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23 avril 2013 2 23 /04 /avril /2013 07:50
BAE Detica launches new cyber solution

LONDON, April 22 (UPI)

 

A new defense-grade, cybersecurity analytics and investigation product for in-house use has been launched by Britain's BAE Systems Detica.

 

CyberReveal, announced Monday, can be scaled to any organization. It is capable of processing billions of data records daily to identify and prioritize security events, giving analysts a single view of network activity across their whole IT estate, detecting attacks by behavior and not just by the signatures of previous attacks.

 

"CyberReveal addresses four key areas where traditional approaches are proving ineffective against the modern cyber threat, helping analysts to prioritize the incidents they investigate, managing huge data volumes, evolving their defenses in line with a rapidly changing threat environment and enabling quicker, more informed decision making," said Martin Sutherland, managing director of BAE Systems Detica.

 

"This is the first time we're making our technology available for companies that have their own analysts. CyberReveal provides a unique 'single pane of glass' for analysts by linking security event data information from across the entire organization."

 

In addition to CyberReveal, the companies offers its own Managed Security Services team, to monitor for and act on cyberattacks on a company's behalf.

BAE Detica launches new cyber solution

 

LONDON, April 22 (UPI)

 

A new defense-grade, cybersecurity analytics and investigation product for in-house use has been launched by Britain's BAE Systems Detica.

 

CyberReveal, announced Monday, can be scaled to any organization. It is capable of processing billions of data records daily to identify and prioritize security events, giving analysts a single view of network activity across their whole IT estate, detecting attacks by behavior and not just by the signatures of previous attacks.

 

"CyberReveal addresses four key areas where traditional approaches are proving ineffective against the modern cyber threat, helping analysts to prioritize the incidents they investigate, managing huge data volumes, evolving their defenses in line with a rapidly changing threat environment and enabling quicker, more informed decision making," said Martin Sutherland, managing director of BAE Systems Detica.

 

"This is the first time we're making our technology available for companies that have their own analysts. CyberReveal provides a unique 'single pane of glass' for analysts by linking security event data information from across the entire organization."

 

In addition to CyberReveal, the companies offers its own Managed Security Services team, to monitor for and act on cyberattacks on a company's behalf.

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23 avril 2013 2 23 /04 /avril /2013 07:50
Royal Marines from 42 Commando set off from HMS Illustrious for a live firing exercise ashore [Picture: Petty Officer (Photographer) Ray Jones, Crown copyright]

Royal Marines from 42 Commando set off from HMS Illustrious for a live firing exercise ashore [Picture: Petty Officer (Photographer) Ray Jones, Crown copyright]

 

19 April 2013 Ministry of Defence

 

200 Royal Marines commandos have attacked 4 'enemy' positions near Cape Wrath in Scotland as part of Exercise Joint Warrior.

 

For 2 weeks the multinational exercise will involve more than 30 warships, over 65 aircraft and more than 12,000 people.

As part of a scenario in which they responded rapidly to a developing threat, Royal Marines from 42 Commando were landed several miles inshore of Cape Wrath by Chinook and Sea King helicopters to attack the target positions.

Supported by 4.5-inch guns on HMS Diamond and HMS Westminster, plus the 105-millimetre light guns of 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, the marines took around 3 hours to push their way through the enemy to reach the shore.

The marines of 42 Commando also used their own 81-millimetre mortars, along with those of the Swedish marines taking part, as well as general purpose machine guns to launch an all-out attack on the target positions.

Royal Marines being inserted into the field by an RAF Chinook
Royal Marines of Juliet Company, 42 Commando, being inserted into the field by an RAF Chinook [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Jason Ballard, Crown copyright]

Following the training exercise they then launched a night-time raid on the same area.

This is exactly how it would happen in a real life situation,” said Captain Dave Thatcher, 29 Commando Regiment, one of the training team managers. “All the ammunition being used is live, and when the marines get to the targets they will see something there that will denote it is a position they are meant to attack. It is as realistic as we can get.

It is also one of the few places in the UK where we can practise this type of large-scale firing exercise. This particular part of the exercise is all aimed at getting 42 Commando back to contingency as part of the Lead Commando Group.

As part of 3 Commando Brigade’s Lead Commando Group, 42 Commando will be ready to react to rapidly unfolding world events as they happen. Exercise Joint Warrior draws on their core amphibious assault skills rather than those used on land operations such as Afghanistan.

Brigadier Martin Smith, Commander of 3 Commando Brigade, said:

While the Lead Commando Group can undertake a wide range of missions, we need to be prepared to fight if necessary at short notice and in unfamiliar environments.

Joint Warrior, which brings together land and maritime firepower and manoeuvre forces, is hugely important in making sure that we can link together all elements of our capability.

As well as the British forces using the exercise areas, Dutch, French and Swedish forces will be practising their firepower in the trenches and on the ranges.

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23 avril 2013 2 23 /04 /avril /2013 07:45
Nigeria  : A Cure Worse Than The Disease

April 22, 2013: Strategy Page

 

Boko Haram will not be easy to get rid of because it’s not that unusual an organization in Nigeria. It goes like this. Political power is much sought after in Nigeria, especially being governor of one of the states. There are 36 states and the federal capital district. It is a federal system with the governor having a lot of power and most of them abuse it, as well as the electoral process by which they obtain that power. Therein lies the main problem.

 

In the north, local tribal and religious leaders, who still have some standing among the people, place the blame for Boko Haram on the northern politicians. This is especially true of the state governors, who use fraud and force to get elected and once in office steal as much as they can. Boko Haram got its start as one of these politician supported gangs (used to discourage opposition candidates and encourage voting for their boss), but got out of control when the group became violently anti-corruption. Boko Haram recruited a lot of men who learned how to be gangsters working for these politically connected militias.

 

Federal level anti-corruption efforts have concentrated on the governors, and ex-governors (all of them much wealthier than they were before becoming governors). But these savvy and corrupt politicians have been difficult to prosecute, convict and jail. The justice system favors those with lots of cash and few scruples. And that’s why you have Boko Haram up north, who exist, by their own admission, mainly to reduce corruption and crime. The tragedy of Nigeria is that the billions in oil income over the last half century did not go to build a better country, but to construct a network of private armies created by corrupt politicians, mainly the state governors. The oil money has made a few Nigerians very rich and most Nigerians very unhappy.

 

Northeastern Borno state is where Boko Haram is strongest. This is partly because Borno borders Cameroon, Niger and Chad, three countries where Islamic terrorists can find sanctuary in thinly populated border areas. The largest city in Borno; Maiduguri, has become one of the main battlegrounds between the Islamic terrorists and the security forces. Boko Haram is holdings on in Maiduguri despite energetic efforts by soldiers and police to shut the Islamic radicals down. Outside of Maiduguri government officials have been driven out of many rural areas by Boko Haram death squads. Thousands of Christians have fled Maiduguri for the same reason. Boko Haram has seized many government vehicles and weapons and are so strong in some rural areas that a major military operation (involving hundreds of troops and dozens of vehicles) must be put together in order to travel there.

 

Anti-corruption sentiment has been growing over the last decade. Most Nigerians are fed up with the half century of stealing and mismanagement and even the government has to pay lip service to the movement. Most politicians are dirty and they protect each other. President Johnson recently pardoned a former state governor who had been convicted of corruption and the government is trying to ban a 30 minute documentary film that names names and makes it clear how widespread and costly the corruption is.

 

MEND (Niger Delta tribal rebels) has threatened to attack Moslems in the south if Boko Haram does not halt its attacks on Christians in the north. MEND is still around despite the amnesty deal four years ago. While many MEND members accepted the government amnesty the MEND hard core is still in business. Currently MEND has been demanding that the army withdraw from the Delta and all prisoners be freed or else there will be a new wave of attacks on oil facilities. Not much has come of these threats despite some MEND violence every week or so. The MEND rebels also want the terms of the 2009 amnesty deal enforced, and corrupt officials running the program removed. In response to those threats, the military keeps attacking MEND associated camps in the Niger delta, seizing lots of weapons and equipment, but not making many arrests. The rebels tend to hear the troops coming (usually by boat, usually after some aerial reconnaissance), and slip away into an area of numerous creeks and islands they know well. Many criminals in the delta also support rebel goals (for more autonomy in the Delta, less corruption and spending additional oil money locally). Even through the government has screwed up their end of the amnesty deal they insist that the rebels keep the peace. But corruption and mismanagement have kept many rebels from getting the amnesty benefits and the government is seen as unreliable, corrupt and a hostile force. The MEND threats have been much more ambitious than the actual attacks and it is believed that only a few people are involved in attacks on oil facilities (which are well guarded these days.)

 

April 20, 2013: In the Niger Delta troops seized a tanker carrying 2,500 tons of stolen oil. The tanker was caught while taking on more stolen oil. The entire cargo is normally taken to a neighboring country where criminal oil brokers use forged documents to sell the oil as legitimate and split the profits with the thieves and the middlemen who collect and transport the oil. Some of the stolen oil is refined and sold locally in crude rural refineries. Since the amnesty program in the Niger Delta four years ago broke the power of the tribal oil theft/separatist gangs, local politicians and military commanders have taken control of most of the oil theft operations and organized them more efficiently (so that it is more profitable to the politicians to steal the oil than to steal the government share of the oil profits). The amount of oil stolen has increased and is now 10-15 percent of production. The old tribal gangs never got more than 5-10 percent.

 

Oil theft related arrests in the Niger Delta usually involve shutting down oil theft operations that do not have a politician sponsor (who takes a cut of the profits for providing protection). The foreign oil companies that run the drilling and pipeline operations are threatening to leave if something is not done about the oil theft gangs. The stealing has been so serious that, in the last three months, daily production fell from 2.3 million barrels a day to 2.1 million. This is despite efforts to increase production. The government hoped to increase production to 3.7 million barrels a day. The previous peak was 2.6 million barrels a day seven years ago (before the Niger Rebels got going and oil theft became a much larger problem). It proved impossible to get back to 2.6 million, because of the growing oil theft.

 

Some of the local oil thieves have turned to piracy, attacking the many commercial ships off the Nigerian coast and the surrounding Gulf of Guinea. Shipping companies are responding by putting armed guards on the most lucrative targets. Eventually the pirates will be left with slim pickings and the piracy will fade. This process will take several years so piracy will be a growing problem for a while.

 

April 19, 2013: In the northeast (Baga on Lake Chad) 185 people were killed, most of them civilians caught in the crossfire during a Boko Haram attack. It began when troops surrounded a mosque believed used as a base by Boko Haram. More Islamic terrorists showed up and attacked the troops. Hours of shooting saw thousands of civilians flee the fishing village as the soldiers chased the Boko Haram men away. The soldiers accused Boko Haram of using civilians as human shields, which may have been the case. The army also has a long history of shooting at everyone in sight when attacked in an urban setting.

 

Prosecutors charged a man with organizing the 2011 Boko Haram bombing of a church outside Abuja (the national capital) that killed 37. The police are often able to hunt down and kill or capture the Boko Haram men responsible for the major attacks. But because of the widespread popularity of Islamic conservatism (as a cure for the corruption and other ills Nigerian suffers from) in the north, there are always new recruits. It will take a while before it is realized up there that the Taliban approach (which Boko Haram is trying to emulate) is actually a cure worse than the disease.

 

April 18, 2013: In neighboring Cameroon Boko Haram released a French family (parents, an uncle and four children aged 5-12) they had kidnapped in the northern Cameroon two months ago. The hostages were apparently taken across the border to Nigeria and later back into Cameroon to avoid police efforts on both sides of the border to find them. Boko Haram at first denied they were responsible. A month ago Boko Haram released an Internet video in which they demanded the release of all Boko Haram prisoners in Nigeria and Cameroon otherwise they would continue holding the French family.  The French and Nigerian government would only say that no ransom was paid to get the family released and that there was no raid involved. Boko Haram has not said why they decided to free their hostages. Eventually it will be known if some kind of deal was made or that the police were closing in and the kidnappers made the best they could of the situation by “releasing” their captives.

 

April 17, 2013: The government announced an amnesty program that would give Boko Haram members 60 days to surrender. A committee of 26 northern notables is being formed to develop an amnesty procedure including suggestions on how to deal with the causes of the northern unrest (corruption and poverty). While anti-corruption efforts have become increasingly popular and energetic the corruption is very much still there and not much weakened over the last decade. Most northerners do not want to be ruled by a religious dictatorship (which Boko Haram offers as a solution to everything) but would like peace, prosperity and honest government. The reality is that many federal and northern politicians see the amnesty program as an opportunity to do some more stealing. That’s what happened with the recent amnesty program in the southern Niger Delta states.

 

April 13, 2013: In the north (Borno) Boko Haram attacked a secular school and killed several students. The name “Boko Haram” means, literally, that Western education is forbidden.

 

April 12, 2013: In the north (Borno) Boko Haram men attacked a police station at night. The attack failed, with five terrorists killed along with four policemen.

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23 avril 2013 2 23 /04 /avril /2013 07:45
Le 8 avril 2013, les premiers soldats de l’opération Serval sont arrivés au sas de décompression OPEX situé à Chypre.  Crédit : EMA / armée de Terre

Le 8 avril 2013, les premiers soldats de l’opération Serval sont arrivés au sas de décompression OPEX situé à Chypre. Crédit : EMA / armée de Terre

 

22 avril 2013 Romandie.com (AFP)

 

PARIS - Plus de 500 soldats français ont déjà quitté le Mali depuis le début du désengagement des forces françaises entamé en avril, a-t-on appris lundi auprès de l'état-major des armées.

 

Le nombre de soldats français encore déployés au Mali s'élève à un peu moins de 4.000, a-t-on précisé de même source. Au plus fort de l'opération Serval contre les groupes islamistes qui occupaient le nord du pays, le contingent français était de près de 4.500 hommes.

 

Un premier groupe d'une centaine de parachutistes est rentré en France le 9 avril. Mardi en fin de journée, un détachement du 17e Régiment du génie parachutiste est attendu à Montauban (sud).

 

L'objectif fixé par le président François Hollande est de ramener le contingent français au Mali à 2.000 hommes en juillet et à un millier fin 2013.

 

Les militaires retirés depuis le début du désengagement ont participé à l'ensemble des opérations aéroportées, qui ont permis aux forces françaises de reprendre le contrôle du nord du Mali, notamment dans les régions de Tombouctou, Gao, Tessalit et Kidal.

 

Lancée dans l'urgence le 11 janvier, l'opération Serval a permis de démanteler les réseaux jihadistes dans le nord du pays, au prix de violents affrontements, notamment dans l'Adrar des Ifoghas, où les combattants d'Al Qaida au Maghreb Islamique s'étaient retranchés. L'armée française poursuit actuellement ses opérations notamment contre de petits groupes de combattants islamistes dans la région de Gao.

 

Sur le terrain, la force des pays de l'ouest africain, la Misma, qui doit prendre le relai des forces françaises, poursuit son déploiement. Le contingent burkinabè, de près de 600 hommes, est au complet dans la région de Tombouctou, où il prend le contrôle de la zone lors de patrouilles communes avec l'armée française, a indiqué la défense. Les soldats burkinabè devront assurer ensuite la sécurisation de la région conjointement avec les forces maliennes.

 

Une vingtaine d'unités de la Misma sont désormais réparties dans les principales villes et points stratégiques du Mali, comme Bamako, Gao, Diabali, Tombouctou, Kidal ou Tessalit. Forte de 6.300 hommes, la Misma regroupe des contingents d'une dizaine de pays. Pour permettre une bonne coordination avec les forces françaises, un détachement de liaison français est déployé à leur côté, comme à Tombouctou ou à Ménaka, près de la frontière nigérienne, où le bataillon nigérien s'est déployé fin mars.

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23 avril 2013 2 23 /04 /avril /2013 07:35
Sous-marin Scorpene photo  DCNS

Sous-marin Scorpene photo DCNS

 

April 22, 2013: Strategy Page

 

 India's effort to build six submarines (French Scorpenes), under license, has been delayed once again. The problem is mainly poor management. An example of this occurred quite recently with the departure of ten Spanish technical advisors for the Scorpenes. Their contract expired at the end of March and, despite the expiration date being well known Indian bureaucrats were unable to get a new contract in place on time. Similar avoidable delays have occurred several times already and the price has gone up with each delay. Last year it was announced that the first Scorpene sub would not be ready until 2015. The new delays push that to 2017.

 

Building the subs in India will leave India with thousands of workers and specialists experienced in building modern submarines. All that will be wasted because the defense procurement bureaucrats seem to have learned nothing. These officials already caused numerous delays and cost overruns during negotiations to build these diesel-electric submarines. The bureaucrats mismanaged this deal to the extent that it is now five years behind schedule. But it is even more behind schedule if you count the several years the Indian bureaucrats delayed it even getting started. The delays and mismanagement have so far increased the cost of the $4 billion project by 25 percent (to $834 million per sub).

 

The original plan was to have the first Indian built Scorpene delivered at the end of 2012. But now, because of problems getting the construction facilities and skilled workmen ready, the first Scorpene won't be delivered until 2017, with one each year after that until all six are delivered. That schedule is subject to change, and probably will, for the worse.

 

After the bureaucrats and politicians dithered for nearly a decade, in 2005, India finally signed a deal to buy six French Scorpene class boats. The delays led to the French increasing prices on some key components and India has had some problems in getting production going on their end. The first Scorpene was to be built in France, with the other five built in India. While some problems were expected (India has been doing license manufacturing of complex weapons for decades), the defense ministry procurement bureaucrats never ceased to amaze when it came to delaying work or just getting in the way.

 

The Scorpenes are similar to the Agosta 90B subs (also French) that Pakistan recently bought. The first of the Agostas was built in France, but the other two were built in Pakistan. The Scorpenes purchase was seen as a response to the Pakistani Agostas. The Scorpene are a more recent design, the result of cooperation between French and Spanish sub builders. The Agosta is a 1,500 ton (surface displacement) diesel-electric sub with a 36 man crew and four 533mm (21 inch) torpedo tubes (with 20 torpedoes and/or anti-ship missiles carried). The Scorpene is a little heavier (1,700 tons), has a smaller crew (32), and is a little faster. It has six 533mm torpedo tubes and carries 18 torpedoes and/or missiles. Both models can be equipped with an AIP (air independent propulsion) system. This enables the sub to stay under longer, thus making the sub harder to find. AIP allows the sub to travel under water for more than a week, at low speed (5-10 kilometers an hour). Two of the Indian Scorpenes are to have Indian made AIP installed.

 

All this ineffective urgency is in play because India's submarine fleet is dying of old age and new boats are not going to arrive in time. It's not like this was a surprise, but the Indian defense procurement bureaucracy has long been noted as slow, sloppy, and stubborn, especially in the face of demands that it speed up. The twisted tale of the tardy submarines is particularly painful.

 

The plan was to have a dozen new subs in service by the end of the decade. At present, there will be (with a bit of luck) three or four of them in service by then. The procurement bureaucracy is still seeking a supplier for the second batch of six diesel-electric subs. This second six probably won’t even begin arriving by the end of the decade. It's hard to say, although the defense procurement nabobs speak of "fast tracking" this project, but long-time observers not expecting speed.

 

There's some urgency to all this because this year five of India's 16 diesel-electric subs (10 Kilo and two Foxtrot class Russian built boats and four German Type 209s) were to be retired (some are already semi-retired because of age and infirmity). Because of the Scorpene delays, the Type 209s are being kept in service (but not allowed out to sea much) for several more years. That leaves India with 14 subs. But in the next year or so several of the older Kilos will reach retirement age. Thus, by the time the first Scorpene arrives in 2017, India will only have five or six working subs. India believes it needs at least 18 non-nuclear subs in service to deal with Pakistan and China.

 

The hulls of all six Scorpenes have been completed, but filling those subs up with all the necessary equipment is an even more difficult task. Moreover, India insists that some of that equipment be manufactured in India and that introduces even more complications and delays. Indian firms have a spotty track record in this area.

 

India is also building and buying nuclear subs. India received a Russian Akula nuclear attack (SSN) sub last year. This one is on lease with the option to buy. Indian SSNs and SSBNs (missile carrying boats) are under development, as they have been for decades.

 

While India was largely concerned with the Pakistani navy when the Scorpene contract was negotiated and signed, China is now seen as the primary adversary. The Chinese subs are not as effective as the Pakistani boats, both because of less advanced technology and less well trained crews. India could use their Scorpenes to confront any Chinese attempt to expand their naval presence into the Indian Ocean. Thus the delays and cost overruns with the Scorpenes are causing quite a lot of commotion in India. But at the rate India is going, it will be over a decade of construction before all six of the Scorpenes are in service. At that point, India would have about a dozen subs (including nuclear powered models under construction). China will have over 60 boats, about 20 percent of them nuclear. China does have a lot for its warships to deal with off its coasts and in the Western Pacific but it does retain the capability of putting more subs off the Indian coast than can the Indian Navy.

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23 avril 2013 2 23 /04 /avril /2013 07:30
Rockwell Collins avionics picked for C-130 upgrade

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, April 22 (UPI)

 

Three C-130 aircraft of the Omani air force undergoing upgrade are to be fitted with Rockwell Collins' Flight2 avionics system.

 

The Flight2 avionics system will give the aircraft unrestricted access to global airspace by meeting Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management airspace requirements.

 

"Royal Air Force of Oman pilots will experience greater situational awareness and communications capabilities with the highly advanced avionics onboard these aircraft," said Troy Brunk, vice president and general manager of Airborne Solutions for Rockwell Collins. "Through our work with ST Aerospace and the Royal Air Force of Oman, we look forward to continuing our long legacy of helping C-130 pilots achieve their missions with these important upgrades."

 

Inclusion of the system is to begin this year in Singapore, where ST Aerospace is modernizing the aircraft.

 

Included in the avionics upgrade are new primary flight displays, a new flight management system, autopilot, communication radios, navigation sensors and surveillance systems, a terrain awareness and warning system and digital map.

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23 avril 2013 2 23 /04 /avril /2013 07:20
More Raytheon decoy-jammer systems for U.S. Air Force

TUCSON, April 22 (UPI)

 

Raytheon is producing more miniature air launched decoy-jammers for the U.S. Air Force under exercise of a contract option.

 

A total of 202 MALD jammers, with containers, will be produced and delivered. The value of the firm fixed-price Air Force contract is $81.7 million. A 10-year warranty is included in the deal.

 

"MALD-J adds a jamming capability to the current decoy function of the MALD that disrupts enemy integrated air defense systems using jamming and radar signature technology," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Air Warfare Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems.

 

"This weapon will provide unprecedented capability and flexibility to the U.S. Air Force and improve the survivability of our airmen and their aircraft."

 

MALD is a modular, air-launched and programmable flight vehicle that protects aircraft by duplicating the combat flight profiles and radar signatures of U.S. and allied aircraft. A unit weighs 300 pounds and has a range of about 500 nautical miles

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23 avril 2013 2 23 /04 /avril /2013 07:20
Hornet In The Mist

4/20/2013 Strategy Page

 

U.S. Navy Lt. Mary Gresko, front, directs an F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 154 before a launch from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Pacific Ocean, April 9, 2013. The Nimitz and Carrier Air Wing 11 are underway for a training exercise to prepare for an upcoming deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacquelyn D. Childs

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23 avril 2013 2 23 /04 /avril /2013 07:20
Is There Anything An F-16 Cannot Do?

 

April 21, 2013: Strategy Page

 

The U.S. Air Force prefers to use its F-16 fighters for everything. While the F-16 is a capable and versatile aircraft, the main reason for using it so much is because it is so cheap to operate. It costs the air force $23,000 per hour to operate an F-16C. Other fighters are much more expensive. An F-22 costs $68,000 an hour, while an F-15C costs $42,000 and an F-15E $36,000.

 

The only aircraft that beats the F-16C is the A-10C, which costs $18,000 an hour. But the A-10 is not a fighter and is optimized for ground support. The F-16 can also do that, but not as well. The other ground support aircraft, the AC-130U costs $46,000 an hour. That’s why these are being replaced by C-130 transports ($18,000 an hour) with special cargo containers consisting of sensors and weapons similar to those on the AC-130.

 

The F-16, like the A-10 can also drop smart bombs. Both aircraft are much cheaper at this than the bombers. The B-52H costs $70,000 an hour, the B-1B $58,000 and the B-2 $169,000. The problem with the bombers is that with smart bombs you don’t need a lot of bombs. So what the F-16 can carry (a dozen or more, depending on weight) is usually adequate in places like Afghanistan. For an attack on, say, North Korea, the bombers would come into their own, at least for the initial assault when there are a lot of targets to hit.

 

With the right sensors, missiles and electronic weapons plus well-trained pilots the F-16 can beat just about any other fighter out there. For stealth fighters, that would have to include sensors that can handle stealth. But stealth fighters often have the best sensors and electronics as well. Thus against most foes a well tricked out F-16 can do it all.

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23 avril 2013 2 23 /04 /avril /2013 07:20
photo US Navy

photo US Navy

Apr 22, 2013 ASDNews Source : US Navy

 

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) concluded its five-day Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) carrier qualifications (CQ) in the Atlantic Ocean, April 20.

 

Fleet Replacement Squadron CQ consists of both day and night operations.

 

The ship and its crew of more than 3,000 Sailors worked in unison with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 120, and Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 around the clock to help pilots successfully complete the final stages of their training.

 

"We flew every day from approximately 1 p.m. until 1 a.m., and met our mark of around 600 traps," said Lt. Kent Davis, flight deck officer. "It's tougher than regular flight operations."

 

Regular flight operations can involve launching 2-3 aircraft at a time with 1-2 hours between launches. Pilots would then fly their missions for several hours before returning to the ship. Fleet Replacement Squadron CQ, on the other hand, is a 12-hour continuous flight evolution demanding more from the crew and pilots.

 

"Normal flight operations are a timed evolution," said Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Derrick W. Foster, flight deck chief. "Fleet Replacement Squadron CQ is harder; it is extremely fast paced and nonstop not only for the ship's crew but the pilots as well."

 

In order for FRS pilots to qualify and advance into a fleet squadron the pilot must successfully complete six landings during the day and four landings during the night aboard an aircraft carrier.

 

"These Fleet Replacement Squadron pilots have completed daytime carrier operations in the past, but this week's evolution marked the first arrested night landings of their careers," said Davis.

 

Forty-one pilots qualified on their squadron specific aircraft, consisting of either F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets, E-2C Hawkeye, or C-2A Greyhounds during the FRS CQ.

 

"This was one of the biggest CQ periods I've done on the Bush," said Davis. "With everyone working together it was completed safely and efficiently."

 

The Bush is currently conducting training operations in the Atlantic Ocean, strengthening the Navy's forward operating and war fighting ability.

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 22:40
source armyrecognition.com

source armyrecognition.com

MOSCOU, 22 avril - RIA Novosti

 

Le nouveau châssis chenillé Armata n'est pas encore prêt mais il intéresse déjà les troupes du génie. Une source du ministère de la Défense a déclaré que le commandement des forces du génie avait déjà préparé une mission tactique pour le véhicule universel du génie avec ce nouveau châssis, écrit le quotidien Izvestia du 22 avril.

 

"La mission et les performances nécessaires sont préparées par le commandement depuis la fin de l'année dernière, en coopération avec la direction de l'usine Uralvagonzavod de Nijni Taguil qui travaille sur Armata", a déclaré la source.

 

Les militaires avaient besoin de la documentation technique sur le châssis chenillé pour en lancer la conception. Seulement alors, le nom et le code de l'engin officiels seront dévoilés.

 

"Dès que le châssis sera prêt, il nous faudra trois ans pour la conception et les essais du véhicule complet. Tout dépend donc de l'usine de Nijni Taguil", souligne la source.

 

A son tour, le service de presse d'Uralvagonzavod explique qu'il n'a pas encore de mission technique ou de contrat pour la conception du véhicule. L'usine n'a pas commenté le fait que le ministère de la Défense soit prêt à fournir ces documents non pas avant, mais après la conception d'Armata.

 

Le nouveau véhicule est destiné à remplacer la gamme des bulldozers BAT et des véhicules de combat du génie IMR. Il sera chargé de dégager la route pour les convois, de combler les canaux et les fossés antichars, de creuser des tranchées, de faire du déminage et des travaux de manutention, etc.

 

De plus, selon les sources du ministère de la Défense, un nouvel engin de franchissement et de débarquement doit être créé sur la plateforme d'Armata. Ce matériel est prévu pour l'armée de terre, la marine, l'aviation, les troupes de défense spatiale et les forces de missiles stratégiques.

 

Le nouvel engin est très attendu par les militaires, même s’ils ne se plaignent pas vraiment des anciens BAT-2 et IMR-2. Un officier du génie de l'armée de terre a expliqué que l'absence d'un matériel de génie unique posait problème aujourd’hui.

 

"Tous nos véhicules sont construits sur des plateformes différentes. L'IMR-1 est construit sur le châssis du T-55, et l'IMR-2 – sur le châssis du T-72. Ce sont des chars complètement différents.

 

Le BAT-M a la plateforme du tracteur AT-T, et son successeur BAT-2 est posé sur le MT-T.

 

Ce sont des véhicules différents", a-t-il expliqué.

 

Selon lui, la diversité de châssis nécessite un grand inventaire de pièces de rechange, de matériaux consommables et de liquides. Beaucoup de ces pièces et produits ne sont plus fabriqués et il n'en reste plus en stock. Les parcs de bataillons du génie sont donc remplis de matériel hors service impossible à réparer. "L'armée a vraiment besoin d'un châssis commun avec le char de combat principal", a conclu l'officier.

 

Un autre officier du génie a confirmé que leur matériel était plus obsolète que celui des autres unités.

 

"Tous les véhicules de notre brigade - district militaire sud - datent de 1970-1980, voire 1960. Moins d'un tiers est opérationnel. Rien ne fonctionne sur le reste – les moteurs, les treuils, les godets – tout est HS", a-t-il déclaré.

 

Ceux qui restent opérationnels ont des performances très modestes, poursuit l'officier. Mais tout n'est pas non plus simple avec le nouveau projet au châssis Armata. L'expert militaire indépendant Alexeï Khlopotov explique qu'il coûtera très cher.

 

"Armata est non seulement cher mais aussi très lourd. Or on a besoin d'un engin pour toute l'armée de terre. Il serait plus simple de le fabriquer, sur la plateforme déjà existante, des T-72 et T-90", estime l'expert.

 

La conception d'Armata rencontre certains problèmes. Selon certaines informations, le premier modèle de char est en cours de conception, le châssis et la tour ne sont terminés que partiellement.

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 21:50
Calendrier des think tanks à Bruxelles Mise à jour : Lundi 22 avril 2013

Mise à jour par la Représentation permanente de la France auprès de l’UE

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Conclusions du Conseil relatives au Mali

22/4/2013 EU source: Council - Ref: CL13-027FR

 

Summary: 22 avril 2013, Luxembourg - Conseil de l'Union Europeean 3236ème session du Conseil AFFAIRES ETRANGERES, Conclusions relatives au Mali

 

"1. L'Union européenne (UE) réitère son attachement à la stabilité, l'intégrité territoriale, la démocratie et le développement durable du Mali, et sa détermination à soutenir les efforts en cours pour éradiquer la menace terroriste dans le Sahel et au Mali. Le Conseil salue la tenue à Bruxelles le 15 mai d'une Conférence de haut niveau des donateurs - « Ensemble pour le renouveau du Mali » dont l'objectif sera de mobiliser et de coordonner l'appui de la communauté internationale au développement du Mali.

 

2. L'UE salue l'engagement des acteurs maliens à mettre en oeuvre la Feuille de Route pour la Transition, et les encourage à poursuivre avec détermination les  récentes avancées. La Feuille de Route et sa mise en oeuvre crédible par les autorités maliennes sont cruciales pour le plein retour à l'ordre constitutionnel, la reconstruction politique et la stabilité à long terme du Mali. L'UE est déterminée à soutenir la transition à travers des élections, la réconciliation et en contribuant à assurer un contrôle durable des autorités civiles sur les forces armées. Dans cette perspective, l'UE souhaite une reprise rapide du dialogue politique avec les autorités maliennes au titre de l'article 8 de l'Accord de Cotonou.

 

3. L'UE salue l'engagement du Gouvernement malien à organiser des élections libres, crédibles, inclusives et transparentes en juillet, comme prévu par la Feuille de Route, et appelle tous les partis politiques du Mali à y prendre part activement. Cet objectif constitue désormais la priorité politique. L'UE fournira rapidement une assistance financière et technique en vue de l'organisation des élections et réitère sa disponibilité à envisager le déploiement d'une mission d'observation électorale suite à la demande du Gouvernement malien. L'UE appelle les autorités maliennes à garantir la liberté d'expression.

 

4. Le dialogue, la réconciliation et la restauration de la confiance entre toutes les composantes de la société malienne sont primordiaux. La mise en place par le Gouvernement d'une Commission Nationale de Dialogue et de Réconciliation constitue une avancée importante dans cette perspective. L'UE se félicite de la nomination des membres de cette Commission, qui doit commencer ses travaux le plus rapidement possible. L'UE en appelle à toutes les parties non-terroristes et non-criminelles qui sont prêtes à respecter l'unité, l'intégrité territoriale et la souveraineté du Mali à prendre pleinement part à ce dialogue.

 

5. Les autorités maliennes ont la responsabilité première d'assurer la protection de la population civile dans son ensemble ainsi que le respect strict de tous les droits de l'homme. L'UE s'inquiète des allégations récurrentes de violations du droit international humanitaire et des droits de l'Homme, qui ne peuvent que réduire l'espace politique de la réconciliation. L'UE suit avec beaucoup d'attention les décisions prises par le Gouvernement pour enquêter sur ces allégations et pour s'engager fermement en faveur de la lutte contre l'impunité. Tous les auteurs de violations des droits de l'homme et du droit international humanitaire doivent être traduits en justice. L'UE se félicite du déploiement en cours d'observateurs des droits de l'Homme des Nations Unies, de l'Union Africaine (UA) et de la Communauté Economique des Etats d'Afrique de l'Ouest (CEDEAO) et réitère sa disponibilité pour leur apporter son soutien.

 

6. L'UE réitère son attachement aux engagements énoncés dans les résolutions "Femmes, Paix et Sécurité" du Conseil de Sécurité des Nations Unies, en particulier les dispositions relatives à la pleine participation des femmes aux processus de paix et de reconstruction, ainsi qu'aux processus électoraux. La protection des femmes face aux violences sexuelles dans les conflits est également cruciale.

 

7. L'UE continue à suivre la situation humanitaire au Mali et se tient prête à répondre aux besoins les plus urgents des victimes de la crise tant au Mali que dans les pays voisins. L'UE réaffirme la nécessité pour toutes les parties concernées à respecter l'espace et les principes humanitaires et de faciliter un accès sans entrave à tous ceux qui ont besoin d'une assistance d'urgence au moment où l'insécurité alimentaire croissante frappe les populations les plus vulnérables. L'UE s'engage à collaborer avec les autorités et les organismes d'aide afin de faciliter le retour et la réinstallation libre et volontaire des populations déplacées et réfugiées.

 

8. L'UE salue le déploiement de la Mission Internationale de Soutien au Mali sous conduite africaine (MISMA) aux côtés de l'opération Serval et des forces maliennes. Le soutien de l'UE à la MISMA à hauteur de 50 millions d'euros à travers la Facilité Africaine de Paix est désormais effectif. L'action de la MISMA a permis de reconquérir une partie essentielle du territoire, de libérer les principales villes du nord du Mali et de protéger les populations dans ces zones. L'UE se félicite de la transformation prévue de la MISMA en une mission intégrée multidimensionnelle de stabilisation des Nations Unies sous le chapitre VII de la Charte des Nations Unies.

 

9. L'UE se félicite que la mission militaire EUTM Mali ait commencé, au début du mois d'avril, en complément de son action de conseil, ses activités de formation au profit d'un premier bataillon de 650 soldats maliens. Toutefois, le Conseil souligne qu'il est indispensable pour former les forces armées maliennes dans les meilleures conditions, de leur fournir un équipement militaire approprié. Il salue la mobilisation de la communauté internationale, dans le cadre de la conférence d'Addis Abeba et engage vivement tous les partenaires du Mali à apporter ou à abonder leur contribution pour donner aux forces africaine et malienne les moyens de remplir leurs missions.

 

10. L'UE se félicite du lancement imminent d'un premier ensemble d'actions d'appui à la stabilisation au Mali d'un montant de près de 300 millions d'euros, notamment à travers un contrat d'appui à la consolidation de l'Etat. Cette aide doit soutenir les progrès des autorités maliennes dans la mise en oeuvre des objectifs fixés par la Feuille de Route ainsi que les priorités à définir par les autorités maliennes dans leur "Plan pour la relance durable du Mali 2013-2014", qui sera présenté et discuté lors de la Conférence du 15 mai, en permettant notamment le renforcement de l'Etat et la délivrance sur l'ensemble du territoire des services de base au bénéfice des populations. Le Conseil est favorable à l'accélération des préparatifs pour la reprise graduelle des autres programmes d'aide au développement, notamment dans les domaines des infrastructures, de la sécurité et de la justice, de la prévention des conflits, de la réconciliation et de la résilience.

 

11. Le Conseil est prêt à envisager un appui additionnel de l'UE au secteur judiciaire et en matière de sécurité intérieure, y compris dans le domaine du renforcement des capacités maliennes en matière de lutte contre le terrorisme et la criminalité organisée. Ceci comprend l'examen d'options au titre de la PSDC, ainsi que des autres instruments pertinents. La restauration d'un service public à même d'assurer la sécurité des personnes et des biens de manière crédible et efficace constitue une étape cruciale pour la reconstruction du pays.

 

12. L'UE réitère sa détermination, en coordination avec d'autres acteurs y compris l'UA, la CEDEAO et les Nations Unies, à aider les pays de la région à faire face aux risques induits par la situation au Mali en matière de sécurité régionale et internationale. L'UE est prête à considérer des propositions concrètes dans le cadre de la Stratégie de l'UE pour la Sécurité et le Développement au Sahel. Il est essentiel que tous les acteurs restent mobilisés au sein du Groupe de Soutien et de Suivi sur la situation au Mali, dont l'UE salue la tenue de la reunion à Bamako le 19 avril.

 

13. Le Conseil salue la nomination du Représentant Spécial de l'UE pour le Sahel, Michel Reveyrand de Menthon, et l'encourage à coopérer étroitement avec tous les acteurs concernés, en premier lieu les Gouvernements des Etats du Sahel, ainsi que l'Union Africaine, la CEDEAO et les Nations Unies notamment.

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 21:40
source Ria Novisti

source Ria Novisti

Nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky

 

MOSCOW, April 22 (RIA Novosti)

 

The flagship of Russia’s Northern Fleet, the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky made a simulated detection of a foreign submarine in the Barents Sea during a recent exercise and guided other assets to track it, Fleet spokesman Vadim Serga said on Monday.

 

The simulated submarine contact was located in international waters north of Kildin Island, and an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship and two ASW aircraft, an Il-38 and Tu-142, were sent to the area to track and “engage” it, he said.

 

Serga did not say when the exercise began.

 

On Monday, the Pyotr Veliky will continue practising ASW missions in conjunction with other Northern Fleet warships, including a live fire exercise.

 

The war games are being conducted to test the combat readiness of the Northern Fleet’s ASW assets on alert duty.

 

The Pyotr Veliky's armament includes 20 P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles, 48 S-300F Fort and 46 S-300FM Fort-M (SA-N-20 Gargoyle) medium-range surface-to-air missiles, with an effective range of up to 200 kilometers(120 miles), 128 3K95 Kinzhal (SA-N-9 Gauntlet) short-range SAMs, and six CADS-N-1 Kashtan gun/missile systems. The cruiser also has its own anti-submarine component of three Ka-27 Helix helicopters.

 

Its radars are capable of detecting and tracking aerial targets at an altitude of 30 km (100,000 feet) and a range of 300 km (180 miles).

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 21:37
EU Council conclusions on Myanmar/Burma

22/4/2013 EU source: Council  - Ref: CL13-038EN

 

Summary: 22 April 2013, Luxembourg - Council of the European Union 3236th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting conclusions on Myanmar/Burma

 

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

 

"1. The European Union has watched and supported the remarkable process of reform in Myanmar/Burma. It welcomes the developments towards democracy, a strong Parliament, freedom of expression, and the government's efforts against corruption, as well as the efforts towards the release of remaining political prisoners.

 

2. The EU is willing to open a new chapter in its relations with Myanmar/Burma building a lasting partnership and to promote closer engagement with the country as a whole. In response to the changes that have taken place and in the expectation that they will continue, the Council has decided to lift all sanctions with the exception of the embargo on arms which will remain in place.

 

3. The EU congratulates the government of Myanmar/Burma on what has been achieved, but is conscious that there are still significant challenges to be addressed. It looks forward to working in partnership with the government, by establishing a regular political dialogue involving all concerned stakeholders:

 

- To achieve sustainable peace in Myanmar/Burma by addressing long-standing differences in an inclusive way, and in particular calling for an end of hostilities in Kachin State;

 

- To consolidate the democratic achievements so far and to move further towards full transition; in this regard, the EU is ready to share with Myanmar/Burma the recent experience on political transition and democratisation in some of its Member States;

 

- To strengthen human rights and the rule of law including through enhanced cooperation with the UN, in particular to ensure the protection of all minorities; to this end, the EU will explore ways to promote a regular human rights dialogue with Myanmar/Burma;

 

- To establish Myanmar/Burma as an active and respected member of the international community, by adhering to international agreements, including in relation to human rights, land mines, non-proliferation and disarmament, particularly supporting President U Thein Sein commitments to comply with the relevant UNSC resolutions;

 

- To encourage responsible trade and investment while promoting transparency and environmental protection. Furthermore, a swift reinstatement of the Generalized Scheme of Preferences to Myanmar/Burma will contribute to the EU's policy of supporting the economic reforms. As a next step, the EU will explore the feasibility of a bilateral investment agreement;

 

- To promote inclusive and sustainable growth, as well as good governance to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in line with the government's plans. The task is now to ensure that reforms are translated to economic benefits for ordinary people. The EU will maintain increased levels of development assistance, in coordination with other donors.

 

4. The EU stands ready to cooperate with Myanmar/Burma with regard to the following complex challenges while underlining its concerns on:

 

- The need to unconditionally release the remaining political prisoners, while noting with satisfaction the creation of a review mechanism and looking forward to the early completion of its work;

 

- The need to deal with inter-communal violence. The EU welcomes President U Thein Sein promise that all perpetrators of violence will be prosecuted, and his commitment to a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-faith society which should include addressing the root causes of the violence. In this context, the EU is studying the possibility of assisting the reform of the police service in Myanmar/Burma, in partnership with all appropriate stakeholders, in particular with the country's Parliament;

 

- The need for urgent action to deal with humanitarian risks for all displaced people in the Rakhine State. At the same time, the government should continue to pursue and implement durable solutions to the underlying causes of the tensions that include addressing the status of the Rohingya;

 

- The need for unhindered and full access for humanitarian and development aid workers to all communities affected by conflict and sectarian violence.

 

5. Recognising that the period leading to general elections in 2015 is critical for the country's overall transition, the Council underlines the importance of coordination and coherence in the EU's response. Consequently, building on the elements above, as well as on its conclusions in April 2012, the Council invites the High Representative/Vice President to discuss and propose a comprehensive framework with priorities for the EU's policy and support to the ongoing reforms for the next three years. Furthermore, the Council encourages relevant authorities in Member States and EU institutions to proceed without delay to joint programming of development aid for Myanmar/Burma while respecting the existing harmonisation efforts.

 

6. The EU will use all means and mechanisms at its disposal to support Myanmar/Burma's political, economic and social transition and in this context welcomes the initiative of a Task Force to be launched later in the year, building on the Joint Statement agreed on 5 March 2013 during the visit of President U Thein Sein to Brussels.

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 21:35
Nouveau recul d’Ottawa pour la prime de risque des soldats en Afghanistan

22/04/2013 par Nicolas Laffont – 45eNord.ca

 

Quelques jours après un premier recul concernant une baisse de la prime de risque des soldats canadiens déployés en Afghanistan et au Moyen-Orient, Ottawa fait de nouveau machine arrière en ce qui concerne le remboursement d’un surplus de prime pour les soldats se trouvant dans le nord de l’Afghanistan.

 

Un comité du Conseil du Trésor composé de membres de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada, du ministère de la Défense nationale et de militaires actuellement en poste, avait récemment décidé de revoir à la baisse la prime que touche les militaires déployés en Afghanistan dans le cadre de l’Opération Attention, en raison de la baisse des risques encourus depuis 2011.

Si le gouvernement avait maintenu la décision, la prime, serait passer de 1 356 $/mois à 848 $/mois.

Cette fois, c’était les militaires se trouvant spécifiquement dans la région de Mazar-e-Sharif, dans le nord du pays, qui étaient visés.

Régulièrement, la Défense fait une réévaluation des risques qu’encourent les militaires déployés dans les théâtres opérationnels. En Afghanistan, ce sont deux zones distinctes qui ont été prises en compte par un comité. Il avait ainsi été décidé au printemps 2012 qu’il y avait moins de risques pour les soldats se trouvant à Mazar-e-Sharif que pour ceux se trouvant dans la capitale, Kaboul.

Une baisse de la prime fut donc décidé, mais non appliquée en raison d’une «erreur administrative».

Entre la première et la deuxième rotation, ce sont pas moins de 100 soldats qui se sont rendus à Mazar-e-Sharif, et tous se sont vus signifier de bien vouloir rembourser l’excédent perçu aussi vite que possible.

«Ce problème résulte d’une erreur administrative et non d’une faute de la part de ces soldats», a déclaré le ministre de la Défense nationale, Peter MacKay dans un communiqué. «Ce ne serait pas juste de pénaliser ces familles pour l’erreur du ministère, donc nous ne demanderons pas aux soldats à rembourser la différence.»

À lire aussi:

Soldats canadiens en Afghanistan et au Moyen-Orient: même salaire, même combat >>

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 21:30
Germany says will 'respect' move to lift Syria arms embargo

April 21, 2013 Spacewar.com (AFP)

 

Istanbul - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Sunday said Berlin will have no choice but to accept the lifting of an EU arms embargo on Syria if other European countries push for it.

 

Germany up to now has opposed providing military support to Syria's rebels, but Britain and France are pushing for the embargo to be allowed to expire at the end of May.

 

Speaking to journalists in Istanbul after a "Friends of Syria" meeting on Saturday, Westerwelle said the embargo would be discussed when EU foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg on Monday.

 

"If there are one or two countries in the European Union who think that there is no risk that arms will fall into the wrong hands," then Germany "will have to respect that," Westerwelle said.

 

The decision on whether to continue the embargo and sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad's regime must be made unanimously by EU members. Monday's talks will also see EU ministers considering a case-by-case easing of an oil embargo against Syria to help the opposition.

 

Critics of supplying weapons to the rebels fear they will be acquired by radical Islamists. But supporters say arms supplies are needed to boost the standing of moderate groups and the opposition's chances against Assad's better-armed regime.

 

US Secretary of State John Kerry announced after Saturday's talks that Washington was doubling its financial assistance to Syria's opposition and would expand non-offensive military supplies to the rebels, but ignored calls for arms deliveries.

 

Westerwelle said the supply of body armour could be considered and welcomed a commitment from the opposition to protect minorities and distance itself from extremism.

 

"Therefore we are convinced that it makes sense to do more, to step up support for the opposition and that's what we will do," he said.

 

He also said Germany would boost its aid for Syria's humanitarian crisis by 15 million euros ($19.6 million) to reach a total of 145 million euros.

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 20:30
L’Europe accepte le pétrole des rebelles syriens, mais hésite toujours à les armer

22/04/2013 par Nicolas Laffont – 45enord.ca

 

Les ministres européens des Affaires étrangères devaient envoyer lundi un signe de soutien à l’opposition syrienne en assouplissant l’embargo européen contre le pétrole syrien en vigueur depuis septembre 2011, tandis que le débat sur l’opportunité de lui livrer des armes se poursuit.

 

L’objectif est, qu’en obtenant le feu vert de l’Union européenne, les rebelles pourraient relancer l’extraction et l’exploitation pétrolière dès cette semaine.

 

Depuis décembre 2012, l’Armée syrienne libre contrôle le champ pétrolifère d’Al-Tanak dans la province de Deir Ezzor où se trouve les plus grandes réserves du pays. Elle en contrôlait trois autres un peu plus tôt, mais ils ont été repris par l’armée du régime de Bachar al-Assad.

 

En soutenant l’opposition, les pays de l’Union européenne veulent soutenir les anti-Assad dans la mise en place de leurs propres institutions.

 

Avant la révolte de 2011, l’Europe était le principal client de Damas. Depuis l’embargo, les ventes sont passées de 7,2 milliards à 185 millions $, ce qui représente environ 130 000 barils/jour, selon les dernières estimations de l’Agence internationale de l’énergie (AIE).

 

«Nous voulons aider à la reconstruction économique» des régions contrôlées par l’opposition «afin que la population se rende compte qu’il existe une véritable alternative au régime d’Assad», a souligné le chef de la diplomatie allemande, Guido Westerwelle.

 

Pour faire de l’importation du brut ou des investissements, les entreprises étrangères devront demander l’autorisation de leur gouvernement, qui tentera de son côté d’obtenir des garanties de la Coalition.

 

Ce qui inquiètent beaucoup les pays occidentaux c’est en effet de savoir quel mouvement rebelle contrôle tel ou tel champ pétrolier. Selon l’Observatoire syrien des droits de l’Homme (OSDH), ceux de Deir Ezzor (est) et Hassaka (nord-est) seraient aux mains du Front Al-Nosra, affilié à Al-Qaïda.

 

Autre dossier sensible: les armes

 

Les Européens suivent donc la même ligne que les États-Unis, qui ont annoncé samedi un doublement de leur assistance directe à l’opposition.

 

Union Européenne et États-Unis hésitent toujours à fournir des armes lourdes aux rebelles afin de lutter contre les attaques aériennes de Damas.

 

Londres et Paris restent isolés sur cette question, mais Berlin a indiqué être disposée à «ne pas s’opposer» si «un ou deux pays veulent livrer des armes», tout en soulignant de nouveau le risque qu’elles «tombent entre de mauvaises mains».

 

La question sera tranchée d’une manière ou d’une autre d’ici au 1er juin prochain, date à laquelle le régime de sanctions visant la Syrie doit être renouvelé, ou amendé.

 

Aux yeux de plusieurs ministres européens, ces craintes sont renforcées par l’état de division de l’opposition. Le chef de la diplomatie belge, Didier Reynders, a jugé « très inquiétante » la démission annoncée dimanche de son chef, Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib. Il faut « continuer à demander à l’opposition d’être plus organisée, plus inclusive », a-t-il ajouté.

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 19:41
Défense: partager la misère n'a jamais fait une politique

22/04/2013 Jean-Dominique Giuliani  -LaTribune.fr

 

Après l'intervention française au Mali, en Côte d'Ivoire et en Lybie, les spécialistes de l'Union Européenne s'interrogent sur le désarmement progressif de ses pays membres . Pour Jean-Dominique Giuliani, président de la Fondation Robert Schuman, célèbre laboratoire d'idées français qui oeuvre pour la promotion de l'Europe et les recherches européennes, engager des politiques de défense commune est un "devoir d'Etat" pour la France.

 

La France est intervenue au Mali, après la Côte d'Ivoire et la Libye. Elle a envoyé des troupes en République centrafricaine. Elle l'a fait en pleine souveraineté, dans la légalité internationale, pour défendre une certaine conception de l'ordre international auquel la protection de ses ressortissants et la proximité de ses intérêts la rendaient plus sensible. Beaucoup ont regretté l'absence des Européens dans ces décisions importantes. Mais pouvait-il en être autrement ? Exposer des hommes à une action de force est une décision grave qui ne se partage pas. Et vraisemblablement pour longtemps encore.

 

Plutôt que d'une « Europe de la défense », qui n'existe pas, il faut en revenir et s'en tenir aux termes des traités. Au niveau européen, ce qui peut être réalisé, c'est « la définition progressive d'une politique de défense commune qui peut conduire à une défense commune » (art. 24 du TUE). Peut-on facilement convaincre les Etats membres que l'Europe doit cesser de se désarmer, et que son destin passe aussi par un outil militaire crédible sans lequel il n'y a pas de diplomatie efficace? Qu'il faut sortir de l'idée que les coopérations européennes coûteraient moins cher et qu'en partageant des moyens en diminution nous serions plus efficaces ? Qu'elles ne peuvent pas être envisagées dans le cadre communautaire habituel?

 

Valoriser la dimension européenne en matière de défense, c'est notamment organiser le financement d'une recherche devenue de plus en plus duale, c'est-à-dire autant civile que militaire. C'est ne promouvoir les coopérations industrielles qu'à partir de besoins capacitaires clairement identifiés par les Etats-majors et, dès lors, des programmes auxquels seraient assurés des financements durables. C'est aussi être efficace en ne se lançant pas dans la construction d'ensembles politiques nouveaux.

 

Pas de politique commune

 

Il faut reconnaître que, pour l'instant, les Européens ne partagent pas la même vision du monde et ne sont pas en mesure d'élaborer une stratégie commune, ambitieuse et crédible. Il faut donc repartir des intérêts de chacun pour les partager et non leur substituer un intérêt commun non défini. L'intérêt européen n'exige pas de sacrifier les outils militaires nationaux sur l'autel d'une politique commune qui n'existe pas encore. Il ne saurait être garanti par des missions seulement civiles ou humanitaires.

 

Au contraire, le maintien d'armées crédibles et capables d'intervenir militairement au loin, là où nos intérêts sont en cause, est indispensable à une Europe qui veut compter dans le monde. La France notamment, vient de nouveau, de démontrer avec un remarquable professionnalisme, que sa défense ne s'interdit aucun domaine du spectre de l'action militaire. En réalité cela n'empêche en rien les coopérations européennes, cela les rend possibles. On le voit au Mali où ce sont bien les intérêts européens qui étaient menacés par le terrorisme. D'ailleurs le gouvernement français souhaite, dans le même temps, relancer « l'Europe de la défense » et son ministre de la défense déploie de très louables efforts à cette fin.

 

La France décisionnaire

 

Mais si on peut mutualiser des fonctions de soutien, on ne peut pas partager la décision d'intervenir. A moins de vouloir se répartir les tâches et, alors, de demander à un Etat membre d'intervenir au nom des autres...en finançant son action... A cet égard, après les coupes budgétaires britanniques dans le secteur de la défense, les décisions qui seront prises dans les semaines qui viennent concernant la loi de programmation militaire française, sont particulièrement importantes pour le continent tout entier. Elles peuvent sonner le glas de la « défense européenne » ou, au contraire permettre de la relancer.

 

En effet, le Royaume-Uni, seul à disposer avec la France, d'une armée complète, tient une place singulière dans l'Union et n'a jamais réellement voulu d'une Europe de la Défense. La France, en quelque sorte, détient donc entre ses mains le sort de la politique de défense commune, parce qu'elle dispose d'une armée puissante, qui profite aussi à ses partenaires européens et, parfois, à leurs ressortissants dans des régions troublées.

 

Un devoir d'Etat

 

Si elle baisse sa garde dans les difficultés budgétaires actuelles, il ne restera que peu de moyens de plaider la cause européenne en la matière et de respecter le traité : « les Etats membres s'engagent à améliorer progressivement leurs capacités militaires » (art. 42 TUE). Tous, à l'exception de la Pologne, diminuent leurs dépenses de défense. Et partager la misère n'a jamais fait une politique !

 

Nul ne doute que corriger cette situation soit particulièrement difficile dans ce moment économique et que cela mérite un courage très particulier. Mais, il s'agit là d'un devoir d'Etat, qui concerne  bien toute l'Europe. Si la France désarmait à son tour, l'Europe glisserait vers des menaces vraisemblablement plus graves et abandonnerait pour longtemps l'espoir de bâtir un jour une défense commune, gage de sa crédibilité internationale.

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 19:02
photo EMA / ECPAD

photo EMA / ECPAD

22.04.2013 Le Monde.fr avec AFP et Reuters

 

Un peu moins de quatre mois après le début de l'intervention militaire française au Mali, et alors que 500 soldats français ont déjà quitté le pays, le gouvernement a demandé au Parlement, lundi 22 avril, l'autorisation de la prolonger.

 

"La France doit aider le Mali à gagner la paix", a lancé le premier ministre, Jean-Marc Ayrault, en demandant formellement la prolongation de l'opération Serval, comme le prévoit la Constitution au bout de quatre mois d'une intervention militaire extérieure. Ce n'est que la deuxième fois que l'article 35-3 de la Constitution, révisé en juillet 2008, est utilisé. La précédente remonte au 22 septembre 2008 : il s'agissait de solliciter l'approbation du Parlement au maintien des forces françaises en Afghanistan, présentes sur le terrain depuis 2001.

 

Six jours après le début de l'intervention, le 16 janvier, Jean-Marc Ayrault avait déjà présenté aux parlementaires les objectifs de la mission. Sa déclaration, suivie d'un débat, n'avait pas fait l'objet d'un vote. Ce ne sera pas le cas cette fois : à l'Assemblée nationale dans l'après-midi puis au Sénat dans la soirée, les élus se prononceront, par un vote, sur la prolongation de l'engagement au Mali au-delà de quatre mois.

 

Lire les points de vue interactifs Mali, victoire ou enlisement ?

 

"LES DÉBATS QU'IL A PU Y AVOIR SONT UN PEU RETOMBÉS"

 

Le résultat ne fait toutefois aucun doute : la prolongation sera autorisée. Si, en janvier, les objectifs de la mission avaient pu susciter quelques réserves – notamment de la part des écologistes et du Front de gauche –, celles-ci ont été, pour bonne part, mises en sourdine.

 

L'UMP a aussi voté en faveur du prolongement de l'opération, rare moment d'unanimité politique en France ces derniers temps. L'orateur UMP Pierre Lellouche, ancien ministre des affaires européennes, a sévèrement déploré l'absence de l'Union européenne au côté de la France au Mali.

 

Bruno Le Roux, président du groupe socialiste de l'Assemblée nationale, approuve sans réserves l'engagement du gouvernement et la volonté d'amorcer un désengagement des forces militaires pour passer le relais aux autorités maliennes, appuyées par la communauté internationale. "La mission est réussie, il faut maintenant savoir la terminer, se félicite-t-il. Les objectifs militaires et les objectifs politiques sont indissociables."

 

Lire en édition abonnés Mali : la présence militaire française appelée à durer

 

Au plus fort de l'opération "Serval", le contingent français s'élevait à près de 4 500 hommes. Il est actuellement d'"un peu moins de 4 000", selon l'état-major des armées. L'objectif fixé par François Hollande est de ramener ce chiffre à 2 000 hommes en juillet et à un millier fin 2013. Officiellement, cinq militaires français sont morts au combat.

 

Lire le reportage Opération Serval, le début du passage de flambeau

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 19:00
Finnish Air Force F-18C Hornet (code HN-450) starts its takeoff run at the 2009 Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, Gloucestershire, England.  Photographed by Adrian Pingstone

Finnish Air Force F-18C Hornet (code HN-450) starts its takeoff run at the 2009 Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, Gloucestershire, England. Photographed by Adrian Pingstone

HELSINKI, 22 avr 2013 marine-oceans.com (AFP)

 

L'armée de l'air finlandaise a annoncé lundi qu'une partie de ses avions de combat F-18 Hornet de Boeing était clouée au sol afin de changer une pièce défectueuse dans le système de siège éjectable.

 

"La raison (de l'interdiction de vol) est l'existence d'une cartouche défectueuse sur le siège, dont le bon fonctionnement est nécessaire pour l'éjection", a précisé l'armée dans un communiqué.

 

C'est la marine américaine, l'US Navy, qui a alerté la Finlande, a indiqué à l'AFP un porte-parole de l'armée de l'air finlandaise, Joni Malkamäki.

 

Le nombre exact des avions cloués au sol n'a pas été rendu public mais, selon la télévision publique YLE, il s'agirait de la "grande majorité" des appareils.

 

L'armée a indiqué que ses techniciens vérifiaient l'ensemble des sièges des 62 avions concernés afin de savoir si les cartouches incriminées fonctionnaient correctement ou si elles étaient défectueuses. Des cartouches défectueuses ont déjà été identifiées dans les premiers appareils examinés.

 

Le ministre de la Défense Carl Haglund a assuré à YLE que l'interdiction de vol n'affectait pas les activités opérationnelles de l'armée de l'air mais qu'il s'agissait d'une mesure de précaution. "Il n'y a aucune raison de s'inquiéter", a-t-il confié. Un exercice d'entraînement prévu entre le 23 et le 25 avril a été annulé.

 

En cas de besoin, l'armée devra commander des pièces détachées aux Etats-Unis. Le délai de livraison sera de quelques semaines.

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 18:35
Credits : harvard.edu

Credits : harvard.edu

Apr. 22, 2013 Defense news (AFP)

 

BEIJING — The top U.S. military officer said Monday that Washington’s armed presence in the Asia-Pacific was meant to contribute to regional stability as he met his Chinese counterpart on a rare visit.

 

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was in Beijing amid regional tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program, maritime disputes and China’s concerns that the U.S. wants to contain its growing military strength.

 

Relations between Washington and Beijing have also been strained over a U.S. “pivot” to Asia after years of conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan and accusations, denied by China, that its military has carried out large-scale cyber attacks on U.S. companies and institutions.

 

“We seek to be a stabilizing influence in the region,” Dempsey said at a joint news conference with Fang Fenghui, the chief of the People’s Liberation Army general staff.

 

“We are committed to building a better, deeper, more enduring relationship,” he said.

 

Fang said the two militaries needed to deepen cooperation and exchanges.

 

“The Pacific Ocean is wide enough to accommodate us both,” he said. “We should be cooperating partners regardless of the circumstances.”

 

He reiterated China’s position that it opposed cyber attacks and was itself a victim.

 

“Cybersecurity, if it is uncontrolled, the effects can be, and I don’t exaggerate, at times no less than a nuclear bomb,” he said.

 

He said China was opposed to nuclear tests by North Korea and supported U.N. Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang, but reiterated Beijing’s position that dialogue was the key to solving the issue.

 

“North Korea has already conducted a third nuclear test, and it could conduct a fourth nuclear test,” he said, but did not elaborate.

 

Dempsey’s predecessor, Adm. Mike Mullen, visited China in 2011 in what was the first trip by a U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in four years.

 

The latest visit came as China appeared to single out the U.S. in a military white paper last week, saying that “certain efforts” to enhance military deployment in Asia “are not conducive to the upholding of peace and stability in the region.”

 

China and some of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnam, have boosted their naval capacity amid smoldering spats over disputed regions of the South China Sea, and China put its first aircraft carrier into service last year.

 

Beijing is also locked in a bitter dispute with Tokyo over islands in the East China Sea.

 

The U.S. stations tens of thousands of troops in allies Japan and South Korea and has announced plans to deploy more forces in Australia.

 

China has repeatedly asserted that it does not have an expansionist foreign policy as it continues its “peaceful rise.”

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 17:51
Accord sur la gouvernance et le financement des satellites européens

22.04.2013 Fondation Robert Schuman

 

Le 17 avril 2013, le Conseil et le Parlement européen sont parvenus à un accord portant sur le financement et la gouvernance des systèmes européens de navigation par satellite, Egnos et Galileo. L'accord prévoit notamment une dotation européenne de 6,3 milliards d'euros, une répartition des responsabilités entre la Commission, l'agence spécialisée et l'Agence spatiale européenne, et des règles en matière de marchés publics. Le Parlement et le Conseil doivent encore approuver formellement cet accord avant qu'il n'entre en vigueur dans le cadre du prochain budget européen pluriannuel 2014-2020... Lire la suite

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 17:45
Benin buys Mechem armoured truck cabs

22 April 2013 by Guy Martin - defenceWeb

 

Benin has become the launch customer for Mechem’s new armoured truck cabs, following their recent purchase of ten Casspir NG mine-protected vehicles from the specialist de-mining company.

 

Denel Group business unit Mechem told defenceWeb that Benin bought an undisclosed number of military trucks with the new cabs fitted in numerous variants.

 

Mechem, which specialises in de-mining activities and manufacturing mine-protected vehicles, launched the armoured cab project and design in late 2011, “after many requirements for such protection solutions to be fitted on military logistical trucks with the aim to protect crews during vital logistical support tasks in high risk environments,” the company said.

 

The armoured cabs were unveiled at the September 2012 edition of the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition held outside Pretoria.

 

The cabs can be offered as a single product or as a full turnkey solution on most makes of military and civilian trucks. Mechem is offering a complete multi-purpose truck based on a Powerstar drive train and fitted with the strengthened mine-protected cab. In addition to the Powerstar version, the cabs can also be modified to fit most others makes and models of trucks and heavy-duty vehicles, including 4x4, 6x6, 8x4 and 8x8 models in different variants i.e. Cargo, Fuel, Water, Construction, special applications.

 

Jack Geldenhuys, Mechem’s Manager for Vehicle Systems, said the armoured protection on the new cabs have been significantly upgraded to STANAG Level 4A, providing protection to crews against landmines, roadside bombs and 7.62x51 mm automatic rifle fire.

 

Ashley Williams, the General Manager of Denel Mechem, said the new cab systems are primarily aimed at clients in Africa who render humanitarian assistance in post-conflict zones as their trucks are vulnerable to landmines and roadside bombs.

 

Williams said that Mechem identified a clear need for a strengthened cab that can be fitted on all makes and models of 4x4 or 6x6 supply trucks. The new cab was designed and developed at Denel Mechem and the conversions are done at its facilities in Lyttelton.

 

Williams said the new truck and cab design can also be an ideal future replacement for the South African Defence Force’s range of Samil trucks that are now reaching the end of their working lives.

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22 avril 2013 1 22 /04 /avril /2013 17:45
ATE set to become part of Paramount Group

22 April 2013 by Kim Helfrich - defenceWeb

 

The South African defence industry’s best known secret – the takeover of troubled ATE by the Paramount Group - looks set to become reality before mid-year.

 

In June last year Midrand-based ATE issued a statement saying it was back in business after the North Gauteng High Court declared a resolution to commence business rescue proceedings had “lapsed and become a nullity”.

 

At that time ATE said its board of directors was “actively in focused negotiations with a number of highly credible international investors from the aviation industry of significant financial substance, who are acutely interested in making a significant investment in ATE on an urgent basis. Such investment will enable ATE to be restored to full health and make an offer to creditors, suppliers and other stakeholders of ATE which will surpass the offer in the former so called business rescue plan to a significant and material degree”.

 

This has now advanced to the stage where the ATE website carries a 60 page “Business Rescue Plan” compiled by senior business rescue practitioner Gavin Gainsford of KPMG.

 

The plan includes only a proposal from the Paramount Group. With no other white knights on the horizon it seems just about a done deal for Ivor Ichikowitz’ group to cement its position as the largest privately owned defence industry company in South Africa.

 

Details of exactly how and what the merger/take-over will mean in terms of products, support, research and technology will only be announced once the business rescue plan has been signed off by both parties.

 

For Paramount it will be the addition of a specialist aeronautical engineering capability to its already impressive line-up of aerospace, land and maritime-based defence and security products. The ATE unmanned aircraft systems business unit will come into the Paramount stable at a time when these aerial platforms are making their presence felt more and more in military and other security applications such as anti-poaching and maritime patrolling.

 

For the SA Air Force the impending coalition between ATE and Paramount means it will still have a local supplier of the Hawk navigation and weapon system. ATE developed the system which has been certified by both BAE Systems and Armscor.

 

Multi-mission integration kits for helicopters are another speciality ATE brings to the Paramount table as are the manufacture of composite rotor blades.

 

Paramount prides itself on providing integrated turnkey solutions to global defence, peacekeeping and internal security forces. This has seen it develop a range of security vehicles today in service in many countries, with the Brazilian police becoming the newest user.

 

It is also a partner in the development of AHRLAC (Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft) with Centurion-based Aerosud. The high-wing, single-engined aircraft is at an advanced stage and work is underway on a full scale prototype following 80 successful flights of a quarter size scale model. September has been set down as a potential date for the first prototype flight.

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