L'USS Ponce survolé par un hélicoptère du type Seahawk

crédits : US NAVY

06/02/2012 MER et MARINE

La marine américaine a décidé d'offrir une seconde vie au transport de chalands de débarquement USS Ponce (LPD 15). Mis en service en 1971, le bâtiment, à l'issue d'un ultime déploiement en Méditerranée, mer Rouge, océan Indien et golfe Persique, a regagné fin 2011 les Etats-Unis, les préparatifs en vue de son retrait du service débutant en décembre. Mais le désarmement du Ponce, initialement prévu en mars, n'aura pas lieu. Le commandement de la flotte américaine a, en effet, décidé de transformer l'ancien TCD en base flottante avancée (Afloat Forward Staging Base - AFSB). L'été prochain, le bâtiment, qui va devenir l'AFSB (I) 15 - « I » pour Intérim - gagnera le golfe Persique afin d'être mis à la disposition de la 5ème flotte américaine, basée à Bahreïn. Le Ponce servira de bâtiment de soutien aux chasseurs de mines et patrouilleurs côtiers déployés dans la région. Il pourra également servir de plateforme pour des opérations héliportées et mettre à profit ses nombreux locaux pour accueillir du matériel ou des troupes.
Il sera armé par un équipage mixte de l'US Navy et du Military Sealift Command (MSC).


L'USS Ponce (© : US NAVY)


L'USS Ponce (© : US NAVY)

Long de 173.4 mètres pour une largeur de 30.5 mètres, l'USS Ponce affiche un déplacement de 17.500 tonnes en charge. Il compte une plateforme avec un hangar télescopique, permettant la mise en oeuvre de quatre hélicoptères CH-46 Sea Knight, ainsi qu'un radier permettant d'accueillir un engin de débarquement sur coussin d'air de type LCAC ou quatre chalands de débarquement. Disposant de liaisons satellites et d'infrastructure de commandement, le bâtiment peut aussi servir d'hôpital flottant avec notamment un bloc opératoire. Ses capacités d'hébergement son très importantes, les logements permettant d'accueillir, en plus d'un équipage de 420 hommes, pas moins de 788 passagers.
Pour mémoire, le Ponce est le dernier des 12 LPD du type Austin, dont il ne reste plus que 7 exemplaires en service au sein de l'US Navy.


L'USS Ponce (© : US NAVY)


L'USS Ponce (© : US NAVY)


L'USS Ponce (© : US NAVY)


L'USS Ponce (© : US NAVY)

5/2/2012 Israel Ben Dor and Lt. Col. (Res.) Shachar Moshe - israeldefense.com

Dr. Israel Ben Dor and Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Shachar Moshe discuss the reorganization of ground fighting management

Long ago, when soldiers communicated with their commanders by way of signal flags, the location of the headquarters was of key importance. In today's age of real-time communications, a war in Gaza no longer has to be managed from a headquarters in Be’er Sheva, or a war against Syria from Mt. Canaan in the Upper Galilee.

We find it hard to believe that the IDF's structure is still based on regional commands that are redundant remnants dating back to the War of Independence. The IDF's technological potential has grown exponentially since the Yom Kippur War, but the advantages of technology have still not been fully exploited, especially in ground warfare.

Brigadier General Dov Tamari, the former commander of the IDF Command and Staff College, says that "In most of Israel's wars, relations between the general staff and regional commands reached a crisis point that had a pejorative effect on the management of the wars and battles." Tamari also states that "Armies find it difficult to change, but changes are absolutely necessary. In retrospect, the IDF's organizational structure has remained almost as it was in the 1960s – practically frozen in time – even though combat systems and weapons have changed beyond recognition."

Our proposed alternative is to eliminate the hierarchical commands outside the battlefield and instead, establish a central Tactical Operations Center (TOC), where commanders at all levels of fighting will be situated depending on developments on the battlefield, and if necessary, down to the level of the individual soldier and specific weapons. Take Afghanistan as an example. All the coalition forces operate out of a central TOC. Every morning they receive a briefing from the supreme allied commander, an update on the latest developments in the campaign. Thousands of officers from over forty countries are involved in these daily meetings.

