Defence`s Feeds

European missile house MBDA demonstrated a proof-of-concept mounting for the Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) on a Kongsberg M153 Protector remote weapon station at the DVD 2018 exhibition held in Millbrook, Bedfordshire, on 19-20 September. The M153 was shown fitted

The UK Royal Navy (RN) is preparing to retire its last Sea King ASaC.7 (SKASaC) helicopters, bringing to an end the Sea King’s near 50-year career in UK military service. Two of the remaining SKASaC aircraft from 849 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) flew a farewell flypast around southwest England on

As expected, the US Navy (USN) signed deals to buy three more Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs) under fiscal year 2018 (FY 2018) funding. However, the service will not release the price for the ships because it is considering acquiring additional ships through the FY 2019 budget. The three LCSs awarded

The US Navy (USN) Naval Surface Warfare Center – Panama City Division and subsea-capability provider James Fisher and Sons’ JFD have developed an advanced hands-free combat diver navigation module called Shadow Nav. Designed to help divers conduct accurate underwater navigation missions

The Israeli Air Force launched an airstrike in the Gaza Strip on 17 September after it said it identified an armed cell approaching the Israeli border and planting an explosive device. Palestinian medical sources said two Gazans were killed in the attack. The incident is part of a wider escalation

Officials from Chinese state-owned shipbuilder China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Company (CSOC) have revealed technical specifications of a concept for a new 20-tonne armed unmanned surface vessel (USV) it is showcasing at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2018 exhibition in South

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has expressed his willingness to continue to take measures towards his country's denuclearisation, including the permanent dismantlement of the Yongbyon nuclear facilities, where a 5 MWe plutonium-producing reactor is located. The move was announced on 19

Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering) and South Africa’s Paramount Group have signed an agreement to collaborate on marketing the Belrex family of 4x4 military vehicles to global defence markets. ST Engineering said on 19 September that the agreement applies to 10 variants of

The US Air Force (USAF) scored the first air-to-air kill for the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during trials late last year, the service disclosed on 19 September. The disclosure by a senior officer speaking at the Air Force Association

China and Pakistan have expressed their intention to strengthen bilateral military ties. “The two countries' militaries should further deepen exchanges and co-operation in various fields and at all levels, take resolute measures against terrorist forces, make efforts to ensure the

The German government has authorised the sale of counter-battery radars to Saudi Arabia, air defence systems to Egypt, long-range air-to-air missiles to Qatar, and anti-tank weapons to Jordan, the German newspaper Rheinische Post reported on 19 September. Citing a letter sent from the federal

Key Points Hyundai Heavy Industries has begun construction work on a second HDF-3000 frigate on order for the Philippine Navy The service is on track to receive both vessels by 2021 South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has held a steel-cutting ceremony for the second 107 m

Event On 20 September, Japan’s ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), voted to elect its president. In Japan’s parliamentary system, the president of the majority party becomes the prime minister of the country. After 15 prime ministers in 22 years, incumbent Shinzo Abe

Iran has built a new launch site for an S-300PMU-2 strategic surface-to-air missile (SAM) system at Mashhad airport in the northeast of the country, satellite imagery has revealed. Constructed between May and July, the site is almost identical to the S-300PMU-2 base at Tehran’s Mehrabad

Event Lesotho’s defence minister, Sentje Lebona, resigned on 14 September, highlighting tensions within the cabinet and mounting opposition to Prime Minister Tom Thabane from within his ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC). Motlohi Maliehe, Thabane’s ABC co-founder, is leading this

Paramount Advanced Technologies (Hangar 4, Stand W14) has unveiled an Integrated Avionics Suite (IAS) upgrade for the Lockheed Martin C-130.

This year’s Africa Aerospace and Defence show is a year for anniversaries. The AAD show itself celebrates 20 years, while the hosting venue, Waterkloof Air Force Base, is 80 years old. Armscor is also commemorating its 50th anniversary in 2018.

The aim of the workshop, held on 26 February 2018, was to assess and discuss the EU’s approach to hybrid threats in its neighbourhood using the Western Balkans as a case study, in the context of the extensive use of propaganda by Russia and its meddling into several elections and in the aftermath of the 2014 events in Ukraine and the Russian annexation of Crimea.
The first speaker, Jean-Jacques Patry, presented the concept of hybrid threat at various levels and the EU approach and measures to tackle it, particularly in the Western Balkans. The second speaker, Nicolas Mazzucchi, delivered a presentation on Russia's declining influence in the Western Balkans (on behalf of Isabelle Facon, who authored the briefing but could not attend the workshop) and added some of his own analysis on energy and cyber issues. The presentations were followed by a debate with members of the Security and Defence Committee of the European Parliament.
Further information
Workshop report
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

The aim of the workshop, held on 22 November 2017, was to discuss the future of the European Defence Agency (EDA) against the backdrop of framing a common Union defence policy.
The first speaker, Dr Christian Mölling, provided an analysis of the issue of defence cooperation among EU member states and the difficulties it faces. In this context, he described the role and power of the EDA as well as possible options for its future. The second speaker, Professor David Versailles, focused on capabilities and competencies as well as on the interaction between civilian and military capabilities. The presentations were followed by a debate involving members of the Security and Defence Committee of the European Parliament.
Further information
Workshop report
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Jorge Domecq, the Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), today attended the 20th birthday ceremony of the Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armement (OCCAR) in its new premises in Bonn. At that occasion, he welcomed the close and productive working relationship established between the EDA and OCCAR on the basis of the Administrative Arrangement signed in July 2012 and called for an even stronger cooperation in the future to bring forward potential new collaborative defence equipment programmes, also in view of the opportunities that the recent EU defence initiatives provide. 

“I am very glad to be here today on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of OCCAR. Since 2012, EDA and OCCAR have established close relations which are continuously evolving, aiming to complement each other’s strengths in promoting effective defence cooperation while ensuring through-life capability development”, Mr Domecq stated.

The close relationship between the two organisations started immediately after the creation of the EDA in 2004 but gathered additional momentum in November 2008 when the EU Council of Ministers invited the EDA to seek the “greatest synergy” with OCCAR and to conclude an Administrative Arrangement (AA), which was subsequently negotiated and signed in 2012. It foresees that both cooperate in a way that is “mutually reinforcing, non-duplicative, coherent and complementary” in order to enhance Europe’s defence capabilities, improve European armaments cooperation and strengthen the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). The conclusions and recommendations of EDA’s Long Term Review (LTR), approved by Defence Ministers in May 2017, explicitly acknowledge “the potential of the EDA-OCCAR relations to further evolve into a more structured and reciprocal approach towards key European capability programmes, ensuring seamless coordination and coherence between both organisations”. 
 

Division of labour

While EDA main role is to initiate and facilitate European collaborative defence capability ad hoc projects and programmes, OCCAR’s provides for cooperative programme management expertise. Close cooperation between EDA and OCCAR ensures through-life managementon capability development. This division of labour proved successful, for example, in the development of the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) in which participate five countries (NL, LUX, DE, NOR, BE) and whose aim is to mitigate Europe’s shortfall in Air-to-Air refueling capabilities. Initiated by the EDA in 2012, it was later handed over to OCCAR who currently manages the acquisition of MRTT tankers on behalf of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) which, following the acquisition phase, will be responsible for the complete life-cycle management of the fleet.  Other example: the Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (MALE RPAS) programme. Launched in an EDA framework in 2013, it was taken up by four Member States (DE, FR, IT, ES) before being handed over to OCCAR in 2016 for further development (definition, configuration, etc.) while EDA continues to provide support to the programme upon its expertise. Indeed, in September 2016, EDA and OCCAR concluded an arrangement under which EDA will continue to provide support to the MALE RPAS programme in the field of air traffic integration building on the work already achieved and on the on-going activities related to the integration of military RPAS in the Single European Sky approach. 
 

Background

OCCAR was initially established by an Administrative Arrangement signed by the Defence Ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the UK on 12 November 1996. In 1998, the Defence Ministers of the four founding Member States signed the treaty-like "OCCAR Convention", which was subsequently ratified by the national Parliaments and came into force on 28th January 2001. The Convention gives OCCAR its legal status, allowing it to award contracts and to employ its own staff. Belgium and Spain joined OCCAR respectively in 2003 and 2005.
 

More information:

• EDA-OCCAR Administrative Agreement 
• OCCAR website