Dec 12, 2013 By Yasir Faheem - asian-defence.net

China will construct two conventionally powered aircraft carriers in Dalian and Shanghai between 2014 and 2015, a source from China's Central Military Commission has told.

Under the Commission's Project 048, China aims to establish three carrier battle groups by 2020 so that all three major fleets of the PLA Navy will be able to carry out missions with the full support of an aircraft carrier. The two new Type 001A indigenous carriers will be updated versions of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which was originally a Soviet-era Admiral Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier purchased from Ukraine in 1998. They will also likely be designed with a ski-jump ramp.

Sources said that the General Equipment Department of the PLA has already signed a contract with the Beijing-based China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation to build the two carriers. The price of the two vessels is estimated to be worth US$9 billion.

China has yet to decide whether its J-31 stealth fighter will replace the J-15 to become the country's next generation carrier-based fighter, according to sources. The J-31 fighter entered service after the J-15, and is able to land or take off from the flight deck of the Liaoning. Sources said that a decision will only be made after the construction of the nation's second and third aircraft carriers is completed. This will give the PLA more time to think about the type of carrier-based fighter it will need in the future, the sources added.

Dec 2013 by By Yasir Faheem

Taiwan's military is developing a weapons-capable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with some stealth capabilities at the Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, an official at the institute said.

This will be the first armed UAV from the military-run research center, which has developed various tactical drones for surveillance and reconnaissance that cannot carry weapons, according to the source familiar with the institute's project, who requested anonymity.

Unlike previous models, the drone under development boasts short wings, stealth features and a weapons cabin that can carry missiles and bombs, the official said.

"The new UAV would be able to evade radar detection as its body is made from radar-absorbent materials," the official added.

The revelation came on the sidelines of a defense technology exhibition at Taoyuan County Stadium.

A dazzling array of high-tech devices and equipment developed in civilian and military collaborative projects are on display.

Exhibits featured at the Dec. 6-7 event include a variety of UAVs, Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles — also known as Brave Wind III — and Tien Kung III air defense missiles —also known as Sky Bow III — as well as sophisticated devices in the fields of aerospace and green technology.

ANKARA, Turkey, Dec. 12 (UPI)

The first Turkish-made center fuselage for the F-35 Lightning II has been delivered to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman by Turkish Aerospace Industries.

TAI said the center fuselage was delivered Wednesday at a ceremony at its manufacturing facility in Ankara and will be installed onto the aircraft by Lockheed in Texas.

"Delivery of the first F-35 center fuselage is a major step by TAI to demonstrate its commitment to adding value to the (F-35) program," said Muharrem Dortkasli, president and chief executive officer of TAI. "TAI invested in brand new, state-of-the-art facilities, machinery, equipment and tooling to manufacture the most advanced and complex assembly of the F-35, fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

"It is now time to begin delivering world-class TAI center fuselages to the final production line at an increasing rate every year."

TAI is producing center fuselages for the F-35 as a sub-contractor to Northrop Grumman. It also produces center fuselage metallic assemblies for the F-35A, selected composite components for all F-35 variants, composite air inlet ducts for F-35A, and air-to-ground alternate mission pylons for all F-35 variants.

It said once the F-35 program reaches full rate production, it will ship three center fuselages a month to assembly lines in the United States and Italy.

"This is a great achievement for the Northrop Grumman-TAI team," said Brian Chappel, vice president of the F-35 program at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "We worked hand-in-hand to manufacture the first center fuselage, following established processes implemented by Northrop Grumman on our own assembly line in California. Together, we are driving down costs and raising efficiencies to help the F-35 program meet its affordability goals."

13 décembre 2013 Romandie.com (AFP)

PARIS - Le ministre français de la Défense, Jean-Yves Le Drian, est attendu vendredi matin à Bangui où il doit s'entretenir avec les autorités de transition en Centrafrique et rencontrer les forces françaises déployées dans le pays, a-t-on appris dans son entourage.

