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Le 28 novembre, le Parlement monténégrin a approuvé à 41 voix sur 81 la formation d'un gouvernement dirigé par Dusko Markovic, ancien chef du renseignement. Ce dernier a annoncé sa volonté d'intégrer son pays dans l'OTAN d'ici la fin de l'année prochaine.

Le 29 novembre s'est tenue à Minsk une réunion des ministres des Affaires étrangères au format Normandie (Allemagne, France, Russie et Ukraine) sur la situation à l'est de l'Ukraine et l'application des accords de Minsk, avec la participation de l'Organisation pour la sécurité et la coopération en Europe (OSCE). Les parties ne sont pas parvenues à trouver un accord.

Le 28 novembre, l'Union européenne a décidé de poursuivre sa mission navale Atalante (EU NAVFOR Somalia) au large des côtes somaliennes qui combat la piraterie maritime.

Le 28 novembre, l'Organisation mondiale du Commerce (OMC) a jugé illégal un avantage fiscal accordé à Boeing par l'Etat de Washington pour le développement de son modèle 777X dans une plainte portée par l'Union européenne.

Le 28 novembre, l'Organisation pour la coopération et le développement économiques (OCDE) a publié ses "Perspectives économiques mondiales". Elle appelle notamment à profiter des politiques monétaires accommodantes pour prendre des initiatives budgétaires et relancer la croissance économique.

Selon une étude publiée par Eurostat le 1er décembre, le taux de chômage dans l'Union européenne s'est établi à 8,3% en octobre 2016, soit le taux le plus faible depuis février 2009, et à 9,8% en octobre 2016 dans la zone euro.

Le taux d'inflation annuel de la zone euro est estimé à 0,6% en novembre 2016, contre 0,5% en octobre selon une estimation publiée par Eurostat le 30 novembre.

La Commission a publié une communication, le 29 novembre, rassemblant les conclusions de trois évaluations du fonds européen pour les investissements stratégiques. Les défauts soulignés (utilisation par les pays de la cohésion, amélioration de la couverture sectorielle et géographique) seront palliés par la proposition de révision du FEIS. Les États se prononceront le 6 décembre.

L'émergence de la Chine comme puissance économique mondiale et son intégration dans l'ordre international figurent parmi les principaux défis auxquels l'Europe et les États-Unis doivent faire face au début du XXIe siècle. C'est sur ces thèmes que se concentre le rapport de Philippe Le Corre et Jonathan D. Pollack publié par Brookings.

Du 8 au 10 décembre a lieu la Fête des Lumières à Lyon. Durant trois jours, les monuments et les rues de la ville se pareront de couleurs.

Du 10 décembre 2016 au 5 février 2017 se tient, à Amsterdam, le festival de sculptures de glace néerlandais. Il s'agit d'un des événements hivernal néerlandais les plus spectaculaires. Plus de 550.000 kg de glace et de neige sont transformés en un paysage glacé.

Du 2 décembre 2016 au 19 mars 2017 se tient l'exposition "Le retour des ténèbres" consacrée à l'imaginaire gothique depuis Frankenstein au Musée Rath de Genève. Elle sera accompagnée d'une publication, d'un colloque ainsi que de projections autour du personnage de Frankenstein.

Jusqu'au 11 décembre se tient la Foire de l'Artisanat de Milan où il est possible d'acheter, de voir et de toucher des produits artisanaux venant du monde entier. A cette occasion, des événements musicaux, des performances de danse ainsi que des démonstrations de cuisine seront également organisés.

Northrop Grumman has delivered the first shipset of lightweight wide aperture array (LWWAA) hardware for the US Navy’s Block IV Virginia Class Submarine (VCS) programme.

South African state-owned defence group Denel Dynamics has revealed that its Umkhonto surface-to-air missile (SAM) integration programme for two Meko-class A200-AN frigates is nearing completion.

The Netherlands and Belgium have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly replace the multipurpose frigates and minesweepers of both nations.

Americas

• Officials from Lockheed Martin have announced that the T-50A trainer has commenced flight operations in order to test the plane’s capabilities. A joint effort between LM and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the T-50A is based off the legacy T-50 and is being offered to the USAF’s T-X program. For combat training, the aircraft incorporates air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, an avionics suite with electronic warfare capabilities, and a multi-mode radar.

• The US Navy plans to invest in more F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as a means of stopping a shortfall in capabilities. Delays in the fielding of the F-35C, longer-than-expected maintenance times for older model Hornets, and higher usage rates, have resulted in a predicted shortfall of 70 fighters over the next number of years. If implemented, the plan could receive funding in the fiscal 2018 budget and keep the Super Hornet production line in continuation for the next several years.

Middle East & North Africa

• Egypt is to receive 65 LANTIRN targeting pods under the US Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the navigation and targeting pod systems will come from existing USAF stocks and are most likely to be used on Cairo’s fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons. Some of Egypt’s F-16s already operate LM’s AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pod, LANTIRN’s successor.

Europe

• Lockheed Martin has been contracted to supply two US government-configured C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft to France. Work on the $133.4 million deal is expected to be completed by August 2020. A stretched-out version of the C-130J, the Super Hercules acquisition comes as France tries to fill a cargo and refueling capability gap created by problems related to the development and delivery of the A400M by Airbus.

• Qinetiq has been awarded a $1.26 billion contract by the UK MoD to modernise the test and evaluation services it provides at three sites across the UK. The company has provided test and evaluation services to the MoD since 2004, under a 25-year long-term partnering agreement (LTPA). The new deal will include the modernization and continued operation of air ranges at MoD Aberporth in Wales and MoD Hebrides in Scotland, plus test aircrew training at the Empire Test Pilots’ School at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire.

• Armored personnel carriers from the German Armed Forces will be transferred to the Lithuanian Army in a deal worth $1.71 million. 168 M577 vehicles will be delivered in stages between 2017 and 2018. While not normally equipped with defensive weapons, the vehicles are primarily used as a tactical operations center by warfighters on the battlefield.

Asia Pacific

• India’s navy has decided not to deploy the HAL Naval Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) onboard its aircraft carriers. In what will be seen as a blow to the country’s growing indigenous industry, the fighter was deemed too heavy and did not meet the service’s requirements. New Delhi will instead import a foreign-made carrier-borne fighter while still encouraging India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to develop the Naval LCA.

• Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force has received their first F-35A, joining Israel and South Korea as the first three export customers for the Joint Strike Fighter. The fighter will join an international training fleet at Luke Air Force, where pilots from partner countries will receive instruction. Six aircraft are currently under contract and Tokyo plans to purchase 28 over the next five years, eventually procuring 42.

Today’s Video

Maiden flight of the Certifiable Predator B:

F-16 with twin LANTIRNs
(click to view full)

Targeting pods are a very affordable way to upgrade existing aircraft with precision strike and surveillance capabilities. As such, their popularity in the modern age is likely to remain very strong for the foreseeable future. At present, the top offerings on the market include the Northrop-Grumman/ RAFAEL LITENING series (vid. the recent Dutch order), Lockheed’s Sniper XR/Pantera, and Raytheon’s ATFLIR. All are 3rd generation offerings, successors to the early 2nd generation LITENING all-in-one pods and the first-generation LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) twin-pod set.

LANTIRN pods may be first-generation technology, but they still fly with a number of air forces and were included as the pods specified for Greece’s new F-16Ds. As such, Lockheed’s announcement that it is selling upgraded LANTIRNs to Denmark offers an interesting look at potential opportunities at the lower end of the global market.

(click to view larger)

As noted earlier, LANTIRN is a system of two pods. The AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod provides high-speed penetration and precision attack assistance in all flying conditions, using a terrain-following radar and a fixed infrared sensor to display an image of the terrain in front of the aircraft on a heads-up display of cockpit viewscreen. This helps the pilot maintain a pre-selected altitude above the terrain and avoid obstacles, while flying at high speed and using mountains, valleys and the cover of darkness to avoid radar detection.

The AN/AAQ-14 targeting pod is just what it says: a laser and infrared targeting pod to assist in the delivery of precision weapons like Paveway laser-guided bombs, AGM-65 Maverick missiles, et. al.

(click to view larger)

The Royal Danish Air Force will pay Lockheed Martin $20 million for the latest round of upgrades to their 13 LANTIRN targeting pods, and also requests another 3 LANTIRN ER (extended range) pods. The 26-month contract includes organizational-level spares, maintenance training and pilot familiarization training.

As part of Lockheed’s 8-year partnership with the RDAF, its LANTIRN targeting pods were upgraded in a previous contract to include a CCD TV, a 40,000-ft. laser and a laser spot tracker. LANTIRN ER adds a third-generation mid-wave forward-looking infrared (FLIR), an infrared pointer, an inertial measurement unit to assist with positioning fixes guided weapons, and extended range software. It also simplifies the original pod design and eliminates many parts in an effort to increase reliability and reduce operation and support costs. See Lockheed press release.

While the LANTIRN ER is significantly less capable than the LITENING AT pod recently ordered by the Dutch for their F-16s, the deal’s economics are worth noting: $20 million for 13 upgrades of existing systems plus 3 pods (16), vs. just over $40 million for 20 LITENING AT 3rd generation targeting pods and spares.

Update

December 5/16: Egypt is to receive 65 LANTIRN targeting pods under the US Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the navigation and targeting pod systems will come from existing USAF stocks and are most likely to be used on Cairo’s fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons. Some of Egypt’s F-16s already operate LM’s AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pod, LANTIRN’s successor.

Cap aujourd’hui sur la Méditerranée orientale, où nous vous emmenons à bord du Forbin, l’une des deux frégates de défense aérienne du type Horizon de la Marine nationale. Le bâtiment fait actuellement partie du groupe aéronaval (GAN) emmené par le Charles de Gaulle, dont les Rafale interviennent depuis la fin septembre contre les positions de Daech en Irak et en Syrie.

• Lire la suite de En Méditerranée orientale à bord du Forbin

American Caterpillar D3 Bulldozer