TenCate Trading Update relating to the second quarter and first half of 2010

July 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

ALMELO, NETHERLANDS, Jul 22 (MARKET WIRE) —

TenCate doubles its profit in the first half of 2010

In advance of the publication of the half-year figures on Thursday, 26
August 2010 and on the basis of provisional results, TenCate announces
that its operating result (EBIT) amounts to approximately EUR 27 million
in the second quarter of 2010 (second quarter of 2009: EUR 11.1 million).

The operating result for the first six months of 2010 doubled to an amount
of approximately EUR 33 million. Taking incidental items into account, net
profit too doubled in the first half year to approximately EUR 19 million.

Performance

Corporate revenues for the first six months of 2010 amounted to
approximately EUR 450 million (+5%).

The Geosynthetics & Grass sector showed strong growth (+17%).

Sales declined by 10% in the Advanced Textiles & Composites sector as a
result of reduced demand for TenCate Defender(TM) M and TenCate Gen2(TM)
for the US Army. This was due to a modification to the camouflage print
(MultiCam pattern). Conversely, the successful market launch of the
protective fabric TenCate Tecasafe(TM) Plus in the US industrial market
resulted in a sharp increase in the sales of this product in the first
half year.

In the second half of the year sales in particular of TenCate Defender(TM)
M will again recover their old level.

The Geosynthetics & Grass sector recorded a significant improvement in its
result. The decrease in costs in business operations across the entire
sector is reflected in this. In the synthetic turf operations, the
commercial policy was amended in combination with the implementation of
efficiency measures. This had a highly positive effect.

The Other Activities sector also showed a favourable picture. TenCate Enbi
recorded a strong growth in profits, partly as a result of the cost
measures taken at the end of 2009 and positive market trends. Xennia
Technology made good progress in commercial developments.

The bank covenant net debt / EBITDA (debt ratio) remained clearly under
the maximum agreed value (3.0) in the first half year.

Performance in the second half of 2010

The improvement in the results will continue in the second half of 2010
and there will be positive developments in the Advanced Textiles &
Composites sector, which will underpin the growth in profits.

Sales of protective fabrics to the US Army will recover.

The expectation is that also sales of aerospace composites will gradually
begin to recover in the second half.

The armour composites market in the US presents a more positive picture
than that for the first six months, based on the present project
portfolio. New programmes, like that for the Eurocopter, will gradually
begin to contribute to sales in the future.

The outlook in both the aviation market and the armour market in respect
of composites is thus positive.

Royal Ten Cate
Almelo, The Netherlands, Thursday, 22 July 2010

For futher information:

The press conference relating to the half yearly figures for 2010 will be
held in Amsterdam at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 26 August 2010. Journalists
may already register now via media@tencate.com. You will then receive a
confirmation together with a route description.

Royal Ten Cate
Frank Spaan, Director Investor Relations & Corporate Development
Telephone: +31 (0)546 544 977
Mobile: +31 (0)612 96 17 24
E-mail: f.spaan@tencate.com
Internet: www.tencate.com

Royal Ten Cate (TenCate) is a multinational company that combines
textile technology, chemical processes and material technology in the
development and production of functional materials with distinctive
characteristics. TenCate products are sold worldwide.

Systems and materials from TenCate come under four areas of application:
safety and protection; space and aerospace; infrastructure and the
environment; sport and recreation. TenCate occupies leading positions in
safety fabrics, composites for space and aerospace, antiballistics,
geosynthetics and synthetic turf. TenCate is listed on NYSE Euronext
(AMX).

[HUG#1433386]

Press release as PDF:

http://hugin.info/130798/R/1433386/379253.pdf

This announcement is
distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of Thomson Reuters clients. The
owner of this announcement warrants that:

(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other
applicable laws; and

(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Koninklijke Ten Cate NV via Thomson Reuters ONE

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

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Arms for US embassy seized in Pakistan: Report

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, June 6 (IANS) Suspicious luggage containing bulletproof jackets and weapons allegedly belonging to the US embassy was seized by police here, a media report said.

