L'achat de drones Watchkeeper par la France dépend d'une commande ferme de véhicules blindés français (VBCI) fabriqué par Nexter par la Grande-Bretagne

19/02/2014 Michel Cabirol – laTribune.fr

La France entend lier l'achat de drones Watchkeeper à une commande britannique portant sur des véhicules blindés à roue (VBCI) fabriqué par Nexter. Bref, une nouvelle stratégie basée sur du donnant-donnant.

La décision sera dans les mains du ministre de la Défense. Le Délégué général a d'ailleurs rappelé que c'est Jean-Yves Le Drian qui avait décidé, lors d'un sommet franco-britannique le 31 janvier, "d'explorer une voie qui consiste à mettre en place tout ce qui permettrait l'acquisition du Watchkeeper et en regard de ça tout ce qui permettrait l'acquisition du VBCI par les Britanniques. Après on verra".

Le Watchkeeper plaît à l'armée française

Mais l'acquisition d'un même système d'armes par deux pays européens facilite les opérations interarmées et peut réduire les coûts de production et de soutien. Et il plait beaucoup au chef d'état-major de l'armée de terre, le général Bertrand Ract-Madoux. La DGA poursuit actuellement l'évaluation du Watchkeeper, qui a démontré des "progrès sensibles" après avoir laissé les Français "un peu sur leur faim", a-t-il expliqué. Il n'est pas encore arrivé, selon lui, à un "degré de maturité satisfaisant".

Le Watchkeeper a pourtant récemment obtenu début octobre sa certification délivrée par l'autorité de l'aviation militaire du Royaume-Uni en vue de l'intégrer dans le trafic aérien civil. Il doit entrer en service en Grande-Bretagne dans le courant du "premier trimestre 2014", peut-être en "février", affirme-t-on au sein de Thales. En dépit des rumeurs qui ont circulé sur de nouveaux problèmes, il a volé "comme prévu" ces dernières semaines en dehors du centre d'essais, notamment au-dessus d'une station balnéaire cet hiver.

Une opération de gouvernement à gouvernement

L'achat des drones Watchkeeper, selon nos informations, passerait, s'il se concrétise, par un accord de gouvernement à gouvernement entre Paris et Londres. Les Britanniques vendraient à l'armée de terre française des systèmes Watchkeeper prévus initialement pour l'armée de terre britannique. La prudence de Laurent Collet-Billon viendrait également du prix du Watchkeeper proposé par les Britanniques.

A Thales UK ensuite de négocier une commande supplémentaire avec l'armée britannique pour revenir au niveau de la cible initiale fixée par la Grande-Bretagne. Car pour le groupe électronique, l'opération entre Paris et Londres serait neutre dans une première étape. Chez Thales, on s'attend à une commande française en 2015. "Il n'y a pas de budget en 2014", explique-t-on à La Tribune. Cette coopération est en revanche "très porteuse" pour le groupe, qui fonde des espoirs sur une commande de l'OTAN.

L'armée de terre britannique séduite par le VBCI

C'est étonnant et cela doit être souligné. L'armée de terre britannique est vraiment séduite par le VBCI, le blindés à roues de Nexter, selon nos informations. Les militaires britanniques qui ont souvent accompagné leurs homologues français sur les théâtres d'opérations extérieures, souhaitent disposer du VBCI. Et la complicité entre les deux chef d'état-majors de l'armée de terre français et britannique pourrait débloquer l'opération. L'armée de terre française serait même prête à vendre à son homologue britannique une vingtaine d'exemplaires de VBCI pour une quarantaine de millions d'euros. 

Une coopération franco-britannique intense dans les missiles

Le Royaume-Uni est le principal partenaire de la France dans la conduite de programmes de  missiles et d'aéronefs. Signés en novembre 2010, les traités de Lancaster House formalisent la relation prioritaire nouée entre la France et le Royaume-Uni dont le précédent Livre blanc était venu confirmer l'importance. Les deux pays coopèrent sur le futur missile ANL. Embarquant une charge explosive limitée, l'ANL reste un programme d'ampleur assez modeste, visant à assurer des frappes mieux ciblées.