M. Le Drian doit notamment s'entretenir avec le président centrafricain de transition, Michel Djotodia, ex-chef de la rébellion Séléka. Dans la soirée, il se rendra au Tchad, où il rencontrera le président Idriss Deby, a-t-on précisé de même source.

A Bangui, le ministre fera un point de la situation avec le chef des forces françaises en RCA, le général Francisco Soriano, une semaine après le début de l'intervention militaire française, Sangaris, dans le pays.

Attendu tôt le matin dans la capitale centrafricaine, il doit également rencontrer les chefs de la force africaine en RCA, la Misca (Mission internationale de soutien à la Centrafrique). Il s'entretiendra par ailleurs avec les principales autorités religieuses du pays, en proie aux violences interconfessionnelles entre chrétiens et musulmans.

La France a déployé en quelques jours 1.600 hommes en Centrafrique pour mettre fin aux exactions des groupes armés et tenter de stabiliser le pays. Deux soldats français ont été tués lundi, quatre jours après le début de l'opération, lors d'un accrochages à proximité de l'aéroport.

Le président français François Hollande s'était lui-même rendu mardi soir à Bangui, au retour des cérémonies d'hommage à Nelson Mandela auxquelles il a assisté en Afrique du sud. Il a alors jugé la mission française, sous mandat de l'ONU, dangereuse mais nécessaire, si l'on veut éviter un carnage dans le pays.

La France est intervenue en Centrafrique officiellement pour appuyer la Misca, qui compte environ 3.000 hommes et doit prendre à terme le relais des forces françaises pour maintenir la stabilité du pays. La force africaine est notamment constituée de contingents tchadiens, camerounais et gabonais.

12 December 2013 by Guy Martin - defenceWeb

Saab Grintek Defence is manufacturing the core components for the BOZ-101 EC podded self-protection system for the German Air Force’s Tornado jets and is also working on a variety of other self-protection systems for various international customers.

Last month Saab in Sweden announced that it had received three orders for self-protection equipment for the German Air Force’s Tornado fleet totalling 100 MSEK.

The contracts will see the certification and limited production of the BOZ-101 EC podded self-protection system, including the MAW-300 missile approach warning system, as well as development and qualification of a new cockpit control unit for the pod. The pods sold to Germany have a missile approach warner, controller and dispenser. Saab Grintek Defence (part of Saab South Africa) manufactures the missile approach warners and controllers while Saab in Jarfalla, Sweden, does the remainder of the work.

“These orders mark the first contract with Germany for Saab’s MAW-300 missile approach warning system. It is a breakthrough and a strong vote of confidence in Saab as an electronic warfare supplier,” said Micael Johansson, Head of Saab’s business area Electronic Defence System.

A production order is expected from Germany in the second quarter of 2014. Saab is also expecting a follow-on order from the Italian Air Force, which has used a version of the pod, BOZ-102 EC, on its Tornados since 2008.

Saab’s premier military self-protection system is the IDAS (Integrated Defensive Aids Suite) for helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. It features missile, laser and radar warning receivers and chaff and flare dispensers. Its modular system architecture allows IDAS to be configured for any one or any combination of the three sensor types. Saab claims it is the world’s first fully integrated system, as Saab produces every component itself. Another selling point is that the user has complete control over the system’s threat database and library tools, according to Chris Skinner, Vice President, Head of Marketing and Sales and Commercial, Saab Grintek Defence.

Saab says IDAS has been chosen for many different airborne platforms, including the Saab 2000, AgustaWestland A109, Super Lynx 300, Boeing CH-47 Chinook, Denel Rooivalk and Oryx, Eurocopter Cougar, Puma and Super Puma, NH Industries NH90, C-130 and L100 Hercules and Sukhoi Su-30MKM.

In September this year Saab Grintek Defence was awarded additional follow-on orders to supply its IDAS onto India’s Dhruv advanced light helicopter. The Dhruv’s manufacturer, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is producing helicopters for the Indian Army and Air Force. Deliveries on the latest follow-on order are scheduled to commence in 2014.

India is one of Saab Grintek Defence’s most significant customer to date, and Saab is expecting follow-on orders for the Dhruv. The entire self-protection system on the Dhruv, except for the dispensers, is made in South Africa. So far Saab has been contracted to supply 99 systems, and expects orders for additional systems next year. It is transferring technology to HAL for local involvement, something that will help Saab’s chances in supplying systems for the HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), currently under development.

Saab has developed the IDAS system into the commercial Civil Aircraft Missile Protection System (CAMPS) using almost identical sensors and other features (such as the MAW-300 warner), but instead of dispensing chaff or flares, CAMPS uses pyrophoric ‘confetti’ which reacts with the air to burn at a cool temperature, creating a large heat signature to throw off heat-seeking missiles. The biggest advantage of the system is that it does not pose a fire risk, unlike with conventional flares - this makes it viable as a commercial protection system.

The CAMPS system is designed to work against first and second generation heat-seeking missiles like the SA-7 and SA-14 which have been widely proliferated across the globe, especially following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and the disappearance of thousands of SAMS from his stocks.

Skinner said that the CAMPS project was started around 2005 and the first demonstration was done at the Overberg Test Range in the Western Cape in 2007 using an Embraer 120 aircraft. He added that CAMPS had accumulated a couple of good sales and lots of interest. UN and World Food Programme operators and heads of state make the most inquiries for the system, which has or is still being integrated onto civil Hercules, Embraer 120, Dornier 328, Boeing 737 and Boeing 747 aircraft.

Saab also provides self-protection systems for land vehicles, the Land Electronic Defence System (LEDS). This comes in several different versions, including the LEDS 50 laser warning system. The LEDS 150 system currently under development is an active protection system (APS) that operates in conjunction with the Mongoose-1 counter-munition. LEDS 150 claims the possibility to destroy incoming anti-tank projectiles (e.g. RPG-7 rounds) with the Mongoose missile at ranges as close as within 20 metres of the launch vehicle. The munition has in tests deflected 105 mm tank rounds as well as fin-stabilised rods.

A number of partners are involved in LEDS 150, including Denel, which supplies the Mongoose missile, Reutech, which supplies the radar that detects incoming rounds, and Curtiss Wright, which manufactures the directed launcher. Saab is the systems house and integrator.

Saab is looking for a partner to complete development of the LEDS 150. Skinner said that due to the complexity and state of the art technology involved, it was a very R&D resource intensive programme, hence the serious need for an investment partner. Saab is talking to two potential European partners and is hoping for a firm commitment in the next six months, otherwise the company may have to hibernate the programme.

Skinner said LEDS 150 was a proven concept, with trials already been conducted using the Mongoose active countermeasure missile. He said the big thing was integrating and finalising the system. It would take an estimated one and a half years to get the system to production.

LEDS 50 is currently operationally deployed on the CV 90/35 combat vehicles of the Royal Netherlands Army and Saab hopes the LEDS system will be ordered by the Canadians for their new combat vehicle.

Saab also has a marine version of the laser warning system called NLWS for surface vessels and has numerous international successes with this product in both Europe and the Middle East.

Going forward, Saab is looking at new sensor technologies such as active and imaging infrared sensors, as well as partnering with other suppliers with the aim of enhancing technologies such as directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) systems.

source centresevres.com

Cycle de conférences

« Les enjeux de Défense dans le monde contemporain »

Sous la direction du P. François Boëdec et de M. Louis-Marie Clouet

L’armée française aujourd’hui ; son évolution, ses capacités d’action, les choix pour l’avenir 

Samedi 14 décembre 2013 de 10h à 12h

Avec :

- M. Henri BENTEGEAT, général d'armée, ancien chef d'état-major des armées, ancien président du Comité militaire de l'Union européenne.

- M. Étienne de DURAND, directeur du Centre des études de sécurité de l'Institut français des relations internationales (IFRI).

Les évolutions géopolitiques du monde contemporain mettent en lumière de nouveaux enjeux de sécurité et de défense pour les nations et les populations. Des questions anciennes se posent différemment, de nouvelles questions apparaissent. Elles obligent les responsables politiques et militaires à réfléchir aux ajustements nécessaires dans les systèmes de défense, et à anticiper l’avenir.

