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Showing posts with label Fighting Al Qaeda and Taliban. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fighting Al Qaeda and Taliban. Show all posts
Monday, September 20, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Northrop Grumman to Provide Personnel for Operating C-RAM in Afghanistan.
Northrop Grumman Corporation has received a $68 million award to provide personnel for operating Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) systems at forward operating bases (FOB) supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.Northrop Grumman received the award as a task order issued under the Encore II contract vehicle from the Defense Information Systems Agency at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The task order has a potential value of $219 million collectively over a one-year base and two one-year options, making the potential period of performance three years.
US deaths in Afghanistan Hit Record in 2010
The number of US soldiers killed in the Afghan war in 2010 is the highest annual toll since the conflict began almost nine years ago, according to an AFP count today. A total of 323 US soldiers have been killed in the Afghan war this year, compared to 317 for all of 2009, according to a count by AFP based on the independent icasualties.Org website. Foreign forces suffered a grim spike in deaths last month as the Taliban insurgency intensified, with NATO confirming today that a sixth US soldier was killed on one of the bloodiest days this year. At 490, the overall death toll for foreign troops for the first eight months of the year is rapidly closing in the number registered in all of 2009, which at 521 was a record since the start of the war in late 2001.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
RAAF operated Heron crashed at Kandahar airfield
DEFENCE covered up the crash of an unmanned spy plane in Afghanistan that left taxpayers with a $1.2 million repair bill.On June 4 this year, a Canadian-built remotely-piloted Heron aircraft operated by the RAAF crashed short of the airfield at Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan. There were no injuries.Defence also chose to hide the details of a second Heron crash, this time by an Australian undergoing training in Alberta, Canada, in July. The aircraft was a write-off.Defence admitted that the Kandahar crash had occurred but refused to provide details of the repair bill for "commercial in confidence" reasons.
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Monday, August 30, 2010
Singapore Armed Forces Deploys UAVTask Group to Afghanistan
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has deployed a 52-man Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Task Group to Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital of Uruzgan, and a team of four institutional trainers to Kabul as part of Singapore's overall contribution to the multinational stabilisation and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.
The UAV Task Group, which commences operations today, will be deployed for three months, from August to November 2010. The four institutional trainers, who started their operations a week earlier, will be deployed till December 2010. They will then hand over to a second rotation of institutional trainers who will be deployed for four months till April 2011.
Taliban Planned to Shoot Down David Cameron's Helicopter During His Visit to Afghanistan
David Cameron Afghanistan 'attack' base is revealed. David Cameron met troops at the British Camp Bastion during his visit to Afghanistan in June.The Taliban have revealed the base from which they planned to shoot down the prime minister's helicopter during his first visit to Afghanistan in June.A Taliban spokesman told the BBC the attack would have been launched from a base in Washir, north-west Helmand.David Cameron's plans were changed at the last minute when intercepts of Taliban radio messages showed that they knew which helicopter he was flying in.But, when contacted by the BBC, the Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi added one piece of information to what was already known - the location of the team planning to shoot the helicopter down.
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Saturday, August 21, 2010
Afghan Mi-35 Hind E Attack Helicopter Begins Operations with NATO forces
The Mi-35 Hind E attack helicopter is the Afghan Air Force’s main gunship whose Afghan aircrews have been expertly trained by NATO forces from various countries including Hungary and the Czech Republic. The adage – crawl, walk, run – is a useful and universal way to describe military training and the Afghan Mi-35 crews are thoroughly in the walking phase as they build their capabilities and confidence to begin taking control of their skies. U.S. Army Apache helicopter personnel from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade have begun to assist in combat operations with the Afghan aircrews in order to flesh out the Mi-35’s capabilities.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Decision on Russian Mi-17 Deliveries to Afghanistan to be Made Soon
A decision will be made within two months on the possible delivery of 27 Russian Mi-17 helicopters to Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday."We are talking about a couple of dozen helicopters with the relevant equipment. I hope that in a month or month and a half there will be more clarity on the issue," Lavrov said.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Third UAV Crash in Afghanistan in One Month
An unmanned plane of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) crashed in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province on Wednesday, a statement of the alliance released here said. "An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed in the Sharan district of Paktika province today," the statement added. The cause of the crash was mechanical failure, it emphasized. A recovery force was immediately sent to retrieve the UAV. The wreckage was recovered, the statement added. It is the third pilotless plane has crashed over the past one month in Afghanistan. Previously two such unmanned planes were crashed in the northern Kunduz province.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Canadian Soldiers Near a Burning Canadian Forces CH-147 Chinook Helicopter
A Canadian Forces Chinook helicopter was struck by small arms fire, forcing it to make an emergency landing Thursday in dangerous Panjwaii district, west of Kandahar City, Canadian Forces confirmed on Saturday.The helicopter was carrying five crew members and 16 passengers. It caught fire after making what military officials termed a "hard landing," 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City.Eight people aboard sustained minor injuries, but the exact nature of the injuries has still not been disclosed.The Chinook caught fire and was destroyed after it landed."Although a helicopter has been lost, this incident highlights the skills of Canadian aircrews deployed in Afghanistan," Brig.-Gen. Jon Vance, Commander of Task Force Kandahar, said in a statement. "The fact that no one was seriously harmed during the emergency landing speaks to the ability of our aircrews to perform under pressure."
