June 25, 2014: Strategy Page

In the African nation of Mauritania the air force recently modified one of its BT-67 aircraft by adding a surveillance turret. This was installed under the fuselage and contains a vidcom with electronic zoom that can watch all that happens down below, record it all and, if monitored by an operator, zoom in on anything of interest. The U.S. State Department has at least one BT-67 in its small “air force” that is equipped with a similar turret that contains a FLIR (heat sensing radar). Other BT-67s have been equipped for maritime patrol and electronic surveillance.

What’s really interesting about all this is that the BT-67 is actually a C-47 (“Dakota”) transport that entered service during World War II. The C-47 was actually a militarized 1930s design and that was heavily used during World War II and continued in use ever since as the DC-3, BT-47, Dakota and several other names. Obviously this longevity involved a lot of upgrades and refurbishment.

Some aircraft seem to fly forever. A prime example has been the DC-3/C-47. The latest revival for this iconic plane is a refurb that creates a 13 ton aircraft with a rebuilt and lengthened fuselage, upgraded wings, new engines, and modern electronics. Called the BT-67, 58 have been produced and they are in use by eight civilian (including the U.S. Forestry Service) organizations and nine air forces (including the U.S. Air Force and the Chinese Air Force). The BT-67 is about a meter (three feet) longer than the original DC-3 and 1.5 tons heavier. Cruising speed is 380 kilometers an hour, compared to 240 for the DC-3. Range is more than twice the 1,600 kilometers of the DC-3. Typical load for the BT-67 (4 tons) is also about twice what the DC-3 would normally haul. The longer range made the rugged BT-67 capable of delivering airfreight to research stations in Antarctica, from an airport in South Africa. The BT-67s cost about $5 million each.

But there are other refurbs. Back in 2004 Colombia paid about $20 million to convert five C-47 transports to gunships (armed with night vision sensors, a three barrel 12.7mm/.50 caliber machine-gun, and some bombs). These aircraft carried a five man crew. Such gunships first appeared, using World War II era C-47 transports, in the 1960s over Vietnam. The troops called the gunships, which liked to operate at night, "Spooky."

Many DC-3/C-47 aircraft continue to fly. Several hundred are still operating worldwide, mostly owned by small domestic carriers in the U.S. and by some Third World air transport companies. A state of the art aircraft in the mid-1930s (when only 500 were built), over 16,000 DC 3's were produced for use during World War II as C-47s. The DC-3 was, in fact, one of the most widely manufactured aircraft of the war. When allied paratroopers jumped it was usually from a DC-3 (which could carry 28 troops but over sixty people were squeezed in during emergencies). With a maximum range of 3,400 kilometers and a top speed of 296 kilometers per hour, the C-47 was the common cargo carrier (up to 3.5 tons) and general purpose "flying truck." It still is, and more and more of these aircraft are being rebuilt, like the BT-67, to keep them flying for another decade or so.

The BEAR vehicle offers protection against direct underbody blasts or close proximity mortar-round attacks. Photo Lenco Industries.

25 June 2014 army-technology.com

Lenco Industries has successfully completed the underbody and side-blast testing of its ballistic engineered armoured response (BEAR) troop transport vehicle at the US Army's Aberdeen Test Centre at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, US.

Based on a Freightliner truck chassis, the BEAR is a 17-man troop transport armoured vehicle, and is primarily designed for military and government personnel and international security forces operating in hostile environments.

The vehicle, which combines Lenco's proven Mil-Spec steel armour construction, with an additional composite B-Kit and engineering changes designed to deflect blast pressure, offers seating for 12 personnel on convoy missions, cargo and troop transport, as well as perimeter patrol and security missions.

Lenco vice-president Len Light said improvised explosive devices (IEDs) continue to be one of the most pressing concerns for military operatives and overseas diplomatic transport.

"We're proud to provide a blast-resistant vehicle that has proven to outperform its military counterparts in protection and survivability," Light said.

The vehicle's modified V-hull, which is modelled after the traditional mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles, can withstand direct underbody blast and close proximity mortar-round attacks.

Additional key survivability features include blast seats, full fire suppression capabilities and run flat tyres, as well as a variety of communications and intelligence sensors, which will be made available based on customer requirements.

Available in either two or four-wheel drive, the BEAR is currently fielded overseas in hostile regions by the US Government convoy teams and diplomatic security details.

June 25, 2014: Strategy Page

The U.S. Air Force has changed its mind about the RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV. The motivation here is the need to cut costs in the face of a shrinking air force budget. So now the air force is asking Congress for two billion dollars to upgrade some RQ-4s so they can fully replace the versatile, elderly and expensive-to-operate U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. The air force is saving a lot of money by retiring entire types of aircraft (like U-2s and A-10s). The A-10s will be completely replaced by F-16s and smart bombs.

For years the air force was dissatisfied with the performance and operating costs of the RQ-4, pointing out that the U-2 was cheaper and, because of better sensors, more useful. But the RQ-4 manufacturer brought down the costs and increased reliability. Despite that criticism from the U.S. Air Force, American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Grumman continued to find customers for its RQ-4. In large part that’s because the RQ-4 has been much improved since 2010. The RQ-4 has become more reliable, efficient and flexible. Several of the new customers (like South Korea and Japan) want to use it for maritime reconnaissance, something the U.S. Navy is already doing. The cost of operating the RQ-4 has also been greatly reduced over three years, from $40,600 an hour to $18,900. That happened largely because there were more RQ-4s in service and each was flying more hours. That spread overhead costs over more flight hours. There was also a sharp reduction (by $14,000 an hour) in contractor support costs, largely brought on by improved aircraft reliability. Another factor driving this decline in costs was the air force threat to get rid of many RQ-4s because it was cheaper, per flight hour, to use the much older manned U-2s. Now that is no longer the case and the air force has backed away from dropping its RQ-4s and instead wants to retire the U-2s instead.

Back in 2011 the U.S. Air Force very publically gave up on the RQ-4. This came in the form of an air force announcement that they had stopped buying the RQ-4. Not only that but ten of the thirty-one Block 30 models ordered were cancelled. None of the planned Block 40 aircraft were to be built. Global Hawk remained in production because there were other users who were not as displeased as the air force. The U.S. Navy is buying 68 MQ-4C “Triton” BAMS (Broad Area Maritime Surveillance) models plus the two prototypes. Triton is to enter service by 2017.

While the RQ-4 has always been hailed as a revolutionary and successful system, most of the recon and surveillance jobs in the last decade were handled by the more reliable, cheaper, and numerous Predator and Reaper UAVs. Meanwhile, the air force was having more and more problems with the RQ-4, and that led to the public denunciation of the RQ-4 and Northrop Grumman. But as the war on terror dies down and the potential opponents include countries with air defenses, the higher flying RQ-4 becomes more valuable.

The 2011 decision was the result of the air force and the manufacturer feuding over design, cost, and quality control issues. The last straw was the unreliability of the new Block 30 models. This renewed Department of Defense threats to cancel the program. But manufacturer Northrop Grumman lobbyists have made sure the key members of Congress knew where Global Hawk components were being built and how many jobs that added up to. While that delayed the RQ-4 Block 30 cancellation it did not stop it. The air force was placated for a while when Northrop Grumman fixed some of the problems (some of which the manufacturer said don't exist or didn't matter). The Block 30 was supposed to be good to go, but the air force was not convinced and decided that Block 30 was just more broken promises. Congress was also tired of all the feuding and being caught between Northrup lobbyists and exasperated air force generals. Then there was political decision to cut the defense budget over the next decade. Something had to go.

You'd think the RQ-4 would be somewhat perfected by 2011. It was closer to that than many believed and is now considered a lot more reliable. Development of the RQ-4 began in the 1990s, as a DARPA research project. By 2006, per-aircraft costs were twenty-five percent over the original price. By 2007, production schedules had slipped as well. The air force and Northrop Grumman disagreed over what caused these problems. The air force blamed it on poor management. Northrop Grumman said it's all about dealing with complex technology. The air force pointed out that the RQ-4 was not high tech. The sensors often are but they are added to the aircraft after they came off the production line. Northrop Grumman continued to stonewall the air force and showed no signs of making any basic changes. Some air force procurement officials believed Northrop Grumman diverted resources to foreign customers, while taking advantage of the fact that there was no other supplier the air force could go to for long range UAVs. There was a lot of bad blood between the user and the manufacturer, which is not a good thing.

