Turkey Choice of Chinese Missile Systems Causes Concern in West

This week, Chinese defense firm CPMIEC beat out US, Russian, and European firms to supply Turkey with a new air defense system. The FD-2000 is a modern SAM system based on a Russian design and priced to make headway in defense markets. The US expressed serious concerns to Turkey about the sale since CPMIEC is under US sanctions for arms proliferation to Syria, North Korea, and Iran. A US State Department official said that talks with Turkey over the sale would continue.

South Korea re--opens bids for new fighter shunning Boeing's F-15 SE

South Korea restarted its FX-III project for 60 new fighter jets today to the dismay of the Boeing company who had designed the F-15 Silent Eagle for the competition and defeated the other entries earlier in the year. The low cost of a proven air frame were enough to win the initial rounds against the Lockheed Martin F-35 and the Eurofighter Typhoon but today South Korea decided that the Boeing bid was not stealthy enough and had unanswered questions about the 1970s era jet. Boeing still has new orders for F-15s from Saudi Arabia but orders legacy aircraft like the F-15 are slowly winding down. South Korea now insists that the FX-III winner be a "fifth generation" fighter. 

Lockheed Martin gains contract for THAAD missiles for US Army, UAE.

A production contract was received today by Lockheed Martin for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense weapons systems. The order includes missiles 110 for the US Army and 192 missiles and ground systems for the United Arab Emirates. Missiles are built in Alabama and the launchers in Arkansas. The order reportedly costs $3.9 billion. 

US DoD: Colombian FARC Rebels Have Missiles

During a US House Armed Services Committee meeting General John Kelly announced that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has obtained shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, like the SA-7 pictured above. This comes in the wake of reports from other sources that the rebel group has used the missile to shoot down Colombian planes and helicopters (including this video). A supply is supposedly available from Nicaraguan military stockpiles sold in a clandestine arms market in El Salvador. Colombian army forces captured an SA-7 from FARC in November. General Kelly testified about this in context of looming budget cuts for US Southern Command which covers Colombia. 

Syria Bombs Lebanon

Syrian planes bombed an area in northern Lebanon that was rumored to be a transport site for weapons for Syrian rebels. Official Lebanese policy is to not associate with either side in Syria's two year old civil war but many factions are in favor of Assad's ouster and many support the rebels. The Syrian foreign minister said that Lebanon should control their border, where thousands of rebels cross back and forth for rest and resupply. He also said that the Syrian response to the border situation had been restrained but Syrian patience was not unlimited. 

China Plans To Man Orbiting Space Lab In Summer

China announced plans to launch its fifth manned space mission Shenzhou-10 sometime between June and August. Its mission is the second and final docking with the Tiangong-1 the country's first space platform used to perfect rendezvous procedures and serve as a test bed for the later Tiangong-2 and Tiangong-3 space station. Shenzhou-10 will have a three person crew reportedly including the first female Taikonaut. Recently, the Chinese Space Agency has reached out to the European Space Agency to cooperate on the future station. 

42 Syrian Soldiers Killed In Iraq

A convoy of Syrian Army soldiers was ambushed in Iraq, 42 were killed along with 7 Iraqi guards in the latest spill over of the Syrian civil war. Iraqi officials claimed that the Syrian soldiers took refuge in Iraq after heavy fighting with rebels near the border and were proceeding to Syria through a different border crossing when they were attacked. This comes in the wake of reports of rebel advances in Aleppo and other northern cities and accusations by rebels that Iraq is supporting the Assad government. Video of citizens in a northern Syrian city tearing down a statue of former president Hafez Al-Assad has also surfaced. Incidents in the two year long civil war have involved most of the countries in the region, including, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, and Iran. 

SpaceX Capsule Docks With Space Station

After thruster faults following a Friday launch the US-back company SpaceX capsule Dragon docked with the International Space Station. While SpaceX is a privately held company, its biggest contractor is the United States government who approved $270 million in subsidies for private space firms last year. SpaceX also launches from NASA and USAF sites. 

