From Public Service Europe
''The British prime minister insists that he speaks up resolutely
for human rights, especially the non-discrimination of women. There is
no sign that his Middle East audience, who he is attempting to sell
military planes, hears what he is saying – argues our resident satirist Schadenfreude
The British Prime Minister is back from his second visit to the Middle
East where a top item in his programme was masterminding a campaign to
sell large numbers of Typhoon jets. The Typhoon was originally an
interceptor but it is now a ground-attack aircraft. Parts of it are made
in Britain. One of the inducements is the offer of a joint base in the
Gulf. Unexpected from a country, which gave up on East of Suez decades
ago.''
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Showing posts with label arms sales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arms sales. Show all posts
Friday, November 9, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
''Iraq's Weapons Deals with Russia Weaken American Role''
From Al Monitor
''Iraq's recent string of arms deals with Russia and the Czech Republic represent a low point in relations between Iraq and the US, writes Hassan Daoud. Iraqi officials privately criticze the US for imposing too many conditions on its arms deals, and for delays in delivering weapons.''
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''Iraq's recent string of arms deals with Russia and the Czech Republic represent a low point in relations between Iraq and the US, writes Hassan Daoud. Iraqi officials privately criticze the US for imposing too many conditions on its arms deals, and for delays in delivering weapons.''
read more
Thursday, October 11, 2012
''Arming India: Russia tools up''
From Russia & India Report
''There’s the rub. Despite their newfound mutual infatuation, India and the United States do not trust each other where it matters most – in the gut. While India’s military brass is mindful of America’s propensity for weapons sanctions during conflict situations, Washington is paranoid about its latest technology being leaked to Russia via India. (This American paranoia was evident last week when the FBI arrested a businessman for exporting something as innocuous as computer chips to Russia.) As Carter admitted, there are “bureaucratic barriers” in the India-US defence relationship.''
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''There’s the rub. Despite their newfound mutual infatuation, India and the United States do not trust each other where it matters most – in the gut. While India’s military brass is mindful of America’s propensity for weapons sanctions during conflict situations, Washington is paranoid about its latest technology being leaked to Russia via India. (This American paranoia was evident last week when the FBI arrested a businessman for exporting something as innocuous as computer chips to Russia.) As Carter admitted, there are “bureaucratic barriers” in the India-US defence relationship.''
read more
Monday, October 1, 2012
''Where’s all the money gone? How Britain spent £2bn on drones''
From The Bureau Investigates
''Britain has spent over £2bn on unmanned aircraft since 2007, according to Drone Wars UK.
Based on official documents the comprehensive report reveals just where all this money has gone. The
Bureau has mapped this data in an easy to understand infographic.
So just where has that £2bn gone?''
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''Britain has spent over £2bn on unmanned aircraft since 2007, according to Drone Wars UK.
Based on official documents the comprehensive report reveals just where all this money has gone. The
Bureau has mapped this data in an easy to understand infographic.
So just where has that £2bn gone?''
read more
Sunday, September 30, 2012
''Russia's Arms Exports: Prospects in Iraq''
From Voice of Russia
''Speaking about Iraq, we should say that Russia’s participation in the re-equipment of its army coincides with Moscow’s strategic interests. Today when the relations between Iraq and Iran are becoming more and more friendly with every passing day, the Persian Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia first of all, are again turning into the main enemy for Iraq’s armed forces. The military threat in the face of Iran may weaken Riyadh’s activity and also that of its allies in transforming the Middle East according to its model.''
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''Speaking about Iraq, we should say that Russia’s participation in the re-equipment of its army coincides with Moscow’s strategic interests. Today when the relations between Iraq and Iran are becoming more and more friendly with every passing day, the Persian Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia first of all, are again turning into the main enemy for Iraq’s armed forces. The military threat in the face of Iran may weaken Riyadh’s activity and also that of its allies in transforming the Middle East according to its model.''
read more
Friday, August 31, 2012
''Obama Steps Up Foreign Weapons Sales, Overwhelming Other Arms Makers''
From ALLGOV
''Business is booming for American arms exports, thanks to multiple billion-dollar deals between the Obama administration and Arab dictatorships.''
''According to the annual report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the United States, already the world’s leader in international weapons sales, outdid itself in 2011 when it sold a record $66.3 billion in military equipment. Last year’s arms exports shattered the previous high mark of $31 billion in 2009, and were three times higher than what was sold in 2010, when $21.4 billion in deals were completed.''
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''Business is booming for American arms exports, thanks to multiple billion-dollar deals between the Obama administration and Arab dictatorships.''
