US military news thread

[Jeff Head]

USN upgrading Ageis ships At $10.5 million apiece....

NORFOLK - By year's end, the Navy will have at least six ships able to track down and destroy ballistic missiles in space.

With a growing missile threat to allies, as well as the possibility of an intercontinental ballistic missile reaching U.S. soil, Hicks believes the ballistic missile ships will become "prized possessions" for the president to call upon when needed.

Great news! Seems to me that they could take the VLS cells and the detection, tracking and guidance hardware and mount it fairly easily in ground installations at or near vital installations and cities all over the country if they so desired.

[bd popeye]

Dunno about the US stationing the VLS cells ashore. That's a new one Jeff. Good idea though..I guess it could be done.

Notice how all the re-configured ships will be in the Pacific. The USN is planning on having more ships in the Pacific than Atlantic in the comming years.

[bd popeye]

US Army set to kick off new recruiting campaign

Boosted by FY 2006 recruiting sucess the US Army is set to kick off it's "Army Strong" recruiting drive.

http://www4.army.mil/news/article.php?story=9738

Army Strong campaign attracts recruits in many ways
By Lt. Col. Wayne M. Shanks

October 20, 2006

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 20, 2006) – The new "Army Strong" recruiting ad campaign kicks off in early November. The Army’s recruiting advertising contract, managed by McCann Worldgroup, commits up to $200 million in 2007 to market the Army to potential recruits.

The contract covers the full range of marketing efforts to include ad development and the purchase of time and space for television, radio, print and online ads.

This price tag represents a significant investment, but by way of perspective, the Army’s $200 million is not large enough to rank in the Top 100 U.S. marketers. According to industry publications, Advertising Age and Adweek, the world’s largest companies spend much more on advertising. For example, Procter & Gamble spends about $4.6 billion annually on advertising and promotion alone. Similarly, Walt Disney spends nearly $2 billion on advertising and promotion, while Target and J.C. Penney each spend more than $1 billion.

The Army’s marketing campaign is a continuous effort that helps connect America to America’s Army and its Soldiers who demonstrate what it means to be Army Strong. The advertising campaign is one important component of this recruiting effort.

“The Army is fighting a tough recruiting battle and must do all it can to make the U.S. Army message distinctive and powerful, and then deliver that message in ways that reach eligible recruits and those who care about them,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, commander of U.S. Army Accessions Command. “The Army Strong campaign aims to demonstrate the value of Army service and being a Soldier.”

The advertising contract reaches out to prospective recruits by supporting recruiting efforts in local communities as well as through direct mail and marketing, public relations and community events. It also funds the Army’s extensive online presence at goarmy.com and other Web-based activities.

The contract also funds national sponsorships that help to drive awareness and interaction with the Army, such as sponsored drivers with NASCAR and NHRA, and sponsored athletes who compete as professional bull riders, cowboys, and in arena football.

These efforts attract individuals to active and reserve components, to the Reserve Officer Training Corps, and to special missions such as the medical and legal professionals, and chaplains.

The Army currently faces a unique recruiting environment given that the nation is at war. Each year, the Army must recruit more new Soldiers than all the other military services combined. Only three out of every 10 people in the U.S. meet the Army’s high standards that qualify them to enlist. This 30 percent is the same group being recruited by other services as well as civilian corporations at a time when the unemployment rate in the U.S. is relatively low.

[TerraN_EmpirE]

"Army Strong" Most every one is already coming up with sarcastic remarks about that one"Army Strong, Army SMASH!!!","Army Wrong" and of course "Army Thong" are here to stay.

[bd popeye]

"Army Strong" Most every one is already coming up with sarcastic remarks about that one"Army Strong, Army SMASH!!!","Army Wrong" and of course "Army Thong" are here to stay.

TerraN_EmpirE my commentary below is not directed at you.

Not funny. These sort of sophmoric joke were around during the Vietnam War. Jokes of this sort are made by those persons to cowardly to serve.

