The U.S. Air Force says a supercomputer up and running at an Ohio base is the most powerful in the entire Department of Defense. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Tag Archives: Air Force
Ex-CIA agent convicted in Milan in kidnapping held in Panama
A former CIA base chief convicted in the 2003 abduction of a terror suspect from an Italian street has been detained in Panama after Italy requested his arrest in one of the most notorious episodes of the U.S. program known as extraordinary rendition, Italian and Panamanian officials said Thursday.
Robert Seldon Lady, the former CIA chief in Milan, entered Panama, crossed the border into Costa Rica and was sent back to Panama where he was detained, according to an Italian official familiar with Italy’s investigation of the rendition of Cleric Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the case.
A Panamanian National Police official said Lady, 59, had been detained Wednesday on the Costa Rica-Panama border. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter.
The government of Panama, which maintains one of the region’s closest relationships with the U.S., was officially silent on the case. Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino told The Associated Press that he was unaware of Lady’s detention and the press office of the National Police — which works with Interpol, the international police agency — said it had no information. The CIA also declined to comment.
Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, was hustled into a car in February 2003 on a street in Milan, where he preached, and transferred to U.S. military bases in Italy and Germany before being flown to Egypt. He alleged he was tortured in Egypt before being released.
Italy conducted an aggressive investigation and charged 26 CIA and other U.S. government employees despite objections from Washington. All left Italy before charges were filed in the first trial in the world involving the CIA’s extraordinary rendition program, under which terror suspects were abducted and transferred to third countries where many were subjected to torture.
All the U.S. suspects were eventually convicted but only Lady received a sentence — nine years in prison — that merited an extradition request under Italian legal guidelines. Two former Italian spy chiefs were also convicted this year for their role in the cleric’s kidnapping.
The case caused tensions between Rome and Washington, two traditionally stalwart allies. In April, Italy’s president, Giorgio Napolitano, pardoned a U.S. Air Force colonel convicted in the rendition case, a move Napolitano hoped would keep American-Italian relations strong, especially on security matters.
Napolitano said he granted the pardon in hopes of resolving an affair that the United States considered unprecedented because a U.S. military officer for NATO had been convicted for deeds committed on Italian territory.
The colonel, Joseph Romano, was security chief of the Aviano air base in northern Italy, where Nasr was taken on his way to Egypt.
In issuing the pardon, Napolitano’s office said the president had taken into consideration the fact that Obama, immediately after his election, had put an end to George W. Bush administration anti-terror practices that both Italy and the European Union considered to be “not compatible with fundamental principles of rule of law.”
Lady, who …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News
Sexual battery charge dropped for military officer
Virginia prosecutors have dropped a sexual battery charge against an Air Force officer who led the military branch’s sexual assault response unit.
A trial had been scheduled Thursday for 41-year-old Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski. Before the trial began, Commonwealth Attorney Theo Stamos said the sexual battery charge will be dropped and substituted with a generic assault charge.
Stamos said after the hearing that as new facts emerged, charging Krusinski with a sex offense was no longer appropriate.
Defense attorney Barry Coburn said he appreciated prosecutors’ review of the case. He said Krusinski will plead not guilty to the assault charge.
The assault charge will carry the same potential punishment as sexual battery.
Police say Krusinski groped a woman in a Crystal City parking lot in May.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Sexual Battery Charge Dropped For Jeffrey Krusinski, Leader Of Military Sexual Assault Response Unit
By The Huffington Post News Editors
ARLINGTON, Va. — Virginia prosecutors have dropped a sexual battery charge against an Air Force officer who led the military branch’s sexual assault response unit.
A trial had been scheduled Thursday for 41-year-old Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski. Before the trial began, Commonwealth Attorney Theo Stamos said the sexual battery charge will be dropped and substituted with a generic assault charge.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post
Video: ATF Brutally Targets Conservative Gun Shop
By NewsEditor
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms audited gun shop All Pawn in Spring, TX for 30 days! As a result, they yanked their FFL for minor clerical errors on 4473 forms. This is not standard ATF practice.
