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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:55

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17-04-2013 CICDE

 

N° 60/DEF/CICDE/NP du 15 avril 2013

Lien vers le domaine :
- Domaine 3.4 Prévention et gestion de crise

 

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:55
French defense manufacturers are taking a page from the American lobbying book

April 18, 2013 Rapid Fire

 

French defense manufacturers are taking a page from the American lobbying book, as their CEOs recently met with President Hollande to underline how vital their industry is.

Here is their joint letter external link [PDF in French] which helpfully shows defense’s weight in terms of jobs per region. Surely someone must be working on a more granular job count down to the congressional district level. Hollande will receive France’s new whitepaper on April 29.

 

 

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:50
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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:50
European Air Transport Training 2013

By European Defence Agency

 

    Date of the Event: 09 June 2013 09:00 AM

 

While the fighter community has been trained extensively for years to operate together, the same cannot be said for air transport. In Europe today, airlift training is very much a national issue and since operating together becomes more the rule than the exception, the need to train together becomes bigger every day.

 

EDA's European Air Transport Training 2013 (EATT13) flying event will deliver tactical training, over a two-week period duration (9-21 June), offering participants a unique opportunity to plan and execute missions within a multinational framework. EATT13 will be developed on an increasing complexity basis, starting from single ship missions and evolving to COMAO missions.

 

Supported by the European Air Transport Command (EATC) in Eindhoven as well as the European Air Transport Fleet (EATF) Ad Hoc Working Group Operations & Training (AHWG O&T) and hosted by Spain, nine Member States will participate in the event.

 

Participating Member States and assets are:

 

    Belgium : 1 C-130 and 2 crews

    CZ Republic: 1 CN-295 and 2 crews

    France: 1 C-130 and 1 CN 235-300 and 4 crews

    Germany: 2 C-160 (I spare) and 2 crews

    Italy: 1 C-27 and 2 crews

    The Netherlands: 1 C-130 and 2 crews

    Norway: 1 C-130J and 2 crews

    Spain: 1 C-130 and 1 CN-295 and 4 crews

    Sweden: 2 C-130 (1 spare) and 2 crews

 

More information on the event will follow in due course.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:50
photo navantia.es

photo navantia.es

 

CARTAGENA, Spain, April 18 (UPI)

 

Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has floated the Spanish navy's S-73 submarine, the Mistral, after finishing 80 percent of its dry dock overhaul.

 

Dry dock work on the vessel is being conducted at the company's shipyard in Cartagena and, when completed, will give the submarine another five years of service life.

 

The S-73 is a diesel-powered vessel with a surface speed of 12 knots and a submerged speed 10.5 knots. It entered service with the Spanish navy in 1977.

 

The dry dock overhaul involved dismantling the submarine, replacing components and equipment in poor condition and then reassembling the vessel. Navantia said more than 15,000 pieces of equipment were removed and inspected, as well as its hull.

 

Mistral is docked at the shipyard for the remainder of the overhaul, which includes completion of assembly and testing at port and at sea.

 

The vessel is scheduled to be returned to the Spanish Navy in September, Navantia said.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:50
BAe 146-200QC Aircraft - photo baesystems.com

BAe 146-200QC Aircraft - photo baesystems.com

 

Apr. 18, 2013 - By ANDREW CHUTER – Defense News

 

LONDON — Britain has added two converted BAE 146-200QC regional jets to the Royal Air Force’s airlifter fleet ahead of the rundown of military personnel and equipment in Afghanistan.

 

The two aircraft have been converted by BAE Systems from their normal commercial airliner role to a military configuration under a 15.5 million pound ($18.1 million) urgent operational requirement for additional tactical airlift to augment the work of the RAF’s Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft.

 

The aircraft features a large cargo door allowing the 146-200QC to be configured for passenger or cargo roles.

 

Modifications to the aircraft include a defensive aids systems, a Successor Identification Friend or Foe systems, and an armored flight deck.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:50
C-295 aircraft - photo Airbus Military

C-295 aircraft - photo Airbus Military

18 April 2013 airforce-technology.com

 

The Czech Republic Ministry of Defence (MoD) is set to submit a concept of the transport and helicopter to the government for the air force with an aim to procure two bigger transport aircraft in late 2013, the country's defence minister Vlastimil Picek has revealed.