There were sixteen of the RQ-4A ("Block 10") aircraft built, fourteen for the U.S. Air Force, and two for the U.S. Navy. The later models were the larger RQ-4B (block 20, 30, and 40). Production has been consistently behind what Northrop Grumman had earlier promised. The air force originally planned to buy over forty Block 30s and wanted to get them faster, and with the reliability problems fixed. That did not work out before the war on terror largely ended and with it the big defense budgets.

In 2011, the air force transferred its remaining seven early model (Block 10) RQ-4s to other government agencies. These UAVs began flying nearly a decade ago and each has spent, on average, some three-thousand hours in the air. Some have spent over seven-thousand hours in the air, while others have mostly stayed on the ground. On average, these Block 10 aircraft flew once a week. But some ninety percent of hours flown were in combat operations. Subsequent models (Block 20, 30, and 40) had greater carrying capacity and reliability. Many payloads (various sensors) are designed for the larger models. But the Block 10 is still useful for civilian missions (disaster monitoring, border patrol, and all sorts of research).

Things had started off on a more promising note. The RQ-4 was still in development on September 11, 2001, but was rushed into action. The first production RQ-4A was not delivered until August, 2003. Although the RQ-4 could stay in the air for up to forty-two hours, all of them had only amassed about four-thousand flight hours by 2004. But most of those four-thousand hours, which were originally planned to involve testing of a new aircraft, were instead used to perform combat missions. Global Hawk also got to fly under difficult conditions, something an aircraft still being developed would not do.

In 2008, an RQ-4A Global Hawk made the first non-stop crossing of the Pacific, flying twelve-thousand kilometers from California to Australia in twenty-three hours. The Global Hawk has previously crossed the Pacific in several hops but it always had the endurance to do it non-stop. In the last decade RQ-4s have flown over fifty-five-thousand hours, most of that combat missions, and many of them from Persian Gulf bases. The latest models can fly twenty hour missions, land for refueling and maintenance, and be off in four hours for another twenty hours in the sky. But the reliability issues with the Block 30 made the longer missions infrequent. Otherwise, the RQ-4 has been very reliable, with aircraft being ready for action ninety-five percent of the time. An RQ-4 can survey about four-thousand square kilometers an hour.

The U.S. Air Force pays over $150 million for a fully equipped RQ-4, but only about 35 percent of that is for the UAV itself. Include payload (sensors and communications) and development costs and it nearly triples. The B version is about ten percent larger (wingspan of 42.3 meters/131 feet, and 15.5 meters/48 feet long) than the A model and can carry an additional two tons of equipment. To support that, there's a new generator that produces 150 percent more electrical power. The B version is a lot more reliable. Early A models tended to fail and crash at the rate of once every thousand flight hours, mostly because of design flaws. It was those flaws and delays in fixing them that got the air force so angry. The first three RQ-4Bs entered service in 2006, with some of those flaws still present, and it took over five years to clear that up.

At thirteen tons the Global Hawk is the size of a commuter airliner (like the Embraer ERJ 145) but costs more than twice as much. Global Hawk can be equipped with much more powerful, and expensive, sensors than other UAVs. These sensors comprise most of the cost of the aircraft. The spy satellite quality sensors (especially AESA radar) are usually worth the expense because they enable the UAV, flying at over 20,000 meters (60,000 feet), to get a sharp picture of all the territory it can see from that altitude.  

24/06/2014  Commission Européenne - MEMO/14/438  

Actions for a more competitive and efficient defence and security sector

In order to strengthen Europe’s defence industrial base and the Single Market for defence, the European Commission has put forward a series of concrete measures in a Roadmap (IP/14/718). This Memo provides a summary of the main actions proposed under this Implementation Roadmap.

Single Market

To ensure a firm foundation for the competitiveness of Europe's defence industrial base it is essential that there is a strong Single Market for defence. With this objective in mind, the Commission has agreed to undertake the following actions:

1. Market Monitoring – analyse the impact of the Defence Procurement Directive 2009/81/EC through assessment of procurement opportunities published on the EU's Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) and other public sources.

