Trump blasts F-35 fighter jet program cost as 'out of control'

Yahoo – AFP, December 12, 2016

Lockheed Martin has a $1.5 trillion contract through 2070 for the F-35 fighter
jet (AFP Photo/Roslan Rahman)

Washington (AFP) - Lockheed Martin stocks were down about four percent in early trading Monday after President-elect Donald Trump blasted "out of control" costs for the F-35 stealth fighter program.

With a current development and acquisition price tag of $379 billion for a total of 2,443 F-35 aircraft -- most of them destined for the Air Force -- the Lockheed Martin-built plane is the most expensive in history.

"The F-35 program and cost is out of control. Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th," Trump said on Twitter, as Defense Secretary Ashton Carter was in Israel to celebrate delivery of the country's first two of the Lockheed Martin fighters.

Once servicing and maintenance costs for the F-35 are factored in over the aircraft's lifespan through 2070, overall program costs are expected to soar to $1.5 trillion.

Lockheed stock dropped to about $248.40 while the broader market surged amid an ongoing post-election rally.

The US Air Force declared an initial squadron of F-35A fighters "battle ready," in August, after reports of cost overruns and delays.

The Air Force's F-35A is one of three variants of the aircraft, designed to conduct conventional landings and take-offs.

F-35 stealth fighter (AFP Photo/Adrian Leung)

The F-35B, used by the Marine Corps, is capable of short take-offs and vertical landings, and the Navy's F-35C is built for use on aircraft carriers.

Trump has frequently turned to Twitter to vent his outrage about anything from critiques of Saturday Night Live, a weekly comedy-variety television show, to attacking Boeing for the cost of designing a new version of Air Force One, the presidential plane.

Proponents tout the F-35's radar-dodging stealth technology, supersonic speeds, close air-support capabilities, airborne agility and a massive array of sensors giving pilots unparalleled access to information.

But the program has faced numerous setbacks, including a mysterious engine fire in 2014 that led commanders to ground planes until the problem could be resolved.

Other issues have led to delays and cost overruns, including software bugs, technical glitches and even a faulty eject system that risked killing pilots who weighed less than 136 pounds (62 kilos).

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"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…  8 - The End of War

The last one is the best. For thousands of years on this planet, Human Beings have warred with each other. If you take a look at the reasons they warred with each other, you will quickly see there aren't any good ones - land, resources, greed. Those are not reasons. That is a description of old energy. Those are not reasons. Reasons would be perhaps defense against an aggressor. But what if there is no longer the consciousness of the aggressor?

When I appeared in my partner's life more than 20 years ago, I said to him privately that the first messages we're going to give will be unbelievable. There would be laughter. We told him that Human nature and consciousness itself would change, and that the seeds of peace would be planted and there would come a time where there is no more war. Indeed, the laughter was great because humans look at history and they see patterns based on an absolute energy called Human Nature. "Impossible! There always has to be war. There always has been. Therefore, there always will be." This is you, in a box, in a black and white potential, where you can only see the black and white of what is and the black and white of what has been. You have no idea the shades of color that are there in your consciousness and the beauty of the love of God.

North Korea is on the edge of change, as we told you it might be. What did this require? The death of the old energy, and I want you to watch this take place. The advisors of the young leader are going to do their best to pull him back into an old energy. This free choice of his will be far different than his father, for he sees some color. Watch for these things. They'll take longer than you want, but it is the beginning of the beginning.….”

"The Quantum Factor" – Apr 10, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Galaxies, Universe, Intelligent design, Benevolent design, Aliens, Nikola Tesla (Quantum energy), Inter-Planetary Travel, DNA, Genes, Stem Cells, Cells, Rejuvenation, Shift of Human Consciousness, Spontaneous Remission, Religion, Dictators, Africa, China, Nuclear Power, Sustainable Development, Animals, Global Unity.. etc.) - (Text Version)

“…  There's another quantum energy on the planet that has the quantum factor... the Great Shift. It is a benevolence that you have created, and that is new. You now sit in a revolutionary change and some of you are aware it and feeling it. It is the shift of Human consciousness and it's shifting right into the quantum factor, since you are becoming more quantum in your consciousness... and it is becoming benevolent. That is why you're seeing this earth react the way it is.

