Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces

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Citation :

Commercial Sale of Type 22 Frigates


(Source: UK Ministry of Defence; issued Dec. 17, 2012)



It is the Disposal Services Authority (DSA) intention to invite expressions of interest in tendering for the Type 22 Frigates (HMS Chatham, HMS Campbeltown, HMS Cumberland and HMS Cornwall) for the following:
•Further Use
•Sinking for an Artificial reef
•Recycling

At this stage the DSA does not require interested parties to specify which Vessel/s they wish to bid for.

It is the DSA intention to award at least one vessel to a UK Ship Recycler; this is in part to secure detailed knowledge of the UK’s capacity to recycle vessels. Any decision to award to a UK Ship Recycling company will be made in accordance with transparent and objective evaluation criteria which will be issued at the Invitation to Tender stage.

All interested parties should note that only Bidders that have completed and passed a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be sent an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the vessels and allowed access to view the vessel.

The vessels are moored at Portsmouth and will be sold from there.

The DSA are planning on hosting viewings 25th February - 15th March 2013.

As previously requested all bidders intending to undertake inspection of the vessels will be required to wear the correct PPE clothing i.e. steel toecap boots, high vis jackets (overalls optional). Please be assured that if you do not have steel toecap boots on arrival you will be refused access to the vessels.

Only Bidders that have received a copy of the ITT will be allowed access to inspect the vessels.

Bidders should not book travel until they have received a copy of the ITT and understood the requirements.

A copy of the PQQ can be down loaded from the bottom of this page or you can e-mail the DSA’s Commercial section requesting a copy at deslcsls-dsa-comrcl-3b@mod.uk

The closing date for returning the PQQ to the DSA and expression of interest is 17.00 GMT Wednesday 23rd January 2013.

-- HMS CUMBERLAND
formally a Warship Frigate F85 was built at Yarrow Shipbuilders, Glasgow UK in 1988 and is now lying at HMNB Portsmouth. The vessel ceased service on the 23rd September 2011 and is due to be tendered early 2013.
All interested parties should beware that only companies that have successfully completed a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be sent an invitation to tender for this vessel.

-- HMS CAMPBELTOWN
formally a Warship Frigate F86 was built at Cammell Laird ship yard Birkenhead UK in 1987 and is now lying at HMNB Portsmouth. The vessel ceased service on the 7th July 2011 and is due to be tendered early 2013.
All interested parties should beware that only companies that have successfully completed a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be sent an invitation to tender for this vessel.

-- HMS CHATHAM
formally a Warship Frigate F87 was built at Swan Hunters Shipbuilders in Wallsend UK in 1989, and is now lying at HMNB Portsmouth. The vessel ceased service on the 20th October 2011 and is due to be tendered early 2013.
All interested parties should beware that only companies that have successfully completed a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be sent an invitation to tender for this vessel.

-- HMS CORNWALL
formally a Warship, Frigate F99 was built at Yarrow Shipbuilders, Glasgow UK in 1988 and is now lying at HMNB Portsmouth. The vessel ceased service on the 20th October 2011 and is due to be tendered early 2013. All interested parties should beware that only companies that have successfully completed a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be sent an invitation to tender for this vessel.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/141126/uk-to-sell-off-four-type-22-frigates.html

Citation :

27.03.2016


Neuf avions de patrouille maritime P-8A pour les Britanniques et une facture de 3,2 milliards de dollars



Voilà un feu vert US qui était attendu avec impatience du côté de la RAF vraiment à court d'avions de patrouille et et obligée de mendier des appareils auprès de ses alliés. Le State Department a donné son feu vert à une Foreign Military Sale au profit du Royaume-Uni. Cette FMS concerne la vente de neuf P-8A de patrouille maritime (plus des services après-vente, de la formation et du soutien).

Coût estimé: 3,2 milliards.

La Defense Security Cooperation Agency a prévenu le Congrès le 24 mars.

Boeing déploiera 64 de ses employés pour le suivi du programme au Royaume-Uni. Parmi les sous-traitants figurent:
ViaSat, Carlsbad,
GC Micro, Petaluma,
Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids,
Spirit Aero, Wichita,
Raytheon, Waltham,
Telephonics, Farmingdale,
Pole Zero, Cincinnati,
Northrop Grumman Corp, Falls Church,
Exelis, McLean,
Terma, Arlington,
Symmetrics, Canada
Arnprior Aerospace, Canada
General Electric, UK
Martin Baker, UK

http://lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr/archive/2016/03/26/neuf-avions-de-patrouille-maritime-p-8a-pour-les-britannique-15895.html

3.2 milliards....
put... on aurait fait un Atlantique 3 entre nos 2 pays cela aurait coutait moins chére pour le meme résultat...

Citation :

British soldiers train female Peshmerga fighters to combat ISIS

29 March 2016

British soldiers deployed to Northern Iraq have completed a training programme for female Peshmerga fighters, in a bid to strengthen Iraqi forces in their fight against ISIS.

As part of the training programme, female soldiers were trained in infantry, medical and counter-improvised explosive device (IED) skills by the troops from 1st Battalion The Rifles and their Dutch partners.

The soldiers were also trained in the Law of Armed Conflict and Protection of Civilians.

The three-week training course was conducted for roughly 120 female soldiers, and is the first for the 66-nation counter-Daesh coalition.


The women will be deployed for the operation to recapture Mosul, as well as handle the civilian victims of Daesh sexual violence.

UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "The Iraqis are rightly leading the fight for the security of their own country. These brave female Peshmerga fighters will help ensure that Daesh are kicked out of Iraq for good and we must keep supporting them."

The British Forces have trained more than 24,000 Iraqi soldiers during the programme to strengthen the Iraqi military against Daesh. Nearly 3,000 troops are currently in training.

Since 2014, coalition airstrikes and training have assisted Iraqi forces in recapturing nearly 40% of the territory initially seized by ISIS.


http://www.army-technology.com/news/newsbritish-soldiers-train-female-peshmerga-fighters-to-combat-isis-4848650

Citation :

La Royal Air Force teste le système BriteCloud sur Tornado


Dans Actualité Défense, Actualité Systèmes, Actualité Focus
Publié le 30/03/2016 à 14h40, par Emmanuel Huberdeau


Le système de contremesure BriteCloud de Finmeccanica a été testé sur Tornado fin 2015.
© Crown Copyright


L'industriel italien Finmeccanica révèle que le système de contremesures BriteCloud a été testé fin 2015 par la Royal Air Force. Un lot de leurres a été acquis par l'armée de l'air britannique à des fins d'évaluation et a été intégré sur un Tornado GR4 puis testé sur une base aux Etats-Unis.

Le système BriteCloud prend la forme d'une cartouche munie d'ailettes et comprenant un système de brouillage des fréquences radio DRFM (digital radio frequency memory). Le système est censé protéger les chasseurs contre les missiles à guidage radar et brouiller les conduites de tir. Le BriteCloud est conçu pour reproduire le signal émis par le radar adverse et ainsi le désorienter. Le système a déjà été intégré sur le chasseur Gripen de Saab.

Selon Finmeccanica, les leurres ont été largués alors que le Tornado était poursuivi par des système radars RF basés au sol. L'industriel italien annonce que le système a parfaitement fonctionné détectant instantanément les radars et déclenchant en conséquence une séquence de brouillage.

Le communiqué ne précise pas si le Royaume Uni compte acquérir une plus grande quantité de BriteCloud à des fins opérationnelles.

http://www.air-cosmos.com/la-royal-air-force-teste-le-systeme-britecloud-sur-tornado-67781

Citation :

Reports Continue of British and Jordanian Special Forces in Libya
March 31, 2016


The British press brings news that SAS fighters have been operating in Libya for several months, alongside Jordanian forces.

This coincides with a growing drumbeat for war in the country, where the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) has found a new territorial foothold in the oil-rich Sirte region. The United States is currently weighing up a bombing campaign to put the ‘”unity”‘ government back in power.

How did ISIL find a new home in Libya? The explanation casts doubt on any idea that simple military power will solve the problem.


http://www.african-defense.com/defense-news/reports-continue-of-british-and-jordanian-special-forces-in-libya/

Citation :

Inside the British Army's new front-line field hospital


31 March 2016

In November, the British Army wrapped up trials of its newest operational medical capability, a new modular Role 3 field hospital supplied by Marshall Aerospace and Defence. The new hospital, in addition to providing all the department expected of a conventional trauma hospital, also includes the ability to treat victims involved in chemical or biological attacks – a capability British field hospitals have never had before. Claire Apthorp reports.



The hospital is designed to be deployed to a forward operating area to treat personnel on the ground and prepare them for transfer back to the UK for further treatment. Departments include a resuscitation unit, operating theatre, intensive care wards, advanced diagnostics, as well as the necessary infrastructure such as recovery wards, sterilisation, pharmacy and laboratory facilities. All equipment is state-of-the-art, for example the Marshall CT scanner designed to provide ultra-high resolution imagery in less than a minute, enabling diagnosis or essential surgery to take place.

A big step change is in the treatment capability for victims of chemical or biological attacks, which allows patients to be quickly cleaned before being taken into the hospital in order to keep staff and other patients safe from chemical or biological agents.

David Wilson, chief of staff of the 2nd Medical Brigade - which commands the army's field hospitals - says that the new hospital with CB capability was procured to fill a gap in the British defence arsenal. "Over the last couple of years state and non-state actors have continued to pursue their interest in chemical and biological weapons and as such it was identified that we had a capability gap - this project was designed to fill that," he added.

Equipment, infrastructure, and personnel

The project was conducted as a single-course procurement with Marshall Aerospace and Defence. The company was able to draw on its existing military clinical and logistics experience and clearances, having previously provided medical facilities to the UK, Norway and France, including complete hospitals, CT scanners and laboratory systems.

"The equipment delivery took place in April, and the process we are now undertaking is marrying up the clinical equipment with the personnel to work out the tactics, techniques and procedures that will allow us to deploy a Role 3 Field Hospital into chemical and biological hazard environments," Wilson explains. "This is the army's first capability like this, and it will be complementary to our current field hospitals - while giving us a much better clinical environment and a CB safe environment - that we can deploy in a planned, deliberate operation for up to six months on a single site in a permissive environment."

The capability can be broken down into three distinctive parts: equipment, infrastructure and personnel.


he idea behind the project design was that the equipment used within the facility would come from the army's existing deployed hospital care capability, as will the manning strategy. The manning is described in beds, with a structure very similar to the Role 3 very high readiness field hospital (VHRFH): 4/2/8/48 - four emergency beds, two surgical beds, 8 ITU beds, and 48 ward beds.

This includes an additional four ITU beds over the VHRFH standard, which ensure that the hospital can hold patients for the required 72 hour 'lock-down' period. This means the infrastructure for protection against chemical warfare agents should provide collective protection over all clinical areas and be sustainable for 72 hours - the maximum capacity for patients and staff during the period is 240.

Gaining flexibility with a modular approach

The infrastructure is based on pressurised air beam domed tents, many of which are fitted with bespoke hybrid fold-out containers. The mix of hard and soft military off-the-shelf containers and tents uses common modules with standard interfaces to enable adaptable configurations to suit mission needs. This approach will give the Ministry of Defence the ability to deploy part of the hospital by air to provide rapid deployment of an initial medical capability with the full capability following as force build-up develops. The flexibility and modularity of the layout, with a central spine and the wards branching off, allows for the facility to be expanded, adapted and reconfigured as needed to meet changing requirements.

"The inclusion of hybrid containers means we can improve the clinical standards over what is available in the field," Wilson explains. "For example, we are not having the sterilisation department carried in from the back of a truck and set up in a tent. It comes in a bespoke hybrid container, already plugged in; all we have to do, in essence, is give it power and water."

The supporting infrastructure also uses current in-service equipment, including generators, tactical base ablution units, sterilisation capability, water dispensing racks, laundry, communications and mortuary equipment. Similarly, power is provided by currently in-service generators to minimise impact on the army's existing logistical requirements.

Additionally all power, water and other sub-systems are fully integrated as part of the infrastructure; and the hospital has full environmental control to enable staff to maintain the optimum temperature and humidity within a wide range of external climatic conditions. The hospital also features a hard, level flooring surface throughout - a useful benefit for the heavy equipment used around the hospital.

The future lies in modular design

In late November the army came to the end of the integrated test and evaluation assessment phase (ITEAP) for the hospital, which involved a full set-up and 72-hour lock-down test at the British Army's Martinique training ground.
ITEAP will produce a report about how we have met the target and key user requirements that we were required to test against," Wilson says. "Lessons exploitation and problem solving will continue on so that we can work through any teething issues and process issues and then the Department of Equipment and Support will produce a report against those key user requirements. From there we hope it will evolve into a declared defence capability.

"The future, in the long term, is the exploitation of its modular design - in the conventional VHRFH we have an air deployable version, and we'd like to look at that, and also at supportability. It has quite a huge logistic burden and we'd like to investigate where we can make savings against those."

At the time of writing, in early December, the declared defence capability was expected to be reached prior to Christmas. At that point the British Army will have a world-class capability to provide treatment to patients on deployment around the world, taking them from the point of injury and throughout the care chain to evacuation to home base all while providing state-of-the-art care.

http://www.army-technology.com/features/featureinside-the-british-armys-new-front-line-field-hospital-4809564/

Citation :

The British Defence budget will increase by nearly £5bn to £39.7bn in 2020 - 2021.

In last summer’s Budget the British government committed to increase defence spending by 0.5% above inflation every year until 2021 and continue to meet NATO’s target to spend 2% of GDP on defence for the rest of the decade.




http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/

Citation :

RAF's Tornado GR4 fighter successfully tested BriteCloud countermeasure system

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has successfully carried out its initial evaluation of Finmeccanica’s BriteCloud decoy. BriteCloud is a new-generation anti-missile countermeasure featuring breakthrough technology developed in the UK, the Italy-based defense contractor Finmeccanica announced on March 30.




http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/

Citation :

UK seeks Bv 206D replacement

Christopher F Foss, London - IHS Jane's International Defence Review
05 April 2016






The UK Royal Marines are set to replace their fleet of BAE Systems Hagglunds Bv 206D all-terrain vehicles (ATV).

The Bv 206D (D - diesel), which has been in service since 1985, has a current out of service date (OSD) of 2021. The platform provides the Royal Marines with its amphibious all-terrain command and control (C2), combat support (CS), and Combat Service Support (CSS) capabilities.

These are normally deployed to the rear of the fighting echelon, which deploys the armoured BAE Systems Hagglunds BvS 10 ATV (called Viking in UK service).

This fleet will be replaced by the Future ATV, likely contenders for which are the BAE Systems Hagglunds Beowulf and the Singapore Technologies Kinetics ExtremV, both of which are currently at the prototype/pre-production stage.

In their baseline configuration these are both unarmoured, but could potentially be fitted with an applique protection package for use in high threat areas - this would however reduce their payload capacity.

The Bv 206D has a typical payload of around 2,250 kg divided between the front and rear units but the replacement vehicles will have more volume and a greater capacity, enabling them to potentially undertake a wider range of battlefield missions.

The Beowulf has a typical maximum payload of up to around 8,000 kg - front unit 3,000 kg, rear unit 5,000 kg - while the ExtremV has a typical maximum payload of up to 5,000 kg.

These payload figures should be treated with extreme caution as neither of the vehicles are in quantity production, and production vehicles are typically customised to meet the end users specific operational requirements.

In addition, the payload is not only the cargo carried as the fuel, crew and any items of government furnished equipment (GFE) - such as communications packages, vehicle intercom and battle management systems - must be accounted for and can all eat into the available capacity.

Citation :

07/04/2016

Coincée, la RAF doit maintenir l’Eurofighter T1 !



La Royal Air Force britannique (RAF) se retrouve coincée tout comme la Luftwaffe allemande avec la première tranche d’avions de combat Eurofighter T1 et devra, faute de moyens, être conservée en service, au-delà de la date de retraite d'origine.

Les 53 avions de combat Eurofighter « Typhoon II » T1 (Tranche1) vont être prolongé de 2019 à 2040 au sein de la défense stratégique et de sécurité (SDSR). La grande question est de savoir comment faire fonctionner les deux escadrons de la Tranche 1 aux côtés des Tranche 2 et 3 ? En effet, il ne subsiste que très peu de points communs entre le T1 et les modèles T2/T3.

Compte tenu des limites des logiciels du T1, la RAF a décidé de ne pas essayer de mettre à niveau ces plateformes particulières avec les améliorations des mises à niveau destinées aux standards T2/T3. De fait, les Eurofighter T1 de la RAF ne peuvent être utilisés qu’exclusivement que pour des tâches de défense aérienne.


Maintenir une dotation suffisante :

Si, la version T1 du « Typhoon II » reste limitée et ne permet pas une mise à jour avancée, comme c’est le cas avec le T2 et prochainement le T3, cette version reste incontournable au sein de la RAF, afin garder une dotation suffisante pour assurer les nombreuses missions qui lui incombent. Le but étant d’éviter à la prestigieuse RAF de tomber au plus bas en matière de capacité numérique.

Le maintien du standard T1 doit permettre de combler le départ à la retraite des Panavia Tornado GR4. L’éventualité d’un départ des Tornado et des Eurofighter T1 pour 2019, plongerait la RAF inexorablement dans une sous dotation difficile à combler à l’avenir.

La RAF aujourd’hui :

La Royal Air Force dispose à ce jour de 192 avions de combat de première ligne, composée de 87 Tornados, 53 Typhoon T1 et 52 en version T2. La RAF va prochainement débuter la réception de 40 Eurofighter T3A. Il faut également tenir compte dès 2019 des premières livraisons de Lockheed-Martin F-35 « Lightning II », mais avec un rythme particulièrement lent. Selon les prévisions de la RAF, en 2019, celle-ci ne disposera donc que de 127 avions de combat, soit le seuil le plus bas jamais comptabilisé.



Photos : Airbus DS Eurofighter T1 de la RAF @ RAF

http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2016/04/07/coincee-la-raf-doit-maintenir-l-eurofighter-t1-861180.html

Citation :

UK Invests in F-35 Home Base Upgrade
Andrew Chuter, Defense News 8:30 p.m. EDT April 7, 2016





LONDON — The home of Britain’s new F-35 fleet is to have a £167 million (US $235 million) makeover to prepare the Royal Air Force (RAF) base for the arrival of the strike jets in 2018, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The base at RAF Marham, eastern England, is to get bespoke logistics, training and maintenance and final finishes centers in a £142 million deal with aircraft prime contractor Lockheed Martin, the MoD said Thursday.

As part of the deal, BAE Systems has been subcontracted by Lockheed Martin to manage the project. That contract is worth £118 million. In turn, construction company Balfour Beatty has been contracted by BAE to actually build the facilities.

Some £25 million has already been spent by the MoD readying the base for the new facilities, with old buildings being demolished and cabling work undertaken.

The buildings are scheduled to be handed over in 2018 to align with the expected arrival at the base of the first squadron of F-35B Lightning II jets destined to be operated by the RAF and the Royal Navy.

The infrastructure contracts are an essential part of the program to support Britain’s F-35B operations.



With the infrastructure contracts in place, the MoD now must decide how it will parcel out contracts to run the maintenance and operations once the facilities are in place.

It’s not strictly a competition, but BAE and Lockheed — partners in the development and building of the F-35 — have been vying for control of the maintenance effort for a long time.

The MoD declined to discuss the issue.

A Lockheed Martin spokeswoman said: “The decision about who will operate the new facilities once the construction phase is completed is a matter for the MoD.”

Industry executives here said maintenance work on the platform could be worth billions of pounds over the life of the program.

Doug Barrie, a senior air analyst at the London-based think tank International Institute of Strategic Studies, said the importance of the decision is not just about the money.

“Of course it is partly about finance, we are looking at a lot of money, but it also comes back to the question of sovereign capabilities and the need to be able to do the maintenance in-country,” he said.

The outcome is likely complicated by US government sensitivities around access to some of the technologies involved in the F-35.

BAE took the announcement of the infrastructure contracts to remind people it had been providing contractor support of RAF jets for more than 10 years.

“We have a proven pedigree in delivering maintenance and support to the RAF fast jets fleets at bases throughout the UK, including RAF Marham, where we have been supporting the operation of the Tornado GR4 fleet for the last decade,” BAE said in a news release.

The British said they would eventually buy 138 F-35s in last year’s Strategic Defence and Security Review but so far have only signed for eight aircraft.

Negotiations are expected to conclude soon on an order for a further six aircraft as part of the LRIP 9 contract being negotiated by the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/air-force/2016/04/07/f35-upgrade-britiain-raf/82740424/

Citation :

Saturday, 9 April 2016

First live firing test for Ajax 40mm cannon future armoured fighting vehicle of British army.

The future British army armoured fighting vehicle Ajax formerly known as the Scout SV has performed its first live firing test at Radnor Ranges in Powys, Wales, involved testing the main 40 mm stabilised cannon and machine gun while the vehicle was static.






http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/

Citation :

Admiral Sir Philip Jones takes over as UK Royal Navy First Sea Lord

The torch of Royal Navy leadership changed hands on April 8 as Admiral Sir Philip Jones took over as Britain’s senior sailor and his predecessor, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, stepped down after 35 years' serving his nation.









http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/

Citation :

Photos of UK-French military exercise Griffin Strike 2016
Apr 12, 2016


Exercise Griffin Strike 2016 is a live exercise by joint UK and French forces known as the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF).

The large exercise being held in April on the Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) is the culmination of six years of UK-French military cooperation and will demonstrate the CJEF’s potential high-readiness to deploy.

French military units, equipment and vehicles will join forces with those of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF. Interoperability training will include ground close combat, mechanized movements and air assault insertions. Maritime activities will include amphibious assault, aviation and combat logistics patrols.








http://defence-blog.com/army/photos-of-uk-french-military-exercise-griffin-strike-2016.html

Citation :

UK receives final F-35 test aircraft

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
12 April 2016



The United Kingdom has taken delivery of its fourth and final pre-operational Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told IHS Jane's on 12 April.

Aircraft BK-4 arrived at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River in Maryland in February, before being delivered to 17 (Reserve) Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California for operational test and evaluation (OT&E) duties in the second week of March.

With the handover, the UK's F-35B fleet now comprises BK-1 and BK-2 (OT&E), BK-3 (training), and BK-4 (OT&E). Further to these first four trials and training aircraft, 10 of the first 14 operational jets that have been authorised by parliament under the Main Gate 4 approval process have now been contracted. The first four to be built under the Lot 8 production contract, with the second batch of six following in Lot 9.

The first operational unit - 617 'Dambusters' Squadron - will begin standing up with the first 14 operational aircraft and BK-3 at Beaufort Pilot Training Center at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, South Carolina, later in 2016. This unit will transfer to its future home station at RAF Marham in the United Kingdom in 2018, and in December of that year initial operating capability - land (IOC - Land) will be declared for the F-35B force.

The second unit - the Fleet Air Arm's 809 'Immortals' Naval Air Squadron (NAS) - will be created ahead of the start of sea trials aboard Queen Elizabeth in 2018, with the full operating capability (FOC - Land and Maritime) for the type being declared in 2023.

As announced in the November 2015, the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), the Royal Air Force (RAF), and Royal Navy (RN) are to get all 138 aircraft that were originally requested over the life of the programme.

Citation :

L’exercice franco-britannique Griffin Strike entre dans le vif du sujet
Posté dans Défense européenne, Interarmées par Laurent Lagneau Le 14-04-2016



Voilà maintenant près de six ans, soit depuis la signature des accords de Lancaster House, que l’on parle d’une « Combined Joint Expeditionary Force » (CJEF), c’est à dire une force expéditionnaire commune interarmées franco-britannique.

La mise sur pied de cette CJEF a commencé en 2012, avec les manoeuvres Corsican Lion. Elles ont été suivies par l’exercice Capable Eagle, puis, l’an passé, par celui appelé Griffin Rise. Enfin, Griffin Strike 2016, qui vient de commencer au Royaume-Uni marque la dernière étape puisqu’il vise à valider le concept final de ce corps expéditionnaire franco-britannique (FVOC – Full Validation of Concept).

Exercice opérationnel et tactique, Griffin Strike mobilise près de 5.000 militaires, dont plus de 2.000 venus de France. La participation française est d’ailleurs conséquente.

La composante navale (Maritime Component Command), placée sous le commandement du contre-amiral Eric Chaperon, secondé par un capitaine de vaisseau de la Royal Navy, compte sur le Bâtiment de projection et de commandement (BPC) Dixmude, la frégate anti-aérienne (FAA) Cassard, la frégate anti-sous-marine (FASM) La Motte-Picquet, le sous-marin nucléaire d’attaque (SNA) Perle et le Bâtiment de Commandement et de Ravitaillement (BCR). La Marine nationale a également engagé trois avions de patrouille maritime Atlantique 2. De son côté, la marine britannique a sollicité le HMS Bulwark, le HMS Sutherland, le HMS Ocean et le RFA Lyme Bay.

En outre, le commandement de la composante « Air » (Combined Joint Force Air Component Headquarter – CJFAC HQ) peut notamment s’appuyer sur 4 Rafale (2 du 2/30 Normandie-Niemen et 2 du 1/7 Provence) et un hélicoptère Super Puma basés à Leeming, au Royaume-Uni, ainsi que sur un avion E3F Awacs, engagé depuis Bourges-Avord. Deux Rafale Marine complètent ce dispositif. Quant à la Royal Air Force, elle mobilise des Eurofighter Typhoon et des Hawk.

« Nous allons à la fois mener des missions air-air avec les Typhoon contre divers plastrons mais également des missions air-sol dans le polygone de guerre électronique britannique », a expliqué le commandant du détachement de chasse Rafale à Leeming.

Enfin, la participation française à la composante terrestre de cette force expéditionnaire (Land Component Command – LCC) est fournie essentiellement par la 7e Brigade Blindée, dont les personnels (250 environ) ont pris leur quartier à Salisbury et à St Mawgan (état-major). L’armée de Terre a ainsi envoyé, outre-Manche, 4 chars Leclerc ainsi que 8 Véhicules blindés de combat d’infanterie (VBCI). Pour être complet, la 1ère Brigade Logistique (BL) assure le soutien de ce dispositif.

Pour rappel, la CJEF sera susceptible d’être engagée pour la protection des intérêts tant français que britanniques mais aussi dans le cadre d’opérations en coalition, sous mandat des Nations unies, de l’Otan ou bien encore de l’Union européenne


http://www.opex360.com/2016/04/14/lexercice-franco-britannique-griffin-strike-dans-le-vif-du-sujet/

Citation :

Friday, 15 April 2016
RAF moving forward in ASRAAM missile integration on F-35 fighter jet
In February 2016, missile manufacturer Matra BAE Dynamics Alenia announced that the first Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles were delivered to the U.S. for integration and testing on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II. Store separation testing of the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile has been conducted in the wind tunnels at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex, Arnold Air Force Base.




http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/2016/04/raf-moving-forward-in-asraam-missile.html?m=1

Citation :

UK MoD gets approval for £250m training base in Winchester

15 April 2016


The British Government has approved the construction of a £250m training base in Hampshire, UK.

HLM will design the new Defence College of Logistics, Policing and Administration (DCPLA) for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) at Worthy Down in Winchester.

The company will provide construction services, equipment and supporting infrastructure for the new 1,000,000ft² facility.

HLM chairman and lead designer for the project Chris Liddle said: "The new world class DCPLA will create a total living, working and learning environment, with a clear sense of place, military ethos and belonging that brings the very best training foundation to the future of our armed forces."


The new facility include the headquarters for the Royal Logistic Corps and the Adjutant Generals Corps, as well as a training college and mess halls.

Work under the contract is expected to commence immediately and be completed by mid-2018.

UK DIO Nick Nichols said: "We are pleased to be working with HLM and Skanska to deliver this new facility which will enable MoD to train personnel more effectively and efficiently so that they can provide the best possible support for military operations."


http://www.army-technology.com/news/newsuk-mod-gets-approval-for-250m-training-base-in-winchester-4865893

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Royal Marines

Royal Marines of J Company 42 Commando carry out beach landings at Wacker Quay ahead of an assault on Scraesdon Fort during training
exercises in Cornwall. ‪#‎GriffinStrike

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UK looks to outline requirement for new General Purpose Frigate

Richard Scott, London - IHS Jane's Navy International
20 April 2016

Key Points
The Joint Requirements Oversight Committee is expected to decide the top-level capability set needed for the new General Purpose Frigate
There is an expectation that the requirement will be met by an off-the-shelf design variant
A high-level UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) panel will sit later this month to frame requirements for the Royal Navy's (RN's) nascent General Purpose Frigate (GPFF) programme.

The Joint Requirements Oversight Committee (JROC) is expected to provide the first hard guidance on the capabilities required in the new class - previously referred to as the Light General Purpose Frigate, and also dubbed Type 31 - some six months after the requirement for the frigate was announced as part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR 2015).

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HM Armed Forces a partagé l’album de The Army in London - HQ London District.

On parade. Earlier today, the Household Cavalry exercised their Freedom of the City of London.

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UK Defence Minister reaffirms strong ties with the US

Philip Dunne, UK’s Defence Procurement Minister, has travelled to the US on an official visit to reaffirm the close cooperation of the two countries in major weapons programmes. The US Deputy Defence Secretary Bob Work accompanied him during his travel at military installations at the southeast of the country, where British military personnel is training on new equipment.







http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/

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UK and France activate joint expeditionary force

Tim Ripley, RAF Leeming - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
22 April 2016




rance and the United Kingdom validated their Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) on 21 April as part of Exercise 'Griffin Strike'.

The UK Secretary of Defence Michael Fallon and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian jointly announced the Full Validation of Concept (FVOC) for the CJEF during a visit to the exercise, that took place on the Salisbury Plain Training Area in southern England.

A series of joint unit-level exercises involving UK and French military forces are to follow-on from the validation.

Senior UK and French officers are already working on the next phase of Anglo-French military co-operation to follow-on from the five year-long effort to establish the CJEF.

Speaking to IHS Jane's at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire on 18 April, Air Commodore Johnny Stringer, Chief of Staff Operations at the RAF's Headquarters Air Command, said Anglo-French co-operation would evolve in new ways. "There is a temptation to look at big exercises but you often miss the opportunity for richer types of engagement," said Air Cdre Stringer. "In future you will see lower level exercises to keep Anglo-French engagement going."

Air Cdre Stinger pointed to December 2015's "trilateral" exercise involving British Eurofighter Typhoons, French Dassault Rafale and US Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft in the United States as the way forward. "This caught people's attention and we are looking to repeat it over the next 12 months," he said. When asked if this would take place in Europe, Stinger replied: "Watch this space."

Général de Brigade Aérienne Gilles Perrone, Chief of Staff of the Armée de l'air Air Defence and Air Operations Command (CDAOA), said Exercise 'Griffon Strike' was "not the beginning and not the end of [Anglo]-French co-operation". "We are working together day-after-day", he told IHS Jane's . "With the CJET we have an operational tool that is ready.

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Plextek creates a skills assessment system to enhance military training


22 April 2016




UK-based electronics design provider Plextek has developed a virtual-reality skills assessment system to identify candidate training needs and enhance the training programme for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Funded by the Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE), the new solution will help identify a range of cognitive skills that military personnel require for their jobs, reducing problems for the MoD regarding cost and equipments during the training programme.

The solution will enable the evaluation of individual in areas, such as multi-tasking, time challenge, spatial awareness, navigation, and recall-ability.

Plextek Business Development consultant Peter Doig said: "We're pleased to have continued our successful relationship with CDE, securing six projects across four themed competitions in 2015.

"We're pleased to have continued our successful relationship with CDE, securing six projects across four themed competitions in 2015."
"This has led to Plextek's wider collaboration within Dstl and MOD, the UK Defence Solutions Centre, and across the defence supply chain."

The company plans to partner with behavioural scientists to look at the potential application of the solution for a range of military and civil-service roles.

In a separate development, Close Air Solutions has demonstrated a new training method for UK soldiers using simulation software.

The solution features augmented-reality headsets and advanced head-tracking techniques, enabling training in live environments using virtual objects such as aircraft, enemy personnel and vehicles.


http://www.army-technology.com/news/newsplextek-creates-a-skills-assessment-system-to-enhance-military-training-4872507