[bd popeye]

USN incident in UK

Peronally I think this news source is making a big deal out of nothing. The USN ship is not identified in this article.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm...name_page.html

US NAVY DECLARE WAR ON CLYDE FERRY
Exclusive By Cara Page
THE skipper of a tiny Clyde ferry feared his boat was going to be blown out of the water by a US warship yesterday.

The Kenilworth was sailing from Kilcreggan to Gourock when the American threatened to open fire.

The US ship had just set out from the nearby Faslane Navy base when it radioed the warning.

A source said: "The ferry skipper was just toddling across to Gourock when he got a call on the radio.

"A departing US naval ship warned, 'Unidentified vessel approaching on my starboard side, please identify yourself. If you fail to do so, we will open fire on you with live ammunition.'"

The source added: "The skipper got a real fright and radioed him back, saying he was just a wee ferry.

"If you've got a big battleship loaded with guns bearing down on you and threatening to shoot, it's quite scary."

The incident happened at 9.40am on the first day of a massive international training exercise - Operation Neptune Warrior - off the west coast of Scotland.

The first phase involved ships and submarines fighting off simulated terrorist attacks by small boats and jetskis manned by Royal Marines.

But unknown to the US crew, the Kenilworth, owned by Clyde Marine Services, was also in the vicinity.

In addition to threatening to blow it out of the water, the US ship also ordered the Kenilworth, built 70 years ago, to give it a wide berth of 1000 yards.

The shaken skipper put as much space between him and the warship as he could in a 10-minute crossing.

The messages were broadcast on VHF channel 16, which is the international calling and distress frequency.

Naval operations normally take place on secure channels which other maritime traffic cannot listen in to.

The source said: "A warning like that should not be broadcast on Channel 16 unless it is a real situation."

The ferry, carrying around a dozen passengers, arrived safely in Gourock before continuing its timetable.

A spokeswoman at Faslane confirmed the incident but said it was unclear who had been threatened.

She said six ships left the Clyde, including a US destroyer and frigate.

She said: "One of the US ships challenged a vessel to identify itself and its intentions and used channel 16 correctly for navigational safety reasons.

The ferry identified itself and was requested to keep a 1000-yard clearance which it complied with.

"The warship then issued a warning, threatening to take action. But it's unclear who they were trying to identify, as there were a number of ships nearby.

"The ferry heard this and identified itself. But channel 16 was wrongly used.

It should have been on an excercise frequency."

But she insisted: "There was absolutely no danger to the ferry or its passengers."

She said Commander Don Chalmers, the deputy director of the Joint Maritime Operational Training Staff, who organised the excercise, had apologised to the skipper.

She added: "All participants have been briefed on the correct procedures, to make sure it doesn't happen again."

A spokesman for the Clyde Coastguard said: "We are reviewing the incident and looking at radio logs."

[bd popeye]

US and Russia to hold joint military excercise

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...ussia-usa.html

MOSCOW – A joint Russian-U.S. military exercise that was postponed amid opposition from nationalist parties will go ahead in 2007, Russian Defence Ministry officials said on Tuesday.
More than 200 U.S. servicemen, including 60 carrying firearms, had been due to take part in the Torgau-2006 joint training in central Russia in late September.

Russia postponed it indefinitely on Sept. 5, saying there was no law allowing the presence of U.S. military on its soil. Nationalists threatened protests if the exercise went ahead, saying it was a sign of creeping U.S influence.
A defence ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday: 'Torgau has been delayed until 2007.'

Another Defence Ministry official said a law to allow U.S. soldiers into Russia would be adopted.

'The agreement will of course be ratified, there's no doubt about that,' Deputy Head of International Military Cooperation at the Ministry of Defence, Yevgeny Buzhinsky, told a news briefing.

Parliament has so far not ratified last year's Partnership for Peace Status of Forces (SOFA) agreement signed with NATO to facilitate the movement of alliance forces in Russia and of Russian troops in NATO member states.

Russian and U.S. soldiers took part in Torgau exercises in Russia and Germany in 2005.

