September 17, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Royal Air Force News; published Sept. 16, 2013)

Aircraft, crews and supporting personnel from the Royal Saudi Air Force, (RSAF) have been operating alongside their allies from the Royal Air Force as Exercise Saudi-British Green Flag took place at RAF Coningsby.

RSAF Typhoons from the 10th Sqn, based at King Fahad Air Base, Taif were flown into the Lincolnshire base alongside Tornados from the 75th Sqn, King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Dhahran. No 3 (Fighter) Squadron supplied the RAF Typhoon element, alongside a composite Tornado GR4 force from RAF Marham. The ten day exercise saw the Saudi and RAF crews fly in a series of training flights of gradually increasing complexity, during which the crews gained a wider knowledge of how the other force works and also how to use the relative strengths of their aircraft to generate greater overall effects.

Group Captain Johnny Stringer, RAF Coningsby Station Commander said, “For Coningsby and for the RAF this is a hugely significant exercise, an opportunity to fly the same aircraft types with our RSAF friends, to share our tactical thinking on how we employ our platforms, and for us as a station to support a detachment at significant range from a fellow air force.

He continued, “At the end of the exercise we will get to the point where success for us, and I think I can speak for the RSAF as well, is that our pilots, navigators, engineers, fighter controllers - all of the people who the RSAF has brought across that we are hosting both at Coningsby and more broadly in the UK - not only understand and know each other a little bit better, but if we ever have to go and fly and fight alongside each other for real then we will have the confidence in each other that we are able to do that.

Brigadier-General Mohammed Al-Shahrani, the RSAF Detachment Commander said, “One very important objective we have is to make sure that our people, from aircrew, to engineers, to staff, to fighter control and all the other roles, work side by side with the RAF; to be ready if we ever need to operate together.

Gp Capt Stringer,” In terms of what the exercise looks like, you are obviously drawn to Coningsby because it’s where the Tornados and Typhoons are operating, but we also have embedded RSAF personnel with our GCI personnel up at RAF Boulmer, and elsewhere, and we have them supporting the exercise directing staff. You can see from that breadth that this is more than just flying some aircraft together — this is a significant engagement.

Cooperation and greater understanding of how each air force works was a very clear objective for the exercise. This was not just limited to the pilots; engineers and other support staff on both sides also benefited. One example of the variety of roles that air force personnel provided during the exercise is that of No 3 Mobile Catering Squadron. Personnel from the squadron deployed to Coningsby to provide catering facilities to exercise personnel. Sgt Maxine Booth, “We are a mobile catering squadron, so our job is to pitch up in a tent somewhere and supply food. The big difference this time is that where we are usually in another country taking a piece of the UK to our forces, this time we are in the UK hoping to bring part of Saudi Arabia here. It has been a massively rewarding experience, both personally and professionally. We have some Saudi chefs with us and it has been fascinating to observe and learn different cooking techniques, for example with something as basic as rice. On a personal level, we are spending time with the Saudi’s, we are working with them and eating with them, it is great to learn about their culture and their language.

From the Saudi perspective, two aspects of the deployment stand out as significant. The exercise is the first significant deployment of the Typhoon outside of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is also the first time that the MRTT aircraft, (called Voyager by the RAF) has been used to "trail" aircraft operationally by any air force, a source of great pride for the RSAF. (A trail is when air-to-air refuelling aircraft are used to allow swift deployment; in this case the Typhoons flew directly from Saudi Arabia to the UK, refuelling en-route)

Brig-Gen Shahrani, “It is the first time we have deployed Typhoons for a long period of time outside our Kingdom so that means we are reaching out our logistic support to about 3,000 miles; it is very important for us to test that. Also it is the first time that we have used the Airbus MRTT for trailing from Saudi Arabia to here, which has proven successful.

Several of the Saudi pilots and engineers have been to Coningsby before as they undertook their Typhoon training at the Lincolnshire base, Brig-Gen Shahrani being the first pilot to do so in 2008.

Gp Capt Stringer, "The Saudis have been our friends and allies for a long time, and on an individual level it is wonderful to see friends such as Brigadier-General Shahrani back here", Brigadier-General Shahrani echoed Group Captain Stringer’s comments, "When you operate as allies, knowing the other person, being able to pick up the telephone and talk to someone you already know, is very valuable."

Sep. 16, 2013 - By JAROSLAW ADAMOWSKI – Defense News

WARSAW — Poland’s major armament and military equipment manufacturers will be consolidated into a single entity in a bid to restructure and overhaul the country’s defense industry, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced today.

“The Polish Armaments Group, which will comprise all key companies active in the Polish defense industry, is currently being established,” Tusk said during a visit to local armored vehicle producer Wojskowe Zaklady Mechaniczne Siemianowice, reported Polish news agency PAP.

Under the plan, the new group will integrate major state-owned defense manufacturers such as Huta Stalowa Wola, Wojskowe Zaklady Remontowo-Produkcyjne, which comprises 11 state-owned defense companies, and the Polish Defense Holding (PHO) into one group.

PHO, which is Poland’s largest defense industry player, consists of some 40 entities and has a workforce of close to 10,000. Until May, PHO operated under the brand of Bumar Group, and it rebranded itself to lead the consolidation efforts of Poland’s fragmented defense industry, according to statements by senior company representatives. That expected consolidation did not occur, Tusk said, and PHO will be integrated into the new defense group.

The Polish Ministry of Treasury had originally planned to launch the holding’s initial public offering on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in 2015, but it is unclear how the latest developments will affect these plans.

16 September 2013 BBC Africa

Uganda has suspended 20 army officers accused of corruption in Somalia while battling Islamist militants as part of an African Union (AU) force, a Ugandan army spokesman has told the BBC.

The officers are accused of selling food and fuel, meant for troops, on the black market, reports say.

The Ugandan contingent head, Brigadier Michael Ondoga, is among those being investigated.

Uganda is the biggest contributor to the AU force of about 18,000.

The force, funded mainly by the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) is fighting the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group in Somalia.

Brigadier Ondoga has not commented on the allegations.

'Only one meal'

He was among the officers who had been recalled for allegedly "getting involved in conduct injurious" to the AU force, a Ugandan defence ministry spokesman said, AFP news agency reports.

Army spokesman Colonel Paddy Ankunda told the BBC Swahili Service that the 20 would remain suspended, pending the outcome of an investigation into the allegations against them.

The investigation followed complaints by junior officers of "unscrupulous conduct" by their superiors, he said.

This included allegations that junior officers were not being paid and food meant for them was being sold, Col Ankunda told the BBC.

The suspended officers would be court-martialled and dismissed from the army if found guilty, he added.

Uganda's privately owned Daily Monitor newspaper said in a report that Ugandan soldiers in Somalia often get only one meal a day because of the alleged theft and sale of food to private companies.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni had cancelled Brig Ondoga's appointment as military attache to Kenya, it reports.

He was due to have taken the post when his term as head of the Ugandan contingent in Somalia ended at the end of the month, the Daily Monitor adds.

Uganda has more than 6,000 troops in the AU force in Somalia.

Other countries that have deployed troops to Somalia as part of the AU force include Burundi, Kenya and Djibouti.

The force has helped the UN-backed Somali government regain control of key cities and towns from al-Shabab.

However, most of southern Somalia still remains under al-Shabab's control.

September 17, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: U.S Department of Defence; issued September 13, 2013)

Textron Systems Corp., Textron Defense Systems, Wilmington Mass., has been awarded a $9,065,330 contract modification (P00015) to previously awarded contract FA8682-11-C-0044 for development of the remote terminal interface control document for the munitions control unit to integrate the sensor fuzed weapon on the Indian Jaguar Aircraft.