''According to the annual report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the United States, already the world’s leader in international weapons sales, outdid itself in 2011 when it sold a record $66.3 billion in military equipment. Last year’s arms exports shattered the previous high mark of $31 billion in 2009, and were three times higher than what was sold in 2010, when $21.4 billion in deals were completed.''
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Tuesday, August 28, 2012
''Our Terror War Is Making Some of US Very Rich''
From 'There are no Sunglasses'
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''War is the only thing that drives the American economy. International arms transfers by the United States are just selling some of our potential wars to somebody else. Last year was our best year yet--all thanks to Obama's bloodthirsty wars of aggression. It should be a crime to sell arms to small, unstable countries. We are the Wall-Mart of weapons.''
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Thursday, August 23, 2012
''Brazil's defense industry booms''
From AFP
''Brazil, the world's sixth largest economy, was ranked as the world's eighth largest arms exporter in the 1980s but today languishes in 30th place, according to industry experts.
Brazil still boasts the biggest armed forces in the region, although they have been considerably weakened by a lack of investment in equipment for more than two decades.
President Dilma Rousseff, like her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has gone head-to-head with the armed forces over the establishment of a truth commission to probe rights abuses during the 1964-1985 military dictatorship.''
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''Brazil, the world's sixth largest economy, was ranked as the world's eighth largest arms exporter in the 1980s but today languishes in 30th place, according to industry experts.
Brazil still boasts the biggest armed forces in the region, although they have been considerably weakened by a lack of investment in equipment for more than two decades.
President Dilma Rousseff, like her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has gone head-to-head with the armed forces over the establishment of a truth commission to probe rights abuses during the 1964-1985 military dictatorship.''
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Wednesday, August 22, 2012
''Oil's toxic partner: Guns''
From Asia Times
''Needless to say, military expenditure takes financial, economic and human resources away from productive uses, are used in armed conflicts and wars and these, in turn, exact an even heavier toll on human and economic development.
Oil is intimately connected to military expenditure and armed conflicts and wars in a number of ways.There is evidence that oil revenues and military expenditure are somewhat correlated, providing a seemingly painless means of financing the most sophisticated weaponry available; the acquisition of sophisticated military hardware, in turn, encourages armed conflict and causes significant human and physical loss; and armed conflict, in part because of arms depletion, encourages further military expenditures.''
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''Needless to say, military expenditure takes financial, economic and human resources away from productive uses, are used in armed conflicts and wars and these, in turn, exact an even heavier toll on human and economic development.
Oil is intimately connected to military expenditure and armed conflicts and wars in a number of ways.There is evidence that oil revenues and military expenditure are somewhat correlated, providing a seemingly painless means of financing the most sophisticated weaponry available; the acquisition of sophisticated military hardware, in turn, encourages armed conflict and causes significant human and physical loss; and armed conflict, in part because of arms depletion, encourages further military expenditures.''
read more
Monday, August 20, 2012
''Did Iran really get one or more F-16 fighter jets from Venezuela?''
From Aviationist
''During the late ’70s Iran ordered 160 F-16As. However, with the fall of the Shah in 1979, the order was cancelled and those aircraft were never delivered, although some tooling and maintenance equipment reportedly arrived in country in readiness for deliveries.
Still, there are some (mainly Iranians who reportedly saw them) who argue two airframes did make their way to Iran. According to what it has been written on some aviation forums across the world, the two F-16s that were delivered before the procurement was cancelled, were based at Mehrabad Air Base near Tehran.
According to such accounts, one “Fighting Falcon” is still operational whereas the other was disassembled for reverse engineering and then sent to Pakistan. The jet sent to Pakistan was itself looked at by the Pakistani military with the idea of reverse engineering it, although Pakistan had bought the F-16 itself.''
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''During the late ’70s Iran ordered 160 F-16As. However, with the fall of the Shah in 1979, the order was cancelled and those aircraft were never delivered, although some tooling and maintenance equipment reportedly arrived in country in readiness for deliveries.
Still, there are some (mainly Iranians who reportedly saw them) who argue two airframes did make their way to Iran. According to what it has been written on some aviation forums across the world, the two F-16s that were delivered before the procurement was cancelled, were based at Mehrabad Air Base near Tehran.
According to such accounts, one “Fighting Falcon” is still operational whereas the other was disassembled for reverse engineering and then sent to Pakistan. The jet sent to Pakistan was itself looked at by the Pakistani military with the idea of reverse engineering it, although Pakistan had bought the F-16 itself.''
read more
Saturday, August 4, 2012
''Iraq seeking Russian air defense gear: official''
the neo-cons must be so proud of themselves.................From Reuters
''Iraq's acting defense minister is in Russia negotiating the purchase of air surveillance equipment to help Iraq rebuild its crippled military defenses, a lawmaker said on Thursday.
American troops pulled out of Iraq in December, leaving the war-battered country to defend its own borders and airspace for the first time since it was occupied in 2003.''
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''Iraq's acting defense minister is in Russia negotiating the purchase of air surveillance equipment to help Iraq rebuild its crippled military defenses, a lawmaker said on Thursday.
American troops pulled out of Iraq in December, leaving the war-battered country to defend its own borders and airspace for the first time since it was occupied in 2003.''
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Monday, June 25, 2012
''Why Is Access To Syria's Port At Tartus So Important To Moscow?''
From Navel Open Source Intel
''The Soviet Navy began using Syria's deep-water port at Tartus for submarines and surface vessels under a 1971 agreement with Damascus. The Soviet Union was Syria's main arms supplier and Tartus was used to receive Soviet weapons bought by Damascus.''
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''The Soviet Navy began using Syria's deep-water port at Tartus for submarines and surface vessels under a 1971 agreement with Damascus. The Soviet Union was Syria's main arms supplier and Tartus was used to receive Soviet weapons bought by Damascus.''
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Sunday, June 17, 2012
''Guns for buddies: US weapons sales surge overseas''
From RT.com via Strategic Culture
''US foreign military sales have shot over $50 billion. Another record-breaking year is expected thanks to US ally Saudi Arabia, which accounts for three-fifths of the sum.
"We have already surpassed $50 billion in sales in the fiscal year 2012," Andrew Shapiro, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, told journalists on Thursday.
Though it is three months till the end of the fiscal year, the figure already shows a 70 per cent increase over government-to-government military deals in 2011. Last year also set a record for the US with sales at some $30 billion.''
Thursday, June 7, 2012
''U.S. Announces New, Meager Military Cooperation With Georgia''
From Eurasia Net
''U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton brought some goodies with her on her recent trip through Georgia: some "new areas of defense cooperation," which were possibly promised but not specified when Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvilii visited Washington earlier this year. While visiting with Saakashvili in Batumi (and before partaking of some of the local vintage) she outlined in a bit more detail what this new cooperation would entail:''
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''U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton brought some goodies with her on her recent trip through Georgia: some "new areas of defense cooperation," which were possibly promised but not specified when Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvilii visited Washington earlier this year. While visiting with Saakashvili in Batumi (and before partaking of some of the local vintage) she outlined in a bit more detail what this new cooperation would entail:''
''We have also agreed this year on several new areas of defense cooperation. The United States will provide training and support for Georgian defense forces to better monitor your coasts and your skies. We will help upgrade Georgia’s utility helicopter fleet so it can more easily transport supplies and people throughout your country. We are also going to help Georgia give its officers the 21st century training they need for today’s changing missions. With these efforts, Georgia will be a stronger international partner with an improved capacity for self-defense.''
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Wednesday, June 6, 2012
''U.S. to sell $325 million of advanced weapons to South Korea''
From Yonhap
''The United States is in the process of selling hundreds of cutting-edge weapons to South Korea, a deal expected to be worth $325 million, according to a defense agency here.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it has notified Congress of possible sales to South Korea of 367 cluster bombs and associated parts, equipment, logistical support and training.''
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''The United States is in the process of selling hundreds of cutting-edge weapons to South Korea, a deal expected to be worth $325 million, according to a defense agency here.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it has notified Congress of possible sales to South Korea of 367 cluster bombs and associated parts, equipment, logistical support and training.''
read more
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
''Asia's Mad Arms Race''
From Foreign Policy in Focus
''Asia is currently in the middle of an unprecedented arms race that is not only sharpening tensions in the region but also competing with efforts by Asian countries to address poverty and growing economic disparity. The gap between rich and poor—calculated by the Gini coefficient that measures inequality—has increased from 39 percent to 46 percent in China, India, and Indonesia. Although affluent households continue to garner larger and larger portions of the economic pie, “Children born to poor families can be 10 times more likely to die in infancy” than those from wealthy families, according to Changyong Rhee, chief economist of the Asian Development Bank.''
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''Asia is currently in the middle of an unprecedented arms race that is not only sharpening tensions in the region but also competing with efforts by Asian countries to address poverty and growing economic disparity. The gap between rich and poor—calculated by the Gini coefficient that measures inequality—has increased from 39 percent to 46 percent in China, India, and Indonesia. Although affluent households continue to garner larger and larger portions of the economic pie, “Children born to poor families can be 10 times more likely to die in infancy” than those from wealthy families, according to Changyong Rhee, chief economist of the Asian Development Bank.''
read more
Monday, May 28, 2012
''U.S. Thinks Road to Bahrain's Heart Is Through Its Appetite for Weaponry''
From Foreign Policy in Focus
''This month the US lifted restrictions on a host of sales to the Bahraini military, going well beyond previous exemptions made since the 2011 freeze on a US$53 million arms deal, reportedly in the hopes of raising the profile of Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at home following his visit to the US''
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''This month the US lifted restrictions on a host of sales to the Bahraini military, going well beyond previous exemptions made since the 2011 freeze on a US$53 million arms deal, reportedly in the hopes of raising the profile of Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at home following his visit to the US''
read more
Thursday, May 10, 2012
''Russia's Intrusion into the Americas is a Wake-Up call for the United States''
From The Cutting Edge
Colombia and Venezuela, A Proxy Conflict?
''With Russia’s new relationships with leftist Latin American governments and the U.S.’ increasingly aimless presence in the region, one can discern a growing interaction among regional actors. In fact, this new direction seems to be reminiscent of a slow return to a Cold War modus operandi. As Carácas modernizes its army with Russian technology, Bogota is likewise being buttressed by the U.S., with its “Plan Colombia” (an international initiative to fight drug trafficking), and other countries like Israel and Spain.
''While both Venezuela and Colombia claim that they have decided to arm themselves for legitimate motives (Colombia as part of the U.S. “Plan Colombia” to combat drug trafficking and Venezuela for defensive purposes against a purported U.S. threat), this growing tension should not be taken lightly. In 2008, the Vice-president of Colombia, Francisco Santos Calderón, asked his Russian counterpart to halt arms sales to Venezuela in exchange for military and economic cooperation.''
read more
Colombia and Venezuela, A Proxy Conflict?
''With Russia’s new relationships with leftist Latin American governments and the U.S.’ increasingly aimless presence in the region, one can discern a growing interaction among regional actors. In fact, this new direction seems to be reminiscent of a slow return to a Cold War modus operandi. As Carácas modernizes its army with Russian technology, Bogota is likewise being buttressed by the U.S., with its “Plan Colombia” (an international initiative to fight drug trafficking), and other countries like Israel and Spain.
''While both Venezuela and Colombia claim that they have decided to arm themselves for legitimate motives (Colombia as part of the U.S. “Plan Colombia” to combat drug trafficking and Venezuela for defensive purposes against a purported U.S. threat), this growing tension should not be taken lightly. In 2008, the Vice-president of Colombia, Francisco Santos Calderón, asked his Russian counterpart to halt arms sales to Venezuela in exchange for military and economic cooperation.''
read more
Sunday, May 6, 2012
''With Help From Abroad, Kazakhstan's Weapons Business Booming''
From EurasiaNet
''Kazakhstan's defense industry will soon be manufacturing helicopters, night vision equipment, 1,000-ton warships, armored personnel carriers and drones – all with the help of foreign companies.
Kazakhstan's market for military equipment is still small, but it's growing, and foreign defense contractors want a share of the business. But the government of Kazakhstan is imposing the same condition on nearly every deal it makes with a foreign defense company: they have to set up manufacturing in Kazakhstan, hand over the technical details of the equipment, and train locals to build and repair it themselves.''
read more
''Kazakhstan's defense industry will soon be manufacturing helicopters, night vision equipment, 1,000-ton warships, armored personnel carriers and drones – all with the help of foreign companies.
Kazakhstan's market for military equipment is still small, but it's growing, and foreign defense contractors want a share of the business. But the government of Kazakhstan is imposing the same condition on nearly every deal it makes with a foreign defense company: they have to set up manufacturing in Kazakhstan, hand over the technical details of the equipment, and train locals to build and repair it themselves.''
read more
Friday, May 4, 2012
''Israel gets fourth German submarine''
From Business Week
''Israel on Thursday received its fourth German-made submarine capable of launching nuclear warheads, expanding a fleet that experts say could be used in an attack on Iran.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that the submarine would increase Israel's capabilities and strength "in the face of the growing regional challenges."
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''Israel on Thursday received its fourth German-made submarine capable of launching nuclear warheads, expanding a fleet that experts say could be used in an attack on Iran.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that the submarine would increase Israel's capabilities and strength "in the face of the growing regional challenges."
read more
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