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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 |
“Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.” – Dorothy Thompson |
| WEEKLY SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS |
Pentagon to Send More Special Forces Troops to YemenWall Street JournalThe Pentagon is assigning more Special Forces personnel to Yemen as part of a broad push to speed the training of the country's counterterrorism forces in the wake of the failed Christmas Day attack on a crowded U.S. airliner. Military officials familiar with the matter said the U.S. will begin rotating the same groups of special forces personnel through Yemen and keeping some of the elite troops there for longer tours, changes designed to help the American trainers develop closer relationships with their Yemeni counterparts. |
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| U.S. DEFENSE NEWS |
Standardized Rifle Marksmanship Program Could Go ArmywideDefense TalkAn advanced rifle marksmanship concept developed at Fort Benning based on "lessons learned" in Iraq and Afghanistan might be instituted across all Army training centers later this year, officials said. Col. Terry Sellers, operations officer for the Maneuver Center of Excellence, said Combat Familiarization Fire, or ARM 6, has not been formally added to the Armyprogram of instruction, but that could happen around May as part of an overall POI review. New lesson plans are being drafted for the marksmanship field manual to include the CFF version standardized here. Full StoryU.S. Military Defining Future Fighting VehiclesDefense NewsTwo big issues face the U.S. Army's vehicle fleet in 2010: What will the Ground Combat Vehicle look like, and how will the dispute over the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicle contract be resolved? On the U.S. Marine Corps side, the troubled Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) will get another chance when seven new prototypes are tested this summer. However, observers noted in late 2009 that the Corps was hedging its bets on EFV by asking industry for ways to upgrade its aging fleet of 1,300 amphibious assault vehicles. Full StorySpecial Purpose Tactical Shotgun: Mossberg 930 SPX 12 GATactical LifeThe shotgun has been a mainstay of LE for well over a century. In the earliest of days, it was a weapon that gave lawmen the upper hand in cases where drovers and other travelers would be armed only with pistols. Even in the days of the birdshot these early guns employed, the spreading pattern of shot was quite deadly at close ranges. Back then guns were limited to a two-shot capacity. The design of these weapons naturally progressed throughout the years to lever actions, pump, and eventually, semi-automatics. Full StorySky Warrior MQ-1C Drone Deployed in IraqDefense UpdateThe U.S. Army has begun operating the Sky Warrior MQ-1C drone in Iraq. The aircraft are operating as part of a Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) unit established by the training battalion at Ft. Huachuca, Az. Operating as a divisional asset, under the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, (1st Cavalry Division, U.S. Division – Center), the QRC assists in developing and testing the concept of operation (CONOPS) of future divisional UAVs for the U.S. Army. The aircraft deployed to Camp Taji, Baghdad are the Phase 0 developmental aircraft, used for the test and evaluation of the MQ-1C. The Army is expecting to field production aircraft to the first divisions next year (2011). Sky Warrior, developed and produced by General Atomics, is a scaled-up version of the U.S. Air Force MQ-1A Predator. Full StoryMQ-9 Reaper Exhibit Opens at Air Force MuseumDefense TalkAir Force and industry officials joined National Museum of the U.S Air Force officials for the opening of the museum's new MQ-9 Reaper exhibit Jan. 25 here. As a medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft, the Reaper locates and destroys time-critical and highly mobile targets and provides real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to military commanders. "The Reaper provides the best combination of lethality and persistence most valuable to commanders," said retired Gen. John P. Jumper, the formerAir Force chief of staff. "We've come a long way since the days of two Hellfire missiles on a (MQ-1) Predator A." Full Story |
| INTERNATIONAL MILITARY NEWS |
Russia Unveils Fighter Seen as Rival to F-22Defense NewsRussia on Jan. 29 unveiled a new fighter aircraft touted as a rival of the U.S. F-22 stealth jet and developed amid the highest secrecy as part of a plan to modernize the armed forces. The fifth generation fighter, manufactured by the Sukhoi company and known as the PAK FA, made a maiden flight of just over 45 minutes at the firm's home base of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Far East region.. Full StoryPICTURES & VIDEO: Sukhoi's PAK FA Fighter Completes First FlightFlight GlobalSukhoi has conducted the first flight of its prototype PAK FA fifth-generation fighter, with the aircraft having conducted a 47min sortie this morning. Flown from KnAAPO’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur site, the PAK FA was piloted by Sergei Bogdan, and “performed excellently”, says Sukhoi. Full StoryThe Major’s Email: British Harrier Support in Afghanistan, RevisitedDefense Industry DailyClose air support remains an especially live issue on the modern battlefield, and it is once again affecting procurement discussions in Britain. “Field Report: British British GR7 Harrier IIs in Afghanistan” addressed the positive benefits of Britain’s Harrier force in theater. A 2006 controversy over their performance in the wake of a soldier’s email deserves equal attention, and has broader implications. Full StoryIndia Displays Military Might with Agni-III, ShouryaDefense UpdateIndia displayed its military might at the Republic Day parade by showcasing a variety of weapon systems and for the first time unveiling the Shourya surface-to-surface strategic missile that has enhanced the country’s ‘second strike’ option. Even though the weather played truant — the flypast had to be curtailed as several aircraft could not take off due to low visibility — the parade continued as per schedule with a variety of military hardware being paraded down Rajpath. Full StoryIndia Displays Military Might with Agni-III, ShouryaDefense UpdateIndia displayed its military might at the Republic Day parade by showcasing a variety of weapon systems and for the first time unveiling the Shourya surface-to-surface strategic missile that has enhanced the country’s ‘second strike’ option. Even though the weather played truant — the flypast had to be curtailed as several aircraft could not take off due to low visibility — the parade continued as per schedule with a variety of military hardware being paraded down Rajpath. Full StoryStanding Up for TaiwanWall Street JournalThe Obama Administration notified Congress of a $6.4 billion package of arms sales to Taiwan Friday, and Beijing howled with predictable indignation. Far from signaling an American misstep, China's threats show how important the sale is to Asia-Pacific security. Friday's notification fulfills promises made to Taiwan under the Bush Administration. Taipei will acquire 60 Blackhawk helicopters, two Osprey antimining ships and 114 Patriot antimissile systems—all defensive weapons that do little to alter the fundamental balance of military power across the Taiwan Strait, which is heavily in China's favor. Full Story |
| AFGHANISTAN–PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENTS |
US Marines Facing a 'Different War' in AfghanistanAgence-France PresseFor the US Marines deployed to the battlefields of southern Afghanistan, life is fragile and thoughts focus on the day they see their families again, but something about this war is different. They are preparing for an offensive on Marjah, one of the Taliban's big urban strongholds in the southern province of Helmand, but progress is slow with the militants apparently preferring fight to flight. The Marines will soon be joined by tens of thousands more soldiers, the lion's share of the 30,000-strong troop surge promised by US President Barack Obama in December to try and turn around the grinding Afghan war. NATO Contractor Is Sentenced to Death in AfghanistanNew York TimesAn Australian security contractor working for an American company has been sentenced to death by an Afghan court for murdering a colleague and then trying to cover up the crime by staging a Taliban ambush. It is the first time a foreigner working with the NATO coalition has been sentenced to death in Afghanistan. Full StoryContractors Working Detention Ops in AfghanistanAres Defense BlogU.S. Forces in Afghanistan are using private State Department and Department of Justice contractors in detention operations at the Parwan detention facility north of Kabul, a senior American military official said this morning. Full Story'Dogs of War' Saving Lives in AfghanistanAgence-France PresseFor the US Marines patrolling the dusty footpaths of southern Afghanistan, a bomb-sniffing black Labrador can mean the difference between life and death. These "dogs of war" have saved countless lives and their record for finding hidden explosives has won them a loyal following. "They are 98 percent accurate. We trust these dogs more than metal detectors and mine sweepers," says handler Corporal Andrew Guzman. Full StoryU.S. Marines Make Fragile Progress in HelmandWorld Politics ReviewMarine Capt. Scott Cuomo of Fox company, 2nd battalion, 2nd Marine regiment, must have felt very confident. How else to explain his climbing into an armorless Afghan army truck -- a coffin on four wheels -- next to Haji Abdullah Jan, the Afghan district governor, with only a few Afghan army soldiers for protection, to speed down empty dirt roads almost certainly mined by the Taliban? But Cuomo's confidence is not misplaced. The men make it safely to their destination: a destroyed compound beside which the barren, twisted remains of three dead trees point grotesquely to the sky. The district governor, clearly moved, walks to the building. It is his house, which he is visiting for the first time in four years because of the war. Cuomo grins excitedly. The governor is home. Full StoryThe Hidden Dangers of Helmand ProvinceNew York Times BlogLt. Col. Matthew Baker, the commanding officer of First Battalion, Third Marines, stood before a platoon at a small patrol base on Sunday afternoon. These were Marines from Charlie Company, one of the battalion’s four infantry companies. The colonel was making his rounds, checking on outposts in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. “I’ve got to bring you some bad news right up front,” the colonel said. “Lance Corporal Poole from Bravo Company stepped on an I.E.D. this morning.” Full Story |
| HOMELAND SECURITY–FIRST RESPONDER |
White House Considers Moving 9/11 Terror Trial From New YorkNew York Daily NewsThe White House ordered the Justice Department Thursday night to consider other places to try the 9/11 terror suspects after a wave of opposition to holding the trial in lower Manhattan. The dramatic turnabout came hours after Mayor Bloomberg said he would "prefer that they did it elsewhere" and then spoke to Attorney General Eric Holder. Full StoryReport: Al Qaeda Sends Women Suicide Bombers to Target WestDaily MailA team of non-Arabic female suicide bombers has been sent to attack targets in the West, it is feared. Security officials have been warned to be on the look-out for the women, carrying Western passports, who are believed to have escaped an attack on an Al Qaeda terror camp in Yemen. Former White House counter-terrorism adviser Richard Clarke said: 'There are others who are still out there who have been trained and who are clean skins - that means people who we do not have a record of, people who may not look like Al Qaeda terrorists, who may not be Arabs and may not be men. They have trained women.' New Teams Connect Dots of Terror PlotsNew York TimesThe nation’s main counterterrorism center is creating new teams of specialists to pursue clues of emerging terrorist plots as part of a rapid buildup that will sharply increase its analyst corps, perhaps by hundreds of people over the next year, intelligence officials said Friday. The action by the National Counterterrorism Center is one of the furthest reaching by the government so far to address the failings of several federal agencies in the case of a 23-year-old Nigerian man charged with boarding a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day with explosives sewn into his underwear. |
| FROM OUR FRIENDS AT TOTAL INTELLIGENCE SOLUTIONS |
Osama Bin Laden Endorses Christmas Day AttackHighlights
On January 24, 2010, Al-Jazeera satellite television aired a short new audio recording of a man purported to be al-Qaeda head Osama bin Laden endorsing the attempted Christmas Day attack on a Detroit-bound plane (Terrorist Attack). In the approximately one minute long recording, bin Laden asserts that the bomb plot was intended to send the same message conveyed by those of September 11, 2001: al-Qaeda will continue attacking the United States (US) as long as it supports Israel. 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 EvaluationQuick-SHOT 2010As I type this SHOT Show 2010 ended two days ago. Running Tuesday through Friday (not including a weekend for the first time I can remember) and held at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, SHOT Show had a different flavor this year. Thanks to the economy and the challenges every company is facing, SHOT seemed to focus more on SALES and ORDERS than on information sharing or simple socializing with about 40,000 of your closest friends. Still in all, there were few things there worth reporting on and that’s my purpose. Here we go… The rest of the review http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/other/2010quickshot.htmRecreational Equipment ReviewGordon’s Masonic JewelryI’ve never reviewed “jewelry” before, although I have tested and written a few watches. This week though, I was so impressed by the service and product of a gentleman named Gordon Spurlock that I felt the need to share it. Recommended by my good friend, Chief Bill Harvey, Gordon’s Masonic Jewelry specializes in hand-crafted rings serving the fraternity of Free Masonry. On Friday, January 15th I ordered a ring from Gordon, but my experience with the website goes back farther than that. If you’re a part of that fraternity, or even considering petitioning to join it, this might be of interest to you. The rest of the review: http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/other/gordonsjewelry.htm |
| CHAPLAINS CORNER |
DAILY… DUTY… RESULTS…In last week's message I spoke of our living in a world in turmoil. I spoke of the view of my Commander-In-Chief of how this world would continue in it's chosen path (the path it has chosen)… Some would be bad and get worse… Some would be good and maintain being good… Some would be in right standing with Him and continue expanding that right standing. Since nothing remains static in the activities of this world that means that the bad will get worse… The good will get better… And those in right standing with Him will progress in wisdom and rightness. Full article can be seen at: http://www.ustraining.com/new/btw/chaplain/020110chaplain.htm |
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| JOB OPPORTUNITIES |
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| CONTACT INFORMATION |
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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| Xe Services, LLC (the "Company"), provides this Newsletter as a source of diverse information to its readers. The Company does not warrant or endorse the products or services advertised in or reviewed in the Newsletter. The views and statements of the reviewers and commentators presented in the Newsletter are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Company or its affiliates. The Company does not monitor or warrant the accuracy or reliability of the material provided in this Newsletter or presented at any of the third–party websites to which links are provided in this Newsletter. WARNING: Use of certain of the products and services discussed or reviewed in this Newsletter can lead to personal injury or death. It is critical to follow manufacturers' instructions in using such products or services. The Company will not accept any liability for damages, injuries, or death resulting from the use or misuse of any such products or services. |
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