Pentagon announces $400 million in Ukraine arms transfers

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  9 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval

  Armement : les coopérations européennes se multiplient

  ANNE BAUER Pour le patron de la DGA Joël Barre, l'un des principaux défis de 2019 est de donner corps aux multiples programmes en partenariat avec d'autres pays européens. Le dialogue avec l'Allemagne est compliqué. Les restrictions budgétaires présentées mercredi par la loi de finances rectificative 2018 n'auront pas de conséquences significatives sur les livraisons d'équipements aux armées, a promis jeudi le directeur général de l'armement (DGA) Joël Barre. Son administration, chargée de l'équipement des forces, avait anticipé ce gel par une gestion prudente, a-t-il expliqué, en soulignant que les 319 millions d'euros d'annulations de crédits annoncés mercredi ne représentent que 3 % du budget d'équipement de 2018. 12,7 milliards de commandes Cette année, la DGA peut engager 12,7 milliards d'euros contre 11,2 milliards l'an dernier, tandis que le montant prévu en 2019, première année d'application de la nouvelle loi de programmation militaire, atteindra 14,3 milliards d'euros. Parmi les investissements importants, la marine commandera en 2018 et 2019 ses cinquième et sixième sous-marins Barracuda, 4 navires pétroliers ravitailleurs et plusieurs patrouilleurs. L'armée de l'air bénéficiera de la rénovation des avions Rafale au nouveau standard 3, avec notamment le nouveau missile air-air, MICA NG, dont 567 exemplaires seront commandés. Quant à l'armée de terre, elle recevra enfin ses premiers « Griffon », les blindés légers de nouvelle génération. Une année sans panache pour les exportations A l'exportation, l'industrie française de défense enregistre « une année normale », résume Joël Barre, en déclarant s'attendre en 2018 à quelque 7 milliards d'euros d'exportations, comme en 2017 - après 16 milliards en 2016 et 14 milliards en 2015, années de la vente de 12 sous-marins en Australie et de 96 Rafale à l'Egypte, le Qatar et l'Inde. Joël Barre a d'ailleurs confirmé que les négociations avec l'Australie se poursuivaient pour définir l'accord de partenariat stratégique et débloquer une nouvelle tranche de contrats de 1,5 milliard d'euros. Il a par ailleurs confirmé que la DGA avait estimé que « les conditions n'étaient pas réunies » pour que Dassault Aviation participe au futur appel d'offres que souhaite lancer le Canada en 2019 pour acquérir 88 avions de combat. Notamment parce que la France n'appartient pas à l'alliance dite des « Five Eyes » formée par les services de renseignement du monde anglo-saxon (Royaume-Uni, Australie, Canada et Nouvelle-Zélande). Ce qui aurait compliqué l'échange de renseignements avec les Américains. Multiples coopérations européennes Pour la DGA, les principaux défis de 2019 sont toutefois de donner vie à la coopération européenne. Avec le Royaume-Uni, la DGA cherche comment maintenir un courant d'échanges dans l'aviation de chasse « pour garder le contact », tandis que se poursuit le programme commun sur un nouveau missile, capable de remplacer les actuels missiles anti-navires Harpoon et Exocet, ainsi que les missiles de croisière Scalp et Storm Shadow. Deux nouveaux partenariats viennent d'être conclus, avec l'Italie via l'alliance entre Naval Group et Fincantieri, et avec la Belgique, qui vient de signer un accord intergouvernemental avec la France pour s'équiper comme l'armée de terre française en blindés. Reste le partenariat le plus ambitieux mais le plus compliqué à mettre en place : celui pour concevoir avec l'Allemagne le char du futur et le système de combat aérien du futur (Scaf). « Notre espoir est de pouvoir lancer les premières études sur le Scaf en janvier 2019 », a précisé Joël Barre, sans cacher que cet enjeu essentiel en développements technologiques et industriels faisait l'objet de discussions musclées. Alors que l'industrie aéronautique française est en avance sur l'allemande, les industriels français s'inquiètent des ambitions de leurs voisins. Anne Bauer https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/air-defense/0600112092953-armement-les-cooperations-europeennes-se-multiplient-2220527.php

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  5 février 2021 | International, Aérospatial

  Foreign training programs could become a priority in Biden administration, experts say

  Augusta Saraiva, Medill News Service As the world witnessed President Joe Biden take his oath of office on Jan. 20, he vowed to “repair our alliances and engage with the world once again” as a “strong and trusted partner for peace, progress and security.” At the Pentagon, that could mean foreign military training programs, some of which came under attack during the Trump administration, could regain their previous status as what former Defense Secretary Mark Esper called a “critical long-term investment.” These programs were harshly criticized in December 2019 when a Saudi trainee at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, killed three sailors and injured eight more in what the FBI deemed a terrorist attack. The shooter was part of the International Military and Education Training initiative, a State and Defense Department joint initiative that, alongside other programs, brings around 6,000 members of foreign militaries to train at U.S. military facilities each year. In the aftermath of the shooting, the Pentagon forbade international military students and their families from possessing firearms and ammunition. And as a result of strong calls from Florida Republican politicians for the Pentagon to reassess foreign military training programs, Esper ordered a review of the programs shortly after the Pensacola incident, but also said he supported them, generally. Even before the incident, the DoD had proposed a 10 percent decrease on the IMET for fiscal year 2020, which began in September 2019. The Senate, however, approved the original budget of almost $115 million. Over the last four years, the Trump administration took other steps to decrease the role of foreign military training programs. In 2019, it shut down a program to train Afghan pilots after nearly half of its participants were found to have deserted. And in an effort to crack down on Islamic militants, the U.S. blocked Pakistani military members from participating in IMET for over a year between 2018 and 2019. Despite the changes in priorities under President Donald Trump, international military training programs continue to be a key pillar of U.S. foreign policy. In 2020, the DoD trained over 31,000 foreign military students in its schoolhouses. It also deployed 55 military advisers to 13 ally countries. Renanah Joyce, a postdoctoral fellow at the International Security Program at Harvard University, said that DoD “has taken steps to improve its assessment, monitoring and evaluation of foreign military training programs, but still really struggles to answer pretty basic questions about the return on investment.” “One of the one of the reasons why the U.S. government chronically struggled to answer questions about the return on investment is that it tries to achieve so many things with the same tool,” Joyce said, adding that the Biden administration should “think really carefully about not to treat training as sort of a silver bullet, but to think clearly about what the most important strategic goals are.” To change this landscape, in 2020, the Senate Committee on Appropriations recommended that the State Department implemented a more detailed IMET monitoring and evaluation plan, as well as maintain a record of each participant's “subsequent military or defense ministry career and current position and location post-program.” It also urged the inclusion of more women in IMET. This revamp is likely to continue under Biden, who is also likely to continue treating foreign military training programs as a key component of U.S. foreign policy, experts say. “Of all things to be cut in the United States defense budget, this will likely not be one of them, primarily, because it seems very clear from Biden's appointees that the new administration is very concerned with shoring up relations with partners and allies,” said Jonathan Caverley, a professor of strategy at the Naval War College. With the rise of military competition China and the U.S., however, military training programs are likely to experience a pivot in the composition of its student body, Caverley says. The Biden administration is likely to focus on “competition with China, rather than confrontation,” and that could translate into more training for members of Asian militaries. “Rather than force on force, it's more of a competition in third party locations, very similar to the Cold War,” he said. “You will see that fewer trainees will come from Afghanistan, from Iraq, from various countries in the Gulf, and you'll see much more of an emphasis on Asian states.” The Pentagon declined to comment on the future of the programs at this point. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2021/02/03/foreign-training-programs-could-become-a-priority-in-biden-administration-experts-say/

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  15 janvier 2021 | International, Terrestre

  BAE Systems receives $500 million contract to provide new turret for Netherlands’ CV90s

  January 14, 2021 - BAE Systems will provide the Royal Netherlands Army with a new turret for 122 CV90s as part of an extensive mid-life upgrade program. BAE Systems has signed an extensive mid-life upgrade contract worth more than $500 million with the Dutch Defence Materiel Organization (DMO) for the Royal Netherlands Army's fleet of 122 CV90s, with an option for an additional 19 vehicles. The upgrade program with a new turret will vastly improve the vehicle's capabilities while providing crews with improved protection and ergonomics for increased combat efficiency. The new CV90 turret, developed by BAE Systems Hägglunds in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, represents a leap forward in design and functionality. The main weapon position is changed to provide even better vehicle balance and enable new ways to introduce a variety of weaponry for increased lethality. It also offers significant ergonomic improvements to benefit the vehicle's crew. The enhanced turret design is built on years of combat-proven experience, continuous vehicle improvements, and data analysis from the CV90 User Club – the seven nations currently operating CV90 fleets. The improvements are also based on a recent study conducted by the Royal Netherlands Army, and a BAE Systems' analysis of cognitive load on Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) crews to address man-machine interaction. The result gives crews increased advantages, such as the ability to choose intuitive and effective modes of operation as well as shorten the time to detection, identification, decision-making, and engagement. “This is an important step to make sure that our Infantry Fighting Vehicles and our Army are well prepared for many years to come. This mid-life upgrade will also result in a lowering of the vehicles lifetime cost, at the same time as keeping our soldiers safe in the face of new threats,” said Colonel Norbert Moerkens, the Royal Netherlands Army's head of strategy and plans. Work is already underway to equip the Dutch CV9035 vehicles with several enhanced capabilities such as an Active Protection System (APS) and Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), as well as a new Electro-Optic Aiming System (EOPS) which gives additional situation awareness. The latest upgrade also includes future-proofing the electronics by upgrading to the fourth generation digital backbone, with embedded and more robust cybersecurity. “We are committed to delivering the most modern and adaptable IFVs to meet our customers' requirements and are extremely proud of the technological developments underway as part of this significant mid-life upgrade program,” said Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds. “We look forward to supporting our Dutch customer increase its combat efficiency on the future battlefield.” More than 20 Dutch companies are involved in the supply chain for the mid-life upgrade program to include mechanical and electrical components to BAE Systems Hägglunds and the main subsystem suppliers, which will support the Dutch defense industrial base for many years to come. There are about 1,300 CV90s of numerous variants in service with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The vehicle has a combat-proven track record and is designed to accommodate future growth to meet evolving missions. Contact Ola Thorén Director, Communications Platforms & Services BAE Systems Hägglunds Office: +46 660 80506 Mobile: +46 708 335000 Contact Rebecca Surtees Head of International Communications Platforms & Services Platforms & Services +44 (0) 7825 948274 View source version on BAE Systems: https://www.baesystems.com/en/article/bae-systems-receives-contract-to-provide-new-turret-for-netherlands-cv90s