Islamabad police Saturday intercepted at the Zero Point picket here a suspicious vehicle which was found to be carrying cargo comprising M-16 rifles and magazines; 9 mm pistols and magazines, several pistol pouches, compasses, radio sets, maps, knives, and other army articles, The Nation quoted sources as saying.

The two carriers — identified as Noushad and Lal Badshah — were arrested and during questioning disclosed that they were transporting these weapons to the US embassy, the paper said quoting sources close to the investigation.

The accused told the police that they had nothing to do with the weapons. ‘The US embassy has just hired our services to transport this luggage,’ the police quoted them as saying.

The newspaper report also said that a number of officials of the US embassy tried hard to secure the release of the weapons but the police refused to oblige.

According to the report, the consignment was meant for one Gustovo Ritschl of the US army. However, the accused did not have any permission from the US embassy authorities.

Police sources said they also recovered ‘hundreds of pouches’ of different weapons besides body armour, CDs, cell phones and sunglasses.

The spokesman for the US embassy neither confirmed nor denied the incident, the report said.

The police have registered a case. This is the third FIR registered against US embassy personnel, the report said.

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US hands over two Bell 412 EP helicopters to Pak for counterinsurgency efforts

May 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, May 19 (ANI): The United States has provided two Bell 412 EP helicopters to Pakistan, which would be used in its counterinsurgency operations.

The choppers were handed over by the US Army Brigadier General Michael Nagata to 101 Army Aviation Commanders Brigadier General Tipu Karim at the Qasim Army Air Base near Rawalpindi, The Daily Times quoted a press release, as saying.

Along with the two advanced choppers, which cost about 24 million dollars, the US would also be providing an additional 20 million dollars to Pakistan to buy spare parts, and other equipments to enhance the performance of the brand new helicopters.

Speaking during the ceremony, Brigadier Nagata said the US is committed to a stable and long-term parternership with Pakistan.

“The purchase of the aircrafts demonstrates US’ commitment to a stable and long-term strategic partnership with Pakistan, based on shared interests and mutual respect, which will continue to expand and strengthen in the future,” he said. (ANI)

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US covertly running spy network in AF-Pak to monitor terror despite Pentagon ban: NYT

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New York, May 16 (ANI): Despite an official ban, top US military officials continue to hire the secret services of private spies for information regarding militants movement and other strategic inputs from deep inside the troubled tribal regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, officials have revealed.

The US Army has been not allowed to carry out ground operations inside Pakistan, and more importantly according to Pentagon rules, the military is not allowed to hire contractors for spying. However, reports suggest that not only the secret network is still operating in the region, daily inputs regarding movement of militants and working of the Taliban in Pakistan are submitted to US commanders.

Citing some Pentagon officials, The New York Times reported that the supervisor who set up this secret contractor network, Michael D. Furlong, was now under investigation.

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell also confirmed that the covert programme was under investigation. He, however, refused to divulge any details about the investigations.

“The program remains under investigation by multiple offices within the Defence Department, so it would be inappropriate to answer specific questions about who approved the operation or why it continues,” Morrell said.

“I assure you we are committed to determining if any laws were broken or policies violated,” he added.

However, The New York Times claimed that Furlong’s operatives were still providing information using the same intelligence gathering methods as before. The contractors were still being paid under a 22 million dollar contract.

The contract is being managed by Lockheed Martin and supervised by the Pentagon office in charge of special operations policy, the newspaper claimed.

Lockheed Martin’s spokesperson Tom Casey said that no Pentagon officials had raised any concerns about the work so far.

“We believe our subcontractors are effectively performing the work required of them under the terms of this task order. We’ve not received any information indicating otherwise. Lockheed is not involved in the information gathering, but rather administers the contract,” Casey said.

Meanwhile, Furlong, in his only interview to a newspaper, claimed that senior US commanders have actually ‘blessed’ his work.