EU Launches New Initiative To Track Space Debris

The European Union announced a new program to help member nations track debris in space. Economic losses due to satellite maneuvering to avoid collisions are expected to double over the next decade. Currently there are estimated to be over 600,000 objects larger than 1 cm, 16,000 of which are over 10 cm. Collision of even a 1 cm object can critically damage a satellite. Removing the debris is extremely cost prohibitive but the new EU project would work to locate and monitor the debris and notify satellite operators to hazards as well as the public in case of a reentry. The EU is stepping forward with a space surveillance and tracking (SST) service because they previously relied on US systems to provide the information but with an increasing amount of debris being produced because of more launches US sources are stretching thin. Aid will largely be in the form of financial support of existing member state resources. 

USAF Buys Prop Bomber For Afghanistan

The USAF has selected the A-29 Super Tucano for its Light Air Support program. The Super Tucano was designed by the Brazilian-based company Embraer but will contract out to Florida-based Sierra Nevada to complete 20 Super Tucanos for $427.5 million. They will be sent to Afghanistan and be given to the Afghan Air Force as US forces leave the country. The Light Air Support program has faced harsh criticism from Air Force officials in the past who did not want to buy low-cost propeller driven attack planes but in times of tightening budgets and the need to hand off aircraft that Afghans will find useful and operable the low cost, high capacity Super Tucano won the contract over some interesting rivals. 

Italian Election Solves No Problems

The general election in Italy ended in a political gridlock as no party was able to gain a majority in the senate while in the house a coalition of the center-left Italy Common Good gained enough support to gain a majority. In the senate, the votes gained by upstart former comedian Beppe Grillo's Five Star Movement that is against the euro prevents an active coalition being formed. Former Prime Minister Silvio Burlusconi's People of Freedom coalition gained 29.1% of the vote despite Burlusconi being on trial for seeing an underage prostitute with the promise of repealing a recent property tax that has proven very unpopular. Economists fear an economic downturn based on gridlock, the showing of the anti-euro faction, and the probability of another election soon. New austerity measures, which many see as essential to the Italian economy are politically impossible with the outcome of the election. 

India Launches 7 Satellites On One Rocket

India launched its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle   from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India with seven satellites on board, including an Indo-French weather satellite, a satellite to detect asteroids, and two small space telescopes. It was the 23rd successful launch of the PSLV. 

Arrow 3 Missile Defense System Successfully Tested By Israel

The Israeli Defense Ministry announced that it conducted a successful test of its new high altitude missile defense system, the Arrow 3. The system is a joint project of the Israeli Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure and the US Defense Department's Missile Defense Agency. The Arrow 3 is the long range interceptor of the Israeli anti-missile system that includes the successfully deployed "Iron Dome" used for short ranged missiles. The Arrow reached an altitude of 100 kilometers, attained hypersonic speed, but did not intercept another missile, that will come at a later test. according to officials. 

South Africa To Investigate Zimbabwe's Mugabe For Crimes Against Humanity

   The South Africa's Priority Crimes Litigation Unit of National Prosecuting Authority and the Directorate for the Priority Crime Investigation Unit of the Police Service are to open an investigation of the use of wide-spread rape by members of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's political party ZANU-PF as a political tool in the 2008 presidential election according to NGO AIDS Free World. A South African court ruled in 2012 that the country was obligated to investigate the charges due to international law obligations. This may be the first time that "universal jurisdiction" has been claimed in a rape case. 
   Evidence has been gathered from 84 victims in Zimbabwe that have identified over 200 perpetrators and organizers. According to the reports rapists would wear ZANU-PF shirts, sing party songs and made political statements. Victims would be taken to party camps that may be used during this year's election and raped on average at least five times but that may be an underestimate since many of the women fell unconscious during the rapes. None of the rapists have been charged by Zimbabwe authorities. 
   The investigation is seen as putting Mugabe on notice that he is being watched while a constitutional referendum and a national election go on this year. Zimbabwe refuses to ratify the International Criminal Court and is protected from investigation by China's UN veto. There are also reports that civil society leaders in Zimbabwe have been arrested or attacked in recent weeks in advance of the votes. 

Syrian Foreign Minister Opens Door For Talks With Rebels

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem said in Moscow that the government is ready to hold talks with all parties to end the two-year long civil war in the country. In a press conference before meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Al-Muallem also indicated that there was willingness to create a new coalition that would be willing to negotiate with both internal and external opposition. Lavrov also stressed that a political solution is the only alternative, this is contrasted by US Secretary of State John Kerry's proclamation that Assad must go. This comes after a Syrian opposition leader Moaz Alkhatib last week rejected talks while in Moscow and a statement earlier today saying that the government has not contacted the opposition to open talks and criticized Moscow for not condemning the killing in Syria.

