Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

As it prepares to induct a <keyword id="10112494" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="second-batch-of-rafale-jets">second batch of Rafale jets</keyword>, the <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> has sent a team of officials to France to oversee the logistical issues and review the training of a hand-picked group of pilots at the Saint-Dizier air base there, officials said on Thursday. The second batch of four <keyword id="6381048" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="rafale">Rafale</keyword> jets is expected to arrive in India in the next four weeks. <br /><br />The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of these aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. <br /><br />Several teams from the IAF have visited France since January to oversee the progress of the Rafale project including integration of India-specific enhancements and weapons systems, the officials said. <br /><br />The IAF's Rafale project management team has an office in Paris headed by a Group Captain-rank officer. The team is tasked with overseeing the production timelines as well as coordinating training of the crew. <br /><br />A team of experts headed by assistant chief of air staff (projects) reached France earlier this week to coordinate logistical issues as well as training of pilots and technicians, said the officials. <br /><br />The first batch of Rafale jets was finally inducted into the IAF on September 10. <br /><br />Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on October 5 said the induction of all 36 Rafale jets will be completed by 2023. <br /><br />Ten Rafale jets have been delivered to India so far and five of them stayed back in France for imparting training to IAF pilots. <br /><br />Known for their air-superiority and precision strikes, the Rafale jets are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 year after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. <br /><br />The newly inducted fleet has been carrying out sorties in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a bitter border row for over five months. <br /><br />A group of IAF pilots is currently undergoing training on Rafale jets at the Saint-Dizier airbase in eastern France. <br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/pnb-yes-bank-central-bank-of-india-idbi-and-six-more-indian-banks-are-the-worst-performing-bank-stocks-in-asia-pacific/articleshow/78679569.cms">10 out of 15 worst-performing bank stocks in Asia-Pacific are Indian — PNB, YES Bank, Central Bank of India, IDBI among them</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/whatsapp-google-amazon-and-facebook-under-the-scanner-for-data-protection-violations-as-supreme-court-calls-on-rbi-and-npci-to-investigate/articleshow/78678174.cms">Whatsapp, Google, Amazon and Facebook under the scanner for data protection violations as Supreme Court calls on RBI and NPCI to investigate</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/chinese-president-xi-jinping-tells-marine-troops-to-be-on-high-alert-and-prepare-for-war/articleshow/78675715.cms">Chinese President Xi Jinping tells marine troops to be on ‘high alert’ and ‘prepare for war’ as tensions in the South China Sea continue to grow</a></strong>

Indian Air Force to induct more Rafale fighter jets — team heads to France for preparations

