[JLRC]

USAF’s Myers Details Forces Priorities (Nov. 5)  
 
Myers Talks Transformation, Terror War at Forum  
 
(Source: US Department of Defense; issued Nov. 4, 2004)  
 
 
ARLINGTON, Va. --- Furthering transformation, along with the global war on terror, is the mission over the next year, said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at an Institute of Land Warfare Forum here today.  
 
Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers told the group, part of the Association of the U.S. Army, that the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will continue to discuss the Quadrennial Defense Review.  
 
“One of the things that we will discuss is how do we keep transforming?” he said. DoD will deliver the review to Congress this time next year, and transformation will be a big part of it.  
 
The chairman said that people must stop thinking about pieces of equipment being “transformational.” He said as the department prepares the fiscal 2006 budget request, people are “running around the Pentagon and you in industry are running around [Capitol] Hill” saying the piece of equipment or program they have is transformational. They believe saying this will increase the chances for funding, Myers noted.  
 
“It’s too bad, because in most cases, transformation isn’t about things,” he said. New equipment may aid transformation, but it’s new thinking that is really the engine for transformation. He said that a new vehicle like Stryker is not transformational in and of itself. It’s when the unit the vehicle is used with is redesigned and reconfigured with new doctrine, procedures and manning that the piece of equipment is part of transformation.  
 
Military planners also must look at the range of programs and capabilities in the military before making funding decisions, he said. He said one illustration took place in the early 1990s. He was present when an Army two-star briefed the Joint Requirements Oversight Council – chaired by then-Vice Chairman Adm. David Jeremiah – on an Army tank-killer system.  
 
After hearing about the benefits of the system, Jeremiah asked how many tank- killer systems did the Army have? He also asked how many were there also in the Air Force and Navy? “The answer was about 15 to 20 systems,” Myers said. “Jeremiah asked, ‘Do we need 15 or 20, or do we need five or six?”  
 
Myers said there was no mechanism at the time to make those types of decisions. “We think we have those today,” he said. Projects come up through the service stovepipes and can reach a pretty high level “before someone asks the all- important question of how does this fit in the overall scheme of how we fight?”  
 
He said that in the future, those sorts of questions must be asked earlier. There needs to be more “analytical rigor, intellectual rigor on how we fight (and) how the systems fit together,” he said. “We’ve come an awful long way by necessity.” He said people saw some of that in Army Gen. Tommy Franks’ plans in Iraq and Afghanistan. The chairman called the U.S. Central Command plans “a well-integrated effort,” with “in some cases interdependence” among the services.  
 
Myers said Americans should be very proud of what the U.S. Army is doing today. “In my view it is the busiest service,” he told the group.  
 
There are 17 brigades in Iraq, five in Afghanistan and units around the world dealing with various parts of the war on terror. In addition, the service is moving to transform its basic nature to produce a more flexible and agile force ready to confront the threats of the 21st century.  
 
He said Americans should also be “happy about the impact that we had in Afghanistan.” The Afghans enthusiastically supported the elections in October. “There were people who showed a lot of personal courage to vote,” he said.  
 
The Army – with civil affairs personnel, the provincial reconstruction teams, combat forces and others – have been at the forefront in Afghanistan. “The issue in Afghanistan from my viewpoint is the drug issue,” the chairman said. The U.S. military will help, but it is primarily a British and Afghan initiative. Afghanistan needs a substitute for the opium poppy crop, better interdiction and a fair and impartial judiciary to deal with the drug issue.  
In Iraq, the country is marching toward elections in January. Myers said the coalition is working with the Iraqi interim government to provide security for the elections and for the U.N. team that will supervise the polls. He said much routine work is being done.  
 
“We still, of course, have the security issue,” he said. The coalition will deal with security in partnership with the Iraqi interim government. “Any use of military force has to have a political outcome too,” he said. “The Iraqi interim government is the only (body that) can do that.”  
 
“It’s a region of the world where force is respected, but at the same time you can create more enemies by the use of force,” the chairman said. “It’s a fine balance that has to be made.”  
 
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[JLRC]

Stryker: Bulky Fighting Vehicle Is Winning Over Once-Skeptical Soldiers
 
 
(Source: Stars and Stripes; issued Nov. 10, 2004)
 
 
 MOSUL, Iraq --- Ask nearly anyone in a Stryker unit and they’ll say they weren’t too crazy about the eight-wheeled vehicles at first.  
 
Something about rubber tires seemed unlikely to withstand the same beating as a tracked vehicle. The Strykers looked slow and lumbering.  
 
But the naysayers have been converted.  
 
After the Strykers’ introduction to the Army two years ago, and after a year of combat experience in Iraq, the vehicles are almost too good to be true, say those who ride them, fix them or command them.  
 
“I was kind of skeptical,” said Sgt. David Finney, noncommissioned officer in charge of the ground support equipment shop for the 73rd Engineer Company, part of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.  
 
“I was used to working on tanks. I saw the tires and thought, ‘what are you going to do with broken tires?’ But it’s surpassed everything I’ve expected,” he said. “It’s definitely saved lives. The Strykers can take a pretty big hit and get back on the road quickly.”  
 
In October, a car bomb packed with 500 pounds of explosives hit a Stryker in Mosul. It killed a soldier and pummeled the vehicle.  
 
The Stryker was back on the road in six days.  
 
“Strykers are extremely durable vehicles,” said 1st Lt. Eric James Joyce, battalion maintenance officer for the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, with the 1-25th.  
 
The vehicle’s heavy armor shelters occupants from blasts and ballistics. Its eight individual wheels have a “run flat” technology that allows them to drive on after being blown out.  
 
“I’ve seen Strykers be hit by an [improvised explosive device] and drive home on eight flats,” said Staff Sgt. Lee Hodges, assistant vehicle commander and gunner for the Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron of the 14th Cavalry with the 1-25th, who rode a Bradley in the Persian Gulf War.  
 
“I look at it as the ultimate SWAT vehicle — for urban assault.”  
 
Strykers are quick, quiet and surprisingly nimble, particularly in urban areas. They can drive nearly 70 miles per hour and hold about a dozen fully loaded troops.  
 
“You can hear a tank from two miles away. You can’t hear a Stryker until it’s right next to you, and by then you’ve got 11 guys on the ground,” Joyce said. “It’s like our land helicopter. You get there, [do what you have to do,] get back in and go.”  
 
Stryker units bridge the gap between heavy armor and light infantry, filling a particular niche in Iraq.  
 
“It’s like a light infantry battalion on steroids,” said Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla, 1-24 battalion commander.  
 
They can move many troops quickly and safely and carry significant firepower. In cities, they roll in to create instant roadblocks and fit on roads for urban patrols. In the country, they can travel long distances to patrol vast stretches of western Iraq.  
 
The vehicles are also integrated into a computerized battle tracking system.  
 
“It’s a whole concept — [and raises] the situational awareness of both blue (friendly) and red (enemy) forces,” Kurilla said.  
 
Commanders in the vehicles and back in the operations center can immediately see friendly and enemy forces as well as specific attacks or any other specified detail plotted on a map.  
 
“Now [we’re] able to look on a screen and say ‘these guys are friendly,’ “ Hodges said. “Touch an icon and know who they are — not just friendly, but what unit.”  
 
When the 1-25th arrived in Iraq weeks ago, they inherited the Strykers left behind by their predecessors, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.  
 
The vehicles had endured a year of heavy action, thousands of miles on the roads and the unforgiving extremes of the desert. But they were good to go.  
 
“The vehicles were never an issue for those guys,” Joyce said.  
 
Civilian mechanics who deploy with the units helped to maintain a 95 percent operational readiness, Kurilla said.  
 
Soldiers say they’re impressed by the Stryker’s road worthiness. But many appreciate the security of the vehicle’s almost-impenetrable skin.  
 
“They’re not worried that ‘I’m sitting in a death trap,’ “ Joyce said. “They can focus on the mission, not whether or not a bullet is going to come through.”  
 
Soldiers rest more easily knowing no one has died inside a Stryker, and none of the vehicles have been ripped open by bullets or bombs.  
 
“We are definitely earning our imminent-danger pay. But I feel a lot better leaving [camp] in this,” Hodges said. “It gives soldiers the peace of mind that when they go out of the FOB (forward operating base), they have something to rely on.”  
 
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[JLRC]

ThalesRaytheonSystems Receives $13.1 Million Follow-On Contract for U.S. Army AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel Radar Modernization Kits
 
 
(Source: ThalesRaytheonSystems; issued Nov. 10, 2004)
 
 
 FULLERTON, Calif. --- ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) Company has been awarded a $13.1 million dollar firm-fixed price contract by the U.S. Army Air and Missile Command for the production and integration of more than 20 AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel Radar Modernization kits.  
 
The AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel Radar is a highly mobile, ground based, air defense radar that automatically detects, tracks, identifies, classifies and reports airborne targets to supporting weapons systems for engagements of hostile targets. The kits will provide the Sentinel Radars with increased detection and acquisition ranges, improved target classification and greater detection of smaller targets in both clear and cluttered environments.  
 
This is the second contract for modernization kits awarded to TRS in the past two years as the U.S. Army continues to move forward with implementation of its P3I (pre-planned product improvement) program for the Sentinel Radar.  
 
The Sentinel Radar is the premier air surveillance and target acquisition/tracking sensor for the U.S. Army SHORAD (Short Range Air Defense) program. Accurate, quick reacting and able to acquire targets far enough forward of friendly units, Sentinel allows air defense weapons systems to engage hostile targets at optimum ranges. Sentinel is also the designated radar for the U.S. Army’s Surfaced Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (SLAMRAAM) system.  
 
“The follow-on production kit award for the Sentinel Radar ensures that a smooth continuation of the modernization program will occur while maintaining cost effectiveness,” said Rick Russell, ThalesRaytheonSystems Sentinel- Modernization program manager. Work on the kits will be performed in Fullerton and El Segundo, Calif., and El Paso, Texas. All work on the current contract is expected to be completed by fourth quarter 2008.  
 
ThalesRaytheonSystems is a transatlantic joint venture (JV) between Raytheon Company and Thales Group. ThalesRaytheonSystems is a worldwide supplier of air defense command and control centers (ADCC) and ground based battlefield radars  
 
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[JLRC]

Lockheed Conducts Second CKEM Flight Test  
 
 
(Source: Lockheed Martin; issued Nov. 12, 2004)
 
 
 DALLAS, TX --- Lockheed Martin successfully conducted the second controlled flight test of the Compact Kinetic Energy Missile (CKEM) recently at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. The test demonstrated multiple missile component capabilities in an operational environment. All primary and secondary test objectives were achieved.  
 
The missile was internally guided and traveled 10 kilometers. The missile flew a long-range, minimum off-axis trajectory with no planned target impact. The first CKEM flight test for Lockheed Martin was conducted in October 2003.  
 
“The data collected during this flight will be extremely valuable in reducing any risks associated with the CKEM ATD,” said Loretta Painter, CKEM program manager for the U.S. Army Aviation Missile Research Development and Engineering Center in Huntsville, AL (AMRDEC).  
 
The CKEM is the next generation hypervelocity anti-tank missile. It is 60 inches long and weighs less than 100 pounds. It has an extended range for direct fire, line-of-sight engagements and will provide the Future Combat System (FCS) Unit of Action (UA) Infantry companies and STRYKER Brigades overwhelming lethality overmatch, high probability of first round kill and near fire-and-forget capability.  
 
“Another successful CKEM test bodes well for our soldiers because it means we are one step closer to getting this tremendously lethal, hit-to-kill technology in their hands,” said Ron Abbott, vice president – Tactical Missiles for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We have a long history of successfully designing, developing and producing hit-to-kill missile systems. CKEM will expand the battle space, provide increased mutual support and defeat all known threat countermeasures.”  
 
Lockheed Martin received an $82 million contract to begin an Advanced Technology Demonstration of the Compact Kinetic Energy Missile (CKEM) in 2003. The contract was received from the U.S. Army AMRDEC. CKEM will enter the SDD phase of development in the fall of 2006. Work on the contract will be performed at the company’s facilities in Dallas, TX, El Paso, TX, and Camden, AR.  
 
Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.  
 
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[JLRC]

Army Artillerymen Support Marines, Others in Operation Al Fajr
 
 
(Source: US Department of Defense; issued Nov. 16, 2004)
 
 
 BAGHDAD, Iraq --- While the battle against terrorists and insurgents moved from house to house through the streets of Fallujah, Iraq, a group of U.S. soldiers on the outskirts of the city rained precise destruction down on the enemy in support of the coalition's front-line fighters.  
 
Artillerymen of the 1st Cavalry Division's Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, fired roughly 1,600 rounds against enemy targets during a two-week period. Supporting Operation Al Fajr, the field-artillery soldiers provided indirect fire support with their M-109 Palladin 155 mm self-propelled howitzers to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, fellow soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division, Iraqi forces and other coalition troops.  
 
"We've had very good results. Our fires have been very effective, and I'm glad we've been able to make a contribution to this important fight," said Army Capt. Michael Burgoyne, Battery A commander.  
 
The unit's success during the mission is due to the professionalism and dedication of his soldiers, Burgoyne said. "They are excited to be here, doing the jobs they enlisted to do," he said. "They have been completely dedicated to firing effectively and safely."  
 
Safety is of paramount importance during artillery operations, when there is literally no margin for error. This is never more true than in a situation such as the one in Fallujah, where the soldiers were firing in direct support of friendly forces within a small, confined area, Burgoyne said.  
 
An artillery shell landing just slightly off target could have disastrous consequences, causing many casualties among friendly troops. Fortunately, Burgoyne said, the battery's excellent performance kept the rounds on target, preventing tragedies.  
 
Three major sections must work in concert in order to function effectively. Forward observers on the ground near the target call in the exact location of where the strike is to take place. The fire-direction center receives the information, processes it and transmits it to the gun crews who operate the actual guns.  
 
