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28 novembre 2017 2 28 /11 /novembre /2017 14:00
Credits Simthetiq

Credits Simthetiq

 

Montreal, November 27, 2017 PR Simthetiq

 

Simthetiq is pleased to announce that it will be presenting key elements of its comprehensive libraries of mission-ready 3D simulation models and terrains in Station IX, an immersive display system, at the I/ITSEC 2017 conference in Orlando.

Simthetiq is proud to partner with Station IX in order to showcase its high quality products and solutions in a compelling virtual environment designed to offer a true-to-life experience and which is ideally suited to the military simulation and training industries.

During the conference, attendees will have the opportunity of being transported into a virtual hangar to inspect a complex industrial vehicle before being dropped into the middle of a real-time JTAC environment rendered in Unity. With an extended field of view and true depth perception, Station IX is a visual system that allows Simthetiq to showcase tomorrow's simulation solutions in an immersive and collaborative environment.

“We look forward to presenting Simthetiq’s high quality visual content in Station IX at I/ITSEC as this will offer attendees a powerful visual experience that brings realism to a whole new level” said, Vincent Cloutier, CEO.

 

About Simthetiq

Founded in 2005, Simthetiq brings together a team of experienced professionals in the training and simulation fields to serve the civil aviation and defense markets. We provide one of the largest mission-ready simulation entity library to major corporations and governments around the world.

For more information about Simthetiq, visit www.simthetiq.com .

 

About Station IX

Station IX is a unique immersive environment that enables professionals working with high value 3D content to leverage the full potential of their data. Station IX is built to answer the requirements of multiple industries for simulation, training and visualization applications.

For more information about Station IX, visit www.stationix.com .

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31 mai 2017 3 31 /05 /mai /2017 11:20
Simthetiq Algeria VTE available in Openflight and correlated VBS 3 formats

Simthetiq Algeria VTE available in Openflight and correlated VBS 3 formats

 

Montreal, 31 May 2017 - Simthetiq

 

Meggitt Training Systems along with Simthetiq and TrianGraphics will showcase true joint simulation and training capabilities at CANSEC 2017. The powerful demonstration will connect virtual Armoured Fighting Vehicle, 81mm mortar and small arms trainers running in two different simulation platforms in the same correlated terrain environment.

 

 

Attendees at Canada’s annual Global Defence and Security Tradeshow will experience the benefits of interconnecting different training systems and technologies to unleash the full potential of collaborative training scenarios. Using a common 3D terrain of Algeria from Simthetiq as the collaborative environment, Meggitt’s Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) and Remote Weapon Station (RWS) trainers (running in an Openflight terrain) together with their flagship FATS 100MIL small arms trainer (using a correlated VBS3 output) will conduct tactical manoeuvres in a hostile training environment.

 

Simthetiq worked closely with TrianGraphics, using their VBS Exporter tool to generate a correlated VBS terrain that allows common, networked scenarios to be conducted across Meggitt’s different training systems.

 

Vincent Cloutier, Simthetiq CEO, stated: "The cross-platform flexibility we provide was key for Meggitt - who placed their trust in Simthetiq and TrianGraphics' expertise and innovative approach to terrain generation for their key simulation product demonstrations at CANSEC."

 

To see the collaborative demonstrations in action, visit Meggitt’s booth (#121) at CANSEC, held at the EY Centre in Ottawa from 31 May to 1 June 2017.

 

 

 

About Simthetiq

Simthetiq, a CADSI member, is a leading developer of 3D solutions for simulation, research and serious gaming. With over 2000 high-definition, plug and play 3D military and civilian vehicles, Simthetiq’s library facilitates rapid procurement of DIS/HLA compatible, standardized COTS products that enhance the training capability and value of any simulation and training tool.

 

For more information visit: www.simthetiq.com

 

About TrianGraphics

TrianGraphics is specialized in creative tools and services for terrain database generation. TrianGraphics' flagship product Trian3DBuilder is a database generation system with a comprehensive feature set and a modern user interface. Trian3DBuilder is meeting the most demanding visual and technical requirements for real-time simulation and has grown to become one of the most powerful and efficient solutions on the market.

 

For more information visit:

www.triangraphics.com

 

About the 3D terrain

The Algeria VTE product can help bring your simulation and training ever closer to reality. Companies interested in evaluating Trian3DBuilder or Simthetiq 3D terrains can contact sales@simthetiq.com to request an evaluation.

 

About Meggitt Training and Simulation

Meggitt’s networked simulation solutions provide for realistic synthetic training including state of the art visual effects and sounds. Training solutions that enable crews to train their tactics, techniques and procedures in a mounted or dismounted virtual domain.

 

Meggitt Training Systems leads the way in small arms marksmanship and judgmental simulation training, as well as armoured fighting vehicle trainers and simulators. Meggitt’s train-as-you-fight approach reflects a commitment to remaining true to fit, form and function in weapons simulation, helping ensure the preparedness and safety of the forces that protect us.

 

For more information visit: https://www.meggitttrainingsystems.com

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26 janvier 2016 2 26 /01 /janvier /2016 12:55
photo HTDS

photo HTDS

 

22.01.2016 electronique-eci.com

Conçue par Rapiscan Systems et distribuée par HTDS, la caméra CounterBomber est un système de sûreté qui utilise une technologie de radar dirigée par la vidéo pour détecter à distance, en toute sécurité, les personnes sur le point de commettre un attentat suicide ou dissimulant une arme.


Testée par le gouvernement américain et reconnue comme une solution de détection efficace pour contrer les menaces terroristes, la technologie brevetée de cette caméra a été conçue pour protéger les zones critiques ou de guerre et les sites stratégiques des kamikazes potentiels. Elle est particulièrement bien adaptée pour la sécurisation des bâtiments gouvernementaux, bases militaires, stades, aéroports, gares, postes de contrôle, hôpitaux et écoles.

 

Cette caméra à technologie radar est un système fiable, entièrement mobile, qui assure une inspection automatique des sujets en marche, dés leur entrée dans une zone critique, en déterminant rapidement si une personne dissimule un dispositif d'attentat suicide ou une arme potentielle. Véritable scanner corporel et comportemental, elle s’intègre facilement dans les réseaux de commandement existants pour une sécurité renforcée et une meilleure appréciation des situations.
Ainsi, grâce à ce système de suivi vidéo innovant, les responsables de la sécurité civile et militaire sont en mesure de prendre rapidement des décisions précises sur les personnes suspectes.

 

Ce système de détection peut être utilisé par les opérateurs selon deux modes distincts, soit manuellement pour le dépistage dans les lieux publics moins structurées en terme de sécurité, soit de manière autonome (mains libres) pour le dépistage dans les zones hautement contrôlées.
D’un poids de 113 kg et d’un volume de 1.22 x 1.22 x 1.83 m, cette caméra à technologie radar offre un taux de radiation de 0.15 mW/cm2. Sans danger pour l’opérateur et les personnes inspectées, et non intrusive, elle bénéficie d'une capacité élevée de détection et d’un très faible taux de fausses alarmes.
Enfin, une simple formation minimale est requise pour utiliser ce système, avec un coût global maitrisé et une efficacité opérationnelle accrue.