Le programme de missile de croisière SCALP-EG conduit en coopération avec les Britanniques et qu'ils appellent le Storm Shadow fait, quant à lui, l'objet d'une révision. L'ensemble de ces projets dans le secteur missilier inspirent une nouvelle vision stratégique, un effort de consolidation de l'industrie des missiles que nos partenaires nomment One complex weapon ou One MBDA, du nom de l'industriel concerné.

Enfin, la coopération porte sur les systèmes d'information ainsi que sur l'harmonisation des systèmes satellitaires de communication, Syracuse (France) et Skynet (Grande-Bretagne) devant être remplacés.

February 14, 2014 Peter Westmacott * - defenseone.com

During the Second World War, the U.S. gave Britain some aging destroyers in exchange for the use of British bases overseas. When the first American ships arrived, Winston Churchill went to inspect them, along with Franklin Roosevelt’s right-hand man, Harry Hopkins. When he saw the ships, Churchill muttered under his breath: “Cheap and nasty.”

Hopkins heard him and, somewhat taken aback, asked what he meant. “Cheap for us,” the prime minister said. “And nasty for them!”

Destroyers for Bases was soon succeeded by the much broader and more effective Lend Lease program. Since then, we have shared intelligence, equipment and expertise more and more closely.

At a test facility in California, the U.S. military has just finished testing a British-designed missile, the Dual-Mode Brimstone. The tests successfully proved that the Brimstone is compatible with one of America’s main unmanned aerial vehicles, the Reaper, and is a more accurate weapon than anything comparable on the market.

It makes sense to buy equipment that your allies have already developed, rather than invest millions or billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money to duplicate what’s already available. This more cost-effective approach to procurement is especially important when budgets are tight.  I’m tempted to say it’s not rocket science—but in this case that’s not strictly true!

It’s an approach that’s worked well for the United Kingdom. For example, we have invested in C-17 transport aircraft, made in the U.S. by Boeing, in Boeing’s Chinook and Apache helicopters, and of course in Lockheed Martin’s F-35. I hope the U.S. will consider doing likewise with the Brimstone, and with other world-class products like BAE’s Hawk trainer jet.

Defense cooperation of a slightly different sort was on the agenda when I spoke recently at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. The panellists came at the issue from different angles, but they all shared a determination that the U.S. and its allies should work more closely together, both on and off the battlefield.

As you might expect, Britain and America lead the way. We have cooperated for decades to improve the effectiveness of our nuclear deterrents. The intelligence we share proves it’s worth every day in military operations and in our efforts against terrorism. And we are planning to take our cooperation even further.

In November 2013, for example, the U.K. received its first U.S.-built Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft. Eventually, we will run three; the United States will run 17. All 20 have been built to a common standard, so they can be used interchangeably to provide support to British and American troops whenever they operate together. We will also share training, maintenance and facilities.

New technology is changing the face of warfare. In the future, air missions will increasingly be remotely piloted, and battles will increasingly have a space or cyber component. With these emerging technologies, we have a golden opportunity to build cooperation into our strategies right from the beginning—an opportunity we should be sure to take.

We look forward to September, when the U.K. will host the 2014 NATO Summit in South Wales. Cooperation between NATO nations—including, of course, its European members—is in everyone’s best interests.  We’ll make sure it’s at the top of the agenda in September.

* Peter Westmacott is the British Ambassador to the United States. Full Bio

18/12/2013 Jean-Dominique Giuliani, Président de la Fondation Robert Schuman

Les questions de défense sont suffisamment essentielles pour être laissées à l'écart des polémiques. La réunion d'un Conseil européen qui leur sera spécialement consacré doit donc être regardé avec objectivité et réalisme comme une bonne nouvelle.

