DTN News - NICOLAS SARKOZY: Is A Different Kind Of French President - Populist, Flamboyant, Gentle - Media Is Going To Miss The Humble Nicolas Sarkozy

DTN News - NICOLAS SARKOZY: Is A Different Kind Of French President - Populist, Flamboyant, Gentle - Media Is Going To Miss The Humble Nicolas Sarkozy

*Nicolas Sarkozy is the biggest victim of Europe's debt crisis

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Economic Times
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 7, 2012: Nicolas Sarkozy is the latest national leader toppled by Europe's debt crisis after the fall of governments in Ireland, Portugal, Slovakia, Italy, Greece, Spain and the Netherlands.

IRELAND

Prime Minister Brian Cowen was the first victim of the debt crisis when his Fianna Fail party, which dominated political life for 80 years, lost a general election in February 2011.

Cowen was replaced by Enda Kenny, of the conservative Fine Gael, who runs a coalition government that some months later was offered better repayment terms on a 2010 rescue package that many Irish took as a blow to national pride.

PORTUGAL

Prime Minister Jose Socrates resigned in March 2011 after parliament rejected a fourth austerity package in less than a year.

After conservatives won June elections, new Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho urged the country for "much courage" to face up to more belt-tightening.

SLOVAKIA

The centre-right government headed by Iveta Radicova lost an October 2011 confidence vote she called to secure the country's backing to beef up the eurozone rescue fund, the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).

Slovakia, whose approval was needed to strengthen the 17-nation bailout facility, finally approved it in a second vote won with the support of the opposition. On March 15, 2012, leftwing leader Robert Fico won the election.

ITALY

Silvio Berlusconi resigned on November 12, 2011 after losing his parliamentary majority.

The 75-year-old media mogul, long a fixture of Italian politics, handed over to ex-European commissioner Mario Monti who set up a government of technocrats named to implement a tough anti-crisis austerity plan backed by the country's main parties.

GREECE

Socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou stepped down on November 11, 2011 and was replaced by Lucas Papademos, a former deputy governor of the European Central Bank and ex-governor of the Greek central bank.

Papandreou faced fierce resistance to austerity measures demanded in return for fresh international loans to save Greece from bankruptcy.

But Greek voters angry over austerity dealt a major blow to mainstream parties in weekend elections, making it unclear how a new government will be formed.

SPAIN

Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, facing a groundswell of discontent over successive austerity packages, decided to bring forward by four months to November 20 a vote initially scheduled for March 2012.

The election was won by conservative Mariano Rajoy who is implementing tough austerity measures to ward off market pressure despite fierce opposition protests.

NETHERLANDS

Prime Minister Mark Rutte handed in his minority government's resignation on April 23, 2012 after failing to win support from the far-right to adopt a bid to reduce the country's public deficit to 3.0 percent as agreed under eurozone rules.

An election has been scheduled for September 12.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Economic Times
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - RUSSIA DEFENSE NEWS: Iran, Pakistan, N. Korea May Pose Nuclear Threat to Russia

DTN News - RUSSIA DEFENSE NEWS: Iran, Pakistan, N. Korea May Pose Nuclear Threat to Russia
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Ria Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: A nuclear-armed Iran, Pakistan and North Korea could potentially trigger regional chain reactions that ultimately threaten Russia's security, the former director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Vyacheslav Trubnikov, said.

“Even if Iran, Pakistan and North Korea are not Russian adversaries, their current and projected nuclear potential could destabilize the regional situation. It could trigger a chain reaction of proliferation (Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) that gives rise to a new missile threat for Russia,” Trubnikov said in an article included in the digest for an international conference on missile defense in Moscow.

History shows that relations with unstable states and radical regimes can rapidly deteriorate and their nuclear potential could become a real threat to Russian national security, Trubnikov said.

That is why Russia needs to work toward mutual understanding with the United States and NATO on the issue of missile defense, he said.

Russia's military leadership has for the first time acknowledged a nuclear threat from Iran and North Korea.

“The threat is always there, so we closely monitor the nuclear program developments of many countries," Army General Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the General Staff, told RT television.

"The analysis that we conducted together with the Americans confirms that, yes, there is a probability that the threat exists. And we agreed that it is necessary to create a missile defense system,” Makarov said.

The Russian Defense Ministry has previously held that there is no nuclear threat to Europe and Russia from Iran and North Korea, because they do not have the capacity to build nuclear weapons or deliver them.

“Many countries that claim not to possess nuclear weapons do in fact have them,” Makarov said.

“Certainly, if it gets into the hands of extremists, it represents a threat to international security,” Makarov said.

He added that in order to counter these threats, Russia is ready to work together with other countries.

“Let's solve this problem. Let us work together to get rid of the threats that may arise, not only for Europe but for Russia because we too are part of Europe,” the general said.

North Korea has conducted two underground nuclear weapon tests, in 2006 and 2009.

Earlier in April South Korean media reported that intelligence indicated North Korea was preparing a third in a row underground nuclear test. The information was based on satellite photographs of North Korean test site, where underground nuclear test had been previously conducted.

U.S. and other Western countries suspect Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of peaceful nuclear energy program. Tehran denies the charges, saying its nuclear program is aimed at meeting the country's electricity needs.

Related News

• Russian Military Concedes Iran, N. Korea Nuclear Threat
• Iran, World Powers Resume Nuclear Talks
• North Korea Prepares for Underground Nuclear Test
• Nuclear-Armed Iran ‘Unacceptable’ – Pentagon

Multimedia

• Peaceful Nuclear Energy or Nuclear Weapons?
• How the nuclear weapons era began
• North Korean nuclear facilities
• World’s nuclear states map

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Ria Novosti
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - MID EAST HOT SPOTS: Saudi Arabia Is Israel’s Last Hope ~ Report

DTN News - MID EAST HOT SPOTS: Saudi Arabia Is Israel’s Last Hope ~ Report
*The Al Saud family is very important to Israel because Saudi Arabia is very actively working in countries such as Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon to reduce Iran's influence in those countries.”  Tel Aviv University Report
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Press TV
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: A recent report by Tel Aviv University says Saudi Arabia is the last hope and defense line for Israel and describes the Saudis as Tel Aviv’s last chance to protect its political interests in the Arab world.

The report said most of Israel’s allies in the region have collapsed and cannot play a significant role in the Arab world. 

It added that Saudi Arabia is the only country that stands against the Islamic Republic of Iran and thus it is Tel Aviv’s last line of defense against Tehran. 

The report noted that the Al Saud family is very important to Israel because Saudi Arabia is very actively working in countries such as Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon to reduce Iran's influence in those countries. 

Last March, a senior Egyptian cleric accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of meddling in the internal affairs of other Muslim nations, calling the two states “Israel’s servants.” 

Sheikh Mohammad Alaedin Madhi said the two countries were implementing an Israeli-US plan in Syria. 

He also criticized the Saudi-owned television network Al-Arabiya and the Qatar-owned broadcaster Al-Jazeera for "serving Israeli interests." 

Moreover, in emails leaked by WikiLeaks and obtained by the Beirut-based newspaper Al-Akhbar, it was revealed that Saudi Arabia had reached out to the Mossad, which assisted the kingdom with, as Al-Akhbar reports, "intelligence collection and advice on Iran." 

According to a source quoted in the emails, "Several enterprising Mossad officers, both past and present, are making a bundle selling the Saudis everything from security equipment (to) intelligence and consultation."

Related Stories:

• Israeli Knesset to be dissolved
• Saudis hold anti-government rally
• ‘US, KSA against democracy in Bahrain’
• Saudis hold anti-regime rally in Qatif

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Press TV
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: Israel Gets Its 4th German-Made Nuke-Capable Submarine

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: Israel Gets Its 4th German-Made Nuke-Capable Submarine
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Press TV
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: Israel has taken delivery of its fourth German-made Dolphin-class submarine capable of carrying nuclear warheads with an operating range of 4,500 kilometers (2796 miles).

The INS Tannin submarine was delivered to Israeli naval officials in Hamburg, Germany on Thursday and is expected to undergo final tests before arriving in Israel in 2013, the Associated Press reported. 

Israeli Minister of Military Affairs Ehud Barak said that the submarine will increase Tel Aviv's capabilities and strength in the face of regional challenges. 

An Israeli navy official said the submarine can "stay underwater for longer." 

Israel had placed order with Germany for the submarine as well as its fifth Dolphin-class sub in 2006, while, in 2012, the two sides signed a contract for a sixth such submarine. The fifth and sixth orders are due for delivery in 2014 and 2016 respectively. 

Three earlier-model Dolphin submarines were delivered to Israel between 1998 and 2000. 

The Germans paid for the first two and split the cost of the third with Israel. Tel Aviv paid only one-third of the cost for the fourth one. 

Israel is the only possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East and has never allowed international inspections of its nuclear facilities nor has it joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty based on its policy of nuclear ambiguity. 

Related Stories:

• 'Israel frightened of its own shadow'
• 'Israel the nuclear threat, not Iran'
• Straw affirms Israel nuclear capability
• Germany to sell Israel new nuke sub
• Anti-Israel sentiments on rise in Europe

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Press TV
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Harmonizing European Defense Efforts

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Harmonizing European Defense Efforts
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Robert K. Ackerman, SIGNAL Magazine
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: The European Union is trying to bring the defense programs of its 27 member nations into synchronicity before the budget boom is lowered on military spending. This harmonization has been a goal for several years, but now it has assumed greater urgency in a time of both greater limitations and more diverse missions.

With the United States the world’s undisputed military superpower and NATO the prevailing defense alliance, the European Union (EU) is striving to develop a military force among member nations that is both effective and efficient. It has participated in several multinational operations, some of which are ongoing. However, the EU force has yet to achieve a satisfactory complementary role with NATO, and the budgetary pressures that are affecting democracies around the world threaten to derail EU efforts to build a distinct military force with its own identity in the global security realm.

So, that force is working to improve its functionality in a time of rising demand and declining resources. Solutions for the two issues may go hand-in-hand as the continent grapples with achieving its long-term goals.

Gen. Håkan Syrén, SWN, is the chairman of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC). He states that solving most of the challenges facing the European Union may require the effective pooling and sharing of defense efforts, which will allow the European Union to attain greater operational effect without increases in spending. This approach would not entail all EU members engaging in the same activity; rather, it would involve clusters of nations cooperating in complementary ways. Areas where this approach would bear fruit quickly include training and exercising, procurement and surveillance, the general points out.

“We must not just look at what we don’t have. We must also look at what we have,” Gen. Syrén declares. In this vein, the European Union is looking at overcapacities that can be altered to realize greater efficiencies.

The past year has seen progress in getting European nations to pool and share—to “work smarter,” the general says. However, that type of cultural and logistical change takes time, which is in short supply with severe budgetary pressures constraining member nations.

Gen. Syrén describes four strategic priorities for the short term. These include ongoing operations in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East as well as developing a more effective use of European military capabilities. Also on the list is the advancement of strategic partnerships with organizations such as the United Nations, the African Union, NATO and individual states outside of the European Union. And, the EUMC is pursuing a comprehensive approach to its operations. The general observes that the European Union’s operations in the Horn of Africa could serve as a testbed for the comprehensive approach, which is outlined in the 2007 Treaty of Lisbon that laid the foundation for a permanent European structured cooperation in defense.

