Robbin Laird, Author at Second Line of Defense

Poland and the F-35

Posted on June 22, 2019 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

06/22/2019

During the recent visit of the Polish President and a high-ranking Polish delegation, many key defense issues were discussed with President Trump and his Administration.

Among those issues was the potential purchase of the F-35 by Poland.

According to an article published on the Polish Ministry of Defence website, this prospect was discussed.

“Soon Poland will join the elite group of states whose air forces have the most modern F-35 aircraft. I want this process to proceed quickly and effectively,” said Mariusz Błaszczak, the Minister of National Defence after meeting the command of the Eglin Air Force base in Florida and the F-35 pilots.

On June 10, the head of the Ministry of National Defence began his visit to the USA and visited the Eglin Air Force Base, where, among others he became acquainted with the F-35 development program – the latest – 5th generation aircraft.

“We are advanced when it comes to the process of acquiring this state-of-the-art equipment – F-35 fighters. This is a big breakthrough in the combat capabilities of Polish Air Force.

“This is a challenge, but it is such an element that will certainly deter the potential aggressor,” the head of the National Defence Ministry said.

The minister reminded that at the end of May this year Poland has sent letter of request regarding the purchase of 32 F-35A aircraft.

“We are already in the process, we as MoND have placed the letter and there have been several meetings between experts from the Polish and United States Air Force. So, we are talking, I am happy that we will finish this process quickly,” added the head of the National Defence Ministry.

As the minister pointed out, the era of post-Soviet equipment used by the Polish Air Force ends, and era of the fifth generation equipment and therefore the most modern one, begins.

The minister added that he wanted the Polish pilots, who belong to the world’s leaders, to have effective and safe equipment.

“The planned purchase of F-35 fighters fits into the creation of the entire system that deters a potential enemy. Earlier, I signed contracts for the purchase of Patriot and HIMARS systems,” said the head of the National Defence Ministry.

The US Navy Working Maritime Security with African Partners

Posted on June 22, 2019 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

By defenceWeb

The United States Navy is working with partners in Africa to help them enhance maritime security, with exercises, training and aid being delivered, according to US Navy Admiral James Foggo III.

“The maritime domain has strategic security implications; not only do piracy and other illicit maritime activities threaten development efforts, weaken state security, and rob states of precious resources required for greater economic growth and effective governance, they can easily destabilize region and create pockets for terrorism to thrive,” said Foggo, Commander US Naval Forces Europe/Commander US Naval Forces Africa.

“We work by, with, and through our African partners through joint engagements such as the African Partnership Station exercises like Cutlass Express, Obangame Express, and Phoenix Express and operations like Junction Rain. We train side-by-side to enhance their capabilities and inter-country communications.

“With 38 of Africa’s 54 nations being coastal, maritime domain awareness plays a key role in the overall security and stability of the continent. Naval efforts of US Naval Forces Europe-Africa (CNE-A), through the relationships we are building and our engagements in the Horn of Africa, Gulf of Guinea, and North Africa, are helping to create security that leads to economic and social development, which provides opportunities for our African partners to prosper,” Foggo said.

Gulf of Guinea

“In 2010, the 10 countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea operated independently. One country would detect a small boat carrying illegal drugs or a ship boarded by pirates. The country would deploy forces with the goal of tracking down and boarding this vessel, but the moment the vessel crossed into another country’s jurisdiction, efforts were often hampered, as information was not being passed from country to country. Countries did not have the key contacts of their neighboring country leadership, the technology to track maritime activities, or the agreements in place to share this information. They were making the effort but were losing resources as threats crossed from one territorial body of water to the next.

“At around this time, CNE-A began hosting an annual exercise series. This includes Phoenix Express in North Africa/the southern Mediterranean Sea, Cutlass Express in East Africa/Western Indian Ocean, and Obangame Express, which is held in the Gulf of Guinea. These exercises followed several years of training under the Africa Partnership Station initiative and are designed to provide necessary focus and engagement opportunities for the U.S. Navy to work with our African partners while incorporating European, North and South American, and other regional allies and partners. The primary goal of these exercises is to focus on maritime domain awareness and law enforcement while promoting national and regional maritime security.

“As an example, Obangame Express 2019 (OE 19) had 33 nations participating from the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa, Europe, and North and South America. It was the largest iteration of the exercise to date and included more than 2,500 personnel, 95 ships, and 12 air craft.

“More than 80 scenarios were worked across the five maritime zones of the Yaounde Code of Conduct, utilizing seven national military command centers and 19 Maritime Operations Centers (MOCs). OE 19 was the first time a USCG cutter (USCGC) participated, and their unique capabilities allowed them to conduct specialized joint training with our partners on law enforcement.

“Along with USCGC Thetis’ (WMEC 910) participation in OE 19, there were many other firsts at the exercise:
Ivorian naval forces incorporated drug-detecting dogs for the first time, working to search a simulated narcotics smuggling vessel to find hidden contraband.

Members of the Nigerian Navy’s special boat service fast-roped from a helicopter onto the deck of a Nigerian warship, conducting the first vertical visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) of a simulated non-compliant vessel during OE.
Nigeria opened its Maritime Domain Awareness Training Center, which now serves as a training hub for West African countries and contributes to improved communications between partner nations in the region. The center will also increase the frequency at which training can occur and will cut down on cost for African maritime nations, who now no longer need to travel to Europe or North America for training; they can get the same great training much closer to home!

Thetis also conducted joint operations with the Nigerian Navy and the Cabo Verdean Coast Guard during Operation Junction Rain (OJR). USCG law enforcement personnel acted in an advise and assist capacity to the partner nation aboard their ships to help counter illicit trade and criminal activities, providing guidance and training to the Nigerians and then the Cabo Verdeans in their respective territorial waters. U.S. Navy forces continued OJR with Ghana and Togo in June and will continue the operation later this year with Seychelles.

Maintenance and Support

“During my many engagements with the African Heads of Navy, I hear about their issues keeping aging ships operational, which prevents them from properly employing them to protect their coasts,” Foggo said. “One other great initiative we are undertaking this year – which is actually happening right now – is the USNS Carson City (T-EPF 7) deployment to the Gulf of Guinea to conduct maintenance engagements with several nations in the region to conduct side-by-side assessments and workshops to address best practices and preventative maintenance.

“Our European partners are also working with African partners to enhance their capabilities. The French Navy hosts exercise series African Naval Exercise Maritime Operations (NEMO), which provides further training and operationalization of the Yaounde Code of Conduct in the Gulf of Guinea. Last year, the U.S. Navy supported the inaugural Grand African NEMO, the capstone of the exercise series, by deploying a P-8A Poseidon for the first time ever in the Gulf of Guinea.”

Real World Successes

Foggo said naval exercises operations and initiatives have led to real-world success in Africa. For instance, in March, Thetis conducted a rescue-a-sea of two fishermen, who were presumed dead, approximately 40 miles off of Sierra Leone. The crew spotted a fishing vessel adrift and proceeded to render assistance. The fishermen had been lost at sea for three days and had run out of food, water, and fuel. Thetis provided necessary supplies and safely transferred the fishermen and their vessel to the Sierra Leone Maritime Authority to be brought ashore.

In May, the Togo Navy successfully intervened and captured pirates attempting to hijack a tanker at an anchorage in Togo’s territorial waters. The MOC received a call from the owner of the tanker reporting that his ship had been attacked at the Lomé anchorage. The Togo Navy and MOC worked quickly to intervene with simultaneous deployment of a fast patrol craft and two patrol boats along with a VBSS team.

The ship was stopped approximately 25 nautical miles from the port and diverted back to the anchorage. The ship’s crew of seven was released without any injuries, and the eight pirates handed over to investigating authorities for further processing. The Togo Navy, like many other regional partners, has made significant progress throughout the past decade, and they will only continue to improve, Foggo said.

“Another example of how far our African partners have advanced in the maritime domain is the success story of Motor Vessel Maximus. Back in 2016 when I was the U.S. 6thFleet commander, I received a call from Capt. Heidi Agle, then-commodore of Military Sealift Command Europe and Africa and Task Force 63. She was in charge of our Africa Partnership Station activities in the Gulf of Guinea. Heidi called me from aboard USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1) to report piracy activities in the gulf of Guinea near her ship. She was instructed to find the pirates’ “mother” vessel. The next morning, she reported pirates had taken over Maximus. Her mission was to find the ship, establish a safe stand-off range, and then call our African partners, starting with Ghana, to let them know that their assistance was needed to monitor the vessel and pass its position to other regional navies and coast guards.