Read moreThursday, August 5, 2010
Canadian CH-147 Chinook Helicopter Makes ‘Hard Landing’ in Afghanistan
A Canadian Forces Chinook helicopter with five crew members and 15 passengers on board caught fire after making what military officials have termed a “hard landing” in dangerous Panjwaii district, west of Kandahar city.The CH-147 medium-lift helicopter came down hard at 2 p.m. local time near Armarah village, about 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.
Reasons for the abrupt landing and the fire were not immediately known and an investigation is underway, according to Canadian military spokesman Maj. Daryl Morrell. Eight people aboard sustained minor injuries, according to an ISAF statement released several hours after the incident. The exact nature of the injuries were not disclosed.Afghan security forces along with ISAF members have secured the area around the Canadian Chinook.
Sikorsky Protests U.S. Navy's Plan to Buy Russian Helicopters
Sikorsky Aircraft has filed a protest over the U.S. Navy's plan to purchase 21 helicopters from a Russian company to be used in Afghanistan.The protest, filed on Sikorsky's behalf with the U.S. Government Accountability Office by the law firm of Sheppard Muller Richter & Hampton LLP and dated Aug. 3, said the Navy didn't provide justification for its decision to hold a limited competition for the Mi-17 copters made by Kazan Helicopters of Russia. It seeks an automatic suspension of the contract award.The Russian-made Mi-17 is a transport helicopter that can be heavily armed with guns and rockets.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Taliban Don't have Stinger Anti-Aircraft Missiles: Gates
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday dismissed reports that Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan use anti-aircraft stinger missiles similar to those directed against Soviet forces in the 1980s.Documents released by whistleblowers' website WikiLeaks one week ago suggested Taliban insurgents had the shoulder-fired, heat-seeking, surface-to-air missiles.
Australia to Purchase 18 RQ-7B Shadow 200 UAVs
EC665 Tiger HAPs Helicopter has Logged More Than 1,000 Flight Hours in Afghanistan
The EC665 Tiger HAP (combat support) helicopter received its operational certification from NATO for the Afghan theater of operations in August 2009, just seven months after the final operational standard qualification was issued by government agencies in December 2008.
The fleet of three EC665 Tiger HAPs, operated by the French Army's 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment, has now logged more than 1,000 flight hours in Afghanistan in less than a year.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
United States Facing Lack of Experienced Pilots in Afghanistan
With the United States in the midst of a crucial surge in Afghanistan, demand for surveillance aircraft is at an all-time high. But after more than a decade of moving toward spy drones, the Air Force is facing a crisis: a lack of pilots with experience flying manned reconnaissance planes.In response to the war's increasing demands, the Air Force last year activated three MC-12 squadrons, which use a military version of the Hawker Beechcraft Super King Air 350, a lightweight twin turboprop aircraft. The MC-12 Liberty is equipped with a variety of sensors, including full-motion video and a day and night camera.The Air Force has touted the aircraft's success in tracking down insurgents and disrupting attempts to plant roadside bombs, but officers involved in the program acknowledge that getting enough MC-12 pilots has been a challenge.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
US covered up fatal Taliban missile strike on Chinook
The US military covered up a reported surface-to-air missile strike by the Taliban that shot down a Chinook helicopter over Helmand in 2007 and killed seven soldiers, including a British military photographer, the war logs show.The strike on the twin-rotor helicopter shows the Taliban enjoyed sophisticated anti-aircraft capabilities earlier than previously thought, casting new light on the battle for the skies over Afghanistan.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Helicopter crashes in Kabul
A helicopter on Monday morning crashed in eastern part of Afghan capital Kabul, Defense Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi said. "A helicopter crashed in Pul-e-Charkhi area east of capital city Kabul," Azimi told. However, he added that the chopper belongs to NATO-led troops and there is no casualty.
Read MoreFriday, July 23, 2010
Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani Gets 3-year Extension
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Thursday extended the term of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani for three years starting from November 29, 2010.In a televised announcement, the Prime Minister said the decision to extend the term of COAS has been in consultation with the President Asif Ali Zardari.The Prime Minister said the government is presently engaged in war against terrorism which is now at a critical stage, adding that this requires continuity of military leadership under the present Army Chief who led successful operations in Swat, Malakand and South Waziristan. The Prime Minister said the ongoing army operations have entered into a critical juncture and it is necessary to have continuity in the leadership of Army. Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said the Army Chief, due to his professional capabilities and leadership qualities, is looked upon with respect and honour both domestically and internationally.
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