Tuesday, August 16, 2011

DTN News - AIRLINES NEWS: Qantas Overhauls With $9 Billion Fleet Order

Asian Defense News: DTN News - AIRLINES NEWS: Qantas Overhauls With $9 Billion Fleet Order
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / SYDNEY, Australia - August 16, 2011: Australia's Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN.AX - News) is setting up two new airlines in Asia and ordering $9 billion of new Airbus (Paris:EAD.PA - News) aircraft as part of a do-or-die makeover to salvage its loss-making international business.

Qantas will also cut 1,000 jobs in Australia as it shifts its focus to the world's fastest-growing aviation market, triggering threats by unions to block the move and a government pledge to scrutinize the plans.

Qantas, which has been reviewing its offshore operations to cut costs and unprofitable routes, said it will launch a new, premium Asian airline and a Japanese budget carrier, the latter jointly with Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi Corp (Tokyo:8058.T - News).

The new airlines will fly Airbus A320 jets, cementing their reputation as the plane of choice on regional networks over archrival Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA - News) Qantas, which also flies Boeing's best-selling 737 narrowbodies, plans to acquire up to 110 of the Airbus planes, worth more than $9.4 billion.

As Qantas rebases its loss-making international operations in Asia, it also plans to give up some of its long-haul routes and retire older planes as well as cut jobs.

"Right now 82 out of every 100 people flying out of Australia are choosing to fly with an airline other than Qantas, not including Jetstar," the airline's Irish-born chief executive, Alan Joyce, told a news conference.

Joyce has cut costs and jobs since taking the helm at Qantas in 2008, with growth increasingly focused on the budget offshoot Jetstar, which he ran before becoming chief executive.

"To do nothing, or tinker around the edges, would only guarantee the end of Qantas International in our home Australian market. That would be a tragedy," he said, adding that the international operation's cost base was around 20 percent higher than its major rivals.

Joyce said the new premium airline was expected to be launched next year with an initial fleet size of 11 A320s. It may based in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and would not be majority owned by Qantas, he said. China was also being considered, one source familiar with the airline earlier told Reuters.

Qantas has an existing relationship with Malaysia's AirAsia (Kuala Lumpur:AIRA.KL - News), which this week agreed to swap shares with Malaysian Airline system (Kuala Lumpur:MASM.KL - News) as part of a partnership deal.

Qantas shares closed down 0.33 percent at A$1.52.

"It's a prudent move," said Jason Teh, a portfolio manager at Investors Mutual, which does not own Qantas shares.

"That's a way to get your costs down. If you know your return on capital's going to be thin, share your capital base. The international business is more cyclical and poses more competitor threats than their domestic business."

POLITICAL AND UNION RESISTANCE

The plan announced by Qantas drew immediate fire from several quarters. Australian Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the government will examine the plan to ensure it does not breach the airline's privatization rules.

"The Australian government very firmly believes in an Australian-based and majority Australian-owned Qantas," he said.

The Qantas Sale Act of 1992 requires the airline's operational base and headquarters to be in Australia, foreign ownership is capped at 49 percent and the name Qantas is preserved. At least two-thirds of the board and its chairman must be Australians.

Trade unions and a key independent senator have said they could also seek legislative or regulatory steps to ensure Qantas remains an Australian-owned company.

Qantas faces a likely escalation of industrial action at home over the plan's estimated 1,000 job cuts, with trade unions opposed to any move by Qantas to shift its international operations offshore. About 200 pilot jobs were expected to be included in the cuts.

"Until we get an assurance from Alan Joyce that future Qantas flights will be operated by Qantas pilots, instead of outsourced and offshored alternatives, we will be doing everything we can to stop this destructive strategy for Qantas's future," Barry Jackson, president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, said in a statement.

FOCUS ON ASIA

Qantas' plan refocuses its offshore business squarely on Asia, a region that should account for more than half of global airline profits this year, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Qantas plans to acquire between 106 and 110 Airbus A320 aircraft, including planes for Jetstar Japan and the new premium Asia-based airline. Between 28 and 32 planes of these would be current-generation A320s and the rest the fuel-efficient, next-generation A320neo aircraft.

