07/12/2011 Aerocontact

PARIS, 6 décembre (Reuters) - Thales annonce mardi avoir signé un accord pour racheter Tampa Microwave, une société privée spécialisée dans les terminaux de communications tactiques par satellite (Satcom).

Le rachat, qui est conditionné par l'obtention de certaines approbations réglementaires, devrait être conclu au premier trimestre 2012, précise un communiqué.

Le montant de la transaction n'est pas communiqué.

"Complémentaires de l'actuel portefeuille de produits de Thales, les domaines d'activité stratégique de Tampa Microwave élargiront les capacités de Thales dans le domaine des Satcom large bande", lit-on dans le communiqué. (Noëlle Mennella, édité par Danielle Rouquié)

photo focus-news.net (AFP)

06 December 2011 FOCUS News Agency

Bucharest. The Romanian parliament on Tuesday ratified an accord to host US missile interceptors on its soil, a day before a meeting of the 28 NATO members in Brussels, AFP reported.

The Senate unanimously adopted the draft law ratifying the Romania-US agreement signed in September that would allow the establishment and operation of a US land-based ballistic missile defence system in Romania as part of NATO's efforts to build a continental missile shield.

"The location of some elements of the US missile shield represents a very important contribution to the security of Romania, the US and and the entire alliance," Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi told senators, according to Mediafax news agency.

The draft law was adopted by the lower house in November and is now set to be promulgated by President Traian Basescu.

The deployment of the missile interceptors is expected to take place in 2015 at a former airbase in southern Romania.

The missile shield, which is based on US technology, is one of the transatlantic alliance's main development axes for the coming years, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said.

Along with Romania, Turkey, Poland and Spain have also agreed to take part in the project.

photo Sergeant Russ Nolan, MOD 2011

6 December 2011 army-technology.com

British Army Apache AH Mk1 helicopter pilots and ground crew have completed the two-month long Crimson Eagle exercise in the US as part of the Apache Conversion to Role course.

The exercise, held at the El Centro Naval Air Facility in California and at Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field in Arizona, included aviation environmental training, judgemental training and a live firing phase.

The tactical exercises are designed to enable the pilots to achieve limited combat-ready status and gain working experience in the sort of terrain and altitudes that may be encountered during real-time overseas deployments.

During the aviation environmental and judgemental training exercises, Apache pilots demonstrated expertise in handling the aircraft in mountainous and desert conditions, including dust landings and limited power training during the day and night.

The live firing phase is the final evaluation in weapons handling to ensure pilots achieve live firing qualifications.

Wattisham Station Attack Helicopter Force Chief of Staff lieutenant colonel Peter Bullen said: "Exercise Crimson Eagle is a challenging exercise during which students have had an opportunity to practice skills in a demanding environment with conditions similar to those in Afghanistan."

The pilots will undergo a period of further training prior to completion of the Conversion To Role course after which they will be assigned to one of the Apache squadrons within 16 Air Assault Brigade to gain Limited Combat Ready status as well as wider exposure.

Exercise Crimson Eagle has been conducted nine times in the US by the Army Air Corps since 2006, and the most recent exercise was conducted earlier this year.

The UK Army Apache AH Mk1 fleet consists of 67 aircraft that support UK and coalition forces in Afghanistan and Libya to provide deterrence and close combat attack capabilities for ISAF forces, as well as to perform escort duties for other aircraft.

The Apache AH Mk1 is an all-weather, day and night attack helicopter equipped with a 30mm chain gun, rockets and Hellfire missiles, and is designed to detect and destroy armoured vehicles.

Cmdr. Iain Breckenridge, standing with binoculars,

guides the submarine Astute to a berth in Norfolk, Va.,

on Nov. 28. (MC1 Todd A. Schaffer / U.S. Navy)

5 Dec 2011 By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS DefenseNews

Missile Tests Belie HMS Astute's 'Jinx' Label

NORFOLK, Va. - HMS Astute, Britain's first new attack submarine in more than two decades, is the most advanced undersea craft ever fielded by the Royal Navy. But the sub's many improvements often have been masked by a long-running series of developmental and operational problems - including design issues, cost overruns, production missteps, lengthy construction delays, an embarrassingly public grounding last year in Scotland and a tragic shooting on board in April.

Now operating from the U.S. East Coast as part of a lengthy trials period, the Astute finally has had a chance to show what it can do, and in November test-fired Tomahawk cruise missiles in the Gulf of Mexico. But the British media, even in reporting on its successes, continue to label the ship a jinx.

Cmdr. Iain Breckenridge, the submarine's commanding officer, bristled when asked about the jinx moniker during a Nov. 29 interview on board his ship.

"The media will always jump at an easy target. So we're an easy target, they're having a field day," he said.

"Fine by me, that's well behind us. I don't dwell on it, I don't look back. Myself and my team move forward to prove what a great submarine she is. With the Tomahawk firings recently, our successful torpedo firings in the summer in the U.K., pushing forward to get all trials completed, getting to Norfolk to meet the senior U.S. leadership, going to AUTEC [the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center test range] in January to finish trials, and getting her back to the U.K. in March, ready to go back into the yard for her final maintenance period before she becomes operational, for us, that's all good news.

"So the media won't use that, because that's not an interesting story. If anything minor happens, they'll jump on it and go, 'wow, wow, jinxed submarine!'

"Well, ask any of my ship's company, any of our supporting personnel, anyone in the Navy, any of our families, any of our friends in the U.S. submarine force; in fact, anybody that basically understands what a first-of-class submarine's got to go through, and they'll recognize that the term 'jinx' is just a very easy one that the media jumps on.

"Does it bother me? Used to, initially. Not bothered by it anymore. There are much more important things to deal with. It's a fantastic submarine to deliver to the front line as soon as possible. And I've got a really good team helping me do that."

Tests, Tests and More Tests

Breckenridge, a veteran submariner who previously commanded HMS Tireless, brought the Astute to the U.S. in October to begin a series of weapons, sensors, systems and warm-weather trials.

"We've got to prove the design, and prove the build," he said. "Over subsequent submarines, they just have to prove the build."

The boat loaded Tomahawk cruise missiles at the U.S. Navy's submarine base in Kings Bay, Ga., then launched two T-hawks from the Gulf of Mexico onto a missile range at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. "Both flew beautifully," Breckenridge said.

Operations on the AUTEC range in January will fully prove the submarine's new Type 2076 integrated sonar suite, and more Spearfish torpedoes will be test-fired.

Breckenridge ticked off a list of new features aboard the sub, which is fitted with six 21-inch torpedo tubes, one more than previous classes. The weapons room also is larger, with a lower deck, allowing for a 50 percent increase in the number of weapons carried - "on the order of 36," he said.

The submarine features a large lockout chamber aft of the fin, or sail, and can carry a drydeck shelter to allow swimmers to enter and leave the sub while submerged.

"That was a real design driver for the boat, and that's why we've got a big sail," he explained. "The shapes and curves [of the hull] help the dry deck shelter sit in the right place."

In the control room, Breckenridge pointed proudly to the Thales Optronics mast displays. Astute is the first British submarine to dispense with traditional periscopes and adopt photronics masts, similar to the arrangement aboard U.S. Virginia-class submarines.

"Much as I loved my old peri-scopes, this is much better," he said. Using the periscope on older submarines at night, he said, required "lights off, curtains draped, black lighting, can't see anything, not good for your eyes. This submarine," he said, has a "better working environment, better for the team. A really good capability. This is U.K. trail-blazing stuff."

The attack center control room on Astute is traditionally located forward on 1 Deck - topmost of the sub's three deck levels - but without the need for hull-penetrating periscopes, designers will have more flexibility to move it. Later ships in the seven-unit class, Breckenridge said, may move the room to 2 Deck and aft a bit. "There's more room down there," he said.

The captain was especially proud of the sub's maneuvering and hovering capabilities, featuring independent diving plane controls handled by a new, complex autopilot system.

"One of the limiting factors in designing a submarine maneuvering envelope is having a stern plane failure to dive or rise," Breckenridge explained. "In my situation, I've got a much wider operating envelope because, if the stern plane does fail to dive, it's probably only going to be one of them, and I can immediately correct it by slowing down and putting the noncasualty plane to rise. It gives us a much broader operating envelope."

5 December 2011 By Stephen Trimble – Flight Global

Washington DC - General Electric and Rolls-Royce have abandoned an almost six-year campaign to save the F136 alternate engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 from termination.

Both companies have decided to stop self-funding the development of the F136, and to discontinue one of the most aggressive and sustained lobbying campaigns in the history of US weapons contracting.

The Department of Defense has been trying to cancel the alternate engine programme since 2006. Until earlier this year, however, Congress had faithfully restored funding for the F136 every time the DoD tried to delete the programme's budget.

That changed when a new Congress was elected last year, with a wave of budget-cutting fervour. The fiscal year 2011 defence budget was passed without funding for the F136, and an attempt to insert an amendment to the appropriations bill to support the programme was defeated.

GE and Rolls-Royce offered to continue self-funding the programme to complete the remaining 20% of the development work. The completed F136 would then have been offered as an alternative to the Pratt & Whitney F135 for production examples of the F-35.

"Difficult circumstances are converging that impact the potential benefit of an F136 self-funded development effort," said Dan McCormick, president of the GE/Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team joint venture.

The decision leaves P&W alone in the market for the F-35 propulsion system, although Rolls-Royce supplies the lift fan system for the F-35B short take-off and vertical variant.

Dec 2, 2011 By Jim Wolf (Reuters)

WASHINGTON - The Obama Administration plans to complete an anti-ballistic missile shield to protect European allies against Iran "whether Russia likes it or not," the U.S. envoy to NATO said on Friday.

Moscow's objections to the project, which includes participation by Romania, Poland, Turkey and Spain, "won't be the driving force in what we do," Ivo Daalder, the ambassador, told reporters at a breakfast session.

The U.S. estimate of the Iranian ballistic missile threat has gone up, not down, over the two years since President Barack Obama opted for a new, four-phased deployment to protect the United States and NATO allies, Daalder said.

"It's accelerating," Daalder said of the U.S.-perceived threat of Iran's ballistic missiles, "and becoming more severe than even we thought two years ago."

"We're deploying all four phases, in order to deal with that threat, whether Russia likes it or not," he added. At the same time, he urged Moscow to cooperate in both to deal with Iran and to see for itself that, as he put it, the system's capabilities pose its strategic deterrent force no threat.

If the perceived threat from Iran ebbs, "then maybe the system will be adapted to that lesser threat," Daalder said.

Obama pleased the Kremlin in September 2009 by scrapping his predecessor's plan for longer-range interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar installation in the Czech Republic, a move that helped to improve U.S.-Russian ties.

But Moscow says that the revised version, using land- and sea-based Standard Missile-3 interceptors, could undermine its security if planned interceptor improvements become capable of neutralizing Russia's strategic nuclear deterrent force.

Washington and NATO have invited Russia to join in some aspects of the project, including possible joint early warning. Before agreeing to any such cooperation, Moscow is demanding a legally binding pledge from the United States that Moscow's nuclear forces would not be targeted by the system.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday that if the deadlock continues, Moscow would boost its early-warning radar to protect its nuclear missile sites, deploy weapons that could overcome a shield and potentially target missile defense installations to its south and west.

With NATO continuing largely to shrug off Russia's concerns, Moscow's ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, was quoted as saying this week that Russia may review its cooperation with the supply route through Russia for NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Daalder said the sides remain at odds over, among other things, Russia's demand for the legally binding pledge, before any cooperation, that its nuclear forces would not be targeted by the NATO elements.

"They have gotten themselves quite hung up on our unwillingness to put this in legally binding writing," he said.

The administration was not convinced that such a pledge would be ratified by the U.S. Senate, he said, nor should Moscow be convinced that even if it were, "we wouldn't necessarily at some point walk away from it," as the George W. Bush administration did from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the only U.S.-Russia missile defense pact.

That withdrawal opened the way for the creation of an anti-missile defense shield that the U.S. government says is designed to protect the United States from countries like Iran and North Korea.

Daalder said that if the United States ever were placing interceptors to counter Russia's nuclear missiles, "we wouldn't deploy them in Europe. We would deploy them in the United States."

The physics of missile defense intercepts make it "easier and better to approach an incoming missile from the opposite side than it is to try to chase it down." he said. "That's the way that it works."

30 Nov 2011 By KATE BRANNEN DefenseNews

The U.S. Senate approved an amendment to the 2012 defense authorization bill that would allow the United States to exchange certain F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft with the United Kingdom.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sponsored the amendment, which was approved by unanimous consent Nov. 30.

The Senate has also voted to limit debate on the authorization bill to another 30 hours, giving the legislation a chance to make it out of the Senate. If passed, the Senate authorization bill will have to be resolved with the House version passed earlier this year before making its way to the president for his signature.

The Pentagon requested the JSF amendment in a June 14 letter from Elizabeth King, assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, to Vice President Joseph Biden, in his role as president of the Senate.

The JSF trade, which the Pentagon describes as "mutually beneficial" and "cost neutral," requires such a legislative amendment to be implemented.

According to King's letter, the United States would give the United Kingdom one of its carrier variants (F-35C) in exchange for a short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version (F-35B).

The United Kingdom decided last year, as part of its Strategic Defense and Security Review, to stop buying the F-35B. Instead, the Royal Navy will only buy the F-35C, which is being designed for conventional takeoffs and landings on aircraft carriers.

The cost-savings measure resulted in the U.K. having an extra F-35B on its hands.

The United States, which is buying the F-35B for the Marine Corps and the F-35C for the Navy, was not scheduled to receive its F-35Bs until later. A third variant, the F-35A, is being developed for the Air Force.

Under the exchange, the United Kingdom would have to cover any costs required to upgrade its F-35B aircraft so that it would be identical to the version the U.S. had planned to buy, according to the letter. The United Kingdom would also be responsible for any unique requirements it has for the F-35C.

Under the plan, United States would get an F-35B two years earlier. This means $10 million in additional operations and maintenance costs for the Marine Corps in 2013 and 2014 due to increased flight hours, fuel, training costs, etc.

In January, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates put the F-35B portion of the JSF program on probation for two years, saying he had serious concerns about the aircraft's performance in tests.

"If we cannot fix this variant during this time frame and get it back on track in terms of performance, cost and schedule, then I believe it should be canceled," Gates said.

A separate amendment, also approved Nov. 30, requires Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to submit a report to Congress on the F-35B's probationary period.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., sponsored this amendment, which was also approved by unanimous consent.

30 November 2011 - by the Shephard News Team

General Dynamics European Land Systems has announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Swiss Army for delivery of the DURO Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) for the Swiss Global Mobility Task Force (GMTF). Under the contract the company will deliver an additional 70 vehicles.

According to General Dynamics the procurement of these vehicles was approved in the 2010 Swiss Armament Procurement Program.

The DURO is a highly protected and mobile wheeled vehicle, capable of transporting up to 11 soldiers. It meets the Swiss Army's requirements for a vehicle that provides troop protection and mobility for military applications, as well as peacekeeping operations.  The GMTF Armoured Personnel Carrier is part of the DURO and EAGLE family of protected wheeled vehicles in the weight category of up to 14 tons. In the GMTF version, the DURO is 6.90 m long, 2.16 m wide and 2.67 m high. With its modular protection system, the vehicle offers very high ballistic, mine and IED protection. On the road, the GMTF reaches a top speed of 100 km/h and manages gradients of up to 60 percent and lateral inclines of up to 30 percent.

With high on-road and off-road mobility, the GMTF has a 245 hp Cummins turbocharged diesel engine, an Allison 5-speed automatic transmission, unique DeDion axle system with patented anti-roll bar, tire pressure control system and permanent all-wheel drive. All vehicles are equipped with an air-conditioning system and a NBC overpressure system for enhanced comfort and protection.

General Dynamics has already delivered 220 DURO GMTF vehicles to the Swiss Army, procured through the 2008 Swiss Armament Procurement Program. The Swiss Parliament approved the procurement of 70 additional vehicles to increase the DURO GMTF fleet availability for training and deployment.

The company said that deliveries will take place in the fall of 2013. The vehicles will be manufactured at General Dynamics' facility in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.

U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers practice with the M3 Carl Gustav.

(Photo: U.S. Army, William Hatton)

November 30, 2011 defpro.com

Defence and security company Saab has signed a contract with the U.S. Army for the company’s Carl-Gustaf man-portable weapon system. This marks the first time the Army has bought the 84mm recoilless rifle system. The Army and U.S. Special Operations Command placed a combined order with a total value of USD 31.5 million (SEK 209 million).

“This is very positive and it further proves the capability of the Carl-Gustaf system. It also shows the high level of trust our customers have for the system.” says Tomas Samuelsson, Senior Vice President and Head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.”

“Saab is thrilled that the U.S. Army has joined with our existing US Special Operations Command customer in using the Carl-Gustaf system”, said Saab North America President, Dan-Åke Enstedt.

The Carl-Gustaf system has along and successful history, and has successively been modernized and adapted to meet new requirements. A true multi-role, man-portable shoulder-fired weapon, the system is in use in more than 40 countries worldwide. With the Carl-Gustaf M3 version, Saab offers state-of-the-art capability for demanding customers investing in the future.

With several locations across the U.S., Saab North America provides a broad range of products, services, and solutions, ranging from defence to homeland security, to customers in the U.S. and Canada.

photo USAF

29 Nov 2011By PIERRE TRAN DefenseNews

PARIS - A left-led French Senate has adopted a budgetary amendment calling for procurement of the General Atomics Reaper UAV while safeguarding funds for development of a new-generation combat drone planned as a common project with Britain, the upper house said in a statement.

The amendment seeks to reverse a government decision to acquire the Heron TP drone from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), partnered with Dassault Aviation.

"The Senate wanted, in the general interest, to separate the operational needs of the Armed Forces from the industrial policy considerations," the amendment text said. "With this in mind, the Senators wanted, in the short term, to put priority on the safety of our troops by giving them the best equipment at the best price, in this case, the Reaper from General Atomics, while allowing, in the medium term, the emergence of an industrial sector by setting aside a larger amount of funds for French and European companies than that envisaged in the government's industrial plan."

The amendment, adopted Nov. 29 by a Socialist-led Senate, seeks to cut the amount for UAV acquisition in the draft 2012 defense budget law from 318 million euros ($423.8 million) to 209 million.

The 209 million euros is the amount General Atomics proposed in May for a non-French modified package consisting of seven air vehicles, two ground stations and maintenance for 10 years.

Under the Reaper offer, EADS would modify the U.S.-built UAV at a cost of 40 percent of the acquisition, or 88 million euros, bringing the total value of the package to 297 million euros, the amendment said.

That compares with an offer made by Dassault and IAI, also in May, for a package of seven modified Heron TP UAVs for 320 million euros. Modifications by Dassault, mainly adapting the satellite communications and integrating extra sensors, would bring the total amount to 370 million euros, the amendment said.

The Dassault-IAI deal also included two ground stations and 10 years' maintenance, the amendment said.

The senators debated the amendment until 4 a.m., a parliamentary official said.

"It was Homeric," the official said.

But senators of both right and left voted in favor of the amendment, which pushes the government to buy the American Reaper UAV, which can be armed.

The U.S. Air Force's selection of Boeing over Airbus for its KC-X tanker program made it extremely difficult for French senators to call for the purchase of a U.S. system, the official said. But the lack of operational and industrial sense in the French government's decision to buy the Israeli drone meant the Senate adopted the amendment, he said.

Besides the cut in procurement funding, the amendment called for the move of 80 million euros into technology studies for the future Anglo-French drone, and 29 million euros for upgrades to the current Harfang medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV operating in Afghanistan.

The 80 million euros for research studies would benefit Dassault and/or EADS for work on the planned Anglo-French program, rather than IAI, the amendment said.

Although the amendment does not specify the money should go to the unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) project in the Lancaster House Treaty, that was the intention, the parliamentary official said.

The amendment pointed up concern over the lack of competition in the government's pick of the Heron TP.

"This decision to choose the Heron TP drone, with a tender, is difficult to understand: it is financially disadvantageous, militarily debatable and industrially hazardous," the amendment said.

Defense Minister Gérard Longuet told the Senate's foreign affairs and defense committee that the Heron TP was 30 percent more expensive and 20 percent less effective than the Reaper, the amendment said.

Dassault was not available for comment.

A bipartisan group from the Senate foreign affairs and defense committee drafted the amendment, which will go to a joint committee of seven senators and seven members of parliament from the National Assembly for review.

It is unlikely the joint committee will agree on the same text, and the lower house, the National Assembly, will probably carry the day, the parliamentary official said.

The Senate and National Assembly defense committees put the safety of service personnel above any political concerns, an industry source said.

28 November 2011 defenseWeb - Reuters

A US-led push to regulate, rather than ban, cluster munitions failed after 50 countries objected, following humanitarian campaigners' claims that anything less than a outright ban would be an unprecedented reversal of human rights law.

While the United States, China and Russia want rules about the manufacture and use of cluster bombs, activists say such regulations would legitimise the munitions, backtracking from the Oslo Convention, an international treaty that seeks a worldwide ban.

"Against all odds it looks like we're going to have success this evening," Steve Goose, head of the arms division at Human Rights Watch, told a press conference in Geneva, Reuters reports.

"How often do you see the U.S., Russia, China, India, Israel and Belarus push for something, and they don't get it? That has happened largely because of one powerful alliance driving the Oslo partnership."

Cluster bombs, dropped by air or fired by artillery, scatter hundreds of bomblets across a wide area and can kill and maim civilians long after conflicts end.

U.S. officials say it makes sense to bring in rules because 85-90 percent of cluster munition stockpiles are held by countries that are not parties to the Oslo Convention and have no intention of joining.

A senior U.S. official said cluster munitions were a military necessity and were needed to hit targets spread over wide areas, while using alternative armaments would cause more collateral damage and prolong conflicts.

Opponents want them banned because they are indiscriminate weapons, raining bomblets that may fail to explode on impact and lie dormant, ready to kill or injure anyone who picks them up or touches them by mistake.

Those lining up against the U.S. plan included the International Committee of the Red Cross and the top U.N. officials for human rights, emergency relief and development.

The U.N. agency chiefs said cluster bombs were a particular threat to children, who were attracted by their unusual, toy-like shapes and colours. They said they were extremely concerned at plans to do anything less than ban them.

"The adoption of (the U.S.-led plan) that contains such provisions would set a disturbing precedent in international humanitarian law. It would, for the first time, create a new international treaty that is actually weaker than existing international humanitarian law," they said in a statement.

The U.S. measure, which would have regulated cluster bombs under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), proposed to ban those manufactured before 1980 and to ensure a failure rate of no more than one percent by 2018.

Opponents say the old weapons are likely to be phased out anyway and failure rates are unverified.

"The actual failure rates of cluster munitions used in actual wars are much higher than in tests," said Grethe Ostern of Norwegian People's Aid. "There are many differences between testing conditions and real conditions."

She cited a "top notch" cluster bomb used by Israel in Lebanon which was supposed to have a one percent failure rate but in fact failed more than 10 percent of the time.

Human Rights Watch's Goose contrasted the U.S. approach on cluster bombs to its approach to torture, and said nobody would accept a proposal to regulate and allow torture.

"Wouldn't it be better to have something out there for people who still practice torture? No."

Activists said the opposition to the U.S. proposal was led by Norway, Mexico and Austria, while 12 signatories to the 2008 Oslo Convention, including Japan, France and Germany, said they were in favour of regulation of cluster bombs under the CCW.

China and Russia, which like the United States are major producers of cluster munitions, were strongly supportive of the U.S. measure.

November 28th, 2011 By USArmy – DEFENCE TALK

Early in the evening of Oct. 20, Italian combat engineer Cpl. Tizano Testa hurriedly clamored over the cab of a 19-ton, 18-foot high MaxxPro-Base armored fighting vehicle while trying to install a night-vision camera on the roof.

The soldier behind the wheel of the massive vehicle, Francesco Monteforte, was waiting to drive through the motor pool parking lot with the windshield armor down -- essentially driving in a steel box without a window -- and needed the camera to see.

"The way you drive at home, there should be no difference if I attach it or not!" said Testa sarcastically. Within a few minutes the wind picked up and it began to rain. At this time of year the late afternoon light fades fast, making the task of getting the camera properly attached and functioning even more difficult.

"Can you see anything yet?" Testa called out in English, heavily accented in a Neapolitan-Italian dialect. He was obviously impatient to get moving. As an afterthought, he added a few sharp words in Italian intended for the camera.

Finally, Monteforte called out from inside the vehicle: "Wait! It's good -- I see! Avanti! Let's go!"

Testa and Monteforte are two of the 32 students from the 21st Engineers, members of the Italian Combat Service Support Battalion based out of Caserta, located approximately 40 miles north of Naples, who came to the U.S. Army Europe Joint Multinational Training Command to attend a two-week intensive mine-resistant, ambush-protected, or MRAP, vehicle driver/operator certification course.

"Even though it's already getting pretty dark, they shouldn't be taking so long to get moving," said Aubrey Gorden, lead instructor and multinational training specialist in charge of the JMTC MRAP driver certification program. "But they'll cut that time in half tomorrow. I've rarely taught a group with such a high learning curve -- and I've been working with multinationals my entire career."

Gorden climbed into the passenger seat next to a confident, smiling Monteforte. Throughout the training an instructor rides in each vehicle with a group of students to ensure they are safely operating the vehicle, which involves backing, three-point turns, serpentine figure eights, quick stops and starts, obstacle navigation and real-life scenarios they may confront in combat.

