Photos Fwd: [SPARK]No Import of the US attack helicopter

http://www.spark946.org/bugsboard/index.php?BBS=s_news&action=viewForm&uid=2790&page=1
한반도 평화 위협, 대미 무기종속 심화, 국민 혈세 낭비!
대형 공격용 헬기 도입 사업 중단하라!
- 2011년 4월 29일 낮 12시, 방위사업청 앞 -
No Import of the US attack helicopter that threatens peace in the Korean Peninsula
In front of the Korea Defense Acquisition Administration Program
April 29, 2011

Text Fwd: KAI cries foul over selection of UAV maker 한국항공우주산업, 사단급 무인기 업체 선정 불복

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* 국문은 영문 밑으로 내려가세요.
삼성 탈레스에 관해서는 여기와 여기를 보세요.
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Korea Times
10-22-2010 15:59
KAI cries foul over selection of UAV maker
By Jung Sung-ki

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has filed a complaint with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) about the selection of the preferred bidder to develop a medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to be operated by division-level Army units.

The complaint submitted Oct. 6 by state-owned KAI comes after the arms agency chose Korean Air’s Aerospace Division as the preferred bidder last month.

KAI argues that some classified information on the company’s proposal for the “D-UAV” program were leaked to Korean Air because one of its subcontractors engaged in dual contracts with both competitors.

KAI said it had signed an exclusive agreement with the subcontractor ― Samsung Thales (STC) Co. ― over the supply of the electro-optical (EO)/infrared (IR) sensor systems.

KAI demands the DAPA cancel the selection of the D-UAV developer and is considering bringing a civil suit against STC.

The DAPA and STC dismiss KAI’s claims.

“The D-UAV bidding was not a competition among consortiums of companies,” a DAPA official said. “So there’s nothing wrong with the selection of the D-UAV developer, and we reviewed all legal aspects of proposals presented by the competitors.”

Instead, the official said, KAI could have tried to compromise an environment of free competition in the defense industry by demanding a subcontractor for an exclusive contract. Such a move could be interpreted as a violation of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, the official noted.

The agency sent a message to KAI, rejecting the aircraft maker’s demand Oct. 12, he said.

“We’re concerned KAI’s complaint could delay the D-UAV program, a key arms development program for Seoul’s pursuit of a self-reliant defense posture,” he added.

STC denied the allegation that the company had been engaged in double contracts with KAI and Korean Air.

“Korean Air’s proposal didn’t categorize our company as an official subcontractor because we didn’t make any formal agreement with the firm,” an STC official said. “As a sole domestic supplier of the EO/IR sensor, we just had to open a possibility of cooperation with Korean Air.”

Korean Air officials say without cooperation with STC, the company planned to buy EO/IR sensors from Israel and the United States.

“We could buy foreign sensor systems, but that would eventually harm the competitiveness of the domestic defense industry. In that sense, KAI’s demand for an exclusive agreement with the sole supplier of key sensor systems was a self-centered move, a Korean Air official said.

Korean Air’s Aerospace Division will develop a tactical D-UAV by 2013 based on its KUS-9 concept model. About 30 sets of the D-UAV, with each set including four aircraft, a launcher and a ground-control station, will be deployed beginning 2014.

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코리아 타임즈 국문: 같은 링크
KAI, 사단급 무인기 업체 선정 불복
정성기 기자

한국항공우주산업 (KAI)이 최근 방위사업청에 사단급 무인기 개발업체 선정에 대한 이의신청을 낸 것으로 확인됐다.

KAI는 지난 10월 6일 이와 같은 신청서를 제출하면서 협력업체인 삼성탈레스가 경쟁업체인 대한항공과 이중계약을 맺으면서 중요 제안서 정보가 유출됐다고 주장한 것으로 알려진다.

KAI는 삼성탈레스와 광학/적외선 센서 장비 공급에 대한 독점 계약을 맺었다고 주장하면서, 방사청이 사업자 선정을 취소하길 요구하고 있다. 삼성탈레스 측엔 민사 소송 제기를 검토하고 있는 것으로 알려진다.

방사청과 삼성탈레스 측은 이와 같은 주장을 정면 반박했다.

방사청의 한 관계자는 “사다급 무인기 개발은 컨소시움 경쟁이 아니다”라면서 “따라서 사업자 선정에는 문제가 없고 경쟁업체들이 제출한 제안서의 법률적 문제들도 모두 검토된 상태”라고 말했다.

이 관계자는 오히려 이와같은 협력업체와의 배타적 독점 계약은 국내 방산 시장의 경쟁력을 저하시킬 우려가 있다고 말하며, 해석하기에 따라서는 공정거래법 위반의 소지도 있다고 덧붙였다.

