Weapons exports - Meta-Defense.fr

What solutions to increase the availability of the French Naval Air Group in the face of operational needs?

In December 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the launch of a new aircraft carrier program for the French Navy. Intended to replace the nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle by 2038, this new ship, which we do not know to date whether it will include one or two buildings, will be much larger than its predecessor, with a length of 300 meters and a displacement of 70.000 tonnes, compared to 261,5 meters and 42.500 tonnes for the Charles de Gaulle, and will be powered by two K-22 nuclear reactors of 220 Megawatt each, where the two CdG K-15s only deliver 150 mW, sort of answer...

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The United Arab Emirates turns to the MICA VL NG missile for its Gowind 2500 corvettes

May 23th

In November 2017, the United Arab Emirates confirmed the order for two Gowind 2500 corvettes from the French military shipbuilder Naval Group. If many of the equipment selected by Abu Dhabi were of French origin, the anti-aircraft defense was then entrusted to the American couple formed by the vertical launch system VLS Mk41 and the anti-aircraft missile ESSM Block 2, the new version of the heir to the Sea Sparrow. But according to the Naval News site, the Emirati authorities have changed their posture, to turn to the French MICA VL NG missile from the MBDA missile, a new version of the MICA VL surface-to-air missile itself derived from the very…

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The Czech Republic negotiates the acquisition of 50 Leopard 2A7+ heavy tanks

May 19thMay 19th

Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the Czech Republic has been one of the countries most involved in providing military support to Ukrainian fighters. Despite a reduced armed force of only 25.000 soldiers and reservists, and a defense budget capped at €4 billion per year, Prague did not hesitate to transfer part of its stock of T-72M1 tanks to Kyiv. reserves, but also artillery, anti-aircraft defense and ammunition systems, and intends to continue this effort until the end of the conflict. The country obtained, in this perspective, the support of Berlin, which announced the transfer of…

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Visiting the Capitol, the Greek Prime Minister wants to acquire the F-35 and warns against Turkey

May 18thMay 18th

Since the beginning of the 70s, ie even before its accession to the European Union (1981), Athens has always pursued a balanced strategy of equipping its air forces, relying simultaneously on American and French aircraft. In the 70s and 80s, the Mirage F1s evolved under a blue and white cockade alongside the F4 Phantom 2, F5 Tiger II and A7 Corsair 2, while in the 90s, the Hellenic Mirage 2000s completed its fleet of F-16s. Today, the Greek authorities intend to extend this model which gave convincing results to contain the tensions with the Turkish neighbor, by acquiring French Rafales, and…

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After Belgium, Colombia is preparing to order the CAESAR mounted cannon from French Nexter

May 18thMay 18th

Since entering service in 2008, the Canon Equipped with a Nexter Artillery System, or CAESAR, has met with significant operational and commercial success. Successfully employed by French gunners in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Mali, and by its international users in Cambodia (Thailand) and Yemen (Saudi Arabia), the French system has demonstrated excellent operational qualities, combining high mobility at high reach (up to 40 km with ERFB shells, more than 50 km with added propulsion shells), as well as high accuracy even with unguided shells. These qualities were put to good use by the French artillery…

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India suspends order for 10 Russian Ka-31 naval helicopters

May 17th

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, it is common to read that Russia is unanimously against it in the world, with the exception of a few satellite dictatorships, such as Syria or Venezuela. While it is true that during the votes at the United Nations, a majority of countries supported the motions against Moscow, many countries, and not the least, preferred to abstain rather than take a position against Russia. This was particularly the case for China, but also for Brazil, South Africa and India, the 4 other members of the BRICS format. If New Delhi has neither condemned nor…

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Taiwan is also developing a new fighter inspired by the American F-35

May 17thMay 17th

Whether you like Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lighting II stealth fighter or not, it is clear that the American aircraft has inspired many programs around the world since it entered service. We already knew the South Korean K-FX program with the KF-21 Boramae presented last year, the Turkish TF-X program which today is encountering major difficulties following Western sanctions, or even the Japanese FX, which today seems to be getting closer to the British Tempest. Beyond the Western sphere, there is little doubt that the Lighting II inspired the future Chinese J-35 which will equip the aircraft carriers of Beijing, while the program…

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Greece ready to spend €2 billion to modernize its Leopard 1 and 2 heavy tanks

May 11thMay 11th

If the United States and some of the Europeans tend to soften their positions vis-à-vis Turkey, the Greek authorities and military, for their part, are far from sharing this hope about a possible change of method. and objectives on the part of the Turkish President, R. T Erdogan, and a normalization of relations with Ankara. While Greece can rely on solid growth of 8,1% in 2021 and more than 7% expected in 2022, and its public finances are again in the green, Athens can now focus on modernizing its its ground forces, after devoting…

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Colombia becomes a "major ally" of the United States

May 11thMay 11th

The war in Ukraine has generated a certain radicalization at the level of international relations, in Europe of course, but also on the whole planet. In this context, President Maduro's Venezuela did not fail to play an important card, by displaying unfailing support for Moscow from the outset of the conflict, and by systematically voting against the texts targeting the Russian Federation at the United Nations. . For Caracas, it is a question of securing the good graces of the Kremlin, whose military support and in terms of arms exports are essential to maintaining the regime in place. If the rapprochement with Moscow and Beijing dates from…

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Argentina is interested in the Israeli Kfir and the Sino-Pakistani JF-17 to modernize its air forces

May 9thMay 9th

Prior to the Falklands War, in 1983, the Argentine Air Force fielded nearly a hundred modern Dassault Mirage IIIEA, IAI Dagger (unlicensed copy of the Mirage V) and A-4B/C/P Skyhawk fighters, while the naval air forces had about twenty A-4Q Skyhawk aircraft and 6 Dassault Super-Etendards, making it one of the most powerful and best equipped air forces in South America. If the Falklands War heavily dented these numbers, with the loss of 22 Skyhawks, 11 Daggers and 2 Mirage IIIs, it was mainly Western sanctions and the consequences of repeated economic crises...

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