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8 killed in Kashmir fight; India locks down cities

2010-06-29T05:51:00.000-07:00

29 June 2010, SRINAGAR, India — Five suspected insurgents and three Indian soldiers died in a fierce gunbattle in divided Kashmir when the militants tried to cross over from Pakistan into the Indian-controlled portion, an army officer said on Tuesday.

Tension has been rising in Kashmir as government forces allegedly have killed at least eight other people over the past two weeks during protests demanding the region’s independence from India.

Thousands of police in riot gear patrolled the main city, Srinagar, on Tuesday, and shops, businesses and government offices were shut.

Police and paramilitary soldiers drove through neighborhoods warning people to stay indoors and not participate in pro-independence protests, said Afaq Wani, a Srinagar resident. He said it was almost a curfew-like situation.

Sajad Ahmed, a local police officer, said that no curfew has been imposed but that the state government has banned the assembly in public of more than five people. Troops also erected steel barricades and laid razor wire across main roads to prevent public gatherings.

“We’re imposing restrictions to avoid clashes,” Ahmed said.

Similar restrictions were also imposed in several other towns in the region. In the violence-torn town of Sopore, 35 miles (55 kilometers) northwest of Srinagar, an indefinite curfew was in force for the fifth consecutive day.

The gunbattle near the India-Pakistan frontier broke out on Monday when a group of suspected militants infiltrated into Indian territory in the Nowgam sector, Col. Vineet Sood, an army spokesman, said Tuesday.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan and India have fought two wars over Kashmir and, since 1989, Muslim militants have fought in Indian-controlled Kashmir for independence or merger with Pakistan.

India accuses Pakistan of funding and training militants in the Pakistani-held portion of Kashmir and helping them slip over to the Indian side to fight. Islamabad denies the charge.

More than 68,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflict since 1989.

China fends off Obama pressure over North Korea

2010-06-29T05:50:00.000-07:00

BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Tuesday rejected President Barack Obama's suggestion that it was hiding from the risks posed by North Korea, and said it felt the dangers on the divided Korean peninsula more deeply than Washington.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the rebuke in answer to repeated questions from reporters about comments by Obama over the weekend.

A North Korean soldier guards the banks of the Yalu River near the North Korean town of Sinuiju June 29, 2010. (REUTERS/Jacky Chen)

Beijing has refused to take a firm position on who is to blame for the sinking of a South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, in late March, killing 46 sailors.

South Korea and other powers say the ship was undoubtedly sunk by a North Korean torpedo, and Pyongyang should suffer consequences. Beijing has urged restraint in dealing with the North, a long-time ally and strategic buffer.

"Now, I am sympathetic to the fact that North Korea is on China's border," Obama told a news conference at the end of the G20 global leaders' summit in Toronto.

"And so when they adopt a posture of restraint, I understand their thinking. But I think there's a difference between restraint and willful blindness to consistent problems," he added.

Chinese spokesman Qin suggested that his government had to be more cautious in handling its neighbour, whose struggling economy depends on Beijing for aid and trade. He said China did not want to "pour petrol on the flames."

"China is a neighbour of the Korean Peninsula, and on this issue our feelings differ from a country that lies 8,000 kilometres distant," Qin told a regular news conference, referring to the United States.

"We feel even more direct and serious concerns," he added.

The North's secretive leader, Kim Jong-il, appears to be in poor health, and his ruling communist party has called a rare meeting in September to elect a new leadership, a move analysts said could formally set in motion succession plans for him to set in place his son, Kim Jong-un, as his successor.

Beijing fears harsh condemnation of Pyongyang over the ship sinking could erode its already-limited leverage over Kim Jong-il, dash any hopes of persuading him to abandon his nuclear weapons, analysts say.

China's 1,415-km (880-mile) border with North Korea could also be overwhelmed by an influx of refugees if the North suffers political and economic collapse.

"On the Cheonan incident, we don't play favourites with any side," said the spokesman Qin. "Conflict on the (Korean) peninsula would suit no sides' interests, and so on this issue, China's position and efforts are beyond reproach." (Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

China landslide: hopes fade for 107 trapped

2010-06-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

Associated Press in Beijing
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 29 June 2010 11.21 BST
Article history

Soldiers evacuate residents from the site of a landslide in Dazhai Village, Guanling county in south-west China. Photograph: Chinafotopress/Getty Images

Hope of finding survivors was diminishing today as rescuers used heavy machinery including bulldozers to search for at least 107 people trapped under a landslide in south-west China.

Villagers huddled in tents set up at the site as rescuers searched for survivors.

But there appeared to be little hope, with no word by midday today, said Tian Maosheng, an official from Guizhou Communist party propaganda department, who is helping with the rescue.

"The number 107 remains unchanged, and there is still no sign of life here," he said.

Homes were buried when the landslide struck the village of Dazhai in Guizhou province yesterday afternoon after days of torrential rains. An official interviewed by state broadcaster CCTV said nearly half a hill had collapsed.

Makeshift tents were set up as first aid stations and soldiers waded through water and mud as they evacuated more than 360 residents.

Light rain this morning hindered rescue efforts, threatening to wash more mud down the slopes, but began to subside later in the day.

Large areas of southern China have been hit by flooding in the last two weeks, with at least 377 people killed and another 142 missing – not including those from Monday's landslide. More than 3 million people have fled their homes over the past two weeks, according to the ministry of civil affairs.

On Sunday floodwaters began receding in the south and workers finished repairing a dike breach that forced the evacuation of 100,000 people.

Mexico to press ahead with vote despite slaying

2010-06-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

Play Video AP – Raw Video: Election violence plagues Mexico

AP – Army soldiers guard the crime scene after candidate for governor of the state of Tamaulipas, Rodolfo …

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, Associated Press Writer Olga R. Rodriguez, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 1 min ago

CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico – Mexican politicians vowed to press on with elections despite the assassination of the leading candidate for governor of a border state, urging frightened citizens to vote and show they are not intimidated by drug cartels threatening the country's democracy.

Gunmen ambushed Rodolfo Torre's campaign caravan Monday less than a week before he was expected to win the governor's race in Tamaulipas, a state torn by a turf battle between two rival drug cartels. Four other people were killed: three of the candidate's bodyguards and a state lawmaker.

President Felipe Calderon called the attack an attempt drug gangs to sway Sunday's elections for governors and mayors in 12 states. He warned that cartels want "to interfere in the decisions of citizens and in electoral processes."

"Organized crime will never meet its objectives. It will not succeed in shaking our faith in democracy or undermine our confidence in the future of Mexico," Calderon said in a televised speech.

But the attack emptied streets in Ciudad Victoria, the Tamaulipas state capital where Torre was killed. Heavily armed federal and state police patrolled in caravans. Some parents rushed to pick up their children from schools.

"I am not going to vote because there is a lot of fear. The tension is very strong," said Maria Pilar Villegas, a convenience store clerk who said she was on the phone with her sister when she saw the news of the assassination on television. "I got chills when I saw the TV."

Torre, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, is the first gubernatorial candidate assassinated in Mexico in recent memory. He is the highest-ranking candidate killed since Luis Donaldo Colosio, also for the PRI, was gunned down while running for president in 1994.

Torre's death was the biggest setback yet for the elections. Corruption scandals, threats and attacks on politicians have raised fears for months that Mexico's powerful drug cartels are buying off candidates they support and intimidating those they oppose.

Calderon's government did not say which gang was suspected in Torre's assassination or why he would be targeted.

Tamaulipas, which borders Texas, has become a battleground between the Gulf cartel and its former ally, the Zetas gang of hit men. Gangs have staged bold attacks on security forces, ambushing military patrols and setting up blockades near army garrisons.

Last month, gunmen killed Jose Guajardo Varela, a candidate for mayor of the Tamaulipas town of Valle Hermoso. Guajardo, of Calderon's National Action Party, or PAN, had received warnings to drop his campaign.

Leaders of the PAN and the leftist Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, had said they could not find anyone to run for mayor in some towns in Tamaulipas because of drug gang intimidation. PAN and PRD leaders have insinuated that the PRI has ties to drug gangs in the state, noting that the party has had no trouble fielding candidates in towns where other politicians are too scared to run.

The PRI, which has long governed Tamaulipas, has dismissed such talk as tired campaign tactics.

Tamaulipas Gov. Eugenio Hernandez said he didn't know of any threats against Torre, a doctor who had served as the state's health secretary. Hernandez said Torre didn't express any fear when the two met Sunday to watch the World Cup game between Mexico and Argentina.

"We couldn't see this attack coming at all," Hernandez said in an interview with Milenio television.

Torre, 46, was heading from Ciudad Victoria to the border city of Matamoros to accompany the PRI's mayoral candidates in the closing of their campaigns Monday.

Jorge Luis Navarro, president of the Tamaulipas state election institute, said the vote would go forward.

PRI national leader Beatriz Paredes urged supporters to go the polls. "Nothing is going to intimidate us," she said in a statement. There was no announcement on who the PRI candidate would be.

The PAN and the PRD said they would suspend campaigning by their own gubernatorial candidates in Tamaulipas.

Elsewhere in Mexico, campaigning continued, with candidates urging voters not to fear.

"They are not going to intimidate us. We are going to continue until Sunday with the same intensity," said Jose Francisco Olvera, the PRI candidate for the central state of Hidalgo.

The PRI, which ruled Mexico for 71 years until losing the presidency in 2000, is hoping that a strong showing in Sunday's elections will put it on the path to regain the presidency in 2012.

Polls had indicated that Torre would easily win the election in Tamaulipas.

The conservative PAN has formed uncomfortable alliances with the PRD to oust the PRI from several states, though not in Tamaulipas.

That alliance, however, was sorely tested by the worst corruption scandal of the election.

Cancun mayor Gregorio Sanchez, of the PRD, was arrested last month for allegedly protecting two brutal drug cartels, forcing him to drop his campaign for governor of Quintana Roo state. His leftist party has dismissed the allegations as a political ploy by Calderon's government.

Drug gang violence has rocketed since Calderon deployed thousands of troops and federal police across the country in 2006 to wage an all-out battle against cartels. Some 23,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence.

George Grayson, a Mexico expert at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, said Torre's assassination would keep many voters home, but he expected the situation would only benefit the PRI.

"The ... climate of fear will dampen voter turnout on Sunday, which will help the PRI because they have the best political machine," he said.

Gregorio Linares, a waiter an at upscale restaurant where Torre and other politicians were frequent customers, said the city was growing accustomed to violence. Two months earlier, a shootout between soldiers and gunmen had erupted near the restaurant. But he said Torre's death would only encourage him to vote for the PRI's new candidate.

Cambodian children game their way to life-saving skills

2010-06-23T07:43:00.001-07:00

Wed, 23 Jun 2010
By Robert Carmichael
DPA

Phnom Penh - It is a familiar scene in many countries: Children huddled around a computer game, chipping in with instructions, competing and encouraging each other.

But this is no ordinary game. In a Phnom Penh orphanage, a dozen children are testing a unique US-designed program its inventors hope would reduce deaths and injuries by landmines and unexploded ordnance.

Four decades of conflict have left Cambodia with an unenviable legacy of millions of such explosives. Last year, 47 Cambodians were killed and 196 injured by them. Around a third were children, most of them boys.

It would take decades to rid the country of mines, so educating people on how to recognize the risks they pose is vital. But these efforts are typically passive, using presentations or leaflets.

The computer game requires active participation, says Professor Frank Biocca of Michigan State University, where the game was developed.

Biocca was in Phnom Penh in June overseeing testing ahead of the game's expected launch there later this year. He says active involvement in the game, which is targeted at 6- to 15-year-olds, means the children retain more information.

Twelve-year-old Sin explains the game's purpose: Find food for his electronic dog while keeping a sharp eye out for landmines.

"We walk straight, and if we see the red danger sign, then we turn around and come back," he says. "Or we can turn left or right to avoid the landmine."

The on-screen landscape is comprised of photographs of Cambodia's countryside, which makes it both realistic for the children and cost-effective. The warning signs are also local: red signs with a white skull, a red-and-white striped pole, an inverted red triangle.

When the player gets it wrong, an explosion fills the screen, accompanied by a loud boom. Both the dog and child avatars cower but are deliberately uninjured, and a man in a Cambodian demining uniform appears on-screen, blowing his whistle and explaining what happened.

The game began its life as a request two years ago to the university in East Lansing, Michigan, by the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation, a charity that provides technical assistance for international demining operations.

The university's final-year project for one of its undergraduate programmes sees students building so-called "serious games" - games with a purpose beyond entertainment. The mine education game struck a chord.

"We decided this specific project was something to continue to pursue with a focus on making it work across different platforms and making sure it can be updated for different markets cheaply," Biocca says.

Allen Tan heads Golden West's regional office, which provided the developers with technical information and images for the game. Tan, a former bomb-disposal expert in the US Army, says the game has the potential to benefit dozens of countries.

"Certainly any post-conflict zone could be a target for this type of training and especially those with young populations that might not have been around when the conflict happened," he says.

The game runs on Windows, Mac OS and Linux operating systems, the last of which is the standard operating system for the One Laptop Per Child initiative, the effort to get computers into the hands of children across the world at a cost of 100 dollars per laptop.

But Biocca says developers started off assuming it had to work on other platforms too, including the internet and mobile phones.

"We think that, ultimately, the true 100-dollar laptop is the cellphone - some version of the cellphone is becoming the Third World computational device," he says. "And those are selling for underneath 100 dollars."

He says that once the game has been launched in Cambodia, it would be adapted for other countries to reflect their culture, landscape, languages and even their landmine signs - all for 1,000 to 10,000 dollars per country.

Biocca says the game could even be altered to educate people about other health issues that require learning, such as influencing sexual behaviour or diet.

So much for the brains behind the development - what did the kids think of the game? Fourteen-year-old Lai loved it.

"If I were to go to the countryside and saw a landmine sign, then I would walk away from that place," he says. "I wouldn't go near it. I would take a different path."

Twelve-year-old Minea echoes those sentiments.

"Walk far away from that place," he says of the lessons learned from his 15-minute session. "Don't touch anything, and don't play anywhere near there."

Court issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Sam Rainsy

2010-06-23T07:42:00.002-07:00

Wednesday, 23 June 2010
By Khmerization Sources: CEN & RFA

A Phnom Penh court has issued a court warrant for the arrest of Sam Rainsy (pictured), leader of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, in relations to charges of document forgery when he produced maps and documents showing Vietnam's encroachments of Cambodian borders.

Now, Mr. Rainsy is living in exile in Paris and there reports that court will send an arrest warrant to the French Embassy seeking his arrest. However, Mrs. Laurence Bernardi , a spokeswoman for the French Embassy, said that the Embassy has not yet received the warrant.

On 27th January, the Phnom Penh court convicted him of sabotage and destruction of public properties and sentenced him to 2 years jail. Soon after, he released a series of documents and maps alleging Vietnam's encroachments but the Cambodian authority said he faked the maps and the documents and charged him with forgery.

Hun Sen is the top divider among Khmer compatriots and King's visit to Vietnam likely serves the Vietnamese imperialism

2010-06-23T07:42:00.001-07:00

Political Analysis Today:

Hun Sen is just the top divider among Khmer compatriots. He is a jerk of foreigner. All his speech is rational for Kmeng Wat and uneducated mad dogs only. His irritating speech to Surya Subedi, the representative of the UNs is unacceptable among Khmer intellectuals. But only those monkeys in the power who have applauded Hun Sen.

Op-Ed: Khmer Young

If the King didn't deliver any message from Chinese leader to Triet, King is certainly used by Triet to speed up his imperialistic attempt over Cambodia. It exactly through the propaganda of "friendship", "good neighbor" or "cooperation" etc.

The Triet's word about "good neighboring" is useful for Vietnam only as Cambodia has lost competitiveness to Vietnam in all fields:

Cambodia has no investors and contingents in Vietnam at all. But Vietnam has pursued full potential in both political, social and economical collateral in Cambodia.
Cambodian illegal immigrants to Vietnam have been repatriated mercilessly, but illegal Vietnamese immigrants in Cambodia have been taken care very well by the Cambodian authority, including seeking an appropriate land for them to resettle.
Khmer Kampuchea Krom people have been neglected by the King whose pseudonym is Father of all Khmer Children, but his trip to Vietnam left his children in Khmer Krom in a dark position.
King's visit to Vietnam is coincident to the pressing issue of border markers and border encroachment which opposition leader has been trialed as well as the farmers have been jailed...so indirectly King's visit this time is to intensify the punishment of those Khmer compatriots.
Every aspect of political changes in Cambodia is unusually favoring Vietnam at the expense of Khmer's death for its future such as "paying gratitude to Vietnamese soldiers who come to liberate Cambodians from Khmer Rouge" which this phrase has become a well-known propaganda in Cambodia among youths and some unknown people to vote for the CPP. Of course, the international communities and the UNs have already condemned that the presence of Vietnamese troops in Cambodia was the invasion, not the liberation.

All few aforementioned points critically displays the unfaithful "good neighboring" repeatedly mentioned by the Vietnamese leaders.

King Sihanouk and Hun Sen have been failed into this trap unconsciously. While King Sihanouk visited Vietnam, Hun Sen has been fooled by his intelligent advisers about the main cause of the war originated by Lon Nol's coup detat. Hun Sen's statement is just part of his blindness because he didn't realize that his speech is to make more divisions among Khmers, and it will benefit more to the foreigner.

Lon Nol has been already dead like Pol Pot, but why Hun Sen has used these two regimes as the pretext to the media and public curiosity? Of course, the coup detat was not Lon Nol only. It was the trend of the cold war, and Lon Nol had become a tool of this trend. If Sihanouk didn't escape to Russia and China, how can Lon Nol be able to defy him? If the US didn't confront with the China and Russia in that situation, how can Lon Nol be able to attain a coup? If Southern Vietnam didn't incorporate with Lon Nol, how could Lon Nol be able to accomplish the coup? -- all these critical thinking and seeking things outside the box must be inserted into Hun Sen's ears from right to left, and from left to right several times.

This example can apply well to the issue of Pol Pot. Pol Pot came to power because of the help from Vietcong and China. This is the fact! The atrocity committed by Pol Pot is not worse than those perpetrators whom created the Pol Pot at the beginning.

Hun Sen is just the top divider among Khmer compatriots. He is a jerk of foreigner. All his speech is rational for Kmeng Wat and uneducated mad dogs only. His irritating speech to Surya Subedi, the representative of the UNs is unacceptable among Khmer intellectuals. But only those monkeys in the power who have applauded Hun Sen.

The ignorance of Hun Sen will disclose more facts until the land of Angkor Borei are totally controlled by the smarter people.

94 Cambodian deminers, military police return home from Africa

2010-06-23T07:40:00.002-07:00

June 22, 2010
Xinhua

After spending for a year in mission abroad, 94 Cambodian deminers and military police returned home on Tuesday.

Tea Banh, deputy prime minister and minister of national defense, welcomed the 94 returnees at Phnom Penh Military Airport.

He said 52 deminers had spent more than one year in Sudan, while another 42 security officers for social order spent almost eight months for their missions in Chad and Central African Republic.

"We are gathering together today for proudly congratulating for the safe home-coming of the 405-1 Royal Cambodian Armed Forces' Demining Company and it is the fourth time that our sacred forces has brought home dignity and success from the U.N mission in Sudan and also the great success of the movement control unit 306 returning before the schedule from Chad and Central African Republic," Tea Banh said.

He further said that "our mission is to fulfill our job with gratitude and international ethics for all mankind and peace."

Prak Sokhon, advisor to Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, and chairman of National Coordination Committee of U.N. Peacekeeping Operation, said Tuesday that, since 2005, 568 Cambodians have been sent to Sudan, Chad, and Central African Republic in the form of the U.N. peace keeping operation.

Over the past four years, Prak Sokhon said, Cambodian peace keeping operators have cleared land covered by landmines and unexploded ordinance for about 77 million square meters, 2,546 land mines, 220 anti-tank mines, 59,108 pieces of unexploded ordnance, and 118,913 pieces of shrapnel.

On Sunday, Cambodia dispatched 52 deminers, replacing the 52 returnees in a way to continue international cooperation and obligation as a state member of the United Nations.

As of now, none of Cambodian deminers ever met incident in their mission abroad, said Prak Sokhonhe, adding that they were qualified and skillful with their demining techniques.

Cambodia is also working with the United Nations in a plan to dispatch some 200 Cambodian troops as peacekeepers to Lebanon.

Calif. man in attempted Cambodian coup gets prison

2010-06-23T07:40:00.001-07:00

Chhun Yasith

Wednesday, June 23, 2010
AP

LOS ANGELES — A California accountant was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday in Los Angeles for orchestrating a failed attempt to overthrow the Cambodian government in 2000.

Yasith Chhun, 53, of Long Beach, was found guilty in 2008 of three counts of conspiracy and one count of engaging in a military expedition against a nation with which the United States is at peace.

Chhun, a naturalized U.S. citizen who fled Cambodia as a refugee in 1982, grew frustrated with the lack of free elections under what he viewed as the oppressive regime of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former member of the Khmer Rouge under dictator Pol Pot, said Chhun's attorney, Richard Callahan.

"He saw Hun Sen as on an even par with Pol Pot," Callahan said.

Chhun also wanted to avenge the death of his father, who was beheaded by Khmer Rouge soldiers as Chhun looked on.

Chhun was found guilty after a two-week trial, during which prosecutors said he had planned "Operation Volcano" to Sen's government.

"We're here because a jury found that the defendant deliberately tried to kill other human beings," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Baker.

Chhun headed a group known as the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, which accused Sen of being a dictator and helping rig elections so he could stay in power.

Prosecutors said Chhun had planned the operation for two years and had traveled to the region to assemble a rebel force. He raised money by holding fundraisers at the Queen Mary, which is permanently docked in Long Beach.

Prosecutors also believe Chhun was behind a February 1999 bombing of a bar in Cambodia that injured several people.

"Operation Volcano" was launched on Thanksgiving 2000 at the direction of Chhun, who was across the border in Thailand.

About 200 rebel troops showed up to fight, and they were quickly subdued after attacking various government buildings in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

In a rambling statement before his sentencing, Chhun told the judge that he started his movement as a nonviolent protester.

"The result is, nothing happened," Chhun said, adding that his approach changed as he saw Sen's troops "kill more people."

Callahan said the prosecution of Chhun was politically motivated because the U.S., which at the time was expanding its war on terror, was seeking international cooperation from countries in Southeast Asia.

"He was a sacrificial lamb to make sure everything went well in Southeast Asia," Callahan said. "Otherwise, the story doesn't make sense."

Callahan said he planned to appeal.

Siahnouk's visit to Hanoi: It's a family affair?

2010-06-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

President Nguyen Minh Triet and his wife welcome Cambodian King Sihamoni, former King Sihanouk, and his wife. (Photo: VNA)

Cambodian former King begins Vietnam visit

Wednesday,Jun 23,2010
Saigon Giai Phong (Vietcong Communist Party)

Cambodia’s former King Norodom Sihanouk, his wife Norodom Moninieth Sihanouk, and King Norodom Sihamoni arrived in Hanoi on June 22, beginning a four-day friendship visit to Vietnam.

Later in the day, State President Nguyen Minh Triet, who had invited the Cambodian guests, met with former King Norodom Sihanouk and his wife.

President Triet applauded the ongoing visit of former King Sihanouk, his wife and King Sihamoni, describing it as milestone in the traditional friendly neighbourliness and cooperation between the two countries.

President Triet and former King Sihanouk recalled the profound memories during the time Vietnam and Cambodia united and supported each other to struggle for national independence.

The Vietnamese people and generations of leaders always keep in mind, are grateful and respect deep sentiments, valuable support and great assistance that former King Norodom Sihanouk and the people of Cambodia have extended to Vietnam in the past as well as at present, the president said.

Former King Sihanouk took this occasion to thank the Vietnamese people and leaders for their affections, huge support and assistance to him, his wife, King Sihamoni and the people of Cambodia .

Both host and guest expressed delight at the fine development of the time-honoured friendly relations between the two nations, and belief that their neighbourliness and cooperation would further develop for prosperity of each nation as well as and for peace, friendship, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

In the evening, President Triet hosted a banquet in honour of former King Sihanouk, his wife and King Sihamoni.

Venerable Tim Sakhorn: “I don’t hate Venerable Long Kimleang because he is Khmer”

2010-06-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

On June 19, 2010, about two hundred Khmer and Khmer-Krom around the world came to Wat Khemara Rangsey in San Jose to welcome Venerable Tim Sakhorn visiting San Jose. In the morning, the Buddhist ceremony was conducted by Sixteen Buddhist monks from Canada, Sweden, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Northern California.

After lunch, the representatives of the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation, leading by KKF President, Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach, Venerable TT Dhammo, Venerable Tran Ky Chanhtha, gave their short speeches to explain about the reason why there was a meeting in San Jose to welcome Venerable Tim Sakhorn. The main reason was to give the Khmer and Khmer-Krom in the Bayarea an opportunity to hear the real story of how Venerable Tim Sakhorn was arrested and who involved arresting Venerable Tim Sakhorn.
Venerable Tim Sakhorn was introduced and gave a wonderful talk regarding to how he was arrested and deported from Cambodia by Cambodian monks and Cambodian Authorities to imprison him in Vietnam. He also talked about how he was forced to admit an alleged crime that he did not commit and how he was treated, injected unknown medication, and tortured in the Vietnam’s prison.

Venerable Tim Sakhorn clearly addressed that Venerable Long Kimleang who is currently staying at Wat Khmer San Jose (2751 Mervyn’s Way, San Jose, CA 95127) directly stripped off his frock when he was refused to be defrocked injustice.

Venerable Long Kimleang and the President of Wat Khmer San Jose were officially invited with the written invitation letter to attend the meeting, but they did not come. The Secretary of Wat Khmer San Jose who used to say that the story of Tim Sakhorn was the only one-side story also did not come to the meeting even he was invited on the Phone.

During the Q&A section, many people asked many questions to Venerable Tim Sakhorn. One question directly addressed to Venerable Long Kimleang that if Venerable Tim Sakhorn meets Venerable Long Kimleang, what would he say to Venerable Long Kimleang? Did he hate Venerable Long Kimleang?

It was amazing to see how Venerable Tim Sakhorn answered those questions. He said that he doesn’t hate Venerable Long Kimleang because Venerable Long Kimleang is KHMER. He wished that Venerable Long Kimleang would come to the meeting so he could ask him why Venerable Long Kimleang had to defrock him and sent him to imprison in Vietnam. If Venerable Long Kimleang just followed someone’s order, then he should come to tell who ordered him.

Because Venerable Long Kimleang, the President and Secretary of Wat San Jose did not come to the meeting to meet Venerable Tim Sakhorn, it raised many questions for people to think about. Moreover, there was a voting to determine if the committee members of Wat Khmer San Jose will allow Venerable Long Kimleang to stay at their temple or not because Venerable Long Kimleang was secretly sponsored by the President of Wat Khmer San Jose without the consent of the committee members or the Abbot of Wat Khmer San Jose. The final voting result as a resolution is to not accepting Venerable Long Kimleang to stay at Wat Khmer San Jose and send him back to Cambodia. The President and Secretary of Wat Khmer San Jose refused to implement that voting result.

These are the questions that people think after listening to Venerable Tim Sakhorn: If Venerable Long Kimleang just followed someone’s order, why didn’t he come to tell in front of Venerable Tim Sakhorn? Because he scared to confront the truth, does it mean that Venerable Long Kimleang comes to the US with another mission because he used to tell Venerable Tim Sakhorn that he would “destroy” all the Khmer-Krom monks? Those unanswered questions would never be answered if Venerable Long Kimleang still scares to say and confront the truth.

CN-235 Tampil di Integrated Expo Indonesia 2010 Banglades

2010-04-20T07:06:00.001-07:00

20 April 2010, Jakarta -- Jakarta, Produk industri strategis Indonesia, pesawat CN-235 produksi PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI), berencana meramaikan "Expo Indonesia 2010" pada 11-13 Mei, di Banglades.

Dalam siaran pers yang diterima ANTARA di Jakarta, Selasa, Duta Besar RI untuk Banglades di Dhaka, Zet Mirzal Zainuddin mengemukakan pameran tersebut akan menampilkan berbagai produk ekspor dari industri strategik dan nonstrategik Indonesia.

Beberapa produk dari industri strategik yang ditampilkan antara lain produk dari CN-235 dari PT DI, produk industri peralatan kendaraan militer dari PT PINDAD, serta gerbong kereta api buatan PT INKA.

Sedangkan produk industri otomotif yang ikut dipamerkan dalam ajang tersebut yakni kendaraan bermotor jenis mini "multi purpose vehicle" seperti Suzuki APV, Toyota Avanza, serta ban mobil produk GT.

Expo Indonesia 2010 yang mengambil tema "Integrated Expo 2010: Discover Indonesia, the Beauty Unlimited" tersebut, juga akan menampilkan produk industri kecil menengah yang ikut dipamerkan antara lain furniture, kosmetik, handuk, kerajinan tangan dan aneka macam batik serta produk tenun songket dari berbagai daerah Nusantara, alat musik tradisional seperti gamelan jawa, angklung.

Sebelumnya, dalam pertemuan bisnis yang dihadiri Menteri Pariwisata, Sekjen Perdagangan dan Kebudayaan, serta Asosiasi Kadin Banglades pada 17 April lalu, Duta Besar RI Zet Mirzal mengungkapkan bahwa persahabatan, persaudaraan, dan "emotional link" antara Indonesia dan Banglades telah terjalin dengan sangat baik dan erat sejak dulu, yang ditandai bahwa kedua negara mempunyai banyak kesamaan dalam sejarah, kultur budaya dan agama.

Expo kali ini, menurut dia, akan merupakan salah satu langkah positif dan penting yang akan memberikan arti dalam pelaksanaan nyata pengembangan kerja sama bilateral Indonesia dan Banglades.

Selain itu, ia mengharapkan, ajang ini dapat lebih meningkatkan pasar ekspor komoditas Indonesia di Banglades dan peningkatan jumlah arus wisatawan Banglades untuk berkunjung ke Indonesia.

Tanggapan Pemerintah Banglades yang diwakili Menteri Pariwisata, Sekjen Perdagangan dan Kebudayaan, serta Asosiasi Kadin Banglades, menurut Zet Mirzal, cukup posotif.

Mereka, lanjutnya, sangat menghargai dan mendukung penyelenggaraan "Integrated Expo Indonesia 2010" di Banglades tersebut.

Lanud Supadio Perlu Radar Militer

2010-04-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

20 April 2010, Kubu Raya -- Tiga pesawat tempur jenis Hawk 100 dan Hawk 200 milik Skadron Udara-1 Elang Khatulistiwa, melintas di atas Pangkalan TNI AU Lanud Supadio, Kabupaten Kubu Raya, Kalbar, Senin (19/4). Saat ini sedianya Pangkalan TNI AU Lanud Supadio membutuhkan radar militer guna memantau perkembangan keamanan di kawasan perbatasan Indonesia (Kalbar) - Sarawak (Malaysia Timur) sepanjang 857 kilometer. (Foto: ANTARA/Jessica Wuysang/Koz/hp/10)

Confirmed: Czech Made VERA-E Is In Malaysia Now

2010-04-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

VERA-E in Malaysian Armed Forces camouflage and local terrain was shown in a publication at DSA 2010. (photo : KLSR)

Kuala Lumpur, KLS: Source at DSA 2010 confirmed that Czech VERA-E Mobile Long-range Passive Surveillance System is already in Malaysia now.

Previously, Malaysia had signed a MOU with OMNIPOL which is only exporter of VERA-E on August 7th, 2007 at Malaysian Ministry of Defense.

But, top rank officers of MINDEF denied it due to the sensitiveness of importing VERA-E system. VERA-E is reported to be able to detect stealth aircraft

Sertijab Komandan Lanal Tanjung Balai Asahan

2010-04-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

Upacara serah terima jabatan ini diikuti oleh personel Lanal Tanjung Balai Asahan dan satuan-satuan lain yang terdapat di wilayah Kota Tanjung Balai Asahan dan Kabupaten Asahan serta aparat maritim lainnya. (Foto: Dispenal)

20 April 2010, Tanjung Balai, Asahan -- Jabatan Komandan Pangkalan Angkatan Laut (Lanal) Tanjung Balai Asahan diserahterimakan dari Danlantamal I, Laksamana Pertama TNI Syarif Husin, kepada pejabat baru Letkol Laut (P) R. Firman Noegraha W., Jumat (16/4) di Mako Lanal Tg. Balai Asahan.

Upacara diikuti oleh personel Lanal Tanjung Balai Asahan dan satuan-satuan lain yang terdapat di wilayah Kota Tanjung Balai Asahan dan Kabupaten Asahan serta aparat maritim lainnya seperti Kodim 0208/AS, Yon 16/KC, Polres Tanjung Balai Asahan, Kompi-3 Brimob Tanjung Balai Asahan, personel Pelabuhan Tanjung Balai Asahan, Bea dan Cukai Tanjung Balai Asahan. Acara ini juga dihadiri oleh para pejabat Muspida Kota Tg. Balai Asahan, Muspida Kab. Asahan, Bupati Batubara dll.

Pejabat baru Komandan Lanal Tanjung Balai Asahan Letkol Laut (P) R. Firman Noegraha W. adalah alumni Akademi Angkatan Laut (AAL)-38 tahun 1992. Pendidikan lain yang pernah diikuti pria kelahiran Purwokerto, 09 Desember 1970 ini antara lain Dikpasis Angk-5 Tahun 1993, S-2 Resource Management TA. 1997/1998, Diklapa-I/Navdir Angk-14 TA.1999/2000 dan Dikreg Seskoal Angk-45 TH. 2008.

Beberapa jabatan yang pernah disandangnya sebelum menjabat sebagai Sebelum menjabat sebagai Komandan Lanal Tanjung Balai Asahan diantaranya adalah sebagai Komandan KRI Teluk Langsa-501, Komandan KRI Teluk Manado-537, Paban Jian Srena Kolinlamil, Komandan KRI Teluk Penyu-513, Sebagai kontingen Garuda XI-12/Unikom di Kuwait dan sebagai Pabandya Opssus di Ban II Sopsal Mabesal. Sedangkan tanda jasa yang dimiliki yaitu Satya Lencana Kesetiaan VIII dan Satya Lencana Komandan KRI.

Pejabat baru Komandan Lanal Tanjung Balai Asahan Letkol Laut (P) R. Firman Noegraha W. adalah alumni Akademi Angkatan Laut (AAL)-38 tahun 1992. (Foto: Dispenal)

Penandatanganan berita acara serah terima jabatan. (Foto: Dispenal)

KRI Dewaruci Tiba di Salalah Oman

2010-04-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

20 April 2010, Surabaya -- KRI Dewaruci dalam pelayarannya Muhibah keliling Eropa telah tiba dan merapat di Dermaga Umum Salalah Oman, belum lama ini, Rabu (14/4).

KRI Dewaruci yang dikomandani Letkol laut (P) Suharto dengan jumlah ABK sebanyak 88 orang itu, begitu kapal merapat, disambut oleh Athan RI di Riyadh/Arab Saudi Kolonel Kav Achmad Riad, S.IP dengan didampingi beberapa staf. Selama berada di Oman, Komandan KRI Dewaruci Letkol Laut (P) Suharto dengan didampingi Athan RI Kolonel Kav Achmad Riad melakukan kunjungan ke Salalah Navy Base.

Dalam kunjungan tersebut diterima oleh Komandan Oman Navy Salalah Letkol Laut Humaid Howasal Al Abri. Kemudian kunjungan persahabatan dilanjutkan ke Kantor Pelabuhan Umum Salalah dan diterima oleh Deputy Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Ali serta mengunjungi Markas Besar Kepolisian di Salalah Oman. Dalam kunjungan ini diterima oleh Letkol Polisi Rabiah Abdullah Balushi beserta.

Dalam setiap kunjungannya di Oman, diakhiri dengan saling memberikan cinderamata. Selama melaksanakan pelayaran muhibah ke Eropa, beberapa kegiatan kejuaraan lomba layar bergengsi tingkat internasional yang pernah berkali-kali diraih juga akan diikuti sekaligus dipertahankan KRI Dewaruci diantaranya, pada tanggal 12 Mei – 4 Juni mengikuti The Historical Seas Tall Ships Regatta 2010 dengan route: Yunani-Bulgaria-Istambul (Turki). Pada tanggal 13 Juli-7 Agustus 2010 mengikuti The Tall Ships Race 2010 dengan route: Antwerp (Belgia)-Aalborg (Denmark)-Kristiansand (Norwegia)-Hartlepool (Inggris).

Pada tanggal 20-23 Agustus mengikuti festival Sail Amsterdam di Belanda. Pada tanggal 25 – 29 Agustus 2010 mengikuti Sail Brernerhaven 2010 di Jerman. Kemudian pada tanggal 8 – 13 September 2010 mengikuti Festival International Mediferraneo And Velieri di Cagliari (Italia)

Pembukaan Penataran Taktik Bertempur Kodam Diponegoro

2010-04-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

20 April 2010, Semarang -- Kasdam IV/Diponegoro, Brigjen TNI Langgeng Sulistiyono, memeriksa pasukan pada upacara pembukaan Penataran Taktik Bertempur, di Daerah Latihan (Rahlat) Meteseh, di Semarang, Jateng, Selasa (20/4). Penataran Taktik Bertempur yang diikuti sebanyak 118 prajurit TNI AD dari berbagai kesatuan di jajaran Kodam IV/Diponegoro itu bertujuan untuk mengantisipasi bergesernya pola pertempuran di masa mendatang, dari pertempuran di daerah pedalaman ke daerah pemukiman dan perkotaan. (Foto: ANTARA/R. Rekotomo/ed/hp/10

Swedia Tawarkan Rumania 24 Gripen Harga Bersaing

2010-04-19T04:48:00.000-07:00

19 April 2010 -- Pemerintah Swedia menawarkan pada Rumania 24 jet tempur baru Gripen dengan harga sama dengan jet bekas pakai F-16 yang ditawarkan oleh Amerika Serikat.

Tetapi tawaran Swedia tidak berikut amunisi, sedangkan Amerika Serikat dengan amunisi.

Jerry Lindbergh pejabat Swedia urusan ekspor peralatan pertahanan memberikan keterangan detil saat jumpa press di Bukarest, Rumania.

Ia mengatakan Swedia dapat menyiapkan 24 jet tempur baru Gripen C/D mampu secara penuh interoperasi dengan NATO, berikut pelatihan, dukungan, logistik dan 100 persen offset senilai 1,3 milyar euro.

Pembayaran dalam tempo 15 tahun dengan bunga rendah.

Saab terkejut keputusan Rumania memilih jet tempur bekas pakai F-16.

Bukarest selain mempertimbangkan pembelian 24 jet bekas tetapi juga akan membeli 24 jet tempur siluman F-35 menurut Menteri Pertahanan Rumania, ditujukan memperkuat mitra strategis Rumania-Amerika Serikat.

AFP/@beritahankam

RI-AS Latihan Bersama Pengangkutan Udara

2010-04-19T04:47:00.000-07:00

19 April 2010, Jakarta -- Angkatan Udara Republik Indonesia (RI) dan Amerika Serikat (AS) melakukan latihan bersama pengangkutan udara taktis bersandi "cope west 10" mulai 19 hingga 23 April 2010.

Komandan Wing I Pangkalan Udara Halim Perdanakusuma Kolonel Pnb Djoko Senoputro kepada ANTARA di Jakarta, Senin mengatakan, latihan bersama digelar di Pangakalan Udara Halim Perdana Kusuma melibatkan satuan pesawat C-130 Hercules TNI AU dan tiga unit pesawat sejenis dari Wing 376 pangkalan udara AS di Yakoda, Jepang.

"`Cope west 10` merupakan latihan pengangkutan udara taktis bilateral yang melibatkan angkatan udara RI dan AS yang dirancang untuk meningkatkan inter-operabilitas antara angkatan udara kedua negara," katanya.

Latihan bersama tersebut, juga memungkinkan pertukaran teknik yang berkaitan dengan operasi pengangkutan, operasi pendaratan dan penerjunan dari pesawat-pesawat AU RI dan AS.

"Dalam latihan kali ini, kita diperkenalkan dengan sistem dropping udara baru (ICDS) yang bisa dilakukan dari ketinggian 5.000 kaki," ungkap Djoko.

Ia menambahkan, sebelum melakukan dropping, diterjunkan transmiter yang akan mengumpulkan data tentang cuaca, arah dan kecepatan angin. Data kemudian dikirim ke pesawat untuk diolah oleh kru, kemudian dilakukan drooping.

"Latihan ini, sangat membantu untuk operasi militer maupun operasi militer selain perang, seperti saat terjadi bencana dan satu daerah tidak dapat didarati pesawat berbadan besar dan lebar," kata Djoko.

Komandan Wing 376 Letnan Kolonel Dave Kincaid menambahkan, selain memperkenalkan sistem droping udara baru pihaknya juga memberikan beberapa teknik pengangkutan udara.

"Kami juga berlatih bersama `Tactical Low Level, Cargo Drop dan Personel Drop` yang melibatkan unsur-unsur operator pesawat Hercules. Intinya dirancang untuk meningkatkan inter-operabilitas antara angkatan udara kedua negara," katanya.

Latihan dilakukan hingga 23 April 2010 dengan mengambil area latihan Pangkalan Udara Halimperdanakusuma dan Lapangan Gorda, Serang

Pangarmatim Tutup Latihan SAR di Laut

2010-04-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

19 April 2010, Surabaya -- Suarabaya, 19 April 2010 Panglima Komando Armada RI Kawasan Timur (Pangarmatim) Laksamana Muda TNI Among Margono, SE secara resmi menutup kegiatan Latihan SAR Laut tahun 2010 di Pusat Latihan (Puslat) Operasi Laut (Opsla) Kolatarmatim Ujung Surabaya, Senin (19/4).

Latihan SAR di laut yang digelar selama sepekan tersebut melibatkan unsur-unsur SAR terkait lainya, yaitu Lantamal V Surabaya, Dinas Penyelamatan Bawah Air (Dislambair), Satuan Pasukan Katak (Satpaska) Koarmatim, RSAL Dr. Ramelan Surabaya, KRI Ajak-653, Kapal Rumah Sakit KRI dr. Soeharso-990, 1 Cassa dan 1 Helikopter NBell-412 dari Puspenerbal (Pusat Penerbangan TNI Angkatan laut), Kantor SAR Surabaya, dan 1 Helikopter BO-105 dari Basarnas.

Metode latihannya sendiri digelar dalam dua tahap, yaitu Latihan Pos dan Komando (Latposko) dan Manuver Lapangan (Manlap). Khusus untuk Manlap, dilaksanakan diperairan Laut Jawa pada tanggal 14-15 April. Bertindak selaku Komandan Satgas Latihan SAR atau SMC (SAR Mission Coordinator) adalah Kolonel Laut (P) Sutaryono yang sehari-hari menjabat Komandan Satuan Kapal Bantu Koarmatim. Dalam sambutannya Pangarmatim mengatakan, kegiatan latihan ini memiliki arti yang sangat penting guna menguji kemampuan dan profesionalisme personel TNI AL serta kesiapan operasi satuan-satuan dalam rangka melaksanakan operasi pencarian dan penyelamatan di laut.

Kesiapsiagaan Alutsista dan personel memiliki peran yang sangat menentukan keberhasilan pelaksanaan tugas-tugas SAR di laut. Latihan ini juga dijadikan sebagai tolok ukur dan referensi dalam mewujudkan keberhasilan dalam menghadapi tugas mendatang. “Keberhasilan dalam latihan ini hendaknya terus dipertahankan bahkan perlu ditingkatkan sehingga pada gilirannya akan mendukung peningkatan kemampuan TNI AL dalam memberikan bantuan SAR laut dan ketanggapsegeraan dalam merespon berbagai bentuk kecelakaan di laut,”kata Pangarmatim.

Dikatakan Pangarmatim, bahwa salah satu indikasi yang mewadahi kesuksesan tersebut adalah keberhasilan para pelaku untuk merumuskan suatu rencana dan melaksanakannya secara tepat waktu, tepat tindak dan tepat sasaran tanpamenimbulkan kerugian yang berarti, baik personel maupun material sehingga dalam latihan inia zero accident dapat terwujud

re: Home / photo / Roket Lapan Diisi Warhead Siap Diuji Coba Roket Lapan Diisi Warhead Siap Diuji Coba

2010-04-19T04:45:00.000-07:00

Salah satu produk roket buatan Lapan (photo : masmass)

Menhan Menerima Ka Lapan

Jakarta, DMC - Menteri Pertahanan RI Purnomo Yusgiantoro menerima Kepala Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional (LAPAN) DR. Ir. Adi Sadewo Salatun beserta rombongan, rabu 14/4, di kantor Kementerian Pertahanan (Kemhan), Jakarta. Maksud kedatangannya adalah menjalani kerjasama dalam pengembangan teknologi roket pertahanan dengan Kemhan.

Dalam acara penyampaian paparan oleh Ka Lapan, Menhan sangat menyetujui keinginan Ka Lapan untuk bekerjasama dengan Balitbang Kemhan. Menhan menyambut baik kerjasama tersebut dan meminta agar kerjasama ini dibuatkan MoU antara Kemhan dan Lapan. Selain roket pertahanan, Menhan mengharapkan ada teknologi pertahanan lainnya yang bisa di kembangkan oleh Balitbang Kemhan dan Lapan.

Dalam kesempatan tersebut, Kepala Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan (Balitbang) Kemhan DR. Ir. Pos M. Hutabarat, MA mengatakan bahwa Balitbang mempunyai rencana bekerjasama dengan Lapan untuk meluncurkan warhead milik Balitbang Kemhan yang bekerjasama dengan PT. pindad. Dalam proses peluncurannya, Lapan akan menggunakan roket buatannya dan Kemham akan menggunakan warhead berukuran 120 mm. Saat ini, roket dan warhead sudah siap dan akan diluncurkan hingga ketinggian 12 Km yang di rencanakan pada bulan September 2010.

Selain roket, Ka Lapan menambahkan bahwa Lapan telah membuat satelit pengintaian. Satelit milik Lapan ini bernama Satelit Mikro Lapan-Tubsat dan telah diluncurkan pada tahun 2007 yang lalu. Satelit ini berada pada ketinggian 600 km dan masih bekerja dengan baik hingga saat ini.

Keunggulannya adalah satelit tersebut bisa dikendalikan langsung dan pengambilan gambarnya bisa diperoleh secara instan. Sedangkan satelit milik luar negeri tidak seperti itu. Prosesnya sangat lambat, gambar yang diinginkan difoto dulu, lalu foto diproses dan hasilnya akan terlihat tiga hari sampai seminggu kemudian.

Selain satelit tersebut di atas, Lapan juga akan meluncurkan kembali satelit kembar. Satelit itu terdiri dari satelit surveilance dan satelit imager. Posisi satelit berada di equator pada ketinggian 650 Km. Keberadaan satelit ini dimaksudkan penggunaannya untuk berkomunikasi darurat ketika bencana terjadi di Indonesia.

Dalam pertemuan tersebuat, turut mendampingi menhan Dirjen Renhan Kemhan Marsda TNI Bonggas S. Silaen, SIP, Dirjen Ranahan Kemhan Laksda TNI Gunadi, MDA, Kabalitbang Kemhan Dr. Ir. M. Hutabarat, MA dan Karo Humas Kemhan Brigjen TNI I wayan Midhio. (IK/PGN)

Pembangunan TNI Difokuskan Pada Modernisasi Kekuatan

2010-04-19T04:44:00.000-07:00

19 April 2010, Jakarta -- Pembangunan TNI difokuskan pada modernisasi kekuatan.dalam mewujudkan ”kekuatan pokok minimum pertahanan”. untuk mewujudkan kekuatan TNI yang ”cukup”, menuju terwujudnya kekuatan pertahanan negara yang ”Cukup” pula, demikian amanat Panglima TNI pada apel 17an bulan April 2010 yang disampaikan Komandan Sekolah Staf dan Komando Angkatan Udara (Seskoau) Marsma TNI IGN Basuki,Senin (19/04) di Lapangan Apel Seskoau, Lembang Kabupaten Bandung Barat.

Dikatakan Panglima TNI , makna dan hakekat dari kekuatan ”cukup”, adalah kekuatan yang mampu mengemban tugas-tugas operasional yang sedang dan akan dipercayakan ; setiap saat dapat dikembangkan bila diperlukan ; tidak berlebihan di tengah keterbatasan anggaran; tidak ketinggalan di tengah kemajuan teknologi militer ; serta memancarkan deterrence effect atau ”daya tangkal” yang tinggi, sehingga ”disegani” oleh kawan atau lawan.

Untuk itu kata Panglima aspek pembinaan, ”pemeliharaan” dan ”perawatan” yang telah dilaksanakan selama Renstra I, harus tetap dilanjutkan sebagai landasan pacu yang kokoh guna menyongsong tugas dan pengabdian TNI berikutnya. Aspek pemeliharaan dan perawatan terhadap Alkap, Alut dan Alutsista tiap Angkatan, harus tetap dilaksanakan dengan sebaik-baiknya. Hal ini dimaksudkan, untuk menghindari dan menekan terjadinya ”resiko”, baik berupa incident (kejadian bahaya) atau accident (kecelakaan), hingga tingkat yang serendah-rendahnya. katanya.

Sejalan dengan hal tersebut ditekankan bahwa setiap prajurit khususnya para perwira dan setiap pimpinan unit kerja TNI, harus menyadari bahwa setiap resiko yang menimpa TNI, dampaknya amat luas. Bukan hanya merugikan prajurit dan materiil yang digunakan, melainkan langsung atau tidak langsung akan mempengaruhi bahkan mengurangi kesiapan operasional satuan.

Selanjutnya Panglima TNI menegaskan, bahwa ”optimalisasi” peran TNI sama sekali bukan bentuk ”ekspansi” TNI seperti di masa lalu, untuk ”mencampuri” atau ”mengambil-alih” peran dan tugas pokok institusi lain. ”Optimalisasi peran TNI” , semata-mata panggilan moral dan fungsional TNI, dalam rangka menunaikan ”tugas kemitraan” atau ”tugas perbantuan” TNI kepada institusi atau lembaga lain, apabila diperlukan sesuai dengan kemampuan dan batas kemampuan TNI.

Dengan demikian kesemuanya itu, semata-mata untuk mencapai empat tujuan pokok : Pertama, membantu meningkatkan persatuan dan kesatuan bangsa ; Kedua, membantu meningkatkan kecerdasan dan kesejahteraan rakyat ; Ketiga, membantu menegakkan disiplin, tata tertib dan hukum di laut dan di udara ; serta Keempat, membantu meningkatkan ”citra” bangsa Indonesia di mata dunia melalui kerjasama internasional di bawah naungan PBB.

Hadir dalam upacara ini Wadan Seskoau Marsma TNI R Hari Muljono, seluruh Pejabat Staf, Perwira Penuntun, Perwira Staf dan Anggota Seskoau serta Perwira Siswa Seskoau Angkatan 47

alaysia Berencana Borong Alutsista di Pameran Senjata

2010-04-19T04:43:00.000-07:00

19 April 2010 -- Pameran senjata dan peralatan militer internasional Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2008 dibuka oleh Menteri Pertahanan Malaysia Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi, Senin (19/4) di Kuala Lumpur.

Penyelenggara pameran mengklaim DSA merupakan pameran senjata terbesar kelima dunia dan terbesar di Asia, DSA tahun ini untuk ke-12 kalinya.

Pameran diikuti 700 perusahaan dari lebih dari 30 negara dengan menampilkan lebih dari 260 produk militer.

Malaysia diberitakan berencana membeli tank, jet tempur, kapal selam dan kapal baru

Kosekhanudnas I Tangkap Pesawat Tak Dikenal

2010-04-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

16 April 2010, Jakarta -- “Siaga 1, Waspada Merah, Siap Tempur 1”, demikian perintah Pangkosekhanudnas I, Marsekal Pertama TNI J.F.P Sitompul saat mengetahui adanya pelanggaran wilayah udara nasional oleh kekuatan udara asing melalui Pusat Operasi Sektor Makosekhanudnas I, sebagai Pos Komando Pengendalian kepada unsur TS yang siaga di Skadron Udara 31 Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma Jakarta.

Diketahui bahwa kekuatan udara negara asing telah melakukan unjuk kekuatan yang sangat mencolok dengan terus memperkuat kedudukannya di pangkalan aju dalam rangka mewujudkan kekuatan politiknya untuk menguasai Pulau Jawa dan seringkali melakukan penerbangan pengintaian yang melanggar jalur penerbangan wilayah udara nasional Indonesia.

Kosekhanudnas I beserta jajaran Satuan Radar di bawahnya menangkap kegiatan pesawat tidak dikenal yang melakukan pengintaian diwilayah NKRI khususnya diwilayah Kosekhanudnas I. Guna menindak lanjuti kondisi tersebut, Satuan Radar jajaran Kosekhanudnas I melaporkan langsung dan meningkatkan intensitas operasi untuk memotong garis perhubungan udara lawan dengan cara menghancurkan kekuatan udara asing tersebut yang memasuki wilayah udara Indonesia dengan melibatkan unsur TS sebagai Interceptor.

Setelah mendapatkan perintah dari Pangkosekhanudnas I Marsekal Pertama TNI J.F.P Sitompul, unsur TS dengan pesawat F-5 E Tiger dalam kondisi siap tempur diterbangkan untuk mengejar dan melakukan tindakan Force Down terhadap kekuatan udara negara asing yang tertangkap radar telah melanggar wilayah udara nasional Indonesia.

Hal tersebut merupakan rangkaian skenario kegiatan Latihan Cakra A/2010 yang melibatkan unsur dari Popunas Kohanudnas, Satuan Radar di jajaran Kosekhanudnas I dan mengerahkan kekuatan 4 pesawat tempur F-5 E Tiger Skadron Udara 14 lanud Iswahyudi serta satu pesawat angkut berat C-130 Hercules Skadron Udara 32 Lanud Abd. Saleh dengan jumlah total personel sebanyak 405 orang.

Latihan Hanud Cakra A/2010 ini bertujuan untuk melatih kesiapsiagaan unsur Hanud jajaran Kosekhanudnas I dan Radar Sipil dalam rangka menjaga kedaulatan udara di wilayah tanggung jawabnya.

Berkat kesiapsiagaan jajaran Kohanudnas dan seluruh satuan samping yang terlibat, segala kegiatan yang berdampak kepada terganggunya kedaulatan, keselamatan dan kesatuan negara dapat diatasi.

Hasil yang diharapkan dalam menggelar Latihan Cakra A/2010 adalah untuk memantapkan prosedur pelaksanaan Operasi Pertahanan Udara Nasional bersama seluruh jajaran dan sistem komunikasi dalam mendukung kelancaran Operasi Pertahanan Udara Nasional untuk menjaga kedaulatan wilayah udara.

Pentak kosekhanudnas

Misi Senyap Kapal Selam Tjandrasa

2010-04-18T02:42:00.000-07:00

Oleh: F Djoko Poerwoko, Pemerhati Militer

18 April 2010 -- Tanggal 19 Februari 1963 di halaman Istana Negara, Jakarta, Presiden Soekarno menganugerahkan Bintang Sakti bagi 1.165 pejuang Trikora. Sejumlah nama tercantum sebagai penerima Bintang Sakti, termasuk Herlina si Pending Emas, Leonardus Benny Moerdani, dan 61 ABK Kapal Selam RI Tjandrasa. Baru kali ini bintang tertinggi militer dianugerahkan secara kelompok, umumnya hanya buat individu yang bertugas diluar panggilan tugas.

ABK RI Tjandrasa dianugerahi bintang tertinggi militer Indonesia atas keberanian mereka yang luar biasa mendaratkan 15 pasukan RPKAD di Teluk Tanah Merah, Irian Barat, wilayah yang dijaga ketat oleh Belanda. Pendaratan di malam yang kelam tanggal 21 Agustus 1962 ini hanya berhasil dilakukan oleh RI Tjandrasa, sedangkan dua kapal selam lainnya cikar haluan karena ketahuan musuh.

Cerita yang runtun dan apik ini disajikan oleh Atmadji Sumarkidjo, seorang wartawan militer senior yang saat ini alih tugas di media TV. Buku dengan judul Mission Accomplished: Misi Pendaratan Pasukan Khusus oleh Kapal Selam RI Tjandrasa ini telah diluncurkan oleh KASAL di geladak kapal perang KRI Surabaya-591 pada awal tahun 2010.

Buku yang lahir di atas laut ini mengisahkan sepak terjang pelaut Indonesia selama operasi pembebasan Irian Barat tahun 1962.

Sejujurnya misi kapal selam memang misteri dan ”tabu” untuk diceritakan. Satuan yang mempunyai moto Wira Ananta Rudhiro (Tabah Sampai Akhir) ini selalu beroperasi dalam senyap sehingga senyap pula dari pemberitaan di media massa.

Namun, dengan keberanian, akurasi data, dan kedekatan dengan sejumlah petinggi militer, Atmadji berhasil menyusun cerita yang pantas untuk dibukukan.

Dari buku setebal 155 halaman ini, pembaca diajak masuk dalam kehidupan kapal selam, kebiasaan para ABK, hingga tugas-tugas operasi yang selama ini dijalankan, terutama saat operasi Djajawidjaja berlangsung.

Penulis mengakui bahwa semua data yang didapat adalah berdasarkan testimoni para pelaku dan tidak satu pun ”dokumen negara” yang digunakan sebagai acuan. Dari sinilah kepiawaian penulis dibuktikan sehingga cerita yang disajikan dapat mengalir dengan lancar tanpa resistensi birokrasi militer.

Bisul hampir pecah

Subjudul ini dipakai penulis saat menggambarkan situasi sidang kabinet tanggal 20 Januari 1962, sepekan setelah tenggelamnya RI Matjan Tutul di Laut Aru pada tanggal 15 Januari 1962. Peristiwa yang dikenal dengan peristiwa Aru ini menewaskan Deputi I KASAL Komodor Jos Sudarso dan melengserkan KASAU Laksamana Madya Udara S Suryadharma. Adalah menjadi pertanyaan besar tentang siapa yang berinisiatif melaksanakan operasi rahasia tanpa diketahui panglima.

Digambarkan bahwa sidang di Istana Bogor tersebut sangat mencekam, serius, dan sepi setelah Kolonel Mursid menjawab ”Tidak ada perubahan…!”

Menjawab pertanyaan Omar Dhani (KASAU baru) saat bertanya kenapa operasi tidak dibatalkan atau ditunda setelah musuh mengetahui rencana ini.

Hanya karena kewibawaan Bung Karno sehingga tidak terjadi debat keras sesama peserta sidang. AURI yang sakit hati karena disalahkan dan ALRI juga tidak terang-terangan menuduh Angkatan Darat merancang operasi infiltrasi tersebut membuat gamang peserta sidang.

Meskipun semua paham bahwa infiltrasi adalah bagian dari Operasi A, rencana operasi yang dirancang Angkatan Darat.

Peristiwa Aru dan rapat di Istana Bogor sebetulnya menjadi sebuah berkah bagi Komando Mandala yang dipimpin oleh Mayjen Soeharto. Karena dalam akhir rapat Presiden Soekarno memberi petunjuk bahwa Operasi Mandala, operasi pembebasan Irian Barat, adalah operasi gabungan di bawah Komando Panglima Mandala.

Sisi lain operasi pembebasan Irian Barat mengenai kedatangan 6 kapal selam yang diawaki orang Rusia. Keenam kapal selam terakhir yang datang bulan Juli 1962 ini tidak muncul di Ujung Surabaya, tetapi diperintahkan untuk tetap menyelam dan siaga di utara Irian Barat.

Dalam operasi bersandi Alugoro mereka mendapat tugas untuk free hunting, bermakna legal untuk menenggelamkan semua kapal musuh yang ditengarai mengganggu operasi Djajawidjaja.

Kala itu kapal selam ini telah dipersenjatai dengan torpedo terbaru tipe SAET-50 yang dapat homing menuju sasaran. ”Dalam operasi Alugoro yang diberikan secara langsung kepada keenam kapal selam itu adalah menuju Samudra Pasifik di utara Irian Barat. Mereka harus melakukan operasi khusus yang berdiri sendiri di luar Komando Operasi Djajawidjaja di bawah perintah Menteri/ Kepala Staf Angkatan Laut Laksamana Madya RE Martadinata.

Keenam kapal selam diperintahkan membentuk blokade ketat di sepanjang pantai utara Irian Barat untuk menenggelamkan kapal.”

Instruksi ini jelas perintah perang! (Hal 127).

Secara resmi keenam kapal selam baru diserahkan kepada Indonesia pada tanggal 15 Desember 1962. Berakhirlah tugas ABK Rusia di atas kapal selam yang ikut operasi. Kapal selam itu diberi nama RI Widjajadanu/409, RI Hendradjala/405, RI Pasopati/410, RI Bramasta/412, RI Tjundamani/411, dan RI Alugoro/406.

Tak terkendali?

Hasil perundingan di New York yang diprakarsai oleh Amerika berhasil mendamaikan pertikaian Indonesia-Belanda sehingga keluar surat perintah dari Presiden selaku Panglima Tertinggi Angkatan Perang RI/ Panglima Besar Komando Tertinggi Pembebasan Irian Barat untuk menghentikan tembak-menembak sejak 18 Agustus 1962 pukul 09.31 waktu Irian Barat. Surat ini baru direspons Panglima Mandala pada 25 Agustus 1962 dengan keluarnya Perintah untuk Menghentikan Permusuhan Indonesia-Belanda.

Adapun operasi pendaratan pasukan RPKAD yang dilakukan RI Tjandrasa dilaksanakan pada 21 Agustus 1962, beberapa hari setelah keluarnya sandi Awan Terang yang bermakna gencatan senjata.

Pelaksanaan operasi digambarkan penulis dengan apik dan mencekam. Faktor komunikasi dianggap sebagai kendala, mengingat operasi kapal selam selalu dilakukan dengan radio silence!

”Tiga sekoci pendarat diselimuti kegelapan dengan didayung lepas dari RI Tjandrasa menuju pantai pendaratan.

Suasana tenang, sepi, hanya suara gemerisik ombak dan dayung pasukan khusus yang terdengar.”

Buku ini dibuat berdasar testimoni para pelaku sehingga data jarak antara pantai dan kapal selam berbeda. Komandan kapal menyatakan jarak sejauh 500 meter, sedangkan saksi lain menyatakan kurang lebih 2 mil.

Buku ini apik untuk dibaca, apalagi Atmadji sering menggunakan kata-kata heroik, ”….Kita semua masih muda dari perwira sampai bintara.

Kita dipenuhi oleh semangat menyala-nyala dan tidak memikirkan hal lain, seperti gaji, rumah, atau keluarga.”

Semangat yang tentunya diperhatikan oleh para petinggi militer sampai kapan pun

TNI AL Gelar Operasi Arung Pari

2010-04-18T02:40:00.000-07:00

Tim penyelamat dari TNI AL berhasil membekuk pelaku aksi teroris pembajakan kapal nelayan Karya Bahari di Dermaga Lanal Sabang, Rabu (14/4) kemarin. Kegiatan simulasi penanganan aksi terorisme di laut itu dengan sandi Arung Pari 10 itu digelar di Teluk Sabang. (Foto: SERAMBI/FERDI NS)

15 April 2010, Sabang -- TNI AL melakukan Gelar Operasi Arung Pari 10 di Teluk Sabang, Rabu (14/4). Dalam gelar operasi yang melibatkan KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda dan Korp Pasukan Katak (Kopaska) itu, pasukan TNI AL berhasil membekuk enam orang pembajak kapal nelayan. Simulasi tersebut digelar sekitar pukul 12.50 WIB.

Dalam simulasi itu, KRI SIM 367 diperintahkan menangkap pelaku dan membebaskan nelayan yang disandera. Operasi ini berada di bawah kendali Gugus Tempur Laut Armada Wilayah Barat (Guspurlabar). Selain menyandera nelayan, pelaku juga meminta tebusan sejumlah uang tebusan.

KRI SIM yang dikomandani Letkol Laut (P) Ariantyo Condro Wibowo kemudian melego jangkar sekira 100 meter dari posisi kapal yang tengah di bajak. Lokasi ini berdekatan dengan Pulau Klah dan Depo Pertamina Sabang. Setelah mengikuti briefing, dua tim menggunakan dua speedboat dikerahkan untuk mendekati, menaiki, mencari, dan menangkap pelaku.

Tim pertama langsung naik ke kapal yang dibajak dan sempat terjadi kontak tembak. Sekitar 10 menit, keenam pelaku berhasil dilumpuhkan, tiga di antaranya tewas. Sementara kru kapal dan nelayan berhasil diselamatkan. Kapal itu kemudian digiring ke Dermaga Lanal, para pelaku kemudian dievakuasi dari kapal Karya Bahari untuk diamankan.

Komandan Lanal Sabang, Kolonel Laut (E) Yanuar Handwiono menyebutkan, gelar operasi itu diharapkan mampu meningkatkan profesionalisme TNI AL dalam menjaga kedaulatan NKRI. Terkait dengan kondisi jalur laut di sekitar perairan Aceh, Danlanal menegaskan sejauh ini aman dan belum ada gangguan kemanan.Simulasi penangan aksi terorisme itu juga turut disaksikan pelajar dan guru SD-SMA.

Helikopter Lynx AL Korsel Jatuh

2010-04-18T02:39:00.002-07:00

17 April 2010 -- Sebuah helikopter Angkatan Laut Korea Selatan jatuh di bagian Barat-Daya, menewaskan satu orang dan tiga orang hilang, diumumkan Kementrian Pertahanan Korea, Jumat (16/4).

Helikopter jenis Lynx dari Armada Ketiga saat melakukan patroli dekat Kepulauan Chuja 14,5 km Tenggara Jindo, Provinsi Jeolla Selatan, jatuh sekitar pukul 20.58 waktu setempat, Kamis (15/4). Lynx helicopter jenis anti kapal selam buatan Inggris.

Militer dan Polisi segera mengirimkan kapal-kapalnya ketempat insiden terjadi, guna melakukan operasi pencarian dan penyelamatan.

Menurut pihak militer Korsel helikopter ini berusia 11 tahun, kondisinya masih layak pakai da cuaca saat kejadian dilaporkan dalam kondisi baik.

AL Korsel mengoperasikan 25 Lynx sejak 1990-an, termasuk 13 Super Lynx dengan peningkatan pada rotornya. Satu helicopter Lynx jatuh 1993 saat melakukan misi pengangkutan dekat Pohang, Provinsi Gyeongsang Utara.

Pada tahun ini, militer Korsel telah kehilangan dua jet tempur F-5, satu helikopter milik AD, satu korvet tenggelam dan terakhir helikopter Lynx

Armabar Amankan Perairan Aceh

2010-04-18T02:39:00.001-07:00

17 April 2010, Jakarta -- Gugus Tempur Laut Komando Armada RI Kawasan Barat (Guspurlaarmabar) menggelar operasi penegakan keamanan dan antisipasi aktivitas terorisme di perairan Nanggroe Aceh Darusalam (NAD). Operasi bernama Arung Pari 10 ini, melibatkan lima KRI serta pasukan elite Komando Pasukan Katak (Kopaska) Armada RI Kawasan Barat, Tim Intai Amfibi dan tim pendukung dari Pangkalan TNI AL (Lanal) Sabang.

"Dari aspek penegakan hukum di laut, operasi ini di gelar untuk memberikan dampak penangkalan (deterence) terhadap segala kemungkinan ancaman dan potensi kerawanan bagi gangguan keamanan dan pelanggaran di laut wilayah yurisdiksi nasional Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia (NKRI)," ujar Kepala Staf Gugus Tempur Laut Koarmabar, Kolonel TNI Mintoro Yulianto melalui Kepala Dinas Penerangan Armamabar, Letkol TNI Suriyono kepada Suara Karya di Jakarta, Jumat (16/4).

Mintoro turut serta dalam operasi yang akan dilaksanakan selama 180 hari, sejak Maret - Agsutus 2010. Unsur TNI AL yang dilibatkan, antara lain KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda-367 (kapal markas), KRI Teuku Umar, KRI Silas Papare, KRI Lemadang, KRI Silea, satu tim Paska, satu tim Repair, satu tim Taifib Marinir, satu helly dan tim pendukung Lanal Sabang.

"Selama pelayaran, tim-tim dan KRI serta timpendukung melaksanakan latihan-latihan VPSS, ISR, ARRCS, SRRCS, MANNEX, ASUWX, SAG, MOB, RAS," ujarnya.

Pengawal Perbatasan

Komandan Lanal Sabang, Kolonel TNI Yanuar Handwiono mengatakan, KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda-367 dalam operasi Arung Pari 10 mendukung upaya peningkatan keamanan di perairan Selat Malaka.

Selain itu, kapal perang jenis korvet kelas SIGMA ini, punya tugas untuk melakukan penyekatan terhadap aktivitas kelompok teroris yang diduga sedang membangun kekuatan (markas) di wilayah Aceh.

"Kehadiran KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda-367 di wilayah perairan Aceh diharapkan dapat memberikan dampak penangkalan terhadap aktivitas kelompok teroris," ujarnya.

Sekaligus, tutur dia, mendeteksi serta mencegah secara dini aksi-aksi penyelundupan serta kemungkinan aktifitas ilegal lainnya melalui laut di wilayah perairan Aceh.

Sementara itu, Supriyono menambahkan, keberadaan KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda-367 sebagai pengawal dan penegakan kedaulatan di wilayah perbatasan, yuridiksi nasional, pulau-pulau terluar dan Zona Ekonomi Ekslusif (ZEE) Indonesia. "KRI yang dikomandani Letkol TNI Ariantyo Condro Wibowo Sultan ini, sangat penting dihadirkan di Aceh, guna menegakkan kedaulatan dan hukum serta menjamin kepentingan nasional NKRI," ujarnya.

Warga Sabang Berwisata ke Kapal Perang

2010-04-18T02:38:00.001-07:00

Gelar Open Ship KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda-367 Rabu (14/4) di Dermaga Lanal Sabang mendapat diramaikan warga Sabang yang berdatangan memenuhi kapal itu. Sejumlah pengunjung memanfaatkan momen langka itu dengan mengamati perlengkapan kapal sambil memotret sejumlah obyek menarik. (Foto: SERAMBI/FERDI NAZIRUN SIJABAT)

17 April 2010, Sabang -- Kapal perang terbaru milik TNI AL, KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda (SIM) - 367, Rabu (14/4), tiba di Sabang. Usai mengikuti simulasi penanganan aksi teroris pembajakan kapal nelayan di Teluk Sabang sekira pukul 12.40 WIB, sorenya kapal yang dikomandani Letkol Laut (P) Ariantyo Condro Wibowo, membuka kunjungan ke kapal. Sejak pukul 16.00 WIB, warga Sabang mulai memadati kapal yang dibuat di galangan Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (SNS), Vlissingen, Belanda itu. Warga dibolehkan beriwisata sambil menjelajahi ruangan, dek kapal, hingga ke haluan kapal. Hingga pukul 17.30 WIB, warga masih saja berdatangan ke kapal. Para penjaga yang tak lain adalah kru KRI SIM tampak melempar senyum sambil mempersilakan pengunjung untuk melancong ke dalam kapal perang itu.

Penasaran dengan kemewahan kapal perang yang dibanderol sekitar Rp 1,7 Trilyun ini, sejumlah pengunjung pun berdesakan naik ke dek atas untuk melihat panorama sekitar Teluk Sabang dari sisi kanan atas kapal. Ada juga yang masuk ke ruang kemudi melihat perlengkapan canggih yang dimiliki kapal ini. Kegiatan open ship ini lazim digelar kapal-kapal perang yang pernah singgah di Sabang. Tradisi serupa juga acap digelar oleh KRI Dewa Ruci. Istimewanya kru KRI SIM ini adalah mereka hapal betul dengan sejarah Sultan Iskandar Mud

KRI Soeharso Ambil Bagian dalam Latihan SAR

2010-04-15T20:22:00.001-07:00

JAKARTA--MI: KRI dr Soeharso-990 Kamis (15/4) pagi bergerak menuju ke 'lokasi penyelamatan' yang menjadi pusat latihan 'Search and Resque' (SAR) setelah bermalam di perairan Laut Jawa sekitar 15 mil utara Pulau Madura.

Kapal yang berfungsi sebagai rumah sakit itu meninggalkan posisi lego jangkar, Kamis pagi sekitar pukul 06.30 WIB, kemudian dalam selang beberapa saat tampak pesawat Cassa NC-212 terbang memutar.

Setelah menemukan beberapa titik lokasi yang diskenariokan sebagai lokasi penemuan korban kapal tenggelam, Cassa melapor kepada komandan Satgas SAR yang berada di KRI Soeharso.

Komandan Satgas menindaklanjuti dengan memerintahkan Helikopter BO-105 yang berada di landasan heli (helipad) KRI Soeharso untuk menjalankan tugas Heli Cast dengan membawa tiga personel Pasukan Katak TNI Angkatan Laut (AL).

KRI Soeharso yang dikomandani Letkol Laut Heri Bertus Yudho Warsono berada di perairan Laut Jawa sejak Rabu (14/4) malam sekitar pukul 20.00 WIB.

Kapal tersebut membawa 128 personel TNI-AL dan 133 anggota Satgas SAR itu menuju empat titik penyelamatan, yakni di koordinat 06.45 derajat LS-112.47 derajat BT, 06.50 derajat LS-112.47 derajat BT, 06.50 derajat LS-112.58 derajat BT, dan 06.45 derajat LS-112.58 derajat BT.

Kapal yang juga mengangkut enam dokter spesialis korban tenggelam dan luka bakar itu dilengkapi berbagai alat penyelamatan dan kesehatan.

Saat latihan berlangsung, cuaca di Laut Jawa tampak cerah dengan ketinggian gelombang antara 0,2 hingga 0,5 meter. (Ant/OL-02/Ars)

Menhan Minta Sebagian Alutsista Dibuat di Indonesia

2010-04-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

15 April 2010, Surabaya -- Staf Ahli Menteri Pertahanan (Menhan) Bidang Industri Teknologi Prof Dr Ir Edi Siradj M. Eng menyatakan bahwa Menhan meminta sebagian alat utama sistem senjata (alutsista) TNI dipesan dari industri pertahanan di Indonesia.

"Misalnya, pembelian dua kapal selam dari Prancis itu, maka satu kapal dibuat di Prancis dan satu lagi dibuat di Indonesia," katanya setelah berbicara dalam seminar nasional kemaritiman di rektorat ITS Surabaya, Kamis.

Menurut guru besar thermo mechanical process itu, pesanan yang dibuat di Indonesia itu harus dilakukan orang Indonesia dengan supervisi ahli dari Prancis, sehingga akan terjadi alih teknologi.

"Saat ini ada tiga negara yang setuju dengan keinginan Indonesia untuk pembuatan alutsista dengan cara seperti itu, yakni Jerman, Korsel, dan Prancis, sehingga nantinya akan ada kemandirian," katanya.

Oleh karena itu, pemerintah sekarang merumuskan regulasi yang diberlakukan mulai tahun depan. "Ada tujuh regulasi yang lima di antaranya untuk mendorong kemandirian, seperti regulasi industri petahanan dan regulasi pengadaan alutsista," katanya.

Ia mengatakan alutsista Indonesia saat ini masih 80 persen tergantung kepada luar negeri, sehingga Indonesia hanya sekadar membeli dan menggunakan saja.

"Tapi dengan cara baru yang kita tawarkan itu akan terjadi alih teknologi, sehingga kalau alutsista yang kita pesan itu mengalami kerusakan, maka kita akan bisa memperbaiki dan tak perlu mendatangkan tenaga asing atau harus dikirim ke negara asalnya," katanya.

Sementara itu Panglima Komando Armada RI Kawasan Timur (Pangarmatim) Laksamana Muda TNI Among Margono yang juga pembicara dalam acara itu mengaku ada sejumlah alutsista di Koarmatim yang sudah waktunya tidak dipakai lagi.

"Kami usulkan ada beberapa kapal LST (landing ship tank) yang sudah tak efisien diganti baru, bahkan tahun ini juga akan kami usulkan tambahan empat kapal korvet Sigma dan empat kapal LPD (landing platform dock)," katanya.

Orang nomor satu di Koarmatim terhitung sejak 1 Maret 2010 itu menambahkan, usulan penambahan, penghapusan, dan pergantian itu akan dimasukkan dalam perencanaan baru pada kurun 2010-2014.

Seminar nasional kemaritiman yang dibuka Rektor ITS Prof Ir Priyo Suprobo MS PhD itu juga menampilkan pembicara lain yakni Ir Tjahjono Roesdianto dari PT DKB dan Dr Ir Ade Bagdja MME dari PT Pindad

Alutsista TNI AL Sudah Tua

2010-04-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

KRI Teluk Tomini.

16 April 2010, Surabaya -- Panglima Komando Armada Timur TNI AL Laksamana Madya TNI Among Margono mengatakan alat utama sistem pertahanan (alutsista) yang digunakan TNI AL masih kalah dengan negara Malaysia dan Singapura. Padahal Indonesia merupakan negara terbesar di Asia Tenggara yang terdiri dari ribuan pulau.

"Senjata yang kita miliki bila dibanding Singapura dan Malaysia jauh tertinggal. Apalagi dengan Australia senjata TNI AL tidak ada apa-apanya. Saat ini senjata yang kita miliki didominasi teknologi era tahun 80-an. Bahkan ada kapal perang LST buatan Amerika tahun 1942 yang masih beroperasi. Kalau ketemu dengan kapal AS, mereka akan hormat kepada kita. Karena kalah senior," kata Among Margono. ketika menjadi pembicara dalam seminar "kajian Pertahanan dan Pengembangan Teknologi Tempur AL di ITS, Surabaya.

Ditambahkan Among, saking tuanya alutsista yang dimiliki, TNI seringkali kehabisan anggaran untuk melakukan perawatan. "Kita ini pandai merawat. Sampai-sampai kita mampu merawat kapal supaya tidak tenggelam. Padahal untuk merawat itu justru lebih mahal dari pada membeli yang baru," katanya.

Kata Among, sebagian besar KRI yang dimiliki TNI AL merupakan teknologi tahun 1980 hingga 1990. Ada juga sebagian kecil KRI buatan tahun 1970 dan tahun 2000. Begitu juga untuk pesawat udara yang dimiliki TNI AL merupakan teknologi tahun 1970 hingga tahun 1990 dan hanya sebagian kecil saja yang berteknologi tahun 2000. Bahkan, untuk kendaraan tempur marinir sebagian besar masih berteknologi tahun 1960 hingga tahun 1970.

Padahal, Australia sebagian besar alutsistanya merupakan pruduk tahun 1990 hingga 2007. Bahkan Australia saat ini berencana melakukan pengadaan kapal perang jenis Air Warfare Destroyer klas Hobart dengan system tempur terbaru. Dalam sepuluh tahun terakhir, Australia juga bekerja sama dengan Amerika untuk mendatangkan 10 kapal selam.

Begitu juga Singapura, memiliki empat kapal selam siluman. Singapura juga memiliki kapal tempur terbaru yang dilengkapi dengan stealth technology yang mampu mengadapi ancaman multidimensi dari udara, permukaan laut dan bawah laut. Malaysia juga tak kalah, selain mendatangkan dua kapal selam berteknologi tinggi, Malaysia sejak tahun 1980-an telah meremajakan alutsistanya. Bahkan sejak tahun 1980 itu, Malaysia telah mendatangkan empat korvet kelas laksamana buatan Italia. Kapal inipun ternyata dilengkapi dengan rudal permukaan dan rudal anti pesawat tempur.

Selain itu, Malaysia saat ini juga melaksanakan program pembelian satu kapal selam diesel electrik kelas scorpene untuk melengkapi kapal selam KD Tuanku Abdul Rahman yang dimiliki. Malaysia juga sedang melakukan pengadaan 27 kapal patrol generasi baru kelas kedah serta beberapa pesawat patrol bahari. "Di satu sisi hubungan kita di Ambalat sedang memanas. Saat ini saja, kita selalu siagakan tujuh KRI di sana," kata Among Margono.

Kalahnya persenjataan TNI AL, menurut dia bisa dimaklumi karena keterbatasan anggaran, dimana 60 persen anggaran masih untuk gaji personel dan hanya 40 persen anggaran untuk peralatan. "Idealnya dibalik, 60 persen untuk peralatan dan gaji personel 40 persen," kata dia.

Meski begitu, TNI AL saat ini telah merumuskan untuk segera memiliki kekuatan pokok minimum alutsista. Syarat memiliki kekuatan minimum, menurut Among, TNI AL telah memiliki 151 KRI, 54 Pesawat Udara, 310 Kendaraan Tempur, tiga batalyon tempur marinir, satu yonif siaga kota, dan satu yonif tambahan.

TNI AL merencanakan untuk memiliki kekuatan MEF

2010-04-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

TEMPO Interaktif, Surabaya - Panglima Komando Armada Timur TNI Angkatan Laut Laksda TNI Among Margono, mengatakan sebagai negara yang menguasai dua pertiga wilayah Asia Tenggara, peralatan TNI Angkatan Laut sangat tertinggal jauh dari beberapa negara tetangga.

Saking tuanya, “Bahkan ada kapal perang LST buatan Amerika tahun 1942 yang masih beroperasi. Kalau ada kapal AS berpapasan dengan kapal ini, mereka harus menghormat karena kalah senior,” canda Among dalam sebuah seminar bertajuk “Kajian Pertahanan dan Pengembangan Teknologi Tempur Angkatan Laut” yang digelar di Institut Teknologi Sepuluh November, Kamis (15/4).

Menurut dia, teknologi peralatan TNI AL saat ini masih didominasi teknologi era tahun 1980-an. Karena uzur peralatan yang dimiliki Angkatan Laut TNI AL, kata Among, TNI seringkali kewalahan dan kehabisan anggaran untuk melakukan perawatan. "Untuk mempertahankan supaya tidak tenggelam saja sudah mahal," ujarnya.

Meski tidak merinci jumlah peralatan yang sudah tua, namun sebagian besar KRI yang dimiliki TNI AL memakai teknologi tahun 1980 hingga 1990. Peralatan uzur ini, kata dia, juga bisa dijumpai pada pesawat udara yang dimiliki TNI AL. Untuk pesawat, kata dia, teknologi yang dipakai sebagian memakai buatan tahun 1970 hingga tahun 1990. Sedangkan peralatan yang lebih tua ada pada kendaraan tempur marinir yang sebagian besar masih buatan tahun 1960 hingga tahun 1970.

Padahal, kata dia, di Australia sebagian besar peralatannya sudah memakai produk buatan 1990 hingga 2007. Bahkan Australia saat ini berencana melakukan pengadaan kapal perang jenis Air Warfare Destroyer kelas Hobart dengan sistem tempur terbaru.

Begitu pula di Singapura. Negara ini, kata dia, saat ini telah memiliki empat kapal selam siluman. Selain itu, Singapura juga memiliki kapal tempur terbaru yang dilengkapi dengan stealth technology yang mampu menghadapi ancaman multidimensi dari udara, permukaan laut dan bawah laut.

Namun, kata Among, TNI AL bisa memaklumi ketinggalan teknologi yang dipakainya itu. Sebab, anggaran untuk pembelian peralatan itu masih minim. Dimana dari alokasi yang ada, 60 persen diantaranya masih digunakan untuk gaji personelnya. Sedangkan 40 persen anggaran untuk peralatan. “Idealnya dibalik, 60 persen untuk peralatan dan gaji personel 40 persen,” ujarnya.

Saat ini, kata Among, TNI AL telah merencanakan untuk segera memiliki kekuatan pokok minimum peralatan itu. Syarat memiliki kekuatan minimum, menurut Among, jika TNI AL telah memiliki 151 KRI, 54 pesawat udara, 310 kendaraan tempur, tiga batalyon tempur mariner, satu yonif siaga kota, dan satu yonif tambahan.(Ars)

KRI Soeharso Ambil Bagian dalam Latihan SAR

2010-04-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Personel Search and Rescue (SAR), mengangkat korban kecelekaan kapal laut dari rescue net (jala pertolongan), pada latihan SAR (Latsar) TNI AL dan Basarnas Surabaya, di perairan laut Jawa, Kamis (15/4). Latsar ini melibatkan kapal rumah sakit KRI dr Suharso-990, peswat Cassa TNI AL, serta halikopter SAR Surabaya serta KRI Sura-802, yang bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan unsur-unsur operasi Komando Aramad Kawasan Timur (Koarmatim) TNI AL dalam melaksanakan tugas SAR di laut. (Foto: ANTARA/Bhakti Pundhowo/Koz/nz/10)

15 April 2010, Jakarta -- KRI dr Soeharso-990 Kamis (15/4) pagi bergerak menuju ke 'lokasi penyelamatan' yang menjadi pusat latihan 'Search and Resque' (SAR) setelah bermalam di perairan Laut Jawa sekitar 15 mil utara Pulau Madura.

Kapal yang berfungsi sebagai rumah sakit itu meninggalkan posisi lego jangkar, Kamis pagi sekitar pukul 06.30 WIB, kemudian dalam selang beberapa saat tampak pesawat Cassa NC-212 terbang memutar.

Setelah menemukan beberapa titik lokasi yang diskenariokan sebagai lokasi penemuan korban kapal tenggelam, Cassa melapor kepada komandan Satgas SAR yang berada di KRI Soeharso.

Komandan Satgas menindaklanjuti dengan memerintahkan Helikopter BO-105 yang berada di landasan heli (helipad) KRI Soeharso untuk menjalankan tugas Heli Cast dengan membawa tiga personel Pasukan Katak TNI Angkatan Laut (AL).

KRI Soeharso yang dikomandani Letkol Laut Heri Bertus Yudho Warsono berada di perairan Laut Jawa sejak Rabu (14/4) malam sekitar pukul 20.00 WIB.

Kapal tersebut membawa 128 personel TNI-AL dan 133 anggota Satgas SAR itu menuju empat titik penyelamatan, yakni di koordinat 06.45 derajat LS-112.47 derajat BT, 06.50 derajat LS-112.47 derajat BT, 06.50 derajat LS-112.58 derajat BT, dan 06.45 derajat LS-112.58 derajat BT.

Kapal yang juga mengangkut enam dokter spesialis korban tenggelam dan luka bakar itu dilengkapi berbagai alat penyelamatan dan kesehatan.

Saat latihan berlangsung, cuaca di Laut Jawa tampak cerah dengan ketinggian gelombang antara 0,2 hingga 0,5 meter

Kemenhan Ajukan Tambahan Anggaran Rp2,7 Triliun

2010-04-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

15 April 2010, Jakarta -- Kementerian Pertahanan telah mengajukan tambahan anggaran sebesar Rp 2,7 triliun untuk diakomodasi dalam APBN-Perubahan. Namun, DPR baru bisa meloloskan 6%-nya.

Hal ini disampaikan oleh Anggota Komisi I DPR RI dari FPD Guntur Sasono kepada wartawan di Jakarta, Kamis (15/4).

"Mereka mengajukan Rp 2,7 triliun, tapi yang disetujui Rp 359 miliar. Kami masih berkoordinasi dengan Komisi VII dan Komisi XI untuk meloloskannya," ujar Guntur.

Ia mengaku tak ingat detil yang diajukan terkait penggunaan anggaran. Salah satu prioritas adalah untuk tunjangan bagi prajurit di perbatasan. Hal ini sesuai dengan amanat Inpres serta saran Komisi I DPR RI dalam RDP dengan pemerintah beberapa waktu lalu.

"Tunjangan perbatasan itu prioritas," tukasnya.

Wakil Menhan Letjen Sjafrie Sjamsuddin sebelumnya menyatakan bahwa pihaknya menginginkan tambahan anggaran untuk biaya pemeliharaan dan perawatan alutsista sebanyak Rp5 triliun.

Selain itu, tambahan anggaran juga diperlukan untuk membiayai tunjangan perbatasan sebesar Rp 159 miliar untuk 9940 personel yang bertugas di perbatasan. Pengaturannya didasarkan pada Peraturan Menteri Keuangan S-15/MK.02/2010 tentang tunjangan prajurit di perbatasan

AeroUnion A300F Goes Down in Mexico

2010-04-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

A300B4-203(F) XA-TUE (078) is captered departing Los Angeles (LAX/KLAX) on March 26, 2010.
( Photo by Michael Carter)

AeroUnion A300B4-203(F) (c/n 078) XA-TUE "Margo" has unfortunately crashed at Monterry (MTY/MMMY) Mexico. Intial reports indicate that all three crew members and two persons on the ground have been killed. It appears, that the crash occurred at 2302 (local time) as the aircraft was departing as flt. TNO302 bound for Los Angeles (LAX/KLAX).

The aircraft was originally delivered to Air France as F-BVGM on May 31, 1979. The aircraft also saw service with Air Seychelles and Malaysian Airlines before being bought by P-G Aviation (N828SC) and converted to a freighter in early 1999. The aircraft was then leased to and operated by International Cargo Charter as C-FICB "Justin Edward" until being sub-leased to AeroUnion in 2001 and re-registered to XA-TUE

Full Production of Three AWD is Now Underway

2010-04-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Air Warfare Destroyer hull construction work at ASC's Osborne shipyard, South Australia (photo : Australian DoD)

Construction of Air Warfare Destroyers Underway

Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Materiel and Science, announced today that full production of Australia’s three Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD) is now underway.

In a ceremony at the BAE Systems shipyard in Melbourne, Mr Combet announced that full production of hull blocks has now commenced at three shipyards: ASC in Adelaide, BAE Systems in Melbourne and Forgacs in Newcastle.

“More than 500 people are now working on building hull blocks for the AWDs, and this will grow to a total workforce in the three shipyards of over 1,000 people,” said Mr Combet.

“Overall, more than 3,000 people will be working to build these warships around Australia and importantly, about 200 apprentices will join the project in the next few years.

“Each ship will be made up of 31 blocks fabricated at the three shipyards. The construction of each ship will require 51 kilometres of piping, 427 kilometres of electrical cable, 4,700 tonnes of steel, 138,000 litres of paint, 4,700 mechanical valves and 1.5 million fasteners.

“By mid-2011, completed hull blocks will begin to arrive in Adelaide for consolidation into the complete warship at the Government of South Australia’s Common User Facility.

“Successful completion of pilot fabrication work and production readiness reviews has finalised the transition of the project from detailed design into full production of the ships.

“This is an important milestone for this national project, and I wish to congratulate everyone involved in helping us reach this point,” Mr Combet said.

The project is on track to deliver the first AWD, HMAS Hobart, in December 2014. HMAS Brisbane is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2016 and HMAS Sydney in mid 2017.

The things we do. Mount Philistine

2010-04-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

transport with their Aerospatiale AS350B2 Squirrel ZK-HKA3 , c/n 2887 , (HK = Hokitika & A = Anderson).
A product of 1996 and ex the French Colonial register and also the Philippines. It was imported by Heliquip International who did their magic on it and registered it as ZK-HKA on 03-12-2002. It was transferred to Anderson Helicopters on 21-01-2003.
FYI ZK-HKA1 was a Hiller UH-12E and ZK-HKA2 was a Kawasaki BK117.

Kementrian Pertahanan Minta Tambahan Anggaran Rp 5 Trilyun

2010-04-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

Alutsista memerlukan anggaran perawatan yang besar (photo : Indoflyer)

Kemhan Minta Tambahan Rp 5T

JAKARTA(SI) – Kementerian Pertahanan (Kemhan) akan meminta dana tambahan sebesar Rp 5 triliun dalam Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Negara Perubahan (APBN-P) untuk perawatan alat utama sistem senjata (alutsista).

Wakil Menteri Pertahanan (Wamenhan) Letnan Jenderal TNI Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin mengatakan dibutuhkan biaya besar untuk program pemeliharaan dan perawatan untuk kesiapan operasional alutsista. Sebab pemeliharaan dan perawatan harus berada dalam standar yang maksimal. ”Pemeliharaan dan perawatan standarnya tidak boleh turun, karena itu kami meminta tambahan anggaran,” ujarnya di Kantor Kemhan, Jakarta, kemarin.

Menurut Sjafrie, jumlah biaya perawatan dan pemeliharaan alutsista yang akan diajukan tersebut sama dengan alokasi yang ditetapkan dalam anggaran pertahanan APBN 2010. Dari anggaran pertahanan 2010 sebesar Rp 42 triliun, ujar dia,sebanyak Rp21 triliun di antaranya adalah untukg aji.Sisanya untuk belanja barang rutin. Sementara untuk pemeliharaan dan perawatan operasional hanya Rp 5 triliun.

”Kan kita hanya punya Rp 5 triliun dari Rp 42 triliun untuk perawatan. Itu kita masih kurang. Makanya kita minta tambahan,” ujarnya. Selain pemeliharaan dan perawatan alutsista, dalam APBN-P 2010 Kemhan juga mengajukan tambahan anggaran bagi pengadaan peralatan khusus di satuan-satuan TNI. ”Peralatan khusus itu beda dengan material khusus bagi satuan khusus TNI,” ujarnya. Dia berharap anggaran yang diajukan bisa disetujui Dewan dalam waktu dekat ini.

Dia menambahkan, selain untuk kebutuhan pemeliharaan, pemerintah juga sedang mengusahakan pengadaan tunjangan bagi prajurit yang bertugas di perbatasan. Dia memperhitungkan anggaran tunjangan perbatasan mencapai Rp152 miliar untuk 9.940 personel. Sementara itu, Wakil Ketua Komisi I TB Hasanuddin mengungkapkan pada saat rapat yang membahas APBN-P 2010 Kemhan mengajukan anggaran tambahan sebesar Rp2,7 triliun.

”Komisi I tentunya tidak serta merta memberi persetujuan atas anggaran tersebut,”ujarnya. Menurut dia, pihaknya akan melihat prioritas program dari Kemhan yang akan dialokasikan untuk anggaran tambahan tersebut. ”Kami telah meminta Kemhan agar dalam rapat selanjutnya penjelasan Rp2,7 triliun yang disampaikan tersebut apa saja prioritasnya? Kemudian untuk biaya pemeliharaan yang lain Kemhan harus memerinci dan memberikan break down-nya seperti apa,” kata anggota Fraksi PDIP tersebut.

Selain itu, lanjut dia, Komisi I meminta agar rencana anggaran tambahan tersebut disesuaikan dengan kondisi keuangan negara. Sebab, Menteri Keuangan mengalokasikan penambahan anggaran bagi Kemhan untuk APBN-P berada dalam kisaran Rp300 miliar. Anggota Komisi I lainnya, Salim Mengga, juga menyatakan hal yang senada.

Menurut anggota Fraksi Partai Demokrat ini, untuk mengatasi keterbatasan biaya anggaran tambahan dalam APBN-P 2010 pemerintah harus menetapkan kebijakan sistem prioritas. ”Anggaran pertahanan memang masih jauh dari cukup, termasuk anggaran tambahan yang terbatas, karena itu alokasinya harus jelas prioritas dan peruntukannya,” tandas dia.

No more Adventurer 333 Amphibians in NZ

2010-04-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Our first Adventurer 333 was ZK-WAI which was first registered to the Newton Syndicate of Whakatane on 8/4/99. I only saw it once when I took this photo of it in the old hangar at Tauranga at the SAANZ flyin in February 2004. It looked rather neglected at that time, and I would guess that it did not clock up many hours. Can anyone add anything else to this story? It was cancelled from the register as revoked on 14/4/10.

Our second (and more successful) Adventurer 333 was Marcus Mewett's ZK-JZZ which was first registered in June 2004. This aircraft performed satisfacttorily and I remember seeing it flying by Takapuna Beach on several test flights. Marcus left New Zealand for Australia and he flew ZK-JZZ to Australia where it is now registrered as VH-AJH. It was cancelled from the New Zealand register in June 2006.

Marcus Mewett is an aircraft engineer who came to New Zealand from Zimbabwe and he bought his Rand KR 2 VP-WUP with him and first registered it as ZK-KRZ on 19/7/93. It is still current and is owned in the Christchurch area.

2010-04-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Islamic Republic of Iran launched a short-range missile test on September 27, 2009. The middle-eastern nation has been subjected to another round of threats and political attacks by the leading imperialist states of the US, UK and France.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

Iran complains to U.N. over U.S. nuclear "threat"

Tue, Apr 13 2010
By Patrick Worsnip

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran complained to the United Nations on Tuesday over what it called a U.S. threat to attack it with atomic weapons, accusing Washington of nuclear blackmail in violation of the U.N. charter.

President Barack Obama made clear last week that Iran and North Korea, both involved in nuclear disputes with the West, were excluded from new limits on the use of U.S. atomic weapons.

A letter from Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council and General Assembly presidents called on the United Nations to "strongly oppose the threat of use of nuclear weapons and to reject it."

Statements by Obama and other U.S. officials were "tantamount to nuclear blackmail against a non-nuclear-weapon state" and breached U.S. obligations under the U.N. charter to refrain from the threat or use of force, Khazaee said.

"Such remarks by the U.S. officials display once again the reliance of the U.S. government on (a) militarized approach to various issues, to which the threats of use of nuclear weapons are not a solution at all," he added.

They also posed "a real threat to international peace and security and undermine the credibility" of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the envoy said.

Obama is urging other global powers to agree to a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Iran over its refusal to halt nuclear work that the West suspects is aimed at making bombs, a charge Iran denies.

He pressed the case for sanctions at a 47-nation nuclear summit in Washington on Tuesday, at which he won pledges from world leaders to take joint action to prevent terrorist groups from getting nuclear weapons.

But Khazaee said that Iran, as a victim of weapons of mass destruction -- a reference to Iraq's use of poison gas against it in a 1980-88 war -- was firmly committed to a world free from such weapons.

The United States, the only country to have used nuclear weapons -- against Japan in World War Two -- "continues to illegitimately designate a non-nuclear weapon state as target of its nuclear weapons and contemplates military plans accordingly," he said.

U.N. members "should not condone or tolerate such nuclear blackmail in (the) 21st century," the Iranian envoy said.

Tiga Batalion TNI Jaga Perbatasan RI-PNG

2010-04-14T07:25:00.001-07:00

13 April 2010, Biak -- Pangdam XVII/Cenderawasih Mayjen TNI Hotma Marbun mengatakan tiga batalion TNI AD siap dikerahkan untuk menjaga perbatasan wilayah teritorial NKRI dengan negara tetangga Papua New Guinea (PNG).

"Pengamanan wilayah perbatasan RI-PNG tidak hanya untuk menjaga kedaulatan NKRI, namun juga mencegah ancaman kelompok sipil bersenjata yang kerap berkeliaran di wilayah tapal batas kedua negara bertetangga," katanya.

Kehadiran tiga batalion prajurit TNI di daerah perbatasan untuk menjalankan tugas negara yakni memberikan rasa aman kepada masyarakat serta menjaga keutuhan kedaulatan NKRI dari berbagai ancaman dari dalam negeri maupun luar negeri.

"Kami berharap penugasan yang dilakukan prajurit TNI di wilayah perbatasan dapat memberi rasa nyaman kepada warga negara Indonesia yang bermukim di daerah `tapal batas` RI-PNG," katanya.

Pangdam Hotma Marbun mengakui berdasarkan kenyataan di lapangan hingga saat ini ada beberapa prajurit TNI yang bertugas di daerah perbatasan menjalankan fungsi mengajar kepada siswa di sekolah pedalaman.

Hal ini dilakukan prajurit TNI, kata Pangdam, karena di berbagai sekolah wilayah pedalaman masih dirasakan kekurangan tenaga guru.

"Saya sangat senang dengan kepedulian prajurit TNI yang rela menjadi tenaga guru di wilayah pedalaman Papua akibat kurangnya tenaga pengajar pada sekolah tertentu," katanya.

Menyinggung kesejahteraan prajurit TNI yang menjaga wilayah perbatasan, ia mengatakan sebagai alat negara yang diberikan tugas operasi menjaga kedaulatan di wilayah perbatasan RI-PNG maka setiap hak dan kewajiban prajurit akan tetap menjadi perhatian pimpinan TNI.

"Selama beroperasi menjalankan misi menjaga wilayah perbatasan antara kedua negara bertetangga itu, setiap prajurit tetap diberikan hak-hak sesuai aturan dan kebijakan pimpinan TNI," kata Pangdam Hotma Marbun.

Pangdam Jaya: Situasi Keamanan Menghangat

2010-04-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

14 April 2010, Jakarta -- Panglima Kodam Jaya Mayjen TNI Darpito Pudyastungkoro mengatakan, situasi keamanan akan makin menghangat seiring situasi perkembangan politik dan ekonomi nasional.

"Tidak menutup kemungkinan situasi politik dan ekonomi ke depan makin menghangat seiring dengan kecenderungan yang ada saat ini," katanya pada apel komandan satuan jajaran Kodam Jaya di Jakarta, Rabu.

Darpito mengatakan, secara umum kondisi keamanan ibukota dan sekitarnya kondusif dan dinamis. Namun, aksi-aksi unjukrasa tetap terjadi dengan intensitas tinggi seiring dengan perkembangan situasi politik dan ekonomi nasional.

"Bahkan tidak menutup kemungkinan ke depan situasinya akan semakin memanas karena poros utama yang krusial seperti melemahnya daya beli masyarakat, sempitnya lapangan pekerjaan belum tertangani dengan baik," ujarnya.

Apalagi, kata dia, dalam beberapa waktu ke depan pemerintah berniat untuk menaikkan harga jual gas, listrik dan tarif tol yang berimbas langsung pada masyarakat.

Karena itu, prajurit Kodam Jaya bersama komponen masyarakat lain harus dapat mengatasi permasalahan tersebut secara bijak dan tenang.

"Saya juga meminta seluruh jajaran, terutama aparat kewilayahan, dan intelijen agar segera mengantisipasinya sehingga dapat memberikan penjelasan yang benar, agar masyarakat dan komponen bangsa mendapat penjelasan yang benar dan tidak mudah terprovokasi pihak-pihak yang memanfaatkan situasi tidak menguntungkan ini," tutur Pangdam Jaya.

Apel komandan satuan Kodam Jaya diikuti oleh 450 personel dan pada acara itu dibahas berbagai perkembangan aktual selain taktik tempur.

Kemenhan Butuh Tambahan Anggaran Perawatan Rp5 Triliun

2010-04-14T07:23:00.002-07:00

JAKARTA--MI: Kementerian Pertahanan yang membawahi TNI menyatakan kebutuhan anggaran pertahanan untuk perawatan dan pemeliharaan alutsista lebih dari Rp5 triliun yang sudah dialokasikan dalam APBN 2010. Kementerian berharap anggaran meningkat minimal seratus persen dari nilai yang ada.

Hal ini disampaikan oleh Wakil Menhan Letjen Sjafrie Sjamsuddin kepada wartawan di Jakarta, Rabu (14/3). "Pada anggaran tahun 2010, untuk kebutuhan pemeliharaan dan perawatan untuk kesiapan operasi teralokasi Rp5 triliun. Kami butuh seperti itu lagi. Pemeliharaan itu tidak bisa turun dari standard," kata Sjafrie.

Ia juga mengajukan penambahan anggaran untuk pengadaan peralatan khusus bagi kesatuan. Itu berbeda dari pengadaan material khusus yang diperuntukan satuan khusus. Ia berharap anggaran yang diajukan bisa disetujui dewan pada rapat tanggal 15 April 2010 mendatang. "Kita butuh anggaran yang urgen untuk mendukung operasionalnya yang belum dimasukan di dalam alokasi 2010. Dari Rp42 triliun, Rp21 triliunnya adalah untuk gaji. Sisanya untuk belanja barang rutin. Sementara, untuk pemeliharaan hanya Rp5 triliun. Kita butuh lebih dari itu," sambungnya.

Ia menambahkan bahwa selain kebutuhan pemeliharaan, pemerintah juga sedang mengusahakan pengadaan tunjangan bagi prajurit yang bertugas di perbatasan. Ia mengkalkulasi bahwa anggaran tunjangan perbatasan mencapai Rp152 miliar untuk 9.940 personel. Perhitungannnya mengikuti Peraturan Menteri Keuangan Nomor S-15/MK.02/2010. "Kita butuh Rp152 miliar untuk 9.940 personel yang bertugas di garis perbatasan. Itu untuk tunjangan perbatasan di luar anggaran yang sudah ditetapkan. Beda dengan yang remunerasi," jelasnya.

Peraturan Menkeu soal tunjangan perbatasan membagi tiga kriteria prajurit yang bertugas di perbatasan. Pertama, prajurit TNI dan PNS yang bertugas dan tinggal di wilayah pulau-pulau kecil terluar tanpa penduduk ditingkatkan sebesar 150 persen dari gaji pokok. Kedua, prajurit TNI dan PNS yang bertugas dan tinggal di wilayah pulau-pulau kecil terluar berpenduduk ditingkatkan sebesar 100 persen dari gaji pokok dan 75 persen bagi prajurit TNI dan PNS yang bertugas dan tinggal di wilayah perbatasan. Ketiga, prajurit TNI dan PNS yang bertugas di wilayah udara dan laut perbatasan dam pulau-pulau kecil terluar sebesar 50 persen dari gaji pokok. (DM/OL-04/Ars)

Kapal Selam Severodvinsk Batal Diluncurkan 7 Mei

2010-04-14T07:23:00.001-07:00

14 April 2010 -- Rusia membatalkan mengapungkan kapal selam serang tenaga nuklir baru karena masalah teknis. Galangan kapal Severodvinsk sebelumnya berencana mengapungkan kapal selam pada 7 Mei bertepatan peringatan ke-65 kemenangan atas Nazi Jerman pada Mei 1945.

“Peluncuran kapal selam baru Severodvinsk tertunda karena alasan teknis,” menurut sumber di perusahaan galangan kapal, ditambahkannya kapal selam akan diapungkan dan lolos uji pelayaran pada tahun ini.

Konstruksi kapal selam kelas Yasen (Graney) Project 885 pertama Severodvinsk dimulai 1993 di galangan kapal Sevmash, Severodvinsk tetapi terhenti karena masalah keuangan.

Konstruksi kapal selam kedua Kazan telah dimulai tahun lalu, akan dilengkapi perangkat elektronik dan persenjataan lebih maju.

Severodvinsk diharapkan dioperasikan oleh AL Rusia akhir 2010 atau awal 2011.

KASAL Rusia Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky mengatakan konstruksi kapal selam tenaga nuklir rudal balistik dan serang baru merupakan prioritas utama untuk AL Rusia.

Kapal selam nuklir kelas Graney dirancang mampu menembakan rudal jelajah jarak jauh hingga 5000 km bermuatan nuklir, menghancurkan sasaran di darat, kapal perang permukaan dan kapal selam.

Kapal selam dipersenjatai 24 rudal jelajah, termasuk 3M51 Alfa SLCM, SS-NX-26 Oniks SLCM atau SS-N-21 Granat/Sampson SLCM serta delapan tabung torpedo guna meluncurkan ranjau laut atau rudal anti kapal permukaan SS-N-16 Stallion.

Armada Laut Hitam Rusia Akan Terima 8 Kapal Perang Baru 5 Tahun Kedepan

2010-04-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

14 April 2010 -- Armada Laut Hitam Rusia akan menerima empat frigate dan empat kapal selam diesel dalam lima tahun kedepan, menurut sumber di AL Rusia pada RIA Novosti, Selasa (13/4).

Seorang pejabat Rusia mengatakan kapal perang baru tersebut guna menggantikan kapal perang yang telah dioperasikan lebih dari 30 tahun dan tidak layak dioperasikan untuk suatu misi laut.

Sebelumnya, diberitakan Armada Laut Hitam akan mempensiunkan kapal perusak Ochakov dan sebuah kapal selam diesel yang dibuat pada 1982. Selanjutnya kapal perusak Kerch dan sejumlah kapal pendukung berukuran besar.

Frigate Admiral Gorshkov dan kapal selam diesel kelas Lada Sevastopol yang masih dibangun, akan menjadi kapal perang baru pertama yang bergabung dengan Armada Laut Hitam dalam waktu dekat.

Rusia memerlukan menjaga kemampuan tempur di Laut Hitam dan Mediterania tidak hanya mengaja kepentingan regional Rusia tetapi juga turut serta dalam misi internasional dalam memerangi perompakan dan penyelundupan obat terlarang.

Kapal-kapal perang Armada Laut Hitam rutin berpartisipasi dalam latihan laut Blackseafor, Black Sea Harmony dan operasi anti teroris Endeavor.

“Kapal-kapal baru tersebut memastikan armada aktif berpartisipasi dalam berbagai operasi tersebut dan misi lainnya yang direncanakan oleh AL Rusia,” menurut sumber tersebut.

Ia menambahkan rencana pembaharuan kapal tidak melanggar kesepakatan tahun 1997 dengan Ukraina mengenai kehadiran Armada Laut Hitam di Krimea.
“Rencana kami sangat transparan dan mereka akan mendiskusikan saat pertemuan Rusia-Ukraina subkomite Armada Laut Hitam.”

Situasi Keamanan Nasional makin Menghangat

2010-04-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

JAKARTA--MI: Panglima Kodam Jaya Mayjen TNI Darpito Pudyastungkoro mengatakan, situasi keamanan akan makin menghangat seiring situasi perkembangan politik dan ekonomi nasional.

"Tidak menutup kemungkinan situasi politik dan ekonomi ke depan makin menghangat seiring dengan kecenderungan yang ada saat ini," kata Darpito pada apel komandan satuan jajaran Kodam Jaya di Jakarta, Rabu (14/4).

Darpito mengatakan, secara umum kondisi keamanan Ibu Kota dan sekitarnya kondusif dan dinamis. Namun, aksi-aksi unjukrasa tetap terjadi dengan intensitas tinggi seiring dengan perkembangan situasi politik dan ekonomi nasional.

"Bahkan tidak menutup kemungkinan ke depan situasinya akan semakin memanas karena poros utama yang krusial seperti melemahnya daya beli masyarakat, sempitnya lapangan pekerjaan belum tertangani dengan baik," ujarnya.

Apalagi, kata dia, dalam beberapa waktu ke depan pemerintah berniat untuk menaikkan harga jual gas, listrik dan tarif tol yang berimbas langsung pada masyarakat.

Karena itu, prajurit Kodam Jaya bersama komponen masyarakat lain harus dapat mengatasi permasalahan tersebut secara bijak dan tenang.

"Saya juga meminta seluruh jajaran, terutama aparat kewilayahan, dan intelijen agar segera mengantisipasinya sehingga dapat memberikan penjelasan yang benar, agar masyarakat dan komponen bangsa mendapat penjelasan yang benar dan tidak mudah terprovokasi pihak-pihak yang memanfaatkan situasi tidak menguntungkan ini," tutur Pangdam Jaya.

Apel komandan satuan Kodam Jaya diikuti oleh 450 personel dan pada acara itu dibahas berbagai perkembangan aktual selain taktik tempur. (Ant/OL-02/Ars

Sec. of State Clinton Is Worried About Al Qaeda And Its Intentions To Acquire Nuclear Weapons Material

2010-04-11T23:17:00.002-07:00

Secretary of State Hilliary Clinton speaks about the Nuclear Posture Review during a press conference with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu at the Pentagon, April 6, 2010. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen

Hillary Clinton Fears al-Qaeda Is Obtaining Nuclear Weapons Material -- Times Online

Terrorists including al-Qaeda pose a serious threat to world security as they attempt to obtain atomic weapons material, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, declared on the eve of a global summit in Washington to prevent a nuclear terror attack.

President Obama will call on the leaders of 47 nations today — the biggest gathering of heads of state by a US leader since the founding of the UN in 1945 — to introduce tougher safeguards to prevent nuclear material ending up in the hands of terrorists. As far back as 1998, Osama bin Laden stated that it was his Islamic duty to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction

U.S. Soldiers Go Hungry And Thirsty In Afghanistan

2010-04-11T23:17:00.001-07:00

A contracted air plane drops humanitarian aide supplies for Aka Sadiq to U.S. Marines and Afghan National Army soldiers at a drop site during a three-day combat reconnaissance patrol in the Bala Baluk District, Farah province, Afghanistan, March 30, 2010. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nicholas Pilch

U.S. Military Goes Hungry In Afghanistan -- Digital Journal

The United States Military is in the midst of a troop surge in Afghanistan, but the surge has caused the ratio of resources to troops to widen. Many American Forward Operating Bases are experiencing food and water shortages.

Sgt. Hill, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, has been in Afghanistan only a few months as part of the new troop surge into the country. The troops are mainly focused on training and promoting the Afghanistan army and police force. The training is the United States' attempt to "teach a man to fish," in the security department of the ever turbulent country, a country which is still undecided if it wants to break free from Taliban influence. With these larger issues at hand the need for proper amounts of food and water have fallen by the wayside.

Read more ....

My Comment:This is the second story that I have read in the past two weeks that outlines how food and water shortages are now starting to creep into the supply chain. Expect the Taliban to now intensify their attacks on supply convoys and basic shipments.

For history buffs .... this was the exact strategy used by the Mujaheddin against the Soviets in the 1980s, and according to my Russian cousins who fought in that war, it was incredibly successful. Food, water, ammunition, and the general basics were always in short supply .... and worse in winter.

Panglima TNI : Pemerintah Akan Perbaharui Alutsista TNI

2010-04-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

10 April 2010, Jakarta -- Panglima TNI Jenderal Djoko Santoso menegaskan, Pemerintah berupaya memperhatikan dan memperbaharui Kelengkapan Alat Utama system Persenjataan ALUTSISTA TNI secara bertahap disesuaikan dengan kemampuan Anggaran Negara. Namun semangat juang, melalui Porsi Latihan, wawasan bagi prajurit TNI umumnya dan Angkatan Udara khususnya dalam mendukung tuntutan pelaksanaan tugas-tugas Negara Operasi harus tetap menjadi Prioritas utama.

Demikian pula Kepala Staf Angkatan Udara Marsekal TNI Imam Sufa'at ditemui RRI usai Perayaan HUT ke-64 Jajaran TNI AU di Jakarta menegaskan, prajuritnya selalu siap dalam pelaksanaan Tugas Operasi baik operasi Rutin harian Pengamanan Kedaulatan Wilayah Teritorial RI dengan menggunakan sejumlah pesawat tempur, jenis Sukhoi, F-16, F-5. Kasau Marsekal Imam Sufa’at mengakui, tantangan tugas TNI AU kedepan semakin berat, namun kemampuan dan semangat juang Prajurit, tetap siap karena kekuatan dan kemampuan Prajurit tidak kalah dengan Negara-negara sahabat, walaupun Alutsista sedang dilengkapi secara bertahap.

Seperti ditunjukkan Pasukan Detasemen Khusus Bravo Paskas TNI AU pada peragaan dalam mengatasi berbagai ancaman terror saat memeriahkan Perayaan Hari Ulang Tahun kali ini, cukup memukau dan menghibur para Petinggi Negara baik TNI, pejabat SIPIL para Komandan Atase pertahanan Asing dan masyarakat Jakarta yang menyaksikan langsung bagaimana maneuver 16 pesawat Tempur di Pangkalan Halim Jumat pagi. Hal ini Menurut Marsekal Imam Sufa’at, telah membuktikan kesiapan Prajurit AU menghadapi tantangan tugas perasi keamanan dan keselamatan Negara Indonesia dimasa mendatang. Selain itu menurut Marsekal Imam Sufa’at, TNI AU telah menetapkan untuk mengganti pesawat jenis OV-10 Bronco, HS Hawk MK-53, dan F5E Tiger. Sedangkan Pesawat angkut, TNI AU juga akan mengganti F 28 VIP, C 212, F 27, dan B 737 MPA.

Perusahaan Rusia Peringkat Ke-18 Eksportir Senjata Dunia

2010-04-11T23:14:00.000-07:00

S-400 Triumf.

12 April 2010 -- Perusahaan Rusia Almaz-Antei menempati urutan ke-18 perusahaan eksportir senjata dunia menurut laporan SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) 2010.

Almaz-Antei berhasil membukukan penjualan senjata senilai 4,3 milyar dolar pada 2008.
Almaz-Antei salah satu pabrik sistem pertahanan udara terbesar yang dimiliki Rusia, memproduksi sistem pertahanan udara jarak pendek, sedang dan jauh, termasuk S-300 dan S-400 Triumf.

Almaz-Antei belum lama ini mengumumkan sedang mengembangkan enam jenis sistem pertahanan udara/rudal baru, termasuk sistem pertahanan generasi kelima S-500, diharapkan dapat dioperasikan pada 2012.

S-400 Triumf (Kode NATO SA-21 Growler) dirancang mencegat dan menghancurkan sasaran udara, termasuk pesawat siluman, rudal jelajah dan balistik, pada jarak hingga 3500 km dengan kecepatan mencapai 4,8 km/detik.

Darfield Sunday the 11th

2010-04-11T23:13:00.000-07:00

A fund raising day was held at Darfield on Sunday the 11th April for the local volunteer fire brigade. Apart from the cross wind, which kept the microlights away, the weather was most kind.
Top & bottom pic shows 25metres of nicely controlled low level inertia by Terry Delore in the ASH25 ZK-GZF , c/n 25202 . This was one of Steve Fossett's machines.

A good selection of the local farm based aircraft were on hand. Piper PA-18 ZK-BKX , c/n 18-4684 . Originally with the Nelson Aero Club from Mid 1956. Since 1963 it has been in private hands. In 1981 it went to Fred Bull and John Ogilvie out Sheffield way. Ownership has moved back and forward between the two a couple of times. It has been listed to Fred Bull since October of 2005.

Piper PA-18-150 ZK-BNJ c/n 18-5063 , an ex Canterbury Aero Club aircraft, has been with Mountain View Farm Ltd since late 1964.

One of the Ashburton contingent was the Czech Sportcruiser ZK-DEC2 , c/n 08SC109 , of Ian Begbie. (Ian also has the PA-28-140 ZK-DEK).

The long lens tends to make things more dramatic. Here The Hughes 269C ZK-HZC , c/n 110-0979 , exits stage left.

Ah ! for the sigh of a (Merlin) Rotax. Ivan taxies the Titan T51 ZK-MST . c/n M05XXX50HK0060 , (minus a u/c door) [& can somebody please decode that c/n ?].

Sekilas tentang Yonif 500/Raider

2010-04-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

Batalyon infanteri 500 Raider (Yonif 500/R) adalah satuan pemukul elit cepat milik Kodam V/Brawijaya dimana personilnya dididik langsung dibawah pelatihan Komando Pasukan Khusus (Kopassus) di Batujajar Bandung, Jawa Barat.

Selama menjalani pendidikan di Pusdik Pasus Jawa Barat beberapa personil Raider di bekali materi tambahan diantaranya Taktik Pertempuran Kota (Purkota), Demolisi (Penghancuran), Pembebasan Sandera (Baswan), Mobil Udara (Mobud), Berkendara, Camp dan Intelijen (Sandhi Yudha). Khususnya materi Intelijen personil raider akan mendapatkan pelatihan yang lebih khusus dan matang, dikarenakan hal tersebut bagi seorang prajurit raider sangat mutlak hukumnya demi kelancaran operasi yang akan di bebankan.

Dalam perekrutannya, raider menggunakan standarisasi yang sangat ketat dan selektif dan bisa dikatakan tidak mudah untuk menjadi seorang prajurit raider. Semua mendapat perlakuan yang sama baik dari tamtama sampai golongan perwira tidak akan ada pembedaan.

Yonif 500/Raider sangat aktif dalam menjalankan tugasnya di medan operasi seperti penugasan di Aceh dalam menghadapi gerombolan sparatis GAM, pasukan raider di sebar ke berbagai daerah yang di tengarai terdapat gerombolan dan simpatisan GAM untuk kemudian di eliminir dan di berangus. Dengan berbekal kemampuan intelijen dan teknik khusus disertai moril tempur yang sangat tinggi prajurit raider mampu menekan dan memberikan efek psikologis yang besar terhadap pergerakan GAM, sehingga mereka mundur dan masuk ke hutan-hutan untuk berlindung.

Salah satu prestasi terbaiknya yaitu keberhasilan salah satu tim raider 500/R menerobos dan menembak mati Panglima GAM wilayah Peureulak Aceh Timur Ishak Daud beserta Isterinya di Babah Krueng dipimpin Sertu Herlambang dengan menerobos langsung kejantung musuh yang dijaga ketat oleh pasukan GAM.
Yonif 500/Raider juga memiliki Satgultor sendiri sebagai kekuatan inti Raider layaknya Den-81 Gultor di jajaran Kopassus yang selalu dilatih dan dipelihara kemampuannya. Didalam pelatihannya tak jarang satuan Yonif 500/Raider melibatkan satuan lainnya seperti Rindam V/Brawijaya untuk menyelenggarakan latihan yang biasa di gelar di daerah Sumbermanjing, Malang Selatan dengan materi gunung hutan, baswan ,raid ,mobud dan penghancuran.

Saat ini Yonif 500/R dipimpin oleh Letnan Kolonel Inf Kunto Arief Wibowo mantan Kasiops Korem Malang menggantikan Letnan Kolonel Inf Supriono.(Ars

Iran Sukses Uji Coba Mersad Rudal Anti Pesawat

2010-04-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

12 April 2010 -- Iran telah mengembangkan dan sukses menguji coba sistem pertahanan udara pertama buatan dalam negeri, sistem ini lebih canggih dibandingkan rudal Hawk buatan Amerika Serikat, yang telah dioperasikan sejak 1970-an oleh Iran.

Menteri Pertahanan Iran Ahmad Vahidi mengatakan Minggu (11/4) bahwa rudal anti pesawat, Mersad, mampu menghancurkan pesawat terbang pada ketinggian rendah maupun sedang. Serta dilengkapi teknologi pengolah signal radar canggih, peluncur modern dan peralatan elektronik untuk pengarah dan penentu sasaran.

Teknologi terkini yang digunakan Mersad terhubung dengan sistem baterai pertahanan udara lainnya, ujar Vahidi.

Jarak tembak rudal Mersad tidak diumumkan, tetapi rudal Hawk mempunyai jarak tembak hingga 15 mil.

Iran mulai memproduksi skala massal rudal jarak menengah dan berencana mengirimkan ke angkatan bersenjata pada akhir tahun ini.

Iran terus berusaha meningkatkan kemampuan pertahanan udaranya secara mandiri guna melindungi dari serangan Amerika Serikat dan Israel.

Rusia belum merealisasi pengiriman sistem pertahanan udara S-300 ke Iran karena tekanan dari AS dan Israel. Iran mengancam Rusia akan mengajukan ke mahkamah internasional jika tidak menghormati kontrak yang sudah ditandatangani.

Sistem S-300 menyulitkan jet-jet tempur Israel jika diputuskan menyerang fasilitas nuklir Iran.

Potongan Sejarah yang hilang : KRI Tjandrasa

2010-04-11T06:38:00.002-07:00

Ada banyak potongan sejarah kita yang hilang. Padahal, potongan-potongan itu berbicara tentang waktu, manusia, dan semangat juang yang membakar hidupnya. Kita sering terjebak pada seremonial, wacana, dan citra. Padahal, ketika masa kita hampir berlalu, jejak yang tertinggal adalah pengorbanan kita untuk orang-orang di sekitar kita.

Begitu potongan-potongan yang ada seusai upacara Hari Dharma Samudera, Jumat (15/1), yang dipimpin Kepala Staf TNI Angkatan Laut Laksamana Madya Agus Suhartono.

Dalam bedah buku Mission Accomplished-Misi Pendaratan Pasukan Khusus oleh Kapal Selam RI Tjandrasa, diceritakan operasi rahasia Tjakra II yang digelar di Teluk Tanah Merah, Irian Barat, sebagai bagian dari Operasi Trikora.

Komandan kapal selam pertama, Laksamana Pertama (Purn) Raden Panji Poernomo, menceritakan bagaimana KRI Tjandrasa 408 di bawah pimpinan Mayor (Laut) Mardiono ngotot menjalankan misi. ”Mendaratkan RPKAD dengan ranselnya yang berat itu tidak mudah bagi kapal selam,” kata Poernomo.

KRI Tjandrasa berstrategi untuk mendekati pantai menjelang malam. Namun, upayanya gagal karena ada kapal patroli Belanda. KRI Tjandrasa ketahuan dan diusir. Mardiono tidak menyerah, pikiran nakalnya menyatakan, Belanda tidak akan berpikir, ia akan kembali keesokan harinya pada waktu dan tempat yang sama. ”Mereka pikir, kita tidak akan berani. Tetapi, justru itu yang persis kita lakukan dan kita berhasil,” kata Mardiono.

Masih seputar operasi Trikora, Luther Bindosano (67), seorang anak buah kapal KRI Macan Tutul, yang tenggelam di bawah pimpinan Laksamana Madya Yos Sudarso, menceritakan kenangannya tentang masa-masa seputar 13 Januari 1962, tanggal tenggelamnya KRI itu.

”Bocah, kamu ke sini. Kamu asal mana,” begitu Luther menirukan ucapan Yos Sudarso dalam pertemuan pertama mereka. ”Putra Waropen, Papua, Bapa,” jawab Luther. ”Apa kamu sudah siap, korbankan kepala dan dada kamu,” tanya Yos Sudarso lagi. ”Bapa, saya sudah siap,” jawab Luther. ”Tanah sepotong digenggam di tangan, bawa pulang ke Indonesia, ya,” begitu pesan terakhir Yos Sudarso yang terus terngiang di telinga Luther di tengah desingan peluru di 3-4 jam terakhir KRI Macan Tutul.

Luther, penembak itu, terapung-apung empat jam sebelum ditemukan tentara Belanda. Matanya jadi buta karena kuatnya radiasi bom. Ia dipukuli, dimasukkan ke dalam karung, diinjak-injak, dan tiga bulan dijadikan tawanan perang. Namun, hingga kini dia tidak menyesali 3-4 jam paling berpengaruh dalam hidupnya.

”Kita lawan terus. Kita pasti menang. Betul toh, sekarang kita menang,” kata pensiunan itu tanpa bisa dihentikan. (EDN/Ars)

Batas Perairan Tumpang Tindih

2010-04-11T06:38:00.001-07:00

11 April 2011, Balikpapan -- Polemik perbatasan dua negara antara Republik Indonesia dan Malaysia, ternyata bukan di daratan saja. Hingga kini, batas wilayah perairan kedua negara juga masih tumpang tindih. Hal tersebut terjadi lantaran masing-masing negara memiliki klaim atas batas wilayah perairan.

Hal ini diungkapkan Kepala Staf TNI Angkatan Laut (Kasal) Laksamana TNI Agus Suhartono. Dia dikonfirmasi wartawan terkait persoalan batas wialayah perairan RI-Malaysia, sesaat sebelum bertolak ke Jakarta di VIP Room Bandara Sepinggan Balikpapan, sekaligus mengakhiri kunjungan kerjanya ke wilayah perbatasan, kemarin.

“Saat ini Indonesia sudah membuat batas perairan sesuai asumsinya. Begitu juga dengan Malaysia. Kalau klaim tapal batas ini disatukan, akan terjadi tumpang tindih atau overlapping. Akibatnya, ketika ada kapal-kapal patroli Malaysia yang masuk ke batas wilayah yang kita asumsikan, maka kita akan menilainya sebagai pelanggaran batas wilayah. Begitu juga jika kapal patrol kita masuk ke dalam frame yang mereka asumsikan, akan dianggap sebagai pelanggaran,” tegas Agus Suhartono.

Karena itu menurut Agus, kunci dari penyelesaian masalah perbatasan selama ini masih mengedepankan jalur diplomasi. “Penyelesaian persoalan tapal batas ini bisa didapatkan, manakala perundingan perjanjian tapal batas sudah bisa disepakati. Karena itu, kita mendukung upaya pemerintah untuk mengedepankan jalur diplomasi bukan jalur kekuatan. Jika perjanjian tapal batas ini sudah disepakati, jelas mana wilayah kita dan mana yang bukan, barulah kita lebih tegas lagi,” ungkap Agus.

Meskipun begitu menurutnya, pengamanan wilayah perairan juga tetap diperhatikan. Selain mengerahkan 7 Kapal Republik Indonesia (KRI), yang secara rutin patroli di wilayah perbatasan sepanjang tahun, juga dibangun pos-pos pengamanan perbatasan.

“Untuk pos pengamanan perbatasan TNI Angkatan Laut, kita memiliki 6 pos. Empat di antaranya di wilayah utara dan dua di wilayah selatan. Empat pos itu antara lain di Sei Bajau, Sei Pancang, Sei Taiwan, dan satu pos di Perikanan . Tiap pos, masing-masing diperkuat 7 personel, dilengkapi dengan sarana dan fasilitas. Seperti combat boat, kemudian sea radar, dan sarana lainnya,” terang Agus.

Bahkan untuk mendukung pengawasan wilayah perbatasan ini, Mabes TNI Angkatan Laut juga sudah membangun sarana radar pantai di salahsatu pos pengamanan perbatasan.

“Untuk radar pantai ini, dibangun di pos Sei Pancang. Sudah mulai dibangun tahun lalu, dan sekarang sudah beroperasi,” tambah Agus.

Radar pantai ini memiliki kemampuan mendeteksi kapal-kapal yang masuk di wilayah perairan RI, dengan radius hingga 40 mil laut.

Kejahatan Perairan Menurun

Sementara itu terkait masalah kejahatan dan kasus-kasus yang terjadi di wilayah perairan, seperti praktik ilegal, sejak digalakkan operasi dan patroli rutin yang dilakukan jajaran TNI AL bersama kesatuan lain, Laksamana TNI Agus Suhartono menegaskan terjadi penurunan jumlah yang cukup signifikan.

“Kalau dipersentase, saat ini mungkin terjadi penurunan hingga 50 persen dibandingkan dengan tahun sebelumnya. Saat ini, kejahatan yang terjadi di laut, umumnya memang bukan kejahatan besar, tetapi lebih karena kebutuhan ekonomi para pelakunya, misalnya Illegal oil. Di wilayah timur relatif lebih kecil dibandingkan di wilayah barat ,” terang Agus.

Meskipun tak menutup kemungkinan, jenis kejahatan lain seperti imigran ilegal, illegal fishing, illegal oil, illegal logging juga masih terjadi. “Salahsatu yang saat ini juga sedang jadi perhatian, seperti yang disampaikan gubernur Kaltim dan wali kota, adalah adanya transit batu bara dari kapal besar ke kapal kecil. Ini juga akan jadi perhatian,” tambah Kasal lagi.

Ingin Sebutan Satkopaska Dikembalikan

2010-04-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

24 anggota Kopaska melakukan latihan penyergapan teroris di kawasan Tambak Wedi, Surabaya, tahun lalu. (Foto: detikFoto/Zainal Effendi)

11 April 2010 -- Sejak 22 Maret lalu, Satuan Komando Pasukan Katak (Satkopaska) memiliki komandan baru. Dia adalah Letkol Laut (P) Yeheskiel Katiandagho yang sebelumnya menjabat Wadan Resimen Kadet AAL. Dia membeberkan kepada Jawa Pos berbagai ide untuk mendigdayakan kesatuan yang juga dikenal sebagai Frogman itu.

Salah satu caranya, mengembalikan pengucapan kesatuannya secara utuh. Yakni, Satkopaska. Sebab, pria kelahiran Malang tersebut mengaku kurang sreg dengan sebutan satuan yang baru dipimpinnya itu. Pengucapan yang dimaksud adalah menyingkat nama kesatuan menjadi Paska tanpa embel-embel satuan komando. Cara pengucapan tersebut, menurut dia, kurang pas.

Menurut dia, penyebutan kesatuan seharusnya bisa utuh layaknya kesatuan lain yang di dalam Komando Armada RI Kawasan Timur (Koarmatim). ''Secara administrasi memang Satkopaska, tapi pengucapannya tidak demikian,'' ujarnya.

Nah, side effect dari ketidaklengkapan penyebutan nama tersebut, menurut Yeheskiel, berpengaruh pada kebanggaan akan kesatuan. Dia lantas mencontohkan penyebutan atau penulisan alamat yang salah. Alamat yang dicari tidak akan ditemukan dengan cepat dan tepat. ''Bukannya apa-apa, tujuannya, semua punya visi dan misi yang sama dengan kami di sini,'' jelasnya.

Gebrakan yang dilakukan tidak hanya berkutat pada nama Satkopaska. Ayah dua anak tersebut juga mulai merintis pembangunan lapangan tembak di dalam lingkungan Kopaska. Dalam kepemimpinannya, makan bersama komandan dan pasukan menjadi menu baru yang tidak boleh dilewatkan. Dari situ, dia ingin lebih dekat dan bisa menyerap aspirasi pasukannya. Selain itu, dia mengajukan pembangunan flat untuk kesejahteraan prajurit.

Namun, salah satu PR krusial yang harus ditingkatkan saat ini meningkatkan performa dan postur prajurit. Salah satu caranya, menggenjot intensitas latihan. Menurut Yeheskiel, hal tersebut penting karena persenjataan sudah berubah secara signifikan. ''Sekarang seorang anggota Kopaska harus menguasai lebih dari 13 item senjata.''

Bukan untuk Dapat Perlakuan Khusus

Menjadi anggota Satkopaska bisa jadi merupakan impian setiap prajurit TNI-AL. Maklum, tidak sembarang orang bisa menjadi anggota korps yang memiliki semboyan Tan Hana Wighna Tan Sirna yang berarti Tak Ada Rintangan yang Tak Dapat Diatasi itu. Hanya, Dansatkopaska Letkol Laut (P) Yeheskiel Katiandagho masih melihat, ada prajuritnya yang belum bisa mensyukuri hal tersebut.

Dia menyatakan, masih banyak pelanggaran kecil yang tidak terlihat. Seperti memukul istri, berbohong, bahkan ngentit. Padahal, menjadi anggota pasukan katak harus menjunjung etika dan kejujuran. "Kita ini bagian dari orang-orang yang dipanggil, tetapi sedikit terpilih. Perilaku juga harus dijaga," tuturnya.

Sebab, kalau sistem itu dilanggar, Yeheskiel menyebut akan merembet ke kesatuan. Saat ini di dalam pasukan yang berdiri pada 31 Maret 1962 tersebut, terdapat tiga unsur. Yakni prajurit yang memiliki brevet, nonbrevet, dan PNS. "Ini semuanya satu keluarga. Satu kena, yang lain juga merasakan," tegas pria humoris itu.

Saat ini Kopaska memang memiliki peran yang punya nilai strategis dalam TNI-AL. Tidak salah masyarakat jika selama ini menginterpretasikan Kopaska sebagai pasukan yang hebat. Sebagai pasukan elite, militansi yang dimiliki juga tidak perlu diragukan lagi. Namun, bagi anggota Kopaska angkatan XVI itu, prajuritnya bukan berarti akan memperoleh perlakuan khusus. Termasuk kebal akan hukum.

Karena itu, Yeheskiel miris jika melihat anggotanya berbuat nakal. Dia memastikan akan menindak anggotanya yang nakal. Prajurit memang harus memiliki wibawa dan disegani, tetapi kesalahan besar jika menakut-nakuti warga.

Pria berdarah Sangihe Talaud, Sulawesi Utara, itu juga melarang anak buahnya terbuai kata-kata pasukan khusus atau elite. Menurut dia, tidak ada pasukan yang hebat. Yang ada hanyalah terlatih. Kemampuan menembak, menyergap, hingga berenang bisa didapat dengan berlatih rutin. "Pesawat itu hebat karena bisa terbang, tapi tidak terlatih. Yang terlatih itu pilotnya," tandas dia.

Oman Dipastikan Beli Typhoon

2010-04-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

Eurofighter Typhoon milik AU Arab Saudi. (Foto: BAE Systems)

11 April 2010 – Oman mendekati kesepakatan pembelian jet tempur Eurofighter Typhoon dengan Inggris, diumumkan pemerintah Inggris.

Inggris tidak menyebut jumlah pesawat yang akan dibeli Oman.

Konsorsium Eurofighter terdiri dari Jerman, Itali, Spanyol dan Inggris, mengijinkan menjual jet tempur Typhoon ke negara ketiga.

Inggris telah menjual 24 Typhoon ke Arab Saudi, bagian dari 72 jet tempur yang akan dibeli dibawah Project Salam.

Oman berencana mengganti Sepecat Jaguar dengan Typhoon saat digelar pameran dirgantara Farnborough 2008.

AU Oman mengoperasikan 16 jet tempur Sepecat Jaguar yang diterima 1974, serta 12 Lockheed Martin F16C/D.

Yonif 500 Riders Kodam V/ Brawijaya

2010-04-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

Tim anti teror Yonif 500/Raider. (Foto: detikFoto/Rois Jajeli)

11 April 2011 -- Bagi Kunto Arief, menjabat sebagai komandan Yonif 500 Riders Komando Daerah Militer (Kodam) Brawijaya adalah tanggung jawab yang tidak bisa dibilang mudah. Maklum, kesatuan yang dipimpinnya merupakan kesatuan pasukan elite Angkatan Darat.

Pria dengan dua melati di pundak itu dikenal memiliki ciri khas sebagai komandan yang punya visi dan pandangan jauh ke depan. Karisma sebagai seorang pemimpin yang tegas dan berwibawa begitu melekat pada pria 39 tahun itu.

Arief menyatakan, pasukan elite Yonif 500 Riders merupakan kesatuan yang berbeda daripada kesatuan lainnya di lingkungan TNI-AD. Untuk masuk sebagai Riders, prajurit harus menjalani tahap seleksi yang sangat ketat.

Secara pendidikan, anggota Riders 500 merupakan orang-orang terpilih untuk menjalani pelatihan selama enam bulan di pusat pendidikan pasukan khusus (Pusdik Pasus) di Batu Jajar, Bandung, Jawa Barat. ''Pendidikannya satu lokasi dengan Kopassus. Namun, kami dilatih sendiri,'' papar Arief kepada Jawa Pos.

Tidak hanya prajurit pilihan, melainkan juga para perwira. Mereka (perwira) juga menjalani tahap seleksi yang ketat. Jadi, bukan berarti karena berpangkat perwira, mereka lantas bisa langsung masuk menjadi Riders. Justru pendidikan untuk perwira lebih berat ketimbang para prajurit.

Saat ini, Yonif 500 Riders Kodam Brawijaya memiliki 711 personel. Mereka terbagi menjadi 27 perwira, 50 personel pasukan penanggulangan teror (Gultor), serta sisanya tamtama dan bintara.

Arief mengatakan, untuk menjadi pasukan elite Riders, ada beberapa tahap atau materi yang diajarkan selama menempuh pendidikan di Pusdik Pasus Jawa Barat. Di antaranya, pertempuran dalam kota (purkota), demolisi (taktik penghancuran), pembebasan sandera (ride bus one), mobil udara (mobud), berkendara (ride car), dan operasi intelijen (Sandi Yuda).

''Khusus Gultor diperkuat pada Sandi Yuda,'' ujar Arief. Arief menyatakan, pasukan Riders berasal dari kata Ride yang artinya mencuri atau melakukan misi dengan kecepatan, ketepatan, dan senyap. Karena itu, pasukan Riders diharapkan memiliki keterampilan khusus untuk menjalankan operasi militer dengan baik.

Mengenai taktik pertempuran, Arief menambahkan, pasukan Riders mendapat porsi seluruh latihan inti selama di Kopassus. Selebihnya dikembangkan sendiri ketika mereka dikembalikan ke barak tempat menjalani tugas sebagai pasukan elite.

Anak keenam di antara tujuh bersaudara itu mencontohkan, ilmu bela diri yang dilakoni pasukan Riders saat ini merupakan pengembangan dari berbagai cabang ilmu bela diri. Di antaranya, karate, taekwondo, dan kick boxing. Percampuran tersebut merupakan cara baru di dunia kemiliteran.

Meski demikian, bukan berarti percampuran itu mengubah dasar-dasar ilmu bela diri yang sudah ada. Melainkan, ada pengembangan dalam gerakan-gerakan yang sudah diajarkan. ''Sehingga, ada penyelarasan gerak dan teknik. Sekali lagi bukan bermaksud untuk mengubah secara total,'' imbuh Arief.

Begitu juga taktik pengamanan. Pasukan Riders mempunyai cara tersendiri ketika dihadapkan pada suatu bentuk pengamanan atau perlindungan. Bagaimana pasukan Riders harus bisa mengerjakan misi yang diberikan dengan minim risiko kegagalan. Praktis, para pasukan elite itu memang harus bekerja ekstrakeras agar operasi dapat dilakukan secara sempurna.

Terutama saat menjalankan taktik demolisi. Pasukan Riders harus paham betul target perusakan, penculikan, maupun penonaktifkan kegiatan yang dianggap membahayakan misi dalam pertemupuran. ''Semua lebih bersifat logistik dan sangat vital,'' jelas Arief.

Dia lantas menceritakan operasi pembebasan sandera yang dilakukan oleh sekelompok teroris. Dalam pekerjaan itu, anggota Gultor paling banyak berperan. Sebab, mereka dituntut untuk bisa ''merapikan'' situasi dengan meminimalisasi jatuhnya korban. Memang nyawa yang menjadi taruhan. Namun, pasukan Gultor dapat diandalkan dalam situasi tersebut.

Salah satunya, kenang Arief, saat melakukan operasi perburuan tokoh teroris komplotan lanjutan Dr Azhari. Pasukan Riders turut berperan dalam operasi militer secara rahasia. Mereka (anggota Riders dan Gultor) harus berhari-hari jauh dari keluarga dan menyamar sebagai sipil. Namanya juga misi rahasia, Arief tidak menceritakan detail kegiatan yang mereka lakukan.

Panglima TNI : Pemerintah Akan Perbaharui Alutsista TNI

2010-04-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

Upacara Penutupan Latgabma Malindo

2010-04-08T23:47:00.002-07:00

Gabungan Bersama (Latgabma) Malaysia-Indonesia (Malindo) Darsasa 7 AB/2010 digelar di Malaka, Malaysia. Latihan bersama tersebut digelar dari tanggal 25 Maret hingga 8 April 2010.

Panglima TNI Jenderal TNI Djoko Santoso memberikan sambutan dalam upacara penutupan Latihan Gabungan Bersama (Latgabma) Malaysia-Indonesia (Malindo) Darsasa 7 AB/2010. (Foto: Puspen TNI)

Panglima angkatan bersenjata dari kedua negara menyalami para peserta yang mengikuti latihan bersama ini. (Foto: Puspen TNI)

Panglima Angkatan Tentara Malaysia (ATM) dengan didampingi Panglima TNI Jenderal TNI Djoko Santoso menyalami beberapa peserta yang mengikuti latihan bersama. (Foto: PuspenTNI)

Latihan ini merupakan latihan gabungan terbesar di Asia Tenggara yang dilakukan dua negara, yaitu Indonesia dan Malaysia. (Foto: Puspen TNI)

Latihan bersama ini digelar di 3 tempat seperti Eerly Resort Hotel, Selat Malaka dan Lapangan Terbang Batu Berendam, Malaysia. (Foto: Puspen TNI)

64 Tahun TNI AU Menuju The First Class of Air Force

2010-04-08T23:47:00.001-07:00

Hawk TNI AU. (Foto: TNI AU)

09 April 2010, Jakarta -- Kepala Staf Angkatan Udara (Kasau) Marsekal TNI Imam Sufaat memasang target TNI Angkatan Udara (AU) sebagai the first class of air force atau angkatan udara kelas wahid di dunia. Untuk itu, Kasau mengajak seluruh warga TNI AU bekerja maksimal dengan prinsip "Hari ini harus lebih baik dari hari kemarin". Hal ini dikemukakan Kasau terkait peringatan HUT TNI AU ke-64 yang berlangsung hari ini.

Menurut Imam Sufaat, tekad itu merupakan tujuan jangka pangjang TNI AU. Sedangkan tujuan jangka pendeknya adalah menciptakan zero accident di setiap operasi yang digelar TNI AU.

Gagasan sekaligus cita-cita untuk mewujudkan secara bertahap TNI Angkatan Udara menjadi the first class air force, sesungguhnya merupakan pesan moral Kasau kepada seluruh elemen organisasi, sebagai upaya meningkatkan niat dan mendorong semangat, untuk senantiasa bekerja yang terbaik bagi kepentingan organisasi.

"Masa depan TNI AU merupakan tanggung jawab semua, mengingat kalau tidak melakukan suatu perubahan, maka tidak akan ada perbaikan masa depan, sehingga TNI Angkatan Udara akan semakin tertinggal," ujarnya.

Upaya meningkatkan postur yang tangguh dan kemampuan serta profesionalisme TNI AU dengan membangun kekuatan dan memodernisasi serta meregenerasi alutsista, tidak terlepas dari amanat Presiden tentang revitalisasi industri-industri pertahanan negara.

Rencana kesiapan alutsista yang ada, untuk melanjutkan program peningkatan kemampuan alutsista TNI Angkatan Udara, sudah dicanangkan dalam Renstra pembangunan TNI AU tahun 2010-2014.

Mengawal NKRI

Peran sukses TNI AU dalam mengawal Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia (NKRI) sendiri telah menyejarah, yakni berubahnya status Angkatan Udara dari Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (TKR) Jawatan Penerbangan kemudian menjadi Tentara Republik Indonesia (TRI) Angkatan Udara yang berdiri sejajar dengan Angkatan lainya, dan secara de jure tertuang dalam Penetapan Pemerintah Nomor 6/SD tanggal 9 April 1946.

Perjalanan TNI Angkatan Udara sebagai institusi angkatan perang, proses kelahirannya sekitar tujuh bulan sejak Indonesia merdeka, serta alutsista yang dimiliki juga sangat sederhana. Waktu itu TNI Angkatan Udara hanya bermodalkan pesawat-pesawat bekas yang diperoleh dari rampasan tentara Jepang, seperti pesawat jenis Cureng, Nishikoreng, Guntei, dan Hayabusha.

Pesawat yang terbang pertama kali dengan identitas merah putih diterbangkan oleh Komodor Udara Agustinus Adisutjipto tanggal 27 Oktober 1945, sedangkan Operasi Udara yang pertama adalah tanggal 29 Juli 1947 yang merupakan serangan balas terhadap Agresi Militer Belanda I tanggal 21 Juli 1947, dan Operasi Lintas Udara di Kalimantan tanggal 17 Oktober 1947 merupakan bagian darma bakti para perintis TNI Angkatan Udara kepada Ibu Pertiwi.

Sejak saat itu, kemampuan alutsista TNI AU terus mengalami perkembangan. Berbagai jenis pesawat modern mulai bergabung seperti P-51 Mustang, B-25 Mitchel, C-47 Dakota, AT-16 Harvard, serta pesawat Amphibi Catalina di tahun 50-an. Bahkan dekade 60-an TNI AU menjadi Angkatan Udara yang paling disegani di kawasan Asia Tenggara karena memiliki alutsista udara yang cukup besar dan handal sehingga menjadi "Detterent Power" bagi negara-negara yang berniat memusuhi NKRI. Dekade ini mulai bergabung Mig-15, Mig-17, Mig-19, Mig-21, AN-12 Antonov, C-130 B, serta TU-16/TU-16KS.

Meskipun awal dekade 70-an kemampuan TNI AU sempat mengalami penurunan, namun pada pertengahan tahun 70-an mulai bangkit kembali dengan bergabungnya pesawat OV-10 Bronco, F-86 Sabre, T-33 Bird, Fokker F-27, dan Helikopter Puma SA-330. Bahkan dekade 80-an TNI AU memasuki era pesawat supersonik, dengan hadirnya pesawat tempur F-5 Tiger II, A-4 Sky Hawk, C-130 H/HS Hercules, Hawk MK-53 dan helikopter Puma. Apalagi dengan datangnya pesawat Multirole F-16 Fighting Falcon dari Amerika pada akhir tahun 1989.

Selain telah memiliki berbagai pesawat tersebut, TNI AU juga memiliki tim aerobatik yang cukup melegenda, yaitu Tim Elang Biru dan Jupiter Aerobatik Tim, yang dapat disejajarkan dengan tim aerobatik kelas dunia. Pada 1996, armada udara TNI AU juga diperkuat oleh Hawk 100/200. Dan pada 2003 TNI AU melengkapi teknologi Barat dengan teknologi dari Timur, yaitu dengan hadirnya pesawat Sukhoi SU-27 dan SU-30 dari Rusia. Kehadirannya semakin mewarnai angkasa Indonesia dan tentunya menambah kekuatan udara nasional dalam rangka menjaga kedaulatan NKRI.

Kasad Harapkan Persahabatan TNI AD-TDM Bukan Basa-basi

2010-04-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

09 April 2010, Jakarta -- Kepala Staf Angkatan Darat (Kasad) Jenderal TNI George Toisutta menerima kunjungan kehormatan Panglima Tentera Darat Malaysia (TDM) Jenderal Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail bin Haji Jamaluddin beserta rombongan dengan Upacara Kebesaran Militer di Markas Besar Angkatan Darat, Kamis (8/4).
Menurut Dispenad, pada upacara penyambutan Panglima Tentera Darat Malaysia, Kasad didampingi Wakil Kepala Staf Letnan Jenderal TNI Johanes Suryo Prabowo, Asisten Operasi Mayor Jenderal TNI Hariyadi Soetanto, Koorsahli Kasad Mayor Jenderal TNI S Simanjuntak, Asisten Pengamanan Brigadir Jenderal TNI Tisna Komara, Kepala Dinas Penerangan Brigadir Jenderal TNI S Widjonarko, dan Paban V/Hublu Spamad Kolonel Inf Afanti S Uloli.

Kasad mengatakan dalam menghadapi situasi dunia yang penuh ketidakpastian dewasa ini, kerjasama ASEAN perlu lebih ditingkatkan agar bangsa-bangsa di kawasan ASEAN semakin mampu mengatasi permasalahannya sendiri. Kekuatan sinergis dari kerjasama ASEAN perlu terus dibangun dan bahkan diperkuat agar mampu mengatasi gejolak yang timbul sebagai akibat dari permasalahan di dalam negeri, di kawasan ASEAN maupun global.

Kasad mengharapkan, pada masa mendatang kerjasama antara Tentera Darat Malaysia dan TNI Angkatan Darat, dapat semakin ditingkatkan guna lebih menjamin saling pengertian dan guna kepentingan peningkatan profesionalisme keprajuritan masing-masing. Semoga persahabatan yang telah terjalin dengan baik selama ini, bukan basa-basi, bukan persahabatan yang semu, tetapi persahabatan yang didasari oleh kejujuran, sehingga persahabatan menjadi langgeng dan abadi, tambahnya.

Waspadai Dua Ancaman Strategis

2010-04-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

Prajurit TNI Angkatan Udara (AU) menampilkan keahlian dan ketangkasan bela diri saat Gladi Bersih Parade Militer Upacara HUT TNI AU ke-64 di Pangkalan Udara Halim Perdana Kusuma, Jakarta Timur, Rabu (7/4). Acara puncak HUT TNI AU akan dilaksanakan pada tanggal 9 April mendatang di Pangkalan Udara Halim Perdana Kusuma dengan Inspektur Upacara Panglima TNI Jenderal Djoko Santoso. (Foto: ANTARA/Widodo S. Jusuf/Koz/hp/10)

09 April 2010, Jakarta -- Panglima TNI Jenderal TNI Djoko Santoso mengingatkan seluruh jajaran TNI khususnya TNI Angkatan Udara untuk mewaspadai dua ancaman strategis yaitu kemajuan teknologi dan industri kedirgantaraan.

"Ada dua perkembangan yang perlu dicermati dan diantisipasi pesatnya kemajuan teknologi dan industri kedirgantaraan khususnya di bidangnya militer," katanya, saat memimpin upacara peringatan HUT TNI Angkatan Udara ke-64 di Halim Perdanakusuma di Jakarta, Jumat (9/4).

Djoko mengatakan, pesatnya kemajuan teknologi dan industri dirgantara militer akan menjadi ancaman serius karena dapat mendukung penguasaan penggunaan wahana dirgantara baik saat ini maupun masa yang akan datang.

"Dampaknya akan bersifat multikonvensional. Pertama, dari sisi pertahanan akan sangat mempengaruhi corak atau bentuk perang di masa akan datang. Kedua, urgensi wilayah udara yang semakin vital sebagai barometer kepentingan nasional suatu bangsa," tutur Panglima TNI.

Tak hanya, dua hal itu akan mengakibatkan pelanggaran hukum terhadap kedaulatan hukum udara yang makin intensif sehingga perlu mendapatkan atensi dan prioritas penanganannya, kata Djoko menambahkan.

"Kecenderungan yang saya kemukakan itu menyadarkan kita semua betapa vital dan strategisnya peran dan tanggung jawab TNI AU, apalagi bila dikaitkan dengan luas wilayah TNI terlebih dikaitkan dengan luas wilayah NKRI dan posisi geografis yang sangat strategis dalam percakupan global dan regional," ujarnya.

Karena itu, tambahnya, TNI AU harus mempunyai tekad dan kemauan dan komitmen kuat untuk dapat mewujudkan penegakkan hukum dan menjaga keamanan di wilayah udara sesuai hukum nasional dan internasional.

"Pemerintah akan terus meningkatkan peran TNI AU agar semakin handal dan profesional. TNI telah menyusun pembangunan strategis 2010 - 2014 secara bertahap. Kita akan membangun kekuatan TNI AU sebagai bagian integral TNI menuju kepada kekuatan pokok minimum, sehingga semakin handal dalam mengawal kedaulatan udara nasional," ungkap Djoko

Pesawat Tempur Andalan “Unjuk Gigi” pada HUT TNI AU

2010-04-08T23:43:00.000-07:00

Sejumlah pesawat jet tempur milik TNI Angkatan Udara (AU) menampilkan formasi terbang saat melintas pada Gladi Bersih Parade Militer Upacara HUT TNI AU ke-64 di Pangkalan Udara Halim Perdana Kusuma, Jakarta Timur, Rabu (7/4). Acara puncak HUT TNI AU akan dilaksanakan pada tanggal 9 April mendatang di Pangkalan Udara Halim Perdana Kusuma dengan Inspektur Upacara Panglima TNI Jenderal Djoko Santoso. (Foto: ANTARA/Widodo S. Jusuf/Koz/HP/10)

09 April 2010, Jakarta -- Dibandingkan tahun-tahun sebelumnya, maka peringatan HUT TNI Angkatan udara ke-64 pada 9 April 2010 dilakukan secara meriah, ditandai terbang lintas 16 pesawat tempur dan demo keterampilan Pasukan Khas (Paskhas) matra udara.

Peringatan dilakukan di Pangkalan Udara Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta, Jumat. Usai pembacaan amanat Panglima TNI Jenderal Djoko Santoso , maka berbagai atraksi pun digelar.

Ke-16 pesawat tempur TNI Angkatan Udara melakukan mass formation dengan membentuk formasi "Big Diamond" yang menandakan kesiapan TNI Angkatan Udara dalam kondisi apa pun.

Formasi "Big Diamond" ditampilkan oleh pesawat-pesawat tempur TNI Angkatan Udara seperti Hawk 100/200 dari Skadron Udara 1 Supadio dan Skadron Udara 12 Pekanbaru.

Selain itu , ada pula F-16 Fighting Falcon dan F-5 Tiger masing-masing dari Skadron Udara 3 dan 14 Pangkalan Udara Iswahjudi. Tak ketinggalan pesawat tempur terbaru TNI Angkatan Udara Sukhoi 27 dan 30 dari Skadron Udara 11 Pangkalan Udara Sultan Hassanudin.

Formasi "Big Diamond" diawali dengan pemunculan dua Sukhoi yang terbang melintasi podium kehormatan, disusul empat pesawat Hawk 100/200 dan di sisi kanan empat unit F-16 Fighting Falcon dan F-5 Tiger di sisi kiri.

Posisi slot dalam formasi itu ditampilkan oleh empat Sukhoi 27 dan 30.

Sebagai seluruh rangkaian demo udara, ditampilkan manuver "bomb burst "dari pesawat-pesawat Sukhoi.

Atraksi dilanjutkan dengan demo ketangkasan dan kemampuan Detasemen Bravo-90 Paskhas TNI Angkatan Udara yang meliputi tembak reaksi cepat, tembak sasaran, teknik serbuan cepat dalam merebut sasaran, penghancuran obyek vital.

Senjata yang digunakan adalah senjata standar penanggulangan teror TNI yakni MP-5 dengan peluru tajam kaliber 9 mm. Keseluruhan rangkaian atraksi ditutup dengan terjun `free fall`

BDK Tsesar Kunikov Ikuti Latgab Blackseafor 2010

2010-04-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

BDK Tsesar Kunikov. (Foto: D.Starostin)

09 April 2010 -- Kapal perang Rusia dari Armada Laut Hitam Tsesar Kunikov jenis large landing ship meninggalkan pangkalannya Kamis (8/4) guna mengikuti latihan bersama maritim Blackseafor, diumumkan juru bicara Armada Laut Hitam.

Latgab Blackseafor dibentuk atas inisiatif Turki pada 2001, terdiri dari Turki, Bulgaria, Ukraina, Rumania, Georgia dan Rusia. Latgab meliputi operasi pencarian dan penyelamatan (SAR), pengamatan lingkungan, serta kunjungan persahabatan ke negara-negara di Laut Hitam.

“Kapal perang menjadi wakil Federasi Rusia dalam grup internasional,” menurut pernyataan Armada Laut Hitam, ditambahkannya unit infantri laut yang berada di kapal akan memastikan keamanan pelabuhan, serta melakukan latihan anti teror.

Latgab tahun ini dibawah komando Laksamana dari Bulgaria.

Kapal perang akan berlatih manuver taktis, latihan operasi tempur melawan kapal permukaan, pertahanan udara dan komunikasi.

Georgia tidak berpartisipasi latgab Blackseafor pada beberapa tahun ini. Rusia mengancam tidak akan berpartisipasi pada setiap latgab bila kapal perang Georgia terlibat.

Hubungan diplomatik kedua negara terputus Agustus 2008 setelah terlibat perang 5 hari di Ossetia Selatan.

BDK Tsesar Kunikov

Large Landing Ship Tsesar Kunikov. (Foto A.Brichevsky)

BDK (Bol'shoy Desatnyy Korabl') Tsesar Kunikov dibangun digalangan kapal Stocznia Polnocna, Gdansk, Polandia bertugas mulai 1984. Awalnya bernama BDK-64, kemudian diubah menjadi Tsesar Kunikov.

Tsesar Kunikov termasuk Large Landing Ship kelas Ropucha Project 775, mampu merapat ke pantai, mempunyai bobot 4080 ton, dimensi 112.5 x 15 x 3.7 meter, kecepatan 18 knot, dapat mengangkut kargo hingga 482 ton.

Kapal dipersenjatai rudal Streal (SS-N-3) serta dua pucuk kanon AK-725 DP 57 mm

Bakorkamla Diminta Sinergikan Institusi Pengamanan Laut

2010-04-07T03:22:00.000-07:00

Kapal Patroli Polri yang mengangkut Rombongan Kalakhar Bakorkamla saat besandar di Dermaga Lanal Karimun. (Foto: keprinews.wordpress)

07 April 2010, Jakarta -- Badan Koordinasi Keamanan Laut (Bakorkamla) diminta segera menyinergikan seluruh institusi yang memiliki kewenangan menjaga keamanan wilayah laut dan dalam menjaga kekayaan laut untuk kepentingan ekonomi. Institusi-institusi tersebut antara lain kepolisian, TNI Angkatan Laut, Departemen Perhubungan, Kementerian Kelautan, dan Perikanan, dan Imigrasi.

Demikian disampaikan Menteri Koordinator Politik, Hukum, dan Keamanan (Menko Polhukam), Djoko Suyanto pada acara serah terima jabatan (Sertijab) Kepala Badan Pelaksana Harian Bakorkamla dari Laksamana Madya TNI Budhi Hardjo kepada Laksamana Madya TNI Y Didik Heru Purnomo di Kantor Bakorkamla, Jakarta, Selasa (6/4).

Djoko Suyanto mengingatkan kepada semua institusi yang berada di bawah koordinasi Bakorkamla untuk menghindari ego sektoral dalam menjaga keamanan dan kekayaan di wilayah laut.

Djoko berharap institusi-institusi tersebut, tidak berjalan sendiri-sendiri melainkan membangun suatu kekuatan yang satu dan kuat. Sebab Bakorkamla didirikan dengan itikad dan niat yang baik agar semua dapat bersinergi dengan baik.

Ia menegaskan, semua informasi yang dilaksanakan oleh institusi penegak keamanan laut, harusnya bermuara kepada Bakorkamla. "Ke depan, Bakorkamla menjadi satu-satunya sumber informasi yang diambil oleh kepala negara atau pejabat yang ditunjuk untuk sebagai bahan penentu kebijakan," tuturnya.

Pada kesempatan itu, Djoko menyampaikan pengalamannya selama mendampingi Presiden, baik saat menjabat Panglima TNI maupun sebagai Menko Polhukam.

Menurutnya, terdapat tiga kali Presiden merasa tidak mendapatkan informasi mengenai dinamika yang terjadi di lapangan khususnya tindakan aparat. Akibat dari informasi yang tidak segera disampaikan ke jenjang atasan, atau tidak sampai kepada aparat yang benar-benar memahami itu, kadang-kadang isu tersebut disampaikan di meja perundingan dalam pertemuan bilateral atau forum internasional oleh pemimpin negara.

Oleh karena itu, Djoko meminta agar kedepan pelaporan informasi harus dilaksanakan secepat-cepatnya. Ini akan memudahkan bagi para pengambil kebijakan.

Menhan RI dan Dubes UEA Bicarakan Kerjasama Industri Pertahanan

2010-04-07T03:20:00.000-07:00

CN-235 AU UEA.

07 April 2010, Jakarta -- Menteri Pertahanan RI Purnomo Yusgiantoro menerima kunjungan kehormatan Duta Besar Uni Emirat Arab (UEA) Yousif Rashid Alsharhan, Selasa (6/4) di kantor Kementerian Pertahanan, Jakarta. Dalam kunjungan ini, kedua pejabat negara tersebut membicarakan tentang peningkatan kerjasama pertahanan antara RI dengan UEA khususnya kerjasama di bidang industri pertahanan.

Kepada Dubes Uni Emirat Arab, Menhan RI menyampaikan ucapan terimakasih karena hubungan kerjasama yang terjalin antara kedua negara selama ini cukup baik, terutama pada masa pemerintahan Presiden B. J. Habibie.

Pada kesempatan yang sama, Menhan juga menyampaikan ucapan terimakasih pemerintah Indonesia kepada pemerintah UEA yang telah memberikan kepercayaan dengan membeli pesawat CN-235 dari PT. Dirgantara Indonesia yang merupakan salah satu industri strategis Indonesia. Pemerintah Indonesia berharap kepada UEA untuk tetap membeli produk industri trategis pertahanan Indonesia yang lainnya.

Menurut Menhan, beberapa waktu yang akan datang direncanakan akan ada rombongan delegasi dari UEA berkunjung ke Indonesia dalam rangka membicarakan berbagai kerjasama di bidang pertahanan antara kedua negara termasuk kerjasama mengembangkan bersama industri pertahanan.

Sementara itu, Dubes UEA mengatakan pemerintah UEA juga menginginkan agar hubungan kerjasama pertahanan kedua negera terus ditingkatkan terutama kerjasama di bidang industri pertahanan. “Sebenarnya ini yang kami inginkan juga agar hubungan ini berlanjut dan insyaAllah UEA akan membeli lebih banyak lagi dari Indonesia”, ungkap Dubes UEA.

Dubes UEA lebih lanjut mengatakan, saat ini UEA juga sedang mengembangkan kapal - kapal kecil untuk keperluan pertahanan. Menurutnya, di sektor ini sangat bagus sekali apabila UEA dapat kerjasama dengan Indonesia.

Selain membicarakan kerjasama di bidang industri pertahanan, dalam kunjungan tersebut, Dubes UEA mengundang Menhan RI untuk dapat hadir dalam pameran persenjataan yang akan diselenggarakan UEA sekitar bulan Juli dan Agustus 2010 di Abudhabi.

Menanggapi undangan tersebut, Menhan mengatakan akan mempertimbangkan untuk hadir dalam pameran tersebut, serta berharap dapat mengikutsertakan produk hasil industri pertahanan Indonesia dalam pameran tersebut.

Namun, lanjut Menhan, pada bulan November 2010 Kementerian Pertahanan RI juga berencana akan menyelenggarakan pameran industri pertahanan atau Indodefence di Jakarta. Dalam pameran ini, juga Kemhan akan mengundang UEA.

Saat menerima Dubes UEA, Menhan didampingi Wamenhan Letjen TNI Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Dirkersin Ditjen Strahan Kemhan Brigjen TNI (Mar) Ir. Syaiful Anwar,M Bus, MA, Karo TU Setjen Kemhan Laksma TNI Agus Purwoto dan Karo Humas Setjen Kemhan Brigjen TNI I Wayan Midhio.

20 Pesawat Tempur TNI AU Siaga di Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma

2010-04-07T03:19:00.000-07:00

07 April 2010, Jakarta -- Sebanyak 20 pesawat tempur TNI Angkatan Udara ikut andil dalam rangka menyambut HUT ke-64 TNI Angkatan Udara pada tanggal 9 April 2010. Elang-elang penjaga jamrud Katulistiwa berbagai jenis itu telah berada di Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma sejak tanggal 3 April 2010, kata Kapentak Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma Mayor Sus Ali Umri Lubis, SH; Selasa (6/4).

Pesawat tempur tersebut seperti Sukhoi datang dari Skadron Udara 11 Lanud Sultan Hasanuddin Makassar, F-16 dari Skadron Udara 3 Lanud Iswahyudi Madiun, F-5 Tiger dari Skadron Udara 14 Lanud Iswahyudi Madiun, dan Hawk 100/200 dari Skadron Udara 12 Lanud Pekanbaru dan Skadron Udara 1 Lanud Supadio Pontianak, Kalimantan Barat.

Pesawat-pesawat tempur itu sejak beberapa hari lalu secara bergantian mengudara menyamakan persepsi guna melaksanakan manuver atau demo udara yang akan disajikan untuk memeriahkan HUT TNI Angkatan Udara yang dipusatkan di Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma.

Direncanakan Panglima TNI Jenderal TNI Djoko Santoso akan bertindak sebagai inspektur upacara. Usai upacara berbagai kegiatan keterampilan militer lainnya akan digelar seperi fly pass pesawat TNI AU, terjun payung sekitar 100 peterjun termasuk di antaranya Wanita Udara, demo karate, dan tari-tarian daerah. Yang tidak kalah meriahnya adalah para generasi-generasi penerus TNI Angkatan Udara dari Kampus AAU Yogyakarta akan menampilkan kepiawaiannya dalam kesigapan bertindak.

Corp Baret Jingga, Paskhas juga tidak mau ketinggalan. Para prajurit-prajuritnya akan melaksanakan demo halang-rintang dan demo tembak reaksi. Mereka akan menampilkan ketangkasan dalam melumpuhkan musuh secara cepat, tepat, dan tuntas.

Bagi masyarakat pencinta dirgantara diperbolehkan untuk menyaksikan kegiatan dimaksut di daerah yang telah ditentukan antara lain di area Mako Pom AU komplek Skadron, Bandara Halim Perdanakusuma, area Skadik 502 komplek Dwikora pintu Brigan.

Tiga Sukhoi Pesanan TNI AU Tiba September

2010-04-07T03:17:00.000-07:00

Perwira AU Indonesia memeriksa salah satu dari tiga jet tempur baru Sukhoi Su-30 yang dibeli dari Rusia saat penyerahan dari pihak pabrik ke Dephan kemudian diserahkan kepada TNI AU di Pangkalan Udara Sultan Hassanudin, Makassar tahun lalu. (Foto: JP/Andi Hajramur)

07 April 2010, Jakarta -- Kepala Staf Angkatan Udara Marsekal TNI Imam Sufaat mengatakan, tiga pesawat Sukhoi yang dipesan dari Rusia diperkirakan tiba di Indonesia pada September, lebih cepat dari jadwal semula pada Desember.

"Diperkirakan sebelum Oktober 2010, ya kemungkinan September. Semula akhir tahun ini, tetapi kami meminta untuk segera didatangkan. Ya sekitar September," kata Imam Sufaat menjawab ANTARA usai menyaksikan gladi bersih peringatan HUT ke-64 TNI Angkatan Udara di Pangkalan Udara Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta, Rabu.

Ia mengatakan, tiga Sukhoi yang akan tiba itu adalah jenis Su-27SKM. "Tetapi kami berharap sebelum Oktober 2010, semua pesawat sudah tiba di Indonesia," ujar Kasau menambahkan.

Pada 2003 Indonesia membeli dua Sukhoi jenis SU-30MK dan dua SU-27SK, kemudian Kementerian Pertahanan membeli lagi enam pesawat Sukhoi pada 2007 senilai sekitar 300 juta dolar AS atau senilai Rp 2,85 triliun.

Enam pesawat Sukhoi yang dibeli itu terdiri atas tiga Sukhoi SU-30MK2 dan tiga jenis SU-27SKM. Tiga jenis Sukhoi SU-30MK2 telah tiba pada Desember 2008 dan Januari 2009.

Dengan kehadiran tiga Sukhoi terakhir, maka Indonesia akan memiliki satu skuadron pesawat tempur Sukhoi.

16 Pesawat Tempur Meriahkan HUT TNI-AU

Sebanyak 16 unit pesawat tempur akan memeriahkan HUT ke-64 TNI Angkatan Udara di Pangkalan Udara Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta, pada 9 April.

Sebanyak enam belas pesawat tempur itu adalah empat unit pesawat Hawk 100/200, empat pesawat F-5 Tiger, empat unit F-16 Fighting Falcon, dan empat unit pesawat Sukhoi, kata Kepala Staf Angkatan Udara Marsekal TNI Imam Sufaat usai menyaksikan gladi bersih HUT TNI AU di Jakarta, Rabu.

Dalam gladi besih yang digelar di Pangkalan Udara Halim Perdanakusuma tersebut, pesawat-pesawat tempur TNI-AU selain melakukan terbang lintas juga membentuk formasi khusus, antara lain formasi berlian.

"Seluruh unsur TNI-AU mulai dari pesawat tempur, pesawat angkut, helikopter dan seluruh kekuatan TNI AU terlibat dalam acara ini," kata Imam menambahkan.

Selain terbang lintas dan pembentukan formasi oleh sejumlah pesawat tempur, pesawat angkut, dan helikopter, perayaan ulang tahun TNI Angkatan Udara juga akan dimeriahkan oleh demo ketangkasan prajurit TNI Angkatan Udara, seperti demo tembak sasaran.

Peringatan HUT TNI Angkatan Udara yang melibatkan 2.249 personel itu ditutup dengan terjun bebas sejulah penerjun handal matra udara.

Menjelang usianya ke-64 tahun TNI Angkatan Udara senantiasa melakukan evaluasi diri untuk dapat menjadi lebih baik di masa depan, sebagai kekuatan matra udara penjaga kedaulatan negara, kata Kasau.

"Ya kita akan evaluasi, yang jelas seluruh kekuatan kita baik tempur, angkut, intelijen dan pengindraan harus terus kita tingkatkan di masa datang, termasuk kualitas sumber daya manusia. Sumber daya manusia yang berkualitas, berkemampuan handal, tentu akan mengurangi angka kecelakaan kerja dan terbang," kata Imam

Somali Piracy News Updates — April 7, 2010

2010-04-07T03:16:00.000-07:00

The South Korean navy destroyer Chungmugong Yisunshin, shown here, has caught up with a supertanker hijacked by Somali pirates with a cargo of crude oil worth as much as $170 million. REUTERS/Yonhap/Files

Somali Pirates: Why Don’t More Ships Have Private Security? -- Christian Science Monitor

Somali pirates have been attacking farther out into the Indian Ocean for months, but many ships – such as the South Korean supertanker nabbed this weekend – still do not travel with a private security detail. Why not?

Now that monsoon season is over, Somali pirates are back in action in a big way.

Their latest catch – a South Korean supertanker on its way from Iraq to the United States with crude oil worth more than $170 million – is the ninth ship to be seized in the past few weeks. Similar hijackings have fetched ransoms of more than $5.5 million.

A South Korean naval destroyer has now caught up to the 300,000-ton Samho Dream, though it is unlikely to launch an assault on the ship due to the highly volatile nature of the cargo, reports the Associated Press.

Merkel admits tax cut plan may fail

2009-10-29T04:09:00.000-07:00

Doubts grew on Monday over the viability of the new German government's choice to rely on tax cuts alone to boost the ailing economy, with Chancellor Angela Merkel herself admitting the plan might not work.

Under plans for the next four years, finalised on Friday by Merkel's conservatives and her new pro-business partners, the tax burden on families and workers will be eased by some €24 billion.

Merkel believes the tax breaks will speed up Germany's recovery from its worst recession since World War II, and that the economic growth that the cuts will trigger will help cover the cost.

But despite Germany's mammoth and growing debt mountain, the new government has yet to detail any major cuts in spending while Germany's nascent economic recovery remains fragile.

"We are focusing on growth, because growth is the way out of the crisis," Merkel said on Monday.

"We made the decision to take a path fully directed towards growth, with no guarantee at all that it will work, but which offers the chance that it will work. By saving, saving, saving I see no chance of success," she said.

Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union, were due to rubber-stamp the plans at party meetings on Monday. Their pro-business Free Democrat partners did so on Sunday.

Merkel, 55, Germany's first chancellor from the former communist East and its first female leader, won a second term in general elections on September 27. She was due to be re-elected formally by MPs on Wednesday.

Andreas Rees, an economist at Unicredit bank, agreed: "It does not make sense to cut public spending already next year when unemployment is expected to soar by at least 500,000."

Such a policy "would literally have been Russian roulette with possibly devastating effects on growth and employment," Rees said.

But it is far from certain that what is essentially a gamble will work.

"For the moment, the new government is going with tax cuts for families and employees. It is unclear when it will be firms' turn," Klaus Zimmermann, head of the economic institute DIW, told the Berliner Zeitung daily.

"If you are looking for families to boost consumption then one has to ask oneself whether families will actually spend more or whether they will save most of the money," Zimmermann said.

The tax cuts, as well as increases in spending because of the recession, will also serve to add to Germany's huge debt mountain, even if they succeed in sparking growth.

"If Germany wants to reduce its public debt level to 60 percent (of output) by 2020... the economy has to grow by 4.5 percent on average each year," Unicredit's Rees said. "It goes without saying that this is a mission impossible."

Germany's national debt currently stands at around €1.5 trillion, and growing, with the interest payments alone costing the country tens of billions of euros every year.

Audi to invest massively in German plants

2009-10-29T04:08:00.000-07:00

Published: 24 Oct 09 14:23 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/money/20091024-22789.html

The Volkswagen subsidiary Audi is set to invest €1.9 billion in its own factories, it was announced Saturday. The move is part of a crisis-defying trend among Germany's luxury car brands.

MAN warns of tough times ahead - Business & Money (29 Oct 09)
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Daimler Q3 profit plunges 74 percent - Business & Money (27 Oct 09)

The new investment was declared "a commitment to our location in Germany and our suppliers in the region" by Audi financial chairman Axel Strotbek in weekly trade publication Automobilwoche.

A total of €920 million has been earmarked for the Audi plant in Ingolstadt in Bavaria, and another €970 million will go to the Neckarsulm factory in Baden-Württemberg.

Strotbek expressed hope that the money would secure the employment situation at both plants. Audi workers have been spared the worst of a recession which has hit the European car industry extremely hard.

According to the company, the number of Audi employees worldwide has only dropped from 58,574 to 58,354 in the year from September 2008 to September 2009. "Personnel expenses have remained consistent in comparison to last year," Strotbek said.

Audi also decided to hire an extra 400 engineers in 2009, while the number of trainees has risen to 722.

Other German luxury carmakers have also announced heavy new investments in their home-plants in recent months. BMW expects to spend €1 billion in 2009 and 2010, while Daimler announced a plan to spend as much as €3 billion.

DDP/The Local (news@thelocal.de)

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Daimler Q3 profit plunges 74 percent

2009-10-29T04:07:00.000-07:00

Published: 27 Oct 09 14:28 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/money/20091027-22847.html

Daimler said on Tuesday that its third quarter net profit plunged 74 percent from a year earlier, but the German auto giant stressed that it had managed to negotiate the global crisis in the sector.

Police call for strict hooligan stadium ban - Sport (29 Oct 09)
BASF's profits fall amid rocky recovery - Business & Money (29 Oct 09)
MAN warns of tough times ahead - Business & Money (29 Oct 09)

Daimler's profit fell to €56 million ($83 million), but nonetheless remained in positive territory.

The maker of Mercedes-Benz automobiles said it should also post a profit in
the last three months of the year.

"Over recent months we have increasingly overcome the crisis," Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche said in a statement. "Daimler was able to maintain its financial flexibility, intensify measures to improve efficiency and simultaneously drive the development of new products and markets."

Third quarter sales lost 21 percent to €19.3 million, Daimler said, confirming provisional figures released last week. Core earnings fell to €470 million from €648 million in the third quarter of 2008 but showed a strong gain from earlier this year.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) had posted a loss of €1 billion in the second quarter of 2009 and a loss of €1.4 billion in the first three months of the year.

"After returning to profitability in the third quarter of 2009, Daimler anticipates positive EBIT from its ongoing business also in the fourth quarter," the statement said.

A total of 386,461 vehicles were delivered in the third quarter, a year-on-year decrease of 26 percent, with a particularly sharp drop of 46 percent in the number of heavy trucks sold. Compared with the previous quarter however, the overall fall in the number of vehicles sold was limited to just one percent.

The company released provisional figures last week that were better than expected by analysts, including a return by Mercedes Benz to profit. Mercedes' results should improve slightly again in the fourth quarter, the company said on Tuesday.

It has also decided to increase the size of a cost-cutting plan that was initially set at €4 billion, without providing details.

For the full year, Daimler "anticipates significant decreases in unit sales and revenue," the statement said.

Looking ahead, 2010 "will remain challenging due to the still-difficult situation of automobile markets worldwide," it added.

Daimler stressed however that it "has a sound financial position, which should remain stable also during the fourth quarter."

It intended to go to capital markets "only to a slight extent during the rest of this year" in a bid to alleviate concern over the group's financial footing.

Daimler shares showed a loss of 1.06 percent to €35.45 in midday trading, while Frankfurt's DAX index of leading shares was 0.32 percent higher overall.

AFP (news@thelocal.de)

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MAN warns of tough times ahead

2009-10-29T04:06:00.000-07:00

Online: http://www.thelocal.de/money/20091029-22901.html

German conglomerate MAN warned Thursday that it saw no improvement in prospects for its heavy truck division and also expected the global slowdown to hit its diesel motor and turbo operations.

"Following the sharp downturn, industrial production should recover slowly over a period of several years," a company statement said.

"The impact of the recession will also be evident in the diesel engines and turbo machinery business areas over the coming quarters." Those sectors have turned in relatively stable performances until now.

In the heavy truck division, the group expected business "to remain at the current level." It posted an operating loss of €42 million in the third quarter, compared with a profit of €268 million in the same period of 2008.

MAN's net profit collapsed in the third quarter to just €6 million from €302 million a year earlier.

Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast a third quarter net profit of €34 million.

Orders fell 14 percent to €2.65 billion, while sales showed a similar drop to €3.1 billion.

Shares in the group slipped 0.66 percent to €54.27 in early trading on the Frankfurt stock exchange, while the DAX index of leading shares was 0.11 percent lower overall.

Lufthansa nosedives into the red

2009-10-29T04:03:00.000-07:00

Published: 28 Oct 09 17:36 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/money/20091028-22887.html

Germany's top airline Lufthansa plunged to a nine-month loss and warned of "very considerable risks" ahead on Wednesday as it worked to integrate Austrian Airlines and British Midland into its business.

Lufthansa reported a net loss of €32 million ($47 million) from a profit of €529 million over the same period last year, a result that was better than expected but still sent the airline's shares plunging.

Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast a much larger nine-month net loss of €231 million.

Lufthansa's "positive outlook for the year remains subject to very considerable risks," a statement from the airline said.

It added that it expected "negative earnings contributions from the new companies in the airline group over the months ahead."

Lufthansa's sales in the first nine months of the year fell by 13.2 percent to 16.2 billion euros, while operating profit plummeted by 76.3 percent to €226 million, it said in a brief statement to the financial markets.

Full third-quarter results from the airline are to be released on Thursday. The carrier said it was operating "against the background of a persistently difficult environment characterised by continuing demand and price weakness."

An additional risk was posed by a renewed increase in oil prices.

"A sharp drop in revenue and continued pressure on earnings is therefore expected for the full year," the statement said.

With the possibility that Austrian Airlines and British Midland would weigh on the results in the fourth quarter, Lufthansa said its business performance would be a decisive factor in whether "the goal of a positive operating result for the now expanded group can still be achieved."

UniCredit analyst Uwe Weinreich commented that "the fourth quarter would have to be very bad indeed if the 226 million euros operating profit after nine months were to be eaten up completely."

The warning from Lufthansa spooked investors and shares in the airline fell by 4.69 percent to €10.45 in afternoon trading, while the Frankfurt DAX index of leading shares was 1.98 percent lower overall.

The German carrier has struggled to deal with effects from a global slowdown in airline travel, even though the summer holidays boosted its numbers in recent months.

In mid July it announced additional cost cuts, in part by shedding office staff, to save €1 billion per year from 2011

What now? Boeing move sends state scrambling

2009-10-29T04:01:00.000-07:00

Company says union issues, not taxes, forced decision

By LEVI PULKKINEN, ERIC NALDER and SCOTT GUTIERREZ
SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Joshua Trujillo / seattlepi.com

A worker walks past a 787 Dreamliner at Boeing's production facility in Everett. A second production line for the airplane will be going to South Carolina, the company announced Wednesday.

The Boeing Co. is a huge part of Washington's history. Whether it will be a significant part of the state's future remains to be seen.

Wednesday's announcement that the company will open a second 787 production line in South Carolina upset local leaders, but they vowed to continue working with the aerospace giant to keep its tens of thousands of jobs in Washington - and to lure future work.

"I'm angry, I hurt for the workers, I think the company made the wrong decision," Gov. Chris Gregoire said at an Olympia news conference.

But Gregoire and congressional leaders said Boeing told them Wednesday's decision wasn't about tax breaks; the state approved $3 billion in concessions in 2003 to entice the company to build the 787 here. Rather, labor costs were simply too high, lawmakers said.

Local officials said the immediate impact on the Seattle area would be negligible. Initially, the South Carolina line is expected to employ about 3,000 workers, compared with Washington's nearly 75,000 workers. Boeing has more employees in Washington than any other company.

'A stone's throw apart'

"I am most disappointed, I really believed that the two sides could've come together and had a good deal for both Boeing and the Pacific Northwest, and unfortunately we can't reach that now," Sen. Patty Murray told KING5 News. Murray had asked the company to continue talks with union machinists; the company refused.

"Very clearly, they were a stone's throw apart in providing some real job stability, which Boeing has been telling us a long time that's what they wanted. I thought there was time ... to make that agreement and unfortunately Boeing saw it differently," Murray said.

The Chicago-based airplane maker said it chose North Charleston, S.C., over Everett because the location worked best for the company as it boosts production of the mid-size jet, designed to carry up to 250 passengers.

Boeing already operates a factory in North Charleston that makes 787 parts and owns a 50 percent stake in another plant there that makes sections of the plane. About 55 airlines have ordered some 840 of the planes since the program was launched in 2003 -- far more than any other Boeing plane at the same stage of development.

The airliner has yet to make its maiden flight. The company expects that to happen by the end of the year.

Boeing hasn't indicated how long it will take to get the second assembly line up and running, but the company says it hopes to produce 10 of the planes per month by 2013.

Gregoire said company leaders never raised the issue of further tax breaks from Washington state.

"Never, they've got over $3 billion sitting on the table and what's the incentive for every 787 -- they get more money in incentives. So the state, and the Legislature, I think, with (former Gov.) Gary (Locke), stood up to the question and the challenge," she said. "It has never been raised to me by (Boeing Vice President) Jim Albaugh, or by (Boeing Vice President) Scott Carson," she said.

Gregoire said the company made clear that "this is about negotiations with labor."

Rep. Jay Inslee, a Democrat whose district is also home to many Boeing workers, said he "point blank" asked a "high-level official" with the company last week whether there were any tax breaks or changes in worker's compensation benefits that would convince Boeing to build the line here.

"The answer was no," Inslee said.

Boeing employees in Everett were disappointed by the decision and insisted Everett is the right place for the second line.

"We have the skill and manpower here in Everett to produce the second line, but we haven't been given that chance," said Zen Jenne, a union member who has been with Boeing for three years.

Workers at the South Carolina plant recently voted to remove the union from the plant.

Boeing's engineering union blasted the decision, saying it "will hurt a program already stretched to its limit."

"We are astounded that Boeing has chosen to compound the problems of the 787 program by further fragmenting the supply chain," said Ray Goforth, executive director of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001. "There is no credible business case for this decision."

South Carolina officials reacted with glee at the announcement.

Gov. Mark Sanford called it the largest infusion of jobs and capital investment in that state's history.

He said it "represents not only enormously good news for our state's economy, but also a telling dividend from our state's continued efforts to better our business climate. For us, that means lowering taxes, easing regulatory burdens in our state's tort and workers' compensation systems, and keeping South Carolina a right-to-work state."

There were no silver linings for the Puget Sound region in Boeing's decision, but Inslee offered a sliver of hope.

In the near term, Inslee said Boeing plans to open a "surge line" at its Paine Field plant in Everett to create additional capacity for assembly of the 787 during the next year or two while the South Carolina plant is brought on line. He cited as his source Timothy Keating, senior vice president for government relations for Boeing.

In Everett, Charlie Grieser, a 767 quality team leader and a member of the Aerospace Machinists union, said he felt betrayed by Boeing.

He noted the $3 billion in tax breaks in 2003 to build the initial 787s in Washington state.

"They were given that money to build the 787 here. Not half the 787 here," Grieser said, a 32-year company veteran. "I think this is going to poison all of the state on Boeing."

Seattlepi.com photographer Josh Trujillo and The Associated Press contributed to this report

4 charged in alleged gang rape of California girl

2009-10-29T03:59:00.000-07:00

CORRECTS DAY OF DANCE TO SATURDAY Police cars sit parked outside Richmond High School on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009, in Richmond, Calif. Authorities are investigating the rape and beating of a 15-year-old girl on school grounds following a homecoming dance Saturday which, according to police, lasted more than two hours and was witnessed by up to 20 people.

Noah Berger / AP Photo

House Democrats to unveil health bill

2009-10-29T03:54:00.000-07:00

By John Whitesides and Donna Smith

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the House of Representatives finished work on Wednesday on a healthcare bill that includes a government-run insurance plan, requires individuals to buy health coverage and imposes a surtax on the wealthy to help pay for it.

The measure, the product of weeks of closed-door talks to merge three pending health bills, will be unveiled by party leaders on Thursday and submitted to the full House for debate as early as next week.

The bill includes a government-run "public" insurance option that uses reimbursement rates negotiated with healthcare providers, Democrats said, a setback for House liberals led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi who favored a more "robust" version to compete with private insurers.

Pelosi failed to gain the 218 votes needed to pass a version of the government-run plan using lower rates pegged to Medicare, the health plan for the elderly.

The healthcare measure being prepared for debate in the Senate also includes a public insurance option based on negotiated reimbursement rates but, unlike the House bill, it would allow states to decline to participate.

The House's version of a sweeping healthcare overhaul, President Barack Obama's top domestic priority, would require individuals to buy insurance and all but the smallest employers to offer health coverage to workers, Democrats said.

It would offer subsidies to help the uninsured buy insurance through newly created exchanges and would expand eligibility for the Medicaid program to those with incomes up to 150 percent of the poverty level.

The House bill includes a 5.4 percent surtax on individuals making more than $500,000 and couples earning more than $1 million, which an aide said would bring in about $460 billion over 10 years to help pay for covering the uninsured.

NO CADILLAC TAX

The House bill does not include a tax on high-cost "Cadillac" insurance plans that is included in the Senate bill. House Democrats have strongly opposed that approach, which has drawn criticism from labor unions that fear it will hurt too many middle-income workers.

Obama has sought a health bill that reins in costs, regulates insurers and expands coverage to millions of the uninsured. The House bill includes restrictions to keep insurers from declining to cover those with pre-existing conditions or dropping the sick.

Democrats who attended a meeting with Pelosi said they were told congressional budget analysts had estimated the bill would cost less than Obama's target of $900 billion.

The House bill includes about $20 billion in fees over 10 years for medical device manufacturers, an aide said.

It will phase in penalties for businesses that fail to provide insurance, starting at 2 percent for firms with a payroll of $500,000 and ending at 8 percent for businesses with a payroll of $750,000 or more, the aide said.

The battle over a government-run insurance plan has become a flashpoint in the debate over the healthcare overhaul. Obama and liberals believe the option would create more choice for consumers.

Helicopter crashes: 14 US soldiers and civilians die in Afghanistan

2009-10-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

Fourteen US soldiers and civilians have died in two helicopter crashes in America's deadliest day in Afghanistan for four years.

By Ben Farmer in Kabul
Published: 4:02PM GMT 26 Oct 2009

US Blackhawk helicopter: 2009 has been the deadliest year for US forces in Afghanistan and October the deadliest month Photo: GETTY

In the first incident, a helicopter went down in Badghis province in the west of the country after raiding a compound harbouring an opium-trafficking gang linked to the insurgency.

The US military said the helicopter, believed to be a Chinook, crashed after leaving the compound, where a firefight had left more than a dozen insurgents dead.

Seven US soldiers and three Drug Enforcement Agency officers were killed, while 11 American soldiers, one US civilian and 14 Afghans were injured.

A Taliban spokesman claimed it had shot down the helicopter, but the Nato-led coalition said the crash was “not believed to be from enemy action”.

A military spokesman described Badghis province as “where we see the nexus between the insurgency and the narcotics trade”. It has has seen repeated raids by helicopter-borne US special forces.

The province has threatened to slip from government control with a sharp increase in Taliban activity funded by opium growing in the province.

Meanwhile a US marine UH1 helicopter and an AH1 Cobra collided in the southern province of Helmand, leaving four more US troops dead and wounding two others. Hostile fire was ruled out in the crash.

Both crashes were under investigation, but inquiries were being hampered by “combat conditions”.

Helicopters are vital to coalition operations in Afghanistan where there are few roads and the terrain is mountainous and impassable for ground vehicles.

The highest US death toll in one day since a helicopter crash in June 2005 came as President Barack Obama prepared to meet his security advisers to grapple again with a new strategy for the troubled eight-year-long conflict.

The Obama administration is debating whether to send 40,000 reinforcements to the country after General Stanley McChrystal, the US commander in Afghanistan, said the coalition risked failure without more resources.

Mr Obama has been accused of “dithering” over the request, just as opinion polls show the majority of Americans oppose the war.

His deliberations have been complicated by the fraud-riddled Afghan presidential elections which were supposed to choose a strong, legitimate leader in Kabul, but have instead become mired in allegations of ballot-stuffing.

A total of 46 US troops have died in Afghanistan in October in what is already by far the bloodiest year in the country since the 2001 US-led invasion.

In June 2005, 16 American special forces members were killed in the eastern province of Kunar when their Chinook helicopter was shot down by the Taliban.

Nasa's new Ares I-X rocket expected to launch this afternoon after weather delayed lift-off

2009-10-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 3:04 PM on 27th October 2009

The US space agency is planning to test launch the Ares I-X rocket designed to replace the Space Shuttle fleet and one day take astronauts to the Moon and Mars.

A four-hour window opened at 8am (12pm GMT) for the launch of the Ares I-X rocket from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre, a key test for the future of American space exploration amid financial uncertainty about the program.

The launch team is hoping the rocket will lift-off at 11.19am (3.19pm GMT) after the initial launch was abandoned due to the threat of 'triboelectrification' or static energy in the clouds.

Countdown: Nasa expects its Ares I-X rocket to be launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre today

One of a kind: The 327-foot prototype is the world's largest and will gather data via 700 sensors

Although the skies look clear high-level clouds can generate precipitation static. This can create a corona of static electricity around the rocket that interferes with radio signals sent by or to the rocket.

A weather aircraft is flying to the area now and will update the launch team shortly.

While Nasa scientists said they had 'no issues' with the 327-foot prototype - the world's largest at present - the weather could thwart the launch.

The forecast for today shows only a 40 per cent chance of favourable weather, although Nasa needs just 15 minutes of good weather to launch.

If weather concerns cloud the test launch, the next window will be tomorrow. The flight will be delayed until next month if bad weather persists.

The flight will allow the agency to 'test and prove hardware, models, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I launch vehicle,' which is seen as a first step in US human space flight after the shuttle is retired.

Nasa will gather data collected by more than 700 sensors placed throughout the rocket during the ascent of the integrated stack.

Window: The weather will be a big factor in whether the launch is successful

Only the first stage of Ares I-X - a modified solid-fuel motor from the shuttle program - will be tested, while the upper stage and capsule are mock-ups.

Data obtained during the two-and-a-half-minute flight will help the US space agency determine whether the prototype is safe and stable in flight before the new generation of launch vehicles is used to take astronauts into orbit.

A team of experts has projected that will not happen before 2015, leaving a five-year gap after the shuttle is retired in 2010.

More...

The test launch comes as the White House studies a report by a high-level commission set up by President Barack Obama to review plans for post-shuttle human space flight established by his predecessor, George W Bush.

The panel chaired by Norman Augustine, a former executive at aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, concluded that the US human space flight program 'appears to be on an unsustainable trajectory' and was seeking to achieve goals not matched by resources.

Waiting game: An alligator basks in a Florida swamp illuminated by a reflection of the Ares rocket

The Ares rocket has suffered major development problems, and its hefty price tag has fuelled criticism of Nasa, an agency notorious for its cost overruns.

The initial budget for the Constellation program, which includes Ares rockets, was set at £17billion, but has swollen to at least £27bn.

Augustine Commission member Ed Crawley said last week that Ares I was 'not the right ship' for post-shuttle space flight.

The question is not can we build Ares I, but should we build Ares I,' Crawley said.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's yearly budget is about £11bn, £6bn of which are ploughed into the human space flight program, chiefly in developing the successor of the space shuttle: the Ares 1 rocket and the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle.

The Augustine Commission said an additional £1.8bn dollars a year are needed for Nasa to meet Constellation program goals or take human space flight the next step beyond the existing International Space Station (ISS).

The commission's review of the Constellation program proposed several alternatives, including sidestepping the rocket and going straight to the Ares V family of launch vehicles, which would take astronauts back to the Moon and eventually on to Mars.

AK Steel Q3 Profit Plummets - Update

2009-10-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

10/27/2009 10:13 AM ET

(RTTNews) - Steel manufacturer AK Steel Holding Corp. (AKS: News ) on Tuesday reported a sharp decline in third-quarter profit, as sales fell more than half from last year, hurt by lower shipments and average sales price. However, the company's results came in above the analysts' expectations.

The West Chester, Ohio-based company reported net income attributable to AK Steel Holding of $6.2 million or $0.06 per share, compared to $188.3 million or $1.67 per share in the year-ago quarter. Net income for the quarter fell to $5.7 million from $188.5 million a year ago.

On average, 12 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report $0.01 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Net sales for the quarter more than halved to $1.04 billion from last year's $2.16 billion, but topped the eight analysts' consensus estimate of $1.03 billion.

The company had shipments of 1,047,800 tons, down from shipments of 1,476,300 tons in the prior-year quarter. Average selling price for the quarter was $994 per ton, approximately 32% lower than the $1,462 per ton average price realized in the third quarter of 2008.

Operating profit for the recent quarter was $15.3 million, or $15 per ton, compared to $309.6 million, or $210 per ton, for the third quarter of 2008.

For the first nine months of 2009, AK Steel posted a net loss attributable to AK Steel Holding of $114.4 million or $1.05 per share, versus a profit of $434.6 million or $3.85 per share in the year-ago period. Net loss was $115.9 million, compared to a profit of $435 million in the corressponding period of 2008. Sales for the period plunged to $2.76 billion from $6.18 billion in the comparable period.

Verizon 3Q profit falls 30 pct on higher costs

2009-10-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

In this photo taken Friday, July 24, 2009, pedestrians pass by a Verizon Wireless store in Palo Alto, Calif. Verizon Communications Inc. said Monday, Oct. 26, 2009, third-quarter profit fell by 10 percent as higher operating costs offset an increase in revenue that was driven by its cell phone business.(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Paul Sakuma - AP)

-- Verizon Communications Inc., the nation's second largest phone company, on Monday said third-quarter profit fell nearly 30 percent as higher costs offset an increase in revenue that largely was driven by an acquisition in its wireless business.

The company continues to manage the decline in its wireline business as customers increasingly disconnect their landlines in favor of cell phones.

Revenue from landlines fell by 4.8 percent while wireless services - including cell phones and data plans - were up 24.4 percent thanks largely to its January purchase of Alltel Corp.

Verizon, which is based in New York, earned $1.18 billion, or 41 cents per share, in the quarter compared with $1.67 billion, or 59 cents per share, a year ago.

Excluding one-time items, Verizon says it earned 60 cents per share - a penny above the average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

The third quarter included 19 cents per share in one-time items, including 13 cents related to layoffs. Last year's third quarter had 7 cents per share in one-time items.

Revenue rose 10 percent to $27.3 billion from $24.75 billion. If Alltel's results were included in last year's third-quarter, Verizon said revenue would have risen by 0.6 percent.

Shares of Verizon fell 8 cents to $28.77 in morning trading.

Verizon is second only to AT&T Inc. among U.S. phone companies.

In July, Verizon said it will cut more than 8,000 employee and contractor jobs by the end of the year in its wireline business.

RadioShack revenue tops Street view; shares rise

2009-10-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) - RadioShack Corp (RSH.N) reported higher-than-expected revenue in the third quarter, and the electronics retailer's shares rose 4.7 percent in premarket trading.

Although earnings fell and narrowly missed analysts' average forecast, net sales totaled $990 million, well ahead of Wall Street expectations of $961.7 million.

"Our financial performance improved in the latter part of the quarter, primarily driven by our strong mobility business combined with an economy showing some signs of potential stabilization," Chief Financial Officer Jim Gooch said in a statement.

The retailer, which recently signed a deal with T-Mobile USA Inc, is now focusing more on wireless offerings and popular products such as iPods and iPod accessories as consumers curb spending in the recession.

The move to strengthen its wireless business is also an attempt to combat fierce competition from national big-box retailers like Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N), discounters like Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N), wireless carriers and other new wireless distribution channels.

Earlier this month, Wal-Mart said it will sell discounted mobile services nationwide, threatening to aggravate a price war and hurt profit margins across the U.S. wireless sector.

RadioShack said third-quarter net income fell to $37.4 million, or 30 cents a share, from $49.1 million, or 38 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts on average were expecting 31 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Sales fell 3.1 percent from the year-earlier $1.02 billion.

Sales at RadioShack stores and kiosks open at least a year fell 2.9 percent in the latest quarter.

While sales of converter boxes, laptops and wireless accessories fell, demand for Sprint Nextel postpaid wireless offerings, prepaid wireless handsets and netbooks was steady.

RadioShack had seen an uptick in sales of its converter boxes in the past year due to a mandatory switch of all U.S. televisions to digital in June.

RadioShack's gross margin improved by about 0.9 percentage point to 47.6 percent as the retailer included more higher-margin products, such as postpaid and prepaid wireless, in its merchandise mix and moved away from lower-margin products like converter boxes, laptops and GPS.

Its shares were up 4.7 percent at $16.40 in premarket trading.

(Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan; Editing by Derek Caney and John Wallace)

Jakarta Globe

2009-10-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

The shared European unit soared to 1.5064 dollars in Asian trade

Euro hits fresh 14-month highs against dollar

The euro hit fresh 14-month highs against the dollar on Monday on signs that China may increase its holdings of the European currency, dealers said.

The shared European unit soared to 1.5064 dollars in Asian trade, hitting its strongest level since August 11, 2008, before falling back. It stood at 1.5035 dollars later in London, up from 1.5007 dollars late Friday in New York.

Against the Japanese currency on Monday, the dollar dipped to 91.76 yen from 92.07 yen late on Friday.

Traders cited an opinion piece by a Chinese central bank official in China's Financial News newspaper, arguing that Beijing should boost its holdings of euros and yen, as a factor behind the currency moves.

"The Financial News, a paper linked to China's central bank, printed a report from a Chinese researcher stating that China should increase its holdings of both euros and yen," said Forex.com analyst Brian Dolan.

"This report helped push the euro/dollar through fresh 14-month highs," he said.

"Inevitably, the report from China was eventually denied as a statement was released stating that the views in the report were the 'fully personal' views of the researcher."

China has invested a large part of its vast reserves in dollar assets, such as safe low-yielding US Treasury bonds, but Beijing has tried to diversify its investments to improve returns amid the global financial crisis.

European Central Bank (ECB) governing board member Christian Noyer declined to comment on the euro's strength at a seminar in Singapore, easing market worries that eurozone officials may step up efforts to talk down the currency.

The dollar has been weighed down recently by speculation that the United States may be slower than some other major economies to raise interest rates. Investors generally prefer the currencies of countries offering higher yields.

"Investors are sceptical whether it will be realistic (for the US Federal Reserve) to end its zero interest rate policy amid current economic conditions," said Chuo Mitsui Trust Bank strategist Yosuke Hosokawa.

"The dollar will continue to be on the weak trend," he said.

The Fed has kept its key rate in a range of zero to 0.25 percent since last December to help the US economy recover from its worst recession in decades.

The ECB has meanwhile frozen its key rate at a record low 1.0 percent since May in a bid to encourage lending by eurozone banks as recovery takes hold.

In London on Monday, the euro was changing hands at 1.5035 dollars against 1.5007 dollars late on Friday, at 137.95 yen (138.16), 0.9207 pounds (0.9201) and 1.5132 Swiss francs (1.5138).

The dollar stood at 91.76 yen (92.07) and 1.0065 Swiss francs (1.0090).

The pound was at 1.6329 dollars (1.6310).

On the London Bullion Market, the price of gold fell to 1,055.95 dollars an ounce from 1,061.75 dollars an ounce late on Friday.

AFP

Oil prices lower

2009-10-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

Oil was lower in Asian trade as investors took profit after prices shot up to their highest level in a year last week. -- PHOTO: AP

SINGAPORE - OIL was lower in Asian trade on Monday as investors took profit after prices shot up to their highest level in a year last week, analysts said.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for December delivery dropped 54 cents to US$79.96 (S$111.39) a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for December delivery eased 46 cents to US$78.46 a barrel.

New York crude hit US$82 on Wednesday, its highest level since October 14, 2008 as the dollar slumped, boosting the appetite of investors holding stronger foreign currencies.

A weak US currency usually boosts crude prices because holders of stronger foreign units then find it cheaper to invest in dollar-denominated oil futures.

The price declines are expected to be limited as the dollar is likely to stay weak, analysts said. 'Over the medium term, the US dollar is still set to depreciate further,' analysts from Singapore's DBS bank said in a report.

A slew of key US economic data due out this week, including third quarter growth figures for the world's biggest economy, is also expected to have an impact on crude prices, analysts said. -- AFP

Boeing loses $1.6-billion

2009-10-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Charges from its delayed 787 and a new version of its 747 jumbo jet weighed down third-quarter res

Airplane maker Boeing (BA-N51.74-0.15-0.29%) said Wednesday it lost $1.6-billion in its third quarter as charges from its delayed 787 and a new version of its 747 jumbo jet weighed down results. It also slashed its profit forecast for 2009.

Shares of the Chicago-based airplane maker fell $1.29, or 2.5 per cent, to $50.60 in premarket trade.

Weak demand for air travel and cargo services has undermined demand for Boeing's jetliners since the global economy deteriorated late last year. Some customers have been forced to cancel or delay plans to buy new aircraft.

But Boeing, the world's second-largest commercial plane maker after Europe's Airbus, has had its own problems, too: production setbacks have delayed its eagerly awaited 787 and 747-8 jets, resulting in hefty charges.

The company said its quarterly loss amounted to $2.23 per share. During the same period last year, Boeing earned $695-million, or 96 cents per share. A labour strike and problems with suppliers reduced year-earlier profit by 60 cents per share and revenue by an estimated $2.1-billion.

Revenue rose 9 per cent to $16.69-billion.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, on average, expected a loss of $2.12 per share on revenue of $17.16-billion. Wall Street estimates typically exclude one-time charges.

US banks' earnings beat forecasts

2009-10-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

Morgan Stanley said it delivered strong results in investment banking

Morgan Stanley has returned to profit after three quarterly losses in a row, with net income of $757m (£457m) in the July to September period.

Its investment banking division did well, it said, with underwriting revenues up 74% from 2008 levels.

At the same time, the country's fourth-largest bank, Wells Fargo, reported a record $3.2bn profit for the quarter.

Wells Fargo, which bought Wachovia last year, said revenues from mortgages and consumer credit had surged.

Morgan Stanley announced its results two days after agreeing to sell its retail asset management business to investment manager Invesco in a deal worth $1.5bn.

The sale of the loss-making division will allow it to focus more on its institutional clients.

Morgan Stanley's third-quarter profit followed a loss of $159m between April and June.

Wells Fargo 3Q profit rises, but so do loan losses

2009-10-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

FILE - In this May 4, 2009 file photo, a Wells Fargo Bank in Palo Alto, Calif. is shown. Wells Fargo & Co. said Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, its third-quarter profit nearly doubled from a year ago although it joins other big U.S. banks in reporting higher loan losses.

Paul Sakuma, file / AP Photo

The Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Wells Fargo & Co. on Wednesday reported a $2.6 billion third-quarter profit as the company's retail banking operations, including the loan business it acquired with the purchase of Wachovia Corp., offset its rising loan losses.

Shares added 11 cents to $30.57 in early trading.

San Francisco-based Wells Fargo joined other big banks in reporting continuing heavy losses from failed loans. Well Fargo said credit losses climbed to $5.1 billion, or 2.5 percent of its loan portfolio. That is up from $2 billion a year ago and $4.4 billion in the second quarter.

Unlike its retail banking peers, however, Wells Fargo was profiting from it traditional banking operations, which includes the big mortgage business it took on when it bought Wachovia at the height of the credit crisis a year ago. Wells Fargo reported interest income of $5.57 billion after accounting for $6.1 billion in credit losses, which includes the loan losses and adding more money to its loan loss reserves.

The increase in loan losses follows the pattern at other top U.S. banks, including Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. Those banks' results, however, were supported by their robust trading businesses. Wells Fargo has a relatively small trading operation.

Wells Fargo also offered a more upbeat outlook than some of the other banks, saying it expects credit losses to peak in 2010, with consumer losses possibly even peaking by the first half of the year.

The nation's fourth-largest bank reported a third-quarter profit of $2.64 billion, or 56 cents per share, after paying preferred dividends, up from $1.64 billion, or 49 cents per share, a year ago. Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of 37 cents per share.

Fuel oil spill off Galveston

2009-10-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

SOME 18,000 gallons of fuel oil from the 2003-built aframax crude tanker Krymsk have spilt about 40 miles southeast of Galveston, after the ship collided with the offshore supply vessel AET Endeavour late on Tuesday.

The US Coast Guard said the leak from the 2003-built, 115,605 dwt Krymsk has been secured, and no injuries are reported on either vessel. On-water and aerial assets have been deployed for spill response operations.

Lloyd’s Marine Intelligence Unit indicates Novorossiysk Shipping Co as the commercial and technical operator of the double-hulled Krymsk, and Sovcomflot as the beneficial owner.

The incident comes on the heels of a fuel spill on the Chemical Supplier in the Houston Ship Channel last month, which caused an oil spill of 10,500 gallons of fuel oil.

The latest casualty is likely to throw the spotlight on double hulling of fuel tanks, also known as “protectively locating” the fuel tanks.

Although International Maritime Organization standards require all newly built tankers from next year to adhere to this requirement, there is no parallel requirement to retrofit existing ships.

Both the Chemical Supplier and Krymsk are double-hulled ships.

Dollar's days of dominance may end

2009-10-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick warned Monday that, with foreign economic powers rising quickly on the world stage, time is running out for the privileged role enjoyed by the American currency.

The dollar's status as the world's reserve currency has given the U.S. prestige and privileges that are unique in the world, lifting living standards by enabling Americans to borrow cheaply and consume far more than they produce with little consequence for decades.

The United States would be mistaken to take for granted the dollar's place as the world's predominant reserve currency," Mr. Zoellick said in a speech to Johns Hopkins University's School for Advanced International Studies in Washington. "Looking forward, there will increasingly be other options to the dollar."

Mr. Zoellick, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, noted that the world economic order established after World War II, with the United States and a handful of European countries largely dominating, is quickly coming to an end.

China is expected to displace Japan within months as the world's second-largest economy. And the U.S. and other developed nations formally recognized the growing influence of China and other major emerging countries last week by designating the Group of 20 economic powers, which includes such countries, for the first time as the world's main economic decision-making body in what analysts view as a landmark development.

"Bretton Woods is being overhauled before our eyes," said Mr. Zoellick, referring to the postwar economic summit in New Hampshire that elevated the U.S. and its dollar to the predominant role it has today and established the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to nurture world development and growth.

In the first significant change in those institutions in decades, China, Russia, India, Brazil and other major emerging countries were guaranteed greater power in the IMF and World Bank at the G-20 summit, with increases in their voting shares of at least 5 percent and 3 percent, respectively. Mr. Zoellick said the fast succession of changes in world economic governance this year were forced by the worst financial crisis and global recession in modern times.

But a new world currency regime will not happen overnight, he said. "This time, it will take longer than three weeks in New Hampshire. It will have more participants." And the United States could act to slow the erosion of the dollar, he said, referring to the dollar's decline recently on fears that the U.S. will print money to pay for its enormous budget deficits.

"U.S. prospects depend on whether it will address large deficits, recover without inflation, and overhaul its financial system," Mr. Zoellick said. "The United States has a history of recovering from setbacks."

The World Bank chief's views mirror the behind-the-scenes-talk last week at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, where the influence of nations such as Russia who want a new reserve currency system is on the rise. The G-20 included a veiled reference in its communique to the need for the U.S. to pursue noninflationary policies and lower budget deficits to support the dollar's reserve role.

Russia, China and other emerging nations that have been the most vocal about replacing the dollar also have been in the forefront of shifting some of their sizable central bank reserves into other currencies, principally the euro. But most of these countries still retain the lion's share of their reserves in dollars.

Worldwide, central banks have been slowly shifting some of their dollar reserves into euros and other currencies, but nearly two-thirds of currency reserves remain in dollars. Moreover, two-thirds of international trade is conducted in dollars, largely because oil and other key commodities needed in every country are priced in dollars.

China, which has the world's largest reserves estimated at nearly $2 trillion, keeps most of its reserves in dollar-denominated securities such as short-term Treasury bills, analysts say. China has expressed growing uneasiness with the decline of the dollar, which has fallen 16 percent since March against the euro, resuming a downward trend since 2002 that was interrupted briefly by the financial crisis. But even these qualms have not prompted China to diversify in any major way.

China has been dabbling at arranging more international transactions in its own currency, the yuan, as well as purchasing gold and a kind of reserve currency issued by the IMF known as special drawing rights. So far, however, these represent only token departures from its dollar-dominated reserve strategy, analysts say.

For these and other reasons, most foreign exchange analysts say, the dollar is nowhere close to being supplanted as a reserve currency.

"This is mostly saber-rattling and political posturing," said Jeffrey Nichols, senior economic adviser at Rosland Capital. "Countries like China - while talking tough - have a strong interest in maintaining a stable dollar and an undervalued yuan to support exports to the U.S. and a growing economy with high employment at home." China will have to keep adding dollars to its reserves to achieve those economic goals, he said.

Karl Schamotta, an analyst at Custom House, a Canadian foreign exchange firm, said any serious move by China to diversify its estimated $1.5 trillion of dollar reserves could be devastating for the U.S. currency, but no one expects that.

"For now, the Chinese government is the largest stakeholder in the value of the dollar," he said. "As many things have changed dramatically over the last two years and economic power is rapidly shifting eastward, the United States still holds the balance of power and is not likely to give it up for some time yet."

Euro Zone Exports Dip In August

2009-10-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone exports fell sharply in August from the previous month and imports eased too, data showed on Friday, signalling weakness in global and internal demand and raising concern about the bloc's recovery prospects.

Exports from the 16 countries using the euro fell 5.8 percent in August compared with July and imports eased 1.3 percent, seasonally adjusted data from the European Union's statistics office showed.

This reduced the seasonally adjusted trade surplus to 1 billion euros in August from 6 billion in July.

Trade data volatility meant too much importance should not be attributed to one month's data, said Howard Archer, economist at IHS Global Insight.

"Nevertheless, it is worrying for euro zone recovery prospects to see that seasonally adjusted exports plunged by as much as 5.8 percent month-on-month in August, which more than wiped out the gains of the previous two months," he said.

Meanwhile the fall in imports "hardly points to marked improvement in domestic demand," he added.

Economists think the euro zone economy returned to growth in the third quarter and expect it to continue to expand, albeit slowly in the coming quarters.

"The recent improvement in ... global prospects, particularly in the United States and Asia, suggests that export growth will pick up next year," said Ben May, economist at Capital Economics.

"But it will be a long while before it returns to the robust rates seen two or three years ago, particularly if the euro continues its recent upward trend," he said.

EURO STRENGTH

The euro is at 14-month highs against the dollar and euro zone officials have said any further sharp rise could cause concern.

European exporters say the pain threshold for them is an exchange rate above $1.40. On Friday, the euro was trading around $1.49.

Euro zone finance ministers will discuss exchange rates when they meet on Monday in Luxembourg. Economists say, however, that while the euro's level is important for trade, the strength of demand plays a bigger role in shaping export and import trends.

Without the seasonal adjustment the data looked even more grim. The euro zone swung to a trade deficit in August against market expectations of a surplus even though non-adjusted exports fell less than imports year-on-year.

The trade gap was 4.0 billion euros (3.6 billion pounds) in August, compared with a 12.3 billion surplus in July and a deficit of 11.3 billion a year earlier. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a surplus of 9.7 billion euros for August.

Eurostat said non-adjusted exports fell 23 percent year-on-year to 89.7 billion euros while imports tumbled 27 percent to 93.7 billion.

Detailed information for August was not available, but data showed the euro zone's trade deficit in raw materials halved to 11.2 billion euros in January-July. The trade gap in energy shrank to 114.5 billion euros from 194.6 billion a year earlier.

The trade surplus in exported machinery and vehicles fell to 70.5 billion from 116.1 billion in the same period of 2008.

(Editing by Dale Hudson/Ruth Pitchford/Victoria Main)

IBM profit grows despite sales drop

2009-10-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

The IT giant posted stronger-than-expected earnings and raised its 2009 outlook, but its revenues slipped from last year.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- International Business Machines posted third-quarter results on Thursday that met analysts' forecasts, then raised its expectations for the rest of the year, citing improving sales trends during the quarter.

But investors were unimpressed: IBM shares dropped 5% in after-hours trading.

IBM (IBM, Fortune 500) said its net income for the quarter rose to $3.2 billion, up 14% compared to last year. Its per-share earnings were $2.40, beating the $2.38 per share consensus estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

Sales for the Armonk, N.Y., diversified tech company fell 7% to $23.6 billion, slightly ahead of analysts' forecast of $23.4 billion.

Sales were down 5% in IBM's North American region and 6% in emerging markets, but dropped 12% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Software was IBM's bright spot for the quarter. Software sales fell 3% -- the smallest decline for any of the company's business units -- but sales of IBM's middleware products rose 2%, to $2.9 billion.

Companies use middleware like IBM's WebSphere and Tivoli software to integrate disparate IT systems. Middleware accounted for more than half of IBM's software revenue during the quarter and is the fastest-growing part of IBM's software portfolio, IBM CFO Mark Loughridge said in a conference call with reporters following the financial results release.

IBM is optimistic about the rest of the year and expects full-year 2009 earnings of at least $9.85 per share, compared with its previous prediction of $9.70 per share.

The company also said is it "well ahead of pace" for its 2010 plans for earnings of $10 to $11 per share

Bank of America: $2.2 billion loss

2009-10-16T06:15:00.000-07:00

Nation's biggest bank is hit by bad loans. Outgoing CEO Ken Lewis calls credit costs 'our major financial challenge going forward.'

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Bank of America suffered a $2.2 billion loss in the latest quarter, the company said Friday.

Contributing to the grim third-quarter performance was a $1.2 billion dividend payment to its preferred shareholders, including the U.S. government, as well as credit losses within some of its consumer-related businesses.

"Obviously, credit costs remain high, and that is our major financial challenge going forward," Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis said in a statement.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based lender also paid out $402 million in the quarter after it agreed to eliminate a loss-sharing agreement it had struck with the government earlier this year.

Taken together, the company said it lost 26 cents a share.

Just a year ago, the company was comfortably in the black, reporting profit of $704 million, or 15 cents a share.

Friday's results, however, were slightly worse than Wall Street was expecting. Analysts had anticipated that the company would suffer a loss of 21 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters.

Suffering the brunt of this quarter's losses was Bank of America's mortgage and credit card businesses. Both divisions lost more than $1 billion during the July-September period as more and more Americans found themselves out of work and unable to keep up with their loan obligations.

Loan troubles also intensified within Bank of America's commercial real estate portfolio, amid slower by both businesses and consumers.

http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2009/10/14/f_cs_amex_reOne bright spot was its wealth management business, one of the key businesses that led Bank of America to complete its controversial deal with Merrill Lynch last year.

Bank of America's latest results come at arguably one of the most strained periods for the nation's largest bank.

The company is currently facing a number of high-profile state and federal investigations related to its purchase of Merrill Lynch, not to mention a looming legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company's pay plans for its top 100 employees are also under review by the Obama administration's so-called "pay czar." On Thursday, Lewis agreed to a deal not to accept a salary or bonus in his final year as CEO in an effort to deflect some of scrutiny the firm faces.

Last month, Lewis announced his decision to retire from the firm at year end, which some have speculated was prompted by the heightened scrutiny from both Capitol Hill and Wall Street. The company is currently engaged in a search for his replacement.

Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) shares fell more than 4% in pre-market trading

GM signs Chinese Hummer deal

2009-10-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

U.S. assembly plants would to continue production for Sichuan Tengzhong until at least June 2011.

The Hummer brand is "synonymous with adventure, freedom and exhilaration," Sichuan Tengzhong Chief Executive Yang Yi, left, said in June. In this picture he's with Hummer CEO Jim Taylor in Southfield, Mich. (John F. Martin / AFP/Getty Images / October 8, 2009)

General Motors Co. said it signed a definitive agreement to sell its Hummer sport utility brand to a Chinese heavy-equipment maker, potentially achieving an important goal in the U.S. auto company's post-bankruptcy makeover.

Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. intends to purchase Hummer through an investment entity, in which it would hold an 80% stake, GM said in a statement://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=57326 Friday. Suolang Duoji, a private entrepreneur, would hold the remaining 20%. Duoji's holdings include Lumena Resources Corp. in Hong Kong.

Although terms of the deal weren't disclosed, reports published in China said Tengzhong would pay $150 million for Hummer. The deal follows lengthy talks that were first disclosed in June, when GM and Tengzhong said they had reached a preliminary agreement.

The Chinese company, based in Sichuan province, would acquire the Hummer brand and trademark, as well as a license to manufacture the vehicles. It also would inherit the existing Hummer dealership agreements.

Signing an agreement is no guarantee a transaction will be completed -- as GM learned last week when the deal to sell its Saturn unit to a U.S. auto dealership chain fell through.

"In the auto industry that we're in today, nothing is final until it's final," said analyst Rebecca Lindland of IHS Global Insight. "Whether it's Saturn or this deal, the risk is always there that it will fall through."

Selling Hummer is part of GM's post-bankruptcy plan to focus on four key auto brands: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. GM is in talks to sell its Sweden-based Saab unit and is closing its Pontiac division. It also will shut down Saturn now that the deal to sell it to Penske Automotive Group Inc. is dead.

About 3,000 jobs in the U.S. are tied to building and selling Hummer vehicles. Under terms of the deal, assembly plants in Louisiana and Indiana would continue to produce Hummers under contract for Tengzhong until June 2011, with an optional one-year extension until June 2012.

It's unclear where production will be located after that, although Tengzhong spokeswoman Christina Stenson said the company was "looking for a long-term U.S. manufacturing solution."

"The U.S. is the biggest market for Hummer, so they need to be manufacturing vehicles here," she said.

It was Penske's failure to come to terms with a manufacturer that caused the deal to buy Saturn to fall apart.

Tengzhong may open a Hummer assembly plant in China at some point, Stenson said.

Lindland noted that in recent years, the hulking Hummer SUVs have become a target of environmentalists because of poor fuel economy. The 2010 Hummer H3 has a combined city-highway fuel economy rating of 15 miles per gallon, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Hummer sales plummeted almost 82% in September and are down almost 64% this year.

"This deal is a new lease on life for the brand, but it's a brand that has a lot to overcome in terms of image," Lindland said. "Hummer epitomizes where the economy was pre-recession, and it's going to take some pretty creative marketing to change people's perception of the brand."

That said, the Hummer brand may survive whereas the more eco-friendly Saturn is history. And despite its image problems in the U.S., the Hummer brand carries considerable cachet in China. Yang Yi, Tengzhong's chief executive, said in June that the brand is "synonymous with adventure, freedom and exhilaration."

The deal will require regulatory approval from the U.S. and Chinese governments. The transaction is expected to close late this year or early next year.

Powerball Sales Coming To Maryland

2009-10-11T23:25:00.000-07:00

Anne Kramer
Man buying a Powerball ticket (AP Photo)WBAL Radio has learned that Powerball tickets will soon be sold in Maryland.

Lottery Director Buddy Roogow expects the sales to begin in the next four or five months. The decision is a result of lots of negotiations between officials in the states that operate Mega Millions and Powerball over the last seveal months.

The Boston Herald reported over the weekend that Powerball tickets were being allowed in Massachusetts.

Roogow says an official announcement is likely to come in the next few days. He says sales of Powerball tickets in Maryland should bring in $25 million in additional revenue each year to the state. And he expects sales to total $50 million in a full year.

WBAL's Anne Kramer asked Roogow if the states have agreed to sell each other's big game tickets does that mean the games would be combined into one in the future? Roogow says that is now in discussion but he expects any movement to create a national game to be years away. He says it would take a large amount of software and a big agreement from the states.

Roogow says 34 states now take part in the Powerball game and 12 states play Mega Millions.

"To me it's like going into a store and having your choice of different brands of bread or different brands of milk. Now they will have a choice of different brands of super jackpot games," says Roogow.

He says market research shows that most adults that live in states where big jackpot games are offered end up buying a ticket, so having Powerball and Mega Millions sales in Maryland are expected to drive in more customers.

Roogow says they will need to work out the logistics of selling the Powerball tickets in Maryland in the next few months by working with the lottery vendor.

Singapore economy surges, GDP up 15pc in latest quarter

2009-10-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

Singapore GDP for the July to September quarter was up 14.9 per cent.

SINGAPORE - Singapore's economy has surged for a second straight quarter in the July-to-September period as manufacturing leads the city-state out of recession.

Gross domestic product grew an annualised, seasonally adjusted 14.9 per cent in the third quarter, following a jump of 22 per cent the previous quarter, the Trade and Industry Ministry said Monday.

The economy also expanded - up 0.8 per cent - from a year earlier for the first time since the third quarter of 2008, the ministry said.

"A clear but modest recovery is under way globally, at least for the next three or four quarters," the ministry said. "However, economic activity will probably remain below pre-crisis levels because of the drag on demand in the developed economies."

The government boosted its 2009 GDP forecast to a contraction of between 2 per cent and 2.5 per cent from a previous expectation of a fall between 4 per cent and 6 per cent.

Singapore relies on trade, finance and tourism to sustain one of Asia's highest living standards. Manufacturing soared an annualized, seasonally adjusted 35 per cent in the third quarter while services grew 9.5 per cent.

Economists generally define a recession as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction while an economy emerges from recession with two quarters of growth.

The central bank said Monday it left unchanged its exchange rate policy, favouring neither an appreciation nor depreciation of the Singapore dollar. The bank, known as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, said it expected inflation near 0 per cent this year and between 1 per cent and 2 per cent next year.

Chevron sees 3Q earns up significantly from 2Q

2009-10-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2009 file photo shows a Chevron worker preparing to transfer gas from a truck to a Chevron gas station in Menlo Park, Calif. Chevron Corp. said Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, it expects its third-quarter earnings to be significantly higher than the second quarter on higher crude oil prices and gains from asset sales and tax items.

Paul Sakuma, file / AP Photo

The Associated Press

SAN RAMON, Calif. -- Chevron Corp. expects its third-quarter earnings to be significantly higher than the second quarter on higher crude oil prices and gains from asset sales and tax items.

The second-largest U.S. oil company said late Thursday it expects about $400 million in gains related to asset sales and tax items.

But the San Ramon, Calif.-based company said results from its downstream businesses such as refining and marketing are expected to be relatively flat.

Chevron previously reported it earned $1.75 billion, or 87 cents per share, in the second quarter, down 71 percent from $5.98 billion, or $2.90 per share, a year earlier.

The company didn't offer a specific third-quarter earnings estimate. But analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Chevron to earn $1.40 per share on revenue of $46.2 billion.

Chevron's third-quarter profit last year more than doubled on record crude prices during the summer. It earned $7.89 billion, or $3.85 a share, in the three months ended Sept. 30 - its largest quarterly profit in its 129-year corporate history.

Its shares rose $1.31, or 1.8 percent, to close at $72.76 Friday.

Chevron said Thursday its interim report for this year's third-quarter results was based on production volumes, margins and other items during a portion of the quarter and are "not necessarily indicative" of quarterly results. It cautioned that no one should "place undue reliance on this data."

It said it expects net after-tax charges will be between $250 million and $350 million. But it cautioned that actual results may "significantly differ" from the guidance range due to foreign currency effects and other factors.

Chevron said that compared with the average for the second quarter, net U.S. oil-equivalent production during the first two months of the third quarter increased 41,000 barrels per day mainly due to increased production in the Gulf of Mexico.

It said its U.S. and international refining indicator margins for the third quarter were mixed. Marketing indicator margins were higher in the United States but lower in the Asia-Pacific/Middle East/Africa area.

The company's third-quarter earnings report set for release on Oct. 30.

Pakistan bomb kills 41

2009-10-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

A suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle near a market in Pakistan's city of Peshawar on Friday, killing 41 people and underlining the militants' ability to strike major cities despite American-backed military offensives.

Associated Press
Published: 9:32AM BST 09 Oct 2009

Pakistani volunteers and bystanders shift an injured car bomb blast victim into an ambulance at a bomb blast site in Peshawar Photo: AFP/GETTY

The attack in the Khyber Bazaar area came as Pakistan's army prepares for another major operation in the al-Qaida and Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan tribal region. The militants have threatened bombings if the army doesn't back off, but the U.S. has continued to prod Pakistan to take action against insurgents using its soil to fuel the insurgency in neighboring Afghanistan.
Television footage showed the charred skeleton of a bus flipped on its side in the middle of a major road. Twisted remains of a motorbike lay alongside the bus. A nearby vehicle was in flames.
Noor Alam saw the vehicle explode, and suffered wounds on his legs and face.
"I saw a blood soaked leg landing close to me," Alam told The Associated Press at the overwhelmed Lady Reading hospital. "I understood for the first time in my life what a doomsday would look like."
Peshawar Police Chief Liaqat Ali Khan said the attacker was in a car packed with "a huge quantity of explosives and artillery rounds." A minibus apparently carrying passengers nearby was also leveled in the blast.
It came days after a suicide attack killed five at a U.N. office in the capital, Islamabad and two weeks after another explosion killed 11 in a Peshawar commercial area.
It was the deadliest attack in Pakistan since a suicide bomber demolished a packed mosque near the northwestern town of Jamrud in March, killing about 50.
Provincial Health Minister Syed Zahir Ali Shah said 41 people were killed and more than 100 wounded Friday.
"Death has to come one day, but we will keep chasing these terrorists, and this attack cannot deter our resolve," Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said as he visited the bloody scene.
Also Friday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said a suspect had been arrested in Monday's suicide attack at the office of the U.N.'s World Food Program in Islamabad. Malik says the man was alleged to have given the attacker shelter, but gave few details.
Militants in Pakistan also have targeted trucks carrying supplies for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Early Friday, militants ambushed a tanker carrying fuel for the Western troops at a gas station near Peshawar, torching it, said Fazal Rabi, a police official. No injuries or deaths were reported.
The attacks come amid growing tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan over a multibillion-dollar U.S. aid package that is aimed at helping Pakistan's economy and other nonmilitary sectors.
Pakistan's army has raised concern over strings attached to the aid, bolstering critics who say it will invite U.S. interference.
The debate over the proposal also has exposed rifts between Pakistan's military and its weak civilian government.
The government has hailed the package, which would provide $1.5 billion a year over the next five years. But the measure, which awaits President Barack Obama's signature, makes U.S. aid contingent on whether Pakistan's government maintains effective control over the military, among other conditions.
The army, which has ruled Pakistan for around half its 62-year existence, raised "serious concern" over the conditions, while the government said nothing in it was against Pakistan's interests.