 

www.htds.fr

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26 janvier 2016 2 26 /01 /janvier /2016 12:20
Le destroyer américain USS Stockdale carbure à la graisse de bœuf

Les moteurs diesel du destroyer « USS Stockdale » fonctionnent grâce à un mélange de 90 % de fuel conventionnel et de 10 % de biocarburant à base de graisse de bœuf. (Photo : US Navy)

 

25/01/2016 LeMarin.fr

 

Il carbure à la graisse de bœuf. Le premier navire de combat américain à utiliser en opérations du biocarburant, le destroyer USS Stockdale, a appareillé le mercredi 20 janvier de la base aéronavale de North Island, en Californie.

L’USS Stockdale fait partie du groupe aéronaval déployé autour du porte-avions nucléaire USS John C. Stennis. Celui-ci expérimente le recours aux carburants alternatifs aux énergies fossiles, ce qui inclut l'énergie nucléaire, dans le cadre du programme de l’US Navy baptisé Great Green Fleet (la grande flotte verte).

Le secrétaire à la Marine, Ray Mabus, et le secrétaire à l’Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, ont salué le départ du premier groupe aéronaval « vert » de l’US Navy. Après la cérémonie, ils se sont rendus à bord du destroyer USS William P. Lawrence pour assister à un ravitaillement en mer en biocarburant depuis le pétrolier ravitailleur USNS Guadalupe.

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25 janvier 2016 1 25 /01 /janvier /2016 17:20
Le F-35 AF-1, du 461st Flight Test Squadron, a tiré le 12 janvier son premier missile AIM-9X. © US Air Force Chad Bellay

Le F-35 AF-1, du 461st Flight Test Squadron, a tiré le 12 janvier son premier missile AIM-9X. © US Air Force Chad Bellay

 

25/01/2016 par Antony Angrand – Air & Cosmos

 

Un F-35 du 461st Flight Test Squadron a tiré un missile AIM-9X pour la première fois au-dessus de la zone d'essais du Pacifique le 12 janvier. L'appareil, AF-1, était piloté par David Nelson, chef pilote d'essais du Lockheed Martin F-35 à la base aérienne d'Edwards AFB. Le missile a été tiré à une altitude de 6 000 pieds (1 828 m).

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22 janvier 2016 5 22 /01 /janvier /2016 08:20
Lockheed S-3B Viking - photo US Navy

Lockheed S-3B Viking - photo US Navy

 

20.01.2016 par Frederic Lert - Aerobuzz.fr
 

L’US Navy annonce le retrait de service de ses derniers Lockheed S-3B Viking. Un avion discret et pourtant remarquablement polyvalent, qui reste pour l’heure sans véritable remplaçant.

L’appareil avait quitté les unités de combat et le pont des porte-avions depuis 2009. Mais trois exemplaires volaient encore depuis cette date au sein du VX30 Air Test and Evaluation Squadron de Point Mugu en Californie. Leur mission, sans gloire, consistait à « blanchir » [1] les zones d’essais en mer. Sur ces trois avions, un premier avait été retiré du service en novembre dernier et les deux autres viennent à leur tour de quitter l’uniforme. La NASA, toujours à l’affut de bonnes affaires, en a toutefois récupéré un. L’autre est parti pour un stockage longue durée. Il ne va pas s’y ennuyer, puisqu’il y va retrouver environ 90 de ses petits camarades...

Après celle des Tomcat, Intruder et autres Prowler [2] , la mise à la retraite du Viking est une étape de plus dans la mutation de l’aviation embarquée américaine. Tous les avions spécialisés qui assurèrent son hégémonie dès la fin des années 70 sont à présent remplacés sur les ponts d’envol par un cortège uniformément gris et déprimant de F/A-18 Hornet et Super Hornet.

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15 janvier 2016 5 15 /01 /janvier /2016 17:20
A U.S. Air Force Boeing B-52H Stratofortress of the 2d Bomb Wing static display with weapons, at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (USA), in 2006 - photo USAF

A U.S. Air Force Boeing B-52H Stratofortress of the 2d Bomb Wing static display with weapons, at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (USA), in 2006 - photo USAF

 

14 janvier 2016 par Aerobuzz.fr

 

Boeing annonce avoir livré à l’US Air Force six lanceurs rotatifs modernisés, utilisables par les B-52H. Ces lanceurs, placés dans la soute à bombe du bombardier, permettaient jusqu’à présent l’emport de missiles de croisière à charge nucléaire ou conventionnelle. Les bombardiers pourront maintenant également emporter en soute jusqu’à huit bombes à guidage GPS (JDAM).

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4 janvier 2016 1 04 /01 /janvier /2016 08:20
C-130J Super Hercules photo Lockheed Martin

C-130J Super Hercules photo Lockheed Martin

 

MARIETTA, Ga., Dec. 31, 2015 /PRNewswire

 

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will deliver 78 C-130J Super Hercules to the U.S. government through a C-130J Multiyear II contract, which was announced by the U.S. government on Dec. 30, 2015.

Yesterday, the Department of Defense announced the award of more than $1 billion in funding for the first 32 aircraft of the Multiyear contract. The overall contract, worth $5.3 billion, provides Super Hercules aircraft to the U.S. Air Force (30 MC-130Js, 13 HC-130Js and 29 C-130J-30s) and the U.S. Marine Corps (six KC-130Js). Also through this contract, the U.S. Coast Guard has the option to acquire five HC-130Js. Aircraft purchased through the multiyear contract will deliver between 2016 and 2020.

"We are proud to partner with the U.S. government to continue to deliver to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard the world's most proven, versatile and advanced airlifter," said George Shultz, vice president and general manager, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin. "This multiyear contract provides true value to our U.S. operators as they recapitalize and expand their much-relied-upon Hercules aircraft, which has the distinction of being the world's largest and most tasked C-130 fleet."

Constructed in alignment with the U.S. government's Better Buying Power initiative, this contract provides significant savings to the U.S. government through multiyear procurement as compared to annual buys.

Lockheed Martin provided 60 C-130Js to the U.S. government through an initial multiyear contract announced in 2003, which delivered aircraft to the U.S. Air Force and U.S Marine Corps from 2003-2008.

The C-130J Super Hercules is the standard in tactical airlift, providing a unique mix of versatility and performance to complete any mission, anytime, anywhere. It is the airlifter of choice for 16 nations and 19 different operators. The Super Hercules worldwide fleet has more than 1.3 million flight hours to its credit. For additional information, visit www.lockheedmartin.com/c130.

 

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that – with the addition of Sikorsky – employs approximately 126,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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29 décembre 2015 2 29 /12 /décembre /2015 08:20
Special Operations: SOCOM Ordered To Use Female Commandos

 

December 14, 2015: Strategy page

 

In early December, after years of trying to justify allowing women into the infantry, artillery and armor and special operations forces, the U.S. government simply ordered the military to make it happen and do so without degrading the capabilities of these units. While the army was inclined the just say yes, find out what quotas the politicians wanted and go through the motions, some others refused to play along. SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and the marines pointed out that the research does not support the political demands and that actually implementing the quotas could get people killed while degrading the effectiveness of the units with women. This is yet another reason why many politicians do not like the marines and are uneasy about SOCOM. The commander of SOCOM promptly said the order would be implemented (otherwise he can kiss his upcoming promotion goodbye) but the Marine Corps has, as in the past, not voiced any enthusiasm at all. This decision involves about 220,000 jobs. About ten percent of these are special operations personnel, commonly known as commandos.

