Marokkaanse Defensie Sterker dan ooit!

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NATO Military Committee Chairman calls for stronger ties between NATO and its Mediterranean partners

During his visit to the Kingdom of Morocco (29 - 30 January, 2016), General Petr Pavel held bilateral talks in Rabat with Mr. Abdellatif Loudiyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for the Administration of National Defence, General Bouchaid Arroub, Chief of Defence and the Chiefs of Staff of the Land, Naval and Air Forces.



General Pavel praised the long-standing cooperation between NATO and Morocco in the framework of the Mediterranean Dialogue (Med Dialogue). He took the opportunity to discuss NATO’s continued commitment to working with Morocco, through the Med Dialogue partnership, in addressing the security challenges the nation and North African region are facing. General Pavel added that “we will continue to enhance our work with Morocco to make the most of the opportunities offered by their partnership with NATO, including the Defence Capacity Building Initiative and the Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme”.

The Chairman also highlighted Morocco’s participation in NATO Operations and exercises. The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces have greatly contributed to NATO operations and have shown an active interest in current NATO naval operations, such as Active Endeavour in the Mediterranean. NATO promotes military-to-military cooperation to improve the ability of partner military forces to operate with NATO forces. This interoperability is practised regularly in NATO exercises and partners are often invited to participate or observe. “Trident Juncture 2015 was our biggest exercises in two decades. More than 30 nations and around 36,000 troops participated. Morocco was one of the Partner nations that was an observer at the exercise”, underlined General Pavel.

Morocco joined the NATO Med Dialogue in 1994. Today, the partnership programme counts seven non-NATO countries of the Mediterranean region: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_127576.htm

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Astrium Satellites OBSERVATION / TAS for Moroccan Air Force



PARIS—The French space agency, CNES, on Feb. 5 concluded its annual internal seminar on international outreach, a meeting that is as much an order of battle on behalf of France’s space industry as a review of future bilateral space-research partnerships.

The U.S. dollar’s current strength against the euro and the temporary sidelining of the U.S. Export-Import Bank are likely to facilitate Team France’s efforts to win government Earth observation satellites and government or private-sector telecommunications satellite contracts.

Nary a week passes without CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall touching down in some improbable capital and returning to Paris with what often appear to be insignificant memoranda of understanding, or vague framework agreements that may go nowhere.

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But sometimes they lead to satellite contracts.

CNES on the civil side and the French Defense Ministry – led by an unusually active Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian – on the military side constitute the sharp end of the French space-diplomacy spear.

French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls have been more than willing to provide the diplomatic polish.

In 2015 alone, one or the other of them was present to witness space cooperation deals signed with 11 nations: China, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Poland and Singapore.

Some of these nations – Kazakhstan, South Korea and Morocco — already have purchased French satellites, often accompanied by launch contracts with the Arianespace launch consortium of Evry, France. Others, such as Mexico and Poland, are weighing Earth observation satellite programs.

Peru was not on the 2015 list but PeruSat-1, built by Airbus Defence and Space, is scheduled for launch aboard a European Vega rocket this spring. The satellite contract followed substantial involvement of the French government, and particularly Le Drian.

Egypt is not on the list either, as it has been Le Drian that has had charge of the Egyptian customer, which in 2015 purchased French Rafale jet fighters and a multi-mission frigate and in 2016 has its sights set on a high-resolution optical reconnaissance satellite and a civil/military telecommunications spacecraft.

With the U.S. Export-Import Bank temporarily out of service for satellite deals – the bank awaits U.S. congressional confirmation of a proposed Ex-Im Bank director, needed to approve big-ticket loans such as satellites and launch services – France’s Coface is in a stronger position to clinch deals with low-interest financing.

For telecommunications satellites, the competition is mainly from the United States or China, with Japan making efforts as well.

In Earth observation satellites, Airbus Defence and Space is in a dominant export position, with Thales Alenia Space also retooling for more export business. They are increasingly battling each other for export work in addition to facing off against Israeli and South Korean competitors.

Airbus in the past has bundled a launch-service agreement into its Earth observation satellite offer. Such was the case with PeruSat-1.

Telecommunications satellite launch contracts often follow a duel between Europe’s Arianespace and SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, for small- and midsize satellites, and Arianespace versus International Launch Services’ Russian Proton rocket for heavier spacecraft.

U.S. technology-transfer restrictions keep China largely out of the commercial launch market except in those cases where China has sold Chinese satellite and Chinese Long March rocket launch as part of a package.

The increased diplomatic pace follows the remarkable growth in the number of nations with their own telecommunications or Earth observation satellites.

