20 August 2011 — Stop NATO
- NATO Eyes Early Missile Interception Capability
- 30-Story, 50,000-Ton U.S. Interceptor Missile Radar Deployed After Repairs
- Joint Strike Fighters: Australia’s Largest Military Build-Up Since WW II
- Most Combat Deaths Since Second World War: Poland Loses 28th Soldier In NATO’s Asian War
- NATO’s 2011 Death Toll Reaches 400
- Statue Of Liberty Renovation, Rupert Murdoch And Mike Royko
- Lockheed Martin To Reveal New Interceptor Missile Production Facility
- U.S. Ballistic Missile Submarines: China, Russia ‘Kept In Check By Silent Behemoths’
NATO Eyes Early Missile Interception Capability
Aviation Week
August 19, 2011
NATO Eyes Early BMD Capability
By Amy Butler, Robert Wall
Huntsville, Ala., Moscow: European missile defense proponents have long feared they will face a so-called Hobson’s choice — gain a missile shield by signing up to U.S. technology, or do without.
There are indications that this concern is about to play out, with some observers in NATO suggesting one effort to jump-start the building of an expanded European missile shield by a pooling concept where the alliance collectively buys some Raytheon SM-3 interceptors for use on European ships. This would add capacity to the magazine of firepower and sensing capabilities offered by the U.S. Aegis ships with the SM-3 IA missile. German and Dutch frigates could be equipped with the weapons, says Lt. Gen. Friedrich Ploeger, a German officer and deputy for NATO’s allied air command, based in Germany.
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France has quietly subcontracted with Raytheon on interceptor studies, according to industry officials.
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NATO embraced an expanded vision of missile defense as a core mission in the fall; having previously agreed to protect deployed forces, it now has also taken on the territorial defense role…
After many delays, there is finally progress, with alliance officials having fleshed out technical details to support a plan to declare initial operational capability at a meeting next April. Plans today, however, are limited to funding for linking the command-and-control architectures of NATO, with its Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defense (ALTBMD) system, and the U.S., using its Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system.
A simulated flight test is slated for this week to evaluate the interface between the two command-and-control systems, Ploeger says. Another test, slated for November, will include an actual hit-to-kill attempt — with the interceptor flying from Crete, and a short-range target launched from 100 km (62 mi.) away, he says. Ploeger spoke last week at the Space and Missile Defense Conference in Huntsville, Ala.
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Ploeger acknowledges that the NATO missile defenses are few, and contributions from European nations are limited to legacy lower-tier systems, with the U.S. providing high-level protection through the Aegis-based Phased Adaptive Approach. Last year, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance contribution would cost €200 million ($286 million) over the next 10 years to upgrade ALTBMD, with Ploeger suggesting the C2 portion would be in the ‘low hundreds of millions,’ likely the lion’s share of the obligation.
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30-Story, 50,000-Ton U.S. Interceptor Missile Radar Deployed After Repairs
http://www.nwcn.com/home/?fId=128090223&fPath=/news/local&fDomain=10212
NWCN Channel 5
August 19, 2011
Huge radar departs shipyard after successful maintenance
SEATTLE: For months it puzzled people strolling along Seattle’s waterfront, but now it’s leaving for good.
The huge white radar and floating platform that sat in the shipyard since May will head back out to sea Saturday.
According to the U.S. Navy, scheduled upgrades and maintenance is complete on the Missile Defense Agency’s Sea-Based X-Band Radar (or SBX for short).
SBX has a big job – it’s one of three of America’s sensors that gets deployed along our coastlines to detect any ballistic missile threats.
When SBX begins its move out to sea on Saturday, a Naval Vessel Protection Zone will surround it, preventing any other crafts from getting too close.
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Joint Strike Fighters: Australia’s Largest Military Build-Up Since WW II
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/17/australia-f-idUSL3E7JH0GG20110817
Reuters
August 17, 2011
Australia to decide on F-35 fighter purchase in 2012: Govt
-Australia recently took delivery of the first of 24 F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighter aircraft manufactured by Boeing to replace ageing strike bombers…The close U.S. ally has already begun a multi-billion-dollar upgrade of its military that includes new air defence destroyers, two large amphibious assault ships, helicopters, tanks, long-range cruise missiles and 12 new long-range missile submarines costing $25 billion.
CANBERRA: Australia will decide in 2012 whether to continue with a $16.8 billion purchase of 100 of Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters or seek an alternative amid continuing delivery delays and cost overruns, the government said on Wednesday.
Repeated delays and ballooning costs in the F-35 programme were bumping against delivery and cost limits set by the government and military planners, Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith told parliament.
‘I will not allow and the government will not allow a gap in the capability of our air combat capability,’ Smith said, pointing to 2013 as the last possible decision deadline given a looming air combat gap in the country’s military.
‘I’m not proposing to wait until the last minute,’ he said. ‘I’m proposing to recommend to the government that we make that decision next year.’
