DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Marines Conduct Exercise in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Marines Conduct Exercise in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 20, 2014:  U.S. Marines use a map for strategic maneuvers before a live-fire exercise during Exercise Koolendong on Bradshaw Field Training Area in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps. 

 The focus of exercise is to establish a Marines and Australian Defense Force combined headquarters element. Brusch is commanding officer of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin. U.S. Marine Corps. 

Photo by Cpl. Scott Reel 

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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Marines Conduct Exercise in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Marines Conduct Exercise in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 20, 2014: U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Aaron Brusch outlines the scheme of maneuver before a live-fire exercise during Exercise Koolendong on Bradshaw Field Training Area in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014. 

The focus of exercise is to establish a Marines and Australian Defense Force combined headquarters element. Brusch is commanding officer of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin. U.S. Marine Corps. 
Photo by Cpl. Scott Reel 

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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Oshkosh Defense Products on Video

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Oshkosh Defense Products on Video

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 17, 2013: Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation presented its solution for the Engineering Manufacturing & Development (EMD) phase of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program. With the JLTV program, the U.S. military is seeking to modernize its light vehicle fleet. Oshkosh is offering the latest generation of its Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV) to upgrade the light tactical fleet with MRAP-level protection and unprecedented mobility in future missions. The Oshkosh L-ATV has been extensively tested and proven to meet or exceed all of the JLTV program's requirements.

 
"Military leaders have recognized JLTV as one of their top modernization priorities, and the Oshkosh L-ATV entry represents our significant investment in this project and showcases our advanced technology," said John Bryant, vice president and general manager of Joint and Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense. "Our engineers have drawn upon extensive tactical vehicle operating experience in Iraq and Afghanistan to develop the L-ATV, with an eye toward future combat environments."

The Light Combat Vehicle, Redefined
The Oshkosh L-ATV is designed to keep Warfighters safe as battlefield threats evolve. The vehicle's crew protection system has been extensively tested and proven to optimize protection, weight and mobility. The L-ATV can accept multiple armor configurations so it can easily be adapted to changing operational requirements.

The L-ATV also uses the Oshkosh TAK-4i™ intelligent independent suspension system, building on the success of the TAK-4 family of suspensions used on more than 20,000 military vehicles. The TAK-4i system is tailored for high-performance, lightweight vehicles to give Warfighters unprecedented mobility in severe off-road terrain. It uses an advanced Oshkosh technology to deliver 20 inches of independent wheel travel; 25 percent more than any vehicle fielded with the U.S. military today.

Oshkosh's innovative L-ATV delivers expanded power capabilities, greater fuel efficiency and integrated diagnostics compared to legacy engine technologies. An optional Oshkosh ProPulse® diesel-electric hybrid powertrain is available to further improve fuel economy, lower life-cycle costs, and provide high levels of stationary and on-the-move exportable power.

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DTN News - MV-22 OSPREY NEWS: Osprey On Duty in The Philippines

Asian Defense News: DTN News -  MV-22 OSPREY NEWS: Osprey On Duty in The Philippines

Source: DTN News 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 3, 2013: An MV-22 Osprey prepares for takeoff for a night low-altitude training mission on Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Philippines, Jan. 24, 2013. 

The crew, which is conducting day and night low-altitude training, is assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force. 

The MV-22 Osprey’s mission for the U.S. Marine Corps is the transportation of troops, equipment, and supplies from ships and land bases for combat assault and assault support.

Description

The MV-22B Osprey is a tiltrotor V/STOL aircraft designed as the medium-lift replacement for the CH-46E Sea Knight assault support helicopter. The Osprey can operate as a helicopter or a turboprop aircraft and offers twice the speed, six times the range, and three times the payload of the CH-46E.

Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the MV-22B was declared in June 2007. The Osprey had three successful combat deployments in Iraq from October 2007 to April 2009 with VMM-263, VMM-162 and VMM-266 respectively. VMM-263 embarked on the first MV-22 shipboard deployment with the Bataan Ready Group in May 2009 as part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

On Mar. 28, 2008, NAVAIR awarded a five-year, $10.3 billion dollar contract to Bell- Boeing for 141 MV-22 Ospreys for the Marine Corps and 26 CV-22 Ospreys for the Air Force Special Operations Command. It is the first multi-year procurement contract for the Osprey program, covering purchases in FY08-12. The deal saves the taxpayers $427 million and reduces risk to the government by establishing cost ceilings. It also provides program stability that supports both services’ needs to field new and better capabilities, and in the Marine Corps case, retire old aircraft.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith DTN News
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DTN News - MV-22 OSPREY NEWS: Osprey Prepares To Land On The Deck of The USS George H.W. Bush Aircraft Carrier

Asian Defense News: DTN News -  MV-22 OSPREY NEWS: Osprey Prepares To Land On The Deck of The USS George H.W. Bush Aircraft Carrier

Source: DTN News
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 3, 2013: An MV-22 Osprey prepares to land on the flight deck of the USS George H.W. Bush, which is conducting training and carrier qualifications, in the Atlantic Ocean, Jan. 27, 2013. 

