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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 18:50
Sea Transportation: Pissed Off Pirates Proliferate

 

April 7, 2014: Strategy Page

 

The piracy business has changed a lot since 2010, when it had reached levels of activity not seen in over a century. But over the next three years that all changed. By 2013 attacks on ships by Somali pirates had declined 95 percent from the 2010 peak. It’s been over two years since the Somali pirates captured a large commercial ship, and even smaller fishing ships and dhows (small local cargo ships of traditional construction) are harder for them to grab. The rapid collapse of the Somali pirates since 2010 was no accident. It was all a matter of organization, international cooperation and innovation. It all began back in 2009 when 80 seafaring nations formed (with the help of a UN resolution) the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. The most visible aspect of the Contact Group was the organization of an anti-piracy patrol off the Somali coast. This came to consist of over two dozen warships and several dozen manned and unmanned aircraft, as well as support from space satellites and major intelligence and police agencies.

 

Back in 2010 the Somali pirates got most of the publicity but they only carried out 44 percent of the attacks. What was newsworthy was that the Somalis accounted for 90 percent of the hijackings, and some 80 percent of the piracy was in and around the Indian Ocean. Some 44 percent of all attacks involved the pirates boarding the ships, while in 18 percent the pirates just fired on ships, without getting aboard. There are still pirates out there, but there are more into robbery than kidnapping.

 

Piracy hit a trough from the late nineteenth century into the later twentieth. That was because the Great Powers had pretty much divided up the whole planet, and policed it. The pirates had no place to hide. Piracy began to revive in a modest way beginning in the 1970s, with the collapse of many post-colonial regimes. Note that what constitutes an act of piracy is often not clearly defined. What most people agree on is that piracy is non-state sanctioned use of force at sea or from the sea. This could include intercepting a speedboat to rob the passengers, but that's usually just thought of as armed robbery. And something like the seizure of the Achille Lauro in 1985 is considered terrorism, rather than piracy. In the past, some marginal states have sanctioned piratical operations, like the Barbary States, but that is rare any more.

 

The trend, however, was definitely up for two decades, with the big increase coming in the last decade.

o 1991: About 120 known cases of real or attempted piracy

o 1994: over 200 cases

o 2000: 471 cases

o 2005: 359 cases

o 2010: over 400 cases

 

The international effort to suppress Somali piracy has halted and reversed this trend. But while there have been far fewer attacks off Somalia there has been a big jump in attacks in the Straits of Malacca (sevenfold increase since 2009) and off Nigeria (a similar increase). The big difference is that only off Somalia could ships and crews be taken and held for ransom for long periods. Everywhere else the pirates were usually only interested in robbing the crew and stealing anything portable that they could get into their small boats. Off the Nigerian coast pirates sometimes take some ship officers with them to hold for ransom or force the crew to move small tankers to remote locations where most of the cargo (of oil) can be transferred to another ship and sold on the black market.

 

Pirates usually function on the margins of society, trying to get a cut of the good life in situations where there aren't many options. This is usually in areas where state control is weakest or absent, in failing and "flailed" states. A flailing state is something like Nigeria, Indonesia, or the Philippines, where the government is managing to keep things together but is faced with serious problems with areas that are sometimes out of control. In a failed state like, where there isn't a government at all, pirates can do whatever they want.

 

The solution to piracy is essentially on land; go into uncontrolled areas and institute governance. This has been the best approach since the Romans eliminated piracy in the Mediterranean over 2,000 years ago. Trying to tackle piracy on the maritime end can reduce the incidence of piracy, but can't eliminate it because the pirates still have a safe base on land. In the modern world the "land" solution often can't be implemented. Who wants to put enough troops into Somalia to eliminate piracy? And flailing states are likely to be very sensitive about their sovereignty if you offer to help them control marginal areas.

 

Meanwhile there are two areas where pirates still thrive. Piracy in the vital (most of the world's oil exports pass through here) Straits of Malacca was largely an Indonesian phenomenon. It bothered the Singaporeans a lot, the Malaysians a little, and the Indonesians not much. But as Indonesia began stabilizing itself over the past decade (the 2004 Aceh Peace settlement, the institution of a more democratic government, defeating Islamic terrorism), the rate of piracy declined. This decline was facilitated by the combined police effort of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia itself, which didn't come about until a lot of issues among the three states were resolved. Neither Indonesia nor Malaysia were all that upset about smuggling, which bothered Singapore. Indonesia and Singapore still have some problems, as Singapore more or less encourages sand stealing in enormous volumes from Indonesia. Since 2010 there has been an increase in piracy off Indonesia, largely because the Indonesians reduced their anti-piracy patrols without warning or explanation. There are lots of targets, with over 50,000 large ships moving through the Straits of Malacca each year. That’s 120-150 a day. Lots of targets. The shallow and tricky waters in the strait forces the big ships to go slow enough (under 30 kilometers an hour) for speed boats to catch them.

 

In contrast to the Strait of Malacca situation, the U.S. approach to piracy has been largely a police mission, without trying to deal with the land-side. Again, that would mean occupying Somalia. But there are some regional constraints on piracy. There seems to be little or no piracy in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb. Apparently this was because the smugglers decided the pirates interfered with their business (by bringing in coalition naval forces), and so shut down any pirate operations themselves.

 

The Gulf of Guinea has become another hot spot for modern (non shipnapping) piracy. Nigeria is badly run and most of the oil revenue is stolen by corrupt officials, leaving people living in the oil producing areas near the coast very angry. More piracy has been one result of all that anger.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 18:44
Opération Turquoise - photo 2e REI

Opération Turquoise - photo 2e REI

 

07.04.2014 JDD

 

INTERVIEW - Ministre de la Défense de 1993 à 1995, au moment du génocide rwandais, François Léotard réagit à son tour aux propos du président Paul Kagame, qui met en cause le rôle de la France dans les massacres.

 

Comment jugez-vous la montée des tensions entre la France et le Rwanda, et notamment les accusations du président Kagame?
 Je pense tout d'abord que le gouvernement français n'a pas suffisamment réagi à cette insulte, car c'en est une, il n'y a pas d'autres mots. Nous aurions dû aller beaucoup plus loin et plus fort. On pouvait par exemple éviter toute représentation de la République française aux commémorations. C'était à nous, de notre propre chef, de n'envoyer personne, pas même l'ambassadeur. Je suis scandalisé que l'on remette en cause l'opération Turquoise que j'ai menée, avec l'appui de François Mitterrand, d'Edouard Balladur et d'Alain Juppé (respectivement Président, Premier ministre et ministre des Affaires étrangères, Ndlr). Cette opération était extrêmement compliquée et nous sommes aujourd'hui accusés de façon infamante par ce monsieur. Paul Kagame agit ainsi pour se sortir d'une passe diplomatique et intérieure difficile. C'est un petit dictateur comme malheureusement un certain nombre de pays en ont produit.

 

Suite de l'interview

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 17:55
Mieux lutter contre le terrorisme

Mieux lutter contre le terrorisme / Crédits : Armée de Terre

 

07/04/2014 J. SEVERIN Armée de Terre

 

Une section de la 2e compagnie du 17e régiment du génie parachutiste a participé à un stage de fouille opérationnelle, encadré par le pôle interarmées de traitement du danger des munitions et explosifs.

 

L’objectif de la formation en fouille opérationnelle est d’être capable de récolter toutes les preuves utiles pour lutter contre les réseaux terroristes. Pour cela, elle est organisée en trois stages de niveaux de compétences différents.