2. Clarification of exclusions from the Defence Procurement Directive – issue guidance notes to help Member States use these exclusions correctly in the areas of Government-to-Government sales and International Agreements/Organisations.

3. Offsets – identify and fight unjustified discriminatory requirements in procurement. In parallel, the Commission will look together with Member States and industry at ways of promoting cross-border market access for SMEs by non-discriminatory means. To that end, the establishment of an ad hoc Advisory Group is envisaged.

4. Security of Supply

1. develop a roadmap for establishing an EU-wide Security of Supply Regime to be presented to the European Council in June 2015.

2. propose measures to strengthen the implementation of the Defence Transfers Directive 2009/43 (introducing a licensing system to help movement of defence-related products within the EU) in a report to be prepared for June 2016.

3. issue a Green Paper, by the end of 2014, on the control of defence and security industrial and technological assets.

Competitiveness

In addition to the Single Market there are areas of industrial policy that can support competitiveness of the defence industry. In particular the Commission will undertake actions on:

1. Standardisation and Certification – work closely with the European Defence Agency (EDA) to develop new defence standards in Europe and, with the European Aviation Safety Agency, to support the EDA in the harmonisation of military airworthiness requirements.

2. Raw Materials – screen raw materials critical for the defence sector and identify by mid-2015 whether any policy actions are required in support of Europe's defence industry's continued access to essential raw materials.

3. SMEs, clusters & regions

1. use the Enterprise Europe Network and other programmes to support SMEs and defence-related regions to network and identify new business opportunities inside and outside the EU.

2. clarify conditions under which the European Structural and Investment Funds can be used to support dual-use projects.

3. with the Association of Regional Development Agencies (EURADA) and the EDA, raise awareness of funding opportunities for regions and SMEs with targeted events (next in November 2014); a guidebook; and developing a network of regions interested in fostering defence-related industrial activities.

3. Skills – prepare a communication campaign on EU-funding of skill-related initiatives and launch a study, in 2015, on current and future competencies and skill supply and demand for the defence sector.

Research and Innovation

Falling national investment in defence R&D is a long-term threat to the competitiveness of Europe's defence industry. Therefore the Commission will take action on the following:

1. Dual-use research – maximise synergies between European civil (within the limits allowed by the civil focus of the Horizon 2020 research programme) and military research co-ordinated by the EDA.

2. Preparatory Action – will be developed to illustrate the added-value of an EU contribution to CSDP-related research. A 'Group of Personalities' could be established to advise the Commission on issues relating to the scope and operation of such an Action.

Capabilities

While the issue of military capabilities is primarily for Member States the Commission can provide support through:

1. A joint assessment with the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the EDA of dual-use capability needs - for both EU security and defence policies to identify potential synergies.

2. Other projects – A Communication planned for 8 July 2014 will set out a roadmap for implementing the 'Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE) for the EU maritime domain. The Commission is also working with the EDA to identify areas for further civil / military co-operation.

Space

The Commission believes that there are potential benefits in terms of reduced costs and greater efficiency to be gained from increased synergies between national and European space capabilities. In this regard the Commission will:

1. Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) – the Commission will, through the Horizon 2020 research programme, look at ways of encouraging the development and renewal of SST assets.

2. Satellite Communication (SATCOM) – use a user-group established with the European Space agency, EDA and the EEAS to tackle the fragmentation of demand for security SATCOM to support Member States to prepare the next generation of Governmental SATCOM.

Energy

The Commission aims to support the EU's armed forces in reducing their energy use for their own benefit and to make an important contribution to the EU's energy targets. In particular the Commission will launch the:

7. Consultation Forum for Energy in the Defence and Security Sector– it will provide a platform for energy experts to discuss and advise energy policies in defence. Its main deliverables will be to develop specific guidance for the military on existing EU legislation and programmes governing energy efficiency and renewables; and to develop concepts for improving the protection of critical energy infrastructures.

International issues

With shrinking domestic demand, exports to third country markets have become increasingly important for Europe's defence industry. Within the limits of its competence, the Commission will undertake the following actions:

1. Competitiveness on third country markets – establish a forum in the 4th quarter of 2014 to discuss with Member States and stakeholders how to support Europe's defence industry on third country markets.

