HARLOW, England, April 11, 2014 /PRNewswire

Raytheon Company received a contract from an international customer for Paveway™ IV precision guided bombs valued at more than $200m. As part of the sale Raytheon will deliver hundreds of the advanced munitions, which are regarded as the 'weapon of choice' for the Royal Air Force. The contract represents the first sale of Paveway™ IV outside the U.K. 

"This contract is an export boost to the U.K. It will help support hundreds of manufacturing and engineering jobs at Raytheon's facilities and in the supply chain across the U.K.," said Richard Daniel, Chief Executive, Raytheon UK.  "Developed in Harlow, with the advanced guidance system produced in Glenrothes, Paveway IV™ has delivered considerable operational capability to the U.K. and allied forces in numerous military operations."

About Paveway

The Paveway™ family of laser-guided and GPS and laser-guided bombs has revolutionized tactical air-to-ground warfare by converting "dumb" bombs into precision-guided munitions. Bombs equipped with Paveway™ kits have been put to the test and proved themselves, time and again, as the weapon of choice by 43 customers. Paveway™ laser-guided bomb kits comprised more than half the air-to-ground precision-guided weapons used in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Unified Protector.

About Raytheon UK

Raytheon UK is a subsidiary of Raytheon Company. It is a prime contractor and major supplier to the UK Ministry of Defence and has developed strong capabilities in mission systems integration in defence, national security and commercial markets. Raytheon UK also designs, develops and manufactures a range of high-technology electronic systems and software at facilities in Harlow, Glenrothes, Uxbridge, Waddington and Broughton.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems; as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

Apr 8, 2014 ASDNews Source : TenCate

The TenCate armour systems to be supplied, represent a very weight-efficient way of significantly increasing the survivability of the people inside the vehicles and represent cutting-edge technology and engineering. The solutions are engineered to fit the EAGLE V perfectly to ensure maximum protection and minimum weight.

Steen Tanderup, Managing Director TenCate Advanced Armour EMEA & APAC, states: “We are very pleased to be selected as supplier for GDELS for this project. The EAGLE V for the German Army is a great match for TenCate lightweight protection solutions, and we are proud to contribute to the exceptional performance of the vehicle”.

Read more

Apr. 8, 2014 – Defense News (AFP)

WASHINGTON — Russia’s takeover of Crimea could prompt a review the US military presence in Europe, which has declined steadily since the end of the Cold War, a senior Pentagon official said Tuesday.

“While we do not seek confrontation with Russia, its actions in Europe and Eurasia may require the United States to re-examine our force posture in Europe and our requirement for future deployments, exercises, and training in the region,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense Derek Chollet.

Some 67,000 US military members are currently stationed on the European continent, mainly in Germany (40,000), Italy (11,000) and Britain (9,500).

When the Soviet Union fell in late 1991, the total presence stood at 285,000.

Chollet, testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, did not specify what such a re-examination could entail at a time when the Pentagon faces budget cuts and is seeking to redeploy part of its resources to the Asia Pacific region as part of a so-called pivot strategy.

“Russia’s unlawful military intervention in Ukraine challenges our vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace,” he said.

“It changes Europe’s security landscape. It causes instability on NATO’s borders. And it is a challenge to the international order.”

To reassure Eastern European NATO members, Washington has already deployed six F-15s as reinforcement to the Baltics, as well as 12 F-16s and three transport planes to Poland.

A guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald-Cook, is due to arrive in the Black Sea in the coming days.

The seizure of local administration buildings in Donetsk and Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine was “very concerning,” Chollet said, adding that Washington did not believe them to be “spontaneous demonstrations.”

“Moving into eastern Ukraine would clearly be a very serious escalation of this crisis,” he said.

In his written testimony, Chollet said pressure from Moscow is not confined to Ukraine.

“Moldova, for example, has Russian forces on its territory, nominally peacekeepers, but who actually support the separatist Transnistria region.”