"We have guys on the ground who mark the targets with lasers. Our forward observers are very good, and our guns have been accurate," Burgoyne said. "We haven't had to adjust our fire too much."  
 
Since Operation Al Fajr has been led and conducted primarily by the Marine Corps, many of the forward observers who called in strikes during the fierce fighting have been Marines. According to Burgoyne, this joint aspect worked well, and there were no communication problems between the Marine forward observers and the Army artillerymen.  
 
"We've turned out to be a good team, working here with the Marines," Burgoyne said. "They are very professional, and we were able to accomplish the mission together."  
 
A good example of the full collaboration between the artillery soldiers and their Marine Corps comrades, according to Burgoyne, involved a group of Marines pinned down in a trench by heavy enemy fire.  
 
"They called in our fire on the enemy positions, and we accomplished the mission," Burgoyne said. "The enemy was very close to the Marines, but they were eliminated, and the Marines were able to get out of that trench and drive on with their mission."  
 
For the artillerymen, supporting Operation Al Fajr has meant concentrating and working very hard for extended periods. "We've been working long hours -- 12- to 16-hour shifts. That's been pretty tough," said Army Pfc. Roy Beach, a Battery A fire-direction specialist.  
 
Beach said he is glad, however, for the opportunity to do the job for which he was trained. For the first few months of their deployment, Beach said, he and his fellow artillerymen found themselves performing a variety of non-artillery missions.  
 
"When we first got here, we went on patrols and conducted raids. We did a lot of infantry stuff," Beach said. "It's good to have a chance to do our jobs as artillerymen."  
 
Army Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, visited the battery Nov. 14 and observed them conduct a fire mission during Operation Al Fajr. Abizaid said he was impressed with their performance.  
 
"Captain Burgoyne and his young soldiers are a perfect example of the great troops we have fighting and winning this war," Abizaid said.  
 
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[JLRC]

Pakistan - TOW-2A Anti-Armor Guided Missiles
 
 
(Source: Defense Security Cooperation Agency; issued Nov. 16, 2004)
 
 
 On 16 November 2004, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan of 2,000 TOW-2A missiles, 14 TOW-2A Fly-to-Buy missiles, as well as associated equipment and services.  
 
The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $82 million.  
 
The Government of Pakistan has requested a possible sale of 2,000 TOW-2A missiles, 14 TOW-2A Fly-to-Buy missiles, spare and repair parts, technical support, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, technical data and publications, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $82 million.  
 
This proposed sale will contribute to furthering the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping a friendly country provide for its own legitimate self-defense needs and to enable Pakistan to support U.S. operations against terrorist activity along its porous borders. In addition, these missiles have most recently been employed in several global war on terrorism operations in the tribal areas of Pakistan and have allowed -when coupled with Cobra attack helicopters - the Government of Pakistan to employ new tactics, techniques and procedures that have proven highly effective against terrorists.  
 
Pakistan will augment its land forces with these TOW-2A anti-armor guided missiles. Pakistan will use these missiles to increase its military defensive posture and will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles into its armed forces. Pakistan's existing inventory of TOW missiles will soon begin to be affected by its specified shelf life. While TOW missiles can be employed beyond their shelf life, system reliability and safety are eroded. Pakistan continues to expend TOW missiles in both training exercises and combat operations.  
 
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not affect the basic military balance in the region.  
 
The prime contractor will be Raytheon Company in Tucson, Arizona. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.  
 
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Pakistan.  
 
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.  
 
This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded.  
 
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[JLRC]

Lockheed's PAC-3 Missiles Successfully Intercept Two Targets During Flight Test at White Sands
 
 
(Source: Lockheed Martin; issued Nov. 18, 2004)
 
 
 DALLAS --- Lockheed Martin's Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile successfully intercepted two missile targets today during Developmental Test/Operational Test-12 (DT/OT- 12), the most complex flight test scenario to date for PAC-3. During the initial phase of the test, conducted at White Sands Missile Range, NM, six missiles were in the air simultaneously.  
 
In DT/OT-12, a total of four PAC-3 Missiles were ripple-fired against two separate targets: a Patriot-As-A-Target (PAAT) modified to represent a short- range Tactical Ballistic Missile (TBM) and a medium velocity Storm Maneuvering Tactical Target Vehicle. The mission sequence was a two missile ripple-fire against the modified PAAT, closely followed by a two missile ripple-fire against the Storm target. Once the targets were intercepted and destroyed, the two remaining PAC-3s executed a preplanned self-destruct sequence.  
 
Test objectives included demonstrating the system's capability to detect, track, engage and intercept two simultaneously arriving, threat representative TBM targets, and to validate the performance of several components of the PAC- 3 Missile that were part of on-going cost reduction initiatives. Preliminary data indicates that all test objectives were achieved.  
 
Also taking part in today's test was the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) radar. The THAAD radar tracked the two target missiles. Although not part of the test objectives, the THAAD radar was able to participate and reduce risk as the THAAD system leads up to its own flight testing next year.  
 
"With today's test, we have wrapped up the near-term PAC-3 flight test program to successfully demonstrate the cut-in of cost reduction hardware," said Colonel John Vaughn, U.S. Army Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense project manager. "I couldn't be happier with the results, but more than that I'm proud of the professionalism and expertise of our air defense soldiers from Ft. Bliss who so flawlessly executed these last three tests. It's a great reflection upon their outstanding ability to get the job done, and is truly characteristic of the high caliber personnel that are part of the PAC-3 team."  
 
"We continue to demonstrate the capabilities of the PAC-3 Missile in increasingly taxing scenarios, and it consistently proves to be the most reliable, advanced air defense missile deployed today," said Steve Graham, Lockheed Martin's vice president - PAC-3 Missile program. "Our goal is to prove that the system is mature and capable of defending soldiers in the field from numerous threats. We are very proud of the PAC-3s performance."  
 
Lockheed Martin is the only provider of proven hit-to-kill missile defense systems capable of defeating weapons of mass destruction, including missiles carrying biological, chemical and nuclear payloads. The PAC-3 Missile, THAAD and the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), which utilizes the PAC-3, are elements of the terminal defense layer of the National Ballistic Missile Defense System.  
 
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is prime contractor on the PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade to the Patriot air defense system. The PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade consists of the PAC-3 Missile, a highly agile hit-to-kill interceptor, the PAC-3 Missile canisters (in four packs), a Fire Solution Computer and an Enhanced Launcher Electronics System.  
 
The PAC-3 Missile has been selected as the primary interceptor for the multi-national MEADS program. Managed by the NATO MEADS Management Agency (NAMEADSMA), MEADS is a model transatlantic development program focused on the next generation of air and missile defense. MEADS will focus on risk reduction, application of key technologies and validation of a system design incorporating the PAC-3 Missile as the prime interceptor.  
 
The Patriot PAC-3 program is managed by the U.S. Army and executed by the Army Program Executive Office, Air, Space and Missile Defense and the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Project Office in Huntsville, AL.  
 
Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill missile defense system.  
 
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[JLRC]

The Swiss Army: A Gentle Giant
 
 
(Source: Deutsche Welle; issued Nov. 20, 2004)
 
 
 Switzerland is a politically neutral country and hasn't fought a war for centuries. Yet it has more soldiers per capita than any other Western democracy. Is this enormous army really necessary?  
 
Following the end of the Cold War, mandatory military service in Europe seemed an anachronism. Since the mid-1990s, many European countries have ended the draft or plan to phase it out within the next several years. But the list does not include notoriously neutral Switzerland.  
 
This month, Switzerland has its national call-up, when the country's young men are summoned for their obligatory stint in the army.  
 
Swiss men spend a lot of time in the military, despite their country's neutral status. An initial five-month spell is followed by regular stints every year until the recruits are 30 -- and even longer for officers.  
 
"It's a huge change."  
 
This November, the authorities called up 7,000 teenagers. Most young men in Switzerland have known since they were small that the day would come for their first weapons training. But still, for 21st century boys, used to their own rooms and plenty of free time, the army is a shock.  
 
"The first week was hard," one recruit said. "I got shouted at and I didn't know what I had to do. But it's a bit better now."  
 
And the army certainly marks a shift in reality. "At home, you have your Mom or your girlfriend cooking for you," another conscript said. "Here, we are 700 people altogether, eating together, sleeping together -- it's a huge change."  
 
The commanding officer in Horgen, Blaise Pelletier, is a keen supporter of Switzerland's obligatory military service. He believes it makes the armed forces truly democratic.  
 
"Rich, poor, student, worker – they're altogether, everybody equal for once," Pelletier said. "It's a very special system, and its part of our culture."  
 
The downside of this special system is that those who don't want to take part face a prison sentence. Obligatory means obligatory. Sometimes, recruits can only take on a fatalistic attitude.  
 
"I really don't like guns, they cause too much harm," one of them said. "But I have to, so I'll just shoot, put my gun down, and go home."  
 
Service in the Swiss army is very hard to avoid unless you are physically or mentally unfit.  
 
This means that neutral Switzerland, with a population of seven million and which hasn't done battle since 1815, has an army of 250,000 men. Of course, they are part-time, but all are armed, trained, and ready to be called up within 72 hours.  
 
But some people, such as Paul Gunter, a member of the Swiss parliament, think it's time for a change.  
 
"If we must have an army, we would like to have one who can do their job, professional, peacekeeping missions, for example," Gunter said. "You can't do that with our soldiers. It would be too dangerous for everyone."  
 