Time running out for Yankee Air Museum to raise $5M to renovate Willow Run plant
By hnn
Ypsilanti— The great warplane relics of America’s past are treasures to Ray Hunter, who would like to see the Yankee Air Force Museum find a new home in a historic airport hangar.
The 76-year-old Air Force veteran, who flew rescue helicopter missions in Vietnam, is one of the many former service members who hope the museum can raise nearly $5 million to save and renovate part of the former Willow Run bomber plant building into its new home on the grounds of the Willow Run Airport.
“The museum will go on,” he said. “We’re in a facility now. We’d rather be all under one roof because we want the public to be able to look at these airplanes that we are so proud of.”…
Source:
Detroit News
Source URL:
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130718/METRO01/307180026/Time-running-out-Yankee-Air-Museum-raise-5M-renovate-Willow-Run-plant?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
Date:
7-18-13
Source: FULL ARTICLE at History News Network – George Mason University
Air Force drone crash closes remote Florida highway
An Air Force drone being tested at a nearby base crashed on takeoff Wednesday near a remote stretch of a Florida Panhandle highway. Officials say no one was injured but the road would be closed into Wednesday night.
The Air Force closed Highway 98 west of Panama City and east of Mexico Beach because of possible fires from the crash. Officials said the drone has a limited, 24-hour battery life and would be inactive after the battery depleted.
According to an Air Force fact sheet, the QF-4 is tested at nearby Tyndall Air Force Base and at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. The plane is a modified F-4 Phantom aircraft, which has been in use since the 1950s.
Public information officials at Tyndall released a brief statement about the crash and declined to answer specific questions about the drone or the reason for the crash.
James Lewis is a military technology expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and said the QF-4 was likely used for target practice by Tyndall’s F-22 Raptor pilots.
“It is an older fighter plane they have modified for use as a target,” Lewis said. “The QF-4 is not a drone in the way we normally think of drones. It is not used for anything other than to be shot down. It is an old aircraft that would otherwise be sold for scrap.”
The Air Force fact sheet said the plane is controlled remotely, simulates enemy aircraft maneuvers and missiles are fired at it. An explosive device in the plane destroys it if it becomes uncontrollable, the fact sheet said.
Highway 98 hugs the Gulf Coast and is a popular route for tourists looking for scenic drive from Panama City to Florida’s Big Bend region.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Air Force drone crash closes remote Fla. highway
A remote stretch of a Florida Panhandle highway is closed after an Air Force drone crashed near the area.
Tyndall Air Force Base says the QF-4 drone crashed on takeoff early Wednesday. No one was injured in the crash.
The Air Force closed Highway 98 west of Panama City and east of Mexico Beach because of fires from the crash. Officials say the drone has a limited, 24-hour battery life and will be inactive after the battery is depleted.
Officials say the stretch of highway could remain closed for up to 24 hours.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Army probes radiation exposure at Fort Bliss
Army investigators have detected radiation at a former nuclear weapons bunker at Fort Bliss and they’re determining whether people on the West Texas post have been exposed, officials said Tuesday.
Post leaders said contaminated residue was buried in the 1950s and 1960s, when the base was operated by the Air Force. A man who worked there at the time contacted officials earlier this year expressing concern in case additional housing were to be built on the sprawling post, where officials launched an investigation.
They found levels of radiation in a bunker at Biggs Army Airfield that, along with other bunkers nearby, is used to store rifles and other weaponry. Soldiers preparing for deployment use the equipment for training prior to departure overseas, though it’s not believed that any radiation transferred to the equipment used by the soldiers.
Still, officials said about 30 people have been working in the bunker taking inventory and conducting other tasks. They are being tested to determine whether they’ve been exposed.
Fort Bliss spokesman Maj. Joe Buccino said the levels of radiation are low and the contamination is contained to the area where the bunker is located, at least 1.5 miles from residential neighborhoods.
“We are unable to assess the level of risk,” Buccino said.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Air Force Thunderbirds, combat aircraft to fly again after being grounded by cuts
The U.S. Air Force says many of its combat air forces will start flying again after being grounded since April because of budget cuts.
Protesters march against first British drone base
Anti-war protesters are demonstrating outside a Royal Air Force base used to control drone flights over Afghanistan.
