Nouvelles

By: Karen Jowers A retired Army major general and former retail executive will lead a Pentagon task force that is examining the case for a possible merger of the military exchange and commissary systems, Defense officials announced Thursday. Keith Thurgood, who was also the chief executive officer of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service from 2007 to 2010, will start work Monday. If the task force business case analysis confirms that consolidation is the right approach, and if Defense Department officials back that finding, Thurgood will serve as the consolidated organization's executive director until the permanent position is advertised and filled, according to a May 29 memo directing the task force's formation. The retired Reserve major general has more than 28 years of military service and has held executive positions at PepsiCo & Frito-Lay Inc., Sam's Club, Overseas Military Sales Corporation, and MedAssets, Inc. He will take a sabbatical from his current position as clinical professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. He could serve up to two years on the task force. The task force will examine “back office” operations of the exchanges and commissaries, such as information technology, human resources and accounting. It will first determine whether the exchange systems ― AAFES, Navy Exchange Service Command, and Marine Corps Exchange ― could be combined with one corporate “backbone.” Then members will determine whether the Defense Commissary Agency could be merged into that system. Consolidation of the stores wouldn't necessarily mean that commissaries and exchanges would be combined into one store. Officials are also looking at keeping the individual branding of the exchange stores on military bases, as they combine behind-the-scenes operations. “With General Thurgood's leadership, understanding of the customer experience, and private sector experience in the retail space, the task force will evaluate our potential to generate efficiencies and scrutinize the above-the-store business aspects of the exchange system, with a goal of validating and defining our execution plan for the way forward,” said John H. Gibson, II, DoD's chief management officer, in the DoD announcement. https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2018/06/21/heres-who-will-lead-the-dod-group-that-could-decide-the-future-of-military-shopping/

By: Jill Lawless, The Associated Press LONDON — The bonds between Europe and North America are under strain and there's no guarantee the trans-Atlantic partnership will survive, the head of NATO warned Thursday. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for an effort to shore up the military alliance amid the divisions between Europe and the United States over trade, climate change and the Iran nuclear deal. “It is not written in stone that the trans-Atlantic bond will survive forever,” Stoltenberg said during a speech in London. “But I believe we will preserve it.” NATO has been shaken by U.S. President Donald Trump's “America First” stance and mistrust of international institutions. Trump once called NATO obsolete and has repeatedly berated other members of the 29-nation alliance of failing to spend enough on defense. Ahead of a NATO summit in July, Stoltenberg said “we may have seen the weakening” of some bonds between North America and Europe. But he insisted that “maintaining the trans-Atlantic partnership is in our strategic interests.” Stoltenberg said the world faced “the most unpredictable security environment in a generation” due to terrorism, proliferating weapons of mass destruction, cyberattacks and an assertive Russia. “We must continue to protect our multilateral institutions like NATO, and we must continue to stand up for the international rules-based order,” he said. After meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing St., Stoltenberg praised Britain, one of a minority of NATO countries to meet a target of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense. He said that despite differences between the U.S. and Europe, NATO delivered “trans-Atlantic unity” every day. “We have had differences before, and the lesson of history is that we overcome these differences every time,” Stoltenberg said. Some European officials worry the Trump administration is cool on efforts to hold Russia to account for misdeeds including election meddling and the nerve-agent poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in England, which the U.K. blames on Moscow. At a G-7 summit this month, Trump suggested that Russia should be readmitted to the group of industrial powers, from which it was expelled over its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Some U.S. allies are concerned by reports that Trump plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin when the American leader travels to Europe for the NATO summit next month. But Stoltenberg said meeting Putin does not contradict NATO policies. “We are in favor of dialogue with Russia,” he said. “We don't want a new cold war. We don't want a new arms race. We don't want to isolate Russia.” https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2018/06/21/why-the-head-of-nato-says-theres-no-guarantee-that-the-trans-atlantic-alliance-will-survive/

