Navy Airship to Conduct Operations in the DC Metro Region

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the Navy's sole Science & Technology research squadron, Scientific Development Squadron ONE (VXS-1), will operate the MZ-3A lighter-than-air "blimp" in the regions surrounding Washington, D.C. beginning Sept. 21.

Owned by the U.S. Navy, the MZ-3A is stationed at Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Md. (PAX) and is operated under the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Scientific Development Squadron ONE (VXS-1).
(Photo: U.S. Navy) 

Operating under the special approval of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Navy MZ-3A will conduct aerial mapping operations within the Washington D.C. Flight Restriction Zone (DCA-FRZ) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, (USDA-ARS) Beltsville, Md., and at U.S. Army Fort Belvoir located in Fairfax, Va.

In addition, the MZ-3A will conduct mapping operations within the DCA-Special Flight Restrictions Area (DCA-SFRA) and at times will traverse the region to the north to Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) in Maryland and to the southwest near Culpepper, Va., (CJR) before ending operations Oct. 5 and departing to the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J.

During special flight operations, the FAA will issue pertinent Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) information regarding visual and instrument (VFR/IFR) flight plans to the region and at all times will maintain radio communication and flight following as required or requested on designated and approved Air Traffic Control (ATC) radio frequencies.

The MZ-3A is government-owned and contractor-operated. The contractor, Integrated Systems Solutions, Inc., (ISSI) employs highly qualified commercial blimp pilots whom the Navy has approved to command the airship. ISSI airship pilots have completed Special Awareness Training for the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area and have previously operated within the DCA SFRA/FRZ.

Built by American Blimp Corporation, the MZ-3A is propeller-driven by two 180 horsepower Lycoming engines producing a top speed just under 50 knots with an operational payload capability of up to 2,500 pounds. The manned 178-foot LTA craft can remain aloft and nearly stationary for more than twelve hours, performing various missions in support of technology development for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) concepts.

- See more at: http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2013/navy-airship-to-conduct-operations-in-the-dc-metro-region#sthash.7uJxKxjZ.dpuf

Behind Enemy Lines, Mimpi Buruk Pilot Pesawat Tempur

Ramadhian Fadillah 

Foto: Reuters

Jakarta - Masih ingat film Behind Enemy Lines? Film yang diangkat dari kisah nyata seorang pilot Angkatan Laut AS yang pesawatnya ditembak jatuh di wilayah konflik Bosnia-Serbia. Walau bukan karena serangan lawan, kini 2 pilot AS mengalami nasib serupa di Libya. Untungnya tidak lama setelah pesawat F-15 mereka jatuh karena kerusakan teknis, keduanya ditemukan selamat.

"Satu pilot diselamatkan pasukan koalisi. Satunya lagi diselamatkan warga lokal Libya. Dia diperlakukan dengan sangat baik dan penuh kemanusiaan. Kini keduanya sudah berada dalam perawatan militer AS," ujar Laksamana Samuel Locklear, komandan pasukan AS di USS Mount Whitney seperti ditulis AFP, Selasa (23/3/2011).

Jatuh di wilayah konflik memang mimpi buruk bagi seorang pilot pesawat tempur. Sudah jelas mereka akan diburu pihak lawan. Pihak lawan sangat berambisi untuk menginterogasi pilot tersebut.

Selain untuk mendapatkan informasi berharga, menawan seorang pilot pesawat tempur juga menjadi propaganda yang akan digunakan musuh. Segala pemberitaan atau informasi soal pilot yang ditawan akan menjadi tekanan psikologis dan menciptakan opini negatif di negara asal pilot tersebut.

Selama Perang Teluk, Presiden Irak Saddam Husein bahkan menjanjikan hadiah bagi siapa pun yang bisa menangkap pilot sekutu yang pesawatnya ditembak jatuh.

Karena itu, setiap ada pilot jatuh, negara asal dan pihak sekutunya akan menggelar operasi SAR tempur sesegera mungkin. Waktu menjadi sangat penting karena mereka berlomba dengan pihak lawan untuk mendapatkan sang pilot.

"Tekanannya tinggi. Dengan tujuan untuk menyelamatkan pilot sesegera mungkin. Ini untuk mencegah pihak intelijen musuh mendapatkan data serta eksploitasi terhadap pilot yang ditangkap," ujar Kolonel Lee DePalo dalam laporannya ke Sekolah Pertempuran Udara ASPihak AD, AL, AU serta Marinir AS memiliki tim SAR tempur dan standar operasional yang berbeda pula. 

