maandag 12 november 2018

Week 45 in #wapenhandel25tweets

(Gaarne 'liken' of delen als je het nuttig of interessant vindt.

Please like or share if it is helpful or interesting for you.)

By the way this is the last '25 arms trade tweets'. 
It costs too much time and effort (and I am in short supply of both)
and doesn't harvest a cent.

 




















Netherlands / Nederland (see also 8-9, 15, 28, 29, 31, 32)

1 – 071118: Lockheed Martin, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $631,757,949 fixed-price-incentive Foreign Military Sales (Netherlands and Japan) contract to procure a variety of Hellfire II missile variants in containers. https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1650440/

2 – 111118: Hs.Ms the King 151118 at 30th NIDV-conference. Theme “International cooperation”. Angelien Eijsink (former Dutch Labour MP) moderates. Min of Def Bijleveld, COO KPN Farwerck speak. King visits (like evenals Min of Def and Secretary of Defence Visser) afterwards exhibition with international industry, military knowledge intitutes.

See for actual addresses: KvK (type name in field 'Handelsnaam'.)
3 – 121118: Oped: Don't let letterbox firms make Amsterdam into a arms paradise
[In Dutch]
Laat brievenbusfirma's van Amsterdam geen wapenparadijs maken https://www.trouw.nl/opinie/laat-brievenbusfirma-s-van-amsterdam-geen-wapenparadijs-maken~afb20b64/ via @trouw

EUROPE (see also 12)

4 – 071118: European Parliament REPORT on arms exports: implementation of Common Position 2008/944/CFSP (2018/2157(INI)) Committee on Foreign Affairs http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+REPORT+A8-2018-0335+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN

Germany / Deutchland (see also 13, 14, 24)

5 – 081118: Germany punished: Egypt’s planned purchase of four Meko A200 corvettes from Germany’s Thyssen-Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has been blocked after Germany halted defence exports to Saudi Arabia, which was to fund the Egyptian vessels. http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53660%3Aegyptian-meko-contract-blocked-&catid=52%3AHuman+Security&Itemid=114#.W-P5g-Lxdaw.twitter

Greece / Ellas (see 31)
Italy / Italia (see 20)
Norway / Norge (see 19)
Romania / România (see 30)
Spain / España (see 21)
Switzerland / Suisse (see 20)
UK (see 3, 6, 21-24)

REST of the world

Canada (see 11)

China / Zhōngguó

6 – 121118: SCMPNews reported Britain to sell China ‘unlimited’ amount of military radar gear https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2171242/britain-sell-china-unlimited-amount-military-radar-equipment
Today reported in the UK Express under the title: UK to sell ‘UNLIMITED’ amount of military equipment to China in MASSIVE rebuke to Trump https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1043993/World-War-3-Chinese-military-Xi-Jinping-radar-British-Government-UK

Egypt / Mişr (see 5)

India

7 – 121118: Arms race in South Asia. On the smooth Russian sale of S-400 to India. Why even the US kept quiet? https://dailytimes.com.pk/320944/arms-race-in-south-asia/

Indonesia

8 – 101118: New naval shipbuilding programs at Damen. IndoDefence 2018: Damen Unveils 6000 Tons 'Omega' Frigate. http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2018/november-2018-navy-naval-defense-news/6660-indodefence-2018-damen-unveils-6000-tons-omega-frigate.html

9 – 101118: Dutch still shaping Indonesian navy. Charting new waters [ID18D3] | Jane's 360 https://www.janes.com/article/84469/charting-new-waters-id18d3#.W-bgzhQIS90.twitter

Israël / Isra'il

10 – 081118: Israel's submarine affair: Police indictment recommendations drown in a sea of questions https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-submarine-affair-police-indictment-recommendations-drown-in-a-sea-of-questions-1.6636002

Italy / Italia (see 20)

Pakistan / Pākistān (see 7)
Russia / Rossija (see 7)

Saudi Arabia / Al-Arabiyah as Sa'udiyah (see also 5)

Canada

11 – 071118: Canadians expressed “total unanimity” about prohibiting the sale of weapons to KSA. Nearly 50% agreed that the federal government should scrap a 15-year arms deals worth $15bn and “be even more vocal in criticizing KSA for its human-rights abuses.” https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/11/06/canadians-weary-of-arms-trade-with-saudi-arabia-survey-says.html

EU

12 – 121118: EU countries approve arms sales to Saudi, UAE worth 55 times aid to Yemen https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/perverse-cycle-european-arms-sales-saudi-and-uae-worth-sixty-times-aid-yemen-356882718 via @MiddleEastEye

Germany

13 – 061118: Germany's armed forces will continue a program to train Saudi military officers. This comes despite a a call to end German arms exports. 7 Saudi officer candidates are being trained at the Bundeswehr Leadership Academy in Hamburg. https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article183232980/Bundeswehr-bildet-trotz-Khashoggi-Ermordung-saudische-Soldaten-aus.html

14 – 101118: German shipbuilder Luerssen has suspended production of coastguard vessels it was building for Saudi Arabia and placed large numbers of staff on short hours, blaming uncertainty over whether Berlin would grant future weapons export licenses. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-saudi-arms/german-shipyard-suspends-production-after-saudi-export-ban

Netherlands

15 – 071118: Arms embargo on KSA only right answer, Dutch MP Karabulut wrote.
[in Dutch] Onze opinie in de @volkskrant vandaag. In Jemen krijgen kille economische belangen voorrang, waarvoor onschuldige Jemenieten betalen met hun bloed. Een wapenembargo is de enige juiste reactie. https://www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opinie/tref-strijdende-partijen-jemen-met-wapenembargo~be47934f/

South Africa

16 – 061118: Oped in South African, The Mercury (...) we cannot do what the US, Israel and other western countries did during the fight against apartheid; that is, supply arms to and support a government with a questionable reputation. https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/pretoria-news/20181105/281702615723459

17 – 101118: 1 billion dollar bid by Saudi Arabia Military https://www.pressreader.com/uae/gulf-news/20181109/282175062134920
Industries (SAMI) to expand partnership with South-African based Rheinmetall Denel Munitions (RDM). Saudi's expect answer by South African authorities before the end of December.

18 – 121118: Denel board chairperson Monhla Hlahla appears to have distanced herself from Saudi Arabia's proposed deal to invest in the arms company. https://www.enca.com/news/denel-not-sale-chairperson

Norway

19 – 111118: The US will stop aerial refuelling of the Saudi-led coalition's aircrafts participating in airstrikes in the Yemeni war, Reuters quoted US officials. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that KSA can now itself refuel its aircrafts. https://dailynewssegypt.com/2018/11/10/us-stops-aerial-refuelling-of-saudi-aircraft-in-yemen-war-norway-suspends-arms-exports/

Spain

20 – 081118: Saudi Arabia signs pact to build warships with Spain's Navantia. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/saudi-arabia-signs-pact-to-build-warships-with-spains-navantia

Where do the systems come from?

Weapons likely:
2x4 Boeing Harpoon anti-ship missiles
16 Raytheon ESSM SAM
1x 76 mm Leonardo gun system
1x 35mm Rheinmetall Oerlikon CIWS
2x torpedo launchers

UK

21 – 061118: HRW, Amnesty Int., and RW UK have received permission to intervene in a court case brought by Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) challenging the UK’s continued sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. The case will be heard by the Court of Appeal in April 2019. https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/11/05/legal-challenge-uk-arms-sales-saudis

22 – 061118: Outrage as UK Royal Air Force trains more than 100 Saudi pilots in the UK. How close can you come to the actual bombardments on civilians? https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/saudi-pilots-trained-raf-more-13537652

23 – 101118: BAE did not name Saudi Arabia in its update but said: "While a degree of geopolitical turbulence exists, the potential pipeline for Typhoon remains positive with opportunities both with partner nations and through exports." https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bae-systems-on-course-despite-fears-over-saudi-links-0fqzwgvpz

24 – 111118: BAE faces hit from Saudi Arabia arms ban. Airbus makes the 6m-long central section in Germany from aluminium, titanium and carbon fibre. It describes the central fuselage as the "most technically demanding segment of the Eurofighter". https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bae-faces-hit-from-germanys-saudi-arabia-arms-ban-tgrrx0wdz

South Africa (see 16-18)

Taiwan / Táiwān

25 – 081118: Taiwanese President stated Taiwan would not "concede one step" in defending itself as she inaugurated 2 Perry class frigates bought from the US aimed at boosting Taipei's naval capabilities against China.

Thailand / Prathēt Thai
Tunesia / Tunisiyya
UAE / Al-Imarat Al-Arabiyah Al-Muttahidah
Ukraine / Ukrajina

US (see also 1, 7, 19, 20)

26 – 071118: A new report by one advocacy group argues the revolving door between the Pentagon and defense boardrooms creates unethical circumstances that could cost taxpayers billions of dollars. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2018/11/06/new-watchdog-report-decries-revolving-door-between-the-pentagon-and-defense-contractors/


27 – 101118: The United States signed off on arms exports worth $192.3 billion over the past year, a full 13 percent increase from the previous year -- even as the Trump administration keeps pushing hard to sell more weapons, more quickly, to more allies overseas. https://breakingdefense.com/2018/11/arms-sales-way-up-but-trump-wants-more/

Yemen / Al-Yaman (see also 22)

28 – 071118: For those claiming the navy is no part of the war in Yemen: Coalition aircraft and NAVAL FORCES continue to pound rebel positions, and fighting has killed dozens of combatants from both sides. Are pictures somewhere? https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/11/05/world/middleeast/ap-ml-yemen.html

DEFENCE-INDUSTRY

Airbus (see 23-24)

29 – 071118: Tomorow MP Rutte opens new Airbus Defence and Space facility in Oegstgeest. Het the company works - together with Safran - on the development of a new and cheaper rocket to launch satellites. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/actueel/nieuws/2018/11/06/minister-president-rutte-opent-productiefaciliteit-airbus-in-oegstgeest


Damen (see also 8-9)

30 – 061118: Damen reacts on a series of articles in one of the Netherlands' main dailies, NRC-Handelsblad, connecting it with corruption and malversations: "It's slander!" [in Romanian] https://adevarul.ro/locale/galati/concernul-naval-damen-despre-acuzatiile-implicare-fapte-coruptie-este-defaimare-1_5bdaedf4df52022f7510ed46/index.html

Thales (see 21)

31 – 061118: Thales corruption cases without convictions in Greece and South Africa. [in Greek] http://www.efsyn.gr/arthro/fregates-emploki-kai-allon-onomaton-ektos-toy-papantonioy #disqus_thread




It's an issue in Greece. Is it yet in the Netherlands?

Letter box companies (see 3)

WEAPENS

Arms fairs (see 2, 8)

Submarines (see also 10)

32 – 071118: TKMS, dat zes relatief kleine onderzeeboten bouwt voor de Duitse en Noorse marine, stelt zelfs expliciet dat Damen er niks van kan: ‘Hoewel in Zweden nog enige kennis en kunde is blijven voortbestaan, is die in Nederland grotendeels verdwenen.’ Elsevier 10 november 2018

OTHER

Corruption and fraud (see 10, 30, 31)
Defence budget (see 32)
Lobby (see 2, 32)

Refugees

33 – 101118: Building Walls: Fear and securitization in the European Union. Doctoral thesis for the “Peace, Conflict and Development” programme at Jaume I University http://www.stopwapenhandel.org/sites/stopwapenhandel.org/files/informe35_BuidingWalls_def.pdf @CTWnl @CentreDelas @TNInstitute

This is a selection from a larger amount of tweets. Tweets with a relation the Netherlands, arms trade and defence-industry weight heavier in the selection. If you want to have them daily see http://twitter.com/martinbroek
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