Dans ce domaine, en effet, les certitudes sont connues depuis longtemps:

Les Européens ne partagent pas tous la même vision du monde ni la même conception de l'usage de la force dans les relations internationales. Les industries de défense ne sauraient être organisées comme le marché des petits pois et selon les mêmes principes de concurrence et d'ouverture. Elles n'ont que des clients étatiques. La souveraineté en la matière ne peut être partagée qu'avec l'assurance d'une défense plus forte et surtout politiquement assumée par des pouvoirs légitimes et démocratiquement désignés. Ce ne sont donc pas les traditionnelles institutions communautaires qui doivent la réguler. Seule une coopération volontaire des Etats peut y réussir. Mais elles peuvent les y aider. Pendant que le monde réarme, l'Europe désarme bien que ses dépenses de défense cumulées occupent encore le deuxième rang mondial. N'ayant pas d'ennemi déclaré, elle pense ne jamais plus en avoir, ce qui n'est pas vraiment conforme aux enseignements de l'histoire.
Ces constats doivent nous conduire à apprécier la réunion des chefs d'Etat et de gouvernement sur la défense pour ce qu'elle est: une avancée significative.

Les services de Mme Ashton, l'Agence européenne de défense, les ministres, ont bien travaillé. Ils font des propositions concrètes qui devraient permettre de mutualiser certains moyens militaires sans porter atteinte à la capacité d'agir des Etats, mobiliser les crédits de recherche européens au profit de la sécurité européenne, lancer quelques innovations.

Manquent bien sûr à ces projets de vrais programmes d'équipements, financés dans le long terme et soutenant les technologies européennes, trop souvent initiées et supportés en Europe par les seuls acteurs économiques. On attend aussi une véritable stratégie européenne renouvelée et l'urgence en sera partagée au Sommet à propos de la sécurité maritime. 90% du commerce européen, le 1er dans le monde, passe par la mer. L'essentiel de nos ressources énergétiques et minérales du futur y dorment encore inexploitées. Il est temps d'en assurer la sécurité, le libre accès et pas seulement au plus près de nos côtes. Une stratégie maritime européenne ambitieuse est attendue pour le mois d'avril 20014. Elle est urgente.

Enfin sera évidemment évoquée l'actualité. L'Europe est interpellée par le monde: Syrie, Iran, Afrique, Ukraine, Russie.

A cet égard, deux pays se distinguent particulièrement.

Des soldats français sont engagés en Afrique et la France peine à faire partager l'urgente nécessité d'être présents là où nos intérêts et nos principes sont en cause.  La France porte un message que l'Europe ne peut ignorer et elle doit elle-même redoubler d'efforts  pour mieux le faire partager par ses partenaires.

Enfin, le Royaume-Uni s'oppose à toute avancée européenne en la matière et préfère les accords bilatéraux, ce que la France a intelligemment exploité, ou l'OTAN, confrontée au "pivot asiatique" de l'Amérique et peu utile envers l'Afrique ou d'autres causes lointaines.

On attend du Conseil européen quelques décisions modestes et pragmatiques. Mais réunir les chefs d'Etat et de gouvernement pour évoquer ces grandes questions d'intérêt majeur est déjà un événement. La seule chose qu'on puisse regretter est qu'ils ne le fassent pas plus souvent!

11/02/2014 Bernard Edinger - Armée de Terre

6 February 2014 Ministry of Defence

Afghanistan's most senior general has visited the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the home of British Army officer training.

General Sher Mohammad Karimi, Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army (ANA), spent Wednesday, 5 February, at the famous military academy as part of a 48-hour trip to the UK before returning to Kabul.

During his visit, General Karimi, himself a graduate of Sandhurst in the 1960s, was introduced to British, Afghan and other overseas officer cadets in training. He met all 7 of the Afghan officer cadets currently at Sandhurst and watched the academy’s senior term put through their paces during a challenging contemporary operating environment exercise. Exercise Broadsword, as it is known, tests cadets on their reaction to an escalating crowd control situation.

General Karimi also had the opportunity to remind himself of the institution’s proud history, as well as its relationship with the new Afghan National Army Officer Academy (ANAOA).

The ANAOA, based in Kabul, will form the UK’s enduring presence in Afghanistan after the current combat mission ends in 2014. It will train up to 1,350 male students and 150 female students every year, turning them into the Afghan army leaders of the future.