He declined to provide further details concerning the issue. (ANI)

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Defence buys seven new choppers

March 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Federal Government has signed a $500 million contract with the US Army to procure seven new Chinook helicopters.

The seven choppers will replace an old fleet of six based in Townsville.

Minister for Defence Materiel Greg Combet says the new aircraft will be customised to meet Australian-specific mission requirements, including enhanced seating and the inclusion of mini-guns.

He says two of the seven helicopters are expected to be in service by 2014, with the other five ready by 2017.

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Pakistan arrests US-born al-Qaida spokesman

March 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

KARACHI: The American-born spokesman for al-Qaida has been arrested by Pakistani intelligence officers in the southern city of Karachi, two officers and a government official said on Sunday, the same day Adam Gadahn appeared in a video urging US Muslims to attack their own country.

The arrest of Gadahn is a major victory in the US-led battle against al-Qaida and will be taken as a sign that Pakistan is cooperating more fully with Washington. It follows the recent detentions of several Afghan Taliban commanders in Karachi.

Gadahn — who has often appeared in al-Qaida videos — was arrested in the sprawling southern metropolis in recent days, two officers who took part in the operation said. A senior government official also confirmed the arrest.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

Gadahn grew up on a goat farm in Riverside County, California, and converted to Islam at a mosque in nearby Orange County.

He moved to Pakistan in 1998, according to the FBI, and is said to have attended an al-Qaida training camp six years later, serving as a translator and consultant for the group. He has been wanted by the FBI since 2004, and there is a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

The 31-year-old is known by various aliases including Yahya Majadin Adams and Azzam al-Amriki.

He has posted videos and messages calling for the destruction of the West and for strikes against targets in the United States. The most recent was posted Sunday, praising the US Army major charged with killing 13 people in Fort Hood, Texas, as a role model for other Muslims.

A US court charged Gadahn with treason in 2006, making him the first American to face such a charge in more than 50 years. He could face the death penalty if convicted. He was also charged with two counts of providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Gadahn has appeared in more than half a dozen al-Qaida videos. The video released Sunday appeared to have been made after the end of the year, but it was unclear exactly when.

Dawud Walid, the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Southfield, Mich., condemned Gadahn’s call for violence, calling it a “desperate” attempt by Al-Qaida’s spokesman to provoke bloodshed within the US

Walid, a Navy veteran, said Muslims have honorably served in the American military will be unimpressed by al-Qaida’s message aimed at their ranks.

“We thoroughly repudiate and condemn his statement and what we believe are his failed attempts to incite loyal American Muslims in the miltary,” he said.

Imad Hamad, the senior national adviser for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, based in Dearbon, Mich., condemned al-Qaida’s message and said it would have no impact on American Muslims.

“This a worthless rhetoric that is not going to have any effect on people’s and minds and hearts,” he said.

Al-Qaida has used Gadahn as its chief English-speaking spokesman, and he has called for the destruction of the West and for strikes against targets in the United States. In one video, he ceremoniously tore up his American passport. In another, he admitted his grandfather was Jewish, ridiculing him for his beliefs and calling for Palestinians to continue fighting Israel.

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Sniping anti-Avatar emails hurt Locker’s Oscar bid

March 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

LOS ANGELES: Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker has been engulfed by controversy in the final sprint to the Oscars finishing line but should still win the best picture prize at the awards extravaganza, analysts said on Sunday.

The gritty film about a US army bomb disposal unit in Baghdad had emerged as the overwhelming favourite to win the top honour at next Sunday’s 82nd Academy Awards after winning many other honours this year.

However the film’s path to success has been jolted in the past few days after it emerged that one of the movie’s producers, Nicolas Chartier, had broken strict rules concerning negative campaigning. Chartier could face censure from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after sending emails to swathes of Oscar voters urging them to vote for “The Hurt Locker” instead of a “500-million-dollar film.”

Chartier’s emails was seen as a direct attack on a best picture rival, James Cameron’s big-budget science-fiction blockbuster Avatar—a clear breach of Academy rules which forbid negative campaigning.