Until this week, British drones were operated only from a U.S. Air Force base in Nevada.
The Ministry of Defense announced Thursday that a new drone-operating squadron had begun operating from RAF Waddington in eastern England.
The ministry says the Reaper drones are used for “intelligence and surveillance missions,” but also are equipped with missiles and bombs.
Opponents who are marching Saturday say drones make it too easy to launch deadly attacks from a distance and out of public sight.
The defense ministry says drone operators “adhere strictly to the same laws of armed conflict and are bound by the same clearly defined rules of engagement” as other RAF pilots.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News
Air Force sex assault trial involving two airmen goes to jury
The trial of an Air Force instructor accused of sexually abusing an airman – and more than a dozen others – went to the jury Friday in what is being called the worst sex scandal in Air Force history.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Tech. Sgt. Bobby Bass faces life in prison on charges of cruelty, wrongful sexual contact and assault in the case of the airman, and of abusing 16 other recruits in basic training.
Both the prosecution and defense wrapped their cases Friday, according to the paper, with the case now in the hands of a military jury.
Bass is one of 33 instructors at the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland who have been investigated in what has become the Air Force‘s worst sex scandal, the San Antonio Express-News reported. So far, investigators have found 63 victims, but they continue to look into new cases.
Nine former Lackland instructors have been convicted in the scandal, and at least 14 instructors have reportedly been tried over the past year in connection with criminal acts that occurred at Lackland over the last decade.
According to the Chronicle, the Air Force said Bass is being tried at Keesler Air Base in Biloxi, Miss., because the airman was stationed there when the allegations against him surfaced, although the accusation of forcible sodomy reportedly stems from an incident between Oct. 22, 2007, and Jan. 31, 2008, while Bass was stationed at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan.
On Friday, the airman at the center of that charge reportedly testified he awoke from a drunken stupor to find Bass having sex with him.
Most of Bass’s legal woes, however, stem from mistreating trainees under his command while at Lackland, according to the San Antonio News-Express.
In one instance, Bass reportedly ordered recruits to stand against a wall, touching it with one arm, while naked as hewatched.
The charge sheet against Bass reportedly states that that incident occurred between Aug. 1, when his unit began training, and Oct. 31, 2009, when its membersgraduated.
Click for more from the Houston Chronicle.
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/TnIrCfoVCws/
Air Force general, wife killed in small plane crash in Virginia
Authorities are investigating a plane crash that killed a decorated Air Force general and his wife near Williamsburg.
The Air Force said Maj. Gen. Joseph D. Brown IV and his wife, Susan D. Brown, died Friday when the single-engine Cessna 210 he was flying crashed.
Joseph Brown was commandant of the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He formerly was assigned to U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base.
Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said the crash occurred at 4:53 p.m. Friday near the Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport, where the plane was supposed to land. The Browns’ dog also was killed. There were no other passengers on the plane.
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/x0aPj8wpseQ/
No Break For Beechcraft: U.S. Federal Court Sides With Brazil Defense Contractor
By Kenneth Rapoza, Contributor
Kansas airplane manufacturer Beechcraft has been unable to stop a $427 million defense contract order awarded by the U.S. Air Force to Sierra Nevada Corporation and its Brazilian partner, Embraer.
Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest Aboard Air Force One en route Boston, MA
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Boston, Massachusetts
9:35 A.M. EDT
MR. EARNEST: Good morning, everybody. Welcome aboard Air Force One as we make our way to Boston. I have a couple of updates that I'll walk through before we open it up to questions.
The first is you all have received an email overnight that the President signed a disaster declaration for the state of Massachusetts. This will make additional federal resources available to state and local officials who are responsible for responding to the bombings in Boston. So I wanted to flag that for you.
Second is prior to departure from the White House today, the President received a briefing on the latest — on the investigation into the bombings in Boston from his Homeland Security Advisor, Lisa Monaco. As you know, over the course of the last couple of days, the President has been routinely briefed on these latest details, and so he got his latest briefing this morning in person prior to leaving the White House.
