photo ministère de ka Défense

21/10/2011 Sources : EMA

Les 13 et 14 octobre 2011, l’amiral Edouard Guillaud, chef d’état major des armées, a reçu à Paris l'amiral Gianpaolo Di Paola, président du comité militaire de l’OTAN.

Cette visite officielle était la première depuis que la France, en 2009, a décidé de réintégrer pleinement la structure de commandement de l’Alliance atlantique.

Elle a eu une résonnance toute particulière dans un contexte où les forces françaises jouent un rôle de premier plan dans plusieurs opérations de l’OTAN.

A l’occasion de sa visite à Paris, l’amiral Di Paola a notamment prononcé une allocution à l’Ecole militaire, en présence des stagiaires de l’Ecole de Guerre et de l’institut des hautes études de la Défense nationale (IHEDN). Il a notamment déclaré que « l’opération menée en Libye est la preuve de l’efficacité de l’OTAN, de sa capacité d’agir avec rapidité et précision […] grâce à une base juridique rigoureuse et un large soutien régional. »

Soulignant le rôle de la France dans la crise libyenne, le président du comité militaire a fait le lien avec son plein retour dans la structure de commandement de l’Alliance, qu’il a qualifiée de « réussite remarquable, qui servira de point de départ à des réalisations plus grandes encore dans tout que qu’entreprendra l’Alliance à l’avenir. »

Oct 20, 2011 SpaceWar.com (AFP)

NATO will begin Friday winding up its six-month mission in Libya, after the military alliance hailed the end of a four-decade "rule of fear" with Moamer Kadhafi's death.

"After 42 years, Colonel Kadhafi's rule of fear has finally come to an end," Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

Inviting the Libyan people to now "truly decide their own future", he said an end to NATO's involvement in the oil-rich north African state "has now moved much closer".

Calling on "all Libyans to put aside their differences and work together to build a brighter future", Rasmussen said NATO "will terminate (its) mission" in coordination with the UN and the National Transitional Council (NTC).

He pinpointed a need for the NTC "to prevent any reprisals against civilians and to show restraint in dealing with defeated pro-Kadhafi forces".

But he added: "With the reported fall of Bani Walid and Sirte, that moment has now moved much closer."

NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Admiral James Stavridis, is due to issue a recommendation, "probably tomorrow, for the end of the operation", a NATO official said.

Another senior official also said military planners would recommend "within a day or so" whether to call a complete halt to the mission or "to halt the strikes and continue monitoring for a couple of weeks".

A "key factor" is whether the NTC can provide adequate security on the ground, the official said.

"From the moment the NTC declares that Libyan territory has been liberated, then obviously the NATO operation is over," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told French radio during a visit to India.

"Today, Libya's future begins," said the NTC's ambassador to Britain Mahmud Nacua late on Thursday.

However, he refused to be drawn on whether the NTC now planned to hold elections.

"The next step (is), we look forward to building a new Libya as a state of law," he said.

A final decision to end the NATO mission will rest with the ambassadors of the 28-nation alliance.

NATO aircraft struck two pro-Kadhafi military vehicles in the vicinity of Sirte on Thursday morning.

Asked whether the fugitive Libyan leader had been hit in the strikes, a NATO spokesman said: "It's very possible because of the timing but we cannot confirm it."

Since March 31, NATO warplanes prevented Kadhafi from crushing a rebellion that erupted in February while daily bombing runs left the fugitive former leader's military in tatters, allowing the ragtag rebel army to take over the country in August.

Since taking over air and sea operations around Libya on March 31, NATO has launched 9,618 strike sorties.

It was the first NATO operation with Europeans in the driver's seat while the United States took a backup role.

But Operation Unified Protector revealed shortcomings within the 28-nation alliance, with some allies refusing to participate while those who did relied heavily on the United States for key intelligence and logistics support.

Only eight NATO states took part in bombing missions -- France, Britain, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Italy and the United States -- while Germany and Poland irked allies by staying out of the fight.