Dans une période de récession économique et de cohésion sociale fragilisée, comment faire face aux enjeux importants de sécurité ?

Ce cycle de cinq matinées, le samedi matin, de 10h à 12h avec des spécialistes (experts en géopolitique, militaires, journalistes…), permettra un tour d’horizon précis des questions de défense aujourd’hui :

• Samedi 16 novembre : Le monde change, la guerre aussi
• Samedi 14 décembre : L’armée française aujourd’hui ; son évolution, ses capacités d’action, les choix pour l’avenir 
• Samedi 11 janvier : Nouvelles technologies – nouvelles questions éthiques
• Samedi 8 février : La guerre juste
• Samedi 8 mars : Où en est l’Europe de la défense ?

Tarifs :

15 € la matinée

50 € les 5 conférences

Il est possible de ne venir qu’à une seule conférence-débat.

MOSCOU, 11 décembre - http://fr.ria.ru/world/20131211/199993350.htmlRIA Novosti

Téhéran insiste sur l'exécution par Moscou des contrats sur la livraison de  missiles sol-air S-300, a déclaré mercredi le ministre iranien des Affaires étrangères Mohammad Javad Zarif lors d'une conférence de presse conjointe avec son homologue russe Sergueï Lavrov.

"Nous insistons toujours sur la mise en application de nos ententes précédentes", a indiqué le ministre, interrogé sur le refus de la Russie de livrer à l'Iran des S-300 et sa proposition de fournir à la place des S-300VM Anteï-2500 (version modifiée du S-300V prévue pour l'exportation, ndlr).

Conclu en 2007, le contrat de livraison de missiles sol-air S-300 à l'Iran engageait la Russie à fournir cinq batteries complètes de cet armement pour environ 800 millions de dollars. Or, l'exécution du contrat a été suspendue en septembre 2010 par le président russe de l'époque Dmitri Medvedev en application de la résolution 1929 du Conseil de sécurité de l'Onu, qui interdisait de fournir des missiles, des chars, des hélicoptères d'assaut, des avions de combat et des bâtiments de guerre à Téhéran.

L'Iran a intenté un procès à la Russie pour l'annulation du contrat. La République islamique réclame quatre milliards de dollars d'indemnités.

Dec 11, 2013 ASDNews Source : US Army

The Army used a vehicle-mounted high-energy laser for the first time to successfully engage more than 90 mortar rounds and several unmanned aerial vehicles in flight.

The Army High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator, or HEL MD, underwent multiple test events between Nov. 18 and Dec. 10, at White Sands Missile Range.

This was the first full-up demonstration of the HEL MD in the configuration that included the laser and beam director mounted in the vehicle, according to officials of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command. They said a surrogate radar, the Enhanced Multi Mode Radar, supported the engagement by queuing the laser.

The HEL MD is being developed to show directed-energy force-protection capabilities against rockets, artillery and mortars, known as RAM. It is also intended to protect against unmanned aerial vehicles, known as UAVs, and cruise missiles.

Mortars travel at low velocities for short ranges in high-arching trajectories. These weapons, as well as UAVs, are representative of the threat encountered by U.S. and allied forces on the battlefield, officials said.

Initial system effectiveness was proven through low- and medium-power test demonstration that took place in 2011. High-power testing has now concluded at the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility on White Sands Missile Range.

The demonstration and testing confirms the capability of a mobile solid-state laser weapon system to counter mortars, UAVs, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors mounted on the UAVs, officials said.

The recent testing utilized a 10-kilowatt class laser. In the future, a 50-kW class laser will be integrated into the HEL MD platform, officials said. The 50-kW laser is scheduled to be upgraded to a 100-kW class laser in subsequent demonstrations, they added.

The supporting thermal and power subsystems will also be upgraded to support the increasingly powerful solid-state lasers, according to USASMDC/ARSTRAT officials. They said these upgrades will increase the effective range of the laser or decrease required lase time on target.

The Boeing Company is the prime contractor for the HEL MD program.