Airbus has scored resounding victories over Boeing with its narrow-body A320neo aircraft, taking a commanding lead in the single-aisle market once dominated by Boeing's 737 family.

Just last month AirAsia announced a deal worth $18.2 billion at list prices for 200 A320neo planes while AMR Corp's (NYSE:AMR - News) American Airlines, previously an all-Boeing customer, ordered 260 narrow-body A320 planes.

Qantas and its regional brand QantasLink have mixed fleets with notable Boeing narrowbody and widebody presences. Jetstar has only Airbus narrowbodies, but it has orders for Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

"I would count this as a loss for Boeing," said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at The Teal Group, noting Airbus has "core strength" in narrowbody markets with Asian low-cost carriers.

Qantas also delayed the delivery of its final six A380s for up to six years in a move aimed at conserving capital and bolstering its balance sheet.

It said it would retire four Boeing 747s and would make no change to its existing order of Boeing 787s.

Qantas reaffirmed its earnings guidance, though it said the restructuring would cost more than A$350 million ($367 million).

($1 = 0.955 Australian dollar)



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DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated August 16, 2011

Asian Defense News:
DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated August 16, 2011
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - August 16, 2011: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued August 16, 2011 are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

ARMY

Forward Dedicated Logistics Solutions, L.L.C., Wilmington, Del. (W91B4N-11-D-7000); Jorge Scientific Corp., Arlington, Va. (W91B4N-11-D-7008); and Vanquish Worldwide, L.L.C., Friendsville, Tenn. (W91B4N-11-D-7018), were awarded a $983,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract between 20 contractors. The award will provide for the non-personal services and other items necessary to perform national Afghan trucking services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 15, 2012. The solicited bid was limited to competition for products or services from Afghanistan, with 245 total bids received. The Bagram Regional Contracting Center, Afghanistan, is the contracting activity.

AXIOM Resource Management, Inc., Falls Church, Va. (W911QY-11-D-0047); Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., McLean, Va. (W911QY-11-D-0048); Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio (W911QY-11-D-0049); CAMRIS International, Inc., Bethesda, Md. (W911QY-11-D-0050); Clinical Research Medicine, Hinckley, Ohio (W911QY-11-D-0051); General Dynamics Information Technology, Fairfax, Va. (W911QY-11-D-0052); The Henry Jackson Foundation, Rockville, Md. (W911QY-11-D-0053); Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, N.M. (W911QY-11-D-0054); The McConnell Group, Rockville, Md. (W911QY-11-D-0055); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, N.C. (W911QY-11-D-0056); Science Applications International Corp., Falls Church, Va. (W911QY-11-D-0057); Teledyne Brown Engineering, Huntsville, Ala. (W911QY-11-D-0058); Universal Consulting Serviced, Inc., Fairfax, Va. (W911QY-11-D-0059); WESTAT, Inc., Rockville, Md. (W911QY-11-D-0060); AMDEX Corp., Silver Spring, Md. (W911QY-11-D-0061); AXIOM Resource Management, Inc., Falls Church, Va. (W911QY-11-D-0062); CAMRIS International, Inc., Bethesda, Md. (W911QY-11-D-0063); Colette, Inc., Woodbridge, Va. (W911QY-11-D-0064); Clinical Research Medicine, Hinckley, Ohio (W911QY-11-D-0065); Eagle Applied Sciences, L.L.C., San Antonio, Texas (W911QY-11-D-0066); Empiristat, Inc., Mount Airy, Md. (W911QY-11-D-0067); Expeditionary Medical Modeling Consultants, Oceanside, Calif. (W911QY-11-D-0068); KE’AKI Technologies, L.L.C., Honolulu, Hawaii (W911QY-11-D-0069); The McConnell Group, Rockville, Md. (W911QY-11-D-0070); Think Tank, Inc., Silver Spring, Md. (W911QY-11-D-0071); and Universal Consulting Services, Inc., Fairfax, Va. (W911QY-11-D-0072), were awarded a $497,000,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract between 26 contractors. The award will provide for the Navy Medicine Research and Development services to provide infrastructure of personnel, materials, equipment, facilities, science, and technology that will sustain an acceptable level of medical research. Work will be performed at each contractor location, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 11, 2016. There were 32 bids solicited, with 32 bids received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Natick, Mass., is the contracting activity.

