Trans-Atlantic Trends Survey: Europeans Want NATO Focus on Territorial Defense | Defense News | defensenews.com
A big majority of Europeans (73 percent) say NATO should be engaged in the
territorial defense of Europe; by comparison, 59 percent of Americans and 57
percent of Turks wanted NATO so engaged.
These are among the results of a survey conducted by the German Marshall Fund
of the US between June 2 and June 26 covering trans-Atlantic security
cooperation and other issues.
The survey was based on questions asked to a random sample of 1,000 men and
women in 13 countries (10 EU countries: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom plus the
United States, Russia and Turkey).
“In area or out of business. NATO should go back to basic territorial
defense. There is less enthusiasm for out of area expeditions. Article 5 [on
collective NATO defense] is back in,” was how Ian Lesser, senior director,
foreign and security policy, at the German Marshall Fund of the US, interpreted
the data at a launch event of the survey here Tuesday.
While a majority of Americans (53 percent) said that NATO should provide arms
or training to other countries to help defend themselves, a majority of
Europeans (52 percent) disagreed.
Both Europeans (61 percent) and Americans (58 percent) agreed that NATO is
still essential to their security.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Amid Intensifying Requests, American Military Aid to Ukraine Stalls - NYTimes.com
Amid Intensifying Requests, American Military Aid to Ukraine Stalls - NYTimes.com: Despite appeals from the Ukrainian armed forces, the United States has so far provided only a modest package of nonlethal assistance to the Kiev government, and much of it has yet to arrive.
The White House, which has relied on economic sanctions and the threat of international isolation to deter Russia from escalating its involvement in Ukraine, has been reluctant to step up military assistance for fear that it will lead to an escalation in the fighting and provoke Moscow.
The $70 million in aid the United States has pledged includes rations, radios, concertina wire, first-aid kits and limited supplies of body armor, but no arms. But much of the assistance is still in the pipeline, including such important items as night-vision goggles. The United States has also promised to train 700 members of Ukraine’s National Guard, but that program is not scheduled to get underway until 2015.
The White House, which has relied on economic sanctions and the threat of international isolation to deter Russia from escalating its involvement in Ukraine, has been reluctant to step up military assistance for fear that it will lead to an escalation in the fighting and provoke Moscow.
The $70 million in aid the United States has pledged includes rations, radios, concertina wire, first-aid kits and limited supplies of body armor, but no arms. But much of the assistance is still in the pipeline, including such important items as night-vision goggles. The United States has also promised to train 700 members of Ukraine’s National Guard, but that program is not scheduled to get underway until 2015.
Amid Intensifying Requests, American Military Aid to Ukraine Stalls - NYTimes.com
Amid Intensifying Requests, American Military Aid to Ukraine Stalls - NYTimes.com: Despite appeals from the Ukrainian armed forces, the United States has so far provided only a modest package of nonlethal assistance to the Kiev government, and much of it has yet to arrive.
The White House, which has relied on economic sanctions and the threat of international isolation to deter Russia from escalating its involvement in Ukraine, has been reluctant to step up military assistance for fear that it will lead to an escalation in the fighting and provoke Moscow.
The $70 million in aid the United States has pledged includes rations, radios, concertina wire, first-aid kits and limited supplies of body armor, but no arms. But much of the assistance is still in the pipeline, including such important items as night-vision goggles. The United States has also promised to train 700 members of Ukraine’s National Guard, but that program is not scheduled to get underway until 2015.
The White House, which has relied on economic sanctions and the threat of international isolation to deter Russia from escalating its involvement in Ukraine, has been reluctant to step up military assistance for fear that it will lead to an escalation in the fighting and provoke Moscow.
The $70 million in aid the United States has pledged includes rations, radios, concertina wire, first-aid kits and limited supplies of body armor, but no arms. But much of the assistance is still in the pipeline, including such important items as night-vision goggles. The United States has also promised to train 700 members of Ukraine’s National Guard, but that program is not scheduled to get underway until 2015.
US Army Europe uses technology to conduct exercises with different nations
US Army Europe uses technology to conduct exercises with different nations: U.S. Army Europe uses its latest simulation technology to join two training exercises from different countries and allow commanders to view and control troop movements as though units from both exercises are operating in the same area.
Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade will appear to drop into Germany near Munich, which is just south of the main body of the Saber Junction exercise, in Hohenfels, Germany.
In actuality, the 173rd Airborne will be dropping onto an airfield in Latvia. Using an unclassified commercial internet connection, simulation systems in both locations communicate troop movements and allow a Lithuanian brigade commander in Hohenfels to control the multinational forces involved in the exercise.
The troop movements of both exercises are overlaid onto a map. The troop movements of the unit that is physically on the ground in Germany are transmitted via a global positioning satellite system built into the radios of soldiers and vehicles and fed to a simulation system.
The movements of the Soldiers in Latvia are also transmitted via GPS, but the computer system must take the GPS signal and make it appear as the Soldiers are in the exercise operating area in Germany.
The simulation training is not limited to ground troop movements. Simulated unmanned aircraft systems can be fed into the simulation systems as well to give leaders a "live" picture of the battleground.
Helicopter pilots can also take part in the battles as they fly simulators over the artificially built world. Simulated flights save on fuel costs and reduce noise pollution near training areas and are immune to weather that might otherwise ground aircraft.
Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade will appear to drop into Germany near Munich, which is just south of the main body of the Saber Junction exercise, in Hohenfels, Germany.
In actuality, the 173rd Airborne will be dropping onto an airfield in Latvia. Using an unclassified commercial internet connection, simulation systems in both locations communicate troop movements and allow a Lithuanian brigade commander in Hohenfels to control the multinational forces involved in the exercise.
The troop movements of both exercises are overlaid onto a map. The troop movements of the unit that is physically on the ground in Germany are transmitted via a global positioning satellite system built into the radios of soldiers and vehicles and fed to a simulation system.
The movements of the Soldiers in Latvia are also transmitted via GPS, but the computer system must take the GPS signal and make it appear as the Soldiers are in the exercise operating area in Germany.
The simulation training is not limited to ground troop movements. Simulated unmanned aircraft systems can be fed into the simulation systems as well to give leaders a "live" picture of the battleground.
Helicopter pilots can also take part in the battles as they fly simulators over the artificially built world. Simulated flights save on fuel costs and reduce noise pollution near training areas and are immune to weather that might otherwise ground aircraft.
Penn study demonstrates wearable sensors to detect firearm use
Penn study demonstrates wearable sensors to detect firearm use: A new study from the University of Pennsylvania demonstrates that wearable sensors could one day transform the correctional system by tracking gun use by community-based offenders, who account for a disproportionate share of fatal and non-fatal shootings.
Currently, detecting and deterring this type of crime can be challenging in the absence of reliable evidence that a particular community-supervised offender illegally used a firearm.
In the study, published this week in the journal PLOS ONE, Charles Loeffler, an assistant professor of criminology at Penn, demonstrates the feasibility of using low-cost, wearable inertial sensors to detect firearm usage.
To conduct the study, Loeffler used sensors similar to those found in fitness trackers to recognize wrist movements and other signals corresponding to firearm use. Research participants included officers from the Penn Police Department, construction workers and individuals engaged in routine daily activities.
The resulting sensor data was used to train a detection algorithm that achieved more than 99 percent accuracy in classifying individual gunshots, demonstrating that firearm use can be reliably distinguished from a range of potentially confusable human activities.
Currently, detecting and deterring this type of crime can be challenging in the absence of reliable evidence that a particular community-supervised offender illegally used a firearm.
In the study, published this week in the journal PLOS ONE, Charles Loeffler, an assistant professor of criminology at Penn, demonstrates the feasibility of using low-cost, wearable inertial sensors to detect firearm usage.
To conduct the study, Loeffler used sensors similar to those found in fitness trackers to recognize wrist movements and other signals corresponding to firearm use. Research participants included officers from the Penn Police Department, construction workers and individuals engaged in routine daily activities.
The resulting sensor data was used to train a detection algorithm that achieved more than 99 percent accuracy in classifying individual gunshots, demonstrating that firearm use can be reliably distinguished from a range of potentially confusable human activities.
Armored Ground Vehicles Could Sprint, Dodge And Shield Their Way Out Of Danger
Armored Ground Vehicles Could Sprint, Dodge And Shield Their Way Out Of Danger: One of the key goals of DARPA's Ground X-Vehicle Technology (GXV-T) program is improving the survivability of ground-based armored fighting vehicles by increasing vehicle agility.
Vehicle agility involves the ability to autonomously avoid incoming threats, either by rapidly moving out of the way or reconfiguring the vehicle so incoming threats have a low probability of hitting and penetrating-all without injuring the occupants in the process.
This concept video illustrates three of many potential approaches: active repositioning of armor, burst acceleration and suspensions that would enable the vehicle to dodge.
Ground-based armored fighting vehicles and their occupants have traditionally relied on armor and maneuverability for protection. The amount of armor needed for today's threat environments, however, is becoming increasingly burdensome and ineffective against ever-improving weaponry.
GXV-T seeks to develop revolutionary technologies to enable a layered approach to protection that would use less armor more strategically and improve vehicles' ability to avoid detection, engagement and hits by adversaries. Such capabilities would enable smaller, faster vehicles in the future to more efficiently and cost-effectively tackle varied and unpredictable combat situations.
Vehicle agility involves the ability to autonomously avoid incoming threats, either by rapidly moving out of the way or reconfiguring the vehicle so incoming threats have a low probability of hitting and penetrating-all without injuring the occupants in the process.
This concept video illustrates three of many potential approaches: active repositioning of armor, burst acceleration and suspensions that would enable the vehicle to dodge.
Ground-based armored fighting vehicles and their occupants have traditionally relied on armor and maneuverability for protection. The amount of armor needed for today's threat environments, however, is becoming increasingly burdensome and ineffective against ever-improving weaponry.
GXV-T seeks to develop revolutionary technologies to enable a layered approach to protection that would use less armor more strategically and improve vehicles' ability to avoid detection, engagement and hits by adversaries. Such capabilities would enable smaller, faster vehicles in the future to more efficiently and cost-effectively tackle varied and unpredictable combat situations.
Israel, US test upgraded Arrow 2 missile interceptor
Israel, US test upgraded Arrow 2 missile interceptor: Israel and the United States on Tuesday successfully conducted a joint test of an upgraded Arrow 2 ballistic missile interception system over the Mediterranean Sea, the defence ministry said.
"An Arrow 2 missile was launched and performed its flight sequence as planned," the defence ministry said in a statement, with a spokesman confirming the system had been upgraded.
The two countries carried out similar tests in January, and in September last year, as Washington was considering military action against Syria.
Russia's defence ministry earlier released a statement reporting a missile launch from the Mediterranean Sea towards the eastern Mediterranean coast.
"An Arrow 2 missile was launched and performed its flight sequence as planned," the defence ministry said in a statement, with a spokesman confirming the system had been upgraded.
The two countries carried out similar tests in January, and in September last year, as Washington was considering military action against Syria.
Russia's defence ministry earlier released a statement reporting a missile launch from the Mediterranean Sea towards the eastern Mediterranean coast.
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