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  8 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Britain lifts ban on Saudi weapons exports

  By: Andrew Chuter LONDON — Britain has lifted a yearlong ban on the export of military equipment to Saudi Arabia, the government announced July 7. Weapon sales to Saudi Arabia were banned in June 2019 after a U.K. Court of Appeal ruled that the government may have contravened international humanitarian law by approving weapon sales to the Saudis that might have been used in the civil war in Yemen. Britain is one of the largest exporters of defense equipment in the world, largely thanks to Saudi Arabia's purchase over more than 30 years of Tornado and Typhoon combat jets as well as Hawk jet trainers. Raytheon Paveway IV precision-guided bombs, partly built in the U.K., are also among the list of recent significant sales to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of Middle Eastern nations in a protracted and bloody war against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels trying to seize Yemen. In an action brought by anti-arms trade campaigners, the court ruling forced the British government to reassess whether previous export licenses had been issued on the correct legal basis, given alleged violations of international humanitarian law by the Saudi military, specifically reported airstrikes that hit civilian targets. “The incidents, which have been assessed to be possible violations of international humanitarian law, occurred at different times, in different circumstances and for different reasons,” said International Trade Secretary Liz Truss. “In retaking these decisions, I have taken into account the full range of information available to the government. In the light of all that information and analysis, I have concluded that, notwithstanding the isolated incidents, which have been factored into the analysis as historic violations of international humanitarian law, Saudi Arabia has a genuine intent and the capacity to comply with international humanitarian law,” she added. “On that basis, I have assessed that there is not a clear risk that the export of arms and military equipment to Saudi Arabia might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law.” Truss said exports will resume after the government completes the court-ordered review of defense export licences to the Middle East's largest buyer of military equipment. The ban only halted new approvals for weapons sales. Work on existing deals, like BAE System's deals to support Typhoon and Tornado jets, have continued unaffected. The British government will now “begin the process of clearing the backlog of licence applications for Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners that has built up since 20 June last year,” Truss told Parliament. “It may take some months to clear this backlog.” In a statement, BAE said: “We note that the UK Government has implemented a revised methodology regarding licences for military exports. We continue to provide defense equipment, training and support under government to government agreements between the UK and Saudi Arabia, subject to UK Government approval and oversight. We work closely with the Department for International Trade to ensure our continued compliance with all relevant export control laws and regulations.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/07/07/britain-lifts-ban-on-saudi-weapons-exports/

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  15 juin 2020 | International, Terrestre

  From laundry to cleaning, military willing to pay for creative solutions to pandemic problems

  'We know that there is some innovation out there that can help us do those things better and sometimes faster' David Burke · CBC News · Posted: Jun 14, 2020 6:00 AM AT | Last Updated: June 14 The Department of National Defence is reaching out to Canadians for innovative solutions to problems it's facing due to COVID-19. The department is willing to pay $15 million for that assistance. The effort is being funded through DND's Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program, which pays for research by outside organizations, typically businesses and universities. In this case, DND has three specific goals. The military wants to be able to rapidly sanitize workplaces and vehicles containing sensitive equipment like computers. It wants to be able to quickly clean uniforms and COVID-19 protective gear so it can be reused. It's also looking for ways to gather data to support the early detection and monitoring of contagious disease outbreaks. "We're reaching out to Canadian innovators because we know that there is some creativity out there, we know that there is some innovation out there that can help us do those things better and sometimes faster," said Eric Fournier, director general of innovation for DND. He said DND is working with the Centre for Security Science Program, the National Research Council of Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada to hunt for solutions that will benefit the whole country. If a solution to any of the problems is found, it will be passed along to federal, provincial and municipal agencies. "Although the program doing this is a national defence program," said Fournier, "we are doing this for public safety across Canada. So it's for the first responders, it's also for national defence, it's for everybody and those solutions will be made available to all those government entities." Rapid, thorough cleaning is DND's goal. Fournier said it can take a lot of time to sanitize by hand. During a crisis, that time can be in short supply, he said. He said if a military aircraft is used to transport a COVID-19 patient, the entire vehicle, along with the uniforms and the personal protective equipment worn by the crew, would have to be cleaned. "We want to make sure that the people are ready to respond, again and again and again and again," said Fournier. "In a pandemic like this, we see that people have to work constantly." While dropping uniforms and flight suits into the washing machine might be an option, the military wants something faster. "So we want to make sure you can do it quickly," Fournier said. "In some cases just putting it in the laundry might work, but we might not have the time to do it that way. We might need something to clean it up faster for reuse in a few hours, for example." It's the same thing with cleaning vehicles by hand. It works, but getting it done fast is hard to do. Finding a way to sanitize aircraft, ambulances, offices and other spaces without damaging computers or other electronics is essential, Fournier said. He said it's also important to find ways to collect data on how the virus is moving through the population and to locate hot spots. DND will choose several winners in each of the three categories. The winners will be given up to $200,000 and up to six months to deliver on their solution. If the solution works, DND could provide them with more funding for fine-tuning or to adapt it for more widespread use. Anyone looking to apply for the program can go to the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security website. There have only been a handful of applications, but Fournier said that number usually jumps up in the final days before the deadline. Applications for the program are due June 23. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/military-dnd-covid-19-research-solutions-1.5607535

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  2 août 2023 | International, Naval

  Navy Awards General Dynamics Bath Iron Works Contract for Three DDG 51 Destroyers

  Flight III destroyers have significant increased capability, and our skilled shipbuilders are committed to producing ships that meet the quality standards that our Navy Sailors deserve