Mass Vaccination, DHS/PMC News + "Resistance" Drill

Mass Vaccination Drill (MN)

http://www.kttc.com/News/index.php?ID=19917



ROCHESTER, MN -- Imagine an outbreak of Ebola Virus - thousands of people fall sick, infecting everyone around them.The only way to stop it is mass vaccination.Tonight Newscenter's Jennifer Hoff takes a look at how you can now count on Olmsted County to keep you safe. Busloads of people file into the University Center Rochester field house - effectively and efficiently is key.They aren't there seeking medical attention nor are they sick - so why are they getting a flu shot?They're practicing for a possible pandemic. Kari Etrheim, Olmsted County Public Health says, "We might do to something like this in order to vaccinate a large amount of people in a short amount of time." (cont...)

Titan Global Targets New Growth Opportunities in Homeland Security . Space with Purchase of 2,151,422 Shares of Homeland Security Capital Corp http://www.infobolsa.es/v2002/Noticias/noticias_titulares2.asp?Fuente=IBNW&FechaNot=20071109&Clasif=C&Numnot=104382

House Passes Pentagon Non-War Budget http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6dZR6Ran4SvzDtMx_YPyrtO3qkQD8SPU5I01
By ANDREW TAYLOR – 19 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress on Thursday approved a big boost in the Pentagon's non-war budget for President Bush's signature, even as a spending bill containing far smaller increases for health and education programs headed for a certain veto.
The confluence of the votes reflected Bush's dominant position in the year-end budget battle pitting the White House against Democrats controlling Congress.
The $471 billion defense budget — awarding the Pentagon with a 9 percent, $40 billion budget increase — passed the House by a 400-15 vote. (cont...)

* plus ca change....

LAPD Plan To Map Muslim Communities Angers Some Groups http://www.knbc.com/news/14551575/detail.html?dl=headlineclick

LOS ANGELES -- A plan by the LAPD counterterrorism bureau to create a map detailing the Muslim communities in that city was reported Friday to be angering civil rights groups.
At least three major Muslim groups and the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter yesterday to top city officials raising concerns about the plan, The New York Times reported.
"When the starting point for a police investigation is 'let's look at all Muslims,' we are going down a dangerous road," attorney Peter Bibring of the ACLU of Southern California told the newspaper in an interview (cont...)

* This looks like a Martial Law Resistance drill

Marines take part in mock terrorist drill in Martinsville http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=7334686

Training for the war on Terror, it happens everyday. And, for the past week about 2,000 Marines have been in Central and Southside Virginia doing just that, training.
Thursday night some Marines took part in a mock terrorist drill in Martinsville. The scenario involved a terrorist group known as the Rocky Mount Resistance. They were hiding out the fictional country of "Mica" at the Dupont plant.
After some Marines spent a couple of days gathering intelligence, they decided to take the terrorists down. Once the "terrorists" were apprehended, Marines flew them back to Fort Pickett for questioning.
More than 250 Marines participated in last night's drill

Malthusian BBC, MasCal X's/ Drills, + PMC Updates

Humanity is the greatest challenge

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7078857.stm

The growth in human population and rising consumption have exceeded the planet's ability to support us, argues John Feeney. In this week's Green Room, he says it is time to ring the alarm bells and take radical action in order to avert unspeakable consequences. (cont...)

* No worries the elites certainly have plans....Bio-terror? Plague? Nuclear war? ....

"Threataganda" for The day * Nico haupt coinage

Exclusive: FBI: Al Qaeda May Strike U.S. Shopping Malls in LA, Chicago

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/11/exclusive-fbi-a.html

Mass Casualty Drill at FAHC (VT)

http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=7330830

Burlington, Vermont - November 8, 2007
The emergency room at Fletcher Allen Health Care was busier than usual Thursday morning. The Burlington Fire Department and staff at the hospital practiced for a possible mass-casualty incident. The real thing could cripple the hospital without the right response.
The drill simulated an explosion in a UVM laboratory that required decontamination of the victims.
"We try our best certainly, not to impact our routine patient care with any drill. That is our priority. But with our decontamination process and running patients through here in simulation, we're attempting to come very close to the real thing," explained Fletcher Allen Chief Disaster Physician Andrew Bushnell.
The drill helps first responders and the hospital work together in the event of a real mass casualty emergency.