The third thing is many of you have asked whether or not the President will have the opportunity while he’s in Boston to meet with the families of those who were injured or killed in the bombings. He will have that opportunity while he’s in Boston. He'll also have the opportunity to talk to some of the first responders, both professionals as well as the volunteers who were the first on the scene and were there to tend to those who were injured in the blasts.
I don't have any details for you at this point about where and when those meetings and those visits will occur, but over the course of the day we'll keep you updated on the President’s activities.
The last thing is I wanted to just give you a sense of who’s aboard Air Force one with us today. Several members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation are onboard. So both Massachusetts senators — Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Mo Cowan are aboard Air Force One this morning. Also aboard are Congressman Michael Capuano, Congressman Steven Lynch, Congressman Richard Neal, Congressman Bill Keating, and Congressman John Tierney. And then also aboard the plane is Vickie Kennedy, the wife of the late Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.
Those are all the updates I have at this point. So we'll open it up for questions.
Q Josh, do you guys have any update on the West, Texas situation? Was the President briefed on it? And at this point, are you guys looking at this as an accident, or any kind of possible suspicious activity there?
MR. EARNEST: Well, let me start by saying that the thoughts and prayers of the President and First Lady go out to those who were affected by the blast that we saw in West, Texas last evening. It is clear just from the reports that the devastation there is quite significant and the Federal
Remarks by the President Welcoming the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride
South Lawn
3:54 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you. Welcome to the White House. Thank you, Rick, for your introduction and for your leadership at the VA. And I want to thank all of you for coming out today.
This is actually good — a little overcast to keep you guys not too hot. This is one of my favorite events of the year.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love you, Mr. President!
THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. (Laughter.)
We obviously meet at a time when our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Boston. Our hearts are with the families of the victims. And now we send our support and encouragement to people who never expected that they’d need it — the wounded civilians who are just beginning what will be, I’m sure for some of them, a long road to recovery.
It’s a road that the remarkable warriors and athletes here know all too well. And, as a consequence, they’re going to serve for all of the families as well as all Americans a continued inspiration.
We do this every spring, and as all of you know, it started in a bar — where a lot of good ideas start. (Laughter.) Chris Carney and some of his buddies, who are here today, were talking about what they could do to support our wounded warriors, and Chris came up with the idea of biking coast-to-coast to raise money and awareness.
Now, even he has admitted in hindsight, “It may have been the beer muscles talking.” But he followed through, and he started in Long Island, he ended in San Diego. Along the way, he inspired people all across the country. And since then, more than a thousand wounded warriors have joined soldier rides across America. This is the fourth time I’ve had the chance to welcome these rides here at the White House. And, as always, we’ve got Army. (Applause.) We’ve got Navy. (Applause.) We’ve got Air Force. (Applause.) And we’ve got some Marines in the house. (Applause.)
Together, with your outstanding families, you represent what’s best in America. When we needed patriots to defend our freedom, you have answered the call. You’ve risked everything for our country and for each other. And you’ve made sacrifices most of us can barely imagine.
So thanks to your courage and your resolve, we’ve been able to end one war; we’re beginning to wind down another. But for you, as is true for all of our wounded warriors, coming home doesn’t mean that the fight is over. In some ways, it’s just begun.
You think about folks like Sergeant Sean Karpf. I first met Sean last June at Walter Reed — he had just lost his left leg to an IED in Afghanistan, he knew that there was a long
Remarks by the First Lady at the Veterans Full Employment Act of 2013 Bill Signing
State House
Annapolis, Maryland
1:55 P.M. EDT
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Good afternoon. It is truly a pleasure to be here in Maryland today.
But before we get started, I want to take a moment to say that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Boston. My husband continues to monitor the situation, and he has directed the full resources of the federal government to assist state and local authorities as they investigate this horrific act.
And what happened on Monday was a reminder that in times of crisis, here in America we respond with courage, and grit, and selflessness. That’s exactly what we saw from the people of Boston, and from all those who rushed to aid the victims, especially the police officers and firefighters, the first responders, and our men and women in uniform.
And that is the spirit of Boston, but it is also the spirit of this country. And in many ways, that’s the spirit of service and sacrifice that we are here to honor today.
