2 September 2013 army-technology.com

Revision Military has been awarded a contract for supply of additional Batlskin Cobra helmets to the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO).

Covering deliveries of additional 3,000 helmets, the order forms part of a seven year contract under which the company has already supplied 4,335 helmets to the Danish military.

The helmets were issued by DALO earlier this year to infantry and head-quarters troops deploying to Afghanistan.

Revision's CEO, Jonathan Blanshay, said the lightweight, high-performance polyethylene helmets have performed very well during rigorous in-theatre use.

''The Danish military was among the very first to identify and realise the benefits that new materials and technology would bring to soldier protection, and the first to buy and deploy the Cobra polyethylene helmet system,'' Blanshay said.

The Batlskin Cobra helmet has received positive feedback from soldiers returning from Afghanistan, with the vast majority reporting very positively on its weight, comfort and protection offered in theatre.

Fitted with a high-performance modular liner system, ergonomic retention system and multipurpose front mount, Batlskin Cobra is an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene helmet, designed to safeguard soldiers against trauma-blunt force, blast fragmentation and ballistic threats.

Besides operating with multiple in-service equipment from night vision goggles (NVGs) to communications gear and weapons sights, the fully modular and integrated helmet can also wear system components in any combination to achieve ideal balance between protection and lethality.

The helmets delivered under the new contract will feature Revision's adjustable retention system, high-performance modular liner, multi-purpose front mount, fitted helmet cover and front rails for accessory attachment.

In addition, the three-position Visor and high-threat Mandible Guard, components included in the initial contract award, can be used for additional facial protection.

Manufacturing work will be carried out at the company's Composite Center of Excellence in Montreal, Canada, while the delivery schedule has not been undisclosed.

Sep. 2, 2013 - By JUNG SUNG-KI  - Defense News

F-15SE Emerges From Long-Shot To Favorite

SEOUL — Boeing is set to inch closer to clinching a multibillion-dollar deal to sell 60 F-15 Silent Eagle jets to South Korea, as its competitors have effectively been priced out of the contest.

Lockheed Martin and Eurofighter, which vied for the US $7.4 billion fighter contract, failed to submit proposals below the budget.

“The bottom line is that we can’t sign a final contract with any bidder offering a proposal over the budget,” Oh Tae-shik, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s (DAPA’s) program management bureau, said Aug. 28 in a meeting with local reporters.

“A bidder that offered a proposal under the budget is now only qualified for final evaluations,” Tae-shik said.

The DAPA will hold an executive committee presided over by Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin in mid-September to pick a final bidder.

The US government failed to submit a proposal below the budget for the sale of 60 F-35 joint strike fighters built by Lockheed Martin.

The Eurofighter consortium’s Typhoon was once thought to be competitive in a contest with Boeing, but the DAPA announced later that the European company was also priced out. The consortium includes Alenia Aermacchi, BAE Systems and EADS.

“Reviewing EADS’ final proposal in a careful manner, we found that some terms and conditions agreed upon by both sides in previous negotiations were modified arbitrarily,” a DAPA spokesman said Aug. 18. “We can’t accept such a proposal breaching bilateral agreements.”

According to the spokesman, for example, Eurofighter promised that it would modify 15 of 60 Typhoon jets into twin-seat aircraft at the request of the DAPA. In the final proposal, however, the European firm changed the number of twin-seat modification work to only six, apparently in order to lower the total price under $7.4 billion.

EADS also changed conditions regarding the costs of weapons integration, the spokesman argued, without specifying what armament integration it was.

Eurofighter officials rebut DAPA claims.

“We have repeatedly explained to DAPA why there was no operational rationale to opt for the number of twin-seaters requested to Eurofighter,” said Christian Scherer, Eurofighter’s chief sales officer. “Thanks to the present state of the art of the Eurofighter simulators, the twin-seater need is minimal, if any, as already proven by the Eurofighter operating in air forces.”

“We do not see any promises made but only different scenarios with preferences, which have been discussed respectfully by the parties all along the negotiation process,” he added.

Despite Eurofighter’s appeal, DAPA has reconfirmed that the Typhoon is not qualified for final evaluations.

