11/03/2015 Conférence de presse du ministre de la Défense
Le ministre de la Défense, Jean-Yves Le Drian, a dévoilé lors de la conférence de presse du mercredi 11 mars son agenda pour 2015.
Mars
• Communauté de Défense (27 mars) : Journée nationale du réserviste.
Avril
• Renseignement : début de l’examen du projet de loi relatif au renseignement à l’Assemblée nationale.
• Exportations d’armement : mise en oeuvre du contrat DONAS, programme de livraison de matériel d’armement français aux forces armées libanaises financé par l’Arabie saoudite.
Déplacement au Liban et en Jordanie.
• Opérations extérieures (30 avril) : déclaration par l’Organisation des Nations unies de la pleine capacité opérationnelle de la MINUSCA (Centrafrique).
• Post-Louvois : notification du marché de « Source Solde », futur système de paie du ministère de la Défense.
• Equipements : réception du troisième drone de moyenne altitude longue endurance Reaper.
Déplacement en Ethiopie et à Djibouti.
Mai
• Europe de la Défense (10 mai) : 70e anniversaire de la Libération de Lorient en présence des ministres de la Défense d’Allemagne, d’Espagne, d’Italie et de Pologne, en prévision du Conseil européen de juin 2015.
• Europe de la Défense (18 mai) : réunion des ministres de la Défense de l’Union européenne à Bruxelles
• Mémoire (20 et 21 mai) : colloque « François Mitterrand et la Défense » organisé par l’Institut François Mitterrand et le ministère de la Défense.
Transformation du ministère de la Défense (28 mai) : présentation du modèle futur de l’armée de terre « Au contact ! ».
Déplacement à Singapour : Shangri-La Dialogue.
Juin
• Europe de la Défense : préparation du Conseil européen en partie consacré aux questions de Défense.
• Exportations d’armement (début juin) : publication du rapport 2014 sur les exportations d’armement et présentation complète du bilan record de l’année 2014.
• Industries (15 au 21 juin) : Salon international de l’aéronautique et de l’espace du Bourget.
• Actualisation de la loi de programmation militaire : début de l’examen parlementaire de l’actualisation de la loi de programmation militaire 2014-2019.
• Transformation du ministère de la Défense : présentation au Parlement de la mise en conformité des textes législatifs relatifs au droit d’association professionnelle dans les armées, avec les arrêts de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme.
• International : réunion des ministres de la Défense de l’OTAN.
Juillet et août
• Opérations extérieures (1er juillet) : pleine capacité opérationnelle de la base avancée temporaire de Madama, Niger, dans le cadre de l’opération BARKHANE.
Déplacement aux Etats-Unis d’Amérique (3 et 4 juillet).
• Fête nationale du 14 Juillet et défilé militaire.
• Industries : création de la co-entreprise Nexter-KMW, leader européen de l’armement terrestre.
International : livraison à l’Égypte de la Frégate multimission (FREMM) et des trois premiers avions Rafale, et inauguration du deuxième canal de Suez.
Déplacement en Égypte.
• Equipements : création des sociétés de projet, financement innovant des équipements militaires.
• Equipements : commande de trois drones Reaper supplémentaires.
Septembre
• Communauté de Défense (14 et 15 septembre) : Université de la Défense : « Du renseignement aux opérations ».
• Cyberdéfense : premier colloque international sur la cyberdéfense à Paris, organisé par le ministère de la Défense.
• Lien Armée-Nation (30 septembre) : remise du prix Brienne de géopolitique.
Octobre
• Transformation du ministère de la Défense : inauguration de l’Hexagone Balard, nouveau siège du ministère de la Défense dans le XVe arrondissement de Paris.
• Transformation du ministère de la Défense : mise en conformité des textes réglementaires relatifs au droit d’association professionnelle dans les armées, avec les arrêts de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme.
• Budget : examen du budget de la mission Défense à l’Assemblée nationale dans le cadre du projet de loi de finances 2016.
• Communauté de Défense : Observatoire de la Parité.
• International : réunion des ministres de la Défense de l’OTAN.
Novembre
• Industries : Forum DGA Innovation.
• Industries : troisième anniversaire du Pacte Défense PME, bilan des quarante mesures lancées par Jean-Yves Le Drian pour soutenir les PME de Défense.
• Opérations extérieures : poursuite du désengagement des forces françaises de SANGARIS en Centrafrique, vers le format d’environ 800 militaires déployés.
• Budget : examen du budget de la mission Défense au Sénat dans le cadre du projet de loi de finances 2016.
• Lien Armée-Nation : lancement de la première expérimentation d’un service militaire adapté en métropole.
• International : deuxième Forum international de Dakar sur la paix et la sécurité en Afrique.
Décembre
• Post-Louvois : finalisation de la conception et présentation d’un pilote opérationnel de « Source Solde ».
• Industries : lancement du marché industriel de définition d’un drone européen de moyenne altitude longue endurance (MALE).
Déplacement à Bahrein : Manama Dialogue.
Le document est téléchargeable ici
Les deux élèves de l'École de l'air lors du briefing le jour du départ de Solar Impulse 2
11/03/2015 Armée de l'air
Lundi 9 mars 2015, le grand départ de l’aventure Solar Impulse 2, premier tour du monde en avion solaire, était lancé ! Charly et Axel, les deux élèves de l’École de l’air (EA) intégrés au projet, nous racontent ce grand départ. Récit en temps réel du sous-lieutenant Charly.
