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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 16:30
Typhoon-Eurofighter-over-Abu-Dhabi

Typhoon-Eurofighter-over-Abu-Dhabi

24 Jun 2013 by Craig Hoyle –FG

 

London - Major deals involving the sale of 12 Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft to Oman and a combined 30 BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainers to the same nation and Saudi Arabia last year contributed to total UK defence exports worth £8.8 billion ($13.5 billion) in 2012, according to figures released by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

 

Representing a 62% increase from the £5.4 billion figure reported from 2011, the total maintained the UK's standing as the second-largest exporter of defence equipment after the USA, with an average 20% stake of the global market during the past decade, says UKTI's Defence and Security Organisation.

 

Combined with sales of security equipment, the year-end total of £11.5 billion was similar to the volume recorded in 2007, when the UK government agreed a Project Salam deal with Saudi Arabia for 72 Typhoons.

 

"The Ministry of Defence has continued to play a key supporting role in the promotion of defence equipment and services, recognising that defence exports make a significant contribution to the government's growth agenda," says minister for defence equipment, support and technology Philip Dunne.

 

UK military equipment on display at the 17-23 June Paris air show included a Hawk T2 from the Royal Air Force's 4 Sqn and an AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 16:20
MK18 Kingfish UUV Deployed to 5th Fleet

Jun 26, 2013 ASDNews Source : US Navy

 

The U.S. Navy has deployed the MK18 Mod 2 Kingfish underwater unmanned vehicle for operations in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility, following more than 30 sorties over 15 days of mock deployment testing in the Gulf of Mexico, the Navy announced June 20.

 

Kingfish is an autonomous underwater unmanned vehicle (UUV) used by the U.S. Navy for mine detection missions with an improved endurance and area coverage rate that replaces the in-theater Swordfish system.

 

These UUVs are pre-programmed and designed to scan waters for targets or threats while offering sailors faster post-mission analysis using the Navy's Mine Warfare and Environmental Decision Library (MEDAL) and Command Operations Interference Navy (COIN) systems.

 

Test lead Amanda Mackintosh said the mock deployment began May 6 and was conducted in areas over 20 nautical miles from the Panama City Beach shoreline, launching UUVs from an 11-meter Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat which is how the system will be used in theater.

 

"Missions went very smoothly. The mock deployment was conducted in realistic environments and where there was greater risk reduction for deployment," she said. "We didn't experience any vehicle failures and we ran three and sometimes four vehicles for eight hours per day for the 15 days."

 

NSWC Panama City's geographic location offers scientists and fleet users distinct training, testing and evaluation opportunities as the gulf waters replicate Persian Gulf temperatures, salinity, depth and clarity as they pertain to sonar performance and thereby offer intended, real-world environment results.

 

NSWC PCD, a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command, employs more than 1,300 people and provides innovative, technical solutions to complex problems specifically in the areas of littoral and expeditionary warfare.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 16:20
Army Ready to Upgrade AH-64E Apache Sensors

June 26th, 2013 by Matt Cox  - defensetech.org

 

The U.S. Army hopes to equip its first unit of Apache helicopters with the newest daytime sensors by this time next year.

 

The Apache Sensors Product Office recently accepted delivery of Lockheed Martin’s new Modernized Day Sensor Assembly Laser Rangefinder Designator, or LRFD, the first component to be fielded in the Modernized Day Sensor Assembly.

 

The modernized LRFD is the first phase of upgrades for the M-DSA program, and will provide enhanced performance to the MTADS/PNVS system, Army officials maintain.

 

“This laser kit, what we call M-DSA phase one, is an investment by the Army and the Program Executive Office for Aviation, and we’re looking forward to the reliability and maintainability improvements that this laser will bring to the MTADS system,” said  Lt. Col. Steven Van Riper, product manager for Apache Sensor, in an Army press release. “The maintainers will have less of a burden when it comes to keeping the system up and fully operational, while our aircrews will be able to reap the benefits of the performance improvements.”

 

The new sensors are part of a duel contract the Army awarded to Lockheed Martin in February worth $162 million.

 

The current laser features a tactical wavelength in the system, Cold War technology that’s expensive to maintain. The new laser incorporates a second EyeSafe wavelength, the newest technology available. It replaces the old flash lamp technology to a more reliable, more robust diode pump laser technology.

 

The diode pump is the primary driver of increasing the Army’s reliability and maintainability numbers, Army officials maintain. Phase one will be fielded later this year and will be fully capable by 2016, according to Matt Hoffman, director of MTADS/PNVS programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

 

The Army’s goal is to retrofit the M-DSA and equip the AH-64E Apache units first.

 

The second phase, scheduled to begin in 2016, will include all the remaining elements in the DSA such as a high definition color television, laser pointer marker, upgraded laser spot tracker, and a state-of-the-art inertia measuring unit for stability and extended range in the system.

 

“We are meeting all of our milestones in terms of production ramp rate, moving towards maintaining our production rate of over 20 lasers per month,” Van Riper said. “We’re stepping up to that incrementally using a very deliberate production engineering process.”

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 16:20
Raytheon unveils Excalibur with dual-mode guidance

PARIS, June 20, 2013 PRNewswire

 

New precision munition will protect against swarming boat threats

 

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has initiated an internally funded program to enhance its combat-proven 155mm Excalibur GPS-guided projectile with a new guidance and navigation unit (GNU) with a semi-active laser (SAL) end-game targeting capability. Addition of the SAL seeker will allow the munition to attack moving targets, attack targets that have re-positioned after firing, or change the impact point to avoid casualties and collateral damage.

 

"No other gun-launched GPS-guided artillery round is as precise as Excalibur, which in its current design gives one the ability to hit within 4 meters of the target 90 percent of the time," said Kevin Matthies, Excalibur program director for Raytheon Missile Systems. "Now we're ready to take this to the next level, giving the warfighter the ability to not only re-target the munition in flight, but leverage Excalibur's maneuverability to use the pinpoint precision of a semi-active laser seeker to hit targets on the move."

 

This new Excalibur variant using SAL guidance paves the way for GPS-guided Excalibur Ib customers to upgrade their Excalibur Ib guidance and navigation units with a GPS/SAL capability. Recent tests of the SAL seeker have demonstrated the robustness of the design in a severe gun-firing environment.

 

In addition to 155mm artillery land forces worldwide, the GPS/SAL capability will be available for both 155mm and 5-inch (127mm) naval guns to address moving targets on land and at sea. Counter-swarming boat capability will be the prime focus of the at-sea moving target capability using a high-firing rate, large caliber, affordable munition that can be fired from land or sea platforms. The transition to the naval 5-inch configuration is easily made as the existing 155mm Excalibur Ib GNU design also fits in a 127mm projectile body.

