2 décembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
By: Martin Banks
BRUSSELS – The Dutch chief of defense says it would be “stupid” if the UK did not continue to be closely involved in EU-funded defense projects even when it is no longer a member of the bloc.
But British future involvement in EU-led initiatives such as the European Defence Fund and PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) remains unclear, with EU member states yet to decide on a legal framework for third-party participation.
With Brexit, the UK will technically become an outsider to the European Union's push for greater defense autonomy. That means London will no longer take part in EU decision-making or operational entities, and any British contribution to an EU operation will be subject to the rules that apply to third countries.
Adm. Rob Bauer, chief of defense in The Netherlands, told Defense News he believes it is “imperative” that the UK remains “very closely” involved in such projects.
Speaking at the sidelines of the annual European Defence Agency conference in Brussels on Thursday, Bauer said, “Remember, from a military point of view, the UK, even after Brexit, will still be a member of NATO and part of Europe. It is leaving the EU, not Europe. If the focus in Europe is on security then the UK should be part of that. To do otherwise would be stupid.”
The PESCO initiative aims to develop and deploy forces at the EU level. Nearly 50 projects have been unveiled to date with the aim of pushing member states to work more closely together in the area of security and defense.
So far, €13 billion has been allocated to the EDF which seeks to promote cross-border collaboration on defense research and technology projects, plus another €6.5 billion in the pipeline to upgrade roads, bridges, rail lines, ports and airports for military mobility, and €16 billion on space programs.
Formal rules on third-party access to PESCO projects and the EDF are still being decided. Discussions are continuing at EU member state level, and no final decision is expected until the UK formally exits the EU, officials here said. London's departure has been delayed for the third time until Jan. 31, 2020.
Bauer said, “I have spoken to the Brits about this and they have told me how difficult these discussions have been and continue to be. It is clear that agreement on access is certainly not a done deal.”
“But we need to be pragmatic about this and continue to work together in the future.”
His comments were broadly echoed by Lieutenant General Franz Leitgeb, Austria's Military Representative to the EU and NATO, another attendee at the EDA summit who told Defense News, “After Brexit, the UK will have third-party status, so third-party partnership rules will apply regarding its contribution to and participation in EU-funded projects like PESCO.
“We still need to decide what precisely this means in the UK case but, whatever transpires, the UK has to realise this is a two-way street. That means that if the UK and its defense industry is to have access to EU-funded schemes and projects it has to contribute to these.”
“Whatever happens we're going to need the current close relations on defense between the two sides to continue.”
Further comment came from Benedikt Zimmer, state secretary at the German defense ministry, who took part in a session on PESCO and the EDF and said, “The more open cooperation is after Brexit, the better.”
In a keynote address, Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, warned that UK involvement in EU defense and security would only become clearer once discussions start, probably at the start of 2020, on a political agreement between the two sides.
Barnier told the packed audience, comprising senior military officials and personnel, that reaching agreement will be an “enormous challenge,” adding, “I do not want to interfere in the current UK election campaign but I am sure the Brits will still have an appetite for continued cooperation in the defense field. But, even so, they have to realize it will no longer be business as normal. I hope that UK defense companies, providing the rules are met, will still participate in European defense. We have the tools to make it happen but we still need to find a new framework for future cooperation.”
More than 50 non-EU states have participated in Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations since its first mission in 2003, including four regional powers – namely Turkey, Russia, Brazil and South Africa.
The official British position on security and defense is ambitious about the possible scope of the UK-EU relationship post-Brexit, talking about a “deep and special partnership” that would go “beyond existing third country arrangements.”
However, little in the recent past suggests the UK would seek much CSDP involvement once no longer a member: the UK has not been the most enthusiastic supporter of the EU's defense agenda thus far, and it's questionable if this would change after Brexit.