In order to receive their certification and MRAP license, students are required to log a minimum of 50 miles of daytime driving and 30 miles at night using both night-vision video cameras and standard headlights separately. Prior to certification, students must demonstrate proficiency driving the vehicle, know its capabilities, safety and general operating features as a passenger, as well as a driver, and identify the required tasks and warning gauges in order to keep up with the vehicle's general maintenance.

"Grafenwoehr has everything we need to really train a Soldier well in such a short period of time," said Anthony Orejel, a certification instructor, referring to the training area's terrain and road conditions.

"The Italian language is a difficult hurdle, of course, but we quickly got over it," said Gorden with a chuckle. "We teach multinationals from virtually every corner of the world, but the nature of teaching is to learn, so we adapt to how each group of students learn best -- that's part of making any successful program work. The main thing is to ensure that all students we teach are properly certified and have the training to safely and expertly operate the vehicle in combat."

Since the program's inception in 2009, the training has grown to cover not only driving various types of MRAPs but also safety, rollovers, recovery and maintenance. Initially, the course was intended for U.S. Soldiers only, but when NATO and allied multinational partners requested training JMTC was all too happy to open the program up to them. In the last three years JMTC has evolved into a place where U.S. Soldiers and their coalition counterparts from all over the globe learn how to work together.

The MRAP is an armored fighting vehicle outfitted with a sophisticated array of improvised explosive device, or IED, countermeasures and safety features. The vehicle is designed with a V-shaped hull that deflects the blast of an IED or land mine away from the vehicle, and suspension floors and seats that reduce injuries caused by an explosive's shockwaves. The 10-ton armored body is bolted together instead of welded to the vehicle's chassis to facilitate quick repairs.

Italian Cpl. Fabiana Gatta had only praise for the vehicle's performance on the range -- no small flattery from a citizen of a land famously known for its love of high-performance automobiles, renowned champion Formula-1 drivers and gridlocked city squares.

"It's pretty fast. Sitting up so high you sometimes don't become aware how fast you are going until the instructor tells you to 'slow it down!' The steering is a lot smoother than you would imagine. I could even drive this through rush hour time in downtown Naples, no problem!" he added with a laugh. "After this training I could get through with no dents, you know, that would be a first for me in my town!"

In October, JMTC hosted a Full-Spectrum Training Exercise, or FSTE, with over 5,200 U.S. and multinational troops taking part, one of the largest coalition exercises to take place in Europe since the last Return of Forces to Germany, known as REFORGER, in May of 1993. In 2011 alone, JMTC instructors trained over 22,000 multinational troops from 38 countries.

"JMTC is the place for combined U.S. and multinational training and we are exceptionally good at it," said Col. Curtis J. Carson, JMTC chief of staff. "The conflicts faced today do not allow for a quick, seamless transition to effective partnership except through training. We're building tomorrows coalitions today, right here at JMTC."

crédits : US NAVY

28/11/2011 MER et MARINE

Le dernier-né de la flotte des porte-avions nucléaires de l'US Navy est en escale à Marseille. Arrivé vendredi dernier, il devrait appareiller demain mardi. L'USS H.W. Bush revient d'un déploiement de cinq mois dans l'océan Indien et est sur la route de retour vers la base navale de Norfolk.

Dixième unité du type Nimitz/Theodore Roosevelt, le CVN 77 a été mis sur cale en 2003 et remis à l'US Navy en janvier 2009. Long de 333 mètres pour un déplacement de 98.000 tonnes en charge, le navire, armé par 5600 marins, peut embarquer 68 avions et hélicoptères. Il dispose de deux réacteurs à eau pressurisée fournissant une puissance de 205 MW et assurant une vitesse maximale de 31 noeuds. Pour son autodéfense, le CVN 77 compte, en plus de sa chasse embarquée, deux lanceurs verticaux (24 missiles ESSM) et deux systèmes surface-air à courte portée RAM. Pour son premier déploiement, le nouveau porte-avions américain est accompagné des croiseurs lance-missiles USS Gettysburg (CG 64) et Anzio (CG 68), ainsi que des destroyers lance-missiles USS Truxton (DDG 103) et USS Mitscher (DDG 57). Fort de plus de 6000 marins, ce groupe aéronaval a pris le nom de George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWB CSG).