Caterpillar, Inc., Government and Defense Products, Mossville, Ill., was awarded a $37,667,837 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the procurement of 172 motorized graders with Type A-kit, and 10 days of support. Work will be performed in Mossville, Ill., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2012. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with two bids received. The U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-D-0037).

Charter Environmental, Inc., Boston, Mass., was awarded a $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple-award-task-order contract. The award will provide for the remediation services throughout the North Atlantic. Work location will be determined with each task order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2016. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 13 bids received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Concord, Mass., is the contracting activity (W912WJ-11-D-0009).

Dragados USA, Inc., New York, N.Y., was awarded a $17,182,222 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the construction of a channel in the Bechara Industrial Area, Rio Puerto Nuevo, Puerto Rico. Work will be performed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 10, 2013. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with nine bids received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (W912EP-11-C-0027).

Sealaska Constructors, L.L.C., Bellevue, Wash., was awarded a $12,328,417 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the repair squadron operations for the MQ-9 Beddown Facility, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Work will be performed in Ellsworth Air Force Base, N.D., with an estimated completion date of March 23, 2012. The bid was solicited though the Internet, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Neb., is the contracting activity (W9128F-11-C-0056).

Tantara Associates Corp., Worcester, Mass. (W912WJ-11-D-0011), and H&S Environmental, Inc., Westborough, Mass. (W912WJ-11-D-0010), were awarded a $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple-award-task-order contract. The award will provide for the remediation services throughout the North Atlantic. Work location will be determined with each task order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2016. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 13 bids received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Concord, Mass., is the contracting activity.

NAVY

Blue Rock Structures, Inc.*, Pollocksville, N.C. (N40085-11-D-8023); Grahams Construction, Inc.*, Delco, N.C. (N40085-11-D-8024); Huryn Justice General Contractors*, Vero Beach, Fla. (N40085-11-D-8025); Military & Federal Construction Co., Inc.*, Jacksonville, N.C. (N40085-11-D-8026); PentaCon*, Catoosa, Okla. (N40085-11-D-8027); and Quadrant Construction, Inc.*, Jacksonville, N.C. (N40085-11-D-8028), are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract for general construction projects at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and other outlying facilities in North Carolina. The maximum dollar value, including the base year and two option years, for all six contracts combined is $100,000,000. The work to be performed provides for new construction, demolition, repair, total/partial interior/exterior alteration/renovation of buildings, systems and infrastructure, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, communication systems, installation of new or extensions to existing high voltage electrical distribution systems, extensions to the existing high pressure steam distribution systems, extensions to the potable water distribution systems, extensions to the sanitary sewer systems, additional storm water control systems, painting, removal of asbestos materials and lead paint, and incidental related work. PentaCon is being awarded task order 0001 at $101,999 for the construction of a concrete pad with overhead shelter at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, N.C. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by February 2012. All work on this contract will be performed in Jacksonville, Havelock, and other outlying facilities in North Carolina. The term of the contract is not to exceed 36 months, with an expected completion date of August 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $126,999 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website,with 37 proposals received. These six contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contracts. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va. is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded a $47,587,946 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-03-C-0057) for maintenance and repair of the supply assets for E-2D unique components and/or systems in support of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye System Development and Demonstration Program. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y. (63 percent); Greenlawn, N.Y. (35 percent); and Rolling Meadows, Ill. (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

US Foodservice/Joseph Webb Division, Vista, Calif., was awarded a fixed-price with economic price adjustment, prime vendor contract with a maximum $69,170,000 for full line food distribution. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The date of performance completion is Aug. 16, 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM300-11-D-3472).