The Ghanaians did just that, and as Maximus transited through the waters of Togo and Benin, information was efficiently relayed through each of the MOCs. When the pirates aboard Maximus entered Nigerian waters, the Nigerian Navy was ready for them. NNS Okpabana, a former USCGC, with an embarked Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service VBSS team, challenged the pirates by coming alongside Maximus and stating their intention to board.

The pirates claimed to be legitimate businessmen carrying petroleum into port, a statement contradicted by the facts passed to the Nigerians from their neighbors. The Nigerians conducted a non-compliant boarding, apprehended the pirates, and returned Maximus and crew safely to port.

“These stories: the Togo Navy’s piracy rescue and the Nigerian Navy’s rescue of Maximus are just a couple of examples of how far our African partners have advanced their cooperation and capabilities in the past decade.

“The first was a successful and rapid response to a shipboard report, showcasing the collaboration between the MOCs and the forces responding to calls. The second was a complex, multilateral mission that demonstrated the successful hand-off of a pirate vessel from the U.S. Navy to security forces in Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, respectively.

“Our Gulf of Guinea partners, through their hard work and perseverance, as well as training by Western and European maritime teams, have increased their maritime domain awareness and ability to share information. They are able to take increasingly more effective actions against security and economic threats, such as piracy and other types of illicit maritime activity. Training, exercises, and operations in the region are paying off.”

Foggo said the shared goals of a secure, stable, and prosperous Africa benefits not only African partners and the U.S., but also the international community. “CNE-A is and will continue working with our allies and partners to support not only the individual countries but also with Africa’s regional initiatives to build their security and law enforcement institutions to counter piracy, illicit drug trafficking, illicit fishing, arms trafficking, and other illegal and illicit activities occurring in African waters. Through continued training and collaboration, there will continue to be steady improvement in security and stability in the region.”

The featured photo shows an activity during Obangame Express 2019 held in the Gulf of Guinea.

This article was published by defenceWeb on June 21, 2019.

Putting FCAS Into a Broader European Political Context: The EU, Brexit and Shaping a Way Ahead

Posted on June 20, 2019 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

06/20/2019

By Pierre Tran

Paris – French and German defense ministers attended an unveiling of a mock-up of a new fighter jet at the Paris air show, even as the two countries compete to fill top jobs in the European Union, and the UK Conservative party limps toward selecting a new prime minister to steer an exit from the EU.

French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Angela Merkel are attending June 20 an EU summit of the European Council in Brussels, seeking to agree on a series of key appointments in leading EU institutions.

Previously, France and Germany agreed to support the same candidates but Macron and Merkel are jostling to field their respective candidates.

There is much to play for, as these senior posts will steer future EU policy, which includes European defense.

This will be the last EU summit for Theresa May, who is stepping down as British prime minister and handing over the task of negotiating Brexit to her successor.

The political appointment is widely expected to be Boris Johnson, who has garnered the most votes in a secret ballot by Conservative party legislators. Paid-up members of the Conservative party, estimated at 160,000, will then get to vote on the two candidates.

That raises the prospect of Johnson moving into 10 Downing Street as the next prime minister, and becoming the political decider on issues such as whether to cooperate with European military projects pursued across the English Channel.

Johnson has campaigned as a fervent supporter of Brexit, insisting on leaving the EU on Oct. 31, whether there is a negotiated deal or not.

Then again, Johnson has also, in a televised debate with Conservative party contenders, fudged on whether he would indeed observe that deadline for departure.

Johnson might one day be asked to consider whether London will bring the British Tempest future fighter jet project closer to the future combat air system (FCAS), in which Berlin, Paris and Madrid have signed up to build a new European fighter.

The competition between France and Germany to appoint senior EU officials includes presidents of the European Commission, the executive arm; European Council, the political forum; European Central Bank; and European parliament.

There are also top jobs to be filled at the EU foreign policy unit and the EU’s recommendation for the next NATO secretary general.

The EU is gearing up to take an active role in defense and security, with the creation of the European Defense Fund, intended as a means to channel investment into research and development of military technology.