So I want to thank Governor O’Malley for hosting us, but also for his tremendous leadership for the state of Maryland and for all of his efforts on behalf of our troops, veterans, and military families.
I also want to thank Lieutenant Governor Brown; the Secretary of the Navy, Secretary Mabus; and all of the servicemembers from Fort Meade and the United States Naval Academy who are here with us today.
And I’d like to recognize all of the Maryland state legislators: Attorney General Gansler, Mayor Cohen, the representatives we have here from veterans service organizations and the University of Maryland, and to all of the military family members who are joining us today. Welcome, and thank you for being here.
And, finally, I want to thank Senior Chief Hite and his wonderful family who I got to meet — Mom and Dad are here, and his handsome son, who I will embarrass — (laughter) — but we are proud of you all. But I want to thank you all for your service to this country, because the truth is, is that every family member serves, and every time I meet a servicemember, a veteran, I don’t just thank him or her, I think children and parents and grandparents and brothers and sisters, because everyone in some way is part of that service. And thank you for sharing your story with us today.
Two years ago, Jill Biden and I launched Joining Forces in large part because we’d heard too many stories like that of Senior Chief Hite’s. We had heard the stories of military spouses like Janelle Gray, whose husband serves in the Air Force at Fort Meade.
Janelle was a professional counselor for seven years in Minnesota and North Dakota. But when she and her husband were transferred here to Maryland, she found out that she’d either have to wait three
ITT Exelis to provide anti-jam GPS antennas for KC-46 refueling aircraft
By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
ITT Exelis to provide anti-jam GPS antennas for KC-46 refueling aircraft
BOHEMIA, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– ITT Exelis (NYSE: XLS) has received a contract from Raytheon Company (NYS: RTN) to supply anti-jam GPS antennas to the KC-46 refueling tanker program. Work on this contract will be performed in Bohemia, N.Y.
The rugged N79 Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna, or CRPA, prevents deliberate jamming and unintentional interference of timing signals when integrated with anti-jam GPS systems including the Raytheon Navshield and Advanced Digital Antenna Production systems. The antenna keeps an aircraft’s GPS system connected in the presence of multiple threats.
“For the U.S. Air Force to perform its Global Power and Global Reach missions, a reliable air-to-air refueling capability is required,” said Exelis Senior Director of Programs for Antennas, Sensors and Microelectronics Paul Eyring. “The Exelis CRPA helps mitigate signals that interfere with aircraft systems and thus helps the KC-46 perform its fuel delivery mission, keeping aircraft airborne.”
Exelis has delivered hundreds of anti-jam GPS antennas to U.S. and allied militaries for use on fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, ships and unmanned platforms.
About ITT Exelis
Exelis is a diversified, top-tier global aerospace, defense, information and technical services company that leverages a 50-year legacy of deep customer knowledge and technical expertise to deliver affordable, mission-critical solutions for global customers. We are a leader in communications, sensing and surveillance, critical networks, electronic warfare, navigation, air traffic solutions and information systems with growing positions in C4ISR, composite aerostructures, logistics and technical services. Headquartered in McLean, Va., the company employs about 19,900 people and generated 2012 sales of $5.5 billion. For more information, visit our website at www.exelisinc.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
ITT Exelis
Courtney Reynolds, 973-284-5382
courtney.reynolds@exelisinc.com
KEYWORDS: United States North America New York Virginia
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The article ITT Exelis to provide anti-jam GPS antennas for KC-46 refueling aircraft originally appeared on Fool.com.
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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/17/itt-exelis-to-provide-anti-jam-gps-antennas-for-kc/
Drastic security changes coming to large-scale public events, experts say
The two explosions at Monday’s Boston Marathon will lead to drastic changes in how large-scale public gatherings, particularly sporting events, will be secured, experts told FoxNews.com.
Mike DeCapua, director of Public Safety Consultants NW, said major changes to how law enforcement officials prepare for and respond to emergencies at events with thousands of participants, supporters or bystanders will “absolutely” occur following the two bombs near the finish line of Monday’s marathon, which killed at least three people and injured at least 176 others.
“That’s what’s going to happen,” DeCapua told FoxNews.com by phone while en route to large venues in Oregon where he would conduct security assessments and emergency planning. “When an event like this happens, you’re going to see more overt police presence and a lot more behind-the-scenes tactics that will make events like this much safer. And I think the public is going to be more vigilant, as well.”
DeCapua — a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and the former homeland security manager for King County Metro, Seattle’s public transit authority — declined to discuss specific measures that would likely be deployed for security concerns. But DeCapua said the largest challenge facing race organizers prior to Monday’s race was the enormity of the 26.2 mile course.
“One of the primary concerns is the size of the venue obviously, and we’ve done a lot of work in stadiums and that’s a fixed piece of ground,” he said. “But in this case, it’s impossible for an entire venue like that to be secured due to the sheer size.”
As a former bomb-sniffing dog handler, DeCapua said those animals have a finite amount of time regarding their olfactory senses to be effective in areas of high-concentration, particularly those with “nooks and crannies” along a lengthy route — as was the case in Monday’s bombing.
Another key challenge facing law enforcement officials is the diversity of competitors and their supporters at such international events, which makes profiling a virtual “nonstarter,” DeCapua said.
“Profiling in a crowd like that is next to impossible,” he said, adding that he would instead focus upon random searches, roving teams of investigators and hardened checkpoints.
With the London Marathon just days away, increased security measures can be expected at the race that drew roughly 37,500 athletes last year, as well as next month’s Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500. No known specific threats against the British race had been received, however.
Nick Bitel, the London Marathon‘s chief executive, said security plans were discussed with police “as soon as we heard the news” about Boston and Indianapolis Motor Speedway spokesman Doug Boles said Monday’s incident will be considered when precautions for the race are considered.
“I guess this will bring a new topic or dialogue to those discussions, to see if there’s anything more we need to do to prepare with respect to what’s happened in Boston,” Boles told The Associated Press. “And we will learn more about that over the next couple of days, as the folks in Boston do, and we will be prepared for that.”
At the
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/5cqpRzQVDhI/
A look at the North Korea crisis
As the world waits and watches for an expected North Korean ballistic missile test, the U.S. and its allies are prepared to respond if necessary. U.S. officials are conceding North Korea may be increasing its nuclear capabilities but don’t expect a nuclear strike. They suggest that other military moves by Pyongyang involving artillery attacks or shelling of nearby South Korean islands could actually present a more serious threat in triggering a conflict.
WHY ALL THE HUBBUB
Since the 1950-53 Korean War, North Korea has feared that Washington is intent on destroying the regime. The U.S. worries that Pyongyang will re-ignite the conflict with South Korea, and is uneasy because little is known about Kim Jong Un, the North’s new, young leader, and considers him unpredictable. Both sides have ratcheted up the rhetoric and military muscle moves in recent weeks. North Korea threatened a pre-emptive strike against the U.S., and conducted an underground nuclear test in February and a rocket launch in December. The threats are seen as an effort to pressure Washington and Seoul to change their North Korean policies and convince the North’s people that their new leader is strong enough to stand up to its foes. U.S. and South Korean troops have been conducting annual joint military drills in the region since early March, including bringing out nuclear-capable stealth bombers and fighter jets in what the Air Force acknowledged was a deliberate show of force.
NORTH KOREAN MISSILES
North Korea has been steadily working to display an increasing capability to launch missiles. Last year it failed in an attempt to send a satellite into space aboard a long-range rocket. A subsequent launch in December was successful, and that was followed by the country’s third underground nuclear test on Feb. 12. U.S. officials believe the North is preparing to test fire a medium-range “Musudan” missile. And a section in a new Defense Intelligence Agency assessment concludes with “moderate confidence” that the North could deliver nuclear weapon by ballistic missiles. The report notes that the delivery system is still not considered reliable.
U.S. RESPONSE
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, which has responsibility for U.S. homeland defense, is watching the region via satellite and the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain, Navy destroyers armed with sophisticated missile defense systems, have been positioned to best be able to detect and track a missile launch. The U.S. is confident it would be able to shoot it down, but would do so only if it appears to be a threat
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/jIAiD9JviCA/