 

Speaking on Prima television, Picek said the concept is currently being completed by the ministry as the existing C-295 aircraft is able to address only a portion of the air force's transport requirements.

 

"I have always stressed that two more planes with a bigger capacity will have to be bought, though I did not say when," Picek added.

 

Speaking about C-295 aircraft, the defence minister said the acquisition of four transporters was never the final solution for the military, and noted that the aircraft's troubled passive protection system is set to undergo necessary testing by the end of April.

 

The tests, if positive, are scheduled to pave way for further evaluation by the military in future.

 

"We could then use the planes also in dangerous situations, for instance, in Afghanistan," Picek added.

 

The aircraft were acquired from Airbus Military under a CZK3.5bn ($177m) deal, which also included a swap of five domesticallymanufactured L-159 subsonic fighter jets to Spain in May 2009.

 

Delivered in 2011, the aircraft was however repeatedly rejected and eventually grounded by the air force due to problems with its navigation systems, defensive aids systems and engine failures, as well as inefficiency of an Omnipol-supplied passive protection system against guided missiles.

 

A stretched variant of the EADS CASA CN-235 transporter, the C-295 is a tactical military transport aircraft designed to carry out tactical airlift, search and rescue, and maritime patrol and environmental surveillance missions in all weather conditions.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:45
Mirage F1 Libya Air Force source Lignes de Défense

Mirage F1 Libya Air Force source Lignes de Défense

 

04/18/2013  Richard de Silva - defenceiq.com

 

Two years have passed since Colonel Gaddafi’s regime was ousted in the Libyan civil war and the events surrounding Operation Unified Protector. As regime change continues to bring new signs of stability, the General National Congress is reported to have approved a massive ten per cent of the national budget to rebuilding the country’s military forces, amounting to $4.7 billion of funds ready to be spent on modern systems.

 

A senior Libyan Air Force officer was quoted by UAE newspaper The National as confirming the figures and identifying ageing equipment as a major vulnerability for a country that not only holds vast oil reserves, but also a 2,000km coastline and borderlines with six different African nations.

 

Read more

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:45
Centrafrique: l'Afrique centrale va augmenter les effectifs de la Fomac

 

 

18 avril 2013 Par RFI

 

Les chef d'Etats de la communauté économique des Etats d'Afrique centrale (Céeac) se sont retrouvés jeudi 18 avril dans la capitale tchadienne pour tenter de mettre un terme à l'anarchie qui règne en Centrafrique, près d'un mois après le coup d'Etat du 24 mars. Il s'agissait de faire le point sur la feuille de route de la transition, qui avait été définie lors du précédent sommet, début avril.
 

Première décision : les chefs d’Etats et de gouvernement prennent acte de la mise en place du Conseil national de transition et de l’élection de Michel Djotodia comme chef d’Etat de la transition.

Deuxième décision : le Conseil national de la transition mis en place il y a quelques jours à Bangui va être élargi. On passe de 105 membres à 135, pour répondre à la colère de certains partis politiques de l’opposition et de la société civile qui avaient estimé ne pas y être représentés.

Le sommet a aussi décidé d’augmenter les effectifs de la Fomac, pour aider au retour de la paix et de la sécurité en Centrafrique. 1 500 hommes venant de la sous-région viendront s'ajouter aux 500 déjà présents en Centrafrique. Enfin, un groupe international de contact pour la Centrafrique a été créé et tiendra sa première réunion le 3 mai prochain à Brazzaville, dans ce qui va ressembler à une conférence pour la reconstruction de la Centrafrique.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:40
L'Ukraine autorise l'accès de militaires étrangers à son territoire

KIEV, 18 avril - RIA Novosti

 

Le parlement ukrainien a approuvé jeudi la décision du président d'autoriser le déploiement d'unités militaires étrangères sur le territoire ukrainien en 2013 dans le cadre d'exercices internationaux.

 

Cette année, l'Ukraine accueillera des exercices ukraino-biélorusses et ukraino-russes de la défense antiaérienne, des exercices ukraino-russes "Chenal de la paix 2013", des exercices ukraino-américains "Sea Breeze 2013" et "Rapid Trident 2013", ainsi que des exercices internationaux "Maple Arch 2013" (Canada-Lituanie-Pologne Ukraine).