 

The special operations troops are not happy with this decision. In a recent survey most (85 percent) of the operators (commandos, SEALs, Rangers) in SOCOM opposed allowing women in. Most (88 percent) feared that standards would be lowered in order to make it possible for some women to quality. Most (82 percent) believed that women did not have the physical strength to do what was required. About half (53 percent) would not trust women placed in their unit. For these men the decision is a matter of life and death and SOCOM commanders fear that the decision, if implemented, would cause many of the most experienced operators to leave and dissuade many potential recruits from joining. Keeping experienced personnel and finding suitable new recruits has always been a major problem for SOCOM and this will make it worse.

 

That said there are some jobs SOCOM operators do that women can handle. One is espionage, an area that SOCOM has been increasingly active in since the 1990s because of their familiarity with foreign cultures and operator skills and discipline. Another task women excel at is teaching. Israel has long recognized this and some of their best combat skills instructors are women. But what the male operators are complaining about is women performing the jobs that still depend on exceptional physical as well as mental skills. These include direct action (raids, ambushes and such) and recon (going deep into hostile territory to patrol or just observe.) These are the most dangerous jobs and many operators are not willing to make the job even more dangerous just to please some grandstanding politicians.

 

This order has been “under consideration” for three years. The various services had already opened up some infantry training programs to women and discovered two things. First (over 90 percent) of women did not want to serve in any combat unit, especially the infantry. Those women (almost all of them officers) who did apply discovered what female athletes and epidemiologists (doctors who study medical statistics) have long known; women are ten times more likely (than men) to suffer bone injuries and nearly as likely to suffer muscular injuries while engaged in stressful sports (like basketball) or infantry operations. Mental stress is another issue and most women who volunteered to try infantry training dropped out within days because of the combination of mental and physical stress. Proponents of women in combat (none of them combat veterans) dismiss these issues as minor and easily fixed but offer no tangible or proven solutions.

 

Back in 2012 the U.S. Army and Marine Corps were ordered to come up with procedures to select women capable of handling infantry and special operations assignments and then recruit some women for these jobs. This had become an obsession with many politicians. None of these proponents of women in the infantry have ever served in the infantry, but some understood that if they proceeded without proof that women could handle the job, that decision could mean getting a lot of American soldiers and marines killed. The politicians also knew that if it came to that, the military could be blamed for not implementing the new policy correctly. That’s how politics works and why politicians are not popular with the troops.

 

So far the tests overseen by monitors reporting back to civilian officials in Congress and the White House have failed to find the needed proof that women can handle infantry combat. The main problem the military has is their inability to make these politicians understand how combat operations actually work and what role sheer muscle plays in success, or simply survival. But many politicians have become infatuated with the idea that women should serve in the infantry and are ignoring the evidence.

 

All this comes after decades of allowing women to take jobs that were more and more likely to result in women having to deal with combat. Not infantry combat, but definitely dangerous situations where you were under attack and had to fight back or die. The last such prohibition is the U.S. Department of Defense policy that forbids the use of female troops in direct (infantry type) combat. Despite the ban many women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan found themselves in firefights and exposed to roadside bombs, something that's normal for a combat zone. Because women were earlier allowed to serve in MP (military police) units and then regularly do convoy security they got some combat experience. Those convoys often included other female troops who were trained to fight back, if necessary. It was usually the MPs who did the fighting and the female MPs performed well. Several of them received medals for exceptional performance in combat. Hundreds of these female MPs were regularly in combat since September 11, 2001. This was the largest and longest exposure of American female troops to direct combat. Yet women have often been exposed to a lot of indirect combat. As far back as World War II, 25 percent of all troops in the army found themselves under fire at one time or another, although only about 15 percent of soldiers had a "direct combat" job. In Iraq women made up about 14 percent of the military personnel but only two percent of the casualties (dead and wounded). Most women do not want to be in combat but those who did get the job proved that they could handle it and knew that being in combat as an MP was not the same as doing it in an infantry unit. This experience, however, did provide proof to some that women could perform in infantry or special operations type combat.

 

All this is actually an ancient problem. The issue of women in combat has long been contentious. Throughout history women have performed well in combat but mainly in situations where pure physical strength was not a major factor. For example, women often played a large, and often decisive, role as part of the defending force in sieges. Many women learned to use the light bow (for hunting). While not as lethal as the heavy bows (like the English longbow), when the situation got desperate the female archers made a difference, especially if it was shooting a guys coming up and over the wall with rape and general mayhem in mind.

 

Once lightweight firearms appeared in the 18th and 19th centuries women were even deadlier in combat. Again, this only occurred in combat situations where the superior physical strength and sturdiness of men was not a factor. Much of infantry operations are all about the grunts (as infantry are often called) just moving themselves and their heavy loads into position for a fight. Here the sturdiness angle was all about the fact that men have more muscle and thicker bones. This makes men much less likely to suffer stress fractures or musculoskeletal injuries than women. Modern infantry combat is intensely physical, and most women remain at a disadvantage here. There are some exception for specialist tasks that do not involve sturdiness or strength, like sniping. Then there is the hormonal angle. Men generate a lot more testosterone, a hormone that makes men more decisive and faster to act in combat. Moreover testosterone does not, as the popular myth goes, make you more aggressive, it does make you more aware and decisive. That makes a difference in combat.

 

The main problem today is that the average load for a combat infantryman is over 40 kg (88 pounds) and men (in general) have always had more strength to handle heavy loads better than women. But in situations like convoy escort, base security, or support jobs in the combat zone the combat load is lower and more manageable for women it’s another matter. At that point there’s plenty of recent evidence that women can handle themselves in some types of combat. That said, women, more than men, prefer to avoid serving in combat units. Since 2001 American recruiters found it easier to find young men for combat units than for support jobs. It’s mainly female officers who demand the right to try out for combat jobs. That’s because the most of the senior jobs in the military go only to those who have some experience in a combat unit. But when the marines allowed 14 female marines to take the infantry officer course, none could pass and all agreed that they were treated just like the male trainees. This was not a unique situation.

 

Because of the strenuous nature of combat jobs (armor, artillery, and engineers, as well as infantry) there are physical standards for these occupations. The U.S. military calls it a profile and if you do not have the physical profile for a job, you can’t have it. Thus while many men are not physically fit for the infantry, nearly all women are. For example, 55 percent of women cannot do the three pull-ups required in the physical fitness test, compared to only one percent of men. Some women could meet the physical standards and be eager to have the job. But Western nations (including Canada) that have sought to recruit physically qualified female candidates for the infantry found few volunteers and even fewer who could meet the profile and pass the training. So while it is theoretically possible that there are some women out there who could handle the physical requirements, none have so far come forward to volunteer for infantry duty. A recent survey of female soldiers in the U.S. Army found that over 92 percent would not be interested in having an infantry job. Over two years of American research into the matter concluded that about three percent of women could be trained to the point where they were at the low end of the physically “qualified” people (male or female) for infantry combat. What that bit of data ignores is how many of those physically strong women would want a career in the infantry or special operations. There would be a few, but for the politicians who want women represented in infantry units this would smack of tokenism. Moreover this comes at a time when physical standards for American infantry and special operations troops have been increasing, because this was found to produce more effective troops and lower American casualties.

