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EUROPE
27 Nov 11. Afghanistan: OP HERRICK. A Rifleman (i.e. Private) from 5th Bn The Rifles was killed by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in the Babaji area on 27 Nov 11. UK deaths since the start of Operations on 7 Oct 01 thus rose to 390, of whom 346 were killed as a result of hostile action. (MoD, 27 Nov 11.)
From 1 Jan 06 to 15 Nov 11, 1,824 personnel were Wounded in Action and 5,221 were aeromedically evacuated. (DASA, 30 Nov 11.) From 1 to 15 Nov 11 the figures were seven and 53.
President Karzai announced that Nad-e Ali would join Nawa and Marjah as Districts in Helmand Province going into transition. (Media Ops & MoD, 27 Nov 11.)
Sappers from 35 Engineer Regiment built a Checkpoint in three days in order to help stop the Taliban moving along part of Route 601. (MoD, 29 Nov 11.)
The net additional cost of Operations in Afghanistan in 2010/11 was £3,770m. The estimate for the current (2011/12) financial year is £4,030m. (Written Answer (WA), 1 Dec 11.)
Comment: The current (3 Dec 11) edition of ‘The Economist’ includes a Briefing on Afghanistan. Relations between Pakistan and the US following the 26 Nov 11 killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers are also discussed. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 11/47, 05 Dec 11)
27 Nov 11. Libya: After OP ELLAMY (19 Mar – 31 Oct 11). The UK and international partners continue to monitor the distribution of stocks of chemical weapons. The FCO expects the Libyan Government to ensure the safety and security of all such stocks. (WA, 29 Nov 11.)
During OP ELLAMY, about 3,220 air sorties were flown by UK Armed Forces in support of Operations. In addition, C-130 and C-17 aircraft flew 25 Operational sorties that landed in Libya while Lynx helicopters flew 172 sorties. (WA, 1 Dec 11.)
Comment: On 1 Dec 11 the Prime Minister announced publication of the National Security Adviser’s review of how the Whitehall ‘machine’ operated during the Libya conflict. The review is available on the 10 Downing Street website (www.number10.gov.uk/).(Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 11/47, 05 Dec 11)
28 Nov 11. French President Nicolas Sarkozy reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the space and defense sectors Nov. 22, despite tremendous pressure to cut government spending. Faced with the loss of its Triple-A credit rating on sovereign debt and the need for sizeable budget cuts, Sarkozy said continued investment in the areas of space and defense technology should be viewed not as a drain on the budget but a down payment on the country’s future. In a 26-min. speech delivered at the French space agency’s facility in Toulouse, France, Sarkozy said his government had already made available a budget of €83m ($112m) to begin work on the successor to Europe’s Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle, the Ariane 6. A further tranche of more than €100m is forthcoming. The funding is part of a larger bond issue in which close to half a billion Euros will pay for investments in the next-generation launch vehicle, a joint French-U.S. ocean-altimetry satellite, an improved multimission microsatellite platform and new telecom satellite technologies. France would put close to half of the bond money earmarked for space — around €220m — toward Ariane 6 development. The modular launcher capable of lifting satellites weighing between 2,000kg (4,400lb.) and 8,000kg could be operational around 2025. However, after the initial €83 m investment, Sarkozy said the balance of the Ariane 6 funds would await co-investment with other European countries. Sarkozy did not mention the Ariane 5 Midlife Evolution (ME), an upgrade that includes development of a restartable cryogenic upper stage to boost the rocket’s performance and enable simultaneous launches of multiple satellites into different orbits. Estimated to cost €1.5bn, the upgrade