26.01.2012 defensetech

Below you’ll the Pentagon’s basic budget documents that the DoD has released to coincide with the budget rollout that we’ve been live Tweeting. The first is a basic fact sheet highlighting the DoD’s 2013 budget numbers. Next you’ll see a Pentagon document laying out DoD’s top spending priorities for the 2013 budget request. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey just said, this budget saves more than $250 billion over the next five years while spending more than $600 billion for this year.

Dempsey just called this budget a “down payment” on an effective future military

Click through the jump to read the documents:

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Jan. 26, 2012 – Northrop Grumman Corporation

Northrop Grumman Corporation has released the following statement on the Global Hawk Block 30 program:

    "The Pentagon announced today that it is planning to cancel the Global Hawk Block 30 program and plans to perform this mission with the U-2 aircraft. Northrop Grumman is disappointed with the Pentagon's decision, and plans to work with the Pentagon to assess alternatives to program termination.

    "The Global Hawk program has demonstrated its utility in U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, as well as its utility in humanitarian operations in Japan and Haiti. Just a few months ago, the Pentagon published an acquisition decision memorandum regarding Global Hawk Block 30 that stated: 'The continuation of the program is essential to the national security… there are no alternatives to the program which will provide acceptable capability to meet the joint military requirement at less cost.'

    "Global Hawk is the modern solution to providing surveillance. It provides long duration persistent surveillance, and collects information using multiple sensors on the platform. In contrast, the aging U-2 program, first introduced in the 1950s, places pilots in danger, has limited flight duration, and provides limited sensor capacity. Extending the U-2's service life also represents additional investment requirements for that program.

    "Northrop Grumman is committed to working with our customers to provide the best solutions for our country and our allies. We are pleased with the continuing support for the Global Hawk Block 40 system, as well as for the Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance system and our other unmanned systems."

26 January 2012 defenseWeb (Reuters)

The Pentagon will preview a budget proposal this week that begins to implement $487 billion in spending cuts over the next decade by trimming the size of the military and canceling or scaling back some weapons programs.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will discuss the broad outlines of his budget request for the 2013 fiscal year on Thursday. The proposal is expected to cut $260 billion in spending through 2017, taking the Pentagon more than halfway to its target for the decade.

The specifics of the Pentagon spending plan will not be formally released until President Barack Obama unveils his budget in February, but some details have begun to emerge from sources familiar with the discussions, Reuters reports.

Cuts in proposed spending are expected to eliminate thousands of military and civilian jobs over the next five years at a time when Obama is running for re-election against a field of Republicans who accuse him of being weak on national security.

In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Obama underscored his commitment to maintaining the "finest military in the world," even as the Pentagon cuts nearly half a trillion dollars from its budget.

The proposed budget will terminate or scale back spending on dozens of weapons programs, including the Air Force's high-altitude Global Hawk unmanned surveillance plane built by Northrop Grumman Corp and the Pentagon's biggest weapons program, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

But it will not tackle some $600 billion in additional spending cuts due to take effect in January 2013 after lawmakers failed to agree on $1.2 trillion in deficit-cutting measures.

Officials say they will revisit the issue and address those cuts later if Congress does not take action this year.

The Pentagon's base budget is expected to be about $523 billion, some $5 billion more than approved in December for the 2012 fiscal year but $30 billion less than initially planned. The Pentagon is expected to seek about $82.5 billion for the war in Afghanistan, about $33 billion less than 2012 largely due to a drawdown in troops.

The budget plan will begin to put into place a new strategy released this month that calls for the Pentagon to shift its focus to the Asia Pacific region and Middle East even as it shrinks the size of the military to create a more agile force.

That is likely to mean more funding for the Air Force and Navy and less for the Army and Marines, a trend that already was projected in last year's five-year budget, analysts say.

"If they actually accelerate that shift ... this really is a shift in strategy," said Todd Harrison, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments think tank.

VARIOUS PROGRAMS FACING CUTBACKS, OTHERS TO CONTINUE

Under the Pentagon's new spending plans:

- Lockheed's F-35 jet fighter program, the Pentagon's largest at $382 billion, will face its third restructuring in three years, with officials slashing 179 jets from the five-year budget and pushing their purchase to later years at a savings of more than $20 billion.

- The Navy will maintain a fleet of 11 aircraft carriers, but has not clarified if it will award a contract to Huntington Ingalls Industries for the next carrier on schedule.

- The number of combat brigades stationed in Europe would be cut in half, from four to two, Panetta said recently.

- The overall size of the Army, which was already scheduled to fall to 520,000 by 2016, could be further reduced to 490,000, a drop of another 30,000 soldiers, analysts say.

- The Navy will retire seven aging cruisers and several amphibious warships, saving money on increasingly expensive maintenance and upgrades.

- It will also propose multiyear procurements of more DDG-51 destroyers and Virginia-class submarines, both built by General Dynamics Corp and Huntington Ingalls, moves that could save about $4 billion by allowing bulk purchases of materials.

- The Navy will also propose a multiyear procurement for more V-22 Ospreys, a tiltrotor aircraft built by Boeing Co and Textron Inc's Bell Helicopter unit that flies like a plane but takes off and like a helicopter.

- The Air Force will lose several programs, including upgrades to its C-130 cargo planes being done by Boeing Co, a troubled weather satellite being built by Northrop, and a new helicopter to replace the Bell UH-1N, which provides security to U.S. nuclear ballistic missile fields.

- The Air Force will continue design work on a new bomber and get two additional orders for a Lockheed communications satellite, and one more Lockheed missile warning satellite.