For the long term, Gen. Syrén allows, the EUMC is facing a strategic change that is underway on the other side of the globe. “It is very clear that the center of gravity is going from this corner of the world to the Far East,” he says. Combined with the budget constraints, this shift is affecting Europe’s defense activities. The general recalls how former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, in a farewell statement, called for Europe to shoulder more responsibility for its own defense.

Yet, as with all democracies’ militaries, the global financial crisis has hamstrung Europe’s defense efforts. Since the end of the Cold War, European nations intended to spend about 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. However, that goal has faded in recent years, and Gen. Syrén admits that some nations even come in as low as 0.7 percent of GDP for defense. “When you have 27 member states doing their defense budgets individually, it is difficult to have a holistic view of this. Member states are really losing their capacity to keep up a long-term perspective,” he observes, adding that it is difficult for the European Union to coordinate defense efforts in this environment.
  
An Airbus A400M lands on an unpaved airfield. Gen. Syrén cites strategic airlift as one area that needs modernization to improve Europe’s defense capabilities.

However, Gen. Syrén emphasizes that Europe is not out of money for defense spending. Its members spend a total of about $200 billion annually on defense. These nations must maximize their return on that investment.

Ironically, the budget crisis is a good argument for EU member states to cooperate on complementary military development. “I understand that 27 sovereign states must have 27 headquarters, but we have to look very carefully at how we are executing our business,” the general says. “Do we really need all the war colleges? Can we continue with many different logistical concepts? Do we need a dozen different manufacturers of armored personnel vehicles? Do we need more than a dozen naval shipyards? Do we really need four different fourth-generation combat aircraft?

“We have to look at how we are doing the business; and in this context, pooling and sharing can be both a useful tool and also a useful wakeup call that we can do business together,” he states.

The general continues that the European Union has developed a number of initiatives and proposals, but these represent just a first step. “If I compare the situation today with when we started this effort one and a half years ago—and I can count on my fingers what kind of savings this can give us against the budget cuts we have seen the past year and that we have ahead of us—the situation is getting worse. So, we have to take pooling and sharing to a completely different level.”

Part of the challenge is that many nations agree with the concept in principle, but then they cannot agree on how to implement it. Leaders come to view the next step in implementation as a threat to their nation’s sovereignty, the general allows. Some nations also view it as a threat to their defense industrial base, with resultant reductions in domestic employment. “This discussion must be taken to the highest political level to work out these very difficult questions,” he says. “We are at that stage.”

Many European nations have taken to forming bilateral or even trilateral military force alliances with their neighbors. These mini-alliances are a positive development, the general says, and the European Union can build on them. The battle group concept, in which regional forces group in clusters, also contributes to the building of a European defense force. Training and exercise in particular benefit from these agreements.

These local cooperative approaches might be a key to reaching the goal of an EU-wide complementary defense. “A bilateral or trilateral [approach] can be a good initiative or inspiration for other member states to join and make it better and wider,” the general suggests.

Not only does this approach break down barriers between countries, it also provides better cost-effectiveness, Gen. Syrén points out. “The driver is the pooling and sharing initiative, along with the understanding that we cannot continue to do business as we have done before. We have to do it differently while we are under these budget constraints.”

And, as with all modern militaries, Europe must modernize its force to respond to changes in the global security arena. The recent operation in support of the Libyan people rebelling against the government of Muammar Gaddafi illuminated several shortcomings in European defense capabilities. These included precision munitions, strategic airlift and intelligence. All of these must be addressed in the long term, Gen. Syrén points out.

“You can take any one of the conflicts [in which the EU has participated] and these [needs] have been asked for,” he relates.

The general adds helicopters, mid-air refueling, medical units and engineering to this list of military shortcomings that need remedying. In terms of capabilities, Gen. Syrén wants a single surveillance picture for maritime units.

New threats such as cyberwar and the consequences of climate change also are affecting defense planning for the European Union. These threats join weapons of mass destruction as concerns for the EUMC.

The European Union has not yet clearly defined its course of action for dealing with the cyberthreat, Gen. Syrén admits. A commission is expected to generate its first paper toward developing a framework for action shortly.

Climate change is an issue because the melting Arctic icecap is opening up new sea lanes. Many of the nations that border the Arctic now are looking at newly accessible regions in which the undersea shelf may hold vast natural resources such as oil and gas. The potential for competing claims makes this a geopolitical issue, and the military must stand ready if needed to contribute to resolution, the general observes.

Even though 21 of the European Union’s 27 member nations also belong to NATO, the relationship between the EU military and the Atlantic alliance remains unsettled. For example, some in NATO are concerned that a strong EU military will weaken NATO. Gen. Syrén describes the barriers between NATO and the European Union defense force as purely political. Accordingly, eliminating them will require action at the political level. “We in uniform cannot solve the problems alone; nor can the civilian authorities,” he says. Both the NATO secretary-general and the EU high representative have been clear about their efforts to resolve differences. “Willingness is not the problem,” Gen. Syrén allows. “Now, we have to wait for the result.”

The general notes that the two forces have cooperated well in operations such as Ocean Shield in the Gulf of Aden and in Afghanistan. The two organizations are able to work out important details when they cooperate in theater. He views his job as ensuring that no competition emerges between NATO and the EUMC, and he lauds the relationship he has with his counterpart in NATO. “We really can be complementary to NATO,” Gen. Syrén offers.

One way that the European Union can complement NATO is through civilian operations. These can include state-building measures such as economic assistance, food relief and establishing law and order mechanisms.


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Robert K. Ackerman, SIGNAL Magazine
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing Wins $658 Million In Apache Helicopter Orders

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing Wins $658 Million In Apache Helicopter Orders
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 6, 2012: Boeing Co (BA) has won two U.S.Army orders worth $658 million for work on AH-64D Apache Block III helicopters for the U.S. military and Taiwan, the Pentagon said on Friday.

In a daily digest of major arms contracts, the Defense Department said Boeing had won a firm, fixed-price contract of $486 million for low-rate initial production of 51 remanufactured Apache helicopters in the new configuration.

Boeing began work on the orders in October, under a preliminary contract while it was finalizing the terms of the contract with the Army. Work on the helicopters is due to be completed by the end of November 2014.

Boeing also won a $172 million, firm-fixed-price contract to deliver an unspecified number of Apache Block III helicopters to Taiwan in a deal that would run through the end of 2014.

(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa)

*SPECIAL NOTICE - Typical Error: This article's original caption was "Boeing wins $668 million in Apache helicopter orders"., the amount should be $658 million per DoD Ref: 246-12 dated May 4, 2012 contracts awarded to Boeing as undermentioned;

-The Boeing Co., Mesa, Ariz., was awarded a $486,370,418 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the AH-64D Apache Block III low rate initial production and related support.  Work will be performed in Mesa, Ariz., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2014.  The bid was solicited through the Internet, with one bid received.  The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-C-0161).

 -The Boeing Co., Mesa, Ariz., was awarded a $171,777,672 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the procurement of Apache Block III aircraft and related services in support of Foreign Military Sales.  Work will be performed in Mesa, Ariz., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 30, 2014.  One bid was solicited, with one bid received.  The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-12-C-0089).

*Reference;
*DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated May 4, 2012
*U.S. Department of Defense Contracts No: 346-12 May 4, 2012

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Reuters
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

DTN News - SOFEX 2012 NEWS: Eurocopter’s Extensive Military Helicopter Presence In The Arab world Is Showcased By Its High-Profile Participation At Jordan’s SOFEX Exhibition

DTN News - SOFEX 2012 NEWS: Eurocopter’s Extensive Military Helicopter Presence In The Arab world Is Showcased By Its High-Profile Participation At Jordan’s SOFEX Exhibition
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Eurocopter / EADS
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 5, 2012: Eurocopter’s dedication to meeting the operational requirements of governments, armed forces and special mission operators across the Arab world with its broad helicopter product line will be highlighted at Jordan’s Special Operations Forces Exhibition & Conference (SOFEX).

This biennial event – organized May 7-10 at the King Abdullah I Airbase in Amman – will feature the presence of a Eurocopter EC635 utilized by the Royal Jordanian Air Force in law enforcement operations, along with a Royal Jordanian Air Force AS350 B3 that provides utility services. Eurocopter’s exhibit located in front of Chalet CD8 is to include scale models of the company’s AS565 Panther and AS550 Fennec rotorcraft.

“With an extensive footprint in Arab nations – and the company’s commitment to providing top-level support – Eurocopter looks forward to continuing its role as a preferred helicopter supplier for the full spectrum of military and civilian use,” said Olivier Lambert, Eurocopter’s Senior Vice President for Sales and Customer Relations. “Designed and equipped with the latest technology, our helicopters are able to perform their missions in the most severe operational environments and demanding situations.”

More than 650 Eurocopter helicopters currently are flying across the Middle East and through the Arabian Gulf – with over 80 percent in military use to support missions ranging from combat, transport, search and rescue (SAR) to counter-terrorism, special operations and training.

New business opportunities for Eurocopter include the evolving needs in air coverage for security, border patrol and support missions; the expanded civilian operations resulting from an opening of airspace that had been reserved for the military in numerous countries; and the overall renewal of aging rotary-wing aircraft fleets.

Jordan has operated the company’s rotorcraft for more than 30 years. In addition to AS332 Super Pumas used for troop transport and search & rescue, the Royal Jordanian Air Force’s current Eurocopter fleet also incorporates AS350s for pilot training and VIP airlift, along with EC635s for multi-mission duties. In addition, the Jordan Public Security Air Wing operates EC635s and BO105s.

Eurocopter’s display of the AS565 Panther in scale model form at SOFEX underscores this helicopter’s attributes of speed and maneuverability for security and defense missions, with its operational credentials further enhanced by the twin-engine helicopter’s endurance, range and capabilities in overwater surveillance, tracking and search & rescue. The AS565 has been proven in Middle East operations for the protection of coastlines and surveillance of offshore economic zones with countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The AS550 Fennec, which also is present at SOFEX as a scale model, meets the Arab world’s requirements for a highly-capable multi-role military helicopter, and is well suited for extremely hot climates and high altitudes. Applications include combat missions, fire support, observation, protection and training. More than 4,850 helicopters from Eurocopter’s Ecureuil/Fennec family have been delivered in single-engine and twin-engine versions to over 90 countries, which include such customers as the United Arab Emirates’ armed forces and the Royal Flight of Oman.

With the concentration of Eurocopter helicopters in the Arab world, the company has focused on deploying resources to ensure the highest levels of maintenance, overhaul and support for its helicopters in the region. This includes a maintenance contract covering the G-level major inspections for Royal Jordanian Air Force Super Puma AS332 M1s, which are performed every 12 years.

Eurocopter also has a maintenance center in the United Arab Emirates with long-standing partner Falcon Aviation Services, which provides full maintenance and revision services – reinforcing the company’s customer support network in the region and supplementing Eurocopter’s platform in Abu Dhabi.

Another element in Eurocopter’s local presence strategy is its agreement with Global Aerospace Logistics, LLC, establishing this Abu Dhabi-based supplier of professional aerospace services in the United Arab Emirates as a provider of routine customer support services for the UAE Navy and UAE Presidential Guard Command – including new spare parts, repairs, training and technical publications.

About Eurocopter

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 20,000 people. In 2011, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s number one helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 5.4 billion Euros, orders for 457 new helicopters and a 43 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s helicopters account for 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. Eurocopter’s strong international presence is ensured by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports some 2,900 customers. There currently are more than 11,300 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 149 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Eurocopter / EADS
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS