Defence`s Feeds

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Americas

• The Navy is ordering protective systems in support of its V-22 aircraft. The $20 million fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract sees for the production of up to 200 Ballistic Protection System panel sets and single floor spares for the V-22 by MACRO Industries. The V-22 has specific Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) driven aircraft vulnerability programmatic requirements and was a lead aircraft subject to Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) oversight with the Live Fire Test Law passed in 1987. Many vulnerability reduction techniques have been applied to the V-22 airframe. These technologies range from inherent structural design requirements such as ballistic protection panels to active fire suppression systems to prevent sustained fire in the aircraft. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed in June 2023.

• The Navy is contracting Advanced Acoustic Concepts LLC in support of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) platform. The cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursement modification is valued at $12.2 million and provides for software engineering services to support the LCS Mission Modules program. The Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship has been designed to counter a number of “asymmetric” threats like coastal mines, quiet diesel submarines, global piracy, and terrorists on small fast attack boats. Instead of designing a single platform that is able to take over those tasks the Navy opted for developing a ship that can be adapted to specific mission requirements by integrating swappable mission modules. Therefore, the LCS program includes packages for Mine Warfare, Anti-submarine Warfare and Surface Warfare. The LCS Mission Modules Program Office packages a variety of technologies to these ends, many of which are produced by other program offices and delivered as elements of a particular mission module. Work will be performed in Hauppauge, New York; Columbia, Maryland and Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by June 2019.

• Oshkosh Defense LLC is being awarded a contract modification by the US Army. The modification is valued at $18 million and supports the production of vehicles belonging to the Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles. Oshkosh has provided the core of the US Army’s Heavy Tactical Vehicle capability for over 20 years. The awarded contract provides for work on recapitalized guided missile transport trucks, recapitalized load handling system trucks, new palletized load system trucks and new palletized load system trailers. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of January 2020.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Armenia is reportedly in the final stages of negotiating the procurement of fighter jets from Russia. It is expected that the Armenian government will sign a contract for the delivery of a yet unspecified number of Su-30SM aircraft in 1 to 2 years. The Su-30SM is a multirole fighter aircraft developed by JSC Sukhoi Design Bureau for the Russian Air Force. It is an advanced derivative of the Su-30MK combat aircraft family. The Su-30SM can be deployed in counter-air strikes, counter-land and counter-sea missions. It can conduct electronic counter-countermeasures and early warning tasks. The aircraft also acts as a command-and-control platform within a fleet of combat aircraft performing joint missions. The Armenian Air Force currently has a fleet of old Su-25 and MiG-29 fighter jets.

Europe

• The Slovakian Armed Forces are currently fielding their upgraded Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs). The upgrade of the BMP-1 Svatava is being performed by Slovak company Konštrukta Defence. The Svatava is a modernized version of the BMP-1 dating from the 1980s. The BMP-1 Svatava, or BPsVI is an armored reconnaissance vehicle. Its turret is equipped with the Turra 30 remote controlled weapon station (RCWS) armed with a 30mm 2A42 automatic cannon, a PKT 7.62mm coaxial medium machinegun and a twin launcher of Konkurs (AT-5 Spandrel) ATGMs. Additionally, the turret is fitted with a fire control system, laser warning system, smoke grenades, commander observation and aiming sight day TV camera, thermal camera and laser range finder. The performed upgrades will extend the lifetime of the IFVs by at least 20 years and costs less than procuring new vehicles. A total of 35 upgraded IFVs will be delivered to the Slovak ISTAR Battalion.

• Jane’s reports that the UK military has lost another Thales WK 450 Watchkeeper to an accident. Britain’s Watchkeeper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Program was devised to give the Royal Artillery an advanced mid-range UAV for surveillance and is complementary to other ISTAR systems in the Royal inventory. The Watchkeeper platform is based on Elbit Systems’ Hermes 450 UAV platform. The UAV is designed to provide continuous 24/7 surveillance when needed, using unmanned air vehicles able to stay airborne for more than 16 hours each through night and poor weather. So far, the UK military has lost five Watchkeepers, three of which crashed in the last 12 months. The Watchkeeper UAV and 47 Regiment Royal Artillery that operates it were due to achieve full operating capability (FOC) earlier in 2018, but this milestone was postponed after the platform failed to obtain a key flight safety certificate in November 2017.

Asia-Pacific

• The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is planning to equip its fleet of Northrop F-5 fighters with IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missiles. The Thai government recently signed a repeat order with German manufacturer Diehl Defense. The IRIS-T missile emerged after Germany pulled out of the joint US-UK-German ASRAAM program. The IRIS-T family of missiles includes three variants: the IRIS-T air-to-air guided missile, the IRIS-T SL (Surface Launched) medium range guided missile and the IRIS-T SLS (Surface-Launched, Short-Range) guided missile. The missile incorporates a tail-controlled, winged airframe design using completely newly developed components. Its main segments include a guidance section, warhead, rocket motor and control section with fins and jet vane. The IRIS-T entered service in December 2005 with the air forces of participating program nations including Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Spain. The export customers of the IRIS-T are Austria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.

• Malaysia’s defense contractor Kembara Suci is currently awaiting a firm order for its newly developed special operations vehicle (SOV). The SOV will replace the current fleet of Mercedes-G jeeps. Kembara Suci’s SOV is powered by a Caterpillar 5-cylinder line diesel developing 197hp at 2,400 rpm and is fitted with 70R17 pneumatics. At prototype stage, it features front independent suspensions of the double whish-bone type with coil springs, while at the rear we find leaf springs on a rigid axle. It carries four passengers in the seats plus a fifth operator in the back, manning the 40 mm AGL. On top of the troop compartment we find a 12.7 MG, while the vehicle commander on the left has a 7.62 mm machine gun at his disposal. The company is quoting a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 7,000 lb. This includes a 3,306 lb. payload comprising 21 gallons of fuel, the crew, weapons, ammunition, water stowed in containers either side of the rear stowage area, and other essential equipment.

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Ceasefires by the government, the Taleban and the United States over the Muslim holiday of Eid ul-Fitr has partially ended with the Taleban ordering their fighters back to “normal operations.” However, the three-day truce resulted in an unprecedented peaceful movement of fighters and soldiers into territories controlled by the other. The media was full of pictures and videos of Afghans in uniform or wearing black turbans fraternising with each other and with civilians. The Taleban rejected President Ashraf Ghani’s call to join government forces in extending the ceasefire, and some Taleban attacks were reported on 18 June, the day after their ceasefire ended. Nevertheless, says AAN Co-Director Kate Clark, the genie may be out of the bottle. It may now be more difficult for those who have just celebrated Eid together to return to killing (with input from Thomas Ruttig, Ehsan Qaane, Rohullah Sorush, Ali Yawar Adli and Ali Mohammad Sabawoon).

The ceasefire to mark the end of Ramadan was a government idea. On 7 June 2018, President Ghani called a unilateral halt to all offensive government actions from the 27thday of Ramadan to the fifth day of Eid (12-19 June). (1) That appears to have bounced the Taleban leadership into announcing their own three-day Eid ceasefire two days later, although they did not refer to the government announcement. It would have reflected badly on the movement if it had insisted on continuing to fight and kill during the religious holiday when the enemy said it would not.

Matters did not look encouraging during the days of the government’s unilateral ceasefire before Eid, when Taleban killed dozens of members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in attacks in Jalrez district of Maidan Wardak, Jurm in Badakhshan, Muqur of Ghazni, Kohistan in Faryab (capturing the district centre and killing the district governor, among others), Qala-ye Zal of Kunduz, Zawol in Herat – a sub-district of Shindand –  and Sayad in Sar-e Pul (press reporting here, here and here [in German]). Even so when the end of Ramadan came and the Taleban truce kicked in, the cadres stopped fighting. They not only obeyed the order to cease fire, but went a lot further than the Taleban leadership could have imagined.

The ceasefire begins

Combatants and officials mainly, but not exclusively from the Taleban, took the opportunity to visit places and see people they had not seen for years (see the annex for a list of reported events). They filmed and photographed themselves, including taking selfies with the enemy and posted the pictures online. Anyone with a smart phone and internet connection has been able to see peace breaking out in many parts of the country: joint Eid prayers, members of the Taleban and Afghan National Security Forces embracing each other, euphoric crowds, a Taleb handing out roses to Afghan army soldiers, Interior Minister Wais Barmak coming back from Maidan Wardak stopping his car to greet some Taleban who had entered Kabul. Such ‘fraternisation events’ were reported in Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Farah, Ghazni, Paktia, Paktika, Logar, Wardak, Kabul, Laghman, Nangarhar, Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan, Faryab and Badghis. Quite a few meetings involving ‘seniors’ – government and shadow district and provincial governors, police and army chiefs and Taleban commanders – were also reported to have taken place during the three-day truce:

• The Badghis governor Abdul Ghafur Malekzai met Taleban

Provincial governor of Badghis is taking selfie with Taliban fighters #Ceasefire #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/yIfQlhU281

— HBABUR (@Humayoonbabur) June 16, 2018

• The Farah governor Basir Salangi met Taleban

#Farah governor Basir Salangi welcomes the Taliban in his office in second day of the ceasefire and Eid. #AFG pic.twitter.com/voSQKTjrmm

— Shakib Mahmud (@ShakibMah) June 16, 2018

• The Logar governor and Taleban shadow governor offered prayers together

#Afghan governor for #Logar province in joined by his rival #Taliban's shadow governor and together they offedr their #Eid prayers. Others who were also in attendance told #VOA, Taliban governor was unarmed when he entered the mosque. #Afghanistan #Ceasefire #peace pic.twitter.com/qflapUzPHb

— VOA DEEWA (@voadeewa) June 15, 2018

• The Herat provincial police chief met local commanders­
• The Logar provincial police chief, Muhammad Abdali, met commanders
• The provincial chiefs of police and NDS in Uruzgan marched towards Taleban positions to invite them to join Eid celebrations
• A “big meeting” of officials with Taleban in Jalalabad took place at the governor’s office

#Taliban commanders in #Nangarhar governor house, in a big gathering with local officilas and the people to support #ceasefire pic.twitter.com/pZiywceMqu

— Pajhwok Afghan News (@pajhwok) June 17, 2018

• “High-ranking Taleban” met officials in the Zabul governor’s office

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د ولس په اراده د ولس په څنګ کې، له درې ورځني اوربند څخه په استفادې.د زابل ولايتي شورا رئيس وينا د شاجوی په شوبار کې، کليوالو او طالب وسلوالو ته.

Posted by ‎سردار ولی سرحدی‎ on Sunday, June 17, 2018

 

The mingling was spontaneous and uncontrolled, the result, a sort of benign chaos. There was a lot of risk in this. Taleban fighters, for example, did not all leave their arms when they crossed the ‘frontlines’ into government-controlled areas, but ANSF allowed them through anyway. It seems the fighters did not abuse that trust (although fears have been voiced that the Taleban may have pre-positioned armed fighters for after the Eid – more on which below).

Reports from both media and social media were overwhelmingly positive, although there may be some reporting bias here, that fraternisation was reported, but its absence in other places was not. Uneasiness from some in the general population was also reported, although less prominently than the euphoria (see press reporting here and here). Amrullah Saleh, claiming to represent a large swathe of the population, also tweeted his bewilderment at events: “The anti Taliban constituency which provide the bulk of troops to ANDSF [Afghan National Defence and Security Forces] feel betrayed, confused & sold out.”

Women were noticeable by their absence. Where they were publicly involved, it was noted: young activist Muqadasa Ahmadzai going to a Taleban-controlled area of Nangrahar to demand they extend the ceasefire, women in Helmand demonstrating and also demanding the Taleban extend the ceasefire and the BBC’s Malaeka in Kabul going to “challenge” Taleban entering the city on their policy of excluding women from public life.

The ceasefire was broken by only two attacks, both in Jalalabad, and the first, at least, claimed by the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP). On the second day of Eid, 16 June, a suicide bomber blew himself up in the middle of a crowd of Taleban, ANSF and civilians in Rodat district in Nangrahar province. The bomber killed 36 people and wounded many more. On the third day of Eid, a bomb planted near the governor’s office in Jalalabad where people waited for the end of a meeting of government officials and Taleban, killed at least 18 and injured 45, according to the local health department.

The Rodat bombing on the second day of Eid was the official reason given by the Taleban leadership for ordering their fighters to “remain in their trenches [sic] and areas of control and to not venture into enemy controlled areas or cities even briefly.” A statement said they wanted to remove the opportunity for “the enemy” (unspecified) to misuse the ceasefire to harm the Taleban and other Afghans and so were ordering their fighters to stop “participating in… crowds and gatherings.” Ordering Taleban to return to their side of frontlines, however, actually looked like an attempt to stop fighters fraternising with the enemy (more on this below).

The leadership warned it would deal “rigorously” with “cases of violation.” 1TV reported the leadership was angry with Taleban who had taken selfies with ANSF. Given that Taleban were killed in the second bombing in Jalalabad and mingling continued to be reported on day 3 of Eid, some fighters did violate the leadership’s order.

Ghani calls for an extension of the truce, the Taleban go back to fighting

On 16 June, President Ghani announced a unilateral extension of the ceasefire until 20 June and called on the Taleban to do the same. In a series of tweets (2) and a televised address, he said it could be a time when wounded Taleban could seek treatment and family members visit Taleban prisoners. He also, again, offered “comprehensive negotiations” saying that Kabul was ready to discuss an issue of central importance to the Taleban – the presence of foreign forces. This suggestion first came in the final declaration of the February 2018 Kabul Process 2 meeting (AAN analysis here). Ghani also said “issues of mutual concern with neighboring countries” would also be up for discussion – possibly intended to allay the worries of the Taleban’s backers in Islamabad.

The Taleban refused his offer, saying “normal operations” would resume on 18 June. Insisting that their ceasefire had not been a “response to the ceasefire of the Kabul regime,” they said it had proved the cohesiveness of their command, while the welcome given to their fighters “by the people proves that the demands of the Islamic Emirate and the nation are identical – all want the withdrawal of foreign invaders and establishment of an Islamic government.” It called on the US to sit and negotiate with the Taleban and to withdraw its forces, a demand repeated from Taleban leader Hebatullah’s Eid message on 12 June.

The fact that the Taleban only issued a statement saying operations would resume very late on the last day of Eid suggests the decision had not been straightforward. Indeed, The Guardian reported that discussions had been difficult:

According to insiders, the leadership was stunned by the jubilant scenes in city centres. The hardline deputy leader and son of Mullah Omar, Mullah Yaqoob, was particularly dismayed. In an audio message obtained by the Guardian, he said there had been “no permission for mixing with Afghan forces”, which he said “totally disobeyed the terms of the ceasefire”.

One senior Taliban member said the leadership, recognising the pressure for peace within the group’s ranks, was considering a 10-day ceasefire over the next Eid festival, in September. However, he said there was disappointment that Ghani had not been more specific on the subject of US troop withdrawal. “Ghani should have created a timeline,” he said. “That might have created attraction to extend the ceasefire.”

On 18 June, the Taleban did, bloodily, resume, their operations, with the shooting of Subhanullah Khetab, acting governor of Ghanikhel district in Nangrahar, as he drove to his office. According to government officials, there were Taleban attacks in nine provinces, including Nangarhar, Kunar and Laghman in the east and in Helmand and Kandahar in the south, with 12 soldiers killed (media report here).

The end of the ceasefire also coincided with the arrival of the Helmandi peace marchers into the Afghan capital, boosted along the way by supporters. This spontaneous, grassroots, non-aligned initiative is demanding that both sides stop fighting, enter talks, draw up a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign troops and devise a system “acceptable to all sides” (see AAN reporting here). The sight of the men walking 700 kilometres in 40 degrees of heat while abstaining from water during the Ramadan fast, but supported by villagers all along the way, was intended to demonstrate, the marchers said, ordinary Afghans’ “thirst for peace.” It has also helped galvanise popular, pro-peace sentiments in the county.

What does the ceasefire mean?

Calling a unilateral ceasefire was a gamble by Ashraf Ghani that, so far, appears to have paid off. It forced the Taleban first into calling their own ceasefire and then into embracing a stance that publically favours war over talks – after peace was shown to have popular and widespread appeal, including among some of their own fighters.

For the Taleban, who feel they are doing well in the war, taking territory and threatening the government in a number of provinces (see AAN reporting here, here, here and here), the attraction of fighting on is strong. Despite the extreme unlikelihood of anyone winning the war militarily, the leadership may believe they can improve the movement’s relative position. Nevertheless, their insistence on continuing to fight has now cast them strongly as the ‘pro-war party’ and this may be politically damaging for them.

What happened over Eid was deeply subversive, politically and militarily dangerous to any party wanting to prolong the conflict. It demonstrated that a ceasefire, held to completely by both sides, is possible. It revealed a strong peace camp among Afghans that crosses frontlines, and it opened up the imaginative space for Afghans to see what a future without violence could look like. Perhaps most significantly, it allowed human contact between enemies. After the mass fraternisation, it may be more difficult for Afghan combatants to think of killing each other. After praying with your fellow Afghan, it may be trickier to cling on to the view that he is just a puppet of the kufar or of the ISI.

This works both ways of course, but it seems particularly dangerous for the Taleban, given that they have ended the truce unilaterally. Moreover, this is a movement that relies on discipline, obedience and a belief in the rightness of the armed struggle, that members are  fighting a jihad. After the three-day holiday truce, some Taleban may be left wondering why it has become religiously justified to start killing again. Those who came into the cities will have found them not to be the cesspits of decadence and Westernisation they had been told they were, but to be populated by people celebrating Eid as they do (see here).

There has already been some disobedience in the ranks, with not all Taleban following orders and going back to the ‘trenches’ on the third day of Eid. Anecdotally, not all were pleased at being ordered to fight again after the end of the holiday – see statements in the annex. The Guardian quoted one fighter, 22-year old Muhammadullah, saying:

“I and thousands of Afghan Taliban definitely want the ceasefire extended,” …“I went to the city and the mosques were full of people, I did not notice anything against the Islamic rules. After the sweet three days of peace, going back to bloodshed looks strange. How can you even compare peace with war?”

One gathering of Taleban was also reported on 18 June in Paktika’s Urgun district, an area under Haqqani network control where fighters called on their leadership to extend the ceasefire. It is difficult to think of a precedent for this sort of behaviour.

A day after end of Taliban's 3-day ceasefire, some members of the group gather in #Paktika's Urgun district appealing for extension of ceasefire pic.twitter.com/RbKYY31Tsv

— 1TVNewsAF (@1TVNewsAF) June 18, 2018

For any Taleban who have privately pondered the rightness of this war, but (correctly) judged it too dangerous to voice their concerns, it may now be easier to do so. There have been discussions about entering negotiations at the leadership level before, but in recent years, it has been a taboo subject in the ranks. The unsayable may just have become sayable – that negotiations and peace could be both possible and desirable. The mass fraternisation seen over Eid may prove more dangerous to the Taleban’s cause than the deployment of any number of American or Afghan soldiers.

The truce has been very much an Afghan affair, despite the US also honouring it. Where Taleban were quoted in news reports, they often insisted their fight would go on until foreign forces left. Their anti-foreign rhetoric was often reported as going down well with local civilians – and presumably some members of the ANSF (see the annex for details); this might be a sentiment that Afghans could coalesce around.

The old dilemma of who talks to whom, that the Taleban insist they will only speak to the US, while both Kabul and Washington saying the Taleban must negotiate with the Afghan government, remains. Yet it could be cut through with sensitive US diplomacy. This appears to be the conclusion, for example, of the former US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department, Laurel Miller (see here).

Shifts in positions do seem to be occurring. Ghani has said (again) that his government is willing to discuss the presence of foreign forces. There were also hints in US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo’s statement of the possibility both of US-Taleban and Afghan-Afghan dialogue. He cited Ghani as saying that “peace talks by necessity would include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces” and that the US was “prepared to support, facilitate, and participate in these discussions.” He also said:

We have seen pictures of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan soldiers and police with Taliban fighters offering prayers for Eid side by side.  If Afghans can pray together, their leaders can talk together and resolve their differences.

Agreeing to begin peace talks is an expression of determination to create a unified Afghanistan in which all its citizens can live in peace and dignity.  The United States stands ready to work with the Afghan government, the Taliban, and all the people of Afghanistan to reach a peace agreement and political settlement that brings a permanent end to this war.

