1 février 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
Le rapport d'information sur la Coopération structurée permanente (CSP) des deux députées Natalia Pouzyreff (LREM) et Michèle Tabarot (LR) critique les insuffisances de cette structure, censée mutualiser les moyens de la défense européenne. La France reste le pays le plus actif, à l'inverse de nombreux pays, et beaucoup d'Etats-membres font encore trop souvent appel aux Etats-Unis pour leur équipement militaire, au détriment des entreprises européennes. « L'implication des États-membres dans les projets est très variable, reflet pour l'essentiel de capacités militaires très différentes. La France participe ainsi à 38 projets, coordonnant 10 d'entre eux. C'est le pays le plus actif, écrivent les auteures du rapport. Tous les États-membres ne sont pas aussi impliqués dans la CSP que la France et nombre d'entre eux, notamment l'Allemagne, ne la voit pas comme une priorité. C'est le cas également des pays d'Europe de l'Est pour lesquels la priorité en matière de défense est et restera l'OTAN ». Par ailleurs, poursuivent les deux députées, « il apparaît que, pour de nombreux États-membres, l'augmentation des budgets de défense ait surtout été utilisée pour acquérir des armements auprès d'entreprises américaines, qui sont les concurrentes directes des entreprises européennes de défense, au point que l'Europe représente 53% des exportations d'armes américaines (2018) ».
La Tribune du 1er février 2021
27 janvier 2024 | International, Sécurité
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajić to NATO Headquarters on Friday (26 January 2024). They discussed preparations for the upcoming Washington Summit and continued efforts to bolster the Alliance’s deterrence and defence.
12 juin 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Nathan Strout An early version of the Senate's annual defense bill would provide additional funding for space-based sensors capable of detecting and tracking hypersonic weapons, according to a summary released June 11. However, details on the proposal are scant. Congress has become increasingly concerned over the threat posed by hypersonic weapons under development by China and Russia. Too dim to be reliably picked up by current space-based sensors and able to maneuver around terrestrial sensors, hypersonic weapons make much of the current missile warning system obsolete, as it was designed for ballistic missile threats. To counter this threat, the Defense Department has proposed a solution: a proliferated constellation of satellites operating in low Earth orbit. Once a hypersonic threat is detected, the constellation tracks it while passing custody from satellite to satellite as the weapon moves around the globe. This Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, or HBTSS, will be part of the new National Defense Space Architecture, a proliferated constellation that will eventually be made up of hundreds of small satellites operating primarily in low Earth orbit. The Space Development Agency is overseeing this effort and plans to begin placing its first satellites on orbit in fiscal 2022. The Missile Defense Agency listed HBTSS as an unfunded priority during the prior budget cycle, and ultimately Congress did allocate $108 million to the agency for the program in FY20. Now the Senate Armed Services Committee says it will provide additional funding for the program for FY21, but it has yet to say by how much. The summary also does not note where the funding for HBTSS will go. Determining which agency would be in charge of HBTSS was a source of friction between the Pentagon and Congress in 2019, with the latter pushing for MDA to take primary responsibility for the effort, while the White House claimed it was too early to put one agency in charge. Ultimately, legislation passed by Congress in December directed MDA to be the lead agency for the development and deployment of HBTSS. However, the Missile Defense Agency's proposed FY21 budget transfers HBTSS funding responsibility to the Space Development Agency. At the same time, MDA awarded four $20 million contracts to companies to develop HBTSS prototypes in October. The four companies selected were Northrop Grumman, Leidos, Harris Corporation and Raytheon. The SDA recently issued a request for proposals for wide field of view satellites that references medium field of view satellites which are expected to be launched in 2023. According to SDA Director Derek Tournear, those will be the first space components of MDA's HBTSS. Still, it's unclear whether Congress will endorse moving HBTSS funding responsibility to SDA in FY21. When faced with criticism over that move from legislators at a March hearing, MDA Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill assured them that his agency would remain in charge of sensor development for HBTSS, with SDA providing money to MDA for the effort. Hill said the decision to move the funding was made by Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin SDA is asking for $137 million for space technology development in FY21, which includes funding for space sensor technology. The agency expects to begin placing payloads on orbit in FY22. The budget request does not specifically break out funding for HBTSS. MDA has also asked for $207 million for hypersonic defense. That funding will help the agency develop a regional glide phase weapon system and maturing technologies for future hypersonic defense architectures. It does not include funding specifically for HBTSS, as that has transitioned to SDA. CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to show that the medium field of view satellites are not part of the SDA's wide field of view solicitation. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/06/11/senate-bill-promises-more-funding-for-space-based-hypersonic-defense-but-mum-on-details/
22 septembre 2020 | International, Naval
Seapower Staff LOCKPORT, La.–Bollinger Shipyards LLC (“Bollinger”) will construct a state-of-the-art, floating dry dock for General Dynamics Electric Boat to support the construction and maintenance of the United States' new Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarines, the company said in a Sept. 16 release. “Bollinger Shipyards is pleased to expand our current relationship with Electric Boat and to play a critical role in increasing the number of U.S. built dry docks to meet the expanding need to modernize and refurbish our nation's aging fleet,” said Ben Bordelon, Bollinger president and chief executive officer. “We're honored to have been selected to build this dry dock, which will be a national asset, to meet the complex needs of our Navy's fleet modernization plans. To build 21st century American vessels, it requires 21st century American tools and equipment manufactured here in the United States. Bollinger is committed to continuing to be a leader in pushing our industry forward and ensuring that the U.S. industrial base is fully self-sufficient.” The detail design engineering will be performed at the Bollinger facility in Lockport, Louisiana. The concept and contract design for the 618-foot-by-140-foot dry dock was performed by the Bristol Harbor Group in Rhode Island. The dry dock is scheduled to be delivered to Electric Boat's Groton Connecticut shipyard in 2024. Electric Boat is the prime contractor on the design and build of the of the Columbia Class submarine, which will replace the aging Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines. This is Bollinger Shipyards' second contract awarded with General Dynamics Electric Boat. In late 2019, Bollinger Shipyards was selected to construct the 395ft x 100ft Ocean Transport Barge for Electric Boat, scheduled to be delivered in 2021. https://seapowermagazine.org/bollinger-awarded-contract-for-floating-dry-dock-for-columbia-ssbn/