Emergency teams drill for disaster in Bastrop County TX

http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/110807kvueterrordrill-cb.1ee398fe6.html

"This is a full Central Texas emergency drill, with emergency response crews from Bastrop, Williamson, Hays and Travis counties joining forces with the regional chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives task forces to coordinate people, communications and equipment to handle such a situation." (cont..)

"Keen Sword"

Exercise gives U.S., Japan forces chance to coordinate http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=50160

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Keen Sword offers the U.S. military and Japan Self-Defense Forces an “opportunity to coordinate intensely” at the highest levels, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright, commander of U.S. Forces Japan.
The large-scale exercise is taking place at installations on the mainland and Okinawa. U.S. participants include about 11,000 sailors, 105 soldiers, 650 airmen and 250 Marines. (cont...)

"Cold Igloo"

NATO planes on exercise http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1813065.0.nato_planes_on_exercise.php

AIRCRAFT of all NATO nations could be flying over Wiltshire next week as part of a national exercise designed to evaluate the organisation's air power.
The exercise, code-named Cold Igloo, is a special evaluation exercise involving United States Air Force air assets in the UK and it will involve multi-national aircraft, according to a statement put out by the RAF Community Relations Office this week.
Observers may see aircraft of other NATO nations taking part, including transports and airborne early warning and control aircraft as well as fast jets (cont..)

SAIC shows off new Vista location http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/11/08/business/news/10_34_3111_7_07.txt

VISTA -- Things that are usually kept confidential were briefly put on display Wednesday at the opening of the new Vista center for Science Applications International Corp.The company showed scores of dignitaries a scanner that can see through more than a foot of steel, a global monitoring display and assembly areas for its security devices. A publicly traded company based in San Diego valued at $8.1 billion, SAIC has long been regarded as one of the nation's most influential defense contractors.
Vista Mayor Vance Morris, City Council members and others gathered in front of the new location on Scott Street in the Vista Business Park. After a couple of brief speeches, they were led in for a quick tour of the site, previously occupied by orthopedics device-maker DJO Inc.
SAIC employs about 200 people at the new location for its Security and Transportation Technology unit. The company will add about 50 people in connection with the expansion, said Alex Preston, senior vice president and general business manager. (cont..)

BAE Systems Awarded $18M DARPA Contract To Lead Imaging System Program http://www.photonicsonline.com/content/news/article.asp?docid=0a2e19b1-d05c-4135-8f36-2c6d2252ac48&atc~c=771+s=773+r=001+l=a

Washington, D.C. - BAE Systems has received an $18.5M, 30-month contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a new class of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems and capabilities.
BAE Systems will lead DARPA’s Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System (ARGUS-IS) program. The company will develop, integrate, and demonstrate advanced ISR systems and capabilities for wide-area persistent monitoring. The systems are targeted for use in Department of Defense unmanned and manned surveillance platforms.
“Shortfalls in persistent surveillance continue to challenge U.S. forces across many theaters of operation,” said Dr. John Antoniades, director of remote sensing technologies for BAE Systems’ Advanced Technologies group. “The ARGUS program will provide a sorely needed, persistent, and robust surveillance capability for many existing ISR airborne platforms.”
The program’s goal is to develop a compact system combining a multi-gigapixel, high-resolution sensor; wide-field optics; an ultra-high-bandwidth, real-time airborne processing system; and a ground station for interactive multi-target designation, tracking, and exploitation. The airborne processing system can simultaneously and continuously detect and track the presence and motion of thousands of small or large targets over an area covering tens of square miles.
“This next generation of real-time surveillance systems will increase wide-area, high-resolution collection capabilities by one to two orders of magnitude over current airborne assets,” said Dr. Steven Wein, director of optical sensor systems for BAE Systems


Atomic simulation most intensive computer program ever
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/fundamentals/quantum-world/dn9394-atomic-simulation-most-intensive-computer-program-ever.html?feedId=quantum-world_rss20


The most computationally intensive computer program ever developed has been put to work simulating the quantum behaviour of atoms.
The simulations help scientists at the US government's Department of Energy determine the reliability of the country’s ageing stockpile of nuclear weapons without actually detonating the weapons.
The program, called Qbox, runs on the world's most powerful supercomputer, Blue Gene/L, built by IBM and installed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, US. It performs very complex quantum calculations to simulate the behaviour of thousands of atoms in three dimensions.

