March 10, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
By: Chiara Vercellone
WASHINGTON — The United States was the largest exporter of major arms from 2015-2019, delivering 76 percent more materiel than runner-up Russia, according to a new study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think tank.
The U.S. contributed about 35 percent of all the world's arms exports during that five-year time period, partly supported by the increased demand for American advanced military aircraft in Europe, Australia, Japan and Taiwan, said Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher at SIPRI.
The study found that the U.S. provided major arms — defined by the think tank as air defense systems, armored vehicles, missiles and satellites, among other materiel — to 96 countries in those five years, with half of the weapons going to the Middle East.
From 2015-2019, Russia's major arms exports decreased by 18 percent; France's increased by 72 percent, making it the third largest exporter; and Germany's increased by 17 percent, making it the fourth largest exporter.
Worldwide arms exports rose nearly 6 percent in 2015-2019 from 2010-2014, and increased 20 percent from since 2005-2009, SIPRI said.
Arm exports to countries in conflict in the Middle East increased by 61 percent in 2015-2019 compared to 2010-2014, the study showed. Saudi Arabia, the country to which the U.S. exported the most arms, was the largest importer globally in 2015-2019. The kingdom's imports increased 130 percent compared to the previous five-year period. Armored vehicles, trainer aircraft, missiles and guided bombs were among the leading arms purchased by the kingdom.
Despite attempts in Congress to restrict arms exports to Saudi Arabia, the delivery of major arms, including 30 combat aircraft ordered in 2011, continued in 2019 as the U.S. provided 73% of Saudi Arabia's imports.
In May, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration to push through an $8 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries for precision-guided bombs and related components. In July, he said blocking the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia would “weaken America's global competitiveness and damage the important relationship [the United States] share with [its] allies and partners.”
U.S. arms exports to Europe and Africa increased by 45 percent and 10 percent, respectively, in 2015-2019. U.S. arms exports to Asia and the Oceania region decreased by 20 percent, as a result of fewer arms exports to India, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
Since 2018, the U.S. has exported almost 100 major weapons to international organizations like the United Nations, the African Union and NATO, the report said, noting that Russia did not send weapons to these organizations.
Among the top 10 arms exporters outside Europe and North America, Israel and South Korea showed the biggest increase in exports. Israeli arms exports increased by 77 percent in 2015-2019 — a record for the country, according to the study. South Korea, which showed a 143 percent increase during that same time period, more than doubled its number of export clients.
October 19, 2022 | International, Naval
The CEOs of Naviris, Fincantieri, Naval Group and Navantia signed a preliminary consortium agreement at Euronaval, whose objective is to rule the execution of the Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette...
July 2, 2019 | International, Aerospace
Fareham Safran Helicopter Engines a signé avec le Defence Equipment and Support du Ministère de la Défense du Royaume-Uni, une prolongation de trois ans du contrat assurant la disponibilité des moteurs RTM322 équipant les hélicoptères Merlin de la Royal Navy et Apache AH Mk1 de la British Army. Portant sur une flotte de plus de 400 moteurs, ce contrat avait démarré en 2013, année du rachat par Safran des parts de Rolls-Royce dans le programme RTM322. Depuis, le Groupe a significativement amélioré la fiabilité de ce moteur et a affiché durant quatre années consécutives une disponibilité des moteurs, accessoires et pièces détachées, supérieure aux objectifs fixés. Safran Helicopter Engines conduira ce contrat depuis ses installations de Fareham (Hampshire) au Royaume-Uni, où plus de 40 personnes sont directement impliquées. Ce contrat intègre l'approvisionnement en moteurs, modules, accessoires et pièces détachées, la maintenance et la réparation, le support technique et logistique, et la fourniture de la documentation technique. Ce contrat est ainsi prolongé jusqu'au 31 mars 2022, avec une option pour deux années supplémentaires. « Safran Helicopter Engines fournit à notre flotte de moteurs RTM322 un support performant, fiable et réactif, garantissant un haut niveau de disponibilité. Nous sommes heureux de signer la prolongation de ce contrat qui maintient une continuité pour les utilisateurs finaux », a déclaré le Vice-Maréchal de l'air Graham Russell, Directeur de la branche Hélicoptères au sein du Defence Equipment and Support Organisation du Ministère de la Défense du Royaume-Uni. « Nous nous réjouissons de la prolongation de ce contrat qui témoigne du haut niveau de confiance qu'accorde le Ministère de la Défense du Royaume-Uni à nos solutions de motorisation et à nos équipes. Nous ferons en sorte de mériter cette confiance en leur fournissant le meilleur service possible, à l'heure où se déploient ces hélicoptères sur les nouveaux porte-avions britanniques », a déclaré Franck Saudo, Président de Safran Helicopter Engines. https://www.safran-helicopter-engines.com/fr/media/safran-prolonge-sur-la-maintenance-des-moteurs-des-helicopteres-merlin-et-apache-britanniques-20190624
March 19, 2020 | International, Land
The Army launched its Shark Tank-style xTechSearch before coronavirus hit, but several of the small firms competing for $1.2 million in prizes are working on ways to help. WASHINGTON: A portable scanner that checks throat swabs and blood samples for dozens of different pathogens in 60 minutes. Sprayable sealant for wounds that kills germs with nanoscopic particles of silver. A mental health app that tracks the user's state and pushes out tailored tips and resources for, as an example, dealing with coronavirus-induced isolation. These were just the first three pitches I saw yesterday when I tuned in to the Army's webcast of its xTechSearch 4 pitches. Originally planned to happen before a live audience at AUSA's Global Force conference in Huntsville, they're now running online this week as a social distancing precaution. The Army already has the lion's share of the Defense Department's medical assets, since it has both the most personnel and the biggest role in humanitarian disaster response, and the service is playing a leading role in the government-wide response. It's also eagerly pursuing new technology. The 2020 edition of Army's Shark Tank-style competition for innovative technologies – with $1.7 million in prizes at stake this year, $1.2 million in this week's round alone – started long before COVID-19 broke out in Wuhan, China. But with the Army acutely interested in advanced medical science, it's understandable that several of the competitors are working on projects relevant to the coronavirus. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/03/covid-19-biotech-innovators-pitch-army-rapid-test-kits-more