18/06/2013 par Nicolas Laffont – 45eNord.ca

Au premier jour du Salon international de l’aéronautique et de l’espace de Paris 2013, mieux connu sous le nom du Salon du Bourget, des dirigeants de Lockheed Martin et de CAE ont annoncé avoir conclu une nouvelle alliance grâce à la signature d’un protocole d’entente en vue de services de soutien aux systèmes de formation pour le F-35 Lightning II au Canada.

À l’occasion d’une cérémonie qui a eu lieu au pavillon du Canada au Salon du Bourget, Steve O’Bryan et Gene Colabatistto, président de groupe, Produits de simulation, formation et services associés – Militaire de CAE, ont signé un protocole d’entente selon lequel CAE, dont le siège se situe à Montréal, est le fournisseur préférentiel de soutien à la formation du F-35 au pays, d’intégration des systèmes de formation, d’exploitation et d’entretien.

«L’industrie canadienne a joué un rôle intégral dans le développement et la production du F-35 pendant plus d’une dizaine d’années», a déclaré Steve O’Bryan, vice-président du développement des affaires et de l’intégration du programme du F-35. «La contribution industrielle du Canada à cet égard ne fait que commencer. L’alliance que nous avons conclue aujourd’hui est un gage du rôle que jouera l’industrie canadienne à long terme en matière de maintien en puissance de la flotte de F-35 ces 30 prochaines années et au-delà. Par ailleurs, cette alliance soutient directement l’évolution des systèmes de formation, l’une des capacités industrielles clés dont le gouvernement du Canada a récemment fait la promotion.»

«CAE et Lockheed Martin jouissent d’une relation favorable et de longue date à l’égard d’autres plateformes, comme le C-130, et nous espérons enrichir cette collaboration davantage advenant que le gouvernement du Canada opte pour le F-35, a affirmé Gene Colabatistto. La formation en simulation prend de plus en plus d’importance dans le domaine de la défense, car s’il s’agit d’une manière rentable de se préparer en vue des missions, et CAE veut faire en sorte que l’Aviation royale canadienne bénéficie des services de formation de calibre mondial dont elle a besoin pour atteindre les niveaux ciblés de préparation aux missions.»

Au même moment, la ministre associée de la Défense nationale, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, affirmait à la Chambre des communes, à Ottawa, qu’aucune décision n’avait encore été prise quant au remplacement de la flotte actuelle d’appareils CF-18.

C’est suite à la publication de plusieurs rapports, dont celui de la firme KPMG affirmant qu’il en coûterait 45 milliards $ et non 9 milliards pour l’acquisition des F-35 de Lockheed Martin, que le gouvernement Conservateur de Stephen Harper a décidé de relancer de zéro le processus de remplacement de sa flotte actuelle de CF-18.

Compagnie dont le siège social est à Montréal, CAE a été fondée en 1947. CAE compte environ 8 000 employés dans plus de 100 sites et centres de formation répartis dans environ 30 pays. L’entreprise, dont le chiffre d’affaires est de plus de 2 milliards $, fournit des services de formation civile, militaire et sur hélicoptère dans plus de 45 emplacements partout dans le monde et forme environ 100 000 membres d’équipage chaque année. De plus, la CAE Oxford Aviation Academy fournit de la formation aux élèves-pilotes dans 11 écoles de pilotage exploitées par CAE. Les activités de CAE sont diversifiées, allant de la vente de produits de simulation à la prestation de services complets comme les services de formation, les services aéronautiques, les solutions intégrées d’entreprise, le soutien en service et le placement de membres d’équipage.

Lockheed Martin est né en 1995, de la fusion des groupes Lockheed Corporation et Martin Marietta. Le siège social se trouve à Bethesda, au Maryland. Cette entreprise mondiale de sécurité et d’aérospatiale a un effectif d’environ 118 000 personnes réparties dans le monde entier. Elle se voue principalement à la recherche, à la conception, au développement, à la fabrication, à l’intégration et au maintien en puissance de services, de produits et de systèmes technologiques de pointe. En 2012, son chiffre d’affaires net a atteint 47,2 milliards $.

19/06 Par Alain Ruello – LesEchos.fr

Boeing fait feu de tout bois à l'international pour compenser les coupes de budget du Pentagone.

Boeing se prépare à des temps plus difficiles. Pour Dennis Muilenburg, le responsable des activités défense, espace et sécurité, il ne fait aucun doute que la loi dite « sequestration act », qui prévoit 500 milliards de dollars de coupes supplémentaires dans le budget du Pentagone sur les dix années à venir, sera votée. « Entre la baisse des budgets et l'augmentation des menaces, nous vivons une époque très difficile », expliquait récemment le dirigeant de Boeing.

En attendant, tous les regards sont tournés vers l'international pour aller chercher la croissance qui fait déjà défaut aux Etats-Unis. Bien aidé par le rouleau compresseur diplomatique de Washington, Boeing fait feu de tout bois avec un leitmotiv : baisser sans cesse le coût de ses grands systèmes d'armement, tout en les modernisant avec des technologies éprouvées.

Les commandes suivent comme en Inde (avions de transport stratégique C17, avions de patrouille maritime P8) ou en Arabie saoudite (F15). Au Brésil, le F18 semble avoir devancé le Rafale et le Gripen suédois. Sans compter Israël, bien parti pour acheter un lot de V22, ces appareils mi-hélicoptères, mi-avion. L'espace n'est pas en reste. Cela fait des mois que Thales Alenia Space et Astrium font état du retour de Boeing sur le marché des satellites commerciaux. La crainte est avérée d'autant que l'américain a pris une avance certaine dans la propulsion électrique, le nouveau graal des étoiles.

Restructurations

« Le fait que Boeing soit un groupe global nous donne un avantage, particulièrement au Moyen-Orient et en Asie », affirme son PDG, Jim McNerney. Avec la branche civile en appui, le groupe dispose, il est vrai, d'un avantage certain pour satisfaire aux demandes de compensations industrielles des pays émergents. Et pourtant, sur les dix ans à venir, tous ces succès à l'export compenseront la baisse des revenus aux Etats-Unis, mais pas beaucoup plus, reconnaît Dennis Muilenburg.

Dans ce contexte, Boeing est prêt à poursuivre les restructurations. Le dernier plan d'économies de 2,2 milliards de dollars sur deux ans a été atteint plutôt que prévu. A ce jour, ce sont 3 milliards d'économies qui ont été faits, à coups de fermeture d'usines et de suppressions de centaines de postes. Les cadres, dont les effectifs ont baissé de 30 %, ont été particulièrement touchés.

15.06.2013 Oshkosh - army-guide.com

OSHKOSH, Wis. -- The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, a contract for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program’s Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) phase. The JLTV program aims to replace many of the U.S. military’s aged HMMWVs with a lightweight vehicle that offers greater protection, mobility and transportability.

“The JLTV program is critical to supporting our troops who stand in harm’s way and deserve the best equipment that industry can provide,” said John Urias, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Oshkosh Defense. “The Oshkosh JLTV solution will allow the Army and Marine Corps to provide unprecedented levels of protection and off-road mobility in a light vehicle – so that their troops can accomplish their missions and return home safely.”

JLTV is managed by the Joint U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps program, under the leadership of the U.S. Army's Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS). Under the contract, Oshkosh will deliver 22 Oshkosh-designed and manufactured JLTV prototypes within 365 days of contract award, and support government testing and evaluation of the prototypes.

Since 2006, Oshkosh has invested significantly in independent R&D to develop its JLTV solution. Oshkosh employed a generational product development approach that aligned to rapidly evolving technical requirements. As a result, the Oshkosh JLTV delivers the latest automotive technologies, an advanced crew protection system, and a next generation TAK-4i™ independent suspension system to achieve JLTV performance at an affordable price. The Oshkosh JLTV is fully tested, ready for initial production, and meets or exceeds the requirements of the JLTV program.

“The Oshkosh JLTV solution was designed with a purpose – to keep Warfighters safe on future battlefields with unpredictable terrain, tactics, and threats,” said John Bryant, vice president and general manager of Joint and Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “Oshkosh has a 90-year history of delivering high quality military vehicle programs on-time and on-budget, and our JLTV program is no exception. We understand how critical this light, protected, off-road vehicle will be to Warfighters.”

The Oshkosh JLTV solution, called the Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle, or L-ATV, offers an advanced crew protection system that has been extensively tested and is proven to optimize crew survivability. The L-ATV can accept multiple armor configurations, which allows the vehicle to adapt easily to changing operational requirements. The L-ATV also applies the Oshkosh TAK-4i™ intelligent independent-suspension system to provide significantly faster speeds when operating off-road, which can be critical to troops’ safety.

