Gates Laments NATO's Military, Political Flaws

BRUSSELS - In his last official policy speech at the end of an 11-day tour, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates lambasted NATO for its shortcomings in terms of military capabilities and political will in Afghanistan.
In a speech at a high-level Security and Defence Agenda think-tank event in Brussels, Gates cited helicopters, transport aircraft, surveillance and reconnaissance, and intelligence as areas where NATO has struggled. Gates added that "similar shortcomings in capability and political will had the potential to jeopardize the NATO air and sea campaign in Libya."

Although NATO has achieved its initial objectives of grounding Libya's air force and reducing Moammar Gadhafi's ability to attack civilian populations, Gates said fewer than one-third of NATO allies had taken part in airstrike missions. "In the Libya operation, many allies are running short of munitions, requiring the U.S. to make up the deficit," he added.
Gates also said the emergence of a "two-tier alliance" of peacekeepers and those doing the hard combat missions is unacceptable.
Describing himself as the last senior leader to be a product of the Cold War, Gates issued a stark warning to European leaders: "The emotional and historical attachment U.S. leaders had with allies is ageing out. Decisions and choices [in the future] will be made more on what is in the best interests of the U.S. The drift of the last 20 years can't continue if we want a strong trans-Atlantic relationship."
Gates also noted that only five of the 28 NATO allies currently exceeded the agreed NATO benchmark of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense. "Regrettably, the situation is highly unlikely to change. The question is how these dwindling resources are allocated," he said.
NATO should do more to pool and share resources, he added. "We should be alert to areas for trans-Atlantic cooperation, but there is a rich agenda for pooling in Europe that should get attention first," he said.
Both NATO and the European Defence Agency are currently working on potential areas for pooling and sharing. Gates cited NATO's Strategic Airlift Initiative and its Allied Ground Surveillance System as good examples of cooperation.
He said the U.S. has no problem with Europe's efforts to build up its own equipment defense market and that a robust industrial capability between the U.S. and its allies is very important.
Gates also said the U.S. government was looking at dramatic cuts in a wide range of programs. "Defense will have to bear some of that burden," he said.
Introducing Gates to the audience, former NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer called for solidarity from NATO countries. He lamented the "uncoordinated budget cuts we're witnessing in NATO and the EU" and the lack of balance in burden-sharing between the U.S. and European allies.

Danish Planes in Libya Running Out of Bombs: Report

COPENHAGEN - The Danish military forces operating in Libya are running out of bombs for their F-16 fighter jets and have asked the Netherlands to help replenish their stock, a report said June 9.
"The Danish F-16s are about to run out of bombs to continue to attack Libya," the Politiken daily said, citing unnamed defense sources.

"The Danish military has therefore asked Holland for help," it added.
A spokesman for the Danish military's logistics division did not confirm the report but said his department was speaking to other coalition partners about supplies.
"It is our job to always support operations in the short, medium and long-term and we always have a close cooperation with our F-16 partnership countries, in particular Norway and the Netherlands," Anders Paaskesen of the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation told AFP.
Denmark was one of the first countries to offer air assets for the international air campaign to protect Libyan civilians from Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
Its fighter jets have been participating in the mission since March 20.
Denmark has six F-16 jets stationed at the Signonella base of the Italian island of Sicily, four of which are operational at any given time.
Since operations began, the Danish jets have carried out 274 sorties and dropped 494 precision bombs, Inge Borggaard of the Air Force Tactical Command told AFP.

Rise in F-35 Acquisition Cost Marginal: Minister

HELSINKI - The Norwegian government must deliver "exact and transparent figures" on the costs of buying 56 F-35 Lightning IIs lest it face a revolt from opposition benches, the opposition Christian Democrats warned June 7.

"I can only wonder why the Norwegian government is so eager to purchase four F-35 training aircraft at the same time as the U.S. government is postponing its purchases. If the government cannot be transparent about the costs, then we would support a motion to postpone the project," Christian Democrat leader Dagfinn Hoybrathen said during a parliamentary hearing into the costs involved in the Next-Generation Fighter Acquisition Program.

At the hearing, Defense Minister Grete Faremo said the jets' acquisition cost had increased $180 million, to $5.71 billion, since Norway announced it would purchase the F-35 in 2008. She called this a relatively small increase.

Faremo said that total is based on an expected unit flyaway cost of $102 million.

Norway expects to pay up to $13.3 billion for the full complement of 56 aircraft. This price not only includes logistics and weapons, but also a value for uncertainty and potential escalating price risks linked to the project.

Faremo said the government was unable to present a definite cost figure for the total program. Some supplementary costs would not be known until next year, including funding to reorganize the Norwegian Air Force's structures and build one or more new air bases.

But Conservative Party representatives described the government figures as vague and confusing.

"What makes this so difficult is that so much is being postponed until next year. The fighter acquisition program's total cost estimates now vary from between $26.7 billion to $40 billion," said Ivar Kristiansen, the Conservatives' senior representative on the Storting's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee.

The defense minister confirmed that Norway would formally order four trainer F-35s worth $886 million this fall for delivery in 2016. The other 52 aircraft are to be delivered after 2018.

The operating and maintenance life-cycle cost, spanning 25 to 30 years of projected service for the F-35s, is estimated at $26.8 billion, the minister said.

"Let me again emphasize that we have common interests with the U.S. government to support the measures taken to reduce both acquisition and operating costs related to the F-35," said Faremo.

Rolls Royce Floats UAV Power Options

PARIS - Rolls-Royce could modify one of its turboprop engines and work with Safran's Turbomeca if the British company were to supply propulsion for a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone pitched by BAE Systems and Dassault, said Francis Kearney, Rolls' defense director for Europe.

Depending on the power requirement, Rolls would probably pick a power plant from its current product range, such as the RTM22 helicopter engine, and adapt it for the Telemos MALE aerial vehicle proposed by BAE and Dassault as a joint project to Britain and France, Kearney said June 9 on the sidelines of a news conference ahead of the Paris Air Show.

Rolls would likely work with its longstanding industrial partner Turbomeca, part of the Safran aerospace engine and equipment group, Kearney said.

Rolls would supply an "integrated propulsion system" in a pod assembly to the airframe makers, similar to the concept used on BAE's Mantis UAV technology demonstrator.

Rolls supplied its model 250 engine for the Mantis, from concept to first delivery, or "from flash to bang," in 18 months, Kearney said. The model 250 looked underpowered for the needs of the Telemos UAV but the industrial concept would be similar, he said.

BAE and Dassault Aviation on June 8 outlined a joint offer of an eight-ton MALE UAV dubbed Telemos, which is to be able to stay aloft 24 hours and carry smart bombs, deliverable in five years to the British and French forces. Besides a joint offer from Rolls and Safran, the engine options included a Canadian supplier, Dassault said.

On Rolls' offer of an engine upgrade for the French Air Force's fleet of C-130 Hercules transport, Kearney said, "Yes, there is interest."

Two years ago, before the previous Paris Air Show, Rolls presented the T56 3.5 engine package, offering an 8 percent improvement in fuel burn. Since then, there has been development and standardization of the package. Kearney said he hoped for a French response in the next 12 months.

The Anglo-French defense treaty offered business possibilities including the supply of Trent 700 engines for the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet, the Adour engines on the Hawk fast jet trainer as an eventual replacement of the Alphajet trainer and common Anglo-Franco support for the TP400 engines on the A400M airlifter, which could be extended to the other launch European customers.

An Anglo-French commonality of equipment offered economies of scale, Kearney said.

France has delayed the purchase of a 14-strong MRTT fleet as part of a 3.5 billion euro, three-year budget cut.

In the global market, Rolls hopes a win of the Eurofighter Typhoon in the Indian medium multirole combat aircraft competition will generate sales of the EJ200 engine.

Japan is seen as a strategic country target, as the government mulls the Eurofighter and operates EH101 helicopter, which performed rescue missions after the recent tsunami.

Rolls supplies the RTM22 engine for the EH101.

Another potential Asian customer for the EJ200 is South Korea, with its KF-X fighter project, and engine upgrade for the Korean Navy's Lynx helicopter.

Despite the slowdown in Western defense spending, Rolls sees the global market for military aero engines and services worth $450 billion over the next 20 years.

Panetta: $400B Cut Won't Harm U.S. Security

Leon Panetta, nominated to become the next U.S. defense secretary, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 9 that the government does not need to choose between fiscal discipline and a strong national defense.

CIA Director Leon Panetta testifies on June 9 during a confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. Panetta has been nominated to succeed Robert Gates at the Pentagon. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)

The $400 billion cut to the security budget over 10 years called for by President Barack Obama will not pose a risk to national security, he said during his confirmation hearing.

He acknowledged that some tough choices would have to be made, but Panetta said the country could maintain the strongest military in the world while also reining in defense spending.
Panetta said he did not know how much of the $400 billion would come from the Pentagon. The security budget includes funding for the State Department, the intelligence community, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the nuclear weapons activities of the Department of Energy.
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., asked Panetta to find out and report to Congress. "We need to know that," he said.
In considering Panetta's suitability as the next defense secretary, several senators highlighted his experience managing budgets as a skill that the Pentagon needs today.
Panetta, a former Democratic congressman from California, was director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during the Clinton administration. He is now director of the CIA.
Panetta's service at OMB is "invaluable" because he "understands the inner workings of the budget process and because he shaped the decisions that helped achieve the budget surpluses of the late 1990s," Levin said.
The hope is that Panetta's budget background will help the Pentagon make responsible budget cuts that contribute to the president's debt reduction efforts, as well as get soaring weapon costs under control.
Panetta told the Senate panel that he intends to accelerate the Pentagon's efforts to achieve a full financial audit.
"We should be able to audit that department," he said. The Pentagon has never completed a full audit and does not plan on being able to do so before 2017.
"One of the first things I'm going to do is see if we can improve on that timetable," Panetta said.
The Pentagon is currently conducting a "Comprehensive Review," called for by the president to help determine what should be cut to meet the $400 billion target. In Panetta's written responses submitted to the Senate panel before the hearing, he noted that the review would be completed by the fall.
"If we are going to manage costs, I believe everything must be on the table," Panetta said in response to the advance policy questions. "It may be appropriate to conduct a comprehensive review of the military pay and benefits structure to determine where costs can be contained."
Military health care and other entitlement programs included in the Pentagon's budget are currently growing faster than inflation. In a few years, military health care is expected to exceed 10 percent of the overall defense budget.
As for other entitlement programs, it may "also be appropriate to review the military retirement system for needed changes and efficiencies," Panetta said.
As for weapon programs, Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., asked Panetta specifically about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon's most expensive program.
Variants of the F-35 fighter jet are scheduled to replace aircraft in the Air Force, Navy and the Marine Corps. Recently, the F-35 was estimated to cost $380 billion over its lifetime, but the Pentagon has said it is working to re-baseline the program.
The country cannot afford an aircraft that doubles or triples from its original cost, McCain said.
"I support DoD's current effort to focus on and reduce F-35 sustainment costs," Panetta said. "If confirmed, I will review the overall program's status and health."

India's Short-Range Prithvi II Strikes Test Target

NEW DELHI - India's short-range Prithvi II ballistic missile, which failed a September 2010 test, found its target during a follow-up firing June 9, an official with the government's Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) said.
The launch from the missile testing facility in India's eastern Orissa state was carried by the military and monitored by DRDO scientists, the official said.

The 350 kilometer-range missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, is already a part of the Indian Air Force's arsenal.
"Prithvi II, the first indigenous surface-to-surface strategic missile, capable of attacking targets at ranges of 350 kilometers, reached the predefined target in the Bay of Bengal with a very high accuracy of better than 10 meters," according to a Defence Ministry news release. "All the radars, electro-optical systems located along the coast have tracked and monitored the missile throughout the flight path. An Indian Naval ship located near the target witnessed the final event."
The Prithvi series of missiles is regarded as Pakistan-centric.
Both liquid and solid variants of the Prithvi missile have been tested. The liquid-fueled missile can maneuver in flight.

NATO-Russia Helo Care Fund for Afghans Grows

BRUSSELS - Russia is one of the key contributors to a German-led NATO-Russia helicopter maintenance trust fund to allow Afghan forces to keep existing, mainly Russian, helicopters in working order.
"The initial target for the trust fund was $5 million; we've already substantially surpassed that target. The number of contributors is still going up," said a NATO official.

"The main point is to train Afghan engineers and technicians so that they will be able to carry out the proper maintenance at the proper times. We are also looking at providing tool kits and spare parts," the official said.
NATO and Russian defense ministers also discussed missile defense.
"While they agreed that NATO and Russia are coming closer to reaching agreement on the key principles which should govern this cooperation, more work will need to be done over the next few months," said NATO in a press release.
The exchange of classified information, the development of technology able to detect explosive devices and the ways to improve protection of critical infrastructure were cited by NATO as tangible NATO-Russia projects to counter terrorism. NATO and Russian fighter jets are also holding their first joint exercise over Poland and the Black Sea to prevent attacks such as 9/11 by sharing information and coordinating interceptions of renegade aircraft.
Separately, NATO defense ministers adopted a revised NATO Policy on Cyber Defense today. The revised policy will offer a coordinated approach to cyber defense across the alliance with a focus on preventing threats and building resilience.
"All NATO structures will be brought under centralized protection and new cyber defense requirements will be applied," said NATO in a press release.
During a press conference, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that an important element of the new policy is that "all agencies and commands will be under common NATO protection by 2012. By then, our CERT [Computer Emergency Response Team] will have reached full operational capacity, giving us increased situational awareness in all NATO networks, regardless of their geographic location."