Moscow's ties with NATO have been strained by the prospect of ex-Soviet Ukraine and Georgia joining the alliance.

Russian leaders acknowledge the right of the two countries, which have made a U-turn from their traditional dependence on Moscow, to join any international organisation.

But Russia sees NATO's overtures to Ukraine and Georgia as a potential threat to national security and a sign of the alliance poaching in what Moscow sees as its sphere of interests.

Russia-NATO military exercises have carried on as normal since the Torgau war games were postponed.

Nationalists described the Torgau exercises as an attempt 'to put a key Russian region on a NATO map'. They threatened to hold nationwide protests and

[tphuang]

I personally think Turkey should go with eurofighter typhoon due to political reasons, but they are picking JSF

LONDON (AFX) - Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul has signalled Turkey's intention
to buy 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in a multi-billion dollar procurement
project, Turkish newspapers reported.
Gonul told Turkish reporters during an official visit to the United States
that Turkey and eight other countries involved in the F-35 project would sign a
memorandum of understanding by the end of November.
"Nine countries, including us, will sign it," newspapers quoted Gonul as
saying.
The minister was speaking after talks with US Defence Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and his deputy Gordon England on topics ranging from combating
terrorism to the Turkish military's procurement projects.
The Turkish media reported before Gonul's trip that the Turkish Air Force
had chosen the F-35 in a project to buy 100 new generation combat aircraft to
replace the F-16, F-4 and F-5 aircraft currently used.
Gonul said the project would span the next 30 to 40 years and be worth an
estimated 11 to 12 bln usd.
He said the first plane would be delivered to Turkey in 2014.
The F-35 is being designed and built by a team led by US the firm Lockheed
Martin and is funded by a consortium of nine countries: the United States,
Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Norway and Denmark.
The first F-35s are expected to become operational in 2012.
The other option in the Turkish procurement project was the Eurofighter
Typhoon, built by a consortium of British, German, Italian and Spanish aerospace
manufacturers.

[bd popeye]

Military newspapers call for Rumsfeld to resign

I will drink to that!

Four military newspapers to call for Rumsfeld's removal

http://content.hamptonroads.com/stor...809&ran=129855

By STEVE STONE , The Virginian-Pilot
© November 4, 2006 | Last updated 2:24 PM Nov. 4

Four newspapers serving the military community will call for the replacement of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in an editorial to be published Monday.

"We say that Rumsfeld must be replaced," Alex Neill, the managing editor of the Army Times, said Friday night in a telephone interview. "Given the state of affairs with Iraq and the military right now, we think it's a good time for new leadership there."

The editorial, which also will appear in the Navy Times, the Marine Corps Times and the Air Force Times, was written by senior managing editor Robert Hodierne, based on a decision of the publications' editorial board, Neill said.

The international papers, which circulate widely in Hampton Roads, are published by the Military Times Media Group, a division of the Gannett Co. Inc.

"The editorial says that Rumsfeld has lost faith with the military leadership, with Congress, with the public in general," Neill said.

The timing of the editorial, coming on the eve of mid term elections, was coincidental, Neill said. "The military - our readers - follow a chain of command," Neill said. "They are going to follow orders, so we don't get into trying to say who they should vote for, not vote for or any of that."

Rather, "President Bush came out and said that Donald Rumsfeld is in for the duration... so it's just a timely issue for us. And our position is that it is not the best course for the military" for Rumsfeld to remain the Pentagon chief.

President Bush said Wednesday he wants Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney to remain until the end of his presidency.

Neill said he is uncertain how troops will react.

"I think we'll hear from both sides," he said. "It will be interesting to find out if it swings significantly one way or the other."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
************************************************** ********
Rummy prepares to hand over the reigns of the US DoD to Spiderman and CAPT. America!!!

[bd popeye]

US and Japan conducting joint excersise

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...sa-drills.html

Japan, U.S. plan joint air, naval drills from Thurs

REUTERS

12:23 a.m. November 7, 2006

TOKYO – Japan and the United States said on Tuesday they will hold joint air and naval exercises for a week from Thursday in waters and airspace around Japan.
The exercises come at a time when the international community is trying to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions.


North Korea agreed to return to stalled six-party talks on ending its nuclear weapons programme last week, about three weeks after Pyongyang staged its first nuclear test.
The U.S. Navy said it would send about a dozen warships for the drills, including the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier and the USS Shiloh, which is equipped with the high-tech Aegis radar system and SM-3 missiles intended to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles.

About 90 Japanese warships and 170 aircraft will take part in the joint naval exercises with the United States in waters including the Sea of Japan, the Japanese defence ministry official said.

The official said the exercises were being held to ensure close security coordination between Japan and the United States.

'The joint naval exercises between Japan and the United States are not aimed at any specific country or region,' the official said.

The U.S. Navy said in a statement that the exercise was 'designed to improve both Naval Forces' capabilities for coordinated and bilateral operations in the defence of Japan.'

[bd popeye]

RUMSFELD RESIGNS!!

Rummy is out! I cannot stand that man... Robert Yates a cronie(my words) of the Bush family will now lead the US DoD. Pres Bush just confirmed this on US Tv.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061108/...feld_resigns_4

WASHINGTON - Republican officials said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down. Word came a day after the Democratic gains in the election, in which Rumsfeld was a focus of much of the criticism of the Iraq war.

Earlier today, a spokesman for Rumsfeld said he'd given no indication that he would step down in the wake of Democratic election gains. The spokesman said Rumsfeld would work with Congress on Iraq but added that the focus on stabilizing the country will remain the same.

In the days leading up to the election, President Bush said he wanted Rumsfeld to stay on as defense chief until the end of Bush's second term.

[SampanViking]

To learn that US Sec of Defence Donald Rumsfeld has resigned within 24 hours of the Republicans losing control of the Congress, comes as no surprise whatsoever.

Politics is an opportunist business, you do deals when you must but never when you dont need to. For the last six years Rumsfeld and his colleauges have been living in Hog Heaven, they have had a perfect patsy for President and control of both houses, they have been able to force through their agenda without effective opposition and enjoy a level of power usually associated with Medieval Eastern Potentates.

Now the party is over and Rumsfeld, an old man already, has had decades of working in Political deadlock during the Ford, Reagan and Bush senior years and has obviously had no desire to go back to it.

I will not miss him, but this is a hollow victory and one in which he goes out on a high.

Will he be alone in leaving? I doubt it, in fairly quick succession I think you will see most of the old guard, Cheney etc, step down. Like Rumsfeld they have had their Swansong so why bother to stay? It also gives a chance to some new faces to establish themselves on the National scene in time for 2008.

[bd popeye]

Will he be alone in leaving? I doubt it, in fairly quick succession I think you will see most of the old guard, Cheney etc, step down.

Cheney won't step down. He was elected Vice president of the US. Not appointed. The only US vice president to resign was that crook Spiro Agnew of the Nixon regime. If by chance Cheney did resign that would leave the VP slot vacant and make Nancy Pelosi next inline for the presidency if Prez. Bush died in office. She,Peloisi, is a left wing nut case. But in January she will become Speaker of the house which makes her third in line to be President.

I cannot speculate on any other cabinet members resigning at this time. Would C.Rice step down? I don't know.

Your overlook of politics is right on the money in the other aspects you mentioned.

[FuManChu]

On Newsnight, one American politician pointed out that a lot of Republicans will be annoyed by this. Not because he was fired, but because he was fired only after the defeat. What they want to know is why he couldn't have been kicked out beforehand - it might have saved their jobs, they will think.

[TerraN_EmpirE]

On Newsnight, one American politician pointed out that a lot of Republicans will be annoyed by this. Not because he was fired, but because he was fired only after the defeat. What they want to know is why he couldn't have been kicked out beforehand - it might have saved their jobs, they will think.

He quit he was not fired there is a difrence. When i Quit a job it means I am the one who wants out when I get fired from a job it means they found out what i was doing to your burger