Defence`s Feeds

In the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks on Brussels, Sven Biscop argues that now is not the time for grand words but greater European solidarity and cooperation.

The post Staying Belgian, investing in Europe appeared first on European Geostrategy.

Chinese FN-6 Man-Portable Air Defense Missile System

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Exercise COLD BLADE 2016, hosted by the Finnish Defence Forces, was formally completed Wednesday evening March 16th 2016 by the Chief of Finnish Army Aviation, LtCol Jaro Kesänen.

At exercise closure, a total of 290 hours had been flown on 156 missions with 3 participating Member States (Finland and Germany, as well as Sweden which sent observers) and 10 European helicopters: seven NH-90, one MD500 and two CH-53GA. Italian attendees participated in the survival training.

This cold weather exercise was operated from Ivalo airbase in Finland. The challenging winter scenario in Lapland allowed Finland and Germany to train and adapt their aircrew to winter conditions. Besides the focus on flying in demanding white-out conditions, the exercise was used to test the helicopters, test the aircrew and to teach and learn Technics, Tactics and Procedures in a cold and snowy environment.

During the first week, Finland and Germany executed individual trainings, qualifying helicopter pilots and loadmasters in white-out landings and navigation skills in an area with barely any houses or roads. During day and night missions all training aims were met and, even with Night Vision Goggles, the nights were very dark in northern Finland. During the second week, formation flights with German CH-53GA and Finnish NH-90 helicopters were flown at night. While aircrew from Germany and Finland were flying, Italian militaries attended the survival course and learned how to survive in Lapland.

The German Detachment commander praised the unique nature of the exercise and stressed that the added value of cooperating with other nations and practicing winter operations in combined missions just could not have been achieved by working alone. The skills developed during the exercise are precisely those needed to conduct successful operations in the future. These types of exercises truly enhance helicopter capabilities in Europe which also reflects the objective of EDA’s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP). Since the first exercise in France in 2009, trainings have increased in scale, environmental challenges and complexity. Participants not only came from different nations but also from different branches with air force and army all working together. In exercise Cold Blade 2016, German Army NH-90 mechanics executed tests and exchanged information with their Finnish counterparts concerning winter maintenance, use of tools and NH-90 helicopter documentation.

This was the first EDA exercise hosted by Finland.

More information:      

• Factsheet COLD BLADE 2016
• COLD BLADE 2016 Video
• Infos on EDA Helicopter Initiatives

(picture above and video were provided by Finnish Defence Forces)

The Subcommittee held a Public Hearing on the Review of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which is due in 2015, with experts from think tanks, NGOs and the EEAS.
Location : Brussels, room Altiero Spinelli 1G2
Programme
Draft programme
Poster
Poster
Background documents
Background documents
Presentations
Presentation by Rebecca Johnson, Director, Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Russian PSS-2 Silenced Pistol

The public hearing "The crisis in Syria and the role of international and regional actors: security implications for Europe" was held on 16 March with researchers closely working on the issue and a representative from the EEAS. The hearing provided a better understanding of the situation on the ground, a vital requirement for bringing the conflict to an end.
Location : Altiero Spinelli 3G-2
Programme
Programme
Presentation
Presentation by Michael Benhamou
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Presentation of the study "The future of EU Defence Research"
Securing commercial shipping lanes against piracy - Presentation by Simon Church, EU NAVFOR Somalia
Securing commercial shipping lanes against piracy - Presentation by Giles Noakes, BIMCO
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

German Heckler and Koch G3 Assault Rifle

South Korean KF-16 Lightweight Multi-Role Fighter

click to enlarge or go here.

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Watching a little Saturday morning news and the arrogance of the Republican establishment is grating!  I would get shot if I ever tried to show up at a Patriot Movement event but geez....this is...

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Am I wrong for wanting a robust, mobile, Ground Combat Element that can make the runs to Baghdad without missing a beat?  Is it too much to ask that the same attention paid to the aviation side...

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American M202 Incendiary Rocket Launcher

via HKB. Both aircraft are capable of super-cruising although the Typhoon’s speed without afterburners at combat loading is significantly higher than the Su-35*. Top speeds at low and high altitudes...

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via SHTFPlan. And then this from the article they wrote... The Donald has completely taken over the news cycle. His path of victory after victory in GOP primary states has the establishment...

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Story here. The arrogance, smugness, sheer audacity of this guy and the rest of the establishment is breathtaking. I guess the truth is hard to take but that doesn't mean we should avert our...

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via Navy Matters Blog. The Navy needs to follow the Army’s example and begin realistic training starting with some of these: When was the last time the Navy/Marines actually landed an entire...

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The Major does a good job of giving everyone an overview of this vehicle (still want to know what those "protrusions" are from the back of it though...perhaps fuel tanks?).  Anyway, this is a...

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A new promising defence-related project on Energy Storage Technology was launched by EDA at a kick-off meeting on 11 March. The so-called NEXTT project standing for “New Energy storage using compleX hydride Tanks for Thermoneutral systems”, was initiated by the European Defence Agency in the framework of the second Joint Investment Programme on Innovative Concepts and Emerging Technologies (JIP ICET 2).

The project’s objective is to develop a new energy storage system for hydrogen, using new materials and advanced tank solutions with the following targets: high gravimetric density for high mobility of the system; high volumetric density for compactness and practicability of the system; and optimized heat absorption leading to low heat losses and thus reduced thermal signature of the overall system.

Involving the full spectrum of R&T players

The NEXTT project demonstrates and reflects in an exemplary manner the key idea behind the JIP ICET 2 programme, namely to involve the full spectrum of entities in the R&T cycle, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over research centres to big industry, as the end-user of the technology development. The NEXTT consortium is led by a spin-off SME of an Austrian University (Forschungs- und Technologietransfer GmbH, FOTEC) with two major research centres (Fraunhofer IFAM, Germany, and Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives CEA, France), as well as an industrial end-user (DCNS Group, France) also participating. This bandwidth allows the consortium to cover all aspects of the targeted development from research in advanced materials and system integration up to the military application. The NEXTT project also promotes civil-military synergies and dual-use technologies as it aims to transfer technologies and knowledge already used by the space industry to the defence sector for further development. The launch of NEXTT completes the lists of projects which had been earmarked under JIP ICET 2 in view of fostering the development of new, innovative technologies that have potential to enable future military capabilities. JIP ICET 2 is managed and funded by Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden in the framework of the EDA.

More information:

• Factsheet JIP ICET 2