"Capital Impact":AU, MDA Test, Drills, DHS +

U.S. stages 1st dual-missile intercept test in space

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0750720320071107?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=22&sp=true


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military destroyed a simulated salvo of two short-range ballistic missiles more than 100 miles over the Pacific Tuesday night in the first such simultaneous test in space.
The event marked the 10th and 11th successful ballistic missile intercepts for Lockheed Martin Corp's sea-based Aegis system in 13 attempts, the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, or MDA, said.
"We consider it a simultaneous engagement," said Richard Lehner, an agency spokesman, on Wednesday. "That means both targets were in flight at the same time even though they were not intercepted at precisely the same moment."
The Aegis system tested is part of a fledgling, multibillion-dollar U.S. shield designed to thwart missiles tipped with deadly warheads that could be fired by potential foes like North Korea and Iran. (cont...)

'Capital Impact'

Anti-terrorism exercise tests emergency crews (AU)http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/07/2084672.htm

Canberra's emergency services are being tested in the ACT's most ambitious anti-terrorism exercise to date.


Exercise 'Capital Impact' is a two-day operation involving 400 personnel.
For the first time, a simulated chemical attack is being staged at Canberra Stadium, along with a simulated building collapse in Pialligo.
ACT Chief Police Officer Michael Phelan says while there is no specific threat against Canberra, it is crucial the emergency services are ready for the worst.
"None of us want to face the situation where this occurs, but if it does occur we want to ensure that we're able to tackle the situation properly and correctly and have a very measured response," he said.
"We need to prepare for the thing that none of us want to occur and the only way to do that is to continually practice through these exercises."
Mr Phelan says each exercise is designed to test the emergency services in slightly different ways.
"It's important to test every possible scenario we can," he said.
"The range of testing exercises that are done over time are all the way from prevention, through to consequence management and recovery.
"We test all avenues along the way with different types of exercise but this one here is particularly about the investigation and the management of the actual site itself and recovery."
ACT Emergency Services Minister Simon Corbell says the exercise is vital preparation for a major incident in Canberra.
"This is a very important part of making sure our emergency services are prepared in the event of an emergency," he said.
"Whilst the scenario today is a terrorism related event, it's very important to stress that regardless of the nature of the incident - whether it's a terrorist event, a flood or a fire - it's all about making sure our emergency services work well together."

Mock bio-terrorism attack makes house calls in Ches.
http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=7321621

A mock bio-terrorism attack sent dozens of volunteers onto the streets of Chesapeake to make house calls. It's a drill that could mean the difference between life and death. Experts say people are more likely to stay inside than leave their homes during a real emergency, which is something officials want to avoid.
Volunteers raced against the clock to get medicine catalogued, packaged and readied for victims of a simulated bio-terrorism attack. Time made all the difference in this drill

Emergency response exercise set for Wednesday (OK)
http://www.edmondsun.com/local/local_story_311125425.html



EDMOND — The City of Edmond’s Emergency Management Department will conduct a multi-agency emergency exercise Wednesday.The exercise will give emergency responders the opportunity to practice their response using the city’s recently revised emergency operations plan. It will allow emergency managers to assess the effectiveness of the plan and identify any areas that may need refinement.Mike Magee, Edmond’s Emergency Management Coordinator, said these exercises test the response capabilities at all levels. The details of the scenario are kept confidential prior to the exercise to ensure a realistic response. (cont..)



Military Zips Lips on Pain Ray Accident (ADS/DEW)
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/11/seven-months-af.html

Seven months after an airman was burned in a test of the nonlethal heat beam, the Air Force has released a heavily redacted version of the mishap report (available in PDF here) that reveals few details about what happened.
The military has bent over backwards to demonstrate to the public that the Active Denial System (ADS), a millimeter wave directed energy weapon that heats up the top layer of skin, is a well-tested nonlethal weapon, and not a scary microwave weapon with unknown health effects. For example, last month, they staged demonstrations of ADS for reporters at Quantico (cont...)

