Week 36 in #wapenhandel25tweets

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

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Netherlands / Nederland (see also 22, 23, 24, 25)

1 – 030918: Dutch navy halts use of Raytheon SM-2 missile after explosion on German frigate Sachsen. Answers on Parliamentary questions by MP Karabulut (SP) https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/kamervragen/detail?id=2018D41904&did=2018D41904

2 – 040918: Wapenfabrikant, Koning, Admiraal, ze helpen elkaar allemaal! Koning Willem-Alexander brengt eind september bezoek aan Hengelo https://www.tubantia.nl/hengelo/koning-willem-alexander-brengt-eind-september-bezoek-aan-hengelo~ae1b5335/

3 – 080918: US State Department approved a possible FMSale to the Netherlands of 4 Patriot Fire Units for an estimated cost of $105 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale Sept 5th. http://www.dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/netherlands-patriot-recapitalization-recap

EUROPE

France

4 – 040918: The Near East and the Middle East in 2017 accounted for just over 60% of French arms exports. Asia-Pacific for about 17% of total order intake, followed, in order, Europe and the Americas. https://www.defense.gouv.fr/content/download/536160/9221135/file/RAP+2018+-+Exportations+armement+de+la+France.pdf

5 – 040918: Missed: In India the Rafale contract turns into a political scandal. En Inde, le contrat Rafale tourne au scandale politique https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2018/08/28/en-inde-le-contrat-rafale-tourne-au-scandale-politique_5347034_3234.html

6 – 040918: Battling for arms sales to major human rights violator. French Naval Group likely to loose in Egypt of German rival. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems close to reach agreement for a purchase of two Meko A200 corvettes . https://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/bataille-navale-en-egypte-tkms-proche-de-detroner-naval-group-789068.html

Germany / Deutchland (see 1, 6)

7 – 060918: Questions Deutscher Bundestag (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) and answers. When German small arms companies established in the US export small arms to Mexico it is the responsibility of the US to implement arms export control. http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/19/040/1904091.pdf

8 – 080918: The process of demilitarization of War Weapons in Germany is governed by Ordinance on the Disarmament of Military Weapons. In German: Verordnung über die Unbrauchbarmachung von Kriegswaffen und über den Umgang mit unbrauchbar gemachten Kriegswaffen. http://www.bafa.de/DE/Aussenwirtschaft/Kriegswaffenkontrolle/kriegswaffenkontrolle.html;jsessionid=5A729382307CDEB39C72C27961B6AF96.1_cid362

Malta (see 18)

Spain / España

9 – 040918: Spanish MoD announced that it will return the 9.2 million euros already paid by Saudi Arabia to buy 400 Spanish-made precision bombs amid fears that they could be used to target the innocent people of Yemen, the El Mundo reported. https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/09/03/573114/Spain-saudi-arms-deal

http://www.elmundo.es/espana/2018/09/03/5b8d9bf322601d07368b463f.html

10 – 080918: Spanish government under pressure over Saudi defense deals Shipbuilders fear cancellation of mega-frigate deal with Islamist Kingdom. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/09/07/spanish-government-under-pressure-over-saudi-defense-deals/

Switzerland / Suisse

11 – 040918: Swiss set to ease arms export rules despite Syria grenades report. SonntagsBlick reported on Sunday that Islamic State militants were hoarding RUAG-made hand grenades in Syria, based on photographs of weapons seized from fighters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-swiss-grenades/swiss-set-to-ease-arms-export-rules-despite-syria-grenades-report

12 – 040918: The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) / Eidgenössische Finanzkontrolle (EFK) reports how defence companies use loopholes in the law with approval of the Bundesrat: export components to be assembled at the destination. https://www.efk.admin.ch/images/stories/efk_dokumente/publikationen/_wirtschaft_und_verwaltung/wirtschaft_und_landwirtschaft/17425/17425BE_Endg%C3%BCltige_Fassung_V04.pdf

13 – 050918: +/- 250 protested yesterday afternoon in Bern against the relaxation of Swiss arms export rules. Auch «Sprayer-Grosi» ist dabei; Waffenexport-Gegner protestieren in Bern. https://www.blick.ch/news/schweiz/waffen-waffenexport-gegner-protestieren-in-bern-id8811138.html

UK (see 20)

14 – 080918: King’s College London and the Oxford Research Group report calls into question British-Saudi economic and political relations. https://www.theglobalist.com/uk-saudi-arabia-arms-trade-yemen/

REST of the world

Armenia / Hayastan

15 – 090918: The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) called on the US Department of State to investigate the use of US defense equipment in a 2017 Israeli drone attack by the Azerbaijani military against the Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Republic. http://asbarez.com/174808/anca-calls-for-investigation-into-azerbaijan-israel-arms-export-violation/

Azerbaijan / Azərbaycan (see 15)

China / Zhōngguó (see 21)

Djibouti

16 – 040918: Doraleh port terminal may in future be leveraged as a processing center for the illegal arms trade – Report https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/doraleh-port-terminal-may-in-future-be-leveraged-as-a-processing-center-for-the-illegal-arms-trade-report-2/

Egypt / Mişr (see 6)

India (see 5, 17)

Israël / Isra'il (see also 15)

17 – 080918: Bleubird Joint Venture wins its 1st order from Indian army for Israeli Spylite drone for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. http://www.cyient.com/press/cyient-bluebird-joint-venture-wins-its-first-order-from-indian-army-for-spylite-mini-uas-the-only-system-to-pass-the-armys-extremely-high-altitude-trial/

Libië / Lībīyah

18 – 060918: The US blocked a request for the UNSC to allow the Lybian El Hani frigate return home after extensive repairs at Maltese-based Cassar Ship Repair. Ammunition aboard the frigate was stored during the work. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/09/07/world/politics-diplomacy-world/u-s-blocks-unsc-request-frigates-return-libya-migrant-mission-mum/

19 – 080918: "It makes no sense to sit with and talk to Lybian militia, as long as countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia keep on arming them," Paris based French researcher Jalel Harchaoui said. [In Dutch] https://www.mo.be/analyse/libi-waarom-blijft-de-chaos-duren

Mexico / México (see 7)

Qatar

20 – 090918: Qatar could saddle British taxpayers with a bill for billions of pounds by defaulting on payments for military equipment ordered from the UK. http://www.arabnews.com/node/1368196/business-economy

Russia / Rossija

21 – 060918: Russia promotes itself as alternative power source to China and US in East https://sc.mp/2Q7W4MY  via @SCMPNews https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/2162919/subs-ships-and-aftersales-service-how-russias-military-making

Saudi Arabia / Al-Arabiyah as Sa'udiyah (see 9, 10, 14, 19)

Syria / Suriyah (see 11)

UAE / Al-Imarat Al-Arabiyah Al-Muttahidah (see 19)

DEFENCE-INDUSTRY

Fokker

22 – 060918: Fokker Papendrecht involved for US$1.5m (1.9%) in latest F-35 Lockheed Martin contract (US$ 81m) for spare parts and engine change kits for US Navy amnd Marines. https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1618359/

Thales (see 2)

WEAPONS

Drones (see 15, 17, 23, 25)

23 – 050918: Delft Dynamics' #DroneCatcher shown at #MSPO2018, visit booth D-23 of our partner @HertzSystems. Looking for partners from other @NATO countries to integrate with other counter-drone technologies. #counter #drones #CUAS https://www.dronecatcher.nl

F-35 (see 22)

Missile defence (see 1, 3)

Small Arms (see 7)

Submarines

24 – 060918: The lobby for (too) expensive Dutch Swedish build submarines continues. Book presented on Dutch sub-building in 1905-1958. One of the writers Tobias van Gent became MP for rightwing liberals VVD yesterday. Ron van Maanen (1958) is archive specialist on the history of wharf. https://twitter.com/martinbroek/status/1037625106321887232
See: https://www.pzc.nl/zeeuws-nieuws/damen-schelde-is-de-kandidaat-om-nieuwe-onderzeeboten-te-bouwen~aa7b62612/

OTHER

Defence budget (see 24)

Lobby (see also 2, 24)

25 – 040918: NIDV - Bijeenkomst Platform Vliegende Systemen, zoals vandaag gevormd bij NIDV: over behoeften, Eur. projecten, industr. https://twitter.com/NIDVnews/status/1036907954337996800
participatie, strategische samenwerkingen. In nauwe samenwerking met overheid. Directeur Kustwacht, dank voor gastvrijheid.

Refugees (see 18)

Research and activism (see 13, 14, 15, 16)

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