Defence`s Feeds

NEW ISSUE  "Broader Horizons – Strong partners for European and transatlantic security"  

 

The summer issue of European Defence Matters - the European Defence Agency's flagship magazine - is here! Read our digital magazine, as both a Webzine with a selection of articles, and the full PDF online.

With no let-up in Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, Edition 25 of European Defence Matters looks at how European and Western countries are coming together to deepen their relationships in defence.

As EDA welcomes Denmark as its 27th Member State, so this edition of European Defence Matters highlights the ties that unite us. Call it broader horizons, or something more prosaic, the enduring support to Ukraine is intensifying.

The EU-U.S. summit of June 2021 marked the beginning of a renewed transatlantic partnership. We discuss with our Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý and U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante what the new EDA-U.S. DoD Administrative Arrangement (AA) brings. We hear, too, from Norway’s defence minister about the benefits of its AA. 

 

Lessons from Ukraine, joint procurement

EDA’s Head of Agency, High Representative Josep Borrell, underscores the need for the collaborative procurement of ammunition. As the outgoing EU presidency chair, Sweden has been at the centre of the European jigsaw to improve defence cooperation. We hear from the country’s Minister for Defence, Pål Jonson.

As Portugal’s Minister of Defence Helena Carreiras explains, the EU needs a defence industrial base that is greater than the sum of its national parts.

Picking up on that point, EDA’s Capability, Armament & Planning Director Stefano Cont draws lessons from the war in Ukraine and suggests that a real defence-industrial capacity is a capability in itself. Enzo Benigni, President and Chief Executive of Elettronica Group, looks at another aspect seen in Ukraine: electronic warfare, his company’s speciality. 

Do have a look too at our timeline graphic on join procurement. 

Enjoy the read! 

Robin Emmott, Editor-in-Chief  

 

Americas The US Army has awarded RTX, until recently known as Raytheon Technologies, a $118-million contract to deliver a Common Sensor Payload (CSP) for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone. The CSP is an “electro-optical/infrared/laser designator sensor,” providing “battlespace awareness, force protection, and net-centric operations.” The CSP version 3 will come equipped with a target location […]

The Japanese Foreign Ministry's National Security Policy Division (NSPD) has been closely monitoring an emergency mission. On 25 June, the Russian deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko travelled to Beijing to met with the Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. The Russian

The US defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) is reinforcing its teams in Germany. It is currently still looking for:

As we understand, DroneUA, Matrix UAV and Ukrspecsystems are already beginning to design anti-drone equipment. These three start-ups were each

United States/Russia: Roscosmos to provide security to NASA officersCivil space affairs remain largely unaffected by the ripple effect of the

When co-founder Arnaud Dassier recently sold his stake in the influence firm Avisa Partners, now renamed Forward Global, and acquired

The former British diplomat Emma Le Mesurier has long focused on the Middle East, but is now at the helm

South Korea's intelligence services are taking a close interest in the activities of the leaders of the Workers' Party of

The aircraft might be the Lockheed Martin’s design for the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) or some other secretive program. On Jul. 1, 2023, Lockheed Martin’s official account posted an interesting Instagram story to celebrate [...]

The post Lockheed Martin Teases Mysterious Next Gen Aircraft On Social Media appeared first on The Aviationist.

One by one, all the formations that took part in the massive flying parade which featured all the assets currently in service, including an MQ-9A Predator B RPA (at the type’s first in-flight appearance at [...]

The post Dissecting The Italian Air Force’s 100th Anniversary Air Parade appeared first on The Aviationist.

Night Vision on Modern Military Equipment

The new embedded GPS/INS (EGI-M) system will allow operation in GPS-contested and GPS-denied environments. Northrop Grumman has successfully tested in flight the new Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) / Inertial Navigation System (INS) Modernization, also [...]

The post Northrop Grumman Tests New EGI-M For F-22 Raptor And E-2D Advanced Hawkeye appeared first on The Aviationist.

A NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) has been established to explore airborne electronic attack (AEA)/suppression of enemy air defence (SEAD) concepts and...

A new unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) called the Gereon Robotic Carrier System (RCS) was unveiled and demonstrated for the first time at the Unmanned Ground Systems...

A steel-cutting ceremony for the first of two new Type 707 fleet replenishment tankers for the German Navy was staged at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, on...

After two weeks of intense training, Hot Blade 2023, EDA’s final multinational helicopter exercise, has drawn to a close. This year's iteration, the 17th edition of the Blade series and the sixth time held in Portugal, has once again showcased the European Defence Agency's (EDA) commitment to enhancing helicopter capabilities and preparing military personnel for future operational challenges. 

Since its inception in 2009, EDA has been actively engaged in organising multinational helicopter training activities, fostering cooperation among European nations and achieving substantial advancements in helicopter capabilities. Over the years, these exercises have played a crucial role in honing the skills of hundreds of crews and thousands of other military personnel, ensuring their readiness for multinational operations. 

Beja Air Base: hot and dusty

Hot Blade 2023 featured the participation of 25 air assets and approximately 1,100 military personnel from six countries, including Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the host nation, Portugal. The assets comprised 15 helicopters (3 AB-212, 2 NH-90, 3 AS532, 3 Mi-171, 1 UH-60, 1 EH101 and 2 AW119) and 10 fixed-wing aircraft (3 PC-7, 6 F-16 and 1 P3C), providing a diverse training environment for the crews involved. In addition, Slovenia provided an air defence emulator and Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden participated with staff in different roles. Italy and Greece also sent observers to the exercise. 

The primary focus of the exercise was to enable crews to practice operations in various challenging environments, both during daylight and night-time sorties. These realistic scenarios aimed to replicate the conditions that participants would encounter in different operational theatres. 

Hot Blade 2023 pursued several key objectives, including enhancing tactical interoperability among participating countries' helicopter units, training and common practicing tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) with fighter jets and electronic ground warfare threats, and improving interoperability with ground forces in various training and operational tasks. 

Held at Beja Air Base, the exercise's comprehensive program included missions such as air assault, air interdiction, special operations aviation, combat service support, close air support, reconnaissance and surveillance, combat search and rescue, personnel recovery, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Special procedures, including fast rope and abseiling techniques, air-to-surface live firing, and training with special operations forces from the air force, army and navy, were also practiced, highlighting the exercise's commitment to fostering joint and multinational interoperability. 

The multinational crews received invaluable support from an experienced mentor team comprising instructors from Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and EDA's Chief Instructor. Drawing on lessons learned from previous "Blade" exercises and operational experience, the mentor team played a vital role in preparing and guiding the crews through the challenging Composite Air Operations (COMAO) missions. 

To showcase the exercise's achievements, a Distinguished Visitors Day was held on June 15, 2023 with the participation of Vice-admiral Jorge Manuel Nobre de Sousa, Chief-of-Staff of the Joint Operations Command of the Portuguese Armed forces, and Lt General José Barros Ferreira, Vice Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Air Force. Representatives from participating EDA Member States, as well as other national and international authorities, witnessed live training sessions, underscoring the significance of this collaborative effort. 

New home, same spirit  

Looking ahead, Hot Blade 2024 will mark a significant transition as the Multinational Helicopter Training Centre (MHTC) assumes responsibility for delivering the exercise, along with all the EDA helicopter training programs. This transition will mark the beginning of the second life of this dynamic and long-lasting project, which will surely continue support to improving European helicopter capabilities, maintaining the Blade spirit, and keeping its outstanding reputation among the European helicopter community.  

With an agreed plan of activities spanning the next decade and involving 14 European countries, the MHTC is poised to become a reference in helicopter military training throughout Europe. 

The MHTC will formally assume the responsibility over all the EDA helicopter training activities on the 1st of January 2024. The 1st MHTC Blade exercise (Hot Blade 2024) is expected to commence on the 22nd of May 2024, also at Beja Air Base.  

Military Lawyers: Providing Essential Legal Assistance to Service Members

The US government has approved the sale of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to the Czech Republic.

Country members of the AUKUS security pact – Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – have begun to work towards Pillar 2 of the pact, according to US...