14/03/2014 Sources : EMA

Point sur les opérations de la force Sangaris depuis le 08 mars 2014.

La force Sangaris maintient une présence dissuasive dans les quartiers sensibles de Bangui en appui des forces de la MISCA et des gendarmes centrafricains. Elle poursuit par ailleurs ses opérations de sécurisation de la route reliant la capitale à la frontière du Cameroun, véritable corridor économique de la Centrafrique.

Principalement engagé dans Bangui, le Groupement tactique interarmes (GTIA) Savoie poursuit sa mission de protection de la population en faisant effort sur les 3eet 5e arrondissements, zones encore sensibles où le risque d’incidents entre les communautés demeure important. A travers les patrouilles communes qu’il réalise aux côtés des gendarmes centrafricains, il contribue à remobiliser les forces de sécurités du pays.

Au Nord de Bangui, à hauteur de « PK 12 » la situation est restée relativement calme au cours de la semaine écoulée. La force Sangaris a pu constater que la population s’implique désormais plus spontanément dans la sécurisation de cette zone sensible, comme en témoignent les signalements de caches d’armes aux militaires français. Si des manifestations, le plus souvent causées par des rumeurs, ont encore marqué la période, la coopération désormais éprouvée entre la force Sangaris et la MISCA a permis de contenir aisément les mouvements de foule.

Le « quartier pilote », situé dans le 5e arrondissement, accueille dorénavant une moyenne 3 000 personnes chaque nuit. Ce bilan témoigne de la pertinence de ce projet qui vise, par une action complémentaire des autorités centrafricaines, des ONG et de la force Sangaris,  à garantir les conditions sécuritaires et économiques visant à provoquer le retour en ville de la population déplacée de M’Poko. Portées par les acteurs civils, d’autres mesures incitatives au retour dans les quartiers font leur apparition, comme l’accès aux soins, l’éducation et des microprojets économiques tels que du « cash for work ». Ces microprojets contribuent à offrir du travail à la population locale et facilitent la reprise progressive de la vie économique.

En province, le GTIA Dragon a achevé la relève des unités du GTIA Panthère, dont il a repris l’intégralité des missions. Les unités de ce GTIA assurent désormais l’effort de sécurisation de l’axe routier qui relie la frontière camerounaise à la capitale centrafricaine. Il s’agit de permettre aux poids lourds convoyant les marchandises de première nécessité, ainsi que l’aide humanitaire, de rallier sans danger la capitale Centrafricaine. Près de 300 poids lourds ont ainsi été escortés par la force Sangaris et la MISCA, sur le trajet aller-retour de la frontière du Cameroun à la capitale. Ces escortes contribuent directement à la reprise de la vie économique de Bangui, comme en témoigne l’activité du marché de« PK0 », au Sud de la ville, et la réouverture progressive des commerces.

Environ 2000 soldats français sont actuellement engagés dans l’opération Sangaris, aux côtés des 6000 hommes de la MISCA. Lancée le 5 décembre 2013 par le Président de la République, l’opération Sangaris vise à rétablir une sécurité minimale en République Centrafricaine et à faciliter la montée en puissance de la MISCA, ainsi que son déploiement opérationnel.

14/03/2014 Sources : EMA

Le 11 mars 2014, le détachement chasse du JFACC AFCO (Joint Force Air Component Command – Commandement de la composante air de la force interarmées – de l’Afrique centrale et de l’ouest) a été relevé.

Les pilotes et avions des 3 Mirage 2000 D du détachement de chasse et un Boeing C-135 ravitailleur en mission depuis fin décembre, ont été relevés par des équipages et des aéronefs en provenance de Nancy (Mirage 2000) et Istres (C135).

Ce détachement, comme son prédécesseur, participera de jour comme de nuit, à des missions d’appui feu et renseignement au profit des opérations Epervier au Tchad, Sangaris en Centrafrique, et Serval au Mali.

Au cours des semaines à venir, les pilotes nouvellement arrivés sur le théâtre africain devront se familiariser avec les différentes plateformes aéroportuaires (PFA) de la région qui sont susceptibles de les accueillir durant leur mission. Ils sont alors considérés comme pleinement opérationnels et aptes à agir sous l’autorité du JFACC AFCO.

