DTN News - MYANMAR NEWS: British Prime Minister David Cameron In Myanmar - Support Suspending Sanctions

DTN News - MYANMAR NEWS: British Prime Minister David Cameron In Myanmar - Support Suspending Sanctions

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 13, 2012: British Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday that he would support suspending the European Union's economic sanctions on Myanmar, which are to be reviewed by the end of the month.

Cameron spoke after meetings with the country's reform-minded president, Thein Sein, and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a longtime political prisoner who was recently elected to parliament in Myanmar, a former British colony.

However, Cameron specified that he did not want to see an arms embargo on Myanmar be lifted as part of any easing of sanctions. The embargo, along with economic and political sanctions, was imposed during the repressive rule of the country's previous military government.

"We know there is still much, much more needed to be done, as the president himself has acknowledged, that there are more changes that need to be made," Cameron said at a news conference after meeting with Suu Kyi. "The right thing for the world to do is to encourage the change and to believe in the possibility of peaceful progress towards democracy."

By talking of suspending rather than lifting sanctions, Cameron was making clear the move would be a provisional one that could easily be withdrawn, if judged necessary.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/04/dtn-news-myanmar-news-british-prime.html

DTN News - BOEING NEWS: Boeing Announces Sixth Leg of 787 Dream Tour

DTN News - BOEING NEWS: Boeing Announces Sixth Leg of 787 Dream Tour

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 11, 2012: Boeing (NYSE: BA) will bring the 787 Dreamliner to seven more cities on the sixth leg of the Dream Tour later this month and continuing into May. Stops include cities in the U.K., Norway, Italy and the U.S.

"The Dream Tour has provided us with a great platform to show customers, partners, government officials and other stakeholders just what the team has achieved with the 787," said Larry Loftis, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "It's an honor to showcase this airplane as we bring it around the world."

The airplane will depart from Seattle on April 21. The dates listed below are landing dates for each city or airport. Customers, employees, partners, government officials and other stakeholders will be invited to attend tour events at each location. There are no general public tour opportunities.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/04/dtn-news-boeing-news-boeing-announces.html

DTN News - DEFEXPO 2012 INDIA: Firms Flock To Delhi To Woo World's Top Arms Importer

DTN News - DEFEXPO 2012 INDIA:  Firms Flock To Delhi To Woo World's Top Arms Importer

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / NEW DELHI, India - March 28, 2012: The message is embarrassing but clear: with India failing to get its act together to build a strong defence-industrial base (DIB) unlike China, it will continue to be the world's largest arms importer in the foreseeable future.

So, gleeful global armament giants are again lining up to hard-sell their aircraft, helicopters, drones, submarines, howitzers, futuristic infantry combat vehicles, missiles, assault rifles and carbines at India's biennial arms jamboree here.

There are going to be 232 foreign firms, mainly from the US, Russia, France, Israel, the UK and Germany, and 60 official delegations in town this week for the four-day "DefExpo-2012' that begins on Thursday.

Over 335 Indian exhibitors, including major ones like Tatas, Punj Lloyd, L&T and Mahindra, will also be there to explore tie-ups and joint ventures with foreign companies as well as DRDO, defence PSUs and domestic shipyards.

"We understand fully well that indigenization cannot happen through only defence PSUs...we have taken several steps to encourage the private sector," said Shekhar Agarwal, secretary (defence production).

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/03/dtn-news-defexpo-2012-india-firms-flock.html

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Ripple Effect From India's Biggest Defense Deal

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Ripple Effect From India's Biggest Defense Deal

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 6, 2012: First it was the United States that got annoyed, and now it is Britain's turn to ask some tough questions about its India policy. Ever since the French Rafale fighter was declared the lowest bidder in the multibillion dollar contract to provide a new generation fighter for the Indian Air Force, a debate has been raging in the United Kingdom as to what went wrong with Prime Minister David Cameron's charm offensive in wooing India.

His visit to India in 2010 was widely viewed as a highly successful. He made all the right noises in India about Pakistan and terrorism, and there was a sense that U.K.-India ties had finally turned a corner. The Cameron government has also decided to give India £1.4 billion between now and 2015, amounting to almost 1 percent of Britain's own £159 billion debt.

But when it came to the much sought-after Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract, France was the winner and the Eurofighter, produced by a consortium of four nations, including Britain's BAE systems, lost. Apparently, saying the right things and giving aid doesn't get you any influence in New Delhi!

From the very beginning, this saga has been rather interesting. Last year in April, India rejected bids by Lockheed Martin and Boeing (along with Russian and Swedish bids) for the $10 billion-plus contract for the 126 combat aircraft, despite extensive lobbying by the U.S. military-industrial complex, supported by President Barack Obama himself.

Nothing works better in New Delhi than a putdown to the U.S. — and that was quite a snub indeed! Instead, New Delhi short-listed Dassault Aviation's Rafale and the Eurofighter Consortium's Typhoon. There were extensive field trials, and technical considerations ostensibly drove the final decision. But the dismay in Washington was widespread and, to some extent, understandable given the investment that the U.S. has made in cultivating India in recent years.