You're starting to see those who will not allow the old systems. You will no longer have dictators. Citizens all over earth want control over lives. They don't want war. They want their families to be safe! They want peace and abundance. They want their grandchildren to have hope for a better life than they had. You're starting to see it over and over in these places that have had dictators for years. ..”

Indonesian Fighters Intercept Cessna With Off-Duty US Navy Pilot

Jakarta Globe, November 09, 2015

The pilot, center, was identified as James Patrick Murphy, an off-duty
lieutenant-colonel in the US Navy. (Antara Photo/Fadlansyah)

Jakarta. Two Sukhoi fighter jets from the Indonesian Air Force on Monday afternoon forced a single-engine Cessna flown by an off-duty US Navy pilot to land in North Kalimantan as it had illegally entered Indonesian airspace, local media reported.

The American pilot, who was identified as Lt. Col. James Patrick Murphy, was told to land his plane at Juwata International Airport in Tarakan.

The area is close to Indonesia's borders with Malaysia and the Philippines.

It was reported that the American claimed that he had been on a trip from Hawaii to Singapore via the Philippines, and that he had not been aware that he had entered Indonesian airspace.

The incident happened at around 2.30 p.m. local time.

Reports also said that military officials who were holding Murphy were waiting for instructions from the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Jakarta whether or not to release him.

The intercepted plane at Tarakan's Juwata International Airport in North Kalimantan,
while a Sukhoi from the Indonesian Air Force flies by. (Antara Photo/Fadlanshay)

Indonesian Air Force Eying Russian Jet to Combat Illegal Fishing

Jakarta Globe, Dec 22, 2014

A version of the Beriev plane the Indonesian Air Force wants to buy.
(Photo Courtesy of Beriev Aircraft Company)

Jakarta. The Indonesian Air Force says it will buy Russian-designed multipurpose amphibious aircraft to help prevent illegal fishing in the country’s waters.

“This Beriev Be-200 Altair is very reliable to monitor aquatic areas. The amphibious aircraft can land on the sea so it can help us catch illegal fishermen,” Marshall Ida Bagus Putu Dunia, the chief of the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), told reporters in Jakarta on Monday, as quoted by state-run news agency Antara.

“President Joko Widodo has agreed with the plan to buy the aircraft,” he added.

The Beriev Be-200 is designed by the Beriev Aircraft Company and manufactured by Irkut Corporation, another Russian company. It can be used for firefighting, search and rescue, and maritime patrols. The aircraft is able to drop 12,000 liters of water or transport up to 72 passengers.

It was not immediately clear how many planes would be bought, and how much the deal was worth.

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Indonesian Air Force Forces Down Australian Plane, Detains Pilots

Jakarta Globe, Oct 22, 2014

Personnel from the Indonesian military escort an Australian man from a
light aircraft in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Oct. 22. (Antara Photo)

Jakarta. Indonesian Air Force officials in North Sulawesi forced a civilian aircraft flown by two Australian men to land after the plane entered Indonesian airspace without permission on Wednesday. Pilots Graeme Jacklin and Richard MacLean — both Australian citizens — have been detained by the Indonesian military.

Indonesian Air Force spokesman First Air Marshall Hadi Tjahyanto said the Beechcraft airport was heading to Cebu in the Philippines from Darwin, Australia.

“The aircraft was detected by the national air commando radar and it violated our airspace,” Hadi told Indonesian news portal Vivanews.co.

Hadi said the plane was detected by officers at 8 a.m. on Wednesday while flying over Manado.

Two Sukhoi jet fighters were then scrambled to intercept the aircraft.

The Beechcraft was then forced to land at Manado military air base at 10:30 a.m. Jakarta time.

“After we searched them we found out they didn’t have the necessary documentation,” Heru said, adding that an investigation would continue.

In April another civilian aircraft was forced to land for entering Indonesian airspace.  Officers arrested the pilot, 65-year-old Heinz Peier, who was on his way to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Peier, a Swiss national, was released after obtaining the necessary licenses from the foreign ministry, the transportation ministry and the Indonesian military.

Russia unhappy about China's production of J-16 fighter

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-09-06

A J-16 fighter climbs during a test flight. (Internet photo)

After a satellite image revealed that Shenyang Aircraft Corporation has already produced eight J-16 multirole fighters, drawing complaints from the Russian aviation industry that its aircraft have been copied without permission, according to the Kanwa Defense Review published by Andrei Chang, a Canadian military analyst also known as Pinkov.