Abu Dhabi, 3h00 heure locale : toute l’équipe de Solar Impulse 2 se rassemble.
3h30 : briefing et répartition des tâches ; intégrés à la Catching Crew, nous sommes en place le long de la piste pendant le décollage pour récupérer l’avion en cas d’avarie. Axel est au niveau du train principal, tandis que je suis sur l’aile droite pour le roulage.
3h45 : préparation initiale de l’avion (allumage du cockpit, nettoyage des ailes et des cellules solaires).
5h30 : sortie de l’avion jusqu’à l’approche.
6h00 : cérémonie officielle de départ avec les autorités locales et dernières vérifications.
6h15 : l’avion est aligné sur la piste. Nous sommes en position ; derrière nous, le soleil se lève sur la grande mosquée d’Abu Dhabi. Les derniers essais techniques sont effectués.
Solar Impulse 2 : départ d'Abu Dhabi
7h12 : l’avion décolle. Silencieux et porté par le vent, l’avion s’élance juste au-dessus de nos têtes.
7h30 : retour au hangar pour l’équipe qui doit effectuer quelques dernières opérations logistiques.
13h : embarquement dans l’avion de transport qui achemine l’équipe entre les étapes. Direction Muscat, à Oman, pour un arrêt mécanique d’une nuit.
16h30 : la seconde équipe logistique décharge l’avion cargo. Un travail énorme a été fait en amont du projet pour hiérarchiser et donner un ordre de priorité au déchargement des différentes palettes.
20h00 : atterrissage avec succès d'Andre Borschberg, le pilote aux commandes de cette première étape de Solar Impulse 2. La Ground Crew, dont nous faisons partie, s'occupe du roulage et de la sécurité de l'avion sur le tarmac tout au long de la nuit. Direction l'hôtel pour un repos bien mérité !
Mardi 10 mars, 6h00 : décollage de Bertrand Piccard, second pilote de Solar Impulse 2, pour la deuxième étape.
6h30 : à l’aéroport, nous sommes chargés du rechargement de l’avion cargo.
12h00 : l’équipe décolle ; direction Ahmedabad en Inde !
21h30 : mise en place sur le taxiway. L'avion est supposé atterrir à l'heure de pointe pour l'aéroport. Finalement, il ne se posera que vers 23h30.
Mercredi 11 mars, 1h15 : nous sommes de retour au hangar après le roulage pour la cérémonie de bienvenue.
Malgré la fatigue, l'expérience est intense, riche, et nous sommes ravis d'avoir participé à ces deux premières grandes étapes ! L'accueil ici est incroyable et l'intérêt pour le projet est immense.
Pour suivre l’aventure : http://www.solarimpulse.com/fr/
Solar Impulse 2 : le grand départ du tour du monde
Bv206 photo BAE Systems Hägglunds
9 March 2015 baesystems.com
BAE Systems Hägglunds and the Netherlands MoD have signed a contract for a mid-life upgrade (MLU) of the Dutch fleet of 95 Bv206 vehicles.
The upgrade includes replacement of the engine, transmission, tracks, electrical systems and the renovation of other sub-systems.
The contract with the Netherlands includes the delivery of one prototype, as well as six pre-series vehicles, with an option for a further 88 vehicles. The first seven vehicles will be upgraded at the BAE Systems Hägglunds facility in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The following 88 vehicles will be upgraded in the Netherlands in close cooperation with the customer.
“We believe we will provide our Dutch customer with critical capabilities through the upgrade work which will ensure their Bv206s continue to serve as some of the most capable and reliable all terrain vehicles in the world.” said Peter Nygren, Director Business Development at BAE Systems Hägglunds. “This contract is key for us, as it will serve as a valuable basis and reference in our ambitions to provide further Bv206 upgrades to other customers around the world.”
BAE Systems Hägglunds has delivered more than 11 000 Bv206 to 40 different countries around the world.
photo Alenia Aermacchi
March 11, 2015: Strategy Page
The Polish Air Force finally selected a new jet trainer, the Italian M-346 Master. The other competitors were the British Hawk 128, U.S. T-50, and Czech L-159. The $311 million deal buys eight aircraft (with an option to buy four more), a full logistical package, technical support and documentation, advanced flight simulators, ejection simulator, and computer training aids.
The 9.5 ton M-346 was the cheapest offer in the bid as well as the second most modern one. The M-346 is a transonic jet trainer aircraft that began development in 2000 as an Italian (Aermacchi) Russian (Yak) joint venture. That didn’t last long because of different design priorities. The Russian line of development became the Yak-130, while the M-346, heavily modified from the original design and produced in Italy, had its first flight in 2004. The Polish Air Force is not the first export customer, the M-346 is also used by Israel, Italy and Singapore, and might be bought by even more countries in the future.
The Polish Air Force has long needed a new jet trainer. The M-346 is going to replace the Cold War era TS-11. This aircraft was made in Poland, but entered service in 1964. The 3.8 ton TS-11 is a subsonic jet that is badly outdated, especially when it came to training pilots for Polish air force's recently acquired F-16 fighters, with their far different and more advanced avionics.
Poland has been trying to obtain a more modern advanced jet trainer since the late 70's. By the 1990s the best candidate was the Polish 7.5 ton twin-engine I-22. However, long delays caused by political chaos and then the collapse of East European communist government in 1989 delayed things. But two I-22s crashing brought to light serious design flaws. That plus unusually high per hour flight cost led to the Polish Air Force losing interest in the I-22 and by 2000 and those still in use were retired. That led to a frantic search that took longer than expected and finally led to the M-346.
The M-346 can be modified to carry weapons, like the Italian T-346A variant does. The variant ordered by Poland is not a combat capable one. The aircraft is qualified as a transonic trainer, but it has been demonstrated as capable of reaching Mach 1.15 in producer's test flights.
A Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) variant of the M-346 is currently in late stage of development, which is something that Poland might possibly consider and have its’ own M-346s modernized to in the future. The LCA will possess a better radar, defensive systems and 9 pylons capable of carrying 3 tons of various ordnance, including AIM-9, IRIS-T, Maverick and Brimstone missiles, bombs, recon and ECM pods. Three of the pylons can also support additional fuel tanks.
There is also another, recently developed modification kit for the M-346 - an easily installable low radar observability kit, based around differently constructed engine air intakes that grant the aircraft limited stealth capabilities, at least in frontal aspect. --Adam Szczepanik
11-03-2015 - SEDE
The Subcommittee will consider the draft report on the strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the illegal annexation by Russia (Rapporteur: Ioan Mircea PAŞCU, S&D).
When: 16 March 2015
11-03-2015 - SEDE
The Subcommittee will hold an exchange of views on the fight against piracy inAfrica with representatives of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime(UNODC), the EEAS and the European Commission.
When: 17 March 2015
March 11th, 2015 By UK Ministry of Defence - defencetalk.com
Discussion around the level of defence spending over the next Parliament continued to attract media coverage over the weekend and into the start of this week. A report in The Financial Times suggested that senior military figures were not expecting the next government to maintain spending at 2% of GDP.
According to independent defence analysts quoted in the report, the UK economy is expected to grow 12% in the next Parliament which would mean MOD spending £20bn more on defence than it currently plans to if the 2% of GDP rate was continued.
Today’s coverage focuses on a report by Professor Malcolm Chalmers of RUSI which speculates that the Army could be cut further with budgets potentially cut by up to 10% in the next parliament. The report suggests that because of commitments to programmes such as the new aircraft carriers and Joint Strike Fighter, the Army could face the brunt of the budgetary pressure.
However, the Prime Minister has previously said that he does not want to see our regular armed services reduced below the level that they are now and remains committed to growing the Reserves to 35,000.
The Government has said the UK continues to deliver the second largest defence budget in NATO and the largest in the EU and is committed to spending 2% of GDP on defence with decisions on spending after the financial year 2015/16 to be determined in the next spending review.
“Over the next decade, the Government has committed to spending £163 billion on equipment and equipment support to keep Britain safe. That includes new strike fighters; more surveillance aircraft; hunter killer submarines; two aircraft carriers; and the most advanced armoured vehicles.
EU Army
Various outlets covered comments made by the EU Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, calling for the creation of an EU army. Mr Juncker said such an army would restore the European Union’s foreign policy standing and show it is serious about defending its values, suggesting destabilising Russian military action in the east of Ukraine had made the case for a European combined force more compelling.
In response, a UK Government spokesman said:
“Our position is crystal clear that defence is a national, not an EU responsibility and that there is no prospect of that position changing and no prospect of a European army.”
photo European Parliament
March 11th, 2015 defencetalk.com (AFP)
Polish and Latvian officials on Tuesday voiced scepticism over calls for a European Union army to counter a militarily resurgent Russia.
“It’s a very risky idea,” Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told Poland’s private Radio Zet in reaction to Sunday’s proposal by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker.
Juncker, a former Luxembourg prime minister, called for the creation of an EU army following rising tensions with Russia, saying the force could help counter new threats beyond the bloc’s borders and defend European values.
“First of all we have to ask where to raise money to finance such an army, how the combat units will work, who will be in charge of training them,” Schetyna said.
His sentiments were echoed by Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma on Monday.
“There is a possibility it could be discussed in July at the European Council, but it’s important to check whether this might be duplicating NATO,” she told Latvian public broadcaster LTV.
Ex-communist Poland joined NATO in 1999 ahead of the three former Soviet-ruled Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania which joined in 2004.
They have all urged the alliance to boost its presence in the region since Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula last year.
NATO is countering Moscow’s moves by boosting defences on Europe’s eastern flank with a spearhead force of 5,000 troops and command centres in six formerly communist members, including the three Baltic states and Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
General Stanislaw Koziej, a security adviser to Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, said Juncker’s idea was an impractical “dream”.
“These days, nobody in Europe, no single country is contemplating giving up its sovereignty,” said Koziej.
“To have an army, you need first of all a political decision-maker who would deploy such an army,” added the general, urging further political integration of Europe first.
photo EU2015LV
March 6, 2015 defense-unmanned.com
(Source: Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe; issued March 5, 2015)
ASD Welcomes EU Initiative On Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems
RIGA, Latvia --- On the occasion of the High Level Conference on civil Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems organised by the Latvian EU Presidency in Riga on 5-6 March 2015, the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Associations (ASD) welcome the intention of the EU Commission to move forward with a joint European action plan to open the (civil) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) market.
“RPAS will be huge potential market of future aviation contributing to an estimated employment of 150 000 direct jobs in 2050 , innovation and growth in Europe. In the future, many applications could be developed both in terms of fixed wing aircraft and rotorcraft. Moreover, important technological spin offs could be created to improve efficiency and safety for manned aviation,” said Jan Pie, ASD Secretary General.
Speaking in the name of ASD, Mr Alberto Pietra, Business Development Director at Selex ES, delivered the keynote speech, highlighting the importance of making progress on the insertion of all categories of RPAS into controlled airspace without reducing safety and airspace capacity. Mr Pietra also drew the attention to the fact that Industry was prepared to play a leading role in terms of technology development provided that the right framework is put in place in terms of safety regulation and EU public funding for R&D. ASD in particular stressed the need for Industry to be fully involved in all safety rulemaking initiatives and the need to increase the amount of public funding for R&D beyond the funds currently allocated to SESAR 2020.
ASD represents the Aeronautics, Space, Security and Defence industries in Europe. Based in Brussels, the organisation’s membership today comprises 15 major European aerospace and defence companies and 27 member associations in 20 countries. These industries reach a turnover of 197.3 billion euros, invest 20 billion euros in R&D, employ more than 778,000 people and counts over 3000 companies, 80000 suppliers, many of which are SMEs.
11-03-2015 - SEDE
The Subcommittee will hold an exchange of views on Cybersecurity and defence with ENISA, EEAS and EDA representatives on 16 March 2015.
The EU Cyber Security Strategy was presented by the Commission and the HR/VP in 2013. It covers the internal market, justice and home affairs and foreign policy angles of cyberspace. In 2014 the Council adopted the EU Cyber Defence Policy Framework, focusing on CSDP, civil/military cooperation, training and international cooperation.
Airbus Helicopters pourrait développer en coopération avec Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) une nouvelle génération d'hélicoptères légers LCH (Light Civil Helicopter) et LAH (Light Armed Helicopter). Sur la photo, le Surion développé et fabriqué en Corée en coopération entre KAI et Airbus Helicopters
11/03/2015 Michel Cabirol - LaTribune.fr
C'est en Corée du Sud qu'Airbus Helicopters pourrait avoir prochainement une très bonne nouvelle. Le constructeur de Marignane est en discussions exclusives avec KAI pour développer une nouvelle génération d'hélicoptères légers civils et militaires.
Pour Airbus Helicopters, la Corée du sud est une terre bénie. Près de dix ans en décembre 2005 après avoir réussi un joli coup commercial pour le développement et la production du programme KHP (Korean Helicopter Program), Airbus Helicopters est à nouveau bien parti pour récidiver au pays du Matin frais. Car, selon nos informations, il est actuellement en négociations exclusives avec Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).
L'industriel coréen, qui avait été lui-même sélectionné en juillet 2014 par le ministère de l'Industrie et de l'Energie et la DAPA (agence en charge de l'acquisition des programmes de défense) pour développer une nouvelle génération d'hélicoptères légers LCH (Light Civil Helicopter) et LAH (Light Armed Helicopter). KAI était jusqu'à récemment encore en discussions avec l'italo-britannique AugustWestland, Airbus Helicopter ainsi que les américains Bell and Sikorsky.
1.000 hélicoptères en jeu
Le budget global de ces deux projets du gouvernement coréen s'élève à environ 700 millions d'euros, qui n'inclut pas l'investissement étranger. Les projets LCH /LAH seront issus d'une seule et même cellule de base pour économiser les coûts de développement. Le LCH remplacera les hélicoptères étrangers dédiés actuellement à l'évacuation sanitaire, la surveillance maritime, le transport des passagers, etc... Il doit être mis en service vers 2020 avant le LAH, programmé vers 2022. Cet appareil remplacera les vieux hélicoptères d'attaque 500MD et AH-1S Cobra.
Les Coréens prévoient 1.000 unités de production pour LCH (15 millions de dollars par appareils) et LAH (20 millions), dont 600 unités pour l'export. Selon Challenges, Séoul prévoit d'abord une première tranche de 60 hélicoptères civils et 50 militaires, assemblés par KAI. Soit un programme évalué à 10 milliards de dollars.
En outre, le constructeur de Marignane propose également un dérivé de l'hélicoptère Surion, fabriqué en coopération avec KAI pour le programme KMOH, la version navale du Surion (60 millions de dollars à l'unité). Séoul prévoit l'achat d'une première tranche de 12 appareils pour une cible estimée entre 40 et 60 hélicoptères.
En 2005, Airbus Helicopters avait déjà été sélectionné
Fin 2005, Séoul avait donné son feu vert pour le lancement du programme KHP, l'hélicoptère de transport militaire Surion fabriqué en Corée sous la maîtrise d'œuvre de KAI, la principale entreprise aéronautique coréenne en partenariat avec Airbus Helicopters (à hauteur de 30% pour le développement et 20% pour la production ). Le budget total de ce projet (245 hélicoptères), compris entre 6 et 8,8 milliards de dollars, avait été découpé en trois phases par le ministère de la défense coréen (MND) : développement (de 1 à 1,3 milliard de dollars entre 2006 et 2011), production (3 à 4 milliards) et maintenance (2 à 3,5 milliards).
Le premier prototype du KUH Surion (Korean Utility Helicopter) a été livré en août 2009 et a effectué avec succès son premier vol en mars 2010 avant le début de sa production à grande échelle en 2012.
photo UK MoD
Mar 10, 2015 defense-aerospace.com
(Source: Daily Telegraph; published Mar 09, 2015)
British Army Could Be Cut to Just 50,000 Over Next Four Years, Report Warns
The British Army could be reduced to its smallest size in nearly 250 years, taking its overall troop level to just 50,000 soldiers, a former Government defence adviser has warned.
A report by the respected Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) suggests that defence budgets may be slashed by 10 per cent during the next parliament, shrinking personnel for the three Armed Forces by as many as 42,000.
Britain’s military appears once again in line for massive culls after the next general election because of the continuing austerity drive and a lack of commitment by any of the major parties to protect defence spending, RUSI said.
Downing Street has been forced to deny that David Cameron and George Osborne, the Chancellor, are at “loggerheads” over whether to maintain the NATO target of committing two per cent of the nation's finances to defence.
But ministers’ reluctance to commit to the target was made clear, as Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, refused seven times during a television interview to rule out further cuts.
Regular Army soldiers are already being reduced from 102,000 to 82,000 and a new defence review under the next government could see numbers cut again by around 40 per cent, RUSI warned. It would mean the smallest Army since the 1770s, when Britain lost the American colonies.
The report comes ahead a crucial debate in the House of Commons on Thursday when Tory MPs are expected to push for a vote to force the Prime Minister Cameron into a commitment on defence spending.
Tensions over the £36 billion defence budget are high at a time relations with Vladimir Putin’s Russia are strained and the threat from ISIL in Iraq and Syria is growing. (end of excerpt)
Click here for the full story, on the Telegraph website.
11 mars 2015 Royal Navy
The build profile of HMS Prince of Wales intensifies as blocks are moved around the yard to accommodate the programme of lifts including that of the Gas Turbine Alternator. This video shows one of the sponsons being moved.
March 10, 2015 By Julian Hale – Defense News
BRUSSELS — The UK has strongly rejected any possibility of a European army being created following a proposal along those lines made by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
"Our position is crystal clear that defence is a national, not an EU, responsibility and that there is no prospect of that position changing and no prospect of a European army," said a UK government spokesperson.
However, in a recent press statement, the European Federalist Party (EFP) welcomed the proposal to create a European army to face the threat represented by an increasingly assertive Russia as well as other security threats.
"Of course any army must be under democratic oversight, which requires the European Union to make a step further in the process of European integration towards a federal Europe with a stronger role for the European Parliament," said Pietro De Matteis, the president of the European Federalist Party.
Daniel Keohane, research director at the European think tank FRIDE, said he does not see it as a feasible proposal.
"There's no point in talking about an army unless you're talking about a federal state," Keohane told Defense News. "You need to be clear who is the political authority controlling it and who pays for it."
Keohane argued that the idea of military integration across the EU is a good one as "we have a demilitarization problem in the EU and falling defense budgets.This is what pooling and sharing in the EU is all about. But the drivers behind that integration have to be the national governments and not the EU institutions. That's the difficulty with the proposal."
While he said he can see why a committed federalist like Juncker wants to put the idea on the table, it is not "politically or militarily very realistic," Keohane said.
"I don't think it'll have much impact on the nuts and bolts of the EU defense debate as the Commission only plays a small role in that," he said. "Defense policy is really an intergovernmental area. More important is what EU governments will discuss at their June summit, where they are expected to discuss defense policy, and if anything new comes out of that, especially in terms of pooling and sharing. Without EU countries pooling more money, it is difficult to see how capabilities can improve much."
11 mars 2015 British Army
Gunners from Army Reserve unit 101 (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery and 1 Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (1 RHA) on exercise at the Otterburn Ranges in the north of England. The soldiers fired the Multi Launch Rocket System (MLRS) to hone their skills and maintain combat effectiveness. Videographer Sgt Gary Kendall; Crown copyright.
photo Airbus DS
March 11, 2015 defense-aerospace.com
(Source: Airbus Defence and Space; issued March 10, 2015)
Airbus Defence and Space has formally delivered the first of four Airbus A400M military transport ordered by the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The handover also marks the first delivery of an A400M to an export customer outside the original launch nations.
The aircraft was accepted at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain on 9 March by Chief of Malaysian Defence Force General Tan Sri Dr. Zulkifeli, witnessed by Datuk Nozirah, Deputy Secretary General of Ministry of Finance, and Dato Dr. Rothiah, Deputy Secretary General of Ministry of Defence, who signed the Transfer of Title on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Chief of RMAF, General Dato' Sri Roslan Bin Saad, said: "The A400M will give the RMAF the most advanced heavy transport capability in the region and enable us to undertake an extraordinary range of military and humanitarian operations."
Bernhard Gerwert, CEO Airbus Defence and Space, said: "We are extremely proud to deliver the first A400M to our first export customer - Malaysia. These aircraft will transform Malaysia's air mobility force thanks to the A400M’s unique combination of strategic and tactical capabilities. Today sends a clear message that the A400M is not just a specialised aircraft designed and developed for Europe's air forces, but is truly the new reference in tactical and strategic transport market globally – fulfilling both roles in a single machine."
After arrival in Malaysia, the A400M will star in the LIMA airshow at Langkawi, 17-21 March.
March 10th, 2015 By German Radio - defencetalk.com
German Vice Chancellor and Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel is facing an awkward trip. From Saturday, he will be on a four-day journey through Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar – all countries where Germany has significant business interests. Representatives from 140 German companies will be accompanying him.
Less exhilarating, however, is the fact that each of these countries is guilty of significant human rights atrocities in the name of Islamic law – including beheadings and brutal corporal punishment.
The most notorious of these is Saudi Arabia, the first stop on Gabriel’s tour. Opposition parties have been making the usual appeals to Gabriel’s conscience in advance. Katrin Göring-Eckardt, parliamentary leader of the Green party, called on the vice chancellor to use his meetings to bring up the case of Raif Badawi, the DW prize-winning blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for allegedly “insulting Islam.” She also wants Badawi to be offered asylum in Germany. The socialist Left party MP Jan van Aken echoed the call and demanded that future weapons exports be made contingent on improvements in the human rights situation.
Two days before his journey, the pressure on Gabriel was cranked up further by the release of an answer to an official Bundestag question made by the Left party. In response to the question, Gabriel’s ministry was forced to reveal exactly how many weapons exports Germany had approved over the last 12 years, and to which German arms manufacturers.
Olaf Boehnke, German foreign policy analyst at the European Council of Foreign Relations, points out that the government justifies the sales in a number of ways beyond the economic. “The political argument is that Saudi Arabia is an important cooperation partner in a region marked by a lot of insecurity and defragmentation,” he told DW. “Our interest has to be to support those who support European interests in the fight against IS.”
More precise numbers
The answer to Left party’s question shows that, since 2002, Germany has approved an average of 14 weapons exports a year – Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s 2002 – 2005 tenure saw the approval of 68 exports, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 2005 – 2009 tenure 48, and her second – up to 2013 – saw 52 approvals.
The figures also showed that Saudi Arabia has been one of Germany’s best weapons customers. In the period 2009 – 2013 alone, under Merkel’s coalition government with the Free Democrats, fully 43 of 52 approvals went to Saudi Arabia – including machine guns, ammunition, and parts for tanks and armored vehicles – all ideal equipment for suppressing internal dissent.
As well as the three countries on Gabriel’s tour, Germany’s other customers in the past 12 years have included Pakistan (fighter plane parts), Indonesia (tank parts), both pre- and post-revolutionary Egypt (ammunition manufacturing equipment), Turkey (assault rifles, ammunition), pre- and post-revolutionary Libya (radar systems), Algeria (parts for surveillance systems), Israel (ammunition, weapons parts), Oman (sniper rifles, machine guns), Lebanon (machine guns, handguns), Bhutan (machine guns, grenades), and Turkmenistan (patrol boats).
While a member of the opposition, Gabriel criticized Germany’s weapons exports, but in office, he has been confronted with grubby realities dealing with business interest groups, Now, he says that the country is still caught in old contracts that it can’t get out of. “But there are various interest camps in a permanent conflict here,” said Boehnke. “In a recent speech, Gabriel said he would much prefer to pass the decision-making to the foreign ministry, because it was much better equipped to judging the human rights situation – which I expect led to a lot of laughter in the foreign ministry, because, of course ,they don’t want to either.”
The government’s weapons exports decisions are made periodically by a secret “security council,” chaired by the chancellor and attended by key ministers, like Gabriel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Flooding the Middle East with weapons
The new figures also show that fully one-third of the approved contracts went to the controversial gun-maker Heckler and Koch, named by anti-weapons campaigners as the “deadliest company in the world,” and currently under investigation by Stuttgart prosecutors for illegally exporting assault rifles to Mexico. Heckler and Koch’s machine guns are used by police forces and armies all over the world, as well as virtually every Islamist militia – from Hezbollah to “Islamic State.”
Despite this, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly been sold “manufacturing equipment” for Heckler and Koch guns over the past decade. “Whether it’s Schröder, Merkel, [former Foreign Minister Joschka] Fischer, or Steinmeier, they all personally decided to put the instruments of oppression into the hands of the unjust regime in Saudi Arabia,” van Aken told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Thanks to Germany, Saudi Arabia now has the capacity to make its own Heckler and Koch G36 assault rifles – the state-of-the-art weapon used by the Bundeswehr and other NATO forces. Given that these guns can be functional for a period of 30 to 50 years, it seems likely they will be in circulation around the Middle East conflicts for decades to come, and that Western coalition soldiers will eventually be facing “terrorist” militias armed with German weaponry.
Mar 10, 2015 ASDNews Source : Saab AB
Defence and security company Saab have signed a contract on further deliveries of components for the Carl-Gustaf man-portable weapon system.
The order has a total value of SEK 127 million and comprises components for ammunition to the Carl-Gustaf system, a modern and effective ground support weapon system. The contract also includes an option for additional orders with a total value of SEK 60 million.
Read more
Mar 10, 2015 ASDNews Source : Airbus DS
Electronic Jamming System Deactivates Detonation Signals in Real Time
Airbus Defence and Space will equip vehicles of the German Armed Forces with an electronic system for the protection against improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The German procurement authority BAAINBw has awarded the company a contract worth several million euros to supply 36 jammers of the type VPJ-R6 (VPJ = Vehicle Protection Jammer). The systems are intended to be integrated into protected vehicles of the German Armed Forces.
The Vehicle Protection Jammer uses the ultra-fast SMART Responsive Jamming Technology developed by Airbus Defence and Space to substantially enhance protection compared to conventional systems. It detects and identifies radio signals intended to detonate roadside bombs. After detection and classification, it transmits real-time jamming signals, which precisely match the hostile frequency band, thus interrupting the connection between assassin and bomb.
Thanks to new digital receiver and signal processing technologies, the system achieves reaction times of well below a millisecond. Up to 750.000 threat signals in all common frequency bands can be detected and jammed each second. The jamming power is focused on the detonation signal’s specific frequency instead of being distributed over the whole frequency range, as is the case in conventional systems. In this way less energy is required, while the jamming effect is increased at the same time. Moreover, this also reduces the impact on friendly forces’ radio communication, which means that reliable command and control can be ensured.
9 March - by EATC
Since July last 2014, Spain is member of the EATC - although its fleet operated yet on national assets. This has now changed, because since 09 March 2015 the sixth EATC nations transferred 25 Air Transport assets via Transfer of Authority (ToA) to EATC OPCON (Operational Control).
The first Spanish aircraft to fly on EATC OPCON was a Lockheed C-130H “Hercules” from Air Transport Wing 31, stationed in Zaragoza. It departed this morning from Torrejon Airbase (near Madrid) via Algeria to Libreville.
The consequences of the Spanish ToA
The accession of Spain comprises a bigger fleet for the EATC nations and more types of aircraft. This entails more Air Transport Requests and therefore more cross-national possibilities. Besides this, Spain’s geographical situation and its regular routes provide interesting synergy opportunities to make the EATC’s Pooling and Sharing initiative more effective. In numbers this means 25 additional aircraft for EATC use, three extra Airbases and 30 EATC positions to be filled by Spain within EATC.
In total, the EATC assigned air fleet now consists of 189 aircraft.
By the use of the below links, find some overview of the newly assigned Spanish aircraft types as well as their Airbase locations.
New EATC assigned Spanish aircraft:
- Lockheed C-130H and KC-130H
- CASA C-295
Spanish Airbases
- Air Transport Wing 35, Getafe
Norway's Cold Response 2014 exercise (Photo Norwegian Armed Forces)
March 3, 2015 By Gerard O'Dwyer - Defense News
HELSINKI — As Russia strengthens its naval, air and ground forces in its northern territories, Norway has responded by scaling-up manpower, equipment and Arctic combat units as part of a broader reinforcement of its High North defenses.
Norway's program, part of the Norwegian Defense Forces' (NDF) Smart Defense strategy, comprises a strong Arctic-focused dimension in funding and resource allocation.
The Smart Defense approach to High North military reinforcement has, since 2010, placed higher priority on Arctic-class specialized equipment procurement coupled with more intensive training for High North-deployed units. The goal is to produce combat-ready modular units that can fight independently or alongside NATO forces.
The NDF's August 2009 decision to relocate the Army's headquarters functions to the Arctic town of Bodø — 1,700 kilometers north of Oslo — bolstered Norway's commitment to establishing an integrated High North defense system. That decision led to the establishment of the Joint Operational Command Headquarters (JOCH).
This new approach is centered around more compact units equipped with the best available Arctic fighting equipment and capable of delivering greater firepower.
The JOCH is overseeing the evolution of Norway's High North defenses into a centralized command and coordinated fighting structure that will be able to call upon an Air Force equipped with F-35s, forward Army battalions deploying CV90 tracked armored fighting vehicles and high mobility Archer artillery units, and a stronger Navy operating anti-aircraft and submarine-hunting Arctic-class Fridtjof Nansen frigates and Skjold corvettes.
The scaling-up of Norway's defense capabilities in the High North is happening while the military intelligence services are urging the government to adopt a more cautious posture toward Russia's increasing militarization in the region.
Although the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) believes Norway is under no "short- to medium-term threat" from Russia, its latest open threat evaluation assessment, FOKUS-2015, advocates vigilance.
"Threat is a combination of two factors; capacity and intention," NIS chief Lt. Gen. Kjell Grandhagen said. "Although capacity is increasing, it is difficult for the time being to see a rational reason for Russian military activity against Norway in a short- to medium-term perspective. But intentions can change over time, and it is therefore now increasingly important for Norway to follow Russia's long-term political, economic and military development."
The NIS' intel-gathering capacity will be enhanced once its new advanced signals intelligence ship, the Marjata 11, enters service in the High North and Barents Sea in 2016.
Under the Smart Defense program, Ørland, located on the mid-Norway coast, and Evenes, above Norway's Arctic Circle, will become the main operating bases for F-35 aircraft and, during more regular joint exercises, NATO aircraft and forces. Evenes also will house a Quick Reaction Alert squadron.
Ørland, Evenes and the NDF's core High North battalions will also be equipped with an updated Norwegian advanced surface-to-air missile system, which is being deployed primarily to protect key military installations, warfare units and infrastructure against air-to-surface attacks.
The system uses active missiles and different types of sensors, boosting firepower for the NDF's Smart Defense and High North strengthening program.
Archer, the next-generation self-propelled artillery system developed as a joint project with Sweden, also increases firepower. Norway plans to deploy 24 Archer systems complete with fully automated 155 mm/L52 howitzer guns and M151 Protector remote-controlled weapon stations. These are mounted on modified Volvo A30 six-wheel-drive chassis all-terrain articulated haulers.
The Arctic-class Archer's operational strike-and-run capacity makes it ideal in the hilly and forested terrains of the High North. Moreover, Archer can fire Nexter Bonus and Raytheon/Bofors XM982 Excalibur guided rounds over respective distances of 34 kilometers and 60 kilometers.