Pihak AU AS misalnya, mereka memiliki tim pararescue jumpers. Tim ini memiliki kualifikasi mencari dan menyelamatkan pilot yang terjatuh. Sekaligus menahan serangan lawan.

Selain itu, dalam operasi SAR tempur, helikopter atau pesawat yang memiliki kemampuan mendarat vertikal akan segera dikirim untuk misi penyelamatan. Umumnya pesawat penyelamat ini akan diback up dengan pesawat tempur.

Dalam misi SAR di Kosovo tahun 1999, misalnya. Pesawat A-10 Thunderbolt dan F-16 siap sedia memberikan dukungan perlindungan udara dalam misi itu.

Kamis, 12 September 2013, 13:09 WIB

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Republika/Wihdan

Polisi berjaga di lokasi penembakan anggota Provost Mabes Polri Bripka Sukardi di Jalan HR Rasuna Said, Jakarta, Selasa (10/9) malam.

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REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Korban penembakan oleh orang tak dikenal di depan Gedung Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK), Bripka Sukardi, pada Selasa (10/9) mendapat pengangkatan menjadi Aipda (Anumerta). Pengangkatan ini, menurut Wakil Kapolri Komjen Pol Oegroseno dilakukan, karena anggota provos Mabes Polri itu dianggap sebagai pahlawan.

Oegroseno menilai, Sukardi memiliki naluri dan tanggung jawab tinggi sebagai polisi yang melindungi, pengayom, dan pelayan masyarakat. "Sukardi sudah berusaha mencari teman untuk membantu melakukan pengawalan pengamanan sebelum terjadi penembakan di depan Gedung Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi," kata dia dalam pernyataannya di Jakarta, Kamis (12/9).

Menurutnya, rasa tanggung jawab polisi yang dimiliki Sukardi patut diberikan apresiasi. "Ini merupakan resiko yang dihadapi anggota Polri. Ini contoh polisi yang baik. Seluruh jajaran pun tidak perlu takut pascakejadian penembakan itu," katanya.

Diakuinya, insiden penembakan yang menimpa beberapa anggota Polri belakangan ini membuat segenap istri dan anak-anak anggota Polri merasa khawatir. Menurutnya, kekhawatiran itu sangat manusiawi. Terlebih lagi, tugas seorang polisi itu cukup berat, namun hal itu merupakan bagian dari risiko anggota Polri. 

"Namun, keberadaan polisi sangat dibutuhkan masyarakat. Polisi tidak boleh kalah dengan pelaku penembakan," tegasnya. Karena itu, pihaknya menginstruksikan seluruh jajarannya untuk meningkatkan pengamanan dan mengantisipasi aksi teror tersebut.

Tak hanya itu, dia mengimbau agar polisi yang bertugas di lapangan agar didampingi oleh rekannya. Hal tersebut dilakukan guna mewaspadai terjadinya aksi serupa. "Cepat atau lambat, pelaku penembakan pasti dapat ditangkap."

Redaktur : Dewi Mardiani

Ini Alasan Sukardi Diangkat Jadi Aipda

Kamis, 12 September 2013, 13:09 WIB

Komentar : 0

Republika/Wihdan

Polisi berjaga di lokasi penembakan anggota Provost Mabes Polri Bripka Sukardi di Jalan HR Rasuna Said, Jakarta, Selasa (10/9) malam.

A+ | Reset | A-

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Korban penembakan oleh orang tak dikenal di depan Gedung Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK), Bripka Sukardi, pada Selasa (10/9) mendapat pengangkatan menjadi Aipda (Anumerta). Pengangkatan ini, menurut Wakil Kapolri Komjen Pol Oegroseno dilakukan, karena anggota provos Mabes Polri itu dianggap sebagai pahlawan.

Oegroseno menilai, Sukardi memiliki naluri dan tanggung jawab tinggi sebagai polisi yang melindungi, pengayom, dan pelayan masyarakat. "Sukardi sudah berusaha mencari teman untuk membantu melakukan pengawalan pengamanan sebelum terjadi penembakan di depan Gedung Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi," kata dia dalam pernyataannya di Jakarta, Kamis (12/9).