NATO’s top commander, the US Gen. Philip Breedlove, expressed concern at the end of March about the large Russian troop presence along Ukraine’s border, fearing it could lead to an intervention by Moscow in Transnistria

08 avr 2014 marine-oceans.com (AFP)

WASHINGTON - Les actions militaires de la Russie en Crimée pourraient conduire à un réexamen de la présence militaire américaine en Europe, qui n'a cessé de décroître depuis la fin de la Guerre froide, a affirmé mardi un haut responsable du Pentagone.

Les "actions (russes) en Europe et en Eurasie pourraient conduire les Etats-Unis à réexaminer leur dispositif militaire et leurs besoins en matière de futurs déploiements, d'exercices et d'entraînements dans la région", a affirmé Derek Chollet, chargé des affaires de sécurité internationale au Pentagone.

Washington ne "cherche pas la confrontation" avec Moscou pour autant, a-t-il précisé devant les élus de la commission des forces armées de la Chambre des représentants.

Quelque 67.000 militaires américains sont actuellement stationnés sur le continent européen, principalement en Allemagne (40.000 hommes), en Italie (11.000) et en Grande-Bretagne (9.500). Ils étaient 285.000 à la fin 1991 quand l'Union soviétique a cessé d'exister.

Derek Chollet n'a pas précisé ce que le réexamen du dispositif pourrait comprendre alors que le Pentagone est confronté à des restrictions budgétaires et cherche à redéployer une partie de ses moyens vers l'Asie-Pacifique dans le cadre de sa stratégie dite de "pivot".

Evoquant "l'intervention militaire illégale de la Russie en Ukraine", M. Chollet a considéré que cette action changeait "le paysage sécuritaire en Europe" et provoquait une instabilité sur les frontières de l'Otan.

Pour rassurer les pays d'Europe de l'Est membres de l'Otan, Washington a déjà déployé six chasseurs-bombardiers F-15 en renfort dans les pays Baltes, 12 F-16 et trois avions de transport en Pologne. Un destroyer lance-missiles, l'USS Donald-Cook doit par ailleurs arriver en mer Noire dans les jours à venir.

La prise de contrôle de bâtiments de l'administration locale à Donetsk et Kharkiv, dans l'est russophone de l'Ukraine est "très inquiétant", a par ailleurs observé le responsable du Pentagone, d'autant qu'il ne s'agissait "pas de manifestations spontanées".

Une action en russe en Ukraine orientale "constituerait clairement une escalade très sérieuse de la crise", a-t-il mis en garde.

Les pressions de Moscou ne se cantonnent pas à l'Ukraine, a-t-il par ailleurs observé dans son témoignage écrit, un passage qu'il n'a pas prononcé devant les élus.

"La Moldavie par exemple a des forces russes sur son territoire, en théorie des forces de maintien de la paix, mais qui en fait soutiennent la région séparatiste de Transnistrie", selon lui.

Le commandant suprême des forces alliées en Europe (Saceur), le général américain Philip Breedlove, s'était déjà inquiété fin mars de la présence massive de troupes russes à la frontière de l'Ukraine, craignant qu'elle ne débouche sur une intervention de Moscou en Transnistrie.

April 7, 2014 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Deutsche Welle German radio; issued April 5, 2014)

The US Air Force base at Ramstein is reportedly a hub for coordinating Washington’s global drone war. Although the revelation has stirred controversy in Germany, Berlin has little political leeway to challenge the US.

Statements made by Brandon Bryant, a former drone pilot for the US Air Force, reveal that Germany plays a greater role in the US drone war than previously thought.

"The entire drone war of the US military wouldn't be possible without Germany," Bryant told German media. During his time in the US Air Force, Bryant flew more than 1,000 operations from the US.

The current debate centers around the US Ramstein Air Base in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The pilot controlling the drones is in the US, but with the long distance between the operational area and the US, the data from the remote controlled drones is transmitted via satellite to Germany and then sent via fiber optic cable back to America. What's more, live pictures taken from the drone operations are analyzed in Germany and compared with intelligence.

For years the US has been using drones to fight terrorism in Africa, the Middle East and in the Pakistani-Afghan border region. Since 2004, the Investigative Bureau of Journalism estimates there have been 383 US drone strikes in the Pakistani-Afghan border region alone. At least 2,300 people have been killed, among them 416 civilians.

Foreign policy spokesperson for the Greens party, Omid Nouripour, called on the government to take action against the potential involvement of US air force bases stationed Germany in drone attacks.

"It is shameful that the German government simply closes its eyes to violations of international law on German territory," said Nouripour in an interview with the news agency DPA.

Legal grey area

But there are differing views on whether drone strikes violate international law. In many cases, the strikes are secret. The border regions, where the drone assaults take place, are often difficult to access even for the country's government.

Human rights organizations like Amnesty International accuse the US of violating international law. However, Washington sees itself in a cross-border war against terror – a conflict with al Qaeda and its allies, not particular countries. In such conflicts, persons directly involved in fighting are deemed legitimate targets. Therefore, the US argues, killing such a person would not violate international law.

"If the execution of drone attacks does not violate international law, it is not a problem," said Andreas Zimmermann, professor of international law at the University of Potsdam.

The deployment of US troops in Germany has been regulated since the 1950s with the NATO Status of Forces Agreement. Therefore "military forces and civilian personnel are allowed to take required measures for the satisfactory fulfillment of its defense obligations on the provided premises." And this applies to drone attacks according to US legal interpretation.

But even if Germany believed international law had been violated, it would be difficult for Berlin to take legal action. Jurisdiction lies with the US. The German government could terminate the Status of Forces agreement, said Zimmermann, "but that would be a huge political decision that would question the entire alliance."

Little political leeway

The German government could use political measures, says Zimmermann. "If there is evidence the US has violated international law on German territory, the German government could demand that the US stops these acts," he said.

But for that, the German government needs to know about it. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert outlined what is known at a media conference on Friday (04.04.2014):

"The US government has confirmed that such armed and remote aircrafts are not flown or controlled from US bases in Germany," he said.

The German government has never specifically asked Washington, giving America the opportunity to avoid the issue, said Marcel Dickow from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin.

The main question is "whether these operations would be possible without American technology based in Germany. And without the analysis, the risk assessment and the evaluation of whether it is a target person or not, the attacks would not be carried out," he said.

Apparently the German government intends to ask the US for more specific information relating to the drone program. Seibert has indicated the government will demand a statement from the US about the new allegations. Nevertheless, it is a politically delicate question.

"What do you do against an ally who possibly violates international law from your own territory?" asked Marcel Dickow. "The Americans are the most important strategic partner. You don't easily challenge such a partner, particularly when you use the same tools and values in the common war against international terrorism."

Not much more can be expected other than a protest behind closed doors.

If the British government decides to rebuild its maritime patrol capabilities it may consider an acquisition of the Triton, a maritime version of the Global Hawk UAV. (Northrop Grumman)

Apr. 7, 2014 - By ANDREW CHUTER – Defense News

LONDON — Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) is dispatching a team to train on Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton UAV in the run-up to a possible decision next year on whether to re-establish a maritime patrol capability.

Responding to a parliamentary question April 3, the government said that four personnel are “scheduled to train on the MQ-4C Triton during June and August, 2014.”

The Triton is a maritime version of the Global Hawk remotely piloted surveillance vehicle. The high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft is in its flight-test phase ahead of deliveries to the US Navy.

The British government said the team will be trained at the US Navy’s Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said on a number of occasions that unmanned aircraft could meet at least part of the requirement for a future maritime patrol aircraft capability if the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) resurrects the requirements.

The government controversially axed Britain’s maritime patrol aircraft capability as part of a budget-cutting exercise in the 2010 SDSR when BAE Systems’ long-delayed and over-budget Nimrod MRA4 program was canceled before the aircraft entered service.