The focus then shifted to the French vs. British, Rafale vs. Eurofighter rivalry in which the French came out on top. Dassault Aviation, Rafale's French manufacturer, will be entering into commercial negotiations with India over the next few months before final deals are signed. As this is a company that has been struggling to get foreign buyers, it would be keen on signing the contract more or less on Indian terms.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-india-defense-news-ripple.html

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Military Budget Tops $100 Billion

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Military Budget Tops $100 Billion

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 4, 2012: China's official defence spending will rise by 11.2% in 2012, pushing it above $100bn (£65bn) for the first time, the government has announced.

Beijing's defence budget has risen each year for two decades to become the world's second-biggest, behind the US.

It is developing an aircraft carrier, a stealth fighter jet, and missiles that can shoot down satellites.

The US promised to bolster its presence in the region last year, in a move seen as countering China's dominance.

Washington, which spends about $740bn on defence each year, already has bases housing thousands of American troops across the region.

The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says Chinese officials remain wary about growing American influence in the region, and believe Washington wants to encircle China.

'Peaceful development'

China's emerging military might has especially worried its near neighbours.

China has long-running territorial disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan, and has also positioned hundreds of missiles for a potential attack on Taiwan, which it views as part of its territory.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/03/dtn-news-china-defense-news-china.html

DTN News - CANADA DEFENSE NEWS: Damage To Submarines Much Worse Than Navy Let On Last Year

DTN News - CANADA DEFENSE NEWS: Damage To Submarines Much Worse Than Navy Let On Last Year

 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 14, 2012: Leaked photos of the Victoria-class submarine that struck bottom in Nootka Sound last year show a gaping hole in the boat's nose - damage much more severe than the Royal Canadian Navy initially let on.

The nighttime photos of HMCS Corner Brook, obtained by CBC, show a large gash shaped like an inverted triangle that pierces the rusty vessel.

The submarine ran aground on June 4, 2011, while conducting underwater manoeuvres 45 metres below the surface during advanced officer training. A navy board of inquiry found the crash was "avoidable" and that an inexperienced commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Paul Sutherland, had the sub more than 450 metres from its intended position.

But the navy report played down the damage, saying the boat "incurred damage to her bow and experienced minor leakage in a forward ballast tank."

Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, former head of the Senate defence committee, said he was taken aback at the level of damage.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/02/dtn-news-canada-defense-news-damage-to.html

DTN News - U.K. DEFENSE NEWS: UK To Buy Another Boeing C-17 Military Plane

DTN News - U.K. DEFENSE NEWS: UK To Buy Another Boeing C-17 Military Plane

 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 9, 2012: The aircraft, which will cost £200m, will be based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire along with the other aircraft in the fleet which are operated by 99 Squadron. The multi-million pound C-17 aircraft can fly over 4,500 nautical miles, meaning it can fly directly from Helmand Province to the UK.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said:

"The C-17 has shown its worth in Afghanistan ensuring that our troops are given the fastest, most efficient passage home. It is a vastly impressive aircraft that can carry three Apache helicopters, or take a whole Chinook helicopter. This latest addition to the RAF fleet will further strengthen the vital airbridge between Britain and Afghanistan, ensuring critical deliveries are made to the front line.

“Buying equipment off-the-shelf allows us to quickly deliver equipment that our troops need on operations at best value prices for the tax payer and is a great example of the White Paper, announced last week, in action.”

As well as transporting troops and equipment, C-17s can also be converted rapidly to offer Intensive Care provision in support of the Aeromedical Airbridge. One aircraft is on standby 24-hours a day to fly seriously injured personnel back to the UK at short notice. The aircraft can also be deployed to help with humanitarian and disaster relief efforts around the world.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/02/dtn-news-uk-defense-news-uk-to-buy.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: BAE May Cut Typhoon Price To Win India Order

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: BAE May Cut Typhoon Price To Win India Order

 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 7, 2012: BAE Systems is considering lowering the price of its Eurofighter Typhoon to win back an $11bn (£7bn) Indian contract from France’s Dassault.

Ian King, BAE’s chief executive, said the company was considering a range of options to secure the deal to supply fighter jets, which could help prevent a major industrial setback for Britain.

A source close to the company said BAE was consulting with its partners in Germany, Italy and Spain to see what was feasible in the coming days and weeks.

India had previously changed its mind on defence contracts, the source said, adding there was “still some way to go” before any decisions by the country had been made.

The insider insisted the contract was still up for grabs, with Dassault’s Rafale only having been named as the lowest-priced compliant bidder rather than being awarded the contract.

The Government’s drive to kickstart growth and rebalance the economy towards advanced manufacturing suffered a blow last month when the Indian government named the French manufacturer as its preferred partner for the deal.

Trade union Unite warned the selection of the Rafale could have "serious implications" for BAE Systems and the UK aerospace industry. It is estimated that 40,000 UK jobs are supported by the project.

Winning the Indian contract would help sustain tens of thousands of jobs, although production is expected to gradually move to India if Britain won the deal.

BAE currently has enough orders for the Typhoon to maintain work until 2017.

The Typhoon is made by Britain's BAE, European giant EADS, and Italy's Finmeccanica. The UK accounts for 37.5pc of production with the aircraft assembled at BAE's aerospace facilities in Lancashire and suppliers including GKN, Ultra Electronics and Rolls-Royce.

Last year, BAE cut 3,000 jobs in the UK, partly because it had won fewer export orders for the Typhoon than planned.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/02/dtn-news-defense-news-bae-may-cut.html