What happens next is less predictable. Letting genies out of bottles opens up the possibility of many different unexpected consequences. Much depends on how convinced Taleban fighters remain of the rightness of their armed struggle and whether dissidents remain obedient to the leadership. There also remains a risk that Ghani’s move has allowed the Taleban leadership to pre-position armed fighters in the cities. If matters do go badly, opponents of Ghani’s unilateral peace policy will be strengthened in their belief that it is futile to talk to the Taleban.

If Afghanistan is lucky, the three day ceasefire will have changed the dynamics of the conflict. The various meetings between Taleban and government officials may yet yield local reductions in violence. Those within the Taleban ranks who favour trying to negotiate an end to the conflict may be strengthened. The popular support and pressure for peace so publicly demonstrated in the last few days may also have given a momentum for talks – between Taleban, government and Washington, in various combinations – to actually begin.

 

Edited by Thomas Ruttig

Annex: Reports of Fraternisation

The news agency reports compiled here should be reliable, but tweets may not be. We include them as we want to give readers a taste of what was reported round the country. In the tweets, we have kept the original (mis-spellings and only corrected names where necessary). 

Kunduz

16 June: An unknown number of Taleban entered Kunduz city and were warmly welcomed by people gathered on the streets. Tolonews reported Taleban saying they wanted the foreign troops to leave the country and they would only end their war with Afghan government forces once this has happened. Civilians told Tolo they were happy with the joint celebration of Eid.

Tolo also mentions ANSF here. AP quoted a local resident speaking of nearly 2,000 Taliban seen celebrating in the city, many of them with family and friends.

16 June: Hamid Saifi, a soldier scholar & commander of an #ANA battalion in [Dasht-e] Archi district in #Kunduz, meets the #Taliban commander who he has fought with & lost several men under his command in fierce battles in the last two years. #CeaseFire

17 June: Another CBM [Confidence Building Measure], two cricket teams in Dasht-[e] Archi district of #Kunduz provinceplayed a friendly match. Wonderfully, and surprisingly, one team came from the government and the other from the Taliban controlled areas. Strange people! Cricket diplomacy @ACBofficials @rashidkhan_19

Another CBM, two cricket teams in Dasht-I-Archi district of #Kunduz province played a friendly match. Wonderfully, and surprisingly, one team came from the government and the other from the Taliban controlled areas.
Strange people! Cricket diplomacy @ACBofficials @rashidkhan_19 pic.twitter.com/lzAxu8I11O

— Zeerak (@zeerakyousofi) June 17, 2018

Takhar

Abdul Rahman Aqtash, chief of police of Takhar province and some other local authorities welcomed Taleban in Chawk-e Taloqan city of Takhar. Security forces, Taleban and local authorities chanted the slogan “Let us take part in reconstruction of our country.” and Taloqan residents appreciated that. Both sides invited each other for peace and reconciliation and said it is the ceasefire that paves the way for peace.

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تازه:گروه طالبان را در چوک شهر تالقان مرکز ولایت تخار؛ عبدالرحمن آقتاش فرمانده پولیس و شماری از مقام‌های محلی پذیرایی…

Posted by ‎Habib Najafizada – حبیب نجفی زاده‎ on Sunday, June 17, 2018

 

Baghlan

15 June: Taleban went to Pul-e Khumri citywith their white flag and said “Happy Eid “ to the people and security forces.

16 June: Taleban stood under pictures of Ahmad Shah Massud and Dr Abdullah in the main square of Pul-e Khumri

16 June: Asadullah Shabaz, head of the provincial council, told AP unarmed Taliban joined in prayers at a local mosque.“We are all just so tired of war,” he said.

Badghis

16 June: Governor Abdul Ghafur Malekzai walked to the roundabout of Qala-ye Nawand celebrated Eid and ceasefire with Taleban. Malekzai asked them to enjoy the ceasefire and join the peace process. They prayed together in Qala-ye Naw mosque and kept their fingers crossed for permanent peace.

Provincial governor of Badghis is taking selfie with Taliban fighters #Ceasefire #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/yIfQlhU281

— HBABUR (@Humayoonbabur) June 16, 2018

Herat  

16 June: Police Chief of Herat Meet Taliban Local Commanders

See also here.

Kabul

15 June: Tolo News journalist Tamim Hamid visited areas under government as well as Taliban’s control in Maidan Wardak. Mohammad Naeem Entiqam, a Taliban commander, accompanied the Tolo team to Tangi area in Sayedabad district (…)Taliban members were seen in the only market in Tangi on the same day.

16 June: Tolo News reports dozens of Taliban members on Saturday came to Kabul city from Maidan Wardak and Logar provinces and its journalists met with them and people in parts of the city, reporting the atmosphere was jovial. Kabul police said Taliban members handed in their weapons and ammunition belts before entering the city. However, footage shows that in a few parts of the city, Taliban were carrying their weapons. In Kabul’s Koti Sangi area security forces however arrested a Taliban member who was carrying a weapon.

16 June: Hashmat Stanikzai, advisor to the 101 Asmai Zone police headquarters, told Pajhwok that a number of government opponents were allowed to enter Kabul through the Arghundi gate in Paghman district. Video clips on social media show a number of militants with white flags in their hands stand together with Afghan security forces on Kota Sangi bridge in Mirwais Maidan area of Kabul (see here).

16 June: Interior Minister Wais Barmak, driving back into Kabul from Maidan Wardak, stopped in Pul-e Kampani to talk to Taleban who had come into the city (see here and also here).

16 June: BBC Persian also published pictures showing unarmed Taleban militants carrying white Taleban flags riding motorcycles in Kabul city, a group of young men sitting on top of a bus, carrying government and Taleban flags in the Arghandeh area of Kabul.

17 June: MP Nader Khan Katawazai from Paktika province posted photographs of himself with a Taleban commander in Kabul City.

17 June: Reuters relayed a story doing the rounds on social media that one Taleb, after hugging Kabul residents, asked for directions to Baharistan, to the west of Kabul. “I have heard there is very good ice cream there”.

17 June: Civil society activists hold up red cards to protest the presence of armed Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, June 17, 2018.

Their slogans read (in Persian), “We forgive, but never forget, No to secret peace talks, No to Taliban’s military presence in Kabul.”

Civil society activists hold up red cards to protest the presence of armed Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, June 17, 2018.Persian writing reads, "We forgive, but never forget, No to secret peace talks,No to Taliban's military presence in Kabul."(AP Photos/Massoud Hossaini pic.twitter.com/9CfgsGeyvf

— Massoud Hossaini (@Massoud151) June 17, 2018

(AP Photos/Massoud Hossaini)

Maidan Wardak

16 June: Residents, security forces and Taleban celebrated Eid together, reported Tolo News. See also pictures from BBC Persian

Ghazni

 17 June: Dozens of Taleban used the ceasefire to visit their families in Ghazni city, reported Sana News Agency. It also reported that the Ghazni Ulama Council had held a press conference, welcoming the ceasefire and demanding peace. They issued a statement saying there was no Islamic justification to continue the conflict.

Logar

15 June: Afghan soldiers test cease-fire with visit to Taliban strongholds, photo shows armed Taleban watching the ANSF convoy.

15 June: Taliban walked freely through the bazaar in the capital of Logar province.

15 June: Franz J Marty* @franzjmarty (an occasional guest author with AAN. See here and here) tweeted:

Yesterday, on Eid (15th of June), first day of #Taliban #ceasefire I witnessed how armed local Taliban gathered on the main road just outside #PuliAlam,the capital of #Logar, talking, hugging and laughing with government forces#ANDSF. #Afghanistan

Yesterday, on Eid (15th of June), first day of #Taliban #ceasefire I witnessed how armed local Taliban gathered on the main road just outside #PuliAlam, the capital of #Logar, talking, hugging and laughing with government forces #ANDSF. #Afghanistan

— Franz J. Marty (@franzjmarty) June 16, 2018

Afterwards, local elders and at least one purported local #Taliban commander peacefully confered with #AfghanNationalArmy in brigade base near #PuliAlam #Logar. No concrete results and unclear, whether it will lead somewhere, but shows what might be possible. #Afghanistan.

Afterwards, local elders and at least one purported local #Taliban commander peacefully confered with #AfghanNationalArmy in brigade base near #PuliAlam #Logar. No concrete results and unclear, whether it will lead somewhere, but shows what might be possible. #Afghanistan

— Franz J. Marty (@franzjmarty) June 16, 2018

Pictures from the #Eid #ceasefire in #PuliAlam #Logar #Afghanistan that I myself took yesterday (16th of June 2018). For more details see description on Instagram:

Afghans celebrating an unprecedented nation-wide #ceasefire in #PuliAlam, the capital of #Logar province, just south of Kabul, #Afghanistan, waving the Afghan national #flag and the white #Taliban flag, many from a #MRAP and a #HMMWV driven by soldiers of the #AfghanNationalArmy #ANA (16th of June 2018). Apart from two very bloody attacks in the eastern province of Nangarhar claimed by the local branch of the self-declared Islamic State, the ceasefire held during three days (15th to 17th of June 2018) over the religious holiday of #Eid which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. The ceasefire lead to before unimaginable scenes of Taliban meeting up with Afghan government forces, hugging them and talking and laughing with them. However, it remains to be seen, whether and what lasting impact these peaceful scenes will have – while the Afghan government intends to extend the ceasefire, the Taliban announced that their ceasefire will end as planned on 17th of June 2018. #conflict #peace #reconciliation #insurgency #reporting #photoreportage #photojournalism #photodocumentary #dangerousplaces

A post shared by Franz J. Marty (@franzjmarty) on Jun 17, 2018 at 7:33am PDT

Pictures from the #Eid #ceasefire in #PuliAlam #Logar #Afghanistan that I myself took yesterday (16th of June 2018). For more details see description on Instagram https://t.co/jvvSFaYK6q. pic.twitter.com/MnzJRN0is9

— Franz J. Marty (@franzjmarty) June 17, 2018

16 June: Chief of Police Muhammad Abdali said: “I, myself, met with six Taleban’s militants in the city. They were happy that were able to enter the city and to visit their families.” (reported by Deutsche Welle)

16 June: AP reported dozens of Taliban on motorcycles roaring through the provincial capital of Pul-e-Alam, some of the vehicles festooned with the Afghan flag. According to provincial police spokesman Shahpur Ahmadzai they were unarmed. Abdullah Faizani, a Taliban fighter from Logar’s Baraki district, said it had been seven years since he has been to the provincial capital.

15 June: Voice of America @voadeewatweeted:

#Afghan Governor for #Logar province in joined by his rival #Taliban’s shadow governor and together they offered their #Eid prayers. Others who were also in attendance told #VOA, Taliban governor was unarmed when he entered the mosque. #Afghanistan #Ceasefire #peace

#Afghan governor for #Logar province in joined by his rival #Taliban's shadow governor and together they offedr their #Eid prayers. Others who were also in attendance told #VOA, Taliban governor was unarmed when he entered the mosque. #Afghanistan #Ceasefire #peace pic.twitter.com/qflapUzPHb

— VOA DEEWA (@voadeewa) June 15, 2018

Rare pictures, #Taliban fighters with #Afghan security forces together on first day of Eid as it is #ceasefire day. The moterbike picture taken by @Haqmal in #Logar PoliAlam seems #Taliban fighters have city tour with no clash from both side. #Afghanistan #Peace

Rare pictures, #Taliban fighters with #Afghan security forces together on first day of Eid as it is #ceasefire day. The moterbike picture taken by @Haqmal in #Logar PoliAlam seems #Taliban fighters have city tour with no clash from both side. #Afghanistan #Peace pic.twitter.com/mn2EyR6cex

— Rahim Gul Sarwan (@rgsarwan) June 15, 2018

Wardak

16 June: According to member of the provincial council, Ahmad Jafari, ANSF members and Taleban prayed together on the first day of Eid in Jalrez district (reported by Deutsche Welle).

Khost

 17 June: HBABUR‏ @Humayoonbabur

Massive gathering in Khost province #Afghanistan due to supports ceasefire with Taliban.

Massive gathering in Khost province #Afghanistan due to supports ceasefire with Taliban. pic.twitter.com/gvCLHAvj0P

— HBABUR (@Humayoonbabur) June 17, 2018

 

Paktia

16 June: Khalid khi‏ @khalid_pk

Afghan citizen makes emotional appeal to Taliban to stop fighting, make peace since both sides of lost many lives, in Paktiaas the country witnesses 2nd day of Eid and ceasefire

Afghan citizen makes emotional appeal to Taliban to stop fighting, make peace since both sides of lost many lives, in Paktia as the country witnesses 2nd day of Eid and ceasefire pic.twitter.com/GPLXhrchwe

— Khalid khi (@khalid_pk) June 17, 2018

17 June: Haqmal Masoodzai‏ @HaqmalMasoodzai

#Ceasfire Taliban, Afghan securuty forces and people are celibrating Eid togather in Gardez city, Paktia Province. Eid 2nd day.

#Ceasfire
Taliban, Afghan securuty forces and people are celibrating Eid togather in Gardez city, Paktia Province.
Eid 2nd day@bbcafghanistan @voadeewa @VOANews @a_siab @BasirAtiqzai @rashidkhan_19 @LaghmanSpoksman @afgexecutive @SecShulkin pic.twitter.com/5WXL4bEnsl

— Haqmal Masoodzai (@HaqmalMasoodzai) June 17, 2018

Paktika

15 June: It is joyful when you look #ANSF and #Taliban rally to celebrate Eid-ul-fitr jointly in #Paktika province #Afghanistan #peace #Love #Ceasefire.

