by defenceWeb French, Malian, Burkinabe and Nigerien soldiers took part in a joint counter-terrorism operation in the Sahel earlier this month involving several thousand troops. As part of Operation Monclar, 1 700 soldiers of the French-led Barkhane force, and 3 000 Malian, Nigerien and Burkinabe soldiers G5 Sahel joint force…
By Pierre Tran Paris - Dassault Aviation, builder of the Rafale fighter jet, plans to re-open April 3. The company is to open nine factories and offices, returning to “minimal” production under strict health conditions in response to the spread of coronavirus across France. The aircraft company posted on its…
By Captain Jarrad Baldwin Three Australian politicians recently experienced what life is like for deployed Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel in the Middle East region (MER). Federal Member of Parliament James Stevens and Senators Hollie Hughes and David Van participated in the ADF Parliamentary Program (ADFPP), visiting the main ADF…
By Robbin Laird We have raised for some time the question of whether the liberal democracies can effectively crisis manage. And our colleague John Blackburn set up a new Institute in Australia a couple of years ago to focus attention on how Australia could become a more resilient society in…
By Pierre Tran Paris - French arms companies have taken major steps following a national lock down ordered last week against the coronavirus, with some factories closed or cutting back, staff working from home, and shipyards working at a slower pace. The government has declared a state of emergency in…
By Pierre Tran Paris - Political support has been vital for a European medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, and even with that backing, years have passed before a program contract appears to be in reach, analysts said. France expects to green light a deal by mid year, which would clear…
The occasion of President Jair Bolsonaro's visit to Miami with President Trump and then to SOUTHCOM provides an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing Brazil in 2020. Prior to providing that assessment by Kenneth Maxwell, it is important to highlight the historic visit of Brazil's President to SOUTHCOM. The video…
By defenceWeb Morocco’s military has apparently taken delivery of three Harfang (Heron) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a number of years after expressing interest in acquiring them from France. According to Intelligence Online, the Moroccan military received the three Israel Aerospace Industries-built UAVs on 26 January. The aircraft will most likely…