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11916600" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sweden" source="Orion">Sweden</keyword> and <keyword id="12047793" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="finland" source="Orion">Finland</keyword> applied to join NATO in May, and the alliance is moving quickly to admit them.</li><li>The two countries already have a close relationship with the military alliance.</li></ul><p>As Finland's and Sweden's accession to NATO moves ahead quickly, the alliance's already tight partnership with the <keyword id="11908389" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nordic" source="Orion">Nordic</keyword> countries was on display in the skies over Northern Europe in early June.</p><p>On June 2, the Swedish and Finnish air forces drilled with their British, French, German, Norwegian, and Belgian counterparts along Norway's western coast.</p><p>Some 45 aircraft participated in the exercise, which was meant to demonstrate the ability to conduct complex air operations over long distances.</p><div type="image" title="German Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet KC-135 tanker" height="1333" width="2000" msid="92584137" hostid="261"></div><p>The chief of the Norwegian air force <a href="https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2022/06/three-nations-one-mission-new-nato-north">said</a> it was "the first time we are conducting such an advanced exercise with NATO and partner nations, which also includes Sweden and Finland."</p><p>From June 5 to June 17, Finnish and Swedish forces joined the militaries of 14 NATO members, including the US, for Baltic Operations 2022. The 51st iteration of the maritime-focused exercise involved more than 45 ships, more than 75 aircraft, and 7,500 personnel.</p><p>During one drill, a US Air Force KC-135 tanker <a href="https://www.c6f.navy.mil/Press-Room/News/Article/3059891/usafe-integrates-with-arctic-fighters-during-exercise-baltic-operations/">refueled</a> US, Finnish, Swedish, and German jets, allowing them to keep operating over the Baltic.</p><h2>Scandinavian skies</h2><div type="image" title="Finland F/A-18 Sweden JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet" height="965" width="1714" msid="92584138" hostid="261"></div><p>The June exercises demonstrated not only the strong relationship Finland and Sweden have with their NATO neighbors but also their own considerable military capabilities, which are poised to significantly strengthen NATO's air component and deterrence in the north.</p><p>Finland operates a fleet of 55 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornets, which it acquired in the 1990s. Despite its age, the single-seat F/A-18C is capable aircraft and can quickly switch <a href="https://www.military.com/equipment/f-18c-d-hornet">between fighter <u>and</u> attack configurations</a>. It is also operated by the US Navy and Marine Corps and numerous US allies, and it has seen combat in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans.</p><p>Finland's <a href="https://www.defmin.fi/en/frontpage/administrative_branch/strategic_capability_projects/hx_fighter_program/hx_fighter_program">Ministry of Defense</a> has said its Hornets will be decommissioned by 2030, making way for the 64 F-35As that Helsinki ordered in December in the country's biggest military procurement on record. Its first F-35 is scheduled for delivery by 2026.</p><div type="image" title="Finland F-18 F-35 fighter jet" height="1333" width="2000" msid="92584139" hostid="261"></div><p>The fifth-generation F-35A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/militaries-in-europe-are-buying-the-f35-fighter-jet-2022-2?op=1">is increasingly popular</a> among US allies. The stealth jet can act as a fighter or attack platform and use its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to enhance the effectiveness of friendly air and ground forces.</p><p>Sweden's only <keyword id="12004878" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fighter-jet" source="Orion">fighter jet</keyword> is the Saab <keyword id="14334850" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jas-39" source="Orion">JAS 39</keyword> <keyword id="14334851" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gripen" source="Orion">Gripen</keyword>, a domestically designed and built aircraft that is less advanced but highly effective.</p><p>"The Gripen doesn't have the stealth of an F-35 or the brain-mashing performance of an F-15, but it's a reliable and cost-effective aircraft that brings a number of important capabilities into the fight," the aviation analyst and <a href="https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/author/alexhollings/">Sandboxx editor in chief</a> Alex Hollings told Insider.</p><p>The Gripen is also versatile. Its small size allows it to "take off and land on austere airstrips or even highways while carrying extremely effective air-to-air weapons" like the <a href="https://www.mbda-systems.com/product/meteor/">Meteor</a> and <a href="https://www.raytheonmissilesanddefense.com/what-we-do/air-warfare/air-to-air-missiles/amraam-missile">AMRAAM missiles</a>, Hollings said.</p><p>The Swedish jet is one of the few fighters in service that can supercruise, maintaining supersonic speeds without dumping fuel into its afterburner. That increases an aircraft's endurance at supersonic speeds by lowering its fuel consumption, allowing it to fly faster and carry less fuel.</p><div type="image" title="Swedish Air Force Saab JAS 39 Gripen" height="1004" width="1339" msid="92584140" hostid="261"></div><p>The US-made F-22, the French-built Dassault Rafale, and the multinational Eurofighter Typhoon are the only other jets that can supercruise. None of Russia's jets have the capability.</p><p>The Gripen program has had controversy, Hollings said, referring <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/swedens-jas39-gripen-may-be-worlds-best-nonstealth-fighter-jet-2021-11">to allegations of fraud</a> in some of its foreign sales, but it was designed to be "easy to fly, inexpensive to maintain, and quick to adopt upgrades and that all makes for a handy jet to have around in a fight," he added.</p><p>Though it has never seen combat, the Swedish jet has proved its worth in exercises. Notably, during the first day of a major US-led exercise in Alaska in 2016, it scored 10 kills against peer aircraft, including a 4.5-generation Eurofighter Typhoon, <a href="https://www.globaldefensecorp.com/2021/01/07/gripen/">without suffering a casualty</a>.</p><p>Sweden's air force operates 71 Gripen Cs and has ordered 70 Gripen Es, an upgrade over the C model, to be delivered by 2027.</p><h2>Building the best team</h2><div type="image" title="Air Force B-52 F-16 Eurofighter‬ ‎Typhoon fighter jet" height="1330" width="2000" msid="92584141" hostid="261"></div><p>Despite their capabilities, integrating two air forces with a combined fighter fleet of 126 aircraft into NATO operations won't be simple.</p><p>Though both the F/A-18C and the Gripen are used by other NATO members, tactical integration is achieved through frequent joint exercises, like the ones conducted in June.</p><p>"There are always challenges inherent to mixing national air forces and the platforms they operate," Hollings told Insider. "Once you work through interoperability (in terms of both technology and tactics), a mix of aircraft becomes a potent tool in a large-scale fight."</p><p>Increasing the variety of aircraft in NATO will give the alliance a tactical advantage.</p><div type="image" title="Fighter jets tanker aircraft over Norway Arctic" height="1280" width="1920" msid="92584142" hostid="261"></div><p>"Fighters operate a bit like cage fighters, in that pilots want to play to the strengths of their own aircraft and the weaknesses of the opponent's," Hollings said. "When you head into a fight with a variety of fighters at your disposal, each playing to their respective strengths, you really complicate the combat calculus for your opponent."</p><p>F-35As and Gripen Es are set to make Finland's and Sweden's air forces more capable, but even without those advanced jets, NATO leaders are eager to have Finnish and Swedish forces in the alliance.</p><p>Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who is set to take over as head of US European Command and as supreme allied commander Europe in July, said during his <a href="https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/nomination_-cavoli">nomination hearing</a> in May that the Finnish and Swedish militaries would bring "quite a bit of capability and capacity to the alliance from day one."</p><p>He added that he looked "forward to the accession of Finland and Sweden to the alliance from a military perspective."</p><p><em>Constantine Atlamazoglou works on transatlantic and European security. He holds a master's degree in security studies and European affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. You can contact him on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/constantine-atlamazoglou" target="_blank" title="LinkedIn" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a>.</em></p>

As Sweden's and Finland's NATO bids move forward, the alliance is already eyeing their fighter jets