The European Parliament will have a word to say as the European members of parliament, fresh from elections last month across the 28 member states, have to the right to endorse the selection of the European Commission president. That endorsement grants political power to the EP, in a bid to respond to criticism of a “democracy deficit.”

British voters took part in the European parliamentary elections last month, and the UK is due to leave on the date which coincides with Halloween.

The featured photo is taken from this source:

https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-elections-2019/news/france-and-germany-still-wrestling-over-eus-future-top-jobs/

The Ch-53K at the Paris Air Show: Preparing for Its Global Role

Posted on June 20, 2019 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

By Robbin Laird

On June 18, 2019, the President of Sikorsky, Dan Schultz, himself a former CH-53-E pilot, provided an overview brief on the CH-53K and their offering for both Germany and Israel.

He was joined by John Rucci, Senior Experimental Test Pilot, who was in the Lockheed chalet, working with reporters on the CH-53 K flight simulator and by Beth Parcella, the Director of the International CH-53K program.

The briefing to reporters started with a focus on how the aircraft could perform in brownout and degraded conditions.

The video and the discussion by both Schultz and Rucci highlighted the capability of the aircraft to operate in very difficult operational conditions in a way neither the Chinook nor the E could do.

This is due to the fly by wire system onboard the aircraft and other digital tools which allow for stable flight in a wide variety of operational conditions.

This is crucial for the Marines as they transition from the land wars to operating in all climes globally and flying to the crisis rather than primarily focusing on Middle East operating conditions.

My visit to MAWTS-1 last year in Yuma Arizona highlighted how significant the transition which the Marines are undergoing to deal with the strategic shift facing the United States and its allies, and clearly the K is being relied on as a key piece of the combat capability allowing the Marines to operate and prevail in contested combat operations.

The digital nature of the aircraft was highlighted in terms of how “big data” life cycle support was a key part of CH-53K operations.

Schultz noted that the Sikorsky experience with the S-92 was especially important in terms of providing the kind of reliability through data which the Ch-53K has as well.

The CH-53K has a built in HUMS or health management system which provides real time data on performance and maintainability, which provides the military customer with a significant advance over mechanical systems like the Chinook or the E, and which provide built-in operational and sustainability advantages.

I visited the S-92 global management operation, and clearly, the S-92 has provided Sikorsky with key abilities to understand how to provide global support to operating aircraft in very different geographical situations as well.

Schultz spent some time highlighting the advantages of the K from the standpoint of maintainability or sustainability.

He noted that, for example, even though the gearbox on the K is much more powerful than that of the E, it operates with 40% less parts.

He noted as well that the aircraft was designed to make it more flexible in a number of ways.

He mentioned that because the flight controls are built into the seat, the aircraft adjusts to the pilot, rather than the pilot having to adjust his seat to operate the flight controls.

He mentioned as well the capability of the aircraft be carried by a large lift aircraft like the C-17 and being able to re-assembled much more quickly than a legacy system like the E.

With regard to international partners, the aircraft was very adjustable to the needs of new partners.

It is a digital aircraft with software upgradeability built in, and when I visited the Sikorsky facility in Connecticut last year, I talked with software engineers about the flexibility of adapting software to partner needs.

The offering to Germany provides an F-35 like partnership in which German partners would be providing parts not just to the German CH-53K but to the overall global program.

For Germany, the K clearly would be part of how they might adjust flexibility to the strategic shift facing the liberal democracies in dealing with the Russians.

For example, Germany needs to rapidly reinforce their Baltic brigade or move forces forward to reinforce Poland in a crisis.

Compared to Chinook, the K goes further, faster and brings a significantly greater combat load to the fight rapidly.

And flying with the A400 M or the C-130J, the ability to carry standard pallets means a rapid movement of cargo from an airlifter to the K to move support within an area of interest.

And the K is changing as well the meaning of what a support helo really is.

It is in an information or C2 asset through the nature of the cockpit and how information can be managed within the cockpit or delivered to the combat soldiers onboard the aircraft.

This means that for Germany, the K is already FCAS enabled, or able to operate in a combat cloud in a way certainly neither the E nor the Chinook can do.

In Germany, Sikorsky is partnered with Rheinmetall, a company with demonstrated capability to support ground combat forces, and which is investing in transferring that capability to the helo support domain.

The German MoD is looking for the replacement helicopter for the legacy CH-53s to be part of launch to a new sustainment approach.

