Military - in brief (3)
01 September 1998
"Eole 98" tests EUROFOR command structure: EUROFOR, the multinational ground force formed by French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish units, deployed its headquarters element in an exercise last month. Exercise "Languedoc" practised the deployment by air and sea of the EUROFOR headquarters component, while brigade level headquarters of the four countries deployed by road. In the second week , EUROFOR took part in a Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) NATO field exercise, called 'Eole '98" the EUROFOR commanding general became Joint Force Land Component Commander, the maritime component was led by EUROMARFOR (European maritime force) while the air component was led by the French air force command in Aix-en-Provence. The exercise direction staff itself was based in Nimes. Jane's Defence Weekly, 8.7.98, see also Raids, no 148, September 1998 pp 20-27.
"Euro-Aerospace" heads for take-off: British Aerospace and Daimler-Benz Aerospace (Dasa) announced a formal partnership in September, despite the recent French government decision to privatize Aerospatiale. Jurgen Schrempp, Chairman of Daimler, had said before that he regards the industrial future of Germany to lie in closer links with the UK and USA rather than in a Franco-German relationship. The new German chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, also called for a closer relationship with London to "balance" the Paris-Bonn axis which has been the cornerstone of German policy since the war. With Germany's capital city moving form Bonn to Berlin next year, a senior Dasa Executive said he believed the company should exploit a Berlin-London-New York relationship in future. Predicting a dramatic shift in German policy priorities, he said that a DASA-British Aerospace tie-up is symptomatic of that move. Jane's Defence Weekly, 5.8.98.
UK will go it alone on vital Skynet satellite: The UK Ministry of Defence has rejected a plan to develop a key military communications satellite with France and Germany, electing instead to pursue the programme on a national basis. The Skynet 5 requirement will now almost certainly be met by a private finance initiative. Procuring a Skynet 5 network
outright would cost the MoD approximately ?1 billion. By leasing capacity form a service provider the MoD is expected to make substantial savings. The attraction for the private partner (British Aerospace Defence Systems or Matra Marconi Space) is the prospect of spare capacity on Skynet 5 being leased to third parties, including other UK government departments and allied armed forces. The system is expected to go on line in about 2005. Jane's Defence Weekly, 19.8.98.
$8.2 billion deal is signed for 148 Eurofighters: Eurofighter and Eurojet signed contracts last week worth $8.2 Billion with the NATO Eurofighter Management Agency (NETMA) for 148 Euro-fighters and their EJ 200 engines. The initial batch comprises 55 aircraft for the UK, 44 for Germany, 29 for Italy and 20 for Spain. initial deliveries are set for 2002. The eventual program will comprise 620 aircraft. Jane's Defence Weekly, 23.9.98.