Battelle Gets Biodefense Lab Contract http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5282047.html

FREDERICK, Md. — Battelle Memorial Institute says it has won a $257 million, 10-year contract to run a National Institutes of Health biological defense laboratory at Fort Detrick.
Battelle has now secured management contracts for two of the high-security laboratories planned at a multi-agency biodefense campus at the Army installation in Frederick. In December, Battelle National Biodefense Institute, a unit of Columbus, Ohio-based Battelle, won a $250 million, five-year contract to run a Department of Homeland Security laboratory at Fort Detrick. That contract has five optional one-year extensions for a total potential value of $500 million.
Battelle said Tuesday it will provide up to 119 scientists and technicians to staff the High Containment Integrated Research Facility planned by the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, an NIH unit. The lab will open in the fall of 2008, Battelle said. (cont..)

General Dynamics on Raytheon team
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-briefcase0607nov06,0,2544459.story

After a failed bid but a successful protest, General Dynamics Corp. has landed a place on the Raytheon Co.-led team that won a multibillion-dollar contract this year to support the Army's entire training simulator fleet, the Army said Monday. The Army's Orlando simulation training contract agency awarded the $11.2 billion deal in June to a team led by Raytheon Technical Services Co. and its principal subcontractor Computer Sciences Corp. The so-called Warfighter FOCUS (Field Operations Customer Support) contract is the Orlando agency's largest ever. General Dynamics protested the award, a move that was upheld in September by the Government Accountability Office. The addition of General Dynamics to the winning team is expected to resolve the issues, Army officials said. Dozens of companies -- and potentially hundreds of jobs -- in Central Florida would be tied to the project, which involves maintaining, updating and supporting high-tech training simulators at bases around the world.

GD: "Unified Engagement", Robots Gone Wild, NGA +

“Unified Engagement” General Dynamics

GD to support Air Force wargame exercises

http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/31734-1.html

General Dynamics Corp. will assist the Air Force with wargame exercises under a new contract that could be worth up to $146 million.
General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics, won the five-year contract for the Air Force Simulations, Training and Experimentation Program.
General Dynamics will support planning and conduct of the Air Force Title 10 mid-term wargame, “Unified Engagement.” The company said it will perform the work primarily in Arlington and Hampton Roads, Va.
General Dynamics will provide staffing support to Air Force agencies to conduct concept development, analysis and assessments. The company also will assist with war and mobilization planning.
General Dynamics of Falls Church, Va., ranks No. 7 on Washington Technology’s 2007 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors

Pentagon: Our new robot army will be controlled by malware

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/06/open_source_malware_future_combat_systems_robot_hack_war/

By Lewis Page
Published Tuesday 6th November 2007 14:36 GMT

A US defence department advisory board has warned of the danger that American war robots scheduled for delivery within a decade might be riddled with malicious code. The kill machines will use software largely written overseas, and it is feared that sinister forces might meddle with it in production, thus gaining control of the future mechanoid military.
The most eye-catching of the equipment mentioned is the lineup of the US Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) programme. FCS was originally supposed (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/images/fcs-2006.jpg) to include a wide range of deadly unmanned systems, including a small, possibly rocket-firing flying Dalek (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/24/us_army_dalek_thermobarics/), a heavily armed autonomous helicopter gunship (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/24/robochoppers_to_join_flying_hk/), and a robot tank packing guided missiles and cannon. There would also be intelligent sensor minefields, droid-mule transport systems and loads of other stuff; and all of it is supposed to be linked together by a data network. (cont...)

Local ports to use new federal IDs

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003996247_portid06m.html

WASHINGTON — Dockworkers in Tacoma and Seattle will be among the first in the country to use new federal identification cards that are meant to help protect the nation's ports from terrorist attacks.
The Transportation Workers Identity Credential (TWIC) ID card is a high-tech document required of any dock or transit worker with unescorted access to secure port areas.
Equipped with a chip, a swipable magnetic strip and tamper-resistant holograms, the new ID card is the first step in a long-awaited plan to better screen port employees and others with secure-area access.
"TWIC is designed to address all facets of the supply chain," said Mike Wasem, spokesman for the Port of Tacoma, which will begin using the cards this week. "Ultimately, it will affect longshoremen, truckers, PR guys, anyone who 'touches' cargo. The PR guy doesn't touch cargo, but he does have access to secure areas."
The program was ordered five years ago as part of homeland-security legislation. But so far, only two ports nationwide have the ID cards. The Transportation Security Administration, which oversees the program, plans to issue the ID cards in 39 additional ports, including Tacoma and Seattle, by the end of 2007 and in 147 ports by next fall.