Essex Cryogenics, Missouri, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum $45,000,000 for liquid oxygen systems. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The date of performance completion is Aug. 15, 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM2DH-11-D-8218).

*Small business


U.S. DoD issued No. 716-11 August 16, 2011
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DTN News - INDIA NEWS: Anti-Corruption Crusader Anna Hazare to be released According To Police

Asian Defense News: DTN News - INDIA NEWS: Anti-Corruption Crusader Anna Hazare to be released According To Police
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / NEW DELHI, India - August 16, 2011: Social activist Anna Hazare and his supporters will be released from Tihar Jail, Delhi Police said on Tuesday evening, hours after arresting the 74-year-old for breach of peace.

"We have sent the release warrant of Anna Hazare and his supporters," Delhi Police PRO Rajan Bhagat.

Hazare was detained on Tuesday morning ahead of his planned fast-unto-death for a stronger lokpal bill.

He was arrested when he refused to sign a bail bond and was sent to Tihar Jail along with his key confidante Arvind Kejriwal and other supporters.

Bhagat said the Tihar Jail authorities would take a final call on when Hazare will be released.

His arrest triggered swathes of unrest across the country and pitting the government against not just the opposition but also large sections of the public.

Bedi and Kejriwal were later released from preventive custody.

"Anna Hazare refused to sign a personal bond and has been sent to seven days judicial custody," Bhagat told reporters, describing it as a preventive arrest.

The opposition went on the warpath to demand Hazare's release.

As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the move smacked of the excesses during Emergency and parliament was stalled, the outrage spread across the country, with reports of protests coming in from virtually every corner.

Hazare and Kejriwal were whisked away as they stepped out of an apartment in east Delhi on their way to the JP Park where police had clamped prohibitory orders and where the activists were planning to set the stage for their strike against the government's version of the bill that keeps the prime minister, judiciary and junior officials out of its ambit.

Hazare's supporters, who had gathered in hundreds in the apartment complex, shouted anti-government slogans and lauded the anti-corruption crusader who had gone on a hunger strike in April.

Just before his arrest, Hazare said in a recorded video message: "Don't let my arrest stop this movement. This is the nation's second struggle for freedom." Read full story | Watch video

As news of his arrest spread, thousands took to the streets in Delhi, denouncing the government and hailing Hazare. The biggest gathering took place at the Chattrashal Stadium in north Delhi.

Major protests were also reported in Delhi University, outside the Tihar Jail, and on the street leading from Rajghat to JP Park.

Security forces had a tough time handling the crowds.

Protests also gripped many states including Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa where people trooped out of their homes to voice their anger. Many shopkeepers downed shutters.

In Mumbai thousands gathered at various places.

"We are also requesting supporters to strike work tomorrow and support Annaji," a volunteer for India Against Corruption said.

Celebrities too stepped in to verbalise their distress.

Lyricist Javed Akhtar said: "I have had certain reservations about Anna's method but his arrest cannot be condoned. It is undemocratic, unacceptable."

The ripple effect was widespread.

"In a democracy, one has the right to protest in a peaceful manner. By detaining Hazare, the government is depriving the citizens of their constitutional rights," said PK Garg, a retired professor in Lucknow.

As the protests spread, the government attempted to clarify its position and said Delhi Police was not acting under political pressure and had made the detentions because Team Hazare had refused to agree to certain terms.

"If someone says we will defy the orders, I think this is unacceptable in a democracy," said home minister P Chidambaram.

"It is a real regret that police have taken this action."

The crisis for the government comes soon after the clampdown on a protest by yoga guru Ramdev on June 5.

The opposition was quick to seize the opportunity.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), neither of which agree fully with Hazare, called for demonstrations across the country Wednesday.

"This government is bent upon crushing anyone who wants to protest against corruption," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The CPI-M said Hazare's detention and the police ban on his hunger strike showed how "the Congress leadership is intolerant to any anti-corruption movement as its government is steeped in high-level corruption".

The volatile situation was set to snowball further with protests planned through the day.

Using SMS messages, twitter and television, Hazare supporters called for people to gather in protest.

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