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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A California man who entered the United States as a refugee from Syria and then returned to fight pleaded guilty to charges of terrorism in a US court on Wednesday. Aws Mohammed Younis al-Jayab, 25, told a federal court in Chicago that he flew to Turkey in November 2013 and then entered Syria. There he joined Ansar al-Islam. "I wanted to do the right thing ... to defend the Syrian people," Jayab told US District Judge Sarah Ellis in broken English. He returned to the United States in January 2014. In addition to joining the terror-listed organization, Jayab was accused of using social media to contact others about going to Syria. He allegedly told an unnamed individual, “Hey man, please do not die: wait for me to come . . . Do you not want us to work together?”  The person replied in April 2013, “Of course.” And Al-Jayab allegedly wrote, “I do not want anything in the world, just to get to Syria safely and find you there . . . I am eager to see b

Multiple J-20 stealth fighter jets were spotted in the skies above Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province on Tuesday, in preparation for Airshow China 2018 in November, a military expert said. Four J-20s under the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force flew over the Zhuhai Jinwan Airport at about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Two J-20 formations, each consisting of two fighter jets, made a low pass through the airport, after which one of them put on a solo aerobatics performance. The fighter jets soon left without landing at the airport. Airshow China 2018 will be held in Zhuhai from November 6-11. Despite the J-20’s absence from the list of participating aircraft released by the air show’s organizer on Saturday, the aircraft is very likely to make a surprise appearance, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday. The J-20 may put on flight performances to demonstrate how much the PLA Air Force has mastered it over the past two years, Song

The Swiss government on Wednesday reversed a decision to loosen restrictions on weapons exports to countries wracked by internal conflict following outcry over the planned move. Switzerland’s government, known as the Federal Council, said in a statement at it had decided “not to amend the War Material Ordinance”. That marked a reversal from its highly controversial decision in mid-June to allow weapons exports to countries in the throes of civil strife, as long as there was no reason to believe the arms would be used in the conflict. That the initial decision, which according to Swiss news agency ATS came amid heavy pressure from Swiss arms manufacturers, had been meant to “align the authorisation criteria in the War Material Ordinance with those of comparable European countries,” the government said, adding that it had been based on “security policy and economic considerations.” If it had gone through, the reform would have marked a shift from the current Swiss ban on weapons’ ex

Bulgaria’s booming arms trade continued to grow in 2017 with arms and ammunitions exports topping 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion), an official report showed Wednesday. Conflicts in the Middle East have boosted Bulgaria’s arms sales in recent years to levels not seen since the fall of communism in 1989. Arms exports in 2017 reached 1.219 billion euros, or 20 percent up from 2016, when Bulgaria sold abroad 1.0 billion euros’ worth of arms, according to data from the annual report of the country’s export control committee. Saudi Arabia, India, the US and Iraq remained the main buyers of Bulgarian-made munitions and light weaponry. Experts believe that many of the weapons sold to Saudi Arabia and the US have ended up in the hands of armed groups backed by those countries in Syria and Yemen. Bulgaria’s economy ministry has however insisted it cannot be held accountable for re-exports of arms by other countries. According to the Bulgarian Defence Industries’ Association, more than 30

Defense Contract for Cyber Command Unified Platform moves forward By Lauren C. Williams Oct 31, 2018 U.S. Cyber Command is one step closer to building its massive cyber weapons system, Unified Platform. The Air Force, which is facilitating the acquisition, awarded Northrop Grumman a $54.6 million contract to develop, integrate, deploy and maintain the system, which will be responsible for fulfilling offensive and defensive cyber operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The award represents Cyber Command's biggest program acquisition at a time when the organization has little authority , with a $75 million cap and a small, but growing, acquisition office. "We are really hamstrung at the moment in relying on the current [contracting] vehicles out there from others," Stephen Schanberger, command acquisition executive for Cyber Command said during a panel at the last month's Billington Cybersecurity Summit. "And in some cases we've ha

SPACE Air Force space security contract comes with a bit of mystery By Ross Wilkers Oct 30, 2018 ManTech International has booked a 10-year, $158 million contract with Air Force Space Command for what the company calls “full-spectrum security services to protect mission-critical programs.” That is just about all the government IT contractor has to say about the award, at least in terms of the release posted Tuesday. A ManTech spokesman declined to comment on specifics of the work when I asked point-blank if additional comment was even possible, given the cryptic nature of the release. But I did learn this contract will extend the contractor-agency relationship to 41 years and ManTech expects the work to expand across additional Air Force organizations. But this award extends ManTech’s work with the command and keeps this piece of the company’s footprint in a military space market growing in profile and importance to industry -- but also in relative secrecy . Some public comm