 

"Excalibur has proven itself an invaluable asset for avoiding collateral damage while defeating targets that may otherwise be out of reach or cannot be quickly engaged," said Michelle Lohmeier, vice president of Land Combat for Raytheon Missile Systems. "The need for this degree of precision to attack moving targets is there, and we now have the ability to leverage demonstrated Excalibur Ib technology to make this happen."

 

About Excalibur

First fielded in 2007, the Excalibur 155mm precision-guided, extended-range projectile is a revolutionary capability for U.S. and allied forces. Using GPS precision-guidance technology, Excalibur provides accurate, first round fire-for-effect capability in any environment. With Excalibur's level of precision, there is a major reduction in the overall mission time and cost of delivering precision. Excalibur provides these benefits while offering the most flexible artillery solution for reducing collateral damage. Excalibur was named one of the U.S. Army's "Greatest Inventions" in 2007 for the Increment Ia-1 and in 2011 for the Increment Ia-2.

 

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2012 sales of $24 billion and 68,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 91 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems; as well as a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @raytheon.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 16:20
NIITEK awarded $2.13 million contract from the DARPA

26 June 2013 chemring.co.uk

 

NIITEK®, Inc., part of the Chemring Sensors and Electronics business unit and a subsidiary of the Chemring Group PLC ("Chemring"), and its academic and small business partners, have received a $2.13 million dollar contract from DARPA for the development of a new method for detection of hidden explosives.  This program, part of DARPA’s Methods of Explosive Detection at Standoff (MEDS) program, is targeting the development of novel sensors designed to detect unique signatures of explosives.  The contract is for an 18-month period of performance.

 

 “We are pleased to have been given the opportunity by DARPA to continue the development of this unique detection capability,” said Juan Navarro, President of Chemring Sensor and Electronics.  “Although the work in this program is intended to be proof-of-principle experimentation, NIITEK and its partners are confident that, with proper development, the technology can be transitioned into a system that could prove useful to both the Department of Defense as well as domestic security and law enforcement.”

 

About Chemring

Chemring is a market leading manufacturing business supplying high technology electronics and energetic products to over sixty countries around the world. Chemring has a diverse portfolio of products that predominantly protect military people and platforms, providing insurance against a constantly changing threat. These range from countermeasures to protect aircraft, to ground penetrating radar to protect troops and vehicles from improvised explosive devices.  NIITEK, a Chemring company since 2008, is the world leader in the design, development and production of Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar ("GPR") systems. NIITEK’s Advanced GPR systems are at the leading edge of mine detection technology with over two hundred systems successfully being used by US and Coalition forces in Afghanistan.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 15:55
La première journée des aviateurs

25/06/2013 Actus Air

 

Afin de renforcer l’identité des aviateurs, l’armée de l’air a décidé de célébrer, une journée par an, sa naissance. Le mercredi précédent le 2 juillet de chaque année, l’ensemble des militaires arborant des charognards, qu’ils soient en France ou à l’étranger, fêteront ensemble cette journée des aviateurs !

 

« Tout personnel de l’armée de l’air, quelle que soit sa catégorie, son statut, son lieu d’affectation, doit se sentir fier d’appartenir à notre armée. Cette journée doit créer un élan de solidarité (…) les initiatives devront en particulier s’appuyer sur les valeurs de l’armée de l’air qui seront développées dans le prochain carnet de l’aviateur », écrivait sur son blog en mars dernier le général Denis Mercier, chef d’État-major de l’armée de l’air (CEMAA).

 

Le mercredi 26 juin 2013 est donc officiellement la première journée des aviateurs. Chaque base aérienne en France mais aussi en outre-mer organise l’événement.

Parmi les festivités organisées, la base aérienne (BA) 125 d’Istres a mis en place un challenge sportif et propose même un tirage au sort avec 25 places à gagner pour réaliser un vol en C135 ravitailleur. Du côté de Bordeaux, la BA 106 ouvre ses portes aux familles afin de visiter les différentes unités avant un barbecue géant. À Mont-de-Marsan, sur la BA 118, les visiteurs pourront suivre des conférences notamment une sur le régiment de chasse « Normandie-Niemen » avant de se balader autour de l’exposition statique d’aéronefs et de matériels roulants.

Dans cette dynamique de rendre ses couleurs à l’identité des aviateurs, le CEMAA a décidé la création d’une devise : « Unis pour faire face ». Une reprise de la réplique du célèbre As de l’aviation, Georges Guynemer, avec l’ajout du verbe « Unir ». Ce 26 juin 2013 sera donc l’occasion pour les aviateurs de se réunir en famille, entre collègues, entre passionnés afin de célébrer ensemble la naissance de l’armée de l’air. 

Pour lire l'ordre du jour du général Mercier, chef d'état-major de l'armée de l'air.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 15:55
photo Armée de l'Air

photo Armée de l'Air

26.06.2013 Helen Chachaty - journal-aviation.com

 

Le chef d’état-major de l’armée de l’air (CEMAA), le général Denis Mercier, a été auditionné le 11 juin dernier par la Commission des Affaires étrangères, de la Défense et des Forces armées, sur la thématique du nouveau Livre blanc et des implications que celui-ci aura sur l’armée de l’air, couplé à la future Loi de programmation militaire (LPM).

 

Le général Mercier s’est ainsi exprimé sur plusieurs points importants au cœur des préoccupations actuelles : les équipements à renouveler, la rénovation des Mirage 2000, les drones, le MCO, ainsi que la formation et l’entraînement des aviateurs.

 

Il a également rappelé que l’armée de l’air était une des rares – avec l’US Air Force et la Royal Air Force – à posséder cette capacité d’entrer en premier sur un théâtre et de monter rapidement en puissance, une composante essentielle pour la capacité d’autonomie stratégique soutenue par le Livre blanc.

 

Le CEMAA appelle également à considérer la cohérence de l’armée de l’air et à ne pas se focaliser uniquement sur les formats réduits : « même si les formats comptent, le maintien de notre cohérence, qui est au cœur de notre projet, est encore plus importante », ajoutant « mon souci principal est de maintenir la cohérence d’ensemble ».

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 15:50
A400M makes spectacular defensive flares test

21 Jun 2013 By Craig Hoyle - FG

 

Airbus Military has performed a spectacular test with a key defensive system for its A400M, as its first production example comes within less than one month of delivery to the French air force.

 

Perfromed using a "Grizzly" development aircraft, the mass flare release was intended to prove the ability of the A400M's self-protection equipment to counter the threat posed by shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles during tactical operations.

 

The A400M's defensive aids system equipment is due to come online from the airlifter's SOC1 software standard.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 15:50
German air force to bid 'Pharewell' to last F-4Fs

26 Jun 2013 by Craig Hoyle –FG

 

London - Germany will retire its last operational McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom IIs on 29 June, with the veteran type's duties having been assumed by Eurofighter units.

 

After almost 40 years of service, the final interceptors will be retired during a decommissioning event to be staged at the Luftwaffe's Wittmund air base.

 

The final German examples are operated by the air force's JG 71 "Richthofen" squadron, which was also the first to begin flying the type, in March 1974. Delivered in 1973, its first F-4F, 37+01, received a special livery for the occasion.

 

A total of 263 Phantoms were acquired by Germany, the air force says, including 88 in the RF-4E reconnaissance configuration, from 1971.

 

Flightglobal's MiliCAS database shows Germany's retirement of the Phantom will reduce the global frontline fleet of the type to 431 aircraft, operated by the air forces of Egypt, Greece, Iran, Japan, South Korea and Turkey. The US Air Force also has more than 150 examples, which have been adapted for use as QF-4 aerial targets.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 15:45
Des Casques bleus au Mali dès lundi

26 juin, 2013 – BBC Afrique

 

Le Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU a donné mardi soir son feu vert au déploiement dès lundi 1er juillet de la Minusma qui prend le relais de la force panafricaine (Misma) et de l'armée française intervenus en janvier pour chasser des groupes islamistes qui occupaient le nord du Mali.

 

Cette force onusienne, au nombre de 12.600 à effectif plein, aura pour mission de sécuriser les principales villes du Nord et d'accompagner transition politique à Bamako, en aidant à organiser l'élection présidentielle prévue le 28 juillet.

 

La Mission intégrée des Nations unies pour la stabilisation au Mali (Minusma) a été créée par le Conseil le 25 avril "pour une période initiale de douze mois".

 

Selon l'ambassadeur britannique à l'ONU Mark Lyall Grant, qui préside le Conseil de sécurité en juin, les 15 membres du Conseil ont donné mardi leur "accord unanime (..) au déploiement de la Minusma à partir du 1er juillet".

 

Cependant les membres du Conseil sont conscients, a-t-il dit, de "la fragilité de la situation en terme de sécurité", des problèmes logistiques pour couvrir un territoire désertique deux fois plus grand que la France, et du "défi" que représentera la tenue d'élections dans un contexte politique malien compliqué.

 

Un nouveau chapitre dans l'histoire des Casques bleus

 

Le responsable des opérations de maintien de la paix Hervé Ladsous a parlé de "défis nouveaux et uniques".

 

Il a averti que les Casques bleus s'exposent à des "menaces asymétriques", c'est-à-dire une guérilla menée par les groupes islamistes ou des attentats.

 

Ils pourront compter sur un appui des forces françaises, celles qui resteront sur place pour continuer à mener des opérations antiterroristes ou celles qui sont basées dans la région (Côte d'Ivoire, Tchad).

 

Quelque 3.000 hommes sont toujours sur place pour aider à installer la Minusma, mais l'objectif est dedescendre à un millier fin 2013.

 

La Minusma absorbera "la majorité des forces de la Misma" --actuellement 6.148 hommes venus d'Afrique de l'Ouest et du Tchad et devrait atteindre sa "capacité opérationnelle complète" --11.200 soldats et 1.440 policiers, équipés d'hélicoptères de combat et de transport-- au 31 décembre, selon M. Ladsous.

 

Une "période de grâce de quatre mois" est prévue pour permettre aux contributeurs qui fourniront des unités de se former et de s'équiper.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 15:45
UN gives go-ahead to deployment of Mali peacekeepers

25 June 2013 BBC Africa

 

The United Nations Security Council has agreed that a UN peacekeeping force of 12,600 troops should be deployed in Mali from 1 July.

 

Britain's ambassador to the UN said there was "unanimous agreement" for UN peacekeepers to take over from the African-led operation imminently.

 

The UN will stick to a schedule drawn up in April.

 

International forces intervened in February to stop an Islamist advance on the capital, Bamako.

 

The new UN force, known as Minusma, will face security and political obstacles and will be deployed in extreme summer heat.

 

The force will aim to provide security for a presidential election due on 28 July.

 

Some clashes are continuing between Islamists groups and Tuarag rebels, according to the UN envoy to Mali, Albert Koenders.

 

He added that there would be "major challenges" to holding the election as scheduled.

 

France, key to the current deployment, will maintain at least 1,000 troops in the country for anti-terrorism operations.

 

British UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the new peacekeeping contingent would initially comprise the vast majority of troops from the African mission already there.

 

They now have four months to meet UN human rights and equipment standards.

 

UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said Chad would be closely monitored because it is on a blacklist for using child soldiers.

 

"The United Nations is making every effort to screen the Chadian contingent... and ensure that no troops under 18 are among them," Mr Ladsous added.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 15:45
Une stratégie régionale nécessaire pour combattre la piraterie maritime dans le Golfe de Guinée

YAOUNDE, 25 juin 2013 marine-oceans.com (AFP)

 

Une douzaine de chefs d'Etats d'Afrique centrale et occidentale, réunis à Yaoundé, veulent "mutualiser leurs moyens" financiers et militaires pour lutter contre la piraterie maritime qui prend des proportions inquiétantes dans le Golfe de Guinée

 

Les "efforts" des pays du Golfe de Guinée "pour éradiquer la piraterie s'avèrent insuffisants", a déclaré lundi le président camerounais Paul Biya, hôte du sommet, face à onze autre chefs d'Etats. "Une approche collective du problème est donc impérieuse pour éviter que le mal, une fois combattu au niveau d'un pays ou d'une des zones du Golfe de Guinée, ne se régénère ailleurs", a-t-il prévenu.

 

Cette région pétrolifère a en 2012, dépassé les côtes est-africaines en nombre d'attaques: 966 marins y ont été attaqués, contre 851 la même année au large des côtes somaliennes, jusque-là considérées comme la zone la plus dangereuse au monde, selon le Bureau maritime international (BMI).

 

L'idée fait consensus depuis lundi dans les couloirs du Palais des Congrès de Yaoundé: la nécessité d'élaborer une stratégie régionale basée sur "la mutualisation des moyens".

 

"En mutualisant les forces et les moyens, on peut arriver à de meilleurs résultats", affirme le colonel Didier Badjeck, chargé de communication du ministère camerounais de la Défense. Un partage qui porterait sur les "moyens nautiques", le "renseignement prévisionnel" mais également l'"autorisation de poursuites" au-delà des limites maritimes d'un pays dont les troupes chassent les pirates, précise-t-il.

 

Cette approche collective préconisée par les chefs d'Etats doit notamment passer par l'harmonisation des textes législatifs. Ensemble, la Communauté des Etats de l'Afrique du centre (Céeac), la Communauté économique d'Afrique de l'Ouest (Cédeao) et la Commission du Golfe de Guinée (CGG) pourraient aussi créer un mécanisme de financement exclusivement dédié à la lutte contre la piraterie maritime.

 

Des patrouilles mixtes au large des côtes

 

Pour l'instant, seules quelques initiatives nationales ou bilatérales existent pour faire face à la piraterie. Le Nigeria, pays le plus affecté avec 45% des attaques recensées dans le golfe de Guinée en 2012, a lancé en 2011 avec le Bénin une initiative baptisée "Opération prospérité", pour mener des patrouilles mixtes au large des côtes béninoises.

 

Le Cameroun qui a connu une cinquantaine d'attaques de pirates dans la péninsule de Bakassi (sud-ouest) en cinq ans, a déclenché en 2009 l'opération "Delta" menée par le Bataillon d'intervention rapide (BIR), redoutable unité d'élite de l'armée camerounaise, venu renforcer le dispositif de la marine nationale. Le BIR organise régulièrement des patrouilles maritimes et aériennes pour surveiller les côtes du Cameroun dont l'espace maritime est estimé à 10.000 km2.

 

"Bientôt la marine va acquérir des avions de surveillance maritime. Ce sera une grande première en Afrique noire, peut-être excepté le cas du Nigeria", assure le colonel Badjek.

 

"Beaucoup de pays côtiers ont acquis des équipements navals conséquents mais n'investissent pas assez dans le soutien logistique pour une véritable présence en mer", critique en revanche la Céeac dans un documentaire sur la piraterie au large des côtes ouest-africaines.

 

Les pays du golfe de Guinée attendent beaucoup de leurs partenaires internationaux - UE, Chine, Etats-Unis -, comme l'a souligné le président ivoirien Alassane Ouattara, les invitant "à faire preuve de la même fermeté dans le Golfe de Guinée que celle affichée dans le Golfe d'Aden, où la présence des forces navales internationales a permis de réduire drastiquement les actes de piraterie maritime".

 

L'Union européenne a lancé en janvier le programme Crimgo (routes maritimes critiques du Golfe de Guinée), pour renforcer la formation des gardes-côtes et mettre en place un réseau d'échange d'informations sur les actes de pirateries.

 

Les Etats-Unis financent et organisent chaque année à Douala (capitale économique du Cameroun) un exercice naval, Obangame Express, portant "sur la communication et les techniques de sécurité des forces navales dans le Golfe de Guinée".

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 15:30
RNO Al Shamikh - Khareef Class corvette

RNO Al Shamikh - Khareef Class corvette

Jun 26, 2013 ASDNews Source : BAE Systems PLC

 

The first warship built by BAE Systems for the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) as part of Project Khareef for the design, build and delivery of three corvettes, has been formally handed over in a ceremony at HM Naval Base Portsmouth today.

 

Employees and guests, including senior representatives from the Royal Navy of Oman and UK Royal Navy, gathered in front of the ship as the crew marched on board to raise the national flag of Oman on her flight deck for the first time.

 

Mick Ord, Managing Director of BAE Systems Maritime – Naval Ships, said: “Today is an important milestone in the strong and growing relationship between BAE Systems and Oman, as we hand over the first of the Khareef class warships.

 

“It’s an immensely proud moment for everyone at BAE Systems involved in the design, build, trial and delivery of Al Shamikh to see her crew march onboard and take ownership of the vessel. We now look forward to continuing our partnership with the Royal Navy of Oman, supporting the new crew and working towards the completion of the next two ships.”

 

The Khareef Class corvettes are equipped to defend against both surface and air threats with stealth features to operate undetected, an innovative hull design and electric propulsion to provide exceptional manoeuvrability. The ship is capable of undertaking a range of operations including coastal patrols, disaster relief, search and rescue, and deterrence operations.

 

Today’s ceremony marked the Interim Acceptance of Al Shamikh during which the ship is transferred to the Royal Navy of Oman. The Interim Acceptance of Al Rahmani, the second Khareef Class corvette, is scheduled to be handed over later in the year, while the final ship, Al Rasikh, is scheduled for handover in 2014.

 

The 85-strong crew of Al Shamikh, now based in the UK, will undergo the UK Royal Navy's Flag Officer Sea Training programme for five weeks before the ship embarks on her voyage of more than 3,000 miles to Oman.

 

The final acceptance of the ship is scheduled for 2014 after final hot weather trials are completed in Oman where the ship will demonstrate her ability to perform in temperatures in excess of 45 degrees.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 15:30
Iron Dome Battery - source Israel Sun Rex Features

Iron Dome Battery - source Israel Sun Rex Features

Jun 24, 2013 Spacewar.com (UPI)

 

Tel Aviv, Israel - The U.S. Congress is pushing for U.S. participation in developing Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system and, if it succeeds, make the Americans partners in all the systems that constitute the Jewish state's missile defense shield.

 

The House of Representatives this month tripled U.S. President Barack Obama's request to boost U.S. funding of Israeli missile defense systems from $96 million to $284 million.

 

This followed earlier increases in U.S. support, which began in the 1980s with the high-altitude Arrow program for which the Americans have paid the lion's share of the $1 billion development costs.

 

All this is separate from the $3 billion in military aid Israel receives from the United States every year.

 

The House Armed Services Committee approved the $284 million funding hike June 6, including an additional $15 million in funding for Iron Dome.

 

That system was developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Haifa. It's the only one of the Jewish state's anti-missile weapons that's been tested in combat, with a claimed kill rate of 85 percent.

 

It's also the only one of those programs in which U.S. defense companies have not participated, and thus had no access to the advanced technology involved.

 

Iron Dome, the bottom tier of the Israeli anti-missile shield, is designed to intercept short-range missiles and rockets, the only such system in service in the world.

 

Its unique feature is its computerized fire-control system, which can determine the trajectories of hostile missiles. It only engages those that will hit populated areas and ignores those that won't.

 

U.S. defense contractors, and members of Congress, have wanted to participate in Iron Dome for some time.

 

The House committee's funding increase stipulated, in an amendment proposed by Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., that "it may be obligated or expended for enhancing the capability of producing the Iron Dome system program in the United States, including for infrastructure, tooling, transferring data, special test equipment and related components."

 

In March, the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency for the first time included in its annual budget funding of $220 million for Israel to buy more Iron Dome batteries in fiscal 2014.

 

That was the first time the MDA has specifically sought funds for Iron Dome, underlining the U.S. Defense Department's effort to maintain military aid for Israel despite major cutbacks in defense spending.

 

The agency is also expected to seek $520 million to fund other Israeli anti-missile systems, including the David's Sling and the high-altitude Arrow-3 currently in development.

 

The House of Representatives and the Senate indicated in 2012 they wanted to approve spending as much as $680 million for Iron Dome through 2015.

 

The U.S. has long sought access to the Israeli-developed technology and is clearly using military aid to the Jewish state as leverage.

 

The Raytheon Co. has been working with Rafael for some time on developing David's Sling, designed to counter medium-range missiles.

 

Arrow-3, being developed by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries and the Boeing Co., is intended to intercept Iranian and Syrian ballistic missiles outside Earth's atmosphere.

 

Neither participation involves co-production.

 

The Israelis, although concerned that joint development of these systems with the Americans, could inhibit export sales -- India and South Korea are interested in Iron Dome and Arrow -- would seem to have little choice but to accept U.S. participation.

 

In 2012, the House Armed Services Committee called on the MDA to "explore any opportunity to enter into co-production" of Iron Dome, given the scale of U.S. funding, even though Washington had no legal rights to the Israeli technology.

 

Israel initially opposed that and ruled out co-production. It offered Washington data on the technologies used in Iron Dome's Tamir interceptor rockets, provided intellectual property rights were observed.

 

But this was not enough for the House, or U.S. companies that saw the prospect of blunting the impact of the cutbacks in U.S. defense spending and the layoffs these would cause.

 

However, in March, possibly because of Israel's own defense budget cuts, Brig. Gen. Shachar Shohat, a senior officer in Israel's missile forces, said setting up a parallel U.S. factory to make Tamirs could be a "win-win situation for both countries."

 

He stressed this would allow the Americans to benefit from their financial support for Israel.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 15:20
1st Italian Army ICH-47F Chinook Performs Its Maiden Flight

Jun 26, 2013 ASDNews Source : AgustaWestland

 

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the first ICH-47F Chinook for the Italian Army successfully accomplished its maiden flight on June 24th at Vergiate in Italy. The aircraft took to the air for 15 minutes, performing as expected carrying out basic handling tests and main systems checks.

 

This ICH-47F Chinook is the first of an order for 16 units plus four options placed by the Italian MoD Procurement Agency (ARMAEREO). The contract also includes a five year logistic support service. The delivery of the first aircraft is planned in early 2014 with final deliveries in 2017. The ICH-47Fs will be operated by the Italian Army Aviation 1st Regiment "Antares" based in Viterbo and they will replace the 40 CH-47C Chinooks that have been in service since 1973.

 

Under a Joint Industrial Agreement with Boeing, AgustaWestland is prime contractor for the Italian ICH-47F programme, with responsibility for systems integration, final assembly and aircraft delivery to the Italian Army. In addition AgustaWestland is also being qualified by Boeing to produce the entire drive systems. Boeing Rotorcraft Systems builds the fuselage at its Ridley Park, PA, facility in the United States of America whilst final assembly is carried out at AgustaWestland's Vergiate plant in Northern Italy.

 

Alessandro Parrini, Senior Vice President Italian Government Business Unit, AgustaWestland said: “This is an exciting moment for us and our customer. The Italian Army will soon fly the latest variant of the proven heavy lift platform that will give it new capabilities. This maiden flight confirms that the strategic partnership between the Company and the Service is providing a significant contribution to the modernisation of the Italian Army helicopter fleet.”

 

The ICH-47F customised version incorporates a secure communications system, self-protection system and advanced datalink system. This new ICH-47F Chinook variant has a Maximum All Up Weight (MAUW) of 23 tons, is equipped with two Honeywell T55-GA-714A engines giving it excellent “hot and high” capability and is suitable for all weather operations.

 

The primary tactical mission of the ICH-47F aircraft is to provide air transportation for equipment and troops. Cargo can be carried internally and externally using the aircraft's cargo hook system. The helicopter's payload, long range and high cruise speed make it a unique asset to meet the Italian Army's needs and can additionally perform special support functions, disaster relief and firefighting roles.

 

The Joint Industrial Agreement between AgustaWestland and Boeing also includes a licensing arrangement that enables AgustaWestland to market, sell and produce these “Chinooks” for other countries.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 13:55
Création du bataillon de réserve Île-de-France – 24e Régiment d’Infanterie, 27 Juin 2013

26.06.2013 SIRPA Terre - Gouverneur militaire de Paris

 

La création d’un bataillon de réserve opérationnelle en Île-de-France offrira une capacité supplémentaire de gestion de crise. Le jeudi 27 juin, une cérémonie officialisera la naissance de cette nouvelle unité au service de la collectivité.

 

Afin de répondre aux besoins spécifiques en région Ile-de-France, les femmes et les hommes de la réserve opérationnelle représentent le complément indispensable de l’armée de Terre d’active, concourant par leurs actions à l’exécution des différentes missions assignées aux forces armées (interventions lors de crises, Vigipirate, manifestations militaires, etc.) dont elle fait partie intégrante.

 

Le jeudi 27 juin à 18h00, une cérémonie officialisera la création du bataillon de réserve Îlede- France - 24e régiment d’infanterie au Fort neuf de Vincennes, marquant ainsi de façon concrète la montée en puissance de la réserve opérationnelle au sein de l’armée de Terre.

 

La prise d’armes sera présidée par le général d’armée Bertrand Ract Madoux, chef d’Etatmajor de l’armée de Terre (CEMAT), qui remettra au premier chef de corps de cette unité le drapeau du 24e régiment d’infanterie, dont les traditions seront confiées au bataillon.

 

La cérémonie de jeudi marquera la création officielle du bataillon de réserve île de France, qui a entamé sa montée en puissance depuis maintenant 10 mois. Ce bataillon a été créé pour pallier au manque d’unités militaires opérationnelles en île de France et pour répondre au besoin du Gouverneur militaire de Paris / Officier général de Zone de défense et de sécurité de disposer d’une réserve d’hommes et de femmes capables d’être mobilisés et déployés, sur court préavis pour répondre à des missions de sécurisation, de soutien logistique ou d’appui en zone île de France.

 

La décision de créer cette unité est intervenue en juillet 2012. Le bataillon a commencé sa montée en puissance à l’automne avec pour objectif de mettre sur pied cette année son état-major ainsi que sa première unité élémentaire. Il a atteint cet objectif au printemps et va pouvoir se consacrer à la montée en puissance d’une seconde unité élémentaire à compter de septembre prochain.

 

Le 12 juin dernier, le général d’armée Bertrand Ract-Madoux, chef d’état major de l’armée de Terre a décidé de confier les traditions du 24ème régiment d’infanterie à cette unité. C’est son drapeau que le CEMAT remettra donc jeudi 27 juin à 18h00 au lieutenant-colonel Gérald ORLIK, premier chef de corps du bataillon. L’état-major et la première unité sont installés au fort neuf de Vincennes. La seconde unité élémentaire montera en puissance sur le camp des Loges à Saint germain en Laye. A terme, deux autres unités verront le jour au camp des matelots à Versailles et à l’Ecole militaire à Paris.

 

Le 24ème régiment d’infanterie, dont l’origine remonte à 1656, date de création du régiment royal devint en 1775, le régiment de Brie, dont les couleurs et la croix seront reprises par l’insigne du Régiment. La nef parisienne symbolise l’implantation historique et les missions du régiment dont le sort est lié à la capitale. S’étant illustré dans l’armée de Turenne, puis en Amérique, il se couvre de gloire à la bataille de Hondschoote, puis dans les campagnes de l’Empire. Il fait une très belle guerre 14/18 et prend une part importante en 1940 à la campagne de France, qui vaudront à son drapeau de recevoir la croix de guerre 14/18 avec 2 palmes et une étoile et celle de 39/45 avec une palme. Dans les plis de son drapeau sont mentionnés 8 noms de batailles : Valmy 1792, Hondschoote 1793, Gènes 1800, Iéna 1806, Friedland 1807, Les Deux Morins 1914, Artois 1915, l’Aisne 1918. Le 24ème RI est le régiment de tradition de la défense de Paris, qu’il incarnera jusqu’à sa dissolution en 1997.

 

Le bataillon de réserve île de France -24ème régiment d’infanterie est la première unité composée uniquement de personnel de réserve à être mise sur pied. Elle s’appuie, pour son recrutement à la fois sur les cadres et militaires du rang de réserve demeurant en île de France et ayant appartenu aux unités d’intervention de réserve des régiments qui ont quitté le territoire francilien, comme sur un recrutement important de jeunes gens et de jeunes femmes n’ayant aucune formation militaire. Le défi à relever est donc avant tout de structurer l’unité autour d’un noyau de réservistes expérimentés, en créant l’âme du bataillon et de former les jeunes recrues.

Création du bataillon de réserve Île-de-France – 24e Régiment d’Infanterie, 27 Juin 2013

Note RP Defense : historique du 24e RI

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 13:33
photo Armée de l'Air

photo Armée de l'Air

26 juin 2013 AIRetCOSMOS

Le premier entraînement au défilé aérien du 14 juillet 2013 s'est tenu mardi 25 juin sur la base 279 de Châteaudin.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 13:23
European Defence Agency Procurement Gateway - 28 June

26 June 2013 European Defence Agency

 

On 28 June the European Defence Agency (EDA) is opening a new section on its website dedicated to procurement for the defence community.

 

This new section will serve as a one-shop gateway for users looking for procurement related information (at EU, EDA and national level) and business opportunities.

 

The gateway will constitute a centralized source of information of procurement rules and opportunities about Defence in Europe.

 

Besides access to a wide variety of information, industry will be able to register in the brand-new and unique European Defence Directory, a yellow page-like section of the gateway.


A special Press Briefing aimed at presenting the initiative will take place on Friday 28 June at EDA premises in Bruxelles.

 

The Press Briefing is open exclusively to the press accredited by the EU Institutions

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 12:20
Submarines : The War Against Invisibility

June 26, 2013: Strategy Page

 

The U.S. Navy has been secretive about how effective it has become in detecting non-nuclear submarines. That discretion is necessary to prevent the enemy from fixing any vulnerabilities you are exploiting. The quietness of modern diesel-electric boats puts nuclear subs and surface ships at a serious disadvantage, especially in coastal waters. This is a big problem for the United States, which went to an all nuclear submarine fleet half a century ago. While the nuclear sub is the most effective high seas vessel, especially if you have worldwide responsibilities and these nukes would have to quickly move long distances to get to the troubled waters, the diesel electric boat, operating on batteries in coastal waters, is quieter and harder to find.

 

For over a decade the U.S. Navy has been trying to get an idea of just how bad the threat is and developing technologies and tactics to deal with it. This was part of a larger ASW (anti-submarine warfare) effort that began in the 1990s to deal with post-Cold War submarine threat. A major part of this effort using a state-of-the-art non-nuclear subs to practice on. Thus from 2005 to 2007 the United States leased a Swedish sub (Sweden only has five subs in service) and its crew, to help American anti-submarine forces get a better idea of what they were up against. This Swedish boat was a "worst case" scenario, an approach that is preferred for training. The Gotland class Swedish subs involved are small (1,500 tons, 64.5 meters/200 feet long) and have a crew of only 25. The Gotland was based in San Diego, along with three dozen civilian technicians to help with maintenance.

 

For many years before the Gotland arrived, the U.S. Navy had trained against Australian diesel-electric subs and often came out second. The Gotland has one advantage over the Australian boats because of its AIP (Air-Independent Propulsion) system (which allows it to stay under water, silently, for several weeks at a time). Thus the Gotland was something of a worst case in terms of what American surface ships and submarines might have to face in a future naval war. Since the Gotland experiments the U.S. has borrowed other AIP subs for further work in refining detection methods. None of America's most likely naval opponents (China, North Korea, or Iran) only China has built some AIP boats yet. These three nations have plenty of diesel-electric subs which, in the hands of skilled crews, can be pretty deadly. China is making an effort to create experienced and well trained crews.

 

Based on the experience with Australian, Swedish, German and other subs, the U.S. Navy has been developing new anti-submarine tactics and equipment. All this is done in secret, obviously. But apparently the modern, quiet diesel electric boats continue to be a major threat to U.S. surface warships and subs. Meanwhile, potential enemies build more of their cheaper and higher quality diesel-electric boats and train their crews by having them stalk actual warships (including U.S. ones). The subs are getting more numerous, while U.S. defenses are limping along because of the sheer technical problems of finding quiet diesel-electric boats in coastal waters.

 

The U.S. has found that, given current sensor (sonar, magnetic, heat, chemical) technology it is possible to detect very quiet diesel-electric and AIP subs. To do this required many small tweaks to existing sensors. AIP boats, in particular, were found to have many vulnerabilities. The AIP technology generated more noise and heat than just using batteries. The more the U.S. studied AIP subs in operation the more ways they found these subs could be detected. It is known that the passive (listen only) sonar systems in the new Virginia class SSNs (nuclear attack sub) was tweaked to better find diesel-electric and AIP boats.

 

Despite keeping most of the details secret, some potential targets of these new ASW capabilities realized the danger they were in. One reason China wants to keep American naval forces out of their economic zone (370 kilometers from the coast, an area which does not bar foreign warships) is so that Chinese diesel electric subs can train without being stalked by American subs, surface ships, and aircraft looking for realistic practice tracking Chinese boats. At the same time the U.S. Navy has lost the full use of its most effective underwater anti-submarine training area (a well mapped and instrumented area off southern California) because environmentalist activists have convinced judges that the use of active sonar in this training area is harmful to some species of aquatic animals. So going after potential targets off their coasts is more important than ever.

 

There are 39 nations operating a total of 400 diesel electric subs. Only three of these nations (China, Iran, North Korea) are likely to use their subs against the U.S. or its allies. China has fifty of these boats, Iran has three (plus 25 much smaller mini-subs) and North Korea has 20 (plus 50 much smaller mini-subs). So the U.S. has to worry about 73 diesel electric subs and 75 mini-subs. But about half the full size subs are elderly, obsolete, and noisy. The same can be said for at least half the mini-subs. That leaves about 36 full size subs and 40 mini-subs that are a clear threat (though the older stuff can be a threat if you get sloppy). That’s a lot of subs, and they make the East Asian coast and the Persian Gulf dangerous places for American warships.

 

Moreover, the North Korean and Iranian fleets (and governments) are in decline, while China is pouring more cash into their armed forces. If there’s any diesel-electric boats the U.S. Navy has to be extremely concerned about, it’s the Chinese. While China continues to try and develop world class nuclear subs, they are also moving ahead in creating world class diesel electric boats.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 11:50
photo UK MoD

photo UK MoD

June 26, 2013: Strategy Page

 

Recently, after 14 years of effort the British Army finally got its first Terrier engineer vehicle. Think of this as an armored bulldozer that has lots of attachments that enable it to do all sorts of construction jobs on the battlefield. Britain needed the 30 ton Terrier to replace the elderly (entered service in 1976) 17 ton FV180s.

 

The British Army officially began the Terrier procurement program in 1999. In 2002 the army signed the contract to have the Terrier designed and manufactured. The price went up (from $5 million each to $9 million) and the quantity went down (from 100 to 60). It’s not unusual for projects like this to take over a decade, while getting a lot more expensive.

 

Most other nations do not require as much time to develop new combat engineering vehicles because they take recently retired (or currently in service) tanks, remove the turret (and replace it with a fixed armored structure) and add the engineer attachments (bulldozer blade, drills, hoists and so on). This takes much less time, providing a more robust vehicle and, if you are using older tanks, does not cost much more (to refurbish and rebuild the old tank chassis.)

 

The Terrier has an advantage in that it can more easily be moved by air (since it is not based on the chassis of a tank). Beyond that it has all the usual engineer capabilities. It can act as a bulldozer, dig trenches, drill into and shatter concrete and, like many current combat engineer vehicles, be operated by remote control. Also, like other current armored vehicles, the Terrier has five vidcams that lets the crew (of two) see all around the vehicle. In addition there is a thermal imager enabling the vehicle to safely make its way through a combat zone. The only weapons on these engineering vehicles are some machine-guns and, in some models, a short range cannon for firing demolition shells (to destroy obstacles or structures).

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 11:40
Mistral: la Russie met à l'eau la poupe du premier BPC

SAINT-PETERSBOURG, 26 juin - RIA Novosti



L'Usine de la Baltique de Saint-Pétersbourg a mis à l'eau mercredi la poupe du premier porte-hélicoptères de classe Mistral destiné à la Marine russe, a annoncé Alexandre Voznessenski, directeur général des chantiers navals.  

"Aujourd'hui, nous avons mis à l'eau la poupe du premier BPC, le deuxième Mistral sera mis en cale le 4 juillet 2015, en juin de la même année il sera remis au client", a fait savoir M.Voznessenski.  

Yves Destefanis, directeur du programme BPC russes chez DCNS, a de son côté indiqué que le remorquage de la poupe en France débuterait le 8 juillet et s'achèverait le 25 juillet.  

Toujours d'après M.Destefanis, une fois terminé, le BPC sera mis à l'eau le 15 octobre 2013 en France, conformément au calendrier prévu.  

La cérémonie de mise en cale sèche du premier des deux Mistral commandés par la Russie s'est tenue aux chantiers navals de Saint-Nazaire, en France, le 1er février dernier. La Russie assurera 20% des travaux de construction de son premier BPC et 40% des travaux pour le second Mistral. Un responsable du Groupe unifié de construction navale russe (OSK) a annoncé en février que la Russie avait déjà produit les 30 premiers petits blocs de la poupe du BPC, qui seront envoyés en France. 

D'une longueur maximale de 210 mètres, d'un déplacement de 22.000 tonnes et d'une vitesse supérieure à 18 nœuds, le BPC Mistral est capable de porter 16 hélicoptères, quatre vedettes de débarquement ou deux navires sur coussin d'air de faible tonnage. Son pont d'envol permet la mise en œuvre simultanée de 6 hélicoptères. Sa distance franchissable est de 20.000 milles nautiques. Le navire peut embarquer, outre ses 160 hommes d'équipage, un commando de 450 hommes.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 10:56
version "félinisée" du VBCI de Nexter System commandé par l'Armée de Terre. (DGA)

version "félinisée" du VBCI de Nexter System commandé par l'Armée de Terre. (DGA)

26-06-2013 Par Hubert Levet, pour Challenges.fr

 

L’Etat actionnaire organise la reprise de SNPE et de sa principale filiale, Eurenco, sous l’égide de Nexter. L’opération sera annoncée aux salariés le 27 juin.

 

Jeudi 27 juin, la direction de la société publique Nexter présente à ses salariés, dans le cadre d’un comité central d’entreprise un projet de rapprochement avec Eurenco. Nexter est le leader français de la défense terrestre avec 2.700 salariés et 742 millions d’euros de chiffre d’affaires. Eurenco, spécialisé dans les poudres et explosif, est la principale filiale du groupe public SNPE. La société emploie 980 collaborateurs. Mené sous l’égide du gouvernement, l’opération devrait être réalisée par une reprise de SNPE par Giat Sa, holding de Nexter, sur la base de valorisations qui devraient être arrêtées en septembre prochain. Certains actifs seront cédés, notamment les activités finlandaises d’Eurenco. Des négociations devraient par ailleurs être menées pour rapprocher le nouvel ensemble de l’allemand Nitrochemie Group.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 10:55
Seeking A Substitute For Experience In The Air

June 26, 2013: Strategy page

 

France is, like the United States and many other European countries, making big cuts in their defense budgets. In response the French Air Force is adopting radical new training methods. Rather than cut the flying time of all pilots by 20 percent (from 180 hours a year to 150), half the pilots would remain at 180 hours while the other half would be reduced to 40 hours in combat aircraft (like the Rafale) and another 140 hours in a high-end trainer (that is much cheaper to operate than the Rafale, or similar aircraft.) If there were a major war and the second line pilots were needed, they would undergo 60-90 days of intense training in the Rafale, amounting to over a hundred hours of flight time, which the French air force leaders believe would make them roughly equal to the first line pilots in terms of capability.

 

All this is something of a gamble and it’s unclear if it will actually work. But the French have little choice since the money is not there to maintain 180 hours a year for everyone and as the recent operations in Mali made clear, you need highly skilled and experienced pilots to carry off operations like that without losing aircraft.

 

The U.S. currently and Russia during the 1990s used a similar two-tier system, where pilots not heading overseas had their flight hour cut. But when a squadron was scheduled for a trip to a combat zone, pilots got a lot more flying hours for the few months before they went. This apparently was sufficient to get the pilots back (or reasonably close to) their former (with 180 or more flight hours a year) competence levels.  The U.S. is again using this system because of budget cuts.

 

There are several other unknowns. Cost issues may mean using a high end turboprop trainer instead of a jet trainer. Then there’s the issue of simulators. Research into the effectiveness of high-end simulators (which cost less than ten percent per hour compared to the actual aircraft) is still unclear when you try to substitute simulator time for a lot of actual flying hours (like down to 40 hours a year). It’s long been theoretically possible to substitute simulator hour for the lost flight time and still have a pilot able to perform at an acceptably high level. This new budget crises in Western air forces may be a way to finally clear up just how effective simulator use is.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 10:55
Crédit MBDA - I. Chapuis

Crédit MBDA - I. Chapuis

25/06/2013 Par Guillaume Steuer - air-cosmos.com

 

Le MMP pourrait être livré à l'armée de Terre dès 2017.

 

Objectif 2014 pour les premiers tirs propulsés du nouveau MMP (missile moyenne portée) en cours de développement chez MBDA. Après de premiers essais concluants de "tirs-départs" menés en début d'année, et qui ont permis de démontrer l'éjection du missile de son lanceur, le missilier se dit prêt à mener dès l'an prochain de premiers tirs de courte portée sur son site de Bourges.

 

Au total, 10 à 20 tirs d'essais devraient être nécessaires pour qualifier le missile. Les tirs courte portée seront suivis par des tirs plus complexes qui mettront à l'épreuve le nouvel autodirecteur bimode développé par Sagem pour le MMP ainsi que la liaison fibre optique. Les tirs de qualification du missile devraient pour leur part commencer en 2016, en vue de premières livraisons à l'armée de Terre l'année suivante.

 

Pour l'heure, ce programme de développement est mené en grande partie sur fonds propres, même si certaines briques technologiques (autodirecteur, fibre optique, poste de tir…) ont fait l'objet d'un chantier de levée de risques attribué par la DGA fin 2011 et qui s'est achevé au tout début 2013. Confirmé lors d'une récente visite du ministre de la défense Jean-Yves le Drian à Bourges, le lancement du programme MMP doit encore être formalisé par la notification d'un contrat de développement et de production. Celle-ci pourrait avoir lieu fin 2013 ou début 2014.

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26 juin 2013 3 26 /06 /juin /2013 10:50
source defenseindustrydaily.com

source defenseindustrydaily.com

June 26, 2013: Strategy Page

 

There was recently a SINKEX (sinking exercise) in which Norway fired one of their locally made Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) at a decommissioned 2,100 ton Oslo class frigate. The NSM, fired from a smaller missile boat, hit the frigate, did a lot of damage but did not sink it. If the frigate had been loaded with fuel and ammo, the NSM would have started fires and probably put the ship out of service and possibly caused it to go down.

 

Despite the many lightweight (under a ton) anti-ship missiles on the market, NSM still gets sales because it is effective, reliable and affordable. It is also offered for use on ships, aircraft and on trucks (as part of a mobile coastal defense system). The 409 kg (900 pound) NSM anti-ship missile has a 125 kg (275 pound) warhead and a range of 185 kilometers. NSM uses GPS and inertial guidance systems, as well as a heat imaging system (and a database of likely targets) for picking out and hitting the intended ship. Norwegian manufacturer Kongsberg allows buyers to easily install their own radar and control systems.

 

Russian Kh-35 anti-ship missile

Russian Kh-35 anti-ship missile

There is lots of competition, the main ones being the U.S. Harpoon and similar missiles from Russia and China. The Russian Kh-35 anti-ship missile is similar to the American Harpoon but lighter (610 kg/1,340 pounds, compared to 728 kg/1,600) and has less range (130 kilometers compared to 224 for the latest version of Harpoon). The Kh-35 (also known as the SS-N-25 or Switchblade) can be fired from helicopters, aircraft, ships, or shore batteries.

 

China sells a lot of C-801 and C-802 anti-ship missiles. The C-801 is 5.81 meters (18 feet) long, 360mm in diameter, has a max range of 42 kilometers and weighs 636 kg (1,400 pounds) each. The C-801 is similar to the French Exocet, and is believed to have been based on that missile.

 

The C802A is a 6.8m (21 foot) long, 360mm diameter, 682kg (1,500 pound) missile, with a 165kg (360 pound) warhead. The C802 has a max range of 120 kilometers, and moves along at about 250 meters a second. The French Exocet missile is the same size and performance, but costs twice as much (over a million dollars each, but the manufacturer is known to be flexible on pricing.)

 

Exocet MM40 Block 3 firing. MBDA Michel Hans

Exocet MM40 Block 3 firing. MBDA Michel Hans

The new Exocet MM Block 3 has twice the range (180 kilometers) because of their turbojet engine. This is a 670 kg (1,500 pound) missile that has been around for over three decades, has been proven in combat and is known to be reliable. The C802 is known to be less capable than the Exocet, but it looks similar.

 

Russia pioneered the use of larger (up to three ton) supersonic “carrier killer” anti-ship missiles. The most common example is the Yakhont which is an 8.9 meter (27.6 foot) long, three ton missile with a 300 kg (660 pound) warhead. Russia has been building missiles like this since the 1970s but they are only popular with the few nations that have a need to destroy American aircraft carriers.

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