 

La législation nationale interdit le fonctionnement d'unités et de bases militaires étrangères en Ukraine. Chaque année, le président soumet au parlement une loi spéciale autorisant la participation de soldats étrangers aux exercices programmés en Ukraine. Il s'agit d'habitude d'une procédure purement formelle, mais les crises politiques internes ont parfois empêché de tenir des manœuvres internationales en Ukraine. En 2009, le parlement, qui était opposé au président de l'époque, Victor Iouchtchenko, a notamment interdit l'accès de militaires étrangers dans le pays, empêchant de tenir les exercices internationaux Sea Breeze.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:35
Phalanx Close-In-Weapon-System Delivered To Adelaide

April 18, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Australian Department of Defence; issued April 18, 2013)

 

 

A key piece of the combat system for the Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers - the Phalanx Close-In-Weapon-System (CIWS) - has arrived in Adelaide.

 

The Phalanx system for the future destroyers Hobart and Brisbane have been shipped from the United States to the AWD Alliance, CEO Rod Equid said today.

 

“The Phalanx CIWS includes a fast-reaction 20mm Gatling gun that will provide the destroyers with a line of defence against anti-ship missiles, littoral or close to shore warfare threats, and aircraft at short range,” Mr Equid said.

 

“It has the ability to automatically carry out functions usually performed by separate systems including target detection, evaluation, tracking and engagement.

 

“The weapon system is made up of a rotating cluster of six barrels that fire ammunition at a rate of up to 4,500 rounds per minute, as well as search and track radars, with an integrated electro-optic sensor.

 

“The AWD Phalanx CIWS, the Mk15 Block 1B, is integrated into the Aegis Weapon System and is an updated version of the equipment already in use by the Royal Australian Navy on the Adelaide Class guided-missile frigates.”

 

The Phalanx is located at the rear of the ship on top of the helicopter hangar, overlooking the flight deck.

 

The Phalanx CIWS, built by Raytheon Missile Systems USA, was acquired by Raytheon Australia on behalf of the AWD Alliance. The $35 million contract includes the manufacture and delivery of the Phalanx weapon system for all three Air Warfare Destroyers.

 

The AWD Alliance is executing an innovative program to design, integrate and test the Hobart Class combat system. The combat system for the destroyers is made up of the Aegis weapon system with the Australian-selected additions, interfaced with Aegis using the Australian Tactical Interface.

 

The Alliance is responsible for delivering three destroyers to the Royal Australian Navy. The Alliance is made up of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) representing the Australian Government, ASC as the lead shipbuilder and Raytheon Australia as the mission systems integrator.

 

The AWDs are being built for Australia’s specific defence needs and will provide a significant increase in Australia’s defence capabilities.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:35
Telstra Wins A$1.1 Bn Satcoms Contract

April 18, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Australian Department of Defence; issued April 18, 2013)

 

Defence Awards Telstra Six-Year Contract for Enhanced Telecommunications

 

Defence has signed a $1.1 billion contract with Telstra for the provision of telecommunications services.

 

The six-and-a-half year contract will enable Defence to transform its communications technology including better integrating fixed telecommunications with satellite and tactical networks.

 

Defence Chief Information Officer Dr Peter Lawrence said the transformation of its network was central to wider strategic reforms throughout the Department.

 

“This partnership will deliver Defence with robust and secure information communications technology, while creating greater efficiencies and lower costs,” Dr Lawrence said.

 

“The project includes a major transformation program of work and the ongoing sustainment of Defence’s telecommunications environment.”

 

Telstra Chief Executive Officer David Thodey said the work with Defence would draw on the company’s long heritage of serving Government customers and its experience of large scale network transformations.

 

“Telstra’s aim is to deliver technology that can become the backbone of Australian Defence for the next decade and beyond,” Mr Thodey said.

 

“The agreement represents the largest customer undertaking in Telstra’s history and will support military operations at home and abroad.

 

“We will create 350 new positions to help serve the contract, including recruiting some of the nation’s leading IT, network and security experts.

 

“The use of technology such as unified communications, advanced video conferencing as well as tablet and smartphone usage, will provide a vital link connecting troops, commanders, bases and allies around the world,” he said.

 

Defence will partner with Telstra to implement the transformed network solution which has a targeted completion date of mid-2016.