It is joyful when you look #ANSF and #Taliban rally to celebrate Eid-ul-fitr jointly in #Paktika province #Afghanistan #peace #Love #Ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/5Xgw9lVrbg

— HBABUR (@Humayoonbabur) June 15, 2018

18 June: 1TVNewsAF‏Verified account @1TVNewsAFMore

A day after end of Taliban’s 3-day ceasefire, some members of the group gather in #Paktika’s Urgun district appealing for extension of ceasefire

A day after end of Taliban's 3-day ceasefire, some members of the group gather in #Paktika's Urgun district appealing for extension of ceasefire pic.twitter.com/RbKYY31Tsv

— 1TVNewsAF (@1TVNewsAF) June 18, 2018

Uruzgan

17 June: Thousands of Uruzgan civilians and government officials, including the provincial chief of police and NDS director marched towards Taleban’s positions and requested them to join them for peace on the third day of Eid (17 June) (Report from Radio Azadi).

Kandahar

18 June: Radio Azadi reported civilians, along with Afghan soldiers and Taleban celebrating Eid together in Panjwai and Maiwand districts of Kandahar. It also reported dozens of Taleban coming from Daman and Arghandab district to Kandahar city to celebrate Eid. Former governor and currently Minister for Tribes and Border Affairs Gul Agha Shairzai, and former governor Zabul province, Bismillah Afghanmal, said on behalf of worshipers in the Kherqa mosque that the government should invite Taleban to observe a permanent ceasefire and come back to their homes safely.

Helmand

15 June: The Afghan Herald‏ @theafghanherald #Afghanceasefire More photos from Shahjoi, Helmand where both #Taliban and Afghan Security forces celebrated Eid together.

#Afghanceasefire
More photos from Shahjoi, Helmand where both #Taliban and Afghan Security forces celebrated Eid together. pic.twitter.com/vlXkrLdb6l

— The Afghan Herald (@theafghanherald) June 15, 2018

17 June: Tolo News reported women welcoming Taleban for the ceasefire and appealing for its extension.

Zabul 

16 June: Zabul provincial council members said 700 Taliban members on Saturday arrived in Qalat city, the provincial capital, and celebrated Eid along with the security forces and the residents, greeted and hugged them and took selfies with each other.

16 June:  The Deputy Chief of Police told BBC Persian that around 500 Taleban had come to Shahjoy district centre to celebrate Eid with locals, who, he said were very excited. This was confirmed to the BBC by a Taleban commander.

17 June: Ata Jan Haqbayan, head of Zabul provincial Assembly met Taleban in the Shibar area of Shahjoy district. He said he had invited some of the Taleban from Shinkai and Arghandab  districts to his home in Qalat city.

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د ولس په اراده د ولس په څنګ کې، له درې ورځني اوربند څخه په استفادې.د زابل ولايتي شورا رئيس وينا د شاجوی په شوبار کې، کليوالو او طالب وسلوالو ته.

Posted by ‎سردار ولی سرحدی‎ on Sunday, June 17, 2018

17 June: Sources from Zabultold AAN that government officials met Mullah Qayum, Mullah Salim and Qari Saifullah in the governor’s house. The source said they were “high-ranking Taleban,” but did not know their exact positions. but the source did not know their exact role among Taleban. Video here.

Farah

 16 June: Shakib Mahmud‏ @ShakibMah

#Farah Governor Basir Salangi welcomes the Taliban in his office in second day of the ceasefire and Eid. #AFG and had lunch together with them.

#Farah governor Basir Salangi welcomes the Taliban in his office in second day of the ceasefire and Eid. #AFG pic.twitter.com/voSQKTjrmm

— Shakib Mahmud (@ShakibMah) June 16, 2018

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بصير سالنگى والى فراه از طالبان در دفتر كارش پذيرايى كرده و غذاى چاشت را با آنها در يك سفره صرف كرده است.

Posted by Bashir Ahmad Qasani on Saturday, June 16, 2018

16 June: Atta Nasib‏ @NasibAtta Atta Nasib Retweeted Shakib Mahmud

Few weeks ago Farah was ransacked by Taliban, and now they’re hugging it out with the governor. Remarkable turnaround, truly emotional what few days of peace mean to Afghans.

Few weeks ago Farah was ransacked by Taliban, and now they're hugging it out with the governor. Remarkable turnaround, truly emotional what few days of peace mean to Afghans. https://t.co/ZXf2Fi5xOZ

— Atta Nasib (@NasibAtta) June 16, 2018

Faryab  

16 June: Following the ceasefire between the government and Taleban, Afghan soldiers and Taleban visited and hugged each other in Faryab. 

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پیام طالبان و پیام نظام الدین قیصاری نماینده خاص جنرال در ولایت فاریاب به ملت.

Posted by ‎M-Akbar Rahimi "محمد اکبر " رحیمی‎ on Saturday, June 16, 2018

Nangarhar

15 June: Government employees, security forces and Taliban member performed the Eid-al-Fitr prayers together at a mosque in Bati Kot district in the eastern Nangarhar province.  Addressing the people at the mosque, a Taliban commander said they will not create any hurdle for government’s development and reconstruction projects in the district. “We obey our leader. During the three-day ceasefire, we will not disobey his order,” Qari Zarif, the Taliban’s shadow district governor for Bati Kot, said. “The Islamic Emirate and the Afghan government should extend the ceasefire,” Abdul Basir, a Taliban fighter, told Tolo News.

16 June: Tolo News reports a large number of Taliban arrived in Jalalabad city, the provincial capital, and in the district centres and met with their relatives and security forces. It quotes Taliban as saying they want the temporary ceasefire to become permanent.

 16 June: Idrees Stanikzai‏ @Stanikzaiii

Zarqavi is a #Talib commander who has seen his home town Nangarhar after 9 years. He says haven’t slept since last night because of so much happiness. He said that #[K]amaDistrict has the best Ice Cream. #AfghanPeaceMarch

Zarqavi is a #Talib commander who has seen his home town Nangarhar after 9 years. He says haven’t slept since last night because of so much happiness. He said that #CamaDistrict has the best IceCream.#AfghanPeaceMarch pic.twitter.com/QBtRYmZzsf

— Idrees Stanikzai (@Stanikzaiii) June 16, 2018

16 June: Young #women activist went to remote area under #Taliban control in Nangarharprovince. Demanded extension of #Ceasefire

Young #women activist went to remote area under #Taliban control in Nangarhar province. Demanded extension of #Ceasefire https://t.co/DmjrXAASId

— Syed Anwar (@Sayed_Anwer) June 17, 2018

@Sayed_Anwer, re-tweeting Muqadasa Ahmadzai in Pashto

نن د اختر دوهمه ورځ له ښاره لرې له یو شمېر کونډو/یتیمانو او قومي سپین ګیرو سره د طالبانو د ولکې لاندې سیمې ته ورغلې وو او د دوی د نوموړې ولسوالۍ له مسولینو سره مو ولیدل.
موخه/او غوښتنې
د اوربند په پار مننه ترې ملاتړ او ستاینه
او د لا غځېدو غوښتنه#KoorCulturalAssociation pic.twitter.com/m1hwPLcJdv

— Muqadasa Ahmadzai (@MuqadasaAhmadz2) June 16, 2018

 

16 June:Pajhwok tweeted

#Talibancommanders in #Nangarhar Governor house, in a big gathering with local officilas and the people to support #ceasefire

#Taliban commanders in #Nangarhar governor house, in a big gathering with local officilas and the people to support #ceasefire pic.twitter.com/pZiywceMqu

— Pajhwok Afghan News (@pajhwok) June 17, 2018

 

16 June: Female parliment candidate from #Nangarhar province along with Taliban during #Eid #ceasefire#ceasefireAfghanistan.