US To Fly 140000 Tear Gas Bombs To Egypt

   According to reports on January 28, 2013 a permit was obtained from the US government by the Egyptian government to buy 140000 tear gas canisters since current stocks have been depleted over the course of two years of revolution and strife.  A letter from the Egyptian Interior Ministry to the Defense Ministry asked that an order for more bombs be made because the incidents were ongoing and that they were needed to preserve the nation's safety from rioters. The Interior Ministry also asked that the shipment be sent by air after a delay in sea transportation because of an 'urgent need.' 
   A US State Department spokesperson, when asked about the transfer, said, "Whether we're talking about Egypt or any other country or any other country on the planet, frankly, we support the right of peaceful protest as one means for citizens to express themselves to their government. But the protest has to be peaceful and the response to the protest has to be restrained and peaceful on the part of the government." 
    Letters between the Egyptian Interior and Defense Ministries indicate that the permit from the US was only allowed after the tear gas had labels of the country of origin removed from them. This is in response to pictures like the one posted above of a tear gas canister used against protesters in Tahrir Square in Egypt in 2011 that show that the tear gas was made in the US state of Pennsylvania. 

Bulgarian Government Falls Due to Austerity Protests

    On February 21st the Bulgarian parliament accepted the resignation of the government in the wake of a three week long bloody protest against current austerity policies that have seen electricity cost clime over 13% in the last six months. Mismanagement and corruption, including accusations of a proposed electrical board commissioner were also points of the protest. While the austerity policies have hit the weak middle class in the country they have enabled the government to avoid asking for a financial bail-out. A caretaker government will be appointed and elections will be held in April or May. In the meantime, the contract with a Czech electrical firm, which is one of the three main power suppliers in the country, will be reviewed. 
    Protester's chants of "No parties!" have underlined the public discontent in the current political system. Price fixing by the electrical firms have squeezed people on fixed incomes who now have a power bill in excess of their monthly funds. Protesters have specific demands that would promote government openness: cancellation of electricity contracts and nationalization of future ones, declassification and revision of all privatization contracts over the last 24 years, an end to the privatization process, formation of a constituent assembly to revise the constitution with specific measures to move the legislature closer to the people. Bulgaria is just the latest western country to feel pressure from common citizens since the 2008 financial crisis. 

China Planned To Use Drone To Bomb Drug Lord In Myanmar

Chinese newspaper Global Times announced that in April China planed to use a drone to assassinate a drug lord named Nam Kham suspected to have been responsible for the killing of 13 Chinese sailors. Later, the drug lord was captured in Laos by Laotian and Chinese authorities. Reports did not indicate if the Chinese planned informing Myanmar of the strike set to be made in the northern part of the country which has long been a troubled area for the central government. The drone would have been guided by Chinese the 16 satellite global positioning system called Beidou. Increasingly, powerful countries with the capabilities are violating the sovereignty of other countries with little or no warning for national security concerns. 

Tunisian Prime Minister Resigns

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali resigned as promised today after failing to form a new government. The previous government fell in early February after the main opposition party left in response to the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid. Jebali, leader of the Islamist Ennahda party was trying to form a non-political caretaker government without consulting his party or the secular opposition. The proposed new cabinet was rejected on February 18 by the parliament. Jebali stated that he would not try to form another government without assurances about the timelines of another election and a new constitution. 

Afghan President Bans NATO Airstrikes Called By Afghan Forces

On February 18th Afghan President Hamid Karzai banned Afghan forces from calling in NATO airstrikes in residential areas. This is in response to an airstrike which killed 4 militants and ten civilians the previous week. The order, directed at the defense ministry, the interior ministry, and the National Directorate of Security states that, "During operations, you do not call for air support from international forces operations in residential areas." Currently, NATO forces only use airstrikes as a last resort in defensive conditions. The NATO rule went into effect last June when 18 civilians were killed in an airstrike at what turned out to be a wedding. US forces say they will abide by the new rule and that it will not impede security functions.