 

The Defence telecommunications network includes networks at 430 sites in Australia, supporting some 100,000 users in Australia and overseas. The project will significantly improve network performance and meet capability requirements to 2023.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:35
A magnificent pose of PLA H-6K Bomber

April 19, 2013 china-defense-mashup.com

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:35
FLIR imaging system for Super Tucanos

PORTLAND, Ore., April 18 (UPI)

 

FLIR Systems Inc.'s BRITE Star DP advanced imaging system is being integrated onto aircraft for Afghanistan under the U.S. Air Force LAS program.

 

The Brazilian aircraft, the A-29 Super Tucano, will be assembled in the United States under the Air Force's Light Air Support contract awarded in February to the Sierra Nevada Corp. and Embraer of Brazil.

 

FLIR said as part of that award, it received a $22 million order for its system. Delivery of BRITE Star systems will begin in June and continue through next year.

 

"Being selected to provide our highly advanced imaging systems for the LAS program is indicative of the growing diversification of the customers, regions, and platforms that we serve," said Earl Lewis, president and chief executive officer of FLIR. "We have a proven ability to provide state-of-the-art technologies that are critical to protecting people and are pleased to be able to continue our success in the airborne market."

 

An initial 20 A-29s will be supplied to the Afghanistan army air corps for flight training, reconnaissance and light air support (combat) missions.

 

More than 88 percent of the Super Tucano's parts are being supplied by U.S. companies.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:20
Australia to Study Electromagnetic Effects on F-35

April 18, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Australian Department of Defence; issued April 17, 2013)

 

JSF Model to Study Electromagnetic Effects

 

The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon, today unveiled a full-scale model of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) which DSTO will use to study the effects of electromagnetic compatibility and interference on the aircraft.

 

Called Iron Bird, the Australian-built model will be tested under simulated electromagnetic conditions during the acquisition and through-life sustainment of the JSF.

 

The study is a significant part of ensuring the protection of the JSF against electromagnetic environmental effects such as lightning and static discharge which can impair the performance and safety of aircraft.

 

The JSF is a fifth-generation aircraft with highly complex electronics, sophisticated software and a structural airframe made of composite materials. This exposes the aircraft to electromagnetic interference from both naturally occurring phenomena and man-made sources, including telecommunication transmissions and radar. The impact of these interferences needs to be well understood and appropriately managed.

 

DSTO has developed world-class expertise in the investigation of electromagnetic radiation impact on aircraft and is engaged directly with the United States JSF Joint Project Office to undertake this study using the Iron Bird model.

 

The data captured will help in providing potential reductions in the cost of owning the JSF fleet and enhancing the aircraft’s capability.

 

The DSTO test methods provide a rapid, cost-effective means of assessing and monitoring the JSF’s ability to withstand electromagnetic exposure and minimise any impact on its systems and performance. The research will support the verification for compliance and airworthiness certification for the JSF aircraft.

 

Australia’s first two F-35As are due to be delivered to a United States-based training facility during 2014‑15 when Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilot and maintainer training will commence on the aircraft.

 

The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is part of Australia's Department of Defence. DSTO's role is to ensure the expert, impartial and innovative application of science and technology to the defence of Australia and its national interests.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:20
Science, Technology Remain Critical, DoD Official Says

April 17, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: U.S Air Force; issued April 17, 2013)

 

Science, Technology Remain Critical, Official Says

 

WASHINGTON --- Despite fiscal uncertainty, science and technology remain critical elements in mitigating emerging threats against the United States, a Defense Department official told Congress yesterday.

 

Alan Shaffer, the acting assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering, pledged to continue a focus on programs such as electronic warfare, counter-space, cyber, and counter-weapons of mass destruction to meet U.S. national security goals.

 

"The challenge is clear. The president and the secretary of defense depend on defense research and engineering to make key contributions to the defense of our nation," Shaffer told the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on intelligence, emerging threats and capabilities.

 

Science and technology should mitigate new and emerging capabilities that could degrade U.S. security, he said, while enabling new or extended capabilities in existing military platforms and systems.

 

Defense Department science and technology researchers, systems engineers and developmental test and evaluation personnel also strive to develop "technology surprise" through science and engineering applications to military problems, Shaffer said.

 

"Together, the professional scientists and engineers conceive, develop and mature systems early in the acquisition process," he added.