When Switzerland's defense minister suggested earlier this year, however, that obligatory service might not be eternal -- the first member of a Swiss government ever to do so -- he was greeted by a storm of protest.  
 
The army is just too big a part of Swiss life. Many people can't imagine Switzerland without it. Even if the recruits can't imagine ever being part of an armed conflict.  
 
"No, the Swiss army is not training us for that," one said. "This is the school of life here."  
 
And, if it comes to the crunch, Switzerland doesn't have a chance anyway. "If a big country like France or Germany attacked us, there's not much we could do," one recruit said. "We're too small."  
 
But for commanding officer Pelletier, the army is there to show Switzerland's enemies -- wherever, whoever they may be nowadays -- that this small neutral country isn't to be taken lightly.  
 
"We are training for something we hope will never arrive," he said. "That's the whole point of this army. We want to show we are prepared, that we will fight for our freedom, and no one's going to take our small country because we really like it."  
 
So, Switzerland's new recruits can look forward to another four months of training for something that won't happen. Their only comfort is the fact that everyone's got to do it.  
 
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[JLRC]

Pentagon Contract Announcement
 
 
(Source: US Department of Defense; issued Nov. 24, 2004)
 
 
 Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded on Nov. 23, 2004, a $24,500,000 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for 500 TOW 2B AERO GEN 2 Missiles.  
 
Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on July 15, 2002.  
 
The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-04-C-0061).  
 
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[JLRC]

The First Revamped Bison Ambulance Rolls off the Production Line
 
 
(Source: Canadian Department of National Defence; issued Nov. 26, 2004)
 
 
 OTTAWA --- The first revamped Bison ambulance is being delivered to the Canadian Forces. Major-General Lise Mathieu, Commander of the Canadian Forces Health Services Group, and Brigadier-General Peter Holt, Director General Land Equipment Program Management, today accepted the Ambulance, which is the first to be delivered as part of a $5.8 million contract awarded to DEW Engineering of Miramichi, New Brunswick in January 2003.  
 
"It gives me great pleasure to accept this new Bison ambulance, marking another significant occasion in our centennial celebration of Canadian military medical service," said Major-General Mathieu. "This truly impressive vehicle will ensure that, as medical staff, we can continue to provide first-rate care for the Canadian Forces in the 21st century."  
 
"The Bison ambulance represents a key accomplishment for the Wheeled Light Armoured Vehicle Life Extension project," said Brigadier-General Holt. "This project enhances the protection and combat support capabilities of the Canadian Forces, providing our soldiers with modern equipment for today's operational environment."  
 
The new Bison Ambulances will be based at Regular Force Field Ambulance Units across Canada which include 1 Field Ambulance in Edmonton, Alberta, 2 Field Ambulance in Petawawa, Ontario and 5 Field Ambulance in Valcartier, Quebec. It will also be used for training at army training centers located in CFB Wainwright, Alberta and CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick.  
 
The Bison has many features that make it ideal as an ambulance. The vehicle has eight-wheel drive with independent suspension, providing a smooth cross-country ride for up to four stretchers to be transported under the protection of armor. It is air transportable and will provide the Canadian Forces with an armored ambulance that is comparable in capability to a typical civilian paramedic vehicle. The remainder of the Bison ambulances will be delivered to the Canadian Forces over the next two years.  
 
The refurbished Bison ambulance meets the goals of the Army's Transformation to a medium-weight rapidly deployable and knowledge-based Army. It has the power and speed to move with the Army's fast, wheeled Light Armoured Vehicle fleets in order to support units on operations.  
 
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[JLRC]

Pak Test Fires Nuclear-Capable Ghaznavi Missile
 
 
(Source: Press Trust of India; issued Nov. 29, 2004)
 
 
 ISLAMABAD --- Pakistan today test fired its short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile which could carry nuclear and conventional warheads up to the range of 290 kms.  
 
New Delhi was informed about the launch as per the understanding between the two countries, an official said making it clear it was not against India and "is part of the Pakistan's missile development programme".  
 
"A successful test of the indigenous surface-to-surface solid-fuel missile Hatf-III Ghaznavi with a range of 290 kilometers was conducted," an official statement here said.  
 
"Today's test is part of a series of test planned by Pakistan," Pakistan's Defence spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said adding "We can not reveal schedule".  
 
He said though Ghaznavi has been inducted into the army it required testing to improve some of its parameters. "Whenever we felt it is necessary the tests will be conducted. This is part of our missile development programme," he told private Geo Television.  
 
The test was part of a series of tests planned to be conducted in order to verify certain parameters and to further refine different subsystems of the missile. The flight date collected indicates that all the design parameters have been successfully validated, the statement said.  
 
Today's test came in the wake of India test-firing its surface-to-surface missile, Aakash, on Friday.  
 
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[JLRC]

Anaconda Soldiers Get Better Gun Trucks
 
 
(Source: Defend America; issued Nov. 30, 2004)
 
 
 LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq --- Soldiers from Logistics Support Area Anaconda picked up new Convoy Protection Platform M1114 Humvees at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait Nov. 12.  
 
The new vehicles will help soldiers escort critical supply convoys in a safer, more fully armored vehicle. Each Humvee came with a.50 caliber machine gun, Mark 19 grenade launcher or a M240B machine gun to go along with its fully armored chassis and shell, improved armor for the turret system, air conditioning, communications headsets, and movement tracking systems. The tracking system constantly updates the Humvees location.  
 
The soldiers from the 7th Transportation Battalion, 512th Maintenance Company and 3625th Maintenance Company were happy to get their hands on some new equipment. After picking up the new vehicles, soldiers conducted preventive maintenance checks and services on their individual vehicles and prepared movement tracking systems.  
 
"It's completely armored and provides a level of protection unseen in any other Humvee," said Capt. Gavin McCulley, 7th Transportation Battalion.  
 
The Humvees weigh about 12,000 lbs. with extra steel and ballistic windows that will protect from 7.62 mm small arms fire, 155 mm artillery airburst overhead and improved anti-tank mine protection.  
 
The four-speed automatic M1114 is built with a 6.5 liter diesel supercharged engine made to handle the extra weight, giving it an advantage over other uparmored Humvees, McCulley said. The M1114 Humvee's speed exceeds 75 miles per hour, makes the trip from zero to 30 in less than seven seconds and from zero to 50 in just under 18 seconds.  
 
"The great thing about these vehicles is the improved communications and speed," said Sgt. James Bonnette, 644th Transportation Company.  
 
After mounting their new weapon systems for the first time and taking a short break for lunch, the soldiers were able to test out their new vehicles both on and off road on a two-hour convoy back to Camp Buehring, Kuwait.  
 
Other than a few transmission issues, the new vehicles performed brilliantly, according to 2nd Lt. Jason G. Crow, 644th Transportation Company, 1st Platoon leader.  
 
"I like these new vehicles," Crow said. "They're stout, and they handle great."  
 
Crow, whose company picked up several vehicles, was pleased with the new weapon systems as well. His company received their first M240Bs. "You can always use more crew served weapons," he said.  
 
The new vehicles give them much needed security, McCulley said. "The new armored vehicles provide increased survivability, the ability to maneuver better under fire and increased lethality when engaging the enemy," McCulley said.  
 
The fielding of these new vehicles is just a small step in a new way of thinking for the Army, McCulley said. "The fielding of the M1114 Humvees marks a shift in conventional thinking. The Army realizes that transporters are no longer behind the lines," he said.  
 
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[JLRC]

Swiss Troops Join Bosnia Peacekeeping Mission
 
 
(Source: Swissinfo; issued Dec. 1, 2004)
 
 
 The European Union and 11 countries, including Switzerland, are set to take over peacekeeping duties in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday. However, Swiss participation in the mission remains controversial at home.  
 
The 7,000-strong Eufor mission is replacing Nato, which has kept the peace in Bosnia for nine years. It is the bloc's biggest military operation to date.  
 
Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU or Nato, will deploy up to 20 officers as part of the European force.  
 
EU officials said Brussels hoped to complete its peacekeeping mission in Bosnia within three years. They also expressed confidence that senior war-crimes suspects, including the fugitive Bosnian Serb leaders, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, would be detained by European forces.  
 
The peacekeeping mission is seen as a major test of the EU's drive to develop a military arm, following its failure to halt the ethnic fighting that ravaged Bosnia in the early 1990s.  
 
The rightwing Swiss People's Party has criticised the presence of Swiss troops in the European mission, describing it as pointless. "It's useless to deploy Swiss officers and only costs money," said People's Party parliamentarian Ulrich Schlüer.  
 
He said Swiss involvement was hypocritical and he called for an end to participation in international peacekeeping missions.  
 
However, Swiss government officials said sending troops to Bosnia to help stabilise the country following the 1995 Dayton peace agreement was in Switzerland's own interest. Dante Martinelli, Switzerland's former ambassador to the EU, said peace and stability in the Balkans also contributed to security in Switzerland.  
 
Switzerland currently designates Bosnia as a "safe country" for returning rejected asylum seekers.  
 
Swiss diplomat Benedikt Wechsler said the peacekeeping mission was also necessary to combat organised crime in the region and to bring to justice suspected war criminals. Wechsler dismissed allegations that Swiss participation in the Balkans had no mandate from the people.  
 
He said Swiss voters approved foreign missions by Swiss armed forces in 2001 and indirectly endorsed this decision two years later by giving the green light to a reform of the Swiss army.  
 