Menurutnya, rasa tanggung jawab polisi yang dimiliki Sukardi patut diberikan apresiasi. "Ini merupakan resiko yang dihadapi anggota Polri. Ini contoh polisi yang baik. Seluruh jajaran pun tidak perlu takut pascakejadian penembakan itu," katanya.

Diakuinya, insiden penembakan yang menimpa beberapa anggota Polri belakangan ini membuat segenap istri dan anak-anak anggota Polri merasa khawatir. Menurutnya, kekhawatiran itu sangat manusiawi. Terlebih lagi, tugas seorang polisi itu cukup berat, namun hal itu merupakan bagian dari risiko anggota Polri. 

"Namun, keberadaan polisi sangat dibutuhkan masyarakat. Polisi tidak boleh kalah dengan pelaku penembakan," tegasnya. Karena itu, pihaknya menginstruksikan seluruh jajarannya untuk meningkatkan pengamanan dan mengantisipasi aksi teror tersebut.

Tak hanya itu, dia mengimbau agar polisi yang bertugas di lapangan agar didampingi oleh rekannya. Hal tersebut dilakukan guna mewaspadai terjadinya aksi serupa. "Cepat atau lambat, pelaku penembakan pasti dapat ditangkap."

Redaktur : Dewi Mardiani

PM Australia Lecehkan Indonesia Seperti Tentara Bayaran

Perdana Menteri Australia yang baru terpilih, Tony Abbott, dinilai sudah melecehkan kedaulatan dan meremehkan Pemerintah Indonesia.

Bahkan, Guru Besar dan pakar hukum Universitas Indonesia Profesor Hikmahanto Juwana SH LLM PhD mengatakan, pemimpin Koalisi Liberal-Nasional (aliansi sayap kanan) ini seperti menganggap Pemerintah Indonesia layaknya "tentara bayaran."

"Melalui rencana program penanganan penyelundupan manusianya, Abbott seperti menganggap pemerintah dan rakyat Indonesia layaknya tentara bayaran yang rela melakukan pekerjaan kotor demi uang," tegas Profesor Hikmahanto, seperti dalam rilis yang diterima Redaksi Tribunnews.com, Minggu (8/9/2013).

Dalam kampanyenya, Tony Abbott memang menjanjikan bakal menggelontorkan dana 420 Juta Dolar Australia untuk penanganan penyelundupan manusia.

Tapi, kata Hikmahanto, kalau didedah, program itu melecehkan kedaulatan Indonesia. Sebab dalam kampanyenya, Tony menjelaskan pemerintah Australia akan menggunakan uang itu untuk membeli kapal-kapal nelayan, memberi insentif uang kepada masyarakat, dan kepala desa yang memberi informasi.

Bahkan, sambungnya, Abbott ingin menggunakan dana itu untuk menempatkan polisi Australia di Indonesia.

"Abbott membuat program tersebut, seolah Indonesia bagian dari negara Australia yang tidak memiliki kedaulatan," tutur Hikmahanto.

Seharusnya, kata dia, Tony Abbott harus mengajak pemerintah Indonesia terlibat dalam pelaksanaan program penanganan penyelundupan manusia tersebut.

Karenanya, sambung Hikmahanto, Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono harus segera memberikan respons terhadap rencana program Abbott tersebut.

"Bila ini (program Tony Abbott) terjadi dan tak direspons, sungguh disayangkan karena Presiden SBY di masa-masa akhir pemerintahannya akan mendapat label negatif," tandasnya. (Tribun)

NSA may spy on Brazil’s Petrobras, but intelligence chief claims it doesn’t steal secrets

by David Meyer

 

19 HOURS AGO

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SUMMARY:

Could the monitoring of an oil giant be the first sign of the NSA using its surveillance systems for economic espionage? Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says that doesn’t happen, but doubts will linger.

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Economic or industrial espionage has long been one of the most important strands of intelligence activity – regardless of the sponsor nation — so it is unsurprising that many quietly suspect the U.S. National Security Agency of stealing corporate secrets from other countries. I’ve heard it plenty of times here in Germany, though in the absence of proof it’s not usually something people want to talk about too loudly.