Le JFACC AFCO contrôle tous les moyens aériens dans la sous-région (Tchad, Sénégal, Mali, Niger, Gabon, RCA) hormis les moyens des détachements de l’aviation légère de l’armée de terre ainsi que les aéronefs des forces spéciales. Réorganisé dès le début de l’opération Serval pour faire face à l’accroissement des moyens aériens engagés, le JFACC AFCO est déployé sur deux sites : d’une part, la base aérienne 942 à Lyon-Mont-Verdun pour le commandement et la planification, d’autre part, la base aérienne 172 de N’Djaména pour la conduite.

14.03.2014 EurActiv.com (Reuters)

 

United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo

13 March 2014 defenceWeb (Reuters)

U .N. peacekeepers in Democratic Republic of Congo and government forces have attacked Rwandan Hutu rebels based in eastern borderlands, U.N. and Congolese officials said on Wednesday.

The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebels have been involved in nearly two decades of conflict that spilled into eastern Congo after neighboring Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

Government troops, backed by a United Nations brigade with a robust mandate to eradicate Congo's myriad eastern armed groups, won a rare victory last year against M23, a Congolese Tutsi rebel force that had been the FDLR's principal enemy.

Colonel Felix Basse, military spokesman for the Congo mission, known as MONUSCO, said U.N. troops had deployed in the Virunga National Park in North Kivu province and were backing a Congolese offensive against the FDLR.

"Since Sunday, we have deployed our men and we have had contact with FDLR in that zone," Basse told a news conference in North Kivu's provincial capital Goma. He said two rebels had been killed in the fighting so far.

Basse said the 3,000-strong U.N. Intervention Brigade, made up of troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi, was taking part in the joint offensive. "These operations will continue. We have a mandate to protect the population and restore the authority of the state," he said.

The FDLR is made up in part of former Rwandan soldiers and Hutu militia who fled to Congo after taking part in the killing of 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis and moderate Hutus 20 years ago. They are accused of civilian killings and rapes by rights groups.

While their numbers have dwindled to a few thousand in recent years, previous attempts to disarm the rebels have failed. They are considered one of the principal obstacles to durable peace in the mineral-rich zone.

"So far the FDLR have refused to disarm, which is why we have attacked. We will not stop until they lay down their arms," Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende said.

"We alone, or with the support of our partners in MONUSCO, must put an end to this threat against our populations."

Rwanda twice invaded Congo in the late 1990s to try to wipe out Hutu fighters, helping ignite two regional wars and countless smaller conflicts that killed millions of people.

Kigali has been accused of backing armed groups in eastern Congo, most recently by a panel of U.N. experts who say Rwanda armed and organized M23. Rwanda has denied this and says Congo's army is collaborating with the FDLR.

At the height of its 20-month rebellion M23 took control of Goma - eastern Congo's largest city - in the most serious threat to President Joseph Kabila's regime to date.

A U.N. experts' report in January said there were credible reports that the M23 continued to recruit fighters in Rwanda.

MISCA convoys moving goods to Bangui

13 March 2014 defenceWeb

The African Union-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) (MISCA) this week completed the escort of another 120 vehicles into Bangui, bringing to 1 205 the number of vehicles safely escorted to the strife-torn country’s capital since mid-December.

The heavy duty trucks carrying shipping containers with goods and humanitarian supplies from the Cameroon seaport of Douala to CAR moved along the now secure road linking Garoua Boulai in Cameroon with Bangui.

MISCA force commander Brigadier General Martin Tumenta said the road was now “completely secure”.

Security for this week’s convoy was provided by MISCA’s Burundi contingent led by Lieutenant Colonel Pontein Hakizimana, who was appreciative of the support given by people in the CAR.

“Since our arrival in CAR, the Burundian contingent has been welcomed by the population and I think commanders of other contingents would agree with me the co-operation of the civilian population has greatly facilitated our job of safely escorting these convoys and improving the security situation in the country, particularly in Bangui.

“During escort operations of the convoy which arrived this week our forces dismantled four illegal checkpoints and captured several anti-Balaka militiamen who are currently in custody. They will be handed to the CAR authorities, in accordance with international Human Rights and Humanitarian law. Overall, I think the escort operations have been successful,” he said.

