Aug. 22, 2013 - By PAUL McLEARY - Defense News

In one of the dwindling number of domestic new build ground vehicle contracts available to the US defense industry, the US Special Operations Command today awarded General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems a contract worth at least $562 million its Ground Mobility Vehicle 1.1 (GMV) program.

The special ops command has said that it wants to buy 1,297 GMVs to replace the current 1,072 Humvee-based GMVs it has in its inventory. Defense News reported back in May that SOCOM had already planned to spend about $24 million on the program in fiscal 2014 for the first 101 vehicles, at a price tag of at $245,000 per vehicle.

Barring any protests, the loss will come as a bitter pill for current GMV-maker AM General and Navistar International, companies who are looking for more business at a time when the buys of Humvees and MRAPs have ended. Oshkosh Defense was eliminated from the competition in January, after which it filed a protest which was then withdrawn in April.

Requirements documents released last year said that the GMV would have to weigh less than 7,000 pounds, have the ability to carry up to seven passengers and be transportable in an M/CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

In today’s notice about the award, the government said that it plans on spending about $14 million in already allocated fiscal 2012 and 2013 budgets for research, test and evaluation on the GMV.

Final deliveries of all GMVs are expected to be complete by September 2020.

SOCOM has also said that it’s in the market for an even smaller vehicle that could fit in the back of a V-22 Osprey. SOCOM released a request for proposals on April 5 for the program, which calls for a lightly armored vehicle that can roll out of the back of an Osprey and begin firing mounted weapons within 60 seconds.

Funding for that program would kick off in the 2015 budget SOCOM officials announced this spring, and that industry has already started to submit its plans to meet the requirement. The Air Force special operation command will begin doing combat evaluations of prototypes in 2014.

August 22, 2013 By : Defence News

A top US Air Force general has said Washington is preparing to station military aircraft in India as part of its "Asia pivot" policy, and the city it is looking at to base its assets in is Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram.

An Indian defence ministry source said: “We have never discussed any such proposal.”

Defence minister A.K. Antony is from Kerala, where the Opposition Left is mobilising protests against the state government.

The disclosure by the American general, who was part of the policy group on Indo-US military relations, has the potential to stir up trouble for the Manmohan Singh government in the run-up to elections. In Kerala, the Left is particularly strong.

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, informed of the US general’s statement, said: “That seems to be the expectation of the Pentagon. It would stem from the Indo-US military framework agreement signed in 2006. It is up to the UPA government to clarify if such base facilities will be allowed.”

The chief of the Pacific air forces under the US military’s Pacific Command, General Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, has visited Thiruvananthapuram. As a lieutenant general before he took over his current command, he had led the US delegation at an executive steering group meeting of the Indian and US air forces.

“So, as I envision it, as I talk about expanded engagement, a lot of our rebalance is a rotational presence through the Pacific. And obviously we’ll maintain our capability in Northeast Asia. In a lot of ways we’ll increasingly move south and west with the rotational presence. Darwin, Tindal, (Pilbara), Changi East in Singapore, Korat in Thailand, Trivandrum in India.… The most capable platforms will be rotated into the Asia-Pacific,” the general was quoted by Foreign Policy and other magazines as telling journalists at a breakfast meeting.

Carlisle said the US was not setting up new bases in the Asia-Pacific but would continuously “rotate” its military assets in a revival of a “Checkered Flag” policy from the years of the Cold War.

He said that during the Cold War, the US rotated all its military units from the Continental US (Conus) to Europe. That would now be done for the Asia-Pacific.

Indian Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, who visited the US last month, met Carlisle.

Talking of that meeting, the US general said the Indian Air Force was trying to learn to set up a military space command. Carlisle said he had apologised for cancelling a Red Flag exercise, to which the Indian Air Force had been invited, because of budget cuts.

“The relationship’s great with the Indian Air Force. I think Air Chief Marshal Browne and I are good friends. We’ve known each other for a while,” Carlisle said.