ROME, Oct. 20 (UPI)

Italy's Selex Elsag is to upgrade NATO's satellite communication systems and associated infrastructure under a major turnkey contract.

Under the award, Selex Elsag will design, build, test, commission and support the infrastructure and communications systems upgrades, which will offer high levels of operational readiness and reduced manning requirements and through-life costs.

The contract includes a major new building and satcom facility in Belgium.

Multiple-antenna satellite ground stations in Kester, Belgium, and Lughezzano, Italy, and single-antenna facilities in Turkey and Greece will also be upgraded, making extensive use of proven commercial off-the-shelf technology.

An enhanced training capability will be provided at the NATO Communications and Information Systems School in Italy. Surplus satcom stations will be closed.

Selex Elsag said this low-risk program will provide an expandable capability, with a 20-year operational lifespan, and will enhance NATO's operational capability by improving space segment efficiency, improving operational security and interoperability, reducing cost of ownership and improving resilience and security.

October 14, 2011 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Australian Strategic Policy Institute; issued October 14, 2011)

Australia would have spent about $6billion on the war in Afghanistan by the time our troops leave in 2014, according to Defence.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith defended the country's decade-long involvement in the conflict in Parliament yesterday. The Opposition expressed bi-partisan support.

''It is in our national interest to be in Afghanistan, not just with our alliance partner, the United States, but also with 47 other members of the International Security Assistance Force acting under a United Nations mandate,'' Mr Smith said.

He welcomed El Salvador, the latest country to join the coalition, to ISAF. ''Australia's fundamental goal is to prevent Afghanistan from again being used by terrorists to plan and train for attacks on innocent civilians, including Australians, in our region and beyond.''

This has come at a cost.

With almost 1000 diggers injured or wounded in the country since the war began ADF rehabilitation costs have escalated year after year. A Defence spokesman said they had jumped from $3 million in 2006-2007 to $12.6 million for 2010-2011.

These figures do not include the cost of artificial limbs, appliances, physiotherapy, medications and other prescribed treatments.

A total of 30 Australians, 29 ADF members and one who was serving with the British army, have also been killed.

''No liability'' payments to Afghan civilians for the deaths of family members, personal injury and damage to property stand at $169,104.

Blood money payments are reported to average about $6000, however, this can go higher depending on the status of the individual.

Mr Smith said Australia and the other ISAF member nations needed to set out a clear policy for Afghanistan after the troop withdrawals scheduled for 2014.

To fail to do so would be to ''send the wrong message to regional neighbours, including Pakistan''.

Raspal Khosa, an independent defence analyst formerly with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, has warned Pakistan is waiting on the Western withdrawal to ramp up its continuing policy of destabilisation in Afghanistan.

''They [Pakistan] continue to view Afghanistan as a source of strategic depth in their regional competition with India,'' he said.

Australia would have spent $6.75 billion on Operation Slipper and enhanced force protection in Afghanistan by the end of 2013-2014.

''Operation Slipper also includes Australia's maritime contributions to security operations in the Arabian Gulf, the Arabian and Red Seas and the Horn of Africa,'' the Defence spokesman said.

By far the largest share of the spend has gone to Afghanistan.

The Canberra Times was told the value of major equipment losses in the theatre to date came to $30 million.

This includes numerous Bushmaster vehicles and one of Australia's six Chinook helicopters that crashed earlier this year.

The figure is based on net book value; the cost of acquisition less depreciation, not replacement cost. It is believed the new Chinooks currently on order from the US will cost about $70 million a machine plus support equipment. With some of the Chinooks in the fleet dating back to the early 1970s, the depreciation would be considerable.

Mr Smith said the mission was on track.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen - Photo: AFP

08 octobre 2011 cyberpresse.ca - AFP

Bucarest - L'Assemblée parlementaire de l'OTAN a appelé samedi les alliés à ne pas réduire leur budget de la défense afin de ne pas mettre en danger la sécurité, lors de sa 57e session annuelle, à Bucarest.

Dans une résolution qui sera soumise au vote lundi, les parlementaires exhortent les États membres «à s'abstenir de faire des coupes budgétaires d'un niveau susceptible de porter atteinte à la sécurité nationale et internationale, en cette période de consolidation budgétaire».

«L'opération en cours en Libye représente une illustration immédiate de la tension entre les obligations liées à la sécurité nationale et les réalités budgétaires», ont-ils indiqué.

La résolution met également l'Europe en garde contre le risque de perdre son importance «d'un point de vue stratégique» à moins qu'elle ne consacre davantage de fonds à la défense.

«L'écart entre l'Europe et les États-Unis en termes de défense risque de miner la solidarité qui a si longtemps été le liant de cette Alliance», souligne ce texte.

Selon des chiffres présentés par le directeur de l'OTAN pour la planification des forces, Frank Boland, 18 des 28 États membres ont réduit le budget alloué à la défense depuis 2008 et trois seulement respectent l'objectif d'y consacrer au moins 2 % de leur produit intérieur brut.

Alors que la part des États-Unis dans le budget de l'OTAN est passée de 61 % il y a une décennie à 77 %, «nous sommes confrontés à une situation sérieuse en termes de partage des tâches», a-t-il souligné.

Le ministre roumain des Affaires étrangères Teodor Baconschi a appelé les États à «identifier de nouvelles solutions et travailler ensemble afin de renforcer la sécurité en utilisant moins de ressources», selon le concept de la «défense intelligente» promu par le secrétaire général de l'OTAN Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Lors de sa première visite en Europe depuis sa prise de fonctions en juillet, le secrétaire américain à la Défense, Leon Panetta, avait appelé mercredi les pays européens à ne pas baisser la garde, en les avertissant que les coupes budgétaires du Pentagone allaient affecter le financement des opérations de l'OTAN par les États-Unis.

Lundi, M. Rasmussen devrait évoquer ce sujet en s'adressant aux plus de 250 parlementaires réunis à Bucarest.

Oct 6, 2011 By Henry Meyer – Bloomberg.com

Russia is alarmed at the U.S. decision to station four ships at a base on Spain’s Atlantic coast as part of an American-led NATO missile defense system, the Foreign Ministry said.

The U.S. approach to developing its capability against missile threats in Europe is “unacceptable,” the ministry said in a statement published on its website today.

Russia “cannot but be alarmed because already in the first phase it’s leading to a substantial buildup of the U.S. anti- missile capability in Europe,” the ministry said.

Spain is the fourth European nation agreeing to participate directly in the Europe-wide missile defense program, intended to protect against attacks from adversaries such as Iran. President Barack Obama pursued U.S. plans for the system in 2009, and the administration has obtained agreements with Poland, Romania and Turkey to host elements of the shield.

The Navy cruisers, equipped with Aegis radar, will operate from the Rota naval base in southwestern Spain, a facility built by the U.S. military in the 1950s and used by both countries, giving ready access to the Mediterranean in potential clashes.

Russia has warned the U.S.-led plan may provoke a new arms race and upset a strategic balance in the region by threatening its nuclear deterrent capability.

President Dmitry Medvedev on May 18 signaled that Russia may quit a nuclear-arms treaty with the U.S. if the two sides can’t reach an agreement on missile defense, provoking a return to Cold War levels of distrust between the countries.

Russia wants guarantees that it won’t be targeted by the proposed missile shield.

06-10-2011 gouvernement.lu

Le ministre de la Défense, Jean-Marie Halsdorf, a assisté le 5 et 6 octobre 2011 à la réunion des ministres de la Défense de l’OTAN.

Les ministres ont, à cette occasion, passé en revue - ensemble avec leurs partenaires participant à la FIAS et à l’opération Unified Protector (OUP) - les missions de l’Alliance en Afghanistan et en Libye. La situation au Kosovo et la lutte contre la piraterie ont également figuré à l’ordre du jour des ministres.

En ce qui concerne le suivi de la réforme de l’OTAN, les ministres ont eu un débat sur l’initiative "smart defence" ou défense intelligente, dont le volet AGS (Alliance Ground Surveillance) auquel participent 13 alliés est une importante illustration. Le ministre Halsdorf a dans ce contexte réitéré le soutien du Luxembourg à ce programme multinational de surveillance terrestre qui recueille les informations nécessaires e.a. à la conduite d’opérations.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (L) listens

to ISAF Commander US General John Allen (C) prior to the start

of the NATO Defence Ministers meeting at NATO headquarter

in Brussels. AFP Photo.

October 6, 2011 TRDEFENCE AFP

NATO’s bombing campaign in Libya, now in its seventh month, will continue despite the collapse of Moammar Gadhafi’s regime, alliance officials said Thursday.

French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said the airstrikes will not cease until all remaining pockets of resistance are suppressed and the new government asks for them to end.

Although the former rebels now control most of Libya, some regions remain under control of pro-Gadhafi forces. These include Sirte on the Mediterranean coast, the city of Bani Walid and parts of the south.

“Sirte has an extremely symbolic value, but it’s not all of Libya,” Longuet said as he arrived for the second and final day of a conference of defense ministers of NATO nations. “There is pro-Gadhafi resistance in Bani Walid and dispersed resistance in the south of the country.” NATO has carried out more than 9,300 airstrikes against Gadhafi’s forces since the campaign started in March. The military alliance has been criticized for allegedly overstepping U.N. Security Council resolution that created a no-fly zone and authorized the protection of civilians caught up in the fighting.

Discussions at the ministers’ meeting have focused on Libya and Afghanistan, where NATO is in the process of extricating itself from a 10-year war against Taliban insurgents.

“This is an important moment for Afghanistan,” NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Thursday. “Transition is on track and it will not be derailed.” NATO and its partner nations have start drawing down their 140,000 troops and turning over security responsibilities to Afghanistan’s army and police. The process is due to end in 2014, when foreign troops end their combat role.

Although outnumbered, the Taliban have mounted a series of high-profile attacks that have brought into question NATO’s claim that it has the upper hand in the war and that the bloodshed is decreasing. The United Nations released a report last month saying the monthly level of violence in the country was significantly higher than in 2010.

“Strategic patience is needed,” German defense minister Thomas de Maiziere said. “It is more complicated to climb down a tree then to climb up.” On Wednesday, ministers discussed plans to cooperate more closely and pool their resources in order to make up for the shortfalls that have plagued the alliance’s operations in Libya and Afghanistan.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned NATO allies that they should not rest on any laurels from the success of the ongoing military campaign in Libya, and that a cash-strapped America cannot always foot the bill when the alliance falls short.

The operation revealed embarrassing gaps in European military abilities that were mostly filled by the United States, and shortfalls in such basic supplies as ammunition.

In order to reduce dependence on the U.S., NATO wants to create its own system of air surveillance using U.S.-made Global Hawk unmanned aircraft. Member nations are also planning to beef up the alliance’s strategic air transport and aerial refueling capabilities.

But it remains unclear whether these programs can be implemented at a time when defense budgets in Europe and the United States are being slashed as part of public spending cuts and other austerity measures designed to deal with the worsening economic crisis.

Also on Wednesday, the U.S. and Spain agreed to base Aegis Cruisers on Spain’s coast, as part of the anti-ballistic missile defense system to protect Europe against a potential Iranian nuclear threat, officials said Wednesday.

Designed to protect Europe from a potential Iranian nuclear threat, the missile defense shield — which will include ship-based systems, interceptors in Romania and Poland and radar in Turkey — was approved by NATO last November.

Oct 5, 2011 By Paul McLeary, Christina Mackenzie, Nicholas Fiorenza - Aviationweek.com

Washington, Paris, Brussels - After nine years of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, why are our soldiers still involved in fair fights?” asked U.S. Army Maj. Gen. (ret.) Robert Scales recently.

By “fair fights” Scales means the close-quarters combat that dismounted infantry engage in throughout Afghanistan daily, trading fire with an enemy who can partially negate NATO’s technical advantage with small-unit combat from concealed positions.

In an effort to use communication and sensor technologies to make the fight as unfair as possible, NATO allies are undertaking soldier modernization efforts akin to the U.S. Nett Warrior—formerly Land Warrior—suite of wearable networked sensors and communication gear.

While Nett Warrior continues to experience growing pains, particularly with its bulk and 8-12-lb. load, the Army issued a solicitation in September for a “smartphone or smartphone-like device” that is capable of “commercial-based, integrated computer display and data-entry capability for dismounted use in either standalone or networked configuration.”

While the Army tries to figure out how it wants to deliver the dismounted and networked connectivity it desires, NATO allies are ready with their own soldier modernization programs.

By the end of the year, French soldiers of the 1st Infantry Regt. of Sarrebourg—deployed to the Surobi region of Afghanistan—will be issued the new Felin (Fantassin a Equipements et Liaisons Integres, or dismounted soldier with data-linked integrated equipment) kit. The deployment is the first for Felin, which comprises 150 components and is a milestone in modernizing the kit used by French ground forces.

The equipment will be introduced piecemeal to give soldiers time to adapt. “These soldiers are [in combat], they’re not training, so we can’t run the risk of outfitting them entirely with equipment they’re not completely at home with,” a senior officer tells DTI.

Felin’s baggy combat outfit is water repellent, fireproof, mosquito repellent and has a low infrared signature. The NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) version has a ventilation system that pulses filtered air into the mask, enabling a soldier to remain operational for longer periods. One problem from an operational perspective is that the ventilation system is audible 50 meters (164 ft.) away.

The system includes 73 items of basic gear—a fully equipped soldier (with Nexter’s Famas assault rifle and one-day supply of food, water and ammunition) will carry 26 kg (57 lb.) in a grenadier configuration. Soldiers say the weight is not an issue because the Felin kit “is extremely well balanced” when assembled.

Ballistic protection is modular and can be tailored to different missions: e.g., high-intensity, NBC, law enforcement or crowd control. A soldier’s torso, neck, pelvis, knees, elbows and shoulders are protected. The vest supports 11 portable electronic components, such as a battery case, radio, man-machine interface, tactical information system and soldier information network. These fit into pouches, which a soldier places wherever he feels is most comfortable and to accommodate left- or right-handed dexterity. The jacket has space for eight batteries.

The headgear comprises an additional 13 pieces of kit, including helmet, antilaser goggles, antishrapnel visor and jaw pad, an eyepiece for around-the-corner sighting, night-vision gear and osteophone headband with microphone. (The osteophone lets a soldier hear orders through bone near the ear, leaving the ear free to pick up sounds around him.)

Sagem, prime contractor for Felin, received orders for the 22,588 systems planned and has delivered full kits for four regiments—almost 5,000 soldiers.

Spain is also working on a soldier modernization kit called ComFut (Combatiente del Futuro, or soldier of the future), which was completed by Cassidian in 2010. The company is developing the second generation, scheduled for completion by 2015, unless it is postponed by the severe budget cuts Spain is implementing. So far, 36 prototypes have been produced.

ComFut includes a modified Heckler & Koch G36E assault rifle, thermal camera and image intensifier, ballistic vest, new 1.5-kg helmet, bad-weather clothing, eye protection, NBC equipment and battery power sources. There is also a C4I (command, control, communication, computers and intelligence) element, which includes a radio, GPS, osteophone and microphone, and mobile computer.

While some of the R&D has been abandoned, innovative ideas are in place. One is a boot-heel generator that produces electricity while the wearer walks. The Spanish government is reportedly looking into autonomous and renewable electricity solutions for some electronics, which might include a version of the boot-heel generator. The Spanish are expected to make heavy use of commercial off-the-shelf electronics and open-source Internet technologies such as Linux/Java in future generations of the kit.

The full ComFut system will not be provided to every soldier in the field. Plans call for full kits to be issued to platoon commanders and seconds-in-command. There is also doubt as to whether each soldier needs a complete voice and data link.

Germany has deployed its future infantry system (IdZ, or Infanterist der Zukunft) to Afghanistan. IdZ has been in use since 2004. In March, the federal office of defense technology and procurement ordered 400 more units from manufacturer Cassidian under an urgent operational requirement for the German contingent of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, bringing the total number of equipment sets to 2,900.

An IdZ basic system (BS) consists of sets for the 10 soldiers in an infantry squad and includes a modular bullet-resistant vest with Class I-IV protection; C4I equipment including a NaviPad for situational awareness and transmission of messages, target data and images; night-vision device; radio; laser rangefinder; camera; and thermal sight.

Based on operational experience in Afghanistan and the Balkans, improvements in protection and ergonomics have been made to the IdZ voice and data exchange between infantry systems and vehicle-integrated C4I systems, and in the use of optronic equipment for day/night vision.

Integration into infantry combat vehicles such as Boxer and Puma comes by connecting to FuInfoSysH (Fuhrungsund Informationssystem Heer), the German army’s command, control and information system, used in Afghanistan. For dismounted use, vehicles are integrated into IdZ’s communication network for the exchange of voice and data. During mounted use, soldiers use a plug to connect to the digital vehicle intercom and exchange data with higher command. To avoid electromagnetic emissions inside the vehicle, IdZ-BS uses the vehicle-integrated radio for outside communication. The position of an IdZ-BS system is updated based on vehicle position to provide location when switching from mounted to dismounted operations.

Rheinmetall is developing the second-generation IdZ-ES (expanded system). The pre-series demonstrator underwent operational trials in August and September, including two weeks under hot and dry conditions in Spain, to ensure it is ready for production. Before the latest budget cuts, the Bundeswehr planned to procure 1,000 IdZ-ES versions.

IdZ-ES is actually a new system based on the lessons learned from operating the original in Afghanistan. Whereas IdZ-BS is based on commercial off-the-shelf components, IdZ-ES is based on a development program focusing on technical and ergonomic components and volume and weight reduction. Delivery of IdZ-ES versions is to begin in 2012, meaning it will overlap the service life of the original. Both versions are interoperable, however, and can be connected to FuInfoSysH.

The computer unit which is at the core of IdZ-ES, as well as the squad leader’s portable command computer, weighs less than the IdZ-BS, is more capable and requires substantially less power to operate. Cassidian and Rheinmetall have considered the use of fuel cells for power, but a Cassidian study deemed it economically unfeasible.

To improve ergonomics and effectiveness, the kit’s G36 assault rifle has an adjustable, foldable shoulder stock, both sides of the handguard have a push-to-talk button that activates the squad radio, and a laser rangefinder is activated by pushing a button next to the trigger guard. The IdZ-ES version uses modular day/night optronic aiming systems and a fire-control aiming unit for the AG36 single-shot, 40-mm grenade launcher.

A new carrying system lets soldiers haul a full complement of basic and mission-specific equipment. Troops that operate in vehicles will be equipped with harnesses where the volume and thickness of components worn on the back are kept to a minimum, enabling them to rapidly switch combat modes. For light infantry, a modular harness has been designed so soldiers can carry a full combat load and electronic devices for command and control.

IdZ-ES has room for growth—communication equipment and the computer decouple for replacement with more modern systems, and the armor plate is removable for upgrades.

Italy’s Soldato Futuro modernization program is based on two concepts that differ from Felin and ComFut: “evolution through production” and “transformation while operating.” This means the system is designed with a high degree of modularity—every element can be reconfigured or reengineered to meet evolving performance requirements. The process includes a continuous cycle of operational testing, design modification, technical and operational validation, design review and new implementations. One example of this is the NC4-09 ballistic vest. Developed to meet the ballistic requirements of soldiers in Afghanistan, it has since been incorporated within the program.

An industry team led by Selex Communications is focusing on the man-machine interface, ergonomics and improving integration of the system with ground vehicles. Ninety-two prototypes were ordered in 2007, of which 30 have been delivered. The rest are due by year-end.

Britain’s long-running Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) program has been dominated by the need to quickly provide sighting systems for soldiers in Afghanistan. Some optics gear has been sent, but other program aspects such as survivability and C4I will likely not be ready before 2020. FIST is on an incremental schedule, with components being added when developed rather than as a single, complete system.

Thales U.K. is the prime contractor for the delivery and in-service support of the surveillance and target acquisition system, having been awarded a £150 million ($236 million) contract in 2010, with full delivery planned for June 2014. A Thales representative tells DTI that the idea is to establish what the British soldier needs and then see if there is a mature technology or off-the-shelf equipment that meets the need as quickly as possible.

Norway is working on the Norwegian Modular Arctic Network Soldier system (Normans), which, as the name suggests, is for cold-weather operations. Normans comes in light and advanced versions, with the former providing the soldier with situational awareness, navigation, communication and target handoff capabilities in a single display, while the advanced version is for unit commanders, providing Blue Force tracking, navigation tools, terrain elevation, messaging, targeting and an interface to laser rangefinders and GPS.

Earlier this year, French Gen. Stephane Abrial, commander of NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, told DTI that he had set up a task force to explore where multinational cooperation could overcome budget cutbacks among alliance members and aid in technology development. He said this “budgetary winter” would force NATO to “redouble our efforts” and “see how we can be more effective and more efficient,” while avoiding “unnecessary and unwanted duplications” in equipment development.

Questions remain as to whether the governments—and militaries—of member nations will accept collaboration on technologies that, while expensive for one country to pursue, are also secret, often battlefield game-changers, and could be prone to compromise if multiple nations have access to them.

It’s an issue that may not be soon resolved, but which will probably receive serious study for as long as budget cutbacks play an outsized role in soldier modernization.

La réunion des ministres de la Défense de l'Otan à Bruxelles

MOSCOU, 5 octobre - RIA Novosti

L'Espagne participera au système de défense antimissile de l'Otan en Europe, lit-on mercredi sur le site de l'Alliance atlantique.

Une déclaration ad hoc sera faite plus tard dans la journée par le secrétaire général de l'Alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, le premier ministre espagnol, José Luis Zapatero, et le chef du Pentagone, Leon Panetta, en marge de la réunion des ministres de la Défense de l'Otan à Bruxelles.

Selon l'agence Reuters, qui cite ses sources au sein de l'Alliance, il s'agit de l'utilisation de la base navale espagnole de Rota située dans le sud-est du pays. Les Etats-Unis ont déjà conclu des traités sur le déploiement d'éléments du bouclier antimissile avec plusieurs pays européens, dont la Pologne (signé en août 2008), la Roumanie et la Turquie (septembre 2011).

Washington envisage de déployer de 2015 à 2020 une troisième zone de positionnement de leur système de défense antimissile en Europe. Moscou s'oppose à ce projet, considérant que la mise en place d'un bouclier antimissile à proximité de ses frontières menace le potentiel stratégique russe.

05/10/2011 par Linda Verhaeghe - Ministère de la Défense

Les ministres de la Défense des 28 états membres de l’Otan se réunissent au siège de l’organisation, à Bruxelles, les 5 et 6 octobre 2011. Cette rencontre devrait essentiellement être consacrée à la question du développement capacitaire, et sera l’occasion d’établir un bilan de l’opération en Libye et de la transition en Afghanistan.

Au cœur de la rencontre entre les ministres de la Défense de l’ Otan, qui débute aujourd'hui et se poursuivra demain, à Bruxelles (Belgique), c’est la problématique du renforcement et de la rationalisation des capacités militaires des alliés, plus communément qualifiée sous l’appellation anglophone « smart defence  », qui devrait animer l’essentiel des débats.

« Mener des opérations exige des capacités militaires adéquates  », a en effet récemment déclaré Anders Fogh Rasmussen, secrétaire général de l’Otan. Cette rencontre est ainsi l’occasion pour le général d’armée aérienne français Stéphane Abrial, qui occupe le poste de commandant suprême allié Transformation de l’Otan (SACT), de présenter les résultats des travaux sur le sujet.

Au total ce ne sont pas moins de 169 projets innovants, dans le domaine du développement capacitaire, qui sont proposés,  concernant notamment la lutte contre les engins explosifs improvisés, le soutien médical en opérations, la maintenance des hélicoptères, ou encore l’entraînement en commun.

Autre sujet majeur, le retour d’expérience lié à l’opération en Libye, qui vient d’ailleurs d’être prolongée de trois mois, le 21 septembre 2011.

Si cette opération est considérée comme un « succès  », puisqu’elle a permis aux alliés de « tenir  [leurs] engagements envers les Nations-Unies et le peuple libyen  », pour reprendre les termes qui ont notamment été employés par Anders Fogh Rasmussen, elle a aussi montré que les européens peuvent mener à bien une opération pour laquelle le rôle des Etats-Unis s’est limité essentiellement au soutien.

Les ministres de la Défense se pencheront également sur l’opération en Afghanistan, qui demeure une priorité opérationnelle de l’organisation, et détermineront quelles pourront être les modalités de collaboration avec les autorités afghanes, dans l’objectif de « mener à bien le transfert de responsabilité pour la sécurité aux Afghans d’ici fin 2014  », selon les propos d'Anders Fogh Rasmussen lors de la précédente réunion des ministres de la Défense de l’Otan, qui s’est tenue en juin dernier.

« Cela ne veut pas dire que nous allons nous en aller. Notre engagement à l’égard de l’Afghanistan se poursuivra au-delà de cette date, au travers d’un partenariat sur le long terme  », a-t-il alors précisé.

Un point sera réalisé sur la réforme des agences et de la structure de commandement de l’Otan, qui va notamment se traduire par une rationalisation des agences chargées de la surveillance terrestre et du transport aérien stratégique. Les 14 agences actuelles devraient à terme être regroupées en trois entités dans les domaines suivants : acquisition, soutien, information et communication.

Enfin, les ministres de la Défense aborderont la question de la mise en place d’une capacité intérimaire de défense anti-missile balistique.

Oct 4, 2011 By Robert Wall - aerospace daily and defense report

LONDON — When defense ministers from NATO member states meet this week in Brussels, missile defense will be on the agenda. And while concrete decisions are not expected, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen hopes to be ready to declare some meaningful progress next year.

“Step by step, NATO’s territorial missile defense is becoming a reality,” he tells reporters in advance of the defense ministerial. He says he is hopeful that at the time the heads of government of NATO members meet next year in Chicago, the alliance will be ready “to declare an interim operational capability.”

Poland, Romania and Turkey already have agreed to host elements of the U.S.-European Phase Adaptive Approach — a key element of the NATO concept — and Rasmussen says others will be asked this week to prepare commitments.

More broadly, the ministers are likely to discuss the report from an Allied Command Transformation task force exploring potential areas of increased cooperation. Rasmussen has been pushing for more cooperation as part of his “Smart Defense” agenda and says he will work with governments in the coming months to identify projects they may be ready to lead. Program decisions are not expected this week, he notes.

Moreover, a decision by NATO to terminate military operations over Libya remains in limbo. Although Rasmussen says NATO is ready to stop its efforts as soon as the situation on the ground allows, he does not expect this week’s meeting to reach that conclusion.