The MoD is looking for innovative new approaches to sustainment, and certainly this is something which the US Navy and Marine Corps are investing heavily in, as evidenced by the log demo team operating in USMC Air Station New River.

In short, the US Navy and the USMC working with Sikorsky are making available to our core allies a significant 21st century combat platform, one which is tailored to work the concepts of operations required to support effectively the strategic shift which are forces face when facing 21st century authoritarian competitors.

For a look at our archive of CH-53K articles, see the following:

https://defense.info/system-type/rotor-and-tiltrotor-systems/ch-53k/

Leonardo Unveils Falco Xplorer UAS at Paris Air Show 2019

Posted on June 20, 2019 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

By Andrew McLaughlin

Italy’s Leonardo has unveiled the Falco Xplorer UAS, the largest remotely piloted system it has ever designed, at the 2019 Paris Airshow.

The Xplorer is the latest addition to the company’s Falco line of UASs, and features a 350kg payload and an endurance of more then 24 hours.

It features SATCOM for beyond line of sight communications, and a maximum takeoff weight of about 1,200kg.

Leonardo says the air vehicle, sensors and mission system have been designed entirely in-house, and that the system is readily exportable without restriction and without being subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions.

“Leonardo invests continuously in new capabilities to ensure we position the right products in the right markets”, Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo, said at the Xplorer’s unveiling in Paris.

“The Falco Xplorer is designed to be extremely competitive in its category, building on the experience we’ve gained working with Falco family customers over a number of years and our Company’s strengths in the unmanned domain.

“By understanding and being able to meet our customers’ needs, we expect to increase our share of the unmanned systems market.”

Leonardo plans to certify the system to operate in non-segregated airspace and to meet NATO STANAG4671 for operation in NATO militaries, and is pitching it to military as well as civil agencies such as coast guards and emergency responders.

This article was published by Australian Defence Business Review on June 19, 2019.

MBDA and FCAS: Building Weapons for the “Combat Cloud”

Posted on June 19, 2019 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

06/19/2019

By Pierre Tran

Paris Air Show 2019

MBDA, a missile builder, displayed at the Paris air show life-size models of concepts for cruise missiles and tactical smart weapons as options for the Future Combat Air System, a European plan for a new fighter jet and other weapons.

A Spear missile was also on show at the MBDA exhibition chalet, signaling the European company’s targeting sales to operators of the F-35 fighter.

The UK’s development contract for the air-to-ground weapon opened up a global market on the joint strike fighter and prospects on the British Tempest new air combat systems project.

These displays give a glimpse of weapons which might be used to outsmart the anti-access, area denial systems deployed by enemy forces.

For allies planning a deep strike mission, there are mock ups of concepts for subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles, potential replacements to the Storm Shadow/Scalp British and French weapons.

The former would weigh around one ton, fly more than 1,000 km to hit hard targets such as concrete bunkers and command centers.

The latter would have speed of Mach 2 and more, and offer agility in flight.

For tactical strike, there are models of Smart Glider and a powered version, Smart Cruiser.

The former would not have an engine and would be guided by a targeting system of infrared, laser and GPS. The latter would have a motor and range of some 200 km.

Both these would be part of the FCAS combat cloud, connected to fighter pilots and ground control, loaded with artificial intelligence for a target designator, with their use set by rules of engagement.

These weapons could be used as a “swarm” to saturate air defense systems such as the S300 or S400 missile.

The destructive power of warheads could be scaled up or down according to operational need, with the weapons small enough to fit six units on a contact point. That would allow up to 18 weapons on a Rafale, or four units in each of the internal weapons bay on the FCAS fighter.

MBDA invested company funds on studies for the Smart Glider, and a couple of countries are interested in ordering the weapon, an executive said.

There are also two types of small drones weighing 150 kg and 250 kg, dubbed remote carriers. These are derived from Smart Glider, and designed to carry sensors and “effectors” such as electronic warfare payloads to confuse or hit an integrated air defense system.

Such a powered, low-cost drone might emulate a Rafale, tricking the defense system and act as decoy. Speeds of Mach 0.75 to 0.9 on a small turbojet are envisaged.

Another type of concept weapon consists of a small anti-missile missile, a last chance “ultimate defense” a pilot would fire against an approaching missile.

This could be a “hard kill” weapon working on kinetic strike, and would be a complement to self-defense tools such as chaff, flares and electronic jamming.

There could be at least four of these weapons, each weighing less than 10 kg and less than one meter long. MBDA is pitching the concept to Airbus and Dassault Aviation for the FCAS fighter.

The Meteor missile is also on show, and the reach of this long-range weapon could be extended. There are studies for an upgrade with a multimode seeker for future models.

MBDA signed up as a partner on the FCAS joint concept study led by Airbus and Dassault.

2019-06-17-MBDA-unveils-its-vision-of-Future-Air-Systems

Also, see the following:

The Combat Cloud at the Heart of the Future Combat Air System

Bolsonaro and Sons: A Brazilian Update, June 2019

Posted on June 19, 2019 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

By Kenneth Maxwell

The government of Brazil continues to face major challenges.

Many are generic and long standing and not all of them are the result of President Bolsonaro’s “method” of governing.

But many are.

And they are assisted mightily by the antics of Bolsonaro’s three sons, Flávio, Carlos and Eduardo. All three are elected officials. All of them highly ideological, extremely active, and very disruptive.

But then so was their father during his 27 years in Congress, so no one should be surprised by this.

Brazil has known the influence of family cartels before, yet they usually acted behind the scenes and with discretion.

The Bolsonaro family is far from being subtle.

And Olavo Carvalho, their “guru” in Richmond, Virginia, with his scatological tweets is even less so.

The major hope of those in the financial markets (both domestic and international) was that his super-minister of the economy, the university of Chicago trained economist, Paulo Guedes, would deliver on his promise of a radical reform of the state dominated economic model perused by Brazil over the past half century, by cutting back state intervention, and by privatisation, and above all by pushing through a reform of the system of social security (providência).

All economists recognise that the current system is unsustainable.

But social security reform has always been extremely difficult in Brazil because so many vested interests are affected, and these have always been able to effectively lobby in Congress to prevent any real change. This was always going to be a difficult nut to crack.

Not surprisingly it is proving to be so.

Bolsonaro promised Guedes a free hand in economic policy.

This has not prevented Bolsonaro interfering with appointments at the secondary level which has led to resignation of the head of the Brazilian National Development Bank (BNDS), Joaquim Levy, on Sunday June 16th. Levy is widely respected both domestically and internationally, having been a leading figure at the world bank in Washington DC., as well as Dilma Rousseff’s minister of the economy, until he resigned in the face of her contestant interference.

History has repeated itself. Bolsonaro was not happy with Levy’s appointments and he was in effect fired.

The financial markers reacted negatively to this move.

Paulo Guedes moved quickly to appoint Gustavo Montezano (38) from the desestatização (literally the “de-state-ization” ) unit in the ministry of the economy. Montezano is a young former investment banker with BTG Pactual, one of Latin America’s largest investment banks, who headed the bank’s commodities related business in London.

But perhaps most significantly he is a friend of Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo. He lived in the same building as the Bolsonaro’s in Rio de Janeiro during the 1990, and is the same age as Eduardo Bolsonaro (38).

Levy’s resignation, however, revealed once again Bolsonaro’s very limited capacity for loyalty, or to fully back any of his appointments, and especially when they run into one of his sons, who do not hesitate to take to their “tweets” to undermine and defeat their perceived enemies, egged on of course from afar by their foul mouthed “guru” of Richmond.

The second major constraint on Bolsonaro’s plans has been the attack on Sérgio Moro, his super minister of justice and public security, and by extension on the whole anti-corruption “car wash” investigations that Sergio Moro headed when he was a federal judge in Curitiba, Paraná.

It is ironic that Glen Greenwald, the American lawyer who was at the heart of the publication of secrets US government classified information involving Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, should now be at the heart of the downloading of the confidential communications between Sérgio Moro and Deltan Dallagnol, the head of the federal “lava jato” anti-corruption task force in Rio de Janeiro.

This is the result of the massive hack of the private communications between Moro and Dallagnol, published beginning on June 10th, on-line by “The Intercept” an internet site funded by the American billionaire founder of eBay, Pierre Omidyar, and run in part by Glen Greenwald, who lives in Rio de Janeiro with his husband, David Miranda.

David Miranda is now a federal deputy from Rio de Janeiro, for the socialism and liberty party (psol) having taken the seat of Jean Wyllys, who is now in self imposed exile after death threats.

These threats need to be taken very seriously in Brazil, especially in Rio de Janeiro, were a black lesbian council woman, Marielle, and her driver, were assassinated by milícias linked to the police and, it is alleged, to Bolsonaro’s sons.

The fallout from the “intercept” hacks has already greatly weakened the position of Sergio Moro.

He has become more depended on the support of Jair Bolsonaro, and the hacked messages has called into question the whole of the lava jato investigation, and above all the conviction and jailing of former two-term president Lula (as well of course of the many leading politicians and businessmen caught up in the massive Petrobras corruption scandals.)

Welcome to Brazil in 2019!

Dr. Maxwell is currently visiting Brazil.

The featured photo is found here:

https://en.mercopress.com/2019/02/18/bolsonaro-learning-the-hard-way-family-and-politics-don-t-mix

SAMI at the Paris Air Show 2019: Highlighting an L3 Partnership

Posted on June 19, 2019 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has come to its first major air show by having a chalet at the 2019 Paris Air Show.

According to Arab News in an article published June 12, 2019:

Saudi Arabia Military Industries (SAMI) will participate in the 53rd edition of the International Paris Air Show, the world’s premier and largest event dedicated to the aviation and space industry. The event will take place from June 17 to 23 at the Paris Le Bourget Exhibition Center in Paris, France. It will be officially inaugurated by French President Emmanuel Macron. The exhibition will be attended by SAMI’s board members, executives and senior management.

Featuring an exhibit indoor booth and an outdoor chalet at the show, SAMI will showcase its portfolio of military products and services spanning four business divisions, namely aeronautics, land systems, weapons and missiles, and defense electronics. The company will also explore new business and investment opportunities and the possibility of forming new partnerships and agreements at the trade show, which is expected to attract nearly 350,000 visitors, as well as 2,500 exhibitors who will put their latest defense industries solutions and technologies on display.

And according to the SAMI website:

The vision for SAMI is as follows:

To be among the top 25 military industry ‎companies in the world by 2030, combining the latest technologies and the best national talent to develop military products and services at par with international standards, and achieve the Kingdom’s self-sufficiency in military industries.

And the mission is described as follows:

To develop cutting-edge technologies, manufacture world-class products, and provide high-quality services to scale up the military industries sector and secure necessary supplies for our clients

Second Line of Defense attended a major event involving SAMI in which they signed a keystone agreement on June 18, 2019 with L3 to work together on developing joint capabilities with Saudi Arabia. The SAMI officials at the ceremony highlighted the importance of the agreement and also the incremental approach to working on building out local capabilities in conjunction with L3.

According to the Press Release which followed the signing ceremony:

LE BOURGET, France

L3 Technologies (NYSE:LLL) announced today that it has signed a joint venture agreement with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) to collaborate on electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) and special mission systems projects within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The contract was signed on June 18 in the SAMI Chalet during the Paris Air Show.

In February 2019, L3 and SAMI announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) relating to the joint venture.

“Through this partnership, L3 will further establish a long-term presence within the KSA,” said Christopher E. Kubasik, L3’s Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President.

“This venture with SAMI, which includes research and development, manufacturing, training and sustainment activities, represents a key milestone in the further development and execution of L3’s international growth strategy.”

“We are pleased to partner with L3 as we move towards our goal of creating a Center of Excellence in the Kingdom,” said H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Chairman of SAMI.

“As we continue to support objectives tied to Saudi Vision 2030, this long-term partnership with L3 will help grow the sensor and mission systems industry while creating a comprehensive through-life support structure for our military customers.”

L3 Technologies designs and manufactures industry-leading multi-spectral and multi-sensor EO/IR imaging and targeting sensor systems in addition to fully customizable mission systems for air, land and maritime vessels.

Together, L3 and SAMI will indigenously design and implement these advanced technologies and solutions for a variety of customer-specific applications from a Center of Excellence that will be established in the Kingdom.

This ceremony was a follow-up to the February 2019 L3 and SAMI announcement of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with regard to their joint venture on elector-optical and special mission systems projects within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

With the coming of the new L3/Harris combined company, the SAMI partner can bring additional prospective capabilities to the evolving partnership.