2. Dual-use export control – following the adoption of its Communication, on 24 April 2014, setting out the outcome of its review of export control policy, it will now conduct an impact assessment of the various review options identified in the Communication.

Background

The strategic and geopolitical environment is constantly evolving. The world’s balance of power is shifting as new centres of gravity are emerging and the US is rebalancing its strategic focus towards Asia. In this situation, Europe has to assume greater responsibilities for its security at home and abroad. The Union therefore needs a credible Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), underpinned by a competitive defence industry and efficient defence market structures.

Defence industry is not only of strategic importance for Europe’s security, it also plays a crucial role in the wider European economy. Its cutting-edge research has created important indirect effects in other sectors, such as electronics, space and civil aviation and provides growth and thousands of highly skilled jobs.

Armed forces all over the world are increasingly relying on assets that have their origins in civil technologies and applications. A stronger interaction between the civil and military sectors can act as a driver for more innovation and give a boost to the overall economic development of Member States. This underlines the need to further stimulate civ-mil synergies, which is in fact the thread running through the Commission’s proposals.

These proposals were set out in a Commission Communication adopted in July 2013 (IP/13/734 and MEMO/13/722). It set out a series of proposals to strengthen the Internal Market for defence, reinforce the competitiveness of the European defence industry and support defence research. This Communication was discussed at the European Council in December 2013 as part of its debate on ways to strengthen the CSDP. It welcomed the Communication in this context and decided to review progress in June 2015. The roadmap adopted by the Commission details modalities and timelines for the actions set out in the Communication, taking account of European Council conclusions.

More information

Defence industry - Working together to Support Europe's Defence

Defence procurement

EU internal defence market is opening slowly

Bruxelles, le 24 juin 2014 Commission Européenne - IP/14/718   24/06/2014 -europa.eu

La Commission européenne a présenté aujourd’hui un rapport définissant des mesures destinées à renforcer le marché unique de la défense, promouvoir une industrie de la défense plus compétitive et favoriser les synergies entre recherche civile et recherche militaire. Les actions à entreprendre sont clairement décrites et assorties d’un calendrier: élaboration d’une feuille de route d’un régime de sécurité de l’approvisionnement global à l’échelle de l’Union européenne, orientations pratiques à l’intention des autorités régionales et des PME afin de clarifier la possibilité de financer sur le budget européen des projets concernant des biens à double usage, et nouvelle action préparatoire permettant d’éprouver la valeur ajoutée d’une contribution de l’Union européenne à la recherche liée à la politique de sécurité et de défense commune (PSDC). Ensemble, ces démarches contribueront à améliorer l’efficacité du secteur européen de la défense et de la sécurité et à renforcer la PSDC. Le rapport d’aujourd’hui fait suite à la communication sur la défense présentée par la Commission en juillet 2013 (IP/13/734).

M. Antonio Tajani, vice-président de la Commission européenne et commissaire à l’industrie et à l’entrepreneuriat, s’est exprimé en ces termes: «Le Conseil européen a reconnu que la collaboration entre les États membres en matière de défense devait être plus approfondie et plus soutenue pour permettre à l’Union de relever de manière adéquate les défis auxquels sa sécurité est confrontée. Par conséquent, il est essentiel que l’industrie de la défense européenne reste un pôle mondial de premier plan pour ce qui est de la production et de l’innovation, un pôle créateur d’emplois hautement qualifiés et de croissance.»

M. Michel Barnier, commissaire au marché intérieur et aux services, a déclaré pour sa part: «Il est manifeste que le développement et la préservation de la technologie et des capacités cruciales pour l’avenir dépassent les moyens de chaque État membre pris isolément. Certes la défense et la sécurité demeurent essentiellement une compétence nationale, mais il est possible d’intensifier les efforts pour promouvoir la coopération européenne. La Commission y contribuera, notamment en renforçant le marché unique de la défense et en favorisant la compétitivité de l’industrie de la défense.»

Pourquoi l’UE doit-elle agir?