Two demonstration versions of the Triton are scheduled to be delivered to Patuxent River in the next few weeks, having last month completed initial flight testing.

Triton has already been ordered by the US Navy to operate alongside Boeing P-8 Poseidon MPAs. Australia has also said it intends to buy the machine to work with the P-8s it has on order.

Northrop displayed a mock-up of the high-altitude Triton at a Royal Air Force show at its Waddington, England, base last year.

The British parliamentary answer also revealed that 20 personnel have been embedded with US Navy P-8 operations as part of a program to retain crew skills until a decision is made on whether to recreate a maritime patrol capability.

The program, known as Seedcorn, has also seen smaller numbers of personnel embedded with Australian, Canadian and New Zealand maritime patrol forces.

An MoD spokeswoman declined to elaborate on why the British personnel were being trained on Triton, but said it is part of a wider effort to develop capabilities.

“The Seedcorn program provides a valuable opportunity to UK personnel for training, specialization and exposure within the maritime environment while working with our allies to develop our capabilities. Triton forms only one element of this program and only a small, select number of UK personnel are involved in work, which operates from Patuxent River,” the spokeswoman said.

Representatives from Northrop declined to comment

06 Apr 2014 By Anders Fogh Rasmussen – the Telegraph

Ukraine crisis shows that defence matters as much as ever. Every ally needs to invest in its armed forces, Nato's secretary-general warns in the Telegraph

Sixty-five years ago this month, Nato was born into a dangerous world. As the Soviet shadow deepened across Europe, 12 nations from both sides of the Atlantic committed to individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law determined to stand together to safeguard their security.

Those nations were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. They took the most solemn pledge that any country can take: an attack on one would be viewed as an attack on all.

Today’s Nato brings together a unique combination of the world’s strongest democracies with an integrated military structure, a permanent political decision-making process and a network of more than 40 partners from around the world. It is where Europeans and North Americans consult, decide and act every day on security issues that concern us all. We have learned much from the last 20 years of challenging operations, from Afghanistan to Kosovo, from Libya to the Horn of Africa. We are now more efficient and effective than at any time in Nato’s history.

We still live in a dangerous world, and the threats are more complex and unpredictable than 65 years ago. Some are new: cyber and missile attacks. Others are age-old: attempts to redraw borders by force. What has not changed is Nato’s commitment to our fundamental values and purpose. Our motto remains: all for one, one for all.

That solidarity is clear in our response to Russia’s illegal aggression against Ukraine and its continued breach of international law. Thanks to allies from both sides of the Atlantic, we have more than doubled the number of fighter aircraft policing the airspace of the Baltic States. We are patrolling the skies of Poland and Romania with Awacs early-warning aircraft and allies have boosted their presence in the Black Sea.

We are united in our determination to deter threats and to defend any ally at all times. We have strengthened our support for Ukraine and other partners in the region. And we have suspended cooperation with Russia; there can be no business as usual.

Nobody in Nato wants a return to the Cold War, but we see the Kremlin trying to turn back the clock and carve up Europe into new spheres of influence. We must stand up for our values, on which we have built a new and better Europe, and for the system of international rules that has underpinned prosperity and predictability.

This September we will hold a summit in Wales – a pivotal meeting at a pivotal time. We will make sure that we remain strong at home, active in managing crises, and engaged with our partners around the world.

Today’s crisis shows that defence matters as much as ever. So every ally needs to invest the necessary resources in the right capabilities. That means modern equipment, intensive training for our forces, and closer cooperation among Nato allies and with our partners. I know how challenging this is in today’s economic climate, but the security climate makes it vital.