A Boeing Osprey used by the US Marine Corps

13 March 2014 defenceWeb (Reuters)

On a dusty training ground in Niger, U.S. Special Forces teach local troops to deal with suspects who resist arrest. "Speed, aggression, surprise!" an instructor barks as two Nigeriens wrestle a U.S. adviser out of a car.

The drill in the border town of Diffa is part of Operation Flintlock, a counter-terrorism exercise for nations on the Sahara's southern flanks that the United States organizes each year. Washington's aim is to tackle Islamist militants in the Sahel region while keeping its military presence in Africa light.

A growing number of European nations taking part shows their increasing concern about security in West Africa. Central to the international effort is a blossoming relationship between the United States and France, the former colonial power and traditional "policeman" of the turbulent region.

When Paris deployed 4,000 troops to fight Islamist militants in neighboring Mali last year, the U.S. military lent a hand by airlifting French soldiers and equipment, providing intelligence and training African forces to join the operation.

French troops are stretched by hunting the militants in Mali and tackling religious violence in Central African Republic, so only a handful participated in Flintlock. Nevertheless, they welcomed their new partnership with Washington.

"The Americans want to get involved in Africa. That's good for us. We know that with the Americans it will be more efficient," said a French Special Forces officer, who asked not to be named. "We use American logistics - that's what we are missing. On the other hand, we provide the local knowledge."

The United States fast-tracked the sale of 12 Reaper drones to France last year, the first two of which started operating in Niger in January alongside U.S. drones already there.

In a reminder of the partnership, a drone quietly taxied past troops and dignitaries at Flintlock's closing ceremony in the capital of Niamey before taking off to scour the Sahara.

U.S. FACING BUDGET CUTS

Military experts say direct U.S. military action in Africa is limited to short raids on "high-value" targets in places such as Somalia and Libya, while French troops take on longer, bigger operations.

J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa Center at the U.S.-based Atlantic Council, said this arrangement suited U.S. military planners who face budget cuts and a diminished American appetite for combat after conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

However, he warned that the French military was at the limit of its ability to strike militants hard. "If the French are not able to provide that blunt instrument, is the U.S. willing to do so?"

Nine years after the Flintlock exercises began, the enemy has evolved from a group of Algerian-dominated fighters focused on northern Mali and now threatens nations across the Sahara and the arid Sahel belt to the south.

For most of 2012, militants occupied northern Mali, a desert zone the size of France. Scattered by a French offensive last year, many are believed to be regrouping in southern Libya.

Hundreds of people are being killed every month in clashes with Boko Haram militants in northern Nigeria. Many in Niger fear this conflict could spill over the border and the government in Niamey has appealed for more military support.

"Instability in neighboring states has given everybody a new incentive," General James Linder, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, told Reuters while visiting Niger

This year's three-week Flintlock exercise - involving over 1,000 troops from 18 nations - was the biggest yet and runs alongside more permanent training by U.S. Special Forces in Niger, Mauritania, Senegal and Chad.

Training in Diffa, only a few kilometers from where Boko Haram militants are fighting the Nigerian army across the border, ranged from basic patrolling skills and setting up checkpoints to sharing intelligence and providing medical care.

In a region where armies often lack basics such as ammunition for target practice and fuel for vehicles, the quality and tempo of the U.S.-sponsored exercise eclipses the training most soldiers in the region receive in a year.

Colonel Mounkaila Sofiani, the local Niger commander, said Flintlock and other U.S. initiatives helped his country to tackle threats from the west, north and south better. "Little by little people are being trained," he said. "Once there are enough, they'll form the spine of a reliable force."

Training is meant to build up coordination between armies but Sofiani said just finding radio equipment compatible between nations is difficult. In the field, officers exchange mobile phone numbers to bypass blockages in official channels.

A lack of trust between governments also hinders responses. At a recent meeting of intelligence chiefs, the Nigerien and Libyan representatives argued over the risk of instability spreading from Libya's lawless south, a diplomat told Reuters.