“CNES is paying special attention to the evolving global space landscape and the arrival of new actors on the international scene who are attracted by what space can do to support public policies,” CNES said in a Feb. 5 statement.

“This facilitates closer ties and cooperation agreements with these new partners as [CNES] accompanies them in their development, helping engender a “France reflex” when it comes to industrial partnerships for ambitious projects,” CNES said.

A telecommunications satellite for Brazil and high-resolution optical Earth observation satellites for the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Turkey, Kazakhstan and others are among the contracts following government cooperation agreements.

http://spacenews.com/team-france-prepares-satellite-and-launch-export-battles-for-2016/

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Minerva Special Purpose Vehicles (MSPV) develops and builds state-of-the-art tailor-made vehicles for civilian and military applications in Morocco.

The products range covers Armoured Moroccos and SUVs, buses and vans as well as military light trucks and Armoured personnel carriers or specialist vehicles for specific applications.

MSPV offers safe vehicles for the transport of persons and valuables in all circumstances.

http://moroccoarmoredcarcompanies.com/

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Moroccan Government VIP Boeing 747 departing Hamburg Airport

[video=youtube;TKVGhCfVRfI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKVGhCfVRfI[/video]

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North Thunder 2016

350,000 troops take part in Northern Thunder military exercise in Saudi desert

[video=youtube;E-TLT-r5deo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-TLT-r5deo#t=16[/video]

[video=youtube;_CzP3FWMD2w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CzP3FWMD2w[/video]

KING KHALID MILITARY CITY // Warplanes roared overhead, tanks rumbled across the desert and smoke filled the sky on Thursday during the final stage of what Saudi Arabia said were the region’s biggest ever military exercises.

Nearly 350,000 ground troops from 20 nations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, including the UAE, took part in the last day of the so-called “Northern Thunder" manoeuvres. The exercises, which took place in the desert near to the Kuwaiti and Iraq borders, began 12 days ago.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, joined Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to attend the conclusion of the manoeuvres.

Senior royals from Qatar, Bahrain and Oman were also present along with other regional leaders, including Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir and Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sheikh Mohammed praised the expertise of the UAE troops who participated in the air, land and sea exercises.

“This group of our armed forces enjoy the advantages of combat and military skills, and morale is very high. They are the vanguard against challenges, no matter how hard, which have increased the threat to peace and to regional and international security."

He also praised the skills of the other armies taking part, and expressed his confidence that all involved would achieve military superiority.

“One victory is not enough to defeat and root out terrorism because it would be temporary, whereas superiority lasts forever and that is what we plan to do as leaders in the UAE, to achieve superiority on many levels and in all fields of military, developmental, humanitarian, political and economic."

The training focused on how to coordinate combat operations and guerrilla warfare tactics among the Muslim-majority countries that are members of a larger alliance against terrorism announced by Riyadh in December.

However, Saudi Brigadier General Ahmed Al Assiri said the manoeuvres were distinct from the 35-nation counter-terrorism alliance.

Taking place near Hafr Al Batin city in northeastern Saudi Arabia, the manoeuvres are the “most important and largest in the region’s history", according to Saudi authorities.

A two-hour mock battle featuring fighter jets, attack helicopters and tanks was among the final exercises, which Saudi Arabia has described as a show of regional unity.

Riyadh has adopted a more assertive foreign policy since King Salman took the throne early last year following the death of his half-brother King Abdullah.

The kingdom is leading a mainly Arab coalition fighting rebels in Yemen, is taking part in US-led air strikes against ISIL and has offered to send special forces to fight the extremist group in Syria.

“Northern Thunder" is also taking place after tensions escalated between Saudi Arabia and Iran, who back opposing sides in Syria and Yemen.

Authorities have released few details of the extent of the exercises, but Brig Gen Al Assiri said they were aimed at preparing to tackle the region’s “terrorist menace" and were not directed against Iran.

The drills included troops from all six GCC countries, as well as Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, Jordan, Sudan, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia.

x Agence France-Presse, Wam, Associated Press

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Marrakech Air Show 2016 - Aeroexpo 2016



http://www.marrakechairshow.com/

http://en.imas-aero.com/

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California Police Officers to Train Moroccan Police on Communication Strategies



A two-person team from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will arrive in Morocco this weekend to train the Moroccan police via an exchange program run by the U.S. Department of State, according to a statement released on Wednesday.

The pair will be working with the General Directorate for National Security (DGSN) for a week to help the Moroccan police build community outreach and boost their social media presence. The DGSN is currently reviewing its national “communication strategies”, according to the statement.