As the eight J-16 fighters in the image were all painted in yellow markings, the article said it remains unknown whether the aircraft will be turned over to the PLA Air Force or Navy. However, it is certain that J-16 multirole fighters will replace J-11B fighters designed for aerial combat.

China slowed down the production of fighters such as J-15, J-16 and J-11B because Russia refuses to sell more AL31F engines to Beijing, and this is the technology that China had been unable to reverse engineer. Without enough Russian-built engines, the PLA Air Force and Navy Air Force is unable to field such advanced fighters in large numbers. However, China has finally able to put its domestic Taihang engines into J-16 fighters since 2013. The reliability of the Taihang engine will be put to the ultimate test after the J-16 enters service.

Kanwa Defense Review also said reports that the J-16 is equipped with active electronically scanned array radar remain questionable. At the same time, a source from the Russian aviation industry said Russia is very unhappy about the development of the J-16 fighter as China did not gain permission from Russia to design the fighter based on the blueprint of the Russian Su-30MK2.

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Ultimate selfie? Dutch F-16 pilot snaps pics on 787 escort

Abcnews4.com, Jun 12, 2014

AMSTERDAM (WCIV) -- A Dutch F-16 pilot with a GoPro captured some incredible selfies as the team of F-16s escorted the country's first Dreamliner into Dutch airspace.

The photos were taken June 5 by Capt. Jeroen "Slick" Dickens, a member of the Royal Netherlands Air Force's F-16 demo team.

“Last week Arkefly received its first 787-8 and this is the first one in the Netherlands,” the group's Facebook post read. “We were lucky enough to welcome them home. Here are some shots for you to enjoy as well.”

Dickens' photos show the Dreamliner 787-8 was intercepted by a pair of Dutch F-16s.

The 787 was delivered to Arke, the first 787 in its all-Boeing fleet, according to a release from Boeing. Part of the plane was built at the North Charleston facility before it was sent to Washington State to be completed.

"The 787 Dreamliner is an excellent fit for our Dutch operations and we are delighted to be the first carrier in the Netherlands to offer this product as part of our unique holiday experiences," said Elie Bruyninckx, CEO TUI Netherlands. "Passengers traveling on Arke's 787 will appreciate the airplane's spacious interior, bigger windows and will arrive at their destination feeling refreshed, making it the perfect start to any holiday."

Arke will use the 787 on its service between Amsterdam and the islands of Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean.

Arke is set to receive two more 787s, possibly giving Dickens two more chances to capture some high-flying selfies with the Dreamliner.

The 2014-2015 demo team is made up of members from two squadrons stationed Leeuwarden Airbase. Dickens is flying his first season with the demo team, according to the group's website.

Photos provided by the Royal Netherlands Air Force's F-16 demo team.

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Air Force prepares to dismantle HAARP ahead of summer shutdown

Anchorage Daily News, Dermot Cole, May 14, 2014

Antennas for the newly completed High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program
 (HAARP) is seen near Gakona, Alaska on Wednesday, June 27, 2007. The world's
 most advanced high-energy radio physics experiment was declared fully operational
in a Wednesday afternoon ribbon-cutting ceremony. (AP Photo/Mark Farmer)

FAIRBANKS -- The U.S. Air Force gave official notice to Congress Wednesday that it intends to dismantle the $300 million High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program in Gakona this summer.

The shutdown of HAARP, a project created by the late Sen. Ted Stevens when he wielded great control over the U.S. defense budget, will start after a final research experiment takes place in mid-June, the Air Force said in a letter to Congress Tuesday.

The University of Alaska has expressed interest in taking over the research site, which is off the Tok Cutoff in an area where black spruce was cleared a quarter-century ago for the Air Force backscatter radar project that was never completed. But the school has not volunteered to pay $5 million a year to run HAARP.

Responding to questions from Sen. Lisa Murkowski during a Senate hearing Wednesday, David Walker, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for science, technology and engineering, said this is "not an area that we have any need for in the future" and it would not be a good use of Air Force research funds to keep HAARP going. "We're moving on to other ways of managing the ionosphere, which the HAARP was really designed to do," he said. "To inject energy into the ionosphere to be able to actually control it. But that work has been completed."

Comments of that sort have given rise to endless conspiracy theories, portraying HAARP as a superweapon capable of mind control or weather control, with enough juice to trigger hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes.

Scientists say all of that is nonsense, and that the degree of ionosphere control possible through HAARP is akin to controlling the Pacific Ocean by tossing a rock into it.

Built at a cost of more than $290 million, the site has 180 antennas on 30 acres that are used to direct energy into the ionosphere, which is 55 miles to 370 miles above the Earth, and monitor changes in the flow of charged particles. Stevens was the godfather of HAARP, which he helped start two decades ago with annual earmarks slipped into the defense budget.

At the hearing on defense research and innovation, featuring six representatives of the Pentagon, no one said HAARP has a future in the defense budget.

Walker said the Air Force has maintained the site for several years and the last project is one by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Once completed, the site will close.

DARPA Director Arati Prabhakar said, "The 'P' in DARPA is projects. We're not in the business of doing the same thing forever, so very naturally as we conclude that work, we're going to move on. It's not an ongoing need for DARPA despite the fact that we had actually gotten some good value out of that infrastructure in the past."

Walker said the Air Force would like to remove critical equipment this summer to avoid the expense of winterization.

Alan Shaffer, assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering, said HAARP is a "world-class facility," but the department does not need it anymore.

"With all the other issues and problems and challenges facing the department at this time, we just don't see that that investment, over a long-term period, is where we would prioritize our investment," said Shaffer.

"No one else wants to step up to the bill, ma'am," Shaffer said to Murkowski.

On another topic, Murkowski asked Shaffer about small modular nuclear reactors for remote areas. She said, for example, Eielson Air Force Base could benefit from "reliable energy security that nuclear power can provide."

Shaffer said the "sticker shock" of an initial $1 billion investment for a small nuclear reactor is a huge obstacle.

Related Article:

HAARP, DUMBs, Dark ETs, and Secret Space Fleets

"... In An Hour with an Angel in Aug. of 2013, Archangel Michael and I had this exchange on the subject.

Steve Beckow: XX would like to know if HAARP has been deactivated.

Archangel Michael: Yes, it has. (2)  ...."

Monkeys are N China air force base's new best friend

Want China Times, Andy Hung and Staff Reporter 2014-05-10

A macaque tearing down a nest. (Internet photo)

To cope with bird hazards, a major threat to flight safety at airports, China's air force has made significant headway with the extraordinary assistance of monkeys, reports our sister newspaper Want Daily.

At a military airbase in northern China, which runs smack into the flying route of several migrant birds, hundreds of nests can crop up overnight on a single tree in the areas bordering the base. The ground crew is forced to form bird-hunting squads to clear the nests and disperse the birds, but removal of the nests has proved to be a very tricky task. One nest could take a costly 10 bullets to remove, and sending a soldier up to take it down is dangerous.

Two months ago, one soldier came up with the idea of having monkeys remove the nests, remembering how good the monkeys back in his hometown in southern China were at removing bird nests atop trees. Now the sergeant on duty at the airbase rides an electric motorbike carrying a pair of trained monkeys to spots under trees, blows the whistle and sits back as the monkeys scramble quickly to the top and remove the nests. One monkey can typically clear six to eight nests a day, greatly reducing the number of birds which would otherwise be sucked into jet fighter engines.

Former President Habibie Grumbles Over Plans to Procure Leopard Tanks

Jakarta Globe, Mar 27, 2014

Indonesian military officers look at a German tank, 62 ton-MBT Leopard Evolution,
 during the 2012 Indodefense expo in Jakarta on Nov. 8, 2012. (AFP Photo/
Bay Ismoyo)

Jakarta. Former Indonesian President B.J. Habibie has strongly criticized the government’s decision to go proceed with the purchase of Leopard tanks.

“I received information last October that we were going to import Leopards. But Leopards are used in deserts; it’s not for a maritime country like Indonesia,” Habibie said at a discussion in Jakarta on Wednesday, adding that Indonesia should develop its weaponry in accordance to a potential war scenario within the country.

“They should use their brains, don’t just [buy Leopards] because it’s cheap,” he said. “I don’t want to criticize anyone… We need to learn from our mistakes and fix them for the good of the future.”

The Ministry of Defense announced it plan in 2012 to purchase hundreds of Leopard main battle tanks as part of efforts to modernize Indonesia’s defenses for the 2011-2015 period. Such plans inspired critics to claim the project was prone to turn into a means for corruption by those involved in the deal.

In 2012, Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) chairman Neta S. Pane also raised concerns over the procurement.

“What Indonesia needs are small and tactical tanks to secure our vulnerable border areas,” Neta said in a report by Inilah.com in 2012, which also mentioned the Leopard’s unsuitability for this country’s environment, which was said to comprise mostly beaches, forests and swamps.

However, a British-based military contractor who has supplied the Indonesian military with tactical equipment, disagreed, saying the Leopard is a “good all-round MBT [main battle tank].

“It’s a multi-roll tank used in both deserts and in urban settings,” the contractor said.

He conceded that the armored vehicle was “suited for desert conditions due to its air filtration system [but it] can go anywhere as long as the terrain allows.”

“Twelve European countries have the Leopard,” the contractor added. “It has seen combat in Kosovo as well as Afghanistan.”

Still, Indonesia’s former president aired his concerns regarding the purchase on Wednesday, saying that in its war against Vietnam, the United States focused on the use of fighter aircraft instead of tanks.

Missing jet reveals uncomfortable Malaysian truths

Associated Press, Chris Brummit, 17 March 2014

Malaysia's acting Transport Minister
 Hishamuddin Hussein looks on a map of a
 search corridor during a press conference at
 a hotel near the Kuala Lumpur International
Airport, in Sepang, Malaysia, Monday,
March 17, 2014. Twenty-six countries are
involved in the massive international search
for the Malaysia Airlines jetliner that
disappeared on March 8 with 239 people
aboard. They include not just military assets
on land, at sea and in the air, but also
investigators and the specific support and
assistance requested by Malaysia, such as
radar and satellite information. (AP Photo/
Vincent Thian)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - It's apparently a challenge to find people satisfied with the Malaysian government's performance in its search for Flight 370: A mainstream daily newspaper here ran a story Monday on praise being lavished by an anonymous Facebook user from Sweden.

The mysterious disappearance of a Boeing 777 with 239 people aboard would test any government, but Malaysia's is particularly strained because its elite are accustomed to getting an easy ride. Decades in power and a pliant media have cushioned them from scrutiny.

Its civilian and military leaders have struggled to provide answers from Day One of the crisis, when it took several hours to even declare the plane missing. They said early on that the plane may have doubled back, but took days to say it was military radar that suggested that and days more to confirm it.

In response to criticism, government officials have repeatedly said they must wait to confirm information before they can release it. But that has not prevented them from making mistakes.

On Monday, the defense minister said police visited the homes of the jet's two pilots soon after the March 8 disappearance, contradicting the country's police chief, who had said officers did not go there until a week later. The minister also raised doubts about earlier reports from Malaysian officials that a key data communications system had been turned off before the cockpit spoke to air-traffic controllers - a detail that has increased speculation that the pilots were responsible.

China, where most of the passengers are from, has been especially dismayed that it took a week for Malaysia to come up with details on the plane's possible location. The official Xinhua News Agency said the delay "smacks of either dereliction of duty or reluctance to share information."

Passengers' relatives, holed up in hotels in Kuala Lumpur and Beijing and desperate for word, have picked up on rumors and false leads in the media before the government has, adding to their anguish.

Asked on Monday by a foreign reporter about the criticism, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said it was baseless. "I have got a lot of feedback saying we have been very responsible in our actions," said Hishammuddin, the main face of the government's response to the crisis. "It's very irresponsible of you to say that."

The disappearance of the jet touches on issues that officials normally wouldn't discuss publicly. The incident now appears certain to be a security failure at some level of the government, and has raised questions about the national airline and the defense readiness of the air force, which was unable to quickly spot a jetliner in Malaysian airspace and off its flight path. The possibility of Islamist militant involvement is also highly sensitive in the multiethnic country.

"In Malaysian political culture, they are not used to answering questions straight and honestly," said Bridget Welsh, a political scientist from the Singapore Management University. "They are used to 'government knows best for government,' and have been very slow in realizing this is not a Malaysia crisis - this has global effects."

Malaysia has enjoyed rapid economic growth since it gained independence from Britain more than half a century ago. Although nominally a democracy, the same ruling coalition has been in power for more than five decades, helped by gerrymandering and affirmative action policies that have won the support of the ethnic Malay majority.

But in recent years the government's grip on power has weakened; the ruling coalition didn't win the popular vote for the first time in elections last year, though it managed to hold on to power. The plane disappeared the morning after a court convicted opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy, a verdict widely seen as politically motivated. It has since emerged that the pilot was a supporter of Anwar, though that has not been widely reported in government media.

Greg Barton, a Southeast Asia expert at Australia's Monash University, said the country has a tradition of distrusting the West, a "third worldism" political philosophy that was a legacy of the pugnacious rule of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir.

"There is a natural instinct not to ask for too much Western help," he said. "It's made it hard for the government to move quickly."

Malaysian officials have said they are working with foreign experts and countries, including the sharing of sensitive radar and satellite data.

Apart from online news portals, the print and television media in Malaysia are unabashedly pro-government.

"Stop bashing SAR (search and rescue) efforts, says Swede FB user," read the headline in the mass circulation New Straits Times, which went on to quote at length from the Facebook page of the anonymous Swede defending the government.

"Can you imagine the burden they (the government) carry on their shoulders and how much precaution they have to take before announcing anything?" the Swede was quoted as posting on his account. "No. Because you are not in their shoes."

The government said soon after the jet disappeared that there were indications it might have turned back from its last known position over the South China Sea after it stopped communicating with the ground, but didn't fully explain why. It took a week for it to confirm that military radar data had confirmed the plane had flown over the country and then north toward the Indian Ocean.

"There is a bit of haziness there," said Ibrahim Suffian, the head of the Merdeka Center, a Malaysian political research institute.

Like several others, Ibrahim said he thought the government's media management had improved in recent days, perhaps because they had contracted a crisis management company to advise them.

The fact that the air force didn't apparently spot or react to the jet flying across its airspace has brought the military unusual scrutiny. Some aviation analysts have said authorities were slow in tracing the plane, in shifting the search area from the South China Sea, and in investigating the pilots' background. Suspicion has fallen on the pilots, although Malaysian officials have said they are looking into everyone aboard the flight.

"I think they were a bit tardy in getting onto it," said aviation expert Tom Ballantyne. "It may be the pilot was very experienced, he was obviously highly respected, perhaps they thought it was out of the question (that he might be involved.) Certainly, his home and that of the co-pilot should have been part of the initial investigation."

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Ukraine crisis strengthens China's partnership with Russia

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-03-07

A Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-35 fighter. (Internet photo)

The crisis in Ukraine has strengthened Russia's strategic partnership with China, says Vassily Kashin from the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, according to Vedomosti, a Russian-language business daily.

China is currently the only nation on the UN Security Council to retain cordial relations with Russia after the latter moved its troops into Crimea, said Kashin. Even if the United States and other NATO countries do not impose sanctions against Russia, it will be very difficult for Moscow to continue normal economic relations with Western countries.

As Japan may become the only nation of the Group of Eight which will still seek cooperation with Russia, China's position as one of Russia's only trusted allies can be strengthened. Russia will seek to speed up its negotiations with China regarding both military and economic cooperation pacts, Kashin said, specifically suggesting that Moscow should sign contracts on the provision of natural gas and the sale of the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter to China before President Vladimir Putin embarks on a visit to Beijing in May.

To demonstrate Russia's sincerity towards China, Kashin believes that the advanced Su-35 fighters may be turned over to China earlier than expected. Russia may also launch more joint military exercises and even expand its military relationship with China, according to Kashin, who told Vedomosti that China may become the only beneficiary of the Ukraine crisis.

Related Articles:

Archangel Gabrielle: The Conflict in the Ukraine is a Ploy for Power, Nothing More - New

Archangel Michael: This Desperation is Forcing Many to Seek Peace - Golden Age of Gaia, Steve Beckow, March 7, 2014

Archangel Michael: The Russia Ukraine debacle … is also truly about oil and gas and so there is a struggle about who is going to control what we would refer to as oil dollars. So there is this loose alignment which has been unusual between Russia and China – and we are talking about the power regime of China and not the [Chinese] Elders – so there is a reticence [on the part of Americans] to give all the oil buying power to that alliance – Russia, China.

