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Military - in brief (5)

01 January 1999

Splits surface over wider role for NATO: At their semi-annual meeting a split emerged between NATO's foreign ministers around the extension of NATO's role and its autonomy to undertake missions without a UN mandate. The debate revolved around European reservations about US calls for extension of NATO's activities in areas such as proliferation and new geographical regions. There also was an attempt by the new German government for a review of NATO's nuclear policy to include a possible "no first use". NATO's nuclear powers rejected this move. Jane's Defence Weekly, 16.12.98.

France: Thomson-CSF merger creates a leader in Europe: France's Thomson-CSF has set up Europe's leading electronic warfare and airborne radar company by merging its recently acquired affiliate Dassault Electronique with two of its own units (Thomson-CSF Radars et Contremesures and Thomson-CSF Missile Electronics). The new daughter Thomson-CSF Detexis will have sales of around 20% of the parent company ($1.5 billion) and rank first in Europe ahead of Alenia Marconi Systems and fourth in the world. 80% of the revenue will come from military business. Jane's Defence Weekly, 23.12.98.

UK: Euro success threatens defence companies: UK defence companies will be severely affected by the EU's new common currency, especially if the UKÆs largest market, the Middle East, adopts the euro as a preferred currency. The Middle East makes up $5 billion of the $8 billion annual defence export of the UK. Jane's Defence Weekly, 13.1.99.