia would not be proposing to have a dialogue of that nature," Smith said. The opposition to the "quadrilateral", a grouping that was enthusiastically embraced by former prime ministers Shinzo Abe and John Howard, was expected to heighten under both Yasuo Fukuda and the Mandarin-speaking Kevin Rudd. The Australian decision to tilt openly towards Beijing will have inevitable consequences in New Delhi, said sources, refusing to be named.......

"Cyber Storm" (update)

In major US drill, disaster threatens the nation from the sky, the land _ and from computers

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080205/GJLIFESTYLES_01/87765853/-1/FOSLIFESTYLES

"The upcoming "Cyber Storm 2" in March also will simulate electronic attacks against chemical plants and communication lines, and include targets in California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia."

Beijing conducts anti-terror drill in subway

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-7282124,00.html

BEIJING, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Beijing started an anti-terrorist exercise in subway stations across the city as part of Olympic preparations, Xinhua news agency reported, citing subway sources.
The exercise was conducted on Sunday at two transfer stations and a station at the site of the Olympic village, the agency said.
"This is a trial. We plan to have all 90 stations equipped with security-checking facilities to guarantee secure running of the Olympics," Xinhua quoted a subway worker surnamed Zhang as saying.
Subway stations would be equipped with X-ray machines for hand luggage, similar to those at China's airports and major train stations, the agency said.
China last year said terrorist attacks posed the biggest threat to the Games and has intensified security measures against militants, as well as cracking down on dissidents and protesters....

White House Requests $515 Billion for the Pentagon
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/04/AR2008020403406.html

Pentagon comptroller Tina Jonas discusses the agency's $515.4 billion proposed budget for fiscal 2009 in a news conference with Vice Adm. P. Stephen Stanley of the Joint Staff. (By Alex Wong -- Getty Images)

See also:FACTBOX: Budget plans for biggest U.S. weapons systems: http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNews/idUSN0461774320080204

Homeland Security Would Get 11% Bump

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120217114411042573.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Budget Request Funds 43,000 More Soldiers

http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/02/05/7294-budget-request-funds-43000-more-soldiers/

The future of network-centric surveillance

http://www.pennwellblogs.com/mae/2008/02/future-of-network-centric-surveillance.html

Federal buildings become Real ID zones

http://www.news.com/Federal-buildings-become-Real-ID-zones/2009-1028_3-6229133.html?tag=nefd.lede

Fact Sheet: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Announces 6.8 Percent Increase in Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request

http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1202151112290.shtm

Continue to Protect Our Nation from Dangerous People *(like honest an decent Americans onto this scam!!!! that's the real threat to these Fascists)
The Department of Homeland Security’s main priority is to prevent terrorist attacks against the nation and to protect our nation from dangerous people. DHS will continue to prevent the entry of terrorists while facilitating the legitimate flow of people by strengthening border security efforts and continuing to gain effective control of America’s borders. Requested funding for the following initiatives will support this significant goal:....