24/11/2014 Armée de Terre

Les journées nationales de l’infanterie (JNI) se sont déroulées les 18 et 19 novembre à l’École de l’infanterie de Draguignan.

Présidé par le général de corps d’armée Éric Margail, commandant le quartier général du corps de réaction rapide France, l’événement a été l’occasion de présenter un point de situation sur l’infanterie, de conduire des réflexions, de partager des expériences et de diffuser des informations sur les innovations récentes de matériels. Ces JNI revêtaient pour la première fois une dimension internationale, puisque tous les pays alliés de l’OTAN avaient été conviés. Ainsi, des représentants des armées italienne, espagnole, allemande, britannique ou encore américaine avaient fait le déplacement pour assister à ce rassemblement annuel. Ces deux jours de rencontre ont également permis de rendre hommage aux quatre fantassins qui ont perdu la vie en opération en 2014.

Australian Army M1A1 Abrams tank during the parade welcoming the 2nd Cavalry Regiment to 3rd Brigade at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville, Queensland, 27 November 2014.

source Australia Army

Australian Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment has officially taken up its role as the armoured cavalry regiment within the 3rd Brigade at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville, Queensland. As part of the Australian Army’s modernisation plan, 2nd Cavalry Regiment’s incorporation into 3rd Brigade is an important milestone in the development of the combat brigade. It provides the brigade with full armoured capability with tanks, light armoured fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers. Mascot, wedge-tailed eagle Warrant Officer Class Two Courage, supported in the transition by Billabong Wildlife Sanctuary, has joined the regiment in its new home.

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment has contributed to many important Australian military operations. In 1999, detachments were part of the initial Australian contribution to stabilisation operations in Timor-Leste, and continued to support all subsequent Australian troop deployments. In Iraq, the regiment played a leading role and several supporting roles in a variety of deployments from 2003 to 2011. And, in Afghanistan, the regiment undertook mentoring roles and supported reconstruction efforts. It completed Australia’s mission in Uruzgan province in Afghanistan in 2013.

3rd Brigade is a multi-role combat brigade consisting of more than 4000 military and civilian personnel. The soldiers of 3rd Brigade are currently celebrating its centenary. The brigade was first formed in August 1914 for service during the First World War, taking part in the fighting at Gallipoli and on the Western Front in Europe. Elements of 3rd Brigade were the first ashore at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and remained on the peninsula until December 1915.

More pictures

29.10.2014 Tsahal

Thirty-five years ago, after several years of development and months of training, the “Merkava I” tank, the first completely armored Israeli vehicle, began its active service in the IDF. Today, the “Merkava” is a key factor in the IDF’s forces.

Since its first operational activity during the First Lebanon War in 1982, the “Merkava” has proven itself as the best tank on the battlefield, outshining the T-72 tanks supplied to the Syrian army by the Soviet Union. Ever since, the Merkava has fought on every front, always fulfilling its mission.

Today, the “Merkava MK-IV”, which came into use in 2004, is the most modern of the “Merkava” tanks. It includes a fire control system that allows it to shoot down helicopters, a Battle Management System which allows different vehicles to communicate in the battlefield, and a caterpillar track system that allow it to move over all types of terrain.

Sgt. Menachem, the tank commander of one of the “Merkava IV” tanks in the 401 Armored Brigade, explains the capabilities of this advanced vehicle. “The ‘Merkava IV’ tank is the most modern in the world,” he said. “It is stronger, more powerful and more resourceful than every other tank in its category. As a tank commander, I can say with certainty that the ‘Merkava IV’ is the king of the battlefield in urban combat.”

2nd Lieutenant Jeff Ben Ari, a platoon commander in the 401 Armored Brigade, explained that, “The ‘Merkava IV’ is different than other tanks in a sense that the engineers did not build it thinking how the crew would maneuver it. They designed it thinking how the tank would protect the crew.”

“The engine is placed in the front of the tank in order to serve as additional protection and the shielding materials are cutting edge technology. Most importantly, we have an active protection system, the Trophy, which intercepts anti-tank missiles before they can reach us,” said 2nd Lt. Ben Ari.

“The capabilities of the ‘Trophy’ were reflected during Operation Protective Edge,” said 2nd Lt. Ben Ari. “A group of armed Hamas terrorists fired a RPG-27 anti-tank missile at one of our company’s tanks, but the ‘Trophy’ system intercepted it before it reached the tank.”