Frenchman Chartier was forced to issue an embarrassing apology for his initial email, describing it as “inappropriate and stupid”. “My email to you was out of line and not in the spirit of the celebration of cinema that this acknowledgement is,” Chartier wrote. “I was even more wrong, both personally and professionally, to ask for your help in encouraging others to vote for the film and to comment on another movie.

“My naivete, ignorance of the rules and plain stupidity as a first time nominee is not an excuse for this behaviour and I regret it.”

Analysts have speculated that sanctions could range from withholding tickets to the Oscars show for individuals connected to the film all the way to the option of eleminating the film from the race. Pundits are sceptical that the controversy will adversely impact The Hurt Locker’s Oscars hopes, noting that the furore erupted only days before Tuesday’s 5:00pm deadline for final ballots.

“It takes time for a story like this to permeate into the Academy. Will it have any effect? I doubt it. I think people still tend to vote for the film they like the best,” said Pete Hammond, Maxim magazine film critic.

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Major General Chuck Swannack Joins Ranger International as C.O.O. of its U.S. Logistics Subsidiary

March 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

GREENVILLE, S.C.–(Business Wire)–
Ranger International Services Group, a private equity consolidator specializing
in government services, announces the appointment of Major General (US Army,
retired) Chuck Swannack as the Chief Operating Officer of its wholly owned
subsidiary US Logistics. US Logistics is a government outsourcing contractor
specialized in tactical vehicle overhauls and repairs, technical staffing, base
logistics, and aircraft technical services. General Swannack retired from the US
Army in 2005 after 33 years of service, culminating as the Commander of the
fabled 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. As the new Chief
Operating Officer of US Logistics, Swannack will help guide the continuing
aggressive growth of that award winning company, with constant vigilance on
quality, safety, and F.A.R. compliance. US Logistics has strong backing from
large institutional shareholders, and a deeply experienced management team at
multiple levels which Swannack now joins in the COO role.

MG Swannack served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and led elements of the division
in the advance to Baghdad and in the succeeding year in western Iraq. MG
Swannack is a 1971 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point
and served in progressive leadership and staff positions throughout his
distinguished career. Since leaving active duty, MG Swannack has mentored US
Army Reserve and Army National Guard senior military leaders in soon to be
deployed units to help prepare them for the rigors of combat in both Iraq and
Afghanistan.

Chuck Swannack said: “I am proud and enthused to join this fine organization.
Our commitment to our customers and to our own people is simple, to be the best
we can be every day. We`re on the move, we`re growing steadily, and US Logistics
is very good at its job. I met most of our major customers just last week at an
AUSA gathering, and they all know how committed we are to serving their
technical services needs with high quality and cost-effective pricing.”

Steve Townes, CEO of Ranger International Services Group and founder of Ranger
Aerospace LLC said: “Chuck Swannack brings an extraordinary level of leadership
power to our management group. Our employees and customers can depend on Chuck
to help grow our technical capabilities and manage the reliable delivery of our
services.”

US Logisticsprovides technical and labor services in support of US Department of
Defense contracts worldwide, with hundreds of its personnel deployed overseas.
In addition to tactical wheeled and tracked vehicle MRO services, US Logistics
also services aircraft programs. USL’s aircraft programs include corrosion
control, wash services, transient alert, maintenance and operations support,
technical labor services, and contract field teams. In an array of challenging
contracts over its history, US Logistics has completed projects in eight
countries and 38 states. The company maintains a lean cost model, and is able to
offer its Government or Prime Contractor customers an absolute cost advantage
combined with measurably superior quality metrics on a consistent and reliable
basis.

The founder and CEO of US Logistics, Mike Boyce, said to all of his employees:
“We are fortunate to have a leader of Chuck`s caliber and experience come aboard
with us. Our customers know him and respect him. He knows every aspect of the
heavy equipment on which we perform technical services, and every nuance of
serving the warfighter.”

Chuck Swannack can be reached directly at: Office 910-223-1208, Cellular
910-322-4498, Email chuckswannack@us-L.com.

Ranger added to its government services portfolio with the August 2009
acquisition of US Logistics Inc. Ranger International earlier in 2009 also
acquired CAV International, another government technical services company
specializing in airfield operations, aircraft ground handling, air cargo, and
base logistics support. US Logistics and CAV together employ approximately 1,000
people, and a third business unit, Ranger TechWorks, was recently added as an
Engineering Services subsidiary. The companies are growing steadily, and Ranger
International is seeking related growth ventures, new market channels, and
possibly additional acquisitions in the government technical services sector.

Ranger, the parent company, is a privately held investment and management
holding company that partners with larger private equity institutions to acquire
and grow companies in aviation services and aerospace/defense support
operations. Ranger and its co-investors add value to acquired companies via
seasoned veterans experienced in an array of aerospace/defense operations,
engineering, business services, TQM, marketing, and private equity. The Ranger
headquarters office is in Greenville S.C. For more information on US Logistics,
please visit www.us-L.com. For information about Ranger and other USL
affiliates, visit: www.rangerinternational.com, www.cavint.com,
www.rangertechworks.com, or www.rangeraerospace.com.

Forward Looking Statements: The Company from time to time may discuss
forward-looking information. Except for factual historical information, all
forward looking statements are estimates by the Company`s management and are
subject to various risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company`s control
and may cause actual results to differ materially from management`s
expectations.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6196387〈=en

Ranger International Services Group, Inc.
Steve Townes, CEO of Ranger, 864-329-9000, ext. 1002
stownes@rangerinternational.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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‘Islamabad policemen’s personal links with diplomats threatens national security’

September 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Aug. 31 (ANI): The personal links between Islamabad police officials and foreign diplomats poses a serious threat to the national security, Pakistan’s premier security agency has said in its report.

“Some of the police officials deputed in the Diplomatic Enclave for security purposes have developed personal relations with security officials and diplomats of different embassies and a top security agency fears a serious threat to the security of the capital city because of this,” The News quoted a source, as saying.

According to the official, the report submitted to the headquarters of the agency stating that the policemen, who remain posted in the Diplomatic Enclave for a prolonged duration, developed personal links with diplomats and diplomatic missions.

“As a result, such police officials ignore suspected movements and activities, which is extremely dangerous for the security of Islamabad and because of this lapse on part of the police officials a Marriott bombing-like incident may occur,” the official quoted the report as saying.

The senior official cited a recent instance when some foreigners travelling with a huge quantity of arms were allowed by Superintendent of Police Aftab Nasir to go further despite the fact that the vehicle carried private number plates instead of the diplomatic numbers.

When asked by The News about having links with any diplomatic mission, SP Aftab Nasir said: “Not at all. Some US Army personnel were travelling in the vehicles in question and we let them go after thorough checking and also confirming their identity from the US embassy.

“I have no direct link whatsoever with any diplomatic missions but for professional affairs and I accept that.”

According to Nasir, no police officer has direct links with any diplomat or diplomatic mission.

Commenting on the issue, renowned defence analyst Dr Shirin Mazari said the police officers posted in the Diplomatic Enclave since long should be posted out to far-flung rural areas.

“The duration of the posting of police officers in the Diplomatic Enclave should be reduced,” she said. (ANI)

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Indo-US joint exercise in October

August 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug 26 (ANI): A five-day joint exercise involving the Indian Air Force and the United States Air Force, Cope India-09, will be held at Agra from October 19, 2009.

The participating IAF aircraft include IL-76, AN-32 and Mi-17 helicopters, while USAF will participate with C-17 Globemaster, C-130J (Super Herclues) and C-130H transport aircraft.

The exercise is aimed at evaluating the efficacy of joint operations in the realm of tactics, aero medical aspects and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions involving medium and heavy lift transport aircraft.

“Nearly 160 USAF personnel and about 200 IAF air warriors will participate in the exercise,” said IAF spokesperson.

