[SIZE=6]Google urged to drop images[/SIZE]

By Natasha Bita
August 08, 2005

THE head of Australia’s nuclear energy agency has called on the owners of an internet satellite program to censor images of the country’s only nuclear reactor.

Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation executive director Ian Smith said he would ask internet search engine Google to remove the Lucas Heights reactor from its Google Earth program. The online program combines satellite images with aerial photographs and maps to let users zoom in on almost any building in the world.

While Google Earth “censors” the White House with blocks of colour over the roof and the nearby Treasury Department and Executive Office buildings, anyone with a computer and web connection can use the free program to see aerial shots of sensitive Australian sites such as the Lucas Heights reactor, the secret US spy base at Pine Gap, outside Alice Springs, and Parliament House in Canberra.

The satellite image of the Lucas Heights facility, on a 70ha site 40km southwest of Sydney’s CBD, clearly shows the layout of the buildings and carpark.

“We’re going to ask Google to take it off,” Dr Smith said.

“It doesn’t stop somebody who’s determined to get the information getting it, but having it on the internet just makes it so much more readily available. We don’t want to provide any easy assistance to anyone who wants to interfere with the site.”

Dr Smith said the Lucas Heights facility was clearly visible from the road, or from commercial aircraft flying overhead and noted Google’s image was about two years out of date.

“The question comes down to, if you put it on the internet, does it go to Pakistan or Afghanistan and make it easy for them?”

Despite the construction of a new reactor and a five-year, $36million security upgrade announced in last year’s federal budget, Dr Smith admitted that trespassers could enter the site “if they really want to”.

“There’s a small area near the middle of the site which is quite secure, but the bulk of our site isn’t all that secure,” he said.

“We don’t have the guarding or the hardware to stop someone from getting in to the site if they really wanted to.”

Dr Smith said ANSTO liaised with intelligence agencies to assess threats and met global security standards for storing nuclear materials.

Frenchman Willie Brigitte was deported from Australia in 2003 over an alleged plot to bomb the Lucas Heights reactor, which uses small amounts of uranium to manufacture medicines and for scientific research.

A Google spokeswoman defended the technology, noting the images were six to 18 months old and not detailed enough to zoom in on people. “The same information is available to anyone who flies over or drives by a piece of property,” she said.

DigitalGlobe, the US company which sold the Lucas Heights photos to Google, said it did not censor any of its images.

“Although we are very sensitive to the concerns voiced, we are not required to seek permission to image areas around the world,” spokesman Chuck Herring said.

Mr Herring said US law banned his company from selling to individuals, organisations or nations – including Iran and Cuba – on the US’s “denied party” list. “When we sell it to Google, how they disseminate it over the internet is really up to them,” he said.

A spokesman for Attorney-General Philip Ruddock downplayed the security threat posed by web-based imaging. “Australian government security agencies are aware of such sites and the information available on them and factor them into their assessments of threat,” he said.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,16183993-2,00.html

Paranoid Aussies! :diablo:

Cheers,
Alepou 340MB

[size=4]EADS: Today’s Greek Fighter Procurement Is Not Against Eurofighter[/size]

(Source: EADS; issued July 19, 2005)

MUNICH, Germany — Today the Greek government decided to procure 30 fighter aircraft of the U.S. type F-16, which is already in the Hellenic Air Force’s (HAF) inventory. Such a procurement plus an option for ten more aircraft calls for filling the gap in the HAF jet fighter fleet due to attrition and to satisfy an interim need of third-generation aircraft.

At the same meeting, the Greek government decided to bring the even more important acquisition of 30 plus ten combat aircraft of the latest-generation type on the agenda of one of the next National Security Council (KYSEA) meetings, which are expected to take place later this year.

EADS is convinced that on one of the forthcoming KYSEA meeting the most modern combat aircraft Eurofighter will be the number one for the HAF, as this aircraft is seen as the perfect weapon system to increase the defence capabilities for Greece.

Johann Heitzmann, President and CEO of EADS Military Aircraft, stated that – in contradiction to misleading news agency reports – the decision of the Greek government does not pre-empt anything in terms of an Eurofighter procurement in this country. “In contrary, we and our partners within the programme feel ourselves to be in a very good position, as the European product Eurofighter not only offers unique operational capabilities for the Hellenic Air Force, but also is the key for numerous political and industrial advantages for Greece.” Heitzmann said that the Eurofighter procurement will also strengthen the close link between Athens and its European partners.

The Military Aircraft Business Unit, which is an integrated part of the EADS Defence and Security Systems Division (DS), concentrates all the EADS capabilities in the areas of high-performance combat aircraft, unmanned mission (MALE UAV) and combat air vehicles (UCAV), manned mission aircraft and training aircraft as well as the ground support equipment for these systems.

EADS Defence & Security Systems, with revenues of about EUR 5.4 billion in 2004 and roughly 24,000 employees across ten nations, forms the defence pole within EADS. It offers integrated systems solutions to the new challenges confronting armed forces and homeland security units. It is active in the areas of military aircraft, missile systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems with manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), battlefield management systems, defence electronics, sensors and avionics, and related services.

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of EUR 31.8 billion and employed a workforce of about 110,000.

-ends-

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.15382282.1121858392.Qt4zWMOa9dUAACYMgKo&modele=jdc_34

Cheers,
Alepou 340MB

Are there still any in German Lizard around? Back in April 2000, at least two ex-Lw RF-4E’s already were overpainted in TO114. I expected the rest to have been repainted by now too.

@ Arthur, In April this year two HAF RF-4Es took part in the ‘Trial Hammer 2005’ exercise at Spagndahlem , they were numbered 7487 and 7496.

One of the Phantoms carried the ASTAC ESM/ELINT pod.

They both had the German type camo still! I believe that they all will be repainted eventually. :rolleyes:

Cheers,

Alepou 340MB

P-3B Orions in service with the Hellenic Navy.

Click here for more Orion pictures from the Hellenic Navy’s site.

Cheers,
Alepou 340MB 😎