그는 또 방사청 입장에선 자주 국방력 강화의 중요 사업인 사단급 무인기 배치가 KAI의 이의제기로 인해 지연될 것을 우려하고 있다고 말했다.

삼성탈레스 역시 이중계약을 하지 않았다고 주장한다. 삼성탈레스 관계자는 “대한항공의 입찰 제안서에는 탈레스가 협력 업체로 지정되어 있지 않다”면서 “단지 국내 유일 광학.적외선 센서 공급 업체로서 향후 대한항공과의 협력 가능성을 열어 둔 것 일뿐”이라고 말했다.

대한항공 측은 “삼성탈레스와 협력이 없다면 외국 업체의 장비를 들여올 계획이었지만, 이는 결국 장기적으로 국내 방사 물자의 경쟁력을 저하시키는 일이 아니겠냐”며 반문했다.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr

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* About Samsung Tales, see HERE and HERE.

Text Fwd: Navy looking for 20 new anti-sub helicopters by 2014

NHIndustries NH90 helicopter

Korea Times
05-25-2010 19:34
[Exclusive] Navy looking for 20 new anti-sub helicopters by 2014
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff reporter

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will open bidding for the procurement of new helicopters for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and naval operations in coming months, a military source said Tuesday.

The timeline for the project, which was originally scheduled to begin next year, has been advanced as part of efforts to bolster the country's coastal defenses against North Korean incursions, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The move apparently follows the sinking of a South Korean warship on March 26. Investigators confirmed last week that a North Korean submarine fired a homing torpedo that exploded under the frigate Cheonan, splitting it in two and killing 46 crewmembers.

The Navy temporarily suspended its fleet of anti-submarine Lynx helicopters last month after two of the aircraft crashed. The service had operated 25 Lynxes for anti-submarine and surface warfare.

"The Navy requested the Joint Chiefs of Staff last month to purchase new anti-submarine helicopters earlier than scheduled in an effort to beef up its maritime defense against the infiltration of North Korean submarines," the source told The Korea Times.

DAPA will release a request for proposal (RfP) for the purchase of anti-submarine helicopters to local and foreign manufacturers wishing to participate in the project, he said. The RfP would call for buying 20 ASW helicopters by 2014, he added.

In a related move, the Weapons Systems Concept Development and Application Research Center of Konkuk University, commissioned by DAPA to examine the feasibility of the program, suggested last month that buying a foreign ASW helicopter would be more effective than modifying the Surion utility helicopter developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, according to the source.

KAI, South Korea's only aircraft maker, rolled out the first prototype of the Surion in July last year. The 8.7 metric ton class aircraft was co-developed by Eurocopter.

The company argues Surion's modified variants could be able to meet the required operational capabilities for attack, landing/maritime operations, evacuation or firefighting.

But some critics say the Surion built for Army operations is inherently unstable to conduct maritime/anti-submarine operations. Surion's maritime version is expected to be operational by 2017, too late for the required timeline, they say.

In the feasibility report to DAPA, the center mentioned potential candidates. It referred to the European NH90 helicopter as an option. Other candidates include the U.S. Sikorsky's MH-60, a Surion naval variant and the Future Lynx developed by the U.K.-Italy helicopter maker, AgustaWestland. Sikorsky S-76 was also mentioned as a candidate.

The NH90 built by a consortium that includes three companies ― AgustaWestland, Eurocopter, Stork Fokker ― is a medium-sized, twin-engine helicopter whose maiden flight was made in 1995. It has been ordered by several nations including Germany, Spain, Italy and France.

The 16-meter-long helicopter can carry two pilots and has a seating capacity of 20 troops. It has a top speed of 300 km/h and a range of 800 kilometers. The helicopter is equipped with infrared and night vision systems and can therefore operate in darkness and adverse weather.

Its state-of-the-art sonar can detect submarines at great distances. It is armed with two torpedoes and a heavy 12.7 mm machine gun. The aircraft also features self-defense systems in the form of flares against missiles.

Text Fwd: CATCHING UP ON [THE RECENT SPACE NEWS]

* Image source: same as the below link
'The first test flight of the Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV)-2 failed '

Bruce Gagnon blog
CATCHING UP
May 4, 2010

* Just back from New York City yesterday afternoon with much to catch up on. Feeling a bit groggy. Might be a second cup of tea morning. The sun is shining and the temperature outside more to my liking - cool. A beautiful Maine day. Our guest Rao has gone for a walk to the local library. Housemate Karen will take him for a ride out to the ocean today while I try to get my backlog of work done.

* Space News reports, "The U.S. Defense Department’s first test flight of a new hypersonic glider ended abruptly as communications with the vehicle ceased mid-flight, a setback in the Pentagon’s pursuit of a highly precise long-range strike weapon. The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA)’s Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV)-2 program is one of three designs in the running to serve as the basis for the Conventional Prompt Global Strike weapon the Pentagon wants to build in order to hit a target anywhere in the world within an hour with a non-nuclear munition. The first of three planned HTV-2 flight tests took place April 22."

"The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has made clear its intention to maintain the nation’s strategic deterrent while reducing its dependence on nuclear weapons. As such, the New START nuclear arms reduction agreement signed with Russia on April 8 will not constrain any current or planned conventionally-armed ballistic missiles, according to an April 8 fact sheet posted on the U.S. State Department’s website."

The cost of this week's HTV test and a follow-on in 2011, together is $308 million. Your tax dollars in action enriching the aerospace industry and likely ensuring a new, expensive, arms race in space as Russia and China (who clearly understand they will be the targets) feel they must respond.

* I got an interesting email the other day about Obama's effort to privatize NASA and "civilian" space operations.

The article, by Steve Zeltzer, reports, "A full bore campaign is now being waged by the Obama administration to shutdown the U.S. unionized space program and turn it over to 'new age' speculators who want to build a new space program in a 'regulation free zone' in Florida. A key player in this plan is billionaire and former owner of Paypal, Elon Musk."

Musk, has set up SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation) which appears to be on the way to running a taxi service for American astronauts. This is just another step toward eventual turning "ownership" of the planetary bodies over to corporations who envision making untold riches from mining the sky in years to come. You, the taxpayers, have paid the technology start-up costs and now the corporate elite will stand to make zillions in profits and pay little back in taxes.

You can see the full article here

* Yonhap News reports, "South Korea's first Aegis destroyer will undergo a comprehensive evaluation of its fighting capabilities near Hawaii in June, a Navy source said Monday.

"The source said Sejong the Great will conduct tests while taking part in the multinational Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercise. Lockheed Martin -- the developer of the Aegis system -- and U.S. Navy experts will act as observers and evaluate the weapons systems during the trial."

This is an indication that the South Korean Navy is now being fully integrated into the command structure of the U.S. Navy and that the Aegis destroyers that would be deployed at the proposed base on Jeju Island will in fact be a part of the larger U.S. military strategy of surrounding China's coastal region in order to create the ability to choke off their importation of oil via ship.

See the recent New York Times article on China's fear and response here.

* I head back to NYC on May 7 for a couple more international meetings including the Global Network annual meeting on May 9.

Text Fw: MILITARY SPACE PLANES - FIRST-STRIKE SYSTEMS

Bruce Gagnon Blog
Friday, April 23, 2010
MILITARY SPACE PLANES - FIRST-STRIKE SYSTEMS

The new military space plane, called the X-37B, was launched yesterday from Cape Canaveral strapped to an Atlas V rocket. The X-37 will spend up to 270 days in space before landing at Vandenberg AFB in California. The space plane will mostly fly on "autopilot" since there is no human inside the craft.

Meanwhile yesterday at Vandenberg AFB, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) also test launched another space plane - the Hypersonic Technology Vehicle, known as the Falcon.

Analysts contend the Falcon is part of the Pentagon's effort to develop the capability to strike anywhere in the world with a conventional warhead in less than an hour - known as Prompt Global Strike.

Referring to the development of global strike weapons, the idea “really hadn’t gone anywhere in the Bush administration,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who has served both presidents, said recently on ABC News. But he added that it was “embraced by the new administration.”

The purpose of the X-37B program is less clear, largely because it remains classified.

The Washington Times reports, "The actual expense [of the X-37] is hidden in the Pentagon's 'black,' or classified, budget - is likely to cost more than $1 billion. The launch vehicle alone - a two-stage, liquid-propelled Atlas V rocket - costs as much as $200 million. Ten years of development on the plane - as the project was shuffled from NASA to DARPA and finally to its current institutional home in the Air Force - is likely to have cost hundreds of millions of dollars more."

The development of these new space planes is one reason that the Obama administration and the Pentagon are eager to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles in Russia and China in the years to come. As key elements in the growing U.S. first-strike program, they become even more effective if the U.S. can get its potential rivals to reduce their nuclear retaliatory capability giving the Pentagon an ever greater chance of pulling off a successful decapitating attack.

Thus as the U.S. moves forward with these kinds of global strike systems it will be likely that Russia and China will be forced to respond by refusing to dramatically reduce their nuclear weapons and by developing new technologies to counter the U.S. program.