Workforce ODNI: clearance backlog will continue to shrink By Chase Gunter Oct 30, 2018 The backlog of security clearance applications is falling, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence expects standardization and other changes to lead to an even further drop in the near future. The most recent data posted on Performance.gov pegged the number of backlogged clearances at 657,000, but ODNI's principal deputy director Susan Gordon said that number is now at 600,000. She predicted that "by the spring, with the help of the Department [of Defense], we'll be down maybe half that number." Even with the decline, both Gordon and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) agreed, at an Oct. 30 event sponsored by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, that the backlog represents a "crisis" of national security. Warner has been active in address the clearance process in Congress. Aspects of his bill to cut down the backlog were passed in the most recen

Multiple J-20 stealth fighter jets were spotted in the skies above Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday, in preparation for Airshow China 2018 in November, a military expert said. Four J-20s under the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force flew over the Zhuhai Jinwan Airport at about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Two J-20 formations, each consisting of two fighter jets, made a low pass through the airport, after which one of them put on a solo aerobatics performance. The fighter jets soon left without landing at the airport. Airshow China 2018 will be held in Zhuhai from November 6-11. Despite the J-20's absence from the list of participating aircraft released by the air show's organizer on Saturday, the aircraft is very likely to make a surprise appearance, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday. The J-20 may put on flight performances to demonstrate how much the PLA Air Force has mastered it over the past t

Airbus is currently retrofitting A400M transports to add capabilities not available at the time of the original delivery, and to replace their engine main gear box. This French Air Force aircraft is now being upgraded at the Getafe plant, near Madrid. (Twitter photo) PARIS --- Ongoing talks between Airbus and the A400M customer nations on a new contract may not be completed by Nov. 30 as currently planned, and may slide into 2019. Announcing the company’s third-quarter result this morning, Airbus Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders said “On the A400M, …. contract amendment discussions are advancing, but a bit slower than planned.” This confirms comments made by Joel Barre, France’s director-general of armaments, during an Oct. 10 hearing by Parliament’s defense committee, in which he confirmed that “We have run into some difficulties in the negotiations between OCCAr and Airbus, and between OCCAr and the six participating nations.” OCCAr, the European defense procurement agency, is th

Displacing 4,500 tonnes, France’s future intermediate-size frigates will be comparable in size to the US Nay’s FFG-9-class frigates, and will pack a heavy punch comprising anti-air and anti-ship missiles as well as torpedoes and guns. (French Navy image) In 2013, the Defense White Paper stipulated that, by 2030, 15 frigates would have to equip the Navy. This directly implies the arrival of a new frigate in the forces, the intermediate size frigate (FTI). The lead ship of this class has now been ordered, and should be delivered before 2023. This ambitious project is the result of the collaboration of the Directorate General of Armament, Naval Group, Thales and MBDA. The Intermediate Frigate (FTI) will be stealthy with a smaller and lighter size than other frigates. It will still be 120 meters long and will displace 4,500 tonnes. The FTI will have a permanent crew of 120 people and be able to accommodate up to 150 passengers. Among them, she will probably embark commandos because the FT

NATO and Russia will hold talks this week as fears grow of a new arms race in Europe, with the US vowing to pull out of a Cold War weapons treaty in response to new Russian missiles. The meeting of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC), the first since May, comes as the transatlantic alliance carries out its biggest military exercise since the end of the Cold War in Norway, a show of strength intended to deter any would-be aggressor -- and which the Kremlin has criticised as "anti-Russian". Events over recent years -- from Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 to the deadly nerve agent attack in Britain in March, blamed on the Kremlin -- have seen tensions betweeen NATO and Russia soar. But the two sides have maintained regular dialogue in Brussels and ambassadors from the 29 NATO countries will meet their Russian counterpart on Wednesday, an alliance official said. "This is part of NATO's twin-track approach of strong defence and meaningful dialogue wit

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has delivered UAE's KhalifaSat satellite into orbit Oct 29 via the H-IIA launch vehicle F40. The launch vehicle trajectory was executed as planned, and at about 24 minutes after liftoff, separation of the KhalifaSat satellite was confirmed. This mission was performed along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite-2 "GOSAT-2" satellite, in which the separation of the GOSAT-2 satellite was also confirmed 16 minutes after liftoff. KhalifaSat is the first national satellite manufactured by the UAE, thus the mission should prove to be a great step towards UAE's mid-and-long term plans in government space activities and industries. Additionally, MHI holds the launch service contract for the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM spacecraft, planned to be launched in 2020), through which it hopes to build upon a strong and lasting relationship with the MBRSC and UAESA (UAE Space Agency). The H-IIA launch veh