 

Au cours du premier, les stagiaires apprennent à détecter, collecter et surtout préserver tout matériel ennemi qui pourrait nuire à la force. Dans le deuxième, les sapeurs apprennent les procédures de fouille complémentaire applicables aux personnes, aux véhicules, aux bâtiments, aux itinéraires et en terrain libre. Enfin, le dernier niveau, relatif à la fouille opérationnelle spécialisée, place les stagiaires dans un environnement hostile ou dans des milieux présentant un risque particulier.

 

Durant deux semaines, les sapeurs parachutistes se sont entraînés afin d’obtenir la qualification liée à la fouille complémentaire. Ils pourront désormais mettre à profit leur nouveau savoir-faire sur les théâtres d’opération extérieure ou sur le territoire national.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 17:54
Dossier lutte contre IED

 

source Armée de Terre

 

Sur le territoire comme en opération, la France est régulièrement confrontée au danger des IED. Avec l'Afghanistan, la menace est devenue intensive et l'armée de Terre a dû s'adapter. depuis 2008, il ne s'agit plus seulement de se protéger, mais d'intervenir en amont pour prévoir et empêcher.

 

IED, qu’est-ce que c’est ?

Les engins explosifs improvisés (EEI ou IED en anglais) est « un dispositif mis en place ou réalisé de façon improvisée qui contient des produits chimiques destructeurs, mortels, nuisibles, ...

 

[Lutte contre-IED] : IED, menace explosive !

Les engins explosifs improvisés (EEI ou IEDen anglais), c’est-à-dire des engins à base d’explosifs réalisés de façon artisanale et improvisée, ne constituent pas une menace nouvelle. Mais ...

 

[Lutte contre-IED] : Témoignage d’un artificier démineur

Neutraliser un engin explosif improvisé (EEI) est une mission délicate, notamment en Afghanistan. L’armée de Terre possède plusieurs unités d’experts capables de traiter cette menace. ...

 

[Lutte contre-IED] l’attaque des réseaux

Sur son territoire comme en opération, la France est régulièrement confrontée au danger des IED. Avec l’Afghanistan, la menace est devenue intensive, et l’armée de Terre a dû s’adapter. ...

 

[Lutte contre-IED] : la formation des spécialistes

La formation a été revue et adaptée. La création du nouveau Pôle Interarmées de traitement du danger des munitions et des explosifs (PIAM) en 2011, notamment de son centre de formation a ...

 

[Lutte contre IED] : l’équipement en perpétuelle évolution

En matière de détection et de reconnaissance, les matériels classiques restent en course (détecteur de métaux, détecteur de lignes électriques, robot,) et s’étoffent. Le SOUVIM et le .

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 17:50
Space, sovereignty and European security - SEDE

 

SEDE meeting on 1 April 2014

 

  • Presentation by Jean Pierre Darnis of study on space, sovereignty and European security

 

Presentation Darnis

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 17:35
Japan's New Export Rules Broaden Global Role

 

 

Apr. 5, 2014 By PAUL KALLENDER-UMEZU – Defense News

 

Defense Export Rule Change Could Balance China Threat

 

TOKYO — Japan’s recent decision to set up a regulatory system to export arms should boost Tokyo’s future role in global weapons consortiums and potentially help balance against the threat of China, analysts say.

 

An April 1 decision by the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved principles that continue to prohibit Japan from exporting arms to countries involved in conflict and that violate UN resolutions. But they also create a screening mechanism to allow weapons makers to sell arms if they contribute to international cooperation and security interests, and to alliance partners who agree not to resell them to third nations without Japan’s approval.

 

Under the new rules, the ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Economy, Trade and Industry will screen applications for sales, with the National Security Council making the final decision. The council was set up in December to speed decision-making on defense policy.

 

The new rules codify export relaxations first announced in 2011 under previous Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, but with two critical changes, said Satoshi Tsuzukibashi, director of the Defense Production Committee (the Japan Business Federation), Japan’s most powerful industrial and business lobby.

 

New guidelines mandate “strict examination” of all export cases, but with a “flexible” approach that contains a caveat allowing quicker decisions in cases of emergency, for example a contingency on the Korean Peninsula.

 

A second critical change relaxes the 2011 stipulation that every potential sale to a third country be written into any initial development, co-production or licensing deal in advance. Now, applications for sales to third countries will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

“This is an important first step forward, as it means, for example, we can export parts for the F-35, which we couldn’t and which Noda didn’t understand, and build in the principle of the ability to export to a range of countries in future deals. We can now negotiate with more countries in good faith. It means we now have a system that opens new doors,” Tsuzukibashi said.

 

An ability to cooperate on programs will be critical because countries are leaning on cost sharing as defense spending in many places falls, said Phil Finnegan, an analyst with the Teal Group.

 

“Cooperation, that is a direction that the industry is going,” Finnegan said. “Japan is now moving in that direction as well.”

 

But Finnegan said opportunity for economic gain through military equipment sales is likely years down the road because of the high manufacturing costs Japanese companies face.

 

“Nothing is going to change quickly; maybe in the long run, they can play a role in the international market,” he said. “It’s a very insular industry, and by its nature, it’s going to be expensive.”

 

Japan’s actions have become a hotly debated regional issue, with both South Korea and China signaling concern that the rule changes show Japan is on the path to remilitarization, and calling for “transparency.”

 

Jun Okumura, a visiting scholar at the Meiji Institute for Global Affairs, said the new regulations represent a significant change for Japan, not because Japan is remilitarizing but because the decision draws Japan closer to the US and to other global partners, a worrying development for China.

 

“Yes, Abe is chipping away at the postwar pacifist regime, and the question is how far Abe wants to change Japan. But he won’t go ‘all out’ ” and remilitarize, Okumura said. “The point is, he is aware of the repercussions for the Japan-US alliance, and anything that reinforces that alliance is a negative for China as they extend a more aggressive policy of projecting their military power.”

 

Critics offer both prosaic and deeper concerns that they avoid mentioning publicly, said Narushige Michishita, director of the Security and International Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.

 

“China and South Korea are proactive in selling their weapons overseas, and in a way, they are concerned about Japan becoming a competitor,” he said.

 

Michishita said Japan wants to play a more active role in maintaining Asia’s balance of power, so the changes will build a “win-win-win” situation not only for the US, but for Japan’s increasingly important partnerships with Australia, South Korea and India. This extends to emerging Southeast Asian countries, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam, all of whom are increasingly concerned about China, he said.

 

“If it’s possible to sell arms to the US [that South Korea might not want to buy from us], Australia, India and partners in Southeast Asia, our targets include the Philippines and Vietnam; it’s a great step forward. By providing arms to these countries we can make money, we can balance China, and strengthen and institutionalize our partnerships and empower these countries. It’s a win-win-win situation,” Michishita said.

 

Since Japan’s defense industrial base accounts for less than 1 percent of the country’s industrial output, and its defense products often cost multiples of the prices of US gear, it may be some time before the Mitsubishi conglomerate’s three diamonds are emblazoned on radar kits globally.

 

“Japanese weapons are not battle tested, and problems with Sumitomo Heavy Industries machine guns were covered up for many, many years, so we don’t know if potential buyers can trust Japanese systems,” Michishita said.

 

Nonetheless, Japan has a smorgasbord of specific, component level and small systems technologies, wrapped in a huge swath of dual-use technology that it can bring to future partnerships.

 

Just recently, for example, Japan politely walked away from attempts by Turkey to buy Type 10 (TK-X) lightweight main battle tanks, which one analyst said contained capabilities that emerging countries are eager to obtain. Other technologies include the Type 99 155mm self-propelled howitzer, specialized armor, and sensor and radar technologies.

