Taiwan Buys Sonobuoys

choi

(1) J Michael Cole, Navy to Acquire ‘Listening Sticks.’ Taipei Times, Jan 30, 2012 (available now)
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/ ... 12/01/30/2003524237
(440 AN/SSQ-53F, "the latest-generation passive sonobuoy used by the US Navy")

Note:
(a) Sonobuoy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonobuoy
(containing one or more hydrophone sensors)
(b) The AN/SSQ-53F is made by
(i) Ultra Electronics (of Columbia City, Indiana)
www.ultra-electronics.com
and
(ii) Sparton Electronics (of Deleon Springs, Florida).
www.sparton.com

(2) Jonathan Watts, Norway Could Shut China Out of Arctic Council After Diplomatic Snubs. Guardian, Jan 25, 2012.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ ... hina-arctic-council

Quote:

"Citing an unnamed high-level diplomatic source, the [Norwegian] paper said Norway would find it difficult to agree to China's application to be a permanent observer on the Arctic Council while the current situation persisted.

"Until now, it had been thought that Russia and Canada were the strongest opponents of expansion, while Denmark has been the most supportive of a greater role for China in the development of the Arctic.

(3) Craig Whitlock, Philippines May Allow Greater US Military Presence in Reaction to China’s Rise. Washington Post, Jan 25, 2012.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wo ... QAhFIyQQ_story.html
The strategic talks with the Philippines are in addition to feelers that the Obama administration has put out to other Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and Thailand, about possibly bolstering military partnerships.

(4) Migrants Make Better Soldiers. Strrategy Page, Jan 24, 2012.
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20120124.aspx

Quote:

"The foreign troops [in US] are more patriotic and work harder than their citizen counterparts. * * * Any foreign recruit forced out for medical reasons (because of combat or non-combat injuries) can still obtain citizenship more quickly.

"Historically, the American military has usually had more foreigners in the ranks than it does now. During the American Civil War about twenty percent of the Union Army was foreign born troops. There were entire divisions of Irish, Germans, or Scandinavians.

"The risk is low, as only about one in a thousand foreign born volunteers died in Iraq or Afghanistan. All that and you get to become a citizen of the United States after your four year enlistment is up.

"Britain has long recruited foreigners into its army and navy because there has always been a shortage of British citizens willing to serve. Then there is the French Foreign Legion

(5) The Great Poison Purge Plods On. Strrategy Page, Jan 24, 2012
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htchem/articles/20120124.aspx
("As a result of these shortcomings, chemical weapons have not been used by the military since 1918 (except against civilians or troops who could not respond in kind)")