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Daily News
by Gail Helmer
Jane's News Briefs
Friday, June 1, 2001Jane's Defence Weekly
Greek procurement plan extended A meeting of the Greek Governmental Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) on 24 May decided to extend the current five-year procurement plan (EMPAE 2001-2005), worth Dr3.95 trillion ($10.16 billion), until 2008. Although there will be no programme cuts, most new programmes will not be initiated until after 2005 (Jane's Defence Weekly 25 April).UK receives first C-17 The first of four C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifters to be acquired by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) under a lease agreement with the US Air Force arrived at Royal Air Force (RAF) Brize Norton in southern England on 23 May. The aircraft, which will conduct its first operational sortie in early June, was formally accepted at Boeing's Long Beach facility in California on 17 May.
NATO initiative progress lags NATO's Defence Capabilities Initiative (DCI) has provided a sharp focus for nations to improve capabilities in critical areas, but allies will have little in the way of success to report when leaders gather for their next formal summit in October 2002 in Prague, according to an interim report on the DCI.
Australia pushes ahead with extra US$12.3b spend Australia's coalition government has delivered on its promise to increase defence spending as first outlined last year and reiterated in the 2000 Defence White Paper.
Poland expands transport fleet Poland's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on 16 May signed a Zl 38 million ($9.5 million) contract with PZL (Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze) Mielec for an additional two M-28B Bryza short-range transport aircraft for the Polish Air Force and Air Defence (WLOP).
UK to launch SPEAR The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has unveiled a major new air-to-surface weapons programme for attacking a broad spectrum of targets at 50-100km ranges and, where necessary, at supersonic or even hypersonic speeds.
Taiwan to test-fire Patriot-2 Plus The Republic of China (Taiwan) has formally announced its intention to test-fire a Raytheon Patriot-2 Plus air defence missile next month, with Defence Minister Wu Shih-wen releasing the news on 19 May after Washington's 'green light' for the test (Jane's Defence Weekly 7 June 2000).
Alliance selects TMD study contract winners NATO is set this week to award two $13.5 million feasibility study contracts for a future alliance theatre missile defence (TMD) system to transatlantic teams led by Lockheed-Martin Missiles and Fire Control, and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), NATO and industry sources told Jane's Defence Weekly.
Jane's Foreign Report
We three kings... IN A STRANGELY co-ordinated way, and largely for the same reasons, the three kings of Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia are becoming important figures in their countries' national politics. The monarchs of the three states have shared ideals: national independence, European integration, protection of ethnic minorities and opposition to communism. After years of social and political crises, the people of the Balkans now find such traits most appealing.China's reply to America AS RELATIONS between the United States and China get worse, the American government is applying to China its old Cold War policy of containment, as used for years against the Soviet Union. In response, China is seeking levers of power that will restrain America. FOREIGN REPORT reveals what China is doing.
Where is Lulu Wang? FRANCE AND China are trapped in a bizarre legal and diplomatic imbroglio that testifies to the Western world's squeamishness over China's zealous use of the death penalty against its citizenry. FOREIGN REPORT asks: where is Lulu Wang?
Asia's new power balance THE EMERGENCE of a post-Soviet world in which the United States is the only superpower is causing shifts in the balance of power in Asia. Russia and China, both fearful of losing ground to America, have converged, while smaller and less heavily armed countries worry about China's growing regional influence and strengthen their ties. FOREIGN REPORT reveals the latest move.
Trouble in paradise A SMALL but steady supply of illicit firearms, firearms parts and ammunition is being smuggled into countries in the South Pacific from neighbouring countries, including Australia, and probably also Indonesia, the Philippines, the United States and other countries in East Asia. This needs to be given high-priority attention by law enforcement agencies.
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