 

They also extend to aero and marine engine technologies, including Soryu-class diesel-electric submarines fitted with air-independent propulsion systems, which are sought after by Australia in particular, Michishita said.

 

“Japan’s defense budget is due to grow an extra 2 percent annually over the next five years, but while that is small in real terms, this growth will be augmented when and if Japanese companies engage in [international] consortiums in the joint development of next- or next-next generation weapons,” Okumura said.

 

There also is great potential in Japan’s dual-use capabilities, he said, which range from electronics and sensors to information technology products to advanced materials and carbon and composite technologies. These include excellence in partially or highly integrated technologies like those found in Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ advanced MRJ commercial passenger jet.

 

“The good news is [that] in parallel with this progress in terms of arms sales, the Japanese government has made a decision to promote dual-use science and technology,” Michishita said.

 

“Certainly, in a best-case scenario, as we’ll be able to purchase more, unit costs will go down and we might be able to exercise some kind of influence on international security while we can ease our fiscal difficulties,” he said. “But by also engaging in international joint research and procurement, we can boost our competitiveness, and make and procure better weapons systems at lower prices.”

 

But Paul Giarra, president of Global Strategies & Transformation, warned that the change won’t necessarily tie Japan to feeding the US, and it could, in fact, help Japan emerge as a competitor.

 

“This is a most important development. Whatever the government manages will be consequential, but developments will not work out in a straight line,” Giarra said.

 

“Also, many appear to think that somehow this will give priority to American interests, but I disagree. American defense technology and industrial interests will have to compete with other global alternatives from which Japan will choose. This will be an uncomfortable competition for some,” he said.

 

Tsuzukibashi said such concerns would take a long time to materialize, although such a scenario is possible.

 

“There is this image of the Zero-sen [fighter plane], but that was a long time ago during World War II,” he said. “Japan’s defense base is not that strong, we don’t have the size, and [in] the technology to compete with companies such as Lockheed Martin or BAE, we are no threat.”■

 

Zachary Fryer-Biggs contributed to this report.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 17:30
Nouveaux défis pour les démineurs belges au Liban

 

7 avr. 2014 Belgian Defense

 

Une semaine après la fin de mission sur le Blue Point AP-295 au Sud-Liban, les démineurs du 11 Bataillon Génie entament un nouveau challenge. Ils s'y attellent depuis le samedi 22 mars. Leur tâche : s'occuper du Blue Point B75 à proximité de la petite ville d'Houla, située le long de la frontière avec Israël.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 16:55
Awacs à Roissy photo AFI KLM EM

Awacs à Roissy photo AFI KLM EM

 

07/04/2014 - AFI KLM E&M

 

Based until now at Le Bourget, AFI KLM E&M's Military Product team is moving to CDG as part of a plan to optimize and modernize the MRO's industrial base.

 

For the first time, one of the French Air Force's four AWACS aircraft, whose MRO support is entrusted to AFI KLM E&M, has arrived at Hangar H4 at CDG for a major overhaul scheduled to last several weeks. This is a major first, as military activities and French Air Force AWACS aircraft have until now been handled at Le Bourget ? another AFI KLM E&M facility to the North of Paris.

Leading-edge technology at H4 
The relocation is designed to ensure increased responsiveness for the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) as well as the French Defense Ministry's Aircraft Through Life Support Organization (SIMMAD) - two bodies in charge of AWACS modernization and maintenance operations on behalf of the French Air Force.
The inside of the hangar has been completely reconfigured in order to position all support functions (offices, back-office tasks, logistics, technical assistance and modification configuration) as close as possible to the aircraft. For increased security and performance, all operations are conducted in H4. AFI KLM E&M is also in charge of a dedicated AWACS Information System (IS) to concurrently inform both maintenance activity and the customer. The IS was successfully migrated from Le Bourget to CDG.

Heightening security 
AWACs maintenance provided by AFI KLM E&M is subject to a high level of both French and Nato classification. As a result, the investment needed to make Hangar H4 compliant with these security requirements was substantial.

Investing in the future
Executive Vice President Air France Industries Anne Brachet said: "The investment we have ploughed into new infrastructure for this fleet at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle clearly demonstrates our intention to satisfy the expectations of the French Defense Ministry and to be worthy of the trust it has placed in us."
This state-of-the-art maintenance infrastructure delivers improved service quality and is part of a much wider program. The grouping and modernization of operations north of Paris at CDG is part of the Transform 2015 adaptation and development Plan which aims to step up AFI KLM E&M's operational performance and economic effectiveness.
Based on these strong new assets, the Group intends to fully demonstrate its added-value for AWACS aircraft in particular, and for military fleets in general.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 16:50
Royal Marines launch final attack as part of exercise

Royal Marines from 40 Commando conducting a unit level attack on the Edingham Castle exercise area [Picture: Petty Officer Airman (Photographer) Sean Clee, Crown copyright]

 

7 April 2014 Ministry of Defence

 

As part of Joint Warrior, Royal Marines of 40 Commando were put through their paces on the damp fields of Edingham Castle in Scotland.


 

In what was their final attack, the 4 companies of marines waited in wet, muddy woods while surrounding a mocked-up village before firing blank rounds and dummy grenades at the ‘enemy’.

As part of the scenario there were also civilian casualties that needed treatment and fleeing citizens that required protection.

Royal Marines from 40 Commando
Royal Marines from 40 Commando prepare to deploy as an amphibious task force from Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Lyme Bay [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Will Haigh, Crown copyright]

Royal Marines troop commanders made sure those that needed first aid were treated while trying to ensure villagers were not caught up in the attack.

Marine Chris McDougal, of 4 Troop, B Company, 40 Commando, said:

Battle prep for this has been going on for a while and we have been well prepared for what we might face.

We have been laying up since the early hours in a wood block, and it was rainy and wet, but as soon as we began the assault the adrenaline kicked in and we forgot about it.

Royal Marines board a Sea King helicopter
Royal Marines from 40 Commando board a Sea King helicopter on HMS Illustrious [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Will Haigh, Crown copyright]

To reach the enemy, troops from A,B,C and D companies had to fight their way through buildings and smallholdings with steep embankments and criss-crossed tracks, all of which was made harder by the mud and chilly conditions.

The assault, which began at around 5:00am, was the culmination of an exercise which began on Sunday night, with Royal Marines landing ashore from helicopters launched from HMS Illustrious at 3 locations in Luce Bay.

An RAF Chinook
An RAF Chinook on HMS Illustrious' flight deck [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Will Haigh, Crown copyright]

From there they had to free the Castle Kennedy Airfield from the enemy; part of a rebel army that opposed a fictional government as part of a Joint Warrior exercise scenario.

There were other major attacks before the marines made their way to the last enemy stronghold of Edingham Castle.

Marine McDougal added:

The exercise all this week has been really good and worthwhile for us; it has tested all our skills and put everything we know into operation. This morning is going to be a long assault as this is our final one.

A Royal Marine from 40 Commando
A Royal Marine from 40 Commando firing blank rounds during the unit level attack on the Edingham Castle exercise area [Picture: Petty Officer Airman (Photographer) Sean Clee, Crown copyright]

Exercise Joint Warrior involves all 3 military services but is Europe’s largest naval exercise.

More than 34 warships from the UK, US, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Turkey and Norway are taking part, with the aim of testing the high readiness of the forces involved and the range of capabilities available for short-notice operations across the globe.

A Royal Marine evacuates a casualty
A Royal Marine evacuates a casualty during the unit level attack on the Edingham Castle exercise area [Picture: Petty Officer Airman (Photographer) Sean Clee, Crown copyright]

The personnel involved will use the exercise to prepare for imminent deployments to the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Middle East where they will carry out activities such as maritime security operations, reassuring allies and providing humanitarian disaster relief.