In the long run, a lack of security would be more costly than investing now and we owe it to our forces, and to broader society. We all benefit from Nato’s protection; we all must be able to contribute to it. The alliance has kept us safe for 65 years. The bond between the democracies of North America and Europe remains the bedrock of our collective security. Nato has stood the tests of the past. We are ready to face the future.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen is the secretary general of Nato

4 April 2014 Cabinet Office, Ministry of Defence and Foreign & Commonwealth Office

MOSCOU, 2 avril - RIA Novosti

L'Otan travaille actuellement sur un projet visant à renforcer la protection de ses alliés d'Europe de l'Est, qui sera prêt vers le 15 avril, a déclaré le chef militaire de l'Alliance, le général américain Philip Breedlove, cité par l'agence Reuters. 

Il a été antérieurement annoncé que réunis autour de la situation en Ukraine, les chefs de la diplomatie des pays membres de l'Otan avaient convenu d'entreprendre les mesures susceptibles de consolider "les engagements de l'Alliance en matière de dissuasion et de défense collective contre toute menace". 

Le secrétaire US à la Défense Chuck Hagel a de son côté fait savoir que le général Breedlove était chargé de réaffirmer l'engagement des alliés au côté des pays d'Europe de l'Est sur fond de rattachement de la Crimée à la Fédération de Russie. 

Un changement de pouvoir ayant toutes les caractéristiques d'un coup d'Etat s'est produit en Ukraine le 22 février dernier. La Rada suprême (parlement) a destitué le président Viktor Ianoukovitch, réformé la constitution et fixé l'élection présidentielle au 25 mai. Moscou conteste la légitimité des nouvelles autorités du pays. 

Peuplée en majorité de russophones, la république autonome de Crimée a proclamé son indépendance vis-à-vis de l'Ukraine et sa réunification avec la Russie au terme d'un référendum tenu le 16 mars, lors duquel 96,7% des habitants de la péninsule ont appuyé cette décision. La Russie et la Crimée ont signé le 18 mars dernier le traité sur le rattachement de la république de Crimée et de la ville de Sébastopol à la Fédération de Russie.

03/04/2014 CDAOA / Armée de l'air

Vendredi 28 mars 2014, un exercice aérien trilatéral regroupant Américains, Britanniques et Français s’est déroulé au large des côtes de la Grande-Bretagne.

Premier exercice de ce type, Tonnerre Lighting avait pour vocation de planifier de manière conjointe, puis de conduire une opération aérienne pour faire face à une menace imminente venant d’un pays agresseur. Cet entraînement a constitué l’occasion pour les trois nations participantes de poursuivre leurs progrès en termes d’intégration, d’interopérabilité et de sécurisation des communications dans un milieu interallié.Des F15 et un avion ravitailleur américains étaient engagés, tout comme des Typhoon britanniques, ainsi que des Rafale, des Mirage 2000-5 et un E-3F français.

Placée sous la direction d’un officier de l’US Air Force situé à Ramstein (Allemagne), Tonnerre Lighting a permis de mettre sur pied une planification robuste et un dispositif de conduite synchronisés par le 603rd Air and Operations Center (unité basée à Ramstein), le Joint Forces Air Component Command (JFACC- commandement de la composante air des forces interarmées) britannique de High Wycombe et le JFACC français de Lyon Mont-Verdun.Tonnerre Lighting visait à consolider la mise en œuvre des procédures interalliées lors des opérations aériennes. Récemment, la Grande-Bretagne, les États-Unis et la France ont en effet été engagés ensemble au sein de dispositifs aériens d’envergure. En 2011, les trois nations ont fait partie de la coalition engagée lors de l’opération Harmattan au-dessus de la Lybie. Plus récemment, les États-Unis ont également apporté un soutien logistique à la France lors des crises malienne (opération Serval) et centrafricaine (opération Sangaris).Cet exercice a nécessité plusieurs mois de préparation et un second volet de même ampleur, conduit depuis le JFACC permanent de Lyon Mont-Verdun, doit avoir lieu avant la fin de l’année.