New Book Underscores the Vital Role of Geospatial Technology in Homeland

Security http://www.directionsmag.com/press.releases/index.php?duty=Show&id=19755&trv=1

Company: ESRILocation: Redlands, California, United States of America
Redlands, California—GIS for Homeland Security, a new book from ESRI Press, chronicles the value of geographic information system (GIS) technology in a growing arsenal of technologies used to protect the nation from natural disasters, diseases, and terrorist threats.
The book by Mike Kataoka, an ESRI Press editor and former journalist, describes in nontechnical language how GIS works as a core technology for gathering and analyzing intelligence; protecting critical infrastructure; responding to forest fires, hurricanes, and other catastrophes; and planning for bioterrorism or disease outbreaks.
“Homeland security intelligence is more about bits and bytes than cloaks and daggers these days,” Kataoka writes. “In a homeland security context, geographic information systems answer the key questions, starting with who and what are at risk.”
GIS for Homeland Security presents 15 case studies that demonstrate how public agencies and private entities are putting GIS to work on the front lines. One informative case study shows how the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center, the state’s analysis hub for crime- and terrorism-related intelligence, uses a data fusion system powered by ESRI’s ArcGIS software and MetaCarta’s Geographic Text Search (GTS). Intelligence analysts can use geography as a filter when searching through documents including news articles, e-mails, and Web pages.
The book also profiles four GIS professionals who have put the technology “to the test under difficult, even dangerous circumstances.” Among them is Ron Langhelm of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who has used his GIS expertise to support recovery operations after earthquakes; hurricanes; and the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. (cont...)

US navy stages oil spill drill at Bahrain port

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iDex5321uVltC68uWJwliMQrmmig

5 hours ago
MANAMA (AFP) — US naval forces in the Gulf said they carried out a crisis response exercise involving a mock oil spill on Tuesday at a Bahraini port.
The Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said the drill was part of week-long exercises aimed at boosting its capacity to respond to crises. It linked the drills to potential disaster situations or oil spills, without mentioning military conflict.
Tuesday's exercise involved the use of helicopters to evacuate survivors and transport relief supplies.
"One cannot predict when or where a natural disaster is going to take place. But we can train to improve our response when a host nation requests our assistance," Rear Admiral Terence McKnight told reporters.
The exercises come as the White House ratchets up its rhetoric against Iran, warning of "World War III" if Tehran obtains atomic weapons.
Britain has announced it will send an aircraft carrier to the Gulf in early 2008, although it said the deployment was not linked to possible military action against Iran, which denies seeking an atomic bomb.

(USJFCOM) "Atlantic Strike", Iran War, Drills

U.S. Fifth Fleet in Gulf exercise for possible war in Iran

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2007/ss_gulf_11_04.asp

ABU DHABI — The U.S. Navy launched a series of exercises in the Gulf to enhance skills required in any war with Iran which, according to British press reports, could occur in early 2008.
The U.S. Fifth Fleet conducted a crisis response exercise that included amphibious, air and medical forces. The five-day exercise by the USS Wasp, led by Commander Task Force 59, was scheduled to end on Nov. 5.
The U.S. Fifth Fleet has been operating two strike groups in the Gulf. The USS Enterprise and USS Kearsarge have also been training in the region. (cont...)

U.S. Joint Forces Command's (USJFCOM)

Exercise Atlantic Strike kicks off; focused on improving air-to-ground operations
http://www.jfcom.mil/newslink/storyarchive/2007/no110507.htm

U.S. Joint Forces Command's (USJFCOM) Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team (JFIIT) will partner with U.S. Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) to provide joint close air support expertise and share some unique technological capabilities with joint warfighters.

By Casey BainUSJFCOM Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team
(AVON PARK AIR GROUND TRAINING COMPLEX, Fla. - Nov. 5, 2007) -- U.S. Joint Forces Command's (USJFCOM) Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team (JFIIT) will partner with U.S. Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) to provide joint close air support subject matter expertise (SME) during the Atlantic Strike VI exercise running here today through Nov. 9. (cont..)