Early this year, U.S. Airmen prepare a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft to fly French soldiers and their cargo to Africa. Two U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and a small command and support team are on the ground in Uganda, preparing to conduct airlift operations in support of ongoing peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic. (Photo by Senior Airman James Richardson/Released)

WASHINGTON, Dec 12, 2013 Claudette Roulo - AFPS

Two U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and a small command and support team are on the ground in Uganda, preparing to conduct airlift operations in support of ongoing peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic, Army Col. Steve Warren, a Defense Department spokesman, said today.

The aircraft are expected to fly to Burundi tomorrow morning to transport a Burundian light infantry battalion to Bangui, Central African Republic, a Pentagon official said.

A second small team of Air Force logisticians is on the ground in Burundi to prepare equipment for loading, and a third team is in the Central African Republic to assist in security operations at the airfield, the official said.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian requested limited assistance from the United States military to support this international effort, Assistant Pentagon Press Secretary Carl Woog said in a Dec. 9 statement. “In the near term,” he said, “France has requested airlift support to enable African forces to deploy promptly to prevent the further spread of sectarian violence in the Central African Republic.”

The United States is deeply concerned about “the shocking and horrific atrocities that have been committed by government-affiliated armed groups and independent militias against innocent civilians in the Central African Republic” in recent weeks, the defense official said.

In an audio message released Dec. 9, President Barack Obama called on the transitional government to arrest those who are committing crimes.

“Individuals who are engaging in violence must be held accountable -- in accordance with the law. Meanwhile, as forces from other African countries and France work to restore security, the United States will support their efforts to protect civilians,” Obama said.

Yesterday, the president authorized the State Department to use up to $60 million in defense services and articles for countries that contribute forces to the African Union-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic. The assistance could include logistical support -- including strategic airlift and aerial refueling -- and training for French and African forces deploying to the Central African Republic.

“The United States is joining the international community in this effort because of our belief that immediate action is required to avert a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe in the Central African Republic, and because of our interest in peace and security in the region,” Woog said in his statement. “We continue to work to identify additional resources that might be available to help address further requests for assistance to support the international community’s efforts in CAR.”

Dec 11, 2013 Spacewar.com (AFP)

Brussels - NATO said Wednesday that current head Anders Fogh Rasmussen will stay in his post two months longer than previously expected to prepare and oversee the military alliance's next leaders summit in Britain in September.

Rasmussen was initially due to complete his four-year term in July 2013 but that was extended by one year to July 2014.

NATO member ambassadors have now decided that he should stay in office until the end of September 2014 "to enable him to prepare and preside" at the summit in south Wales earlier that month, a statement said.

The last summit was held in 2012 in Chicago.

The 2014 summit comes before the planned withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan, its biggest and longest military operation.

NATO currently plans to maintain a training and assistance mission in Afghanistan post-2014 but its future is in doubt as Afghan President Hamid Karzai is refusing to sign a security pact with Washington on its legal and operational status.

Washington and NATO both say there can be no continued alliance presence in Afghanistan without such a pact.

The Wales summit is also meant to set the guidelines for NATO's future role at a time when defence budgets are under pressure everywhere and as costs for increasingly sophisticated military hardware steadily mount.

The US-led alliance was designed to counter the Soviet threat during the Cold War but after the fall of communism it began a period of active military operations which saw it intervene in the Balkans in the 1990s.

After the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, NATO took on its biggest commitment, leading the campaign in Afghanistan to oust the Taliban.

Despite initial success and a huge investment in lives and money, the Taliban remain a threat amid doubts that Afghan government forces will be able to hold them at bay after NATO leaves.

Rasmussen, 60 and a former Danish prime minister, was appointed for the maximum single NATO term in 2009.

Among names mentioned as possible successors for a post traditionally held by a European are former Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini, as well as Belgian Defence Minister, Pieter de Crem and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski who was formerly in charge of defence.

12 décembre 2013 Romandie.com (AFP)

TOKYO - Confronté à une hypothétique menace chinoise mais aussi nord-coréenne, le Japon est en train d'adapter son outil militaire pour fournir la réponse la mieux adaptée et la plus rapide dans ce genre de situation, a indiqué jeudi un responsable du parti au pouvoir.

