Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

3 February 2004

NATO

• According to AFP, NATO diplomats said Monday that the Alliance is bringing forward its enlargement as incoming member states push to come under the Alliance’s air-protection umbrella as soon as possible. The push for help in policing eastern Europe’s skies comes in particular from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Slovenia, the dispatch adds. It quotes the sources saying the Alliance, which had been expected to admit seven new members at the Istanbul summit in June, is now planning on an enlargement ceremony in the next few months. “The incoming member countries have virtually no air defenses, and they are keen to come under the NATO system,” an official at NATO headquarters reportedly said.
  
  
• Rotterdam’s NRC Handelsblad, Jan. 31, quoted Maj. Gen. Vorderman, director of the Dutch Air Force’s Equipment Unit, announcing that the Dutch and French air forces are going to establish a joint unit for advanced reconnaissance drones. According to the newspaper, Gen. Vorderman confirmed that by 2009, the project will have to give the two countries access to a pool of 16 drones and that this number will eventually increase to 24. The overall cost for the development and purchase of the 24 reconnaissance drones is estimated at 600 million euros, of which the Netherlands will finance one quarter, Gen. Vorderman reportedly said. The newspaper asserted that the French and Dutch air forces still have to decide on the location of the future home base for the drones, but the air bases of Cognac or Mont-de-Marsan are currently being mentioned. It added that Sweden and Spain have also shown interest in joining the project at a later stage. “The Netherlands and France have decided to establish this unit to bridge the military and technological gaps between the European NATO partners and the United States,” stressed the Dutch daily.

ISAF

• According to Die Welt, it was announced during Defense Minister Struck’s recent visit to German troops in Afghanistan that the Bundeswehr will construct new quarters worth about 12 million Euros for its troops in Kunduz. The new building will reportedly be located closer to the provincial capital’s airport.
  
  
• AP reports President Karzai has reshuffled several regional officials in a drive to strengthen the central government’s control of Afghanistan’s lawless provinces. According to the dispatch, Karzai has replaced a pair of governors and a number of police commanders. The dispatch describes the project as a challenge to militia commanders, who still hold sway in much of Afghanistan outside Kabul.

OTHER NEWS

• According to Reuters, Russia gave the first sign Monday that it was prepared to speed up the closure of two military bases in Georgia, saying it could envisage them being removed in seven to nine years. Until now, Moscow has said it could not close them for at least a decade, the dispatch notes. It adds, however, that in comments to the Interfax news agency that showed a softening of Russia’s position, Col. Gen. Baluyevsky, first deputy head of the General Staff, said: “We have to look for a middle way here. Maybe the process could be realized over 7-9 years. This depends on when we can start to create infrastructure for the removed troops.” Gen. Baluyevsky reportedly insisted that Georgia’s call for Russian troops to be removed in three years was “unrealistic.”
  
  
• The U.S. and EU are poised to end a three-year dispute over rival satellite navigation networks despite failure to clinch an agreement after intense negotiations in Washington at the weekend, writes the Financial Times. “We are nearly there,” the newspaper quotes a senior EU diplomat saying Monday and adding: “The Americans are still making some demands but a comprise is in the works.” Noting that a U.S. official also voiced optimism that an agreement would be reached, the newspaper stresses this would be particularly welcomed in NATO, whose members could have been forced to chose between the two when they upgrade their guided weapons systems.