The Osprey is assigned to Marine Tiltrotor Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 22. 

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is the first aircraft designed from the ground up to meet the needs of the Defense Department's four U.S. armed services. The tiltrotor aircraft takes off and lands like a helicopter. Once airborne, its engine nacelles can be rotated to convert the aircraft to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight.

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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Oshkosh Corp., For 207 MTVR Related To Navy And Marine Corps

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Oshkosh Corp., For 207 MTVR Related To Navy And Marine Corps

Source: This article compiled by Roger Smith - DTN News 

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 5, 2012: Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., is being awarded $67,540,517 for fixed-price delivery order #0007 under previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-12-D-0209).  

This delivery order is issued for the purchase of 207 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) production cargo vehicles for the Marine Corps, 60 MTVR cargo vehicles for the Navy Seabees, Nonrecurring Engineering, and Federal Retail Excise Tax for 299 cargo vehicles.  

Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 29, 2014.  Contract funds in the amount of $37,594,595 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.  

 Built to go over even the roughest terrains and through the most hazardous environments, the Oshkosh® Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) is a high-performance, extremely durable, all-terrain vehicle military personnel can rely on. The MTVR easily carries 15 tons over the highway and up to 7 tons off-road. And with advanced technologies like TAK-4® independent suspension and the Command Zone™ integrated control and diagnostics system, the MTVR has the brawn and the brains to take on any obstacle that attempts to impede the mission.

With the ability to operate in the most extreme conditions, the Oshkosh MTVR provides the durability, reliability and versatility the armed forces need. And with the addition of an all-aluminum cab, a strict anti-corrosion program and total life-cycle support, the MTVR will continue to perform on any mission, every time – wherever that mission is.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith - DTN News 
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S., Japan Agree On Okinawa Troop Relocation

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S., Japan Agree On Okinawa Troop Relocation
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Karen Parrish - American Forces Press Service
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 27, 2012: U.S. and Japanese officials announced yesterday the two nations have agreed on a plan to relocate U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam.

The joint statement of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee spells out unit moves, land and facilities on Okinawa the United States will return to the Japanese government, and the costs each government will pay for the relocation.

The joint statement is the latest result of negotiations between the two countries dating to the 2006 Realignment Roadmap and the 2009 Guam International Agreement.

The two nations issued a joint defense posture statement in February that “delinked” the two agreements so parts of the relocation plan could move forward more quickly.

“I am very pleased that, after many years, we have reached this important agreement and plan of action,” Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said in a statement yesterday. He praised Japanese Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka for “spearheading discussions” leading to the joint statement.

“We will work closely with our partners in the Japanese Self Defense Force to implement these decisions and to further improve this vital alliance of ours,” the secretary added.
Panetta said he looks forward to strengthening the two nations’ partnership “as, together, we address security challenges in the region.”

During a Pentagon background briefing to reporters yesterday, senior State and Defense Department officials outlined the agreement.

About 9,000 Marines will relocate from Okinawa, with about 5,000 moving to Guam and the rest transferring to other locations in the Pacific such as Hawaii and Australia, the defense official said.

The Marines will be organized in air-ground task forces, which combine command, ground, air and logistics elements that can deploy and operate as a unit.

“This new posture that we've created results in a more operationally effective presence across the region,” the defense official said.

“In the end, we are sustaining the same presence in the Western Pacific that we've intended for some time,” the official added.

About 10,000 Marines will remain on Okinawa when the relocation is complete, the official said.

The agreement also sets Japan’s funding for the move to Guam at $3.1 billion of the overall $8.6 billion estimated cost, the defense official added.

“We're particularly appreciative of this commitment in the context of Japan's fiscal challenges, which we fully recognize,” the official added.

One element of the agreement involves possible development of joint training ranges in Guam and the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as shared-use facilities for U.S. and Japanese forces, the official said.

The State Department official said the plan will result in a stronger, more sustainable and more flexible alliance.

“This is really a key component of our strategic rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region,” the official said. “As you know, one of the key aspects of that is strengthening partnerships with regional allies, and of course Japan is a very important alliance partner.”

The official said the agreement reaffirms both nations’ commitment to relocate Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, now in the center of Okinawa’s Ginowan City, to a more remote area of the island. Until the Futenma relocation happens, both governments will share the cost of maintaining the existing facility, the official added.

The Japanese government will determine the timeline for the Futenma move, the State Department official said, noting the U.S. focus for Okinawa is sustaining an operationally effective Marine Corps presence there.

The defense official said U.S. representatives are “delighted” at the agreement.

“We think it's a significant achievement that demonstrates that the U.S.-Japan alliance is still capable of big things,” the official said.

Biographies:
Leon E. Panetta

Related Sites:
Joint Statement of the Security Consultative Committee

Related Articles:
U.S., Japan Release Joint Defense Posture Statement
U.S., Japanese Officials Discuss Military Realignment

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Karen Parrish - American Forces Press Service
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S., Japan Unveil Revised Plan For Okinawa

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S., Japan Unveil Revised Plan For Okinawa
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 27, 2012: The United States and Japan announced on Thursday a revised agreement on streamlining the U.S. military presence on Okinawa that will shift 9,000 Marines from the southern Japanese island to Guam and other Asia-Pacific sites.

The new plan, unveiled days before Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda meets President Barack Obama in Washington, helps the allies work around the central but still-unresolved dispute over moving the Futenma air base from a crowded part of Okinawa to a new site that has vexed relations for years.

"I am very pleased that, after many years, we have reached this important agreement and plan of action. I applaud the hard work and effort that went into crafting it," U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said in a statement.

"Japan is not just a close ally, but also a close friend."

Under the agreement, 9,000 U.S. Marines will be relocated. Five thousand will go to Guam and the rest to other sites such as Hawaii and Australia, a joint U.S.-Japanese statement said.

The updated version of a long-delayed 2006 plan was needed to achieve "a U.S. force posture in the Asia-Pacific region that is more geographically distributed, operationally resilient and politically sustainable," the statement said.

Snags over Okinawa had raised questions about the viability of the Obama administration's strategy of shifting U.S. forces from other regions to the Asia-Pacific to deal with nuclear saber-rattling by North Korea, the rapid military buildup of China and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Friction over U.S. bases intensified after the 1995 gang rape of a Japanese schoolgirl by U.S. servicemen. The case sparked widespread protests by Okinawans, who had long resented the American presence due to crime, noise and deadly accidents.

There are about 47,000 U.S. troops in Japan under a 1960 bilateral security treaty.

Okinawa, occupied by the United States from 1945-72, accounts for less than 1 percent of Japan's total land but hosts three-quarters of the U.S. military facilities in the country in terms of land area.

"This has been ... bogged down for years, but now we have been able to come up with a new approach de-linking the Futenma relocation from other elements, like moving out Marine forces to Guam and returning some parts of Okinawa," said Ichiro Fujisaki, Japan's ambassador to the United States.

"Things are going to start moving," he told a gathering at a think tank in Washington.

Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the deal was discussed widely with U.S. lawmakers, who had refused to fund the overhaul on Okinawa until the Futenma deadlock was resolved and the administration fully explained how the move would fit overall U.S. strategy.

"We think it breaks a very long stalemate ... that has plagued our politics, that has clogged both of our systems," said Campbell.

"REBALANCING" TOWARD ASIA-PACIFIC

A senior State Department official said: "This is really a key component of our strategic rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region."

The new policy has also entailed closer U.S. military ties with the Philippines, Australia and Singapore.

The agreement includes a $3.1 billion cash commitment from Japan for the move to Guam as well as for developing joint training ranges on Guam and on Tinian and Pagan in the U.S.-controlled Northern Mariana Islands.

The previous agreement on the move to Guam had Japan providing $6.1 billion in support, with $2.8 billion in cash and the rest in financing arrangements. The two sides agreed to limit that to $3.1 billion from Japan because of the smaller footprint the Marines will have in Guam

Campbell acknowledged that more work needed to be done, including finding a replacement for Futenma.

Proposed replacement sites for Futenma on the subtropical island that lies between Japan's main islands and Taiwan have met strong local opposition. At the same time Tokyo was in political disarray, with six prime ministers in six years.

"Does this agreement answer every question? It does not. Is there more programmatic and technical work that is necessary? Yes," said Campbell.

"But at a fundamental level, we think this agreement moves the ball very substantially down the field in a way that no one would have anticipated a few months ago," he said.

Separating the move to Guam from the Futenma issue frees up the allies to work more on cyber security, space, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations and ballistic missile defence, a senior U.S. Defence Department official said.

Senators Carl Levin, John McCain and Jim Webb - top members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee who had frozen Okinawa funding until their budgetary and strategic questions were answered - said some of their concerns had been addressed.

"We still have many questions about the specific details of this statement and its implications for our force posture in the Asia-Pacific region," they said in a statement, which also vowed to keep working on "a mutually beneficial, militarily effective, and fiscally sustainable agreement" on Okinawa and Guam.

(Additional reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Peter Cooney, Todd Eastham and Paul Tait)


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Reuters
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract $31,073,677 To General Dynamics Land Systems Related To U.S. Army For The Procurement Of 46 Abrams M1A2 System Enhancement Package V2 Vehicles

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS:  U.S. DoD Awarded Contract $31,073,677 To General Dynamics Land Systems Related To U.S. Army For The Procurement Of 46 Abrams M1A2 System Enhancement Package V2 Vehicles

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources DTN News / U.S. DoD issued No. 307-12 April 25, 2012
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012: General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded a $31,073,677 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the procurement of 46 Abrams M1A2 system enhancement package V2 vehicles. 

Work will be performed in Lima, Ohio, Scranton, Pa., Anniston, Ala., and Tallahassee, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2014. 

One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-12-C-0198).

The M1 Abrams entered U.S. service in 1980, replacing the M60 tank. It served for over a decade alongside the improved M60A3, which had entered service in 1978. The M1 remains the principal main battle tank of the United States Army and Marine Corps, and the armies of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Iraq in 2010.

Three main versions of the M1 Abrams have been deployed, the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, incorporating improved armament, protection and electronics. These improvements, as well as periodic upgrades to older tanks, have allowed this long-serving vehicle to remain in front-line service. The M1A3 is currently under development.

The M1A2 was a further improvement of the M1A1 with a commander's independent thermal viewer, weapon station, position navigation equipment, and a full set of controls and displays linked by a digital data bus. These upgrades also provided the M1A2 with an improved fire control system. The M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) added digital maps, FBCB2 capabilities, and an improved cooling system to compensate for heat generated by the additional computer systems. The M1A2 SEP also serves as the basis for the M104 Wolverine heavy assault bridge.

Further upgrades included depleted uranium armor for all variants, a system overhaul that returns all A1s to like-new condition (M1A1 AIM), a digital enhancement package for the A1 (M1A1D), and a commonality program to standardize parts between the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps (M1A1HC).

The M1A2 SEP TUSK Abrams and a modernized M1 Abrams were included in the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) Analysis of Alternatives (AOA). Vehicles included in the AOA were determined to be inferior to the planned GCV. The U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli commended the M1 Abrams program and recommended a similar approach for the GCV program. The Ground Combat Vehicle family of vehicles is the planned successor to the M1 as well as many other U.S. Army vehicles. However, the Army anticipates that the M1A1 will remain in U.S. service until at least 2021, and the M1A2 to beyond 2050.

M1 Abrams ~ Operators (Source - Wikipedia)

•  Australia – Australian Army: 59 M1A1SAs (hybrids with a mix of equipment used by US Army and Marine Corps tanks, without depleted uranium layers in armor) tanks were bought from the United States in 2006, to replace the Leopard AS1 in 2007.

•  Egypt – Egyptian Army: 1,005 M1A1s. Tanks co-produced by the US and Egypt for the Egyptian army. Another 125 Tanks have been ordered.

•  Greece - Hellenic Army: 400 ex-U.S. Army M1 tanks offered to Greece.

•  Iraq – Iraqi Army: 140 M1A1Ms (downgraded, without depleted uranium layers in armor) on order, to be delivered by 2011. Iraq was leasing 22 US Army M1A1s for training in 2008. The first 11 tanks were delivered to the Iraqi Army in August 2010.

•  Kuwait – Kuwaiti Army: 218 M1A2s (downgraded, without depleted uranium layers in armor)

•  Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabian Army: 373 To be upgraded to M1A2S configuration in Saudi Arabia.

•  United States – United States Army and United States Marine Corps have approximately 8,725 M1, M1A1 and M1A2 variants combined in inventory.

US Army 1,547 M1A2 and M1A2SEP variants 4,393 M1A1 variants 2,385 M1 (reserve storage)

US Marine Corps 403 M1A1

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources DTN News / U.S. DoD issued No. 307-12 April 25, 2012
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