18 March 2015 by defenceWeb

African arms imports increased by 45 per cent between the periods 2005–2009 to 2010–14, with Algeria importing the most during this period, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has revealed in an analysis of the global arms trade.

Between 2010 and 2014, Africa accounted for 9 per cent of all arms exports, measured by volume. The three largest importers in Africa in 2010–14 were Algeria (30 per cent of imports), Morocco (26 per cent) and Sudan (6 per cent).

States in sub-Saharan Africa received 42 per cent of imports by African states. Sudan was the largest and Uganda the second largest importer in the subregion, accounting for, respectively, 15 per cent and 14 per cent of the subregional total, according to SIPRI.

Between 2005–2009 and 2010–14 imports by Algeria increased by 3 per cent; imports by its regional rival Morocco increased elevenfold. In 2014, major deliveries to Algeria included a helicopter carrier from Italy, the last batch of 48 air defence systems from Russia and an estimated 50 self-propelled guns from China; meanwhile, Morocco received a frigate from France. Algeria, unlike Morocco, has several major outstanding arms orders. These include orders placed in 2014 for two Kilo submarines and 42 Mi-28/Mi-26 helicopters from Russia and 926 Fuchs APCs from Germany. The orders for helicopters and APCs appear partly related to the Algerian Government’s conflict with rebel groups.

Nigeria and Cameroon received weapons from several suppliers to fulfil their urgent demand for weapons to fight against the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. Taken together, in 2014, both countries ordered and received helicopters from China and Russia, and armoured vehicles from China, Czech Republic, South Africa and Ukraine. Canadian companies also supplied armoured vehicles from production lines based in Nigeria and the UAE, SIPRI reports.

Elsewhere in the world, SIPRI noted that arms imports to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states increased by 71 per cent from 2005–2009 to 2010–14, accounting for 54 per cent of imports to the Middle East in the latter period. Saudi Arabia rose to become the second largest importer of major weapons worldwide in 2010–14, increasing the volume of its arms imports four times compared to 2005–2009. The top six importers are India, Saudi Arabia, China, the UAE, Pakistan and Australia.

“Mainly with arms from the USA and Europe, the GCC states have rapidly expanded and modernized their militaries”, said Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. “The GCC states, along with Egypt, Iraq, Israel and Turkey in the wider Middle East, are scheduled to receive further large orders of major arms in the coming years.”

Asian arms imports continue to increase and of the top 10 largest importers of major weapons during the 5-year period 2010–14, five are in Asia: India (15 per cent of global arms imports), China (5 per cent), Pakistan (4 per cent), South Korea (3 per cent) and Singapore (3 per cent). These five countries accounted for 30 per cent of the total volume of arms imports worldwide. India accounted for 34 per cent of the volume of arms imports to Asia, more than three times as much as China. China’s arms imports actually decreased by 42 per cent between 2005–2009 and 2010–14, SIPRI data reveals.

“Enabled by continued economic growth and driven by high threat perceptions, Asian countries continue to expand their military capabilities with an emphasis on maritime assets”, said Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. “Asian countries generally still depend on imports of major weapons, which have strongly increased and will remain high in the near future.”

Other notable developments highlighted by SIPRI are that European arms imports decreased by 36 per cent between 2005–2009 to 2010–14, although the Institute cautioned that developments in Ukraine and Russia may counter this trend after 2014 with several states bordering Russia increasing their arms imports.

SIPRI also pointed out that arms imports by Azerbaijan increased by 249 per cent between 2005–2009 and 2010–14; to fight ISIS, Iraq received arms from countries as diverse as Iran, Russia and the USA in 2014; and deliveries and orders for ballistic missile defence systems increased significantly in 2010–14, notably in the Gulf and North East Asia.

Exporters

The United States remains the lead global arms exporter, followed by Russia, China, Germany and France. Together, they accounted for 74 per cent of the volume of arms exports. Overall, the volume of international transfers of major conventional weapons grew by 16 per cent between 2005–2009 and 2010–14, SIPRI said.

The volume of US exports of major weapons rose by 23 per cent between 2005–2009 and 2010–14. The USA’s share of the volume of international arms exports was 31 per cent in 2010–14, compared with 27 per cent for Russia.

“The USA has long seen arms exports as a major foreign policy and security tool, but in recent years exports are increasingly needed to help the US arms industry maintain production levels at a time of decreasing US military expenditure”, said Dr Aude Fleurant, Director of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme.

Russian exports of major weapons increased by 37 per cent between 2005–2009 and 2010–14. During the same period, Chinese exports of major arms increased by 143 per cent, making it the third largest supplier in 2010–14, displacing Germany in the number three spot, however still significantly behind the USA and Russia.

China supplied major arms to 35 states in 2010–14. A significant percentage (just over 68 per cent) of Chinese exports went to three countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. China also exported major arms to 18 African states. Examples of China’s increasing global presence as an arms supplier in 2010–14 included deals with Venezuela for armoured vehicles and transport and trainer aircraft, with Algeria for three frigates, with Indonesia for the supply of hundreds of anti-ship missiles and with Nigeria for the supply of a number of unmanned combat aerial vehicles, according to SIPRI.

Germany’s share of the global arms market has been decreasing (by 43 per cent between 2005–2009 and 2010–14) according to SIPRI, but nevertheless the country has received some major contracts. African orders in 2014 included two Type 209 submarines for Egypt and 926 Fuchs armoured personnel carriers for Algeria.

France exported a substantial amount of hardware to Africa – between 2010 and 2014 21 per cent of its exports went to the continent. French eff orts to increase arms exports were boosted by a deal negotiated in 2014 and signed in early 2015 with Egypt for the delivery of 24 Rafale combat aircraft and one FREMM frigate.

Mar 13, 2015 ASDNews Source : AFPS

U.S. and Polish forces will conduct an exercise later this month involving a U.S. Patriot missile battery and Poland’s 3rd Warsaw Air Defense Missile Brigade, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren announced today.

The exercise will involve some 100 U.S. soldiers and 30 vehicles at a location on Polish territory.

Warren called the exercise part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which is designed to reassure allies, demonstrate freedom of movement and deter regional aggression on the eastern flank of NATO. The mission began in response to Russia’s armed support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea a year ago.

12 mars 2015 Quelle: Redaktion der Bundeswehr 15E10503 03/2015

Mar 13, 2015 defense-aerospace.com

 (Source: Defence24.com Poland; published March 12, 2015)

Polish MoD: “Orka Submarine Programme Funding to Be Realized This Year”

The Polish Ministry of Defence has confirmed that funds to purchase new submarines are already reserved, but it is during the 4th quarter of this year, when the Ministry is going to start the analyses of options, that they will be used to launch the acquisition process.

Information related to the submarines was been published as a response to a parliamentary question (no. 30891) submitted by MP Artur Górski “…regarding the plans of the Ministry of Defence related to acquisition of three submarines for Poland, armed with cruise missiles”.

The ministry’s reply is highly significant in that, for the first time, the Polish Ministry of Defence has officially released information regarding the Orka future submarine project.

 

Which issues have been clarified?

Thanks to the response to the intervention, we now know that:

• Minister of Defence accepted the request submitted by the administrator of military equipment, regarding the acquisition of new submarines for the Polish Armed Forces on 27th September 2012;
• In the confidential document entitled “Plan of Technical Modernization of the Polish Armed Forces”, the Ministry of Defence’s budgetary assets are ring-fenced. These funds will be used to acquire the new submarines in 2015.
• “ORKA” programme is a long-term plan, funding of which is to be stretched out over several years until 2024;
• The Polish Ministry of Defence wants to acquire the new type of submarines armed with cruise missiles;
• Due to the plans of introduction of the cruise missiles, MoD is going to carry out additional analyses and arrangements, along with complementation of documentation, which are all going to be the basis for starting up the procedures. Analyses are to begin in the 4th quarter of this year;
• Despite the additional analyses and arrangements regarding the cruise missiles, the schedule related to procurement of the new submarines remains unchanged. “The first two submarines are planned to be acquired by 2022, the third one is to be received later”;
•„ In February this year, “offset assumptions related to acquisition of the new ORKA submarines have been developed,” the ministry said. According to these assumptions, a maintenance centre for the new type of submarines is to be created in Poland. The actions necessary will be taken to create a national potential for maintenance of technical readiness of the acquired submarines i.e. for servicing and carrying out repairs;
• The new submarines will be capable of “transporting troops that are not their crew members”;
• Training bundles, regarding preparation of the crew-members for service on-board of the submarines shall be included in the signed contracts;
• “The Polish Ministry of Defence is not planning to create a new special forces unit capable of operating with submarines. Existing special forces units, i.e. the Formoza, already possess such capabilities. Formoza’s operators are capable of carrying out special operations in water environment.”
• After the new submarines are introduced into service, the special forces will be trained in submarine operations in varied conditions, in accordance with procedures and techniques which are used by the special forces”.

