Textron Marine & Land, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. company, has been awarded a $58 million contract modification by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) to manufacture 82 additional Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) variants for the M1200 Armored Knight.
The M1200 Armored Knight is an ASV variant equipped with a sensor package that is used to locate and designate targets for indirect fire and laser guided weapons. The Armored Knight is the only system in production with target accuracy equivalent to the delivery accuracies of today’s precision-guided munitions, such as JDAM and Excalibur. The specially configured ASV is used by Field Artillery Combat Observation and Lasing Teams (COLT) to carry out its missions.
Tom Walmsley, general manager, Textron Marine & Land said, “We’re excited to be awarded this contract to manufacture additional ASVs for the M1200 Armored Knight and provide even more protection to our soldiers. This additional variant of the ASV truly shows the versatility of this product. We’re proud of the field record of the Armored Knight variant, and the ASV.”
The ASV is a light, agile wheeled combat vehicle with 360 degree armor protection against small arms fire that can withstand anti-tank land mines under any wheel and artillery burst fragments overhead.
The ASV vehicle will be provided to DRS Technologies, the prime contractor for the Armored Knight responsible for the integration of the sensor and Mission Equipment Package. The total requirement for the program has been listed at 531 vehicles. In 2007, 19 vehicles were delivered to the customer and it is currently anticipated that 83 will be delivered in 2008 with the remainder to follow in 2009 and beyond.
Southern Star
Southern Star Energy Incspudded its 5th CottonValley well in its Sentell Field Development project, located in the Bossier Parish, Louisiana. The well will be drilled to a total depth of 9500 feet. The Company plans to study several formations including the Nacotoch, Paluxy, Petit, Rodessa and Hosston between 1,000’ and 5,900’ before encountering its primary objective targets in the CottonValley formation. The Company expects to evaluate several unproduced potential hydrocarbon bearing intervals within the CottonValley between 8,100’ and 9,500’.
The Company anticipates reaching total depth on the Atkins Lincoln 17-1 on or about April 10, 2008. The Company intends to commence completion activities on this well in late April and anticipates it being on production before the end of May, 2008.
GNO Inc
Business, Civic and Public-Sector Leaders Encouraged to Work Together to Realize Full Potential of the Greater New Orleans Region The New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute, which encourages all business, civic and public-sector leaders in the ten-parish region to apply for the 2008-2009 New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI) class by visiting www.gnoinc.org by April 30, 2008. Planned program enhancements to the ninth NORLI class promises to provide a meaningful and rewarding experience for all those who participate.
CameronHospital
Federal, state and local leaders joined celebrations today during the Grand Reopening of South Cameron Memorial Hospital. The 49-bed facility is Cameron Parish's only full-service hospital, providing 24-hour, 7-day per week emergency care and inpatient and outpatient hospital services.
"There are no words to describe how important this hospital is to the people of Cameron Parish," said Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) Board Member Tom Henning. "Rural health care providers are an important source of economic growth and stability to their local neighborhoods. Not only will the reopening of this hospital provide jobs, but it will also allow residents to return to this community with a greater sense of security."
In September 2005, Hurricane Rita devastated Southwest Louisiana, completely destroying the hospital. The new facility features a full emergency room, 25 inpatient beds and a rural health clinic, which includes a dental program. The hospital also houses a retail pharmacy and other ancillary services.
"The re-opening of this state-of-the-art facility is vital to the rebirth of Lower Cameron Parish as a vibrant, resilient community and will help improve the quality of life for the people that have experienced first hand the destruction of Hurricane Rita," said Michael Taylor, director of the State of Louisiana's Disaster Recovery Unit.
East Jefferson
Today there is greater help than ever before for chronic pain sufferers in our community.The Pain Management Institute at EastJeffersonGeneralHospital offers a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of chronic pain, including a full range of therapies such as physical therapy, cognitive therapy, medications and injections.The institute focuses on treating low back pain, neuropathic pain, cancer pain, as well as many other chronic conditions.
Eric D. Lonseth, M.D., M.P.H., will operate as both Clinical and Hospital Director of The Pain Management Institute.After completing his Fellowship in Pain Management at the University of California at San Francisco, Dr. Lonseth returned to the New Orleans.
Oh, and in answer to your last question, the answer is no. Or at least until we realize that we are at rock bottom and in desperation alternatives are allowed to come to light..... Because even now as we speak folks up north are being flooded and those waters are flowing south..... And our answer is to pay 5 times more than it is worth for flood protection, just like our answer to gasoline right now is charge 3 + dollars per gallon for gas with increases on the horizon when from what I heard, gasoline is going for approx. 14 cents a gallon in Venezuela. Booming smuggling business taking gasoline from Venezuela to Columbia, and of course the Columbians are smuggling the cocaine here. Hmmmmm? Could this be the new 'Golden Triangle' of the New Millennium......???? Pity, we are all slaves one way or another... And the games keep going on and on and on……. I can hardly wait for the fallout from the Olympics in the future……… Written by Facts R........................
on 3/20/2008
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I am saddened to inform you of this Robert,,,, But yes, we are going to be there for the next 50 years (at least, in one way or another). Much in the same way we are going to talk this stupid race rhetoric all the time every time some 'slighted' person gets its panties or undies in a bunch...... Why? Well, we can't build a bridge over it, and we can't build a wall around it, and it is simply of strategic importance in more ways than one........ Those are the facts of this lifetime,,,,, As far as the next lifetime for who? Well, God only knows what they will look like..... Written by Facts R........................
on 3/20/2008
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It’s the fifth anniversary of the attack on and occupation of Iraq, and we know from Scott Ritter and Seymour Hersch that the Bush-Cheney administration is already assigning troops into Iran, clearly building the same case through the same lies for another war.... If the administration is supported by corporations, which conveniently claim to be American when it suits them, then I ask what interest the corporations have in war. We know the corporations sell weapons to elevate the value of their shares in stock markets and to send their shareholders a dividend. Often, therefore, corporations support war.... Still, we cannot conveniently attribute eagerness for war only to corporate leaders. Shareholders of a corporation are as avid for dividends as CEO’s for bonuses. All of us who have shares in weapons-manufacturing corporations are beneficiaries of corporate financial success.... Likewise, we cannot attribute eagerness for war only to CEO’s and shareholders. Politicians, media, and citizens in communities where weapons are manufactured rely on war for economic growth....In New Orleans, for example, Textron Marine and Land Systems and Northrop Grunman Corporation employ thousands in the creation and support of war. As reported by Jen DiGregorio in the Times-Picayune (January 14, 2008), Textron Marine and Land Systems will sell seven armored security vehicles (ASV) to the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense for Afghanistan. These M1117 vehicles will be constructed at facilities in New Orleans East and Slidell during the first quarter of 2008. Textron has launched its new marketing strategy of selling military equipment to foreign nations, in addition to its sales to the United States. In 2004, Textron won a contract to build 43 ASV’s for forces in Iraq. “We’re trying to expand the business,” said David Whitaker of Textron. Now, Tom Walmsley has announced the company has been awarded a $58M contract to manufacture 92 more.... As DeGregorio commented, the Textron contract is “the latest example of how the wars in the Middle East are creating profits for manufacturers in Louisiana.” Lisa Tomlin, director of the trades-sector initiative for the business group, Greater New Orleans Inc., said that local shipyards and other builders have been busier since the federal government has increased spending on defense and homeland security.... WARS AND HOMELAND SECURITY ARE, THEREFORE, BUSINESS. If the labor (soldiers) are cheaply hired, then the profits are as great as in slavery. If the government (Veterans Administration) is responsible for medical care and occupational hazards, then ecomomies of production are realizable.... Given that the profits of corporations filter into the community through restaurants, theaters, hospitals, schools, and so forth, we are all entangled in the profitable web of war.... Do we have the courage to admit this reality? Do we have the courage to choose to profit by productive non-violent industry instead?
Written by Robert Desmarais Sullivan
on 3/19/2008
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