David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is discussing changes to a multibillion-dollar fighter jet procurement process that could make it harder for a U.S. company to win the order as trade relations between the neighbors sour, two sources with direct knowledge of the discussions said. Canada is considering whether to penalize companies from countries that have caused it economic damage, the sources said on Wednesday. While a final decision is not expected before next year and the threat could be posturing, the move shows how the Trump administration's trade disputes are spilling over into other areas. A spokeswoman for federal Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough - who has overall responsibility for major purchases of military equipment - declined to comment. Sources declined to be identified as the discussions are confidential. Boeing Co's (BA.N) F-18 Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) F-35 fighter were among the favorites to capture the contract to supply 88 planes, worth between C$15 billion ($11.3 billion) and C$19 billion. Defense sources have long said the Canadian air force would prefer an American-built jet, citing the importance of operating easily with U.S. armed forces. But a change in procurement terms would give more of a chance to European suppliers: Airbus SE (AIR.PA), which makes the Eurofighter; Saab AB (SAABb.ST), which makes the Gripen; and Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA), which makes the Rafale. Defense sources, however, say the European jets are likely to become obsolete by around 2040, at which point they could no longer incorporate the latest technologies. Canada has been trying unsuccessfully for almost a decade to buy replacements for its aging F-18 fighters, some of which are 40 years old. The former Conservative administration said in 2010 it would buy 65 F-35 jets but later scrapped the decision, triggering years of delays and reviews. Ottawa has already said bids will be evaluated in part by examining whether firms competing for the order have caused any past economic damage to Canada. Officials said at the time this was aimed at Boeing, which last year launched a trade challenge against Canadian planemaker Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO). Government officials are now discussing whether Canada should also consider economic damage caused by governments, a clear reference to worsening relations with Washington, said the sources. “Politically it's hard to spend billions of dollars on contracts with a country that's hurting you,” said one of the sources, who asked to remain anonymous given the extreme sensitivity of the situation. However, the sources emphasized that the discussions are at an early stage and Ottawa could eventually decide to drop the proposed language. Canada - which is due to release the exact specifications for the jets next year - has not yet finished work on the clause referring to economic damage caused by a single firm. U.S. President Donald Trump last month slapped tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, prompting Canada to announce its own retaliatory measures. Trump has also threatened tariffs on Canadian autos, which could badly hurt the economy. Ottawa froze talks with Boeing about the fighter jet contest but after the company's trade challenge against Bombardier failed, Canadian officials made clear the firm would not be discriminated against if it chose to bid. https://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCAKBN1JH2IA-OCABS

Jaroslaw Adamowski WARSAW, Poland — Lt. Gen. Ales Opata, the chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, has unveiled plans by the country to spend 100 billion koruna (U.S. $4.5 billion) on what he called the largest military modernization program in the Czech Republic's history. By 2027, the Czech military is to acquire 210 infantry fighting vehicles, 50 self-propelled howitzers, 12 multipurpose helicopters, two transport aircraft, and short-range air defense systems and combat drones, among other materiel. The purchases are to allow the Czech Armed Forces to replace a decisive share of its Soviet-designed gear. “Soldiers must feel that the Czech military budget is rising, and that the situation is starting to improve,” Opata said, as quoted in a government statement. The government also plans to acquire new 3-D radars. However, the pending purchase of eight ELM-2084 multimission radars from Israel's Elta Systems, a subsidiary of IAI, is currently under investigation by the Czech military police. The procedure was initiated on the request of Defence Minister Karla Slechtova amid concern over the equipment's interoperability with NATO infrastructure. This year, Prague's defense expenditure is to total 58.9 billion koruna, up 12 percent compared with 2017, according to government figures. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/06/20/heres-what-the-czech-military-wants-to-buy-with-its-record-45b-modernization-program/

Tony Osborne LONDON—Brussels may delay a decision on its selection of a future fighter to examine proposals from France and options to upgrade its existing F-16 http://aviationweek.com/awindefense/brussels-may-delay-future-fighter-selection

Le porte-parole du Pentagone, Mike Andrews, a déclaré que la cérémonie d'inauguration se tiendra au Fort de Lockheed au Texas, comme prévu le 21 juin. Les Etats-Unis s'apprêtent à livrer le premier lot de deux avions de chasse F-35 à la Turquie lors d'une cérémonie qui se tiendra jeudi au Texas, malgré l'adoption par le Sénat d'un projet de loi bloquant la livraison, a annoncé mercredi le Pentagone. Dans son communiqué, le porte-parole du Pentagone, Mike Andrews, a annoncé que la cérémonie d'inauguration se déroulerait au Fort Lockheed, au Texas, le 21 juin, en précisant que les deux avions de combat F-35 seraient transférés à Luke Airforce Base, en Arizona où des pilotes turcs devraient recevoir une formation sur le pilotage des jets tout au long de 2019. Au total, 12 pays ont participé au programme de fabrication de F-35. Parmi les neuf pays qui ont participé au développement conjoint de l'avion de combat, tous les États ont déjà commencé à recevoir les avions à réaction F-35 à l'exception de la Turquie, du Canada et du Danemark. Le Sénat américain a adopté lundi dernier un projet de loi sur la politique de défense d'un montant de 716 milliards de dollars, bloquant ainsi la livraison d'avions de combat interarmées F-35 à la Turquie. Le projet de loi affirmait que l'achat du système de missiles S-400 en provenance de Russie augmentait les tensions et les risques pour l'alliance de l'OTAN. Il exige également la libération du pasteur américain Andrew Brunson, qui fait face à des accusations de terrorisme en Turquie. Avant de pouvoir être légiféré, le projet de loi doit être concilié avec celui déjà adopté par la Chambre des représentants. Cette mesure de compromis doit ensuite être adoptée par les deux chambres et signée par Trump. https://www.redaction.media/articles/pentagone-turquie-recevra-avions-f-35-jeudi/

PATRICK TUCKER The U.S. Senate wants to revoke Turkey's license to buy the jet, while other European governments are looking to get a competitor off the ground. The most sophisticated fighter jet in the world, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, will play a smaller role in the future of European security than originally conceived. On Monday, the Senate amended its version of the 2019 defense authorization act to block the sale of the fifth-generation fighter jet to Turkey. The reason: the NATO ally's purchase of the Russian S-400, a radar and missile battery with a lethal range of 250 km. In routine operation, the sensor- and transmitter-packed jet exchanges electronic data with friendly anti-air systems and sensors, and if Turkey were to do this, data collected by the Russian-built weapon might find its way back to Moscow. The House version of the bill also expresses concerns about the S-400 and Turkey and requires a report 60 days after the bill's enactment to assess Turkey's purchase of the system and possible consequences to U.S. aircraft. Turkey inked the S-400 deal last year, over strenuous objections from the U.S. and other NATO-member governments concerned about an ally using Russian air defense systems. “A NATO-interoperable missile defense system remains the best option to defend Turkey from the full range of threats in the region,” Pentagon spokesperson Johnny Michael told CNBC last fall. Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called Monday's decision“lamentable.” It's also very inconvenient for Turkey's political elite, coming just days before Turkish elections. The U.S. military has gotten up close and personal with the S-400 over Syria, where the Russian military has deployed to aid the Assad regime. Its deadly presence reshaped how the U.S.