Oshkosh Defense has an unwavering commitment to the men and women who serve our nation. Notably, Oshkosh was awarded the M-ATV contract in June 2009 on an urgent needs basis. Oshkosh ramped up production at a historical pace – delivering 1,000 vehicles per month within six months. Oshkosh delivered more than 8,700 M-ATVs, most of which were deployed in Afghanistan and are credited for saving thousands of troops’ lives.

“Oshkosh’s M-ATV is the only vehicle in the combat theater in Afghanistan performing the JLTV’s mission profile,” said Bryant. “We delivered more than 8,700 M-ATV’s on-time and on-budget, and Oshkosh will bring the same level of commitment to the JLTV program.”

June 14, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: US Department of Defense; issued June 13, 2013)

NSA Chief Urges Public Debate of Terrorist Surveillance

WASHINGTON --- Now that the existence of classified National Security Agency data-gathering efforts have been leaked to the public, the head of U.S. Cyber Command and NSA said yesterday he wants the public to understand the programs “so they can see what we’re doing and what the results of it are.”

Among the results, Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander told the full Senate Appropriations Committee, is the disruption or contributions to the disruption in the United States and abroad of “dozens of terrorist events.”

Alexander testified along with interagency partners from the Homeland Security Department, the FBI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology during a hearing that U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the committee chair, convened to discuss preparing for and responding to the enduring cyber threat.

But several senators -- given their first chance to question Alexander since NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked information to newspapers June 6 about classified surveillance practices -- abruptly asked about the leaks and about legislation authorizing the practices.

In his leaks to the media, Snowden described two NSA surveillance programs authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which Congress created in 2008. Section 702 of FISA authorizes access to records and other items of foreign targets located outside the United States under court oversight.

Section 215 of the Patriot Act broadened FISA to allow the FBI director or another high-ranking official there to apply for orders to produce telephone records, books and other materials to help with terrorism investigations.

Revelations about the programs have launched a debate nationwide about privacy, because Section 215 allows NSA to collect something called metadata -- information about call length and connections -- for phone calls that occur inside the United States and between the United States and other countries.

“These authorities complement each other in helping us identify different terrorist actions and … disrupt them,” Alexander told the senators. “If you want to get the content [of the phone calls], you'd have to get a court order. In any of these programs … we [need] court orders for doing that, with oversight by Congress, by the courts and by the administration.”

Some of the senators asked for details about terrorism cases that the NSA surveillance programs have helped, and Alexander named a few but said he intended to bring a classified list of them to today’s closed session of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

But Alexander said he also wanted to provide an unclassified version -- if he could make that happen, he said -- this week that could be released to the public.

“I think this is an area where we have to give [Congress and the American people] the details. They need to understand it so they can see what we're doing and what the results of it are,” he added.

“We all had this concern coming out of 9/11 -- how are we going to protect the nation,” the general said, “because we did get intercepts on [Khalid Muhammad Abdallah al-Mihdhar], but we didn't know where he was. We didn't have the data collected to know that he was a bad person.”

Mihdhar was one of five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77 who flew that aircraft into the Pentagon as part of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

“Because he was in the United States,” Alexander continued, “the way we treated it [then] is that he's a U.S. person, so we had no information on him. If we didn't collect that [information] ahead of time, we couldn't make those connections.”

Now through its surveillance programs, the NSA creates a set of telephone metadata from all over the United States, and only under specific circumstances can officials query the data, he said.

“And every time we do, it's auditable by the [congressional] committees, by the Justice Department, by the court and by the administration,” Alexander said. “We get oversight from everybody on this.”

The collection of U.S. telephone metadata is one of the elements that should be debated nationally, Alexander said, but he described why it was helpful in terrorism cases to do so.

“Let's take Mihdhar,” he said. “[Congress] had authorized us to get Mihdhar's phones in California, but Mihdhar was talking to the other four teams [in other parts of the country].

“Today, under the business-record FISA, because we had stored that data in the database, we now have what we call reasonable, articulable suspicion. We could take that [phone] number and go backwards in time and see who he was talking to,” the general continued. “And if we saw there were four other groups, we wouldn't know who those people were -- we'd only get the numbers. We'd say, ‘This looks of interest,’ and pass it to the FBI. We don't look at U.S. identities. We only look at the connections.”

Alexander said he would like to see a nationwide debate on such topics for a couple of reasons.

“I think what we're doing to protect American citizens here is the right thing,” he said. “Our agency takes great pride in protecting this nation and our civil liberties and privacy, and doing it in partnership with this committee, with this Congress, and with the courts. We aren't trying to hide it. We're trying to protect America, so we need your help in doing that. This isn't something that's just NSA or the administration. … This is what our nation expects our government to do for us.”

Alexander said he’s not the only official involved in getting information declassified, but added, that if he can make it happen, he will.

“I do think what we're doing does protect American civil liberties and privacy,” he told the Senate panel. “The issue is [that] to date, we've not been able to explain it, because it's classified, so that issue is something we're wrestling with.”

“How do we explain this and still keep the nation secure?” he asked. “That's the issue that we have in front of us.”

Jun. 13, 2013 - By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS   - Defense News

WASHINGTON — An amendment to reduce the statutory requirement that the US Navy keep 11 aircraft carriers in service was defeated June 13, first by voice vote and then by a recorded vote of 318-106.

Offered by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oreg., and co-sponsored by Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., the amendment would lower the requirement to ten aircraft carriers.

Blumenauer, during the floor debate, explained the amendment would not limit the Navy to 10 carriers, but would rather give the service the ability to decide how many flattops would be active, not Congress.

“The Navy is going to have 11 carriers when the one under construction goes into operation. Nothing in this amendment denies them that,” Blumenauer said, referring to the carrier Gerald R. Ford, expected to be delivered in 2016.

“The amendment says that subsequently, going out 20, 30 years, the decision about the minimum level will be left to the Navy, not the Congress,” Blumenauer added.

The requirement to meet a set level, Blumenauer, “is a symbol of Congress micromanaging, substituting their judgment for the command structure.

“It’s important for us to express our confidence in them,” Blumenauer concluded.

Mulvaney concurred. “All we’re doing is giving the Navy more control over how many carriers the Navy has,” he said. “The amendment has no impact on national defense.”

But opponents, including Reps. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., and Randy Forbes, R-Va., reacted as though the amendment would limit both the number of carriers in service and Congress’ ability to decide that number.

“One of the things that unites Democrats and Republicans is that the Constitution mandates Congress to build strong navies. It mandates us and we will not walk away from that mandate,” declared Forbes.

Forbes and Courtney noted that Congress and the Navy agree on an 11-ship carrier force.

“Every [Quadrennial Defense Review] since 2011 says we need 11 carriers,” said Forbes.

“Strategy should drive decisions in Congress,” said Courtney. “The Navy has spoken with a report which clearly articulated an 11-carrier force.”

MOSCOU, 15 juin - RIA Novosti

Un déploiement éventuel de systèmes antiaériens en Jordanie constituerait une violation flagrante du droit international, a déclaré samedi le ministre russe des Affaires étrangères Sergueï Lavrov.

Il s'agit de déployer des chasseurs F-16 et des missiles Patriot en vue de mettre en place une zone d'exclusion aérienne en Syrie. Selon les médias américains, cette idée est actuellement à l'étude.

"Nul besoin d'être expert pour comprendre que cette démarche constituerait une violation flagrante du droit international. Nous espérons que nos partenaires américains concevront toutes leurs actions compte tenu de l'initiative conjointe américano-russe prévoyant la convocation d'une conférence internationale sur le règlement du conflit en Syrie", a déclaré M. Lavrov à l'issue de négociations avec la chef de la diplomatie italienne Emma Bonino.

Début juin, la porte-parole du département d'Etat Jennifer Psaki a annoncé la décision de Washington d'envoyer des chasseurs F-16 et des missiles sol-air Patriot en Jordanie dans le cadre d'un exercice conjoint américano-jordanien. La diplomate a également fait savoir que ce matériel pourrait rester dans ce pays après l'exercice.

Jun. 12, 2013 USMC

Cpl. Joseph Gravers with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines (2/8), Regimental Combat Team 7, scans the area during Operation Nightmare in Nowzad, Afghanistan, June 6, 2013. Operation Nightmare was a clearing operation led by Afghan National Security Forces and supported by the Marines of 2/8. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Kowshon Ye/Released)

Jun 14, 2013 ASDNews Source : Raytheon Corporation

    US Army could use existing vehicular radios to fill need for tactical wireless Internet

Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) jam-resistant, battlefield radio recently transmitted data securely over the air to more than 30 Stryker combat vehicles, proving that it could meet the U.S. Army's need for a tactical wireless Internet via a vehicle-mounted mobile radio system.

The EXF1915, an upgraded version of Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS) radios, completed several months of continual, sustained secure data transmissions for the combat vehicles of the 4th Brigade 2nd Infantry Division Stryker Brigade Combat Team, or 4/2 SBCT. Soldiers were able to send and receive e-mail and chat messages and access the brigade's intranet-like Web portal, marking the first time 4/2 SBCT was able to tap into a secure wireless network.

EPLRS joined combat operations in Afghanistan following tests at Fort Irwin, Calif.

"The EPLRS Enhanced Services extended secure voice, data, and e-mail services to the Stryker vehicles of platoon through brigade-level leaders during combat operations forward of tactical bases," said Col. Michael Getchell, commander of 4/2 SBCT. "Prior to the installation of the EPLRS ES network, this level of upper TI (Tactical Internet) communications were limited to fixed tactical operations centers using the pre-existing infrastructure on FOBs (Forward Operating Bases) and COPs (Combat Outposts) in the Panjwa'I District of Kandahar, Afghanistan."

Over 28,000 EPLRS radios have been purchased to provide "on the move" networking capabilities. These radios, already deployed in significant numbers aboard U.S. Army vehicles, can be upgraded at a fraction of the cost of a new radio system to support the lower-tier network requirements.

When connected to the Army's middle- and upper-tier networks, the EXF1915, also known as the RT-1915, provides high-speed IP network services for an entire brigade of Stryker and other combat vehicles. These capabilities provide more choices and greater purchasing flexibility as the service seeks a lower-tier networking radio system.

"EPLRS has served the Army well over the years, and now it can be converted to the new EXF1915 to help the service quickly and inexpensively network a fleet of combat vehicles," said Scott Whatmough, vice president of Integrated Communication Systems for Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business. "We've continually improved our radio technology and matured it to the point where we can offer a lower cost alternative for the thousands of already-equipped Army vehicles."

Building upon the EXF1915 serving the lower tier, the MR-150, using the higher-bandwidth Next Generation Mobile Ad Hoc Network Waveform (NMW), could provide the Army with additional flexibility for its mid-tier networking requirements. The NMW network has undergone stringent testing at two Network Integration Evaluation exercises, has been deployed in theater, and has proven to be the highest-performing mid-tier technology.

The combination of the EXF-1915 and the MR-150 fills the data networking void with a low-cost, ready today, proven solution.

Jun 14, 2013 ASDNews Source : Raytheon

    New capabilities reduce radio emissions and improve performance

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), under a contract modification from the U.S. Army, is adding new capabilities to the Identification Friend or Foe interrogator to reduce Radio Frequency (RF) emissions and enhance target identification for the warfighter.

"We understood that the warfighter needed an improved identification capability, so Raytheon is both increasing the capability of the interrogator system and reducing RF emissions," said Glen Bassett, director of Advanced Communication and Countermeasures for Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business.

The addition of Mode S, awarded to Raytheon in September 2012, will allow the warfighter to query targets individually and has the ability to track and identify targets passively rather than filling the airspace with RF.

The U.S. Army requires the use of Mode S interrogations to maintain the ability to distinguish the intent and identify civil targets that operate in the airspace to avoid fratricide. This modification will reduce the impact of military operations on civil air traffic control in the National Airspace.

The new Mode S and passive receive capability will be initially integrated on the Air Traffic, Navigation, Integration, and Coordination System's (ATNAVICS) host platform, and has applications for other air defense systems.

15.06.2013 Romandie.com (ats )

Facebook a révélé vendredi qu'il avait reçu entre 9000 et 10'000 requêtes des autorités américaines concernant des données d'utilisateurs au cours du second semestre. Les requêtes étaient fondées sur des problèmes allant de la disparition d'un enfant à des délits mineurs ou à des menaces terroristes.

Le nombre des comptes visés est situé entre 18'000 et 19'000, a précisé le réseau social sans révéler le nombre de fois où il avait répondu à la requête. Facebook protège "agressivement" les données de ses utilisateurs", a assuré le conseiller généra général de la firme, Ted Ullyot, cité dans le communiqué.

"Souvent, nous avons rejeté directement de telles requêtes, ou demandé au gouvernement de réduire substantiellement l'importance, ou bien nous avons donné au gouvernement beaucoup moins de données qu'il l'espérait. Et nous n'avons jamais outrepassé le cadre de la loi", a ajouté M. Ullyot.

Facebook fait face à une opinion publique de plus en plus hostile après les révélations selon lesquelles il figurait parmi les neuf géants d'internet qui avaient fourni des données personnelles au programme américain PRISM de l'Agence nationale de sécurité (NSA).

Les compagnies, parmi lesquelles figurent Apple, Google, Microsoft et Yahoo, ont démenti les affirmations selon lesquelles la NSA pouvait avoir accès directement à leur serveurs. Selon les autorités américaines, ce programme était destiné à aider à empêcher des attaques terroristes.

Jun 14, 2013 ASDNews Source : Beechcraft Corp.

Beechcraft Corporation today issued the following statement regarding the ruling by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on Beechcraft's petition for further review of the U.S. Air Force's award of the Light Air Support contract to Brazil-based Embraer.

"It is deeply distressing that the Air Force selected a more expensive, less capable, foreign-manufactured airplane with weapons and systems unfamiliar to, and outside the control of, the United States military. We have known that the requirements for this procurement were written to favor the competition's aircraft. During this protest, we learned that the GAO's review looks only at whether the Air Force followed its process, but not whether the process itself was actually correct or appropriate. We question whether the Embraer aircraft with its foreign-made weapons can be certified to U.S. military standards in time to provide the mission-capable aircraft per the contract.

"It is now time for Congress to step in and put an end to this flawed acquisition process and limit the purchase of the Brazilian aircraft to only that of the Afghanistan requirement covered by the first delivery order of the LAS contract.

"Beechcraft remains confident that the AT-6, which was rated "Exceptional" by the Air Force, was the better choice for LAS and is the best aircraft for U.S. partner nations in need of light attack aircraft. The company is certain that future procurements, including those run by other governments, will validate this rating and result in the selection of the AT-6 for counterinsurgency and irregular warfare missions."

14/06/2013 par Jacques N. Godbout – 45eNord.ca

Des responsables militaires américains auraient proposé de mettre en place pour la Syrie une petite zone d’exclusion aérienne qui couvrirait les camps d’entraînement des combattants de l’opposition, selon le Wall Street Journal.

La zone d’exclusion proposée s’avancerait d’environ 40 km à l’intérieur de la Syrie et serait imposée à l’aide d’avions volant en Jordanie et armés de missiles air-air et des navires de guerre de la Marine américaine croisant en Méditerranée.

Cette «petite zone», évitant tout survol de la Syrie, ne nécessiterait pas l’aval résolution du Conseil de Sécurité des Nations unies puisqu’il n’y aurait pas de violation de l’espace aérien syrien.

Cette zone d’interdiction de vol limitée coûterait environ 50 millions de dollars par jour et pourrait être mise en place endéans d’un mois.

Toutefois, la «fenêtre d’opportunité» pour la mettre en place est en effet limité. Si la Russie décide de livrer les S-300 missiles antiaériens au régime Assad, faire respecter la zone d’exclusion deviendrait trop dangereux et il faudrait alors, soit abandonner, soit se résoudre à passer à la «vitesse supérieure» et détruire les défenses aériennes de la Syrie comme les forces de l’OTAN l’avaient fait en 2011 pour aider à renverser Mouammar Kadhafi en Libye.

Par contre, il n’est alors pas certain qu’il serait facile d’obtenir l’aval de l’ONU. La France a déclaré vendredi qu’il était peu probable pour l’instant que l’établissement d’une zone d’exclusion aérienne puisse obtenir l’aval de l’ONU en raison de l’opposition de certains membres du Conseil de sécurité.

Entre temps, les États-Unis ont déjà déplacé des missiles sol-air Patriot, des avions de guerre et plus de 4 000 soldats en Jordanie la semaine dernière, officiellement dans le cadre de l’ exercice annuel «Eager Lion», mais Washington a clairement fait savoir que les forces américaines pouvaient fort bien rester sur place, même après la fin de l’exercice.

Livraison d’armes…mais légères

Washington aurait aussi décidé, rapporte cette fois le New York Times, de fournir aux rebelles pour la première fois des armes légères et des munitions, selon des responsables américains.

Parmi ces armes, selon le quotidien américain, figureraient des armes antichars, mais pas les armes anti-aériennes que réclame l’opposition.

Jusqu’à présent, Washington n’avait livré aux rebelles, du moins officiellement, que de l’équipement non létal.

Les rebelles syriens reçoivent déjà des armes légères en provenance d’Arabie saoudite et du Qatar, mais réclament des armes lourdes, y compris des armes antichars et des missiles antiaériens.

Les pays européens, la France en tête, ont fait valoir que la solution est de fournir plus d’armes aux rebelles «modérés», marginalisant ainsi les extrémistes.

«Nous voulons des armes antichars et antiaériennes», a déclaré George Sabra, leader de la Coalition de l’opposition, à l’antenne de la télévision d’Al-Arabiya: «Nous nous attendons à voir des résultats positifs et un véritable soutien militaire.»

Les commandants rebelles syriens, dont le chef d’état-major de l’Armée syrienne libre (ASL), Sélim Idriss, doivent rencontrer des responsables occidentaux et turcs à Istanbul ce vendredi pour discuter de l’aide militaire aux rebelles.

Jusqu’à présent, Washington a été profondément réticent à envoyer des armes lourdes, de peur qu’elles finissent dans les mains des islamistes radicaux au sein de la Coalition.

Le Kremlin pour sa part a critiqué la décision américaine d’armer les combattants de l’opposition syrienne et déclaré que la preuve de Washington que le régime syrien utilise des armes chimiques n’est pas convaincante, mais a déclaré ce vendredi que Moscou n’en est pas pour autant «encore» à discuter de son intention de fournir des missiles de défense aérienne au régime Assad.

Moscou a aussi estimé que ce soutien militaire américain aux rebelles compliquerait les efforts de paix, alors que Washington et Moscou peinent à réunir une conférence internationale.

Quant au Secrétaire général de l’ONU, Ban Ki-moon, il a déclaré vendredi qu’il s’opposait de son côté à la décision américaine d’envoyer des armes. «Il n’ya pas de solution militaire. Seule une solution politique peut résoudre ce problème de manière durable et, par conséquent, augmenter la «circulation» des armes de chaque côté ne serait pas utile».

June 14, 2013 By Alex Dixon - army.mil

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 13, 2013) -- At the ceremony celebrating the 238th birthday of the Army, Secretary of the Army John McHugh said birthdays can be bittersweet.

"When I blow out candles, I start thinking it's another year closer to that inevitable conclusion," McHugh said. "But I want to make a suggestion for this occasion: that we consider instead of turning a year older, the Army is turning a year newer, a year better, a year stronger."

Throughout the ceremony, which took place in the Pentagon auditorium, McHugh, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno, and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel spoke on the idea of looking forward, while also reflecting on the past and the sacrifices made in the last 238 years.

"We stand on the shoulders of those who come before us," Odierno said. "Today, we're the best Army in the world. Two years from now, we'll be the best Army in the world. And ten years from now, we'll be the best Army in the world, because that's who we are."

Wounded warriors and their families were present at the ceremony, along with many Soldiers in uniform.

"If you want to know how we became this great nation, you look into the eyes of wounded warriors," McHugh said. "You see the strength that they bring and it's really a reflection of the celebration that we have here today."

McHugh said today's Soldiers for life are more ready and resilient than they have ever been, as they continue to serve the nation that they have served now for more than 200 years now.

Odierno and Hagel said that while the families of Soldiers don't wear a uniform, they sacrifice just as much.

"The strength of our nation is our Army," Odierno said. "The strength of our Army is our Soldiers. And the strength of our Soldiers is our families, and that's what makes us Army strong."

Hagel said the Army's birthday celebrates an institution that is unmatched in the confidence and trust placed in it by citizens.

"I don't know of another country in the world that can say that," Hagel said. "[This celebration] represents an institution that has essentially been around longer than the republic."

After senior defense leaders spoke, four Soldiers with the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), recited the Soldiers' creed. After the audience sang the Army song, senior leaders cut the service's birthday cake.