01/04/2014 Sources : EMA

Le 26 mars 2014, au large de Bosaso, port principal du Puntland situé au nord-est de la Somalie, le transport de chalands de débarquement (TCD) Siroco, déployé dans le cadre de l’opération européenne de lutte contre la piraterie Atalante, a accueilli à son bord la première rencontre entre le Président du Puntland, M. Abdiweli A. Gaas et plusieurs autorités européennes.

Cette rencontre, organisée conjointement par les missions européennes Atalante et EUCAP Nestor, s’inscrit dans le cadre de l’approche globale menée par l’Union Européenne afin de soutenir les pays de la Corne de l’Afrique dans le renforcement de leurs capacités maritimes.

Les discussions ont porté plus particulièrement sur les moyens et les outils que l’Union Européenne est en mesure d’apporter en soutien du rôle joué par le Puntland pour développer une stratégie de sécurité maritime. La question de la gestion des ressources pour l’ensemble de la Somalie a également été abordée.

Le président du Puntland a souhaité souligner l’importance de cette journée, qui vise à mettre en place un plan de coopération propre à restaurer une sécurité maritime porteuse de développement économique général pour l’ensemble de la Somalie.

L’envoyé spécial de l’Union Européenne pour la Somalie, SE Michele Cervone D’Urso a  salué l’importance de cette rencontre historique à plus d’un titre : « Le rôle majeur joué par le Puntland dans le cheminement de la Somalie vers la stabilité et la paix est crucial pour le développement du pays, mais également pour sa sécurité incluant la sécurité maritime. C’est ensemble avec la Force Atalante, la mission civile de l’Union Européenne EUCAP Nestor, l’Union Européenne et tous nos partenaires internationaux que nous poursuivons notre engagement commun aux côtés des Somaliens pour développer leur capacité à renforcer  la sécurité maritime. Cette oeuvre commune leur permettra de retrouver des eaux plus sûres, et retirer ainsi les légitimes bénéfices de leurs nombreuses ressources maritimes. »

Ces entretiens menés au large de la côte puntlandaise, ont exigé une organisation minutieuse  et souple à la fois, Ils ont été rendus possible grâce à l’appui des moyens de la force Atalante.

Allié aux capacités amphibies des deux chalands de transport embarqués et aux équipes de la brigade protection du Siroco, cet ensemble de moyens, sous la coordination de l’état-major Atalante a fait de cette mission de sécurisation une réussite diplomatique pour l’Union Européenne.

Lancée par l’Union européenne en 2012, la mission civile EUCAP Nestor a pour but d’assister et de conseiller l’ensemble des pays de la région sur des problématiques juridiques, stratégiques et opérationnelles en matière de piraterie.

Depuis le 6 décembre 2013, la France a le commandement de la Task Force (TF) 465, force maritime européenne engagée dans l'opération de lutte contre la piraterie Atalante. La France participe à l’opération Atalante avec le déploiement quasi-permanent d’au moins une frégate de la marine nationale. Le dispositif peut être renforcé ponctuellement par un avion de patrouille maritime Atlantique 2 (ATL 2), de surveillance maritime Falcon 50, ou par un avion de commandement et de détection E3F.

Apr. 1, 2014 - By DONNA LEINWAND LEGER – Defense News

A barrage of artillery fire between North and South Korea across disputed maritime borders on Monday marked an annual show of force by North Korea intent on sending a message to the US as it conducts military exercises nearby.

North Korea's missile launches into the Yellow (West) Sea followed by a threat of live-fire drills along the border "was really aimed at our policymakers, Republic of Korea policymakers and Japan," said Bruce Bechtol, a Korea specialist and professor of political science at Angelo State University in Texas.

"North Korea is saying, 'You can do all the exercises you want and we have the ability to hit you at a moment's notice,'" Bechtol said.

The US and South Korea routinely conduct joint military exercises in the border areas, usually each year in February and March. The most recent exercise began March 27.

The North Koreans said they believe the exercises are meant to intimidate them and often react with some show of force, Bechtol said.

North Korea fired more than 500 rounds of artillery shells over three hours, forcing some residents of South Korean islands to seek shelter in bunkers, South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said.

Last week, North Korea launched Rodong ballistic missiles, which have the range to hit Tokyo or US bases in Okinawa, Japan. Those launches drew condemnation from the United Nations Security Council on Friday.

South Korea responded to the rocket launches on Monday by scrambling F-15K fighter jets and lobbing 300 shells into North Korean waters.

"This is always a dangerous time of year on the peninsula," said Joel Wit, a senior fellow at the US Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. "There's a danger here that it may get worse."

Firing rounds into South Korea's territorial water goes beyond North Korea's usual responses. North Korea fired into the water to avoid casualties but still mark its territory and show its willingness to respond with force, Bechtol said.

"This is just short of a violent provocation," Bechtol said. "The intention this time is to stir the pot. "

North Korea, in a statement published by the state news agency, called the drills necessary self-defense "to cope with the grave situation created by the US hostile policy."

The country said it would respond with its own drills, including missiles aimed at "medium and long-rang targets with a variety of striking power," and would consider a fourth nuclear test.

North Korea "is fully ready for next-stage steps which the enemy can hardly imagine in case the US considers them as a 'provocation' again," the statement said. "It would not rule out a new form of nuclear test for bolstering up its nuclear deterrence. The US had better ponder over this and stop acting rashly."

North and South Korea have skirmished over the disputed sea boundary before. In 2010, a torpedo attack sank a South Korean warship, killing 46 sailors. Later that year, North Korean artillery killed four people living on an island.

26/3/2014 Ami Rojkes Dombe - .israeldefense.com

Israel is one of the world's largest arms exporters, so why do the Israeli defense industries find it so hard to maintain their status at the top of the global UAV market?

The State of Israel has been known as a world leader in defense exports in the last few decades, and that includes the success of the Israeli UAV industry. According to a report by the consulting agency Frost & Sullivan, the sales turnover generated by this particular field was US$ 4.6 billion over the last eight years. Much of this success may be attributed to sales of such Unmanned Airborne Vehicles as IAI's Heron, Elbit Systems' Hermes and Aeronautics' Orbiter.

Behind the various news reports that bolster Israeli national pride, lurks a truth that has the potential of overshadowing the accomplishments of this industry in the future. Like other sectors of the Israeli defense industry, the UAV industry also relies primarily on sales to overseas clients, with a ratio of about 20% sales to the local market and about 80% to foreign countries. However, unlike other industries that also focus on exports, like agriculture, fashion or diamonds, the operations of the Israeli UAV manufacturers is subject to the supervision of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD).

This situation has created a complex reality. On the one hand, you have the manufacturers, who need the money from the sales of UAVs to foreign countries in order to exist. On the other hand you have IMOD, which is responsible for promoting their exports while at the same time supervising those exports as well as promoting the development of new technologies. On the face of it, these are two conflicting functions being run under the same umbrella. Support for weapon system sales is provided by SIBAT – IMOD's Defense Export & Cooperation Agency; development of future technologies is the responsibility of MAFAT – IMOD's Administration for the Development of Weapon Systems and Technological Infrastructure, and the regulation of defense exports is the responsibility of API, IMOD's Defense Export Controls Agency (DECA). This reality has created tensions between the Israeli UAV manufacturers and IMOD as the business interests of the industries are not always consistent with government and political interests.

Sources in the industry claim that the State of Israel, through the three IMOD agencies outlined above, fails to manage the UAV market in a manner that would maintain Israel's advantage. "We should bear in mind that this is a small country. The budgets of the IDF and MAFAT are small compared to the USA, Europe or China, so the budgets must be managed intelligently, so as to enable all of the companies to compete in Israel as well as abroad. Instead, every company attempts to eliminate the others in the war over tenders."

The processes that take place under the surface are the result of the UAV export procedures. The first stage involves developing a product or a capability, establishing a company and registering a patent. After the entrepreneur has completed these initial moves, which cost him a lot of money, he should apply to DECA for two permit types. One for marketing (defense marketing permit) and the other for export (defense export permit). The marketing permit allows him to engage in marketing activities, such as meeting with prospective clients, submitting quotes and so forth. The export permit allows him to fulfill deals that had been closed, namely – to actually export the product or knowledge to the foreign client. From that moment on, every activity he initiates in order to carry out a sale overseas must be reported to and sanctioned by the Ministry of Defense.

Sources in the industry claim that this procedure is nothing but over-complicated and burdensome red tape, while IMOD officials claim that these mechanisms were intended to prevent classified technologies from reaching countries that are hostile to Israel – which could undermine the qualitative advantage of the IDF or cause diplomatic problems for Israel vis-à-vis friendly countries: two different viewing angles of the same reality.

As this field is evolving worldwide, it attracts new entrepreneurs: more than 30 UAV companies operate in Israel today. Some of these companies are capable of manufacturing a complete UAV system, which includes the unmanned vehicle and its support systems. This category includes IAI, Elbit Systems and Aeronautics. Other companies manufacture auxiliary and complementary systems such as payloads, control systems or specialized capabilities such as imagery analysis, et al.

What is the actual scope of the global UAV market? According to the National Defense Magazine website, about 4,000 UAVs have been operating worldwide in May 2013. The sales turnover of this market in 2013 was US$ 11 billion according to an AVUSI survey. According to Frost & Sullivan, the global (cumulative) sales turnover in 2011-2020 is expected to exceed US$ 61 billion and according to a report by the Aerospace America organization, some 270 manufacturers from 57 countries, producing a total of 960 different models, are competing for that money.

Like other major technological markets in the world, including cyber, software and biomed, the UAV market provides a field of activity for many entrepreneurs – possibly too many for a small country like Israel. Many of those entrepreneurs had grown up in the major industries or in the military, and made the spin-off into smaller industries. Not all of these smaller industries present new or innovative technologies. This is possibly one of the causes of the fierce competition in the Israeli UAV market. Is the State of Israel simply too small to accommodate so many manufacturers in the same line of business? The answer depends on the party being asked. In effect, IMOD officials say that there is not enough money to promote everyone. On the other hand, the manufacturers expect government support: once again – two different viewing angles of the same reality.

In comparison, the USA has four major UAV manufacturers: General Atomics (which, financially, accounts for one half of the USA UAV market), Northrop-Grumman, Lockheed-Martin and the partnership between Boeing and AAI Textron. Most of the sales of these industries are aimed at the US military, and only 20% of their revenue stems from exports – just the opposite of the situation in Israel.

"The fierce competition notwithstanding, it is the task of the State of Israel to continue to lead the market. Export transactions are the economic engine that enables the continued development of the industry and provides IMOD with the ability to implement the development of cutting-edge operational capabilities for its own needs," says a source in the industry. "Without the exports, we will lose the UAV capabilities that we know today. It is a business cycle that necessitates the promotion of export transactions by the defense establishment."

The importance of the UAV industry to Israel stems from a number of reasons. Firstly, this industry provides the IDF with a qualitative advantage. Today, Israel is second only to the USA in the development of UAV technology. Another reason pertains to business. The sales of the UAV industry generate proceeds from taxes to the national treasure, contribute to the increase in national exports and provide employment to some 3,000 households directly, plus several thousands of households indirectly.

 

Defense Venture Capital Fund

One of the most important arms of IMOD in the context of assisting UAV manufacturers is MAFAT. Although the budget of this unit is never published openly, it is, in fact, Israel's largest government-owned venture capital fund – larger even than the Chief Scientist, an agency that operates under the Ministry of Economy. Why venture capital? Because the money comes from the taxes paid by the Israeli citizens (a part of the national defense budget) and is invested in the development of future technologies. Some of these investments will succeed while others will fail. IMOD invests the money in academic institutions and business companies, and most of it goes to defense industries. There, IMOD says, they know how to develop the weapon systems needed by IDF.

In cases where the research activity succeeds, the resulting technologies can be converted into products ('spin-off') which may be sold to clients overseas. In such cases, the State of Israel is paid a percentage for the initial investment made by MAFAT only for government-to-government (G2G) sales. Hence, IMOD as the fund owner has an interest in investing in the major UAV companies, which stand a better chance of selling their products to other countries. Such transactions will yield, for the State of Israel, a return on its investment.

According to sources in the industry, in the USA, for example, the state compels the winning industry – which is normally one of the major players – to assign parts of the project to smaller companies. In this way, the state looks after everyone. Over there, they also have tenders that are intended exclusively for small industries. "Every small UAV company in Israel would love to work for IAI or Elbit, as that would exempt them from investing in marketing channels on the one hand, while allowing them to continue developing their proprietary technologies on the other hand," say sources in the industry. IMOD officials say, on the other hand, that in the USA there is a process of merging and unification of companies owing to the competition. "Out of ten manufacturers of fighter aircraft they had in the past, only three remained. The same process is underway in the UAV industry as well."

The manufacturers' claims notwithstanding, one should bear in mind that IMOD, as a government agency, takes into account considerations other than just business considerations. For example, upholding the MTCR Treaty – a treaty intended to prevent the proliferation of platforms capable of carrying nuclear weapons. This definition includes long-range missiles and supporting technologies, as well as large UAVs – those capable of flying to a range of more than 300 kilometers while carrying a payload of more than 500 kilograms (Category 1), or those capable of flying to a range of more than 300 kilometers while carrying a payload of less than 500 kilograms (Category 2). Although Israel did not sign this treaty, it upholds it.

The implication of upholding this treaty is that in effect, Category 1 UAVs cannot be exported except by the state, while the exportation of Category 2 UAVs requires the authorization of a special committee, including the attachment of a user's declaration on behalf of the purchasing party. In response to the claims made by some manufacturers, according to which this treaty damages Israel's competitiveness, sources at IMOD explained that the treaty actually contributes to the business interests of the State of Israel. "In the long run, deviating from the treaty will damage the exports of the entire defense industry," says an IMOD official. Beyond that, the State of Israel has a national defense interest in promoting international mechanisms that would restrict the proliferation of technologies designed to carry nuclear weapons.

Along with the MTCR Treaty, Israel also upholds the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods & Technologies – another agreement it did not sign. This international agreement is intended to prevent the proliferation of dual-use goods and technologies, namely – goods and technologies that may be used for civilian as well as for military purposes. This agreement applies to the smaller UAVs that cannot reach ranges of 300 kilometers and are not covered by the MTCR Treaty. In this case, too, it is the interest of the State of Israel to make it difficult for the terrorist organizations to obtain advanced technological resources in the guise of civilian technologies.

On the other hand, sources in the industry claim that this is just another hindrance imposed on Israel's competitiveness in the global market, especially with regard to such sectors as agriculture, energy or homeland security (HLS), where the need for small UAVs is currently evolving. "Today, all UAV elements may be obtained through the civilian market worldwide, which makes it possible for any private party to build a system and operate it under no supervision whatsoever, while we still have to cope with the same supervision as for military systems. If we fail to see to it that the rules are changed, we will not be able to compete in the future world and our technological superiority will vanish," say sources in the industry.

Elbit Systems' Heron 900 (Photo: Elbit Systems)

In arms transactions vis-à-vis international parties, one of the first questions raised by the client is "Is this technology used by the IDF?" Both IMOD and the industry understand that the IDF's seal of approval is an effective opener of doors and pockets abroad.

In this context, sources in the industry say that the larger manufacturers have an advantage, and in effect the smaller manufacturers find it hard to work opposite the IDF and are therefore unable to compete for international tenders. "In the case of the larger industries, a development tender is linked to purchasing and then everything is registered under purchasing and that is reflected in the tender. The small and medium manufacturers cannot even participate in these tenders," say sources in the industry.

In response, sources at IMOD say that in many of the tenders issued for the benefit of the IDF, the smaller manufacturers did not want to participate at all. On the contrary, they say at IMOD, the government sometimes promotes products that are not used by IDF. As an example, the IMOD sources point to the support provided to Urban Aeronautics, a small company from the town of Yavne. Despite the fact that the product in question is not used by IDF, IMOD thought that the technology was unique and invested several millions in R&D and marketing for the company, as well as introducing the company to potential clients in the USA and Europe.

 

"Defense - Not Business"

In addition to the restrictions on exportation, controlled by the government of Israel, another, external variable should be addressed here – the competition in the global market. Although Israel has done well over the last eight years, the evolving UAV market has produced new manufacturers in places where they had never existed before. In addition to the USA, which is regarded as the global leader of this industry, China has begun manufacturing UAVs as well. As with other product categories, China aspires to become the global leader in this field, too – and the prices match its ambitions.

Additionally, UAV manufacturers can now be found in Europe, in Iran, in the United Arab Emirates, in South Africa and in South America. Admittedly, some of these manufacturers have not demonstrated any commercial capabilities yet, but they are definitely on the way. Also, in 2013 France, Italy and Holland, along with Britain, preferred to purchase US-made Predator UAV systems over Israeli systems of the same category. This trend is expected to intensify with the expected pullout of the US forces from Afghanistan and the subsequent 'flooding' of the global market with unmanned systems they had been using over there. Only last year, the US government granted permits for export to 66 countries.

Sources in the industry claim that the gap between the reality of the global market and the export control mechanism of IMOD hinders the growth of exports and could damage Israel's competitiveness in the future. "This cannot work. Defense people cannot supervise business people," they explain. "A former IAF officer does not understand the interests of a UAV manufacturer who sells to clients on four continents. He does not understand the dynamics of doing business in those places. He understands the needs of the IAF and IDF, but he does not know that today you can buy UAV technologies from many sources around the world. If we do not sell, the client will buy it elsewhere."

Apparently, there is a certain degree of consensus around this particular claim, and sources at IMOD say that one of the objectives for the coming year is to improve the UAV export authorization procedure. "This involves streamlining and improving the efficiency of processes, which would shorten the response interval of the manufacturer vis-à-vis the client," IMOD sources explain. If everything goes well, these improvements are expected to become effective in a few months.

Conversely, IMOD sources claim that the fact that the Israeli industry tops the global UAV export charts, even above the US industry, proves the Ministry's liberalism compared to similar agencies in the USA or Europe. These sources further claim that Israeli policy maintains that politicians do not promote specific transactions, but endeavor to promote Israeli industry generally.

So, what can be done after all to overcome the difficulties? Firstly, the supervision and involvement of IMOD in export processes should be adapted to the changes that are taking place in the global UAV market. The technological changes in this market call for procedures and directives that would enable the manufacturer to respond promptly to the client's demands.

IMOD can also compel the larger industries to enable the smaller industries to participate in the tenders it issues as well as in the export permit terms. In most cases, it is public money that finances the technological development and the global marketing of the products by MAFAT and SIBAT, respectively. These funds can be channeled to maintaining the qualitative advantage of the IDF as well as for maintaining the industry. At the same time, it should be emphasized that the budget in question is limited and should be used to support many companies. Consequently, say sources at IMOD, the manufacturers' expectations should match this fact.

Another option is to incorporate the Ministry of Economy in the export control process. At the present time, the decision as to where to export to, how much to export and what to export is an outcome of meetings between SIBAT, API (DECA), MAFAT, MALMAB (the agency in charge of security within IMOD) – all IMOD agencies, other intelligence agencies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All of these elements share the same defense or political concept, and adding a body with an economic concept can balance the picture. Admittedly, at IMOD they claim that the contrast between SIBAT and API (DECA) serves this purpose, but in effect, almost all of the officials in these agencies had grown up within the defense establishment and consequently that claim is only partially true.

Yet another move – possibly the most important one – that may be initiated is to encourage an open dialog between the industry and IMOD. This should enable the manufacturers, on the one hand, to present their difficulties and raise them for discussion, while on the other hand providing IMOD with the opportunity to explain its business, political and defense/security considerations. The understanding that there is a direct connection between the successful sales of Israeli UAV systems around the world and the need to maintain and promote the operational advantage of the IDF should constitute the foundation for the claims of both sides. Eventually, the cooperation between the commercial sector and the government sector will determine Israel's share in a highly competitive market.

Apr. 1, 2014 - By TOM KINGTON Defense News

01 April 2014 by Dean Wingrin - defenceWeb

The South African Air Force (SAAF) has grounded the Hawk trainer fleet following the crash of a jet whilst landing last Thursday.

The BAE Systems Hawk Mk 120 jet trainer, operated by 85 Combat Flying School, was performing a ‘touch and go’ at AFB Makhado when it experienced a control problem.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the control stick ‘locked’ shortly before touch-down, resulting in the aircraft slamming the front wheel onto the runway, bouncing and then hitting the runway again with the front wheel. This resulted in the front wheel breaking off and the Hawk sliding down the runway before coming to a halt.

Neither of the two crew aboard, who deploying the drag chute after the nose-wheel broke off in order to slow the aircraft, were injured.

As the damaged aircraft blocked the runway, other aircraft that were still in the air were forced to land on the taxiway. This was safely accomplished as when the airbase was built in the 1980s, the taxiway was designed to operate as a secondary runway in the event of the main runway being blocked or damaged.

AFB Makhado is situated near the town of Louis Trichardt in Limpopo Province. 85 Combat Flying School is equipped with the remaining 23 Lead-In Fighter Trainer (LIFT) Hawk jets of the 24 delivered as part of the 1999 Strategic Defence Package (SDP).

The other flying squadron operating from the base is 2 Squadron, equipped with the SAAB Gripen fighter.

Although no comment has yet been received from the Air Force or South African National Defence Force (SANDF), it is believed the official Board of Investigation commenced their enquiries on Monday.

New Navy Chief Samuel Hlongwane with previous Navy chief Johannes Mudimu

01 April 2014 by Dean Wingrin - defenceWeb

The South African Navy (SAN) has a new Chief. In a day full of traditional pomp and ceremony, Vice Admiral Johannes Mudimu handed over command to Rear Admiral Mosuwa Samuel Hlongwane on Monday March 31.

Hlongwane will be promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral with effect from April 1.

Mudimu was appointed as Chief of the SAN on March 1, 2005, a post he has held for the past nine years. During this time he played a major role putting the South African Navy in the forefront of several international treaties and programmes. He was instrumental in establishing the Sea Power for Africa initiative and is the outgoing chairman of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). Furthermore he was a driving force in the SADC Maritime Strategy as well as the tripartite alliance between Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa to curb piracy in the Indian Ocean.

The arrival and integration of all three Type 209 submarines ordered under the 1999 Strategic Defence Package (SDP) occurred under his watch, with other highlights including the 2008 Presidential Fleet Review, the deployment of vessels during the 2010 Soccer World Cup and the anti-piracy patrols currently underway in the Mozambique Channel under Operation Copper. Many other new capabilities and training aids were also introduced into the SAN.

Following a 15 round gun salute and flypast from an Air Force Super Lynx maritime helicopter, the Change of Command Parade was held under sunny skies before invited guests, including Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula (Minister of Defence and Military Veterans), General Solly Shoke (Chief of the SANDF), the heads of the other services and the Navy Chiefs of Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria and Tanzania.

On completion of the parade and in accordance with naval tradition, the outgoing Chief of the SAN was pulled from the parade ground on a gun carriage by senior members of staff. The Gun Carriage was pulled to Admiralty House through the main road of Simon’s Town, followed by the Navy Band.

Earlier that morning, Mudimu participated in a sail past of Navy ships in harbour, with the ships' company saluting him for the last time as Chief of the South African Navy.

Speaking to defenceWeb after the parade, Mudimu noted that he had remained as Chief of the SAN longer than international convention. “I think the time has come, I am a believer that change is good,” he said.

Reflecting on the past few years, Mudimu noted that he was of the view that the Navy had done well and were sensitive to all the requirements of the people and that the Navy now reflects the demographics of the country.

“I’m happy with the balance that our Navy has today across the board in terms of the white officers at various levels,” he said. However, he was still battling in attracting more Indians into the lower levels of the Navy.

Mudimu is comfortable that he is leaving the Navy in capable hands. Looking to the future, he says that the issue of sea blindness in Africa is still a factor.

Hlongwane had worked with Mudimu on these challenges and the new Chief of the SAN will be taking the process forward.

“I think V Adm Hlongwane will continue with this theme. African countries, they need a lot of support. They are entirely dependent on the Navy in terms of ensuring that their maritime zones are patrolled and patrolled effectively. So we have achieved a lot in that regard. So I wish they would continue in that.”

Another challenge facing African navies is to increase their capabilities, particularly when exercising with large foreign navies. Mudimu wants to see African navies putting their own ships and submarines to sea, not just embedding crewmembers on the foreign vessels.

“We must have our own assets and in so doing, we’ll ensure the stability and safety of the African continent being in our hands on not in the hands of the other person,” he explained.

Vice Admiral Hlongwane is a man of few words. He did, however, tell defenceWeb that the outgoing Chief “had already laid the grease” and that he will pick up where Mudimu had left and go forward.

He is aware of the enormous responsibilities that come with the new appointment as the Chief of the South African Navy. Although there were many challenges for him and his team, so there were opportunities.

He remarked on the ever increasing dependency on the South African Navy capabilities in support of the SANDF and national interest considerations. “This, he said, “means that we will have to enhance and strengthen our capabilities.”

Hlongwane joined the African National Congress (ANC) and its Military wing Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) in 1982, working as an underground operative, and left South Africa in September 1984. He completed basic military training in Angola, where he was initially deployed.

He was selected to attend the Naval Course in Azerbaijan (Baku) at the Caspian Naval Red Banner College in August 1986. In November 1991, he successfully completed the Naval Ship Command Course in Navigation.

Having participated in the Joint Military Co-ordinating Committee (JMCC) as a member of the Navy work group in 1993/1994, he integrated into the SANDF and attended the Bridging and orientation courses at South African Naval College and Maritime Warfare School (Combat Orientation Course).

After a number if postings within the SAN, he was appointed as the South African Defence Attache to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Congo from 1 March 2005 until 30 March 2008.

On 1 April 2008 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral (JG) and appointed Chief of Fleet Staff.

Cabinet has approved Mudimu’s appointment as Chairperson of Armscor, with the final paperwork to be signed soon.

1 April 2014 army-technology.com

Russia has started a partial withdrawal of its soldiers along Ukraine's eastern border, in an apparent attempt to ease a diplomatic standoff with the West over its annexation of Crimea.

Ukraine Main Command Center deputy chief major-general Oleksandr Rozmaznin was quoted by Reuters as saying that the number of soldiers has dropped, but the number cannot be confirmed as the 'exact figure is pretty approximate'.

Ukraine Foreign Ministry spokesman Evhen Perebiynis said Russia is carrying out unfathomable manoeuvres on the borders with Ukraine, including troop withdrawal in some places, while in others they are coming closer.

"Such action cannot fail to cause concern especially since we today do not have a clear explanation from the Russian Federation about the aims of these movements," Perebiynis added.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry said a motorised infantry battalion is being pulled back from a region near Ukraine's eastern border, following the completion of the month-long military exercises.

"The battalion ... has completed its field exercises at the Kadamovsky training grounds in the Rostov region and is beginning its march to its permanent base in the Samara region," the ministry stated.

The German Government claims that the partial withdrawal was informed by the Russian President Vladimir Putin to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a telephone conversation.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the pull-out would be a welcome preliminary step, and urged Moscow to accelerate the process.

"We also continue to urge Russia to engage in a dialogue with the government in Kiev to de-escalate the situation, while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," Psaki said.

After talks with Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov in Paris, US Secretary of State John Kerry had told that the progress on resolving the crisis in Ukraine depended on a Russian soldier pull-back from Ukraine's borders.