During his visit, General Karimi paid tribute to the role that UK service personnel have played in Afghanistan over the past 12 years and welcomed the ongoing role they will play in the training of his force’s officer class.

General Karimi said:

I am very pleased to have been able to make this short visit to the United Kingdom, where I have seen and learned much and been able to meet some old friends. I was delighted to visit Sandhurst again; it is always good to go ‘home’. I am confident that the ANA officer academy will deliver the best young officers yet to the ANA; we have a good selection process and many volunteers.

I am keen to retain the support of the commandant and staff of Sandhurst for as long as possible, to ensure the ANA officer academy delivers the same quality young officers. I am very grateful for all the support the United Kingdom has given to this very important endeavour.

I would again like to pass on my sincere condolences to all our international allies for the sacrifices they have made of their men and women in the service of Afghanistan; it is deeply appreciated and we would not be where we are today without your help. In particular, I must also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the United Kingdom in Helmand province.

The United Kingdom’s contribution in this most difficult area of my country has been huge and is greatly appreciated. Our own 215 Corps has developed into a capable and effective formation which is now able to deal with the insurgency it faces in its boundaries thanks to the help and guidance of United Kingdom and United States allies who have worked together so well.

We will never forget the contribution the United Kingdom has made to my country. In my 47 years’ service the ANA of today is the best army that Afghanistan has ever had, and the United Kingdom has helped to deliver this army. Thank you.

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Commandant, Major General Stuart Skeates, said:

We were delighted to welcome General Karimi to Sandhurst to show him some of the work that goes on here and once again demonstrate the bond of friendship between the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the Afghan National Army.

We are proud that the training we offer at Sandhurst is providing the inspiration for the preparation of the next generation of Afghan officers, who will continue to protect the security of their own country.

During his time in the UK, General Karimi also attended and delivered a presentation at the International Armoured Vehicles Conference in Farnborough, along with Defence Minister Philip Dunne.

06/02/2014 Ministère de la Défense

5 February 2014 Ministry of Defence and Defence Equipment and Support

MOD and BAE Systems have revealed that the Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle surpassed all expectations during its first flight trials.

The most advanced aircraft ever built by British engineers made its maiden flight at an undisclosed test range on Saturday 10 August 2013 under the command of BAE Systems test pilot Bob Fraser.

MOD has today revealed that the demonstrator aircraft made a perfect take-off, rotation, ‘climb-out’ and landing on its 15-minute first flight. A number of flights took place last year, of up to 1 hour in duration and at a variety of altitudes and speeds.

The Taranis demonstrator is the result of 1.5 million man-hours of work by the UK’s leading scientists, aerodynamicists and systems engineers from 250 UK companies.

The aircraft has been designed to demonstrate the UK’s ability to create an unmanned air system which, under the control of a human operator, is capable of undertaking sustained surveillance, marking targets, gathering intelligence, deterring adversaries and carrying out strikes in hostile territory.

The findings from the aircraft’s flights prove that the UK has developed a significant lead in understanding unmanned aircraft which can strike with precision over a long range whilst remaining undetected.

The technological advances made through Taranis will also help MOD and the Royal Air Force make decisions on the future mix of manned and unmanned fast jet aircraft and how they will operate together in a safe and effective manner for the UK’s defences.

Costing £185 million and funded jointly by MOD and UK industry, the Taranis demonstrator aircraft was formally unveiled in July 2010, but only a very limited number of scientists and engineers have ever been given full access to the top secret aircraft.

Initial ‘power-up’ or ground testing commenced later in 2010 at BAE Systems’ military aircraft factory in Warton, Lancashire, followed by a comprehensive and highly detailed programme of pre-first-flight milestones.

These included unmanned pilot training, radar cross-section measurements, ground station system integration and, in April 2013, taxi trials on the runway at Warton.

The aircraft and its ground station were then shipped from Warton to the test-range before being reassembled and undergoing systems and diagnostics checks. Taranis then made a number of high speed taxi tests in July before its maiden flight in August 2013.

Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne, said:

Taranis is providing vital insights that will help shape future capabilities for our armed forces in coming decades. Its advanced technology is testament to the UK’s world-leading engineering skills that keep Britain at the cutting-edge of defence.

Commenting on behalf of the industry team, Nigel Whitehead, Group Managing Director of BAE Systems, added:

The first flight of Taranis represents a major landmark for UK aviation. The demonstrator is the most advanced air system ever conceived, designed and built in the UK.

It truly represents an evolution of everything that has come before it. This milestone confirms the UK’s leading position as a centre for engineering excellence and innovation.

About the size of a BAE Systems Hawk aircraft, Taranis has been designed and built by BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, the systems division of GE Aviation (formerly Smiths Aerospace) and QinetiQ, working alongside MOD military staff and scientists.

In addition to prime contracting the project, BAE Systems led on many elements of the Taranis technology demonstrator, including the low observability, systems integration, control infrastructure and full autonomy elements (in partnership with QinetiQ).

Jan 31, 2014 By Giovanni de Briganti - Defense-Aerospace.com


PARIS --- The service introduction of Watchkeeper, the tactical UAV that has been in development for the British Army since 2005, may be further delayed due to unidentified technical issues that appear to have grounded the aircraft for three months in late 2013.

The Watchkeeper program apparently logged no flight activity between mid-September and mid-January, according to data provided by Thales, the program’s main contractor, which showed that the number of total flight hours and total sorties barely changed between Sept. 16, 2013 and Jan 12, 2014.

As of Sept. 16, Watchkeeper had flown “almost 600 sorties, for a total of about 1,000 flight hours,” a Thales spokesperson told Defense-Aerospace.com in an e-mail follow-up to an interview at the DSEi show in London.

On Jan. 20, responding to a follow-up query, the Thales spokesperson said that “Tests are progressing nominally, as planned. We have now passed 600 sorties and are nearing 1,000 flight hours.”

These figures show no flight activity between mid-September and mid-January. Asked to explain this apparent discrepancy, the Thales spokesperson had not responded by our deadline, three days later.

“The delivery of Watchkeeper equipment is on track and trials are continuing with over 550 hours flying having been completed,” the UK Ministry of Defence in a Jan 31 e-mail statement. Note this is about half the flight hour figure provided by Thales.

“…the Release to Service process is taking longer than expected,” the MoD statement continued, adding that “The last flight was last week, so it’s incorrect to say that the assets are still grounded.”

This unannounced grounding may be one reason why the French Ministry of Defense is back-pedaling on earlier promises to consider buying the Watchkeeper, after an inconclusive evaluation between April and July 2013 by the French army. The evaluation included “several dozen flight hours” from Istres, the French air force’s flight test center in south-eastern France, a French MoD spokesman said Jan. 31. The evaluation report has not been completed, and no date has been set, he added.

The final communiqué of today’s Anglo-French summit meeting, for the first time since November 2010, makes no mention of the Watchkeeper, although it was mentioned in passing by French President François Hollande during the summit press conference.

Thales’ figures on Watchkeeper flight activities have also been provided to other news outlets.

A Jan. 16 article by FlightGlobal quotes Nick Miller, Thales UK’s business director for ISTAR and UAV systems, as saying that “Watchkeeper aircraft have now completed more than 600 flights, exceeding a combined 950 flight hours.”

Aviation Week had posted an article the previous day, Jan. 15, in which it reported that “Thales U.K….is continuing flight trials and supports army training” (Emphasis added—Ed.). However, it is difficult to understand how training can take place without an increase in the number of sorties and flight hours.

The above article says “Watchkeeper may début in spring,” echoing a similar story published Sept. 12, 2013 in which Aviation Week said Thales UK “is hopeful that …Watchkeeper…will be certified by the end of the year.” This did not happen.

This same Aviation Week Sept. 12 story said that the Watchkeeper “fleet has flown more than 1,000 hr. over 600 flights” – a higher figure than FlightGlobal reported on Jan. 16, four months later.

The discrepancies in the figures provided to at least three trade publications clearly contradict company statements that Watchkeeper flight operations are “nominal” and “are continuing,” as they show no flight activity has been logged since September.

The obvious conclusion is that flight activities have been curtailed, either by a technical grounding or because of administrative blockages. In either case, Watchkeeper – which is already over three years late -- has clearly hit new obstacles that will further delay its operational clearance by the UK Ministry of Defence’s new Military Aviation Authority (MAA).

Watchkeeper is being developed by UAV Tactical Systems (U-TacS), a joint venture between Israel’s Elbit Systems (51% share) and Thales UK, the British unit of France’s Thales, under a contract awarded in 2005. UAV Engines Ltd, which builds Watchkeeper’s engine in the UK, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems.

Originally valued at £700 million, the cost has escalated to over £850 million, and service introduction has been delayed by at least three years.

The British Army is due to receive a total of 54 Watchkeeper unmanned aircraft and 15 ground stations. By late 2013, 26 aircraft and 14 ground stations had been delivered, according to published reports.

Computer-generated image of flight deck operations on the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth [Picture Aircraft Carrier Alliance]

3 February 2014 Ministry of Defence and Defence Equipment and Support

Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers will get helicopter-borne early warning systems 18 months earlier than planned, saving £22 million.

The shorter delivery time for Crowsnest will lead to a significant reduction in costs, as specialist industry personnel will be required for a shorter period of time.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said:

Crowsnest will provide vital surveillance and intelligence to protect the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

The introduction of Crowsnest 18 months early will ensure HMS Queen Elizabeth has the full range of capabilities when it enters service.

Lockheed Martin UK, which designs the Merlin helicopters, has been awarded a £24 million contract to run a competition to design, develop and demonstrate Crowsnest.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron, right, introduces French President François Hollande to Royal Air Force members in front of an A400M airlifter at Brize Norton air base in central England on Jan. 31. The leaders agreed during the one-day summit to cooperate on some key defense projects. - photo Elysée

Feb. 1, 2014 - By PIERRE TRAN – Defense News

PARIS — Britain and France agreed Jan. 31 to invest £200 million (US $329 million) for two-year studies on a future combat drone, and signed up for work on an anti-ship missile and an anti-mine system, French government and industry sources said.

Defense ministers from the countries signed memorandums of understanding at a meeting led by British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President François Hollande, held at the Brize Norton air base in the UK.

London and Paris will equally fund a total £120 million, two-year common feasibility study for the combat drone, dubbed the Future Air Combat System, the French MoD said in a statement.

Each country also will fund a total of £80 million for national studies on the unmanned fighter, a defense official and an industry executive said.

“This launch by the French and British authorities is contributing to the development of the combat air systems sector and is paving the way for the future in this strategic field,” Dassault Executive Chairman Eric Trappier said in a statement.

Dassault and BAE Systems lead the drone project, with Rolls-Royce and Snecma, and Selex and Thales teamed respectively for the engine and electronic systems.

An agreement for the MBDA helicopter-borne missile, dubbed Anti-Navire Léger/Future Air-to-Surface Guided Weapon (Heavy), is a step toward British and French interdependence, based on a specialization of industrial skills, a second French official said.

The €500 million missile program is equally shared between the partner nations. Paris hopes the consolidation move will send a signal to other governments as European defense budgets erode, the official said.

An anti-mine study, dubbed Maritime Mine Counter Measures, will launch development of prototype surface and underwater drones.

Other commitments included continuing efforts to form a 10,000-strong combined joint expeditionary force by 2016 and anti-terrorism work.

France sees the agreements as moving ahead on the 2010 Lancaster House treaty, which aimed to boost defense cooperation.

Cameron and Hollande and ministers met for bilateral talks after watching a demonstration including an Airbus A400M airlifter, A330 multirole tanker and transport, Boeing C-17 transport, Thales UK Watchkeeper tactical drone, and infantry fighting vehicle Véhicule Blindé Combat d’Infanterie from Nexter and Renault Trucks Defense.

Brize Norton is a hub for transport flights, and British planes take off from there to support French troops in the Central African Republic and Mali.