 

When the U.S. used conscription the infantry ended up with a lot of less-muscular and enthusiastic men in the infantry. Allowances were made for this, but for elite units (paratroopers, commandos) there were no corners cut and everyone had to volunteer and meet high physical standards. That made a very noticeable difference in the combat abilities of the elite unit. Now all infantry are recruited to those old elite standards and it would wreck morale and decrease the number of male volunteers if it was mandated that some less physically qualified women be able to join infantry units. This doesn’t bother a lot of politicians but it does bother the guys out there getting shot at.

 

Meanwhile over the last century women have been increasingly a part of the military. In most Western nations over ten percent of military personnel are female. In the U.S. military it’s now 15 percent. A century ago it was under one percent (and most of those were nurses and other medical personnel). More women are in uniform now because there aren't enough qualified men, especially for many of the technical jobs armed forces now have to deal with. In the United States women became more of a presence in the armed forces after the military went all-volunteer in the 1970s. That led to more and more combat-support jobs being opened to women. This became popular within the military because the women were often better at these support jobs. This led to women being allowed to serve on American combat ships in 1994. In most NATO countries between 5-10 percent of sailors are women, while in Britain it is 10 percent, and in the United States 16 percent.

 

Once women were allowed to fly combat aircraft, it was only a matter of time before some of them rose to command positions. Currently, about ten percent of navy officers are female, as are nine percent of enlisted personnel. Only 4.2 percent of navy aviators (pilots) are women, as are 6.9 percent of flight officers (non-pilot aircrew). In the air force five percent of pilots are women. Women now command warships and air combat units (including fighter squadrons). Some women, and their political supporters, want to do the same thing in the infantry and special operations. If only the physical problems could be taken care of.

 

Advocates for women in combat also have to worry about combat casualties and the very well documented history of women in combat. During World War II over five million women served in the military worldwide. Although they suffered fewer losses than the men, several hundred thousand did die. These women were often exposed to combat, especially when fighting as guerillas or operating anti-aircraft guns and early warning systems in Russia, Germany, and Britain. Russia also used women as traffic cops near the front line, as snipers, and as combat pilots. They (especially the Russians) tried using them as tank crews and regular infantry, but that didn’t work out, a historical lesson lost on current proponents. Women were most frequently employed in medical and other support jobs. The few who served as snipers or pilots were very good at it.

 

Most of the women who served in combat did so in guerilla units, especially in the Balkans and Russia. The women could not haul as heavy a load as the men but this was often not crucial, as many guerillas were only part-time fighters, living as civilians most of the time. Full time guerilla units often imposed the death penalty for pregnancy, although the women sometimes would not name the father. That said, guerilla organizations often imposed the death penalty for a number of offenses. The guerillas had few places to keep prisoners and sloppiness could get a lot of guerillas killed. The women tended to be more disciplined than the men and just as resolute in combat.

 

In the last century there have been several attempts to use women in ground combat units, and all have failed. When given a choice, far fewer women will choose combat jobs (infantry, armor, artillery). But duty as MPs does attract a lot of women, as do jobs like fighter, bomber, helicopter pilots and crews, and aboard warships. That works.

 

Meanwhile the casualty rate for women in Iraq was over ten times what it was in World War II, Vietnam, and the 1991 Gulf War (where 30,000 women served). A lot of the combat operations experienced by women in Iraq involved base security or guard duty. Female troops performed well in that. These were jobs that required alertness, attention to detail, and ability to quickly use your weapons when needed. Carrying a heavy load was not required. In convoy operations women have also done well, especially when it comes to spotting, and dealing with, IEDs (roadside bombs and ambushes). Going into the 21st century, warfare is becoming more automated and less dependent on muscle and testosterone. That gives women an edge, and they exploit it, just as they have done in so many other fields.

 

Now the military has been ordered to just make it happen. No need to find a way to justify allowing females in the infantry and special operations troops. An order has been given. After that comes the difficulty in finding women who are willing to volunteer and pass whatever standards survive.

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28 décembre 2015 1 28 /12 /décembre /2015 17:20
CounterBomber, un système pour détecter les kamikazes avant qu'ils ne passent à l'action

Le système de détection et prévention des attaques suicides par ceinture explosive ressemble à une unité radar mobile servant à détecter des avions ou des missiles sur un théâtre d'opérations. (Crédits : Rapiscan)

 

25/12/2015 Par Erick Haehnsen  - LaTribune.fr

 

L'américain Rapiscan Systems commercialise CounterBomber, une station capable de détecter jusqu'à 100 m de distance, en toute sécurité, les personnes sur le point de faire sauter une ceinture d'explosifs.

 

« Initialement, notre technologie a été développée pour des raisons militaires : protéger les soldats et les populations civiles contre les kamikazes qui se font sauter avec une ceinture d'explosifs. Il s'agissait aussi de sécuriser les bâtiments publics, les sites industriels sensibles, les raffineries de pétrole et évidemment les bases militaires, explique Andrew D. Lynch, responsable commercial de CounterBomber Technologies, une startup financée par l'Agence américaine pour les projets de recherche avancée de défense (Darpa), rachetée en 2014 par l'américain Rapiscan Systems et distribuée en France par HTDS. Depuis sept ans, nos systèmes ont été utilisés en Irak et en Afghanistan par l'armée américaine. »

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Le système de détection et prévention des attaques suicides par ceinture explosive ressemble à une unité radar mobile servant à détecter des avions ou des missiles sur un théâtre d'opérations. En effet, la station, stabilisée sur un trépied, comporte trois antennes radar ainsi que deux caméras vidéo - dont une caméra thermique - assemblées sur une double rotule motorisée qui permet de faire tourner l'ensemble des capteurs de droite à gauche et du haut vers le bas afin d'ajuster la captation à la cible. À cela s'adjoignent une unité d'alimentation - capable de fonctionner sur un groupe électrogène - et un ordinateur portable durci. Andrew D. Lynch reprend :

« Le système assure l'inspection automatique des sujets en marche dès leur entrée dans une zone critique en déterminant rapidement si une personne dissimule un dispositif d'attentat suicide ou une arme potentielle »


Sécuriser les stades, aéroports, gares, hôpitaux et écoles

À 100 m de distance, les capteurs radar et la caméra infrarouge se combinent pour détecter la signature électronique des explosifs ou des armes. Le système envoie alors une alerte. L'opérateur, qui suit la personne suspecte grâce à la caméra vidéo, est en mesure de prendre rapidement les décisions qui s'imposent.

« En parallèle des opérations militaires et des ventes, notre marché s'est développé auprès de sociétés de sécurité privées, tout d'abord en Afrique et au Moyen-Orient, afin de sécuriser des stades, aéroports, gares, hôpitaux et écoles », poursuit M. Lynch qui s'attend à développer ses ventes en Europe et, notamment, en France. D'ailleurs, la société n'hésite pas à proposer des financements en crédit-bail.

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28 décembre 2015 1 28 /12 /décembre /2015 17:20
photo Armée de Terre

photo Armée de Terre

 

December 27, 2015: Strategy Page

 

The United States recently increased production of its AGM-114 Hellfire missile from 500 to 650 a month. Further increases are planned for 2016. The reason for this is the success Hellfire has had in fighting ISIL (al Qaeda in Iraq and the Levant). Hellfire has been continually improved since the 1980s and now can hit moving targets with great precision. Since ISIL tries to stay mobile and dispersed Hellfire has turned out to be the best weapon to fight them with, especially if you want to avoid civilian casualties. It’s not just American demand for Hellfire that is causing the shortage but also the growing list of other users. Currently South Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, France, Italy and Britain have Hellfire on order and they are being told they will have to wait a bit.

 

Hellfire remains the missile with the track record that you can always depend on and more nations are realizing it. Because of that more recent smaller missiles like Griffin and 70mm guided rockets just never caught on in a big way. In service since 1984, the Hellfire missile has not only proved enormously useful in the war on terror, it has also defeated numerous efforts to replace it with something better. It didn’t help that an improved Hellfire, Hellfire II, appeared in 1994 and over 32,000 have been produced so far. These have been the most frequently used American missiles, with over 18,000 fired in training or (mostly) combat since 2001. Hellfire missiles cost about $100,000 each depending on warhead and guidance system options.

 

Britain produces a Hellfire variant, called Brimstone which is unique mainly in that it can be fire from jets. This version has become very popular as well. Hellfire was originally designed for use by helicopter gunships against masses of Cold War era Russian tanks. That never happened, except in Kuwait during the 1991 war against Russian tanks owned by Iraq. Hellfire was quite successful in Kuwait. With the end of the Cold War the Hellfire seemed destined for the history books, as just another missile that worked but never distinguished itself. This all changed in 2002 when the CIA first used a Hellfire fired from a Predator UAV to kill a hard-to-find terrorist. The U.S. Air Force wasn’t really interested in this sort of thing and the CIA used its own money and authority to buy Predator UAVs and arm them with Hellfires. It quickly became apparent that the air force was wrong about UAVs and, well, the Hellfire was an army weapon used on helicopters and the air force never considered such a combination of UAV and missile useful for anything. The army soon found that Hellfire was an excellent weapon for supporting troops in urban areas or when going after terrorists anywhere.

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21 décembre 2015 1 21 /12 /décembre /2015 08:20
General Dynamics Awarded $92 Million for Abrams Tank Production

 

17.12.2015 Sergyi Way

 

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. -- The U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems a $92.2 million contract to upgrade M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) v2 Abrams tanks to the M1A2 SEP Version 3 (v3) configuration. General Dynamics is working closely with the Army to improve the survivability, maintainability, fuel efficiency, power generation and network capability of its fleet of Abrams Main Battle Tanks.

 

“Projected for full rate production within the next two years, the Abrams M1A2 SEPv3 will provide the Army with the tank they need to dominate the battlefields of the future,” said Donald Kotchman, vice president of Tracked Combat Vehicles for General Dynamics Land Systems.

 

The M1A2 SEPv3 production process will begin with a pilot program of six tanks before moving into full-rate production.

 

Work will be performed by existing employees in Anniston, Ala.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Lima, Ohio; and Scranton, Pa.

 

General Dynamics Land Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics.

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21 décembre 2015 1 21 /12 /décembre /2015 08:20
Oshkosh Resumes Work on Joint Light Tactical Vehicle

 

17.12.2015 Sergyi Way

 

The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) has directed Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) company, to resume work on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) production contract. The JLTV program fills a critical capability gap for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps by replacing a large portion of the legacy HMMWV fleet with a light vehicle that provides unprecedented protection, off-road mobility and transportability.

 

“We are pleased that the JLTV production contract, awarded to Oshkosh in August, is now moving forward to deliver the world’s most capable light tactical vehicle,” said U.S. Army Major General (Retired) John M. Urias, executive vice president of Oshkosh Corporation and president of Oshkosh Defense. “Our JLTV is designed to safely transport Soldiers and Marines as they perform their missions ‘outside the wire’ – providing unprecedented off-road speed and mobility on future battlefields that could be virtually anywhere in the world.”

 

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) dismissed Lockheed Martin’s protest earlier today based on Lockheed’s notice that it intends to file a protest in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Army lifted the stop work order and instructed Oshkosh to resume performance of the JLTV contract. According to the JLTV production contract, Oshkosh will begin delivering vehicles within the next 10 months, reaching an expected total volume of nearly 17,000 vehicles, as well as kits and sustainment services over an eight-year period.

 

“The Army conducted a thorough, methodical procurement including exhaustive testing and evaluation to ensure our troops get the best vehicle,” said Urias. “The Oshkosh team and our employees will immediately resume work to deliver JLTVs to our Soldiers and Marines.

 

“The JLTV program fills a critical gap in the U.S. military’s current tactical vehicle line-up,” said Urias. “The Oshkosh JLTV will give our troops new levels of payload, performance and protection in a platform that was engineered to evolve as new technologies emerge and our adversaries’ tactics change.”

 

In designing its JLTV, Oshkosh leveraged its extensive experience producing and sustaining more than 150,000 heavy, medium and protected MRAP vehicles for the U.S. and its allies. The JLTV Family of Vehicles is comprised of two seat and four seat variants, as well as a companion trailer (JLTV-T). The two seat variant has one base vehicle platform, the Utility (JLTV-UTL). The four seat variant has two base vehicle platforms, the General Purpose (JLTV-GP) and the Close Combat Weapons Carrier (JLTV-CCWC).

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18 décembre 2015 5 18 /12 /décembre /2015 17:50
photo EMA / Armée de l'Air

photo EMA / Armée de l'Air

 

18.12.2015 par RFI

 

Les dépenses mondiales liées à la défense sont reparties à la hausse. Atteignant 1650 milliards de dollars en 2015, ces budgets devraient encore augmenter en 2016, révèle un rapport de l'agence britannique Jane's Information Group. Dans le même temps, certains pays ferment les vannes.

 

Environ 1650 milliards de dollars. C'est le budget mondial accordé à la défense en 2015. 1650 milliards de dollars, c'est peu ou prou le produit intérieur brut de l'Australie. Un budget extrêmement conséquent qui repart à la hausse puisqu'il devrait encore augmenter en 2016 pour atteindre 1680 milliards, selon un rapport de l'agence britannique spécialisée dans la défense Jane's.

C'est en Asie que les dépenses augmentent le plus. La Chine, deuxième puissance militaire au monde, modernise son armée dans un contexte de tensions régionales. Notamment avec l'Inde et le Japon. Résultat, plus 9 % en 2015, soit 190 milliards de dollars alloués à la défense (contre 175 milliards en 2014) pour Pékin qui entraîne les autres pays du continent dans ce mouvement.

En Europe aussi, on ouvre les vannes des dépenses d’armement. Surtout à l'Est, dans les pays baltes et en Scandinavie. Une conséquence de la méfiance de l'ensemble de la région vis-à-vis de Moscou après son intervention ukrainienne. L'Ukraine qui augmente de 70 % son budget. Moscou de 21 %.

