Page 2 - Aerotech News and Review, Sept. 21 2018

Briefs
Two pilots eject when Air Force jet veers off runway in Texas
The U.S. Air Force says two pilots were in- jured slightly after ejecting when a twin-jet train- ing aircraft veered off a runway before takeoff at a northwestern Texas Air Force base.
Officials say the accident involved a T-38 Talon aircraft. It happened shortly after 10 a.m., Sept. 11 at Sheppard Air Force Base near Wich- ita Falls, Texas.
The aircraft was assigned to the 80th Flying Training Wing based at Sheppard.
Officials identified the pilots as Maj. Christian C. Hartmann of the Luftwaffe, the German air force, and 1st Lt. Charles T. Walet of the U.S. Air Force. He’s assigned to Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Okla., and was on temporary duty at Sheppard.
Last month, a pilot ejected safely from a T-38 Talon that crashed in western Oklahoma. AP
Putin inspects war games billed as Rus- sia’s biggest-ever
Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected a week-long military exercise in eastern Siberia that involves around 300,000 troops and is being billed as Russia’s biggest-ever.
Speaking at a firing range in the Chita region Sept. 13, Putin lauded the troops for their “high- level” performance and insisted the war games are not targeted at any other country.
Putin said Russia is a “peaceful nation” that “does not have any aggressive plans.”
The maneuvers span vast expanses of Sibe- ria and the Far East, the Arctic and the Pacific Oceans. In addition to the troops, some 1,000 Russian aircraft are also involved.
Chinese troops have joined the Russians.
The Chinese media have described the Peo- ple’s Liberation Army involvement in the drills as the country’s largest-ever dispatch of forces abroad for war games. AP
Kosovo government prepares draft law on creating a new army
Kosovo’s government has prepared three draft laws on transforming the country’s secu- rity forces into a regular army, though it is not clear whether it will get formal parliamentary approval.
Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj on Sept. 13 said that any step on army transformation “will be done in line with our strategic partners in NATO, especially the U.S.”
A year ago, President Hashim Thaci bowed to pressure from NATO and the U.S. and withdrew draft legislation that did not require approval from Kosovo’s ethnic minorities, as constitu- tional amendments do.
At that time, Kosovo’s ethnic Serbs and other minority groups said they wouldn’t back the change.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, which Serbia refuses to recognize. AP
NATO members concerned about Rus- sia ‘military posturing’
Romania, Turkey and Poland have expressed concern about what they call Russia’s “increas- ing and visible offensive military posturing,” near NATO borders.
The foreign ministers of the three NATO members on the eastern flank issued a statement condemning “the repeated violation of NATO airspace, the continued military buildup in Crimea and Kaliningrad” and “continued viola- tion of obligations and commitments on arms control.”
The Sept. 11 statement accused Russia of us- ing hybrid tactics that have “serious implications for the regional security and beyond.”
Russia on Sept. 11 launched its largest mili- tary exercise since the Cold War joined by thou-
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sands of Chinese troops, amid worsening rela- tions with the West.
Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melesca- nu met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavuso- glu and Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputo- wicz in Bucharest to discuss regional security issues. AP
Two Russian bombers off Alaska inter- cepted by U.S. fighter jets
The U.S. Air Force says two of its fighter jets have intercepted and monitored Russian bomb- ers in international air space west of mainland Alaska.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement that two F-22 Raptor fighter jets identified and intercepted two Russian TU-95 Bear bombers at 6 p.m. Alaska time on Sept. 11.
The bombers were accompanied by two Rus- sian Su-35 Flanker fighter jets.
The Russian aircraft did not enter U.S. or Ca- nadian air space.
NORAD commander Gen. Terrance O’Shaughnessy says radar, satellites and fighter jets are used to identify aircraft and determine appropriate responses. AP
Lockheed Martin wins $7.2 billion Air Force satellite contract
The U.S. Air Force says it is awarding Lock- heed Martin a $7.2 billion contract to build 22 next-generation Global Positioning System sat- ellites.