The NDF also is establishing a specialized Arctic-trained "professional" rapid reaction force north (RRFN), set to become fully operational in 2017. The RRFN unit's core will comprise an existing armored battalion and a motorized infantry battalion equipped with CV90 infantry fighting vehicles and Leopard 2 tanks
Norway's ability to defend its High North territories also received a boost from the Defense Ministry's US $1.6 billion program to re-equip its core forward armored brigade units with CV90 tracked infantry fighting vehicles, part of the NDF's biggest fighting vehicle modernization project investment.
The vehicle fleet upgrade, with delivery scheduled from BAE Systems in 2015-17, will include 74 modernized and armor-strengthened infantry fighting vehicles, 21 reconnaissance, 16 multirole (mortar carrier or cargo), 15 command and control, 16 engineering, in addition to two driver training vehicle types.
The new and updated vehicles are expected to make the NDF's forward armored battalions in the High North more mobile with improved firepower. The infantry vehicles also will have better protection against armor-piercing weapons and rounds, including improvised explosive devices.
The infantry and reconnaissance vehicles will also be equipped with better sensor systems, surveillance and communication capabilities, and fitted with integrated technologies that will extend to dismounted infantry troops. Norwegian company Kongsberg's Protector remote weapon stations are to be fitted to all IFV variants.
The need to prioritize military readiness and defense capability in the High North helped drive Norway's decision to raise spending on defense above that of any of its Nordic neighbors, said defense analyst Thorvald Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian defense minister.
"Russia is rebuilding its naval and Air Force strength, as well as its Arctic fighting capability, in the High North," Stoltenberg said. "While this is understandable from a Russian perspective, its growing level of activity regionally is causing problems and concerns among all Nordic governments and militaries. This is unfortunate, as the emphasis should be on building more, not less, bilateral cooperation with Russia on defense and security in the Arctic."
Norway's defense budget will run to $8 billion in 2015.
Margot Wallström Photo Kristian Pohl - Government Offices of Sweden
10.03.2015 Le Monde.fr (AFP)
La Suède a décidé de ne pas renouveler son accord de coopération militaire signé avec l'Arabie saoudite en 2005, a annoncé mardi 10 mars le premier ministre social-démocrate, Stefan Löfven. « Il sera rompu », a déclaré M. Löfven à la radio publique SR depuis Kiev, à propos de cet accord qui était controversé au sein de la majorité de gauche en raison de la question des droits de l'homme. Cette décision survient peu après que l'Arabie saoudite a empêché la ministre des affaires étrangères suédoise, Margot Wallström, de prononcer un discours prévu lors d'une réunion de la Ligue arabe au Caire.
Suite de l’article
Brussels - 10 March, 2015 European Defence Agency
The seventh issue of European Defence Matters, the magazine of the European Defence Agency, is now available.
The cover story of this latest issue is dedicated to defence research & technology in Europe. We gathered views and opinions from a number of experts in the field, ranging from Philippe Brunet, Director of Aerospace, Maritime, Security and Defence Industries within the European Commission’s Directorate General Enterprise and Industry, to Denis Roger, EDA European Synergies & Innovation Director, and Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation CEO and Chairman of the Defence Business Unit of the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD). They provide readers with a comprehensive overview of the upcoming Preparatory Action for CSDP-related research, which could prove to be a real game-changer for European defence.
Also in this issue, we report on a selection of programmes in the field of air-to-air refuelling, maritime surveillance, non-lethal capabilities or renewable energy. We also explain the latest revision of the Agency’s Capability Development Plan with EDA experts.
Meanwhile, Latvian Minister of Defence Raimonds Vējonis has kindly accepted to share his views on European defence issues in this latest edition of our magazine. Here he discusses topics of interest for Latvia, who is assuming the EU presidency for the first half of 2015. Vice-Admiral Matthieu Borsboom, Director of the Defence Material Organisation in the Netherlands, also sat down with European Defence Matters in order to review some of the Dutch priorities in the field of defence acquisition and cooperation.
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L’ARX 160 pourrait être le futur fusil d’assaut de l’armée française - phoot Beretta
04/03/2015 LeProgès.fr
Associée à Beretta, l’entreprise Humbert, de Veauche, pourrait devenir le fournisseur du futur fusil d’assaut utilisé par les militaires français.
Pour remplacer le fameux Famas (fusil d’assaut de la Manufacture d’armes de Saint-Étienne), désormais âgé de 37 ans, la Direction générale de l’armement a lancé, au printemps dernier, un appel à candidatures européen. Quinze entreprises y ont répondu. Dont un binôme franco-italien, avec Beretta et sa filiale Humbert, installée à Veauche.
Le duo Beretta-Humbert avant de devenir le nouveau fournisseur des militaires français, doit encore passer outre plusieurs embûches et franchir un nouveau cap. Celui de l’appel d’offres.
Suite de l'article
10 mars 2015 par Jean-Dominique Merchet
La proposition faite dimanche par Jean-Claude Juncker, président de la Commission européenne, de créer une «armée commune» a surpris jusqu'au ministre français de la Défense Jean-Yves Le Drian. Dubitatif, le ministre français s'est promis de demander à Juncker ce qu'il avait voulu dire dans son entretien avec le journal allemand Welt am Sonntag.
Suite de l'article
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