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Z-18

Military-Today.com - Wed, 15/04/2015 - 01:55

Chinese Z-18 Medium Transport Helicopter
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CH-53E Super Stallion

Military-Today.com - Tue, 14/04/2015 - 01:55

American CH-53E Super Stallion Heavylift Transport Helicopter
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Interview on last month’s Russian military exercises

Russian Military Reform - Mon, 13/04/2015 - 15:33

A couple of weeks ago, I gave an interview to an Italian newspaper on the significance of the Russian military exercises that were conducting in conjunction with the first anniversary of the annexation of Crimea. The newspaper has kindly granted permission to publish an English-language version of the interview.

—-

Author: Ingrid Burke
Publication: L’Indro
Date: March 25, 2015

On 18 March, one year after Russian and Crimean leaders gathered in the Kremlin to formalize Moscow’s absorption of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine, festivities erupted across Russia.

Tens of thousands of enthusiastic Muscovites mobbed Red Square to celebrate the first anniversary of the annexation. Some of Russia’s most iconic pop and rock stars took the stage that day to entertain the patriotic revelers. But it was a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin that stole the show.

“What was at stake here were the millions of Russian people, millions of compatriots who needed our help and support,” he told the cheering crowd, addressing Moscow’s rationale for taking Crimea into its federal fold. “We understood how important this is to us and that this was not simply about land, of which we have no shortage as it is.”

Festivities aside, the week of celebrations saw its fair share of brash statements and actions flaunting Russia’s military might.

On Sunday 15 March, state-run TV channel Rossiya-1 aired “Crimea: the Path to the Motherland,” a documentary on the annexation that featured a never-before-seen interview with Putin. The documentary elucidated a great deal about the annexation.

But one revelation in particular generated a wealth of nervous media buzz. When asked if the Kremlin was ready amid the Crimea crisis to place Russia’s nuclear forces on alert, Putin answered: “We were ready to do that.”

A day after the interview aired, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Putin had ordered large-scale military drills across the nation. A Defense Ministry statement cited Shoigu as saying 38,000 servicemen, 3,360 vehicles, 41 combat ships, 15 submarines, and 110 aircraft and helicopters would be involved in the drills.

Reporting on the development at the time, Reuters touted the drills as the Kremlin’s biggest show of military force since Russia’s ties with the West plunged to post-Cold War lows in the aftermath of the Crimea crisis.

The following Thursday, 19 March, the Defense Ministry announced that the military drill numbers had doubled. An official statement said the number of servicemen involved had surged to 80,000, and the number of aircraft to 220.

Agence France-Presse described the amped up drills as some of Russia’s largest since the fall of the Soviet Union, noting that the maneuvers had caused jitters across Eastern Europe.

Dr. Dmitry Gorenburg, a Senior Research Scientist specializing in Russian military reform at U.S.-based think tank CNA Corporation, spoke with L’Indro on Friday about the drills, their significance, and whether leaders in Eastern Europe and beyond have reason to fear a sinister motive.

“They [the drills] are clearly intended to be sending a message, so in that sense they are significant,” Gorenburg said, adding that the intended message is not unique. “It’s not any different from the messages that Russia’s been sending for the last year really, which is that they’re back, their military is serious, it’s powerful, it’s prepared, it’s ready to counter any NATO aggression as they see it.”

The annexation of Crimea came against the backdrop of the ouster of the Kremlin-loyal administration of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. With Yanukovych out, and a new Western leaning regime beginning to take form, fears ran rife in Moscow that Kiev might soon be joining NATO.

The signal Moscow was aiming to send with the drills was one of defense capability, rather than the threat of an offensive, Gorenburg said. “From the Russian point of view — or at least the point of view that Russia is trying to convey — this is all defensive, including Ukraine,” he said. “So they see — and they’ve said this repeatedly — that they are countering an effort to encircle Russia by NATO and the US and hostile forces, and that they have no intention of aggression beyond what they consider their sphere of influence.”

Gorenburg noted, however, that one man’s defense can to another man have all the bearings of an offensive maneuver. “This is the tricky thing. From the point of view [of the West], this [Russia’s actions in Ukraine, such as the Crimea annexation] is seen as aggressive because it’s outside of [Russia’s] borders. But as far as Russia’s concerned, a lot of the military types never fully reconciled to Ukraine being independent… A lot of the people [in Russia] honestly believe that the country is threatened by Ukraine potentially joining NATO. And they have to stop that from happening.”

Putin gave voice to the sentiment of Russia and Ukraine being inextricably bound during his speech at the Crimea jubilee on Red Square on Wednesday. “The issue at stake [with the Crimea annexation] was the sources of our history, our spirituality and our statehood, the things that make us a single people and single united nation,” he said, the domes and spires of St. Basil’s Cathedral gleaming overhead. “Friends, we in Russia always saw the Russians and Ukrainians as a single people. I still think this way now. Radical nationalism is always harmful and dangerous of course. I am sure that the Ukrainian people will yet come to an objective and worthy appraisal of those who brought their country to the state in which it is in today.”

When asked whether he thought the timing of the drills was intended to coincide with the anniversary of the annexation, Gorenburg responded, “I very much doubt it’s a coincidence. It was a symbolic act, I think.”

But he was less sure about the timing of the release of Putin’s comments about nuclear preparedness in the Crimea context. “I’m not sure why it was said now, because the overall message that I think Russia’s trying to send is to try to deter,” he said. Relevant to this point is that the Rossiya-1 interview was pre-recorded. It is unclear when the interview itself took place.

And in fact, deterrence seems to be at the top of everyone’s agenda. “[The West is] trying to deter [Russia] from expanding the conflict in Ukraine. [Russia’s] trying to deter [the West] from interfering. And I think that every time Russia mentions nuclear weapons… that’s sort of the final trump card in preventing any serious attack on Russian forces,” Gorenburg said. “And they want to highlight that in order to make Western publics and therefore decision makers more reluctant to take on Russian forces.”

As Gorenburg saw it, signaling a willingness to ready Russia’s nuclear arsenal could serve to rally members of the Western public against action that could be interpreted by Moscow as threatening.

For months now, leaders in the Baltic states have expressed unease with the implications of the Crimea annexation, concerned about the prospect of a Russian military threat to their own post-Soviet territories.

On this point, Gorenburg felt confident that these countries face no immediate threat. “As far as what happens in the Baltics, I really think the chance of any kind of military offensive in the Baltics is very, very low.”

But he also emphasized the imperative of thinking in both the short and long term with respect to Russian strategy in the region. “That doesn’t mean that the Baltics are safe, because I think there is a possibility in the future — not in the short term, but say five years down the line, or at some point when the situation warrants — of some sort of internal destabilization, not using military forces, but either training some local Russians, or using political means. There are certainly parties in each of the countries, particularly in Estonia and Latvia, that are more sympathetic to Russian positions. And you get those politicians that have more influence, more power, to change the foreign policy of those countries.”

In his view, a scenario such as this — involving long-term strategy and covert actions as opposed to overt military force — would be far more likely than a flagrant offensive due largely to Russia’s interest in not triggering Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Article 5 is the provision dictating that an armed attack against one or more NATO parties in Europe or North America shall be viewed as an attack against all of NATO’s members. Such an event would compel the member nations to assist in “such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area,” according to the treaty’s text.

“[Russia’s] conventional forces are no match for NATO,” Gorenburg said.

But in the end, Gorenburg asserted that while both sides are concerned about the aims and strategies of the other, neither wants the situation to escalate. “Both sides think that the other side is more aggressive than that side thinks of itself. So the US thinks — we just want peace, and the Russians are being aggressive. The Russians think — the US is trying to surround us, and overthrow our government, and we just want to defend ourselves. So in that kind of environment, you can see both sides being fairly cautious, hopefully, because neither side actually wants to fight a big war.”


EDA Chief Executive visits Czech Republic

EDA News - Mon, 13/04/2015 - 09:29

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq travelled to the Czech Republic on 10 April to exchange views with Deputy Minister of Defence Daniel Kostoval ahead of the June 2015 European Council. Together they discussed Czech Republic’s participation in EDA activities as well as the country’s priorities in terms of capability development, regional cooperation and support to the defence industry.

The Deputy Minister of Defence stressed the pivotal role of the European Defence Agency in facilitating and managing cooperative defence projects. "The participating Member States should more engage in harmonization of demand and synchronization of procurement using the incentives offered by the EDA. To achieve more tangible results in the development of European defence capabilities, we must address the issue of defence spending during the June Council. We should also empower the EDA and support an increase in EDA´s budget for 2016”, Daniel Kostoval underlined during the meeting.

 

The European approach

The Czech Republic is already involved in many activities carried out by the European Defence Agency, such as education & training, field hospitals or pooled procurement through the multinational Carl-Gustaf ammunition contract. Major issues such as security of supply or support to the European defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB), including efforts in favor of a balanced EDTIB, can also be tackled through the EDA’s framework. To this specific end the EDA will dedicate a roundtable to the defence industries of Central and Eastern European countries during the IDET defence exhibition which will take place next month in Brno.

During my visit here, I also had the chance to get a glimpse at some of Czech Republic’s industrial capabilities and I am convinced that the European approach can be greatly beneficial to local actors. Our flexible structure allows us to meet a wide spectrum of demands from our Member States, including through regional cooperation”, Jorge Domecq said during his visit. 

The visit is part of a series of visits by Mr. Domecq to all EDA Member States following his appointment as EDA Chief Executive and ahead of the Ministerial Steering Board on 18 May 2015. So far, Mr. Domecq visited Spain, Lithuania, Latvia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland, France, Romania and Bulgaria.


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BAE Systems to modernise Dutch “go-anywhere” vehicles

DefenceIQ - Mon, 13/04/2015 - 06:00
Sweden’s BAE Systems (H&a
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Lockheed Martin wins Irving contract for Canada's Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships programme

DefenceIQ - Mon, 13/04/2015 - 06:00
Lockheed Martin Canada has been awarded the implementation subcontract by Irving Shipbuilding Inc. as command and surveillance system integrator for the Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) new class of Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS). Lockheed
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Turkey buys KT-1T trainer aircraft from South Korea, indigenous programme questioned

DefenceIQ - Mon, 13/04/2015 - 06:00
Turkey is moving forward with plans to acquire 15 KT-1T basic trainer aircraft from South Korea for around $150 million, according to Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz reports Defense News. The government is importing the KT-1T as a stop-gap to meet its trainer
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Cuba and Venezuela: Assessing United States Sanctions in the Hemisphere

DefenceIQ - Mon, 13/04/2015 - 06:00
In response to my recent article, Assessing the Security Agenda in United States–Caribbean Relations , I was asked to consider the current bilateral polit
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BAE Systems to modernise Dutch “go-anywhere” vehicles

DefenceIQ - Mon, 13/04/2015 - 06:00
Sweden’s BAE Systems (H&a
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Roll-out of the first Italian F-35A

DefenceIQ - Mon, 13/04/2015 - 06:00
The first Italian F-35A has rol
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Top 10 Amphibious Assault Ships

Military-Today.com - Mon, 13/04/2015 - 01:35

Top 10 Amphibious Assault Ships
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Mercedes-Benz Vito

Military-Today.com - Sun, 12/04/2015 - 01:55

German Mercedes-Benz Vito Light Utility Vehicle
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MQ-9 Reaper

Military-Today.com - Sat, 11/04/2015 - 01:55

American MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle
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European aircrews graduate from EAATTC 15-1

EDA News - Fri, 10/04/2015 - 09:53

Four military transport aircrews have graduated from the first edition of the European Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Course organised in 2015. The event was hosted by the Bulgarian Air Force in Plovdiv from 22 March to 3 April.

Crews from Bulgaria, Germany, France and Italy successfully graduated from the event upon completion of the course’s syllabus. A total of 29 sorties have been conducted, accounting for 50 flights hours. Four transport aircraft took part in the exercise, which involved academic training as well as live-flying missions of increasing complexity. Taking advantage of the deployment, France and Italy also conducted additional flight training on the margins of the exercise.


Improving interoperability

Initiated by the European Defence Agency and run by the European Air Transport Command, the EAATTC series of courses aim to provide air transport crews with a robust airlift tactics training syllabus in order to enhance interoperability between European air forces. The next edition of the course, EAATTC 15-2 will take place 18-29 May in Orléans and will be hosted by the French Air Force. 

The EAATTC series of courses is one of the deliverables of the European Air Transport Fleet partnership, launched in 2011 by 20 participating nations under the framework of the European Defence Agency. 


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Beijing BJ2020

Military-Today.com - Fri, 10/04/2015 - 01:55

Chinese Beijing BJ2020 Light Utility Vehicle
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Beijing BJ2022

Military-Today.com - Thu, 09/04/2015 - 01:55

Chinese Beijing BJ2022 Light Utility Vehicle
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Jorge Domecq in Bulgaria to discuss defence cooperation

EDA News - Wed, 08/04/2015 - 17:20

EDA Chief Executive Director Jorge Domecq travelled to Bulgaria today to exchange views with Bulgarian Minister of Defence Nikolay Nenchev on preparations of the European Council on defence in June 2015 and Bulgaria’s involvement in EDA projects. Mr. Domecq also met with Minister of Economy Bojidar Loukarsky for discussions on access to EU funding instruments for dual-use research and technology development, as well as the support of SMEs with economic activities in the interest of security and defence.

