Armée Britannique

Tucano ZF 317 in the Leuchars air show 2009

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sans haine et sans pitié

soldats britanniques tués en afghanistan 14/7/2009

soldats britanniques tués en afghanistan 14/7/2009

Citation:

Navy surrenders one new aircraft carrier in budget battle

The Royal Navy has agreed to sacrifice one of its two new aircraft carriers to save about £8.2 billion from the defence budget.

The admirals, who have battled for a decade to secure the two new 65,000-ton carriers, have been forced to back down because of the soaring cost of the American-produced Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft due to fly off them.

The move is a blow to the navy’s prestige and has come on the heels of Gordon Brown’s announcement last month that he was axing one of the navy’s four Trident nuclear deterrent submarines.

It is too late for the navy to renege on contracts to build the two carriers, the Queen Elizabeth, due to go into service in 2016, and the Prince of Wales, due to follow in 2018. Although the second carrier will be built, it will be used as an amphibious commando ship, with only helicopters on board instead of JSF aircraft.

The move will leave the navy without a carrier when the Queen Elizabeth goes into refit, leaving open the possibility that it might have to borrow one from the French navy. In a meeting with Brown last year, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, had suggested that refits of French and British aircraft carriers should be co-ordinated.

The decision to have only one new aircraft carrier will cut the number of JSFs to be flown by RAF squadrons from 138 to about 50, saving £7.6 billion. At current prices, the aircraft will cost close to £90m each, but this could rise to more than £100m.

Using the Prince of Wales as a commando ship will save a further £600m, the amount that would have been needed to replace the amphibious landing ship Ocean, which is due to go out of service in 2018.

The decision to cut the number of JSF aircraft has been agreed by senior navy and air force commanders in discussions preparing for the strategic defence review.

Both Labour and the Conservatives are committed to conducting a strategic defence review after the general election, which must be held by the late spring.

A senior Royal Navy officer said: “We always knew that the real cost of the carrier project is the JSF fleet to go on them. It would cost us at least £12 billion if we bought all the aircraft we originally asked for. We are waking up to the fact that all those planes are unaffordable. More than half of the £5 billion contracts to build the two new carriers have been contracted, so it is too late to get out of building the ships. This way at least we are covered when Ocean goes out of service.”

Since both aircraft carriers will still be built, there are unlikely to be job losses at the Rosyth ship yards, close to Brown’s constituency. The JSF aircraft are being built in Fort Worth, Texas, with the involvement of BAE Systems.

The RAF, which had been due to replace its Tornado aircraft with the JSF, will now equip all its frontline squadrons with Eurofighter aircraft instead.

The Conservatives said any decision to axe a carrier would be “absolutely unacceptable” and typical of the government’s “chaotic, inconsistent and incompetent defence procurement policy”.

Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said the move exposed the government’s claim that it wanted a completely independent strategic defence review. “The government is saying it is fully committed to the carriers while at the same time forcing them to be cut,” he said.

“It is confusing for the navy, it is confusing for industry and it is completely inconsistent with the whole concept of running an independent defence review.”

The Ministry of Defence said Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, remained 100% committed to the carriers but “financial circumstances mean some difficult decisions will have to be taken to prioritise our forces’ efforts in Afghanistan”.

The Royal Navy currently has three smaller 20,600-ton carriers: Illustrious, Ark Royal and Invincible. Illustrious is on a visit to Liverpool. Invincible has already been mothballed.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6888962.ece

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"TU REGERE IMPERIO FLUCTUS, HISPANE MEMENTO"

...

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sans haine et sans pitié

T-800,mais cette nouvele est de 2006,non??? Neutral

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"TU REGERE IMPERIO FLUCTUS, HISPANE MEMENTO"

elle figurait pourtant sur les headlines de Reuters ce matin scratch

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sans haine et sans pitié

T800 a écrit:

elle figurait pourtant sur les headlines de Reuters ce matin scratch

Cette nouvelle est effectivement de 2006.Jette un coup d'oeil en haut à gauche..

http://www.reuters.com/article/AerospaceDefense06/idUSN0644401920061207

En fait,dans le text on peut lire par exemple...

Citation:

Lockheed Martin said it believed the U.S. and British governments had made excellent progress on technology transfer issues since President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair met on the issue earlier this year.

"The two governments continue to work this issue very closely, and we remain confident we will reach a positive resolution," said Thomas Jurkowsky, a Lockheed spokesman in Bethesda, Maryland.

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"TU REGERE IMPERIO FLUCTUS, HISPANE MEMENTO"

j'ai effacé

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sans haine et sans pitié

Cinq soldats britanniques tués par un policier afghan

Citation:

Un policier afghan a tué cinq soldats britanniques mardi dans le sud de l'Afghanistan avant de prendre la fuite, a annoncé mercredi le ministère de la Défense à Londres.

Le policier a ouvert le feu sur les militaires britanniques à un poste de contrôle dans la province du Helmand. Des soldats ont riposté mais l'homme a pris la fuite et n'a toujours pas été retrouvé, a déclaré une porte-parole du ministère.

"Un policier afghan a ouvert le feu sans sommation avant que quiconque ne puisse réellement répondre", a-t-elle déclaré, précisant qu'une chasse à l'homme avait été lancée pour retrouver l'auteur des coups de feu mortels.

Les cinq décès portent à 229 le nombre de soldats britanniques tués en Afghanistan depuis 2001.

"La mort de cinq soldats courageux (...) est une perte terrible", a déclaré le Premier ministre Gordon Brown, qui fait face à de vives critiques en Grande-Bretagne sur la stratégie suivie en Afghanistan et le manque supposé de matériel des soldats britanniques.

Le contingent britannique, fort de 9.000 hommes, est le deuxième plus important sous commandement de l'Otan après celui des Etats-Unis.

Reuters

Les "Red Arrows" accueillent leur première femme

Citation:

Kristy Moore en compagnie des autres pilotes de la patrouille acrobatique britannique, le 12 novembre.

La prestigieuse patrouille acrobatique britannique des Red Arrows (Flèches rouges) a présenté, jeudi 12 novembre, la première femme pilote de son histoire. Le capitaine Kirsty Moore, 31 ans, commencera à évoluer au sein de cette unité de la Royal Air Force à partir de l'année prochaine et jusqu'en 2012. Elle est la seule femme à avoir acquis suffisamment d'expérience, notamment lors de missions opérationnelles en Irak, pour prétendre à rejoindre les rangs des Red Arrows. Elle a été choisie parmi 40 postulants.
"C'est un boulot impressionnant", a-t-elle commenté lors d'une conférence de presse. "Quand on m'a annoncé que j'étais sélectionnée, c'était l'un des plus beaux jours de ma vie, c'était incroyable." "L'aspect féminin de la chose est accessoire pour moi, parce que j'ai été une femme toute ma vie et parce que je suis pilote depuis que j'ai rejoint la RAF", a-t-elle expliqué avant de prendre les commandes d'un jet des Red Arrows pour une démonstration sur leur base de Scampton dans le Lincolnshire (est de l'Angleterre). La patrouille des Red Arrows s'est déjà produite à 4 200 reprises dans 53 pays depuis sa création en 1965, notamment à l'occasion de l'anniversaire de la reine Elizabeth II ou lors de meetings aériens.

LEMONDE.FR avec AFP | 12.11.09

L'armée britannique recommande à ses soldats d'acheter les talibans potentiels

Les soldats britanniques pourraient acheter les Afghans tentés d'être recrutés par les talibans, selon un manuel d'instruction militaire publié mardi par le Times. Les commandants de l'armée britannique devraient aussi entamer des discussions avec les insurgés talibans ayant du "sang sur les mains" afin d'accélérer la fin du conflit qui s'embourbe en Afghanistan, indique ce manuel. Ces instructions, contenues dans un manuel de directives pour contrer l'insurrection, seront enseignées aux nouveaux officiers arrivant sur le terrain, précise le Times. Selon ce manuel, les commandants de l'armée pourraient fournir assez d'argent aux Afghans pour les dissuader de rejoindre les talibans, qui payent leurs nouvelles recrues locales 10 dollars par jour.

"Les meilleures armes pour contrer les insurgés, c'est de ne pas tirer. En d'autres mots, utiliser des sacs d'or à court terme pour changer la dynamique de la sécurité. Mais il ne faut pas simplement agiter l'or devant eux, il faut le faire avec prudence", a affirmé le général de division Paul Newton au quotidien londonien à l'occasion du lancement de ce manuel, lundi à Londres. Ce document est publié au moment où le Premier ministre Gordon Brown a défendu la présence militaire britannique en Afghanistan et proposé d'organiser, en janvier à Londres, une conférence internationale destinée à établir la stratégie à venir dans ce pays à la suite de la mise en place du nouveau gouvernement à Kaboul. Ce manuel, le premier en huit ans à donner des directives écrites à l'armée britannique en Afghanistan, souligne l'importance de parler à l'ennemi. Le manuel ajoute que l'argent peut être une réponse s'il est distribué avec prudence. "Bien dépensé, dans un plan à long terme, l'argent est un moyen d'éloigner la communauté d'un soutien aux insurgés et permet aux militaires d'économiser un recours à la force", dit-il.

Il note également que les commandants britanniques n'ont pas eu un accès rapide au même niveau de liquidités que leurs partenaires américains dans les opérations militaires récentes.

http://www.lepoint.fr/actualites-monde/2009-11-17/manuel-d-instruction-l-armee-britannique-recommande-a-ses-soldats-d-acheter-les/924/0/395789

Citation:

First Astute-Class Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine Leaves for Sea Trials

20:44 GMT, November 16, 2009 UK, Barrow-in-Furness | The first of class Astute nuclear powered attack submarine left BAE Systems’ shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness for the first stage of sea trials designed to prove its capability as the most formidable vessel of its kind ever operated by the Royal Navy.

Astute is now on her way to Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde at Faslane where she will be based for her operational life.

BAE Systems Submarine Solutions Managing Director John Hudson said: “The first of class Astute submarine successfully departed Barrow for sea trials on Sunday 15 November.

“After leaving Ramsden Dock early Sunday morning, Astute began the journey to HMNB Clyde at Faslane.

“I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank every single person in the business who have played their part in helping deliver the boat, in particular the Dockside Test Organisation and Astute team who have been an absolute strength over the past few months.”

During the transit from Barrow to Scotland, Astute is scheduled to start a period of sea trials that will continue for many months. For much of that time the Royal Navy crew will be accompanied on board by BAE Systems engineers and technicians who will work alongside them to monitor and measure every element of the submarine’s performance against the design parameters.

BAE Systems will also have personnel based at Faslane to deliver the initial in-service support for the submarine.

Astute is the most advanced attack submarine ever supplied to the Royal Navy, incorporating the latest stealth technology combined with a world class sonar system and equipped with Spearfish torpedoes and state of the art Tomahawk land attack missiles to make her a supremely effective naval asset.

Astute is designed to fulfil a range of key strategic and tactical roles including anti-ship and anti-submarine operations, surveillance and intelligence gathering and support for land forces. Displacing 7,400 tonnes and measuring 97 metres from bow to propulsor, Astute is significantly larger than the Swiftsure and Trafalgar class submarines that she will replace but requires fewer crew to operate her due to the advanced technology and automated systems on board.

That technology encompasses many innovations designed to improve operational effectiveness while also reducing costs to help achieve the affordability challenges facing the Ministry of Defence. The 2076 Sonar system is the most effective in the world, giving Astute a key tactical advantage in locating and identifying other vessels, while the stealth characteristics of the submarine design make it the quietest the Navy has ever operated, enabling it to avoid detection and fulfil its role within the ‘Silent Service’, as submarines are known.

Unlimited power is provided by the pressurised water nuclear reactor that is capable of powering a city the size of Southampton, and the Astute is capable of remaining submerged and circumnavigating the globe during a 90-day patrol, creating her own air and fresh water from the ocean. Astute is equipped with a digital optical mast system to replace the traditional periscope and this offers low light and infra-red capabilities to enable her to rapidly capture and analyse visual data, and share it with other fleet assets.

Luxury is not a word that normally appears in the submarine vocabulary – Astute is all about operational capability – but her crew will be the first to each have their own bunk, removing the need for ‘hot bunking’ when during shifts one crewman would occupy a bunk vacated by another. Astute also has a comparatively large and extremely well-equipped galley to ensure the meals that punctuate the round the clock watch system are of the highest standard.

http://www.defpro.com/news/details/11282/

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"TU REGERE IMPERIO FLUCTUS, HISPANE MEMENTO"