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U.S. Army’s FARA Program: What We Know About All The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Replacement Candidates

The Aviationist Blog - Thu, 05/03/2020 - 22:17
Boeing unveiled its design for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft. Now that all candidates are public, let’s see what we know about the helicopters that could replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. On Mar. 3, 2020, [...]
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

Jiří Šedivý appointed as new EDA Chief Executive

EDA News - Thu, 05/03/2020 - 18:35

The EDA Steering Board today appointed Jiří Šedivý, former Czech Defence Minister, as new EDA Chief Executive upon recommendation of the Head of the European Defence Agency Josep Borrell. He will take office in April 2020.

Jiří Šedivý has extensive experience in the defence domain, having served as Defence Minister of the Czech Republic (2006-2007), Deputy Defence Minister (2010-2012), NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning (2007-2010) and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to NATO (2012-2019). He also was Deputy Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic (2007). On 1 September 2019 (and until today), Mr Šedivý was appointed by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs as special representative for resilience and new threats.

“Jiří Šedivý’s ministerial and diplomatic experience as well as his deep practical knowledge of the European and transatlantic security and defence realm make him the ideal candidate to lead the European Defence Agency in the coming years. We need a strong and supportive European Defence Agency to ensure coherence and focus on agreed joint priorities in the implementation of our defence initiatives. I am certain Jiří Šedivý will provide this leadership”, Josep Borrell said.

Mr Šedivý has a distinguished academic background. He is a graduate of Charles University, Prague, where he earned a PhD in Political Science, and of King’s College, London, where he earned an MA in War Studies. From 2004 to 2006 he was Professor of Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, lecturing on such topics as defence sector transformation, civil-military relations and national strategy making.

Between 1999 and 2004, he was Director of the Institute of International Relations in Prague, Assistant Professor of International Relations at Charles University, Prague, and Professor of European Security at New York University, Prague Centre. As an expert, he played an important role in the Czech Republic’s accession to NATO. It was during this period that he also served as external adviser to President Václav Havel.

More information

  • CV Jiří Šedivý  
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

Tactical Leadership Course FC 20-1 at Albacete Air Base

The Aviationist Blog - Thu, 05/03/2020 - 12:57
We have been to Albacete, in Spain, to report about the first Flying Course of 2020. Half way between the eastern coast of Spain on the Mediterranean Sea and Madrid, Albacete is the hometown of [...]
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

Latest news - Next SEDE meeting - Subcommittee on Security and Defence

The next meeting of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 18 March 2020 from 9:00 - 12:30 and from 14:30 - 18:30 and on Thursday 19 March 2020 from 9:00 - 12:30 in Brussels (room SPINELLI 1G3).

Please also consult the SEDE meetings' calendar 2020 below.


Recent press releases:

- MEPs exchange views with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations - 21 November 2019
- Subcommittee for Security and Defence visit to the European Defence Agency - 18 November 2019
- Militarisation of space and race for resources: What can EU do about it? - 12 November 2019
- Children of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq: MEPs to assess the situation - 6 November 2019
- AFET/DROI/SEDE meet with UN Secretary General in New York and hold consultations with the US Congress in Washington, DC - 1st November 2019
- Parliament delegation to visit the United Nations General Assembly and US Congress - 25 October 2019
...


SEDE meetings' calendar 2020
Press release: MEPs exchange views with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations - 21 November 2019
Press release: Subcommittee for Security and Defence visit to the European Defence Agency - 18 November 2019
Press release: Militarisation of space and race for resources: What can EU do about it? - 12 November 2019
Press release: Children of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq: MEPs to assess the situation - 6 November 2019
Press release: AFET/DROI/SEDE meet with UN Secretary General in New York and hold consultations with the US Congress in Washington, DC - 1st November 2019
Press release: Parliament delegation to visit the United Nations General Assembly and US Congress - 25 October 2019
Press release: MEPs call for sanctions against Turkey over military operation in Syria - 24 October 2019
Press release: NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London: “Unilateral military operation in north east Syria is a security risk to us all” - 15 October 2019
Press release: Russian actions prompt NATO and EU to improve military mobility in Europe - 8 October 2019
Press release: End of INF Treaty: Is arms control out of fashion? - 26 September 2019
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Pantsyr-SM

Military-Today.com - Thu, 05/03/2020 - 08:45

Russian Pantsyr-SM Short- and Medium-Range Air Defense Gun/Missile System
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

Airbus Tapped For UH-72 Procurement | DoS Approves Pegasus Sale To Israel | Singapore To Upgrade PCG Patrol Boats

Defense Industry Daily - Thu, 05/03/2020 - 05:00
Americas

CAE USA-Mission Solutions won a $10.6 million modification for the F-15E, F-16 and F-22A contract aircrew training and courseware development contract. The contract modification is for exercising Option Year Three. The Boeing F-15E dual-role fighter is an advanced long-range interdiction fighter and tactical aircraft. The F-15E is the latest version of the Eagle, a Mach 2.5-class twin-engine fighter. The F-16 and the F-15 Eagle were the world’s first aircraft able to withstand higher g-forces than the pilots. The F-16 Fighting Falcon entered service in 1979. The F-22A Raptor is an advanced tactical fighter aircraft developed for the US Air Force. It entered service with the USAF in December 2005 to replace the F-15, with emphasis on agility, stealth and range. Work under the contract modification is expected to be finished by April 1, 2020.

Airbus Helicopters won a $122.7 million contract modification for procurement of 15 UH-72 Aircraft. The UH-72A Lakota is a light utility helicopter specifically designed to meet the requirements of the US Army. Based on the EC 145 multirole helicopter, the UH-72A serves the army principally for logistics and support missions within the US. Work will take place in Columbus, Mississippi and estimated completion date is August 31, 2022. Army funds in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award.

Middle East & Africa

The DoS approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Israel of up to eight KC-46 aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.4 billion. The KC-46A is a 767-2C provisioned freighter with a 767-400 flight deck (this flight deck features the Rockwell Collins large format displays of the 787 airliner). The KC-46A has a minimum crew of three comprised of a pilot, co-pilot, and mission system operator/officer. It can carry 96 tonnes of fuel, although it should be noted that the KC-46A loses much of its underfloor cargo space with auxiliary tanks in doing so. According to the DoS, the proposed sale supports the foreign policy and national security of the United States by allowing Israel to provide a redundant capability to US assets within the region, potentially freeing US assets for use elsewhere during times of war.

The DoS approved a possible FMS to Morocco of 25 M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System (HERCULES) vehicles and/or M88A1 long supply HERCULES refurbished vehicles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $239.4 million. The potential $239.35 million sale would include 25 M88A2 and/or refurbished M88A1 vehicles along with with an equal number of .50 caliber machine guns, M239 or M250 smoke grenade launchers, 1,800 M76 or L8A1/A3 smoke grenade rounds, 25 SINCGARS radios, AN/PSN-13A GPS receivers (DAGR), and 30 AN/VAS-5B Driver Vision Enhancer kits. The main contractor will be BAE Systems, the original producer of the M88. The armored M88 Hercules, or Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System, is designed to lift or tow stuck or disabled fighting vehicles while under fire.

Europe

The Land Battle Decisive Munitions initiative welcomed the Czech Republic and Sweden, bringing the total number of participating NATO Allies and partners to 23. The amendment to the initiative’s Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the margins of the NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels. The Land Battle Decisive Munitions Initiative was launched during the NATO Summit in 2018 and the first delivery of acquired munition followed within six months. Participating nations are now working on further acquisition rounds for later this year. With the two new participants, the Land Battle Decisive Munitions Initiative now includes Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom, as well as the partner nations Austria, Finland, North Macedonia and Sweden.

Asia-Pacific

The Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) will be receiving a new batch of patrol boats as part of efforts to improve security along the country’s coastal waters. Speaking in parliament on March 2, Singapore’s Minister for Home Affairs, Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, described the new vessels as “fifth generation PT-class patrol boats” that will replace the service’s current fleet of “third-generation boats”. The PCG has a fleet of 18 m patrol craft that were built by Geraldton Boats in Australia, and delivered to the PCG from 1999. These vessels have a top speed of 40 kt, and are armed with manually operated 7.62 mm machine guns.

Today’s Video

Watch: Top 5 Best Guided Missile Ships on the Planet

Categories: Defence`s Feeds

China remains ‘highest priority’ for Pentagon, says Esper

Jane's Defense News - Thu, 05/03/2020 - 04:00
The US Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) “highest priority” remains China, as Beijing “continues to use and misuse its diplomatic, economic, and military strength to attempt to alter the landscape of power and reshape the world in its favour, often at the expense of
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

494th FS F-15E Strike Eagles Return To RAF Lakenheath From Middle East Deployment With Wrestlers Nose Arts

The Aviationist Blog - Wed, 04/03/2020 - 21:38
Nose art for deployed Strike Eagles becoming a standard? The first 16 F-15E Strike Eagle jets belonging to the 494th FS of the 48th Fighter Wing deployed to the CENTCOM AOR (Area Of Operation) as [...]
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

555th Fighter Squadron Completes First F-16 Deployment to Al Udeid AB, Qatar, in 15 years

The Aviationist Blog - Wed, 04/03/2020 - 14:41
The squadron has now been relocated to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, for the second part of the deployment. The 555th Fighter Squadron, also known as the “world famous, highly-respected” Triple Nickel, completed the [...]
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

EDA Statement : Confirmed case of COVID-19

EDA News - Wed, 04/03/2020 - 12:58

The European Defence Agency (EDA) confirms that one staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member tested positive and is currently at home in self isolation since symptoms appeared on Saturday evening (29 February 2020). The individual has reported very light symptoms and not returned to the Agency since.

The staff member promptly informed the Agency and since then EDA has taken several steps:

  • EDA is in close contact with the Belgian health authorities as the host nation, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the EU Inter-Institutional Medical Board and the World Health Organisation (WHO);
  • EDA has personally informed the few staff members who were in close contact with the colleague concerned four days prior to the appearance of symptoms;
  • EDA has asked these staff members to self-isolate themselves for 14 days as a precaution;
  • EDA has taken as a precautionary measure - based on guidance received by the EU inter-institutional medical board - the decision to cancel all meetings to be held at its premises and organised by EDA outside its premises until 13 March 2020 inclusive. Additionally, no EDA staff members will attend any external meetings until after 13 March 2020;
  • EDA has already carried out a disinfection of the office and relevant meeting facilities of the staff member concerned.

The staff member had recently travelled to Italy (Milan and Cortina) and returned to Brussels on 23 February. The Agency also wishes to address reports in the media, that the impacted staff member attended a meeting with 30 officials from other EU institutions, as incorrect.

EDA will continue to closely monitor the situation and remain in close contact with the responsible health authorities in order to strictly follow their guidance.

Categories: Defence`s Feeds

US Navy To Get UC-12W Military Transport Plane | Nigeria To Get 3 JF-17s In November | Australia Receives Final Hobart Ship

Defense Industry Daily - Wed, 04/03/2020 - 05:00
Americas

Textron Aviation won a $14.3 million contract modification for the production and delivery of one King Air 350C Cargo Slick aircraft modified to a UC-12W. The UC-12W, a modified version of the King Air 350 equipped with a cargo door and military required equipment, is a modern and improved version of the UC-12. The UC-12 is used by the Navy for personnel and cargo transport, range clearance, medical evacuation, and humanitarian assistance. The Navy operates UC-12B/F/M Huron as modified variants of the King Air B200 as well as the UC-12W Huron. Work will take place in Kansas and expected completion is in March 2021.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics won a $9.6 million delivery order, which procures program management support to execute the planning, procurement and delivery of initial aircraft spares in support of the F-35 Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, non-Department of Defense participants and Foreign Military Sales customers operational aircraft. The F-35 is considered a significant driver of the Pentagon’s budget: an August DoD report said the F-35 program grew by $25 billion in 2018 and was the primary reason the Pentagon’s budget grew by four percent that year. Work will take place in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be finished in December 2020. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Middle East & Africa

The head of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, has revealed that three JF-17s, which the country ordered, will arrive home in November this year. He made the disclosure during the Passing Out Parade of the Basic Military Training Course 40 on February 15. In March 2019, Pakistan’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) announced that it had approved the sale of three JF-17s to Nigeria under a $184 million US contract. It is likely that the NAF will follow-up this contract with a follow-on order to fully replace its legacy F-7Ni and FT-7Ni fighters. Through the JF-17, Nigeria possesses one of Sub-Sahara Africa’s most well-equipped fighters.

Europe

Thales UK has been awarded contracts worth around $422.8 million to develop the sonar suite and above-water sensor systems for the new Royal Navy Dreadnought Class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Previously known as Successor, the Dreadnought submarine program is planned to replace the RN’s four existing Vanguard Class SSBNs – one for one, from the early 2030s – to maintain a posture of continuous at-sea deterrence. Manufacture work on the first two 17,200-tonne displacement boats is under way at the BAE Systems Maritime – Submarines’ Barrow-in-Furness shipyard facility in Cumbria.

Asia-Pacific

Singapore-based unmanned maritime systems developer Zycraft has produced a logistics-optimized variant of the Dolphin rescue unmanned surface vessel (USV), the company announced on its official website on March 3. According to Zycraft president James Soon, the company has developed the BacPac sea transfer module to carry payloads of up to 10 kg between ships that are unable to maneuver alongside each other due to sea conditions or security concerns. The baseline Dolphin rescue USV measures 1,150 mm long, 800 mm wide, and 250 mm tall, and has a displacement of 13 kg. It can operate for up to 30 minutes between charges and is powered by a pair of electric waterjets that propel it at speeds of up to 8 kt. The USV can be deployed off the stern or sides of a vessel and recovered using a grapnel hook or line lift, although it can also be extracted from the water by hand if conditions permit. A weight transfer device enables the sea vehicle to be lifted out of the water without excessive induced motion.

Australia took delivery of the Royal Australian Navy’s third and final Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyer, the future HMAS Sydney, at the Osborne naval shipyard in Adelaide on February 28. The third Hobart-class destroyer is expected to be commissioned in Sydney on May 20 and undertake work-up activities until the end of the year in preparation for up to six months of US Navy Combat System Ship Qualification trials. These will include firings over the Pacific Test Range off San Diego of the destroyer’s RIM-66 SM-2 Block 3B and RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles (ESSMs) air-defense missiles. First-of-class HMAS Hobart was commissioned in 2017 while the second, HMAS Brisbane , was commissioned the following year: each more than two years behind the original schedule, which itself was re-baselined three times.

Today’s Video

Watch: Indian Defence Updates : Rafale Meteor Edge Lost,DRDO’s Rader-X,Desi Apache Tech,AKASH To Bangladesh

Categories: Defence`s Feeds

A Look at the History of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet

Military-Today.com - Wed, 04/03/2020 - 04:10

A Look at the History of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

Flight School and Aviation Careers: How to Work in Aviation

Military-Today.com - Wed, 04/03/2020 - 03:45

Flight School and Aviation Careers: How to Work in Aviation
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

Self-Flying Planes and the Future of Air Travel

Military-Today.com - Wed, 04/03/2020 - 03:30

Self-Flying Planes and the Future of Air Travel
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

Let’s Talk About The U.S. Navy Poseidon Lased by Chinese Destroyer During a Routine Patrol in the Philippine Sea

The Aviationist Blog - Tue, 03/03/2020 - 19:39
This is the first time the incident is directly attributable to the Chinese military. A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon was hit by a weapons-grade laser during a routine patrol above international waters on February 17, [...]
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

What Kind of Binoculars are Military-Grade?

Military-Today.com - Tue, 03/03/2020 - 15:45

What Kind of Binoculars are Military-Grade?
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

Syrian L-39 Shot Down By Turkish Air Force F-16 Over Syria

The Aviationist Blog - Tue, 03/03/2020 - 15:32
Third kill over Idlib by the Turkish Air Force in three days. Both the Turkish Ministry of Defense and the Syrian News Agency SANA have confirmed that a Syrian L-39 Albatros was shot down in [...]
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

Ten Spanish Typhoons Enroute To Nellis Air Force Base For Red Flag 20-2

The Aviationist Blog - Mon, 02/03/2020 - 17:20
The Ejército Del Aire is deploying Eurofighters to Nellis Air Force Base. Support is provided by Spanish C-130H, CN235 and P-3M, along with RAF Voyagers. Ten Spanish Air Force EF2000 “Tifóns”, pooled from ALA11 and [...]
Categories: Defence`s Feeds

Hyakuri’s Last Samurais: Japan Air Self Defense Force Phantom Exposed

The Aviationist Blog - Mon, 02/03/2020 - 12:43
We visited the base of the last two JASDF Phantom units ahead of the type retirement. With the decommissioning of the 302 Hikotai on March 25, 2019 (Fiscal Year 2018) only two squadrons of the [...]
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