Exercise Joint Warrior finishes on 11 April.

Royal Marines treating a civilian casualty
Royal Marines from 40 Commando treating a civilian casualty [Picture: Petty Officer Airman (Photographer) Sean Clee, Crown copyright]
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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 16:45
Interview du général Lafourcade : l’opération Turquoise au Rwanda

 

07/04/2014  Propos recueillis par le lieutenant-colonel Dupas, rédacteur en chef d’Armées d’Aujourd’hui

 

Ancien chef de l’opération Turquoise, le général Jean-Claude Lafourcade s’est entretenu le 31 mars avec le ministre de la Défense. Lors d’une interview exclusive accordée à Armées d’Aujourd’hui, il revient sur l’opération qu’il a commandée entre juin et août 1994 au Rwanda.

 

Pour le général Lafourcade, l’opération Turquoise est intervenue dans un nouveau contexte de crises et conflits, caractérisé par des conflits ethniques et religieux où il est difficile pour une force d’intervention d’identifier l’adversaire. Une mission d’autant plus difficile lorsque la France se retrouve seule à assumer ses responsabilités internationales face à des crises humanitaires majeures.

 

 

Interview du général Lafourcade : l’opération Turquoise au Rwanda

La France était-elle légitime pour intervenir en 1994 au Rwanda ?

Dans le cadre des accords d’assistance militaire avec le Rwanda, l’armée française  avait apporté sa coopération pendant trois ans aux Forces armées rwandaises (FAR) face à l’offensive du Front patriotique rwandais (FPR) venant d’Ouganda. S’étant retirée du Rwanda fin 1993, conformément aux accords d’Arusha qui prévoyaient un partage du pouvoir entre les deux parties, elle était donc mal placée pour intervenir. Mais elle l’a fait malgré les risques, et c’est tout son honneur : face à  la passivité de la communauté internationale  devant le  génocide – que la France a été la première à dénoncer – déclenché par l’attentat qui a coûté la vie au président Habyarimana le 6 avril 1994, la France décide en juin d’intervenir. Elle obtient un mandat des Nations unies qui lui donne mission, pour une durée de deux mois, d’arrêter les massacres en cours et de protéger les populations, en toute impartialité. 

 

Comment parler d’impartialité alors que se produisait un génocide ?

Le respect de l’impartialité de la Force Turquoise a constitué une difficulté majeure. En effet, tout en protégeant les populations et en arrêtant les massacres, il n’était pas question  de s’opposer au FPR qui poursuivait sa progression à l’intérieur du Rwanda et qui affichait son hostilité, ni d’apporter un soutien aux FAR que nous avions assistés pendant trois ans et qui nous demandaient de l’aide. Par ailleurs, la population hutu  accueillait la force avec liesse, convaincue qu’on venait à son seul secours. Il a fallu une grande rigueur et une grande discipline aux soldats sur le terrain pour respecter cette impartialité et je rends hommage à leur intelligence de la situation et à leur professionnalisme, car ils ont sauvé des milliers de vies sans prendre parti, ce qui n’était pas évident. D’autant que la crédibilité de la France était en jeu car l’intervention se déroulait sous le regard de plus de 200 journalistes du monde entier et de nombreuses organisations humanitaires, tous convaincus que la France venait prêter main-forte aux Hutus contre le FPR.

 

Mais pourquoi les Français étaient-ils seuls à ce moment-là ?

Inexplicablement, le Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU, huit jours après le début du génocide, avait retiré 2000 soldats de la force de l’ONU appelée Minuar chargée de contrôler la mise en œuvre des accords d’Arusha. Il restait donc sur place 200  soldats sous les ordres du général canadien Roméo Dallaire, qui avaient assisté impuissants au déroulement du génocide car leur mandat était resté  sous chapitre VI de la charte des Nations unies. Lors de la planification de l’opération à Paris, compte tenu des expériences précédentes, nous avons réclamé et obtenu que l’intervention soit placée sous chapitre VII avec autorisation du recours à la force. Par ailleurs, suite à l’expérience malheureuse des Américains en Somalie, nous avons constitué une force robuste capable de faire face à toute éventualité, même pour une opération à but humanitaire. J’avais donc les moyens de remplir cette mission mais il fallait maîtriser l’emploi de la force, ce qu’ont admirablement fait nos soldats.

 

Comment se passait la coopération avec ces Casques bleus ?

Nous étions en contact permanent avec la Minuar pour coordonner notre action, mais en fait les relations  ne furent pas bonnes car le général Dallaire a fait preuve de parti pris et s’est montré très peu  coopératif avec les Français. Mais cela n’a pas eu d’incidence sur le déroulement de l’opération Turquoise qui avait son propre mandat en prise directe avec Paris et New York.

 

Mais de ce fait, la France a concentré les critiques…

La France a été accusée d’avoir pris parti pour les Hutus contre les Tutsis. En réalité, il nous a fallu un certain temps pour que la majeure partie de la force acheminée exclusivement par voie aérienne au Zaïre soit engagée au Rwanda. J’ai ainsi dû attendre de rassembler les moyens suffisants pour pouvoir intervenir sur des massacres en cours dans les collines de Bisesero sachant que le FPR, à proximité, affichait son hostilité. On nous a plus tard accusés d’avoir refusé d’intervenir afin de laisser massacrer les Tutsis, ce qui n’a aucun sens.

Un autre  reproche fait à Turquoise est celui d’avoir protégé les génocidaires dans la zone de sécurité installée par mandat de l’ONU dans le sud ouest du Rwanda et de les avoir incités à fuir au Zaïre. Les principaux responsables du génocide n’avaient pas attendu l’arrivée des soldats français pour quitter le Rwanda. Il ne restait que des « seconds couteaux », contre lesquels les gendarmes de la force ont établi des dossiers judiciaires qui ont été transmis à l’ONU. Mais j’en profite pour souligner le principal succès de l’intervention française : Turquoise a permis de maintenir à l’intérieur du Rwanda plus de 4 millions de personnes qui auraient fui au Zaïre devant l’avancée du FPR et les exactions des deux camps. Cet exode, inévitable si les soldats français n’avaient été déployés, aurait provoqué la plus grande catastrophe humanitaire de tous les temps. Rien que pour cela, l’action de la France devrait être saluée.

 

Pour vous Turquoise a donc été une opération positive ?

A la fin de la mission en août 1994, l’ensemble de la communauté internationale et les médias du monde entier ont salué le bilan positif de l’opération Turquoise. Mes soldats sont rentrés éprouvés par les horreurs des massacres et du génocide mais fiers d’avoir sauvé des vies et d’avoir amélioré le sort des populations. Les critiques contre leur action sont indignes, surtout que toutes les autres grandes puissances ont failli et portent finalement une grande part de responsabilité dans le drame rwandais. L’opération Turquoise s’est inscrite dans une nouvelle forme de crises et conflits, caractérisée par la faillite des États, des guerres civiles internes, des conflits ethniques et religieux où il est difficile pour une force d’intervention d’identifier l’adversaire. Plus que jamais nos soldats doivent faire preuve d’intelligence de situation, de maîtrise de soi et de professionnalisme. C’est bien ce que nous avons prouvé avec l’opération Turquoise.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 16:35
Bushmaster - photo Thales

Bushmaster - photo Thales

Déployé en Irak et en Afghanistan, le Bushmaster a été vendu à plus de 1.000 exemplaires, à l'Australie, aux Pays-Bas et à la Jamaïque, explique Thales.