[video=youtube;rD536OrPs8g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD536OrPs8g#t=14[/video]

Following the team’s stay in Morocco, delegates from the DGSN will visit California for two weeks to continue training, according to KCRA, a California news channel.
“The CHP was chosen because of its experience, reputation, capability, and outreach activities which provide a unique contribution to the needs and objectives of the DGSN,” the statement read.

Josh Ehlers, co-captain of the CHP and one of the officers on the team, spoke to KCRA about the opportunity for California law enforcement officers to partner with a police force with similar capacities and objectives.
“We are a good partner for the Moroccans because their national police organization is similar in size and scope to ours,” Ehlers said. “The population [size] of Morocco is similar [to California] and we patrol geographic areas that are very similar.”
CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow emphasized the significance of effective communication between a police force and the citizens it serves to protect.

“We understand now more than ever the importance of transparency and earning the public’s trust,” he said in the statement.
The project will be CHP’s second international deployment since the police force signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of State in 2014.
“Its really an honor and a privilege to have been selected by [the Department of State],” Ehlers said.

http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/02/180607/california-police-officers-to-train-moroccan-police-on-communication-strategies/

[Leatherneck]

NATO Seeks to Make Morocco a Strategic Partner



The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is seeking to make Morocco a strategic partner, according to media reports.Petr Pavel, Czechian Chief of the NATO Military Committee, has recently travelled to Rabat in order to plan future collaboration between the Kingdom and the U.S.-backed military alliance.

“General Petr Pavel’s move to Rabat is the most striking manifestation of NATO’s willingness to make Morocco a strategic partner,” Al Massae reported on Thursday.

Morocco’s relationship with NATO has strengthened over the past couple of years since the country signed an Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme to identify points of future collaboration, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity, energy independence, and military defense initiatives, according to a statement by NATO.

Morocco is a major strategic partner for NATO and a driving force of the Mediterranean dialogue which has just celebrated its 20th anniversary,” said Oana Lungescu, NATO spokesperson during a press event last March. Vessels from one of NATO’s standing fleets docked into Casablanca for a scheduled visit later that month.

Morocco also participated in the latest iteration of a series of military exercises, called African Lion, with U.S. marines under the NATO framework last May outside the coastal city of Tifnit.

“Morocco is the perfect country for this,” said Dutch Major Frank Peters, executive officer for the Marine battalion participating in the exercises. “We learn from them, they learn from us, and that’s important that we do it during African Lion because we don’t get too many opportunities to train in this climate, surroundings and weather; in Holland, you can’t train like this“.

http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/02/179552/nato-seeks-to-make-morocco-a-strategic-partner/

[Leatherneck]

[B]U.S., Morocco improve demining capability, work on center of excellence[/B]

KENITRA, Kingdom of Morocco -- Students from across the Moroccan military branches are working together with U.S. Marines from Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa to build up Morocco’s demining capabilities.

The training is part of the U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program, formerly called U.S. Humanitarian Demining Program, which has been assisting partner nations in developing their mine action capacity since 1988. The program aims to educate and train the host nation on removing explosive remnants of war, or ERW, in post-conflict areas, while relieving human suffering.

The Marines, based out of Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, began training the Moroccans, Feb. 22, at the host nation’s request and in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Rabat. The Marines also worked alongside Utah Air National Guard and National Guard EOD technicians and engineers, respectively.

“In July 2008, Morocco reported that a total of 2,187 casualties (544 killed and 1,643 injured) had been recorded since 1975,” according to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor which monitors progress in eliminating landmines, cluster munitions and other ERW around the world.

While Morocco, a major non-NATO ally, has not joined the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, it has been an active observer at an annual Meeting of States Parties and Standing Committee meetings and submitted three volunteer Article 7 reports since 2006 regarding treaty implementation activities. In November of 2009, Morocco reported it had “cleared 561km2 of area, destroying in the process 482 mines, 2,628 ERW, and 22,105 pieces of small arms ammunition.”

Beginning in early 2007, Morocco has been engaged in major demining operations including areas outside their borders. As they make these steps toward eliminating these destructive materials, a need arises for Morocco to have their own self-sufficient trainers and formal EOD capabilities.

The five-week program is the first phase in which the U.S. military members are testing the Moroccans’ basic EOD level one capabilities and covering effective communication and instructing methods. These soon-to-be instructors will validate their abilities in the follow-on train-the-trainer iterations as Morocco aims to establish their own demining center of excellence and EOD school within their military.