-led coalition flies air ops, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigan told reporters in September. “‘We are consistently monitoring them to see if something changes their intent because we have to manage that and respond quickly...We look at it every day. It's an everyday discussion to make sure our force can manage that risk.” Strained Atlantic relations aren't just affecting today's jet sales and development today, but potentially decisions far off as well. France and Germany have agreed to work together on a sixth-generation fighter, the so-called Future Combat Air System, or FCAS, to begin to replace the Tornado by 2040. The previous chief of the Luftwaffe, Lt. Gen. Karl Müllner, had been in favor of replacing the Tornado with the F-35. Partly for that reason, he was dismissed in May. Going with the F-35 would “eliminate the need for a next-gen European fighter and possibly cripple Europe's capacity to develop such a system for years to come,” said Ulrich Kühn, a German political scientist and senior research associate at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. The move has ramifications far beyond what new jets are sitting on the tarmac in Western Europe in ten years. “Since Germany takes part in NATO nuclear sharing, a new platform would have to be certified by the U.S. to deliver U.S.B61s,” thermonuclear gravity bombs, Kühn pointed out on Twitter. He was responding to an article that ran Sunday in the German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. “But [the] new fighter should be nuke capable,” says Kühn. “Now, German Airbus officials have started asking the Gretchen Question: what nukes shall the FCAS carry? U.S. or French ones?” Kühn argues that the question of how to develop the FCAS as a nuclear capable jet will be one of the most important decisions that Germany will take in the next few years and could have ramifications for the future of the nuclear umbrella over Europe. What was supposed to be a unified, highly interoperable American weapons web could become more fractured, less under American control. “The decision about the FCAS as a nuclear platform will have wide-ranging repercussions on Germany, the EU and NATO,” he says. The U.S. military has been pushing allies to buy the F-35 not just to expand America's weapons reach but because the jet is a flying intelligence fusion cell as much a bomb-dropper. One of its core selling features is its ability to transmit rich targeting intelligence to nearby drones or faraway jets or even Aegis warships rigged for missile defense miles away. That interoperability is key to the Pentagon's vision of future wars. As alliances with Western partners fray, those plans may need revision. https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2018/06/thanks-nato-infighting-future-f-35-shrinking/149136/

Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany ― The defense ministers of Germany and France have inked new agreements for the joint development of a new combat aircraft and a next-generation tank, key programs that could shape the European defense landscape for decades to come. Ursula von der Leyen and Florence Parly signed the letters of intent on the sidelines of a bilateral Cabinet meeting in Berlin on Tuesday. The documents are meant to provide the necessary guidance to set up a program of record for the Future Combat Air System and the Main Ground Combat System. A defense spokesman in Berlin told Defense News the agreement calls for the examination of potential management structures, for example through OCCAR, a European collective for joint weapons acquisition and management. The core members of OCCAR include France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Belgium, though other nations can partake in individual projects. By: Sebastian Sprenger According to a German Defence Ministry statement, the signed documents establish the two governments' “left and right boundaries” for the programs. “Industry is now requested to fill the space,” the statement reads. “Both projects ... stand for technological quantum leaps that shall be approached together while integrating the strengths of each nation's industries.” Led by France, the Future Combat Air System aims to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in Germany and the Rafale aircraft in France. The Main Ground Combat System, helmed by Berlin, will succeed the German Leopard 2 tanks ― used widely in Europe and beyond ― and the French Leclerc. The new aircraft are envisioned to hit the skies by 2040, while the the new tanks are pegged to roll in the mid-2030s. Connected to the tank effort is also an artillery replacement plan, named Common Indirect Fire System. While both projects initially are exclusively German and French, partner countries will have an opportunity to join once a “strong foundation” is established by the two lead nations, the German Defence Ministry said. KNDS, a joint venture by German tank-maker Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France's Nexter, unveiled a European Main Battle Tank as an interim step toward the future tank program at the Eurosatory defense trade show in Paris last week. The next-generation combat aircraft project, which officials said will include a sizable unmanned component, is slated to enter a concept-study phase by the end of the year, according to the German ministry. Both efforts are still some time away from formulating concrete military requirements, to which companies eventually can tailor their offers. That cooperation process is expected to be thornier than the agreement on political pronouncements so far that paint Germany and France as the motor of Europe's new defense ambitions. Absent from Tuesday's joint statement was any mention of cooperative work on a new air-to-ground missile and modernization of the Tiger attack helicopter to a Mark 3 version. The two ministers had announced at the ILA Berlin air show in April that the two countries would cooperate on the airborne weapon and the midlife upgrade of the combat helicopter. A common weapon for both French and German Tiger helicopters would cut down integration costs for the missiles. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/06/19/france-germany-kick-off-race-for-quantum-leaps-in-aircraft-and-tank-tech/

• Le Canada a attribué la phase II du contrat de segment au sol MEOSAR (Système de satellites en orbite moyenne pour la recherche et le sauvetage) à Thales Canada. • Le contrat comprend l'acquisition de deux MEOLUT et des services de maintenance pendant cinq ans incluant des options pour cinq années supplémentaires. • Gr'ce à la puissante et compacte solution d'antennes réseau MEOLUT Next de Thales Alenia Space, le Canada bénéficiera du premier système de recherche et de sauvetage spatial de ce type au Monde. e Canada a attribué la phase II du contrat de segment au sol MEOSAR (Système de satellites en orbite moyenne pour la recherche et le sauvetage) à Thales Canada. Ce système aidera le Canada à réagir rapidement et efficacement aux signaux de détresse provenant de la terre, des airs et des mers, d'un océan à l'autre, ce qui permettra au Canada de s'acquitter de ses obligations en vertu de l'Accord international COSPAS-SARSAT. Le contrat comprend l'acquisition de deux MEOLUT et des services de maintenance pendant cinq ans avec des options pour cinq années supplémentaires. Gr'ce à la puissante et compacte solution d'antennes réseau MEOLUT Next de Thales Alenia Space, le Canada bénéficiera du premier système de recherche et de sauvetage spatial de ce type au monde. Thales Alenia Space conçoit, exploite et fournit des systèmes satellitaires pour les gouvernements et les institutions, les aidant à positionner et à connecter n'importe qui ou n'importe quoi, partout. Depuis sa mise en service en 2016, MEOLUT Next a délivré des performances inégalées, détectant les signaux de détresse à plus de 5 000 km de distance. Cette nouvelle capacité permet de sauver des vies. Le 2 juillet 2017 à 6 h 30, à 70 kilomètres au large de la Sardaigne, un voilier de 12 mètres avec trois personnes à bord a déclenché sa balise COSPAS/SARSAT lorsque son gouvernail s'est brisé et que son moteur est tombé en panne. Sa radio VHF étant hors de portée, les marins se sont vite rendu compte qu'ils se trouvaient dans une situation critique avec des vagues de plus de quatre mètres de haut et un vent soufflant à 40 nœuds. MEOLUT Next a été en mesure de recevoir et de traiter leurs signaux de détresse en moins de cinq minutes, fournissant ainsi un positionnement précis aux autorités. Un avion a identifié le bateau moins de deux heures après le déclenchement de la balise et un hélicoptère a ramené l'équipage en lieu sûr, sauvant ainsi les trois vies. « Thales Canada est fier de fournir des solutions de classe mondiale qui vont nous améliorer la vie et nous maintenir en sécurité », a déclaré Jerry McLean, directeur général et vice-président de Thales Canada. « Des systèmes C4ISR complexes aux C3 maritimes intégrés et aux diverses solutions aérospatiales, ce contrat reflète l'engagement continu de Thales envers l'innovation canadienne. » « Nous sommes confiants que notre solution répondra aux attentes MEOSAR du Canada et les dépassera, tout en offrant au Canada une technologie décisive pour ses moments décisifs », a déclaré Philippe Blatt, VP Navigation France chez Thales Alenia Space. « Aujourd'hui, MEOLUT Next est la seule solution au monde capable de traiter les balises de deuxième génération en temps réel. Son efficacité opérationnelle a récemment été reconnue par Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) pour ses contributions humanitaires ». Notes à l'éditeur COSPAS/SARSAT COSPAS/SARSAT est une organisation intergouvernementale fondée par le Canada, les États-Unis, la Russie et la France. En opération dans 43 pays à travers le monde, ce système de détection et de distribution d'alertes de détresse par satellite est surtout connu pour détecter et localiser les balises de détresse activées par les aéronefs, les navires et les randonneurs de l'arrière-pays en détresse. Aujourd'hui, quelque 500 000 navires et 150 000 aéronefs sont équipés de balises de détresse COSPAS/SARSAT. À ce jour, le service COSPAS-SARSAT a sauvé plus de 37 000 vies. MEOLUT Next Les systèmes conventionnels MEOLUT (Medium Earth Orbit Local User Terminal - terminaux locaux pour charges utiles en orbite terrestre moyenne) utilisent de grandes antennes paraboliques et sont limités par le nombre de signaux satellites qu'ils peuvent recevoir. La solution MEOLUT Next de Thales Alenia Space est compacte, elle mesure moins de six mètres carrés, et permet de suivre jusqu'à 30 satellites, améliorant ainsi significativement le taux de détection des balises de détresse tout en élargissant la zone de couverture. Comme il n'y a pas de composants mécaniques, les coûts d'entretien du matériel sont les plus bas sur le marché. À propos de Thales Ceux qui font avancer le monde s'appuient sur Thales. Nous sommes aux côtés de ceux qui ont de grandes ambitions : rendre le monde meilleur et plus sûr. Riches de la diversité de leurs expertises, de leurs talents, de leurs cultures, nos équipes d'architectes conçoivent un éventail unique de solutions technologiques d'exception, qui rendent demain possible dès aujourd'hui. Du fond des océans aux profondeurs du cosmos ou du cyberespace, nous aidons nos clients à maîtriser des environnements toujours plus complexes pour prendre des décisions rapides, efficaces, à chaque moment décisif. Fort de 65 000 collaborateurs dans 56 pays, Thales a réalisé en 2017 un chiffre d'affaires de 15,8 milliards d'euros. À propos de Thales Canada Chef de file national en recherche et technologie, Thales Canada allie plus de 50 ans d'expérience et le talent de 1 800 personnes qualifiées d'un océan à l'autre. Avec un chiffre d'affaires de 500 millions de dollars, Thales Canada offre des capacités de pointe dans les secteurs du transport ferroviaire urbain, de l'aviation civile, de la défense et de la sécurité qui répondent aux besoins les plus complexes des clients dans tous les environnements d'exploitation. À propos de Thales Alenia Space Combinant 40 ans d'expérience et une diversité unique d'expertise, de talents et de cultures, les ingénieurs de Thales Alenia Space conçoivent et fournissent des solutions de haute technologie pour les télécommunications, la navigation, l'observation de la Terre, la gestion de l'environnement, l'exploration, la science et les infrastructures orbitales. Les gouvernements, les institutions et les entreprises font confiance à Thales Alenia Space pour concevoir, exploiter et livrer des systèmes satellitaires qui les aident à positionner et à connecter n'importe qui ou n'importe quoi, partout, à observer notre planète, à optimiser l'utilisation des ressources de notre planète et de notre système solaire. Thales Alenia Space croit en l'espace comme nouvel horizon de l'humanité, qui permettra de construire une vie meilleure et plus durable sur Terre. Co-entreprise entre Thales (67 %) et Leonardo (33 %), Thales Alenia Space s'associe également à Telespazio pour former la Space Alliance des sociétés mères, ce qui offre une gamme complète de services et de solutions. Thales Alenia Space a réalisé un chiffre d'affaires consolidé d'environ 2,4 milliards d'euros en 2016 et emploie 7 980 personnes dans neuf pays. www.thalesaleniaspace.com CONTACTS PRESSE Thales Canada Cara Salci Tel.: 613-404-9413 cara.salci@ca.thalesgroup.com Thales Alenia Space Sandrine Bielecki Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94 sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com Chrystelle Dugimont Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 74 06 chrystelle.dugimont@thalesaleniaspace.com Cinzia Marcanio Tel: +39 06 41512685 cinzia.marcanio@thalesaleniaspace.com https://www.thalesgroup.com/fr/monde/espace/press-release/le-canada-va-se-doter-du-segment-sol-base-toutes-dernieres-technologies