Azerbaijan: Talks Launched with Russia on Renewing Gabala Radar Station’s Lease

With more than a year to go before the expiration of Russia’s lease for Azerbaijan’s Gabala radar station, Baku and Moscow are already haggling about a renewal, EurasiaNet.org has learned. Amid Russia’s ongoing tussle with Washington over a European anti-missile defense system, Azerbaijan is expected to try and squeeze Moscow for more cash in order to extend the lease.

US wants China to draw up ‘rules’ for space

The US recognises that China is now a “major space-faring country,” said Gregory Schulte, deputy assistant secretary of Defence for space policy.

The Holiday Island of Isla de Margarita, Venezuela, Hosts Hezbollah Militants

 

The holiday island of Isla de Margarita, situated in the Caribbean Sea, has one of the most beautiful beaches of Venezuela and breathtaking scenery. It is here, on the island of exquisite hotels and a glamorous nightlife, that the US military’s Southern Command has reported the presence of Hezbollah’s support and logistics cells — one of the most important centers of “terrorist gathering” and “money laundering activities” for Hezbollah.

Experts: NATO Should Limit Role of Nukes, Remove U.S. Warheads

(Jul. 20) - Personnel respond to a simulated chemical strike during a 2010 counterterrorism exercise at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, one of several installations in Europe believed to house U.S. tactical nuclear weapons. A forthcoming report should recommend withdrawing U.S. nonstrategic nuclear weapons from Europe and curbing NATO's reliance on nuclear deterrence, experts and former government officials said in a July 12 letter (U.S. Air Force photo).

A review of NATO’s deterrence posture should suggest reducing the role nuclear weapons play in assuring the alliance’s security and removing short-range U.S. warheads from Europe, according to a group of experts and former government officials.

French Legislators Push Broad Missile Defense

 

A push by French legislators to encourage France to do more in the realm of ballistic missile defense is very much threat-driven. But they are not concerned as much about Iranian missile proliferation as they are about France falling technologically behind its strategic rivals.

United States DoD contracts for July 19, 2011

CONTRACTS

MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY

The Missile Defense Agency is announcing the award of a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification, option exercise, under contract HQ0147-09-C-0007 to The Boeing Co., Huntsville, Ala. The total value of this contract modification is $36,670,439, increasing the total contract value to $696,947,325. Under this contract modification, the contractor will manage the Ground-based Midcourse (GMD) Defense Weapon System sustainment and operations support to include system sustainment, training, and operations support of the GMD mission assets. The work will be performed in Fort Greely, Alaska, and Colorado Springs, Colo. The performance period is from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The MDA, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity.