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07 Nov 18. Aircraft Carriers: Training Simulators. The RN reported (7 Nov 18) that Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) has opened the new Queen Elizabeth Class Ship Control Centre Training System (SCCTS). The SCCTS simulates the Integrated Platform Management System installed in both HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS PRINCE OF WALES. The facility can simulate machinery breakdowns and system problems that Marine Engineers are likely to encounter on board the ships. The simulator cost £1.9m and was funded through the Aircraft Carrier Alliance as part of the Queen Elizabeth Class training provision.
Comment: The SCCTS was developed by L3 MAPPS (formerly L-3 Communications Marine Systems UK) in close association with the Future Training Unit and the Defence College of Technical Training’s Defence School of Marine Engineering at HMS SULTAN. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 18/41, 19 Nov 18)
15 Nov 18. Babcock International: SSBN Maintenance. The Financial Times reported (15 Nov 18) that HMS VANGUARD’s deep maintenance project “has run into problems” and that the MoD has given the company until the end of the year to show that it can complete the project. An MoD Spokesperson said: “We are committed to working closely with Babcock, to safely deliver submarine support work, including planned maintenance projects.”.
Comment: HMS VANGUARD has been in deep maintenance since 2015, following a decision to refuel the boat. The MoD has decided that “it is not necessary” to refuel sister-boat HMS VICTORIOUS. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 18/41, 19 Nov 18)
05 Nov 18. The Commonwealth: Recruiting. In a Written Statement (5 Nov 18) the Armed Forces’ Minister announced that the UK will increase the number
of military recruits from the Commonwealth to 1,350 per year. This follows the removal of the five-year residency criterion for Commonwealth citizens who wish to join the UK Armed Forces. While the overall number of recruits will be limited, there will also be a 15% limit on foreign and Commonwealth nationals across all cap badges. The Army is expected to enlist around 1,000 personnel from the Commonwealth with the RN and RAF expecting to recruit around 300 and 50 respectively.
Comment: On 13 Nov 18 the Minister confirmed that citizens of British Overseas Territories (BOT) have never been subject to the five-year residency criterion which formerly applied to Commonwealth citizens who wanted to join the UK Armed Forces. As at 1 Apr 18 there were 130 BOT citizens serving in the Regular strength of the Armed Forces while around 4,500 Commonwealth nationals are currently employed by the Services. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 18/41, 19 Nov 18)
08 Nov 18. Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO): Procurement Plan. The MoD announced (8 Nov 18) plans for modernising its estate and establishing a broader, more diverse supplier base as part of the DIO’s Procurement Plan. Opportunities in the Plan include the £4,000m Defence Estate Optimisation Programme, the £1,300m Clyde Infrastructure Programme and an £8m investment plan for Bovington Camp to support AJAX armoured vehicles which are due to enter service in 2020.
Comment: Currently, some 75% of spending on maintenance at Defence sites goes directly or indirectly to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The DIO Procurement Plan aims to make it easier for existing and potential suppliers to plan ahead, by offering advice on how to bid for MoD work. Such measures should help smaller companies who do not have the skills or experience of working with the MoD. ‘DIO Procurement Plan 2018’ can be accessed via the Government web portal (www.gov.uk). (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 18/41, 19 Nov 18)
13 Nov 18. Northern Group: Tackling Disinformation. The MoD advised that, during a meeting of the Northern Group in Norway on 13 Nov 18, the UK and Northern European allies agreed to establish a multinational group of experts to address the problem of disinformation. The Armed Forces’ Minister noted the importance of “getting on the front foot against disinformation” and warned that “the threat of hostile and brazen disinformation is increasing”. The Group recognised the value of acting in unity against future ‘fake news’ campaigns.
Comment: The Northern Group was established in November 2010 and comprises: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the UK. The Group provides a forum for engagement between Northern countries that are not members of both NATO and the EU. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 18/41, 19 Nov 18)
15 Nov 18. UN Peacekeeping Funds: UK Commitment. The Department for International Development (DFID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office jointly announced (15 Nov 18) that the UK’s contribution to the UN Peacekeeping Fund is to be increased by £16m, doubling the amount currently allocated to UN peacekeeping between 2018 and 2020. The increase in funding is to be met by the Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Department budget from within DFID.
Comment: Announcing the above increase in the UK’s contribution to UN peacekeeping funds, a Foreign Office Minister said that the commitment also benefited the UK. “The fall-out from conflict in nations thousands of miles away eventually reaches our shores, whether in the form of refugees, terrorism, infectious diseases or organised crime”. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 18/41, 19 Nov 18)
15 Nov 18. UK to double F-35 fleet with 17-jet order, Defence Secretary announces. The multi-million-pound contract signed will see the UK own 35 stealth jets by end of 2022 with Britain manufacturing 15% of the overall global order for 255. The UK is set to double its number of world-beating F-35 stealth jets after ordering 17 more aircraft, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced. The 17 new F-35B aircraft will be delivered between 2020 and 2022 and will complement the 16 British aircraft currently based at RAF Marham and in the US, as well as two additional aircraft which are already on order.
Overall, the UK has committed to procure 138 aircraft over the life of the programme.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said, “I am delighted to confirm that we are doubling the size of our F-35 force into a formidable fleet of 35 stealth fighters. This is another massive order in the biggest defence programme in history. Our military and industry are playing a leading role in the F-35 programme. We are now building this game-changing capability that will soon be ready for frontline action. This programme is set to bring an immense boost of £35bn into the British economy, and it will be welcome news to our firms that many more jets are now set for production.”
The 17 jets being ordered are part of a $6bn contract for 255 aircraft being built for the global F-35 enterprise. The announcement is also good news for the UK economy, as British companies are building approximately 15% by value of all 3,000-plus F-35s planned for production. It is projected that around £35bn will be contributed to the UK economy through the F-35 programme, with around 25,000 British jobs also being supported.
CEO of Defence Equipment and Support, Sir Simon Bollom said, “As the largest operator of F-35s outside of the US, the acquisition of 17 more Lightning aircraft underscores our commitment to the programme. This new contract demonstrates how our Armed Forces are equipped by DE&S with the latest equipment and support.”
News of this latest order comes as F-35B aircraft are currently embarked on HMS Queen Elizabeth for flying trials in the US, which continue to progress well. The fighter jets will be jointly manned by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and can operate from land and sea, forming a vital part of Carrier Strike when operating from the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. (Source: News Now/www.gov.uk)
15 Nov 18. UK MoD: Other bidders didn’t have a chance against Boeing Wedgetail. A proposal to acquire a fleet of Boeing Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft for the Royal Air Force was so far in advance of a rival Saab/Airbus offering that the British Ministry of Defence felt it would be a waste of time and money to hold a competition, according to Defence Procurement Minister Stuart Andrew.
“In considering the E-7 Wedgetail, there was such a clear distinction over any other options it was felt that running any type of competition would unnecessarily consume MoD and industry resources, whilst the gap between U.K. capability and the evolving threat would be expected to widen,” Andrew said in a letter to Parliamentary Defence Select Committee Chairman Julian Lewis MP.
The letter, dated Nov. 1, but only released Nov. 14, was the MoD’s response to concerns raised by Saab in a letter to Lewis in mid-October refuting claims by the ministry that marrying the Airbus A330 airframe with the Swedish company’s Erieye radar presented a significant risk.
The MoD announced in September that it intended to acquire the Wedgetail without a competition, subject to reaching a satisfactory deal with Boeing over the price.
The British are expected to purchase five Wedgetail aircraft. The RAF already has aircrew in Australia training on its close allies E-7s.
Australia, Turkey and South Korea have purchased the Wedgetail, although it is not in service with the U.S. military.
The defense committee recently quizzed top MoD officials over the intended purchase. In a bid to overcome concerns, committee members were also recently privy to a behind closed doors briefing by the department on the reasons for negotiating a single source deal with Boeing.
In his letter Andrew said the MoD had made up its mind to pursue the Wedgetail option at the start of the year but had spent the last few months reviewing the proposal and obtaining the approval of MoD and Treasury ministers before announcing the decision to Parliament.
Andrew said there were “fundamental issues with the Airbus/Saab solution that, in our view, make it incompatible with the pressing need,” to purchase a new platform.
The procurement minister detailed cost and integration issues that prompted the decision in favour of the US aircraft.
Saab UK was unavailable for comment.
In its mid-October letter to Lewis though the Swedish company refuted concerns that its plan to fit two Erieye radars to the A330 to overcome possible wing blanking issues was high risk.
The Saab letter said the A330 would be the “lowest risk” of any of the five platforms fitted with Erieye.
The Airbus/Saab solution was based on the use of A330 Voyager aircraft already available to the RAF for inflight refueling and transport duties as part of a long-term private finance initiative deal between Airbus and the MoD.
Fourteen A330s are available to the RAF with nine being used on a regular basis for military duties and the remainder on call as surge capacity when needed. In the meantime the aircraft are available for third-party charter.
It was the surge capacity aircraft the Europeans proposed to adapt for AEW duties, possibly replacing them later with new aircraft fitted a boom refueling capability. The current British A330s only have a probe and drogue capability.
Andrew said the AEW role is not compatible with refuelling and transport roles. The procurement minister said additional aircraft would have to be obtained incurring high procurement and operating costs higher than the 737.
Andrew’s letter said the MoD had no endorsed requirement for a boom and reopening the private finance initiative deal with Airbus would not be in the MoD or the taxpayers interest.
Industry had known for months the British were heading for a Wedgetail purchase but the announcement sparked new controversy, not least because it was the latest in a string of major single source deals the MoD had signed or were negotiating with foreign companies. Some of those deals involved Boeing – most notably the procurement of nine Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol aircraft.
Boeing supplies the British military with Chinook and Apache helicopters and C-17 transporters, as well as the new 737 airliner-based Poseidon and Wedgetail aircraft. A major new purchase of Chinook helicopters for the British was recently approved by the U.S. Congress.
The RAF current airborne early warning and control aircraft fleet that Wedgetail will replace is Boeing’s 707-based Sentry E-3D platform. That system has been decaying in capability and availability due to years of under investment by the British.
It now needs urgent replacement. Along with the emerging threat from Russia and others the need for speed of delivery is in part prompted by the aging E-3Ds. The MoD says it wants the first new AEW platform in service by 2022. The U.S. company is seeking to head off any criticism over what some see as its under investment in the economy here with several initiatives to boost British jobs and capabilities.
Among those initiatives are a components manufacturing center recently opened in Sheffield, northern England. An £88m airliner maintenance facility is being built at Gatwick airport and a support and training base for British and other nations P-8s is under construction at RAF Lossiemouth. In addition Cambridge-based Marshall Aerospace and Defence is likely to undertake the work of modifying the 737 airliners to the AEW configuration. (Source: News Now/Defense News)
15 Nov 18. Air superiority and nuclear deterrence dictate manned future fighter for France. The twin requirements of air superiority and nuclear deterrence are driving France’s development of a manned next-generation fighter aircraft as part of a wider Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a senior French Air Force (Armee de L’Air: AdeLA) officer said on 15 November. Speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference in Berlin, Major General Jean-Pascal Breton, programme lead FCAS, said that the performance and political needs of those two mission sets in particular have informed the conceptual decision that the Next-Generation Fighter (NGF) will have an onboard pilot, although the option remains for it to be unmanned in the future.
“Our first priorities for the future fighter are air superiority and deterrence, and these are the drivers for a manned aircraft at the core of the FCAS system-of-systems,” Gen Breton said. “On the question of a manned or an unmanned aircraft, we have determined that due to our missions we need something that is very close to a conventional combat aircraft. Even if you think artificial intelligence [AI] is performing or not, we trust that in the future there will still be manned aircraft and so this will be the core of the system-of-systems – it will be survivable, supersonic, and manoeuvrable.”
With NGF comprising the fighter element of the system-of-systems, the Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS) comprises the NGF and unmanned ‘wingmen’, while the wider FCAS comprises the NGWS and all other air assets in the future operational battlespace. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
14 Nov 18. With plans for drone sidekicks, Europe’s futuristic jet program slowly comes into focus. Germany may be committed to a project with France aimed at building a new aircraft for Europe by 2040, but don’t expect anything drastic or sudden to happen out of Berlin. That was the principal message delivered here to defense industry leaders by German Air Force Brig. Gen. Gerald Funke, who oversees Germany’s planning for the Future Combat Air System, or FCAS.
“Don’t trust anyone who says they can make predictions about the characteristics of an air system in 2040,” Funke said at the International Fighter industry conference on Wednesday. That attitude means Germany is expected to wait as long as possible before closing the design phase of the envisioned weapon and moving toward production. “We need [a] sensible starting point that’s worth spending money on,” Funke told Defense News on the sidelines of the conference. “The time pressure is not as acute as industry presents it.”
Funke expects money to start flowing toward the project in 2019, when initial concept studies begin to refine plans for the weapon. He said it remains to be seen whether the initial investment will exceed €25m (U.S. $28m), the cutoff for parliamentary approval in Germany.
Exactly what the new combat jet will look like is still up in the air. But a set of key “design drivers,” as Funke called them, has emerged and are meant to shape the types of questions analysts will pose as they forge a collection of actual capabilities.
Autonomy will be a key feature for the jet and its accompanying drones, though never to a degree that humans are no longer involved in striking targets. Officials want it to be highly interoperable with allied aircraft and weapons, even older ones, and able to easily pass data between them. Costs, both for buying the system and operating it, also will be key considerations, especially in Germany, Funke said.
The catchphrases “modularity” and “software” also are on the forefront of requirements developers. That means the Air Force eventually wants to have a base aircraft configuration that can be programmed on the fly for specific missions, like strike, reconnaissance or inflicting some sort of cyber damage to future foes.
For Germany, a high degree of “tailorability” is a must-have feature, Funke said.
Airbus, meanwhile, has some ideas about the physical appearance of the system and its associated components. According to the company, a typical FCAS fleet includes so-called command aircraft of varying configurations, surrounded by autonomous “remote carrier” drones that work in swarms to do anything from attack to surveillance. Additional, smaller unmanned flying sensors provide yet another layer of eyes and ears for the group, with support aircraft for aerial refueling or transport and even space assets counted as part of the FCAS family.
The most important component is something called the “combat cloud ecosystem,” a kind of brain connecting all FCAS nodes through secure data arteries.
Airbus project lead Bruno Fichefeux argued time is of the essence in developing the program, even though the envisioned fielding time is still decades away.
“The technology needs time to mature,” he said. “If we mean the program seriously,” France and Germany should soon begin spending money on it.
The Spanish military, meanwhile, is keeping an eye on the FCAS program and will decide at a later point whether to join. While Germany appears eager to pave a path for Madrid’s participation, Spain is still keeping its options open, a Spanish defense official said. (Source: Defense News)
14 Nov 18. Luftwaffe sets out design drivers for next-generation fighter. The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) has spelled out some of the requirements, capabilities, threats, and limitations that are driving the design of its future fighter aircraft for the 2040 timeframe. Speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference in Berlin, Brigadier General Gerald Funke, head of division Strategic Defence Planning and Concepts at the Federal Ministry of Defence, said that, while prediction of the future is difficult and often raises more questions than answers, the Luftwaffe already has an idea of the trends and technologies that will inform development of the future fighter aircraft that Germany is to build with France. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
13 Nov 18. NATO looks to startups, disruptive tech to conquer emerging threats. NATO is developing new hi-tech tools, such as the ability to 3D-print parts for weapons and deliver them by drone, as it scrambles to retain a competitive edge over Russia, China and other would-be battlefield adversaries. General Andre Lanata, who took over as head of the NATO transformation command in September, told a conference in Berlin that his command demonstrated over 21 “disruptive” projects during military exercises in Norway this month. He urged startups as well as traditional arms manufacturers to work with the Atlantic alliance to boost innovation, as rapid and easy access to emerging technologies was helping adversaries narrow NATO’s longstanding advantage.
Lanata’s command hosted its third “innovation challenge” in tandem with the conference this week, where 10 startups and smaller firms presented ideas for defeating swarms of drones on the ground and in the air.
Belgian firm ALX Systems, which builds civilian surveillance drones, won this year’s challenge.
Its CEO, Geoffrey Mormal, said small companies like his often struggled with cumbersome weapons procurement processes. “It’s a very hot topic, so perhaps it will help to enable quicker decisions,” he told Reuters.
Lanata said NATO was focussed on areas such as artificial intelligence, connectivity, quantum computing, big data and hypervelocity, but also wants to learn from DHL and others how to improve the logistics of moving weapons and troops.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said increasing military spending by NATO members would help tackle some of the challenges, but efforts were also needed to reduce widespread duplication and fragmentation in the European defence sector. Participants also met behind closed doors with chief executives from 12 of the 15 biggest arms makers in Europe. (Source: Reuters)
13 Nov 18. British troops commence this year’s Autonomous Warrior experiment. The British Army has commenced the 2018 Autonomous Warrior army combat experiment, announced Ministry of Defence (MoD) Secretary Gavin Williamson. As part of the experiment, UK troops have started testing more than 70 systems representing futuristic technology on the fields of Salisbury Plain. Systems include enhanced surveillance drones and unmanned vehicles. Due to run for four weeks, Autonomous Warrior has been designed to test a wide range of prototype unmanned aerial and autonomous ground vehicles that would be capable of reducing danger to soldiers during combat. The exercise will culminate with a battlegroup experiment, where ‘the best ideas and innovations’ will be tested in the most challenging simulated operational environments.
Williamson said: “Our troops now have the chance to test out a huge range of robotic kit in what will be the biggest exercise of its kind in our history. We’re always working with the brightest minds in Britain and across the world to see how they can support our military of the future, but now the frontrunners have the chance to prove what they can really do on a battlefield.
“This equipment could revolutionise our armed forces, keeping them safe and giving them the edge in an increasingly unstable world.”
As part of the UK’s £800m Defence Innovation Fund, the experiment will be carried out to test a range of technologies in surveillance, long-range and precision targeting, enhanced mobility and the re-supply of forces, urban warfare as well as enhanced situational awareness.
It will involve the participation of the US Army, the Royal Marines, the Royal Air Force, and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. They will work in close collaboration with industry partners and academia to evaluate the products and systems.
The Autonomous Warrior exercise was launched by the UK Government in June in order to help enhance the technology and military capability of the UK Army in land environments. (Source: army-technology.com)
13 Nov 18. New Photos Show Shipwrecked Norwegian Frigate Sinks Further After NATO Drills. Experts estimate that up to 80 percent of the equipment of the shipwrecked frigate, which cost the Norwegian Navy almost its entire annual budget, will have to be replaced. The Norwegian daily Aftenposten has released fresh photos of the KMN Helge Ingstad frigate, which under unclear circumstances collided with the tanker Sola TS off Norway’s coast when returning from a NATO drill. The frigate received a huge hole in the starboard spanning across the waterline; seven seamen were injured. The crew abandoned the sinking ship which was subsequently tugged to shallow waters to prevent it from sinking. A few days after the incident, which is still puzzling the Norwegian authorities, the frigate remains above surface, but has completely sunk to the bottom, with a 45-degree lurch to the starboard. Over 10 tons of helicopter fuel has leaked into the seawater. No information about the status of the weapons abroad, including cruise and anti-aircraft missiles, torpedoes and artillery, is available as of today. By contrast, the oil tanker Sola TS was not affected by the accident. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/Sputnik News)
13 Nov 18. Europe should keep its defense within NATO, says Stoltenberg. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has told DW that European defense efforts should remain within the alliance. Stoltenberg also criticized Russia over its SSC-8 missile program, saying it breached the INF treaty. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told DW in an interview on Monday that a European army as proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron could strengthen European defense capabilities, but should complement NATO.
“European defense efforts have to take place within NATO, strengthening the European pillar within NATO. And as long as a European army does that, I welcome such EU efforts on defense,” Stoltenberg told DW correspondent Christian F. Trippe.
He also warned against jeopardizing ties with Washington.
“What we have learned from the two World Wars and the Cold War is the importance of the trans-Atlantic bond,” he said. “So we have to make sure that Europe and North America stand together.”
Stoltenberg was referring to remarks made by Macron last week about the need for a European army.
In his comments, the French president also named the United States alongside China and Russia as a source of risk. Among other things, Macron said the EU needed to be less dependent on the US, particularly after Washington decided to withdraw from the Cold War-era INF nuclear treaty.
US President Donald Trump on Friday reacted angrily to Macron’s proposals, calling them “very insulting,” but the French government has insisted the remarks were misinterpreted. The two leaders held talks on Saturday in Paris ahead of commemoration events for the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War.
In the DW interview, Stoltenberg once more criticized Russia for breaching the 1987 INF treaty by installing a new generation of intermediate-range missiles.
“This system puts the INF treaty in jeopardy, and the new Russian missiles are mobile, hard to detect, nuclear-capable,” he said.
This new generation of missiles, which, Stoltenberg said, “are able to reach European cities, including Berlin,” has been one of the main reasons the Trump administration announced a withdrawal from the treaty.
“We don’t want the undermining of important arms control agreements like the INF Treaty. And that’s why we call on Russia to ensure full compliance with this very important agreement,” Stoltenberg said.
Russia says the SSC-8 missiles in question have a range of less than 500 kilometers (310 miles), which makes them permissible under the treaty. Berlin is more than 1,000 kilometers from the main Russian territory, thus putting it out of range for such a missile fired from there, but is within 500 kilometers of the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. European members of NATO, including Germany, have advocated sticking with the treaty and remaining in dialogue with Russia to settle any differences. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/www.dw.com)
12 Nov 18. Trump and Macron find common ground after defence spending row. Presidents strike conciliatory tone after tense start to first world war centenary. Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron said they agreed on the need to share the burden on military spending more equally as the two presidents struck a conciliatory tone in France after a strained opening to commemorations marking the centenary of the end of the first world war. “We want to help Europe but it has to be fair. Right now the burden-sharing has been largely on the United States,” said Mr Trump, who had earlier criticised Mr Macron, saying it was “very insulting” that the French president had suggested Europe needed an army to protect itself from the US. However, the two leaders showed a united front on Saturday as they shook hands and sat down together in the Elysée Palace ahead of the commemoration. Mr Trump — who faced criticism after cancelling a trip to a military memorial, with his aides blaming bad weather — said that he had a “great discussion” with Mr Macron and that Paris and Washington were “aligned”, according to Reuters. “We want a strong Europe,” said Mr Trump but the French president “understands the United States can only do so much, in fairness to the United States.” Mr Macron said he shared Mr Trump’s view that Europe should accept a greater share of Nato’s costs, that his “proposals for European defence are fully consistent with that,” and that there was a need for “a much better burden-sharing.” “We worked very closely together in Syria . . . but it is unfair to have the European security today being assured just by the United States”, said Mr Macron. “When President Trump has to protect or defend one of the states of the United States he doesn’t ask France or Germany or another government of Europe to finance it. That’s why I do believe that we need more investment [in European defence and], it is exactly what we do in France,” said the French president. The rapprochement came after a tense opening to the gathering in Paris, with Mr Trump hitting out at Mr Macron over comments he said the French leader had made about the need for a “true” European army. “President Macron . . . has just suggested that Europe build its own military in order to protect itself from the US, China and Russia,” Mr Trump tweeted from Air Force One. “Very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of Nato, which the US subsidises greatly!” The Elysée has said Mr Macron’s comments, made earlier in the week on Europe 1, a French radio station, were misinterpreted by press reports, according to Reuters. In the interview, Mr Macron said that Europe was facing cyber security threats and other intrusions into its “democratic life”, and needed to protect itself in that context “with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America”. He mentioned the need for a “true European army” later in the interview. When he did so he emphasised Russia’s threat and the need for Europe to defend itself without depending as much on the US. The US president has frequently lashed out at Germany and some other European nations for not meeting a pledge to spend 2 per cent of their gross domestic product on defence. France has recently increased its own defence spending with a view to hitting that target. Mr Macron justified his overall comments during the interview by arguing the US was threatening to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, an arms control agreement from 1987 that helped to end the cold war, which he said would threaten European security. The US has pledged to pull out from the INF treaty because it believes that Russia, the only other country bound by the accord, is cheating on the agreement — a charge Moscow also levels at Washington. The Trump administration says that the US should not be constrained by a treaty that does not apply to China and other countries if Russia is not adhering to the arms-control pact. The two leaders also said they would discuss issues such as trade, terrorism, Iran, the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and climate change during their coming talks. The Elysée said the they also agreed that Saudi Arabia needed to shed full light on the murder in Turkey of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Source: FT.com)
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About Lincad
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