Selon ce responsable du Parti Libéral-Démocrate (PLD) interrogé par l'AFP, le gouvernement conservateur de Shinzo Abe vise notamment avec ces nouvelles orientations à accroître la coordination des forces terrestres, aériennes et maritimes.

Pour la première fois, nous serons en mesure d'avoir de la mobilité, ainsi qu'une capacité à déployer rapidement des forces de façon intégrée, a commenté jeudi le ministre de la Défense Itsunori Onodera, citant spécifiquement le cas d'opération sur des îles lointaines.

Si par exemple nous sommes confrontés à la menace d'un missile nord-coréen, le Japon devrait pouvoir être capable de tenter de l'abattre d'abord depuis la mer, et ensuite depuis la terre, a poursuivi M. Onodera.

Ces orientations tiennent par ailleurs compte du changement de nature et d'origine des menaces potentielles envisagées par le Japon: du temps de la guerre froide, le péril venait essentiellement du nord avec l'URSS, et donc le gros des forces nippones était concentré dans le nord et l'est du pays.

Aujourd'hui, Tokyo estime que le danger vient essentiellement de la Chine et de la Corée du Nord, et donc les effectifs des trois armées doivent être redéployés plus au sud, avec une capacité renforcée à se projeter sur des îles japonaises éloignées en cas d'attaque.

Les relations entre Pékin et Tokyo sont exécrables depuis depuis plus d'un an précisément à cause d'un conflit territorial à propos d'un petit archipel inhabité en mer de Chine orientale: les Senkaku sont administrées par Tokyo mais Pékin les revendique sous le nom de Diaoyu.

Les deux capitales ne sont prêtes à aucune concession sur ces îles situées à 200 km au nord-est de Taïwan et 400 km à l'ouest de l'île d'Okinawa (sud du Japon).

Mardi prochain, le gouvernement de Shinzo Abe devrait par ailleurs approuver un document dit de stratégie de sécurité nationale codifiant le déploiement de troupes et leur équipement.

L'une des premières décisions de M. Abe en arrivant au pouvoir fin décembre 2012 a été d'augmenter le budget de la défense, une première depuis onze ans, en partie pour répondre à la progression régulière des dépenses militaires chinoises.

Un porte-parole militaire nippon a annoncé par ailleurs que le Japon avait mené jeudi des exercices aéro-navals conjoints avec la Corée du Sud en mer de Chine orientale, dans un secteur couvert par la zone d'identification aérienne (ZAI) décrétée par Pékin en novembre.

La marine japonaise avait engagé deux bâtiments de guerre ainsi qu'un hélicoptère, a précisé ce porte-parole.

Il a ajouté que Tokyo n'avait pas au préalable informé Pékin de l'usage d'un hélicoptère dans sa ZAI, comme l'exige la Chine depuis le 21 novembre.

Le porte-parole a toutefois indiqué que ces exercices de sauvetage en mer étaient prévus de longue date et ne constituaient donc pas une réponse à la décision par la Chine d'imposer une ZAI.

Le Japon, Taïwan, la Corée du Sud, mais aussi les Etats-Unis ont indiqué qu'ils n'entendaient pas se conformer aux exigence chinoises sur ce point.

12.12.2013 Helen Chachaty - journal-aviation.com

Korea Aerospace Industries a annoncé ce 12 décembre avoir signé un contrat avec l’Irak pour la fabrication et la livraison de vingt-quatre avions d’entraînement avancé T-50. Les avions irakiens recevront la désignation T-50IQ.

L’accord conclu à Bagdad, incluant le soutien et l’entraînement des pilotes, se monte à environ 1,1 milliard de dollars. Il se chiffre à plus de deux milliards de dollars en comptant le soutien apporté par KAI pour les 20 prochaines années.

KAI explique dans un communiqué que le T-50 avait été présenté au premier ministre Nouri al-Maliki en avril 2011 et que les négociations avaient commencé en juillet de la même année.