The Indian Army and the US Army will also simultaneously conduct their largest joint exercise in October, featuring variety of armoured vehicles, medium and heavy lift aircraft and helicopters.

The Indo-US Army exercise will be conducted at Babina in Uttar Pradesh. (ANI)

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Taliban needs to be beaten to stop another 9/11, says Obama

August 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug.18 (ANI): US President Barack Obama has warned that the Taliban must be defeated in Afghanistan to avoid another 9/11-style attack.

Obama was addressing veterans in Phoenix, Arizona, in the run-up to the presidential elections in Afghanistan later this week.

According to a Sky News report, he said that US troops were working hard to secure polling stations to enable Afghans to decide their own future.

And he asserted that while the fight against insurgents would not be quick nor easy – it was a war worth fighting.

Speaking at the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ national convention, Obama reiterated his view that a mixture of military power, diplomacy and development was needed to defeat the Taliban.

If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al Qaida would plot to kill more Americans.

Obama said: “This is not a war of choice, this is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again.”

Going forward, the president said that the US army would adapt its tactics to stay ahead of the enemy.

He also pledged that troops would be given the tools and equipment needed to succeed in Afghanistan. (ANI)

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Myths about sweating and fluid intake debunked

July 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, July 11 (ANI): Athletes and soldiers who carry large amounts of water on long journeys to reimburse fluid loss due to sweating can now take it easy, for scientists now suggest that the volume of sweat they produce is much less than what is generally believed.

For a long time, soldiers and athletes have relied on an equation to predict how much water they will need to drink during long bouts of exercise, given the temperature and expected level of exertion

However, recent studies have defied the equation claiming that it over-estimates sweat volumes.

For further probing, Michael Sawka and colleagues, at the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, ran 101 volunteers through a gamut of exercises in a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels, both inside and outside.

They specifically monitored participants during eight hours of exercise, as compared to past measurements, which were taken after just two hours.

It was found that over time, people didn’t simply keep producing more sweat.

On the other hand, volumes levelled out, perhaps because sweat glands were depleted.

Thus, the researchers concluded that the total perspiration over a long period was less than expected.

Sawka’s team used the findings to create a new equation, which predicted sweat volume accurately 95 per cent of the time.

“There was a great need to improve that prediction equation, for both the military and public health and safety and disaster relief,” New Scientist magazine quoted him as saying.

He added: “They make [the equation] quite user-friendly,” said Ollie Jay, a professor of human kinetics at the University of Ottawa. “It’s a very significant contribution to the field.”

In fact, the researchers are now developing an iPhone application that would calculate personalised water needs for athletes. (ANI)

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New formula may improve ability to predict drinking water needs

July 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, July 9 (ANI): A study has worked out a new formula to predict drinking water needs, which if successful, could accurately forecast water needs not only for soldiers, but also for civilians who work or exercise outdoors.

The study, “Expanded prediction equations of human sweat loss and water needs,” appears in the online edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology.

It substantially improves a water needs equation that the US Army developed in 1982.

The Army spends substantial resources transporting water to troops in the field, including Afghanistan and Iraq.

Water transport accounts for about one-third of in-theatre costs, according to Dr. Samuel N. Cheuvront, one of the researchers involved in the study.

Dr. Cheuvront points out that an improved sweating prediction equation would not only help keep troops healthy and cut the cost of operations, but would also facilitate better civilian water planning when desired.

The harder an individual exercises, the more oxygen he or she consumes and the more heat the body produces.

Sweat is the body’s coolant, but it only cools when it evaporates from the skin.

When it is muggy out, the air is moist, slowing the sweat evaporation rate and reducing its cooling power.

Sweat rate and water needs are difficult to predict because water needs are so variable. Inactive individuals lose between one and three liters of body water a day.

More activity and warmer climates can double or even triple ordinary losses. Sweat rates also vary depending on body size, exercise intensity, clothing, air temperature, humidity, wind, and even the individual’s own genes.

In this study, the researchers collected data on 80 men and 21 women who exercised in the laboratory under varying conditions of work intensity and duration, environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity, and types of clothing.

They measured the sweat losses for each volunteer and compared that to the sweat loss predicted by the equation.

Once they were able to compare the prediction versus the real sweat rate, they derived specific algorithms statistically so that the predictions would more accurately reflect the observed sweat rates.

The study produced two equations.

The researchers then cross validated the new equations, using new data from 21 men and 9 women.

One of the equations increased the prediction accuracy by 58 percent and one increased accuracy by 65 percent.

“Either of these equations would provide predictions accurate enough to be used in the field,” Dr. Cheuvront said. (ANI)

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Flag Day – June 14 – June 14 – Flag Day – Flag Day 2009 – US Celebrates Flag Day

June 14, 2009 By 1 Comment

Flag Day – June 14 – June 14 – Flag Day – Flag Day 2009 – US Celebrates Flag Day

President Barack Obama says that Americans should proudly celebrate today as it is Flag Day, and also says Americans should demonstrate their pride and honor the Old Glory by flying it wherever possible. He has extended the observance of the national Flag Day by proclaiming the coming week as national Flag Week.

By the order of the president, flags will be flying on all federal buildings during this week. Obama has also appealed to all Americans to honor the Star and Stripes by flying it at their homes and other suitable places. He has also on Americans to observe the days between June 14 and Independence Day as a celebration of the nation’s heritage, by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at public gatherings.

In the formal proclamation declaring the Flag Day the president wrote: The flag is still more than a historical symbol: it is part of our culture. In our schools children pledge allegiance to our flag and recite the ideals upon which our Nation was founded. Families sit on their front porches under a billowing Stars and Stripes. And each day as the flag is raised above military installations and government buildings, we are reminded of the great sacrifices that have been made in defense of our Nation.

The US Army will also be celebrating its 234th Birthday on Flag Day. The Army is the nation’s oldest uniformed service and was formed on this day in 1775, a year before the United States of America became an independent nation. This week in all will be a patriotic week for the Americans. The President hopes that they will take this time to re-acquaint themselves with the past history of the nation. Flag day commemorates 14th June, 1777, when the United States Flag was adopted by the Second Continental Congress. Since then there have been 26 versions of the flag, the last one being in 1960 when Hawaii was admitted as a state. The idea of a special day to celebrate the flag may have originated on June 14, 1885, when a Wisconsin schoolteacher organized an observance of the flag’s birthday. A New York teacher organized a similar observance four years later.

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US Army testing gun that can take out ‘ bad guys’ hiding around corners

May 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 29 (ANI): The U.S. Army is set to start testing a computerized, high-tech projectile launcher that can take out bad guys hiding around corners and in caves or trenches, even if they are out of a soldier’s line of sight.

Experts have called it the “Judge Dredd” gun, after the Sylvester Stallone movie, but the Pentagon calls it the XM-25 Individual Air Burst Weapon, which uses a laser rangefinder to precisely measure the distance to a target, then primes a fuse on a timed grenade so that the projectile explodes exactly where it should.

“The way a soldier operates this is you basically find your target, then laze to it, which gives the range, then you get an adjusted aim point, adjust fire and pull the trigger,” Fox News quoted deputy program manager Richard Audette as telling the Army News Service.

With a range of 750 meters – nearly half a mile – the XM-25 would also be very effective in Afghanistan, where Taliban fighters often hide behind rocks and in caves.

In addition to precision-timed grenades, the gun is also built to fire armor-piercing, door-breaching, anti-personnel and less-than-lethal rounds. (ANI)

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US journo claims Bhutto was killed on Cheney’s orders

May 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New York, May 18 (ANI): A special death squad assassinated Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on the orders of former US Vice-President Dick Cheney, an Arab TV channel has reported.

“Cheney was the chief of the Joint Special Operation Command and he cleared the way for the US by exterminating opponents through the unit and the CIA. General Stanley was the in-charge of the unit,” The Nation quoted US columnist Seymour Hersh, as saying.