“In the tank, we are four soldiers. You have the driver, the loader, the gunner and the tank commander,” said 2nd Lt. Ben Ari. “But there is a fifth crew member: the Battle Management System. It shows us where the other tanks are and where the forces on the ground are located. It helps us navigate without looking left and right all the time. We can operate without it, but it is clearly a huge advantage.”

“There is an air conditioner in the tank, which may seem trivial, but given the climate in the Middle East, it makes a difference,” explains 2nd Lt. Ben Ari. “Additionally, the ‘Merkava IV’ can accommodate an infantry squad or wounded soldiers, so that they can safely reach their destination.”

Thanks the advanced technology of the “Merkava IV”, the soldiers of the Armored Corps can proudly and safely continue to serve and defend the State of Israel on the battlefield.

Nigeria says it has been unable to buy the weapons it needs to confront Boko Haram

14 November 2014 BBC Africa

A Nigerian army helicopter has come down in the north-east, where the army is battling Islamist Boko Haram fighters, the second crash this week.

It crashed on the outskirts of Yola city in Adamawa State, killing all three crew members, the military said.

University students said they heard it come down next to their campus, followed by a series of explosions.

The BBC's Will Ross says it was believed to have been transporting weapons and ammunition to troops.

Students at the Modibbo Adama University of Technology on the edge of Yola city said that on hearing the blasts some people started running away fearing that jihadists were attacking.

Weapons complaints

Earlier this week, the Nigerian government complained that the US was blocking its attempts to buy "lethal equipment" to put down the insurgency.

Nigeria's ambassador to the US said accusations that its troops were involved in human rights abuses were based on "half-truths" being spread by political opponents ahead of elections next year.

In response, the US state department spokesperson said the two nations were sharing intelligence, the US was training a Nigerian battalion and that the sale of some equipment had been allowed over the past six months.

But the spokesperson, Jen Psaki, did admit that earlier this year the sale of military helicopters had been stopped.

"We denied the transfer of some Cobra attack helicopters to Nigeria due to concerns about Nigeria's ability to use and maintain this type of helicopter in its effort against Boko Haram and ongoing concerns about the Nigerian military's protection of civilians when conducting military operations," she said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, there are reports that the key town of Mubi, north of Yola, is no longer in the hands of Boko Haram after soldiers and a local defence force, including hunters, took it back.

But our correspondent says the north of Adamawa - one of three states under emergency rule because of the insurgency - is still extremely volatile and people have been fleeing two other towns which the militants have been trying to capture.

Boko Haram - which says it is fighting to create an Islamic state - has changed tactics in recent months by holding on to territory rather than launching hit-and-run attacks which have killed thousands of people.

The group promotes a version of Islam which forbids Muslims from taking part in any political or social activity associated with Western society.

In April, the militants captured more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the town of Chibok in Borno state.

Despite international military assistance the girls have not yet been rescued.

Who are Boko Haram?

    Founded in 2002

    Initially focused on opposing Western education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language

    Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state

    Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja

    Some three million people affected

    Declared terrorist group by US in 2013

Who are the militants?

7 nov. 2014 Armée de Terre

30/10/2014 MIL.be

Le 3 novembre 2014 le ministre Steven Vandeput, en sa qualité de ministre de la Défense, visitera la composante Terre. Durant les prochaines semaines il rendra également visite aux autres composantes. Ces visites ont pour but de donner au Ministre une image claire des missions et des capacités de chaque composante.

Deux différents centres de formation sont au programme de la visite à la Composante Terre. La matinée est consacrée au personnel et au matériel de la Brigade Medium casernée au quartier Léopold I à Bourg-Léopold. L’après-midi le ministre prendra connaissance des capacités de la Brigade Légère au centre d’entrainement des para-commandos de Marche-les-Dames.

Durant les différentes démonstrations statiques et dynamiques, le ministre recevra des explications sur les capacités opérationnelles de la composante Terre. A Bourg-Léopold, le Ministre pourra voir un peloton opérationel de véhicules blindés du type Piranha. A Marche-les-Dames c’est une unité de para-commando qui affrontera des formations rocheuses. Pour finir, le ministre rencontrera des militaires d’une unité d’appui qui montreront leurs capacités à fournir les moyens adéquat lors d’opérations à l’étranger.

27 October 2014 Pacific Sentinel

NEW DELHI — India has chosen to buy anti-tank guided missiles from Israel, rejecting a rival US offer, as the right-wing government clears projects worth $13.1 billion to modernize its aging military, official sources said Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will buy 8,356 Spike missiles and 321 launchers from Israel in a deal worth 32 billion rupees ($525 million), defence ministry sources told AFP.