Steve: Is Russia colluding with China to turn a blind eye to what China is doing in Zimbabwe? [China is building a military airbase.] (1)

AAM: Yes, but it is coming to an end because human beings are quite fed up.

There is significant … we can’t call it intervention … but can we call it attention? … that your star brothers and sisters are bringing to this entire situation.

Archangel Michael on Putin -  May 13, 2013 (An Hour with an Angel)

SB: Okay. Thank you, Lord. I’m going to put the Vladimir Putin question ahead of the Boston bombing question. I think a lot of Russian readers and listeners are wondering if they can trust Vladimir Putin.

Now, you’ve said he was in containment and he’s coming out of containment. Can you direct yourself to Russian listeners, please, and tell them what they need to know about Vladimir Putin, please?

AAM: Well, I will say that he has been gradually coming out of containment, and reintegrated, shall we say, into society and into his role and decisions. So what I say to you is be vigilant and be the observer. Do not get caught in what appears to be the drama of this readjustment of power. So, allow the shifting of the core and the centers of power to be adjusted.

Russia has a very important role to play in the future years, as I have said before. So, stand back, my friends. Be the observer. I am not asking you to extend your wholehearted trust and empathy to this individual. What I am asking you to do is to extend trust to your own discernment, because it is not 100 per cent clean, but it is not dirty either.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"De-mystifying The New Age - #3" - Jan 25, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version) - New

"... The Truth About Angels

I want to talk about angels. I really haven't done this much before. Kryon is not an angel, but rather a helper. My partner has called me a benevolent angel of the New Age, but that's not exactly right. I'm a helper. Believe me, if you saw an angel you'd know the difference.

Number one: Are angels real?

Absolutely! Yes.

Number two: Who or what are they?

There is a system, dear ones, of benevolent help for this planet. It's so complex that it's very difficult to discuss with you since you are biased to what you think it is. Where are angels? What do they do? How often, who are they, where do they come from? I'm going to give you some information that some won't like, and some will.

Physical visits: Angels come when they are needed, and they come from the central source. Normally, it's at various points in Human time for both humanity in general and for individuals. Each time they come, it is spectacular. Not one of them is corporeal. Again, Humans have decided that when an angelic entity visits them, in order to make the visit credible or explainable, they must put skin and wings on them and give them a name. Humans color their outfits white [which signifies purity], draw pictures of them, put halos on them, and report them in spiritual history. But that's not what they look like. They are multidimensional beings, not corporeal.

It was probably Moses who described the appearance of an angel in the clearest way, as a burning bush. Fire which does not consume itself or a spinning ball of iridescence is a good description of angelic energy. Indeed, the burning bush was an angel. What's dramatic about angelic energies is that they appear when you don't expect as a ball of energy coming at you. Sometimes they come right through a wall! They are iridescent, some looking like fire, and they have a tendency to frighten a Human! Every single report in scripture describing an angel visit tells you that the angel immediately communicated, "Fear not!" Now, why would any of you be afraid of a beautiful woman with a halo in a white robe? [Kryon laughter] The reason the angel gives this message is because they don't look like that! Dear ones, they are not here to frighten you, but rather to present themselves in all their beauty and their majesty - so grand that some cannot even look upon them. Grand they are.

Now here's the part that you didn't expect. They are a collective. There's no such thing as a singular angel. You might see it as a single angel like you see your body as a single entity, but you are not aware of the soup of angelic power. Angels speak with many voices, but they speak in your head, not in the air as vibrations of sound. Angels normally do not speak to crowds. They speak individually to one Human or another, but it's the collective voice of many, perceived and "heard" as one.

"But Kryon, what about Archangel Michael? I know somebody who is channelling this beautiful, single angel. What about that?" The message from Archangel Michael comes from a group. It's a powerful group, but think of it as "group consciousness perceived as one". Kryon is the same way. All of us who represent the other side have these attributes. We are not corporeal and not singular.

The next thing is even harder to understand, and it's not what you have been told. There's no hierarchy of angels. None of them are above any other in a system of "who's the most powerful or who is in charge". Instead, they are part of the soup of God and they are all identically majestic. Some are appointed to be ambassadors for the others, but they are not higher than the others. They are here by design, and they give messages to help accelerate the benevolence and love of God within humanity.

Probably the most quoted angel is Archangel Michael, who you perceive is the highest of the high. However, Michael is technically a group and does not have a hierarchical position. It just looks that way because the messages are delivered in a specific area of importance to the planet. Michael will tell you, "I am one of many, all majestic, all containing the love of God, all beautiful, all benevolent, all for your service of humanity." But Human Beings want a hierarchy. This one's important; this one is not as important; this one you can throw away.

What is the hierarchy of your organs? Which ones don't you need? Which ones keep you alive? They all do! But you often single out the heart as the most important. Is that really true or does it simply "speak for all"? Oh, and which organ rebelled against the others and left the body? [Kryon smile]

Let's discuss the mythology of Lucifer. Here is an angel who didn't like what was going on, so he left. Or perhaps he did something wrong and was thrown out of God's house. Dear ones, do you see the Human bias here? This story is ridiculous and comes from "humanizing God". You can't take the Human attributes of judgment, war, fighting and drama and plug them into the majesty of the creator. But Humans have done that forever.

Nothing leaves the soup of God! It's pure energy that represents the totality of Spirit. It is finite - always the same quantity of parts [putting the expression into 3D for you]. God is the energy of creation, and it stays together like a mist that never moves out of a quantum containment of love. You can't take part of the mist away or it wouldn't exist! It is what it is and will always be perfect, and always the same, and always whole. Nothing adds or subtracts from the majesty of God.

You'll find angels all through history. They are representatives of the energy of creation. They have no gender, because they are energy. They're not male or female, and they're all equally as strong. They're beautiful, multidimensional messengers giving help to humanity. The only thing that separates them is their type of "service", or their "specialty". But they are always part of us, even when they are seemingly separated, and speaking to you. I know who they are, and I've watched them work. I'm a messenger too, but not an angel. ...."

Swiss fighters grounded during hijacking as outside office hours

Google – AFP, 17 February 2014

A F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft of the Swiss Air Force takes off on February 20,

2013 at Payerne airport (AFP/File, Fabrice Coffrini)

Geneva — No Swiss fighter jets were scrambled Monday when an Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacked his own plane and forced it to land in Geneva, because it happened outside business hours, the Swiss airforce said.

When the co-pilot on flight ET-702 from Addis Ababa to Rome locked himself in the cockpit while the pilot went to the bathroom and announced a hijacking, Italian and French fighter jets were scrambled to escort the plane through their respective airspaces.

But although the co-pilot-turned-hijacker quickly announced he wanted to land the plane in Switzerland, where he later said he aimed to seek asylum, Switzerland's fleet of F-18s and F-5 Tigers remained on the ground, Swiss airforce spokesman Laurent Savary told AFP.

This, he explained, was because the Swiss airforce is only available during office hours. These are reported to be from 8am until noon, then 1:30 to 5pm.

"Switzerland cannot intervene because its airbases are closed at night and on the weekend," he said, adding: "It's a question of budget and staffing."

Monday's hijacking, carried out by 31-year-old Hailemedehin Abera Tagegn, according to Addis Ababa, took place in the very early hours, with the aircraft and its 202 passengers and crew landing safely in Geneva at 6:02 am (0502 GMT).

That was just two minutes after the airport opened for business, and two hours before the Swiss airforce is operational.

Savary said Switzerland relies heavily on deals with its neighbours, especially France, to help police its airspace outside regular office hours.

He explained that French fighters can escort a suspicious aircraft into Swiss airspace, "but there is no question of shooting it down. It's a question of national sovereignty".

Swiss airspace is under constant electronic surveillance, he pointed out, adding that the wealthy Alpine nation is also studying the possibility of expanding its airforce coverage to a round-the-clock operation.

That plan is however not set to kick into action until 2020, when Switzerland is expected to replace its fleet of fighters with Swedish Gripen planes.

The purchase of the Swedish planes meanwhile rely on whether it is approved in an upcoming popular vote, with a poll published Monday showing 53 percent of Swiss oppose the deal.

Security forces stand next to the hijacked Ethiopian Airlines plane

at Geneva airport in Switzerland. Photograph: Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA

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Co-pilot arrested after hijacking Ethiopian plane