What is missing in the Ministry’s response to the intervention?

• No estimated value of the order has been indicated – this would, according to the Polish MoD, reduce the room for negotiation of the Ordering Party in the planned procedure;
• No response has been made related to fusion of both procedures (acquisition of the submarines along with the cruise missiles);
• No response has been provided to the question, whether the government made any efforts to construct the submarines in the Polish shipyards, at least partially.

MoD has changed its approach towards the deterrence policy

The Ministry of Defence has changed its approach to the issue of equipping the submarines with cruise missiles, stating that “currently the basic task of the Polish Armed Forces is to defend the Polish territory. The semantic area of this term also includes military deterrence which shall be realized by demonstrating the readiness to defend the country with the existing forces. The new submarines will fall within that category and task.”

There is one more question – why it took so long for the Ministry of Defence to realize the fact that the submarines may be armed with the cruise missiles. Supposedly, a similar question was asked by MP Ludwik Dorn, leading Deputy Minister Mroczek to respond “Better late than never”.

The issue is far too serious to make fun of it – it shall be clarified why the plans of arming the submarines with the cruise missiles were sabotaged. And response to that question shall not be left in the shadows.


(EDITOR’S NOTE: Reuters reported from Warsaw this morning that Polish Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak “has asked the United States whether the European nation could buy Tomahawk missiles for its new submarines.”
Reuters quoted Siemoniak as saying on public radio that “One of the capabilities we want them to have is cruise missiles,” and he confirmed in a Tweet (see above).
France is also competing to supply submarines to Poland, in which case they would be armed with MBDA’s Missile de Croisière Naval (MdCN) cruise missiles as well as sub-surface-launched SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles)

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 12, 2015 – From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m. yesterday and 8 a.m. today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

No airstrikes were conducted in Syria during the specified timeframe, officials added.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Fighter, attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 13 airstrikes in Iraq:

-- Near Asad, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL vehicles.

-- Near Qaim, an airstrike struck an ISIL staging area.

-- Near Fallujah, three airstrikes struck an ISIL large tactical unit, two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Kirkuk, five airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed five ISIL excavators, three ISIL vehicles and an ISIL vehicle bomb.

-- Near Mosul, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL armored vehicles.

-- Near Ramadi, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Sinjar, an airstrike struck an ISIL large tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL buildings and an ISIL vehicle.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

March 11th, 2015 By Diehl BGT Defence - defencetalk.com

Diehl Defence signed an exclusive teaming agreement with the US company Orbital ATK on marketing and manufacturing the Advanced Anti-Radar Guided Missile (AARGM) in Germany.

AARGM is the most advanced anti-radar missile available. It is based on tactically significant improvements to the High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM). AARGM provides the legacy HARMs with a new guidance unit featuring GPS as well as an upgraded anti-radiation homing (ARH) antenna and digital signal processor. AARGM is also equipped with a millimeter wave end game terminal seeker providing substantially improved guidance solutions in the GPS-denied environments.

AARGM, with the international designation AGM-88E, is currently being integrated and qualified in the Italian TORNADO weapon system. This creates favourable prerequisites for economical operation in Germany. Apart from Italy, the missile, having been in production since 2012, is currently being procured by the United States Navy and the Royal Australia Air Force.

In case the AAGRM is procured by the Bundeswehr, the agreement between Diehl and Orbital ATK provides for the transfer of essential workshares to Germany covering production and service during operative use.

Diehl already participated in the production of the HARM guided missile currently in the German Air Force´s inventory. Moreover, Diehl took part in studies and development programs aimed at improving the guidance section.

By cooperating with Orbital ATK, Diehl is supporting the procurement of modern equipment, available on the market, for the Bundeswehr.

11 Mar 2015 By Peter Foster, Washington and agencies

Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, says Britain also planning to increase its assistance

The US announced it was stepping up non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday with a $75m (£50m) package that includes armoured Humvees and surveillance drones. The moves come as US and Nato officials report that Russia has continued to move men and materiel, including tanks, into eastern Ukraine since the February 12 ceasefire that was brokered in Minsk by Germany and France. The US also announced new economic sanctions to be targeted at officials in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in Ukraine as well as the Russian National Commercial Bank and a nationalist Russian group. The new measures will be accompanied by a US$5 billion credit from the International Monetary Fund which is expected in the coming days but falls far short of the demands from more hawkish members of the US Congress to provide lethal aide to Kiev. Mr Obama has resisted pressure from Congress and several senior officials in his administration, including his defence secretary, Ashton Carter, and secretary of state, John Kerry, to provide lethal support to Ukraine’s embattled armed forces.

Read more

11 mars 2015 Quelle: Redaktion der Bundeswehr 03/2015 14E31201

10/03/15 Le Vif (Belga)

Les exigences précises auxquelles devront répondre les avions qui succéderont aux chasseurs-bombardiers F-16 seront déterminée dans le plan stratégique de la Défense, a indiqué mardi le ministre Steven Vandeput en commission de la Chambre. Ce plan est attendu pour l'été.

Parmi les critères auxquels devra satisfaire le nouveau chasseur pourrait figurer la capacité de transporter et de larguer des bombes nucléaires, comme peut le faire actuellement le F-16 avec les B-61 américaines supposées entreposées sur la base aérienne de Kleine-Brogel (Limbourg).

La Belgique a demandé à cinq agences étatiques de répondre à un questionnaire avant d'entamer des négociations pour acquérir un nouvel avion. L'exigence nucléaire pourrait s'avérer déterminante dans le choix belge, à croire le député Georges Dallemagne (cdH).

"Si les nouveaux avions devaient avoir les mêmes missions nucléaires qu'aujourd'hui, cet appel n'a aucun sens. Jamais, l'armée américaine ne partagera ses codes de mise à feu et de largage", a affirmé le député humaniste, qui a mis en garde le ministre contre un appel d'offres "pour la galerie".

Actuellement, cinq avions - dont deux américains - sont en lice, représentés par cinq agences: le Joint Program Office (JPO), qui pilote le programme de chasseur F-35 Lightning II du groupe Lockheed Martin, le US Navy PMA 265 pour le F/A-18E/F Super Hornet de Boeing, la Direction générale de l'Armement (DGA) du ministère français de la Défense pour le Rafale de l'avionneur Dassault, la Swedish Defence and Security Export Agency (FXM) pour le JAS-39 Gripen de Saab et le UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) du ministère britannique de la Défense pour l'Eurofighter d'Airbus.

"Les spécifications techniques dépendront du 'level of engagement' (niveau d'engagement) et on en décidera dans le plan stratégique qui définira ce qu'on attend exactement d'un avion de chasse", a répondu M. Vandeput (N-VA), sans donner d'autre précision sur ce point.

La présence d'ogives nucléaires américaine en Belgique, supposée mais jamais confirmée officiellement, fait l'objet d'un débat politique récurrent et de nombreuses voix se sont déjà exprimées pour mettre en cause l'utilité d'un tel arsenal dans le pays depuis la fin de la guerre froide.

Selon M. Dallemagne, il est temps que le gouvernement se pose la question. "Si l'on veut avoir un appel d'offres ouvert aux pays européens, il est important de mener le débat", a-t-il dit. Autre élément invoqué mercredi: la surveillance conjointe de l'espace aérien du Benelux par les forces aériennes belge et néerlandaise, en principe à partir de la mi-2017.

Le PS et le cdH craignent que cette coopération renforcée, annoncée la semaine passée lors d'une réunion conjointe des gouvernements belge et néerlandais, soit aussi le prélude à l'acquisition du F-35, les Pays Bas ayant collaboré au programme qui a mené à sa conception.

Dans un entretien accordé au journal 'La Libre Belgique', le député Sebastian Pirlot (PS) a dit même redouter l'avènement d'une armée "des Plats pays" qui ferait la part belle à la Flandre. "La surveillance n'aura pas de conséquence sur les achats militaires", a indiqué le ministre. Selon lui, des "effets d'échelle" seront toutefois recherchés. Mais cela ne signifie pas que la Belgique fera le même choix que les Pays Bas, a-t-il assuré. Les effets d'échelle seront déterminés en fonction du choix de l'avion et pourraient donc être recherchés dans d'autres pays.

March 10, 2015 Defense News (AFP)

BRUSSELS — Washington's UN envoy Samantha Power urged European countries on Monday to contribute more troops to UN peacekeeping missions, saying their experience in Afghanistan could prove crucial.

US President Barack Obama will bring world leaders together on the sidelines of the next UN Assembly General in New York in September to push them to take part in more peacekeeping missions, Power said in a speech in Brussels.

"European countries have drawn back from peacekeeping... It is essential each of us does our fair share," Power told the Friends of Europe think tank in Brussels.

"European governments must contribute their fair share of the military force (and) financial burden necessary to respond to today's crises."

The US ambassador to the United Nations said less than seven percent of UN "Blue Helmet" missions involved European troops, against 40 percent 20 years ago, even if Europe was contributing financially.

Poorer countries which have around 12 percent of the world's population make up around 43 percent of UN peacekeeping missions, she added.

A "seismic shift" caused by peacekeeping failures in Srebrenica during the war in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda in the 1990s was partly to blame for the European reluctance, she said.

But she urged Europe to contribute again, saying that with 35,000 European troops in Afghanistan four years ago, "UN peacekeeping would benefit exponentially" from that experience.

With US military personnel already involved in around 100 countries around the world, Power said the imbalance was dangerous given the "range and severity" of crises including the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

10 mars 2015 Quelle: Redaktion der Bundeswehr 15E10502 03/2015

9 mars 2015 45e Nord.ca (AFP)

Les Etats-Unis ont commencé à déployer 3.000 soldats pour trois mois de manœuvres dans les pays baltes, dans le cadre de l’opération Atlantic Resolve destinée à rassurer les pays de la région face à la Russie, a indiqué lundi le Pentagone.

Près de 750 véhicules et équipements sont arrivés par bateau à Riga pour ces manœuvres qui dureront 90 jours, a précisé le porte-parole du Pentagone, le colonel Steven Warren.

Les équipements comprennent notamment des chars Abrams, les véhicules de combat Bradley et les véhicules Humvees, selon des indications données sur place à l’AFP par le général John O’Connor, chargé du transport des équipements.

Des hélicoptères font également partie du matériel envoyé pour ces manœuvres, a précisé le colonel Warren.

Selon une source militaire américaine, les équipements sont prévus pour rester sur place après le retour dans leurs quartiers des soldats participant aux manœuvres.

Ils resteront tant que ce sera nécessaire pour dissuader la Russie d’une agression, a précisé de son côté le général O’Connor.

L’opération Atlantic resolve (Détermination atlantique) désigne toutes les initiatives militaires prises après le début de la crise ukrainienne par les Etats-Unis, dans le cadre de l’Otan, pour rassurer les pays membres et alliés de l’organisation atlantique face à la Russie.

TEWKSBURY, Mass., March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire

Polish defense industry successfully demonstrates advanced engineering capabilities

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and TELDAT successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) phase of their current contract to co-develop and co-produce advanced militarized routers for the Patriot Air and Missile Defense system. This milestone validates the capability of the TELDAT design to meet all Patriot system requirements and enables the company to transition into the manufacturing and design qualification phase of the program. 

"It is with great satisfaction that we successfully completed the first batch of military and modern routers for Next Generation Patriot, on schedule and while adhering to the highest quality technology standards. This is an important stage in our cooperation with Raytheon and proves that TELDAT is a reliable business partner and a global leader in development and production of military IT solutions," said Henryk Kruszynski, Ph.D., CEO of TELDAT Company. "The milestone allows us to start the next stages of our close partnership with Raytheon, which will surely bring more tangible benefits for both companies and further strengthen the Polish-American cooperation."

"TELDAT has demonstrated exemplary technical capabilities in support of this key initiative," said Daniel J Crowley, President, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "When we contracted with TELDAT, we envisioned a long-term partnership beyond just WISLA. By producing this militarized router, TELDAT will have access to an export market among established users worldwide – an opportunity unique to our global Patriot customers."

Polish industry will have major involvement in the co-development (design, engineering, software) of the Next Generation Patriot system, including co-production of a large portion of this future capability. To date, Raytheon has signed seven contract awards and 28 initial teaming agreements (LOIs), which are all focused on bringing work share to Polish industry from the WISLA program and beyond. Raytheon is already exploring partnerships beyond air and missile defense to include naval modernization, cyber, smart munitions, sensors, and other missiles (air to air, air to ground).

About TELDAT
TELDAT is a Polish business entity that has existed in the defense market for about 20 years. It has the broad expertise, capabilities, and comprehensive solutions, which are widely sought in Poland and abroad. The company specializes in design and manufacturing of innovative, specialized IT solutions, dedicated especially for security and national defense. Its products and provided services have been successfully used and tested in the following situations: (1) Polish troops and institutions, and on the major international peace and stabilization theaters of operation; (2) Subsequent editions of the biggest international military exercises (eg. Combined Endeavor, NATO CWID, NATO and the Bold Quest CWIX) in particular command and communications; (3) NATO, US and European research laboratories; (4) International worldwide projects and programs (e.g. the Multilateral interoperability Program  where TELDAT and its solutions are the only Polish and a few that have passed the highest tests). For more about TELDAT visit www.teldat.com.pl.

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2014 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 93 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter at @Raytheon.