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said in a Sept. 14 statement the satellites, known as GPS 3 Follow-On, “will provide greater accuracy, and improved anti-jamming capabilities, mak- ing them more resilient.”
Chip Eschenfelder, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin Space, says the satellites will be built at the company’s Waterton campus in the Denver suburb of Littleton.
The Air Force says the first GPS IIIF satellite could be ready for launch in 2026.
Lockheed has been constructing 10 GPS III satellites for the Air Force under a previous con- tract. AP
Mattis: Afghans boost troop vetting after insider attacks
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the Afghan military has increased its vetting of local forces working with American troops as a result of re- cent insider attacks that killed two U.S. service members.
Mattis says Afghan President Ashraf Ghani raised the issue when the two men met in Kabul last week, amid increased concerns about Af- ghan forces attacking the U.S. troops they work alongside. Mattis, in his first public comments about the meeting, tells reporters at the Pentagon that Afghan leaders have increased training and security checks to make certain they are identi- fying any Afghans who have been radicalized.
The two leaders also discussed security for the upcoming parliamentary election and broader plans on how to sustain the military fight while also seeking reconciliation with the Taliban to end the war. AP
Report: Germany mulls future military options on Syria
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman says Germany is talking with allies about the situa- tion in Syria but isn’t confirming a report that Berlin is mulling the possibility of participating in future military strikes.
Without naming sources, the Bild newspaper reported Sept. 10 that the defense ministry is ex- amining the possibility of some kind of involve- ment in future military action if Syria’s govern- ment carries out a further chemical attack. It said
that followed a U.S. request to the chancellery. Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said that “of course the German government is in contact with partners and allies” on Syria. However, he said “there has been no situation in which a decision had to be made” and that he “won’t participate in
speculation.”
Germany stayed out of previous U.S.-led air-
strikes but voiced its support. AP
Koreas to hold military talks ahead of
their leaders’ summit
South Korea says it will hold military talks with North Korea this week to discuss how to ease tensions along their border.
The talks scheduled for Sept. 13 at the border village of Panmunjom will come days before the leaders of the two countries hold their third sum- mit of the year.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry says the talks will deal with disarming a jointly controlled area at Panmunjom, removing front-line guard posts and conducting joint searches for soldiers miss- ing from the 1950-53 Korean War.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently told visiting South Korean officials that he has faith in President Donald Trump and reaffirmed his commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Pen- insula.
The White House said Sept. 10 that Trump received Kim’s request to schedule a second meeting between the two. AP
State Dept OKs possible early warning aircraft sale to Japan
The Pentagon says that the State Department has approved the possible sale of up to nine early warning aircraft to Japan for about $3.1 billion.
The department says Japan will use the Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to get greater awareness of activities in the air and sea in the Pacific region. It says the twin turboprop aircraft will also improve Japan’s ability to defend itself.
Congress was notified of the potential sale on Sept. 7. The price includes the aircraft, support systems and spare parts. Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Melbourne, Fla., would be the main contractor.
The State Department says the aircraft is criti- cal to help Japan, a staunch U.S. ally, develop a strong self-defense. AP
Shipbuilder considering Portland or Seattle for Army project
A shipbuilding company with a $1 billion con- tract with the U.S. Army is choosing between Portland, Ore., and Seattle, Wash., to set up a production line for new landing vessels.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Portland- based Vigor Industrial says it’s planning to make the decision within the next 60 days.
The company says the chosen city is expected to get up to 300 new jobs that are slated to last a decade. The company is contracted to build as many as 36 landing vessels with improved maneuverability and stability.
The company is building a prototype of the landing craft in Seattle. It plans to start full pro- duction within three years. AP
Egypt, U.S. special forces hold drills on combating terrorism
Egypt’s military says its special forces have held drills with special forces from the United States to exchange expertise on combating ter- rorism.
The announcement was made in a Sept. 6 statement by Egypt’s armed forces.
The anti-terrorism drills came ahead of the “Bright Star” exercise that runs Sept. 8-20, and involves additional countries including Greece, Jordan, Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
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