Plus à l'ouest, au Royaume-Uni et en France, respectivement troisième et quatrième puissances militaires, les budgets restent stables. Cinquante-six milliards de dollars pour l'Hexagone.

A l’inverse, certains pays, peu nombreux, réduisent leurs dépenses. C'est le cas notamment au Moyen-Orient où la baisse du cours du pétrole freine brusquement les investissements. Enfin, les Etats-Unis, première puissance militaire, réduisent la voilure de 30 milliards de dollars. Mais le budget reste pour le moins conséquent avec 595 milliards.

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17 décembre 2015 4 17 /12 /décembre /2015 08:20
Exercice TEI : rencontre au sommet sur la base de Langley

 

16/12/2015 ADJ Jean-Laurent Nijean - Armée de l'air

 

Mardi 15 décembre 2015, un DV Day (Distinguished Visitor Day / journée consacrée aux autorités) a été organisée sur la base aérienne de Langley en Virginie à l’occasion du Trilateral Exercise Initiative (TEI) qui se déroule du 2 au 18 décembre.

 

 

Pour cette réunion au sommet, le général Antoine Creux, inspecteur général des armées/air, a représenté le général André Lanata, chef d’état-major de l’armée de l’air (CEMAA), aux côtés de l’Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, CEMAA britannique (Chief of the Air Staff), du général Mark Welsh (CEMAA américain), du général Hawk Carliste, commandant l’Air Combat Command (COMACC) et du général Frank Gorenk, commandant l’USAF en Europe (COMUSAFE).

 

La journée a commencé avec la présentation en vol du F22 Raptor, le fer de lance de l’aviation de chasse de l’USAF. Après cette démonstration dynamique, les autorités militaires de l’armée de l’air française, de la Royal Air Force et de l’US Air Force ont pu assister aux phases de briefing et de debriefing des missions du jour. Elles ont pu dresser un premier bilan de cet exercice trilatéral. « L’équipe qui a participé à cet exercice nous a présenté les principaux enseignements. Le premier défi était de réaliser cet exercice avec nos avions les plus modernes et de les faire travailler ensemble, souligne le général Creux. C’est une totale réussite les aviateurs des trois nations ont développé des tactiques ensemble, ont appris à se connaître et ont renforcé leur confiance mutuelle. »

 

Pour clôturer cette journée, le général Creux a ensuite rencontré les aviateurs français sur leur lieu de travail : en piste, dans le hangar de la mécanique et dans le local opérations (DDF – deployable debrifing facility). « Lors de ma visite du détachement français, j’ai vu qu’ils avaient tous le sourire car ils ont beaucoup appris de cet exercice et ont vécu une excellente expérience », témoigne le général.

 

 

Exercice TEI : rencontre au sommet sur la base de LangleyExercice TEI : rencontre au sommet sur la base de LangleyExercice TEI : rencontre au sommet sur la base de Langley
Exercice TEI : rencontre au sommet sur la base de Langley
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16 décembre 2015 3 16 /12 /décembre /2015 12:20
Le fédéral devant des choix difficiles en matière de défense

Le ministre Harjit Sajjan a appris à la dure: l'ancien militaire a derrière lui un déploiement en Bosnie et trois autres en Afghanistan. Photo la presse Canadienne

 

15.12.2015 Murray Brewster La Presse Canadienne

 

Lui-même ancien colonel, le nouveau ministre de la Défense nationale, Harjit Sajjan, est très bien placé pour savoir comment des décisions abstraites prises par des politiciens à Ottawa peuvent être pliées, tordues ou manipulées sur le théâtre des opérations, à l'autre bout de la planète.

 

Il aura besoin de toute cette intelligence alors que le nouveau gouvernement libéral de Justin Trudeau s'apprête à revoir la forme que devra prendre la lutte contre le groupe armé État islamique, et quelle posture adoptera le Canada devant une Russie qui renoue avec son passé de superpuissance.

Le ministre Sajjan a appris à la dure: l'ancien militaire a derrière lui un déploiement en Bosnie et trois autres en Afghanistan. Mais l'ex-colonel apporte au cabinet et au ministère l'expérience rare d'un réserviste - à la fois un civil et un «soldat à temps partiel».

«J'ai énormément de respect pour les soldats, pour ce qu'ils vivent, et je sais comment des décisions politiques prises en haut lieu peuvent avoir un impact direct sur les militaires», précisait le ministre Sajjan dans une récente entrevue à La Presse Canadienne.

Cet ancien officier de liaison a appris en Afghanistan que les politiciens prennent parfois leurs désirs pour des réalités. Là-bas, le petit contingent de Canadiens tentait désespérément de repousser les assauts des talibans tout en aidant des populations civiles devenues au fil des ans indifférentes, voire hostiles à leurs efforts humanitaires.

C'est ce genre de compréhension viscérale que le ministre Sajjan apportera au cabinet, lorsque viendra le temps de décider si on doit mettre en péril la vie de soldats canadiens à l'autre bout du monde.

Dès le début de l'an prochain, le ministre Sajjan devra présenter à ses collègues un nouveau scénario pour remplacer la participation des avions chasseurs canadiens CF-18 dans la lutte contre le groupe État islamique en Irak et en Syrie. Le chef d'état-major, Jonathan Vance, a déjà indiqué que les alliés du Canada souhaitaient qu'Ottawa maintienne dans la région l'avion de surveillance Aurora et l'avion de ravitaillement en vol CC-150 Polaris.

Pour ce qui est de la lutte contre le djihad, le ministre Sajjan a déjà suggéré que la nouvelle contribution canadienne, qui sera «significative», pourrait par exemple inclure des programmes de «déradicalisation» des djihadistes.

Par ailleurs, l'OTAN élabore présentement un programme de formation militaire qui serait dispensée aux officiers irakiens en Turquie et en Jordanie. Il n'est pas interdit de croire que le Canada pourrait jouer un rôle dans ce programme, d'autant que le contenu de la formation ressemblerait à l'enseignement que les instructeurs canadiens ont déjà prodigué en Afghanistan et en Ukraine.

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Stéphane Dion, a été mis au parfum de ce programme lors d'une récente rencontre ministérielle de l'OTAN à Bruxelles, et ce scénario pourrait bien séduire le gouvernement libéral, soucieux de convaincre l'opinion publique que le Canada fait quand même sa juste part contre l'extrémisme dans le monde.

Par ailleurs, dans le dossier de l'Ukraine, qui est toujours en conflit avec les rebelles pro-russes, le Canada compte encore 200 instructeurs militaires dans l'ouest du pays. Le gouvernement du président Petro Porochenko est accusé de corruption, et le ministre Dion a indiqué que le Canada était prêt à aider ce pays à nettoyer ses institutions. «Mais au final, c'est à eux d'améliorer leur pays», a-t-il prévenu.

Le ministre Sajjan devra bien, par ailleurs, trouver un jour une solution pas trop néfaste politiquement pour remplacer la flotte de chasseurs CF-18 par autre chose que les controversés F-35, un dossier qui a hanté les nuits de ses prédécesseurs.