 

07/04/2014 latribune.fr 

 

Thales va vendre des blindés Bushmaster au Japon. Ils seront fabriqués par la filiale australienne du groupe français pour un montant inconnu.

 

Le groupe français d'électronique et de défense Thales a annoncé lundi la vente de quatre de ses blindés Bushmaster au Japon, confirmant ainsi le succès de ce véhicule fabriqué en Australie à l'exportation.

 

"premier contrat de plateformes au Japon"

Ces blindés à roues, en version transport de troupes, doivent être livrés d'ici la fin de l'année à la force d'auto-défense terrestre du Japon, indique Thales dans un communiqué, sans révéler le montant du contrat. Chris Jenkins, PDG de Thales Australia commente :

"Ce nouveau contrat à l'export démontre le succès grandissant et la polyvalence du Bushmaster. (...) Il s'agit pour Thales du premier contrat de plateformes au Japon. Notre objectif est de fournir des technologies et des services qui répondent parfaitement aux besoins du ministère de la Défense japonais. Nous nous réjouissons de travailler en étroite collaboration avec la force d'auto-défense terrestre japonaise dès que les véhicules seront en service."

 

1.000 exemplaires vendus

Déployé en Irak et en Afghanistan, le Bushmaster a été vendu à plus de 1.000 exemplaires, à l'Australie, aux Pays-Bas et à la Jamaïque, ajoute Thales.

Le groupe français, qui a réalisé en 2013 un chiffre d'affaires de 14,2 milliards d'euros, travaille sur les marchés de l'aérospatiale, de la défense, de la sécurité et des transports. Sa filiale Thales Australia a enregistré des ventes de 1 milliard de dollars australiens (677 millions d'euros) l'année dernière.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 16:35
 US, ROK Forces Wrap Up Exercise Ssang Yong 2014

 

Apr.7, 2014 By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Carla Burdt, Amphibious Squadron 11 Public Affairs - Pacific Sentine

 
USS BONHOMME RICHARD - At Sea (NNS) -- Sailors and Marines from Expeditionary Strike Group Seven (ESG 7) and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (3d MEB), along with their counterparts from the Republic of Korea (ROK), wrapped up exercise Ssang Yong 2014, April 5. 
 
Ssang Yong, Korean for "twin dragons," is an annual, bilateral amphibious assault exercise conducted in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operation by Navy and Marine forces with the ROK in to strengthen interoperability and working relationships across the range of military operations from disaster relief to complex, expeditionary operations. 
 
"What Ssang Yong 2014 is all about is demonstrating the capabilities of the Navy and Marine Corps amphibious team," said Rear Adm. Hugh Wetherald, Commander ESG 7. "There is more than just amphibious warfare, and that is working with our partners, working with our allies. This is one of those unique opportunities that we have to really integrate ourselves and work as an equal team as we project power."
 

 

The exercise was the first to include a joint, combined command and control headquarters which was led by Wetherald; ROK Rear Adm. Chun Jung-soo, commander, Flotilla Five; Brig. Gen. Paul Kennedy, commanding general, 3d MEB; and ROK Brig. Gen. Cho Kang-jae, deputy commander Landing Force.
 
More than 20 ships and 14,000 Sailors and Marines participated in the exercise. 
 
"I've always said that our navies, any of our partners' navies, are stronger when we work together than when we work apart," said Wetherald. "As we brought the two flagships together, 500 yards apart from each other, that was really emblematic of the capability we have out here and how strong we are when we work together."
 
During Ssang Yong 2014, 13 landing craft, including Landing Craft Air Cushion and Landing Craft Utility transported 263 pieces of equipment weighing a total of 3,328,494 pounds. The equipment transported included, six M1A1 tanks; High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles; Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements; Internally Transportable Vehicles; and, other equipment between Marine Prepositioning Forces (MPF) and Navy assets.
 
"We moved more than three million pounds of equipment over five days via landing craft," said Capt. Michael Allen, Commander Amphibious Squadron 11 (PHIBRON 11) combat cargo officer. "During the rehearsal and 'D-Day,' the dynamic schedule came together and we executed perfectly. For two nations to come together and achieve what we did was phenomenal. We learned how to best communicate in order to identify priorities and get people and equipment to the beach." 
 
ESG 7 and 3d MEB also flew more than 800 aerial missions in support of the exercise and 74 U.S. and Korean amphibious assault vehicles were used during the amphibious landing. For Ssang Yong 2014, ESG 7 included the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and Boxer ARG and 3d MEB included the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and the 13th MEU.
 
"This was a tremendously complex exercise with thousands of Marines and thousands of Navy Sailors, over 20 ships coming together and, then, immediately executing," said Wetherald. "It was a true and tried example of a mature relationship."
 
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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 16:30
The Future Is Here: The Hercules C-130J lands at Nevatim Airbase

 

 

07.04.2014 Shani Pomes - iaf.org.il

 

This week, the IAF is expected to become stronger with the landing of the latest transport plane, the Hercules C-130J "Shimshon" (Hebrew for Samson). The IAF's new acquisition is capable of carrying much more than its sister plane, the Hercules H, and will be equipped with advanced Israeli systems which will extend the strategic arm of the IAF

 

This week, it's finally happening: after long anticipation and much preparation, the Hercules C-130J will land at the Nevatim airbase and will join the ranks of the IAF. The latest plane will join the Heavy Transport Division of the force and will add advanced capabilities to the long arm of the IAF.

 

Big, Accurate, Strong And Safe

 

The IAF purchased the long version of the Hercules C-130J from Lockheed- Martin which allows for an improved carrying capacity: instead of 64 paratroopers the short version can carry, the Hercules C-130J can accommodate in its cargo hold 92 paratroopers and their equipment. Alternatively, the cargo hold can accommodate four military SUVs instead of three, or transport 128 soldiers.

 

"The more cargo a plane is able to take, the fewer the trips that are necessary to accumulate power on the battlefield", explains Lieutenant Colonel Uri, commander of the "Elephants" squadron. "Also, there is cargo that cannot be put in a short plane and can only be put in a long plane". A tour of the cockpit of the Hercules C-130J reveals cutting-edge technology: in addition to the digital screens and the advanced displays, the new plane is equipped with new systems that streamline the aircraft maintenance work and allow the technicians to gain information on the routine operations and the malfunctions. Many of the systems that will be installed in the plane are Israeli-made and will make the Hercules C-130J stand out from Hercules planes around the world.

 

Working With Ground Forces

 

The installation of the Israeli systems in the Hercules C-130J was carried out in the production line of the planes in the United States and after the plane lands in Israel, additional systems will be installed. This is one step in the integration process of the IAF platform, during which the Hercules C-130J will undergo test flights at the Test Flight Center and, simultaneously, the air crews of the "Elephants" squadron will begin training on it.

 

"The Hercules C-130J is a plane whose main missions mostly include tactical transport of forces and cargo for long and short distances, in large amounts and with high accuracy", adds Lieutenant Colonel Uri. "The plane will mostly work with ground forces and to their benefit: it will transport forces, rescue them and know how to execute transport and supply missions for them with a high degree of efficiency and safety".

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 12:56
Les drones, par le patron du 1/33 Belfort, c'est à Lille le 8 avril

07.04.2014 par Philippe Chapleau - Lignes de Défense

 

Un peu juste comme annonce, mais tant pis! Le thème et la présence du colonel Fontaine méritent le déplacement.

 

Demain mardi, à Lille, aura lieu un café-défense sur le thème des "drones: considérations tactiques, industrielles, légales et éthiques".


Deux intervenants sont annoncés: le lieutenant colonel Jérôme de Lespinois, responsable de programme à l'IRSEM, et le colonel Christophe Fontaine, commandant de l'escadron de drones 1/33 Belfort.