 

The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and allied personnel work with industry and international partners, academia and other government agencies to provide unmatched, operational advantage to the warfighter, Shaffer said.

 

"When we look at the capabilities developed and delivered by these people during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I contend the nation has received good return on investment," he said. Notable successes, he added, include mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, persistent threat-detection systems and use of multispectral imagery to remotely detect explosives.

 

"These three alone greatly increased the safety of our deployed force," Shaffer said. "We met the demands of an armed force at war."

 

But as the drawdown in Afghanistan continues, uncertainty looms in national security and budget environments, creating reductions that will rattle some programs, Shaffer said.

 

"It is not possible to discuss the (fiscal 2013 and 2014) budgets without addressing the impact of the sequester," he said, noting cuts of about 9 percent from each of DOD's programs and program lines.

 

The president's fiscal 2014 budget request for Defense Department science and technology is $12 billion, a nominal increase from the $11.9 billion requested in 2013, he added.

 

"This reduction will result in delay or termination of efforts," Shaffer said. "We will reduce awards."

 

For instance, he said, DOD will reduce university grants this year by roughly $200 million, and potentially could reduce the number of new science, mathematics and research for transformation, or SMART, scholarships in fiscal 2013 to zero.

 

"Because of the way the sequester was implemented, we will be very limited in hiring new scientists this year," he said. "Each of these actions will have a negative, long-term impact on the department and national security."

 

Budgetary pressures exist, as do new challenges, Shaffer said, adding that DOD leadership has made a strategic choice to protect science and technology where possible.

 

"We did this to provide options for the future as well as meet new challenges that have technological dimensions," he said.

 

The challenges, he added, include instability in nations such as Syria, which has weapons of mass destruction that could fall out of state control. He also cited persistent concerns over North Korean nuclear weapons with the means to deliver them, and the emergence of sophisticated anti-access, area-denial capabilities in a number of nations.

 

Emerging threats, he said, also include cyber exploitation and attack and the increased sophistication of advanced electronic attack capabilities of potential adversaries.

 

"The department's research and engineering program is faced with the same challenges as the rest of the DOD," Shaffer said.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:20
La frégate française FREMM Aquitaine ancrée à Halifax - photo 45eNord.ca

La frégate française FREMM Aquitaine ancrée à Halifax - photo 45eNord.ca

 

MONTREAL, 18 avr 2013 marine-oceans.com (AFP)

 

La toute nouvelle frégate française multimissions (FREMM) Aquitaine a jeté l'ancre jeudi à Halifax au Canada, confirmant le succès de son concept révolutionnaire qui a permis de réduire de moitié son équipage, a-t-on appris de source militaire française.

 

Ce concept, lancé en raison de contraintes budgétaires, consiste à laisser au sol environ un tiers de l'équipage --des équipes appelées "reach-back"-- pour assurer à distance la maintenance du navire, ce qui permet de réduire considérablement son coût de possession, a expliqué à l'AFP le colonel Siegfried Usal, attaché de défense français à Ottawa.

 

Le "pacha" du navire lui-même, le capitaine de vaisseau Benoît Rouvière, qui était au départ "prudent" vis-à-vis de ce concept promu par l'état-major, mais traité avec méfiance par les opérateurs de la marine nationale, "a reconnu qu'il était maintenant validé", a ajouté le colonel Usal.

 

Ainsi, l'équipage embarqué de l'Aquitaine se compose de 94 hommes, tandis que ceux des frégates classiques françaises ou européennes en comptent plus du double, a-t-il indiqué.

 

Livrée à la Marine Nationale par l'entreprise de défense française DCNS en novembre 2012, l'Aquitaine, qui emporte notamment le missile anti-aérien Aster et le missile anti-navire Exocet, a accompli une traversée opérationnelle de plus de deux mois et demi. D'abord dans les eaux chaudes jusqu'à Rio de Janeiro, puis dans les eaux de plus en plus froides en remontant l'Atlantique vers le nord le long des côtes des Etats-Unis.

 

Au total, onze de ces frégates furtives seront livrées d'ici 2022 par DCNS à la Marine Nationale, dans le cadre du programme FREMM, mené par la France en coopération avec l'Italie.

 

Outre les frégates livrées à la Marine nationale, la DCNS en livrera une, mi-2013, au Maroc.

