NATO Military news , pictures & videos thread

[Miragedriver]

Europe’s Eighth NATO Radar Operational in Hungary

The construction of a new 3D radio-radar at Medina in Southern Hungary began in October 2012. The facility is aimed at protecting the aerial space over all NATO countries.

A new NATO 3D radar became operational Wednesday morning at Medina in southern Hungary, the country’s Defense Minister Csaba Hende announced.

According to the minister, the new radar station will help protect the air space not only over Hungary but over all NATO countries.

He added that the alliance has placed great hopes on the radar. This is why NATO funded 94 percent of the building costs and will continue funding for the next 18 years.

The construction of the over 1 billion forints ($3.5 million) facility began in October 2012. The radar replaced the Soviet-made radio-radar equipment in operation since 1987.

NATO representative Koen Gijsbers, in his turn, noted that the alliance has stationed eight radars of this type, including in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

The new radar at Medina is the third 3D radar facility to control the aerial space of the country, after Bankut in the north and Bekescsaba in the south-east.

Link:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Back to bottling my Grenache

 

[cyan1320]

The Last Avro Vulcan Bomber Flying

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

 

[Miragedriver]

Poland 'Dreams' of Montenegro Joining NATO at 2016 Warsaw Summit

Poland plans to encourage other NATO countries to support Montenegro's membership bid, Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna said. According to him, Montenegro’s admission to NATO would help stabilize the situation in the Western Balkan region.

Montenegro should become part of NATO at the next summit of the alliance, Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna said during his visit to Pristina, the capital of Montenegro.

Schetyna arrived in Pristina for talks on Montenegro’s admission to NATO.

"Our dream is that Montenegro would be the 29th full-fledged NATO member at the Warsaw summit in July 2016," he was quoted as saying by Polish Press Agency.

The chances of Montenegro joining NATO during the Warsaw summit are high, he underscored.

According to the minister, Montenegro’s admission to NATO would help stabilize the situation in the Western Balkans and be a step towards the country’s future EU membership.

He added that Poland plans to encourage other NATO members to support Montenegro membership plans.

Earlier, NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg said the decision on Montenegro’s membership bid would be made during a foreign ministerial meeting scheduled in December.

Read more:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Back to bottling my Grenache

 

[FORBIN]

Recently Standing NATO Maritime Group 1

 

[Miragedriver]

NATO Decides to Provide Defense Assistance Package to Iraq
NATO and Iraqi experts will elaborate training programs to be held in Turkey and Jordan.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The North Atlantic Council agreed on Friday a defense capacity building package for Iraq to help strengthen the country's security and defense sector in light of the fight against terrorism, NATO said in a statement.

"The package includes measures of support in seven priority areas: advice on security sector reform; countering improvised explosive devices, explosive ordnance disposal and de-mining; civil military planning; cyber defense; military medicine and medical assistance; military training; and civil emergency planning," the statement said.

According to the document, "NATO and Iraqi experts will now work on the details of the training programs, which will be held in Turkey and Jordan."

The support package has been developed upon Iraq’s request and in "close consultation with the Iraqi authorities," and aims to complement the efforts of an international coalition to counter the Islamic State activities, according to the statement.

ISIL is a radical Sunni group that has captured large areas in Iraq and Syria, establishing a caliphate on the territories under their control.

The US-led 62-nation coalition began its airstrikes campaign against ISIL terrorists in Iraq in August 2014, and expanded the air campaign to Syria in September 2014.

Link:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Back to bottling my Grenache

 

[Miragedriver]

Greece and Israel signed an agreement of cooperation on defense

(Defensa.com) In full crisis of Greece with the EU, the Greek Cabinet, headed by the leader of the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA according to its initials in Greek) Alexis Tsipras has also had time to strengthen the Alliance in his country Israel. Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos, who belongs to the party Independent Greeks (ANEL), visited his Israeli counterpart, Moshe Ya'alon, in his ministerial office in Tel Aviv. During the meeting, in addition to discuss maritime security, energy resources, cooperation in the field of military industry and energy transfer, the two politicians signed a cooperation agreement. Israel and Greece have regulated the situation of military personnel traveling or residing in another country while participating in military exercises or cooperation.

Cooperation in the field of defense between the two Mediterranean countries are much intensified in 2010 after freezing of relations between Israel and Turkey, which were particularly successful in this field. Until that date the transfer of technology, especially weapons, between Jerusalem and Ankara were constant, but from the severance of diplomatic relations in September 2011 almost completely ceased, and although the United States has made numerous efforts to normalize diplomatic relations It has not been possible. Since then the joint maneuvers, whether naval and air, between Hellenic Armed Forces and the IAF (Israel Defence Force) have increased, noting that Israeli helicopters carried to Greece AH-64D Apache, to interoperate with the Army Greece.

Also the fighter F-16C / D Greeks have moved several times to Israel, as was the case last month of November 2014, which was when many of these fighters arrived at the Israelite Israel Ovda Air Base for a joint maneuvers with the F-16I Sufa of the 107th Squadron. Later, in April 2015, were the fighters of the IDF who were deployed on the island of Crete to participate in the exercise INIOXOS-2015, the largest organized by the Air Force of Greece, where Jews benefited from power "face" to the S-300PMU-1 anti-aircraft systems, acquired Athens Russia.

These ongoing exercises have led to the signing of that agreement, giving the fact that Israel had only reached a similar agreement with the United States. In short, a common defense would have as one of its objectives to protect the sites energy fields in waters south of Cyprus and west of Israel, the so-called "energy triangle" explode the two countries, and will also benefit Greece, because through its territory will run the pipeline that will take oil and gas extracted to Central and Western Europe.

Link:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Back to bottling my Grenache

 

[Miragedriver]

The Lockheed Martin F-16AM / BM Fighting Falcon Air Force in Romania

(Defensa.com) The Minister of Defense of Romania, Mircea Dusa, paid a visit to the Air Base No. 5 (BA5) of the Portuguese Air Force (FAP), in which pilots and maintenance technicians of the Romanian Air Force are trained in the operation of the 12 fighter Lockheed Martin F-16AM / BM Fighting Falcon acquired by the country to Portugal. This instruction in BA5 in Monte Real, where 201 squads "Falcões" and 301 "Jaguares", began operating September 30, 2014 and will end in September 2017.

In September 2016 the Portuguese Air Force begin the transfer of 9 F-16AM Fighting Falcon and 3 Fighting Falcon F-16BM under a contract signed in 2013 between the two member nations of NATO, allowing the gradual replacement of the MiG Lancer -21 Romanians. Aircraft assigned to Romania up a batch of 25 F-16A / B Fighting Falcon Block 15 OCU received by Portugal United States in the field of Peace Atlantis II (AP II) program as a surplus of Defense. The 12 units were modernized in Portugal the pattern F-16AM / BM Fighting Falcon.

To equip its future fighters, Romania asked the United States providing, through the procedure Foreign Military Sales (FMS Foreign Military Sales or) air-to-air missile Raytheon AIM-120C AMRAAM and AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-ground missiles Raytheon AGM-65H / KB Maverick, guidance systems of precision Raytheon GBU-12 Paveway II and electronic countermeasures systems Northrop Grumman AN / ALQ-131.

After the transfer of the 12 aircraft, the Portuguese Air Force has 30 operational aircraft, including the three F-16A Fighting Falcon Block 15 OCU donated by the United States through an agreement reached in August 2013. These three aircraft, received in 2014, before stored in the 309th AMARG (Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group) Air Base Davis-Monthan are currently modernized by the Portuguese OGMA to configuration F-16AM Fighting Falcon before delivery to the FAP, in 2017.

Link:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Back to bottling my Grenache

 

[asif iqbal]

NATO is ok but really what it needs is a few heavy weighs in Europe

Calling in Americans everytime a firecracker goes off is shameful

France should at minimum call on two amphibious ready groups and two carrier strike groups

That's one ready 24/7

This would be based on 2 x Mistral Class and 1 x CVN

They already have 3 x Mistral Class and 1 x CVN they scrapped a 4th LHD and 2nd carrier so it would have been possible

UK should have a amphibious ready group around HMS Ocean and HMS Bukwark/Albion which they do but double that up and they can have one ready 24/7

Two carriers are good but ski jumps is not good two carrier need CATOBAR

This means between them UK and France there is 4 x ARG and 4 x CSG and 2 of each ready to roll at any time, more importantly they provide their own fixed wing carrier based AWACS

Then Italy, Spain and Germany can pull between them a 1-2 x ARG

 

[Miragedriver]

Portugal rejects the purchase of the French ship Siroco

(Defensa.com) The Marinha Portuguesa had decided not to stay with the ship Siroco (L9012) of the French Marine Nationale. The reasons that argues the Portuguese Ministry of Defense are the difficulties encountered in the ship to operate with heavy helicopter AW101 Merlin from his Air Force and at least assures the Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias.

Incompatibility to operate the AW101 affect three aspects. First the high take-off weight of the helicopter (above fourteen tons) exceeds what can safely withstand the flight deck of the ship. Another limitation refers to the strength of the ship itself would be at risk if it happened an accident with one of those heavy helicopters Merlin. It occur in the flight deck, it is considered that could be caused significant damage to the ship. Finally, the aircraft hangar would struggle to accommodate the Merlin helicopter and work with it safely for maintenance work. The Portuguese Air Force used the Merlin helicopter missions mainly search and rescue and maritime surveillance along its vast maritime zone.

In March this year the interest of the Ministry of National Defence of Portugal to take this ship by which France would be asking for 80 million euros became known. However the Law on Military Programming 2015-2026 which was approved earlier this year includes no base for the purchase of this vessel and yes for the modernization of several frigates Marinha Portuguesa.

After selling in 2011 the brother Foudre series with the Chilean Navy, which renamed it Sargento Aldea, France is looking for a buyer for the veteran transport vessel landing craft which is scheduled to terminate at the end of this summer. Among the stakeholders are back Chile or Brazil.

Link:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Back to bottling my Grenache

 

[Jeff Head]

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

​

Last week Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) met with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) while operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Both groups had the opportunity to perform a passing exercise, characterized as sailing in formation. SNMG1 took the opportunity to refuel with SNMG2 ESPS CANTABRIA during a Replenishment At Sea before leaving towards the Western Mediterranean.

SNMG1 is composed by the flagship NRP FRANCISCO de ALMEIDA and HNLMS TROMP while SNMG2 is composed by the flagship FGS HAMBURG, HMCS WINNIPEG, ESPS SANTA MARIA, ESPS CANTABRIA, USS DONALD COOK and TCG YILDIRIM.

NATO SNMG1:
NRP FRANCISCO de ALMEIDA, F334, a Portugese Karl Doorman class FFG
HNLMS TROMP, F808 is a Netherlands De Zeven class FFG

NATO SNMG2:
FGS HAMBURG, F220, is a German Sachsen class FFG
HMCS WINNIPEG, FFH 338, is a Canadian Hailfax class FFG
ESPS SANTA MARIA, F81, Is a Spanish, Santa Maria (OHP) class FFG
USS DONALD COOK, DDG 75, is a US Navy, Burke class AEGIS DDG
TCG YILDIRIM, F243, is a Turkish Yavus class FFG
ESPS CANTABRIA, A15, is a Spanish AOR Replenishment tanker

One AEGIS destroyer and six guided missile frigates, along with one replenishment tanker.

Eight vessels from seven countries. The combined groups make up a very powerful surface action group.