Work will be performed at Wilmington, Mass., with an expected completion date of May 15, 2014. The total modification of $9,065,330 is being obligated at time of award.

This contract involves foreign military sales.

Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Sep 17 2013 trdefence.com

Chinese Avic’s acquisition of German Thielert, leaves the first Turkishmade drone, the Anka, without an engine. Turkish officials are worried that buying of Thielert, engines supplier of Anka, may delay the project.

It looked entirely like any other business takeover between the Chinese and Germans with no relevance to Turkey. But the news that a Chinese group had acquired the troubled German maker of aircraft engines means Turkey must now find a new engine supplier for its first indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Anka.

Turkish officials and the Anka team are now worried that Chinese group Avic International’s acquisition of Thielert, a bankrupt German maker of diesel engines for aircraft may further delay the Anka which would otherwise have been powered by Thielert’s Centurion engine.

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) which develops the Anka had ordered the Centurion for a batch of 10 aircraft. Now TAI must look elsewhere to find a new engine to power the Anka.

The ANKA is a medium-altitude long-endurance MALE-category drone. Such UAVs usually operate for 24 hours at an altitude of 10,000 feet.

ANKA, meaning Phoenix in English, is the first MALE-type UAV to be produced by TAI. One of the prototypes crashed during a test flight in September but several other flight tests have been carried out successfully.

ANKA+, another version of the ANKA, calls for an armed vehicle, using a rocket attached to its body and sensors.

An engine maybe developed to replace

“An immediate replacement could be a difficult task,” a TAI official said. “We may, though, ask TEI (TAI’s sister company that manufactures engine parts) to develop an engine for the Anka.” Both TAI and TEI (Turkish Engine Industries) are owned by a military support fund.

The engine problem occurred at a time when defense procurement authorities are preparing to sign a contract for the acquisition of 10 ANKAs. Separately, the Turkish police force is also preparing to place an order for the Anka.

Before the engine snag, another problem had delayed the Anka program. A locally-developed electro optical sensor, by military electronics firm Aselsan, did not fit Anka’s specifications and TAI was mulling to opt for a foreign pod.

Avic said in August that it was merging Thielert into its Continental Motors division and was giving up military business. Deliveries had stopped, the state-run Chinese company announced.

Thielert was supplying engines for aircraft including a U.S. Army version of the General Atomics Predator. General Atomics has acquired the engine data package and intends to continue production and support.

Satellite-controled version of ANKA

The ANKA had successfully passed acceptance tests late in January. The final, decisive tests on Jan. 20-21 involved a full endurance, 18-hour flight, successful auto landing, data link performance at a distance of 200 km (approx. 120 miles) under winds up to 45 knots, and night take-offs and landings. The ANKA has so far did more than 150 flight hours. There is a possibility that TAI could develop a satellite-controlled version of the ANKA, company officials say.

A defense industry expert said that finding a new engine supplier may not resolve the entire problem. “Any new engine will have to be fitted into the Anka which was designed for the Thielert engine. This will require new (engine) integration work. New tests should also be done,” he said.

13/09/2013 L’Express.fr (AFP)

Creil - L'attaque chimique du 21 août dans la banlieue de Damas, attribuée au régime syrien, avait été détectée le jour même par la Direction du renseignement militaire (DRM) français, a déclaré vendredi le ministre de la Défense Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Le ministre, qui s'exprimait à l'issue d'une visite à la DRM, abritée dans la base aérienne de Creil (Oise), a ajouté "que le renseignement est au coeur de l'autonomie d'appréciation et de décision de la France".

Le gouvernement avait publié le 2 septembre des documents secrets déclassifiés tendant à prouver l'implication du régime syrien dans l'attaque chimique meurtrière du 21 août visant des civils syriens.

Ces documents faisaient suite à une note de synthèse de la Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure (DGSE) et de la DRM, portant notamment sur le stock d'un millier de tonnes d'agents chimiques, dont plusieurs centaines de tonnes d'ypérite et de gaz sarin, détenus par le régime syrien.

"Grâce à nos services de renseignements, nous disposons de moyens à cent pour cent français pour apprécier la situation en Syrie et décider de notre politique", a souligné Jean-Yves Le Drian.

La DRM a deux missions essentielles: le soutien aux forces françaises en opérations et la veille stratégique.

Lors de sa visite, le ministre de la Défense a pu avoir un aperçu des moyens du 13e régiment de dragons-parachutistes, unité employée par la DRM et le Commandement des opérations spéciales (COS), et spécialisée dans la recherche du renseignement humain avant le déploiement de forces sur un théâtre d'opérations.

Des véhicules Mercedes de trois tonnes, emportant un tonne de matériel et trois hommes à 100 km/h, qui ont participé à l'opération Serval au Mali au début de l'année, ont été montrés. Des chuteurs opérationnels du régiment, capables de s'infiltrer par voie aérienne après avoir été largués à 10.000 mètres d'altitude avec cent kilos de matériel ont également été présentés.

Le ministre de la Défense a visité le Centre de formation et d'interprétation interarmées de l'imagerie (CF3I) de la DRM, où est notamment assurée la veille stratégique sur la Syrie ou sur la prolifération nucléaire. Des spécialistes lui ont ainsi montré des images satellites permettant de suivre régulièrement les activités de la centrale nucléaire iranienne de Bouchehr ou celles du pas de tir des fusées iraniennes Safir à Semnan.

13 septembre 2013 radio-canada.ca

Le géant de la défense Lockheed Martin soutient que l'industrie aéronautique canadienne pourrait perdre environ 10,5 milliards de dollars en contrats, étalés sur plusieurs décennies, si le gouvernement fédéral choisit de ne pas aller de l'avant avec sa commande controversée de 65 avions de chasse F-35.

Le vice-président directeur de Lockheed Martin, Orlando Carvalho, affirme que la compagnie respectera des contrats d'une valeur totale de 500 millions déjà accordés à des partenaires canadiens, mais que d'autres contrats seront à risque sans la commande du gouvernement canadien.

Ottawa évalue les solutions de rechange potentielles à son plan initial, qui était d'acheter 65 appareils F-35. L'an dernier, un rapport de la firme de service-conseil KPMG avertissait que la facture totale, y compris service et entretien, pourrait s'élever à 45,8 milliards de dollars sur 42 ans.

De son côté, la compagnie Lockheed Martin affirme qu'elle pourrait potentiellement accorder 11 milliards de dollars de contrats sur 25 à 40 ans à l'industrie canadienne, période pendant laquelle elle pourrait construire 3000 avions pour les armées de partout dans le monde.

M. Carvalho affirme que Lockheed continue de réduire le coût de ses F-35 et indique que les avions coûteraient au Canada autour de 75 millions, au coût d'aujourd'hui, ou environ 85 millions avec inflation lors de leur éventuelle livraison en 2018.

Il ajoute que les particularités de l'avion, dont la technologie furtive et les capacités de surveillance, en font le choix idéal pour le Canada.

09/16/2013 Defence IQ Press

Canada's aerospace industry could lose about $10.5 billion worth of contracts over several decades if the federal government ultimately decides not to purchase the controversial F-35 Stealth Fighter, says a senior executive at Lockheed Martin.

Orlando Carvalho, executive vice-president of the U.S. defence giant, says Lockheed will honour $500 million worth of business already awarded to Canadian partners but that other work would be in jeopardy without a Canadian jet order.

"If in fact the Canadian government were to decide not to select the F-35 we will certainly honour the contracts that we have here with the Canadian industry but our approach in the future would be to try to do business with the industries that are in the countries that are buying the airplane," he said in an interview after officially opening its new engine overhaul facility in Montreal.

Carvalho said Lockheed estimates that Canadian industry could potentially receive $11 billion of contracts over 25 to 40 years as its builds 3,000 planes for air forces around the world.

About 72 Canadian companies have secured work on the F-35 project. Industry Canada has estimated that the potential value could be US$9.8 billion, including the amount of contracts already awarded.

Gilles Labbe, the former head of aerospace cluster Aero Montreal and CEO of F-35 supplier Heroux-Devtek (TSX:HRX), last year warned that thousands of jobs would be at risk if lead manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman remove work destined to be completed in Canada by members of the global supply chain. [Huffington Post Canada]

Thirteen British companies and the U.K. Minister of Defence Equipment, Support and Technology participated in a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Industry Recognition Event during the DSEI tradeshow today. Over the next 40 years, British industry will continue to play a vital role in the F-35’s global production, follow-on development and sustainment, bringing strong economic benefits to the kingdom.

“The F-35 is the largest defence programme in the world,” said U.K. Minister of Defence Equipment, Support and Technology Philip Dunne. “The U.K.’s involvement will generate billions of pounds and tens of thousands of jobs for the British economy for decades to come, with over 500 suppliers across the U.K. already contributing to the production of the F-35. Backed by this government's strategic vision for U.K. aerospace, the F-35 programme allows us to continue to build on the strengths of our nations avionics, systems and sensors industry.”

Steve O’Bryan, vice president, F-35 Business Development, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics added, “Our suppliers here in the U.K. are essential to the success of this program. Together, they will produce 15 percent of each one of the more than 3,100 F-35s planned for the global fleet. We are leveraging their proud legacy of innovation in aerospace to deliver this unprecedented capability to the warfighter.”

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least ten other countries. [Your Industry News]

Northrop Grumman has begun company-funded development of a Directed Infrared Countermeasures (Dircm) system for fast jets, anticipating a requirement to protect the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter from heat-seeking air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles.

“We believe the requirement is there, and coming quickly, and that the first opportunity will be on the F-35,” says Jeff Palombo, senior vice president and general manager of Northrop’s land and self-protection systems division.

Northrop plans to begin testing a prototype of the Threat Nullification Defensive Resource (ThNDR) system in its system-integration laboratory by year’s end, he revealed at a briefing in Washington Sept. 12.

The timing for development of a laser missile jammer to equip the F-35 “is still in question,” Palombo says, “but we want to get out in front of the requirement.”

Northrop has supplied more than 3.000 Dircms to protect large aircraft and helicopters against heat-seeking missiles by directing a modulated laser beam into the seeker head to confuse its guidance.

A Dircm is not part of the requirements for the initial, Block 3-standard F-35 now in development. But draft requirements already exist and Northrop says a laser jammer is now expected to be part of the scheduled Block 5 update.

The system must meet low-observability (LO) requirements and be packaged to fit in a restricted space available inside the F-35. But it will have a smaller, more-powerful laser than current Dircm systems and require liquid cooling, Palombo says.

The ThNDR, which includes the laser, beam steering and LO window, is packaged to fit inside volume available alongside sensors for the F-35’s distributed aperture system (DAS). There would be two jam heads, one on top and one underneath the aircraft to provide spherical coverage with minimal change to the outer mold line.

The DAS, which has six infrared sensors located to provide a 360-deg. view around the aircraft, would provide missile warning, detecting and declaring incoming threats and cueing the pointer/tracker, or jam head. [Aviation Week]

The Pentagon’s top officer overseeing the F-35 program put Lockheed Martin, the lead contractor, on notice last year with some unexpected straight talk about his views of the program saying the relationship between Lockheed and the Pentagon’s Joint Program Office is the “worst I’ve ever seen.”

A year later, Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan is set to return to the Air Force Association’s annual conference, but the same fireworks are not expected as the F-35 Joint Program Office and Congress has seen progress in the F-35 program.

Air Force leaders have said publicly they are confident the A-model of the F-35 – the Air Force’s version — will achieve initial operational capability by 2016.

Initial operational capability, or IOC, is the target date each service sets for fielding an initial combat capable force. The IOC dates for the different F-35s have changed several times, starting with 2010–2012, according to a March 2013 report on the program by the Government Accountability Office.

Currently, there are 78 F-35s flying today amongst the services to include the Marine Corps, according to Lockheed Martin.  The contractor expects to have 90 by the end of the 2013 and by the end of 2016 the military will have 200 F-35s in the air, and more than 50 percent of them by the Air Force, said Mike Rein, a Lockheed Martin spokesman.

The Defense Department next year plans to spend $8.4 billion to buy 29 F-35s, including 19 for the Air Force, six for the Marine Corps, and four for the Navy. The funding includes $6.4 billion in procurement, $1.9 billion in research and development, and $187 million in spare parts.

The missed deadlines and cost overruns of the F-35 Lightning II, the most expensive weapons system in U.S. military history, have been well documented. But there are some critics who have begun to offer praise to the program. [Air Force Times]

Pierre Bayle et son nouvel adjoint, le général Barrera, qui a commandé l’opération Serval au Mali (photo prise le 13 juillet dernier quand le président malien l’a décoré du Mérite malien)

16.09.2013 Par Guillaume Belan (FOB)

Pierre Bayle, ancien journaliste (AFP, TTU), a ensuite embrassé une carrière dans la communication défense: au Ministère de la Défense où il a été à l’origine de la création de la DICOD (Délégation à l’information et à la communication de la défense) puis dans le secteur industriel (MBDA, EADS) avant d’être nommé à la tête de la communication du Ministère de la Défense (relire l’article de FOB sur sa bio et sa nomination) il y a quelques mois. En pleine période de restructuration et sur fond de crise des médias traditionnels, Pierre Bayle revient pour FOB sur sa nomination et la conduite de la restructuration de son service.

Dans quel état avez-vous trouvé la communication de la défense à votre arrivée ?

Beaucoup a déjà été fait et beaucoup reste à faire : la DICOD est jeune, elle a été créée en 1998 et a réussi sa montée en puissance comme organisme porte-parole du ministère de la défense. Il reste à renforcer son rôle de coordinateur de l’ensemble de la communication des armées et services de la défense, un rôle bien prévu dans son principe par le décret créant cet organisme mais inégalement appliqué depuis, c’est ce qu’ont constaté de manière convergente deux audits réalisés avant mon arrivée, un audit externe et un audit interne fait par le Contrôle général des armées.

Avec quel état d’esprit et quels objectifs avez-vous repris les rênes de la DICOD ?

J’ai reçu du ministre qui m’a accordé sa confiance en me nommant à ce poste une mission très ambitieuse : mettre en œuvre dans le périmètre de la communication les principes de modernisation et simplification qui s’imposent à l’ensemble des structures centrales du ministère. C’est un défi auquel j’ai été préparé par l’expérience de trois fusions et restructurations dans le secteur de l’entreprise industrielle privée (Aerospatiale Matra, EADS et MBDA).

Vous avez lancé un plan de réforme de la communication du Ministère de la Défense, quels en sont les objectifs et les mesures ?

L’objectif qualitatif est la professionnalisation de l’ensemble de l’outil de communication ; l’objectif quantitatif est de réussir une densification spectaculaire des équipes ; le moyen de cette réforme est la fixation d’un point d’étape commun qui s’insère au milieu du processus de transformation, l’aménagement à Balard courant 2015, un aménagement qui est donc à la fois un défi et une chance pour le changement. Dans l’immédiat, nous venons de mener à bien la première étape qui est la réorganisation de la DICOD elle-même, avec une nouvelle structure interne et de nouveaux chefs de département, et l’entrée en fonctions cette semaine d’un nouvel adjoint, le général Bernard Barrera, à peine revenu du Mali où il a commandé les forces terrestres de l’opération Serval.

Cette réforme prend place dans le cadre d’une réforme plus générale de la Défense, avec une contribution de votre Ministère au redressement des comptes publics. Concrètement en quoi la DICOD va-t-elle être concernée ? Des réductions d’effectifs notamment sont-ils prévus ?

La déflation est spectaculaire mais étalée dans le temps. L’ensemble des emplois permanents de la défense représentait plus de 1200 personnes en 2008, l’objectif  à atteindre au terme de la loi de programmation militaire est de 650 personnes. Cette réduction spectaculaire se fera avec un palier intermédiaire à Balard en 2015, car si des synergies nouvelles peuvent être dégagées d’ici 2015, en plus des efforts déjà réalisés entre 2008 et 2013, ce n’est qu’à partir d’une co-localisation des équipes sur un même plateau à Balard, qu’on pourra atteindre de véritables mutualisations.

16 septembre 201318h29 Romandie.com (AFP)

ANKARA - La Turquie a abattu lundi un hélicoptère militaire syrien qui avait violé son espace aérien, a déclaré le vice-Premier ministre turc Bulent Arinc.

Un hélicoptère MI-17 syrien a été détecté dans l'espace aérien turc à 14h20 (11h20 GMT), a dit M. Arinc à des journalistes.

Il a été averti de manière répétée par notre défense aérienne, mais comme la violation (de l'espace aérien turc) continuait, il est tombé en territoire syrien à 14h25 (11h25 GMT) après avoir été touché par des missiles tirés par nos avions, a déclaré le responsable turc.

La chute d'un hélicoptère de l'armée syrienne près de la frontière avait été annoncée auparavant par l'Observatoire syrien des droits de l'homme (OSDH).

M. Arinc a ajouté qu'il ne disposait pas d'informations sur le sort de l'hélicoptère parce que l'appareil était tombé en territoire syrien.

Depuis le début il y a deux ans et demi de la révolte en Syrie contre le pouvoir du président Bachar al-Assad, le gouvernement du Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan, jusqu'alors allié de la Syrie, s'est retourné contre elle. M. Erdogan milite ouvertement pour la chute du président Assad et soutient la rébellion syrienne.

Le directeur de l'OSDH, Rami Abdel Rahmane, a déclaré à l'AFP que l'hélicoptère était tombé en territoire syrien. Il a ajouté que l'un de ses deux pilotes, qui ont réussi à s'éjecter, avait été fait prisonnier par les rebelles alors que le sort de l'autre restait inconnu.

Des agences de presse turques ont confirmé que l'hélicoptère était tombé du côté syrien de la frontière.

Depuis le début du conflit, les rebelles ont abattu des avions et des hélicoptères militaires syriens.

L'armée syrienne a abattu en juin 2012 un avion turc en affirmant qu'il avait violé son espace aérien.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Rifles training ahead of their deployment to provide training and mentoring for the Malian Army (Photo Corporal Steve Blake, UK MoD)

16 September 2013 Ministry of Defence

Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Rifles (1 RIFLES) have assumed responsibility for the UK's contribution to the EU mission in Mali.

The riflemen take over from 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (1 R IRISH), which deployed 6 months ago in support of the ongoing EU Training Mission as part of wider efforts to build long-term stability in Mali.

1 R IRISH officially handed over responsibility to 1 RIFLES on 14 September.

Major Sam Cates, officer commanding the 1 RIFLES deployment, said:

The team is currently busy integrating themselves into the EU Training Mission after arriving a week ago. Some of the team have already been in the field supporting the final test exercise of the second Malian battle group who recently completed their training.

The battalion was well trained and effective and it is clear that the Royal Irish have set the bar high. We look forward to meeting that challenge by continuing to deliver effective training.

Commanding Officer of 1 R IRISH, Lieutenant Colonel Ivor Gardiner, said:

1 RIFLES, who are deploying to Mali to take up the role, will assume responsibility for the mission, delivering intensive 10-week training slots to Malian units designed to develop skills and tactics from individual to battle group level. The training also gives the Malians a clear practical understanding of the standards of ethical conduct required of troops engaged in combat and counter-insurgency operations.

The Rifles will be deployed for 6 months and will draw upon experience of similar missions in Afghanistan, where they mentored and trained local forces 2 years ago. The 21 volunteers have also prepared with extensive pre-deployment training including cross-country driving, close-quarter marksmanship, foreign weapon handling, mentoring and French language lessons.

Royal Irish in Mali

During their tour, the soldiers of 1 R IRISH trained 2 full companies of the Malian Army in combat and counter-insurgency operations. These Malian units will play a key role in combating insurgents in the country going forward.

Based at Koulikoro Training Camp, 40 miles from the capital Bamako, the regiment was supported by personnel from 45 Commando Royal Marines and 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, as well as troops from the Republic of Ireland’s Defence Forces.

In addition to military personnel, the UK also deployed civilian trainers from the ‘preventing sexual violence initiative’ to train troops in the protection of civilians and international humanitarian law. The 40-man team was a significant element of the EU effort which consists of 500 staff from 22 EU member states.

A tremendous job

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said:

The soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment have done a tremendous job at the forefront of the UK’s contribution to the training mission, setting the groundwork for the rebuilding of the Malian Army into a force capable of restoring order in the country.

I have every confidence that 1st Battalion The Rifles will build on their efforts and successes as the UK continues to support Mali’s move forward on the path towards long-term stability and development.

Lieutenant Colonel Gardiner added:

In addition to intensive instructional output this deployment has also demanded deft diplomacy from the team.

Undeterred by the unique challenges of the training environment they have deployed energy, initiative and constant engagement and helped to build self-confident, motivated Malian units that are ready to take on responsibility for securing their own country.

UK support to Mali mission

The 1 RIFLES deployment with the EU Training Mission follows initial UK military support to the efforts of French and African Union troops who went into Mali in January 2013 to help halt the advance of Islamist extremists and to stabilise the country. The UK contribution included C-17 transport aircraft, Sentinel surveillance aircraft and the transportation of French military supplies on board a roll-on, roll-off ferry.

16.09.2013 RP Defense

Selon une source industrielle proche du dossier, Nexter a annoncée en interne le projet de 145 nouveaux recrutements.

L’entreprise, qui vient de présenter son nouveau blindé TITUS au salon DSEI, envisage de lancer le recrutement de 85 CDI, qui viennent s’ajouter aux 55 déjà réalisés en 2013 ainsi que 60 contrats en alternance.

Ces recrutements sont en lien avec les précédentes déclarations du leader de la Défense terrestre qui souhaite participer à l’effort national actuel ayant notamment pour objectif d’améliorer la situation de l’emploi en France, en favorisant les contrats durables et l’insertion des jeunes.

16.09.2013 Par Nathalie Guibert – LeMonde.fr

Ce n'est pas le divorce, mais une sérieuse incompréhension s'installe entre les militaires et le pouvoir politique. L'exécutif a beau saluer le succès des opérations extérieures, Mali en tête, dans les coulisses, sa réforme des armées ne passe pas. Au coeur du différend : la réduction des prérogatives du chef d'état-major des armées (CEMA), au profit du ministre et de ses grands adjoints civils – le secrétaire général pour l'administration (SGA, patron des finances et des ressources humaines) et le délégué général pour l'armement (DGA, responsable des programmes d'équipement).

"Le ministre doit être maître chez lui", a résumé Jean-Yves Le Drian. La volonté de François Hollande de rééquilibrer les institutions justifie ce changement. La pratique des années Sarkozy pèse – bien au-delà des circuits courts que la Constitution crée entre le chef de l'Etat et son chef d'état-major, les ministres ont été ostensiblement "sortis de la boucle".

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