Coups in Mauritania, Niger and Mali since the Flintlock exercises began also halted cooperation until civilian rule was restored. Mali's 2012 coup, led by a captain with U.S. training, opened the door to the Islamist takeover of the north, prompting questions about what the years of exercises had achieved.

Pham said better military capabilities had not been matched by improvements in governance, citing a failure by Mali to tackle corruption. Chad's military, however, has won praise for leading the charge alongside French troops in flushing out the militants from Mali's desolate northern mountains.

U.S. officials stress the exercise is African-led and are wary about people reading too much into U.S. troops being on the ground near African conflicts. But the show of foreign support is popular in Diffa.

"It sends a message to Boko Haram and others," said Inoussa Saouna, the central government's representative in Diffa. "Before Mali, we thought terrorism was a problem for whites but now we've experienced it ourselves."

12 March 2014 defenceWeb (Reuters)

Shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles have been trafficked out of Libya to Chad, Mali, Tunisia, Lebanon and likely Central African Republic, with attempts made to send them to Syrian opposition groups, according to a U.N. report on Tuesday.

An independent panel of experts monitoring U.N. sanctions on Libya, that include an arms embargo imposed at the start of the 2011 uprising that ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi, reported that the weapons, known as MANPADs, that were found in Mali and Tunisia "were clearly part of terrorist groups' arsenals."

"Despite efforts by Libya and other countries to account for and secure MANPADs in Libya, Panel sources state that thousands of MANPADs were still available in arsenals controlled by a wide array of non-state actors with tenuous or non-existent links to Libyan national authorities," the experts said in their final report to the U.N. Security Council.

"To date the Panel has documented transfers of Libyan MANPADs and other short range surface to air missiles in ... Chad, Mali, Tunisia, Lebanon and potentially Central African Republic (the latter case still being under investigation)," the experts said.

The fragile Libyan government is struggling to rein in militias that helped oust Gaddafi and now defy state authority. It has little control over its borders and while trying to rebuild its army, analysts say it is not yet a match for battle-hardened militias who ousted Gaddafi in eight-months.

"Over the past three years, Libya has become a primary source of illicit weapons," according to the U.N. report.

The U.N. experts said Libya has been a key source of arms for Syria opposition groups due to "popular sympathies for the Syrian opposition, large available stockpiles of weapons, the lack of law enforcement and a new generation of domestic arms dealers who appeared during the Libyan uprising."

"Sources indicated to the Panel that the Syrian Arab Republic is also becoming a source of onward proliferation itself, including to Iraq and Lebanon," according to the report, which covers the past year.

The panel said that weapons found aboard a ship, the Letfallah II, when it was seized by Lebanese authorities in 2012 "proved there had been attempts to transfer MANPADs to the Syrian opposition from Libya."

FACEBOOK TRADE

Under the arms embargo the Libyan government must notify the U.N. Security Council Libya sanctions committee of any weapons purchases it intends to make.

"The Panel has reason to believe that some transfers of arms and ammunition have taken place since the end of the revolution in violation of the arms embargo," the experts said. "Those transfers undermine the effort of the Libyan authorities to build an accountable and transparent procurement process."

Libya's U.N. envoy Ibrahim Dabbashi said on Monday that "any request for approval for exporting weapons to Libya that is not done via the Libyan mission at the U.N. or with the knowledge of this mission would be considered a request from a party that does not belong to the Libyan government."

A year ago the U.N. Security Council made it easier for Libya to obtain non-lethal equipment such as bulletproof vests and armored cars but expressed concern at the spread of weapons from the country to nearby states.

The U.N. experts expressed concern about arms flowing into the civilian market in Libya in violation of the arm embargo. The report found that a number of shops openly sell small arms and that weapons on display were brand new.

"Retailers explained that most of the materiel was procured for Turkey because of low prices," said the experts, adding that Turkey was investigating the claims. "New guns are also advertised on Facebook pages dedicated to trade between private individuals."

Facebook Inc and its photo sharing subsidiary, Instagram, announced last week that they will delete posts offering to buy or sell guns without background checks.

"Handguns and related ammunition are still the weapon of choice," according to the report. "Importing such materiel is therefore a lucrative business and seizures bound for Libya made in 2013 clearly reflect that trend."

The full Panel of Experts report can be seen here

10.03.2014 avia news
 

L'Algérie vient de passé une commande pour l'achat de 42 hélicoptères d'attaque Mil Mi-28 et six hélicoptères de transport Mi-26T2, destinés à sa force aérienne. Le contrat est évalué à 2,7 milliards de dollars. Le contrat comprend également prévu la mise à niveau de 39 hélicoptères Mil Mi-8 au standard «Terminator», ils seront équipés d'un blindage au niveau du cockpit, d'un pod de désignation laser et d'une large gamme d'armement.

Le Mil Mi-28NE:

Le MIL Mi-28 est un hélicoptère d’attaque blindé. Il ne dispose pas de fonction secondaire de transport comme le Mi-24 et est surtout destiné à un rôle anti-char et de soutien à l’infanterie.  

Le Mi-28NE possède des caractéristiques intéressantes qui en font un hélicoptère redoutable :

• Équipement électronique (navigation, armement, etc.) intégré à l'appareil et géré par deux ordinateurs.

• Protection passive du pilote et du copilote : Cockpit totalement blindé résistant au tir de munitions perforantes ou incendiaires de calibre 12,7 mm.

• Deux turbines séparées ayant leurs éléments vitaux protégés par un blindage supplémentaire. Possibilité de voler sur une seule turbine.

• Utilisation de nouveaux matériaux résistant mieux aux dommages.

• Possibilité de vol de jour ou de nuit par des conditions météo mauvaises, et cela même à basse altitude (5-15m selon le fabricant).

Le Mi-28NE peut accueillir différentes armes, en tourelle et sur ses 4 points d'emports :

• Armement fixes : canon automatique Shipuniv 2A42 de calibre 30x165mm, embarquant 250 projectiles. la cadence de tir est réglable à 200 ou 550 coups par minute. Il est monté sur la tourelle NPPU-28N. Sa portée pratique est de 2 500 m.

• Armement amovible sur les 4 points d'emports :

  • Missiles guidés :

    • Jusqu'à 16 missiles guidés anti-chars 9M120 Ataka-B ou jusqu'à 8 missiles à détection infrarouge Igla-V.

  • Pods de roquettes amovibles :

  • Type S-8 (Calibre 80 mm) jusqu'à 80 pièces sur 4 pods ou Type S-13 (calibre 122 mm) jusqu'à 20 pièces sur 4 pods ou Type S-24 (Calibre 240 mm) jusqu'à 2 pièces.

  • Jusqu'à 2 canons UPK-23-250 de 23 mm avec 250 projectiles chacune.

  • Jusqu'à 4 lance-mines KMGU-2.

  • Pods de mitrailleuses amovibles :

  • Mines :

Le Mil MI-26T2 : 

La compagnie Rostvertol propose donc aux forces aériennes algériennes la version modernisée de son hélicoptère de transport lourd Mi-26T2.L'hélicoptère Mi-26T2 est doté d'une nouveau cockpit dont l’avionique est modernisée. Les équipements permettent l'emploi des lunettes de vision nocturne.

Actuellement, les forces aériennes algériennes ne disposent pas d'hélicoptères de transport lourds du type Mi-26T. Elles exploitent au sein des escadrilles de transport des engins de fabrication soviétique et russe, notamment des Mi-6 (2 unités), Mi-4 (4), Mi-2 (28), Mi-8 (47), Mi-171 (42) et Ka-32. /L

Photos : 1 Mil Mi-28 @ Sergy 2 Mil Mi-26T2 3 Cockpit @ MilMi

12 mars 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

RABAT - Le roi du Maroc Mohammed VI a exhorté mercredi les ministres arabes de l'Intérieur à oeuvrer de concert pour prémunir la région des périls de l'extrémisme, du terrorisme et de toutes les formes du crime organisé, à l'ouverture d'une réunion à Marrakech (sud).

La tenue de cette réunion, sur deux jours, est une opportunité qui ne manquera pas de contribuer efficacement à prémunir la nation arabe (...) des périls de l'extrémisme, du terrorisme et de toutes les formes du crime organisé, a affirmé le souverain dans un discours lu en son nom par le ministre de l'Intérieur, Mohammed Hassad.

Dans ce texte, publié par l'agence officielle MAP, il s'est dit persuadé que cette rencontre (...) sera couronnée par l'adoption d'une série de recommandations pratiques, à même d'apporter des solutions conformes aux attentes des peuples à plus de sécurité, de quiétude, de stabilité, de progrès et de prospérité, dans la liberté et la dignité humaine.

Mais l'adoption d'une charte sécuritaire arabe ne sera possible que si une vision commune et harmonisée est prônée autour du concept de sécurité, a-t-il poursuivi, appelant à renforcer les moyens et les voies d'étroite coordination.

Prenant à son tour la parole, le ministre saoudien de l'Intérieur, le prince Mohammed Ben Nayef Ben Abdelaziz Al Saoud, également président d'honneur de la réunion, a pour sa part estimé que les actes criminels menaçant la sécurité régionale relevaient d'actes prémédités, planifiés et exécutés par des groupes aux objectifs précis.

Ces groupes sont soutenus par des parties et des forces diverses qui y voient une exécution de leurs desseins aux niveaux militaire, politique et économique, a-t-il enchainé, sans plus de précision, selon les propos cités par la MAP.

L'Arabie saoudite, les Emirats arabes unis et Bahreïn ont rappelé, il y a une semaine, leurs ambassadeurs au Qatar pour protester contre ce qu'ils estiment être des ingérences de ce pays dans leurs affaires et son soutien actif à la mouvance islamiste.

Lundi, un responsable saoudien a par ailleurs qualifié d'irresponsables des déclarations du Premier ministre irakien Nouri al-Maliki, qui a accusé Ryad et Doha d'être les premiers responsables des violences entre communautés, du terrorisme et de la crise de sécurité en Irak.

Le rendez-vous de Marrakech, auquel assistent également des responsables d'organisations internationales comme Interpol, compte précisément à l'ordre du jour un examen de l'état d'avancement (...) des stratégies arabes en matière de lutte contre le trafic de drogue, des stupéfiants et du terrorisme.

L'an dernier, la réunion s'était déroulée à Ryad, en Arabie saoudite.

12 mars 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

BENGHAZI (Libye) - Des forces mandatées par le Congrès général national (CGN, parlement) progressent vers l'Est libyen pour libérer des terminaux pétroliers bloqués depuis des mois par des rebelles autonomistes, a-t-on appris mercredi de sources concordantes.

Le président du CGN, Nouri Abou Sahmein, qui est aussi chef des forces armées libyennes, avait décidé lundi de la formation d'une force armée pour libérer et lever le blocage sur les ports pétroliers.

Selon cette décision, les forces en question devaient être composées d'unités de l'armée libyenne et des ex-rebelles qui avaient combattu le régime de Mouammar Kadhafi en 2011 et qui sont officieusement sous l'autorité du ministère de la Défense.

Le Bouclier de Libye centre, une milice d'ex-rebelles essentiellement de la ville de Misrata (ouest), a été la première force à progresser vers la ville de Syrte, plus à l'est, où elle a pris position mardi soir.

Des rebelles de la Cyrénaïque, la région orientale, qui bloquaient depuis juillet les ports pétroliers et qui étaient positionnés à Syrte, ont dû se retirer de la ville, selon une source au sein de la Force de défense de la Cyrénaïque, bras armé des rebelles.

Le président du Conseil local de Syrte, Abdelfattah al-Siwi, a indiqué qu'un bref affrontement a eu lieu entre les forces appartenant à l'état-major et les rebelles de l'Est avant que ces derniers ne se retirent.

Nos forces se sont retirées vers Wadi Lahmar, à 90 km à l'est de Syrte, frontière historique de la Fédération de la Cyrénaïque, selon la Constitution de 1951, a indiqué la source rebelle sous couvert de l'anonymat.

Cette source a accusé une milice tribale de la ville de Misrata de les avoir attaqués. Ce n'est pas l'armée régulière, a-t-il dit, mettant en garde contre une guerre civile.