Mock terror attack needs volunteers ( CA)
EMERGENCY WORKERS SEEK 'VICTIMS' FOR TEST RUN

Emergency volunteers prepare for a disaster. (Lisa Fernandez / Mercury News http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_7374163?nclick_check=1
How would you like to spend the day inside a crowded stadium, pretending to vomit and being drenched in fake chemical gas? Sound like fun? Wait, there's more.
You won't get paid. But you will be helping local firefighters, police officers and paramedics practice for the biggest and most unusual emergency drill in California - a mock bio-terrorist attack Nov. 14 in Silicon Valley where 500 guests are attending an all-night rock concert at Municipal Stadium in San Jose.
Organizers say it's the first time in Santa Clara County that regular citizens en masse are being asked to participate in this type of drill, which California's 58 counties first began practicing in 2004, as fallout from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The program, dubbed "Golden Guardian," is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and managed by the state Office of Homeland Security. A 2005 drill in Oakland featured a mock attack on a "concert" at McAfee Coliseum.
"We've always had victims, but they've been off-duty professionals," said Tim Quigley, executive director of the Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley, a key partner of the operation. "This is the first time we're testing the real population. It's one thing to be academic, but we wanted to test the strength of the system."
So Quigley is putting out a call to find 500 volunteers who will spend seven hours Nov. 14 to role-play characters at a mock rock concert. (cont...)

DARPA race pushes robotics forward

http://www.news.com/DARPA-race-pushes-robotics-forward/2100-11389_3-6216923.html?tag=newsmap

On Sunday, CMU's Tartan Racing took home $2 million for first place in DARPA's Urban Challenge--a test of driverless cars on urban streets here at the former George Air Force Base in Southern California's Mojave Desert. By doing so, the team regained its pride after two stinging defeats in 2004 and 2005. And it stole some glory back from 2005's winner, Stanford University, in tackling what was effectively a harder challenge this year. (Stanford claimed the second prize of $1 million this year.)

Marines from FAST conduct crisis exercise

http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Emerging_Threats/Briefing/2007/11/05/marines_from_fast_conduct_crisis_exercise/3145/

The US Marines' 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team, 4th Battalion recently began a crisis response exercise in Bahrain

Today's airport drill to slow traffic NY

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=636263&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=11/5/2007

COLONIE -- Motorists should avoid the area surrounding Albany International Airport this evening as local police and federal authorities stage an anti-terrorism drill, police said. (cont...)

Syrian Raid Began in Space

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/11/israels-raid-on.html

This summer, the Israelis launched its new reconnaissance satellite, the Ofeq-7, Aviation Week notes. And that orbiter "allowed the integration of several advanced technologies, including electro-optical imaging from space, image enhancing algorithms, scene-matching guidance for precision weapons, and the use of advanced targeting pods carried by the Israeli air force's two-man F-16Is."

VA Sim Conf. China War Games US X's +Drill watch

Military showcases simulations in Suffolk

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=136136&ran=179437
A virtual battlespace simulation has a detailed, 3-D model of Baghdad’s Green Zone for training soldiers before they deploy to Iraq. In one scenario, a user operates a joystick to maneuver a medical evacuation helicopter to the scene of a blast involving an improvised
Excerpt: "For the folks at Joint Forces, that's the kind of creative juices they hoped to stir at their inaugural Modeling and Simulation Exposition. The two-day event ended Friday.
Over the past decade, the command's warfighting and experimentation complex in northern Suffolk, where the expo was staged, has become a hub of modeling and simulation for the region. A cadre of defense contractors have set up shop along the nearby Interstate 664 corridor, working to help develop models and simulations to train warfighters and test new warfighting technology.
Many of those companies - ranging from defense giants Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics to small operations such as I-P Systems of Chesapeake - manned expo booths to show off research and products. The Norfolk-based Joint Forces Command has a training program budget of $267 million a year and spends more than $40 million on modeling and simulation activities....

The expo's main purpose was to bring together the military services and homeland defense agencies to view the command's capabilities and discuss how to share the technology."