The Bulgarian Minister of Defence stated that “Bulgaria values greatly the significant role of the EDA for the development of EU Member States’ defence capabilities, the latter’s importance for EU’s role as a provider of security and stability. We encourage the proactive approach of the Agency in its successful cooperation with the European Commission in pursuit of better opportunities to stimulate Member States’ capabilities development and the strengthening of the European defence industry. We highly appreciate the will of the EDA to facilitate Member States’ access to European Structural and Investment Funds in support of their defence and security-related research activities and dual-use capabilities development.  We expect the Agency’s advice and support at all stages in the realisation of Member States’ capability goals for a stronger and more secure Europe.”


A strong and competitive defence industry

“Europe needs a strong and competitive defence industry. Not only for security and economic reasons but also to keep our strategic autonomy. One way to support the industry is by consolidating military requirements, by pooling the demand side. Strategic autonomy is also important to keep prime contractors in the European Union in the long run, as one of their main functions is to supply the armed forces. But the European Defence Agency also advises small and medium sized enterprises how to gain better access to the markets in Europe, i.e. through EU funding and market information. Hence, Bulgaria’s defence sector, taking into account the specifities of its defence industry as is the case for several Central Eastern European countries, could gain access to other supply chains in Europe”, said Jorge Domecq during the visit in Sofia.

During the visit, Mr. Domecq also had the opportunity to meet with the Minister of Economy, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Councillor to the Prime Minister on defence matters, as well as other senior officials within the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Finance and the Council of Ministers. Mr. Domecq exchanged views with representatives of the R&T community. 

The visit in Sofia is part of a series of visits by Mr. Domecq to all EDA Member States following his appointment as EDA Chief Executive and ahead of the Ministerial Steering Board on 18 May 2015. So far, Mr. Domecq visited Spain, Lithuania, Latvia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland, France, Romania and Bulgaria. 


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EDA Chief Executive travels to Romania

EDA News - Wed, 08/04/2015 - 09:00

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq met with Romanian Minister of National Defence Mircea Duşa yesterday to exchange views on the preparation of the upcoming European Council discussion on defence in June 2015 and Romania’s involvement in EDA projects.


“The EDA’s profile has grown constantly and today, the Agency is recognized as playing a key role in supporting Member States in their endeavours to develop critical military capabilities that enable the EU’s strategic autonomy in crisis management. We fully support the Agency’s activity carried out in preparation of the upcoming European Council on security and defence and we commend the EDA for its efforts to connect the defence realm with the other EU institutions and policies that have an impact on this domain. I cannot emphasise enough the importance we attach to EDA’s activities aimed at facilitating a deeper involvement of Small and Medium Enterprises in European armament programs, which should lead to a balanced, modern and competitive European Defence Technological and Industrial Base/EDTIB, to the  benefit of all Member States. Small and Medium Enterprises and their integration in the supply chain remain a constant preoccupation for us, for they represent the engine for economic growth and a key driver for innovation” highlighted Mircea Duşa, Romanian Defence Minister.

Romania is taking a firm European approach to defence cooperation and it is involved in several EDA projects. The Agency’s flexibility proves an asset for Romania’s national requirements as the EDA can also support regional cooperation, such as cooperation around the Black Sea region.


A strong European perspective

“The European Defence Agency advises European defence industry, i.e. in accessing EU funding for dual-use research. Our efforts are multiplied by the active support of the Romanian Ministry of Defence. These efforts have a strong European perspective. The competitiveness of the European defence industry as a whole is of utmost importance for our security, our economies as well as our strategic autonomy. The European Defence Agency is keen on taking the specificities of the Central Eastern European’s defence industry into account and to further enhance measures to facilitate their  access to supply chains throughout the EU”, said European Defence Agency Chief Executive Jorge Domecq in Bucharest.

During the visit, Mr. Domecq had the opportunity to meet with senior officials of the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representatives of the Romanian defence industry. 

The visit in Romania is part of a series of visits by Mr. Domecq to all EDA Member States following his appointment as EDA Chief Executive and ahead of the Ministerial Steering Board on 18 May 2015. So far, Mr. Domecq has visited Spain, Lithuania, Latvia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland and France. 


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