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Over the past two weeks, European plans to provide fighter jets to <keyword id="11985141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword> have emerged and stumbled.</li><li>On Tuesday, <keyword id="11937111" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="poland" source="Orion">Poland</keyword> announced that it would turn its MiG-29s over to the US for potential delivery to Ukraine.</li></ul><p>Is Ukraine about to get more MiG-29 fighter jets to help defend against <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword>'s invasion? Over the last few days, the answer has shifted from "yes" to "no" to "maybe."</p><p>While Ukraine's military continues to batter Russian forces on the ground, the airspace remains contested. On Tuesday, a Pentagon official said both sides were still flying missions every day and retained their air-defense missile capabilities.</p><p>Providing more jets to Ukraine's Air Force would help it take on the larger Russian Aerospace Force, but the transfer of foreign MiG-29s to Ukraine is a fraught issue — and far from a done deal.</p><h2>MiG ups and downs</h2><div type="image" title="Poland MiG-29" height="1331" width="2000" msid="90107999" hostid="261"></div><p>Reports about supplying Soviet-made aircraft to Ukraine surfaced on February 26, when in a "<a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-ukraine-russia-funding-weapons-budget-military-aid/">watershed moment</a>" the EU approved a first-of-its-kind transfer of military aid worth 500 million euros to Ukraine.</p><p>As part of that aid, European officials discussed providing fighter and attack aircraft to bolster Ukraine's air defenses. On February 27, the EU's top diplomat went public with that plan. "We are going to supply arms and even fighter jets," <a href="https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/111758/informal-videoconference-foreign-affairs-ministers-remarks-high-representativevice-president_en">said</a> Josep Borrel, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security.</p><p>Ukraine's foreign minister "has been asking us that they need the type of fighter jets that the Ukrainian army is able to operate," Borrel added. "We know what kind of planes and some [EU] member states have these kinds of planes."</p><p>A few hours after Borrel spoke, Alexandre Krauss, a senior adviser to the EU Parliament, said on Twitter that the fighter jets would be delivered within the hour, surprising the world. By the next morning, Krauss had said <a href="https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2022/03/01/no-eu-countries-arent-sending-fighter-jets-to-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he misspoke</a> and officials from Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, and Slovakia had also said their countries weren't giving aircraft to anyone.</p><p>The effort appeared stalled until this weekend, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to US lawmakers and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-president-asks-congress-to-help-secure-russian-made-jet-fighters-11646511532?st=wscflk2sehklwga&amp;reflink=desktopwebshare_twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> them help facilitate the transfer of jets, including MiG-29s, to Ukraine.</p><p>Afterward, many of those lawmakers <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/us/politics/zelensky-congress-no-fly-zone.html">spoke approvingly</a> of sending jets, unmanned aircraft, and billions in aid to the embattled country.</p><h2>Whose aircraft?</h2><div type="image" title="Air Force B-52 Polish MiG-29 F-15E" height="1280" width="1707" msid="90108000" hostid="261"></div><p>Only a handful of countries have aircraft that meet Ukraine's needs.</p><p>Kyiv is only interested in aircraft that its pilots can fly and its maintainers can fix, and its air force only flies Soviet-origin aircraft, so US-made jets, such as the F-16 and F-15, and European-made aircraft, like Rafales, Typhoons, or Gripens, are out of the question.</p><p>The pool of eligible aircraft is limited to three — the MiG-29, the Su-25, and the <keyword id="12004876" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mig-21" source="Orion">MiG-21</keyword> — that active with NATO militaries, namely Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, and Slovakia.</p><p>Of these, the MiG-29, an air-superiority fighter, would be the best option to take on Russia's aerial forces. The MiG-21 is an antiquated <keyword id="12004878" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fighter-jet" source="Orion">fighter jet</keyword> — the ones in service with Ukraine have been retired — while the Su-25 is designed for close air support.</p><p>Poland has 28 MiG-29s, though not all are operational. Ukrainian pilots trained on the MiG-29 may be able to operate them almost immediately, and with several dozen of its own MiG-29s in service before the war, Ukraine's air force would likely have spare parts and munitions on hand.</p><p>US officials say Russia has been unable to establish air superiority over all of Ukraine, meaning those MiG-29s, if delivered, could keep flying missions well into the future.</p><h2>'Send us planes'</h2><div type="image" title="Ukraine pilot MiG-29 fighter jet" height="1332" width="2000" msid="90108001" hostid="261"></div><p>Giving aircraft to a non-allied country as it fights a war with a third party is fraught with legal and geopolitical risks, especially when the third party is a nuclear-armed state with deep-seated suspicion of its NATO neighbors.</p><p>It's one thing to be one of dozens of countries that are sending light weapons, ammunition, and anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. It's completely different for one or a few countries provide multimillion-dollar fighter jets that could take a toll on Russian forces.</p><p>Moscow has warned that it would treat direct military support — for example, Ukrainian pilots operating Polish MiG-29s from bases in Poland — as an act of war. A Russian attack on Poland would trigger NATO's collective-defense provision and draw the alliance's 29 other members into the conflict.</p><p>Despite the legal and logistical complications, Poland on Tuesday <a href="https://www.gov.pl/web/diplomacy/statement-of-the-minister-of-foreign-affairs-of-the-republic-of-poland-in-connection-with-the-statement-by-the-us-secretary-of-state-on-providing-airplanes-to-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it was willing to place all of its MiG-29s fighter jets at the immediate disposal of the US, presumably to transfer them to Ukraine, and asked that other NATO allies with MiG-29s follow suit.</p><p>To fill the gap created by the transfer, Poland asked the US for "used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities" — most likely F-16s — and said it was "ready to immediately establish the conditions of purchase" for them.</p><p>Sending F-16s to Poland to replace MiG-29s it gives to Ukraine isn't a simple swap. The US can't give Poland F-16s out of its own fleet because it needs them. F-16s are still being produced but other countries have already paid for the ones rolling off the assembly line — <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/us/politics/us-ukraine-weapons.html">including Taiwan</a>, whose defense the US has made a priority.</p><div type="image" title="F-16 takes off at Aviano Italy" height="984" width="1313" msid="90108003" hostid="261"></div><p>Those issues aren't necessarily deal-breakers, but to get the most out of the jets, they need to be transferred sooner rather than later. If Russian aircraft claim Ukraine's skies or its missiles destroy Ukraine's airfields, Kyiv would struggle to use its new jets effectively.</p><p>On Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US was looking "very, very actively" at how Poland could provide aircraft to Ukraine and how to backfill Poland's fleet. "I can't speak to a timeline, but I can just tell you we're looking at it," Blinken said.</p><p>Hours after Poland's announcement, however, the State Department's third-highest ranking diplomat said Poland hadn't "pre-consulted with us" about the offer, and the Defense Department said it did not view Warsaw's proposal as "tenable."</p><p>Whether to transfer the jets is ultimately a Polish decision, but having those jets leave "a US/NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance," chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. "It is simply not clear to us that there is a substantive rationale for it."</p><p>On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Poland for the offer but criticized the US for its reluctance.</p><p>"Listen: We have a war! We do not have time for all these signals. This is not ping pong!" Zelenskyy <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-rejects-poland-offer-send-jets-us-air-base-ukraine-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "We ask once again: solve it faster. Do not shift the responsibility, send us planes."</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

Ukraine's quest for more fighter jets hits its latest obstacle: US concerns about starting a war between NATO and Russia

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US and other militaries held major aviation and special-operations drills in Greece this spring.</li><li>The exercises were held amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an attack that upended Europe's security.</li></ul><p>Tensions in Europe with Russia have remained high since Moscow launched its unprovoked attack on Ukraine in February, but Russian influence is still strong in some parts of the continent.</p><p>Countries in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean region have always had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-special-operations-command-europe-setting-up-new-albania-outpost-2022-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a delicate relationship</a> with Moscow, partly because of shared kinship, as in Serbia and Bulgaria, and partly because of shared religion, as in Greece.</p><p>The Balkans has been steadily moving away from Moscow, however. Several countries there have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-natos-29-member-countries-as-the-powerful-alliance-turns-70-2019-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined NATO in recent years</a>, including North Macedonia, the alliance's newest member.</p><p>As Russian tanks were advancing on Kyiv earlier this year, to the south the US and other countries were taking part in two large-scale exercises, involving dozens of aircraft and hundreds of special operators, in Greece.</p><p>Those major air combat and special-ops drills show how the US and its partners are trying to lock down an important part of Europe amid increasing competition with Russia.</p><h2>Iniochos and Orion 22</h2><div type="image" title="Greek pararescue helicopter repel" height="1498" width="1998" msid="94607295" hostid="261" sizebytes="114196"></div><p>Iniochos is fast becoming one of the largest and most important air exercises in the region, with air forces from Europe and the Middle East joining other NATO militaries for the annual event.</p><p>Iniochos 22, which <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/417776/iniochos-22-kicks-off" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began</a> in late March, involved dozens of aircraft from <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418187/iniochos-22-wraps-up-492nd-fs-departs-andravida-ab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 countries</a>, including Israeli F-16Is, Italian A-200As, French Rafale F3, US F-15Es and F/A-18s, and Greek F-16Cs, F-4Es, and Mirage 2000-5BGs. The US also flew MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles.</p><p>This year's iteration of the Greece-hosted exercise also included drills on several different mission sets, including offensive counter-air operations, air defense, airborne reconnaissance, combat search and rescue, time-sensitive target missions, high-value airborne asset missions, and counter surface-force operations.</p><div type="image" title="US Army Green Beret Special Forces parachute dive" height="1333" width="2000" msid="94607296" hostid="261" sizebytes="123026"></div><p>As Iniochos 22 was wrapping up in early April, more than 1,000 pilots, maintainers, and special operators from six countries were <a href="https://greekreporter.com/2022/04/07/special-forces-greece-us-israel-exercise-orion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coming together</a> in Greece for Orion 22 to conduct realistic joint special-operations exercises.</p><p>US Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, Navy Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen, Air Force Combat Controllers, and Air Force Pararescuemen participated in the exercise.</p><p>"It is so impressive to see the way in which the Hellenic Armed Forces has been able to deepen its partnership with the US Special Forces Community, including the SEALS and Army Operators who are here today as part of this exercise," the US ambassador to Greece at the time, Geoffrey Pyatt, <a href="https://gr.usembassy.gov/ambassador-pyatts-statement-at-orion-22-exercise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> following the exercise.</p><p>Commandos from the US, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Israel, and France trained for air, sea, and land operations in 22 locations across Greece. The operators were supported by 32 fighter-jet sorties and 64 helicopter missions as a part of drills simulating close air support.</p><div type="image" title="Special operations force members load into rafts in Greece" height="1333" width="2000" msid="94607297" hostid="261" sizebytes="173018"></div><p>Iniochos and Orion 22 also took place amid rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean region.</p><p>Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other Turkish leaders have directed harsh rhetoric against Greece and Cyprus, including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-middle-east-greece-recep-tayyip-erdogan-19903884a66cd3116ee318b8d0283ccd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a veiled threat</a> to invade Greece, with which Turkey <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/imia-kardak-island-dispute-between-greece-turkey-almost-sparked-war-2022-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has longstanding disputes</a>.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/turkish-greek-requests-for-us-fighter-jets-could-worsen-tensions-2022-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rising tensions</a> between NATO members on the alliance's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-increases-southeastern-europe-presence-amid-russia-tension-2022-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">important southeastern flank</a> come at a time when leaders on both sides of the Atlantic have sought unity in the face of the Russian aggression in Ukraine.</p><h2>Security partner of choice</h2><div type="image" title="David Tabor Konstantinos Floros Georgios Tsitsikosta Geoffrey Pyatt Greece" height="1333" width="2000" msid="94607298" hostid="261" sizebytes="167762"></div><p>Pyatt, who stood down as ambassador this spring and is nominated for another US State Department post, also <a href="https://gr.usembassy.gov/ambassador-pyatts-statement-at-orion-22-exercise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> after Orion 22 that Greece is "a security partner of choice" in the Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Balkan regions.</p><p>In recent years, the US has upgraded its security alliance with Greece. In 2018, the US military's European Command decided to prioritize <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seals-green-berets-train-greece-special-operators-on-us-gear-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the military partnership</a> with Greece, recognizing it as one of NATO's key members.</p><p>Greece has benefited considerably from the upgraded military alliance with the US. In just a few years, the Greek military has received Mark V Special Operations Craft, OH-58 Kiowa light attack and reconnaissance helicopters, M1117 Guardian armored security vehicles. US troops have also been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marines-sailors-ate-all-the-food-in-greek-port-alexandroupoli-2022-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a more visible presence in Greece</a>.</p><p>"I am very confident that that partnership is going to continue to accelerate and deepen into the future because it rests on the basis of shared interests but also our shared democratic values," Pyatt said this spring.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. He is working toward a master's degree in strategy and cybersecurity at the Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies.</em></p>

Major air combat and special-ops drills show how the US and its partners are trying to lock down an important region amid tensions with Russia

