03.11.2015 par Philippe Chapleau - Lignes de Défense

Depuis deux mois, un officier supérieur britannique, l'Air Vice Marshal Sean Corbett, officie au sein de la DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) en tant que "deputy director for Commonwealth Integration".

A lui de seconder le lieutenant general Vincent Stewart sur les questions de renseignements concernant les "Five Eyes" (USA, GB, Canada, Australie et Nouvelle-Zélande). Mais selon certaines sources US, ce poste est celui d'un "senior liaison officer")

Quoi qu'il en soit, c'est la première fois qu'un poste de ce niveau est confié à un ressortissant étranger.

Je rappelle le Danemark, la France, les Pays-Bas et la Norvège font eux partie des "Nine Eyes".

29/10/2015 DICOD

30/10/2015 Sources : Marine nationale

C’est dans un contexte stratégique et sécuritaire particulièrement exigent pour nos forces, qui déploient aujourd’hui 17 000 miliaires sur les théâtres d’opération extérieure et sur le territoire national, que se tient le plus important exercice interarmées et interalliés organisé par l’Alliance atlantique depuis 2002 : Trident Juncture 2015.

Du 21 octobre au 6 novembre 2015, 30 nations sont engagées dans cet exercice qui regroupe près de 36 000 joueurs déployés sur quatre sites (Pays-Bas, Italie, Espagne et Portugal). Réalisé sur la base d’un scénario crédible de crise internationale nécessitant un déploiement rapide de forces, Trident Juncture constitue un événement important dans le calendrier opérationnel de l’Alliance et de ses membres.

Cet exercice vise non seulement à certifier la capacité de réaction rapide de l’OTAN pour l’ensemble de ses composantes mais il constitue également une occasion unique d’entraînement interarmées et interalliés. Si l’engagement particulièrement soutenu de nos forces a conduit à limiter notre participation, Trident Juncture 2015 demeure une priorité. En effet,  à l’heure où nos militaires sont de plus en plus souvent engagés en coalition, il contribue à leur préparation opérationnelle en permettant d’approfondir leur interopérabilité avec leurs partenaires et leur réactivité. Par ailleurs, comme tout déploiement opérationnel de l’OTAN, cet exercice participe aux mesures d’assurance sur le flanc Est de l’Europe.

Faisant intervenir les composantes de surface, sous-marines,  aériennes et amphibies, les deux phases de l’exercice en état-major comme en déploiement réel permettront de tester l’ensemble des niveaux opératifs de l’OTAN (stratégique, opératif et tactique). Pour cette édition, l’expertise des armées française est en bonne place avec,  notamment, une unité de soutien pétrolier multinational majoritairement armée par le service des essences des armées. La Marine est également en bonne place. Ainsi, depuis le 21 octobre, le bâtiment de commandement et de ravitaillement Somme, la frégate Surcouf, le chasseur de mines Sagittaire ainsi que deux avions de patrouille maritime Atlantique 2 sont déployés en Méditerranée et en Atlantique.

La  Somme a ainsi intégré, sous contrôle opérationnel de l’Otan, le CTF 445 embarqué sur le HMS Ocean en Méditerranée où elle assure le ravitaillement des unités navales des différents task group déployés sur zone dont le SNMG2, dont fait partie le Surcouf.  Seul ravitailleur entièrement dédié à l’exercice, la Somme a ainsi ravitaillé, depuis le début de son déploiement,  six unités étrangères (turques, allemandes, bulgare, et italienne), délivrant plus de 1 000 mètres cubes de gazole en deux jours.  Au sein de la SNMG2, le Surcouf a conduit un exercice de tir avec deux bâtiments italiens, le porte-aéronefs Garibaldi et la frégate Grecale. Les appontages d'hélicoptères étrangers se sont succédés dès le lendemain sur la plate-forme du Surcouf: Lynx allemand de la frégate Hambourg, Merlin anglais du HMS Ocean et AB212 italien de la frégate Zeffiro. Le Sagittairefait quant à lui valoir le savoir-faire français en matière de guerre des mines au sein du task group 445.05 du SNMCMG2 dont la mission est d’assurer la détection et la neutralisation des engins explosifs qui menaceraient la navigation des unités.

Au terme de l’exercice dont le niveau de difficulté est croissant, le poste de commandement de Brunssum (Pays-Bas) doit être apte à prendre l’alerte de l’OTAN et être capable de conduire une opération d’ampleur sous faible préavis.

26 octobre 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

Washington - Les Américains et la coalition contre le groupe Etat islamique n'ont pas mené de frappes aériennes en Syrie depuis trois jours, un calme contrastant avec l'activité de Moscou qui indique avoir frappé 94 cibles sur les dernières 24 heures.

Selon les statistiques de la coalition menée par les Etats-Unis, le dernier bombardement en Syrie remonte au jeudi 22 octobre, avec une frappe de drone dans la région de Mara (nord de la Syrie) visant un véhicule et un mortier.

Le Pentagone juge purement circonstancielle cette retenue, démentant notamment que la coalition puisse manquer de cibles.

Nous demandons à nos services de renseignement des cibles que nous pouvons frapper sans causer de dommages civils et nous n'en avons eu aucune ces derniers jours, a déclaré lundi le porte-parole du Pentagone, le capitaine de vaisseau Jeff Davis.

Mais ça ne veut pas dire que nous ne sommes pas en train de chercher d'autres cibles. Et il y en aura d'autres, a-t-il ajouté.

Il n'y a rien à lire dans ce calme récent, a indiqué un responsable de la Défense, sous couvert de l'anonymat.

Les cibles ne manquent pas mais il peut y avoir toute une série de raisons pour lesquelles nous renonçons à frapper, comme le mauvais temps, a commenté un autre responsable américain.

L'armée russe a annoncé lundi avoir effectué 59 sorties au dessus de la Syrie et frappé 94 cibles terroristes en 24 heures, un nombre record de bombardements depuis le début de l'intervention russe le 30 septembre.

D'une manière générale, les statistiques du Pentagone montrent un net ralentissement des frappes en Syrie qui a commencé dès le début du mois de septembre, avant même l'intervention russe.

En septembre, le nombre de bombardements de la coalition en Syrie est tombée à 127, alors qu'il était resté supérieur à 200 sur les quatre mois précédents, selon les chiffres du Pentagone collectés par Airwars, un site internet spécialisé.

En octobre, après le début des bombardements russes en Syrie, la baisse s'est confirmée, avec une centaine de frappes enregistrées jusqu'au 25.

Les frappes en Irak montrent moins d'irrégularités, oscillant approximativement entre 400 et 500 par mois sur les six derniers mois.

Le Pentagone se refuse à lire un quelconque essoufflement des frappes dans les chiffres concernant la Syrie.

Nous frappons les cibles où nous les trouvons et quand nous les avons vérifiées, a souligné lundi Elissa Smith, une porte-parole du Pentagone.

October 23, 2015: Strategy Page

In October 2015 Britain finally overcame opposition by civil aviation bureaucrats and was allowed to fly military UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) in Britain. Just once. As a test. This was a major breakthrough because such restrictions in Europe have severely limited development and use of military UAVs. For example the British military has been developing Watchkeeper UAV since 2006 but has not been able to use it in Britain. This aircraft is based on the Israeli Hermes and is a 450 kg (992 pound) aircraft with a payload of 150 kg. It can also carry Hellfire missiles for support of troops in Afghanistan. This UAV is already designed to carry two extra fuel tanks under its wings. Each of these fuel tanks weighs more than the 50 kg (110 pound) Hellfire missile. The Watchkeeper is 6.5 meters (20 feet) long and has an 11.3 meter (35 foot) wingspan. It can stay in the air for up to 20 hours per sortie and fly as high as 6,500 meters (20,000 feet). The Hermes 450 is the primary UAV for the Israeli armed forces, and twenty or more were in action each day during the 2006 war in Lebanon.

As of late 2015 Britain had received 33 of the 54 Watchkeepers ordered but did not have any pilots for them. That’s because doubts about getting permission to fly in Britain (at least in civilian air space) caused the training program to be put on hold. But now the training is underway but it will take two years to produce 24 Watchkeeper operators and eventually a hundred will be needed to handle a force of 54 Watchkeepers. There are about half a dozen Watchkeeper operators, but these are trainers. Meanwhile Britain does have nearly a decade of experience using large UAVs (like Watchkeeper, Predator and Reaper), mainly in Afghanistan. The operators were trained in the United States initially and later in Britain. Most of the training can be done on simulators and British operators in training can practice in UAVs flying in the United States because the Predator and Reaper use a satellite link to communicate with the operator. Three Watchkeepers were sent to Afghanistan in 2014 and performed well.

In the United States and Western Europe air safety bureaucrats have long resisted calls to allow UAVs to be used for commercial purposes. In some European nations even military UAVs are heavily restricted from operating, even in air space controlled by the military. In other parts of the world UAVs are allowed to operate in civilian air space with no ill-effects. China has become an enthusiastic user of UAVs for monitoring pollution, crops and to do many other commercial jobs that previously were handled, at much high cost, by manned aircraft or space satellites. Israel does all that as well as flying UAVs through civilian air space just to get them where needed for some security or military situation. Israel is a small country and there’s not much choice. But the Israelis and Chinese also did the math and realized that UAVs are the real or even potential danger that American and European flight safety bureaucrats believe exists. That sort of thing does little to change the rules for UAVs in North America and Europe.

These policies can be expensive. In 2013 Germany cancelled plans to buy five RQ-4 UAVs, and wrote off $700 million in development costs, because they found it impossible to get permission from European Union aviation bureaucrats to operate these 14 ton UAVs in Europe. Called the Euro Hawk, this German version of the American RQ-4 was to be equipped with European electronics and serve as a long endurance recon aircraft. The problem was that European aviation authorities demanded extensive tests to ensure that the unmanned Euro Hawk could coexist with manned aircraft in European air space. It was determined that this process would cost over $800 million and there was no guarantee the UAV would be cleared to operate.

Flying has long been much safer than most people believed it to be. That paranoia has been extended to UAVs despite no lives lost to UAV collisions in Iraq, Afghanistan, or anywhere else. There is a potential danger with large (over 50 kg/110 pound) UAVs, as these are hefty enough to bring down manned aircraft. Yet in a decade of heavy use in Iraq and Afghanistan there has been one such collision for every 250,000 UAV flight hours. In the one incident so far there was no loss of life.

Despite the excellent safety record for UAVs in a combat zone, the fear of collisions has led to heavy restrictions on UAV use in disaster relief operations, which the military is often called upon for overseas and inside the United States. Right now the military must receive permission from the Secretary of Defense before using UAVs off the battlefield. That’s not really an issue at the moment because most recent disasters the military got involved in there were sufficient manned aircraft to look for survivors, assess damage, and so on. But overseas that is often not the case. Moreover disaster relief experts point out that in the early hours and days after a major disaster you can’t have too many eyes in the sky.

The one actual UAV collision took place in 2011 when a U.S. Army RQ-7 UAV and a U.S. Air Force C-130 transport collided. The RQ-7 hit a wing of the C-130, between the two engines. The RQ-7 was destroyed, while the C-130 had the skin of the front of that wing torn open and some of the interior spars bent. One of the props on the inboard propeller was destroyed (and that engine had to be turned off). But the C-130 was able to land safely, and parts and technicians were flown in to repair the C-130 where it was.

An RQ-7B Shadow 200 weighs only 159 kg (350 pounds), compared to 70,000 kg for a loaded C-130, so the outcome of this collision is not surprising. Shadow is small, being 3.5 meters (11 feet) long with a wingspan of 4.1 meters (12.75 feet). Most UAVs in the air over combat zones are even smaller. Indeed over 90 percent of them are the tiny two kilogram (4.4 pounds) Raven. Witnesses in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen a few of them destroyed, or simply knocked out of the air by a passing aircraft, usually a helicopter. Raven operators suspect that many of those that were lost for unknown reasons were similarly hit or caught in the backwash of low flying aircraft. A few have been seen getting attacked by birds. There have been very few recorded collisions.

The small, plastic, Raven would not do much noticeable damage to an aircraft. The pilots and crew of helicopters hit by Ravens apparently don’t notice it at all. After landing ground crews may notice a new dent and wonder where it came from. The Shadow collision was understandable because the Shadow is the largest UAV that often operates at low altitude (under 300 meters) and uses military airfields to land and take off.

In light of all this, the U.S. Army has developed a new radar system (GBSAA or Ground-Based Sense And Avoid) to increase safety for UAVs. GBSAA is mainly a software system using existing radars to track UAVs and manned aircraft and alert UAV operators when their UAVs are too close to other aircraft (manned or unmanned). GBSAA can be expanded to use transponders (which commercial aircraft have been using for a long time) and more flexible software. But the basic idea is to insure that UAV operators are no longer “blind” to what is in the air nearby. GBSAA had its first field test a year ago and it was a success. The first GBSAA was to be deployed in 2014 and five more bases will have it by 2016.

GBSAA will likely be more in demand by potential civilian UAV users. Battlefields have much lower safety standards than civilian air space, what with all those artillery and mortar shells, plus the bullets and rockets. But civilian air space has a lot of small aircraft and helicopters, so UAVs are generally banned. GBSAA could change that and make battlefields safer as the UAV traffic becomes denser.

ALBACETE, Spain, Oct. 14 By Ryan Maass (UPI)

Fighter pilots from seven NATO countries completed the NATO tactical Leadership Program designed to enhance combat and coordination skills. The pilots came from the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Italy, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The program prepared pilots to become mission commanders and lead coalition airstrike packages, also instructed allied flying and ground personnel in tactical air operations. The program also emphasized cooperation between different air forces.

Read more

15 oct. 2015 by Royal Navy

October 10, 2015: Strategy Page

The Netherlands has ordered another 14 American CH-47F transport helicopters (at $67 million each). These will replace the eleven older CH-47Ds, which the Dutch are retiring rather than rebuilding as CH-47Fs. The 22 ton CH-47F can carry ten tons of cargo, or up to 55 troops, and has a maximum range of 426 kilometers. Its max speed is 315 kilometers an hour. Typical missions last no more than three hours. It is the best helicopter for use in placed like Afghanistan, having proved able to deal with the dust and high altitude operations better than other transport choppers. The Dutch already have six CH-47Fs, which they ordered in 2010 when Dutch troops were part of the NATO force in Afghanistan.

Back in 2010 the Dutch found out how useful the CH-47 was when they sent three of their CH-47Ds to replace five Cougars. The Eurocopter Cougar EC725 is an 11 ton aircraft with a useful load of 5.5 tons, a top speed of 324 kilometers an hour, a range of about 850 kilometers and can stay in the air for about five hours per sortie. The Cougars had been in Afghanistan since late 2009 and the Dutch found, as other countries had, that the CH-47 was more effective in places like Afghanistan than the EC725 (or the similar UH-60). The CH-47D is a 22 ton aircraft with a max load of ten tons. The first CH-47s entered service in 1962, able to carry only five tons. Some 750 saw service in Vietnam where 200 were lost in action. Between 1982 and 1994 500 CH-47s were rebuilt to the CH-47D standard. Now many CH-47Ds are being upgraded to the CH-47F standard. As a result of all this, the CH-47 will end up serving at least 75 years even without another major upgrade.

The Netherlands uses their military helicopters a lot for peacekeeping missions, where Dutch helicopters have become a welcome addition because of the skill of the Dutch crews and the reliability of their well-maintained helicopters. The Dutch don’t have a large army or a lot of special operations troops. But they maintain a modern and effective fleet of military helicopters and these are in big demand by peacekeepers.

13 octobre 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

Beyrouth - Le groupe Etat islamique (EI) a appelé au jihad contre la Russie dont l'aviation russe bombarde depuis le 30 septembre les positions de l'organisation jihadiste et celles des rebelles en guerre contre le régime, selon un enregistrement sonore diffusé mardi.

La Russie sera vaincue en Syrie, a affirmé le porte-parole de l'EI Abou Mohamed al-Adnani dans cet enregistrement diffusé sur les sites jihadistes.

Il a appelé les musulmans en tous lieux à lancer le jihad contre les Russes et les Américains, pour faire face à une guerre des Croisés contre les musulmans.

Le porte-parole a accusé les Etats-Unis d'être faibles et impuissants et de faire appel à l'Australie, à la Russie, à la Turquie et l'Iran pour l'aider dans sa guerre contre l'EI en Syrie. Ils sont prêts à s'allier même avec le diable, a-t-il ajouté.

Abou Mohamed al-Adnani a affirmé que son groupe se renforce chaque jour et continuera à devenir plus fort.

Il a par ailleurs menacé les groupes rebelles qui lui sont hostiles dont la branche syrienne d'Al-Qaïda, le Front Al-Nosra, les accusant d'être des vendus et des laquais et en affirmant que les combattants de l'EI les pourchasseront et les vaincront.

Les Etats-Unis sont à la tête d'une large coalition qui bombarde depuis plus d'un an en Syrie et en Irak l'EI, un puissant groupe ultraradical qui contrôle de vastes régions dans ces deux pays, sans parvenir à le neutraliser.

La Russie est intervenue le 30 septembre avec son aviation dans le conflit pour venir en aide au régime syrien, son allié, qui était en mauvaise posture après plusieurs revers face aux rebelles. Moscou affirme que ses avions bombardent l'EI et les groupes rebelles islamistes dans plusieurs régions de Syrie.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 By Richard Tomkins  (UPI)

U.S. Special Operations Command has ordered ammunition for its Swedish-made 84mm recoilless weapon system.

Ammunition for 84mm Swedish recoilless rifles used by U.S. forces is to be supplied by Saab, the company said. The order for ammunition for the Carl-Gustaf M4 system was issued by U.S. Special Operations Command. No information on the monetary value of the order was disclosed. "This order demonstrates the continued confidence of our customer in the capabilities and versatility of the Carl-Gustaf," said Torbjorn Saxmo, head of Saab's Ground Combat business unit. "The system gives soldiers a battle-winning edge through its high accuracy, supreme effectiveness and great versatility."

Read more

October 13, 2015 by CJTF-OIR Release # 201510013-01

Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria and Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA- On Oct. 12, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes using bomber aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using bomber, fighter, attack, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.

The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

• Near Al Hawl, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and two ISIL vehicles.

• Near Abu Kamal, one strike destroyed an ISIL crude oil collection point.

• Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed an ISIL crude oil collection point.

Iraq

• Near Al Huwayjah, two strikes struck two separate tactical units and destroyed six ISIL bunkers and two ISIL fighting positions.

• Near Bayji, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL building and an ISIL vehicle.

• Near Habbaniyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL weapons cache.

• Near Mosul, one strike suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

• Near Ramadi, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions, six ISIL buildings, an ISIL sniper position, two separate ISIL command and control nodes, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

• Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL tactical vehicle, and an ISIL heavy machine gun.

• Near Tal Afar, one strike suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

Strike assessments are based on initial reports. All aircraft returned to base safely.

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, and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct operations. Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Iraq include Australia, Canada, France, Jordan, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States. Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Syria include Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the U.S.

13 oct. 2015 by Royal Navy

Oct 5, 2015 (UPI)

Britain is to replace and double its fleet of remotely piloted aircraft and modernize equipment of its Special Forces.

The investment, announced by Prime Minister David Cameron, is part of the 2015 Strategic Defense and Security Review.

"In order to equip UK intelligence agencies and British Armed forces with the capabilities they need to keep the streets of Britain safe, the prime minister has announced that the RAF will replace the existing fleet of 10 Reaper aircraft with more than 20 of the latest generation of RPAS, which will be called Protector and will carry the very latest technology," the Ministry of Defensee said.

"With a greater range and endurance, the new Protector aircraft will dramatically increase the UK's ability to identify, track, deter and ultimately counter potential threats. Combined with the increase in the size of the fleet, this will substantially enhance the UK's global intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capability.

For its Special Force, the Ministry of Defense said, new specialist weapons and clothing will be procured to ensure that the force "remains at the cutting edge of technology, giving them a clear advantage over enemies."

Additional details of the procurement of RPAs and Special Forces equipment was not elaborated upon.

The Reaper currently used by Britain is made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Cameron, who made the announcement in a newspaper interview, gave no information on the Protector RPA, including its manufacturer.

"The duty of the UK Government is to keep our country safe and we must do more as the threats we face evolve," said Defense Secretary Michael Fallon. "We must adapt and stay ahead of our enemies.

"This investment package will enhance our ability to address these sophisticated dangers both at home and abroad, allowing us to intervene with speed and precision to protect the people of the UK and our international partners."