Female parliment candidate from #Nangarhar province along with Taliban during #Eid #ceasefire #ceasefireAfghanistan pic.twitter.com/eRzIAR4zaH

— Rahim لغماني (@RahimLaghmani) June 17, 2018

16 June: Photo from BBC Persian of a mixed gathering in Jalalabad.

Laghman 

Dozens of Taleban members gathered at a mosque in Pul-e-Alam city, the provincial capital, and celebrated Eid. 

Unknown location

16 June HBABUR‏ @Humayoonbabur Watch a video it’s very funny! … later on… a Talib fighter tells : Long live! Mullah Ashraf Ghani…!!!

Watch a video it's very funny! … later on… a Talib fighter tells : Long live! Mullah Ashraf Ghani…!!! pic.twitter.com/kZp1CR9mLx

— HBABUR (@Humayoonbabur) June 16, 2018

 

Punishment for Taleban members  

18 June: Taleban to punish the members who took selfies with people.

18 June: A day after end of Taliban’s 3-day ceasefire, some members of the group gather in #Paktika’s Urgun district appealing for extension of ceasefire.

A day after end of Taliban's 3-day ceasefire, some members of the group gather in #Paktika's Urgun district appealing for extension of ceasefire pic.twitter.com/RbKYY31Tsv

— 1TVNewsAF (@1TVNewsAF) June 18, 2018

 

 

(1) Not everyone on the government’s side (or maybe more accurately, the anti-Taleban side) was happy with the ceasefire. Most vocally antagonistic was the former NDS director and Shura-ye Nizar stalwart Amrullah Saleh who tweeted after it was announced about the “attitude of treacherous compromise in the political constituency of NUG [National Unity Government], entrenchment of fifth column culture & confusion within the ANDSF [Afghan National Defence and Security Forces” and warned that, “Appeasement never brings peace.” When the Taleban announced their ceasefire, he predicted that if they abided by it, it would be their first humanitarian action ever.

(2) Ghani’s tweets in English on 16 June in full:

Few days ago when we were preparing for ceasefire many were skeptical that Taliban will not comply, and also how will it be put into practice? But those doubts were removed once ceasefire began and assumptions made by many analysts and politician were proven wrong.

We’re ready for comprehensive negotiations, all those issues and demands that have been put-forth we are ready to discuss them at the peace talks. The Afghan government is ready to discuss issues of mutual concern with neighboring countries, and presence of foreign forces.

Peace is an urgent need and as it turned out that in the last 24 hours there was a consensus between the Afghan government and the Taliban on peace, it proved that we are all for peace. Fortunately, there’s also consensus among the international community on peace in Afghanistan. 

A good example of this consensus is the joint Eid prayers performed by the Taliban and government employees in different mosques and Eidgahs. 

Both sides sang about peace and harmony, and in Eid the environment during the Eid sermons was different than before, all the religious scholars and Imams spoke about the value, significance and importance of peace in Islam.

To respect the public’s wishes and to support their demands about peace, I am ordering the security and defense forces to extend the ceasefire from the fourth day of Eid. We will soon share the details of the proposed ceasefire with the nation.

We also request the Afghan Taliban to extend their ceasefire. During the ceasefire, we will provide medical assistance to the wounded Taliban, and will provide them any humanitarian assistance if needed. Taliban prisoners will also be allowed to contact and see their families. 

The new Tu-214ON has carried out a series of test flights in southwest Russia, close to the border with Ukraine. Tupolev is continuing the testing of the new Tu-214ON (Otkrytoye Niebo – Open Skies), a highly modified Tu-214 airliner equipped with advanced photo and electronic sensors to peform Open Skies Treaty surveillance missions. The Treaty […]

Here are a couple of cool clips filmed from a privileged point of view. On Jun. 17, Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, WI hosted an airshow that included the display of the Air Combat Command’s F-16 Viper Demo Team. Piloted by Maj. John “Rain” Waters, an operational F-16 pilot assigned to the 20th […]

Americas

• The Navy is awarding an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to Boeing. The $1.5 billion contract provides for the production of configuration sets and associated services in support of the life cycle upgrades of F/A-18A/B, C/D, E/F and EA-18G aircraft in support of the Navy and foreign military sales customers. The different versions of Super Hornets fighter aircraft are the backbone of naval aviation. They fulfill strike roles and can conduct tactical refueling sorties. Additionally, the EA-18G Growler has new electronics, and mounts special electronic warfare pods on the aircraft’s underwing instead of its 20mm canon. Boeing’s upgrade program is based on the Super Hornet Roadmap centered around 3 areas: doubling down on electronic advances, trying to improve flight performance in strike or air superiority roles, and improving the design’s radar signature. This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($1,18 billion) and various FMS customers ($333.8 million). Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri and China Lake, California, and is expected to be completed in June 2023.

• The US Army is tapping BAE Systems Land & Armaments in support of its Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs). The $347 million fixed-price-incentive-fee contract sees for the production of up to 473 Bradley M2A4 and M7A4 vehicles, and for the procurement of authorized stockage list spares, and additional packages for legacy component repair. Introduced in the 1980s during the Reagan defense build-up, the Bradleys were a departure from the usual mold of lightly armed Armored Personnel Carriers. During Desert Storm the vehicles combination of firepower, mobility, and protection made them a valuable asset. The Bradleys’ high level of protection against anti-tank rockets has proven to be a significant plus, and operational readiness has reportedly exceeded 94%, during urban and cross-country missions that have covered more than 8 million miles. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of June 2019.

• The Air Force is contracting General Atomics – Aeronautical Systems in support of its MQ-9 Reaper platform. The contract modification provides for the product ionization of the Lynx Block 20A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) configuration and is valued at $22 million. The new Lynx SAR is set to replace the current configuration of the system on the future MQ-9 Block 5 remotely piloted aircraft. The Reaper packs the same surveillance gear as the famous Predator but is more of a hunter-killer design. The Lynx radar is designed to meet the onboard challenges of the Remotely Piloted Aircraft systems environment, the it consumes minimal Size, Weight, and Power (SWAP) while delivering precision air-to-surface targeting accuracy and superb wide-area search capabilities. Lynx includes two spotlight and two stripmap SAR modes. Spotlight mode produces high-resolution imagery on a defined point. Stripmap mode mosaics multiple spot SAR images together to form one large image. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be complete by June 2020.

Middle East & Africa

• The Israeli defense manufacturer BlueBird Aero Systems is currently promoting the newly developed cargo variant of its ThunderB UAV. The compact UAV is designed to offer long endurance and extended range capabilities similar to those offered by larger unmanned aircraft weighing 440 lb. The ThunderB is a high-wing UAV integrating a V-shaped tail and housing a gimballed payload unit in the forward section of its fuselage. The UAV lacks a landing gear as it is recovered using a parachute system. The old variant was able to carry up to 7.7 lb. of payload and was designed for ISTAR, SAR and commercial missions. According to Jane’s, the new variant can carry a cargo payload of up to 8.8 lb. in two capsules that can be fitted under the platform’s wings Once transported to its destination, the cargo is then dropped using an electro-mechanical mechanism, landing with a high degree of accuracy at the intended drop site. The cargo capsules can also be fitted with a parachute to prevent the payload from being damaged.

• South African defense contractor Milkor will soon unveil its prototypes of the MN Centurion high-speed interceptor craft and MA 380 unmanned aerial system (UAS). The MN Centurion high-speed interceptor craft is a 39 ft. stepped hull, hydrofoil-assisted catamaran design with lightweight composite structure and a reduced radar signature. Designed and configured for multi-role operations, it is ideally suited for long endurance missions. The command and control bridge houses world class communications and surveillance equipment, along with its reduced radar signature hull, giving this craft the advantage for surveillance patrol, counter-piracy, and asset protection missions. The vessel can also be configured to operate as an unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The MA 380 has a low wing T-tail design with low-drag, low wing loading and retractable landing gear. It is equipped with optical imagery equipment providing real-time high definition, infrared and multispectral video data. The MA 380 has a big wingspan of 39 ft. A MALE platform, it has a maximum range of 1.242 miles and can reach a maximum speed of 136 mph/h. It features a maximum payload capacity of 176 lb. Both systems are expected to be shown at the Africa Aerospace and Defense Expo in September 2018.

Europe

• The assembly of a F-35 Joint Strike Fighters is currently underway at Leonardo’s facility in Cameri, Italy. The fighter aircraft are destined for the Netherlands Air Force. The Netherlands is planning to assemble most of its F-35s at the line at Cameri in northern Italy, where Italian Air Force and Navy F-35s are already being assembled. Italy and the Netherlands are both Tier 2 partners in the multi-billion JSF program. The Italian Navy’s ITS Cavour aircraft carrier is expected to need at least 22 F-35Bs to replace its AV-8 Harrier fighters. The aircraft currently assembled in Cameri is the ninth of the Netherlands’ order of 37 F-35As. Italy is currently due to purchase 60 F-35 As and 30 F-35Bs.

• Serbia’s Yugoimport company has recently unveiled the X-01 Strsljen VTOL UAV. The X-01 Strsljen is being developed by Serbian firm EDePro and is being marketed by Yugoimport. According to Airforce-Technology, the airframe of the Strsljen rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is built using carbon fiber, lightweight steel and aluminum materials. The rotorcraft takes-off vertically using a two-blade main rotor with a teetering head. The tubular skid landing gear is attached to the helicopter’s fuselage structure to facilitate safe landing even on hard surfaces. An integrated autopilot system is installed to provide stabilization and control for the helicopter in all axes. It will provide the UAV with the ability to fly in fully autonomous mode from take-off to landing. The unmanned helicopter is equipped with weapon pylons under the fuselage to carry air-to-surface weapons such as Spider anti-tank missiles and 12.7mm heavy machine gun.

Asia-Pacific

• The Philippine Navy is set to conduct its first test fire of its Spike-ER surface-to-surface missile. The missiles are being fitted onto the Navy’s small MPACs (multi-purpose assault crafts). The Spike infantry system consists of a missile in its cannister, a tripod, a Command Launch Unit that contains the optics and firing system, and a battery. It can go from “off” to firing in less than 30 seconds, as the operator lays the cross hairs on the aim point using either the 10x day sight, or the clip-on thermal imaging night sight. The extended-range (8km) version, Spike-ER, also has a larger warhead. It is designed for mounting on light combat vehicles but can also be removed from a tripod. A bi-directional fiber-optic datalink provides Spike-ER with a fire and steer mode. The Philippine Navy’s Spike-ER missiles with its launchers and tracking systems were delivered to the Philippines from Israel last April.

Today’s Video

• An Israeli F-16 drops the newly developed Rampage missile

American Caterpillar D5 Bulldozer

Assembly of the first European-built F-35 for the Royal Netherlands Air Force has kicked off in Italy. On Jun. 15, Dutch Secretary of State for Defense Barbara Visser gave a symbolic start signal to the assembly of the first F-35 for the RNlAF at Cameri Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO), in northwestern Italy. She […]

Air Centric Personal Recovery Operative Course 2018 was held at the Dutch base of Gilze-Rijen, in the southern part of the Netherlands. The 12th iteration of the Air Centric Personnel Recovery Operatives Course (APROC 2018) took place from May 23 to Jun. 7 at Gilze-Rijen, in the Netherlands, home of the Defense Helicopter Command (DHC) […]

The French Ministry of Defence (MoD) unveiled an additional special operations vehicle (SOV) at Eurosatory in Paris. A representative of the Section Technique de l'Armée de Terre (STAT) told Jane’s that two 4×4 Fardier SOV technology demonstrators had been manufactured ahead of a

Richard Fowler, Paris Israel’s BlueBird Aero Systems has displayed a cargo variant of its ThunderB tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the Eurosatory 2018 defence exhibition in Paris. The new variant can carry a cargo payload of up to 4 kg in two capsules that can be fitted under

UK engineering group Horiba Mira has unveiled the Centaur, a mid-sized multirole unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), at the Eurosatory 2018 exhibition in Paris. Centaur was developed as a lightweight 6×6 platform that can mount various payloads. “Having spoken to a number of different

Richard Fowler, Paris South African company Milkor will unveil prototypes of its 4×4 multirole armoured vehicle, MN Centurion high-speed interceptor craft and MA 380 unmanned aerial system (UAS) at this year’s Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition, a spokesperson told

The Streit Group unveiled the Triton-G810 armoured boat at Eurosatory 2018 defence exhibition in Paris. The boat is 8.1 m long, has a beam of 2.32 m, a draught of 0.85 m, and can accommodate up to 10 people. It is powered by two outboard engines; the 250 hp unit gives a maximum speed of 80 km/h;