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10 décembre 2015 4 10 /12 /décembre /2015 12:20
Support: New Training Against New Threats

 

December 8, 2015: Strategy Page

 

Based on experience in Iraq and Afghanistan the U.S. Department of Defense set up JIDA (Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization) in September 2015 and proceeded to establish thirteen training centers where troops (mainly soldiers and marines) could receive instruction (and realistic practice) on the types of hand-held detectors available to detect bombs and mines. The training also includes imparting useful techniques learned in over a decade of dealing with these weapons.

 

At the top end of the devices the troops would use there is Minehound, which is a four (or more) kg (8.8 pounds) hand held device typical of those used for over half a century to detect mines. Troops hold it like a vacuum cleaner sweeping the circular sensor over the ground in front of them to detect mines and bombs, even those that do not contain metal. The high-end Minehound (costing over $40,000) incorporates a ground penetrating radar which can detect non-metallic mines or bombs.

 

Usually combat engineers are in charge of mine sweeping and removal, but since World War II most troops were trained in primitive, but often effective, techniques to detect mines. This often involved probing with a bayonet. With cheap (a few hundred dollars each) “beach comber” type metal detectors troops can clear a lot more ground more quickly but only if the mines are metallic. Devices like Minehound can handle just about anything out there, including the growing number of non-metallic devices, but requires more training. This includes some actual experience with different types of devices in different types of soil. A hundred or so hours of instruction at these training centers can make troops much more effective with any kind of detector.

 

JIDA exists because landmines and IEDs (Improvised Explosive devices) caused over 65 percent of troop casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan and remain a favorite weapon with irregular forces, especially Islamic terrorists. American troops have had to deal with IEDs before 2001 but not to the extent encountered in since then IEDs became much more common. In Vietnam IEDs only accounted for 14 percent of casualties and in previous wars that was even less. In response to the resurgence of IED use the U.S. established JIEDDO (Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization) in 2006 and spent $25 billion developing ways to minimize the impact of IEDs. It was JIEDDO, now smaller because most troops were gone from Iraq and Afghanistan, that was turned into JIDA in 2015.

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9 décembre 2015 3 09 /12 /décembre /2015 08:20
Future USS Zumwalt underway for the first time conducting at-sea tests and trials in the Atlantic Ocean

The future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) is underway for the first time conducting at-sea tests and trials in the Atlantic Ocean Dec. 7, 2015. The multimission ship will provide independent forward presence and deterrence, support special operations forces, and operate as an integral part of joint and combined expeditionary forces. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works

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7 décembre 2015 1 07 /12 /décembre /2015 08:20
Air Defense: Anti UAV Defense

 

December 4, 2015: Strategy Page

 

The number of anti-UAV weapons showing up indicates that the countries with larger defense budgets see a need for this sort of thing and are willing to pay for a solution. That need has been created by the growing availability of small, inexpensive UAVs that can (and are) used by criminals and Islamic terrorists. These more sophisticated AUDs (Anti UAV Defense) are safer (for nearby civilians) to use because they rely on lasers or electronic signals to destroy or disable UAVs. For example the CLWS (Compact Laser Weapon System) is a laser weapon light enough to mount on helicopters or hummers and can destroy small UAVs up to 2,000 meters away while it can disable or destroy the sensors (vidcams) on a UAV up to 7,000 meters away. The CLWS fire control system will automatically track and keep the laser firing on a selected target. It can take up to 15 seconds of laser fire to bring down a UAV or destroy its camera. Another example is an even more portable system that can be carried and operated by one person. This is DroneDefender system, which is a 6.8 kg (15 pound) electronic rifle that can disrupt control signals for a small UAV. Range is only a few hundred meters so DroneDefender would be most useful to police.

 

There is also a high-end system similar to DroneDefender  that can use data from multiple sensors (visual, heat, radar) to detect the small UAVs and then use a focused radio signal jammer to cut the UAV off from its controller and prevent (in most cases) the UAV from completing its mission. The detection range of this AUDS is usually 10 kilometers or more and jamming range varies from a few kilometers to about eight.

 

AUDS can be defeated. For example a user can send a small UAV off on a pre-programmed mission. This can be to take photos or deliver a small explosive. No one has tried, at least successfully, using armed micro-UAVs yet but North Korea has been caught using small recon UAVs flying under automatic control.

 

If these UAVs are still detected they have to be destroyed via ground or air-to-air fire. This the South Koreans and Israelis have had to do several times. The Israelis were dealing with Palestinian Islamic terrorist groups using small UAVs, often Iranian models. South Korea and Israel has responded by adding more sensor systems, especially new radars that can detect the smallest UAVs moving at any speed and altitude. The downside of using missiles to machine-guns to take down UAVs is that those bullets and missiles eventually return to earth and often kill or injure people (usually civilians) on the ground.

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2 décembre 2015 3 02 /12 /décembre /2015 19:20
photo M. Deniel - Marine Nationale

photo M. Deniel - Marine Nationale

 

27.11.2015 source Marine Nationale


Son nom : le Windsor. Un NCSM pour « Navire canadien de Sa Majesté », de la classe Victoria (SSK 877). Ce sous-marin d’attaque conventionnel de la marine royale canadienne a accosté à la base navale de Brest le vendredi 27 novembre pour une escale de routine de 5 jours.
Le 11 novembre dernier, ce sous-marin avait quitté le port de Rota en Espagne. Ces quinze derniers jours, le Windsor a participé à des entrainements conjoints en lutte anti-sous-marine avec plusieurs moyens de la marine nationale (frégate ASM Jean de Vienne, avion Atlantique 2, hélicoptères Caïman et Lynx et SNA Saphir). A l’issue de son escale à Brest, le WINDSOR rejoindra le Canada et son port base d’Halifax.
 

Reportage photos M. Deniel - Marine Nationale

 

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22 novembre 2015 7 22 /11 /novembre /2015 17:20
La NSA a continué à espionner les mails même après l’arrêt des programmes autorisés


21.11.2015 par Pierre Fontaine - 01net.com
 

Contrainte d’abandonner certains de ses programmes de collectes massives de données aux Etats-Unis, l’agence de surveillance américaine a changé son fusil d’épaule pour continuer à espionner les mails mais en passant par l’étranger, via un autre programme de surveillance.

En 2013, les programmes de surveillance de masse de la NSA ont été dévoilés au grand jour, montrant notamment que l’agence américaine enregistrait de manière massive les courriels échangés par des citoyens américains avec le reste du monde. Pris la main dans le sac, les espions avaient indiqué avoir mis un terme à ce programme en décembre 2011 pour des « raisons opérationnelles et de ressources ».

Pourtant, à en croire le New York Times, et des documents que le quotidien américain a réussi à obtenir par voie légale, la NSA a continué d’espionner les mails de manière massive grâce à un autre système plus secret.