- The Army would rebalance its mix of active duty troops and the National Guard and Reserve, which cost less to fund but can be called up more rapidly than reconstituting a force from scratch.

- The Army's new software-based radio being developed for use in ground vehicles is expected to be canceled, although the handheld version of the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) will survive.

NO MAJOR PROGRAMS CANCELLED

Despite the expected cutbacks in personnel and programs, analysts said the Pentagon had been able to achieve the spending reductions without sacrificing its most cherished programs.

"Achieving the $487 billion in cuts was sufficiently doable that it didn't require really hard decisions ... Unless you force them into it, those hard decisions just don't get made. Everybody buys everything they want," said retired General James Cartwright, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

That could change if the Pentagon is forced to implement a new round of across-the-board budget cuts, which could lob another $50 billion annually off defense spending accounts.

If Congress fails to avert those cuts, the Pentagon could be forced to further cut its active force, reduce the U.S. nuclear arsenal, halt development of a new bomber and trim the total purchase of F-35s, said Cartwright, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Pentagon says it is not preparing for further budget cuts and has not received instructions from the White House Office of Management and Budget to do so. But the threat of further reductions is real and lack of attention to it is a mistake, analysts warn.

"The failure to plan for deeper budget cuts is really a glaring oversight in the new defense strategy," Harrison said.

photo USAF

January 26, 2012: STRATEGY PAGE

The U.S. Air Force is spending $7 million to install commercial oxygen status sensors in the air supply systems of its F-22 fighters. This is part of an eight month effort to find out what's causing the air supply on F-22s to get contaminated, and cause pilots to become disoriented or pass out. Twice in the past year the entire F-22 fleet was grounded because of the air supply problems. The first grounding lasted 140 days and ended last September. The second grounding lasted a week, and ended two months ago.  The 170 F-22s comprise the most powerful component of the air force's air combat capability and the brass are eager to find out what is wrong.

The air force has already found a number of problems with the air supply system (too much nitrogen, and other contaminants.)  The main problem was always about something bad in the air supply. But the air does not go bad in any predictable fashion. So the air force is still looking for causes. Thus F-22 pilots, for example, give blood samples after most flights, and maintainers pay extra attention to the oxygen system. And now there will be all the data from all the new oxygen sensors.

The U.S. Navy had a similar problem with its F-18s. There were 64 incidents in 2002-9, resulting in two dead pilots. The navy found that the problem was carbon monoxide getting sucked into the aircraft air system (which the navy modified, eliminating the problem). The air force looked into the navy experience, to see if there is anything similar going on with the F-22s. The air force has looked into a lot of potential causes, without a lot of success.

The air force woes began when it appeared that the F-22 might be having a problem with its OBOG (OnBoard Oxygen Generating) system, causing pilots to get drowsy, or even black out, from lack of oxygen. Before last May there were 14 reported incidents of pilots feeling drowsy, or even passing out, because of "bad air." Because of that, all F-22s were grounded last May. The U.S. Air Force also checked the OBOGs in F-16, F-15E, A-10, F-35, B-1, B-2, CV-22 and T-6 aircraft as well. Apparently there were no problems there. The air force believed, at one point, that the F-22 problem might not just involve the OBOG.

The chief culprit in all this, OBOGs, have been around for over half a century. It's only in the last two decades that OBOGs have become compact, cheap and reliable enough to replace the older compressed gases or LOX (liquid oxygen) as a source of breathable air for high flying aircrew. Each aircraft, especially the F-22 and F-35, gets an OBOG tweaked for space, weight or other conditions specific to that warplane design. It's this custom design that was also closely studied, to find out how the toxins got in.

One problem is that aircraft have been staying in the air longer (because of in-flight refueling), and carrying enough compressed oxygen has become untenable. Thus the need for OBOGs to solve the problem. Since the 1990s, most American military aircraft have replaced older oxygen systems with OBOG. Most Western nations, and Russia, have followed, at least with their latest model aircraft. Most OBOG systems work by using a chemical reaction to remove nitrogen from the air taken in to the OBOG, and then sending out air with the proper amount of oxygen to the aircrew.

25 January 2012 - by the Shephard News Team

Navistar Defense has announced that it will provide 650 independent suspension kits to the US Marine Corps’ for its International MaxxPro Plus Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The contract, worth $110 million, was placed by the US Marine Corps System Command order, and will enhance the mobility and survivability of earlier MaxxPro vehicles with the addition of the DXM independent suspension kits.

Fielded in 2008, MaxxPro Plus units have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and have performed admirably in austere conditions. The current upgrades will increase the capability of this proven platform.

According to the company, this award complements the 2,717 MaxxPro rolling chassis upgrade order Navistar received earlier this month. The combination of these two awards ensures commonality and mobility within the MaxxPro fleet.

Installation of these kits will be performed at the MRAP Sustainment Facility in Kuwait. Work will begin in August 2012 and is expected to be completed by the end of October 2012.

Photo: US Navy

Jan 25, 2012 By David Fulghum - aviation week and space technology

NAS Patuxent River, Md. - The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, long touted as the follow-on to the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft, is no longer heir-apparent as the king of nonkinetic warfare.

The often-delayed Lockheed Martin JSF program is being more narrowly focused on its conventional attack role. Jamming is no longer a priority for the stealthy fighter. The airframes expected to carry the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) are conventional-signature unmanned aerial systems and will be followed by stealthy unmanned designs.

NGJ is one of the U.S. Navy’s prized new programs. To maintain its fiscal and technological attractiveness, acquisition officials are revealing some interesting revisions of the service’s airborne electronic attack (AEA) concept to ensure that NGJ will be flexible enough to be used by large numbers of different platforms.

A new logo for the office swaps the electronic surveillance “Old Crow” for a patch that features the EA-6B Prowler, EA-18G Growler and an unmanned aircraft that looks suspiciously like the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (Uclass) aircraft.

“That should speak volumes to you,” says Navy Capt. John Green, chief of the AEA and EA-6B Prowler program office. “We believe that the Prowler is the [electronic warfare] past; the Growler is EW now, and the future of EW will be unmanned vehicles.”

The aerospace industry is reaching similar conclusions. Senior officials see systems-of-systems evolving with decoys and nonkinetic weapons being released by larger platforms. They also anticipate a change in EW to encompass more active electronic attack.

“Electronic warfare is going to be very targeted and focused rather than very broad,” says Mark Kula, Raytheon vice president for tactical airborne systems. “It will allow some platforms to perform nonkinetic missions to get in the front door and then a kinetic mission to escape.”

The reason for the shift is the availability of new technologies for both the attacker and the attacked. The notion that the U.S. will always have air superiority and dominance is no longer a given.

“I think those days are probably waning as the world gets more advanced integrated air defense [IAD] systems,” Kula says. For example, several countries, some in the Middle East, have very good IAD systems. “If you combine these advanced systems with double-digit [surface-to-air missiles], an adversary could reach out a couple of hundred miles to threaten our larger command-and-control platforms.”

Navy acquisition officials say the last 15 months have taught them a lot about the new budget challenges. Where they had been looking at both Growler and JSF as a twin path, they have now chosen a single focus in the first increment of the program. Moreover, NGJ integration on the EA-18G is now fully funded.

“The F-35 has other tasks to do, and the Defense Department has invested a lot in making a low-observable aircraft,” Green says. “There are other platforms we could put NGJ on that would be lower risk and a better use of resources. That’s not to say putting NGJ on F-35 will never happen. But the Defense Department is going to be looking at other solutions.”

The initial plan of making the F-35 (probably the Marine Corps B-model) an early user of the NGJ is being de-emphasized in favor of a more intense focus on the EA-18G Prowler as the initial platform for a fully funded AEA program. In turn, the JSF program will concentrate on more immediate production and development problems.

The Growler, although the newest aircraft in the fleet, will have a limited service life of 15-17 years left by the time it starts carrying NGJ pods. Service planners say they must have an AEA system that can be “transportable” from platform to platform in order to support an advanced electronic attack capability.

“There is the potential to combine radar, electronic warfare and other capabilities for use in smaller aircraft,” says Green. “It could very well be a UAV because the Growler has a limited lifespan.”

Aerospace officials also anticipate the need for small, stealthy platforms with powerful electronic payloads.

“As platforms become smaller in the attempt to get stealthier, I see EW systems evolving into the other systems on the aircraft, because you can’t afford the weight and processing for each of the separate technologies,” Kula says.

Meanwhile the NGJ program will be growing as it works through a series of developmental blocks involving the fielding of separate pods sequentially that operate in mid-, low- and high-frequency bands.

Advanced, long-range, air defense radars with active, electronically scanned arrays (AESAs) with double or triple the range to detect aircraft and missiles “are the kinds of technologies that really scream out and require us to take this NGJ step,” Green says. “It is the proliferation of solid-state equipment, advanced control mechanisms, sophisticated waveforms, enhanced electronic agility and electronic, counter-counter measures on the radars themselves that really push us to make these kinds of investments before the electronic attack technologies of today become obsolete.”

Most of these problems have physics at their root. Flying into heavily defended areas requires smaller, stealthier platforms. That, in turn, drives the need for electronics and power in a small, light, powerful package. While researchers have made significant advances in improving effective radiated power output, it is not yet enough. One benefit of adapting AESA radar technology to AEA, for example, is that it permits the design of small packages to focus power into tailored waveforms.

“What’s driving the current NGJ program is the level of maturity needed to meet the initial operational dates the Navy wants,” says Nick Uros, Raytheon vice president for NGJ. “I think you can extrapolate from that they want to stick with tried and proven AESAs that are open and scalable.” This would indicate that the introduction of conformal or embedded arrays is still well into the future.

Higher up the power scale, using AESA-generated electronic beams as directed energy will likely be the dividing line between manned and unmanned AEA platforms.

“I don’t see us using the NGJ system in a directed-energy form, if for no other reason than the long standoff distances we have to operate from,” Green says. “For that mission area, you are more likely to see us put that mission onto an unmanned platform. The risk you run with putting a man well inside the kill range for an advanced surface-to-air missile is not acceptable.”

The Navy is actively exploring NGJ technology transfer to its UAV programs. That is at the heart of a decision by the chief of naval operations to move NGJ and other EW systems under a combined intelligence and command-and-control directorate to speed the fusion of EW and unmanned craft.

The Navy and Marine Corps are looking at putting NGJ on both stealthy and nonstealthy platforms. The capability is definitely going on regular-signature UAVs (such as Shadow), and researchers are studying a mission set for stealth designs (such as Uclass).

In an era of dwindling resources, the Pentagon is looking hard at the nonkinetic effects produced by electronic attack.

“It can be an economical way to either put off full-scale warfare or enhance it,” Green says. “I’m sure that creating kinetic effects by nonkinetic means is being looked at—anything to deny, degrade and deceive in the electromagnetic spectrum. You are going to see technologies shared between EW and [directed energy] are similar, but you are going to see them led by different teams because the concepts of operations are very different.”

Jan 25, 2012 ASDNews Source : Naval Air Systems Command

Marines witnessed the first flight of the service's newest small unmanned aircraft Jan. 22 at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

As part of the RQ-21A Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS) Early Operational Capability (EOC), personnel from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) 2 and 3 and Insitu operators exercised the current configuration of Insitu’s Integrator for the two-hour maiden flight.

“The lessons learned from this flight and all operations that will be conducted at Twentynine Palms are invaluable,” said Lt. Col. John Allee, STUAS integrated product team co-lead at Pax River. “It will help our Marines fully understand how to operate the system when in theater.”

Insitu delivered one EOC system, which is the current configuration of the company’s Integrator, to Twentynine Palms early in January. The EOC contract option allows for up to 30 months of contractor-provided training and logistics services for the Integrator system. The team at Pax River received the second EOC system Jan. 12.

“This is a substantial achievement for the team” said Heather Bromley, STUAS IPT co-lead. “To go from contract award to an operable system in 16 months is a testament to the responsiveness of both the government and contractor personnel.”

A CONUS-based deployment for EOC allows the Navy and Marine Corps to train operators, collect additional performance data and support development for Initial Operational Capability (IOC). The government-industry team will continue to develop the RQ-21A configuration for initial and full operational capability while the EOC system is deployed with VMU-3.

RQ-21A will have payload capacity to support multi missions in a single sortie. Its sensor package will include Electro-Optic, mid-wave infrared cameras with an infrared marker and laser rangefinder.

“We are very excited to deploy an asset that has a greater performance capability with a significantly larger payload, mass, volume and power than intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services available in theater today,” said Marine Col. Jim Rector, Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical UAS program manager.

RQ-21A will eventually replace the Navy and Marine ISR services contract in which current ISR missions are conducted in Iraq, Afghanistan and shipboard. The system will provide battlefield commanders with an organic capability 24/7, for real-time, actionable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

“The appetite for ISR has been insatiable,” Rector said. “There is an increased demand for ISR capability in theater; and with fewer boots on the ground, we need this asset more than ever.”

Jan 25, 2012 ASDNews Source : Naval Air Systems Command

Marking significant advancement in its maritime surveillance program, the U.S. Navy recently began test flights on a radar system destined for an unmanned aircraft.

The Navy completed the first flight of the Multi-Function Active Sensor (MFAS) radar system, the primary sensor on the MQ-4C Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System.

The Dec. 16 two-hour inaugural flight was conducted on a Northrop Grumman surrogate Gulfstream aircraft at a California test site. This was the first in a series of MFAS test flights scheduled through October as the program matures. Thirty test-bed aircraft flights for early MFAS trials are planned. The tests will focus on maturing the performance of maritime surface surveillance modes of the radar

“The MFAS radar system’s ability to detect, classify and track multiple targets simultaneously will make it a highly capable sensor for the Fleet,” said Patrick Ellis, BAMS UAS mission systems lead. “The information we will be able to capture using this radar system was something we could only imagine not too long ago. Seeing the system in action provides additional proof that this asset will be invaluable to our warfighters.”

The MFAS is a full 360-degree Actively Electronically Scanned Array radar system designed to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) coverage. It accomplishes this at long ranges in both open ocean and regions close to shore.

“This milestone is a significant step forward for the program,” Ellis said. “The road leading to MFAS first flight included challenges, but seeing this physical proof in our preparation for the upcoming test and evaluation phase of the program brings a new boost of energy and excitement to the team.”
Initial MFAS radar testing took place in early 2011 to verify operation of the signal transmission path and to complete health and safety checks.

The MQ-4C BAMS program is on track to deliver initial operating capability to the fleet by fiscal 2015, including a scheduled first flight this year. BAMS will operate as an adjunct to the P-8A Poseidon and is a key piece of the overall replacement strategy for the P-3C Orion.

WASHINGTON, January 24 (RIA Novosti)

The United States and Russia are successfully implementing their nuclear disarmament agreements and are continuing to work on the next steps in this direction, a U.S. Department of State official said on Tuesday.

Rose Gottemoeller, the Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance said addressing the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva that last year “the U.S.-Russian Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) and its Protocols came into force.”

“The PMDA commits the United States and the Russian Federation each to dispose of no less than 34 metric tons of excess weapon-grade plutonium - enough material in total for approximately 17,000 nuclear weapons,” she added.

The New START document, signed by the Russian and U.S. presidents in 2010, cuts both countries’ strategic nuclear arsenals to a maximum of 1,550 warheads, down from the previous ceiling of 2,200.

“The New START Treaty entered into force on February 5, 2011. Implementation is going well and continues to contribute positively to the U.S.-Russian relationship,” she said.

“The treaty represents a strong foundation for further bilateral reductions and an important step on the path towards a world without nuclear weapons. Discussions between our two governments on the next steps are underway,” Gottemoeller said.

Relations between Moscow and Washington have been tense recently over the United States continuing its build-up of missile defense systems in Europe, which Russia sees as a direct threat to its national security.

Last November, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that Russia would deploy missiles and may opt out of the New START nuclear reductions agreement if Russia, the United States and NATO failed to find a way to work together on European missile defenses.

Earlier this month, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Ellen Tauscher said, however, that the administration of President Barack Obama would not give Russia any legally binding guarantees that U.S. missile defenses in Europe will not impact Russia’s strategic deterrent.

January 24th, 2012 By Lockheed Martin, DEFENCE TALK

Lockheed Martin delivered the fourth P-3 Orion with new Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) modifications to U.S. Customs and Border Protection two months ahead of schedule on Jan. 20.

The MLU installation and phase depot maintenance (PDM) were accomplished in record time of 11 months at Lockheed Martin's Greenville facility.

"I am very proud of the Lockheed Martin team in Greenville for demonstrating that we can provide significant value with our OEM knowledge, high quality work and our commitment to meeting our customer's delivery schedule," said Ray Burick, vice president for P-3 Programs and Greenville Operations.

This is the fourth MLU P-3 delivery to CBP in 18 months. It joins the CBP P-3 MLU fleet that supports homeland security and drug interdiction missions. In FY 2011, CBP Office of Air and Marine (OAM) P-3 aircraft provided more than 34 percent of total Joint Interagency Task Force South air mission on-station hours.

CBP P-3 aircraft were directly involved in the interdiction of more than 153,000 pounds of drugs seized or disrupted, representing 62 percent of JIATF-S seizures.

The total estimated street value of this contraband is over $1.8 billion. OAM P-3 aircrews participated in the majority of self-propelled, semi-submersible intercepts by JIATF-S.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection missions are vital in protecting and strengthening our nation's security," said John Norris, Lockheed Martin P-3 CBP program manager.

"Through a strategic partnership, Lockheed Martin provides the U.S. Customs and Border Protection team with affordable enhancements to keep its P-3 Orion fleet operating at optimal performance levels for decades to come."

The MLU replaces all fatigue life-limiting structures with enhanced-design components and incorporates a new metal alloy that is five times more corrosion resistant than the original material, greatly reducing the cost of ownership for P-3 operators.

The MLU solution removes current aircraft flight restrictions and extends the structural service life of the P-3 up to 15,000 hours, adding more than 20 years of operational use.

The P-3 Orion is the standard for maritime patrol and reconnaissance, and is used for homeland security, hurricane reconnaissance, anti-piracy operations, humanitarian relief, search and rescue, intelligence gathering, antisubmarine warfare and, recently, to assist in air traffic control and natural disaster relief support.

jan 25, 2012 Nicolas Gros-Verheyde (BRUXELLES2)

Le Canada n’a jamais traduit de pirates somaliens en justice (*). Et apparemment ce n’est pas près de changer. C’est La Presse Canadienne qui le révèle. Disposant d’une série de notes préparatoires, obtenues grâce à la Loi d’accès à l’information après une demande déposée au bureau du ministre de la Défense, Peter MacKay, et du commandant de la marine, nos confrères soulignent que si le gouvernement fédéral canadien milite pour cette mission – « parfaite et peu risquée pour le Canada de démontrer sa puissance militaire » explique-t-il – la poursuite des pirates en justice est une autre affaire. « Bien que le droit international prévoit que tout État puisse exercer sa compétence contre la piraterie dans les eaux internationales, les efforts pour contrer le phénomène au large de la côte de la Somalie continuent à être ralentis par un manque d’autorité dans les lois nationales, de même que par des interrogations à propos des individus appréhendés, qui sont soupçonnés de piraterie et d’autres crimes liés à ces activités», écrit, dans une note datée du 3 novembre 2010, le vice-ministre de la Défense, Robert Fonberg.

23 January 2012 chemring.co.uk

Chester Township, PA-- Alloy Surfaces Company, Inc. (ASC) of Chester Township, Pennsylvania, a Chemring Group PLC ("Chemring") subsidiary, announces a $7.2M delivery order on an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to manufacture M211 decoy devices for United States Army (USA) aircraft.  Delivery of these units is scheduled to begin in April 2012 and will continue through November 2012.  All work will be performed at Alloy Surfaces’ plant in Chester Township, Pa.

ASC’s President, Lawrence D’Andrea, stated, “We are very pleased to receive this contract order as the United States Army continues to express its confidence and trust in Special Material Decoys (SMDs). We are very proud to deliver the highest quality infrared decoys to all our armed forces.  The US army will use the M211 decoys to protect all of its helicopters.”

Chemring is a global group of companies that specializes in the manufacture of high technology electronic and energetic products that protect military people and platforms against a constantly changing threat. Supplying over 80 countries worldwide, the group has more than 4,500 employees with 21 facilities in the UK, US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain and Australia.  ASC is an industry leader in the design, development, and production of Covert Multi-Spectral Special Material Decoys.  ASC decoys have unique properties of day and night covertness that are on the leading edge of IR countermeasure technology and are currently being used to protect a wide variety of United States and allied military aircraft in combat.

BG–12.005 - le 24 janvier 2012 forces.gc.ca

Les États-Unis sont le plus important allié et partenaire de défense du Canada. Les relations entre ces deux pays, en matière de défense et de sécurité, durent depuis longtemps, sont bien ancrées et sont très réussies. L’étroit partenariat de défense canado-américain offre à ces deux pays une plus grande sécurité que celle qu’ils pourraient avoir individuellement.

Compte tenu des besoins communs en matière de défense et de sécurité, il est dans l’intérêt du Canada de demeurer un partenaire fiable pour ce qui est de la défense de l’Amérique du Nord.

En tant que partenaire de défense solide et fiable, les Forces canadiennes (FC) sont prêtes à mener des opérations continentales, y compris par l’entremise du Commandement de la défense aérospatiale de l’Amérique du Nord (le NORAD), à effectuer des exercices d’entraînement et à demeurer interopérable avec les Forces armées des É.-U., et à intervenir en cas de crise. Les principaux accords et ententes bilatéraux en matière de défense comprennent :

• Commission permanente mixte de défense (CPMD) – établie en 1940 pour discuter de questions de politique de défense en ce qui concerne la défense et la sécurité du continent et conseiller le premier ministre du Canada et le président des Etats-Unis sur ces enjeux.
• Comité de coopération militaire – établi en 1946 comme principal lien stratégique entre les états-majors interarmées du Canada et des États-Unis.
• Commandement de la défense aérospatiale de l’Amérique du Nord (NORAD) – établi en 1958 pour assurer la surveillance et la défense de l’espace aérien de l’Amérique du Nord. En 2006, l’on y a ajouté une fonction d’alerte maritime.
• Plan d’assistance civile Canada–États-Unis – signé en février 2008, puis renouvelé en janvier 2012, afin de faciliter le soutien de la part des militaires d’un pays aux forces armées de l’autre pays lors d’une situation de crise civile.
• Cadre de travail des trois commandements (Tri-Command Framework) – accord signé en septembre 2009, régissant les opérations et la coopération entre le NORAD, le Commandement de l’Amérique du Nord (USNORTHCOM) et le Commandement Canada.

La relation militaire particulière entre le Canada et les États-Unis peut se définir comme un partenariat pour la défense de l’Amérique du Nord et la sécurité mondiale. On compte actuellement plus de 700 membres des FC qui servent dans plus de 30 États américains. Environ la moitié d’entre eux sont engagés dans la mission du NORAD, tandis que les autres servent en qualité d’officier de liaison ou d’échange ou d’étudiants inscrits à un programme militaire ou d’études universitaires civiles de cycle supérieur.

À l’ambassade canadienne à Washington (D.C.), les FC assurent le bon fonctionnement de l’État-major de liaison de la Défense, une unité extérieure du Vice-chef d’état-major de la Défense. L’attaché de défense du Canada principal, qui a le grade de major-général (ou de contre-amiral), et chef de la délégation canadienne à la Commission interaméricaine de défense, ainsi que les attachés de défense des FC de l’Aviation royale, de la Marine royale canadienne et de l’Armée canadienne donnent des conseils et apportent le soutien et l’aide qui convient à l’ambassadeur du Canada. À l’appui du partenariat canado-américain en matière de défense et de sécurité, les attachés de défense assurent une liaison directe avec le Pentagone et leurs différents homologues américains, établissant un lien entre le ministère de la Défense nationale du Canada et le Département de la Défense des États-Unis.

Partenaires militaires des États-Unis

Commandement de la défense aérospatiale de l’Amérique du Nord

Le Commandement de la défense aérospatiale de l’Amérique du Nord (NORAD), installé à la Base de la Force aérienne Peterson, à Colorado Springs (Colorado), est l’organisation binationale des États-Unis et du Canada dont les missions comprennent l’alerte aérospatiale, le contrôle aérospatial et l’alerte maritime. L’alerte aérospatiale et le contrôle aérospatial visent directement la souveraineté et la défense aériennes de l’Amérique du Nord, tandis que l’alerte maritime vise à faire connaître la situation et la compréhension des activités menées dans les approches et les zones maritimes, ainsi que dans les eaux intérieures des États-Unis et du Canada.

En 2006, une révision à l’Accord du NORAD en a fait une entente permanente, supprimant du même coup l’exigence de renouvellement tous les quatre ans. Traditionnellement, le commandant adjoint du NORAD est un officier supérieur des Forces canadiennes. 

Commandement de l’Amérique du Nord

Le Commandement de l’Amérique du Nord (USNORTHCOM), dont le quartier général est à la Base de la Force aérienne Peterson, à Colorado Springs (Colorado), correspond au Commandement Canada pour ce qui est des opérations nationales aux États-Unis. La zone de responsabilité de l’USNORTHCOM comprend les approches aériennes, terrestres et maritimes des États-Unis continentaux, de l’Alaska, du Canada et du Mexique. Le Détroit de la Floride, des secteurs des Caraïbes, dont les Bahamas, Porto Rico et les îles Vierges américaines, en font aussi partie. 

Le Commandement a été établi en 2002 afin d’assurer le commandement et le contrôle de la défense intérieure et de coordonner le soutien aux autorités civiles en matière de défense. L’USNORTHCOM protège le pays et ses citoyens, et il contribue à la défense du continent, tout comme le Commandement Canada le fait à l’échelle canadienne.

Commandement de l’Amérique du Sud

Le Commandement de l’Amérique du Sud (USSOUTHCOM), dont le quartier général est à Miami (Floride), est un commandement interarmées, inter-institutions représentant l’Armée, les Forces navales, la Force aérienne, le Corps des Marines, la Garde côtière des États-Unis ainsi que les agences fédérales qui ont des objectifs de mission semblables, dont le Département d’État, la Drug Enforcement Administration et les douanes. Les pays avoisinants, comme le Canada, sont des partenaires clés de la planification et des opérations d’urgence. La zone d’opérations du Commandement comprend l’Amérique centrale, l’Amérique du Sud, les Caraïbes et les eaux entourant la partie sud du Mexique. 

Le Commandement Canada et l’USSOUTHCOM se consultent régulièrement au sujet d’interventions collectives à des problèmes de sécurité régionaux et transnationaux, comme la prévention et la diminution du trafic de cocaïne et d’héroïne grâce à la détection, à la surveillance et au pistage des narcotrafiquants. Pour empêcher la circulation des drogues, l’USSOUTHCOM assure la surveillance des voies aériennes et maritimes vers les É.-U. et d’autres pays.

Garde côtière des États-Unis

La Garde côtière des États-Unis (United States Coast Guard [USCG]) est une branche militaire maritime et multi-mission des Forces armées américaines, dont l’unique mission est l’application de la loi maritime, avec des compétences dans les eaux nationales et internationales. Elle a pour rôles la sécurité maritime du pays, l’application maritime de la loi, la recherche et le sauvetage.

Les opérations des FC et de l’USCG s’entrecroisent régulièrement dans trois secteurs principaux : la recherche et le sauvetage, la surveillance et la répression du trafic de drogues et la répression de l’immigration illégale.   

En février 2011, un détachement d’application de la loi de la Garde côtière a mené pour la première fois des opérations à bord d’un navire canadien, soit le NCSM Toronto. Le navire et son équipage, relevant du Commandement Canada, œuvraient à l’appui direct de l’effort multinational mené par les États-Unis pour réprimer le trafic de drogues dans le Bassin des Caraïbes. Des opérations semblables ont eu lieu le long de la côte du Pacifique.  

Force opérationnelle inter-organisationnelle Sud

La Force opérationnelle inter-organisationnelle Sud (Joint Interagency Task Force South [JIAFT{S}])est une force opérationnelle multiservice, multi-organisations installée à la base aéronavale de Key West (Floride), et subordonnée de l’USSOUTHCOM.  Sa principale mission au sein de la zone de responsabilité de l’USSOUTHCOM consiste à assurer l’intégration et l’exécution d’opérations inter-organisationnelles de répression du trafic de drogues et autres effets illicites, dans le but d’interrompre et de mettre un terme au trafic illicite, en collaboration avec des pays partenaires, dont le Canada. 

La JIATF(S) coordonne l’emploi de navires et d’aéronefs américains et alliés, de leurs équipages et des organismes d’application de la loi en vue de la détection et de la surveillance d’activités aériennes et maritimes suspectes dans la mer des Caraïbes, le golfe du Mexique et le Pacifique Est. Elle recueille, traite et diffuse des renseignements de lutte contre le trafic de drogues en vue des opérations inter-organisationnelles vouées à la répression du narcotrafic.

Accords militaires réciproques entre le Canada et les É.-U.

Un certain nombre d’ententes et d’accords régissent la relation de réciprocité militaire entre le Canada et les États-Unis. La liste qui suit est un aperçu des ententes ou organismes clés qui façonnent, guident et documentent cette relation et la défense interarmées.   

Commission permanente mixte de défense

La Commission permanente mixte de défense Canada-États-Unis (CPMD), crée en 1940, est la plus haute tribune bilatérale de défense entre les É.-U. et le Canada. Elle continue de créer un contact militaire et diplomatique supérieur crucial, ses réunions servant de fenêtre aux relations de défense canado-américaines depuis plus de sept décennies.

Les coprésidents canadien et américain de la CPMD agissent en tant que conseillers et font directement rapport au Premier ministre canadien et au Président américain, respectivement, sur les questions touchant à la défense de la moitié Nord de l’hémisphère occidental. La Commission a examiné pratiquement toutes les mesures importantes de défense interarmées entreprises depuis la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, y compris la construction du réseau d’alerte avancée de radars, la création du Commandement de la défense aérospatiale de l’Amérique du Nord en 1958, l’exploitation binationale du système de surveillance acoustique sous-marine et la décision d’exécuter le Projet de modernisation du système de la défense aérienne de l’Amérique du Nord en 1985.

Les points de discussion comprennent de plus en plus des questions liées aux politiques de défense et de sécurité continentale, notamment aux travaux visant à cerner les sphères de coopération pour se protéger des menaces asymétriques et pour protéger les infrastructures nord-américaines essentielles. La Commission se réunit deux fois l’an, chaque pays assumant les fonctions d’hôte à tour de rôle.

Accord sur la défense aérospatiale de l’Amérique du Nord

Le Commandement de la défense aérospatiale de l’Amérique du Nord (NORAD) est un commandement binational établi en 1958 et dont le mandat consiste à assurer la surveillance et la défense de l’espace aérien de l’Amérique du Nord. Il demeure la pièce maîtresse de la relation de défense entre le Canada et les États-Unis. C’est un parfait exemple de la démarche canadienne en matière d’engagement envers les États-Unis et de partenariat avec ceux-ci afin de protéger collectivement le continent. 

Le NORAD a été renouvelé à neuf reprises depuis 1958, bien que le libellé fondamental de l’Accord n’ait subi que quatre révisions majeures – soit en 1975, 1981, 1996 et 2006. La dernière révision a créé une entente permanente : s’il n’est plus nécessaire de la renouveler officiellement, l’Accord peut encore faire l’objet d’un examen au moins tous les quatre ans, ou à la demande de l’une ou l’autre des parties.

Autre évolution majeure : en 2006, l’on a élargi la mission du NORAD pour y inclure l’alerte contre les menaces maritimes potentielles, afin que les pouvoirs nationaux respectifs de chaque pays puissent intervenir s’il y a lieu.

Depuis la création du NORAD, le Canada a aidé à entretenir le Système d’alerte du Nord, qui est une série de 11 radars à longue portée et de 36 radars à courte portée situés tout le long de la côte arctique de l’Amérique du Nord. Conjugué aux autres radars du NORAD, le système forme une zone-tampon radar de 4 800 kilomètres de long et de 320 kilomètres de large. Il s’étend de l’Alaska au Groenland en passant par tout le Canada, et il permet au NORAD de détecter toute activité aéroportée qui s’approche.

Plan d’assistance civile

En février 2008, les deux pays ont signé le Plan d’assistance civile (PAC) Canada-États-Unis, un document bilatéral facilitant la capacité des militaires d’un pays à soutenir les forces armées de l’autre pays lors d’une situation d’urgence civile, une fois que les autorités gouvernementales ont convenu d’une intervention appropriée. Les forces militaires d’un pays pourraient être prêtées, à la demande de l’autre pays, ce qui permet le déploiement rapide de militaires et de biens pour intervenir lors d’événements dévastateurs comme les inondations, les feux de forêt, les ouragans, les tremblements de terre et les effets d’une attaque terroriste, afin de sauver des vies, de prévenir la souffrance humaine et de limiter les dommages matériels. 

Le PAC reconnaît le rôle de l’organisme fédéral principal de chaque pays chargé de la protection civile, soit Sécurité publique Canada et le département de la Sécurité intérieure aux É.-U. Le plan a servi pour la première fois et avec succès en septembre 2008, pendant l’ouragan Gustav, lorsque le Canada a fourni un aéronef CC177 Globemaster III pour aider à l'évacuation de blessés et malades du Sud des États-Unis et deux appareils CC130 Hercules pour contribuer à l’aide humanitaire.

Plan de défense interalliée

Le Plan de défense interalliée (PDI) établit un cadre de planification entre le Commandement Canada, le USNORTHCOM et le NORAD pour une coopération de défense rehaussée entre le Canada et les Etats-Unis dans le contexte où l’un des deux gouvernements aurait besoin du soutien de l’autre.

Dans une large mesure, le plan modernise et officialise des ententes existantes en tenant compte des nouvelles architectures de sécurité mises en place depuis le 11 septembre 2001, dont l’établissement du Commandement Canada et de son vis-à-vis, l’USNORTHCOM.

Protocole d’entente sur l’échange de renseignements

Le Protocole d’entente sur l’échange de renseignements est un accord entre le Commandement Canada et son vis-à-vis, l’USNORTHCOM, et le NORAD afin de cerner les renseignements et d’en faciliter l’échange entre les trois organisations.

Ces organisations se partagent la tâche de défendre l’Amérique du Nord et travaillent en très étroite collaboration pour mener à bien cette mission. Le protocole d’entente modernise des accords existants en tenant compte des nouvelles architectures de sécurité mises en place depuis le 11 septembre 2001.

Initiative nord-américaine de sécurité maritime

L’Initiative nord-américaine de sécurité maritime (INASM) améliore l’interopérabilité maritime entre les forces canadiennes, américaines et mexicaines en réponse aux menaces maritimes régionales. Principalement, elle donne les moyens d’accroître l’intervention avec les alliés du Mexique pour contrecarrer les organisations criminelles transnationales. Les premiers signataires, en mai 2008, étaient l’USNORTHCOM, la Garde côtière américaine et la SEMAR (la Force maritime mexicaine). Le Canada était observateur depuis juillet 2009, et en août 2011, le commandant du Commandement Canada a signé la lettre d’intention qui reconnaît le Canada comme membre à part entière de l’INASM. La tâche immédiate du Canada porte sur l’élaboration d’instructions permanentes d’opération et de protocoles visant l’interopérabilité des forces navales.

Initiatives de coopération des trois commandements

À la fin de 2007, le Chef d’État-major de la Défense et son homologue américain, le Chef de l’Instance collégiale des chefs d’état-major, ont enclenché une étude qui se penche sur les rôles, missions et relations futurs du Commandement Canada, du NORAD et de l’USNORTHCOM, qui sont collectivement responsables de la défense de l’Amérique du Nord. L’Étude des trois commandements, qui est terminée, a donné lieu à l’élaboration de trois documents clés :

Le Cadre de travail des trois commandements, signé par les commandants en septembre 2009, décrit comment les trois commandements – le Commandement Canada, le NORAD et l’USNORTHCOM – fonctionneront et interagiront, décrit les relations fondamentales et souligne les responsabilités de commandement concernant le soutien réciproque et la coopération. Le Cadre, qui a donné lieu à l’identification de 16 mesures précises dont la plupart ont été réalisées depuis, vise à améliorer la coopération, l’efficacité et l’interopérabilité entre les trois commandements.

La Vision des trois commandements, signée en mars 2010, donne une perspective stratégique de la façon dont les trois commandements devraient coopérer et collaborer afin de s’acquitter de leurs missions. Elle cerne cinq objectifs stratégiques : renforcer notre capacité collective à détecter, à contrer et à détruire les menaces contre nos pays et à défendre ceux-ci; améliorer l’unité des efforts entre nous et avec nos partenaires de mission respectifs; développer une culture de collaboration et de coopération continues au niveau de la planification, de l’exécution, de l’instruction, de la gestion de l’information et de l’innovation; améliorer l’échange et la fusion de renseignements et d’information à l’appui de la réalisation des missions; renforcer notre capacité collective à apporter un soutien approprié, rapide et efficace aux autorités civiles, lorsque demandé.

Le troisième document clé est la Stratégie des trois commandements. Signée en décembre 2010, la stratégie décrit une série de tâches partagées qui sont conçues pour renforcer les relations de travail avec les partenaires de défense et de sécurité, y compris des aspects comme l’amélioration de la capacité à échanger de l’information classifiée; l’achèvement de l’examen du Plan d’assistance civile; la mise en commun des pratiques exemplaires et des leçons retenues; l’accroissement de notre connaissance commune de la situation dans les cinq domaines d’exploitation des forces armées (sur terre, en mer, dans les airs, dans l’espace, dans le cyberespace). 

En outre, les commandements continuent de cerner de nouvelles initiatives qui contribueront à la réussite des missions. Faits à souligner : les commandements examinent présentement des secteurs de coopération potentielle dans l’Arctique et le développement en commun d’une connaissance de la situation de tous les domaines.