France offered Paris-based reporters seats on the A400M flying to the summit, which was held in Cameron’s political constituency. Besides defense, the two countries signed up to cooperate on nuclear energy and space observation, including a link up between French and UK space agencies

01.02.2014 Par Olivier Berger, grand reporter à La Voix du Nord. - Défense Globale

Le sommet franco-britannique du 31 janvier, sur la base de la Royal Air Force de Brize-Norton près d'Oxford, a permis de prolonger les accords de Lancaster House, signés en 2010. Cette entente cordiale entre David Cameron et François Hollande s'illustre essentiellement dans le domaine de l'industrie (drone, missile anti-navire léger) même si on n'oublie pas le Combined joint expeditionary force (CJEF ou en french Force expéditionnaire commune interarmées), notamment entre parachutistes français et capacités d'aérolargage britanniques.
C'est surtout sur le plan de la politique européenne que les deux présidents ont des divergences majeures. Le traité de Lancaster House va vivre. Au moins jusqu'au référendum sur le maintien dans l'UE, prévu au Royaume-Uni avant la fin 2017.
Le 31 janvier, Britanniques et Français ont donc signé une lettre d'intention pour le lancement d'une nouvelle phase de travaux dans le domaine des drones de combat.

La France et le Royaume-Uni s'engagent conjointement à hauteur de 120M£ (145M€) sur un programme qui durera 2 ans. Ils confirment ainsi la phase préparatoire décidée en juillet 2012 et qui a impliqué Dassault-Aviation et BAE Systems comme chefs de file du projet, Thales et Selex ES pour l'électronique embarquée et les senseurs, ainsi que Safran et Rolls-Royce pour la propulsion.

Les deux parties ont également signé un arrangement cadre pour le lancement de la phase de développement et de production du missile antinavire léger (ANL pour hélicoptères par MBDA) et un autre pour le développement d'un prototype de drones de surface et sous-marins destinés à détecter et neutraliser les mines navales sur les fonds marins (projet de coopération Maritime Mine Counter Measures, MMCM).

31/01/2014 ASP M. FOUQUET - Armée de Terre

 Le Centre d’entraînement aux actions en zone urbaine – 94e régiment d’infanterie (CENZUB – 94e RI), basé à Sissonne, a accueilli en rotation AZUR (action en zone urbaine), du 13 au 24 janvier 2014, un SGTIA (sous-groupement tactique interarmes) britannique armé par une compagnie du 1st battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (1 LANCS) et un SGTIA français, armé principalement par un escadron du 1errégiment étranger de cavalerie (1er REC).

 C’est dans le cadre du traité de Lancaster House, signé en 2010, que nos amis anglais viennent régulièrement s’entraîner dans la ville de combat de Jeoffrécourt. Ils sont alors immergés dans une situation opérationnelle proche de la réalité et peuvent bénéficier de l’expertise des formateurs qui travaillent au CENZUB-94e RI.

31 January 2014 By Dominic Perry – FG

London - BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation have welcomed the launch by the UK and France of a joint two-year £120 million ($198 million) feasibility study into a future unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV).

The pact was unveiled today at a summit between Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande at RAF Brize Norton in the UK.

Early research on the programme has already been carried out by the two companies, along with partners Rolls-Royce, Safran, Thales and Selex, leading to the recent completion of a joint study presented to both governments. The "preparation phase" work was conducted following the 2010 Lancaster House treaty, which deepened defence ties between the two nations.

Eric Trappier, Dassault chief executive, says: "This launch by the French and British authorities is contributing to the development of the combat air systems sector, and is paving the way for the future in this strategic field."

Ian King, chief executive of BAE Systems, adds: "Given the strong research and development investment and progress in technology that has already been made, continuing work in unmanned air systems will also ensure we maintain the core knowledge and key skills necessary to make a make a long-term contribution to both our national economies.”

Both companies have already been working on UCAV demonstration programmes. BAE's Taranis has conducted test flights in conjunction with the UK Ministry of Defence, while Dassault was the industrial lead on the multination Neuron programme, which made its maiden flight in December 2012.

Technologies from both are likely to be utilised on the future Anglo-French UCAV.