Australia, which is helping develop the F-35, has committed to buying 14 of the stealth aircraft and had initially planned for first deliveries in 2011. That has now been pushed back to 2014 and even that date may be in jeopardy. The delays could also mean Australia will not proceed to purchase more aircraft beyond the initial commitments.
Australia recently took delivery of the first of 24 F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighter aircraft manufactured by Boeing to replace ageing strike bombers. Smith said Canberra could consider buying more of these in place of the F-35.
The close U.S. ally has already begun a multi-billion-dollar upgrade of its military that includes new air defence destroyers, two large amphibious assault ships, helicopters, tanks, long-range cruise missiles and 12 new long-range missile submarines costing $25 billion.
Lockheed is developing three F-35 versions for the United States and eight international partners at a projected cost of more than $382 billion for 2,443 aircraft over the next two decades. It is the most expensive U.S. arms purchase. ($1 = 0.953 Australian Dollars)
(Reporting by Rob Taylor; Editing by Balazs Koranyi)
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Most Combat Deaths Since Second World War: Poland Loses 28th Soldier In NATO’s Asian War
http://www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/53626,Polish-sapper-killed-in-Afghanistan
Polish Radio
August 19, 2011
Polish sapper killed in Afghanistan
[Twenty-two Polish soldiers were killed in Iraq]
Lance Corporal Szymon Sitarczuk was killed yesterday during a patrol in the Ghazni province, south east Afghanistan.
The sapper was investigating an improvised explosive device (IED) when it exploded, killing him and wounding one of his colleagues and two Afghan policemen.
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He is the 28th Pole to be killed in Afghanistan since 2007, when Poland became involved in the multi-national ISAF mission, with around 2,500 troops stationed in the country.
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Afghan War: NATO’s 2011 Death Toll Reaches 400
http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/08/19/isaf-death-toll-reaches-400
Pajhwok Afghan News
August 19, 2011
ISAF death toll reaches 400
by Javed Hamim Kakar
KABUL: A foreign soldier was killed in eastern Afghanistan, taking NATO fatalities in the country during the current year to 400, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Friday.
One servicemember was killed in east Afghanistan yesterday, the western military alliance said in a brief statement. In line with its policy, the force did not disclose the soldier’s nationality.
According to the Polish Defence Ministry, one of its soldiers was killed and another injured in southern Ghazni province. Poland has 2,579 troops in the province. Twenty-nine of them have been killed so far.
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Statue Of Liberty Renovation, Rupert Murdoch And Mike Royko
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/11/us-statue-liberty-closing-idUSTRE77A5U220110811
Reuters
August 19, 2011
Statue of Liberty interior to close for yearlong renovation
By Jonathan Allen
NEW YORK: The Statue of Liberty will undergo a yearlong safety make-over, temporarily closing its interior to visitors at the end of October on the 125th anniversary of its dedication….
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http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-05-13/news/8501290879_1_haitians-real-problem-short-supply
Chicago Tribune
May 13, 1985
A Rich Lesson In Citizenship
Mike Royko
It`s always poignant when a boatload of half-starved Haitians tries to land in this country, only to be turned away because they don`t qualify.
But that`s the way our immigration laws are written. Not just anybody can become an American.
People can`t come here only because they want to improve themselves economically, as the skinny Haitians do.
If that were the only qualification, half the hungry world would be streaming into this country.
Thus, we have the limited immigration quotas, most of which have long waiting lists. And we take some people who are fleeing communist tyranny. (If you happen to be fleeing from a right-wing tyrant, you have a real problem.)
We also admit people who have a skill in short supply here. That`s how many foreign doctors and nurses made it.
So I`m a little puzzled by the matter-of-fact way Rupert Murdoch announced that he intends to quickly become a citizen of this country.
I don`t see how Murdoch qualifies.
For one thing, he`s not fleeing communism or any other form of tyranny. He`s already a citizen of Australia, which is a very nice, freedom-loving country. He`s treated with great respect in Australia because he`s rich and powerful, and anybody who doesn`t treat him with respect will feel bad in the morning.
Nor does he have a skill that is in short supply. By profession, Murdoch is a greedy, money-grubbing, power-seeking, status-climbing cad.
Since when is that skill in short supply? Stroll along Chicago`s LaSalle Street or New York`s Wall Street, and you`ll see thousands of greedy, money-grubbing, power-seeking cads.
Just read the financial pages. It`s all corporate raids, greenmail, hostile takeovers and other forms of modern-day piracy. If John Dillinger were alive, he`d put away his pistol, get an MBA, and if he could pull off a big enough heist, he`d be invited to join the best clubs.
So why does Murdoch want to become a citizen?
For the very same reason that those rejected Haitians and all the Mexican illegals want to come here – except on a much grander, greedier scale.
He`s already incredibly rich, but he wants more and more. That, in turn, will allow him to exercise more and more political influence.