The government is moving to speed up long-delayed defense orders and bolster its military. The Israeli deal comes after recent firing along India’s border with nuclear-armed rival Pakistan and tensions with giant neighbor China.

The procurement deals, worth 800 billion rupees ($13.1 billion) in total, were cleared at a meeting of India’s Defence Acquisition Council, headed by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, on Saturday.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

15 oct. 2014 NATO

MOSCOU, 1er octobre - RIA Novosti

L'armée russe comptera sept brigades dotées de missiles tactiques Iskander-M en 2015 contre quatre actuellement, a annoncé mercredi à Moscou le commandant en chef des troupes terrestres russes Oleg Salioukov.

"Quatre brigades sont déjà équipées de missiles Iskander-M conformément à un contrat public à long terme. Un autre lot de ces missiles sera livré à une brigade de la région militaire du Centre d'ici la fin de l'année. Deux lots de missiles Iskander-M seront remis aux régions militaires du Sud et de l'Est en 2015", a indiqué le général Salioukov à RIA Novosti.

Les missiles de théâtre Iskander figurent parmi les armes de frappe les plus performantes en dotation des forces armées russes. Equipé de différents types d'ogives, le système Iskander est en mesure de neutraliser des cibles très variées: des troupes adverses jusqu'aux centres de commandement souterrains. Les missiles peuvent au besoin être dotés d'ogives nucléaires. L'armée russe dispose de deux versions de cette arme: Iskander-M et Iskander-K. La version Iskander-E destinée à l'exportation ne possède qu'un seul missile monté sur une rampe de lancement au lieu de deux.

6 oct. 2014 NATO

30 September 2014 army-technology.com

Turkey has deployed tanks and armoured vehicles to reinforce its border with Syria after Islamic State (IS) militants advanced on Syria's Kurdish-controlled town of Kobani.

Nearly 30 Turkish tanks and armoured vehicles, some with their guns pointed towards Syrian territory, were moved to a military base located north-west of Kobani, after two shells and a stray fire from IS landed on Turkish soil, Reuters reported.

Turkish interior minister Efkan Ala said: "We have taken the border under full control. We have ramped up our security measures in the Suruc region."

Also known as Ayn al-Arab, Kobani was besieged by IS from three sides last week, forcing more than 150,000 Kurds to flee into Turkey.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights founder Rami Abdulrahman said the IS fighters had advanced to within 5km of the town, and launched nearly 15 mortar rounds yesterday, killing at least one civilian.

The Turkish military reportedly fired back on 28 September after two mortar bombs crossed the border.

Having earlier refused to join a US-led anti-IS coalition, Turkey is set to submit motions to its parliament seeking approval to join the ongoing fight in Iraq and Syria against the terrorist group..

Turkish Parliamentary speaker Cemil Cicek was quoted by NTV television as saying: "The motions have not yet been sent to parliament. They may come tomorrow (Tuesday)."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "We will hold discussions with our relevant institutions this week.

"We will definitely be where we need to be. We cannot stay out of this."

According to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the motions are expected to be debated on 2 October.

Ankara has also indicated that Turkish soldiers could be used to help set up a secure zone in Syria, if an international agreement to establish such a haven for refugees fleeing IS is signed.

The US and its Arab allies are continuing air strikes against IS in Syria, with the latest raids targeting the towns of Dayr ar Zawr, Ar Raqqah and Aleppo, as well as an area adjacent to an IS-held grain storage facility near Manbij, and Koniko Gas Plant located near the town of Khasham.

The air strikes reportedly destroyed IS vehicles and training camps, and injured some militants.

25/09/2014 MIL.be

Le mardi 30 septembre prochain, le général-major Hubert De Vos remettra le commandement de la Composante Terre au général-major Jean-Paul Deconinck lors d’une cérémonie à Bourg-Léopold en présence de détachements de toutes les unités.

A cette occasion, le général-major De Vos quittera également le service actif. Le nouveau commandant, le général-major Deconinck vient du Département d’état-major Opérations et Entraînement où il exerçait  la fonction d’adjoint au sous-chef d’état-major. Précédemment, il a commandé  la 7ème Brigade à Marche-en-Famenne ainsi que le Battlegroup européen en 2009.

Avec environ 300 personnes sur les théâtres, la Composante Terre fournit une contribution importante aux opérations de la Défense à l’étranger, entre autres en Afghanistan, au Liban, au Mali et en République Démocratique du Congo. Durant ces opérations, nos militaires vivent et travaillent parmi les populations locales. Avec ses boots on the ground,  la Composante Terre est ainsi un maillon indispensable pour l’exécution des opérations. « With people amongst people ».