 

Le groupe de défense a ouvert un bureau de représentation à Ottawa le 1er avril 2012. "Comme au Brésil, nous cherchons à développer des partenariats avec les industries locales", dont notamment les chantiers navals Irving à Halifax, choisis par Ottawa pour construire de grands navires de guerre, a indiqué à l'AFP le représentant de la DCNS au Canada, Olivier Casenave-Péré.

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 07:20
photo ONU

photo ONU

 

Apr. 18, 2013 – Defense News (AFP)

 

WASHINGTON — Ban Ki-moon became the first U.N. secretary general to visit the Pentagon Thursday, holding talks with U.S. military leaders on the crisis over North Korea and a planned peacekeeping mission in Mali.

 

Ban had asked for the meeting amid mounting tensions on the Korean Peninsula and drastic threats from the regime in Pyongyang, officials said.

 

Ban was welcomed with an honor guard at the steps to the Pentagon before a 30-minute meeting with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey.

 

The talks focused on North Korea as well as planned or potential United Nations missions in Mali, Somalia and Syria, a senior defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

 

“There was a lot of discussion on North Korea” and the risk of “misjudgment and miscalculation,” the official said.

 

Ban, who served in the past as South Korea’s foreign minister, has warned that a minor incident could trigger an “uncontrollable” situation after North Korea warned of impending nuclear war.

 

The Pentagon’s intelligence reporting on North Korea grabbed headlines last week when a lawmaker revealed that the Defense Intelligence Agency had concluded Pyongyang likely had succeeded in producing a nuclear warhead that could be placed on a ballistic missile.

 

The assessment went further than previous statements by top officials about the state of the North’s nuclear program but U.S. intelligence officials later played down the report, saying it did not represent a consensus among the country’s spy agencies.

 

Ban’s visit came as North Korea responded for the first time to an American offer to return to the negotiating table, saying it would enter talks only if pre-conditions were met, including a withdrawal of U.N. sanctions and a permanent end to U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises.

 

But South Korea promptly dismissed the response and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called the North’s stance “unacceptable.”

 

Apart from North Korea, Ban’s talks at the Pentagon covered a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali due to take over from French troops as well as “common U.S. and U.N. interests” in Somalia and Syria, the U.S. official said.

 

Ban’s office said the secretary-general “expressed his condolences for the victims of the tragic bombing in Boston.”

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19 avril 2013 5 19 /04 /avril /2013 06:55
photo EMA

photo EMA

 

19/04/2013 Michel Cabirol – LaTribune.fr

 

Le groupe allemand Krauss-Maffei a annoncé jeudi avoir signé un contrat avec le Qatar d'un montant de 1,89 milliard d'euros portant notamment sur la livraison de 86 chars Leopard-2

 

Et le Leopard remporta la bataille de chars de combat de Doha face au Leclerc. Ce qui n'est pas une surprise, la proposition française de vendre une quarantaine de Leclerc d'occasion fabriqués par Nexter n'était pas la solution privilégiée par le Qatar, qui préférait le Leopard-2 fabriqué par Krauss-Maffei. Le groupe allemand a annoncé jeudi avoir signé un contrat avec le Qatar d'un montant de 1,89 milliard d'euros portant notamment sur la livraison de 86 chars. Outre le Leopard-2, le groupe basé à Munich a indiqué qu'il allait également fournir des services et matériels annexes, qui permettront à l'armée qatarie de se moderniser. Soixante-deux des blindés qui vont être livrés sont des véhicules de type Léopard-2, principaux chars d'assaut allemands. Les 24 restants sont des obusiers blindés PzH 2000, a précisé l'entreprise dans son communiqué.

 

Nexter a d'autres prospects au Qatar

 

Ce contrat était dans les tuyaux depuis plusieurs mois. En juillet 2012, la presse allemande s'était fait l'écho de l'intérêt du Qatar pour 200 chars allemands. Mardi, la chancelière Angela Merkel avait reçu à Berlin le Premier ministre du Qatar, Hamad ben Jassem al-Thani. Les chars livrés par Krauss-Maffei doivent progressivement remplacer les blindés français AMX-30 et AMX-10P et sud-africains que possède actuellement le Qatar, a précisé le groupe allemand.

 

Pour aurtant, Nexter veut également une part du gâteau au Qatar. Le groupe public propose peu ou prou l'ensemble de sa gamme : le véhicule blindé hautement protégé, l'Aravis, le canon autotracté Caesar, le véhicule blindé de combat d'infanterie (VBCI). Le tout pour équiper une brigade qatarie.

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18 avril 2013 4 18 /04 /avril /2013 21:26
EU Parliament discusses Syria and Sahel with Laurent Fabius

 

18/4/2013 EU source: European Parliament - Ref: EP13-016EN

 

Summary: 18 April 2013, Strasbourg - French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on Thursday that: "The most radical elements are not in the majority now" in the Syrian resistance but warned that they could gain control "if the conflict carries on."

 

"It is very difficult not to be pessimistic" about the "appalling" situation in Syria, said Mr Fabius, warning of the "absolute risk" that the regime could use chemical weapons. He supported lifting the EU embargo on arms supplies to the opposition, stressing that the decision, which should be taken by May, must guarantee that weapons are not "diverted".

 

MEPs insisted in the debate that EU humanitarian aid must reach those for whom it was really intended. They also appealed to Mr Fabius to cooperate more closely with the moderate Gulf states to ensure that radical Sunni forces did not gain ground in Syria and they pointed to the need to start preparing now for the post-Assad period.

 

Mali

 

On Mali, the French foreign minister said the decision to convert the Africa-led International Support Mission for Mali (MISMA) into a UN peace-keeping mission "should be adopted in the third week of April." A thousand French troops would remain in the country "to support the stabilisation mission if necessary, particularly against terrorist operations." Mr Fabius also stressed the importance of holding presidential elections in July and parliamentary elections "ideally, immediately afterwards."

 

MEPs were concerned that the dates for the withdrawal of French troops, the electoral process and the deployment of the UN mission coincided. They also insisted that all the aid pledged must be delivered and called for a comprehensive solution for the Sahel, to tackling the trafficking of drugs, people and weapons in the region.

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18 avril 2013 4 18 /04 /avril /2013 21:22
Blast Tests Improve US Army Vehicle Design

April 16, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: US Army Research Laboratory; issued April 16, 2013)

 

Army Researchers Improve Vehicle Design with Blast Tests

 

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. --- With the growing threat of improvised explosive devices over the past decade, Army researchers have been hard at work testing and evaluating ways to keep Soldiers safe from bomb blasts.

 

The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command analyzes under-body blasts, known as UBB.

 

Researchers at the Army Research Laboratory Survivability and Lethality Analysis Directorate have led to many improvements in vehicle design.

 

"Through live-fire tests, we have been able to provide a comprehensive characterization of the blast environment and occupant injuries during a UBB," said Sarah Coard, Army researcher. "Only by understanding the mechanism of injury can we apply engineering changes [to vehicles] to decrease the likelihood of those injuries. The blast environment is unique."

 

The Army's concern is always the same: how can a vehicle be modified to reduce the likelihood and severity of injuries to Soldiers?

 

"The test and evaluation community is working to a standard that 10 years ago would have been unimaginable," said Scott Welling, a member of SLAD's Engineering Analysis Branch. "The number of data channels that are used today in a test event is greater than five times the amount used prior to these conflicts."

 

Army experts are leveraging an ever-growing wealth of test data.

 

The Army's approach to live-fire testing, leverages mechanical engineering experts in the Engineering Analysis Branch and the crew-injury-physiology experts in the Warfighter Survivability Branch. Welling and Coard are partners as RDECOM's representatives on the integrated product team for live-fire testing. This ensures a comprehensive analysis of the survivability of both the crew and their vehicle.

 

"Another use for the data may be surprising," Coard said. "Improving the test instrumentation itself and refining and enhancing the test scenarios. One such instrument is the anthropomorphic test device, a crash-test dummy originally developed by the automotive industry. For UBB testing, it has become obvious that the ATD must be modified if it is to provide the most accurate data. So ARL is now leading an experimentation program to enhance the ATD for use in future tests."

 

Not only is instrumentation improving, but test designs have also become more sophisticated. In the past, a vehicle would often be tested with one crash-test dummy in it. Now, it is required that there be a crash-test dummy in every occupant location in a vehicle.

 

Officials said another significant change is the adoption of new and current injury criteria in order to make assessments more accurate and to achieve greater resolution in inferring what injuries would result and how. A further way that test design has evolved is by the introduction of new methodologies to analyze the motion of seats and floors.

 

The current war-time environment has caused testing specifications to grow and timelines to shrink. The Army has been responding to urgent materiel releases.

 

The Army is looking at the structural response of the vehicle and the survivability of its occupants.

 

For every vehicle or piece of equipment tested, researchers analyze the blast's effect on communications, mobility, firepower and mission success.

 

Because analysis demands so much more than merely capturing data, a holistic vantage point is vital, officials said. The testing enables researchers to provide this context to evaluators, program managers and vehicle designers.

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18 avril 2013 4 18 /04 /avril /2013 21:00
Onu : Paris ne devrait pas bloquer le projet US sur le Sahara

 

18 avril 2013 Guysen News International

 

La France, alliée traditionnelle du Maroc, n’opposera probablement pas son veto au Conseil de sécurité de l’Onu à la proposition américaine de confier aux casques bleus la tâche de veiller au respect des droits de l’homme au Sahara occidental, a-t-on appris jeudi de source diplomatique.

 

Washington a proposé cette semaine que la mission de maintien de la paix de l’Onu au Sahara occidental (Minurso) se charge de faire respecter les droits de l’homme dans l’ancienne colonie espagnole annexée en 1975 par le Maroc.

 

Mécontent, le gouvernement de Rabat a répliqué en annulant les manoeuvres militaires annuelles « Lion africain », auxquelles devaient participer 1.400 soldats américains et 900 militaires marocains.

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18 avril 2013 4 18 /04 /avril /2013 20:02
Le ministre de la Défense aux 25 ans de Maistrance

18 avril 2013 Ouest-France

 

Jean-Yves Le Drian, ministre de la Défense, assistera samedi matin à une cérémonie de présentation au drapeau de l’école de Maistrance, au Centre d’instruction navale de Brest.

 

Suite de l’Article

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18 avril 2013 4 18 /04 /avril /2013 19:35
Nucléaire: les conditions de Pyongyang inacceptables, dit Kerry

 

18 avril 2013 Romandie.com (AFP)

 

WASHINGTON - Le secrétaire d'Etat américain John Kerry a estimé jeudi que les conditions posées par la Corée du Nord pour une reprise des pourparlers avec Washington et Séoul n'étaient pas acceptables mais affirmé qu'il s'agissait d'une tactique d'ouverture du régime de Pyongyang.

 

La Commission de défense nationale nord-coréenne a appelé jeudi au retrait des résolutions du Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU concoctées pour des raisons grotesques. Elle a également exigé la fin des manoeuvres militaires conjointes conduites par les Etats-Unis et la Corée du Sud dans le sud de la péninsule comme préalable à toute négociation.

 

C'est la première fois que nous entendons parler de négociations (...) depuis que tout cela a commencé, a remarqué M. Kerry lors d'une audition du Congrès, en allusion à la rhétorique guerrière employée par le régime de Kim Jong-un ces dernières semaines, dans la foulée d'un essai nucléaire qui a fait remonter la tension.

 

Donc, je suis prêt à envisager cela comme (...) au moins une tactique d'ouverture, qui n'est évidemment pas acceptable, et il faut que nous allions plus loin, a-t-il ajouté.

 

M. Kerry vient de revenir d'un voyage en Asie lors duquel il a cherché à persuader Pékin, le principal allié de Pyongyang dans la région, d'aider à réduire les tensions.

 

L'un des calculs de Kim Jong-un est de penser qu'il peut faire cela sans conséquences parce qu'il pense que Pékin ne sévira pas, a remarqué le chef de la diplomatie américaine: J'espère que (ce calcul) se révèlera faux.

 

Auparavant, la Maison Blanche avait appelé la Corée du Nord à faire preuve de sérieux et à respecter ses engagements dans le domaine nucléaire.

 

Pour l'instant, nous n'avons pas vu cela. Je pense que les déclarations et actes hostiles venant de Corée du Nord montrent le contraire, en fait, avait déclaré le porte-parole adjoint du président Barack Obama, Josh Earnest.

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18 avril 2013 4 18 /04 /avril /2013 19:35

18 avril 2013 David Axe reports.

3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 3-41 Infantry patrols Afghanistan in April 2013.

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