 

Pratique: domaine universitaire de Lille 3, au pont de bois, Amphi B7, de 18h à 20h.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 12:56
Opération de maintenance Awacs sur la base d'Avord photo Cosmao

Opération de maintenance Awacs sur la base d'Avord photo Cosmao

 

 

07/04/2014 par Guillaume Steuer – Air & Cosmos

 

Il s'est posé ce matin sur l'aéroport de Roissy : pour la première fois, un E-3F Awacs de l'armée de l'Air va être pris en charge par Air France Industries, en charge du maintien en condition opérationnelle de cet aéronef, sur son site de CDG. Et non plus au Bourget, comme c'était le cas jusqu'alors.

 

"Nous avons décidé de transférer cette activité vers Roissy afin de moderniser notre outil industriel et d'assurer la maintenance de cet appareil dans des installations entièrement rénovées", explique Anne Brachet, directrice générale d'Air France Industries. "Nous avons investi plus de cinq millions d'euros afin de réaliser ces travaux, qui s'inscrivent dans la continuité du plan Transform 2015", précise la dirigeante.

 

A ce jour, l'activité Awacs mobilise environ 200 personnes chez Air France Industries (AFI). Pour le moment, le site du Bourget héberge encore les équipes de direction et l'activité aérostructures. Mais cette dernière est également amenée à rejoindre Roissy, où une usine plus moderne est en cours de construction. Elle permettra notamment à AFI d'être mieux armé dans le domaine des matériaux composites.

 

A Roissy, les Awacs français seront désormais entretenus et modernisés sous le hangar de maintenance H4, dans une zone respectant les contraintes de sécurité fixées par le client mais aussi par le gouvernement américain, attentif à l'utilisation qui est faite des systèmes "sensibles" fournis par les Etats-Unis. Ce même H4 continuera toutefois de servir à la maintenance d'autres flottes long-courrier, A330 et A340 notamment.

 

L'Awacs qui vient de se poser à Roissy est par ailleurs le deuxième E-3F de l'armée de l'Air qui doit subir son chantier de rénovation à mi-vie (MLU). Une modernisation majeure qui vise à rénover entièrement le système de mission de l'appareil dans une configuration similaire à la version dite Block 40/45 développée par Boeing pour l'US Air Force.

 

De son côté, Air France Industries entend développer ses activités dans le domaine du soutien militaire à moyen et long terme. "Nous avons clairement exprimé notre volonté de participer au soutien complet des futurs A330 MRTT français", explique Anne Brachet. L'expérience acquise par AFI dans le soutien des A330 civils est une sérieuse référence, sur un marché qui reste toutefois très concurrentiel.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 11:55
L’Otan se transforme

 

07/04/2014 K. Chérubin  -  DICoD

 

Suivez en direct le séminaire consacré à la transformation de l’Otan le mardi 8 avril de 9h à 11h sur le site du ministère de la Défense.

 

Le séminaire se déroule à l’hôtel InterContinental de Paris en présence du secrétaire général de l’Otan, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, du ministre de la Défense, Jean-Yves Le Drian ainsi que du Commandant suprême allié transformation (SACT), le général Jean-Paul Paloméros.

 

Le séminaire est l’occasion pour les représentants permanents au Conseil de l’Atlantique Nord et au Comité militaire, ainsi que pour les responsables des différents états-majors de l’Otan de réfléchir aux futurs défis auxquels l’Alliance doit se préparer avant de se retrouver en septembre prochain au pays de Galles, lors du sommet de l’organisation.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 11:55
Opérations: Pas un pas sans appui

 

07/04/2014 Armée de Terre

 

Les récentes opérations extérieures ont confirmé l’importance de l’intégration des appuis. Au-delà des traditionnels appuis feux interarmes et interarmées dont disposent les troupes au sol...

 

Découvrez comment se déploie une force sur un théâtre d'opérations.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 11:50
Perceptual Robotics Laboratory

Perceptual Robotics Laboratory

 

 

Paris, le 7 avril 2014 Sagem (Safran)

 

Sagem (Safran) a signé avec le laboratoire Percro (Perceptual Robotics Laboratory) de l’école supérieure Sainte-Anne de Pise (Italie) un accord de coopération portant sur le développement des technologies de l’exosquelette.

Un exosquelette est une structure électromécanique autonome externe à l’organisme permettant de démultiplier les capacités physiques de l’être humain, pour le port de charges, la mobilité, et la précision. Le concept d’exosquelette bénéficie aujourd’hui des nouvelles ruptures technologiques, dans les domaines du traitement numérique, des senseurs miniatures et du contrôle.

Au titre de cette coopération, Sagem travaillera sur l’évaluation physiologique et biomécanique et l’école supérieure Sainte-Anne de Pise sur le contrôle, la mécanique appliquée et la mécatronique. Ce partenariat débouchera sur le développement et la fabrication de prototypes pour essais d’ici à 2017.

Ces développements pourront profiter de l’expertise reconnue de Sagem dans la gestion autonome de l’énergie et les technologies de contrôle et de stabilisation de plates-formes.

Le projet s’appuiera à la fois sur des financements européens du programme de recherche et d’innovation Horizon 2020 (1)> et des investissements financés par Safran.

Les technologies d’exosquelette offrent des perspectives considérables dans les secteurs civils et les forces armées, telles que la construction ou la conduite des premiers secours lors de catastrophes naturelles. Les exo prothèses se présentent comme des solutions améliorant l’autonomie des personnes handicapées ou à mobilité réduite, notamment les seniors dans leur quotidien. Ils ouvrent aussi des perspectives pour la robotique collaborative en industrie, ainsi qu’en logistique (augmentation des capacités de manutention, sécurité, lutte contre les troubles musculo-squelettiques, etc.).

Les projets européens associés à ces technologies sont pour Safran, à travers sa filiale Sagem, une opportunité nouvelle de coopération avec l’Italie en matière de recherche et de développement. Faisant un large appel à des technologies innovantes, cette opportunité s’inscrit pleinement dans la stratégie de Safran de s’engager pleinement dans des coopérations européennes (A400M, NH90, etc,) susceptibles à leur tour d’associer des PME innovantes.

(1) Horizon 2020 est le programme de recherche et d’innovation de l’Union européenne. Il recentre ses financements sur trois priorités : l’excellence scientifique, la primauté industrielle, les défis sociétaux. Il est doté de 79 milliards d’euros (en euros courants, Euratom compris), pour la période de 2014-2020. Entrée en vigueur : 1er janvier 2014.

****

Le laboratoire PERCO Perceptual Robotics Laboratory est l’un des centres les plus avancé dans le domaine de la robotique, de l’intelligence artificielle et de la réalité virtuelle. Fondé en 1994 par Massimo Bergamasco, professeur de mécanique appliquée de l’Université de Saint Anne de Pise. Le laboratoire a deux implantations, l’une à Pise, l’autre à Polo Sant’Anna Valdera de Pontedera.

Sagem, société de haute technologie de Safran, est un leader mondial de solutions et de services en optronique, avionique, électronique et logiciels critiques, pour les marchés civils et de défense. N°1 européen et n°3 mondial des systèmes de navigation inertielle pour les applications aéronautiques, marines et terrestres, Sagem est également n°1 mondial des commandes de vol pour hélicoptères et n°1 européen des systèmes optroniques et des systèmes de drones tactiques. Présents sur tous les continents via le réseau international du groupe Safran, Sagem et ses filiales emploient 7 500 personnes en Europe, en Asie du Sud-est et Amérique du Nord. Sagem est le nom commercial de la société Sagem Défense Sécurité.
Pour plus d’informations : www.sagem-ds.com

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 11:50
BAE Systems Wins £16.8 Million Illuminating Shell Contract

 

7 April 2014 BAE Systems

 

BAE Systems has been awarded a £16.8 million contract to produce 105mm illuminating artillery shells, L43A5, for the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD).