Russia plans to test missiles off Norway this week in an area where NATO is carrying out its biggest military exercises since the end of the Cold War, a move seen as an escalation of tensions in the Far North. "We were notified last week about the planned Russian missile tests outside the coast here," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in western Norway where the Trident Juncture 18 exercises are taking place. The manoeuvres are aimed at training the Atlantic Alliance to defend a member state after an aggression. Mobilising some 50,000 troops, 65 ships and 250 aircraft from 31 countries several hundred kilometers (miles) from Norway's border with Russia in the Arctic, the exercises have angered Moscow, which had vowed to "retaliate". "Despite the pretty awkward attempts by representatives of the Alliance and its member states to present this military activity as defensive, it is obvious that this show of force is clearly of an anti-R

Russia plans to test missiles off Norway this week in an area where NATO is carrying out its biggest military exercises since the end of the Cold War, a move seen as an escalation of tensions in the Far North. “We were notified last week about the planned Russian missile tests outside the coast here,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in western Norway where the Trident Juncture 18 exercises are taking place. The manoeuvres are aimed at training the Atlantic Alliance to defend a member state after an aggression. Mobilising some 50,000 troops, 65 ships and 250 aircraft from 31 countries several hundred kilometers (miles) from Norway’s border with Russia in the Arctic, the exercises have angered Moscow, which had vowed to “retaliate”. “Despite the pretty awkward attempts by representatives of the Alliance and its member states to present this military activity as defensive, it is obvious that this show of force is clearly of an anti-Russian nature,” the Russian f

The United States indicted 10 Chinese, including two intelligence officers, over a five-year scheme to steal technology from US and French aerospace firms by hacking into their computers. The indictments came 20 days after the Department of Justice obtained the unprecedented extradition of a senior Chinese intelligence official from Belgium to stand trial in the United States for running the alleged state-sponsored effort to steal US aviation industry secrets. The Justice Department said the Chinese Ministry of State Security, through its Jiangsu province unit, engineered the effort to steal the technology underlying a turbofan engine used in US and European commercial airliners. The engine was being developed through a partnership between a French aerospace manufacturer with an office in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and a US firm, it said. The companies were not named, but earlier indictments pointed to Cincinnati, Ohio-based GE Aviation, one of the world’s leading aircraft engine m

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will supply the “Sky Capture” command and control systems for land-based air defense worth $550 million under a contract recently signed with a customer in Asia. The customer is likely the Indian Army. Developed by IAI’s Systems, Missile & Space Group, the system optimizes the performance of air defense artillery against a broad range of airborne threats, protecting headquarters, military bases and strategic assets. IAI is expected to deliver the first systems within a few months, and complete delivery in three years. Sky Capture is a command and control system for anti-aircraft artillery and Very Short Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) systems that transforms legacy air defense systems into modern, accurate and effective weapons by applying modern sensors, communications and computing capabilities. The system integrates several sensors, including target acquisition and fire control radar systems, including the ELM-2106 Advanced Tactical Air-Defense

Well, I'm blogging about it rather than RT-ing it, but nonetheless  the following trio of questions  remain vitally important ones:

Boeing has agreed to spend billions of dollars in Israel over the coming decade if it wins major defense contracts, Israel’s Economy Ministry said on Tuesday. The “reciprocal procurement” agreement calls for Boeing to collaborate with Israeli industries for at least 35 percent of the value of any transaction it signs with the Israeli government. Reuters reports. Boeing is competing in Israel for a number of key Defence Ministry contracts, including the purchase of a squadron of the latest model of F-15 fighter aircraft, KC-46 aerial refueling planes, and CH-47F Chinook heavy transport helicopters, offered as a replacement for CH-53 aircraft bought from Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky over the past 40 years. As the total procurement package is estimated to cost about $10 billion, over the next decade, the agreement could be worth $3.5 billion in new business in Israel, the ministry said in a statement. Until recently most of Israel’s foreign defense buying was allocated to Lockheed Martin,

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Denmark has recalled its ambassador to Tehran and will discuss further action with European partners over an alleged Iranian plan to carry out attacks in Denmark. "I have decided to recall Denmark's ambassador in Tehran for consultations,” Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen told reporters.  “Denmark can in no way accept that people with ties to Iran's intelligence service plot attacks against people in Denmark," he added.  Denmark’s intelligence service (PET) accused Tehran of plotting to attack three Iranian members of an Arab liberation movement – the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz.  “We are dealing with an Iranian intelligence agency planning an attack on Danish soil. Obviously, we can’t and won’t accept that,” PET chief Finn Borch Andersen said at a news conference earlier on Tuesday. Denmark’s Prime Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, said they would discuss the matter with European partners.  “It is totally un

One of the minor pleasures of blogging about BBC bias is that, from time to time, you get to debunk Paul Mason.... The former Newsnight economic economic was, in his usual Wolfie Smith fashion,  raising the red flag of revolution last night against the reactionary licksplittles and running dogs at the BBC : His point?  Well, Kamal Ahmed's News at Ten report featured one Rupert Harrison as a 'talking head', and the caption introducing Mr Harrison simply read 'BlackRock Asset Management'. And he said complimentary things about the Budget.  So yes, just as Paul said, Rupert Harrison was presented as if he was some kind of impartial expert......with no mention whatsoever that he'd been George Osborne's former chief of staff.  So "Pro-Tory BBC bias!", according to Paul. But... What Wolfie neglected to mention was that just a few moments later in the same Kamal Ahmed report there came a second 'taking head': one Professor Mar

Russia has inked a $950-million deal to supply two new warships to India that will be equipped with Brahmos missiles to add to the firepower of the Navy. The two frigates of the Project 11356 class will be bought directly from Russia and a contract to build two more at an Indian yard is likely to be signed at a later stage. Sources told ET that while final clearances for the long-pending project came before the summit earlier this month between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the deal was signed last week after price negotiations. Given that the US has implemented sanctions on weapons purchases from Moscow, India could make payments for the ships using the rupee-rouble route. The deal — under a ‘2+2’ scheme where technology will be transferred to an Indian shipyard to construct two of the frigates from scratch — has been in the works since 2015. The two frigates are likely to be brought to India after construction to fit the gas turbines at a local yard as

On October 26, 2018, Canada achieved yet another milestone toward replacing Canada’s fighter fleet, with the release of the draft Request for Proposals to eligible Suppliers for their review and feedback. Suppliers will have about eight weeks to provide feedback. This feedback will be used to refine and finalize the formal Request for Proposals. The entire process is being reviewed by both an independent fairness monitor and an independent third-party reviewer. Ensuring suppliers have an opportunity to provide input is critical to the overall success of this procurement and for selecting the right fighter aircraft to meet Canada’s needs, while leveraging economic benefits for Canada. The government is working diligently to ensure this open and transparent competitive process remains on schedule. (ends) Excepted from Oct 25 speech by Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services, Procurement and Accessibility As you know, our fighter jet process is one of the largest procurements

According to Russian Defence Minister the US Withdrawal from the INF Treaty Will Have Serious Consequences for Europe The US decision to withdraw from the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles will have serious consequences primarily for Europe, it needs extensive discussion within NATO and the EU, Russian Defence Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting with his Greek counterpart Panos Kammenos. “We are interested in the reaction of Europe to this US decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty. And I would like Europe to know and understand the consequences that would be in the case of deploying medium-range missiles in Europe,” said Sergey Shoigu. “As for medium and short-range missiles, it seems to us, not everyone in Europe understands that this decision will have serious consequences for Europe as well, and more precisely, for Europe first of all. And we think it would be very appropriate to have a wider discussion of this de

  🇳🇿 New Zealand Post issued a miniature sheet containing 6 different stamps on 30 October 2018 to commemorate the latest royal visit to New Zealand - that by the recently married Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The issue was designed by Hannah Fortune and lithographed by Solutions and Collectables Centre in Whanganui and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- ****.   With a very large number of East Asian immigrants living in New Zealand now, especially in Auckland, it seems perfectly reasonable for New Zealand Post to issue stamps to commemorate Chinese New Year. A set of 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet commemorating the Year of The Pig will be released on 5 February 2019. I expect a gold foil miniature sheet will be sold prior to that date at a highly inflated price as has happened in previous years. Rating:- ***.   🇭🇰 Hong Kong Post will issue a miniature sheet on 9 November 2018 to commemorate the Bicentenary of the founding of Ying Wa College, origin

It's not the BBC, it's not new, and you've probably seen it before, but it still makes me laugh. And if you haven't seen it before, enjoy! It's Peter Lloyd, author of Stand By Your Manhood , versus comedienne Kate Smurthwaite on Sky News: A classic pic.twitter.com/5D7DCSLHCN — #Marcher (@MarcherLord1) October 29, 2018

Japan and India agreed Monday to upgrade diplomatic and military ties, with Tokyo also offering low-interest loans as the two countries seek closer ties to balance China's weight in the region. The plans were announced as India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi rounded out a three-day trip to Tokyo for talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, senior ministers, and local business leaders. Experts said Abe, who last week became the first Japanese prime minister to visit Beijing since 2011, was performing a delicate balancing act -- working to improve ties with China while keeping relations with India on a strong footing. "Strong relations between Japan and India are the foundation that will sustain the region," Abe said in a joint press statement with Modi after talks in Tokyo. He said the two sides would launch a new ministerial-level security dialogue and strengthen exchanges between army and naval forces, and he offered low-interest loans worth 316.4 billion