The US death unit killed Bhutto because she had told Al-Jazeera TV about the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, Hersh said.

The US leadership did not want Osama to be declared dead. It would have raised questions about the US Army’s presence in Afghanistan, he claimed.

According to Hersh, the former Lebanese PM Rafique Al Hariri and the army chief were murdered for not safeguarding US interests and for refusing to set up US military bases in Lebanon.

Ariel Sharon, the then prime minister of Israel, was also a key man in the plot, he said. (ANI)

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US military using iPod, iPhones in Iraq operation

May 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, May 11 (ANI): Apple’s iPods and iPhones are the latest equipment that the US army is using to carry out operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The easy-to-use devices have been embraced by the military because they can safely carry secure software and are far cheaper than manufacturing a version specifically for the army.

Capable of holding more than 30,000 programs, Apple’s best-sellers are being used for everything from translating to working out the trajectories of snipers.

According to The Telegraph, the US military is also working on how these devices can be used as guidance systems for bomb disposal robots and to receive aerial footage from unmanned drone aircraft.

Currently, the US Marine Corps is funding an application that would allow soldiers to upload photographs of detained suspects, along with written reports, into a biometric database.

The software would match faces, in theory making it easier to track suspects after they’re released.

Though the British military admires the usage of the Apple instruments, the Ministry of Defence remains wary of security implications and has “no plans” at present to go down the American path.

The Director of the US Army’s Intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors operation, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Ross, believes the iPod “may be all that the personnel need”.

“What gives it added advantage is that a lot of them have their own personal ones so they are familiar with them,” he told the paper.

Cost can be considered to be another advantage.

The iPod touch (which soldiers can use over a secure WiFi network) retails for around 230 dollars and the iPhone for 600 dollars. Bulk orders placed by the Pentagon bring further savings. (ANI)

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‘US needs to call off drone strikes in Pak’

May 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, May. 3 (ANI): The top adviser to the US army chief in Afghanistan, David Kilcullen, has observed that the US drone strikes in Pakistan are creating more enemies than eliminating them, and hence, needed to be “called off.”

Responding to a congressman on what the US government should do in Pakistan, he said: “We need to call off the drones.”

The Daily Times quoted Kilcullen, as saying that he has no objection to killing “bad guys” in Pakistan.

However, he added that the strikes were creating more enemies than they eliminate.

Kilcullen said that the drone strikes, which were “highly unpopular”, gave rise to a feeling of anger that unites the population with the Taliban and could lead to “loss of Pakistani government control over its own population”.

He said that insurgents used the drone strikes to stir up anti-Western and anti-government sentiment.

Another problem, Kilcullen noted, was “using robots from the air looks both cowardly and weak”. (ANI)

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‘Laser within a laser’ could take out bombs and explosive-laden vehicles

April 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, April 27 (ANI): Reports indicate that the US Army is working on developing a laser within a laser that could blow up roadside bombs and explosive-laden vehicles from a distance.

A side effect of high-energy lasers is that they heat up and ionize the air molecules they pass through.

For a brief moment after the laser beam has stopped firing, a long narrow tube of ionized plasmas hangs in the air – a perfect conductor for any kind of electromagnetic pulse you may want to send through it.

Now, according to a report in Wired News, researchers at the Army’s Armament Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) in Picatinny, New Jersey have another idea – super high-energy microwaves.

Microwave weapons already have been tried, but not really used, because the beams scatter so much that there’s a high risk of “self kill” to nearby personnel.

Meanwhile, lasers are well understood, but need tremendous amounts of energy to even approach being dangerous.

So, the ARDEC crew is combining the best of both worlds – using a laser to create a focused plasma channel microwaves can’t escape, then firing microwaves down it.

Called the Multimode Directed Energy Armament System by the researchers, the weapon “defeats/neutralize full spectrum of materiel threats at stand off” and have “scalable effects from non-lethal to lethal.” (ANI)

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