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Daily News
by Gail Helmer
Jane's News Briefs
Thursday, July 12, 2001Jane's Defence Weekly
General Dynamics wins AAAV contract The US Marine Corps has awarded a $712 million contract to General Dynamics Land Systems for the systems development and demonstration of the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV).
USMC charters high-speed catamaran
Australian shipbuilder Austal Ships has secured a contract to supply its 101m high-speed Theatre Logistics Vessel catamaran to the US Marine Corps (USMC).
France, India enhance relations
India has signed a memorandum of understanding with France to locally build Scorpene submarines and to co-develop and co-produce battlefield surveillance radars and ballistic missiles.
China to improve J-811 fighter's radar
Russia's Phazotron Design Bureau has signed an agreement with China covering the supply of 100 Zhuk-8-2 multimode fire-control radar sets over the next two years, senior company officials have confirmed.
Greece orders German PzH 2000 howitzers
The Hellenic Army has signed a contract with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann of Germany to supply 24 PzH 2000 155mm/52-cal self-propelled howitzers with deliveries scheduled from 2003 to 2004.
Russian defence budget will rise in 2002
The Russian government will increase defence spending from Rb231 billion ($7.93 billion) this year to Rb262 billion in 2002. Also the Russian Defence Ministry has already received 45% of the 2001 budget over the past six months, according to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov.
Brazil to issue transport aircraft RfP
The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) is scheduled to issue a request for proposals (RfP) to all three competitors bidding for its C-X requirement next month. This will lead to the procurement of up to 21 new light transports to replace the service's 17 remaining C-115 Buffalo aircraft.
US DoD upgrades network defence
The US Department of Defense (DoD) is refining the way it responds to attacks on its computer networks and wants to have in place later this year a revised alert system. Under this system all command echelons will have standardised guidelines to allow them to react cohesively and uniformly to protect the DoD's critical information infrastructure.
Jane's Foreign Report
Russian President Vladimir Putin's radical new approach to nuclear energy is not propaganda. The Russian leader was making a serious, substantial proposal. Western leaders should listen, learn and act. In this exclusive report, we reveal that the Russians are far ahead of the West in nuclear power technology. They are developing a new kind of fast reactor. Britain and France tried to work with such reactors because they produced their own fuel. However, they also produced waste and an excess of plutonium that might, if correctly processed, be used in nuclear weapons.
The Israeli generals' plan
ON SUNDAY July 9th, the Israeli chief of staff, Brigadier-General Shaul Mofaz, presented to the government an updated plan for an attack by the Israeli armed forces on the Palestinian Authority, to be be launched at the government's discretion. FOREIGN REPORT reveals exclusively what is being planned.
South Lebanon: a year later
IN MAY 2000, the Israeli armed forces ended their occupation of south Lebanon under severe pressure from the Shi'a Muslim Hizbullah fighters. Israel's wholly-owned subsidiary, the South Lebanese Army (SLA) militia, came to its inevitable humiliating end, its mercenaries running into Israel with their families with one bag each, leaving behind the trimmings of their fancy lives afforded them by their collaboration with the occupier.
Bush's backlog
The desire of President George W. Bush to pay off debts to friends and allies incurred en route to the presidency has taken a substantial knock due to the decision of Senator Jeffords to follow his conscience and join the Democrats. The loss of control of the Senate has meant that the Bush administration is stalling.
Crisis in Croatia
AS FOREIGN REPORT went to press, the future of the reformist coalition government of Croatia, led by prime minister Ivica Racan, hung in the balance, following the resignation of four senior ministers over its decision to co-operate fully with the Hague Tribunal. A no-confidence motion will be held by July 20th. If the government falls it would be bad news for Croatia and, indeed, the whole of Southeastern Europe.
His excellency the scofflaw
WALL STREET aside, the presence of the headquarters of the United Nations in New York does most to support the city's claim to be 'The Capital of the World', advertised in lofty banners strung across Manhattan. However, the mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, has a love-hate relationship with the world organisation. Currently he is in hate mode and did not even acknowledge an invitation to attend a UN conference on urban issues. Why? Some may blame the mayor's highly public private life. His unravelling marriage to a TV cooking personality and his attempts to co-habit with a divorced former nurse titillate the media and must be a distraction from his daily round of duties. There is another reason for his anti-UN stance.
Jane's Intelligence Digest
Ghadaffi's big idea
Although Libyan leader Colonel Moammar Ghadaffi is perceived in the West as being at best a mercurial crackpot and at worst a dangerous sponsor of international terrorism, he has managed to convince the 53 member states of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) that his big idea - an African Union modelled on the European Union - is worth supporting. JID investigates the significance of what really happened in Zambia this week.
Jane's Intelligence Watch Report and Jane's Terrorism Watch Report
Germany - Federal Intelligence Service [Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND)]
- The DDP news agency reported on 8 July that German intelligence services have determined that Islamic terrorists, led by Osama bin Laden, are stepping up their activities in Germany. Ernst Uhrlau, intelligence service coordinator for the Chancellor's Office, stated, "This is our biggest challenge in the field of terrorism." BND and the Federal Office of Criminal Investigations (BKA) are cooperating on a "special track" with their counterparts in French intelligence and the CIA.
The Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP)
- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 9 July replaced Philippine National Police (PNP) Intelligence Group Commander Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya and transferred him to head police operations in the Central Luzon region, Gulf News reported on 10 July. The reshuffling of the PNP was ordered in an effort to reinvigorate the government's drive against crimes. particularly its anti-kidnapping operations. Superintendent Robert Delfin, commander of the Bicol Region PNP, has replaced Berroya as PNP intelligence chief.
***** Jordan
- The BBC reported on 10 July that the trial of 13 men accused of conspiracy to commit terrorism opened in Jordan's state security court. The 12 Jordanians and one Egyptian were arrested in January and formally charged with possession of explosives and planning to attack Filipino nationals working in Jordan. All have pleaded not guilty.
Nepal - Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
- The International Herald Tribune on 9 July reported that the leader of Maoist guerrillas has called on his followers to intensify attacks in the wake of last week's assaults that killed 41 police. In a statement faxed to news agencies on 8 July. Prachanda stated: "After the successful operations, there could be retaliations for which our fighters and supporters need to be alert and move ahead in a strategic manner." More than 1,600 people have been killed since the insurgency began in 1996.
The Philippines - Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and Osama bin Laden
- The Philippine Star reported on 10 July that Interpol has informed Philippine immigration authorities about the possible entry of bin Laden associates. Gen. Marcelo Ele stated that immigration officials had received intelligence that bin Laden had ordered followers to attack US interests and support ASG operations. Immigration officials are closely checking the identities of all Middle East nationals entering the country, especially those listing Mindanao as their destination.
Sri Lanka - Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
- The Times of India reported on 9 July that Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has renewed a ban on all trucks entering Colombo. Kumaratunga reimposed the ban on 8 July following the 5 July lapse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act in an effort to create a "high security zone" in the capital to prevent bombings by LTTE separatists.
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