Une Europe plus influente a besoin d’une politique de sécurité et de défense commune (PSDC) forte et active, laquelle exige à son tour un secteur de la défense et de la sécurité plus compétitif et plus efficace. L’aptitude de l’Europe à maintenir des capacités de défense efficaces et une industrie de défense compétitive ainsi qu’à réagir de manière adaptée et autonome aux nouveaux défis en matière de sécurité est menacée par les coupes successives dans les budgets militaires et par la fragmentation persistante des marchés.

Il est important d’agir, d’autant que la crise économique a durement touché un secteur industriel majeur d’une importance stratégique pour l’Europe, qui affiche un chiffre d’affaires de 96 milliards d’euros pour la seule année 2012 et qui emploie environ 400 000 personnes, à quoi il faut ajouter pas moins de 960 000 emplois indirects. La recherche de pointe menée dans ce secteur a des retombées importantes dans d’autres secteurs, tels que l’électronique, l’industrie spatiale et l’aviation civile, et crée de la croissance ainsi que des milliers d’emplois hautement qualifiés.

Pour promouvoir la coopération et renforcer l’efficacité du secteur, la Commission a décidé de prendre les initiatives ci-dessous.

1. Achever le marché unique de la défense et de la sécurité. En se basant sur les deux directives en vigueur concernant les marchés publics et les transferts intra-UE dans le domaine de la défense (IP/07/1860), la Commission s’attaquera également aux distorsions du marché et contribuera à améliorer la sécurité d’approvisionnement des États membres.

2. Renforcer la compétitivité de l’industrie européenne. À cette fin, la Commission mettra au point une politique industrielle de défense fondée sur deux grands axes:

• le soutien à la compétitivité: activités visant la mise en place d’un nouveau mécanisme d’élaboration des normes dans le secteur européen de la défense et d’une conception commune des normes applicables aux aéronefs militaires;

• le soutien aux PME: par exemple, l’établissement de réseaux entre des régions européennes liées à la défense, une aide aux PME du secteur de la défense confrontées à la concurrence mondiale et des orientations pratiques pour les PME et les autorités régionales européennes en vue de clarifier la possibilité de financer sur le budget européen des projets concernant des biens à double usage.

3. Soutenir la recherche en matière de défense européenne. À cette fin, la Commission s’efforcera d’obtenir le plus grand nombre de synergies possible entre la recherche civile et la recherche militaire, notamment:

• en élaborant un nouveau programme (action préparatoire) destiné à étudier les avantages éventuels d’un financement de l’UE pour la recherche liée à la PSDC;

• en aidant les forces armées à réduire leur consommation énergétique.

Contexte

En juillet 2013, la Commission a présenté une communication («Vers un secteur de la défense et de la sécurité plus compétitif et plus efficace») à titre de contribution au Conseil européen de décembre 2013. Le Conseil européen a accueilli favorablement cette communication et fera une révision des progrès en juin 2015. Le rapport présenté aujourd’hui servira de base au programme de travail de la Commission, sous réserve des priorités définies par la nouvelle Commission.

Pour en savoir plus:

Communication

Document de travail des services de la Commission (en anglais)

Industrie de la défense - Œuvrer ensemble pour soutenir la défense européenne (en anglais)

Marchés publics de la défense

Ouverture progressive du marché intérieur de la défense dans l'UE (en anglais)

Jun 25, 2014 ASDNews Source : Babcock International

Babcock has begun work on the first phase of the contract to design and supply the Air Weapons Handling System (AWHS) for the UK’s new Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) announced recently by BAE Systems.

Under the full contract Babcock will design, manufacture, test and oversee the installation of the AWHS system on the 13 ships planned in the UK Type 26 GCS programme, as well as providing long term support functions to ensure through life system performance and availability.

Read more

24 juin Aerobuzz.fr

NHI a célébré, le 24 juin 2014, la livraison du 200ème hélicoptère NH90. Il s’agit d’un modèle TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter) destiné aux forces armées belges. Il sera mis en œuvre par le 1st Wing sur la base aérienne de Beauvechain. Il s’agit du troisième exemplaire réceptionné par la Belgique

Suite de l'article

25 juin 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

Beyrouth - Les deux frères ennemis, l'État islamique d'Irak et du Levant (EIIL) et le Front al-Nosra, la branche syrienne d'Al-Qaïda, ont décidé de fusionner à Boukamal, la principale localité frontalière entre la Syrie et l'Irak, a indiqué mercredi une ONG.