“Moroccans don’t actually have a formal EOD program, so they are utilizing other countries to get their training,” said Staff Sgt. Phil Mayer, an EOD technician with SPMAGTF-CR-AF. “They have requested assistance from us to help create a program so they can eventually create their own EOD technicians and have a formal school for their military.”

Developing safe and effective technicians is not an easy task. U.S. military members seeking to be EOD technicians must complete a total of nine rigorous months of training before they are able to claim that title.

In order to build up the Moroccan program properly, the training conducted focused on basic EOD knowledge and skills. The purpose of this iteration is to perfect these capabilities and develop knowledgeable instructors before advancing the training.

“Our intent with this training is to assist in the creating of EOD level one instructors,” Mayer said. “Hopefully in the future we can help them develop a formal EOD school and the Moroccans can have their own EOD technicians.”

The U.S. instructors covered ordnance identification, safeties, basic demolition and basic combat casualty care. Live explosives were not used during the training, but the students now know how to positively identify ordnance and safely destroy it.

Mayer said he is impressed by the hard work and progress made during the training.

“Their performance during this training revolution has been outstanding. The students are very receptive and motivated,” Mayer said. “They have a lot of drive and initiative to learn all the material we’ve been giving them and they are retaining all the information. This is by far the best experience I’ve ever had training with a foreign military.”






U.S., Morocco improve demining capability, work on center of excellence
U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Phil Mayer, and explosive ordnance disposal technician with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa, listens to Moroccan soldiers as they conduct ordnance reconnaissance on an inert mortar during a training exercise in Kenitra, Morocco, March 15, 2016. Students from across the Moroccan military branches are working together with U.S. Marine and Utah Air National Guard explosive ordnance disposal technicians and Utah National Guard engineers to build up Morocco’s demining capabilities. The training is part of the U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program which has been assisting partner nations in developing their mine action capacity since 1988.

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Call Sign RMAF204 - Rotterdam 25 maart 2016
Lockheed Martin KC-130H Hercules CN-AOR n°4907







Call Sign RMAF204 - Rotterdam 26 maart 2016

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Call Sign RMAF136 - Amsterdam 25 en 26 maart 2016
VIP & ECM vliegtuigen

Gulfstream Aerospace G550 CN-AMS n°5271

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Exercise Desert Flag-2016

United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar, Morocco, Oman, & UAE.



"Desert Flag, also known as IRON FALCON 16-2, is a multilateral U.S. AF Central Command-led exercise held semi-annually in Southwest Asia"

"The purpose of this exercise is to improve combined tactical air operations & enhance interoperability of forces, equipment & procedures."

"On the U.S. side, various aircraft from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing & USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier are supporting the exercise"

"Desert flag is also the first time a patriot simulation is being used to engage live aircraft."

"Currently, the exercise is scheduled to conclude March 30."

http://www.medias24.com/Les-plus-de-Medias-24/162520-Defense-le-Maroc-participe-a-l-exercice-aerien-militaire-Sahara-Flag.html

[Leatherneck]

US Department of Defence
[SIZE=1]March 29, 2016[/SIZE]



Harris Corp., Rochester, New York, was awarded a $20,116,679 firm-fixed-price, forgein militairy sales (Morocco, Kuwait, Qatar) contract for radios, spares, installation kits, and continental U.S. unit-level test equipment training. One bid was solicited with one received. Work wil be performed in Morocco, Kuwait, and Qatar, with and estimated completion date of Feb. 2, 2021. Fiscal 2010 other procurement funds in the amount of $20,116,679 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-16-C-5015).

http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/707595/source/GovDelivery

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Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa|Courtesy|4/5/2016 3:25:45 PM

“At the conclusion of this course, Moroccan and Mauritanian military officer trainees have demonstrated a great appreciation of the role of intelligence in their mission success and they look forward to applying their new knowledge to enhance the intelligence capabilities of their respective commands.”

[I]Joint Intelligence training with US, Morocco, Mauritania strengthen tactical level intelligence | U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Jack Lowder | Tuesday, April 5, 2016 | Instructors and participants in the Basic Intelligence Course prepare pause before a graduation ceremony in outside of their classroom at the Moroccan Southern Zone Headquarters March 25, 2016. The Basic Intelligence Course consisted of U.S. service members from several organizations to include the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response- Africa instructing members of the Moroccan and Mauritanian armed forces in intelligence gathering, reporting, concepts, and disciplines to help their commanders make informed decisions when faced with uncertainty. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by 1stLt Jack Lowder/Released) [/I]


AGADIR, Morocco—U.S. service members completed a Basic Intelligence Course for members of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Mauritania, March 3-25, at the Moroccan Southern Zone headquarters in Agadir, Morocco.