Realm of the Unknown

The Second Lebanon War (2006) demonstrated the extent to which the Northern Command was nonessential in battle management. The Winograd Report deemed the IDF ground forces' performance unsatisfactory. It also noted that valuable intelligence at the senior levels failed to filter down to the fighting echelons, and that this oversight had a detrimental effect on the fighting.

A battle is essentially a realm of the unknown, a continuous state of crises management. In our proposal, managing combat assets is the key component, but defining these needs will be done directly between the combat unit on the field and battle commander. The battle commander's role calls for combat experience, at least at the level being fought. Battle management requires training and drilling in an environment similar to a combat situation. Eventually, a foundation based on professional battle command knowledge will be laid. Today, this knowledge is dispersed between the different regional commands and divisions. The clear division between the forces in the field, who are responsible for executing the mission, and the command post directing the battle, will contribute to the expertise of all involved.

The existing structure of battle management by regional commands on a separate level to the general staff is ineffective. The proposed reorganization can prevent this mismanagement of resources by optimizing the battle management from a central site.

During combat, the fighting forces will be under the direct command of officers leading them on the ground, and only then will the forces be subject to the battle commander in the high command. The battle commander will not overturn battlefield decisions made by officers on the field.

This does not mean that soldiers will be sent into combat without senior commanders. On the contrary, battlefield commanders at all levels will continue to lead their men into battle in accordance with the IDF’s finest traditions. Depending on circumstances, commanders might be assigned a role in the high command as battle commanders or advisers to battle commanders. Thus, the everlasting dilemma of senior commanders in a ground battle – where to be during the fighting – will finally be resolved. A commander fighting alongside the forces will be at the head of his troops, without his accompanying staff, and thus set a personal example. Battle management will be undertaken by the battle commander in the high command, operating in accordance with an integrated view of the battle.

Battle commanders will be provided with multidisciplinary advisory teams tasked with assisting in decision-making. Along with advisers in regular military disciplines, the teams will include legal advisers, historians, and psychologists.

If communications with the high command were to break down or the high command would be unable to function for one reason or another, modern communication networks will enable the fighting forces to remain in continuous contact with one another.

A central command and control center is essential to the ground forces, just as the human brain commands the different organs of the body.

5 février 2012 Blog Tsahal

Le Général Amir Eshel a été nommé Commandant de l’armée de l’air israélienne. Le ministre israélien de la Défense, Ehud Barak, a confirmé la décision du Chef d’ État-major, le Général Benny Gantz, de nommer le Général Amir Eshel Commandant des forces aériennes d’Israël. Eshel remplacera le Général Ido Nechushtan.

Le général Amir Eshel est né à Jaffa en 1959. En 1977, il a rejoint la formation de pilote de l’armée de l’air et a obtenu son diplôme pour devenir pilote de chasse en 1979. Il a servi comme Chef d’escadron pendant la Première Guerre du Liban également appelée “Opération Paix en Galilée» en 1982 . Le Général Eshel a accumulé plus de 5500 heures de vol ainsi que des années d’expérience en tant qu’instructeur de différents types d’avions.

Au cours de sa carrière militaire, le Général Eshel a occupé différents postes à haute responsabilité, tels que:

1991 à 1993 :  Chef d’escadron “Barack” – dans la base de “Ramat David”;

1993 à 1995 : Chef d’escadron “kornes 2000″ – dans la base de “Tel Nof” ;

1996 à 1999 : Chef de la Branche Opérationnelle de l’armée de l’air ;

1999 à 2001 : Commandant de la base “Ramon” ;

2001 à 2003 :  Commandant de la base “Tel Nof” ;

2004 à 2005 :  Commandant des différents escadrons de l’armée de l’air ;

2006 à 2008 : Chef du personnel de l’armée de l’air.

À partir de 2008 – Chef de la planification au sein de l’armée de l’air.

Le Général Amir Eshel a obtenu un diplôme à l’Université “Auburn”, en Alabama, et une maîtrise en sciences politiques de l’Université de Haïfa et au Centre d’étude dans le domaine de la sécurité intérieure.

2012-02-04 farsnews.com

TEHRAN (FNA)- The 18th flotilla of warships dispatched by Iran to the Gulf of Aden on an anti-piracy mission docked at the Saudi port city of Jeddah today, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Saturday.

The Iranian Navy dispatched its 18th flotilla of warships to the Gulf of Aden on January 21 to protect the country's cargo ships and oil tankers against Somali pirates.

Addressing a ceremony here in Tehran today, Sayyari said the Iranian Navy's fleet of warships, comprised of Khark warship and Shahid Naqdi destroyer, docked at Jeddah this morning, and added that the mission is part of the Navy's moves in line with the orders of the Supreme Leader for having a stronger presence in the high seas.

The commander said that the navy ships' 70-80-day mission is aimed at demonstrating Iran's power in the high seas.

While enemies try to portray Iran's growing power as a threat to the regional states, the Admiral indicated that such missions prove that Iran's military power is used to defend the region and can, thus, defuse the plot hatched by the enemies to spread Iranophobia.

The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.

According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates.

The Gulf of Aden - which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea - is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West through the Suez Canal.

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi

MOSCOW, February 4 (RIA Novosti)

Iran has launched of the Zafar (Triumph) marine cruise missile for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) naval forces, Iranian news networks Press TV reported on Saturday.

“Zafar is a radar-controlled, short range torpedo with the capability to destroy small and medium targets with high precession,” Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said.

The missile can be mounted on various kinds of light, high speed vessels, Vahidi said, adding that it highly effective in anti-electronic warfare.

In April 2011, Vahidi announced that the country had successfully test-fired the indigenous Zafar missile.

He provided no specifications but said they were "the fastest cruise missiles in the world".

Feb 2, 2012 By Jeffrey Heller/Reuters - AviationWeek.com

JERUSALEM - Israel said Feb. 2 that Iran had been working on developing a missile capable of striking the U.S. at a military base rocked by a deadly explosion three months ago.

The blast on Nov. 12 killed 17 Iranian troops, including an officer regarded as the architect of Iran’s missile defenses. Iran said at the time the explosion at the facility, 45 km (28 miles) from Tehran, was an accident and occurred during research on weapons that could strike Israel.

Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon, addressing Israel’s annual Herzliya security conference, challenged the Iranian account that the weapons project was focused on targeting Israel, and implied Iran was seeking to extend its strike range fourfold.

He said the base was a research and development facility where Iran “was preparing to produce or develop a missile with a range of 10,000 km (6,000 miles) … aimed at the ‘Great Satan’, the United States of America, and not us”.

Yaalon, who is also minister of strategic affairs, gave no other details nor related his remarks to the cause of the explosion.

Analysts currently estimate the longest range of an Iranian missile to be about 2,400 km, capable of reaching Israel and Europe. Israeli leaders are keen to persuade any allies who do not share their assessment of the risk posed by Iran that a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic would also threaten the West.

Israel has made little comment on accusations by Tehran that its agents along with those of its Western allies are waging a covert war against Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran denies Israeli and Western allegations that it is seeking to build atomic weapons, saying it is enriching uranium to generate electricity and for other peaceful purposes.

“MILESTONE”

In a Nov. 28 report on the explosion at the Iranian base, the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), said it had learned the blast occurred “as Iran had achieved a major milestone in the development of a new missile”. The Washington-based ISIS, founded by nuclear expert David Albright, said Iran was apparently performing a volatile procedure involving a missile engine when the explosion took place.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pressing for stronger international sanctions against Tehran, has said repeatedly that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat not only to Israel but to the United States and Europe as well.

Israel is widely believed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear power and to have developed missiles capable of striking Iran. It has said all military options are open in preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

In his address, Yaalon, a former chief of staff of the Israeli military, was dismissive of arguments that underground Iranian nuclear sites may be invulnerable to so-called “bunker-buster” bombs.

Speaking in general terms, he said: “From my military experience, human beings will know how to penetrate any installation protected by other human beings. Ultimately all the facilities can be hit.”

03 February 2012 defenseWeb (Reuters)

France could seal a long-awaited deal for Dassault to sell at least 60 Rafale fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates by April, turning around what appeared to have been a lost cause, French newspaper La Tribune reported.

The French-built jet emerged on Tuesday as preferred bidder in a $15 billion contest to supply India with 126 warplanes, lifting hopes for a sale that would boost French national pride and restore the lustre of its aviation sector.

Citing unidentified sources, the paper said on its website that President Nicolas Sarkozy would go to the UAE in March or early April when the contract is likely to be finalised, Reuters reports.

The deal, potentially worth $10 billion has been in the works since 2008, but was thrown into doubt in November when the world's fourth-largest oil exporter said the proposed terms were "uncompetitive and unworkable." It asked for details of a rival aircraft, the Typhoon built by the Eurofighter consortium.

"Everything has been unlocked (between the UAE and Dassault)," an unidentified source told La Tribune.

A French government source told Reuters that Paris was waiting to hear from the Emirates this month. Dassault and the Defence Ministry declined to comment.

Sarkozy scored a commercial coup with the announcement this week that years of lobbying had pushed India close to buying the Rafale and will look to make political gains ahead of April's presidential election in which he is lagging in the polls behind Socialist rival Francois Hollande.

The UAE has pressed for the aircraft's engines to be upgraded with extra thrust and for better radar, industry sources have said.

La Tribune said there were a few technical details still to be ironed out, but that they were easy to resolve. It added that as part of the deal Paris would take back the Emirates' existing Dassault-made Mirage fighters.

Speaking after the India announcement, French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet hinted there could be more deals ahead.

"Good news are like worries, they fly in squadrons," he said. "That (deal) is the start of a squadron of good news."

A French win in the UAE could also lead to further contracts in the Gulf Arab region which shares the West's concerns that Iran is using its nuclear energy programme to develop weapons, a charge Tehran has denied. Saudi Arabia inked a deal for U.S. arms worth nearly $60 billion a year ago.

Qatar, a close French ally, said last year it wanted to replace its fleet of Mirage fighter jets during 2012 possibly buying 24 to 36 units. Kuwait in 2010 said it was also considering buying Rafales to replace its ageing Mirage fleet.

According to analysts the Gulf countries are looking to have the same aircraft for inter-operability reasons as well as differentiating themselves from Gulf power house Saudi Arabia, which uses U.S. Boeing-built F-15s.

"My wish is that the UAE makes a decision that allows two neighbours that want inter-operability with it to make decisions," Longuet said in January when asked about potential contracts in Qatar and Kuwait.

"If they get the feeling no decision is taken they will look elsewhere. For now they are interested, but they will only really be if the first one takes a leap."

Feb 3 2012 TRDEFENCE

French state aircraft and warships are no longer using Turkish airspace and territorial waters after permission requests in three different cases were rejected by the Turkish government, France’s top diplomat in Ankara said, amid the ongoing spat over a French law penalizing the denial of Armenian genocide.

“Our requests [for an aircraft and two warships] have been rejected, so we are no longer issuing such requests. We are using alternative routes,” France’s Ambassador to Turkey Laurent Bili told the private news channel CNN Türk in an interview.

Bili said the first rejection was to a request for a French military aircraft that wanted to use Turkish airspace on its way to France from Afghanistan. Similarly, two French warships were not allowed to enter Turkish territorial waters recently. Turkey’s move against the French military was part of sanctions imposed against France after the adoption of the law at French Parliament late December last year.

Though enough numbers of lawmakers and senators were collected to take the law to the Constitutional Council for possible annulment, Bili’s words revealed the process was not an easy one.
“There was such an atmosphere [in Ankara] that necessitated my return to France,” Bili said, adding that the Turkish reaction against the move was a surprise for many French people but did not affect Turkey’s image in the country. “France attaches great importance to its relationship with Turkey. We need to be calm. The law is not aimed against Turkey […] The number of Armenians living in France is 10 times more than the number of Armenians in Turkey. They have become a part of French history. I understand how sensitive issues are concerning ancestors, but cutting off ties is not a good idea.”

The French Constitutional Council must conclude its study on the law by Feb. 29 if the government does not demand the speeding up of the process and give its verdict in eight days. If it does not embrace the law, the council will either fully reject the law or will demand a partial amendment. In both cases, the legislative process will have to start from scratch.

03/02/2012 20minutes.fr

TEHERAN - L'Iran a lancé vendredi matin avec succès un petit satellite d'observation expérimental dans l'espace, le troisième depuis 2009, ont rapporté les médias iraniens.

"Le satellite Navid a été lancé avec succès (...) et doit être placé sur une orbite de 250 à 370 kilomètres", a annoncé Hamid Fazeli, le président de l'Organisation spatiale iranienne, cité par l'agence officielle Irna.

"Le satellite pèse 50 kilos (...) et a été envoyé par le lanceur Safir, qui a été amélioré avec notamment une puissance augmentée de 20%", a-t-il ajouté.

Ce lancement, intervenu alors que l'Iran commémore depuis jeudi l'anniversaire de la révolution islamique de février 1979, a été effectué en présence du président Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Navid, dont la mission est de "prendre des photographies de la terre", a été construit par l'université Elm-o-Sanat (Science et Industrie). Ses photos auraient une résolution de 400 mètres, selon les quelques détails publiés par les médias.

Il a une durée de vie prévue d'un an et demi et fait "le tour de la terre toutes les 90 minutes", a précisé M. Fazeli.

Ses images seront transmises à "plusieurs stations au sol installées à travers tout le pays" pour suivre et contrôler le satellite, a expliqué de son côté le ministre de la Défense Ahmad Vahidi cité par plusieurs médias.

L'Iran a déjà placé avec succès sur orbite basse deux petits satellites expérimentaux, Omid en 2009 et Rassad en juin 2011, avec sa fusée Safir.

Les lancements de satellites par l'Iran inquiètent la communauté internationale, qui redoute que le programme spatial de Téhéran ne lui permette de développer des missiles balistiques capables notamment d'emporter des charges nucléaires.

L'Iran dément farouchement toute intention de se doter de l'arme nucléaire et affirme que son programme spatial est entièrement pacifique, mais ses programmes nucléaire et balistique ont été condamnés par plusieurs résolutions de l'ONU dont certaines assorties de sanctions.

Téhéran a mis en oeuvre un ambitieux programme spatial qualifié de "priorité stratégique", qui prévoit le lancement d'au moins sept satellites dans les prochaines années.

M. Ahmadinejad a affirmé que Téhéran avait l'objectif d'envoyer un homme dans l'espace d'ici 2020, et l'Iran développe une capsule spatiale capable d'emporter un être vivant lors d'un vol suborbital lancé par une autre de ses fusées, Kavoshgar.

Cette capsule a déjà permis à l'Iran d'envoyer de petits animaux --un rat, une tortue et des insectes-- dans l'espace en février 2010, mais une tentative d'envoyer un singe à 120 km d'altitude à bord d'un habitacle de 285 kilos pour un vol orbital de 20 minutes s'est soldée par un échec en 2011.

La nature et le raisons précises de cet échec, annoncé avec plusieurs semaines de retard, n'ont pas été indiqués par les autorités.

Le vice-ministre de la Science Mohammad Mehdinejad-Nouri a simplement annoncé en octobre que "tous les objectifs de ce vol n'ont pas été atteints", et que les scientifiques iraniens allaient travailler afin que "les prochains vols connaissent plus de succès".

source Les Echos

02/02/2012 Michel Cabirol – LaTribune.fr

Un contrat portant sur la vente de 60 Rafale pourrait être rapidement annoncé, début mars. Paris et Dassault Aviation sont parvenus à retourner une situation pourtant compromise lors du salon aéronautique de Dubaï.

Une bonne nouvelle peut en cacher une autre.... Ce n'est qu'une coincidence avec l'entrée en négociations exclusives avec New Delhi mais Dassault Aviation serait également proche d'un accord avec les Emirats arabes unis (EAU) pour la vente de 60 Rafale. Une visite de Nicolas Sarkozy avait même été prévue le 12 février à Abu Dhabi mais, finalement, elle a été reportée "de quelques jours", explique-t-on à "latribune.fr". Une autre source précise que le voyage a été reporté début mars même si certains observateurs estiment que ce serait encore un peu tôt. Plutôt "fin mars, début avril".

Les relations entre Dassault Aviation et Abu Dhabi, qui s'étaient sérieusement dégradées au moment du salon aéronautique de Dubaï en novembre dernier, sont à nouveau au beau fixe. D'autant que le PDG de Dassault Aviation, Charles Edelstenne, qui avait pris un Falcon quelques jours seulement après la fin du salon de Dubaï, afin de remettre les choses à plat avec Abu Dhabi, avait rapidement su renouer le contact avec les autorités émiraties. Abu Dhabi avait profité du salon Dubaï AirShow, cauchemardesque pour le camp français, pour annoncer avoir mis en compétition face au Rafale, l'Eurofighter (BAE Systems, EADS et l'italien Finmeccanica) à la très grande surprise des Français.  "Tout a été déverouillé" entre les EAU et Dassault Aviation, précise-t-on à "latribune.fr".

Depuis quelques jours, le milieu de la défense est un peu en lévitation, diffusant une tendance très favorable sur les négociations en cours : "le dossier est très, très chaud". "Les bonnes nouvelles sont comme les ennuis, elles volent en escadrille. Là c'est le début d'une escadrille de bonnes nouvelles", avait avoué mardi le ministre de la Défense, Gérard Longuet, sans plus de précisions. "Le dossier indien va accélérer celui des Emirats", indique-t-on à "latribune.fr".

Il est reste quelques points technico-commerciaux faciles à lever. Mais rien de très sérieux. "C'est une tactique pour garder les négociations au chaud", explique-t-on. Le Rafale devrait notamment être équipé du missile air-air longue portée Meteor mais il ne disposera pas du moteur 9 tonnes, deux exigences des EAU. En revanche, la France semble s'être engagée à reprendre les 63 Mirage 2000-9. La nouvelle armée libyenne pourrait être dotée de tout ou partie de cette flotte.

Feb2, 2012 by Arie Egozi – Flight Global

Tel Aviv - The Israeli air force has resumed an upgrade programme for its earliest Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, with three more aircraft now being modified.

Previous plans had called for the purchase of additional AH-64D Apache Longbows, but a decision was taken to instead modernise the air force's A-model aircraft to the enhanced configuration. The work was frozen last year because of budget problems, but has now resumed to answer operational needs.

The three AH-64As now being modified at a Boeing facility in the USA are scheduled to arrive back in Israel at the end of this year.

Israel currently operates 18 new and remanufactured AH-64D "Saraf" helicopters, with the type featuring some locally made weapon systems. In all, its Apache inventory totals around 50 aircraft, as recorded by Flightglobal's HeliCAS database.

Meanwhile, the Israeli air force is awaiting a decision from the US Army about whether the service will extend the service lives of some of its AH-64As. A decision to phase out the type would have an immediate effect on Israel's ability to use it.

02.02.2012 - par David Koskas - israel-infos.net

Tsahal pourrait abandonner un projet de production de nouveaux drones de très haute technologie pour des raisons budgétaires.

Il y a de cela quelques semaines, des officiers de haut rang, notamment issus d'unités d'artillerie, ont suggéré que le projet de production d'un nouvel avion sans pilote devait être suspendu pour le moment, voire même peut-être abandonné, en raison de "préoccupations budgétaires et de considérations opérationnelles", selon le journal israélien.

Ce projet était pourtant considéré comme prioritaire dans l'armée, et particulièrement pour les forces d'artillerie : en 2009, il était question de diviser "le ciel en zones d'intervention " réparties entre l'aviation et l'artillerie.

Les drones de surveillance devaient fournir des renseignements précis grâce à des photos et des vidéos.
Mais il semble qu'au-delà de la théorie, ce programme soit compliqué à mettre en œuvre.

Et selon un officier, ces renseignements peuvent être obtenus par les drones existants et ou d'autres moyens de surveillance.

Parmi les drones actuellement en service dans l'armée israélienne figurent l'Hermes 450 d'Elbit et le Skyrider, tous deux utilisés par la division d'artillerie; le Skylark II, également conçu par Elbit, est en ce moment testé dans le sud du pays, près de la frontière égyptienne.

photo RP Defense

1 February 12, Yuval Azulai - Globes, Israel business news

Manufacturers: Component orders have been on hold since October.

Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI) is deeply worried about the future of the Merkava Mark IV tank, which is wholly manufactured in Israel under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense's Tank Development Administration. The ministry has halted orders for components from scores of companies.

"Globes" has spoken with several manufacturers in the past few days. They report that orders worth hundreds of millions of shekels have been on hold since October 2011. They added that they have received no clear answers from the IDF or the Ministry of Defense when or whether the orders would resume.

"The answer we get from the Defense Ministry is that the program has been budgeted for 2012. This is a NIS 1.1 billion a year program. If there's no budget, scores of factories in the periphery will close and at least 1,500-2,000 people will lose their jobs," a top manufacturer told "Globes".

Policy ambiguity

The future of the Merkava has been a topic of discussion in Israel's metals industry for months. The Merkava is a national project that the Ministry of Defense touts as a means for achieving a thriving industry in the periphery, because 200 enterprises directly and indirectly contribute to it.

According to the Manufacturers Association of Israel, these enterprises employ 10,000 persons. The Ministry of Defense's Rehabilitation and Maintenance Center at Tel Hashomer, outside Tel Aviv, assembles the Merkava. The center produces the tanks, which are sent to IDF armored brigades. The Merkava Mark IV, now under production, is one of the best tanks in the world.

Worries about the Merkava surfaced late last year, during the deliberations of the Trajtenberg Committee for Socioeconomic Change and the fight between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Finance over defense budget cuts.

The Ministry of Defense has deliberately kept its policy about future production of the Merkava ambiguous, and senior officials carefully say that all options are on the table.

"In practice, for four months, Israeli manufacturers have received no orders for Merkava components. Big companies produce goods for other customers and can survive under these circumstances. The problem is with small enterprises, which employ a few score of people, and for whom Defense Ministry orders are their lifeline. They've already begun laying off employees. Companies that have filled orders placed before October have thinned their workforce. The Defense Ministry is now considering cancelling previous orders, amounting to hundreds of millions of shekels," said a well-informed source.

Earlier this week, Tank Development Administration director Brig.-Gen. Yaron Livnat briefed Manufacturers Association president Zvi Oren and metals companies executives. The executives left the meeting ashen-faced. "We got the impression that the project won't be financed in 2012, even though the IDF Land Command and General Staff have told the Defense Ministry that the project is critical for Israel's security needs," said a steel industry executive.

The executive added, "When we call Minister of Defense Ehud Barak or ministry director general Udi Shani, we don’t get clear answers. The ministry appears to be holding its cards close to its chest. There is too much fog and too many 'no decision has been made yet' comments for company executives who have to manage operations and make work plans for the coming year."

Oren told "Globes", "There has never been such an existential threat to the Merkava program. It's really serious, and it's a fact that no orders have been placed for a good many months. Moreover, the Defense Ministry has asked factories that are still working for a statement setting out the effect of a halt in operations. The situation is bad, worrying, and pressing. If the program is terminated, it won't be possible to start it up again for ears. The know-how, infrastructures, and personnel will be lost forever."

Imco Industries Ltd. (TASE: IMCO) chairman Avraham Bar David says that the drop in work at the company, which makes electrical systems for the Merkava, has been strongly felt. "When the orders stopped in October, we were sure that they'd resume in January, and that everything would be all right. But January is over and there are still no orders. I will personally have to fire 100 employees, I'll close my factory in Nahariya, which employs 30 people, and I'll fire 70 people at my Nesher plant. We were explicitly told at a briefing that the program is winding down. It's terrible."

Ministry of Defense sources told "Globes" today that no decision on the future of the Merkava had been taken. A source said, "We have been warning for a long time that cutting the defense budget would hurt the Israeli economy and the periphery. We're making a supreme effort for our decisions not to hurt Israeli industries, but the government decided that the defense budget and the Ministry of Defense must act in accordance with its decisions."

The source said, "The Ministry of Defense is currently dealing with a complicated budget reality: an immediate NIS 4 billion shortfall, a future cut of NIS 3 billion a year from 2013, and a total multiyear budget cut of NIS 15 billion. The budget distress requires painful decisions, including a temporary halt in orders until the picture clears. As part of this, the defense establishment is also examining the future of projects, including the Merkava tank.

"I emphasize that that the review of the issue has not been completed, and that no decisions have been made. When it is over, the findings and their significance will be submitted to the prime minister. The Defense Ministry is in continuous contact with the defense industries, and it is trying to minimize the damage liable to be caused to them, their employees, and communities in the periphery."