 

 “This award builds on more than 45 years of 105mm Illuminating Shell development,” said Lena Gillström, managing director of Weapon Systems, Sweden at BAE Systems. “Variants of the 105mm Illuminating Shell have been used by multiple armed forces around the world and continues to be one of the best solutions to meet a 105mm illuminating artillery shell capability.”

 

Upon completion of this contract, BAE Systems will have delivered more than 60,000 rounds of 105mm white and infrared illuminating artillery shells to the U.K. MoD.

 

Series production starts immediately and the rounds will be delivered from 2014 through 2016. Final assembly will occur at BAE Systems facility in Karlskoga, Sweden. The L43A5 can be fired from the 105mm Light Gun, currently in service with the United Kingdom and many other armed forces around the world.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 11:50
Selex ES Miysis DIRCM sees success in NATO Trial

 

 

Apr 7, 2014 ASDNews Source : Selex ES

 

The Miysis Directed Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) system developed Selex ES, a Finmeccanica company, was successfully demonstrated in March 2014 as part of NATO Trial EMBOW XIV.

 

During the flight trial, witnessed by 100 multi-national VIPs, the Miysis DIRCM system autonomously acquired, tracked and jammed the trial test equipment on the ground. Initial assessment of the results indicates that the Miysis DIRCM has the capability to jam Generation 1, 2 and 3 Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) using NATO jam codes. Trial EMBOW XIV was conducted at Biscarrosse in France and the Miysis was installed on a French Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) CASA-212 aircraft. The DIRCM trial was assisted by Airbus D&S, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the UK MoD. Prior to and during EMBOW XIV, the UK MoD worked closely with Selex ES and provided them with substantial support.

 

Read more

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 11:50
EU battlegroups after the Central African Republic crisis: quo vadis?

 

2nd April 2014 by Niklas Novaky * - europeangeostrategy.org

 

This year will mark the 10th anniversary of the European Union’s (EU) battlegroup (BG) concept. Despite the approaching milestone, the EU is unlikely to celebrate it with much fanfare. This is because, although the EU has deployed three Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) military crisis management operations since the first battlegroups became operational in January 2005, none of them have been a BG-operation.

 

The future of the BG-concept was subject to heated debate in the run-up to last December’s European Council, where EU heads of state and government focused on CSDP for the first time since the Lisbon Treaty’s entry into force in 2009. Over the years, many EU countries have become frustrated by the BGs because using them in crisis situations has proven extremely difficult, although they are often hailed as CSDP’s ‘flagship capability’.

 

The latest opportunity to use them came last year when the security climate in the Central African Republic (CAR) deteriorated. In March 2013, the Séléka group, a loose coalition of Muslim militias, overthrew the CAR government of President François Bozizé. After President Bozizé fled the country, Séléka-leader Michel Djotodia became the country’s President. However, the situation in the country deteriorated further after clashes between various Christian and Muslim groups escalated in the second half of 2013.

 

In order to contribute to the international community’s efforts to stabilise the situation in the CAR, the EU began to consider the option of deploying a BG in November. It was considered that the BGs would be an ideal instrument for providing temporary relief on the ground by stabilising the situation in Bangui, the CAR capital. However, the idea of deploying a BG collapsed quickly.

 

In the second half of 2013, the only BG on standby was led by the United Kingdom (UK). However, Britain’s conservative-led coalition government refused to discuss deploying the BG because it would have been extremely difficult for it to justify using the BG for its Eurosceptic domestic audience. In the first half of 2014, the only BG on standby was led by Greece. However, this BG could not be used either because it lacked financial resources. According to member state officials, Greece was also reluctant to deploy the BG for political reasons; since the country has gone through dramatic cuts to balance its budget, deploying the BG would not have been popular among the Greek public.

 

The EU’s inability to use the BGs in the CAR raises tough questions about the future of the BG concept. Finland’s Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, for example, expressed recently that ‘there is something fundamentally wrong in the EU’s capabilities’ if the BGs cannot be deployed when there is a clear need to deploy them. Furthermore, Sweden’s Foreign Minter Carl Bildt saw that the Union’s failure to use the BGs in the CAR could even spell the end of the BG concept as we know it.

 

The Nordics’ frustration is not just words. At the Athens informal EU defence ministerial in February, Sweden proposed that EU defence ministers should hold a workshop to study the conditions under which the BG could be deployed in the future. According to Finnish Defence Minister Carl Haglud, this shows that the member states are finally waking up to the reality that the BG concept simply ‘does not work’ in its current form.

 

In the author’s opinion, there are two options for increasing the deployability of EU BGs. The first one is the modularity idea, which was featured in High Representative Catherine Ashton’s annual report on CSDP in October 2013. According to Ashton, BG modularity ‘would allow incorporating the modules provided by the member states most interested in a given crisis, avoiding a too rigid and prescribed composition of the EU BGs, and allowing for more proportionate contributions according to member states’ means’. In other words, rather than having a rigid pre-determined structure, BGs could be assembled from EU member states’ modules on a case-by-case basis.

 

Modularity is an idea worth testing because it would increase the BGs’ flexibility. However, it is unlikely that it would significantly speed up the EU’s military deployment process. This is because the deployment of BGs would still depend on EU member states’ willingness to contribute the required modules, which is not guaranteed to happen. As the case of EUFOR RCA has show, EU member states have difficulties generating enough forces even for a relatively small operation of 1,000 troops. Thus, it is unclear how BG modularity would change the current dynamics in the EU’s force generation process.

 

In order to work, modularity needs to be complemented with second parallel reform, i.e. increasing common funding for possible BG-operations. In the event that the EU decides to launch a BG-operation, the vast majority of the operation’s costs would currently be funded according to the principle of ‘costs lie where they fall’. This means that each member state participating in a BG-operation would be responsible for covering the expenses of its own contingent without external assistance. The only exception to this rule is a small amount of common costs, which are funded through the Athena mechanism.

 

To improve EU member states’ incentives to participate in BG-operations, common funding should be increased significantly. The best-case scenario would be to have the Athena mechanism fund the majority of BG-operations’ costs. This way EU member states would not have to worry about funding issues at the time when they are making a decision on whether or not to contribute modules to a possible BG-operation. In other words, the idea of using a BG should never again collapse because there would not be enough funding for it!

 

Sweden’s proposal to hold a ministerial workshop on EU BGs is a good one, although it is likely that resolving the BGs’ current structural problems will take much more than one workshop. However, if EU member states could implement modularity in an effective way and increase the level of common funding for possible BG operations, the deployability of EU BGs is likely to increase.

 

 

* Mr. Niklas Novaky is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Aberdeen. He is also a Visiting Researcher at the Institute for European Studies, Free University of Brussels. He writes here in a personal capacity.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 11:45
Libye: ouverture du salon de la défense à Tripoli

 

07-04-2014 French.china.org.cn

 

Le salon Libya Defense Show 2014 a ouvert ses portes dimanche à Tripoli, avec l'objectif d'améliorer la situation sécuritaire dans ce pays déchiré par les conflits.

 

Parmi les articles qui y sont présentés figurent des véhicules blindés, des uniformes, des gilets pare-balles et différents équipements de la police en provenance de 40 exposants.