But now the economic espionage angle has surfaced for real in the long-running NSA scandal: working with leaker Edward Snowden ally Glenn Greenwald, Brazil’s O Globo has published new training slides that suggest the NSA has targeted the private networks of Google, the French foreign ministry, SWIFT (the organization that enables secure international communications between financial institutions) and Petrobras.

SWIFT would be an obvious target for those investigating terrorist money-laundering. However Petrobras is an oil firm – not the sort of outfit you’d expect to be targeted in an anti-terrorism drive.

But that’s OK, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said. Responding to the O Globo piece, he said in a statement:

“It is not a secret that the Intelligence Community collects information about economic and financial matters, and terrorist financing. We collect this information for many important reasons: for one, it could provide the United States and our allies early warning of international financial crises which could negatively impact the global economy. It also could provide insight into other countries’ economic policy or behavior which could affect global markets…

“What we do not do, as we have said many times, is use our foreign intelligence capabilities to steal the trade secrets of foreign companies on behalf of — or give intelligence we collect to — US companies to enhance their international competitiveness or increase their bottom line.”

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It is certainly the case that Petrobras is a big deal. Majority-owned by the Brazilian government, the company is one of the largest in the world. Petrobras’s thoughts are plainly of interest to those observing the economic tides – but then again, there are plenty of U.S. firms that would sell their firstborn for insights into the company’s oil reserve findings.

At this point, we know nothing about the true reasoning behind the NSA spying on Petrobras, but that won’t stop people guessing — don’t forget that Brazil (Greenwald’s home) is already outraged at the NSA’s spying on President Dilma Roussef.

The NSA private networks operation is apparently known as “Royal Net”. Meanwhile, O Globo’s scoop also includes references to two British programs called “Flying Pig” and “Hush Puppy”, which apparently involve the bypassing of TLS/SSL encryption — this ties into last week’s revelations about the weakening or cracking of basic web encryption methods.

Jonathan Tasks Intelligence Agencies On Information Sharing

By: Agency Report on September 9, 2013 - 5:00pm

President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on Monday called on intelligence agencies in the country to share information so as to provide adequate security for all.

Jonathan made the call when he inaugurated the Defence Intelligence Agency Headquarters Complex, the Directors Transit Quarters and the Works building.

He said ``what I noticed, which may not be quite right, is that our intelligence services are not sharing information, they operate in isolation and it is not too helpful to government.

``They must find a way to work together and also find a way to ensure that they complement their efforts to protect the one government they are serving.

``No matter the name or any department of government is called, that department of government is made to protect the government,’’ he said.

The president described the intelligence organs as a body with different members.

``When any member is sick, it affects the whole body. For the body to work well, every member must function optimally,’’ he said.

Jonathan charged the country’s intelligence agencies to complement one another’s services, adding that ``all the agencies are supposed to protect government.

``They may be reporting to different people as the head of their various units, but one agency must complement the other if government must be protected because there is one government at any time.

``Let me reassure you that the Federal Government will continue to work with all intelligence and defence agencies to make sure that they carry out their constitutional responsibilities.’’

The president, however, commended the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj.-Gen. Sanni Audu, and his team for the projects, adding: ``I thank you for what you have done.

``We will continue to do our best to ensure that other agencies of government that have the statutory responsibility to do one thing or the other stay in a conducive environment.’’

On her part, the Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Olusola Obada, said it was a thing of joy that all services and agencies under the Ministry of Defence, had keyed into the transformation agenda of the present administration.

Obada said: ``the inauguration ceremony attests to the ingenuity of the leaders in the ministry, the Defence Headquarters, and the services.’’

She said the quality and beauty of the buildings would definitely stand the test of time.

``Permit me to congratulate the CDI and the entire staff of the Defence Intelligence for the successful completion of these projects,’’ she noted.

Earlier, the CDI said the complex consists a basement, the ground floor and two other floors and had a combined space of 7,150 square-metre office space, made up of 114 offices with complementary conveniences.

Audu also said that the complex had a modern conference room capable of accommodating 100 guests and a large space for global window and a library.

He said the building had two elevators and state-of-the art communication and electronic gadgets installed therein.

The CDI said the new Directors Transit Quarters consists six twin duplexes of four bedrooms each, which were well furnished. (NAN)

- See more at: http://leadership.ng/news/090913/jonathan-tasks-intelligence-agencies-information-sharing#sthash.LhU9HSXW.dpuf