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    Jan 11, 2012

    Current Events

    8.         The US military unveiled its latest Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Boeing’s A160 Hummingbird, a helicopter drone which utilizes a 1.8 gigapixel color video camera.  These UAVs are scheduled to begin operations in Afghanistan as early as May of this year.

    7.         A deal between the South Korean government and Northrop Grumman for RQ-4 Global Hawk UAVs has been placed on hold after disagreements over costs and delays in getting formal US government approval for the sale.

    6.         During the same week, South Korea finalized a purchase with Dassault Aviation for two Falcon 2000 reconnaissance aircraft.  These aircraft will enter service around 2017 and will be the replacement for South Korea’s aging RC-800 (Hawker 800) aircraft.

    5.         Russia handed a Nerpa class nuclear-powered attack submarine to India on a ten-year lease for $920 million.

    4.         Beidou, China’s version of America’s Global Positioning System, becomes operational.  China becomes the third nation to develop its own satellite navigation system, after the United States and Russia.  Analysts worry that this satellite system will be used to strengthen China’s growing military capabilities. 

    3.         U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta presented on Jan. 5 the results of the Pentagon’s strategic review of U.S. roles and missions worldwide in an era of budget cuts.  The news conference outlined how the U.S. will posture its military to address current and future challenges: its reduction of military personnel, its plans for increased flexibility and deployability, and a refocus onto the Asia-Pacific region.

    2.         The Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Wednesday, January 04, 2012 that Iran planned to hold more military exercises right after its 10-day drill in the Persian Gulf.  In another escalation in rhetoric, Iran also threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz should an American aircraft carrier return to the Persian Gulf.  The U.S., which keeps a carrier in or near the gulf at all times, shrugged off the threat.

    1.         The European Union agrees to embargo Iranian oil, while China has decreased its orders from Iran by more than half this month.  China and the EU are Iran’s largest and second largest purchasers of its oil, respectively.  These recent turn of events have increased the price of oil to nearly $114 per barrel.

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