“We talked about a variety of things. One of them was, again, an apology on our part for cancelling Red Flag. We did make a commitment to have Red Flag next year about this time and they are going to participate, so that was a positive in that respect.”

He added: “We talked about other engagement opportunities. Their C-17 (strategic air-lifter) — he was here picking up a C-17 out of Long Beach, their second one. He actually flew the C-17 back here to Washington DC through Colorado. So we talked about the C-17.

“One of the discussions was doing some exchanges with their C-17 folks and ours. The other things that he talked about were the Indian Air Force — the Indian military is trying to develop a space command.”

Browne was also in Colorado Springs to visit the US Air Force Space Command. “So we talked about our potential to show them how we do it, some of the education that’s available, some of the organisational things, some of the things we learned as we stood up a space command a long time ago,” the general said.

Aug 23, 2013 ASDNews Source : The Lockheed Martin

The Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy team's (NYSE: LMT) Aegis Combat System successfully completed the first live firing test that proves the system can defend beyond its line of sight by integrating data from a remote sensor to intercept a target.

The latest Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air (NIFC-CA) test marks the first test at sea, and the second consecutive time this year, where Aegis used remote data to successfully intercept a target. Using the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) to interpret data from remote sources, Aegis launched a Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) missile from the USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) to intercept the target.

"The latest NIFC-CA test demonstrated how the Aegis Combat System has taken a significant step forward in increasing interoperability with remote systems to extend the distance that we can detect, analyze and intercept targets," said Jim Sheridan, director of U.S. Navy Aegis programs for Lockheed Martin. "We continue to use our advanced solutions to provide the Navy with the robust and reliable capabilities needed to defend our nation from sophisticated threats."

As a result of the successful NIFC-CA test, Aegis proved once again that it can transform and adapt to threats and address a changing defense landscape. The U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin are committed to modernization programs for the Aegis Combat System on cruisers and destroyers to extend service life and provide new technologies to the ships and their crews. Ships receiving Aegis system upgrades will field Open Architecture and Commercial Off-the-Shelf technologies that will reduce total ownership costs and ensure military readiness for ongoing missile defense needs.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

August 21, 2013 defense-unmanned.com

(Source: U.S Department of Defense; issued August 21, 2013)

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $27,599,424 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-12-C-0117) to exercise an option for additional operations and maintenance services in support of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator Unmanned Aircraft System.

Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md. (70 percent), and outside continental United States (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2014. Fiscal 2013 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $27,599,424 will be obligated at the time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

22 August 2013 naval-technology.com

Erickson Air-Crane has been awarded a contract by the US Department of Defense (DoD) to provide comprehensive replenishment and logistics services.

Under the contract, Erickson Air-Crane will provide ship-based and shore-based vertical replenishment and other rotary-wing logistic services to the US Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC), for support of the US fifth and seventh fleets, operating primarily in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

The company will also provide search and rescue support, medical evacuations, passenger transfers, internal cargo movement and dynamic interface testing as part of the contract.

Erickson chief executive officer, Udo Rieder, said the company will provide these important services to the Sealift Command.

"This new award for Evergreen underlines our growth opportunity and further cements our position as a preferred provider of services for a wide variety of missions in support of defence operations around the world," Rieder said.

"The company will provide search and rescue support, medical evacuations, passenger transfers, internal cargo movement and dynamic interface testing."

The MSC's vertical replenishment (VERTREP) programme has been designed to create efficiency, allow ships to remain at sea for extended periods as well as to improve safety and boost mission readiness levels for the US.

Operating approximately 110 non-combatant, merchant mariner-crewed ships that replenish US Navy ships, the MSC performs specialised missions, strategically prepositions combat cargo at sea and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed US forces and coalition partners.

Awarded competitively to Evergreen Helicopters International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Erickson Air-Crane, the contract will begin on 1 October 2013.

The contract has a first year value of $6.8m and four additional option-year renewals, with a cumulative total value of $36.6m.

2013-08-22 xinhua

Le secrétaire américain à la Défense, Chuck Hagel, s'est entretenu mercredi par téléphone avec son homologue israélien Moshe Ya'alon sur les questions de sécurité au Moyen-Orient, a annoncé la Pentagone.

"L'appel a porté sur la violence qui se poursuit en Syrie, y compris les récentes accusations d'utilisation d'armes chimiques, et la situation en Egypte et en Iran", a indiqué dans un communiqué le porte-parole du Pentagone, George Little.

Hagel et Ya'alon ont convenus de poursuivre leur dialogue intensif sur une multitude de défis auxquels les deux alliés font face, a-t-il ajouté sans divulguer davantage de détails.

Les Etats-Unis et Israël maintiennent une communication étroite sur la situation en Syrie, un vieil ennemi de l'Etat hébreu.

Plus tôt dans la journée de mercredi, le gouvernement américain a exprimé sa préoccupation profonde au sujet des accusations d'utilisation des armes chimiques par l'armée syrienne, appelant les Nations Unies enquêter sur l'incident.

Les deux pays sont également préoccupés par l'escalade de la violence en Egypte, pays voisin d'Israël et le premier pays arabe à avoir officiellement reconnu l'Etat hébreu, depuis que le président Mohamed Morsi a été évincé par l'armée égyptienne. Certains pays, dont la Turquie, ont accusé Israël d'être derrière la chute de Morsi.

En ce qui concerne l'Iran, les Etats-Unis et Israël ont également coordonné leurs efforts pour empêcher Téhéran de se procurer des armes nucléaires en imposant des sanctions et en menaçant de lancer une attaque militaire préventive.

21/08/2013 Par LEXPRESS.fr

L'Agence nationale de sécurité a violé la loi encadrant la surveillance des communications électroniques entre 2008 et 2011, récoltant 56.000 courriels par an, ont reconnu mercredi des responsables sous couvert d'anonymat.

L'Agence nationale de sécurité (NSA) a violé la loi encadrant la surveillance des communications électroniques entre Américains entre 2008 et 2011, ont reconnu mercredi des responsables américains. 

La surveillance excessive était "la conséquence d'un problème technologique (...) et non d'un excès de la NSA", a expliqué un responsable sous couvert d'anonymat. La justice a secrètement mis fin en 2011 au programme, jugé illégal au regard des protections constitutionnelles garanties aux Américains.

suite de l'article

21.08.2013 Le Monde.fr

L'armée américaine peine à former suffisamment de pilotes de drones, faute de volontaires pour cette spécialité, constate un colonel de l'Air Force dans une étude rédigée pour le compte de la Brookings Institution, un centre de réflexion de Washington. Le manque s'expliquerait par des perspectives de promotion moindre que pour les pilotes "traditionnels" et des "exigences opérationnelles" éprouvantes.

En 2012, l'Air Force était censée entraîner 150 pilotes à diriger depuis le sol les Predators, Reapers et autres Global Hawk. Seuls 82 % des postes ont été pourvus, d'après le rapport. Le quota de 1 129 pilotes "traditionnels", par contre, a été rempli sans problème.

Suite de l’article

16 August 2013 defenceWeb (Reuters)

The United States said it will review aid to Egypt "in all forms" after President Barack Obama canceled joint military exercises with Egypt next month in response to a bloody clampdown by Egyptian security forces.

"Going forward, as you saw evidence of this morning with the announcement, we will continue to assess and review our aid in all forms," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a briefing.

Psaki also condemned the "reprehensible attacks" over the past few days against Coptic Christian churches and recent attacks on public buildings in Egypt. "These attacks are further aggravating an already fragile atmosphere," she added.

U.S. officials have been grappling with how to handle the $1.55 billion in mostly military aid Washington sends each year to Cairo, Reuters reports.

15/08/2013 Sources : EMA

Du 31 juillet au 7 août 2013, les militaires du 5e Régiment InterArmes d'Outre-Mer (RIAOM) des Forces Françaises stationnées à Djibouti (FFDj) ont organisé et encadré un stage d’initiation au Centre d’Entraînement au Combat et d’Aguerrissement de Djibouti (CECAD) au profit des éléments américains du 26eMarine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) stationnés sur le camp de Lemonnier de Djibouti.

Ce stage avait pour objectif l’aguerrissement, le travail du leadership et le renforcement de la cohésion. Durant une semaine, les 6 instructeurs du 5e RIAOM ont encadré près de 400 stagiaires américains, au rythme de deux sections différentes par jour.

Les stagiaires ont effectué chaque matin un parcours nautique et chaque après-midi une piste d’audace. Chacun de ces parcours comprenait une dizaine d’obstacles. Le parcours nautique a été effectué en méthode découverte, autrement dit sans reconnaissance préalable. Ce parcours avait pour objectif de mettre les stagiaires en situation difficile afin qu’ils fournissent un effort collectif. En effet, certains obstacles de ce parcours ne sont franchissables qu’en groupe tels que : la planche irlandaise, la planche d’équilibre ou encore le chapeau chinois. La piste d’audace s’effectue également en méthode découverte et  comporte également certains obstacles nécessitant d’être franchis en groupe. Le premier d’entre eux étant un mur de 4.60 mètres de hauteur. Le groupe s’unit pour hisser un premier stagiaire, qui une fois en haut de l’obstacle, fait descendre la corde facilitant le franchissement du groupe. Le piste d’audace est également constituée de  cages, de buses, de poutres mobiles ou encore de rampés sous barbelés.

Les FFDj mènent régulièrement des actions avec les militaires américains présents à Djibouti. A la fin du mois de mai dernier, les FFDj et la 26e MEU avaient effectué un  exercice de largage de parachutistes sur le site du Qaîd, à 85 kilomètres à l’Ouest de Djibouti. Au-delà des collaborations avec la MEU, la coopération franco-américaine est constante dans la région. Les états-majors des FFDj et le commandement américain du groupe de forces armées et interalliées pour la Corne de l’Afrique (Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of  Africa CJTF-HOA) se réunissent ainsi régulièrement afin de coordonner l’ensemble de leurs activités à Djibouti. Depuis le 12 avril 2012, cette coopération a été renforcée par la signature d’un accord entre les FFDj et le CJTF-HOA permettant l’échange de prestations et de services logistiques dans le domaine du transport aérien de fret et de personnel.

Les Forces Françaises stationnées à Djibouti (FFDJ) dans le cadre des accords de défense entre la République de Djibouti et la France, constituent depuis 2011 la base opérationnelle avancée française sur la côte Est de l’Afrique. Les FFDj participent au dispositif militaire français prépositionné, permettant de disposer de réservoirs de forces pouvant être projetées rapidement en cas de crise. Parmi leurs missions, les FFDj apportent un soutien logistique essentiel au profit des bâtiments français et étrangers engagés dans les opérations de lutte contre la piraterie, notamment l’opération Atalante (soutien des bâtiments de guerre et des actions de patrouille maritime, soutien santé), ainsi qu’à la République de Djibouti dans le cadre de sa mobilisation contre la piraterie. Les FFDj bénéficient également d’une capacité d’entrainement permanente avec le centre d’entrainement au combat et d’aguerrissement de Djibouti (CECAD). Régulièrement, le CECAD accueille des unités permanentes ou en mission de courte durée des FFDj, les unités ou écoles de métropole ainsi que les forces armées djiboutiennes et étrangères.

July 26, 2013 by Jeffrey Payne - thediplomat.com

Both countries have an interest in Afghan stability post-2014. They should consider cooperation.

As NATO forces continue the process of withdrawing from Afghanistan, the People’s Republic of China finds itself in a conundrum. With tensions flaring throughout the Asia-Pacific, in part because of a more aggressive Chinese foreign policy, the last thing Beijing wants is to face a security risk along its western border. Regardless of Beijing’s wishes, it will need to become more involved in efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. The United States and its international partners thus have an opportunity to provide incentive for China to become a more reliable international security participant. Unfortunately, China seems unable to escape the inertia of its own politics, while the United States is increasingly consumed by concerns involving Chinese activities in the Asia-Pacific.

The Afghan Element within US-China Relations

The U.S.-China relationship is certain to define 21st century international relations to a great degree. As such, the two countries, as well as the world, are scrambling to better understand the relationship. China’s complaints about bilateral ties stem from a view that the United States is unfair to rising powers and, in particular, disregards Chinese traditions and history. The U.S. position is framed as one where China is an irresponsible stakeholder within the international system. China is content to free-ride off the efforts of others, while exploiting the goodwill of surrounding countries and global powers.

These portrayals aren’t completely inaccurate in either case, but they do not sufficiently define this bilateral relationship. It is undeniable that trust between the U.S. and China is low and that many parties within both countries see each other as opponents. Yet, much of the tension in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship is linked to territory, commerce, and relationships throughout the Asia-Pacific region. If we move beyond the Asia-Pacific, then greater opportunity for cooperation exists.

As such, the future of Afghanistan offers an opportunity for these two major powers to work together in furthering Afghan national – as well as South and Central Asian regional – security. With the majority of NATO forces to leave Afghanistan in 2014, China is realizing that its investments in Afghanistan will be at risk, its Central Asian trade threatened, and its relations with Pakistan strained. In short, China needs to take steps to protect its interests.

The U.S., its population exhausted from war and its politics focused on domestic problems, is consumed with withdrawing its security forces from Afghanistan. However, Washington does not wish to watch Afghanistan fall into absolute chaos. Not only would it be negatively affected by the further loss of life, but it would also make the country’s years of investment meaningless and create a security vacuum that may once again require a major U.S. presence.

Thus, China wants to protect its Western border and the U.S. wishes to find a means to enhance Afghan security. This issue can be a basis for building cooperation between the two countries, while avoiding the tension stemming from the Asia-Pacific. Unfortunately, neither country is focused on the Afghan issue in respect to the other. That must change.

Bilateral Strategic Cooperation

Too many in the United States view China as an inevitable strategic opponent, ignoring counterevidence in favor of a quasi-Cold War worldview. Likewise, many analysts in China argue that the United States is a diminishing power intent on inhibiting China’s growth. Neither country should be so easily caricatured as such. Both countries’ foreign policy establishments constantly debate how to move forward bilateral relations. What both countries need to do is recognize mutual interests. Mutual interests, particularly outside the Asia-Pacific region, should be the source of U.S.-China international cooperation. In the security arena, Afghanistan’s stability is a major threat and a vital opportunity.

First, each country needs to figure out what costs it is willing to pay for Afghan security. Both countries publicly declare their desire for a prosperous and safe Afghanistan, but neither has made headway in exploring what international institutions it will need in order to reach the desired end stage. China, given its policies of peaceful development and respect to sovereignty, will resist pressure to step up its involvement in security matters. The U.S., for its part, will be intensely hesitant about China taking on a more robust role in Afghanistan. Yet the past ten years have proven that when it comes to Afghanistan, what works best is often not what any party favors.

Second, the U.S. and China should immediately initiate both formal and informal dialogues regarding Afghanistan post-2014. Experts can meet in a Track II setting to formulate policy options, while Track I meetings can follow. These meetings need to be candid and based on past arrangements that proved successful, such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in Southeast Asia and anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

Third, both countries should utilize international institutions in which they have influence in order to build a comprehensive Afghan security policy. For the U.S., this means working with its strategic allies to provide continued training for Afghan security forces, foreign aid and private investment. In China’s case, it means engaging the Shanghai Cooperative Organization to mobilize resources throughout Central Asia.

