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22 Dec 21. France orders the H160M for its Joint Light Helicopter programme. The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters for the development and procurement of the H160M in the frame of the Light Joint Helicopter programme (HIL). The contract includes the development of several prototypes and the delivery of a first batch of 30 aircraft (21 for the army, 8 for the navy and one for the air force). The French Ministry for the Armed Forces plans to order a total of 169 H160M helicopters, or Guépard as it will be known in the French armed forces. Deliveries will start in 2027 beginning with the French Army.
“The Guépard is the result of ten years of close cooperation with the DGA and the French armed forces,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “The H160M will bring new capabilities to the armed forces as it is adapted to modern warfare thanks to its increased connectivity, maneuverability, low acoustic footprint, and a fully integrated support system. Having the French armed forces, a world reference, as our launch customer for the H160M is extremely valuable.”
The first of a new generation of helicopters, the H160M is derived from the EASA-certified H160. It benefits from a low cost of operations and optimised flight safety. The H160 was designed to be a modular helicopter, enabling its military version, with a single platform, to perform missions ranging from commando infiltration to air intercept, fire support, and anti-ship warfare in order to meet the needs of the army, the navy and the air force. To ensure a high level of availability while reducing operating costs, the H160M’s support and services needs were taken into account from early in its design phase. Innovative and simplified, the H160M’s support is based on the exploitation of data through analytics.
Airbus Helicopters will guarantee a high level of availability through an innovative maintenance contract. Airbus Helicopters commits to an innovative management of maintenance and aircraft availability through a dedicated organization that has proven to be successful. This organization was introduced with the global support contract signed in 2020 for the French Cougar and Caracal fleet and has led to a significant increase in aircraft availability.
Trials conducted in the Moroccan desert in July 2021 demonstrated the efficiency of the H160’s inlet barrier filtration system in protecting the Safran Arrano engines against sand ingestion. The tests in the desert also demonstrated the efficiency of the automatic flight control system during the takeoff and landing operations with limited visibility due to sand clouds. The H160M will be ready to operate in the roughest conditions.
The military version of the H160 will be more discreet than previous helicopters with a reduced acoustic signature made possible by the Blue Edge blades. The H160’s stability, maneuverability, and an automatic flight control system will be key assets for the military version. The H160M will be equipped with Airbus Helicopters’ HForce weapon system, a modular and incremental solution enabling the use of a large choice of weapons. Equipment will also include a hoist and a fast roping arm.
The H160M Guépard will be equipped with the Safran Euroflir 410 electro-optical system, the Thales FlytX cockpit avionics suite, and AirMaster C radar. The pilots will be able to use the Thales TopOwl Helmet-mounted Sight & Display. The Guépard will also carry a self-protection suite, a satellite communication system and tactical data link system. The weapon package will include the MBDA ANL anti-ship missile, pod mounted and door mounted guns.
15 Dec 21. The Spending Review and the UK’s Strategic Priorities seeks to explain the UK’s defence and international spending, and what it tells us about the strategy underlying the government’s Integrated Review. In contrast to previous national security reviews, the 2021 Integrated Review (IR), published in March, was not accompanied by a multi-year spending review. The publication of the Spending Review in November 2021 (SR21) filled this gap.
While total defence spending, in real terms, is set to increase by an average annual rate of 1.5% over the next five years, a new RUSI Report concludes that this “is less impressive compared with the significant increases in the budgets” most other departments have received and that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) “is near the bottom of the Whitehall league table of spending growth rates”, with only the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) receiving a lower rate of growth.
One of the central arguments of the IR was that UK foreign policy had become too disconnected from domestic interests. Yet the UK’s international credibility depended on its economic success, as well as its political and social cohesion, even more than before. As the IR states, “military competition is only one facet of inter-state competition, and economic and technological factors are more important to the country’s long-term resilience and competitive edge”.
The report goes on to suggest that “far from being a harbinger of a shift to a low-tax, free-market approach for economic policy” the Reviews signalled a shift in the opposite direction with the “UK now more economically interventionist, and with higher levels of both spending and taxation, than any government since the 1970s.”
The Reviews also show a radical shift in how and where the MoD is spending its budget. While the MoD will face serious choices in reducing its running costs, the Spending Review has confirmed a steep increase in investment in modernisation of the armed forces, which has the additional benefit of securing regional prosperity in terms of jobs in the defence industry.
FCDO spending is expected to reflect UK strategic priorities, with “infrastructure financing overseas, as well as climate security, biodiversity and humanitarian assistance” taking priority over poverty reduction.
The official development assistance (ODA) budget shows significant cuts to aid spending in Africa and the Middle East, while aid spending levels in “Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and the Overseas Territories, have all been relatively protected”. A new International Development Strategy is due to be published in early 2022, and that may provide additional information showing the extent of this shift in ODA spending towards supporting national economic interests.
Professor Malcolm Chalmers, who authored the report concludes that: “The planned rates of spending growth – either for defence or for the main domestic departments – are unlikely to be sustainable after 2024/25 without more rapid rates of productivity growth than have been experienced for the last 14 years or without significant further increases in taxation. For now, though, the direction has been set.”
If you would like to join our community and read more articles like this then please click here. (Source: Defence Online)
21 Dec 21. NATO troop deployment not needed in Bulgaria -defence minister. Bulgaria does not see a need for deployment of NATO troops on its territory as a response to Russia’s troop build-up near the border with Ukraine, its defence minister said on Tuesday.
Stefan Yanev confirmed reports that within NATO different response options, including establishing a military alliance presence in Black Sea NATO members Bulgaria and Romania under its “Enhanced Forward Presence” mission are being discussed.
NATO has used that mission to deploy military forces to the Baltic states and eastern Poland.
“My position is that such a debate, respectively an approach, has the potential to lead to an undesirable increase of tensions in the region,” Yanev said a Facebook posting.
Yanev said that for the for the time being there was no reason to consider Russia’s troop build-up as a direct threat to the Alliance and the relevant security zone.
“In this sense, I do not believe that there are the necessary circumstances that can justify a decision related to the deployment of additional troops on our territory,” he wrote.
He said that Bulgaria, which joined NATO in 2004, will be following the situation closely and was standing ready to increase the capacity of its own national forces “in the context of the allied capabilities to deter and defend” if needed.(Source: Google/Reuters)
21 Dec 21. Fast, flexible and pragmatic: the emergence of European-led ad hoc military coalitions . Part of RUSI’s ‘European Security Beyond Europe’ programme, supported by the Konrad-Adenauer- Stiftung this paper examines the emergence of European-led ad-hoc military coalitions, why these forms of cooperation have emerged and what value they add to the existing European security architecture.
Since early 2020, ad-hoc military ‘coalitions of the willing’ and security initiatives operating beyond Europe’s borders have emerged. The paper studies recent ad-hoc coalitions and argues that the emergence of these show ‘greater flexibility and pragmatism being introduced into the continent’s security architecture’.
As well as the primary benefit of allowing European countries to ‘bypass slow and politically convoluted processes and frameworks’, they allow for quick deployment to both address instability and provide a European presence in areas around the world ‘prior to European countries and organisations finalising their strategies towards the region.’
The analysis is primarily based on a roundtable discussion, convened with experts and officials from across Europe, to consider three recent examples of ad-hoc European military cooperation including what the drivers for cooperation were, outline European national contributions, and examine their impact within each region and the future prospects for further cooperation.
The three case studies that the paper explores are Task Force Takuba, a European special forces mission based in Mali and operating across the Sahel to support national forces to counter armed terrorist groups; the European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH), a French-led maritime security military and diplomatic initiative operating within the Gulf to promote regional security; and finally European naval cooperation within the Indo-Pacific and European ambitions in the region. While the case studies are ‘limited in scope and size, they represent useful pilots, whose foundations could be developed into a scaleable format’.
The paper finds three common factors in these missions and assesses them as priority areas to address in the further development of European ad-hoc military cooperation.
The first is that the need to prioritise cooperation over competition between European allies.
The paper notes that the political will to deploy military forces in pursuit of national and multinational objectives is fundamental to development of European military cooperation. Here ad-hoc coalitions provide an attractive option, allowing mobilisation of the variety of its resources in ‘functional, flexible and task-oriented coalitions, which can be platforms for enhancing European interoperability through operational experience.’
The case study on naval cooperation showed that ‘cooperation between France and the UK, enabling the participation of additional European countries, would not only help alleviate European resource restraints, burden share and avoid duplication, but would also allow better management of the priorities between the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions’.
This can also have a political benefit. The UK and France are the only two European military framework nations, and so most likely to lead operations, but are currently undergoing a period of poor relations. The report argues that ‘ad-hoc formations could help the UK and France identify the low-hanging fruit of military cooperation and support the rebuilding of trust on defence and security affairs’.
The second is that ‘Europe will remain reliant on US military capabilities to support ad-hoc coalitions of the willing.’ In particular, ‘European expeditionary operations are directly and indirectly supported by the US, including for the provision of key capabilities, especially combat enablers such as ISR, strategic lift and logistics capabilities.’
The paper notes that ‘European ability to act truly autonomously from the US will take time and will need to be gradual’. However, with the US and Europe largely united on value and key security issues successful European strategic autonomy would ‘provide Europe with the ability to operate, with US assistance, and to lead in certain areas, enabling the US, with European cooperation, to focus on other priorities, such as the Indo-Pacific’.
The third is that these coalitions are largely made up of the same forces noting that ‘military capabilities, alongside political support, are provided by the same countries’. Just 14 countries took part in all three case studies, with only Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal taking part in all three. The case studies in this paper highlight then while more ‘flexible approaches have allowed Europe to circumvent laborious decision-making processes, they have produced unequal burden-sharing, with a small number of countries doing the heavy lifting, mainly France’.
The paper concludes that ad-hoc coalitions are an attractive, useful and pragmatic addition to the European security architecture and that ‘despite the limitations of Western expeditionary operations since 9/11, exemplified by the outcome in Afghanistan, European countries and organisations continue to develop command and control arrangements and capabilities for these types of operation’.
The paper’s editor Ed Arnold, Research Fellow for European Security, RUSI said: “2022 is being described as the ‘year of European Defence’. Already, we are expecting a NATO-EU joint declaration, a European Defence summit, the adoption of the EU’s Strategic Compass and NATO’s New Strategic Concept, which, combined will set the direction of European security for the next decade.
The European ad-hoc military coalitions of the willing that form our case studies into European security cooperation beyond Europe will be important to discussions and debates on exactly the form that ‘European strategic autonomy’ will take, especially as France, a champion of ad-hoc coalitions, holds the rotating EU Council presidency between January and June next year”.
17 Dec 21. German proposal for an EU arms-export regime faces uphill battle. The new German government’s focus on a common arms-export policy for the European Union is facing an uphill battle after one French official indicated this week Paris remains unwilling to cede its national say on the thorny subject. The nudge from Berlin popped up in the coalition agreement between the governing Social Democrats, the Green Party and the Free Democrats last month. The document is something of a playbook for the new government’s agenda, including on defense and foreign policy.
A pet topic of the Greens, the party now heading the foreign ministry with Annalena Baerbock, weapons-exports debates have a history of creating friction in the German-French defense relationship. A dispute over export terms for Future Combat Air System technology almost sank that program before it even kicked into high gear a few years ago.
The French position of keeping export decisions a purely national affair remains the same, according to Alice Guitton, the director general for international relations and strategy at the French Ministry of Defense.
Any effort to consolidate decision-making power at the EU level would face “great difficulties,” she said at a Dec. 16 press conference in Paris. The bloc’s founding documents, she added, guarantee a “national prerogative” when it comes to selling weapons abroad.
It remains to be seen how forcefully the new German government intends to pursue negotiations on the subject. The coalition agreement is somewhat soft on the wording, saying the governing parties in Berlin aim to “coordinate” with European partners a restrictive export policy with “more binding rules.”
The passage also lists the objective of overhauling Germany’s national arms-export regime into a single law modeled after a common EU position. While such a position has been on the books since 2008, member states are not obligated to follow it in individual sales cases.
Germany’s national laws are confusing because they oscillate between a default permission — or a default ban — to export defense technology, depending on the recipient and the types of wares involved, explained Christian Mölling of the Berlin-based German Council on Foreign Relations.
France’s defense industry depends on exports because its capacity exceeds the demands of the national armed forces. The government therefore routinely fêtes sales to countries ideologically outside the values-based circles of EU or NATO governments, like Egypt or Brazil.
Germany is considered more restrictive than other EU members when it comes to exporting weapons to governments with a history of human-rights violations, for example, though exceptions are often shielded by a considerable degree of secrecy in Berlin’s decision-making.
Proponents of a more restrictive arms-exports policy run by Brussels argue the move would eliminate an obvious contradiction to the democratic values leaders tend to recite as a battle cry against policies by China or Russia.
According to Mölling, Germany alone is unlikely to break new ground toward that end. Berlin stands to lose important leverage on the international stage if it were to let values calls guide its foreign policy entirely, he argued. “We would have enforced our values, indeed,” he said. “But those would apply only at home.” (Source: Defense News)
17 Dec 21. Arrival of first US F-35 aircraft marks major milestone for DIO upgrades at RAF Lakenheath. The first four of the US Air Force’s new F-35 aircraft to be based in Europe arrived at RAF Lakenheath earlier today, having been flown across the Atlantic from manufacturer Lockheed Martin’s factory in the USA. This is an important milestone both for the US Air Force personnel stationed at the Suffolk base, and for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which has been working to prepare the infrastructure that the state-of-the-art aircraft and their crews will require.
RAF Lakenheath, home of the US Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing, will boast two squadrons of F-35s as well as its existing F-15s, a familiar sight in the skies of Suffolk for a number of years. The 495th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed “Valkyries” was reactivated in October and will have approximately 60 personnel.
To allow for the increase in people and aircraft, the infrastructure at the base is being upgraded. This includes resurfacing the aircraft aprons for the F-15s as well as a new apron for the F-35s, building maintenance hangars, training facilities, storage areas and more.
DIO awarded the contract for the upgrade works to a joint venture of Kier and VolkerFitzpatrick, collectively known as KVF35, in November 2018, with construction beginning in July 2019.
A number of facilities have been completed, with others nearing completion or under construction. A project of this size requires a large and specialist workforce and on average there are between 500 and 600 people working on the project every day. Safety is a key priority for DIO and its contractors and the project recently reached the impressive milestone of 1 m hours worked without a reportable accident or injury under the RIDDOR (reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences) procedures.
The work has generated £83m of social value, far exceeding the £1m target. Of this, £39m social value has been generated over the last 12 months alone, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, members of the programme have volunteered at events for the local community, ranging from tree planting to providing insight on working in construction at school careers events.
There has also been a benefit to the local area, with 36% of project costs being spent with local small and medium enterprises, surpassing the target of 30%.
RAF Lakenheath will be the first permanent international site for US Air Force F-35s in Europe and continues the base’s long and proud history of supporting US Air Force capability in the UK. Co-locating US and UK F-35 capability in the UK will help strengthen the historic military ties between the two nations, as well as the partnership between the RAF and US Air Force.
DIO’s Programme Director Steve Rix said: “The arrival of the first US F-35 at RAF Lakenheath is an exciting point for all involved at the base. This is a very large and complex programme, which has continued construction through Covid-19 while ensuring workers stayed safe, so it’s great to see this very visible sign of progress. Today we are seeing the first glimpse of the future of RAF Lakenheath when this project is complete and all of the F-35s are here. However, our job is not yet done and we look forward to continuing to work with our American partners on this important project.”
James Hindes, Managing Director for Strategic Projects & Growth, Kier Construction London, South & Strategic Projects, said: “We are extremely proud of our ongoing relationship with DIO and we’re delighted to have been trusted to deliver the crucial infrastructure to create the first international base for the cutting-edge F-35 aircraft. In addition to delivering this highly complex project, I’m delighted that we’ve also taken the opportunity to build a lasting legacy in the local area through actively supporting the local economy as well as volunteering in the wider community and we look forward to continuing our work at RAF Lakenheath.”
Deon Scholtz, Operations Director for VolkerFitzpatrick, said: “It is fantastic to see the project reach this key milestone, with the arrival of the first F-35 aircraft. Improvements to the base’s infrastructure are progressing well and the team is also undertaking regular social value initiatives, within the local community. I am delighted that VolkerFitzpatrick is able to support this significant moment at RAF Lakenheath.”
The project is the first in a wider programme of work to support US Air Force operations in the UK, with more than US $1bn expected to be invested in the UK over the next seven to ten years. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
16 Dec 21. ‘Under attack’: EU leaders consider new sanctions against Russia. The European Union is being assaulted on multiple fronts by Russia and must unite behind new economic sanctions, Baltic and central European leaders said on Thursday, with Lithuania citing possible Russian military strikes from Belarus. The warnings at an EU summit were some of the most direct in recent weeks as the United States and its NATO allies seek to deter any possible Russian attack on Ukraine and reduce Moscow’s margin for surprise.
EU leaders will warn of “massive consequences” if Russia were to invade Ukraine, according to a draft final summit statement seen by Reuters, the same stance taken by Washington.
“We really are facing a series of attacks. I see them all as associated,” Latvia Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins told reporters, listing Middle Eastern migrants sent by Belarus to EU borders, artificially high natural gas prices orchestrated by Moscow and Russian disinformation.
While Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said any dispute with Russia needed to be resolved by “peaceful means”, Russia’s Baltic neighbours tried to press home what they see as Moscow’s attempts to blur the line between peace and war.
“We are probably facing the most dangerous situation in the last 30 years, I am talking about not only Ukraine but the eastern flank of NATO,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, a day after EU leaders held a summit with Ukraine and other former Soviet republics in Brussels.
NORD STREAM ‘BLACKMAIL’
Ukraine is currently the main flashpoint between Russia and the West. The United States says Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders, possibly in preparation for an invasion. Moscow says its actions are purely defensive and accuses Kyiv and the West of provocative behaviour.
“I’m worried because the military concentration, especially on the Ukrainian border with Russia (is) very strong,” said Prime Minister Janez Jansa, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, as he arrived for the one-day summit.
“And so there is no doubt that Russia is using military power to make pressure … we are prepared to avoid such kind of surprises we met during the occupation of Crimea,” he said, referring to Russia’s seizure of the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014. NATO says that since then, Russia has sought to destabilise the West with new nuclear weapons, cyber attacks and covert action, which Moscow denies.
Back then, the EU, along with the United States, imposed economic sanctions on Russia, targeting its energy, banking and defence sectors in response.
Jansa said hitting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany to prevent it becoming operational was an option.
Latvia’s Karins accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to use the Nord Stream 2 pipeline “as a sort of blackmail against the EU, stating falsely that if we want to have more gas we have to open up to Nord Stream 2.”
Russia is ready for constructive work with the West on European security proposals despite differences between the two sides, the RIA news agency quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying on Thursday. (Source: Google/Reuters)
15 Dec 21. New Armed Forces Bill passed in Parliament. Defence has delivered new legislation to ensure Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families are better supported when accessing key public services.
The Armed Forces Act, which gained Royal Assent in Parliament today, enshrines the Armed Forces Covenant in law for the first time to help prevent service personnel and veterans being disadvantaged when accessing essential services like healthcare, education and housing.
The Armed Forces Act will also deliver a series of improvements to the Service Justice System, ensuring personnel have a clear, fair and effective route to justice wherever they are operating.
Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace said: “Today is a significant day for the military community which for the first time has seen the Armed Forces Covenant enshrined in law. The Armed Forces Act places a legal obligation on public bodies to consider the welfare of service personnel and veterans alike, giving them improved access to crucial services that we all rely on every day. It will also strengthen the Service Justice System – an integral part of the Armed Forces and support the unique role of our people who operate globally. One of the improvements will place a duty on the Director of Service Prosecutions and the Director of Public Prosecutions to agree a protocol on the handling of cases where there is a concurrent jurisdiction between civilian and military legal systems in England and Wales. This will provide further clarity on how decisions on jurisdiction are made and ensure such decisions are left to the independent service justice and civilian prosecutors using guidance agreed between them. A new independent body will be created to oversee complaints against service police, managed by a Service Police Complaints Commissioner who will guarantee there is an independent line of redress if someone is dissatisfied with the outcome of a complaint.”
The Armed Forces Covenant has also been enshrined in law and its Annual Report has been released today, setting out major achievements of the Covenant over the past year and its new commitments. This includes the Forces Help to Buy Scheme, which has helped more than 25,000 service personnel buy their first property, and the provision of £2m worth of grants, from the MOD’s Education Support Fund, to 75 schools across the UK in support of service children and their families.
Minister for Defence People and Veterans Leo Docherty said: “This Armed Forces Bill is a very significant step forward in the interests of our Armed Forces people, Service families and veterans everywhere.
I’m particularly pleased that by issuing statutory guidance to Local Authorities on how best to deliver Housing, Healthcare and Education we continue to make real progress towards the gold-standard care and support our Service people, their families and veterans deserve. People are our finest defence asset and this landmark bill reflects that.”
The Bill has also renewed the Armed Forces Act 2006, following the Acts of 2011 and 2016. It will help to improve the flexibility of service for Reserve personnel by enabling the introduction of a new type of commitment providing for full or part-time service, or a combination. It will also tackle delays in the Service Complaints System by giving the Armed Forces the ability to make changes to how appeals are managed in the future for swifter outcomes that are fairer and in proportion to the complaint. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
14 Dec 21. NATO rejects Russian accusations on missile deployment. NATO is not planning to deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, the Western military alliance said on Tuesday, rejecting Russian accusations and a call by Moscow for a moratorium on this kind of weapons in Europe.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels that Russia itself had violated the meanwhile demised INF treaty for years by deploying new intermediate range nuclear capable missiles in Europe, adding that NATO did not aim to mirror Moscow’s behaviour.
“The proposal from Russia on a moratorium is not credible because we had a ban and they violated that ban,” Stoltenberg said.
“So unless Russia in a verifiable way destroys all its SSC-8 missiles, which are those missiles that violated the INF treaty, then it is not credible when they now propose a ban on something they actually have already started to deploy.”
Stoltenberg was referring to the 1987 INF treaty between then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan that banned intermediate-range nuclear weapons – those with a range of 500 to 5,500km (310 to 3,400 miles) – in Europe. (Source: Reuters)
14 Dec 21. Germany says Russia will face ‘massive consequences’ if it invades Ukraine. New German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday Russia would face “massive consequences” if it invades Ukraine, after a phone call with her Russian counterpart in which she said Kyiv’s territory integrity must not be violated.
Baerbock called for “open and honest” dialogue with Russia over the Ukraine crisis during her exchange with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the German Foreign Ministry said.
The phone call was the first publicly announced contact between Berlin and Moscow since Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government took office last week.
“We want honest and open dialogue,” Baerbock’s ministry wrote on Twitter after the call. “The territorial integrity of Ukraine must not be violated.”
In a subsequent joint press conference in Stockholm where she met her Swedish and Norwegian counterparts, Baerbock said: “Any form of intervention in the sovereignty of Ukraine would have massive consequences for the Russian regime – of an economic and diplomatic nature.”
The German Foreign Ministry also called for progress to be made in the so-called Normandy talks on resolving the Ukraine crisis and said visa-free travel for young Russians had also come up in the call, aswell as cooperation on hydrogen.
Statements by each side did not mention the planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would carry Russian natural gas to Germany and bypass Ukraine, but has not been certified due to regulatory hurdles.
Poland and the United States have demanded a halt to the pipeline should Russia invade Ukraine. The new German government has not made a public commitment to block it.
Ukraine accuses Russia of massing around 100,000 troops in preparation for a possible invasion, raising fears that a simmering conflict in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region could erupt into open war between the neighbours.
Russia denies planning any attack but accuses Ukraine and the United States of destabilising behaviour, and has sought security guarantees against NATO’s eastward expansion.
Lavrov repeated that demand in his exchange with Baerbock, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“In discussing current topics on the international agenda, the Russian side focused on the need to provide our country with security guarantees in the form of legal commitments not to expand NATO eastwards and not to move the bloc’s military infrastructure to Russia’s borders,” the statement said.
Karen Donfried, the United States assistant secretary of state, met top Ukrainian officials on Tuesday to offer support in the face of the Russian military build-up. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
14 Dec 21. US and Lithuania sign agreement to boost military ties. The agreement will help increase military interoperability and support defence equipment acquisition.
The US and Lithuania have signed a reciprocal defence procurement agreement in a bid to increase military collaboration between the two countries.
The agreement was signed during Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas’ visit to the Pentagon.
According to a US Department of Defense (DoD) statement, the agreement will facilitate the acquisition of defence equipment and strengthen military interoperability.
The agreement will also improve conditions for mutual industrial cooperation supporting government-to-government procurement projects.
Located in the Baltic region of Europe, Lithuania has been a full member of Nato since 2004. The US and Lithuanian service members have served together in Afghanistan, and participated in several bilateral exercises over the years.
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III said: “For decades, US and Lithuanian service members have stood shoulder to shoulder against common threats and adversaries working together to advance our shared interests and values.
“And today, the US again stands with Lithuania. And we’ll keep working together to strengthen the Lithuanian armed forces.”
Minister Arvydas Anusauskas remarked: “Today, we will sign a reciprocal defence procurement agreement that will enable easier cooperation between our defence industries.
“It will also pave the way for more government-to-government procurement projects. We invest in cyber, right alongside you, around the world, assisting Ukraine. We are spending more than a half bn dollars to procure US-made equipment.”
Last week, the US shipped the final components of a $60m security systems package to Ukraine. The package included small arms and ammunition. (Source: army-technology.com)
15 Dec 21. DASA’s 5th Birthday: 5 years of innovating for a safer future. Since 2016, DASA has worked hard to find and fund innovation for a safer future. Detailed below are some key milestones and achievements that we are proud to share. The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) was formed in 2016 with one mission: delivering innovation for a safer future. We look to the UK’s best and brightest minds to help us deliver the future we want to see, and in the past five years DASA has seen extraordinary solutions from our innovators. On our social media channels, we celebrated our 5th birthday by sharing five achievements we are proud of each day, for five days. In case you missed it, we’ve included a re-cap of how DASA has sought to overcome defence and security challenges to protect UK prosperity.
Day 1: 5 Quotes from the individuals behind the success
Looking back on how far DASA has come, we are proud to be where we are today and couldn’t have done it without an incredible team. Here are some thoughts, about DASA’s journey, from our longest standing team members:
• “Having been with DASA for 5 years I can honestly say the time has flown by – in a good way! A mix of interesting work and fantastic colleagues has made it easy to stay.” Becky Varney, Programme Support Team Leader
• “After 7-government departments, I can say that DASA’s team work is second to none. It’s a pleasure being in an agile, dedicated and driven team.” Dudley Hewlett, Operations Team Lead
• “DASA has grown in size, reputation and credibility. It really is an inspiring team to belong to.” Lisa Dawson, Outreach Manager
• “It has been an absolute pleasure working with the people in DASA. They have been inspirational, caring, friendly and very hardworking. Where has that time gone!!” Sharon Lousley, Associate Delivery Manager
Day 2: 5 Key facts and figures that show how far DASA has come
DASA aims to accelerate innovative solutions and ensure we give SMEs the best opportunity to bring defence and security innovations to market. We are proud to announce that, since 2016, we have invested £166.8m in innovative technologies to help enhance UK defence and security – with 40% of recipients being SMEs that are new to DASA.
In addition, since 2016, DASA has:
• agreed to 983 contracts
• hosted 512 events
• launched 23 market explorations
• launched 83 themed competitions
Day 3: 5 big DASA campaigns that made a difference
DASA is always searching for new ways to help innovators bring their solutions to market. Here are five campaigns that we introduced to take innovation to the next level:
Access to Mentoring and Finance (A2MF)
DASA is not only focused on finding and funding innovation, we also help innovators increase the pull through of their ideas towards commercialisation. We introduced the A2MF team to help build the business behind innovators ideas, to help commercialise their product and become market ready. Read more here.
Space Pitch Day
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and DASA piloted a new approach to accelerate the development of commercial space technology, to rapidly provide solutions to defence problems. At the Space Pitch Day, ten tech start-ups successfully secured same-day contracts worth up to £53,000 ($66,000) to fast-track the development of their innovations after pitching directly to UK, US and NATO military leaders.
This marked the first time two nations anywhere in the world, have come together to award defence contracts based around a pitch-style event, similar to Dragon’s Den/Shark Tank. Read more here.
Rapid sanitising technology improves ambulance cleaning times and standards
A rapid call, launched in response to COVID-19, has trialled and installed a new method which cuts costs and cleaning times across the Welsh Ambulance Service. Read more here.
New defence clusters
On 4 November 2020, the first pan-defence and security cluster was launched in the UK. We are proud to be involved in this initiative and look forward to seeing its future growth. Get involved here.
Launch of the Security Open call
DASA was pleased to launch a new open call that focuses on tackling security challenges in the UK. The Security Rapid Impact Innovations seeks ideas that could enhance UK security and relates to the Home Office (HO), Department for Transport (DfT) and other Government Security Departments. Learn more here.
Day 4: Innovation case studies that help solve key defence challenges
On day 4, we highlighted innovation case studies that show how DASA’s proactive approach can help solve key challenges within the defence and security sector, and enable innovators to develop their products and services to their full potential.
VR technology takes training to the next level
Software development company, SimCentric demonstrated their DASA-funded VR gaming technology on BBC Click. The trials took place with RAF Regiments and that showed how Immersive Reality technologies have the potential to transform training within the UK MOD.
Swarming drones concept flies closer to reality
Unmanned systems supplier and research organisation, Blue Bear Systems Research, completed the largest collaborative, military focused evaluation of swarming UAVs in the UK. The exercise was the culmination of the Dstl’s ‘Many Drones Make Light Work’ competition.
Experimental development of new gap crossing capability
DASA supported specialist military access organisation, Easibridge, in the development of new gap crossing capabilities. The innovative solution offers a truly portable, long-span rescue bridge which is 85% lighter, 80% more compact, and 20 times cheaper than existing options. Learn more here.
A game-changer in hardware validation, threat and anomaly detection
NWPRO won funding from our ‘Finding Explosives Hidden in Electrical Items’ call to develop a whole object detection system. Their solution, DeeperScan uses AI and X-ray to scan airline baggage and identify electronic contents, with results in just 15 seconds. Learn more here.
Sharing your success stories
We’ve worked with hundreds of amazing innovators over the years, with 983 contracts awarded across 83 competitions since 2016! If you have a success story about your DASA funding, we’d like to hear about it. Please fill in our survey and a member of our team will be in touch.
Day 5: Ways of getting in touch with DASA for the latest competition updates
We look forward to seeing what 2022 holds for DASA and our innovators, so we wrapped up our celebrations by sharing key ways of stay involved in DASA news and competitions. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
13 Dec 21. UK Defence steps up support to vaccine programme. More than 750 Armed Forces personnel will be administering Covid-19 vaccines and helping with planning to maximise the effectiveness of the booster rollout. 750 Armed Forces personnel have been made available to support the NHS, the Department of Health and Social Care and Scottish Government to accelerate the vaccine booster programme.
Over 100 personnel are currently supporting the vaccine rollout in Scotland. 600 Armed Forces personnel have been made available to NHS England to administer vaccines, working in small teams across the country.
In addition, around 50 personnel will provide planning support to NHS England. 41 planners will deploy to NHS trusts across England and 10 logistics experts will be based at NHS England’s headquarters in London.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “We have rapidly mobilised Service personnel to work alongside our dedicated health services to accelerate the vaccine booster programme. Our Armed Forces will help to get vaccines into arms as quickly as possible as we continue our efforts to support the UK’s response to the pandemic.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “We are turbocharging our COVID-19 booster programme to offer every adult in England a vaccine by the end of the year to protect people from the Omicron variant. Building our defences through boosters is a hugely important national mission and it’s brilliant to see the military supporting our NHS staff in our race against the virus. Please get boosted now to top-up your immunity and keep yourself and your loved ones safe this winter.”
Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said: “I’m proud of our Armed Forces who are once again stepping up to help protect people and communities. We have a long history of working hand in hand with the NHS as two organisations with a common goal – to help keep our people safe.”
Planners based at NHS England headquarters will be led by Brigadier Phil Prosser who was previously deployed to support the delivery of the vaccine programme which began in December 2020. They will work alongside NHS England to maximise existing capacity and ensure the vaccine programme can be delivered at pace.
Since March 2020, Defence has supported over 430 tasks as part of Operation Rescript – Defence’s support to the UK’s response to the pandemic. Defence is currently supporting ambulance services in Wales and Scotland and the vaccine rollout in Scotland among other tasks including testing.
Support is being provided through the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) process.
Personnel supporting on Operation Rescript tasks have deployed from across the three services – Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force – and are a mixture of regulars and reservists. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
13 Dec 21. North Macedonia airspace joins Nato Air Policing System. North Macedonia’s entry to the system was marked with a symbolic event. The airspace of North Macedonia has been officially added to Nato’s Air Policing system following a ceremony at Skopje airport.
The ceremony marked the promotional start of Nato Air Policing over the country. To mark the beginning of air policing over the country, a symbolic event was conducted involving two Hellenic Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft and a North Macedonian Learjet.
The event saw the F-16s execute a simulated intercept of Learjet. A Nato E-3A airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft also conducted a flypast of the event demonstrating Nato’s commitment to its member nations. The improved situational awareness provided by the E3-A, alongside Allied fighters such as the Hellenic Air Force F-16s, contribute to the mission that allows the integrity and protection of the airspace of the allies. Spain’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) at Torrejón works with all Allies south of the Alps and takes control of the Air Policing mission.
Nato representative lieutenant general De La Cruz said: “Nato Air Policing is a vital part of collective defence, which serves as the backbone for the Alliance.
“The aircraft you see here today is just an example of those that remain vigilant across the Alliance 24/7 to maintain the security of our airspace.
“I hope that North Macedonia feels the support of all Allied nations now that it has been officially integrated into this collective mission.”
The Hellenic Air Force will operate from their Greek bases to conduct the Air Policing mission on behalf of North Macedonia.
This ensures a ‘single standard of airspace security’ within the area of responsibility of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
In June this year, ten European Nato-member countries signed an MoU to establish a pilot training programme. North Macedonia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Turkey Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Romania, and Spain were the participating nations. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
10 Dec 21. Finland picks the F-35 as its next fighter, continuing the U.S. warplane’s inroads in Europe. The Finnish government has picked the F-35 as the replacement for the country’s F-18 Hornet fleet, known as the HX program, according to a Ministry of Defense statement.
The decision settles one of the last remaining lucrative fighter competitions in Europe, with Lockheed Martin’s offering once again coming out on top. In June, the Swiss also picked the plane, marketed by Lockheed as a stealthy plane with novel sensor-fusion capabilities.
The Finns have budgeted a maximum of 10bn euros for the HX program, or roughly $11.3bn. The cost for 64 F-35 A Block 4 planes is estimated at 4.7bn euros, while a stash of AMRAAM and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles will come in at 755m euros and a maintenance services package through 2030 will cost 2.9bn euros.
Lockheed’s plane beat out four other competitors: Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab’s Gripen. The evaluation process saw the F-35 “pass” the selection criteria of security of supply and industrial participation and affordability, according to the MOD statement. It also scored highest in the military capability area.
Lockheed Martin was quick to point out in a promotional video posted on Twitter that the Finnish decision makes it the ninth country in Europe to pick the contractor’s fifth-generation fighter jet. The move means competition in the backyards of local manufacturers Airbus, Dassault and Saab has heated up even more.
In a statement, Dassault painted Finland’s pick as a decision in favor of the United States, presumably over its neighbors on the continent. “Once again, we notice and regret an American preference prevailing in Europe,” reads the statement, posted on the company’s website.
One of the Finnish selection criteria was the multinational and “large” user community, the MOD said. “The system is in service in many European nations including Norway and Denmark.” The first F-35 is expected in Finland in 2026. (Source: Defense News)
12 Dec 21. UK Government’s ECJU Issues Notice to Exporters 2021/14 on Updates to the Export Control Regime. The U.K. government’s Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has issued a Notice to Exporters 2021/14 on updates to the U.K. export control regime. On 8 December 2021, the Secretary of State for International Trade informed Parliament in a written statement about a package of measures to update the export control regime. In summary, these comprise the following measures:
• Revised UK Strategic Export Licensing Criteria – These criteria will be applied with immediate effect to all licence decisions (including decisions on appeals) on goods, software, and technology subject to control for strategic reasons (collectively ‘items’) for export, transfer, trade (brokering), and transit/transshipment The criteria will also be applied to the provision of technical assistance or other services related to those items, to the extent that these activities are subject to control.
• Revised military end-use control: The definition of military end-use will be enhanced to improve its effectiveness. The change will permit the control, on a case-by-case basis, of non-listed items intended for use by the military, paramilitary, security forces, or police forces of a destination subject to an arms embargo. The control will only be imposed when government informs the exporter that a proposed export is intended for military end-use. The control will only be imposed when government informs the exporter that a proposed export is intended for military end-use. There will be exceptions for medical supplies and equipment intended for hospitals, or other public health institutions providing medical services; and food, clothing, and or other consumer goods generally available to the public and sold from stock at retail selling points, without restriction. This change will be delivered through a legislative amendment to the Export Control Order 2008, which we intend to lay in Spring 2022.
• China: China will be added to the list of destinations subject to military end-use controls. This will rectify an anomaly that derives from the way the EU arms embargo was imposed in 1989 and the drafting of the current legal text. As with the revised military end-use control, this requires a change to the 2008 Order and will be implemented at the same time. This is planned to come into force in Spring 2022. This will not change the extent of the partial arms embargo on China. (Source: glstrade.com)
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21 Dec 21. NATO troop deployment not needed in Bulgaria -defence minister. Bulgaria does not see a need for deployment of NATO troops on its territory as a response to Russia’s troop build-up near the border with Ukraine, its defence minister said on Tuesday.
Stefan Yanev confirmed reports that within NATO different response options, including establishing a military alliance presence in Black Sea NATO members Bulgaria and Romania under its “Enhanced Forward Presence” mission are being discussed.
NATO has used that mission to deploy military forces to the Baltic states and eastern Poland.
“My position is that such a debate, respectively an approach, has the potential to lead to an undesirable increase of tensions in the region,” Yanev said a Facebook posting.
Yanev said that for the for the time being there was no reason to consider Russia’s troop build-up as a direct threat to the Alliance and the relevant security zone.
“In this sense, I do not believe that there are the necessary circumstances that can justify a decision related to the deployment of additional troops on our territory,” he wrote.
He said that Bulgaria, which joined NATO in 2004, will be following the situation closely and was standing ready to increase the capacity of its own national forces “in the context of the allied capabilities to deter and defend” if needed.(Source: Google/Reuters)
21 Dec 21. Fast, flexible and pragmatic: the emergence of European-led ad hoc military coalitions . Part of RUSI’s ‘European Security Beyond Europe’ programme, supported by the Konrad-Adenauer- Stiftung this paper examines the emergence of European-led ad-hoc military coalitions, why these forms of cooperation have emerged and what value they add to the existing European security architecture.
Since early 2020, ad-hoc military ‘coalitions of the willing’ and security initiatives operating beyond Europe’s borders have emerged. The paper studies recent ad-hoc coalitions and argues that the emergence of these show ‘greater flexibility and pragmatism being introduced into the continent’s security architecture’.
As well as the primary benefit of allowing European countries to ‘bypass slow and politically convoluted processes and frameworks’, they allow for quick deployment to both address instability and provide a European presence in areas around the world ‘prior to European countries and organisations finalising their strategies towards the region.’
The analysis is primarily based on a roundtable discussion, convened with experts and officials from across Europe, to consider three recent examples of ad-hoc European military cooperation including what the drivers for cooperation were, outline European national contributions, and examine their impact within each region and the future prospects for further cooperation.
The three case studies that the paper explores are Task Force Takuba, a European special forces mission based in Mali and operating across the Sahel to support national forces to counter armed terrorist groups; the European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH), a French-led maritime security military and diplomatic initiative operating within the Gulf to promote regional security; and finally European naval cooperation within the Indo-Pacific and European ambitions in the region. While the case studies are ‘limited in scope and size, they represent useful pilots, whose foundations could be developed into a scaleable format’.
The paper finds three common factors in these missions and assesses them as priority areas to address in the further development of European ad-hoc military cooperation.
The first is that the need to prioritise cooperation over competition between European allies.
The paper notes that the political will to deploy military forces in pursuit of national and multinational objectives is fundamental to development of European military cooperation. Here ad-hoc coalitions provide an attractive option, allowing mobilisation of the variety of its resources in ‘functional, flexible and task-oriented coalitions, which can be platforms for enhancing European interoperability through operational experience.’
The case study on naval cooperation showed that ‘cooperation between France and the UK, enabling the participation of additional European countries, would not only help alleviate European resource restraints, burden share and avoid duplication, but would also allow better management of the priorities between the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions’.
This can also have a political benefit. The UK and France are the only two European military framework nations, and so most likely to lead operations, but are currently undergoing a period of poor relations. The report argues that ‘ad-hoc formations could help the UK and France identify the low-hanging fruit of military cooperation and support the rebuilding of trust on defence and security affairs’.
The second is that ‘Europe will remain reliant on US military capabilities to support ad-hoc coalitions of the willing.’ In particular, ‘European expeditionary operations are directly and indirectly supported by the US, including for the provision of key capabilities, especially combat enablers such as ISR, strategic lift and logistics capabilities.’
The paper notes that ‘European ability to act truly autonomously from the US will take time and will need to be gradual’. However, with the US and Europe largely united on value and key security issues successful European strategic autonomy would ‘provide Europe with the ability to operate, with US assistance, and to lead in certain areas, enabling the US, with European cooperation, to focus on other priorities, such as the Indo-Pacific’.
The third is that these coalitions are largely made up of the same forces noting that ‘military capabilities, alongside political support, are provided by the same countries’. Just 14 countries took part in all three case studies, with only Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal taking part in all three. The case studies in this paper highlight then while more ‘flexible approaches have allowed Europe to circumvent laborious decision-making processes, they have produced unequal burden-sharing, with a small number of countries doing the heavy lifting, mainly France’.
The paper concludes that ad-hoc coalitions are an attractive, useful and pragmatic addition to the European security architecture and that ‘despite the limitations of Western expeditionary operations since 9/11, exemplified by the outcome in Afghanistan, European countries and organisations continue to develop command and control arrangements and capabilities for these types of operation’.
The paper’s editor Ed Arnold, Research Fellow for European Security, RUSI said: “2022 is being described as the ‘year of European Defence’. Already, we are expecting a NATO-EU joint declaration, a European Defence summit, the adoption of the EU’s Strategic Compass and NATO’s New Strategic Concept, which, combined will set the direction of European security for the next decade.
The European ad-hoc military coalitions of the willing that form our case studies into European security cooperation beyond Europe will be important to discussions and debates on exactly the form that ‘European strategic autonomy’ will take, especially as France, a champion of ad-hoc coalitions, holds the rotating EU Council presidency between January and June next year”.
17 Dec 21. German proposal for an EU arms-export regime faces uphill battle. The new German government’s focus on a common arms-export policy for the European Union is facing an uphill battle after one French official indicated this week Paris remains unwilling to cede its national say on the thorny subject.
The nudge from Berlin popped up in the coalition agreement between the governing Social Democrats, the Green Party and the Free Democrats last month. The document is something of a playbook for the new government’s agenda, including on defense and foreign policy.
A pet topic of the Greens, the party now heading the foreign ministry with Annalena Baerbock, weapons-exports debates have a history of creating friction in the German-French defense relationship. A dispute over export terms for Future Combat Air System technology almost sank that program before it even kicked into high gear a few years ago.
The French position of keeping export decisions a purely national affair remains the same, according to Alice Guitton, the director general for international relations and strategy at the French Ministry of Defense.
Any effort to consolidate decision-making power at the EU level would face “great difficulties,” she said at a Dec. 16 press conference in Paris. The bloc’s founding documents, she added, guarantee a “national prerogative” when it comes to selling weapons abroad.
It remains to be seen how forcefully the new German government intends to pursue negotiations on the subject. The coalition agreement is somewhat soft on the wording, saying the governing parties in Berlin aim to “coordinate” with European partners a restrictive export policy with “more binding rules.”
The passage also lists the objective of overhauling Germany’s national arms-export regime into a single law modeled after a common EU position. While such a position has been on the books since 2008, member states are not obligated to follow it in individual sales cases.
Germany’s national laws are confusing because they oscillate between a default permission — or a default ban — to export defense technology, depending on the recipient and the types of wares involved, explained Christian Mölling of the Berlin-based German Council on Foreign Relations.
France’s defense industry depends on exports because its capacity exceeds the demands of the national armed forces. The government therefore routinely fêtes sales to countries ideologically outside the values-based circles of EU or NATO governments, like Egypt or Brazil.
Germany is considered more restrictive than other EU members when it comes to exporting weapons to governments with a history of human-rights violations, for example, though exceptions are often shielded by a considerable degree of secrecy in Berlin’s decision-making.
Proponents of a more restrictive arms-exports policy run by Brussels argue the move would eliminate an obvious contradiction to the democratic values leaders tend to recite as a battle cry against policies by China or Russia.
According to Mölling, Germany alone is unlikely to break new ground toward that end. Berlin stands to lose important leverage on the international stage if it were to let values calls guide its foreign policy entirely, he argued. “We would have enforced our values, indeed,” he said. “But those would apply only at home.” (Source: Defense News)
17 Dec 21. Arrival of first US F-35 aircraft marks major milestone for DIO upgrades at RAF Lakenheath. The first four of the US Air Force’s new F-35 aircraft to be based in Europe arrived at RAF Lakenheath earlier today, having been flown across the Atlantic from manufacturer Lockheed Martin’s factory in the USA.
This is an important milestone both for the US Air Force personnel stationed at the Suffolk base, and for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which has been working to prepare the infrastructure that the state-of-the-art aircraft and their crews will require.
RAF Lakenheath, home of the US Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing, will boast two squadrons of F-35s as well as its existing F-15s, a familiar sight in the skies of Suffolk for a number of years. The 495th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed “Valkyries” was reactivated in October and will have approximately 60 personnel.
To allow for the increase in people and aircraft, the infrastructure at the base is being upgraded. This includes resurfacing the aircraft aprons for the F-15s as well as a new apron for the F-35s, building maintenance hangars, training facilities, storage areas and more.
DIO awarded the contract for the upgrade works to a joint venture of Kier and VolkerFitzpatrick, collectively known as KVF35, in November 2018, with construction beginning in July 2019.
A number of facilities have been completed, with others nearing completion or under construction. A project of this size requires a large and specialist workforce and on average there are between 500 and 600 people working on the project every day. Safety is a key priority for DIO and its contractors and the project recently reached the impressive milestone of 1 m hours worked without a reportable accident or injury under the RIDDOR (reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences) procedures.
The work has generated £83m of social value, far exceeding the £1m target. Of this, £39m social value has been generated over the last 12 months alone, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, members of the programme have volunteered at events for the local community, ranging from tree planting to providing insight on working in construction at school careers events.
There has also been a benefit to the local area, with 36% of project costs being spent with local small and medium enterprises, surpassing the target of 30%.
RAF Lakenheath will be the first permanent international site for US Air Force F-35s in Europe and continues the base’s long and proud history of supporting US Air Force capability in the UK. Co-locating US and UK F-35 capability in the UK will help strengthen the historic military ties between the two nations, as well as the partnership between the RAF and US Air Force.
DIO’s Programme Director Steve Rix said: “The arrival of the first US F-35 at RAF Lakenheath is an exciting point for all involved at the base. This is a very large and complex programme, which has continued construction through Covid-19 while ensuring workers stayed safe, so it’s great to see this very visible sign of progress.”
Today we are seeing the first glimpse of the future of RAF Lakenheath when this project is complete and all of the F-35s are here.
However, our job is not yet done and we look forward to continuing to work with our American partners on this important project.
James Hindes, Managing Director for Strategic Projects & Growth, Kier Construction London, South & Strategic Projects, said:
We are extremely proud of our ongoing relationship with DIO and we’re delighted to have been trusted to deliver the crucial infrastructure to create the first international base for the cutting-edge F-35 aircraft.
In addition to delivering this highly complex project, I’m delighted that we’ve also taken the opportunity to build a lasting legacy in the local area through actively supporting the local economy as well as volunteering in the wider community and we look forward to continuing our work at RAF Lakenheath.
Deon Scholtz, Operations Director for VolkerFitzpatrick, said: “It is fantastic to see the project reach this key milestone, with the arrival of the first F-35 aircraft. Improvements to the base’s infrastructure are progressing well and the team is also undertaking regular social value initiatives, within the local community. I am delighted that VolkerFitzpatrick is able to support this significant moment at RAF Lakenheath.”
The project is the first in a wider programme of work to support US Air Force operations in the UK, with more than US $1bn expected to be invested in the UK over the next seven to ten years. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
16 Dec 21. ‘Under attack’: EU leaders consider new sanctions against Russia. The European Union is being assaulted on multiple fronts by Russia and must unite behind new economic sanctions, Baltic and central European leaders said on Thursday, with Lithuania citing possible Russian military strikes from Belarus.
The warnings at an EU summit were some of the most direct in recent weeks as the United States and its NATO allies seek to deter any possible Russian attack on Ukraine and reduce Moscow’s margin for surprise.
EU leaders will warn of “massive consequences” if Russia were to invade Ukraine, according to a draft final summit statement seen by Reuters, the same stance taken by Washington.
“We really are facing a series of attacks. I see them all as associated,” Latvia Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins told reporters, listing Middle Eastern migrants sent by Belarus to EU borders, artificially high natural gas prices orchestrated by Moscow and Russian disinformation.
While Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said any dispute with Russia needed to be resolved by “peaceful means”, Russia’s Baltic neighbours tried to press home what they see as Moscow’s attempts to blur the line between peace and war.
“We are probably facing the most dangerous situation in the last 30 years, I am talking about not only Ukraine but the eastern flank of NATO,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, a day after EU leaders held a summit with Ukraine and other former Soviet republics in Brussels.
NORD STREAM ‘BLACKMAIL’
Ukraine is currently the main flashpoint between Russia and the West. The United States says Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders, possibly in preparation for an invasion. Moscow says its actions are purely defensive and accuses Kyiv and the West of provocative behaviour.
“I’m worried because the military concentration, especially on the Ukrainian border with Russia (is) very strong,” said Prime Minister Janez Jansa, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, as he arrived for the one-day summit.
“And so there is no doubt that Russia is using military power to make pressure … we are prepared to avoid such kind of surprises we met during the occupation of Crimea,” he said, referring to Russia’s seizure of the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014. NATO says that since then, Russia has sought to destabilise the West with new nuclear weapons, cyber attacks and covert action, which Moscow denies.
Back then, the EU, along with the United States, imposed economic sanctions on Russia, targeting its energy, banking and defence sectors in response.
Jansa said hitting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany to prevent it becoming operational was an option.
Latvia’s Karins accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to use the Nord Stream 2 pipeline “as a sort of blackmail against the EU, stating falsely that if we want to have more gas we have to open up to Nord Stream 2.”
Russia is ready for constructive work with the West on European security proposals despite differences between the two sides, the RIA news agency quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying on Thursday. (Source: Google/Reuters)
15 Dec 21. New Armed Forces Bill passed in Parliament. Defence has delivered new legislation to ensure Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families are better supported when accessing key public services.
The Armed Forces Act, which gained Royal Assent in Parliament today, enshrines the Armed Forces Covenant in law for the first time to help prevent service personnel and veterans being disadvantaged when accessing essential services like healthcare, education and housing.
The Armed Forces Act will also deliver a series of improvements to the Service Justice System, ensuring personnel have a clear, fair and effective route to justice wherever they are operating.
Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace said: “Today is a significant day for the military community which for the first time has seen the Armed Forces Covenant enshrined in law. The Armed Forces Act places a legal obligation on public bodies to consider the welfare of service personnel and veterans alike, giving them improved access to crucial services that we all rely on every day. It will also strengthen the Service Justice System – an integral part of the Armed Forces and support the unique role of our people who operate globally.
One of the improvements will place a duty on the Director of Service Prosecutions and the Director of Public Prosecutions to agree a protocol on the handling of cases where there is a concurrent jurisdiction between civilian and military legal systems in England and Wales. This will provide further clarity on how decisions on jurisdiction are made and ensure such decisions are left to the independent service justice and civilian prosecutors using guidance agreed between them.
A new independent body will be created to oversee complaints against service police, managed by a Service Police Complaints Commissioner who will guarantee there is an independent line of redress if someone is dissatisfied with the outcome of a complaint.”
The Armed Forces Covenant has also been enshrined in law and its Annual Report has been released today, setting out major achievements of the Covenant over the past year and its new commitments. This includes the Forces Help to Buy Scheme, which has helped more than 25,000 service personnel buy their first property, and the provision of £2m worth of grants, from the MOD’s Education Support Fund, to 75 schools across the UK in support of service children and their families.
Minister for Defence People and Veterans Leo Docherty said: “This Armed Forces Bill is a very significant step forward in the interests of our Armed Forces people, Service families and veterans everywhere.
I’m particularly pleased that by issuing statutory guidance to Local Authorities on how best to deliver Housing, Healthcare and Education we continue to make real progress towards the gold-standard care and support our Service people, their families and veterans deserve. People are our finest defence asset and this landmark bill reflects that.”
The Bill has also renewed the Armed Forces Act 2006, following the Acts of 2011 and 2016. It will help to improve the flexibility of service for Reserve personnel by enabling the introduction of a new type of commitment providing for full or part-time service, or a combination. It will also tackle delays in the Service Complaints System by giving the Armed Forces the ability to make changes to how appeals are managed in the future for swifter outcomes that are fairer and in proportion to the complaint. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
14 Dec 21. NATO rejects Russian accusations on missile deployment. NATO is not planning to deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, the Western military alliance said on Tuesday, rejecting Russian accusations and a call by Moscow for a moratorium on this kind of weapons in Europe.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels that Russia itself had violated the meanwhile demised INF treaty for years by deploying new intermediate range nuclear capable missiles in Europe, adding that NATO did not aim to mirror Moscow’s behaviour.
“The proposal from Russia on a moratorium is not credible because we had a ban and they violated that ban,” Stoltenberg said.
“So unless Russia in a verifiable way destroys all its SSC-8 missiles, which are those missiles that violated the INF treaty, then it is not credible when they now propose a ban on something they actually have already started to deploy.”
Stoltenberg was referring to the 1987 INF treaty between then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan that banned intermediate-range nuclear weapons – those with a range of 500 to 5,500km (310 to 3,400 miles) – in Europe. (Source: Reuters)
14 Dec 21. Germany says Russia will face ‘massive consequences’ if it invades Ukraine. New German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday Russia would face “massive consequences” if it invades Ukraine, after a phone call with her Russian counterpart in which she said Kyiv’s territory integrity must not be violated.
Baerbock called for “open and honest” dialogue with Russia over the Ukraine crisis during her exchange with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the German Foreign Ministry said.
The phone call was the first publicly announced contact between Berlin and Moscow since Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government took office last week.
“We want honest and open dialogue,” Baerbock’s ministry wrote on Twitter after the call. “The territorial integrity of Ukraine must not be violated.”
In a subsequent joint press conference in Stockholm where she met her Swedish and Norwegian counterparts, Baerbock said: “Any form of intervention in the sovereignty of Ukraine would have massive consequences for the Russian regime – of an economic and diplomatic nature.”
The German Foreign Ministry also called for progress to be made in the so-called Normandy talks on resolving the Ukraine crisis and said visa-free travel for young Russians had also come up in the call, aswell as cooperation on hydrogen.
Statements by each side did not mention the planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would carry Russian natural gas to Germany and bypass Ukraine, but has not been certified due to regulatory hurdles.
Poland and the United States have demanded a halt to the pipeline should Russia invade Ukraine. The new German government has not made a public commitment to block it.
Ukraine accuses Russia of massing around 100,000 troops in preparation for a possible invasion, raising fears that a simmering conflict in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region could erupt into open war between the neighbours.
Russia denies planning any attack but accuses Ukraine and the United States of destabilising behaviour, and has sought security guarantees against NATO’s eastward expansion.
Lavrov repeated that demand in his exchange with Baerbock, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“In discussing current topics on the international agenda, the Russian side focused on the need to provide our country with security guarantees in the form of legal commitments not to expand NATO eastwards and not to move the bloc’s military infrastructure to Russia’s borders,” the statement said.
Karen Donfried, the United States assistant secretary of state, met top Ukrainian officials on Tuesday to offer support in the face of the Russian military build-up. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
14 Dec 21. US and Lithuania sign agreement to boost military ties. The agreement will help increase military interoperability and support defence equipment acquisition.
The US and Lithuania have signed a reciprocal defence procurement agreement in a bid to increase military collaboration between the two countries.
The agreement was signed during Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas’ visit to the Pentagon.
According to a US Department of Defense (DoD) statement, the agreement will facilitate the acquisition of defence equipment and strengthen military interoperability.
The agreement will also improve conditions for mutual industrial cooperation supporting government-to-government procurement projects.
Located in the Baltic region of Europe, Lithuania has been a full member of Nato since 2004. The US and Lithuanian service members have served together in Afghanistan, and participated in several bilateral exercises over the years.
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III said: “For decades, US and Lithuanian service members have stood shoulder to shoulder against common threats and adversaries working together to advance our shared interests and values.
“And today, the US again stands with Lithuania. And we’ll keep working together to strengthen the Lithuanian armed forces.”
Minister Arvydas Anusauskas remarked: “Today, we will sign a reciprocal defence procurement agreement that will enable easier cooperation between our defence industries.
“It will also pave the way for more government-to-government procurement projects. We invest in cyber, right alongside you, around the world, assisting Ukraine. We are spending more than a half bn dollars to procure US-made equipment.”
Last week, the US shipped the final components of a $60m security systems package to Ukraine. The package included small arms and ammunition. (Source: army-technology.com)
15 Dec 21. DASA’s 5th Birthday: 5 years of innovating for a safer future.
Since 2016, DASA has worked hard to find and fund innovation for a safer future. Detailed below are some key milestones and achievements that we are proud to share. The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) was formed in 2016 with one mission: delivering innovation for a safer future. We look to the UK’s best and brightest minds to help us deliver the future we want to see, and in the past five years DASA has seen extraordinary solutions from our innovators. On our social media channels, we celebrated our 5th birthday by sharing five achievements we are proud of each day, for five days. In case you missed it, we’ve included a re-cap of how DASA has sought to overcome defence and security challenges to protect UK prosperity.
Day 1: 5 Quotes from the individuals behind the success
Looking back on how far DASA has come, we are proud to be where we are today and couldn’t have done it without an incredible team. Here are some thoughts, about DASA’s journey, from our longest standing team members:
- “Having been with DASA for 5 years I can honestly say the time has flown by – in a good way! A mix of interesting work and fantastic colleagues has made it easy to stay.” Becky Varney, Programme Support Team Leader
- “After 7-government departments, I can say that DASA’s team work is second to none. It’s a pleasure being in an agile, dedicated and driven team.” Dudley Hewlett, Operations Team Lead
- “DASA has grown in size, reputation and credibility. It really is an inspiring team to belong to.” Lisa Dawson, Outreach Manager
- “It has been an absolute pleasure working with the people in DASA. They have been inspirational, caring, friendly and very hardworking. Where has that time gone!!” Sharon Lousley, Associate Delivery Manager
Day 2: 5 Key facts and figures that show how far DASA has come
DASA aims to accelerate innovative solutions and ensure we give SMEs the best opportunity to bring defence and security innovations to market. We are proud to announce that, since 2016, we have invested £166.8m in innovative technologies to help enhance UK defence and security – with 40% of recipients being SMEs that are new to DASA.
In addition, since 2016, DASA has:
- agreed to 983 contracts
- hosted 512 events
- launched 23 market explorations
- launched 83 themed competitions
Day 3: 5 big DASA campaigns that made a difference
DASA is always searching for new ways to help innovators bring their solutions to market. Here are five campaigns that we introduced to take innovation to the next level:
Access to Mentoring and Finance (A2MF)
DASA is not only focused on finding and funding innovation, we also help innovators increase the pull through of their ideas towards commercialisation. We introduced the A2MF team to help build the business behind innovators ideas, to help commercialise their product and become market ready. Read more here.
Space Pitch Day
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and DASA piloted a new approach to accelerate the development of commercial space technology, to rapidly provide solutions to defence problems. At the Space Pitch Day, ten tech start-ups successfully secured same-day contracts worth up to £53,000 ($66,000) to fast-track the development of their innovations after pitching directly to UK, US and NATO military leaders.
This marked the first time two nations anywhere in the world, have come together to award defence contracts based around a pitch-style event, similar to Dragon’s Den/Shark Tank. Read more here.
Rapid sanitising technology improves ambulance cleaning times and standards
A rapid call, launched in response to COVID-19, has trialled and installed a new method which cuts costs and cleaning times across the Welsh Ambulance Service. Read more here.
New defence clusters
On 4 November 2020, the first pan-defence and security cluster was launched in the UK. We are proud to be involved in this initiative and look forward to seeing its future growth. Get involved here.
Launch of the Security Open call
DASA was pleased to launch a new open call that focuses on tackling security challenges in the UK. The Security Rapid Impact Innovations seeks ideas that could enhance UK security and relates to the Home Office (HO), Department for Transport (DfT) and other Government Security Departments. Learn more here.
Day 4: Innovation case studies that help solve key defence challenges
On day 4, we highlighted innovation case studies that show how DASA’s proactive approach can help solve key challenges within the defence and security sector, and enable innovators to develop their products and services to their full potential.
VR technology takes training to the next level
Software development company, SimCentric demonstrated their DASA-funded VR gaming technology on BBC Click. The trials took place with RAF Regiments and that showed how Immersive Reality technologies have the potential to transform training within the UK MOD.
Swarming drones concept flies closer to reality
Unmanned systems supplier and research organisation, Blue Bear Systems Research, completed the largest collaborative, military focused evaluation of swarming UAVs in the UK. The exercise was the culmination of the Dstl’s ‘Many Drones Make Light Work’ competition.
Experimental development of new gap crossing capability
DASA supported specialist military access organisation, Easibridge, in the development of new gap crossing capabilities. The innovative solution offers a truly portable, long-span rescue bridge which is 85% lighter, 80% more compact, and 20 times cheaper than existing options. Learn more here.
A game-changer in hardware validation, threat and anomaly detection
NWPRO won funding from our ‘Finding Explosives Hidden in Electrical Items’ call to develop a whole object detection system. Their solution, DeeperScan uses AI and X-ray to scan airline baggage and identify electronic contents, with results in just 15 seconds. Learn more here.
Sharing your success stories
We’ve worked with hundreds of amazing innovators over the years, with 983 contracts awarded across 83 competitions since 2016! If you have a success story about your DASA funding, we’d like to hear about it. Please fill in our survey and a member of our team will be in touch.
Day 5: Ways of getting in touch with DASA for the latest competition updates
We look forward to seeing what 2022 holds for DASA and our innovators, so we wrapped up our celebrations by sharing key ways of stay involved in DASA news and competitions. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
13 Dec 21. Defence steps up support to vaccine programme. More than 750 Armed Forces personnel will be administering Covid-19 vaccines and helping with planning to maximise the effectiveness of the booster rollout. 750 Armed Forces personnel have been made available to support the NHS, the Department of Health and Social Care and Scottish Government to accelerate the vaccine booster programme.
Over 100 personnel are currently supporting the vaccine rollout in Scotland. 600 Armed Forces personnel have been made available to NHS England to administer vaccines, working in small teams across the country.
In addition, around 50 personnel will provide planning support to NHS England. 41 planners will deploy to NHS trusts across England and 10 logistics experts will be based at NHS England’s headquarters in London.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “We have rapidly mobilised Service personnel to work alongside our dedicated health services to accelerate the vaccine booster programme. Our Armed Forces will help to get vaccines into arms as quickly as possible as we continue our efforts to support the UK’s response to the pandemic.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “We are turbocharging our COVID-19 booster programme to offer every adult in England a vaccine by the end of the year to protect people from the Omicron variant. Building our defences through boosters is a hugely important national mission and it’s brilliant to see the military supporting our NHS staff in our race against the virus. Please get boosted now to top-up your immunity and keep yourself and your loved ones safe this winter.”
Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said: “I’m proud of our Armed Forces who are once again stepping up to help protect people and communities. We have a long history of working hand in hand with the NHS as two organisations with a common goal – to help keep our people safe.”
Planners based at NHS England headquarters will be led by Brigadier Phil Prosser who was previously deployed to support the delivery of the vaccine programme which began in December 2020. They will work alongside NHS England to maximise existing capacity and ensure the vaccine programme can be delivered at pace.
Since March 2020, Defence has supported over 430 tasks as part of Operation Rescript – Defence’s support to the UK’s response to the pandemic. Defence is currently supporting ambulance services in Wales and Scotland and the vaccine rollout in Scotland among other tasks including testing.
Support is being provided through the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) process.
Personnel supporting on Operation Rescript tasks have deployed from across the three services – Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force – and are a mixture of regulars and reservists. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
13 Dec 21. North Macedonia airspace joins Nato Air Policing System. North Macedonia’s entry to the system was marked with a symbolic event.
The airspace of North Macedonia has been officially added to Nato’s Air Policing system following a ceremony at Skopje airport.
The ceremony marked the promotional start of Nato Air Policing over the country.
To mark the beginning of air policing over the country, a symbolic event was conducted involving two Hellenic Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft and a North Macedonian Learjet.
The event saw the F-16s execute a simulated intercept of Learjet.
A Nato E-3A airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft also conducted a flypast of the event demonstrating Nato’s commitment to its member nations.
The improved situational awareness provided by the E3-A, alongside Allied fighters such as the Hellenic Air Force F-16s, contribute to the mission that allows the integrity and protection of the airspace of the allies.
Spain’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) at Torrejón works with all Allies south of the Alps and takes control of the Air Policing mission.
Nato representative lieutenant general De La Cruz said: “Nato Air Policing is a vital part of collective defence, which serves as the backbone for the Alliance.
“The aircraft you see here today is just an example of those that remain vigilant across the Alliance 24/7 to maintain the security of our airspace.
“I hope that North Macedonia feels the support of all Allied nations now that it has been officially integrated into this collective mission.”
The Hellenic Air Force will operate from their Greek bases to conduct the Air Policing mission on behalf of North Macedonia.
This ensures a ‘single standard of airspace security’ within the area of responsibility of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
In June this year, ten European Nato-member countries signed an MoU to establish a pilot training programme. North Macedonia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Turkey Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Romania, and Spain were the participating nations. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
10 Dec 21. Finland picks the F-35 as its next fighter, continuing the U.S. warplane’s inroads in Europe. The Finnish government has picked the F-35 as the replacement for the country’s F-18 Hornet fleet, known as the HX program, according to a Ministry of Defense statement.
The decision settles one of the last remaining lucrative fighter competitions in Europe, with Lockheed Martin’s offering once again coming out on top. In June, the Swiss also picked the plane, marketed by Lockheed as a stealthy plane with novel sensor-fusion capabilities.
The Finns have budgeted a maximum of 10bn euros for the HX program, or roughly $11.3bn. The cost for 64 F-35 A Block 4 planes is estimated at 4.7bn euros, while a stash of AMRAAM and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles will come in at 755m euros and a maintenance services package through 2030 will cost 2.9bn euros.
Lockheed’s plane beat out four other competitors: Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab’s Gripen. The evaluation process saw the F-35 “pass” the selection criteria of security of supply and industrial participation and affordability, according to the MOD statement. It also scored highest in the military capability area.
Lockheed Martin was quick to point out in a promotional video posted on Twitter that the Finnish decision makes it the ninth country in Europe to pick the contractor’s fifth-generation fighter jet. The move means competition in the backyards of local manufacturers Airbus, Dassault and Saab has heated up even more.
In a statement, Dassault painted Finland’s pick as a decision in favor of the United States, presumably over its neighbors on the continent. “Once again, we notice and regret an American preference prevailing in Europe,” reads the statement, posted on the company’s website.
One of the Finnish selection criteria was the multinational and “large” user community, the MOD said. “The system is in service in many European nations including Norway and Denmark.” The first F-35 is expected in Finland in 2026. (Source: Defense News)
12 Dec 21. UK Government’s ECJU Issues Notice to Exporters 2021/14 on Updates to the Export Control Regime. The U.K. government’s Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has issued a Notice to Exporters 2021/14 on updates to the U.K. export control regime. On 8 December 2021, the Secretary of State for International Trade informed Parliament in a written statement about a package of measures to update the export control regime. In summary, these comprise the following measures:
- Revised UK Strategic Export Licensing Criteria – These criteria will be applied with immediate effect to all licence decisions (including decisions on appeals) on goods, software, and technology subject to control for strategic reasons (collectively ‘items’) for export, transfer, trade (brokering), and transit/transshipment The criteria will also be applied to the provision of technical assistance or other services related to those items, to the extent that these activities are subject to control.
- Revised military end-use control: The definition of military end-use will be enhanced to improve its effectiveness. The change will permit the control, on a case-by-case basis, of non-listed items intended for use by the military, paramilitary, security forces, or police forces of a destination subject to an arms embargo. The control will only be imposed when government informs the exporter that a proposed export is intended for military end-use. The control will only be imposed when government informs the exporter that a proposed export is intended for military end-use. There will be exceptions for medical supplies and equipment intended for hospitals, or other public health institutions providing medical services; and food, clothing, and or other consumer goods generally available to the public and sold from stock at retail selling points, without restriction. This change will be delivered through a legislative amendment to the Export Control Order 2008, which we intend to lay in Spring 2022.
- China: China will be added to the list of destinations subject to military end-use controls. This will rectify an anomaly that derives from the way the EU arms embargo was imposed in 1989 and the drafting of the current legal text. As with the revised military end-use control, this requires a change to the 2008 Order and will be implemented at the same time. This is planned to come into force in Spring 2022. This will not change the extent of the partial arms embargo on China. (Source: glstrade.com)
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Founded in 1987, Exensor Technology is a world leading supplier of Networked Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) Systems providing tailored sensor solutions to customers all over the world. From our Headquarters in Lund Sweden, our centre of expertise in Network Communications at Communications Research Lab in Kalmar Sweden and our Production site outside of Basingstoke UK, we design, develop and produce latest state of the art rugged UGS solutions at the highest quality to meet the most stringent demands of our customers. Our systems are in operation and used in a wide number of Military as well as Homeland Security applications worldwide. The modular nature of the system ensures any external sensor can be integrated, providing the user with a fully meshed “silent” network capable of self-healing. Exensor Technology will continue to lead the field in UGS technology, provide our customers with excellent customer service and a bespoke package able to meet every need. A CNIM Group Company
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