mercredi 20 août 2008
PLANE SKIDS OFF RUNWAY in MADRID
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7572643.stm
SEARCH into THIS BLOG
Sarkozy resolute on Afghanistan
The French president sees Afghanistan, unlike Iraq, as a matter of global security and NATO responsibility.
By Robert Marquand | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor from the August 20, 2008 edition
Paris - The 10 French paratroopers killed and 21 wounded in Afghanistan – nearly an entire platoon and the highest French casualties since 1983 in Lebanon – were from a battalion that took control of Kabul only two weeks ago. The event hit Paris hard enough to cause French President Nicolas Sarkozy, fresh from negotiating the Georgian dispute in Moscow, to leave for Afghanistan Tuesday evening to visit the troops.
Both Mr. Sarkozy and the clearly angry French minister of defense, Hervé Morin issued tough statements in support of the French Afghan mission – a mission Sarkozy has steadily supported as a matter of world security and NATO responsibility, in contrast with the Iraq war.
READ the rest of this entry, and watch the report on The Christian Science Monitor website.
IMPORTANT: This blog's staff did not want to issue any article about this tragedy yesterday. Moreover it was not clear about whether the families had been contacted or not. Let these soldiers rest in peace, and spare a thought for the bereaved and the families of theirs.
SYRIA says ready to consider RUSSIAN AIR DEFENSE deal (Source: RIA Novosti)
| ||
| Photo: RIA Novosti |
MOSCOW, August 20 (RIA Novosti) - Syria is ready to discuss deploying Iskander missile-defense systems on its territory, but it has not received any proposals from Russia, the country's president told a Russian business daily.
President Bashar Assad, who arrived in Russia on a two-day working on Wednesday, said in an interview with Kommersant before his trip: "Our position is that we are ready to cooperate with Russia in any project that can strengthen its security... I think Russia really has to think of the response it will make when it finds itself closed in a circle."
Israeli media reported on Monday that Russia was planning to place Iskander surface missiles in Syria and its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, in a response to a U.S. missile shield in Central Europe and U.S.-Israeli military aid to Georgia. (Image Gallery - Russian mobile surface-to-air missile systems)
When asked if Syria, a major importer of Russian arms, would agree to consider the Russian air defense offer, Assad said: "In principle, yes. We have not yet thought about it." He said the issue of installing Iskander missile-defense systems had been raised by Syria several years ago.
Speaking on the recent conflict between Georgia and Russia over Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia, Assad said: "On this issue we fully support Russia. The war, which was unleashed by Georgia, is the culmination of attempts to encircle and isolate Russia."
Georgia launched a major offensive to seize control of South Ossetia on August 8, prompting Russia to send several hundred tanks and thousands of troops into the region. Moscow announced the end of its operation to "force Georgia to peace" on August 12.
"We oppose all these attempts, as we think that this is a continuation of U.S. Cold War-era policy. What Russia has done is to defend its legitimate interests," Assad told the newspaper.
The Syrian president said that Russia is facing a situation similar to that once faced by Syria.
"Georgia started the crisis, but the West is blaming Russia. Everywhere there is total disinformation, distortion of facts, and international attempts to isolate Russia."
Answering a question on whether Russia could become a "rogue state," Assad said: "The resolution of the important problems in Central Asia, the Caucasus and Europe is impossible without Russia... I think that after the crisis with Georgia, Russia has become only stronger."
"It's important that Russia takes the position of a superpower, and then all the attempts to isolate it will fail," Bashar Assad said.
TDY per-mile rate increases
8/19/2008 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- In response to the mid-year rise in gasoline prices, General Service Administration officials raised the temporary-duty mileage rate from $0.505 per mile to $0.585.
The increase applies to all uniformed personnel and civilian employees traveling on official business by privately owned automobile or motorcycle, effective Aug. 1.
GSA officials amended the Federal Travel Regulation and announced the increase July 28 following mileage-rate increases established by the Internal Revenue Service. Personnel receive the TDY* mileage rate when no government-owned vehicle is available.
(*TDY=Temporary Duty, mission)
PREDATOR passes 400,000 flight hours
(U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Larry E. Reid Jr.)
by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher
Air Combat Command Public Affairs
8/19/2008 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft system surpassed 400,000 flight hours during a mission in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Aug. 18. Members of the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, part of the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., flew the milestone mission in support of continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
READ FULL ARTICLE on www.af.mil
Breaking the US Air Force radio news
THANKS TO AIR FORCE LINK (www.af.mil)
5 minute radio program featuring Air Force news and information about the Air Force.
AUGUST 19, 2008 23:33
PREDATOR MILESTONE: Predator reaches 400,000 flight hour milestone (Creech)
DECA FMO: Commissary honors women in the military (Yokota)
FLIGHTLINE SAFETY: Keeping active runway clear of FOD (Bagram)
YOKOTA FOOTBALL: US high school football team takes on Japanese football team (Yokota)
AUGUST 18, 2008 00:42
AIRMAN MENTORS IRAQIS: Airmen teaches Iraqis power production (Bagdhad)
SPANG VEHICLE MAINT: Maintainers keep AF vehicles on the road (Spangdahlem)
C-17 FUEL: Techniques used by aircrews to save fuel (Hickam)
TASER TRAINING: SF airmen train with non-lethal weapons (Yokota)
AIRMAN MOVES VEHICLES: Airmen moves vehicles in and out of theater (Bagdhad)
COMPTEURS DE VISITES ET DE PAGES + Referencement + Browsers
Du 13 MAI au 20 AOUT 2008 il y a eu:
4842 visiteurs, 6372 visites et 17550 pages vues.
Ce site est listé dans la catégorie Référence : Langues de l'annuaire 
et 
Technorati Profile 
View My Milblogging.com Profile 
mardi 19 août 2008
RAF pilot displayed ‘exceptional skill’ in face of adversity
An RAF pilot based in North Yorkshire has been honoured for saving his stricken aircraft and his student. 
Flight Lieutenant Jon Dunn of 207 Squadron based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse near York, has received a Green Endorsement – one of the RAF’s highest accolades - for safely landing his Tucano aircraft despite a potentially catastrophic engine problem.
In September 2007 Flt Lt Dunn, then a junior flying instructor, was tasked with a routine training sortie.
Shortly after take off, and in poor weather, he noticed a problem with his engine’s fuel flow. Having confirmed that the student had not changed the throttle setting, he took control as the power continued to fall.
He attempted to turn his aircraft back to Linton, but it was losing height rapidly.
Flt Lt Dunn says he had no option but to declare a Mayday. He said: “I realised we wouldn’t make it back to Linton and faced with the prospect of ejecting, I carried out the emergency drill hoping instead to glide the aircraft to a forced landing.
“We broke through cloud at 2500 feet and both of us looked for somewhere flat and uninhabited on which to land. From the corner of my eye I spotted Rufforth airfield and turned towards it.
“I then made what may seem an unusual decision; to shut down the engine. By then it was doing more harm than good and I knew that by closing it down, the aircraft would act more predictably in its final descent - as well as increasing the gliding range.
“At about 700 feet, in the final stages of the approach, I thought we were not going to make it. The safer option would have been for me to eject us both but the aircraft would have crashed onto Rufforth village, so we had to stay with it and I continued to fly the aircraft to the best of my ability hoping the situation would improve.”
Despite fighting a crippled aircraft, Dunn remained calm throughout the emergency, keeping his student reassured at all times.
On landing at Rufforth he had no choice but to apply the brakes hard due to the short runway. The tyres burst, but his aircraft came safely to a halt.
Now Flt Lt Dunn’s endeavours have been officially recognised. The Green Endorsement citation describes his actions that day as an “Instance of exceptional flying skill and judgement.”
It goes on to read: “Ft Lt Dunn showed great presence of mind …he displayed captaincy, airmanship and handling skills well above that of his probationary instructor category. He also minimised any potentially very serious collateral damage and saved a valuable aircraft.”
Ft Lt Dunn said modestly: “I think it is much better to be lucky than good.”
Pictures: © Crown Copyright/MOD 2007Flight Lieutenant Jon Dunn of RAF Linton-on-Ouse who has received a Green Endorsement – one of the RAF’s highest accolades - for safely landing his Tucano aircraft despite a potentially catastrophic engine problem.