The three-week course is the first of what U.S. service members are hoping will be more intelligence training events with Moroccan partners. It is designed as both an introduction to the intelligence process, particularly in support to tactical operations, and as preparation for students participating in the upcoming exercise, African Lion 2016.

“I envision that the knowledge gained from this course will help the Moroccan and Mauritanian students become proficient with basic intelligence concepts and be better able to reduce uncertainty for their commanders,” said the U.S Marine intelligence security cooperation officer with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa.

A joint instructor cadre from the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, and instructors from the Regional Joint Intelligence Training Facility instructed 14 Moroccan Officers, six Moroccan NCO’s, and eight Mauritanian Officers in several methods of intelligence gathering and analyzation methods.

“[The course] will also help them thrive in uncommon, complex environments, and be better prepared to support African Lion 2016. And lastly, I hope that this will continue to grow and build on our enduring relationship with Moroccan and Mauritanian intelligence leadership,” stated the intelligence security cooperation officer.

Marines from the SPMAGTF-CR-AF and supporting units focused on tactical-level intelligence such as intelligence concepts, the intelligence cycle, intelligence disciplines, briefing fundamentals, intelligence reporting and intelligence writing during the first week. “It is imperative that the students have a solid grasp on the fundamentals of intelligence before they move on to more complex concepts,” said U.S. Army Capt. Sadikou Kaba.

The second week consisted of analytical tools, collection management, Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) steps 1 and 2, and practical applications. The third week consisted of IPB steps 3 and 4 and student briefings. Students conducted extensive practical exercises as well as practice briefings focused on reducing their commander’s uncertainty in order for him/her to make better decisions.

“When it comes to briefing your commander, you need to be confident,” said A U.S. Marine instructor with the course, “It does not matter how good your intelligence is if you do not have the ability to convey it properly and confidently. You need to be brief, be right, and be gone.”

“At the conclusion of this course, Moroccan and Mauritanian military officer trainees have demonstrated a great appreciation of the role of intelligence in their mission success,” said Dr. Chafiq Moummi, one of the instructors for the course, “and they look forward to applying their new knowledge to enhance the intelligence capabilities of their respective commands.”

http://www.africom.mil/NewsByCategory/article/28089/joint-intelligence-training-with-us-morocco-mauritania-strengthen-tactical-level-intelligence

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Local soldiers train alongside Moroccan troops



The Royal Gibraltar Regiment [RG] completed a month-long operational training in Sennybridge, South Wales, alongside Moroccan paratroopers.

The RG continued its ‘close relationship’ with the Moroccan Armed Forces at Exercise Jebel Tarik, and invited members of the Forces Armées Royale [FAR] to join. A week before deployment to Sennybridge, 20 FAR personnel arrived in Gibraltar and underwent pre-deployment training.

Governor Lieutenant General Edward Davis alongside Commander British Forces, Commodore Ian McGhie visited the troops on exercise, and were joined by Colonel Major Azzendine Badr and Lieutenant Colonel Moad Raoundi from the FAR.

“It is good to work with foreign troops, particularly the Moroccans, given the fact we have been working with them for over 15 years now,” said Chief Instructor Sgt Joshua Whitaker.

“These opportunities allow us to share ideas on best practices and enable the RG to continue developing its special relationship that has been in place for such a long time. The FAR troops were highly motivated and competent soldiers that engaged with us instantly and became fully integrated with the company from the outset.”

At Sennybridge the RG completed an annual weapons assessment which allowed them to continue to provide armed guarding. Live Firing Marksmanship Training provided the RG with an understanding of common firing principles and aims to instil confidence when firing in combat.

The RG Reserves, B Company, was also deployed for the last two weeks of the exercise. The deployment to Sennybridge was due to the ‘challenging terrain’ which cannot be replicated in Gibraltar.

“The training conducted on this exercise is designed to be testing and is an ideal opportunity for my men to work in a challenging environment where they can hone their combat skills and be pushed to their limits,” said Major Timothy Cumming, Officer Commanding I Company (I COY).

“Apart from completing mandated training requirements, it gives me an opportunity to identify upcoming commanders and confirm that my soldiers are current and competent in their infantry Tactics Techniques and Procedures. It also gives me the opportunity to test my Company in what we call Land Tactical Actions, which is basically manoeuvring and fighting in various offensive and defensive ways.”

http://chronicle.gi/2016/04/local-soldiers-train-alongside-moroccan-troops/