After F/A-50 contract has signed, DND announced that it will be acquiring a multi-role fighter by 2018.

07 April 2014 Defense Studies

PHL to get MRF by 2018

MANILA, (PNA) — With the country now on its way to acquire its first-ever supersonic jet aircraft in 34 years, the Department of National Defense (DND) announced that it will be acquiring a "multi-role fighter" (MRF) by 2018.

This was revealed by DND undersecretary for finance, modernization, installations, and munitions Fernando Manalo

2018 is the second phase of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.

During this period, the defense and military establishment will determine whether to acquire additional units of the South Korean F/A-50 "Fighting Eagle" or go full stream with the acquisition of the MRFs to enhance the country's external defense capabilities.

Studies are now underway to determine the best MRF designs for the Philippines.

The Philippines and Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd (KAI) signed the P18.9 billion deal for 12 units of the F/A-50 last Friday. Manalo said that the first two F/A-50 jet aircraft will be delivered 18 months after the opening of the letter of credit, the next two will be delivered 12 months later and the remaining eight jet planes to be delivered in staggered basis within eight months.

(Batita)

April 7th, 2014 By Swedish Radio - defencetalk.com

The Defence Minister of Sweden, Karin Enström, Sweden, and the Defence Minister of Brazil, Celso Amorim, held an official meeting in Stockholm, upon the kind invitation of the Swedish side, on April 3rd, 2014.

The Ministers recalled the 2009 Plan of Action of the Sweden-Brazil Strategic Partnership, which early identified the potential of bilateral cooperation in the defense area, including joint projects, industrial partnerships, technology transfer, education and training, particularly in the aeronautical field.

The Defence Ministers of Brazil and Sweden welcomed the decision by the Brazilian government – taken on December 18, 2013, and based on technical criteria, in particular the ones related to technological and industrial offsets – to select the proposal presented by Swedish company SAAB in the bidding process called FX-2, related to the provision of fighters to equip the Brazilian Air Force.

The Ministers announced the opportunities for a fruitful long term association between Brazil and Sweden in the field of military aircraft, its technologies and its market.

The Ministers expressed that this association is not only limited to the equipping of the Brazilian Air Force but rather a long-term, strategic cooperation.

The Ministers of Defense of Brazil and Sweden thus decided to launch the Brazilian-Swedish Strategic Partnership in Military Aeronautics.

In that regard, the Defence Ministers of Sweden and Brazil took note of the agreements that are already in force and that offer solid base to the conformation of the Strategic Partnership in Military Aeronautics:

    the Memorandum of Understanding Brazil – Sweden on Cooperation in Defence Matters, signed in São Paulo in July 7, 2000;

    its Amendment, signed in Rio de Janeiro on 24 April 2001;

    Agreement between the Administration for Swedish Defence Material – Forsvarets Materielverk – and the Brazilian Air Force on the Protection of Military Classified Information on the JAS 39 Gripen program, adopted in September 1997 and its Supplement No. 1, adopted in 1998.

With a view to providing continuous strength to the Strategic Partnership, the Defence Ministers agreed to sign today a new Framework Agreement for Defense Cooperation between Brazil and Sweden, which shall replace, when it enters into force, the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation.

The Ministers also saluted the signature, on the same date, of the Agreement on the Exchange and Protection of Classified Information by the Chief Minister of the Cabinet of Institutional Security of the Presidency of the Republic and the Head of Military Intelligence and Security Service of the Armed Forces of Sweden.

The Defence Ministers agreed that the next steps include:

    a deepened political dialogue on defence issues, as well as global topics of mutual interest;

    adoption of a Protocol on Cooperation in Military Aeronautics, which shall define specific terms for, among others, the bilateral cooperation between Air Forces;

    a process forward on export control to third countries; and

    creation of the Office of the Brazilian Defense and Air Force Attaché in Stockholm, in reciprocity to the creation of the Office of the Swedish Defence Attaché in Brasilia.

In reiterating their high expectations regarding the Strategic Partnership between Brazil and Sweden in Military Aeronautics, the Ministers saluted the broader bilateral cooperation in defense and military issues.

The ministers reaffirmed the intentions of their Governments to jointly explore synergies regarding the testing, training, logistics, operations and future upgrades of the Gripen system. They looked forward to the inaugural meeting of a Joint Working Group on Military Cooperation within the Framework Agreement, scheduled to meet in Brasilia in August, 2014.

With a view to following up on the bilateral cooperation agenda, the Minister of Defense of Brazil invited the Minister of Defence of Sweden to undertake a visit to Brazil in 2014.

A move by Canada to postpone any F-35 buys until 2018 means decisions will wait until after the next federal election. (US Air Force)

Apr. 6, 2014 - By DAVID PUGLIESE – Defense news

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA — Canada has told the US government it won’t be in a position to purchase the F-35 fighter jet until 2018, a move that critics of the aircraft say intentionally delays the controversial procurement until after the next federal election.

The decision has a number of ramifications. It will allow the ruling Conservative Party government to claim during the 2015 election campaign that no decision has yet been made on the purchase of a new fighter jet.

But if the Conservatives are defeated in that election, set for October 2015, it could mean further delays or even a cancellation of the proposed buy, since the country’s other political parties have raised concerns about the acquisition. Both the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party favor an open competition for a new fighter jet.

The F-35 Joint Program Office in the US has amended the Canadian “buy profile,” which indicates numbers of aircraft and timelines of the purchase.

“This moves the notional date of first delivery of aircraft from 2017 to 2018,” the Canadian government noted in a statement. No official reason was provided by Canada for the change in dates.

But industry, military and government officials say the change means a final decision won’t need to be made until after 2015.

“This whole thing is designed to delay and to get the Conservatives past the next election so they don’t have to come clean with Canadians about their F-35 plans,” Liberal Party defense critic Joyce Murray said.

Her analysis was echoed by Jack Harris, defense critic with the official opposition New Democratic Party, as well as Alan Williams, the Department of National Defence’s former head of procurement who approved Canada’s participation in the F-35 program.

Canada’s Conservative Party government committed in 2010 to purchasing 65 F-35s, but the acquisition soon became a major political albatross around the neck of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Opposition MPs alleged his government misled Canadians on the F-35’s price and performance.

In March 2011, the majority of the members of Parliament supported a motion that declared the Conservative government in contempt of Parliament over its withholding of information about the F-35, as well as other key financial documents on other issues. That motion of non-confidence in the government led to the federal election in May 2011, but despite the controversy, the Conservative Party was re-elected.

But in April 2012, Canadian Auditor General Michael Ferguson found Department of National Defence officials had withheld key information from Parliament about the fighter jet, underestimated costs and didn’t follow proper procurement rules.

In December 2012, the government, under continuing fire over the increasing cost of the F-35s, announced it would put the procurement on a temporary hold and examine other aircraft.

That process continues, but senior officers from the Royal Canadian Air Force have publicly stated they are preparing for the eventual delivery of the F-35.

Until the evaluation of other aircraft is complete, the government will not decide on how to proceed, said Pierre-Alain Bujold, a spokesman for Public Works and Government Services Canada. That department handles federal procurements.

Bujold said the “work is being completed as expeditiously as possible,” but the department could not provide any timelines on when it might be finished or a final decision on an acquisition made.

That’s because the process is a public relations exercise, former defense procurement chief Alan Williams alleges.

“It’s all designed to buy the government time so they can pick the opportune moment to announce the purchase of the F-35,” Williams said.

Jack Harris, defense critic with the official opposition New Democratic Party, said the F-35 acquisition has the potential to hurt the Conservative government’s image with voters in the upcoming election.

“They portray themselves as strong fiscal managers, but they have bungled numerous defense procurement files, particularly the F-35,” he said. “They don’t want this mess hanging over their heads during an election campaign.”

In his 2012 examination, Ferguson found that although Department of National Defence officials were publicly claiming the F-35 purchase would cost CAN $14.7 billion (US $13 billion), they had already quietly estimated the actual price tag to be $25 billion.

Mike Barton, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin Canada, said the delay will not affect the F-35 program. When Canada is ready to place its order for the planes, the company will respond, he said.

Canada is still a partner in the program and has not informed the US government or Lockheed Martin of any plans to change that.

Canada operates 78 modernized CF-18 fighters and was planning to replace those with the F-35A, the conventional-takeoff-and-landing version of the F-35.

Berne, 06.04.2014 - news.admin.ch

Ce weekend, divers médias ont parlé d’un « plan B » en cas de refus de l’acquisition de 22 avions Gripen lors du référendum le 18 mai 2014. Le DDPS se distancie de ces allégations et s’en tiendra en tous les cas aux décisions prises démocratiquement.

Ce weekend, divers médias ont parlé d'un « plan B » en cas de refus de l'acquisition de 22 avions Gripen lors du référendum le 18 mai 2014. Selon ces médias, il s'agirait d'acquérir tous les 15 ans une escadrille de 12 avions de combat qui pourraient être financés par la voie ordinaire et ne devraient alors pas être soumis à un référendum. La flotte actuelle de 86 avions de combat (32 F/A-18, 54 F-5 Tiger) pourrait ainsi être remplacée sur le long terme par 50 à 70 nouveaux avions.

Le DDPS tient à se distancer de ces déclarations.

Il ne serait en effet pas acceptable d'acquérir des avions de combat peu de temps après une décision négative du peuple. Dans le message au sujet de la votation, il est clairement dit que les avions ne seront pas achetés si la loi sur le fonds Gripen est refusée.

Selon les gens qui ont fait ces allégations, on aboutirait à une flotte de 50 à70 avions, mais leur raisonnement n'est pas clair. Les avions de combat ont une durée de vie d'environ 30 ans. Si l'on achetait 12 avions de combat tous les 15 ans, la taille de la flotte serait alors de 24 avions. C'est beaucoup trop peu pour garantir la sécurité de la Suisse, car c'est encore moins que la flotte actuelle des F/A-18 sans le Gripen.

Par ailleurs, l'acquisition de seulement 12 avions de combat pourrait, selon le modèle choisi, coûter 2 à 3 milliards de francs. En outre, une réduction du nombre d'avions accroîtrait les incohérences d'ordre économique, car une partie de l'infrastructure est quasi indépendante du nombre d'appareils achetés.

Enfin, il faut relever qu'un motif important pour le choix du financement de l'acquisition du Gripen au moyen d'un fonds était de donner la possibilité d'un référendum. Du point de vue purement financier, des acquisitions de cet ordre de grandeur pourraient aussi se faire par la voie normale, sans passer par un fonds.

Le DDPS est convaincu que l'acquisition de 22 Gripen est nécessaire pour la sécurité de la Suisse et de sa population. A elle seule, la flotte de 32 F/A-18 ne suffit pas, et l'acquisition proposée constitue une solution réaliste. Le DDPS s'en tiendra dans tous les cas strictement à la décision prise démocratiquement.

Sweden should buy 10 additional Gripen E fighters, and budget more training to improve its defenses, Swedish defense minister Karin Enstrom said in the wake of the Crimea crisis. Swiss MoD photo)

April 04, 2014 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Radio Sweden; published April 4, 2014)

Defense Minister Calls for More JAS Gripen to Counter Russian Threat

Sweden's Defense Mininster Karin Enstrom says the military should get a total of 70 new JAS Gripen combat aircraft, ten more than Parliament had earlier decided.

Enstrom’s comments came in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine and also of widely publicized Russian military flight incidents last year, when Moscow attack aircraft flew practice missions over Sweden.

Those flights and the ongoing insecurity in Ukraine has alarmed Swedish officials.

"Russia's actions in and around Ukraine has led to uncertainty in Europe. What happened in the past has made it really necessary to strengthen Sweden's defense," Enstrom told the Swedish daily newspaper, Dagens Nyheter.

Parliament had already agreed to purchase 60 Jas Gripen's, which are made and designed by Saab AB, but Enstrom believes that 10 more should be bought.

Any purchase would be preceded by proper procurement and pricing protocols to ensure fairness and transparency, she said.

April 4, 2014: Strategy Page

For over a month soldiers and peacekeepers have been advancing south and driving al Shabaab men out of over a dozen towns containing more than 100,000 people. Counting those living in nearby villages and small settlements that comes to nearly a quarter million people liberated. The Islamic terrorists admit they have ordered their men to not stand and fight but to withdraw and organize terror attacks on security forces and pro-government locals. There are still several dozen towns and villages with Islamic terrorists still in them and basically living off (and terrorizing) the locals. This includes a 200 kilometer stretch of the southern coast, including the port town of Barawe. Chasing the Islamic terrorists out of these towns is the easy part, what is difficult is setting up security in “liberated” areas. Al Shabaab has made public its plans to attack these new policing forces and regain control. In some cases the departing Islamic terrorists ordered residents to flee with them. Or, as the terrorists sometime put it, “with us or die.” There were no massacres against those who did not flee and few civilians left as the peacekeepers arrived. Al Shabaab leaders have been urging their men to develop better relations with civilians, in line with current al Qaeda doctrine. Most al Shabaab men have taken these instructions to heart and there have been no mass killings of civilians recently. But the people in the former al Shabaab controlled areas are terrified that al Shabaab will do what they said they would and return. There is going to be a lot more fighting in the south, most of it terror attacks and small battles with groups of al Shabaab who get cornered and fight to the death (as many are wont to do.) Somalis are also angry with how the Islamic terrorists take what they want (as “taxes”) and are now confiscating any telephones they find that have cameras. Somalis report that the Islamic terrorists are very frightened of the approaching peacekeepers and desperate to keep the local Somalis so terrified that no one will cooperate with the peacekeepers to find where the al Shabaab men are hiding. 

April 1, 2014:  In Kenya (Mombasa) a radical Islamic cleric was shot dead in a drive-by shooting. He is the third Kenyan Islamic radical cleric to die like this in the past two years. This has led to unrest among Kenyan Moslems who accuse the government of assassinating Islamic radical clerics and persecuting Moslems in general. Many Moslems have a sense of entitlement and believe that the non-Moslem world is at war with them. These attitudes are a primary cause of Islamic terrorism and are difficult to deal with. The dead cleric has long been accused to preaching in support of Islamic terrorism and recruiting for al Shabaab.

March 31, 2014: In Kenya (Nairobi) three bombs went off in a market in a neighborhood full of Somalis. There were six dead and twenty wounded. Police immediately began searching buildings in the area and seeking al Shabaab sympathizers. By the next day police had arrested over 650 local Somalis for questioning. 

March 28, 2014:  In the southern port town of Barawe al Shabaab accused three local men of spying for the government and then killed them. The men may indeed have been government informants but the Islamic terrorists will often accuse anyone in the least degree suspicious and kill them just to frighten others away from becoming informants. 

March 25, 2014: Kenya ordered all Somali refugees living outside refugee camps to move to a refugee camp. The UN promptly criticized this measure but the government is under tremendous public pressure to reduce the Somali terrorist threat. Since many Somali refugees have been caught supporting or carrying out terrorist activities the UN protests are not popular at all in Kenya and the refugees will be pressured to go to the camps. There are about 525,000 Somali refugees in two Kenyan camps. The UN runs the camps but has no control over some 50,000 Somali refugees living mostly in the Somali neighborhoods of Nairobi and Mombasa. About 76 percent of the Moslems (four million people) in Kenya are ethnic Somalis who are citizens. Kenya is largely Christian with a Moslem minority (12 percent of the population) that has been harboring Islamic terrorists. Kenya also hosts nearly 300,000 other refugees from Ethiopia, Sudan, Burundi and Congo. Many Kenyans feel that the rest of the world does not appreciate what a heavy burden this places on Kenya.

March 23, 2014: South of the central Somalia town of Baidoa al Shabaab gunmen stopped a vehicle carrying eight clan elders from a government conference. When the Islamic terrorists discovered the loyalties of the elders they killed them.

In Kenya (outside Mombasa) masked gunmen charged into a church and opened fire on the worshippers, leaving six dead and many wounded. This gunmen then left and moved wards another church nearby but before they could get into that church police showed up and the gunmen fled. The attackers were believed to be Islamic terrorists, most likely Somalis because they were yelling in a language the victims could not understand.

March 18, 2014: In the north (Buloburde) al Shabaab used a roadside bomb against soldiers and peacekeepers and killed eleven of them. In the south a suicide car bomber and some Islamic terrorist gunmen attacked a hotel housing peacekeepers and killed eight people. Four of the attackers were also killed. Both these attacks followed similar violence a few days earlier.

March 17, 2014: Outside of Mogadishu Islamic terrorists attacked peacekeepers with a suicide car bomb, killing four people.

March 15, 2014: In Mogadishu a suicide car bomber set off his explosives prematurely killing only himself.

March 14, 2014: Kenya deported three foreigners (from Belgium, France and Algeria) who had been arrested in 2013 as they attempted to get to Somalia to join al Shabaab.  The U.S. announced rewards of up to $3 million each for information on three al Shabaab leaders.

April 6, 2014:  Strategy Page

Turkey recently conducted a successful test of its Hellfire clone, the Mizrak-U. With a range of 8 kilometers the Turkish missile can use either an infrared imaging guidance system or laser homing. Turkey becomes one of a growing list of nations that have produced their own version of the Hellfire. Britain produces a Hellfire variant, called Brimstone which is unique mainly in that it can be fire from jets. This version has become very popular as well. Several other countries, like China, have produced missiles similar in weight, size and capabilities to the Hellfire. Now Turkey is doing so as well.

The American AGM-114 Hellfire missile entered service since 1984 and proved enormously useful in the war on terror. An improved Hellfire II appeared in 1994 and over 30,000 have been produced so far. The Hellfire II weighs 48.2 kg (106 pounds), carries a 9 kg (20 pound) warhead and has a range of 8,000 meters. These have been the most frequently used American missiles for over a decade, with over 16,000 fired in training or (mostly) combat since 2001. A growing number of these Hellfires are for foreign customers. Hellfire missiles cost about $100,000 each depending on warhead and guidance system options.

Hellfire was originally designed for use by helicopter gunships against masses of Cold War era Russian tanks. That never happened, except in Kuwait during the 1991 war against Russian tanks owned by Iraq. Hellfire was quite successful in Kuwait. With the end of the Cold War the Hellfire seemed destined for the history books, as just another missile that worked but never distinguished itself. This all changed in 2002 when the CIA first used a Hellfire fired from a Predator UAV to kill a hard-to-find terrorist. The U.S. Air Force wasn’t really interested in this sort of thing and the CIA used its own money and authority to buy Predator UAVs and arm them with Hellfires. It quickly became apparent that the air force was wrong about UAVs and, well, the Hellfire was an army weapon used on helicopters and the air force never considered such a combination of UAV and missile useful for anything. The army soon found that Hellfire was an excellent weapon for supporting troops in urban areas or when going after terrorists anywhere.

Turkey plans to use Mizrak-U on its new T129 helicopter gunship. This aircraft is based on the Italian A129 which is roughly comparable to the upgraded versions of the U.S. AH-1 (especially the AH-1W SuperCobra). The 4.6 ton A-129 was the first helicopter gunship designed and built in Western Europe and was introduced in the 1980s. While it has been upgraded frequently, the only customer so far has been Italy, which bought 60 of them. The manufacturer, Agusta/Westland, has been desperate to get an export customer and made a deal for Turkey to produce over a hundred T129s under license.

ARABIAN GULF (March 20, 2014) - The coastal patrol ship USS Typhoon (PC-5) launches an MK-60 surface-to-surface missile during a Griffin missile exercise. The Griffin missile exercise is a surface-to-surface live-fire missile exercise conducted to train for small boat threats in the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Doug Harvey/Released)

April 4, 2014 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: U.S Navy; issued April 3, 2014)

Four for Four: Successful Griffin Missile Test Fire In US 5th Fleet

MANAMA, Bahrain --- A flotilla of coastal patrol (PC) ships launched four missiles at target sleds last week to test the operational capability of the system.

Each missile fired resulted in a successful test of the system and destruction of the target.

The U.S. Navy recently completed the installation of the Griffin Missile System (GMS) aboard USS Firebolt (PC 10), USS Sirocco (PC 6), USS Typhoon (PC 5) and USS Whirlwind (PC 11), which represent four of the eight U.S. 5th Fleet PC force.

PC crews are quickly mastering the new weapon.

"The entire Griffin system has proven to be a reliable and accurate weapon system that has a relatively low training threshold requirement," said Capt. Joe Naman, commander, Destroyer Squadron 50. "After only a few days of hands-on training, operators are confident in their ability to operate and execute engagements with the Griffin missile."

GMS not only significantly extends the range of the PC's self-defense capability, but also enhance s the performance of core mission sets like maritime infrastructure protection, escort duties and defense of commercial shipping.

"The coastal patrol force greatly enhances U.S. Navy capacity to conduct more partnered and more complex operations and exercises with our Arabian Gulf allies and other coalition members," said Naman. "We continue to modernize our patrol boat force to match our partners and maximize our defensive capabilities"

Guided missiles like the Griffin give a greater punch to the PC's and will be used alongside existing crew-served weapons and the 25mm MK 38 Mod 2 stabilized chain guns. This layered defense provides PC crews with an enhanced capability to defeat small boat threats.

GMS consists of a government-designed launcher and weapons control system, Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) Systems' BRITE Star II sensor/laser designator, and Raytheon's Griffin B (Block II) missile.

Adapted from aviation and special operations platforms, the 43-inch-long, 33-pound missile has proven itself to be lethal against small boat threats.

All ten Bahrain-based PCs will be outfitted with GMS by 2016.

PCs are in Bahrain based on a strong demand signal for increased Maritime Security Operations in this region. The cost effective ships are ideal platforms for conducting regional engagements with our regional partners.

April 04, 2014 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: U.S Navy; issued April 3, 2014)

NSWC IHEODTD Supports Digital Rocket Launcher Early Operational Capability

INDIAN HEAD, Md. --- Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division engineers delivered 16 early operational capability, or EOC, LAU-61G/A Digital Rocket Launchers for Naval Air Systems Command's Direct and Time Sensitive Strike Weapons (PMA 242) program office, March 28.

Digital Rocket Launcher (DRL) development, testing, and limited fleet fielding for shipboard use is being conducted under a Chief of Naval Operations Rapid Deployment Capability project to provide MH-60S helicopters an enhanced capability to defend carrier strike groups against fast-attack crafts. PMA-242 is responsible for DRL acquisition and development.

"DRL uses standard military interfaces to the helicopter, and incorporates a launcher electronic assembly to control launcher functions," said Cmdr. Alex Dutko, PMA 242 Deputy Program Manager. "The new launcher will enhance existing 2.75-Inch Rocket System capabilities on the MH-60S by allowing mixed rocket load-outs, permitting the conduct of on-command inventory, providing a tube-usage count feature, and performing a built-in system check test."

According to Dutko, the long-term goal for DRL is to fire all guided and unguided rockets, but the Early Operational Capability includes only one rocket configuration, which will be utilized while on deployment with USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) strike group.

More than eighty NSWC IHEODTD engineers, technicians, contractors and procurement specialists supported the project by providing ordnance engineering and electronics expertise, logistics support for the launcher, limited production, and systems integration. IHEODTD's DRL team also developed a compact DRL emulator for software and integration tests.

"IHEODTD was responsible for providing drawings, designs, prototypes, in-service engineering, launcher-level qualification tests, overseeing manufacturing, and delivery of low-rate production units for EOC," said NSWC IHEODTD Project Manager Michelle Goedert. "The DRL concept was based on previous PMA 242/IHEODTD design collaborations, and supports the family of all 2.75-inch rockets. Part of our DRL design is the Launcher Electronic Assembly and wiring harness which helps integrate advanced communication electronics with data storage into the launcher so it can accept load-out from the aircraft, update the available inventory after each firing, and display built-in test results in the cockpit."

"This has been a really exciting project to support, and to watch grow from a conceptual need to its early operational capability," Goedert concluded. "It's good to know we're part of a team helping deliver solutions to protect our men and women at sea. After EOC delivery, we'll continuing working with the program office to transition DRL to a program of record for fielding and sustainment."

NSWC IHEODTD - a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy's Science and Engineering Enterprise - is the leader in energetics and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) solutions. As a Department of Defense Center of Excellence and EOD Detection Equipment Program lead, NSWC IHEODTD focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit, and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.

06 avril 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

DAMAS - Au moins vingt-neuf combattants rebelles ont été tués dimanche dans l'explosion d'une voiture piégée à Homs, dans le centre de la Syrie, a rapporté l'Observatoire syrien des droits de l'Homme (OSDH).

A Damas, deux personnes ont été tuées par la chute d'obus de mortier, dont l'un sur l'opéra, au moment où les forces du régime menaient une offensive contre les secteurs rebelles à la périphérie de la capitale.

Au moins 29 combattants rebelles ont été tués dans l'explosion d'une voiture piégée survenue dans la partie assiégée de Homs, sous contrôle rebelle, a précisé l'OSDH.

Un précédent bilan faisait état de 13 victimes. Le bilan des morts risque encore de s'alourdir car des dizaines de personnes sont portées disparues, selon cette ONG qui s'appuie sur un vaste réseau de militants et de sources médicales.

Pour sa part, l'agence officielle Sana a fait état de l'explosion à Homs d'une voiture que des terroristes étaient en train de piéger (...), tuant un certain nombre d'entre eux.

Le terme terroriste désigne les rebelles dans le vocabulaire officiel du régime.

Quelque 1.400 personnes avaient été évacuées des quartiers assiégés de Homs en février en vertu d'un accord entre régime et rebelles négocié par l'ONU.

Dans la capitale syrienne, les tirs d'obus de mortier attribués aux rebelles se sont intensifiés, l'agence Sana faisant état de la mort de deux personnes dimanche.

Deux personnes ont été tuées et cinq autres blessées par la chute d'un obus sur l'opéra de Damas qui a causé des dégâts matériels à l'édifice, a précisé l'agence.

Situé sur la place des Omeyyades (ouest), où se trouvent d'importants bâtiments gouvernementaux et militaires, comme l'état-major de l'armée, l'opéra a été inauguré en 2004 par le président Bachar al-Assad.

Treize autres personnes ont été blessées par la chute d'obus dans les quartiers des Abbassides et de Doueilaa à Damas, a poursuivi Sana.

Samedi, des obus de mortier s'étaient abattus près de l'ambassade de Russie et des centres de sécurité, sans faire de victime, avait indiqué l'OSDH.

Ces attaques interviennent alors que les forces du régime continuent de pilonner les secteurs rebelles dans la Ghouta orientale, près de la capitale.

Apr. 6, 2014 By DAVID LARTER – Defense News

The military could speed up deployment of a land-based missile defense shield in Europe to hem in a resurgent Russia, the Navy 3-star in charge of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said in early April.

Vice Adm. James Syring said it was possible to speed up the deployment of the second Aegis Ashore installation, planned for Poland in 2018, but such a move would require some help from Congress.

“We’d need some additional funds in the [fiscal year 2015] budget, and we’d need to move up the development of the [Standard Missile-3 Block ]IIA,” Syring said, referring to the faster, larger interceptor missile being developed for the Aegis Ashore system being built in Poland. The first site is being stood up in Romania and is slated to go live in 2015.

Raytheon is developing the SM3-IIA. It’s development is on track for a 2018 deployment, company spokesperson Heather Uberuaga said, but she declined to speculate on whether speeding up the development was possible.

Elaine Bunn, deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy, said the missile shields in the Mediterranean and the planned deployment to Romania and Poland were designed to counter threats from Iran, not Russia.

Russia is banned from owning or developing medium- and intermediate-range missiles by a Reagan-era treaty. But U.S. intelligence has indicated that Russia may be violating the treaty and testing a new ground-launched cruise missile, according to a January report in the New York Times.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the treaty obsolete in 2007, though it has never been formally scrapped. Russia has vehemently objected to the deployment of missile shields in central Europe, even threatening to use “destructive force” if the shields are put in place.

The plan to deploy sea- and shore-based missile shields in Europe is part of the Obama administration’s plan to protect Europe from ballistic-missile attack.

The first Aegis Ashore site will be up and running by 2015 in Romania, followed by another installation in Poland in 2018.

They will complement the missile defense work provided by BMD-capable ships. As part of this, the Navy has begun moving four destroyers to Rota, Spain, to serve as in-theater BMD patrol assets. The Donald Cook arrived in February and will be joined by destroyers Ross, Porter and Carney over the next two years.

The Navy is now seeking sailors to man the Romania site, set to come online next year. The duty, especially the operational time, is sure to be demanding.

The Aegis Ashore sites will be run round-the-clock by three crews. Each shift has an 11-person watch team, including rates that typically work in a ship’s combat information center: fire control technicians, operations specialists, and cryptologic technicians (technical). One watch officer will oversee them.

Officials plan to deploy three of these specially trained watch teams for six months at a time. This will be an operational tour, similar to a ship’s cruise, and won’t come with permanent change-of-station orders or the possibility of bringing dependents to Romania.

All of the watch teams will be assigned to a stateside command and will deploy from there. Their workups are four months of indoctrination and team trainers, culminating in a BMD certification. The first watch teams will go through the trainers starting in early 2015 and are set to deploy in the early summer, Navy officials said.

The battery’s commanding officer, executive officer and command master chief will stay in Romania and oversee the rotating teams on yearlong orders

06 Apr 2014 By Anders Fogh Rasmussen – the Telegraph

Ukraine crisis shows that defence matters as much as ever. Every ally needs to invest in its armed forces, Nato's secretary-general warns in the Telegraph

Sixty-five years ago this month, Nato was born into a dangerous world. As the Soviet shadow deepened across Europe, 12 nations from both sides of the Atlantic committed to individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law determined to stand together to safeguard their security.

Those nations were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. They took the most solemn pledge that any country can take: an attack on one would be viewed as an attack on all.

Today’s Nato brings together a unique combination of the world’s strongest democracies with an integrated military structure, a permanent political decision-making process and a network of more than 40 partners from around the world. It is where Europeans and North Americans consult, decide and act every day on security issues that concern us all. We have learned much from the last 20 years of challenging operations, from Afghanistan to Kosovo, from Libya to the Horn of Africa. We are now more efficient and effective than at any time in Nato’s history.

We still live in a dangerous world, and the threats are more complex and unpredictable than 65 years ago. Some are new: cyber and missile attacks. Others are age-old: attempts to redraw borders by force. What has not changed is Nato’s commitment to our fundamental values and purpose. Our motto remains: all for one, one for all.

That solidarity is clear in our response to Russia’s illegal aggression against Ukraine and its continued breach of international law. Thanks to allies from both sides of the Atlantic, we have more than doubled the number of fighter aircraft policing the airspace of the Baltic States. We are patrolling the skies of Poland and Romania with Awacs early-warning aircraft and allies have boosted their presence in the Black Sea.

We are united in our determination to deter threats and to defend any ally at all times. We have strengthened our support for Ukraine and other partners in the region. And we have suspended cooperation with Russia; there can be no business as usual.

Nobody in Nato wants a return to the Cold War, but we see the Kremlin trying to turn back the clock and carve up Europe into new spheres of influence. We must stand up for our values, on which we have built a new and better Europe, and for the system of international rules that has underpinned prosperity and predictability.

This September we will hold a summit in Wales – a pivotal meeting at a pivotal time. We will make sure that we remain strong at home, active in managing crises, and engaged with our partners around the world.

Today’s crisis shows that defence matters as much as ever. So every ally needs to invest the necessary resources in the right capabilities. That means modern equipment, intensive training for our forces, and closer cooperation among Nato allies and with our partners. I know how challenging this is in today’s economic climate, but the security climate makes it vital.

In the long run, a lack of security would be more costly than investing now and we owe it to our forces, and to broader society. We all benefit from Nato’s protection; we all must be able to contribute to it. The alliance has kept us safe for 65 years. The bond between the democracies of North America and Europe remains the bedrock of our collective security. Nato has stood the tests of the past. We are ready to face the future.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen is the secretary general of Nato

06-04-2014 French.china.org.cn

Une flotte de navires de guerre pakistanais actuellement à quai dans le sud de l'Iran va participer à un exercice conjoint avec la marine iranienne dans le détroit d'Ormuz, a indiqué samedi un haut commandant iranien.

La flotte est arrivée samedi dans le port méridional de Bandar Abbas où elle va rester pendant quatre jours, a indiqué le commandant en second iranien pour les opérations de la marine, le Contre-amiral Shahram Irani.

"La partie la plus importante du programme de la flotte pakistanaise pendant sa présence à Bandar Abbas sera de participer le 8 avril à des manoeuvres conjointes avec des unités choisies (...) de la marine iranienne, qui auront lieu à l'est du détroit d'Ormuz," a précisé Irani.

La flotte pakistanaise est porteuse d'un message de paix et d'amitié et aidera à renforcer la coopération militaire entre Téhéran et Islamabad, a-t-il expliqué. La flotte comprend un navire lance-missiles, un navire logistique et un sous-marin moderne.