Des hommes armés, qui faisaient partie des gardes des installations pétrolières libyennes, se sont rebellés contre les autorités de transition et bloquent les terminaux depuis juillet pour réclamer l'autonomie de la région orientale de la Libye.

Ces autonomistes avaient déjà annoncé en août la formation d'un gouvernement local et la création d'une banque et d'une compagnie de pétrole fédérales.

Le week-end dernier, ils ont défié encore une fois les autorités en chargeant du pétrole sur un pétrolier battant pavillon nord-coréen.

Arraisonné dans un premier temps par les autorités, le navire a pu s'échapper lundi à son escorte.

12.03.2014 par Philippe Chapleau - Lignes de Défense
 

Un Dash 8 de la Sécurité Civile française, spécialement affrété pour l’occasion, est arrivé le 11 mars à l’aéroport militaire de Gbessia/Conakry et y a déchargé 13 palettes totalisant plus de quatre tonnes de matériel destiné aux démineurs qui vont assurer la dépollution pyrotechnique du camp de Kindia (100 tonnes de munitions à détruire, enterrées aux 2/3).

J'avais signalé cette opération dans un post du 18 décembre dernier.

Dans un communiqué, les Forces armées guinéennes expliquent que "les FAG veulent solder une situation héritée du passée qui n’a que trop durée. L’extension urbaine de la ville de Kindia qui jouxte maintenant le camp rendait en effet urgente cette opération de destruction. La proximité de ces munitions défectueuses avec la population a déjà provoqué plusieurs drames au fils des ans dont le dernier avait causé l’été dernier la mort de deux jeune gens qui avaient manipulé des obus."

Cette opération a été baptisée Syli, mot qui signifie "éléphant" en langue soussou (les photos qui illustrent ce post ont été fournies par l'ambassade de France en Guinée).

Dans un autre communiqué, l'ambassade de France précise:

Les experts français de la Sécurité civile (DGSCGC) seront déployés pendant trois mois à Kindia.

11 March 2014 by Kim Helfrich - defenceWeb

It appears unlikely Roelf Meyer’s Defence Review with be tabled in Parliament before it rises ahead of the May election, even though it is on the agenda for a Defence and Military Veterans Portfolio Committee set down for Friday.

This contradicts what SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Commander-in-Chief President Jacob Zuma said when he spoke at this year’s Armed Forces Day parade in Bloemfontein last month.

“I am pleased with the overall plan that has emerged to address the various limitations, including on the issues of budgets, currently affecting our ability to take proper care of our soldiers. Much consideration and time has been put in this work as we have now reached the final stages for Cabinet approval.

“It is my view these should be finalised, in the context of the current Defence Review, before the end of the term of office of this government,” he said at AFB Bloemspruit on February 21.

The current session of Parliament, the last of the fourth Parliament of the Republic, is set to end on Friday the day after Zuma is due to answer questions from MPs in the house.

That is the day the Portfolio Committee will deliberate for four hours over a single agenda item – “Briefing by the Defence Review Commission on matters relating to their review of defence policy”.

Former Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, under whose leadership Roelf Meyer’s committee was established to review the national defence policy as regards the structure and operations of the SANDF, the role of the local defence industry and Armscor, the State’s security acquisition agency, wanted the Review tabled in Parliament in October 2012.

Her successor, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, last month said: “The work of the Defence Review Committee is nearing completion. The Review is only awaiting Cabinet approval and if its vision for the defence force is accepted, then this leadership should stand ready for its implementation. The Review will inform the role, shape, design and trajectory of the SANDF for the next 20 to 30 years”.

DA shadow defence and military veterans minister, David Maynier, maintains “there is no prospect the Review will be adopted by the fourth democratic Parliament”.

“This means the SANDF will be in a holding pattern for a significant period, at least until late 2014/15.

“The real problem with the Review is the flawed process. The final document does not contain a fully costed force design with buy-in from all stakeholders, including National Treasury. This I see causing further delays in the adoption process when the fifth democratic Parliament starts work,” he said.

One of the proposals in the Review is to do away with Armscor in its present form and establish an acquisition department reporting to the Secretary for Defence.

