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Americas

• The USAF’s T-X Trainer competition has taken a sudden turn, with Raytheon and Leonardo announcing that they will no longer be collaborating on the program. As a result, Leonardo now has to decide whether to go it alone with the T-100 variant of its Aermacchi M-346 advanced trainer without a US partner, find another US collaborator, or pull out of the $16.3 billion competition altogether. Whatever will happen next?

• A US Army Stryker armored vehicle fitted with a 30mm cannon has been tested for the first time. Testing of the cannon, part of a series of upgrades designed to increase the mission capabilities of US Stryker vehicles, was undertaken in order to verify its combat abilities and make future determinations on the vehicle’s armament. The Pentagon’s decision to upgun a number of its Stryker’s – nicknamed the Dragoon – was taken in response to Russia’s 2015 invasion of Ukraine to close a ground vehicle capability gap, according to service leaders. The Army plans to field first of 83 Dragoons by the end of Fiscal 2018.

• Missile giant Raytheon has revealed a 1.4 percent fall in quarterly revenue, sparked by a drop in sales by its units in charge of missile systems and tracking and navigation sensors. Speaking on the slump, CEO Tom Kennedy said that a renewed campaign against militants of the Islamic State by the Trump administration could boost sales of its precision guided munitions. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman has forecast lower 2017 earnings per share below Wall Street estimates due to lower segment operating margins, which some analysts attributed to costs related to some of its new programs.

Middle East & North Africa

• Textron Systems has been contracted by the USAF to provide maintenance training for the Afghan Air Force. The $9.3 million deal orders the provision of maintenance training to Afghan crew and includes logistics support for 24 aircraft operated by Kabul. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and is expected to be completed by the end of January, 2018.

Europe

• Romania has made an additional order with General Dynamics European Land Systems for its Piranha III wheeled armored vehicles. This is the country’s fifth order with GDEL for the vehicle, which has been in service with its armed forces since 2006. Announcing the order, GDEL did not give any further information on the procurement in relation to unit numbers or cost.

• The Croatian government has laid out their defense spending plans for 2017, with a focus on coastal patrol vessels, new howitzers, as well as continuing procurement of second-hand OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopters from the US. An additional $57 million has been added over last year’s figures, representing a 7% increase on funds in 2016. Other defense projects for this year include medium-lift helicopter overhauls, ordnance procurement, and M-84 main battle tank upgrades.

Asia Pacific

• Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense has announced his government’s ambition to pursue an indigenous stealth fighter once Taipei completes work on its advanced jet trainer. Feng Shih-kua, a former Air Force pilot, said that the Rep. China Air Force’s new aerospace research center will play an important role in the development of the fighter. Military officials later added that the jet will rely on its TFE-1042-70 afterburning turbofan as its power plant.

• A state-run Chinese newspaper has reported that Beijing is testing a new long-range air-to-air missile capable of downing early warning aircraft and aerial refueling aircraft. The munition’s development runs alongside what is described as an “ambitious modernization program” led by President Xi Jinping, including stealth fighters, aircraft carriers and the testing of anti-satellite missiles. While the air force has yet to comment on this new missile, pictures posted on the service’s website, showed a J-11B fighter carrying a large, unidentified missile during drills last year.

Today’s Video

What could have been for the USAF: The M-346:

Amid attacks and counter-attacks in Yemen, those seeking a military solution will only prolong the suffering caused by the war, allow the terrorist threat to grow and deepen the challenges that will face the eventual recovery, the United Nations envoy for the war-riven country said today.

 

 

Für Jugendliche mit Zuwanderungsgeschichte ist es in Deutschland schwer eine eigene Identität zu finden. Woran das liegt, zeigt die neue Studie.

Dimanche, Manuel Valls et Benoît Hamon seront opposés lors du second tour du primaire de la gauche. François Hollande, lui, assistera de son côté à une autre rencontre au sommet. Selon une source à l'Élysée,...

Le favori de la primaire à gauche, confiant sur ses chances de gagner dimanche, a réaffirmé son engagement pour la laïcité et s'est projeté dans l'élection présidentielle.

Following the approval late last year of an independent panel to assist in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for war crimes or crimes against humanity in Syria, the United Nations today announced that the mechanism will be headed by a senior judge or prosecutor with extensive criminal investigations and prosecutions experience.

Gambia's President Adama Barrow arrives to assume power - days after his predecessor Yahya Jammeh left for exile.

Közel 700 ezer európai mehetett tanulni, dolgozni, továbbképezni önmagát és önkéntesnek 2015-ben az idén 30 éves Erasmus+ program keretében. A programban résztvevő fiatalok körében 23 százalékkal alacsonyabb a munkanélküliségi ráta, mint az otthon maradók körében.

Si elles ne figurent pas dans son programme de candidat à la primaire socialiste, les 32 heures de travail hebdomadaires constituent un cap politique cher à Benoît Hamon. L'idée met la droite et Manuel Valls en émoi mais est pourtant moins incongrue qu'il n'y paraît.

À quelques mètres, rue de Rome, à Alfortville (Val-de-Marne), ce jeudi soir, deux ambiances pour un seul homme : Manuel Valls. Sur le bitume, une cinquantaine de personnes ont répondu à l’appel de la CGT...

En réunion publique à Alfortville (Val-de-Marne), ce jeudi soir, l'ex-premier ministre a essuyé les protestations d'une quinzaine de manifestants. Lors de ce dernier grand meeting de campagne, il a accusé Benoît Hamon de « promettre n'importe quoi pour gagner ».

Az Eurócsoport pénzügyminiszterei csütörtökön hitet tettek a szabadkereskedelem mellett és a protekcionizmus ellen, első reakcióként az új amerikai kormányzat első döntéseire. A tagállamok egyúttal megsürgették a görög program második felülvizsgálatának lezárását, miközben a végrehajtás fázisába léptek a görög adósság rövid távú könnyítéséről korábban hozott intézkedések.

The newly arrived head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, David Shearer, has met with President Salva Kiir in the country’s capital of Juba, where he reiterated the Mission’s commitment to supporting peace efforts.

The newly arrived head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, David Shearer, has met with President Salva Kiir in the country’s capital of Juba, where he reiterated the Mission’s commitment to supporting peace efforts.

Lors d'un déplacement en Dordogne, le leader de La France insoumise a été pris à parti par un cheminot. Le ton est rapidement monté.

(ZeroHedge)

China makes a big show of its presumed status as a strong, confident, rising world power. China’s stubborn refusal to allow its own citizens unrestricted access to news and information, however, reveals not strength nor confidence but weakness and fear. Now, China’s authoritarian rulers have again revealed their weakness and fear by censoring the inauguration of U.S. president Donald J. Trump and cracking down on censorship circumvention tools for Chinese internet users.

News outlets in China were ordered to “downplay” the U.S. inauguration, and to publish only reports from central state media. Live streaming of the inauguration on Chinese websites was forbidden. “All regions, all websites must strictly implement the above requests,” read the government’s official censorship instructions, “Any violating websites and the responsible network and information departments will be seriously held accountable.”

Domestic English-language as well as Chinese-language media coverage of the inauguration was censored: “Wasn’t allowed to discuss Trump today on my radio show, he’s now an official 敏感话题 [sensitive topic],” Elyse Ribbons, the American host of an English-language radio show in Beijing, wrote on Twitter, “Chinese leadership still trying to figure him out (sigh).”

(What’s On Weibo)

Meanwhile—even as Chinese dictator Xi Jinping touted himself as a “champion of globalization” in contrast to “protectionist” Trump—Beijing announced a “nationwide campaign against unauthorized internet connections, including virtual private network (VPN) services” that allow users to bypass the government’s internet censorship system, known as the “Great Firewall of China.” In double-speak typical of the Beijing dictatorship, the announcement from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said that the crackdown was aimed to “strengthen cyberspace information security management” and cited an “urgent need to regulate disorderly development” of the internet in China.

What Beijing considers “disorderly” is, of course, what the democratic world considers “normal.”

When Xi recently appeared and spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, China-happy Western business media hailed his speech as a “robust defense of globalization” and a “full-throated defense of free trade.” Just as it violates the basic human rights of free expression and press freedom, however, China’s strict censorship of the internet hurts Western businesses in China, blocks internet market access, and hampers the free flow of information that is indispensable to free trade. While it serves an authoritarian purpose for China’s one-party state, the “Great Firewall” also serves a protectionist purpose for China’s crony capitalists.

“Rarely is authoritarianism a signal of strength,” writes China analyst J. Michael Cole, “Instead, it stems from fear, paranoia, and panic.” Despite their posturing to the contrary, China’s rulers are clearly afraid of the power of information.

The post China Tightens Censorship As Trump Takes Office appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

Adama Barrow returns to jubilant scenes after his predecessor left for exile under foreign pressure.