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been investing heavily in new military hardware in order to Iran.</li></ul><p>Iran's military moves in recent weeks have captured worldwide attention, stoking concern among rivals in the US and across the Middle East.</p><p>On September 1, Iran's navy <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iranian-ship-captures-us-navy-drone-boats-hiding-under-tarp-2022-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">briefly seized</a> two US Navy unmanned surface vessels in the Red Sea, succeeding on its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-tried-capture-us-vessel-stopped-by-navy-patrol-2022-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second attempt</a> capture a US drone within a week.</p><p>On September 4, Iran's air force commander, Brig. Gen. Hamid Vahedi, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauliddon/2022/09/05/persian-flankers-iran-eyeing-russian-su-35s-in-biggest-potential-fighter-procurement-in-30-years/?sh=252fd56e4f47" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the country hoped to acquire Russian Su-35 fighter jets in what would be Tehran's largest fighter purchase since 1990.</p><p>The following day, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy <a href="https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/irans-irgcn-unveils-shahid-soleimani-catamaran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed off</a> a new catamaran-style "patrol-combat vessel" equipped with vertical launch missiles — a first for any Iranian naval vessel.</p><p>Those actions come amid a longer-term military buildup by Iran's neighbors, who seek to counter Tehran's asymmetric capabilities by improving their air and naval forces. Their buildup has continued despite President Joe Biden's efforts to assure them of US support and improve relations in the face of increasing geopolitical competition.</p><h2>Dominant airpower</h2><div type="image" title="United Arab Emirates F-16 KC-10 tanker" height="1333" width="2000" msid="94499850" hostid="261"></div><p>Saudi Arabia's and the UAE's vast oil wealth has allowed them to be the top two defense spenders in the Middle East and North Africa, and their relations with the US and Europe give them access to the best combat aircraft on the market.</p><p>The Royal Saudi Air Force's core <a href="https://www.iiss.org/publications/the-military-balance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strength</a> are its 232 F-15 Eagles, at least 84 of which are <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2017/02/01/up-close-and-personal-with-the-first-saudi-f-15sa-the-most-advanced-eagle-ever-built/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">F-15SA variants</a> designed specifically for Saudi Arabia. The RSAF also operates 71 <a href="http://www.military-today.com/aircraft/eurofighter_typhoon.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eurofighter Typhoon</a> fighters and 66 <a href="https://www.aircraftrecognitionguide.com/panavia-tornado" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Panavia Tornado</a> attack aircraft.</p><p>Saudi Arabia is upgrading its F-15s, and in November, the US State Department approved the sale of 280 AIM-120C air-to-air missiles for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-sells-saudi-arabia-650-million-of-us-made-missiles-2021-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$650 million</a> to Riyadh.</p><div type="image" title="Royal Saudi Air Force F-15" height="1333" width="2000" msid="94499851" hostid="261"></div><p>Saudi aircraft continue to play a major role in Riyadh's campaign in Yemen. Their operations have kept Houthi forces from taking <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-saudi-arabia-coalition-airstrikes-marib-houthis-advance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">important territory</a> and <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39992/watch-a-saudi-f-15-fighter-swoop-in-low-to-blast-a-houthi-rebel-drone-out-of-the-sky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prevented</a> Houthi drones and missiles from striking Saudi Arabia, but Saudi airstrikes, often conducted with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2022/saudi-war-crimes-yemen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US support</a>, continue to <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/18/yemen-latest-round-saudi-uae-led-attacks-targets-civilians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kill civilians</a>.</p><p>The UAE's air fleet is smaller but also powerful, made up of 78 F-16s and 49 <a href="https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/mirage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mirage 2000s</a> used for both fighter and ground-attack operations.</p><p>Over the past year, the UAE has said <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/3/uae-buys-record-80-french-fighter-jets-as-macron-starts-gulf-tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it would purchase</a> 80 French-made Dassault Rafales <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/uae-to-order-up-to-48-chinese-l15-fighter-trainers-just-how-capable-are-they" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and</a> 12 Chinese-made <a href="http://www.military-today.com/aircraft/l15.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hongdu L-15</a> jet trainers, with an option for 36 more.</p><p>The UAE also received 20 Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkish firm Baykar this month, and Saudi Arabia is also in talks with the firm to buy the drones, which a Western source <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/exclusive-turkey-sells-battle-tested-drones-uae-regional-rivals-mend-ties-2022-09-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Reuters</a> are better than the Iranian drones that Russia is using in Ukraine.</p><h2>Modern fleets</h2><div type="image" title="Royal Saudi Naval Force corvette HMS Badr" height="1276" width="1702" msid="94499852" hostid="261"></div><p>The Saudi navy's primary combat ships are three <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/al_riyadh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Al Riyadh-class</a> frigates, four <a href="https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2017/january-2017-navy-naval-forces-defense-industry-technology-maritime-security-global-news/4852-royal-saudi-navy-al-madinah-class-frigate-damaged-following-attack-by-houthi-militia-off-yemen.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Al Madinah-class</a> frigates, four <a href="https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/july/us-navy-needs-corvette-badr-class-would-do" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Badr-class corvettes</a>, and nine Al Siddiq-class patrol vessels. The UAE's battlefleet is made up of smaller vessels: six <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/baynunah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baynunah-class</a> and one <a href="https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/middle-eastern-navies-vessels-ships-equipment/uae-navy-vessels-ships-equipment/corvettespatrol-vessels/884-abu-dhabi-class-asw-corvette-p191-uae-navy-united-arab-emirates-fincantieri-etihad-ship-building-esb-anti-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Abu Dhabi-class</a> corvettes and 36 patrol vessels.</p><p>Both navies plan to expand and modernize.</p><p>In 2017, Riyadh signed a contract with Lockheed Martin for four <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/multi-mission-surface-combatant-mmsc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multi-mission surface combatant</a> warships, a variant of the US Navy's Freedom-class littoral combat ship. The Saudis have also <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/07/navantia-delivers-2nd-avante-2200-corvette-to-saudi-arabia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> two of the five Spanish-built <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/avante-2200-combatant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Al Jubail-class</a> corvettes they ordered in 2018. The final three are expected to be delivered by 2024. The Kingdom has also ordered 39 <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/09/cmn-hands-over-2nd-and-3rd-batches-of-hsi32-interceptors-to-royal-saudi-navy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HSI32 Interceptor</a> vessels from French shipbuilder CMN Group.</p><p>The UAE, meanwhile, ordered two Gowind 2500-class corvettes from France's Marine Group in 2019. The first corvette was <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/12/naval-group-launches-bani-yas-gowind-corvette-uae/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched</a> in December and the second <a href="https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/naval-group-launches-second-gowind-corvette-for-uae" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in May</a>.</p><p>In addition to securing their own waters, the Saudi and Emirati navies have both sent vessels to support <a href="https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/gulf-coalition-operations-yemen-part-3-maritime-and-aerial-blockade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a blockade</a> of Yemen.</p><h2>Evolving threats, priorities, and procurement</h2><div type="image" title="United Arab Emirates Baynunah-class corvette" height="1328" width="2000" msid="94499853" hostid="261"></div><p>Despite <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/irans-navy-flexes-new-muscles-years-after-fight-with-us-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showing off</a> its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-iran-navy-launches-stealth-warship-in-the-gulf-2018-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new warships</a> and announcing plans to buy more fighter jets, Tehran has recalibrated its defense structure in recent years.</p><p>"Ten years ago, you could see the Iranians were still thinking in a somewhat conventional way about doing things," said Michael Knights, an expert in the military and security affairs of Persian Gulf countries at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.</p><p>Handicapped by sanctions and a limited industrial base, Iran has mostly been unable to build and field advanced military hardware. It has shifted from trying to match the conventional capabilities of its adversaries to focusing on things like missile and drone development.</p><p>"They've leapfrogged over a bunch of stuff that they weren't good at and they've focused on stuff that they are reasonably good at now," Knights told Insider.</p><p>Iran's <a href="https://missilethreat.csis.org/country/iran/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">missile arsenal</a> is the largest in the Middle East and quite capable, as is its <a href="https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2020/aug/20/irans-drone-fleet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drone fleet</a>.</p><div type="image" title="Al Asad al-Asad Iraq base damage aftermath Iran missile strike January 2020" height="720" width="1280" msid="94499855" hostid="261"></div><p>Hundreds of missile and drone attacks using Iranian-made hardware have been launched against Saudi Arabia and UAE from Yemen and Iran since 2015. In January 2020, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at US military bases in Iraq following <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iranian-military-commander-soleimani-killed-in-airstrike-report-2020-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the US's assassination</a> of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.</p><p>Iran has been supplying drones <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-winner-is-emerging-from-the-war-in-ukraine-but-its-not-who-you-think-189036" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to Moscow</a> as the Russian military struggles in Ukraine. In mid-September, Ukraine said it had for the first time <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-eliminated-iranian-drone-deployed-russia-putin-counteroffensive-war-2022-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">destroyed</a> an Iranian drone in use by Russian forces.</p><p>Iran has also <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/battle-or-slaughter-are-irans-upgraded-air-defenses-threat-us-air-force-193920" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developed air defenses</a> that likely could effectively defend its home territory.</p><p>But the advanced weapons now fielded by Iran and its neighbors, along with the tight confines of the Gulf region, mean that any conflict would see heavy losses on both sides.</p><p>"The Gulf states and the Iranians would probably be able to do each other a lot of damage very early in a war. Both sides would lose their navies very quickly," Knights said.</p><p>Consequently, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been putting more emphasis on developing anti-air and missile-defense systems. Both are also <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/inside-a-u-s-navy-maritime-drone-operation-aimed-at-iran-11661954273?reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investing in unmanned systems</a>.</p><p>The two countries are working to integrate and network their drones and systems with each other, which the US has <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/12/biden-middle-east-air-defense-alliance-00045423" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supported</a>, and have participated in or hosted multiple military exercises involving drones, including this year's US-led International Maritime Exercise, <a href="https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/NEWS-ARTICLES/News-Article-View/Article/2940622/large-scale-international-exercise-in-middle-east-africa-concludes/#:~:text=International%20Maritime%20Exercise%20(IMX)%202022,and%20the%20West%20Indian%20Ocean." target="_blank" rel="noopener">the largest exercise</a> of unmanned systems in the world.</p><div type="image" title="unmanned naval vessels in Bahrain" height="1428" width="2000" msid="94499857" hostid="261"></div><p>IMX 2022 was also <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-participates-huge-us-gulf-naval-exercise-alongside-saudi-oman-2022-02-02/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the first time</a> Israel and Saudi Arabia, which don't have diplomatic relations, officially took part in an exercise together.</p><p>The Saudis and the UAE have turned to their burgeoning defense industries to build that weaponry, but the Biden administration — which froze arms sales to Saudi Arabia upon entering office over human-rights concerns related to the war in Yemen — now seems open to replenishing Saudi and Emirati arsenals as part of its efforts to improve relations.</p><p>Just weeks after his visit to the Middle East in July 2021, Biden approved a $5 billion arms sale that included up to 300 Patriot missile interceptors for Saudi Arabia and two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems with 96 interceptor missiles for the UAE.</p><p>Iran is "in a game of mutually assured destruction" with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE, "when it comes to the loss of critical infrastructure," Knights said.</p><p>"But if trends in counter-missile and counter-drone continue moving in the direction they are moving now, the GCC might be better prepared to defend themselves from the Iranians, and that's an interesting trend break," he added.</p>

Despite Biden's assurances, Middle East militaries are buying their own weapons to take on Iran at sea and in the air

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Marine nationale</span></p><p class="caption">A French Dassault Rafale flies above the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>PARIS - The French procurement office and the Navy will submit proposals to the Armed Forces Ministry based on <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/03/21/france-ups-weapon-study-funds-for-future-jet-tank-aircraft-carrier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">definition studies</a> for a future aircraft carrier, according to the head of the naval armaments operations unit at the Direction Générale de l'Armement.</p><p>The DGA and the Navy have been working on a "reflection for definition studies," with those studies required to launch the carrier project, Laurent Sellier told <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">Defense</keyword> News on Sept. 24. Industry has served as observer, while the procurement office and service lead the discussions.</p><p>The studies will consider the future carrier's capability to carry <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/training-sim/2018/06/07/france-is-deploying-forces-to-the-indo-pacific-for-more-than-just-a-drill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Rafale fighter jet and its successor</a>, as well as drones, he said. It will be up to the ministry to "greenlight" the contracts for the carrier.</p><p>Sellier was speaking on the sidelines of a news conference held by Gican, the industry association backing the Euronaval trade show, which opens Oct. 23.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Ben Job/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">The flight deck of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during a port call in Abu Dhabi, January 8, 2014.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Dassault Aviation, shipbuilder Naval Group and electronics specialist Thales have been sitting in on the discussions led by DGA and the Navy, an industry executive told Defense News. "There is close teamwork on tackling the overall problem," the executive said.</p><p>The DGA and the Navy launched the first study at the end of August, examining lessons learned on aircraft carriers in operation and reviewing operational requirements of the future carrier, the executive said.</p><p>Thales could contribute its experience from working on the British carrier Queen Elizabeth. Other companies, such as MBDA, could be invited to take part in the studies.</p><p>A second study, largely steered by the DGA, will focus on technology and overall architecture, including onboard combat systems, system of systems and naval architecture, the executive said. That study is expected to be launched toward the end of October or early November.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier</span></p><p class="caption">Flight deck crew work around a Rafale, left, and a Super Etendard fighter jet aboard the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle at the naval base of Toulon, France, November 18, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The overall dossier comprising the two studies is expected to be completed at the end of 2019 or early 2020, and will allow the authorities to decide the capabilities of the ship. The studies will consider key factors such as size of the vessel, propulsion - both conventional and nuclear - and aircraft-launching capabilities.</p><p>The aircraft will not be included in the carrier budget but will be a major element in design and construction of the ship, which will be a system of systems. The studies will help determine the budget for the carrier.</p><p>There have been three large carriers built in the West - the US Navy's Gerald R. Ford and America, and the British Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth - since France launched the Charles de Gaulle, said Robbin Laird, an analyst with consultancy ICSA, based in Washington and Paris.</p><p><span>Any French study should look at those ships and see the technology available for a new carrier, such as an electromagnetic aircraft-launch system, he said. The French should consider the impact from an "evolving force system," such as the use of direct-energy weapons for close-in defense and the integration of air and sea systems, he added.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Daniel Brown/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">The flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p>Another major factor in designing a new carrier could involve France's adaptation of the planned Franco-German jet fighter to a carrier-based version, he said. That future fighter will replace the Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon.</p><p>Britain and Italy will fly the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter from their carriers, he said. That deployment of the F-35 calls for interoperability of the future French carrier and its aircraft with operators of the jet.</p><p>French Navy pilots have flown the Rafale from US carriers as part of training, French Navy Rear Adm. Gilles Boidevezi told news conference attendees.</p><p>The French Navy sent pilots, support staff, 12 Rafale jets and a Hawkeye spy plane to the US earlier this year to qualify and train with the US Navy. The French pilots flew from the George H.W. Bush carrier, sailing out of Newport naval base.</p><p>The Charles de Gaulle recently began sea trials from Toulon naval base after some 18 months of a major overhaul in dry dock. The upgrade included replacing onboard nuclear fuel and modernization of the combat and telecommunications systems.</p><p>The carrier will now solely fly the Rafale, having withdrawn from service the Super Etendard fighter.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/these-are-the-small-agile-new-aircraft-carriers-meant-to-take-f-35s-into-battle-2017-4">These are the small, agile new aircraft carriers meant to take F-35s into battle</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Only one country besides the US has a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier - and now it's planning to build another one

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Marine nationale</span></p><p class="caption">A French Dassault Rafale flies above the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>France fired off a nuclear-capable missile from a fighter jet after a treaty between the US and Russia that formed the cornerstone of European nuclear security collapsed.</strong></li><li><strong>France has been flexing its military muscles and asserting its independence since feuding with President Donald Trump over <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword> issues. </strong></li><li><strong>France fired the missile from a fighter jet in a exercise that tested every element of an actual nuclear strike.</strong></li></ul><p>France, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/9-nuclear-nations-arsenals-ranked-us-vs-russia-china-wins-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of Europe's two nuclear powers</a>, fired off a nuclear-capable missile from a fighter jet while the US and Russia feud over the death of a nuclear treaty that saw Europe purged of most of its weapons of mass destruction during the hair-triggered days of the Cold War. </p><p>France tested all phases of a nuclear strike with an 11-hour-long mission that saw a Rafale fighter jet refuel and actually fire an unarmed missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, Reuters quoted France's military as saying.</p><p><span>"These real strikes are scheduled in the life of the weapons' system," French air force spokesman Colonel Cyrille Duvivier said. "They are carried out at fairly regular intervals, but remain rare because the real</span><span data-qa-component="highlight-text"> missile</span><span>, without its warhead, is fired."</span></p><p><strong>Read more:</strong><em> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/9-nuclear-nations-arsenals-ranked-us-vs-russia-china-wins-2019-1" data-analytics-position="7">We ranked the world's nuclear arsenals - here's why China's came out on top</a></em></p><p><span>France also operates a fleet of ballistic missile submarines that can fire off some of its 280 some nuclear warheads, but the subs move in secrecy and don't provide the same messaging effect as more visible fighter jets. </span></p><p><span>France's nuclear test run comes as the US and Russia fell out of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty, which banned both countries from building nuclear missiels that fly between 300 and 3,200 miles. </span></p><p><span>In 1987, this treaty saw Europe and Russia remove an entire class of nuclear warheads from the continent in one of the most successful acts of arms control ever. </span></p><p><span>The US has accused Russia of having violated the treaty for years, and<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-sides-with-trump-on-inf-as-democrats-attack-his-decison-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> with all NATO's backing</a>, the US finally decided to exit the treaty.</span></p><p><strong>Read more:</strong><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-sides-with-trump-on-inf-as-democrats-attack-his-decison-2019-2" data-analytics-position="1"> NATO is on Trump's side as Democrats attack him for pulling out of the nuke deal with Russia</a></em></p><p><span>But while France as part of NATO sided with the US, France has increasingly sought to distance itself from the US in foreign policy and military affairs, and increasing the visibility of its nuclear arsenal is one way to assert independence. </span></p><h2><span>France flexes its nuclear might against Russia, but also the US</span></h2><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Christophe Petit Tesson/Pool via AP</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>French President Emmanuel Macron, during a spat with President Donald Trump, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-attacks-frances-macron-over-his-plan-for-a-european-army-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed the idea of creating a European army</a>, which got backing from Germany. Experts, however, point out that this idea is largely redundant under NATO and unlikely to ever take shape.</span></p><p><span>Nonetheless, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-has-last-laugh-on-america-first-after-macron-yellow-vest-u-turn-2018-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump took direct offense to Macron's idea and mocked him over it on Twitter</a>. </span><span></span></p><p><span>"We Europeans cannot remain spectators of our own security," French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said on Tuesday at a conference in Portugal.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roger-stone-donald-trump-richard-nixon-2017-2">Roger Stone explains what Trump has in common with Richard Nixon</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

France fires nuclear-capable missile in a rare show as Russia and US feud over arms treaty