La Front al-Nosra a prêté allégeance à l'EIIL dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi permettant à ce dernier d'être désormais des deux côtés de la frontière puisqu'il contrôle déjà la localité irakienne d'Al-Qaïm en Irak, selon l'Observatoire syrien des droits de l'homme (OSDH).

Cet acte d'allégeance survient alors que l'EIIL progresse dans la province de Deir Ezzor, dont fait partie Boukamal, dans l'Est de la Syrie sur la frontière avec l'Irak, a précisé cette organisation.

Un jihadiste de l'EIIL a confirmé l'information sur Twitter et a posté une photo montrant un commandant égyptien du Front al-Nosra avec un chef tchétchène de l'EIIL.

Issues toutes des deux d'Al-Qaïda en Irak, les deux organisations sont devenues rivales en Syrie et se combattent.

Ils sont rivaux mais ce sont tous les deux des jihadistes et des extrémistes. Cette allégeance créera des tensions avec les autres groupes rebelles, y compris les islamistes, qui contrôlaient la ville et ses environs, a précisé le directeur de l'OSDH Rami Abdel Rahmane.

Un militant à Boukamal, qui utilise pour des raisons de securité le pseudonyme de Hadi Salamé, a affirmé à l'AFP, via internet, que la tension est vive dans la localité et la situation va empirer car cette fusion causera de graves problèmes avec les tribus locales qui ne vont pas accepter ces changements, car elles sont hostiles à l'EIIL.

Un autre militant, Abdel Salam al-Hussein, a expliqué que cette fusion est intervenue après une déclaration des chefs de brigades islamistes locales excluant le Front al-Nosra du tribunal islamique, qui exerce de facto le véritable pouvoir dans beaucoup de régions rebelles.

L'allégeance (à l'EIIL) est survenue dans un climat de tension entre Al-Qaïda et les rebelles locaux, a-t-il dit.

En avril, le Front al-Nosra allié aux rebelles islamistes avait repoussé une attaque de l'EIIL sur cette ville, faisant une centaine de morts.

Excédés par les exactions attribuées à l'EIIL et sa volonté d'hégémonie, les rebelles islamistes et modérés et le Front al-Nosra avaient retourné début janvier leurs armes contre leurs ex-alliés dans le combat contre le régime de Bachar al-Assad, dans les zones sous leur contrôle.

L'EIIL contrôle la province de Raqa (Nord) ainsi que des parties de celles de Hassaka (nord-est) et Deir Ezzor (Est).

Dans le Nord et l'Est de la Syrie, plus de 6.000 personnes ont été tuées dans ces affrontements depuis janvier, selon l'OSDH.

Le chef d'Al-Qaïda Ayman al-Zawahiri avait déclaré le Front al-Nosra comme la branche officielle d'Al-Qaïda en Syrie, désavouant clairement l'EIIL, qui voulait s'imposer comme le représentant du réseau extrémiste à la fois en Irak et en Syrie.

24.06.2014 lemainelibre.fr

Le 2^e RIMa a reçu 16 véhicules blindés de combat d’infanterie (VBCI) le 6 juin et 16 autres arrivent ce vendredi.

Les marsouins ont commencé leur formation pour maîtriser ces engins qui remplacent les véhicules de l’avant blindé. Le régiment s’est notamment doté de quatre simulateurs comprenant plus de 200 programmes d’entraînement.

Suite de l'article

24/06/2014 IRSEM

24.06.2014 Royal Navy

For 10 days the Plymouth based frigate HMS Montrose has been put through her paces on exercise BALTOPS 14.

She took part in nearly 100 serials that tested all of her capabilities while working alongside NATO and non NATO navies from 14 different countries.

In this video the Commanding Officer of HMS Montrose, Cdr James Parkin talks about what his ship is taking away from the exercise.

You can find more news and images of Montrose on our website

24.06.2014 Bundeswehr

Soldaten des Seebataillons der Marine übernehmen während der Kieler Woche 2014 die land- und seeseitige Sicherung für die amerikanischen Schiffe im Marinestützpunkt Kiel.

Quelle: Zentralredaktion der Bundeswehr 06/14 14E2010