31 Mar 11 by UK MoD

Two Portsmouth-based Royal Navy explosives experts are heading to Afghanistan to help train the Afghan security forces in bomb disposal.

Petty Officer (Diver) Gareth Buffrey and Leading Seaman (Diver) Simon Day of Fleet Diving Unit 2 based at Horsea Island will spend six months in Afghanistan supporting the British Army's 101 Engineer Regiment.

PO(D) Buffrey, aged 41, will be mentoring Afghan explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams and deploying with them on patrols from various forward operating bases. He said: "It will be a challenging environment but the six months' specialist training we have had for this deployment should prepare us for most eventualities. Our primary role is to observe, mentor and coach the Afghan National Security Forces."

  LS(D) Day, 31, will work with the Coalition Force Training Team (EOD) in Camp Bastion. He said: "I worked with Jordanian forces last year, mentoring them as part of the training for our mission in Afghanistan. The language barrier alone made the work challenging but I am now looking forward to getting out there and getting the job done."

The pair will leave the UK in early April 2011.

March 31, 2011 defpro.com

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. | This month, U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan received 120mm GPS-guided mortar precision capability. The Program Executive Office for Ammunition fielded Accelerated Precision Mortar Initiative cartridges, or APMI, to one Infantry Brigade Combat Team, or IBCT, earlier this month, and is scheduled to field cartridges to the seven other IBCTs in Afghanistan within six months. "APMI is a 120mm GPS-guided mortar cartridge that provides the infantry commander precision-strike capability, which he has never had before," said Peter Burke, PEO Ammunition's deputy product manager, Guided Precision Munitions and Mortar Systems. Mortars are an indirect firing capability used to defeat enemy troops, materiel, bunkers and other infantry-type targets. "Typically mortars are fired in volleys against an area target because of their inherent inaccuracy, but with APMI, you have the potential to destroy a target with only one or two rounds," Burke said.

ASDNews: Mar 30, 2011

The Australian Defence Force's air operations capability has returned to Afghanistan to support International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations for 2011. The Rotary Wing Group recently commenced full operational duties. Commanding Officer of the Rotary Wing Group, Lieutenant Colonel Neil Monaghan, said that this partnership had great impact in terms of strengthening the relationship with Coalition partners. "The Australian contribution, although small in comparison to the American aviation assets, is considered an integral part of ISAF and the mission is an important element in the Coalition effort in Afghanistan," Lieutenant Colonel Monaghan said. Since their first deployment in 2006, the Australian Chinooks have been highly valued on the battlefield and are well suited to operations in Afghanistan's traditionally harsh environment.

March 29, 2011 by MsMarti

War in Afghanistan News reports provided by ISAF Joint Command.  Operations are reported in the following provinces:  Helmand, Kapisa, Logar, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Kabul and Laghman.

March 28, 2011

War in Afghanistan News reports provided by ISAF Joint Command.  Operations are reported in the following provinces:  Paktika, Baghlan, Helmand, Kandahar, Khost, Logar and Laghman.

The first German Army unit equipped with Boxer armored vehicles is undergoing training prior to its first deployment in Afghanistan, this year. Photo: German Army, Volker Jung

March 27, 2011 by Tamir Eshel DEFENSE UPDATE

The first Boxer armored personnel carriers (Gepanzertes Transport-Kraftfahrzeug – GTK) have arrived at Donaueschingen Germany in February 2011 to equip the 292 Jägerbattalion (light infantry battalion), in preparation for the unit’s deployment to Afghanistan by August this year. The battalion will dispatch a platoon with four vehicles to be deployed to Mazar-e-Sharif in Northern Afghanistan, as part of the German training and protection battalion. Last year the Boxer went through a successful operational evaluation in Australia, which paved the way for the deployment decision. According to infantry officers training with the vehicles, the first experience with the Boxer is positive with the vehicle described as ‘robust, impressive and offering a high level of protection and mobility’. Driver orientation courses are currently underway at the driver training school in Dornstadt, where seven Driver Training Vehicles (DTV) were received in 2010.

March 26, 2011 by MsMarti

War in Afghanistan News reports provided by ISAF Joint Command.  Operations are reported in the following provinces: Baghlan, Khost, Nimrox, Helmand, Kandahar, Kabul and Ghazni.

18 Mars 2011 Par Lieutenant-colonel Bruno Paupy, Commandant en second ED 1/33

Après deux ans d’utilisation en Afghanistan, le drone « Harfang » est passé du stade de l’expérimentation à celui d’expertise.

Il y a deux ans, en plein cœur de l’hiver afghan, la France déployait sur la base aérienne américaine de Bagram son système de drone MALE(1) « Harfang », accompagné du personnel juste nécessaire à sa mise en œuvre. Les autorités françaises voulaient ainsi participer à l’amélioration de la planification et la conduite des opérations menées par la Force Internationale de Sécurité et d’Assistance présente en Afghanistan, mais également accroître la sécurité de nos forces déployées au sol. Malgré sa jeunesse et sa vocation expérimentale, le système intérimaire de drone MALE, arrivé dans l’armée de l’air depuis moins de 4 mois, s’avérait donc incontournable. Grâce à la robustesse de sa liaison satellite et la polyvalence de ses capteurs vidéo, ce drone a vocation à réaliser en toute discrétion une surveillance aérienne de plus de vingt heures, tout en transmettant les informations recueillies instantanément à tous ceux qui en ont besoin.

Avec plus de 3500 heures de vol sans accident au dessus des régions commandement Est et Capitale, et la couverture d’un large panel de missions « d’appui renseignement » au profit de nombreux « clients » de la coalition, les hommes et les femmes qui portent à bout de bras cette capacité depuis sa naissance ont de quoi être fiers. Grace à leurs compétences, leur solidarité et leur enthousiasme indéfectible, ils ont démontré au travers de plus de 300 missions que cette capacité est désormais indispensable pour acquérir une meilleure connaissance de la zone d’opération, pour mieux anticiper les intentions ennemies et surtout pour sauvegarder de nombreuses vies humaines, aussi bien civiles que militaires.

Au fil de leurs nombreux détachements successifs sur ce théâtre exigeant, le personnel de l’Escadron Drone 1/33 « Belfort » a désormais acquis une expertise unique, permettant d’offrir du renseignement adapté et apprécié par tous. Cette expertise ne demande dorénavant qu’à être capitalisée dans le cadre de la préparation et la conduite d’autres opérations, aussi bien militaires qu’interministérielles, si tant est que cette capacité perdure au-delà de la durée de vie limitée de son système intérimaire actuel. A n’en pas douter, son fort potentiel de mutualisation au niveau européen et ses aptitudes pour anticiper, comprendre, décider et coordonner les actions en font désormais une capacité incontournable dans la panoplie de l’armé française.

(1) MALE : Moyenne Altitude Longue Endurance

Après avoir mis en oeuvre le pod de reconnaissance RECO-NG pour la première fois en contexte opérationnel en décembre 2010 (voir cet article d’Optronique & Défense), c’est au tour du pod de désignation DAMOCLES d’effectuer son baptême de l’air au dessus du sol Afghan après sa campagne d’expérimentation à Mont de Marsan.

Mer et Marine l’indiquait hier matin sur leur site, la nacelle de désignation de tir Damocles a été embarquée sur les Rafale F3 en janvier pour effectuer ses premières missions opérationnelles dans le cadre de la mission Agapanthe, lors de la dernière mission Agapanthe menée par le groupe aéronaval articulé autour du porte-avions Charles de Gaulle. Les pilotes de Rafale F3 auraient donc mis en oeuvre le nouveau pod de désignation laser développé par Thales.

11 March, 2011, RUSSIA TODAY

Moscow will conclude a deal to sell choppers to Afghanistan with the US rather than NATO despite previous plans. ­The deal involving 24 helicopters has been already agreed on and could be concluded by April, the Russian daily, Kommersant wrote on Friday. The choppers are intended for the Afghan army. Earlier Russia had been expected to sign a contract with NATO rather than directly with the US. Previous talks between Moscow and the Western alliance on delivering several dozen Mi-17 helicopters to Afghanistan reportedly failed to produce any results. Now the fleet of Russian-made helicopters bound for Afghanistan could be expanded from 70 to around 100, a source familiar with the deal told the daily. Moscow is ready to throw in three more choppers free of charge. Russia will also be delivering components for the choppers in the future.

by MsMarti - on Sunday, March 13, 2011

News reports provided by ISAF Joint Command.  Operations are reported in the following provinces:  Helmand, Khost, Baghlan, Kandahar and Nangarhar.

04 Mar 2011 MIN40/11

Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today officially opened Chemring’s new $30 million plant where specialist pyrotechnics and counter measures are manufactured to support Defence personnel in Afghanistan.

Mr Clare was joined by Member for Corio Richard Marles and Victorian Minister for Manufacturing, Exports and Trade Richard Dalla-Riva.

Mr Clare said that the new facility was built after the Federal Government awarded Chemring a 10-year, $160 million contract in November 2008 to supply countermeasures and pyrotechnics to the Defence Force.

“The counter-measures are a defensive flare system that assists in protecting aircraft against enemy missiles.  They use flares and chaff to attract the missile away from our aircraft,” Mr Clare.

“They’re used by our soldiers in Afghanistan and from the helicopters and fixed wing aircraft that support them.

“Chemring also supply a variety of flares and distress beacons which are important in search and rescue and other emergency situations from our aircraft, helicopters, ships and submarines.

“This company is doing important work helping to keep our troops safe, and they’re doing it right here in Lara. The $160 million contract and this subsequent $30 million investment by Chemring is a significant investment in regional Victoria and it’s creating jobs.

“Since the announcement of the contract Chemring’s workforce has doubled from 30 to 60 and that’s great news for the local community.”

“I want to thank the workers here at Chemring for the great job they’re doing in supporting our Defence Force,” Mr Marles said.