02 avril 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

BRUXELLES - Les Etats-Unis veulent empêcher l'utilisation de l'énergie comme une arme politique et un instrument d'agression, a affirmé mercredi le secrétaire d'Etat John Kerry, alors que la Russie fait pression sur l'Ukraine avec les prix du gaz.

Les difficultés actuelles soulignent la nécessité d'assurer la sécurité énergétique, pas seulement de l'Ukraine, mais aussi de l'Europe, a déclaré M. Kerry à l'issue d'un Conseil énergie USA-UE à Bruxelles.

Aucun pays ne devrait utiliser l'énergie pour s'opposer aux aspirations des peuples. (...) On ne peut pas permettre qu'elle soit utilisée comme une arme politique ou un instrument d'agression, a-t-il ajouté.

La Russie a augmenté mardi de plus d'un tiers le prix du gaz qu'elle vend à l'Ukraine.

M. Kerry a souligné que les Etats-Unis et l'UE apportaient une aide à l'Ukraine pour s'approvisionner en gaz naturel en Pologne et en Hongrie, et pour développer une voie d'approvisionnement à travers la Slovaquie.

Il a rappelé que dans le cadre du plan d'aide du FMI, l'Ukraine devait réduire les subventions pour le gaz et rendre le marché plus compétitif.

Après le président américain Barack Obama la semaine dernière à Bruxelles, le secrétaire d'Etat a insisté sur la nécessité pour les Etats-Unis et pour l'UE de diversifier leurs sources d'énergie. Nous devons tous faire en sorte de ne pas dépendre d'une seule source d'énergie, a-t-il insisté.

Il a évoqué notamment le gaz en provenance d'Azerbaïdjan, la construction de terminaux de gaz naturel liquéfié à travers l'Europe et la possibilité d'exporter du gaz de schiste américain en Europe.

LONDON – March 26, 2014 – Northrop Grumman Corporation

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has received the Customer Focus Award from BAE Systems Maritime-Submarines in recognition of the role the company has played in supplying the platform management system (PMS) for the U.K. Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Astute nuclear-powered submarine programme.

The award was presented during BAE's 2014 Annual Supplier Forum to Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit in recognition of its performance in the integrated deployment and management of the programme's resources and for continuously improving performance standards in delivery and support.

"Our extensive track record of delivering reliable, high-performance navigation and ship control solutions has helped to establish us as a preferred supplier for Royal Navy platforms," said Alan Dix, managing director, Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine. "This award is a great achievement and we are proud to be contributing to the most capable submarine ever built for the Royal Navy."

Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine is supplying the PMS to BAE Systems Maritime–Submarines for installation on the Royal Navy's Astute Boat 4 and under an innovative performance partnering arrangement for boats 5, 6 and 7 at its shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.

The PMS includes control and monitoring software, human interface equipment and programmable logic controller-based hardware located throughout the submarine. All hardware has been system-engineered to meet naval standards for shock, vibration, temperature and electromagnetic compatibility requirements and meets the stringent safety requirements for this type of vessel.

Based on Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine's innovative approach to configuring commercial off-the-shelf hardware and software to meet exacting military and commercial applications, the PMS is expected to reduce life cycle costs and minimize programme risk for the MOD. The system provides an advanced network design that includes the stringent levels of safety and redundancy associated with nuclear submarine control systems. The open architecture design of the PMS is also expandable and versatile allowing it to interface with third-party equipment via standard field-bus technology.

Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine in the U.K. has had a long and successful relationship with the Royal Navy, supplying and supporting machinery control systems, navigation radars, gyrocompasses and other navigation equipment. The company has also provided the PMS for the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers and the Hunt Class Minehunters, and is supplying the integrated navigation and bridge System for the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers. The company has provided ships' inertial navigation systems for a variety of the Royal Navy's other surface ships and submarines.

The Sperry Marine business unit is headquartered in New Malden, U.K., and has major engineering and support offices in Hamburg, Germany. It provides smart navigation and ship control solutions for the international marine industry with customer service and support in numerous locations worldwide.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.