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9 septembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Tony Osborne September 08, 2020 LONDON—British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has hinted that the UK's future combat air system initiative, Tempest, could be one of the winners in the government's Integrated Review of defense and foreign policy. Writing in the Times newspaper on Sept. 6, Wallace said the UK needed products that could be exported to help the country afford the equipment the UK requires for its armed forces. He also cited the UK's aerospace industry as being at the forefront of those efforts. “Our aerospace industry isn't just a domestic concern,” Wallace wrote, noting that aerospace exports amount to £34 billion ($50.1 billion). The UK's Tempest has already secured Italy and Sweden as partners, with Saab expected to make investments in an FCAS technology center worth £50 million. “The defense and security sector is a breeding ground for science, invention and world-beating technology, as the bedrock of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the UK,” Wallace wrote. While the review will re-examine the UK's foreign policy and defense operations, Wallace says it will also “recognize the importance of research, skills and the aerospace industry. Without them, our forces could risk losing the battle-winning advantage we will need in this evermore insecure and anxious world.” Wallace said he recognized a need to reform and modernize the country's armed forces to meet new threats. He said the UK had a “sentimental attachment” to a static armored-centric force that was anchored in Europe, possibly hinting at reports that the UK may do away with its fleet of Main Battle Tanks and instead focus on light armored and airborne capabilities. Reports have also suggested that the UK may not buy its full complement of 138 Lockheed Martin F-35s, and potentially buy as few as 70 airframes over the program's life. “If we are to truly play our role as ‘Global Britain,' we must be more capable in new domains, enabling us to be active in more theaters,” Wallace wrote. Wallace also confirmed that the government would publish a Defense Industrial Strategy alongside the Integrated Review, which is expected in November. https://aviationweek.com/special-topics/air-dominance/uk-defense-chief-hints-review-may-ok-future-combat-air-system
23 janvier 2020 | International, Aérospatial
EXCLUSIF Pierre-Eric Pommellet, directeur général de Thales, a été choisi par l'APE pour succéder à Hervé Guillou à la direction de Naval Group. Son nom doit encore être avalisé par l'Elysée. D'autres noms ont circulé, comme celui du directeur général adjoint de Naval Group Alain Guillou, celui du directeur des programmes Olivier de la Bourdonnaye ou celui de Marie-Pierre de Bailliencourt, ancienne DG du groupe, qui avait été un des grands artisans du contrat du siècle des sous-marins australiens. Le nom de Benoît Ribadeau-Dumas, directeur de cabinet d'Edouard Philippe et ancien de Thales et Zodiac, avait aussi été cité, au grand agacement de l'intéressé. Le scénario d'une prolongation d'Hervé Guillou a aussi été évoqué : celui-ci étant touché par la limité d''ge de 65 ans le 24 mars prochain, un tel projet nécessiterait un changement des statuts du groupe. Pierre-Eric Pommellet est tout sauf un inconnu pour le petit milieu de la défense. Né à Brest, ce polytechnicien affable, surnommé « PEP », a débuté à la Direction générale de l'armement en 1990, avant de passer deux ans à la DCN (Direction des constructions navales), l'ancêtre de Naval Group. Un passage en cabinet ministériel plus tard, chez Jean-Pierre Raffarin au ministère de l'artisanat, du commerce et des PME, il entre chez Thales dont il gravit peu à peu les échelons : directeur de l'usine du Haillan (Gironde), directeur des équipements militaires, directeur de la division aérospatiale, puis de celle des systèmes de mission de défense. Lors du départ du patron de Thales Jean-Bernard Lévy vers EDF fin 2014, Pierre-Eric Pommellet est un des favoris pour le fauteuil de PDG. Il peut même se prévaloir du soutien de Dassault Aviation, actionnaire à 25% du groupe. Mais le conseil lui préfère finalement Patrice Caine. Cette déception n'empêchera pas les deux hommes de bien travailler ensemble : Patrice Caine nommera même Pierre-Eric Pommellet directeur général en charge des opérations, en clair numéro deux du groupe. « L'entente entre les deux hommes est très bonne », assure un connaisseur de la maison Thales. https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/defense/le-numero-deux-de-thales-favori-pour-diriger-naval-group_695054