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">India's Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles during a rehearsal for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, India, January 23, 2006.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In 2015, arms-transfer agreements reached a total value of $79.9 billion, down from the 2014 total of $89 billion, according to a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.</p><p>The US dominated the trade, making agreements valued at $40.2 billion, which was 50.29% of all such agreements.</p><p>That number was up from $36.1 billion in 2014 and was well ahead of second-place France, which made agreements worth $15.3 billion, 19.16% of agreements made globally in 2015.</p><p>The total value of <keyword id="6356001" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> arms-transfer agreements during the 2012-2015 period was up significantly over the previous three years, going from $266.6 billion between 2008 and 2011 to $317 billion.</p><p>The developing-developed-world breakdown held steady over those two three-year periods as well. Developing-world countries were involved in 80.92% of arms-transfer agreements made around the world between 2012 and 2015, up only slightly from the 80.39% share recorded between 2008 and 2011.</p><p>The US was first in the value of all arms deliveries made around the world, at a value of $16.9 billion or 36.62% of the total. Russia was second last year, making $7.2 billion in such deliveries. France was third, at $7 billion in deliveries.</p><p>2015 was the eighth year in a row that the US was first in this category, and Russia was second in each of those eight years.</p><p>"These three suppliers of arms in 2015 collectively delivered approximately $31.3 billion, or 67.77% of all arms delivered worldwide by all suppliers in that year," wrote Catherine A. Theohary, a national-security policy specialist at the CRS and the author of the report.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>US government/Congressional Research Service</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Many major weapons suppliers saw increases in sales in 2015. In addition to the US's market share, which grew from 40.5% in 2014 to 50.3% last year, the four major Western European suppliers - France, the UK, Germany, and Italy - held about 22% of worldwide arms agreements last year.</p><p>While 2015 saw an increase in total weapons sales, "the international arms market is not likely growing overall," Theohary writes, adding:</p><p>As the expansion of the global weapons market appears to have halted, competition among suppliers has increased, with arms producers vying to satisfy traditional partner countries as well as to attract new customers.</p><p>European sellers and the US have been competing to make sales to India and to oil-rich Persian Gulf states, particularly of combat aircraft. In turn, developing countries with cash to spend have leveraged competition among arms suppliers to secure better deal terms and the transfer of more advanced technology.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Army_of_Qatar#/media/File:Eagle_Resolve_130428-M-HF949-002.jpg">US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Juanenrique Owings</a></span></p><p class="caption">Tanks assigned the Qatar Emiri Land Forces roll through Al Galail, Qatar, during Eagle Resolve 2013, an annual multilateral exercise designed to enhance regional cooperative <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">defense</keyword> efforts in the Gulf Cooperation Council nations and US Central Command.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>It should be noted that all arms-transfer agreements to developing countries in 2015 were down in value from the previous year, falling from $79.3 billion to $65.2 billion. The value of arms deliveries to developing countries also ticked down, from $36.2 billion in 2014 to $33.6 billion in 2015.</p><p>Between 2012 and 2015, the US and Russia made up just over half of all arms-transfer agreements to developing-world countries. Each year between 2008 and 2015, two or three major suppliers made most of the arms transfers to the developing world.</p><p>The US market share, as a percentage, of arms-transfer agreements with developing-world countries rose slightly in 2015 from the previous year, even as the total dollar value fell.</p><p>Most of those agreements were made with countries in the Middle East and Asia, including deals to sell Patriot missiles and other munitions to Saudi Arabia; Patriot missiles, Javelin missiles, and Apache helicopters to Qatar; and aircraft upgrades and the Aegis Shipboard Combat System to South Korea.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>US government/Congressional Research Service</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Russia saw a slight decline in the value of global arms-transfer agreements, falling from $11.2 billion in 2014 to $11.1 billion last year, but the value of its deals with developing countries rose from $10.2 billion in 2014 to $11 billion.</p><p>Russia is able to offer a variety of munitions, from low-tech gear to advanced weapons systems. Those offerings have helped it remain competitive in some markets, even as other suppliers outstrip Moscow's research and development efforts.</p><p>Russia has sold combat aircraft and main battle tanks to China and India and made arms deals with the likes of Malaysia, Burma, and Algeria.</p><p>Moscow has focused its recent arms-sales efforts on Latin America, where Venezuela has been a principal buyer. Russia has also worked to make its weapons-deal terms more flexible and to improve its follow-on services to clients.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Grigory Dukor</span></p><p class="caption">Russian S-400 Triumph medium-range and long-range surface-to-air-missile systems drive during the Victory Day parade, at Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Among Western European powers, France and the UK have had the most success making deals with developing countries between 2008 and 2015, but Germany has had success selling naval systems customized for developing countries, as has the UK with aircraft sales.</p><p>European powers have made a variety of lucrative deals with Middle Eastern states, including French deals for frigates with Egypt and Rafale fighter jet and missile sales to Qatar, as well as the UK's sale of 72 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.</p><p>"The major West European suppliers, individually, have enhanced their competitive position in weapons exports through strong government marketing support for their foreign arms sales," Theohary writes. </p><p>"All of them can produce both advanced and basic air, ground, and naval weapon systems," she added, noting that the US's largest customer base and ongoing demand for US weaponry are challenges to European suppliers.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Phil Noble</span></p><p class="caption">A worker crosses the floor of the Eurofighter Typhoon production line at BAE systems Warton plant near Preston, northern England, September 7, 2012.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>China has also emerged as an influential arms supplier since the 1980s, when Beijing proved willing to provide weaponry to Iran and Iraq during their brutal war that lasted most of that decade.</p><p>From 2012 to 2015, China's arms-transfer agreements to developing countries averaged more than $4 billion annually, with 2015 as the highest year, when the country made $6 billion in deals. Those sales can be attributed to an ongoing relationship with Pakistan, as well as to deals with smaller values made with countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.</p><p>While Beijing has provided small arms and light weapons to many African states and sold missiles to ther countries, few developing countries with large financial resources have turned to China, as the countries weaponry lags behind that of Russia and the West in terms of sophistication.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Andy Wong/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Chinese military vehicles carrying DF-21D antiship ballistic missiles, potentially capable of sinking a US Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in a single strike, travel past Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, September 3, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The US, with a diverse stable of buyers developed in the decades since the Cold War, has been able to conclude a series of deals each year, providing follow-on products like upgrades, spare parts, and ordnance for those deals in the years afterward.</p><p>This means Washington is likely to retain its spot as a main weapons supplier to developing countries, as it "provides a steady stream of orders from year to year, even when the United States does not conclude major new arms agreements for major weapon systems," Theohary writes.</p><p>"It also makes the United States a logical supplier for newer- generation military equipment to these traditional purchasers," she adds.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-nukes-tweet-arms-race-nuclear-weapons-putin-russia-morning-joe-2016-12">'Let it be an arms race': Trump doubles down on nuclear weapons tweet</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tlb2ZqODE6MPwuZGfJnziqgTbYIlVD_s" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "Rafale Marine jets" and got 8 results

Indian Air Force to induct more Rafale fighter jets — team heads to France for preparations

PTI

As Sweden's and Finland's NATO bids move forward, the alliance is already eyeing their fighter jets

Constantine Atlamazoglou

Ukraine's quest for more fighter jets hits its latest obstacle: US concerns about starting a war between NATO and Russia

Stavros Atlamazoglou

Major air combat and special-ops drills show how the US and its partners are trying to lock down an important region amid tensions with Russia

Stavros Atlamazoglou

Despite Biden's assurances, Middle East militaries are buying their own weapons to take on Iran at sea and in the air

Benjamin Brimelow

Only one country besides the US has a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier - and now it's planning to build another one

Pierre Tran, Defense News

France fires nuclear-capable missile in a rare show as Russia and US feud over arms treaty

Alex Lockie

The US and Russia are dominating the global weapons trade

Christopher Woody

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides