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9 avril 2014 3 09 /04 /avril /2014 07:20
New unmanned maritime system promises affordable, persistent surveillance of coastlines

 

04/08/2014  Defence IQ

 

Ultra Electronics USSI has signed a strategic partnership with Liquid Robotics, a manufacturer of hybrid wave and solar propelled Unmanned Maritime Vehicles (UMVs), for the joint development of a revolutionary and cost effective surveillance system for the global maritime security market. The new product leverages the Liquid Robotics Wave Glider, the world’s first wave powered ocean robot, with Ultra Electronics USSI’s acoustic sensing and signal processing to provide a persistent, best of breed, surveillance capability.

 

This solution helps address the critical need for affordable, long duration, maritime surveillance of the world’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Exclusion Economic Zones (EEZs), ports and coastlines.

 

“Countries around the globe are losing valuable natural resources and economic opportunity without the ability to persistently patrol their coastlines, MPAs and EEZs,” said Bill Vass, CEO of Liquid Robotics. “This strategic partnership will bring to market a powerful solution with the ability to help close this gap globally.”

 

Liquid Robotics’ innovative propulsion and energy systems are designed to help customers explore portions of the world’s oceans in conditions that previously were too challenging or costly to operate. Potentially this means the military can use the vessels to monitor vast areas of water around the globe without utilising manpower and at negligible cost.

 

Bill Vass, President and CEO at Liquid Robotics, spoke to Defence IQ last year to discuss the company’s technology and how it can be exploited for military applications. The Wave Glider can be used for a range of different missions, but primarily the technology is a sensing platform.

 

“It can be used for battlespace softening … it can be used for protecting a fleet by listening for submarines or torpedoes, it can be used for anti-mine, it can be used for obviously reconnaissance, for providing security for specific areas, to patrol a specific location and provide an alarm if an acoustic, video or radar event occurs,” Vass explained.

 

Looking ahead, Vass expects countries to begin increasing their reliance on autonomous vehicles to enhance border security.

 

“Any country like Canada that has a small Navy and a large shoreline, or Australia or New Zealand or India or Brazil or South Africa, are all great targets for us … it’s a lot cheaper having robots patrolling your coastline than it is to have ships, from an economic perspective they can have many more points of presence at a much lower cost.”

 

The Brazilian Armed Forces patrol 4.4 million square kilometres of territorial waters and has a maritime salvage area which is one and half times the size of its land mass. With vast petroleum and gas deposits, as well as valuable mineral reserves, the Blue Amazon – which is what the Brazilian Navy calls the area of sea that it’s responsible for – is a vital strategic and economic resource for the South American giant. Notwithstanding the World Cup this year and the Olympics in 2016, Brazil is working towards increasing its surveillance management capabilities.

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9 avril 2014 3 09 /04 /avril /2014 07:20
Les forces stratégiques US en 2018: 1150 ogives nucléaires, 800 vecteurs en parc, 700 en ligne


08.04.2014 par Philippe Chapleau - Lignes de Défense
 

En vertu du traité START, le DoD a revu la composition de ses forces stratégiques. D'ici à février 2018, il va (un peu) réduire ses vecteurs.

En parc: 454 missiles ICBM de type Minuteman, 280 Trident (à bord de sous-marins lanceurs d'engins) et 66 bombardiers stratégiques de type B-2 et B-52H.

En ligne: 400 ICBM, 240 SLBM à bord de 14 SNLE et 19 B-2 et 41 B-52H.

Le DoD disposera aussi de 1 150 ogives.

Actuellement, la force de frappe US dispose de 454 Minuteman, 336 Trident et de 96 bombardiers stratégiques. 30 B-52H seront convertis pour des missions conventionnelles.

Cliquer ici pour en savoir plus.

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9 avril 2014 3 09 /04 /avril /2014 07:20
DoD To Shrink Nuclear-Capable Bombers, Modify Subs to meet New START Obligations

A B-52 Stratofortress launches July 2, 2013, from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The Air Force will convert 30 B-52 bombers to a conventional-only role under the New START treaty. (US Air Force)

 

Apr. 8, 2014 - By MARCUS WEISGERBER – Defense News

 

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will shrink the number of its nuclear weapon-carrying bomber aircraft and reduce the number of submarine ballistic missile launch tubes as it modifies its force posture to meet the limits of the New START treaty with Russia, the US Defense Department announced Tuesday.

 

The New START treaty, signed between Washington and Moscow in 2010, sets lower levels for the number of deployed and non-deployed nuclear weapons allowed. Non-deployed status means the delivery system, a bomber, a submarine or an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch silo is undergoing maintenance and cannot fire a weapon.

 

The Air Force will convert 30 B-52 bombers to a conventional-only role, meaning they could not deploy nuclear weapons, a senior defense official said. That will leave the service with 66 nuclear-capable B-52 and B-2 bombers, 60 of which will be in deployed status.

 

There are 336 ballistic missile tubes on the Navy’s 14 Ohio-class submarines. Four tubes on each of the Navy’s 14 submarines will be converted “so that they cannot be used to launch missiles,” the senior official said. The submarine-launched ballistic missile tube limits under New START are 240 deployed and 40 in non-deployed status.

 

DoD plans to remove warheads from 50 of its 450 ICBM launch silos, the senior official said. The cuts will be distributed across the Air Force’s three ICBM bases in Wyoming, North Dakota and Montana.

 

“They’ll be warm, so they’ll be active,” the official said. “They’ll still all be hooked up in their missile fields, but they’ll be empty.”

 

Four hundred silos will still have nuclear ICBMs inside, the official said. DoD has four additional launch silos that are used for test launches are not impacted by the New START treaty.

 

The modifications will cost about $300 million over several years, the official said. The reductions must be made by 2018.

 

The New START treaty also limits the number of warheads on deployed forces to 1,550

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9 avril 2014 3 09 /04 /avril /2014 07:20
Rand Looks at Armed Drones: UAVs and US Security

 

 

April 8, 2014 defense-unmanned.com

(Source: Rand Corporation; issued April 7, 2014)

 

Armed and Dangerous? UAVs and U.S. Security



Armed drones are making the headlines, especially in their role in targeted killings. In this report, RAND researchers stepped back and asked whether these weapons are transformative. The answer is no, though they offer significant capabilities to their users, especially in counterterrorism operations as has been the case for the United States.

Will they proliferate? Yes, but upon a closer look at the types of systems, only a few rich countries will be in a position to develop the higher technology and longer range systems. U.S. adversaries and others will likely find weapons such as aircraft and air defenses more cost and militarily effective. Their proliferation will not create the kinds of global dangers that call for new arms control efforts, but the risks to regional stability cannot be dismissed entirely, as is the case of any conventional weapon.

How the United States will use these weapons today and into the future will be important in shaping a broader set of international norms that discourage their misuse by others.

KEY FINDINGS

--Longer-Range Armed Drones Are Unlikely to Spread Broadly
•The complexity and expense of long-range armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are quite different from short-range systems, which make them difficult to develop and even to operate.

•Many countries are developing and acquiring drones. Short-range drones are going to spread, because they have attractive civilian uses. Only a few rich and technologically advanced countries will be in a position to develop the higher-technology and longer-range armed systems.

--Armed UAVs Are Not Truly Transformative
•Armed UAV systems are not transformative weapons, though they offer the United States some significant advantages, particularly against enemies that lack air defenses. It is plausible, though not necessarily likely, that a substate group might employ armed drones to create a significant psychological effect. Innovations, such as the discovery of ways to make stealth technology cheap and easily available, could alter these conclusions, but none of these are likely.

•Armed UAV systems do not create the global dangers and instabilities that have traditionally led to nonproliferation efforts, although the risks of proliferation cannot be dismissed entirely, as is the case with any conventional weapon.

•Armed drones are only transformative in rare circumstances but they offer policymakers another option for intervention, in some cases where they would otherwise do nothing, while in other situations in lieu of a more costly and aggressive approach.

•U.S. policymakers will be able to craft policies for armed drones that address the potential risks of proliferation while being able to continue its own acquisition and potential sales to allies and partners. The MTCR and Wassenaar Arrangement will be useful in achieving these twin goals.

-- Shaping International Behavior
•The United States will need to address how its own use of these systems can be fit into a broader set of international norms so as to discourage their misuse by others. While the track record for constraining the use of emerging technologies has been mixed, there is evidence that U.S. leadership — and failure to lead — can matter in shaping international behavior.

RECOMMENDATIONS

•Ultimately, changes to U.S. armed UAV policies and efforts to shape international norms should be based on evaluating and balancing competing risks.

•Decision-makers must consider the risks to U.S. counterterrorism and other missions that might come from more transparent and restrictive armed UAV policies. On the other hand, there may be longer-term risks that — without U.S. policy changes and without international norms — other governments and substate groups may acquire and use armed UAVs in ways that threaten regional stability, laws of war, and the role of domestic rule of law in decisions to use force.

•Those concerned about these longer-term risks — particularly from operations outside warzones — should focus on shaping international norms; providing leadership through example and through forums; and developing a set of guidelines.


Click here for the full report (34 PDF pages) on the Rand Corp. website.

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9 avril 2014 3 09 /04 /avril /2014 07:20
Better Survival Vests Coming to Navy, Marine Aircrews

The Navy's redesigned aircrew vest, in a new color and with better protection, will be distributed fleetwide by 2016 (Navy)

 

Apr. 8, 2014 - By Meghann Myers – Defense News

 

Aircrews will soon be outfitted with safer aircrew vests.

 

The new vest boasts more coverage of vital organs, a snugger fit and a better color, Dan Ratcliff, the aircrew systems program manager for Naval Air Systems Command, explained in a presentation Tuesday at the Sea-Air-Space expo outside Washington, D.C.

 

“When we started the operations in the desert, we were all wearing sage green,” Ratcliff said, referring to the forest green color of the legacy aircrew vests. “Sage green works great in the jungle, but if you put it in the desert, it’s not so good.”

 

With the purchase of tan flight suits came tan flight gear, which didn’t always work, he said, and couldn’t adapt to wooded or jungle environments.

 

So NAVAIR came up with “coyote brown,” a hue that camouflages in forests and deserts.

 

The fielding has started with Marine fliers at Medium Tiltrotor Squadrons 261, 264, 266 and 635, as well as Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269. The new vests are on track to go fleet-wide by 2016.

 

The vest worn over the flight suit is designed to fit a multitude of body shapes, Ratcliff said, while reducing the fatigue that comes from moving around in a roomy vest. For added comfort, the armored back plate can be removed while seated.

 

The hard armor in the vest is the same Small Arts Protective Insert ceramic plates used by the Army and Marine Corps, and the soft armor is custom-made, he added.

 

The vest comes in seated and mobile aircrew models. For mobile aircrew, an 80-foot tether allows crew members to move around in flight, but comes with a quick-disconnection release for emergencies.

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9 avril 2014 3 09 /04 /avril /2014 07:20
Raytheon Moving Out On Air Missile Defense Radar

Raytheon's air missile defense radar is meant to increase detection range, according to the company. (Raytheon illustration)

 

Apr. 8, 2014 - By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS – Defense News

 

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. — With a temporary work stoppage lifted, Raytheon is working to develop its air missile defense radar (AMDR) for the US Navy’s future Aegis destroyers.

 

“We’re two months into the contract, but we’re more than two years into technical development,” Tad Dickinson, Raytheon’s AMDR program manager, said at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition outside Washington.

 

The company already has built a test array structure, a roughly 14-by-14-foot array to check fittings of the components of the electrically scanned radar, which will replace SPY-1 radars used on today’s Aegis ships.

 

The S-band AMDR will have more than 30 times the sensitivity of the SPY-1, and is designed to dramatically increase the fidelity of the system to track ballistic missile targets.

 

Raytheon beat proposals from Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to win the AMDR contract. Work was temporarily halted when Lockheed filed a protest, but the work stoppage ended in January when the protest was dropped. Raytheon and Lockheed will both work on AMDR, which will be integrated into the Lockheed Aegis system.

 

Raytheon is working toward the program’s first critical design review, scheduled for November. The system is intended to be installed in the yet-to-be-named DDG 124, a destroyer to be funded in 2016. Delivery of the first set of AMDR radars is scheduled for 2019, Dickinson said.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 20:39
Entretien avec le général commandant suprême des forces alliées en Europe

 

08/04/2014 Sources : EMA

 

Le 07 avril 2014, à Paris, le général d’armée Pierre de Villiers, chef d’état-major des armées (CEMA), a reçu le général d’armée aérienne américain Philip Mark Breedlove, commandant suprême des forces alliées en Europe (SACEUR).

 

Au cours de cette réunion de travail, le général de Villiers et le général Breedlove ont abordé des sujets d’actualité, dont celui de la crise ukrainienne. Après avoir partagé leur évaluation de la situation et évoqué les premières mesures de réassurance engagées par l’OTAN, les deux autorités ont fait un point sur les échéances opérationnelles de l’Alliance en Europe. Ils ont par ailleurs évoqué la question du retrait des troupes de l’OTAN d’Afghanistan (où 350 militaires français sont encore présents), ainsi que celle de la transition post 2014.

Réunis dans le cadre du séminaire sur la transformation de l’OTAN, ils ont poursuivi par un échange de vue sur le futur de l’Alliance, dont la transformation constitue l’un des enjeux majeurs.

Le commandant suprême des forces alliées en Europe est responsable de l’ensemble des opérations de l’OTAN. Il est l’un trois grands responsables militaires de l’Alliance avec le général danois Knud Bartels, président du comité militaire, et le général français Jean-Paul Paloméros, commandant suprême pour la transformation de l’Alliance.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 20:31
Entretien avec le général Paloméros, commandant suprême allié pour la transformation de l’OTAN

 

08/04/2014 Sources : EMA

 

Le 7 avril 2014, le général d’armée Pierre de Villiers, chef d’état-major des armées (CEMA), a retrouvé le général Jean-Paul Paloméros, commandant suprême allié pour la transformation de l’OTAN (SACT) dans le cadre d’un entretien préliminaire au séminaire du commandement de l’OTAN pour la Transformation (ACT, Allied Command for Transformation) organisé à Paris.

 

Cet entretien a permis aux deux autorités de faire le point sur les principaux thèmes liés à la transformation de l’OTAN et d’aborder des sujets d’actualité comme la crise ukrainienne, le retrait des troupes de l’OTAN d’Afghanistan et le futur de l’Alliance. Sur ce dernier point, le CEMA et SACT ont confirmé la pertinence des concepts de Smart Defense et d’interconnexion des forces (CFI - Connected Forces Initiative) pour garantir la capacité de l’Alliance à assurer la sécurité collective, en complémentarité avec l’action conduite dans le cadre de l’Europe de la défense.

 

Ces discussions se sont prolongées dans le cadre de la soirée de lancement du séminaire ACT, en présence de nombreuses autorités civiles et militaires de l’Alliance dont le Secrétaire général Adjoint (Me Alexander VERSHBOW), le général d’armée aérienne Philip Mark Breedlove, commandant suprême des forces alliées en Europe (SACEUR), et le général Knud BARTELS, président du comité militaire.

Le séminaire s’est tenu le 8 avril 2014 en présence du secrétaire général de l’OTAN, Mr Anders fogh RASMUSSEN et de monsieur Jean-Yves le Drian, Ministre de la défense.  Dans son adresse, le CEMA a rappelé que, face à des menaces qui évoluent depuis 20 ans, la priorité des alliés était de « se tenir prêts, pour être en mesure d’agir ou de réagir », précisant que c’était aussi là « tout l’enjeu de la transformation de l’OTAN ». Dans un contexte où les contraintes  pèsent sur les budgets de défense, le général de Villiers  a également souligné l’importance de « faire autrement, ensemble, tout en conservant notre capacité à décider et à agir en autonomie ». A ce titre, le CEMA a indiqué qu’il était nécessaire de poursuivre les actions engagées dans le domaine de la mutualisation et du partage capacitaire au sein de l’Alliance et que l’interopérabilité, indispensable à l’efficacité opérationnelle en coalition, devait être développée : « L’OTAN n’a pas d’équivalent en matière d’interopérabilité. C’est la garantie de pouvoir s’engager ensemble et de savoir le faire sans délai ».

A quelques mois du sommet de l’OTAN, qui se tiendra en septembre au Pays de Galles, ce séminaire constituait un jalon préparatoire dans la dynamique de transformation de l’Alliance.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 19:35
La Chine "mécontente" des propos de Chuck Hagel : responsable militaire chinois

 

2014-04- xinhua

 

La Chine est "mécontente" des propos tenus par Chuck Hagel, secrétaire américain à la Défense, lors de la réunion des ministres de la Défense de l'Association des nations de l'Asie du sud-est (ASEAN) et au Japon, a déclaré mardi un responsable militaire chinois.

 

Fan Changlong, vice-président de la Commission militaire centrale de Chine, s'est ainsi exprimé lors de sa rencontre avec Chuck Hagel.

 

"Je peux vous le dire franchement, les propos que vous avez tenus lors de la réunion des ministres de la Défense de l'ASEAN et aux politiciens japonais étaient durs. Le peuple chinois, moi y compris, est mécontent de ces remarques", a-t-il déclaré au secrétaire à la Défense en présence de la presse.

 

M. Hagel est le premier secrétaire américain à la Défense à avoir visité la Chine après l'entrée en fonction de M. Fan.

 

Chang Wanquan, conseiller d'Etat chinois et ministre de la Défense nationale, a rencontré M. Hagel mardi matin.

 

"J'ai accordé une attention particulière à vos récents voyages et discours", a poursuivi M. Fan, mentionnant en particulier les propos tenus par M. Hagel lors de la réunion des ministres de la Défense de l'ASEAN à Hawaï et au Japon.

 

Dans une interview accordée samedi au journal japonais Nikkei, M. Hagel a qualifié l'établissement de la zone d'identification de défense aérienne en mer de Chine orientale de provocation et d'initiative unilatérale, blâmant la Chine pour la montée des tensions dans l'une des régions les plus géopolitiquement sensibles.

 

M. Hagel s'est entretenu la semaine dernière avec les ministres de la Défense de l'ASEAN à Hawaï, où il a abordé le sujet de l'inquiétude croissante des Etats-Unis concernant les différends territoriaux en mer de Chine méridionale.

 

M. Hagel effectue une tournée de dix jours au Japon, en Chine et en Mongolie.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 19:35
Hagel Visits Chinese Aircraft Carrier Liaoning

April 8, 2014 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: US Department of Defense; issued April 7, 2014)

 

Hagel Visits Chinese Aircraft Carrier Liaoning

 

QINGDAO, China --- On Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s first official visit to China, the Peoples’ Liberation Army allowed him, in response to a request made in January, to become the first foreign visitor to tour the sleek refitted Russian aircraft carrier -- the PLA’s first -- called Liaoning.

 

China is Hagel’s third stop after multiday meetings in Hawaii and Japan on his fourth trip to the Asia-Pacific region since becoming defense secretary. After a day of meetings here tomorrow, Hagel will stop in Mongolia to meet with government and military leaders there before starting home April 10.

 

Liaoning is moored at Yuchi Naval Base in its home port of Qingdao in east China’s Shandong province.

 

"The secretary was very pleased with his visit today aboard the carrier Liaoning,” Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement.

 

Hagel understood the significance of the PLA’s granting of his request for the tour, Kirby added, and the secretary was impressed by the professionalism of the ship’s officers and crew.

 

“He hopes today's visit is a harbinger of other opportunities to improve our military-to-military dialogue and transparency,” the press secretary said.

 

A defense official traveling with the secretary described the ship’s tour as lasting about two hours, beginning with a briefing about the ship, its capabilities and operating schedule conducted by the two-star strike carrier group commander and the ship’s commanding officer, Capt. Zhang Zheng.

 

The briefers were good, and they invited and encouraged questions, the official said. Hagel and his guest, U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus, and others on the tour all asked questions, the official added.

 

“The briefing lasted about 30 minutes, and then we saw medical facilities on the ship, some of the living quarters, the flight control station where they control flight operations, the pilot house, and the bridge, where they drive the ship,” the defense official said.

 

The secretary and his group also took a walking tour of the flight deck and saw launch stations and helicopter recovery stations as well arresting cables, “and got a briefing on how what we call in the U.S. Navy the ‘landing signals officers’ guide the aircraft in for an arrested landing on the flight deck,” the official explained.

 

He said the ship was extraordinarily clean, and the crew was sharp and informative.

 

”Every sailor at every station where Hagel [stopped] for the tour knew exactly what their job was, and how important their job was, and exactly how to explain it to the secretary,” the official said.

 

Hagel had a lot of give-and-take discussions with the crew throughout the tour, and talked to them just as he talks to U.S. troops when he goes out to visit them, the defense official added.

 

“The tour ended with a stop in the officers’ dining area, where Hagel had a chance to sit down with junior officers, have some refreshments and just talk to them,” the official said. “We all did. I sat down at a table with two junior female officers, and everybody did the same thing.”

 

The crew members were very impressive and very dedicated, he observed.

 

“It's a new capability they're trying to develop, and I think they all appreciate the importance of it to the PLA, but also the difficulty of it,” the official said. “On more than one occasion, the officers who were with us said quite frankly they know they have a long way to go in naval aviation. It is a difficult military capability to develop and to perfect, … and they expressed that they believe they can still learn much from us in terms of how to get better at it.”

 

The ship has three launching stations for jet aircraft, four arresting wires, a complement of about 1,500 sailors, one sixth of whom are officers, and there were 90 women in the crew, both officers and enlisted service members, the defense official said.

 

Liaoning has been out on sea trials almost 20 times, and officials know they still have to do more, he added.

 

Compared with U.S. aircraft carriers, Laioning isn’t as big or fast, and it doesn’t carry as many aircraft or as many types of aircraft, the official said, but it’s a real aircraft carrier, capable of launching and recovering jet combat aircraft.

 

“We asked them when they would have an operational naval air wing on the ship, and the captain said there's no timeline for that right now,” the official said. “They aren't at the state where they're declaring that sort of operational readiness.”

 

The defense official said the opportunity for Hagel and his group to tour the aircraft carrier today was a significant step in China’s attempts to be transparent and open.

 

“I would say that as this trip to Beijing begins for the secretary, today was a good first step in terms of trying to develop more openness and transparency,” the defense official said.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 19:20
DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

 

08 avril 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

 

PEKIN - Le secrétaire américain à la Défense Chuck Hagel et de hauts responsables militaires chinois se sont accusés mutuellement d'être responsables de la tension dans la région lors de réunions mardi à Pékin.

 

Les deux grandes puissances militaires se sont montrées en désaccord sur de nombreuses questions - disputes territoriales entre la Chine et ses voisins, Corée du Nord et cyber-espionnage - mais ont aussi proclamé leur volonté de dialogue.

 

M. Hagel a dû faire face à un auditoire hostile d'officiers de l'Armée populaire de libération (APL). L'un d'eux a affirmé que les Etats-Unis craignaient la montée en puissance de la Chine et qu'ils semaient le trouble dans la région afin de gêner Pékin parce qu'un jour la Chine sera devenu un défi trop important à gérer pour les Etats-Unis.

 

Plus tôt, il avait essuyé les vives critiques du vice-président de la Commission centrale militaire, le général Fan Changlong, lors d'un entretien avec ce dernier, selon l'agence de presse officielle Chine Nouvelle.

 

Faisant référence à des propos tenus par le chef du Pentagone lors de sa tournée asiatique, le haut responsable militaire chinois a déclaré: Le peuple chinois, y compris moi-même, est mécontent de tels commentaires.

 

Le porte-parole de M. Hagel a convenu que les deux avaient eu un échange de vues très franc.

 

Dimanche à Tokyo, M. Hagel avait mis en garde Pékin contre toute action unilatérale pour résoudre ses contentieux territoriaux, en invoquant le précédent ukrainien.

 

Tous les pays ont droit au respect, qu'ils soient grands ou petits, avait-il déclaré après une rencontre avec son homologue japonais, Itsunori Onodera, ajoutant: Je veux en parler avec nos amis chinois.

 

Dans son discours à l'université de défense nationale de l'APL, M. Hagel a évoqué sans détours les points de discorde avec Pékin, reprochant à la Chine son soutien sans faille à la Corée du Nord et mettant en garde Pékin contre toute action de coercition vis-à-vis de ses plus petits voisins en mer de Chine méridionale et orientale.

 

Alors que les tensions sont vives entre la Chine et le Japon et les Philippines, M. Hagel a réitéré le soutien de Washington à ces pays, disant: Notre engagement aux côtés de nos alliés dans la région est indéfectible.

 

Une vive rivalité oppose Pékin et Tokyo à propos d'îles en mer de Chine orientale, qui fait craindre une confrontation armée entre les deux puissances asiatiques. La Chine est également engagée dans une bataille de souveraineté sur d'autres îles en mer de Chine du sud, notamment avec les Philippines et le Vietnam.

 

Le ministre chinois de la Défense, le général Chang Wanquan, a accusé le Japon et les Philippines d'être à l'origine des tensions, invitant Washington à modérer ses alliés.

 

Il a réitéré, lors d'une conférence de presse conjointe, que la souveraineté de la Chine est indiscutable sur les îles que Pékin et Tokyo se disputent et a assuré que la Chine ne fera jamais de compromis sur cette question centrale.

 

Il a toutefois affirmé que la Chine ne serait pas la première à provoquer des incidents.

 

En novembre dernier, Pékin avait déclenché un tollé régional en proclamant unilatéralement une Zone aérienne d'identification (ZAI) en mer de Chine orientale, dont le tracé incluait des îles Senkaku, administrées par le Japon, mais revendiquées par la Chine sous le nom de Diaoyu.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 18:40
QG de l'Otan: accès limité pour les diplomates russes, relents de "guerre froide"

 

 

MOSCOU, 8 avril - RIA Novosti

 

La décision de l'Otan de limiter l'accès de son QG aux diplomates russes fait penser aux instincts de "guerre froide", a estimé mardi la diplomatie russe.

 

"Il n'y a pas, de toute évidence, aujourd'hui de problème plus important pour l'Otan que celui de l'accès des représentants russes au QG de l'Alliance. L'introduction de restrictions à l'égard de diplomates montre une fois de plus que l'Otan n'est pas à même de surmonter la mentalité de l'époque de la +guerre froide+, préférant le langage des sanctions au dialogue", lit-on dans le communiqué.

 

L'Alliance a annoncé lundi que l'accès libre d'autrefois au QG de l'Otan serait interdit à tous les membres de la mission russe, sauf l'ambassadeur, son adjoint et deux autres diplomates, que si n'importe quel autre représentant de la mission russe demandait l'accès pour une question officielle, il se verrait appliquer les règles en vigueur pour les visiteurs ordinaires.

 

Selon l'Otan, cette mesure a été adoptée suite à la décision de l'Alliance de suspendre toute forme de coopération pratique, civile et militaire, avec la Russie, en riposte à son intervention en Ukraine, tout en maintenant le dialogue politique avec Moscou en vue de favoriser une solution à la crise.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 18:30
The Iron Dome Turns 3

 

 

01.04.2014 Naomi Tzoref - iaf.org.il

 

Although it seems like the "Iron Dome" system has always been a part of the protection of the residents of Israel, today actually marks only three years since its first interception. Since then, the system has recorded hundreds of interceptions, been deployed around the country and boosted drafting percentages

 

Three years have passed since the "Iron Dome" system has become a significant part of the lives of the residents of southern Israel. Since the first interception above the city of Ashkelon, "Iron Dome" batteries have been deployed across Israel and the system is considered a central layer of defense against the threat of rockets.

 

The military service of the combat soldiers and technicians who operate the "Iron Dome" is unique: the location of the batteries in open areas close to population centers requires dealing with field conditions that are especially complex, as their location changes on short notice depending on intelligence picture.

 

The operators have to deal with an intensive routine, to adapt to the front and to stay alert all the time.

"Unlike other units, we don't have work plans that are determined ahead of time. Our activities are the result of the conduct of the enemy", explains Lieutenant Colonel Gilad Biran, commander of the unit. "The soldiers serving in the unit are called up on short notice over and over without warning. In fact, most of the soldiers continuously spend the duration of their service on high alert".

 

Because Of The Spirit

 

In the last three years, the unit has managed to grow and develop in all areas: from the integration of batteries and weapons to the accumulation of rich operational experience that includes hundreds of rocket-fire incidents.

 

"The spirit forged in the unit is what enables us to perform the complex task as efficiently as possible", explains Lieutenant Colonel Biran

Men and women serve side-by-side in the many posts at the "Iron Dome" battery: combat soldiers, interceptors and soldiers in the technical branch-everyone is greatly influential at the moment of truth.

 

"It's important to understand that the operations of the unit are not one-man show", Lieutenant Colonel Gilad stresses. "It's a team effort; it's just like an orchestra, in which every player plays a certain role. Only if everyone works precisely, with vigor and to the best of his/her abilities will overall tune come out fluent and accurate".

 

Someone Watching Over You

 

The tune Lieutenant Colonel Gilad mentions is frequently heard in the southern communities: in the last three years, the system has become a significant tool in the lives of the residents of the southern communities and it takes part in every round of fighting.

 

"Every single one of us feels the weight of responsibility", says Lieutenant Colonel Gilad. "It is clear to us that there isn't a unit similar to us in the IDF, there isn't anyone who can do the job for us. There is a deep understanding of the meaning of our operations, we provide a clear and substantive answer to the security of the country, we protect the home and, in so doing, we save a lot of lives".

 

The unit, which started its operations in the Gaza strip borders, operates on the northern border today and even on the Sinai border and its batteries are ready to be deployed at any time at any point on the map.

 

"It's hard for us to expect the security reality and we are prepared for different scenarios", he clarifies. "We are ready for the threats, but it's important to adjust the expectations to the reality: the unit cannot provide a hermetic solution during a large-scale war. This type of solution cannot only include defense capabilities; it must also include offensive ones in addition to detection, reliable deterrence and adherence on the part of the civilian population to the instructions of the Home Front Command".

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 18:20
Fourth AEHF Protected Communications Satellite Begins Integration Months Ahead of Schedule


SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 8, 2014 – Lockheed Martin

 

The fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite produced by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] is taking shape after early deliveries of its payload and propulsion core. AEHF-4, expected to launch in 2017, will enable the constellation to reach full operational capability.

The propulsion core manufactured by Lockheed Martin and payload produced by Northrop Grumman arrived at the AEHF integration facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., earlier in the year. Both were delivered significantly ahead of baseline schedule. The propulsion core arrived eight months early, and the payload arrived two months early.

“We’re driving a shorter timeline for bigger cost savings. In fact, we are putting plans in place to finish six months ahead of our baseline schedule,” said Mark Calassa, vice president of Protected Communication Systems at Lockheed Martin. “AEHF’s propulsion system reflects Lockheed Martin’s investment in more efficient spacecraft. To complement its traditional chemical propulsion, AEHF uses the highest power electric propulsion system ever flown for orbit raising and station keeping.”

Lockheed Martin is under contract to deliver six AEHF satellites and the mission control segment. Users are testing AEHF-1, AEHF-2 and AEHF-3 on orbit, and the fourth satellite will enable the system to reach full operational capability. The fifth and sixth satellites will add to the capacity of the operational system and are being assembled at Lockheed Martin.

AEHF is the most secure communications satellite system used by the U.S. government. Its jam-resistant communications are resilient against enemy forces, including nuclear attack, and a single AEHF satellite provides greater capacity than its compatible legacy five-satellite Milstar system. AEHF’s five-fold increase in data rates speed up protected communications, such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data. The constellation serves troops and national leaders, including the president and Pentagon officials.

 

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 115,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 17:55
French Pilot Talks Up RAF Voyager Tanker

 

April 8, 2014 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Air Tanker Co.; issued April 8, 2014)

 

‘Entente [Most] Cordiale’

 

With the French Air Force expected to place its first order for the MRTT, we catch up with Capitaine Francois Gilbert, Armée de l’Air, who has joined Voyager on secondment.

 

 

It is only Capitaine Francois Gilbert’s uniform, that of the Armée De L’Air, the Tricolore on its shoulder, which betrays his status. “My brief is to be a 10 Squadron pilot. To do exactly what they do and to go exactly where they go. I report into Wing Commander Jamie Osborne as Officer Commanding 10 Squadron and I follow his orders”, he explains in perfect, if slightly ‘accented’ English.

 

He joined Voyager from the Groupe de Ravitaillement en Vol: ‘The Bretagne’, which was formed in the deserts of Chad by the Free French Movement at the beginning of 1942 and now operates from Istres Le Tube, just south of Marseille.

 

His rank ‘translates’ broadly to that of Flight Lieutenant in the RAF, and with 10 years in the Armée De L’Air behind him – six as an air-to-air refuelling (AAR) specialist, flying the Boeing C135 - air transport and air-to-air refuelling, have become his specialism, if not his ‘Raison d'être’.

 

Capitaine Gilbert ‘joined’ the RAF Voyager programme last year, as part of a three year ‘secondment’ to serve with the RAF and No.10 Squadron. “The culture is perhaps a little different between the French and UK air forces but mostly the same. I suspect that Voyager is a little different anyway from what is ‘normal’ for the RAF because of AirTanker”, he continues.

 

But these cultural observations are made purely in passing. The French Air Force is expected to place its first order for the MRTT later this year. With the first of 12 tankers built by Airbus Defence and Space to be delivered by 2018, they will replace France’s 14-strong fleet of C135 FR jets, three A310 and two A340.

 

“I’m here to build an understanding of the MRTT, its capability and training required to fly it so that when I go back, the knowledge and understanding that I have gained here, can be applied to the French AAR programme”, he says.

 

At the cutting-edge of military aviation, the Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) is the only fully certified new-generation aircraft of its type flying today. Able to carry 111 tonnes of fuel, Voyager, the MRTT in its RAF guise - can support air-to-air (AAR) refueling missions, without the requirement for additional fuel tanks.

 

With this inherent fuel capacity leaving its’ cargo hold and passenger capacity un-checked, Voyager can carry 291 passengers, eight NATO pallets or a payload of 43 tonnes, or be configured to provide a 40 stretcher medical evacuation capability.

 

But it’s not just the flexibility in operation but also the technical capability of the aircraft that sets RAF Voyager apart. Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines deliver an impressive 71,000 lbf (316kN) thrust. Fly-by-wire technology protects the flight envelope and reduces crew workload. While a cutting-edge vision system delivers 240 degree rear situation awareness, giving far greater visibility in air-to-air refueling missions.

 

In its configuration for the French Air Force, the first aircraft delivered will be equipped with a central boom and two underwing pods. Later versions should include a cargo door and specialist datalink which will allow the plane to receive information and transfer information more effectively from the L16 equipped receivers.

 

“It’s interesting moving from the Boeing to the Airbus”, continues Gilbert, “To begin with one is a 50 year old aircraft the other is new and the fly-by-wire technology is very different but the training is much the same and I believe is being delivered to a very high standard.

 

“Voyager is particularly good for receiver aircraft. The hose is a little longer and that’s good because they get hit by less turbulence but the wing span is also very good because it’s bigger.

 

“Air-to-air refuelling is not a ‘natural’ thing. If you had two or three aircraft that closely together it would normally be classed as an accident. The bigger wing span keeps the aircraft further apart and the technology is excellent, which is good for everyone!”

 

 

French Pilot Talks Up RAF Voyager Tanker

AirTanker has a responsibility for not only the delivery of 14 fully converted A330/MRTT aircraft to the RAF but also the service and support systems which underpin their operation through to 2035. This includes ground and flight operations, engineering, maintenance and dispatch, plus a comprehensive training programme.

 

This training covers everything from aircraft-type and mission systems training to ground handling and cabin crew courses. “Because I’m still part of the training programme I haven’t had a huge number of hours flying. I have gone through the SIM and classroom programme and done a trip to Akrotiri in addition to flying training sectors”, continues Gilbert.

 

“I believe the training is being delivered to a very high standard and works well with the civilian instructors, for example Dave Hall and Kieran Roebuck, who have incredible aircraft-type experience.

 

“It [AirTanker] does a lot of the things that Squadrons would normally do. In France you get the order to carry ‘X’ from ‘A’ to ‘B’. It’s then up to you to file your flight plan, you as a squadron manage diplomatic clearances. Here, all that is done for you. You check that it’s been done correctly but all of that initial work is done by the civilian partnership, which is quite different I think.”

 

This year represents a watershed for the Voyager programme as it picks up roles previously performed by the VC10 which was retired last autumn and the TriStar, which followed it in March. This includes a new role in support of the RAF’s Quick Response Alert (QRA).

 

2014 will also see delivery of the nine-Voyager strong core fleet in the summer. In the pursuit of this aim, AirTanker and the Voyager programme took receipt of its seventh aircraft, ZZ337 in late January. This brings the total number of aircraft flying on the MAR to six, (2x two-point tankers and 4x three-point capable tankers).

 

Since the start of air transport operations in April 2012, these aircraft have together clocked more than 7,200 hours, flying more than 1,940 sectors, carrying more than 125,300 passengers and 8,100 tonnes plus of freight. This includes the start of flights in and out of Camp Bastion in support of the Afghanistan air-bridge in December last year.

 

Voyager 02, which flies on the Civilian Aircraft Register, has flown more than 2,700 hours and 490 sectors, carrying over 55,600 passengers and more than 3,400 tonnes of freight, since the start of AirTanker’s civilian airline operation at the beginning of 2013.

 

With a home base south of Marseille and just having come through a winter classed as ‘wet’ by even UK standards, Gilbert concedes that he on occasion, has “missed the sun a little”. But he is hugely complimentary about his hosts’ hospitality. “I have a house just inside the wire at RAF Brize Norton, which is good for me. You don’t really feel that you’re on base. And the squadrons [No.s 10 and 101] have been very welcoming.

 

He concludes: “It’s been great. I have felt a part of the Squadron since my arrival and I’m sure the rest of my time is going to be good.”

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 17:50
Séminaire sur la transformation de l'Otan, le 8 avril - video

Diffusée en direct le 8 avr. 2014 ministeredeladefense

 

Le séminaire se déroule à l'hôtel InterContinental de Paris, de 9h à 10h, en présence du secrétaire général de l'Otan, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, du ministre de la Défense, Jean-Yves Le Drian, ainsi que du Commandant suprême allié transformation (SACT), le général Jean-Paul Paloméros.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 17:50
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks in Paris during a seminar on NATO transformation. (NATO)

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks in Paris during a seminar on NATO transformation. (NATO)

 

 

Apr. 8, 2014 - By PIERRE TRAN – Defense News

 

PARIS — Russia risks driving itself into political isolation if Moscow continues to destabilize Ukraine, with the prospect of a breakdown of relations with the NATO defense organization, alliance chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Tuesday.

 

“If Russia were to intervene further in Ukraine it would be an historic mistake,” Rasmussen told a press conference at a high-level seminar on NATO transformation.

 

“It would have grave consequences for our relationship with Russia and it would further isolate Russia internationally,” he said.

 

Rasmussen was speaking after pro-Russian protesters April 6 seized public buildings in three Ukrainian cities — Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk — and called for a referendum to leave Ukraine.

 

“Russia’s illegal aggression against Ukraine is the greatest challenge to Europe’s security in a generation,” Rasmussen said. “I urge Russia to step back and not escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine.

 

“So I continue to urge Russia to pull back its troops, fulfill its international commitments and engage in a constructive dialogue with the Ukrainian parliament.”

 

NATO has suspended practical cooperation with Russia, while keeping political and diplomatic channels open, Rasmussen said.

 

NATO foreign ministers will meet in June and decide on how to handle the 1997 Founding Act and the 2002 Rome declaration, two cooperation agreements signed with Russia, in the light of the Ukraine crisis, he said.

 

The Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security aimed to boost cooperation, while the 2002 NATO — Russia Council included joint military exercises.

 

“Our decisions should be seen in the broad international response to Russia’s illegal actions, including responses from the United States and the European Union,” Rasmussen said. “Further steps will … depend on possible further Russian action.”

 

Regarding Ukraine, foreign ministers of the alliance met April 1 and “decided to enhance our cooperation with Ukraine,” he said.

 

NATO will work with Kiev to boost “cooperation in defense reforms, develop military capacity, and the ability of Ukrainian armed forces to work …with armed forces of NATO countries,” he said.

 

Rasmussen called on European NATO members to lift military spending.

 

“Over the past years, some of our European allies have cut their defense spending by as much as 40 percent. While other countries, like Russia, are increasing theirs by 30 percent,” he said.

 

French Air Force Gen. Jean-Paul Palomeros, NATO supreme allied commander transformation, led the seminar.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 17:50
Russie: Washington pourrait revoir sa présence militaire en Europe (Pentagone)

 

08 avr 2014 marine-oceans.com (AFP)

 

WASHINGTON - Les actions militaires de la Russie en Crimée pourraient conduire à un réexamen de la présence militaire américaine en Europe, qui n'a cessé de décroître depuis la fin de la Guerre froide, a affirmé mardi un haut responsable du Pentagone.

 

Les "actions (russes) en Europe et en Eurasie pourraient conduire les Etats-Unis à réexaminer leur dispositif militaire et leurs besoins en matière de futurs déploiements, d'exercices et d'entraînements dans la région", a affirmé Derek Chollet, chargé des affaires de sécurité internationale au Pentagone.

 

Washington ne "cherche pas la confrontation" avec Moscou pour autant, a-t-il précisé devant les élus de la commission des forces armées de la Chambre des représentants.

 

Quelque 67.000 militaires américains sont actuellement stationnés sur le continent européen, principalement en Allemagne (40.000 hommes), en Italie (11.000) et en Grande-Bretagne (9.500). Ils étaient 285.000 à la fin 1991 quand l'Union soviétique a cessé d'exister.

 

Derek Chollet n'a pas précisé ce que le réexamen du dispositif pourrait comprendre alors que le Pentagone est confronté à des restrictions budgétaires et cherche à redéployer une partie de ses moyens vers l'Asie-Pacifique dans le cadre de sa stratégie dite de "pivot".

 

Evoquant "l'intervention militaire illégale de la Russie en Ukraine", M. Chollet a considéré que cette action changeait "le paysage sécuritaire en Europe" et provoquait une instabilité sur les frontières de l'Otan.

 

Pour rassurer les pays d'Europe de l'Est membres de l'Otan, Washington a déjà déployé six chasseurs-bombardiers F-15 en renfort dans les pays Baltes, 12 F-16 et trois avions de transport en Pologne. Un destroyer lance-missiles, l'USS Donald-Cook doit par ailleurs arriver en mer Noire dans les jours à venir.

 

La prise de contrôle de bâtiments de l'administration locale à Donetsk et Kharkiv, dans l'est russophone de l'Ukraine est "très inquiétant", a par ailleurs observé le responsable du Pentagone, d'autant qu'il ne s'agissait "pas de manifestations spontanées".

 

Une action en russe en Ukraine orientale "constituerait clairement une escalade très sérieuse de la crise", a-t-il mis en garde.

 

Les pressions de Moscou ne se cantonnent pas à l'Ukraine, a-t-il par ailleurs observé dans son témoignage écrit, un passage qu'il n'a pas prononcé devant les élus.

 

"La Moldavie par exemple a des forces russes sur son territoire, en théorie des forces de maintien de la paix, mais qui en fait soutiennent la région séparatiste de Transnistrie", selon lui.

 

Le commandant suprême des forces alliées en Europe (Saceur), le général américain Philip Breedlove, s'était déjà inquiété fin mars de la présence massive de troupes russes à la frontière de l'Ukraine, craignant qu'elle ne débouche sur une intervention de Moscou en Transnistrie.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 17:40
Arctique: premier parachutage militaire russe sur les glaces en dérive

 

 

MOSCOU, 8 avril - RIA Novosti

 

Les Troupes aéroportées russes ont effectué mardi le premier parachutage sur des glaces en dérive près du Pôle Nord, a annoncé mardi à Moscou le porte-parole des Troupes aéroportées Evguéni Mechkov.

 

"Une unité des Troupes aéroportées a effectué mardi, à 14h00 (10h00 UTC), la première opération de parachutage sur les glaces dérivantes dans l'Océan glacial arctique, non loin du Pôle Nord", a indiqué le porte-parole.

 

Un avion de transport militaire Iliouchine Il-50 a largué plus de 50 hommes et des approvisionnements près de la station polaire dérivante russe Barnéo. Aucun parachutiste n'a été blessé pendant l'opération.

 

Selon le porte-parole, les parachutistes russes sont dotés de fusils de chasse et de couteaux qu'ils avaient reçus à la station polaire. Leur mission consiste à aménager un camp provisoire et à organiser un exercice de recherche et de sauvetage d'une expédition polaire du 9 au 11 avril. Des spécialistes de la Société géographique de Russie participent aussi à l'opération.

 

La base arctique de Barnéo doit son nom à l'île de Bornéo, dans le Pacifique. Elle a été baptisée ainsi par des pilotes russes, pas trop forts en orthographe, qui croyaient qu'il faisait toujours très chaud sur l'île de Bornéo. Au début des années 2000, la base a accueilli des touristes, ce qui a permis de financer les recherches scientifiques. La base, qu'on installe chaque mois d'avril à 89° de latitude Nord, soit à environ 100 km sous le Pôle Nord géographique, dérive un ou deux mois par an sur une banquise. Elle est dotée d'un petit aérodrome capable d'accueillir un avion Antonov An-74 et des hélicoptères Mi-8.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 17:35
IAF, HAL to Work On Joint Plans

 

April 8, 2014 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited; issued April 7, 2014)

 

HAL Proposes Single Agency to Deal with Foreign OEMs

 

The Indian Air Force and HAL have decided to work on joint plans on various fronts for better understanding of issues so that both contribute effectively in India’s defence preparedness. The entire board of HAL and senior officials flew down from Bangalore to interact with the top commanders of IAF at the conference held at the Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhavan) in New Delhi yesterday.

 

“Hand-holding is important considering the challenges involved in manufacturing and operational fronts”, said the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal, Arup Raha . On his part, HAL Chairman, Dr. R.K. Tyagi, mooted the idea of putting up single group or team to deal with foreign OEMs on all matters as these OEMs work with Air Force, Army, Navy and other multiple Government agencies. "Normally these OEMs work with two or more agencies. There is greater cohesion, understanding and mutual benefits when these OEMs are dealt from one platform”, he said.

 

Senior IAF, MoD and HAL officials took part in the performance review with focus on challenges related to several fleets such as MiG (21, 27, 29), Su-30 MKI, Mirage, Jaguar, Hawk, Kiran, Pilatus, Avro, Dornier, Chetak/Cheetah and Cheetal, ALH, RPA, Lakshya, etc. HAL supports 80% of the IAF inventory.

 

The discussions also focused on indigenisation, quality and delivery timelines that are often demanding due to factors related to supply chain, transfer of technology and shortage of skilled manpower in the aviation/aerospace sector.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 17:35
Australia in Talks to Buy Japanese Submarines to Upgrade Fleet


One of Japan's hi-tech Soryu class submarines (photo : kure-news)

 

08 April 2014 Defense Studies

ALMOST 72 years after Japanese midget submarines attacked Sydney Harbour killing 21 sailors, Australia could buy Japanese subs for its $30 billion replacement program.

Possible access to Japanese technology and even a so-called “military off-the-shelf” deal to buy the boats is on the agenda during high-level defence talks in Tokyo between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and senior Japanese officials.

Mr Abbott’s talks follow a top-secret mission to Japan in February by the nation’s defence purchasing guru and head of the Defence Materiel Organisation Warren King to open negotiations with Japan’s defence agency for possible access to its Soryu Class submarines.

Defence Minister David Johnston has also met Japanese officials to discuss submarines and senior navy officers have been on board the Japanese boats to examine technologies such as the Swedish-designed air independent propulsion (AIP) system.

The AIP system allows the diesel-electric vessels to remain submerged for long periods of time without the need for fresh air for diesel power-plants.

When asked yesterday what aspects of the Japanese boats might be included in an Australian design, a senior government source replied: “Everything.”

When pressed on whether that included buying the boats off-the-shelf from the Japanese the answer was an emphatic “yes”.


 

Soryu class cutaway (image : goo)

At a submarine conference in Canberra tomorrow Senator Johnston will tell Defence and industry that “all bets are off” when it comes to options for the future Australian submarine fleet.

He will also debunk the myth that Australia needs 12 submarines and will make it plain that the government is not a job-creation agency for local shipbuilders.

That means shipbuilder ASC would need to prove its credentials as a competitive and skilled shipyard.

Japanese officials have visited the ASC shipyard at Port Adelaide, where the navy’s six Collins Class boats were built.

The Japanese vessels cost about $600 million each, or less than half the price of an Australian-made alternative.

The 4200-tonne (submerged) Soryu submarines would be an ideal fit to replace the ageing 3400-tonne Collins boats.

It is understood the Japanese technology could also be used to extend the life of the Collins boats beyond the late 2020s.