Fourth, and most importantly, both countries need to cooperate in their engagements with both Afghanistan’s leaders and South Asian leaders. The U.S. can leverage its relationship with Afghanistan’s government to further interaction between China’s leaders and their Afghan counterparts. Both countries can engage Pakistan’s new government to show a united will that encourages Pakistan to do more to inhibit destabilizing groups operating in Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Finally, India should be brought into talks with respect to its diplomatic operations in Afghanistan and its own investment in the country.

Difficult, But Not Impossible

It will be immensely difficult for the U.S. and China to cooperate on Afghanistan. Over the long term, however these two countries have parallel national interests when it comes to Afghanistan and that must be the basis of all forward movement. Added to the complexities of the bilateral relationship are the intricacies that will be required when working with the Afghan, Central Asian, Pakistani, and Indian governments. In short, this is no small task. The alternative, however, will certainly be a more chaotic Afghanistan and by extension, a more unstable Central and South Asia.

This effort will be more difficult for China, for it will require them to revise their stance on international security engagement. There is no chance that China will send security forces to Afghanistan, but it is equally unlikely that another international force will replace NATO. Thus, China must engage the security situation directly. As such, the U.S., given its experience in Afghanistan, will have an opportunity to encourage China to take on a more responsible international security role.

Again, this process will not be easy, but it allows an opportunity for the U.S. and China to engage in coordinated security policy. Both countries desire stability in Afghanistan and it is that, not external problems within the bilateral relationship, which must be the focus of both countries. There is no more pressing issue in Central and South Asia than Afghanistan.

Jeffrey Payne is the Senior Research Associate at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, DC. The views expressed in this article are his alone and do not represent the official policy or position of the National Defense University, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

Jul 25, 2013 ASDNews Source : US Army

When the M320 40 mm grenade launcher began replacing the M203 in 2009, it put a new and more lethal weapon into the hands of the Soldier.

There was one question, however. How would he or she best carry it?

An equipment specialist with Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, or PM SCIE, is trying to answer that question. Darren Bean has been working at the Natick Soldier Systems Center since November 2012 on the M320GL Holster Soldier Enhancement Program, or SEP.

The detachable M320, named one of the Army's top 10 inventions of 2009, comes equipped with a sling to carry it when not mounted to the M4 carbine or M16 rifle, according to Bean.

"It was a one-point sling, so (the weapon) was kind of bouncing around," Bean said. "If you went down to the ground, you were dragging it through the dirt. Most people felt that protection was needed at some level because they were just getting dragged in the dirt and pounded on."

Some Soldiers began looking for a better solution than the sling for the M320, which weighs seven pounds with the butt stock.

"They decided they wanted to be able to put it in a holster rather than just shove it in their ruck sack," Bean said.

The SEP allowed the purchase of enough holsters to equip a brigade combat team. He said the "buy-try-decide" concept allows the Army to test the functionality of equipment without spending a lot of time on research and development.

Bean found three commercial vendors who make M320 holsters, so PM SCIE acquired 167 of each.

"They're of varying design," Bean said. "All three of them were very different from each other."

One model includes pockets for grenades but is bulky. Another is more streamlined but offers less protection for the weapon. The third is a cross between the other two.

Bean put the holsters in the hands of a dozen Soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga., who went through a set of standardized tests in mid May. The Soldiers filled out surveys after the testing.

The testing was to make sure it was realistic to go forward, Bean said.

"Now we can actually test them with an entire brigade," he added.

Each one of the holsters has had small issues, according to Bean.

"None of them have performed necessarily any better than the other ones," Bean said. "They all have some small things that need to be tweaked."

Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) from Fort Drum, N.Y., the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Vermont National Guard, and Soldiers in Afghanistan are currently evaluating the holsters. The Consumer Research Team at the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center will collect data. PM SCIE officials will then make a recommendation to the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning by the beginning of fiscal year 2014.

"The need is there, for sure," Bean said. "I think the end state of this will be that they will say, 'Yes, we need a grenade launcher holster for this when we use it in the stand-alone mode.'"