Meanwhile, Lockheed spokesman Eric Schnaible said “The situation is DAPA and DAPA Executive Committee’s concern and we’re not going to speculate or intervene in their sovereign decision-making process.”

If a final contract is signed with Boeing, this will be the aerospace giant’s third consecutive win for South Korea’s F-X fighter jet acquisition project. The F-X aims to acquire 120 new high-end warplanes to replace the older fleet of F-4s and F-5s flown by the Republic of Korea Air Force.

Boeing won the two previous F-X deals to supply the Air Force with 60 F-15Ks.

Howard Berry, Boeing’s campaign director for the Korea competition, remains confident that the Silent Eagle is the right choice for Korea in terms of performance and cost aspects.

“Silent Eagle builds on a continuous evolution of capability in the combat-proven F-15 family of aircraft and with a bundle of additional advancements that allows Boeing to offer a ‘2-aircraft-in-1-platform’s solution that brings an unprecedented balance of survivability and lethality,” he said.

But skepticism remains high here about the F-15SE’s performances since the aircraft is still in development.

“The F-15SE is not the best choice. There is not even a prototype of the aircraft,” Lee Hee-woo, head of a logistics support research institute at Chungnam National University. “Stealth functions are not featured only by painting the aircraft and fitting the jet with an internal weapons bay. It is much better to buy more F-15Ks, not the F-15SE, which critics call a paper aircraft.”

The DAPA has been criticized for its zigzag stance on the F-X requirements.

This third phase of F-X, in fact, was launched to procure the so-called fifth-generation stealth aircraft. To promote competition, however, DAPA eased the required operational capability, including the level of radar cross section. As a result, the Silent Eagle and the Typhoon were invited to the contest.

“The [competition] has lost its original purpose to buy stealth fighters,” said Shin In-kyun, head of the Korea Defense Network, a civic group for defense affairs. “It seems like a boxer in the ring was knocked out by his sparring partner.”

Han Sung-joo, a former commander of the Air Force Logistics Command, is worried F-15SEs would lose an air superiority battle against neighboring countries.

“Japan will introduce 42 F-35 stealth aircraft and is expected to get more up to 200 eventually. China’s J-20 stealth jet is likely to enter service by 2016,” the retired three-star general said. “Then why do we have to choose fighter aircraft falling behind those of the neighboring countries?”

DAPA’s stringent cost evaluation is also at the heart of debate here.

The aircraft acquisition cost only accounts for about 15 percent of the total evaluation. Mission capability takes up the largest portion with 35 percent, while compatibility accounts for nearly 18 percent, operational costs, 15 percent. The remainder is about technology transfer and offset programs.

DAPA had sought to increase the third F-X budget by 20 percent this year, but the budget authorities rejected the request, according to DAPA officials.

Critics say DAPA was easygoing about the budget issue. Rejected by the Finance Ministry, DAPA was upset and offered the 15-percent acquisition cost as an absolute condition to sway all other evaluation results.

“Certainly, it’s not reasonable that the whole evaluation is swayed by a 15-percent element,” said Kim Dae-young, a researcher at the Korea Defense & Security Forum, a Seoul-based private defense think tank. “In terms of regulations, there is no fault with the DAPA, but the acquisition process is too stringent to shop the best-performance product.”

Andrew Chuter in London and Aaron Mehta in Washington contributed to this report.

September 2, 2013: Strategy Page

China has joined with Russia to oppose any use of foreign military force against Syria. This was prompted by the recent Syrian use of chemical weapons against pro-rebel civilians. The U.S. and other NATO countries had earlier told Syria that such use of chemical weapons would bring military intervention. China and Russia have long been supporters of the Assad dictatorship, and similar tyrants around the world. China and Russia are also bitter about what happened to their old friend Kaddafi, who lost his life clinging to power in Libya two years ago. Kaddafi was largely done in by NATO providing air support. NATO is reluctant to do that for Syria because the post-Kaddafi government (and post Arab Spring governments in general) tend to be tolerant of Islamic terror groups. But the Syrian civil war is dragging on and that is becoming embarrassing for the West. Assad losing power would be an even bigger embarrassment for China and Russia.

Russian naval and shipbuilding officials are not looking forward to the investigation of why a Russian built Kilo class sub belonging to India (INS Sindhurakshak) caught fire and exploded on August 14th while docked near Mumbai. The 16 year old submarine had recently returned from Russia after an $80 million refurbishment. Eighteen sailors were killed as the sub sank at dockside. The cause appears to have been an accident but a thorough forensic investigation will eventually determine if it was caused by human error or equipment failure. Back in 2008 India had refused to accept a refurbished Kilo because of repeated failures of the subs Klub missiles it had recently been equipped with. The Indian sub had test fired six Klubs in late 2007, and all failed. The Russians had no explanation for the failures. That boat had been in Russia for over two years, for $80 million worth of upgrades and repairs. India refused to pay, or take back the sub, until Russia fixed the problems with the missiles. This the Russians eventually did, and there were several successful Klub tests that persuaded the Indians to accept the refurbished Kilo. Russian missiles have little combat experience, and a reputation for erratic performance. Quality control was never a Soviet strength, but the Russians are getting better, at least in the civilian sector. The Indians are now haunted by a 2000 incident where the detonation of a missile (or torpedo) aboard the Russian nuclear sub Kursk caused the loss of the sub and all its crew. There have been other problems since then and the Indians fear that the Mumbai disaster may just be the latest.

September 1, 2013: In the south (Dagestan) an Islamic terrorist was killed and a policeman wounded when police stopped two men at night and asked for ID. The men opened fire and one managed to escape. The dead man was later identified as a wanted terrorist bomb maker.

August 31, 2013: Russia told Iran it would not discuss any new arms deals as long as the 2011 Iranian lawsuit is active at the international arbitration court in Switzerland. Iran is seeking $4 billion in damages because Russia backed out of a 2010 agreement to deliver $800 million worth of S-300 anti-aircraft systems (similar to the U.S. Patriot). Russia did not deliver on the 2010 deal because of the new UN arms sanctions against Iran, but believes that some types of military gear could still be sold to Iran and will try to do so once the 2011 lawsuit is dropped. In reality Russia is glad to have an excuse to stay away from Iranian arms deals, which cause the Russians all manner of diplomatic and foreign trade problems with the West and Israel.

At the Soviet era Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan a Russian Zenit 3SLB rocket put an Israeli communications satellite into orbit.

August 28, 2013: On the Baltic, outside Kaliningrad, a Russian Navy Zubr class air cushion vehicle approached a crowded beach full of people swimming and sunning themselves. Seemingly unconcerned, those in the water and on the beach the 555 ton craft was headed for got out of the way as the hovercraft came up on the sand. Out came over a hundred naval infantry in battle gear, who moved the sunbathers back and established a perimeter and then moved inland for a training exercise. Naturally there were plenty of smart phones on the beach recording it all and the videos soon appeared on the Internet. The Russian Navy could not just ignore this bizarre incident so an official explanation was given. The navy said that the beach was a military training area and no one should have been there. But the videos indicated no surprise or alarm among the crowd at the beach and people just moved out of the way of the hovercraft and went back to relaxing on a sunny and hot day at beach. The Baltic does not have many warn sunny days for visiting the beach. During the Soviet period (before 1991) if the government said stay away from somewhere most people stayed away, rather than risk a nighttime visit from the KGB (secret police). But since 1991 Russians have gladly shed decades of such obedience and fear. If there’s a fine beach on military land, and it’s a hot, sunny day, the people will insist on sharing the beach with whatever the navy has planned. The navy would like to see the good old (Soviet) days return, but know that the best they can do is pretend and tell the media that people were not supposed to be on the beach and leave it at that. That said, that hovercraft was huge and scary to the uninitiated. A Zubr can carry 130 tons (three tanks, or a combination of lighter armored or non-armored vehicles or up to 500 troops). Top speed is 110 kilometers an hour and range is 480 kilometers. The crew of 31 usually stays out less than eight hours per mission. The Zubrs also carry two stabilized MLRs (multiple tube rocket launchers), four short range anti-aircraft missiles systems (Igla-1Ms), and two AK-630 six-barrel 30mm close-in weapon systems (CIWS), for defense against anti-ship missiles. This is an amphibious warship used to quickly get troops and vehicles onto a beach.

In the south (Dagestan) two Islamic terrorists were killed when police interrupted a terrorist attack.

August 27, 2013: In the south (Ingushetia) a senior security official was killed while driving to work. It’s unclear if the killers were Islamic terrorists or gangsters as both groups have an interest in hindering police and military intelligence work in the area. The victim, however, was mostly involved with persuading Islamic terrorists to surrender and accept amnesty.

Off the north coast a group of Europeans opposed to off shore oil drilling attempted to move their ship close enough to interfere with and halt oil operations. A Russian coast guard approached the interloper and told them to leave or they would be fired on and, if necessary, sunk. The protestors’ ship left and said they would take the Russians to court for interfering with free passage in international waters. Not only do the Russians tend to open fire on real or perceived threats to their borders, but they also tend to ignore international agencies telling them that sort of thing is wrong. 

A Russian transport flew another 90 Russians (and others from former parts of the Soviet Union) out of Syria. This is in anticipation of NATO air strikes in retaliation for the Syrian government recently using nerve gas against pro-rebel civilians. Syria denies it and Russia insists the rebels did it. The U.S. says it has proof and that sarin nerve gas was detected on victims and the areas where they were when they were killed by the sarin.

August 26, 2013: A Russian cruiser, destroyer and supply ship visited Venezuela. The 11,400 ton cruiser Moskva was later ordered to go to the coast of Syria to demonstrate Russian support for the embattled Assad government. A Russian electronic intelligence collecting ship was also ordered to the same area, apparently to monitor any American naval and air operations.

August 22, 2013: South Korea put its first radar imaging satellite into orbit (via a Russian launcher). The 1.4 ton KOMPSAT 5 satellite uses a radar that can detect objects and landforms as small as one meter (39 inches) across. This satellite is mainly for obtaining geographic (land and sea) information, disaster response and environmental monitoring. Military use was not discussed publically. The launcher was a Cold War era ICBM (an RS-18) converted to work as a satellite launcher.

The Russian Air Force has ordered 15 An-148 commercial transports. The An-148 is a twin jet commercial transport that normally carries up to 80 passengers or nine tons of cargo. Max range is 2,100 kilometers and the high-wing design means that the stretched An-178 cargo version can carry up to 15 tons and have a rear door for quickly loading and unloading. The An-148 is costing the air force about $39 million each and all will be delivered by 2017. The air force does have a need for An-148s, but the government has an even greater need in keeping the Russian commercial aircraft manufacturers in business. That’s the main reason behind this purchase.

August 21, 2013: The Russian government recently issued a formal reprimand to the director (Vladimir Popovkin) of the Russian Space Agency (RSA), which handles all of Russia’s satellite launches. The government later clarified that the reprimand was not for several recent disasters but for the fact that in the last three years the RSA has only been able to launch 47 percent of Russian satellites. The reprimand, which in Russia is usually the last warning for someone about to be dismissed, was about the continued inefficiency of the RSA and the inability of Popovkin to reform and revitalize the RSA. The repercussions continue in the wake of all the sloppy decisions and stupid mistakes that have led to the loss of launchers and satellites. Another shake up of the RSA is expected if the government can find someone more qualified than Vladimir Popovkin to do the deed. Senior government officials know that Popovkin is not the problem and that the corrupt environment he has to work in is. Cleaning that up means cleaning up the corruption through-out Russian society. That requires more than the vertical chop, it takes time and persistence.

August 20, 2013: In the south (Dagestan) nine Islamic terrorists were killed when police surrounded the house they were hiding in. The terrorists refused to surrender and then died in the ensuing gun battle. The dead included a local terrorist leader and the man believed responsible for the recent murder of a local Islamic cleric who had preached against Islamic terrorism.

August 19, 2013: The government revealed that two years ago Sudan had secretly bought 24 Mi-24 helicopter gunships and 14 MI-8 transport helicopters. Some have already been delivered. Russia told the UN that Sudan agreed not to use these helicopters in Darfur (western Sudan) where the UN has embargoed the introduction of new weapons.