Senator Johnston will also urge Defence to get moving quickly so a decision can be taken by March 2015.
He will point out that it took Singapore just 10 months to move from concept to decision for its new submarine.

(News)

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 17:30
Syrie: le croiseur Petr Veliki dirige le groupe naval russe

 

 

MOSCOU, 8 avril - RIA Novosti

 

Le croiseur nucléaire lourd russe Petr Veliki dirige le groupe naval de la Marine russe au large de la Syrie, a annoncé mardi à Moscou le commandant de la flotte du Nord russe Vladimir Korolev.

 

"Le groupe naval, qui se trouve au large de la Syrie, est dirigé par le croiseur Petr Veliki", a indiqué l'amiral Korolev à l'issue d'une réunion du Conseil de la Fédération (chambre haute du parlement russe).

 

Ce groupe comprend plusieurs navires de débarquement. Selon l'amiral, ces bâtiments de guerre participent notamment à l'opération de retrait d'armes chimiques du territoire syrien et garantissent la sécurité dans la partie orientale de la Méditerranée.

 

Au total, deux groupes navals de la flotte du Nord composés au total de 12 navires, accomplissent des missions en Méditerranée, "ils sont dirigés par le croiseur Petr Veliki et le croiseur porte-avions Admiral Kouznetsov", a précisé l'amiral Korolev.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 17:30
Airbus Defence and Space receives radar contract extension in the Middle East

The Spexer 2000 security radar improves the surveillance of borders substantially. Photo: Airbus DS

 

Munich,  08 April 2014 Airbus Defence and Space

Spexer 2000 security radar improves border protection

 

 

Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a contract for the delivery of four of its Spexer 2000 security radars to further improve the surveillance of the borders of a major Middle Eastern country. The contract is an extension to an existing contract for the delivery of more than 40 Spexer 2000 radars, which have been operating successfully for almost two years now.

 

Thomas Müller, head of the Business Line Electronics at Airbus Defence and Space, said: “Spexer 2000 is using state-of-the-art Active Electronically Scanning Array (AESA) technology, which provides a multi-tasking and multi-mode capability, and increases the detection and target assessment capability substantially. Due to this, Spexer 2000 can replace several conventional radars.”

 

Spexer 2000 is optimized for the surveillance of borders and other applications which require the monitoring of vast areas over long distances of 40 km. With high Doppler and velocity resolution as well as high clutter suppression, Spexer 2000 is able to reliably detect, track and classify even very small and slowly moving targets such as pedestrians, and also fast objects such as speed boats or low-flying objects such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. In addition, a camera mounted on top of the radar can be cued to the radar in order to identify suspicious objects.

 

This technology ensures a high level of situational awareness providing border guards and security forces with additional reaction time towards illicit intrusions. The radar is qualified according to several military standards and provides a very high availability and MTBCF (mean time between critical failure), combined with a low false alarm rate and reliable performance even in severe environmental conditions.

 

Spexer 2000 is part of Airbus Defence and Space’s Spexer security radar family which consists of several radars, each optimized for specific surveillance applications including border, infrastructure, perimeter and coastal surveillance. A specific military version has been developed for the German Army.

 

About Airbus Defence and Space

 

Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus Group formed by combining the business activities of Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military. The new division is Europe’s number one defence and space enterprise, the second largest space business worldwide and among the top ten global defence enterprises. It employs some 40,000 employees generating revenues of approximately €14 billion per year.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 17:30
Abdallah II et Vladimir Poutine

Abdallah II et Vladimir Poutine

 

 

MOSCOU, 8 avril - RIA Novosti

 

Le président Vladimir Poutine recevra mercredi à Moscou le roi Abdallah II de Jordanie, la rencontre portera sur la coopération militaire et la Syrie, rapporte mardi le service de presse du Kremlin. 

 

"Au cours des négociations de haut niveau, les questions d'actualité bilatérale seront examinées. Notamment, [les parties évoqueront] les perspectives des projets conjoints dans les domaines hautement technologiques, dont l'énergie nucléaire et la sphère militaro-technique", précise l'administration présidentielle dans un communiqué. 

 

Les parties procèderont en outre à un échange de vues sur les problèmes liés à la sécurité régionale, accordant une attention particulière à la crise syrienne et au processus de paix palestino-israélien, est-il indiqué. 

 

En janvier dernier, le président russe Vladimir Poutine a annoncé s'attendre à des résultats fructueux de la coopération bilatérale russo-jordanienne dans les domaines militaro-technique et énergétique: en 2013, le groupe nucléaire public russe Rosatom a remporté un appel d'offres international en vue de la construction de la première centrale nucléaire en Jordanie.

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8 avril 2014 2 08 /04 /avril /2014 16:50
Digital Forensics Pilot Course at EDA

Brussels - 08 April, 2014 European Defence Agency

 

From 31 March to 5 April 2014 EDA organised together with the SANS Institute a six days pilot course for digital forensics as part of the EDA Cyber Defence Programme to strengthen EU’s Cyber Defence capabilities for CSDP operations. Students from 14 EDA member states and EDA took part in the course.

 

On the details of the course and the course delivery one student says: “This was a mind blowing exercise. All the challenges and technical details were covered to a very deep extent.”

The course provided the students with the foundational competencies and skills to enable them to pass the exam for the widely recognised certification as GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification) Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE) in the weeks to come.

The course instructor, Mr. Chad Tilbury from SANS Institute says:  “As a former military and long-time cyber-defence practitioner, teaching a digital forensics class for the European Defence Agency was an honour.  Students from EU member countries conducted in-depth analysis and media exploitation of multiple systems.  Attendees conducted data triage and learned to extract forensic meaning from computer memory, files system and operating system artifacts, the Windows registry, email, removable devices, chat clients, web browsers, and event logs.  During the final day, students divided into teams and competed in a realistic forensic challenge requiring thousands of artifacts to be recovered, authenticated, and analysed.  From the results presented at the end of the forensic challenge, I am confident that this team can take their new skills home and immediately put them to use in real world operations.”

This course is the starting point for a new EDA initiative to pool the demand of EDA Member States for such specialist training that should lead to certifications. Pooling the demand will allow Member States to benefit from economies of scale”. 

The EDA Progamme Manager Cyber Defence, Mr. Wolfgang Roehrig  says: “In a lot of areas of cyber defence specialist training the military will continue to rely on private sector training capacities and expertise.  Therefore EDA is looking for ways for streamlining military training requirements in these fields. The starting point for further exploration was this on-site pilot course at EDA premises for data collection in an area of Cyber Defence expertise, in which the military most probably will continue to rely on industry-expertise, such as Digital Forensics. Digital Forensics training is a highly specialised field, in which, even putting the requirements of all EDA Member States together, relative small numbers of military students per year can be expected. Trainers in that field require special hands-on expertise that has to follow latest trends in attack techniques and technology - mere theoretical knowledge would not bring much benefit. Building-up and maintaining such trainer expertise within the military even at a European level is expected to be difficult and would be very expensive.”

The initiative will be launched within the EDA framework after the final course evaluation.

 

Background

Heads of State and Government endorsed the EDA Cyber Defence Programme as one of four critical capabilities programmes during the European Council in December 2013. For more information on this programme, read the factsheet.

 

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