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This Week in the Blackwater Tactical Weekly…
Afghanistan–Pakistan Developments
Homeland Security–First Responder
From Our Friends at Total Intelligence Solutions If you are having trouble viewing this please Click Here |
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| QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
| “The deaths of the agents should remind the public that the CIA is truly on the front lines in this war; one that remains officially unrecognized.” –The Association of Former Intelligence Officers mains officially unrecognized.” “There is much about the attack that isn't yet known, but this much is clear: The CIA's resolve to pursue aggressive counterterrorism operations is greater than ever."” –CIA Spokesman George Little |
| WEEKLY SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS |
Afghan Taliban Suicide Bomber Kills Seven CIA Employees at Agency Nerve Center in KhostVoice of AmericaNews reports say this week's suicide attack on a base in eastern Afghanistan struck at the heart of America's covert operations in the region. Former intelligence officers briefed on the incident spoke to major U.S. news outlets on condition of anonymity. They said the base in Khost province, called Forward Operating Base Chapman, was responsible for gathering intelligence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and then overseeing efforts to kill top militant leaders, often with the use of drones (pilotless aircraft). |
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| U.S. DEFENSE NEWS |
Classified Northrop Grumman Bomber Under ConsiderationDefense TalkThe $2-billion question in development of a new bomber is whether a major black-world demonstration program is already underway, with Northrop Grumman as the contractor. This hypothesis makes sense of a series of clues that have appeared since 2005. In that year, Scott Winship, program manager for Northrop Grumman’s X-47 unmanned combat aircraft system (UCAS), mentioned that the company—responding to a U.S. Air Force interest in a bigger version of the then-ongoing Joint UCAS project—had proposed an X-47C with very long endurance, a 10,000-lb.-plus weapon load and a 172-ft. wingspan, the same as a B-2. Full StoryUS Military Working to Unleash Laser Weapons on BattlefieldStars & StripesThe military is inching closer to using laser weapons on the battlefield after recent tests in which lasers were used to shoot down a drone aircraft and were fired from an airplane to damage a vehicle on the ground. The Air Force recently test-fired its Advanced Tactical Laser from a C-130 Hercules, scorching a truck’s hood. And last month the Army and Air Force teamed with Boeing Co. for a demonstration in which lasers on the ground shot down drones at China Lake, Calif., company officials said. Full StoryF-18 Hornets: Keeping ‘Em FlyingDefense Industry DailyThe Hornet is the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet’s predecessor, and the first models were introduced in the late 1970s as a spinoff of the USAF’s lightweight fighter competition. While the General Dynamics F-16 won, Northrop’s YF-17 eventually evolved into the McDonnell-Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet. Full StoryUS Plans for New ICBM-Killer Take ShapeDefense TechThe U.S. Missile Defense Agency is refining some advanced concepts for the SM-3 interceptor to attack intercontinental ballistic missiles. These include designs for lighter weight kill vehicles, and possibly a new propulsion system for the kill vehicle as well as the missile’s upper stage. Full StoryUSAF Seeks To Replace UH-1N Huey HelicopterDefense NewsThe U.S. Air Force has started its effort to replace 62 Vietnam War-vintage UH-1N Huey helicopters with a commercially available helicopter by 2015, according to a Dec. 17 service document. The sources-sought notice seeks contractors who can provide the Air Force with up to 93 helicopters - dubbed the Common Vertical Lift Support Platform (CVLSP) - that can carry at least nine passengers and that have proved themselves in commercial or government service. The service wants to put the new helicopters into service quickly: "We will consider some performance trade offs to meet schedule at an affordable cost." Full Story |
| INTERNATIONAL MILITARY NEWS |
Russia’s Vladimir Putin Vows to Overwhelm United States Missile ShieldWired Defense Blog – Danger RoomRussian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seems to be floating a few ideas about restoring the “balance of power” in the world. On a visit to Vladivostok, Russia’s premier said Moscow “must continue developing offensive systems” that could fool or overwhelm U.S. missile defenses. Such upgrades, he said, would help “preserve a strategic balance” with the United States. Full StoryLockheed Martin to Sell 24 F-16 Fighter Jets to EgyptDefense TalkUS aerospace giant Lockheed Martin is to sell 24 F-16 jet fighters to Egypt in a 3.2 billion dollar deal, a company spokesman said Tuesday. "We understand that the governments of the United States and Egypt have reached an agreement over a contract for military sale to provide 24 F-16s to Egypt," Lockheed spokesman Joe Stout told AFP. The company hoped to get the contract signed "early next year," he said, adding that the 3.2 billion dollars "was the amount in the agreement between the two countries." Full StoryUS Mulling Japanese Participation in F-35 FighterDefense TalkThe United States is considering allowing Japan to take part in a multinational project to develop the F-35 next-generation stealth fighter, a press report said Tuesday. Washington may allow Tokyo to participate in the project even without assurances from Japan that it will procure the F-35, Kyodo News reported, quoting sources from both governments. The move is intended to clear the way for Japan to introduce the F-35 as its future mainstay fighter as countries not participating in the joint development would not be allowed to acquire it at an early date, Kyodo said. Full StoryIndia to Boost Warship ProductionDefense TalkIndia announced plans to shift control of a major shipyard to the military to boost naval warship production amid complaints of delays in existing projects. The announcement came two days after the military expressed concern about India's depleted underwater combat capabilities due to delays in constructing tactical submarines for the 134-ship navy. Full StoryIsrael Says Iran Nuclear Plant Immune to Conventional StrikeDefense TalkIsraeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Iran's recently disclosed second uranium enrichment plant is "immune" to conventional bombing. "The new site near Qom is meant for enrichment. What was revealed by the Iranians had been built over years and is located in bunkers that cannot be destroyed through a conventional attack," Barak told parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee. Full Story |
| AFGHANISTAN–PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENTS |
US Special Forces Escalate Covert Afghan OperationsDefense TalkThe United States Special Forces have stepped up counter terrorism missions against some of the most lethal groups in Afghanistan and plan an even bigger expansion next year. Commandos from the Army’s Delta Force and the Navy’s classified Seals units have had success weakening the network of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the strongest Taliban fighter in eastern Afghanistan. Haqqani’s group has used its bases in neighboring Pakistan to carry out deadly strikes in and around Kabul. Guided by intercepted cell-phone communications, the US commandos have also killed some important Taliban operatives in Marja, a Taliban stronghold in Helmand. Marine commanders said they believe there are some 1,000 fighters holed up in the town. Full StoryNew Spy Plane Lands in Afghanistan, Ready to SnoopWired Defense Blog – Danger RoomFor years, troops in Afghanistan have been short of some crucial assets: Helicopters, blast-resistant trucks and eyes in the sky. But with the influx of new boots on the ground, the Afghanistan theater has the arrival of more gear. The newest addition: The MC-12W, the Air Force’s new piloted surveillance plane. According to an Air Force news release, the newest MC-12W – tail number 090623, for all you planespotters out there — arrived two days ago at Bagram Airfield, the main U.S. hub for central and eastern Afghanistan. The aircraft is part of a new unit, the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, which will operate an undisclosed number of the aircraft over Afghanistan. Full StoryU.S. Casualties More Than Double in Afghanistan Over Iraq; 2009 Deadliest YearABC NewsEight years after the war began, 2009 was the deadliest year for U.S. service members fighting in Afghanistan and the first time American casualties there exceeded the number in Iraq, Pentagon records show. More than 312 American soldiers died in Afghanistan last year -- nearly twice as many as in 2008. In Iraq, only 150 Americans lost their lives, half as many as the year before. Full StoryHighway One: The Afghan Taliban’s Primary TargetNew York TimesTrucks painted with hearts and doves jam up at crowded wayside bazaars. Billboards advertise cell phones and advise drivers to keep their donkeys off the road. It's not readily evident that this is probably the world's most dangerous highway, a prime target for Taliban insurgents attempting to sever a vital, 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) artery with ambushes, executions and roadside bombs. Pakistani Tribesman ‘Killed’ 7 CIA Agents and TrustTimes of IndiaAs names of the seven CIA operatives who died in the Taliban suicide bombing in Afghanistan last week trickle out into public domain despite official silence in Washington, there is another casualty from the episode - trust, never a reliable commodity in the first place in the espionage business. Intelligence circles are now slowly piecing together what really happened in Forward Operating Base Chapman near the Pakistan border last Wednesday when a Taliban suicide bomber detonated a suicide vest killing eight people, including an Afghan security director and an American perimeter security guard who had escorted him inside – unchecked, unscreened, and unfrisked. |
| HOMELAND SECURITY–FIRST RESPONDER |
Final Police Line of Duty Death Count Lowest Since 1959EMS ResponderThe death of a Washington state police officer Dec. 28 raised the total law enforcement deaths in 2009 to 125, still the fewest annual fatalities in the line of duty since 1959. Full Story79% Say Another Terror Attack Likely Within YearRasmussenA new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 79% of U.S. voters now think it is likely there will be another terrorist attack in the United States in the next year. That's a 30-point jump from the end of August when just 49% of Americans felt that way. The current level of concern is even higher than it was in the summer of 2007 when 70% considered an attack likely. In December 2008, 58% said an attack was likely. Terror Suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab Houston Visit Raises QuestionsHouston ChronicleAs some Houston leaders called for measures to help guard against future terrorist attacks, others questioned why the Nigerian man charged with trying to destroy a Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit spent time last year in Houston. Sources tell the Chronicle that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is believed to have traveled to Houston in 2008 and stayed here for about two weeks. FBI agents have visited the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel at 3000 North Loop West where it is believed he stayed. Calls for Full-Body Scanners at Airports Re-Ignite Privacy ConcernsFox NewsThe calls for airports to expand the use of full-body scanners in the wake of the attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight have re-ignited privacy concerns from groups and lawmakers who have long said the scanners produce graphic images that could make their way onto the Internet. Profiling, Not Scanning, Will Stop Potential Plane BombersTimes OnlineOnce again the vulnerability of air travel to terrorism has been exposed. The existing measures deployed for passenger security at airport security points didn’t stop the Christmas Day airline bomb plot suspect who had explosives sewn into his underwear. The archway metal detector can, after all, only detect metal. Unsurprisingly, the knee-jerk reaction of many governments is to order more full-body scanners. They can, in the hands of expert operators, identify a host of substances and items concealed beneath clothing. |
| FROM OUR FRIENDS AT TOTAL INTELLIGENCE SOLUTIONS |
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Inviting US Retaliation, War on Terror Grows WiderHighlights
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Yemeni-based branch of the terrorist organization, has claimed responsibility for providing Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab with the explosive device he allegedly used in a failed attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound jet on Christmas Day. The admission follows a statement released by the Emir of AQAP, Nasir Al-Wahishi, in October that encouraged other jihadists to target airports, planes, residential complexes and subways. AQAP’s threat and follow-on attack highlights the group’s awareness of vulnerabilities that exist, and are likely to continue to exist, in Western airport security protocols. While measures will likely be established to address the ‘systemic failures’ that President Obama said facilitated the Christmas Day bombing attempt, it is a safe bet that AQAP militants, along with al Qaeda inspired individuals, are already in the process of identifying and targeting security shortfalls in the greater transportation sector and will likely aim to target those vulnerabilities in future attacks. The preceding article is part of subscription service created byTotal Intelligence Solutions (TIS). For additional information, please contact Brad Slade at bslade@totalintel.com. |
| BUMPER STICKER |
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| FRANKS REVIEW |
Tactical Equipment EvaluationRescue ToolsIt seems appropriate, as we end one year and begin another, to take a look at a few tools that could play an intricate role in the job we do. Whether you’re in law enforcement or the military, the reality of having to assist or extricate someone who is in a bad situation exists. Obviously, some situations require very specialized tools you may not have. Other situations can be solved with something as simple as a pocket knife. This week I thought I’d review a few rescue tools, all pocket or handheld size, that are specifically designed for that rescue / extrication situation. Recreational Equipment Review“Breathless” by Dean KoontzSo, I’ve been a fan of Dean Koontz’s books ever since I read “Watchers”. That enchanting book about an intelligent Golden Retriever, genetically engineered by the American intelligence community, which escapes and alters lives hooked me. “Strangers” was his next book that I read and it was like several books / stories rolled into one. His latest offering, “Breathless”, is somewhat similar to “Strangers”. It’s several stories that culminate in a single ending, but somewhere along the way, Dean lost the magic. “Breathless” really comes across as more of a money-generating product than a wondrous story to be shared by the author. The rest of the review: http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/recread/breathless.htm |
| CHAPLAINS CORNER |
THE DIFFERENCE!!!A victim asked a Peace Keeper how some humans could be so callous as to use other humans for self gratification or kill them just for sport or entertainment… The Peace Keeper answered that they do not think like we think. Later that Peace Keeper asked the question of another Peace Keeper just after they had finished the very heartbreaking case… This case involved two young men capturing victims and taking them into a dense, deep forest and releasing them to use them as hunting prey until they found and killed them.Full article can be seen at: http://www.ustraining.com/new/btw/chaplain/010410chaplain.htm |
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The Blackwater Tactical Weekly is a free weekly e–publication. The Mission of the Blackwater Tactical Weekly is to provide readers with valuable information from diverse sources regarding tactical, strategic, and geo–political security issues. Editor–in–Chief – N Conley (btw@ustraining.com) Questions regarding US Training (252) 435–2035 To subscribe to the Blackwater Tactical Weekly, Click Here To view an archived edition of the Blackwater Tactical Weekly, Click Here |
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