 

Lors de la cérémonie d'ouverture, le ministre libyen de l'Intérieur par intérim Salah Mazig a souhaité que les efforts de toutes les parties concernées puissent aider la Libye à "construire une armée puissante capable de se défendre".

 

Cependant, en raison d'un manque de publicité en amont pour des raisons de sécurité, le nombre de participants a baissé par rapport aux dernières éditions, ont expliqué les organisateurs.

 

Depuis la chute de l'ancien dirigeant libyen Mouammar Kadhafi en 2011, le pays est déchiré par les conflits impliquant milices et hors-la-loi. Le gouvernement de transition n'est pas parvenu à prendre le contrôle de toutes les régions du pays d'Afrique du Nord.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 11:45
photo ECPAD

photo ECPAD

 

07 avril 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

 

PARIS - L'ancien Premier ministre français Edouard Balladur, qui était en poste au moment du génocide au Rwanda, et le chef de l'opération française militaro-humanitaire Turquoise en 1994 ont dénoncé lundi comme mensongères les accusations du chef de l'Etat rwandais Paul Kagame impliquant Paris dans cette tragédie.

 

L'ancien Premier ministre français de droite (UMP) entre 1993 et 1995 a jugé sur la radio Europe 1 que M. Kagame cherche sans cesse à mettre en cause la France alors que lui-même n'a pas réussi, au bout de vingt ans à rassembler le peuple rwandais.

 

Selon M. Balladur, la France n'est en rien complice du génocide, au contraire elle est de tous les pays du monde le seul qui ait pris l'initiative d'organiser une opération humanitaire pour éviter un massacre généralisé.

 

Dire que la France a participé est un mensonge, un mensonge intéressé, a-t-il insisté.

 

Le gouvernement que je dirigeais a, dès qu'il a été installé, mis fin à toute livraison d'armes au Rwanda et retiré les troupes françaises, a poursuivi celui qui fut Premier ministre de cohabitation sous le président socialiste François Mitterrand.

 

Le général Jean-Claude Lafourcade, qui commandait l'opération Turquoise, a de son côté qualifié d'infondées et injustes les déclarations de Paul Kagame accusant la France d'avoir joué un rôle direct dans la préparation du génocide et d'avoir participé à son exécution même.

 

Je trouve les accusations de M. Kagame infondées et injustes, elles ternissent complètement ce jour de mémoire pour un drame humain mondial, a-t-il déclaré sur la radio RTL. Le président rwandais devait lancer lundi les commémorations officielles du 20e anniversaire du génocide, qui a fait entre avril et juillet 1994 quelque 800.000 morts.

 

Le général a rappelé que l'opération française avait été lancée fin juin 1994 alors que 90% des massacres avaient déjà eu lieu.

 

Nous sommes arrivés deux mois et demi après le début du génocide, donc un peu tard. Il n'empêche que l'opération Turquoise sous mandat de l'ONU, avec l'accord du monde entier, a permis de protéger des populations, de sauver des vies, une quinzaine de milliers de vies, a-t-il affirmé.

 

Pendant le génocide, il n'y avait pas un seul soldat français au Rwanda, a-t-il souligné : dire aujourd'hui que la France était présente au moment du génocide c'est faux.

 

Nous n'étions pas dans une mission de combat, nous étions dans une mission de protéger les populations, ce qui a été fait assez vite en désarmant les miliciens, a assuré le général.

 

M. Balladur a par ailleurs regretté qu'il ait été envisagé d'envoyer un ministre à Kigali pour les cérémonies de commémoration car les incidents qui se produisent étaient prévisibles compte tenu de ce qu'est (le président rwandais) M. Kagame et sa pratique constante.

 

Les autorités rwandaises ont retiré lundi l'accréditation de l'ambassadeur de France à la cérémonie officielle de lancement des commémorations lundi, où il devait représenter Paris en remplacement de la ministre de la Justice, Christiane Taubira, dont le déplacement a été annulé à la suite des propos de M. Kagame.

 

Le 10e anniversaire du génocide de 2004 avait déjà été marqué par un grave incident entre Kigali et Paris. La délégation française avait raccourci sa visite, après que M. Kagame s'en fut pris dans son discours aux Français qui ont l'audace de rester là sans s'excuser.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 11:40
Ukraine Puts Mothballed Mig-29 Fighter Jets Back in Service

 

April 7th, 2014 By RIA Novosti - defencetalk.com

 

Several mothballed Mikoyan Mig-29 Fulcrum fourth-generation fighter jets were returned to combat service in western Ukraine, the country’s Defense Ministry said on Friday.

 

“Specialists of our team have already returned several planes to service,” the ministry quoted an unnamed commander of an Air Force unit near Ivano-Frankivsk as saying. “We are now conducting test flights. Soon, more mothballed fighter jets will take off again.”

 

The state of Ukraine’s armed forces came under close scrutiny when the new government took office in late February, after months of violent uprising.

 

Kiev launched extensive combat readiness checks of its armed forces in early March, following Crimea’s announcement that it was ready to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.

 

Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh said in his report to the president that the checks revealed “unsatisfactory” condition of the armed forces.

 

He said that out of 507 combat planes and 121 attack helicopters, only 15 percent are serviceable. Air Force crews lack proper training and only 10 percent of them are capable of performing combat tasks.

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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 11:40
Ratnik warrior military equipment to inform medics about the wound

 

April 07, 2014 by Rostec

 

Special sensors in soldiers’ equipment will transmit information to military medics

 

In Russia, the Warrior (Ratnik) military equipment is in the final stages of state testing. The next-generation equipment is outfitted with a system to register the physiological state of soldiers, with special sensors transmitting information to military medics.

 

According to Izvestia, the St. Petersburg Military Medical Academy named for Kirov (VMA) over the next two years will undergo an experimental modernization that includes a system to monitor soldiers’ vital functions and “to determine the physiological parameters of the wounded and assessing the severity of their injuries.”

 

The creators of the Warrior equipment (the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering, part of the state corporation Rostec) confirmed to Izvestia that a health monitoring system was already being developed. The monitoring system is expected to be included in the next version of the Warrior equipment.

 

The upgraded Warrior equipment will include body sensors that every minute will record parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood-oxygen saturation indicators, and microvascular blood filling. The system will store and analyze these figures, and any deviation from the norm will trigger an alarm in the medical service. This technology draws on the already-developed Sagittarius (Strelets) system of intelligence, control, and communication. All information is automatically saved on a flash drive that stores medical history.

 

Soldiers in the medical unit will have access to all indicators on the condition of the wounded. Based on the severity of the injuries, the state of a wounded soldier will be assessed on a scale of 0 to 5. The medical company will use the data to prioritize the evacuation of the wounded and to identify the best possible ways to reach them based on their GPS coordinates.

 

The Ratnik warrior military equipment includes body armor, GLONASS-GPS navigation, the Sagittarius (Strelets) control system, a communicator, and an automatic weapon with night and thermal vision. The helmet is equipped to withstand a shot from a pistol at a distance of 10 m and has a thermal camera and video module for sniping. The Warrior equipment also includes food, water filters, medical supplies, a tent, and a sleeping bag. In total, the equipment weighs up to 20 kg.

 

The Ratnik warrior equipment was first introduced in 2011 and is expected to be formally adopted in the summer of 2014. This year’s state defense order includes the supply of tens of thousands of sets of the combat equipment for ground, airborne, and naval troops.

 

The Warrior equipment is produced at the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TSNII TochMash), which was founded in 1944 and is now part of Rostec. The enterprise focuses on the development and manufacture of small arms and ammunition, military equipment, artillery systems, optoelectronic devices, sporting and hunting ammunition, sealed containers for transportation and storage, and firearm simulators.

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