Suite de l'article

 

 

Source :
The New York Times

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19 novembre 2015 4 19 /11 /novembre /2015 08:20
Pike munition - photo Raytheon

Pike munition - photo Raytheon

 

November 14, 2015: Adam Szczepanik – Strategy Page

 

An American firm (Raytheon) has successfully tested a new revolutionary weapon; the Pike 40mm laser guided missile. Pike is another step in the constant shrinking of precision guided munitions, much like the miniaturization of personal electronic devices everyone is familiar with. 40mm Pike is a major step in further miniaturization of laser guided missiles especially for infantry and ground vehicles. Pike will be much cheaper than heavier existing systems like Javelin. The tiny 0.7 kg  (1.5 pound) and 43 centimeter (17 inch) long Pike can reach targets up to two  kilometers distant and come within 4.5 meters (14.5 feet) of the designated target. The major advantage of this missile is that it can be fired from some of the already existing 40mm grenade launchers, like the M320 and FN EGLM. All that is needed is a second soldier with pistol sized laser designator illuminating a target for the missile, and thanks to the semi active laser homing and parabolic trajectory of the missile, the target needs to be illuminated only about 15 seconds after the missile is launched. This allows the missile to be launched from behind cover, and limits the time during which the spotter with laser designator has to be exposed to enemy fire. The Pike is also expected to be integrated with other launch platforms, including small UAVs, boats, and light vehicles. The missile’s 0.3 kg (0.6 pound) blast-fragmentation warhead, slightly larger than that of an ordinary 40mm grenade has 10 meter (32 feet) lethal radius. Further upgrades are also planned for Pike’s electronics, including data link capability and multiple-round simultaneous programming.

 

Pike is part of a trend. Rrecently developed laser guided versions of 70mm rockets, like the Talon, Cirit, DAGR, and APKWS program were the first examples of rapid progress in miniaturization of air launched weapons. Developed since 2002, and first was used in combat in 2012, the APKWS was the first of these missiles to prove the concept worked. These 70mm guided rockets are basically 13.6 kg (30 pound) 70mm missiles, with a laser seeker, a 2.7 kg (six pound) warhead, and a range of about six kilometers. Laser designators on a helicopter, aircraft, or with troops on the ground, are pointed at the target and the laser seeker in the front of the 70mm missile homes in on the reflected laser light. The $28,500 guided 70mm rocket is used against targets that don't require a larger (49 kg/108 pound), and more expensive (over $100,000), Hellfire missile but still needs some targeting precision. In tests the APKWS hit within a meter (a few feet) of the aiming point, about what other 70mm missiles are capable of.

 

The 70mm missile makes an excellent weapon for UAVs, especially since you can carry more of them. The launcher for carrying these missiles is designed to replace the one for Hellfire but can carry four missiles instead of one. Other launchers for 70mm Hydra rockets, like the 7-tube LAU-68 were also adapted for APKWS. However, the APKWS, being based on aircraft carried unguided rockets, have not received a launcher deployable by ground forces.

 

This has forced the infantry to rely on guided anti-tank weapons, like the American Javelin, if no other precision weapons were available. These weapons, designed to fight armored vehicles, are not only challenging for infantry to carry in significant quantity due to their considerable weight of 15.9 kg (35 pound) per 1.2m (4 feet) single missile and launch container, but are also extremely expensive to use, especially in light of the fact that in Afghanistan and Iraq they were generally used against buildings, light fortifications, and trucks. A lot of the cost is due to the advanced, 8.4 kg (18.5 pounds) HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank) warhead that features a top-attack mode specifically meant for defeating modern main battle tanks. The newest variant of the Javelin, FGM-148F, has a multi-purpose warhead available for enhanced effectiveness against buildings and fortifications, costs $78,000 per shot, in addition to a re-useable $126,000 Command Launch Unit.

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19 novembre 2015 4 19 /11 /novembre /2015 08:20
Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft - photo USAF

Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft - photo USAF

 

November 18, 2015: Strategy Page

 

In 2015 American defense firms are having the second highest annual export sales in history; $46.6 billion. In practical terms 2015 was the highest year for sales because the current top year (2012) was $65 billion but 69 percent of that ($45 billion) was two very large sales. One was a large ($35 billion) order from Saudi Arabia for F-15s and the other was a $10 billion order from Japan for F-35s. Normally those orders are made in smaller quantities but the Saudis are concerned about Iran and Japan about China. Both countries are among the few countries that can place such large orders. Without those two orders 2012 sales would have been what was expected; $25 billion in smaller orders from many customers. That’s what all the 2015 orders were.  This was a 31 percent increase from the $34.2 billion in 2014 which was a 23 per increase over 2012.

 

While U.S. defense exports are growing so are those of China, which has become the third largest arms exporter in the world surpassed only by the United States and Russia. Now the top five consists of America, Russia, China, Germany and France. Britain was displaced from the top five in 2012. From 2005-9 China represented three percent of the world arms exports. From 2010-14 China moved up to five percent.

 

Meanwhile sales of the 100 largest weapons and military services firms fell for the third year in a row in 2013 and the situation has not improved since then. While the Russian and Chinese firms are doing very well and the American ones are holding on many European firms are losing ground. Then there’s all the new competition from firms in South Korea, Israel and China. Even the Japanese are changing their laws to allow their arms firms to export.

 

Russian arms sales rose sharply after 2001 because the economies of their two biggest customers (India and China) were increasing rapidly. That and the escalating price of oil (driven largely by increased demand from China and India) have sent international arms sales from $29 billion in 2003 to over $70 billion today. Oil rich countries, particularly those in the Persian Gulf, are eager to buy more weapons with which to defend their assets from an increasingly aggressive Iran.

 

The stall in Russian sales after 2007 arose from a special problem with China, long one of its biggest customers. Since the late 1990s about 40 percent of Russian arms exports went to China. That began to shrink as Russian manufacturers feuded with the Chinese over stolen technology. The Chinese have been quite brazen of late as they copy Russian military equipment and then produce their own versions, without paying for the technology. Worse, the Chinese are now offering to export these copies. The Russians tried to work out licensing deals without much success.

 

Another factor in the sharp growth in arms exports was largely because, after 2001 global defense spending increased nearly 50 percent to over $1.4 trillion. That's about 2.5 percent of global GDP. After the Cold War ended in 1991, defense spending declined for a few years to under a trillion dollars a year. But by the end of the 1990s it was on the rise again. The region with the greatest growth has been the Middle East, where spending has increased 62 percent in the last decade. The region with the lowest growth (six percent) was Western Europe. The 2008 recession led to global defense spending stalled at, or maybe even a little below, $1.4 trillion. But the spending growth has resumed, slowly, now that the recession is over in many parts of the world. China is making the most of that, especially since they will sell to anyone who can pay and are not deterred by demands for bribes and other off-book services.

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Deux LRASM ont été intégrés sur un Super Hornet pour des essais en vol. © NAVAIR

Deux LRASM ont été intégrés sur un Super Hornet pour des essais en vol. © NAVAIR

 

18/11/2015 par Emmanuel Huberdeau – Air & Cosmos

 

Le Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR : Centre de recherche et de développement de l'aéronavale américaine) a annoncé le début des essais en vol du programme d'intégration du missile LRASM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) sur F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Les essais ont lieu sur la base aéronavale de Patuxent River.

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Artist’s Concept courtesy of DARPA

Artist’s Concept courtesy of DARPA

 

November 9, 2015 by Richard A. Burgess,Managing Editor, Seapower Magazine

 

The unmanned surface vessel designed to track and trail submarines is expected to begin builder’s trials in January or February.

The Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUCV), under development by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), also is being eyed for other tasks, Scott Littlefield, program manager of its DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office, said Oct. 27 during the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference.

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