News and Stuff (10th Sept 2008)

• Where Eagles Dare – inside report on a (British) operation in Afghanistan to transport several tons of equipment on roads controlled by the enemy to install another turbine to the Kajaki dam.
• WSJ: Pentagon Cancels Tanker Competition – after the contest was reopened in early August the competition will now be delayed. Despite the urgent need for new tankers.
• Al Jazeera: Sri Lanka orders aid workers out – they are actually moved from the north of the island where the government started a new offensive to get back control over territories ruled by the Tamil Tigers.
• RIAN: Russian army adopts new reconnaissance drones

Update: I split of the news about the Russian/Georgian war.

Rebels in Darfur Claim to have Shot Down a Chinese Made Drone

Rebels in Darfur claim to have shot down a Chinese made Drone. All parties in this conflict are under a UN arms embargo and the Drone is seen as an evidence that China is supplying arms to the Sudanese government.

The war in Dafur is mainly about the control of oil fields. And of course the Chinese are very interested in getting this oil. While the Western governments changed their policies in Africa the Chinese are happy to fill the void.

US Creates All-Drone Air Wing.

The USAF is about to change the 174th Air Wing into an all-drone Air Wing. Consisting completely of MQ-9 Reapers. The Reaper is much cheaper than the F16s currently used by the 174th Air Wing and if a Reaper crashes no pilot is lost.