Now, you might think that a man who is already one of the richest, most powerful men in Australia, and who owns newspapers and magazines all over the United States and in England, would be content with his bottom line.
But not Murdoch. Hundreds of millions aren`t enough. He wants billions. He wants all he can get, and then some.
To get it, he`s set out to buy a chain of TV stations in some of America`s major cities, creating his own network. That way, he will make even more money while tinkering with the minds of the viewers.
But a sensible law stands in his way. Because of the potential of television to scramble, shrink or soften our brains, only an American citizen can own more than a minority interest in a TV station.
And because of that restriction alone, Murdoch says he is going to become a citizen of this country.
Well, that doesn`t seem fair. If a Haitian on a leaky boat can`t come here to improve his pitiful economic condition, why should a bloated millionaire be welcome? And for the opportunity to earn a living, the Haitian would be willing to sweep stables, behead chickens or clean toilets. Murdoch? His approach has been to fire American workers and break unions in order to increase his own cash flow.
We might also consider the question of character, of which Murdoch has little.
For one thing, he is a proven ingrate. His willingness to switch national loyalties establishes that. If you had more money than you could ever spend, would you consider giving up your American citizenship just to add to the pile?
But Murdoch is willing to wave goodbye to Australia, because he`s already taken as much as he can out of his homeland. And in England, where he also wheels and deals, the antimonopoly laws frustrate him.
He`s also a proven liar. Only 18 months ago, when he bought the Chicago Sun-Times, he vowed to improve the paper and said he was making a journalistic commitment to this city. Some commitment. He promptly trashed and gutted that once-fine paper. And now he`s casually put it up for sale because he wants to switch to the TV business.
Finally, why would we want to give citizenship to somebody who has contempt for Americans? In his heart, if such an organ exists, Murdoch thinks we`re boobs. That`s why he publishes boob-mentality newspapers. He thinks that`s all we can understand. And he hires only Australian or English editors because he thinks American editors don`t understand what boobs Americans really are.
So if Murdoch is allowed to become a citizen – while we`re turning away people who are running from death squads or starvation – then we should make one small change in the plans to renovate the Statue of Liberty.
Get rid of the torch. Just have the lady hold up her hand – with the middle finger extended.
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Lockheed Martin To Reveal New Interceptor Missile Production Facility
Decatur Daily
August 19, 2011
Lockheed Martin to announce facility for missile production Monday
Nancy Glasscock
Lockheed Martin will announce Monday the facility it has selected for future production of a missile to intercept intermediate and long-range missiles.
The decision is part of the bid that Lockheed Martin intends to submit for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s upcoming product development phase to be awarded in 2013.
The Missile Defense Agency awarded Lockheed Martin a $43.3 million contract in April for development of the missile. Lockheed Martin has North Alabama facilities in Huntsville and Courtland.
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U.S. Ballistic Missile Submarines: China, Russia ‘Kept In Check By Silent Behemoths’
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/08/20/tribute-to-captain-and-crew-uss-alaska/
Fox News
August 20, 2011
A Tribute to the Captain and Crew of the USS Alaska
By Dr. Elan Singer
-Unpredictable global players such as China, Iran, North Korea, and even Russia are kept in check by these silent behemoths, for they are our last resort in a doomsday scenario.
In an era where celebrities and professional athletes fill the airwaves and newspaper headlines, I recently had the honor of meeting some real larger-than-life individuals…I’m speaking about the crew of the USS Alaska (SSBN 732), an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine first put into service in 1986.
On June 28th, I, along with 14 others were guests of Submarine Group TEN. We were traveling with the Kaplan Public Service Foundation (a non-profit organization that encourages civilians to become more involved in the support of our servicemen and women) and were given the rare privilege of a 24 hour first-hand look at this great ship.
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From the moment you see the sub cutting through the water, the USS Alaska is 18,000 tons of pure American muscle.
We boarded specially designed tug boats in Kings Bay, Georgia in the early morning for a two hour steam to the rendezvous point with the Alaska…
USS Alaska (SSBN 732) is an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine first put into service in 1986. Since she was first put into service during the height of the Cold War, USS Alaska has had one mission—nuclear deterrence. Bombers can be shot down, land-based missiles can be destroyed, but Trident submarines are the core survivable arm of the nuclear triad. They operate in an environment that few others dare to and where attention to detail rules all. And no one knows where they are at any given moment in time—no one.
The Cold War is over, but the ‘MAD’ (mutually assured destruction) Doctrine is still alive and well. The significance of these massive weapons is not the devastation they are capable of inflicting; rather, it’s simply that they exist and stand ready. Unpredictable global players such as China, Iran, North Korea, and even Russia are kept in check by these silent behemoths, for they are our last resort in a doomsday scenario.
The Navy has adapted, however, to changing times by converting several other Ohio-class submarines to a multi-role platform including conventional weapons systems and deployment of special operations forces.
The New Dark Age 
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