Switzerland stationed 11 officers in Bosnia as part of the Nato's peacekeeping force between 1996 and 2000.  
 
It is the first time that Swiss troops will serve under the command of a European Union force. They will work in liaison and observation teams at hot spots across Bosnia. The mission will cost the Swiss government SFr5.4 million ($4.7 million) a year.  
 
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[JLRC]

PUMA: Green Light for the German New Infantry Fighting Vehicle; Rheinmetall Also Awarded Further Contracts  
 
 
(Source: Rheinmetall DeTec; issued Dec. 2, 2004)
 
 
 The Budget Committee of the German Bundestag has just given the go-ahead for the most important project of the German land systems industry: the new Puma infantry fighting vehicle.  
 
The procurement contract for the low rate initial production, valued at approximately EUR 350 million, is to be awarded to the company Projekt System und Management (PSM) GmbH of Kassel. PSM is a 50/50-joint venture of Rheinmetall Landsysteme (RLS) of Kiel and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann of Munich. Rheinmetall Landsysteme is a subsidiary of the Rheinmetall DeTec group, the defence technology branch of Rheinmetall AG of Düsseldorf.  
 
In total, the German Army is to be equipped with 410 vehicles, costing roughly EUR 3.05 billion. The decision just taken contains an option valid till 2007 for the full scale production of the infantry fighting vehicle (IFV).  
 
In 2002, PSM was awarded a contract to develop the new IFV for the Bundeswehr. Roll-out of the first prototype is planned for the end of 2005.  
 
The German Parliament has also approved the award of two other important contracts to Rheinmetall. A working group consisting of the companies Rheinmetall Landsysteme and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann will be tasked with outfitting some 1,500 vehicles of the German Army with a state-of-the-art command and information management system corresponding to the Bundeswehr's new mission profile of international crisis management.  
 
The first phase of the order (worth some EUR 19 million) encompasses the manufacture, delivery and testing of prototype units for field trials, as well as an option for full-scale production, the total volume of which comes to EUR 380 million.  
 
Also coming in the wake of the recent decision of the Budget Committee, Rheinmetall Landsysteme will be awarded a EUR 58 million-contract to supply the German Army's crack Gebirgsjäger mountain troops with 75 Bv206s armoured command and transport vehicles; RLS will serve as main contractor. Versatile, air portable, and highly manoeuvrable in all types of terrain, these armoured vehicles will make a major contribution to enhancing the overall operational effectiveness of these elite infantry units.  
 
The Puma infantry fighting vehicle is a key project for the German defence industry, a clear expression of its technological superiority in this important domain. The vehicle offers a degree of crew protection and system survivability unrivalled anywhere in the world.  
 
Systematically designed to meet the future needs of our armed forces, this medium-weight vehicle can be airlifted to crisis regions in the new A400M transport aircraft. The Puma is a modular system with a high degree of battlefield effectiveness.  
 
No vehicle in its class comes close to such excellent protection of the crew against mines and rocket propelled grenades, the most serious threats in crisis regions.  
 
Due to its newly developed 800 kW engine, novel turret design and use of programmable ammunition, the Puma sets an entirely new global standard in the world of armoured vehicle design. More than 30 years after the Marder IFV was first fielded by the Bundeswehr, the Puma – with its expanded scope of capabilities – represents the transition to a completely new category of combat vehicles.  
 
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[JLRC]

Two Thai Army Black Hawks Delivered
 
 
(Source: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.; dated Nov. 29, web-posted Dec. 6, 2004)
 
 
 STRATFORD, Conn. --- Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. delivered two S-70 Black Hawks to the Royal Thai Army at a ceremony here today.  
 
His Excellency Mr. Kasit Piromya, Royal Thai Ambassador to the United States, accepted the aircraft logbooks as part of the ceremonial transfer of title.  
 
With the delivery, the Royal Thai Army now has five S-70 Black Hawks. The aircraft were acquired through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Sikorsky had previously delivered six S-70B SEAHAWKs for shipborne service and six S-76s for search-and-rescue to the Royal Thai Navy via FMS.  
 
“Sikorsky Aircraft is grateful that Thailand and the Royal Thai Army have shown such trust in our products,” said Sikorsky President Stephen Finger. “We will continue to support Thailand and work to maintain that trust as Thailand modernizes its aviation capabilities.”  
 
Worldwide, S-70 Black Hawk helicopter variants are serving, or are on order, with 25 governments -- Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, People's Republic of China, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey.  
 
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of advanced helicopters for commercial, industrial and military uses. Sikorsky helicopters are flown by all five branches of the United States armed forces, along with military services and commercial operators in more than 40 nations. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, of Hartford, Conn., which provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.  
 
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