Russia had accumulated approximately 40,000 soldiers near its border with eastern Ukraine, while an additional 25,000 remain inland on alert and prepared to move in, CNN earlier reported citing two unnamed US officials.

Apr. 1, 2014 Defense News (AFP)

01 April 2014 Defense Studies

EADS-N.A., Herndon, Va., was awarded a $34,018,858 modification (P00772) to sole-source, Foreign Military Sales contract W58RGZ-06-C-0194 for six Lakota helicopters with the environmental control unit, mission equipment package and airborne radio communication (ARC-231) radios for the Royal Thai Army. 

Fiscal 2010 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $34,018,857 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is April 3, 2015. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss. 

Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.

(US DoD)

March 31, 2014 Strategy Page
 

Europe is facing a growing problem with young Moslem men being recruited by Islamic clergy to go fight alongside (and often against) the Syrian rebels. European intelligence officials believe about 2,000 European Moslems have gone to Syria so far and about ten percent have been killed. More than ten percent have returned and these jihad veterans often seek out new recruits. These jihadis are very effective at attracting new volunteers, although so far only about 10 per 100,000 Moslems have been persuaded to go. As small as that portion is, a far larger percentage (over ten percent) of European Moslems will admit to admiring the goals and methods of Islamic terrorists. Most of those who did go to Syria are now more radicalized than when they left and police fear they may contribute to more Islamic terrorism in Europe. You can’t do much to these men unless they actually commit a crime in Europe, although in some countries it is possible to prosecute them for fighting for an Islamic terrorist organization anywhere. But you have to prove it in court and that is difficult. Nevertheless such prosecutions are underway and most countries monitor returning jihadis, ready to make arrests if any local laws are broken.

Efforts are being made to prevent more men from volunteering, but that is difficult because Moslems have not adapted well in Europe and have a lot more problems doing so than other immigrants. In part this is because European nations have a much harder time accepting and integrating migrants than the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In part that’s because these four nations are largely composed of migrants or descendants of migrants. There are still problems but as the saying goes in the U.S., “we’re all minorities here.” European nations are more touchy about outsiders and citizenship is not automatically conferred on anyone born there. Ancestry counts for much more and it is much more difficult for immigrants, even those who speak the language like natives and have absorbed the local culture. Despite that, most migrants still want to be accepted. Moslem migrants have an additional problem because their religion does not really accept being a religious minority in a nation. Moslem clerics tend to agree that non-Moslems must convert eventually and radical clergy sanction the use of force to make that happen sooner rather than later. To help this along radical clergy depict the non-Moslem majority as inherently hostile to Islam and constantly trying to get Moslems to abandon their religion. In Islamic theology this is not allowed and in some Moslem countries such conversions are forbidden, often under pain of death. This rebellious and militant attitude is particularly popular with many young Moslem men. This sense of victimhood makes it easier for young Moslem men to become criminals. Thus in France, where ten percent of the population is Moslem, over 60 percent of the prison population is Moslem. Thus efforts by parents to keep their children from joining Islamic radial or terrorist organizations tend to fail. The wayward child can justify his criminal ways by referring to Islamic scripture and Islamic clerics who preach acceptance of radical Islam. This has been a problem with Islam, even in Moslem majority nations, for centuries.

What does change the attitudes of some radicalized Moslem men is the reality of Islamic terrorism. Thus the popularity of Islamic radicalism everywhere took a big drop in 2007 when the majority of Sunni Moslems in Iraq turned against it because Islamic terrorism there was killing far more Moslems than non-Moslems. Even al Qaeda leadership noted this development and had tried to get the Islamic terrorists in Iraq to sharply reduce the number of innocent civilians they were killing. Unwilling to do so, al Qaeda was defeated in Iraq and has been rebuilding mainly because Iraqi nationalists insisted that all American troops, including the intelligence and special operations units that so effectively identified and destroyed al Qaeda leaders and specialists, leave the country in 2011. Iraq now wants some of those specialists back, but the U.S. is not eager to return.

In Syria the “Iraq problem” reappeared in 2011 after a civil war began against the secular dictatorship. The Syrian al Qaeda problems reached a crises in June 2013 when the head of al Qaeda (bin Laden successor Ayman al Zawahiri) declared the recent merger of the new (since January) Syrian Jabhat al Nusra (JN) with the decade old Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) unacceptable and ordered the two groups to remain separate. The reason for this was that the merger was announced by ISI without the prior agreement of the JN leadership. The merger formed a third group; Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). That was the problem, as many JN members then left their JN faction to join nearby ones being formed by ISIL. JN leaders saw this as a power grab by ISIL and most of the JN men who left to join ISIL were non-Syrians. Many of these men had worked with ISI before and thought they were joining a more powerful group. But ISIL was apparently just an attempt by ISI (which is having a hard time in Iraq) to grab some glory, recruits, cash and power by poaching JN members. JN appealed to Zawahiri for help and got it.

This dispute escalated in January 2014 when outright war between ISIL and other Islamic terror groups in Syria began. A month later al Qaeda declared ISIL outcasts and sanctioned the war against them. That’s not the first time al Qaeda has had to slap down misbehaving Iraqi Islamic terror groups and won’t be the last. But it’s not a problem unique to Iraq.

One of the major weaknesses of Islamic terror groups is that they often get into vicious and destructive feuds with each other. It should not be surprising as Islamic terrorists are motivated by religion and in particular a personal call from God to serve. Since no two people are going interpret the details of this divine summons the same way, there will be many different interpretations. These are often formed by ethnic differences. This could be seen in Mali, where three different Islamic radical groups (Ansar Dine, MUJAO and AQIM) took control of the northern portion of the country in 2012 until they were run out in early 2013 by a French-led force. Along the way the three groups were often battling each other. The same thing happened in Somalia and elsewhere. Even before the French showed up many members of these groups were disillusioned by all the infighting and simply quit. But the concept of violent jihad (“struggle”) is still popular with many Islamic clerics and young Moslem men.

For centuries the non-Moslem world ignored this problem, at least as long as it remained a dispute just among Moslems. But in the 1970s a new idea arose among radical clergy who began blaming the West for all the backwardness, bad government and general misery in Moslem nations. That’s when al Qaeda decided to take the war to the infidels (non-Moslems). This produced growing violence against Western targets in the 1990s and culminated in the September 11, 2001 attacks. The carnage of those attacks was immensely popular among Moslems, although most Moslem governments condemned it. That was in part because these attacks against infidels were an indirect effort to overthrow Moslem governments that radicals did not believe were Moslem enough. That struggle continues and while many Saudi citizens still send cash and sons to al Qaeda, Saudi Arabia is very much opposed to al Qaeda. 

March 24, 2014 Strategy Page
 

The Colombian Army recently began receiving the 28 Commando wheeled armored vehicles ordered from the United States (for $1.13 million each) in 2013. The Commando is a larger version of the older American M1117 ASVs (Armored Security Vehicles). All of the armored vehicles in the Colombian Army are on wheels, to better control the roads in areas where FARC or drug gangs are active. The army has about 300 armored vehicles, a growing number of them armored hummers. Colombian troops have found the Commando handles most of the bombs and weapons used by the local drug gangs and leftist rebels.

Back in 2009 Colombia bought its first 39 American Commando vehicles, which is officially known as the ICV (Infantry Carrier Variant) of the M1117. The ICV is 61 cm (24 inches) longer than the original ASV, weighs 18 tons, and carries a crew of 3 and 8 passengers. Instead of the turret it has a cupola mounting a 12.7mm machine-gun or 40mm automatic grenade launcher.

The original ASV was, in effect, one of the first MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) to get to Iraq. Originally developed in the 1990s for use by MPs (Military Police) in combat zones, only a few were bought initially. It was found that for 1990s era Balkan peacekeeping, existing armored vehicles were adequate and that in the narrow streets of Balkan towns the ASV was too wide to be very maneuverable. Then came Iraq, and suddenly the ASV was very popular. The army got a lot more because military police like these vehicles a lot. The MPs originally wanted 2,000 ASVs but before Iraq were told they would be lucky to get a hundred. After 2003, the MPs got all they wanted. Colombia noted the ASV success in Iraq and got some of their own.

The basic ASV is a 15 ton 4x4 armored car that is built to handle the kind of combat damage encountered in Iraq. The ASVs are, unlike armored hummers, built from the ground up as armored trucks. Basic ASVs are 6.1 meters (20 feet) long and 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) wide, making them a bit larger than hummers. The ASV is heavy enough to survive most roadside bombs and keep going. The ASV is bullet and RPG proof. The turret is the same one used on the U.S. Marine Corps LAV. When the marines went shopping for armored trucks, however, they passed on the ASV. This is believed to be mainly because most armored trucks have more room inside. The ASV carries a crew of 3, with plenty of room for additional gear but not a lot of people. That's why the stretched ICV version was developed. Iraq has also bought the ICV version.

3/21/2014 Strategy Page

Marines with tank platoon, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (BLT 2/1), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, fire the M256 smoothbore gun of an M1A1 Abrams tank on static targets during Realistic Urban Training Marine Expeditionary Unit Exercise 14-1 (RUTMEUEX) at Camp Roberts, Calif., March 20, 2014. RUTMEUEX will prepare the 11th MEU Marines for their upcoming deployment, enhancing Marines' combat skills in environments similar to those they may find in future missions. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Rome M. Lazarus)