The government repeated warning to Russians planning to visit Egyptian vacation resorts to reconsider. Russians were not forbidden from going and most did not cancel their plans. The main reason for this was that the resorts that cater to Russians (and other foreigners) are outside the cities and have had no violence. The Egyptians are grateful for the Russians showing up because a lot of Western tourists have cancelled.

Russian and Japanese negotiators met in Russia to resume negotiations over the long delayed treaty to end the state of war existing between the two countries since World War II. The talks are also about a territorial dispute. In 2010 Russia renounced a 1956 deal to return two of the four Japanese Kuril islands. Japan had been pressuring Russia to make good on the 1956 promise (made at the time Japan and the Soviet Union resumed diplomatic relations). But Russia reneged, claiming Japan was plotting to get the other two islands back as well. T he Japanese have been pressuring the Russians to return the Kurile Islands (off northern Japan) for decades, and this has caused a lot of tension recently. These four islands were seized at the end of World War II, and the Russians kept them. The Kurils had been occupied by Japanese for centuries, but when Russia reached the Pacific coast in the 17th century, they began to send ships down to the Kurils. In 1875, Japan and Russia signed a treaty settling claims in the area. Japan acknowledged Russia’s claim to the larger Shakalin island to the north while Russia acknowledged that the Kurils belonged to Japan. After World War II, Russia expelled the 17,000 Japanese inhabitants of the four Kuril Islands. Russians were brought in, and about 16,000 of them (including many Ukrainians, Koreans and so on) currently inhabit the islands. There’s not much economic value to the Kurils, except for the good fishing. But it's believed there are oil and gas deposits off shore, and valuable mineral deposits on land. Meanwhile, the Russians are still hacked off at losing a war to Japan in 1905, and to Japanese soldiers occupying parts of eastern Russia after World War I. Japan and Russia had a non-aggression treaty for most of World War II. But Russia declared war on Japan on August 15th, 1945, and promptly invaded Japanese occupied northern China (Manchuria). Japanese surrendered to the United States a month later. You could say that Japan and Russia have a lot of unresolved issues.

Sep 2, 2013 ASDNews Source : Lockheed Martin Corporation

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] will provide the U.S. Navy and allied navy customers from Canada and The Netherlands with upgrade kits and services for the MK 48 heavyweight torpedo under a new, $37 million contract award, part of a five-year effort to upgrade the entire submarine fleet.

The Mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) upgrade kit equips the heavyweight MK 48 with increased bandwidth and streamlined targeting and tracking capabilities. The kit includes a broadband analog sonar receiver, a guidance and control box, and a pre-amplifier. Since the CBASS program was first awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2011, the U.S. Navy has awarded more than $70 million for functional item replacement kits, engineering services, spares, and production support material.

“The CBASS upgrades dramatically enhance the performance and capabilities of the MK 48,” said Tom Jarbeau, Lockheed Martin program director. “The refinements we’ve made to the torpedo’s guidance and control systems provide the U.S. Navy with a highly capable weapon in both littoral and deep sea environments.”

The replacement kits will upgrade the heavyweight torpedoes used by the entire United States submarine fleet for anti-submarine or anti-surface warfare. The MK 48 heavyweight torpedo is also employed by the allied navies of Australia, Canada, and The Netherlands.

Lockheed Martin’s Marion, Mass., facility will perform the CBASS work, with additional support from other company locations, including Manassas, Va.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and Newport, R.I.  Lockheed Martin subsidiary Polaris Contract Manufacturing will build the circuit card and module assembly.

30/08/2013 Sources Marine nationale

Le 28 août 2013, le navire affrété Palembang a accosté dans la base navale de Brest avec à son bord les deux chasseurs de mines Tripartite Sagittaire et Pégase.Sagittaire et Pégase. Les deux CMT reviennent après cinq mois de déploiement en océan Indien. Ils seront débarqués dans les deux jours qui suivent leur arrivée.

Les CMT Sagittaire et Pégase avaient quitté Brest le 19 mars dernier à bord du navire affrété Jumbo Jubilee. Cette projection stratégique constituait une première pour la Marine nationale tant au niveau technique qu’opérationnel.

Retrouvez le bilan du déploiement du groupe de guerre des mines dans le golfe arabo-persique.

28 July 2013 Hajnalka VINCZE - hajnalka-vincze.com

En proposant, le 24 juillet dernier, un plan d’action « visant à accroître l’efficacité et la compétitivité du secteur de la défense », La Commission européenne n’en est pas à son premier essai. Notamment pour se mêler de ce qui ne fut pourtant jamais censé être ses affaires. Tirant prétexte des nombreux croisements entre les questions d’armement (prérogatives régaliennes, s’il en est) et les compétences communautaires (comme la concurrence, les transferts intra-UE, la recherche, les règles de passation des marchés publics), le collège bruxellois s’était lancé dès le milieu des années 1990 à l’assaut du rempart de l’article 346 (l’ex-article 296) du Traité, à coups de communications puis, plus récemment, de directives.[1] Cette dernière initiative s’inscrit dans la même logique : puisque l’article 346 préserve une possibilité d’exclusion des questions d’armement du champ communautaire, l’enjeu, pour la Commission, est de trouver ses failles et de s’y introduire. Faut-il s’en plaindre ou s’en réjouir ?

Suite de l'article

[1] COM (1996) 10 : Les défis auxquels sont confrontés les industries européennes liées à la défense – contribution en vue d’actions au niveau européen, 24 janvier 1996; 

MOSCOU, 2 septembre - RIA Novosti

Des livraisons illégales d'armes en provenance de Libye ont été constatées dans 12 pays du Proche-Orient, a déclaré lundi le ministre russe des Affaires étrangères Sergueï Lavrov dans une intervention devant les professeurs et les étudiants de l'Institut des relations internationales de Moscou.

"Selon l'ONU, des livraisons illégales, des transferts clandestins d'armes à feu en provenance de Libye et ont été enregistrés dans 12 pays du monde", a indiqué le ministre, précisant que ces armes étaient utilisées "principalement par des participants aux troubles" au Proche-Orient.

Selon lui, "des armes provenant de Libye ont commencé à proliférer de manière illégale", provoquant la diffusion de "terroristes qui ont besoin d'une nouvelle guerre pour renverser tel ou tel régime".

29/08/2013 Armée de l’Air

Pour la première fois depuis la Seconde Guerre mondiale, des pilotes français ont participé à un exercice tactique commun avec leurs homologues russes sur la base aérienne de Savasleyka, à 400 km à l’est de Moscou, du 18 au 23 août 2013.

Retour en images sur ce moment chargé d’Histoire.

WASHINGTON, 2 septembre - RIA Novosti

Le porte-avions américain à propulsion nucléaire USS Nimitz et ses navires de soutien sont en route vers la mer Rouge, où ils pourraient participer à une intervention contre la Syrie, annoncent lundi les médias américains.

Le Nimitz est accompagné de quatre destroyers et d'un croiseur. Selon le Pentagone, les navires de guerre n'ont pas reçu pour l'heure l'ordre de gagner la Méditerranée par le canal de Suez.

Pour l'heure, l'US Navy dispose de cinq destroyers croisant au large de la Syrie dans le secteur oriental de la mer Méditerranée. Ces bâtiments de guerre sont armés, au total, de quelque 200 missiles Tomahawk.

Un autre bâtiment, le navire amphibie USS San Antonio, avec 300 "marines" à son bord et d'importants moyens de communication, a été dérouté sur l'est de la Méditerranée.

02 septembre 2013 Par RFI

Le Premier ministre reçoit ce lundi 2 septembre les principaux responsables du Parlement, de gauche et de droite, pour évoquer la situation en Syrie. Jean-Marc Ayrault va tenter de désamorcer la contestation croissante au sein de la classe politique.

C'est Jean-Marc Ayrault qui va jouer les démineurs en recevant à Matignon les présidents des assemblées, des commissions concernées par l'affaire syrienne (Défense et Affaires étrangères), et des groupes parlementaires. Car un vent de protestation souffle au sein de la classe politique française depuis que Barack Obama a annoncé son intention d'attendre un vote du Congrès américain avant d'engager une intervention en Syrie.

Suite de l’article

Sep. 1, 2013 - By GERARD O’DWYER – Defense News

HELSINKI — Job creation will stand as the chief factor when the Danish government convenes to select a replacement type for its aging F-16 fleet in mid-2015.

Denmark will look for substantial long-term industry value from bidders in the restarted Fighter Replacement Program (FRP), said newly appointed Defence Minister Nicolai Wammen, who replaced Nick Hækkerup following a Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Thorning-Schmidt’s coalition government on Aug. 9.

The government, which hopes to use the FRP as a mechanism to inject significant new investment into an economy weakened by the global financial crisis, has set job creation as the cornerstone of its revised fighter procurement policy, Wammen said.

Moreover, the FRP will be used to bolster sustainable export growth within the country’s tiny defense industry

“All four candidates will be informed of our thinking and requirements. It will be made crystal clear that if there are not jobs coming to Denmark, then we will not be buying planes from that quarter,” Wammen said in a statement.

The bidding line-up includes Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, Saab’s Gripen-DK NG and Cassidian’s Eurofighter Typhoon. Denmark is looking to begin retiring the first of its F-16 fighters in 2020.

Denmark is expected to purchase 24 to 30 new fighters at an estimated cost of $3.8 billion to $5.5 billion. A final decision on the number of aircraft to be acquired is anticipated in the next six months.

All bidders will need to bring real jobs to the negotiating table for what will be a “huge” capital investment undertaking by the Danish state, Wammen said.

Denmark’s defense industry has welcomed the government’s clear message to potential bidders. However, industry chiefs want the government to ensure any future supplier agreements with 100 percent countertrade guarantees.

“This is about maximizing gains for Denmark, the national economy and for industry,” said Jan Falck-Schmidt, CEO of Falck-Schmidt Defence Systems, a domestic supplier of missile, force protection and life-cycle systems and services. “It is not enough to ask candidate manufacturers if jobs will emerge. What is needed is for the Danish government to demand 100 per cent countertrade. This will focus attention on value-added contracts and serious job creation initiatives.”

Only time will tell if the Danish government is serious about pushing job creation to the front when it comes to implementing the FRP, said defense analyst Jens Ringsmose. Other considerations, including a wish to retain a strong political alliance with the U.S, can also be expected to play a crucial role in the aircraft selection process, he added.

“The message is that jobs will be the most important parameter in this massive acquisition. In this way [Wammen] avoids having to explain the other major contributory reasons that are at least as important; not least the alliance with the United States,” Ringsmose said.

While the FRP competition needs to be industry and value centered, it must also be run in a fair and equitable manner, said Lene Espersen, the opposition Danish Conservative party’s defense spokeswoman.

“This is a very large item of expenditure for Denmark, and we must derive as much value in terms of jobs and long-term economic growth as possible. The project must be used not alone to expand the order books of our defense groups but help them grow into more export-driven niche suppliers of weapons and military systems in the future,” Espersen said. “Above all this competition must be about buying the best aircraft from European and the American bidders in an environment of trust where all are competing on a level playing field.”

The government’s final decision could favor the purchase of a reduced number of fighters as part of a broader strategy to purchase specialized unmanned aircraft, Espersen said.

“Drones will never replace conventional combat aircraft, but they will play an increased role in international operations. They will become increasingly used in Denmark’s Arctic territories. The drone dimension could add an interesting feature to the fighter replacement competition,” Espersen said.

The mistakes made in the original competition, which saw Eurofighter withdraw from the contest due to what it perceived as a contest weighted in favor of Lockheed’s F-35 JSF, cannot be repeated, said John Dyrby Paulsen, the Social Democrat’s spokesman on defense.

“There is already a perception that Lockheed Martin has an advantage in this competition because Denmark has invested in the JSF project. This must be a real competition. We must not be bound by some sense of loyalty to choose an American plane. The final decision must be based on the economic value to Denmark on the one hand and the need to buy the best aircraft for our needs on the other,” Paulsen said.

Denmark, which is a Tier-3 partner in the JSF project, restarted the FRP in March after suspending the competition in 2010 due to a need to divert funds in a battle to fight off recessionary fears and support the country’s then-ailing banking system. As a Tier-3 partner, Denmark has so far invested around $200 million in the JSF development program.

“Industry’s position has always been very clear: Military procurements must result in concrete contracts for the Danish defense equipment and aerospace industries,” said Frank Hall, general secretary of the Danish Defense & Security Industries Association (DDSIA).

The DDSIA plans to hold regular meetings with all bidders in the coming months. Talks will be routed through the organization’s dedicated FRP unit, the Danish Industry Fighter Aircraft Team, which was established in 2008 to explore the potential for partnerships and contract work with all candidates in the competition.

Paris, le 2 septembre 2013 - Safran

Safran (NYSE Euronext Paris : SAF) annonce avoir finalisé l’acquisition à Rolls-Royce de la participation de 50 % de cette dernière dans leur programme commun de turbines d’hélicoptère RTM322. Le montant en numéraire de la transaction s’élève à 293 millions d’euros.

Désormais, Turbomeca (filiale de Safran leader dans les turbines d’hélicoptère) assumera la totalité de la responsabilité de la conception, de la production, du support des produits et des services (pièces de rechange et maintenance, réparation et révision) pour le moteur RTM322. Ce modèle équipe les hélicoptères Apache, EH101 et NH90. Rolls-Royce s’engage à accompagner pleinement Turbomeca dans la phase de transition au cours de laquelle les activités de Rolls-Royce liées à ce programme feront l’objet d’un transfert progressif.

Le programme RTM322 est une priorité pour Turbomeca, qui a la volonté d’en poursuivre le développement technique et commercial et envisage notamment une amélioration de ses performances, ainsi que des investissements afin de répondre sur le long terme aux besoins du segment stratégique du marché des turbines d’hélicoptères les plus puissantes (3 000 shp et au-delà).

Les objectifs et aspects financiers de la transaction ont été communiqués lors de l’annonce de sa signature le 23 avril 2013.

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Calendrier :

    Chiffre d’affaires T3 2013 : 24 octobre 2013

    Résultats annuels 2013 : 20 février 2014

Safran est un groupe international de haute technologie, équipementier de premier rang dans les domaines Aérospatial (propulsion, équipements), Défense et Sécurité. Implanté sur tous les continents, le Groupe emploie 62 500 personnes pour un chiffre d’affaires de 13,6 milliards d’euros en 2012. Composé de nombreuses sociétés, le groupe Safran occupe, seul ou en partenariat, des positions de premier plan mondial ou européen sur ses marchés. Pour répondre à l’évolution des marchés, le Groupe s’engage dans des programmes de recherche et développement qui ont représenté en 2012 des dépenses de 1,6 milliard d’euros. Safran est une société cotée sur NYSE Euronext Paris et fait partie de l’indice CAC 40.

Pour plus d’informations, www.safran-group.com / Suivez @SAFRAN sur Twitter

VLADIVOSTOK (Extrême-Orient russe), 30 août - RIA Novosti

La Russie ne pourra négocier les livraisons d'armements défensifs analogues aux systèmes sol-air S-300 à l'Iran qu'après l'abandon de toutes les plaintes déposées par ce dernier contre Moscou, a déclaré vendredi aux journalistes le vice-premier ministre russe Dmitri Rogozine.

"Des négociations ne seront possibles que si les plaintes déposées contre la Russie sont retirées", a indiqué M. Rogozine.

Il a souligné que la Russie respectait toutes les normes du droit international.

"Nous agissons strictement dans le cadre de la liste qui limite les fournitures d'armements à différents pays, y compris à la République islamique d'Iran. Nous n'avons jamais outrepassé cette liste", a affirmé le vice-premier ministre, ajoutant que Moscou était prêt à engager une "coopération technico-militaire normale" avec Téhéran.

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 un montant d'environ 800 millions de dollars. Or, l'exécution du contrat a été suspendue en septembre 2010 par le président russe 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 à la Russie un procès en arbitrage pour annulation du contrat. La République islamique réclame quatre milliards de dollars d'indemnités.

Le directeur général du consortium d'armement russe Almaz-Antei, Vladislav Menchtchikov, a fait savoir jeudi que les systèmes S-300 destinés à l'Iran avaient été démontés et partiellement recyclés.