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
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

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
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated April 26, 2012

Asian Defense News: DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated April 26, 2012

 Source: U.S. DoD issued No. 311-12 April 26, 2012

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued  April 26, 2012   are undermentioned;

                                             CONTRACTS            
                                                   NAVY

            Systems Engineering Associates Corp., Middletown, R.I., is being awarded an $11,178,285 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide engineering, technical, and logistic support services in support of submarine imaging, electronic warfare, communication, antenna, and special project programs.  This contract will provide a bridge to allow for continuation of support to the Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Department until the follow-on Seaport-e task order is awarded.  Work will be performed in Middletown R.I. (60 percent), and Newport, R.I. (40 percent), and is expected to be completed by July 2012.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured.  The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity (N66604-12-C-0865).

            ERAPSCO, Inc., Columbia City, Ind., is being awarded a $10,538,501 firm-fixed-price contract for 2,006 AN/SSQ-101A sonobuoys in support of Navy antisubmarine forces for the mission of detection, classification, and localization of adversary submarines during peacetime and combat operations.  Work will be performed in DeLeon Springs, Fla. (53 percent), and Columbia City, Ind. (47 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2014.  Contract funds in the amount of $257,421 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1.  The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-12-C-0047).

            P&S Construction, Inc.*, North Chelmsford, Mass., is being awarded $9,527,000 for firm-fixed-price task order 0009 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N40192-10-D-2804) for design and construction of the Conventional Munitions Maintenance Facility at Andersen Air Force Base.  The facility will consist of drive-through work bays, office space, bench stock/tool room, a break/training/ready room, administrative space, and supporting functions to include electrical, communications, mechanical, compressor room, and a janitor’s closet.  The project also includes site infrastructure improvements and utilities necessary to support the facility.  Work will be performed in Yigo, Guam, and is expected to be completed by July 2014.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Six proposals were received for this task order.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity.

*Small business


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources U.S. DoD issued No. 311-12 April 26, 2012
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Ukraine On Brink Of Missile Deal With India Reports Media

Asian Defense News: DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Ukraine On Brink Of Missile Deal With India Reports Media
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Ria Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 26, 2012: Ukraine is close to signing one of its biggest ever defense deals for air-to-air missiles with India, according to Russian media reports.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta says the deal for R-27 missiles, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, is in the final stages and is waiting for approval from the Ukrainian leadership.

The Vympel R-27 (AA-10 Alamo) missile is a medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It is similar to U.S. AIM-7 Sparrow.

The missile comes in infrared-homing (R-27T), semi-active-radar-homing (R-27R), and active-radar-homing (R-27AE) versions. It would be fitted to India’s MiG-29 and Su-30 fighter jets.

While the deal has not been confirmed officially, the paper quotes a source close to Ukraine’s national security and defense council, saying both nations are sensitive to Russian concerns over the deal and want to make sure that it would not irritate Moscow.

Tensions between Kiev and Moscow could arise later because if the deal is successful, India may want to buy other weaponry from Ukraine, entering a market dominated by Russia, defense analysts quoted by the paper said.

Some industry experts believe Moscow would not oppose the deal as the Ukrainian company is the only manufacturer of these missiles, although Russian firms supply some components for R-27.

The R-27 was originally designed by Vympel, a Russian missile design bureau, in the 1980s. Vympel is now part of Russia's Tactical Missiles Corporation, which now produces successor weapons to R-27.

Artem, a Ukrainian arms firm involved in R-27 production in Ukraine, could not be reached for comment.

Ukrainian R-27s displayed by the Artem and Arsenal companies at the Moscow air show in 2011 featured what the makers claimed were upgraded seekers. Arsenal said it had developed a new infra-red seeker for the R-27 extending its detection range from 18 km to 30 km.

New Delhi showed interest at the recent DEFEXPO-2012 arms show in Ukrainian anti-tank missiles and new engines for Mi-family helicopters produced by the Ukrainian Motor Sich company, according to Ukrainian officials.