US Navy plans exercises in Arabian Gulf http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=November2007&file=Local_News2007110325916.xml

United States naval forces assigned to Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, will begin several exercises in the Arabian Gulf during November to demonstrate a wide range of capabilities, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief assistance, a press release said.
Contingency planning helps prepare forces for real-world events that can happen unexpectedly. USS Wasp (LHD 1) began a crisis response exercise on November 1, involving amphibious, air and medical forces in the Arabian Gulf. Commander Task Force (CTF) 59 is leading the exercise, focusing on furthering the region's humanitarian and disaster response capability, the release added.
“The scenario is challenging but prepares us for a real-world event,” said Cmdr Jay Chambers, CTF 59 plans officer. “From the table-top discussions, which drew up plans for how our forces will assist, to turning those plans into action, this exercise allowed us to examine the best way to proceed, and to proceed quickly, with providing assistance to any requesting nation."
The exercise is designed to practise and evaluate the ships' ability to serve as "first responders" after a natural disaster. The five-day training exercise ensures 5th Fleet is capable of responding to any crisis in this region and is part of United States commitment to the people of the region.

China wraps up weeklong war games as President Hu appoints new general http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/02/asia/AS-GEN-China-War-Games.php

BEIJING: China's military wrapped up weeklong live-firing war games Friday, the latest in a series of increasingly sophisticated exercises to prepare troops for complex battlefield situations.
The "Iron First 2007" games closed with two imaginary rival armies fighting a six-hour simulated battle, the official China News Service said.
Commanders had to contend with electromagnetic interference that disrupted communications and electronics in a simulation of likely battlefield scenarios, the exercise's director, Lt. Gen. Feng Zhaoju, was quoted as saying.
Responses included fighting back with counter-interference, Feng said in the report.
The exercises were held near the central city of Zhengzhou. There were no reports of disruptions to commercial flights or other civilian transport in the area.

Emergency drill organizers seek 500 volunteers for "attack" on mock rock concert

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7353798?nclick_check=1

How would you like to spend the day inside a crowded stadium, pretending to vomit and be drenched in fake chemical gas? Sound like fun? Wait, there's more.
Well, you won't get paid. But you will be helping out local firefighters, police officers and paramedics practice for the biggest and most unusual emergency drill in California - a mock bio-terrorist attack on Nov. 14 in Silicon Valley where 500 guests are attending an all-night rock concert at Municipal Stadium in San Jose.
Organizers say it's the first time in Santa Clara County that regular citizens en masse are being asked to participate in this type of drill, which California's 58 counties first began practicing in 2004, as fallout from the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Military electromagnetic exercise concluded (China)

http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/230685.htm

A military exercise aiming to test the fighting capabilities of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) under electromagnetic attack has come to an end on Friday in central China's Henan Province, according to Army sources.
A division of the PLA's Jinan Military Area Command, with about 10,000 soldiers and officers and 1,000 vehicles, took part in the seven-day exercise, dubbed "Iron Fist-2007". (cont..)

"Oil Shockwave" Simulation

RPT Simulated exercise sees oil topping 150 usd in future scenario http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2007/11/02/afx4294696.html

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - An elaborate simulated exercise played out by a group of former top US government officials has showed that oil could easily top 150 usd a barrel.
The simulation, called Oil Shockwave, was staged by Securing America's Future Energy group and the Bipartisan Policy Center in an attempt to show how relatively minor events overseas now have the potential to cause spikes in the oil price because of increasingly tight supply demand balance.
The unscripted one-day simulation imagined a million barrels a day loss in oil supplies when saboteurs disrupted supply in a key pipeline running through a volatile region, sending prices from the mid-90 usd range to 115 usd in 2009.
'This scenario could start tomorrow,' said retired general John Abizaid, the former US Central Command chief (cont...)

Operation Net Assessment SWS Update, DHS + News

Modeling, simulations aiding military planners

http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/45334-1.html

Orlando — The use of high-tech modeling and simulation support is taking on increasing importance and sophistication in global military decision-making, Air Force Gen. Lance Smith said in a closing keynote address at this week’s MILCOM conference. “The lines between experimentation, training and operations are blurring,” said Smith, who is commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command/North Atlantic Treaty Organization Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. Analysts are taking increasing advantage of a combination of technology tools to assemble high-resolution, three-dimensional models of prospective battlegrounds, using near real-time data, to aid warfighters in planning and simulating attack routes in Iraq. The modeling capability relies largely on Light Detection And Ranging topographic mapping technology. LIDAR sensors measure elevations by transmitting laser pulses to a target and recording the time it takes for the pulse to return to the sensor receiver. The readings are combined with Global Positioning System and inertial measurement unit data. The data can quickly be converted into 3-D visual renderings that capture the precise elevations and locations of a variety of topographic features, including buildings, trees and other objects. The models can then be enhanced, using color coding and other mapping tools, to identify strategic elevations and routes. What’s changing is the increasing ability to combine combat or air strike simulation software with virtual constructions based on actual field data. Moreover, the simulations can now be distributed to, and conducted by, participating coalition partners anywhere around the globe. The result, said Smith, is that training is becoming more dynamic as the “synthetic world” increasingly resembles current battle conditions. But a new form of modeling is also being developed for military planning, Smith said, under a pilot program called Operation Net Assessment. The program, led by the US Joint Concept Development & Experimentation Directorate (J9), attempts to gauge the core social, economic, political and infrastructure dynamics in a given area or region. Using high-performance computers and a market analysis model reportedly developed at Purdue University, the program can simulate a variety of scenarios and help commanders “anticipate” possible outcomes if, for instance, they removed or failed to remove an influential warlord. Smith cited an example of when a new hospital was constructed in a village south of Baghdad. It turned out there were virtually no nurses in the region to support it and the hospital went unused. Operation Net Assessment’s modeling tool might have helped coalition forces identify more appropriate choices. As many as 100 workers are now at work at J9 developing such a database for use in Afghanistan. These and other modeling tools will be important as military commanders continue to confront unconventional enemies, Smith suggested. “It is difficult for me to envision getting into a conventional war, with tanks on tanks or huge air-to-air fights, where the merits are how many planes you shoot down,” said Smith. “What we saw in Lebanon is the model for the future.”

Department of Homeland Security proposes water security measure
http://www.komotv.com/news/national/10930801.html

The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a new measure to help tighten security in the waterways in western Washington as well as around the country.The proposal would require all boaters to carry an I.D. card with them at all times on the water in order to help the Coast Guard maintain a list of chronic offenders and ward off larger threats that may sneak in through the Port of Seattle. "We deal with threats in our own lives every day. This is one more component, that we shouldn't overreact to, but we can't ignore," said A.D. Vickery with the Seattle Fire Department. (cont..)

Real emergency preempts citywide disaster drill (CA)

http://www.thefridayflyer.com/FF-2007-11-2/FFS-8041.htm

Canyon Lake’s Emergency Preparedness Committee has been preparing for a citywide disaster drill; however, members faced the real deal during the recent fires when they were called upon to head an evacuation center in Temecula. On Tuesday, October 23, Nancy Carroll, chairman of Canyon Lake’s Emergency Preparedness Committee, got word from the American Red Cross that volunteers were desperately needed to help evacuated members of the Pechanga tribe gathering at the Pechanga Resort and Casino. Within an hour, Nancy, her husband Jay, and three other committee members were on their way to set up the center.

Russia, China have blocked tough Iran sanctions: U.S.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071101/ts_nm/iran_nuclear_dc_17

VIENNA (Reuters) - Russia and China have been blocking tough U.N. sanctions against Iran, the United States said on Thursday, adding there would be a push to impose them if Iran did not halt nuclear activity within two weeks.
But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he was "not worried at all" about additional sanctions, dismissing them as ineffective.
Nicholas Burns, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, said China and Russia had been stalling a new United Nations Security Council resolution since late March.
The five permanent powers on the U.N. Security Council plus Germany will meet in London on Friday to weigh broader sanctions. Increased saber-rattling between Iran and Washington is stirring fears of war if diplomatic pressure fails.

Conferees agree to boost funding for Navy shipbuilding (FCS)

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1107/110107cdam3.htm

"In other programs, conferees trimmed $200 million from the Army's Future Combat Systems. The size of the cut reflects a compromise between the Senate's approval of the Pentagon's $3.7 billion request for the Army's key technology transformation program and the House's decision to cut $406 million."

Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley Transcript, Part Two (DEW)

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1007/103107gg2.htm

The Top 10 real life Star Trek inventions

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/21418