The friction between the Minister and the acquisition agency has now reached the Constitutional Court following Mapisa-Nqakula’s summary dismissal of chairman “Mojo” Motau and his deputy Refiloe Mokoena last year. They were reinstated after taking the matter to the north Gauteng High Court. This, in turn, saw an appeal to the Constitutional Court lodged by the Defence Ministry.

The matter was heard on February 17 and judgement has been reserved.

The judgement, when it comes, will come under the purview of the new Cabinet expected to be announced within days of the May 7 elections. This, along with the future of the Defence Review, are now effectively on hold for the next three months.

A Chinese CH-4 unmanned aerial vehicle

11 March 2014 bhttp://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33927:algeria-evaluating-chinese-ch-4-uav&catid=35:Aerospace&Itemid=107y defenceWeb

Algerian is evaluating the Chinese CH-4 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and is reportedly very interested in acquiring the type, which can be armed with guided weapons.

The CH-4, developed by the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA), has been undergoing testing with the Algerian military for some months, according to Air Forces Daily. One is reported to have crashed during testing at the Algerian Air Force’s base at Tindouf several months ago while a second one crashed on Sunday at the Ain Oussera Air Base. The UAV came down 100 metres short of the runway whilst preparing to land.

In spite of the crashes, Algeria is apparently still very interested in acquiring the CH-4 (Cai Hong 4 or Rainbow 4), which appears to have been inspired by the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. The UAV, with a takeoff weight of 1.3 tons and a payload of 350 kg, has a wingspan of 18 metres and a length of 8.5 metres. Top speed is 235 km/h and operational altitude is 3000-3500 metres, according to officially released data, while combat radius is 2000 km and endurance is 36 hours.

CAAA technical staff claim the CH-4 has four hard points capable of carrying two AR-1 laser-guided missiles and two FT-5 small guided bombs.

The CH-4 was first seen at the Zuhai airshow in 2012 and in the absence of Chinese military interest it seems the aircraft is aimed at the export market.

Algeria has reportedly also been in discussions with China over the purchase of Xianglong unmanned aerial vehicles. Echorouk quoted an unnamed Algerian defence ministry colonel as saying that the UAV was successfully tested in Tamanrasset, southern Algeria, last year.

The Xianglong (Soar Dragon) is a jet-powered High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft designed by the Guizhou Aircraft Corporation of China, initially for use by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. The Xianglong has a length of 14 metres, a height of 5 metres and a wingspan of 25 metres. It has a top speed of 750 km/h, endurance of up to 10 hours, and a maximum range of 7 000 km.

Tactical Weekly earlier this year reported that the Algerian Defence Ministry is said to have decided to go ahead with a programme to buy 90 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including attack UAVs.

Last year, Algeria expressed interest in the Adcom Systems Yabhon United 40 Block 5 UAV from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to meet its Medium-Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) requirement. According to Algerian daily El Watan, Algeria is negotiating with Russia to purchase 30 E95 unmanned aerial vehicles/target drones from Russia.

Algeria is looking for aerial reconnaissance platforms to track down various Maghreb-based terrorist groups, drug and arms traffickers and militants who have taken advantage of post-war chaos in Mali and Libya to destabilise the Sahel-Maghreb region.

Algeria currently flies Denel Seeker II UAVs and is believed to have ordered one new Seeker 400 system with three aircraft. The Seeker 400 is currently undergoing flight testing.

The North African country has previously expressed interest in General Atomics Predator/Reaper UAVs. It also has six King Air 350ER surveillance aircraft fitted with Gabbiano T-200 radars, Wescam Mx15i infrared cameras and other features for maritime and ground surveillance.

Since war clouds started gathering over northern Mali in November 2012, the Algerian army has deployed more than 12 000 personnel to secure the borders with Mali, Libya and Niger.

Algeria has increased its defence budget for 2014 and is actively seeking new tankers, transports, helicopters and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft. Last year Algeria evaluated the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport and Airbus A330 MRTT tanker with an eye to replacing ageing Il-78 Midas tankers and acquiring a new transport aircraft. Algeria asked the two respective companies to conduct demonstrations, indicating the seriousness of these potential contracts.

Algeria is growing its defence spending by 6% through 2017, according to some estimates, as it modernises and re-equips to meet the challenge of insecurity and terrorism in the region.