Related News

• India Tests First Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
• India and Russia to Develop Hypersonic Cruise Missile
• India Tests Ballistic Missile Interceptor
• India test-fires new short range missile
• India successfully test-fires ballistic missile interceptor

Multimedia

• Russian MiG-29K fighters enter service with Indian Navy
• Mikoyan MiG-29K
• Su-30 Multirole Fighter
• Su-27 Flanker, one of 20th century's best combat aircraft

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Ria Novosti
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY 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

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
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Oshkosh Corp Amounting $16,090,170 To Provide Services In Support Of M-ATV

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS:  U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Oshkosh Corp Amounting $16,090,170 To Provide Services In Support Of M-ATV 

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: Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded a $16,090,170 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the services in support of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle.  

Work will be performed in Afghanistan, Japan, Germany, and Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2012.  Five bids were solicited, with five bids received. 

 The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0111).

The Oshkosh® MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) is the high-mobility, high-protection medium tactical vehicle specifically engineered for treacherous environments. Derived from the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) platform, the M-ATV is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle that incorporates the TAK-4® independent suspension system to provide proven, durable, best-in-class mobility. A battle-proven armor configuration provides survivable crew protection as the M-ATV maneuvers over the most grueling terrain.

Each Oshkosh M-ATV variant provides the wheel travel, payload capacity, side slope stability, vehicle durability, extreme mobility and necessary protection needed in an armored fighting vehicle. It’s proven for harsh terrains, proven to save lives, proven to accomplish missions and is supported by Oshkosh throughout its entire life-cycle.


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources DTN News / U.S. DoD issued No. 307-12 April 25, 2012
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Boeing For Rotor Brake System On Australian Defense Force CH-47 Aircraft

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Boeing For Rotor Brake System On Australian Defense Force CH-47 Aircraft
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: The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., was awarded a $9,611,350 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract.  The award will provide for the addition of a rotor brake system on the Australian Defense Force CH-47 aircraft.  

Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2015.  One bid was solicited, with one bid received.  

The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-04-G-0023).

The Australian Defence Force’s CH-47 “Chinook” helicopters have returned to duty in Southern Afghanistan, providing medium lift transport capability to Australian and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) units.

The helicopters will be operated by the men and women of Rotary Wing Group 7 (RWG 7) who recently commenced their deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation SLIPPER.

Commander of Australia’s Joint Task Force 633 in the Middle East, Major General Stuart Smith said the helicopters were a major addition to ISAF rotary wing capability in southern Afghanistan.

“The troops of Rotary Wing Group 7 are experienced and their CH-47s are historically important helicopters for supporting coalition forces – moving thousands of passengers and hundreds of thousands of kilograms of freight during their annual rotation,” Major General Smith said.

Embedded with the United States 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, known as Task Force Wings, RWG 7 will provide medium lift helicopter support to ISAF missions throughout Uruzgan, Daykundi, Kandahar and Zabul Provinces.

Commanding Officer of RWG 7, Lieutenant Colonel Scott Nicholls said the team was excited to be back on operations in support of Australian and ISAF troops.

“Rotary Wing Group 7 had an extensive preparation before deploying to Afghanistan, not only flying but also conducting simulation activities,” Lieutenant Colonel Nicholls said.

“Since being in Afghanistan, we’ve actually conducted significant training, local area familiarisation by day and night and integrating with our US Task Force,” he added.

Traditionally, the two CH-47D helicopters are dismantled and transported back to Australian for deep level maintenance over the Afghan winter period. This past winter, the helicopters remained in Kandahar for scheduled deep level maintenance.

This resulted in savings by not breaking the aircraft down for transport to Australia and as well as saving fuel and flying hours for Royal Australian Air Force C-17 aircraft.

The in-theatre maintenance was supervised by an experienced team of Army technical personnel to ensure it met stringent Australian technical airworthiness requirements.

RWG 7 is made up of approximately 60 personnel primarily from the Townsville-based 5th Aviation Regiment and from across the ADF.

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

*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS