News & numbers
“I would say it is unlikely […] that China changes from a ‘challenge’ to an ‘adversary’ in the Strategic Concept. China is not physically adjacent to the Euro-Atlantic area, which is the geographically bounded area defining the Nato alliance.” Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of Nato Military Committee
Nato address Russian militarisation along Ukraine border
Speaking at a press conference on 15 November in Brussels, Nato Secretary- General Jens Stoltenberg addressed growing tensions along the Ukraine/Russia border, and in particular, the “unusual concentration” of Russian forces in the area. Stoltenberg spoke alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and stated clearly that Alliance members would continue to provide “significant political and practical support”, including military training, to Ukraine. Russia’s motivations for the build-up are
unclear, Kuleba noted. “It is premature to say [...] whether the military build-up is the main plan, and it will be accompanied by efforts to destabilise Ukraine from the inside, or whether the military build-up will serve as a background force, as a background argument for destabilising efforts undertaken by Russia
domestically,” he said. “We have to be ready for all scenarios, for all options.” Calling for Russia to increase the transparency of its military activities in order to prevent escalation, Stoltenberg noted that the build-up of forces leaves Ukraine and Nato with little warning time in the event of “military aggressive action”. “We have to be clear-eyed; we need to be realistic about the challenges we face,” Stoltenberg added. “And what we see is significant, large Russian military build-up. [...] And we know that Russia has been willing to use these types of military capabilities before to conduct aggressive actions against Ukraine.” Stoltenberg also expressed solidarity with the governments of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia over the ongoing weaponisation of migrants by Belarus on their respective borders.
Russia destroys own satellite in ASAT weapon test
The US State Department reported that Russia destroyed one of its own satellites in an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon test on 15 November, forcing the seven crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) – four Americans, a German and two Russians – to take cover at several points as the station entered the orbit of the debris. “Earlier today, the Russian Federation recklessly conducted a destructive satellite test of a direct ascent anti- satellite missile against one of its own satellites,” said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price at a press
1,500 Pieces of trackable orbital debris
generated by Russia’s ASAT weapon test. US State Department
6
briefing. “The test has so far generated over 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris and hundreds of thousands of pieces of smaller orbital debris that now threaten the interests of all nations.” “Russia’s dangerous and irresponsible behaviour jeopardises the long-term sustainability of outer space and clearly demonstrates that Russia’s claims of opposing the weaponisation of space are disingenuous and hypocritical,” Price added.
This event follows a number of ASAT tests that resulted in dangerous debris, including tests by China in 2007 – which resulted in over 3,000 pieces of golf ball-sized debris or larger, and more than 100,000 smaller pieces – and by India in 2019.”
Russia has conducted a number of
ASAT tests in recent years, although until now those tests stopped short of hitting satellites on orbit.
US committed to
F-35 deal with UAE The US remains “fully committed” to the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to the UAE according to Mira Resnick, a deputy US assistant secretary of state.
As a senior US official overseeing arms
exports, Resnick denied claims that US security partners in the region were looking to purchase weapons from Russia, while speaking at the Dubai Air Show on 16 November. This statement came days after Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, met with Russian representatives at the air show. “The F-35 is already in this region, whether it’s Israelis flying the F-35, or whether it’s American F-35,” Resnick said. “We would like the UAE to be able to operate the F-35 in a way that [they] can be our security partners and to deter threats, including from Iran.”
The US agreed to supply the UAE with 50 F-35s as part of a $23bn deal by the Trump administration. The arms sale was later put on hold by the Biden administration due in part to the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war in Yemen, and the humanitarian crisis that has accompanied it.
UK’s Royal Air Force commits to
synthetic jet fuel In a speech to the Freeman Air and Space Institute on 24 November, Air Marshal Sir Mike Wigston discussed the Royal Air Force (RAF)’s intentions to adopt eco-friendly jet fuel to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. Earlier that month, on 2 November, the RAF made the world’s first flight using 100% synthetic fuel provided by Zero Petroleum to power an Ikarus C42 microlight. The RAF is already using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from feedstocks such as ethanol or recycled waste oil, but questions remain over its high cost and lack of availability. “If there was an assured, affordable supply now we would use it, but the challenge in the short to medium term is insufficient capacity in the production and supply chains,” said Wigston, before noting that synthetic fuel offered an “exciting alternative” and wider benefits compared with sustainable fuel.
The RAF is also looking into electric or hydrogen propulsion, particularly for smaller, lighter, training platforms, Wigston said.
Defence & Security Systems International /
www.defence-and-security.com
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