army

The Peruvian Congress seeks to expand the capabilities of the Army arsenal

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Changes in name and directory

The Unified Combat Rifle 7.62mm UWS and FAME. Photo: FAME

16/01/2021 | Lima

Peter Watson

The congresswoman from Fuerza Popular Valeria Valer Collado has presented a bill to modify the name of the arsenal of the Peruvian Army, which operates as a private law company, of FAME S.A.C. a FAME Perú S.A.C. Currently, the full name of the company, structured as a Closed Stock Company, is Army Arms and Ammunition Factory and if the legislative initiative is successful it would change its name to Army Military Factories – Peru, preserving the same corporate organization.

Congresswoman Valer maintains that in this way the range of productive activities that can be undertaken by the military arsenal expands, not restricting it only to arms and ammunition, which in practice translates into an update, since for years the arsenal has been expanding its capabilities through agreements and associations with other companies -national and foreign-, although the lack of support to place its products has played against it.

FAME is engaged in the manufacture, modification, assembly and maintenance of weapons and ammunition systems for war and civil use, as well as technological research and development activities. The bill adds similar processes with explosives for military use, non-lethal weapons, basic and specialized personal equipment, land vehicles for military and police use, updating the definitions to cover a good part of the activities that FAME is already developing, a firm that has suffered some abandonment since mid-2016.

Directory changes

The company’s board of directors is made up of the head of the General Staff of the Army, who presides over it; the commanding general of the Army Logistics Command, the head of a General Office of Army Economy and by four directors representing the National Fund for the Financing of State Business Activity (Fonafe).

The bill also seeks to change the head of the General Office of the Army Economy to the head of the Army Budget Office, and adds two new directors: the head of the Army War Material Service and the director of Army Investments. The alleged objective is to diversify the composition of the Board of Directors.

Regarding the selection of the general manager of FAME, who is appointed by the board, the project adds that he must be a general of War Material in a situation of activity or retirement. Regarding institutional control, the legislative initiative indicates that such activity is subject to the actions of the Comptroller General of the Republic and the supervision of General Command of the Army.

For the drafting of the bill, the legislator has coordinated with the Logistics Command of the Peruvian Army and the Ministry of Defense of Peru. The initiative has received the support of congressmen Carlos Mesía Ramírez, Gilmer Trujillo Zegarra, Rita Elena Ayasta de Díaz and Erwin Tito Ortega.

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Trump: ‘It has been a great honor to rebuild our Army’

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Six days before leaving the White House, The president of United States, Donald Trump, addressed this Thursday, January 14, 2021 a message to the american troops, by assuring that “it has been an honor” to rebuild the Army and presume that during his tenure he allocated USD 2.5 billion to the Pentagon.

“It has been an honor to rebuild our Army and support our brave men and women in uniform,” Trump said in a statement released by the White House.

The president, whose accounts in the different social networks have been suspended, emphasized that millionaire investment from his government in the Army it included “beautiful new equipment, all made in America.”

“I will always be committed to stopping endless wars,” Trump added, referring to the strategy from his Administration to reduce the US military presence abroad.

Among the achievements in this regard, he mentioned, for example, that “United States military troops in Afghanistan they are at the lowest level in the last 19 years. “

“Likewise,” he explained, “in Iraq and Syria they are also at the lowest point in many years.”

On December 13, the United States announced that it began reduce their troops from the current 4,500 to 2,500, a process that he hopes to complete before next January 15, while affirming that his staff and those of the OTAN will still be able to provide support for at Afghan forces.
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Washington agreed to withdraw its troops with the taliban in February of last year in Doha, within a period that ends in May of next year, and has already withdrawn a good part of the nearly 12,000 soldiers it had in the country.

While last September, seventeen years after the invasion a IraqThe United States announced that it would reduce its military contingent in that country from 5,200 to 3,000, the head of the Joint Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, reported at the time.

And in October 2019, Trump gave the green light to departure of troops from your northern country Syria, a country in which Washington began a military intervention in September 2014, months after the proclamation of a caliphate by the NO in this country and Iraq, where the jihadists took parts of the north and center of both Arab states.

In the environment of tension surrounding the transfer of power in the country after Trump supporters stormed, on January 6, the Capitol in Washington, where five people were killed, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, which brings together the main generals of the Armed forces, acknowledged that on January 20, Democrat Joe Biden will become its commander-in-chief.

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Kim Jon Un vows to bolster his nuclear arsenal

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to strengthen the army, by “strengthening” the nuclear arsenal of his country, in his speech of the closing of the congress of the party in power, reported on Wednesday the official North Korean agency KCNA received in Seoul.

According to analysts, Kim tries to attract the attention of the new American administration, now that your country is more isolated than ever after closing the borders to protect itself from pandemic of the coronavirus.

“By strengthening our nuclear war arsenal, we must do everything possible to build the most powerful military,” he added, according to KCNA.

The leader recently declared that U.S is the main enemy of North Korea, in addition to announcing the acquisition of a nuclear submarine, after a satisfactory planning research that would enter the process of final evaluation.

“The true intention of your policy towards RDCN (Democratic Republic of North Korea) will never change, regardless of who is in power, “he added without mentioning the name of Biden.

North Korea it has concluded, Kim said, its plans to develop a nuclear submarine – which will be a strategic turning point – and enunciated the list of weapons targets, such as supersonic nuclear warheads, military reconnaissance satellites and solid-fuel ICBMs.

The North’s arms programs have accelerated since Kim came to power, including the nuclear bomb most powerful to date and missiles capable of reaching the territory of U.S, although this at the cost of the intensification of international sanctions.

In the October military parade, North Korea showed his new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) gigantic, which would be, according to analysts, the largest in the world powered by liquid fuel that can travel on the road.

Kim and the outgoing US president, Donald Trump, they maintained a tumultuous relationship, initially peppered with mutual insults and threats of war, to move on to a close relationship and declarations of love for him. american president.

However, the nuclear summit held by both leaders in Hanoi in February 2019 ended abruptly with no agreement on sanctions relief and what Pyongyang I’d be willing to compromise in return.

The leadership change in Washington poses a challenge for Pyongyang: Biden has called Kim a “bully” during the presidential debates, whereas for this he is a “mad dog” who must be “beaten to death”.

DMZ

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Trump Administration Tightens Ban on Investing in Chinese Companies

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Illustrative file photo of a US and three Chinese flags before a meeting between officials from both countries in Beijing. Feb. 14, 2019. Mark Schiefelbein / Pool via REUTERS

WASHINGTON, Dec 28 (Reuters) – The Trump administration on Monday reinforced an executive order that prohibits US investors from buying securities of companies allegedly controlled by the Chinese military, following disagreement between various US departments over how tough the directive should be. .

The Treasury Department released guidance clarifying that the executive order, published in November, will apply to investors in exchange-traded funds and index funds, as well as subsidiaries of Chinese companies designated as owned or controlled by the Chinese military.

The “frequently asked questions” statement was posted on the US Treasury website on Monday after Reuters and other media reported that a debate on the issue was taking place within the Trump Administration. The State Department and the Defense Department had rejected an offer from the Treasury Department to relax the executive order, a source said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that the announcement “ensures that US capital does not contribute to the development and modernization of the military, intelligence and security services of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).”

“This should allay concerns that US investors may unknowingly support (companies controlled by the Chinese military) through direct, indirect or other passive investments,” he added.

Specifically, some media outlets pointed out that the Treasury was trying to exclude subsidiaries of Chinese companies from the scope of the White House directive, which prohibits as of November 2021 new purchases of securities by 35 Chinese companies that, according to Washington, they are backed by the PRC army.

Guidance published Monday specifies that the bans apply to “any subsidiary of a Chinese communist military company, after such subsidiary is listed by the Treasury.”

The guidance indicates that the department “intends to list” listed entities that are 50% or more owned by a Chinese military company.

Information from Alexandra Alper, David Shepardson and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington and Karen Freifeld in New York; edited by Stephen Coates and Leslie Adler; translation by Jorge Martínez

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The Army and the Navy say goodbye to the logistics ship Martín Posadillo

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Official discharge from the boat

Martn Posadillo Ship. Photo: Spanish Navy

The logistics ship Martín Posadillo has caused low Official List of Navy Ships (LOBA). The farewell act took place a few days ago at the La Curra dock in the Cartagena Arsenal (Murcia). The vessel ended its operational activity last June, as published Infodefensa.com.

He Land Army acquired this ship in 1990. First it was included in the Logistics Support Group No. 23, and, since 2000, was on the ship list of the Armada. It leaves the service after more than 200,000 nautical miles, the equivalent of going around the world ten times and after almost 2,000 days at sea.

The event was chaired by the Chief Admiral of the Cartagena Arsenal and was attended by the admiral of Maritime Action, Director of Economic Affairs of the Army and the admiral chief of the Logistics Division of the General Staff of the Navy.

The Music Unit of the Tercio de Levante and the Arsenal Military Guard picket line formed on the dock, next to the ship, while its crew was on board, on the upper deck, except for its acting commander, who he was on the ground to give news.

During the ceremony, the resolution of removal from the list of Navy ships was read and a prayer was said in memory of the deceased who were part of the crew. The last commander of the ship stressed that in the 20 years that it has been included in the list of the Navy, it has provided innumerable support to units of the Army, both in Spanish territory and in the seas in different Peacekeeping Operations.

After that, he handed over to the widow of the general of the Army Quartermaster Corps José María Martín-Posadillo Muñiz, which names the ship, the figure of the Virgen del Carmen, who was on the bridge.

Then, the last lowering of the flag was carried out, which was handed over to the authority that presided over the act, and then the final landing of the crew took place, which was carried out from the most modern to the oldest. Finally, the Chief Admiral of the Cartagena Arsenal handed over the ship’s pennant to the acting commander and greeted the former commanders present at the ceremony, to whom he gave a souvenir of it.

The withdrawal of Martín Posadillo, along with that of The Spanish Way, has left the Army without logistics ships. To meet the needs of material transport by sea, the Ministry of Defence just acquired Suardiaz Group the ship Galicia which will be adapted in the coming months to the Army’s requirements, before its entry into service in the Navy.

Martín Posadillo

He Martín Posadillo It was a Ro-Ro type cargo and material transport vessel. Built and launched in Gijón in 1973, the ship had three cargo decks with a total capacity of 400 linear meters and 600 tons and the ability to operate with helicopters, highlighting the CH-47D Chinook. With a length of 75 meters, a beam of 13 meters and displaces 2,250 tons.

Its main task was the transport of Army material between national ports, especially providing support to the garrisons of Ceuta, Melilla, islands and rocks in North Africa and the archipelagos of the Balearic and Canary Islands. It also provided support to troops participating in OMP outside the national territory.

In international operations, it carried out seven transports to Kosovo, 11 to Lebanon and six to Turkey, with its longest navigation – 5,148 miles – being the one between Cartagena and Beirut.

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Army participates in Covid-19 test to truckers in Dover | Europe up to date | DW

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The border closure ordered by France on Sunday night (12/20/2020), in response to the discovery of a new strain of the coronavirus in England, caused chaos in the areas near the points where the English Channel is crossed, with approximately 4,000 truckers forced to spend two nights in their vehicles.

After intense negotiations between London and Paris, France agreed on Tuesday night (12.22.2020) to reopen the border and authorize the passage of French citizens, British residents in France and truck drivers, provided they have a negative covid-19 test. .

To accelerate the decongestion in Dover, British soldiers have teamed up with British Healthcare (NHS) personnel to conduct these tests on truckers.

These tests, which can detect the new strain of the coronavirus and are similar to those done for pregnancy, allow to have a result of the covid-19 in just thirty minutes.

Drivers will receive the test result on their mobile, via text message, which will be enough to allow them to cross the English Channel into France.

Despite these measures, the decongestion of the area is expected to take several days, as there are truckers on the highway, in parking lots and on a local airstrip.

Communities Minister Robert Jenrick told Sky News today that some 4,000 trucks may be in Dover and it will take “several days” to do these tests before it can go to France.

“I hope this morning we see people and trucks cross the canal,” Jenrick said.

Around this time of year, an estimated 10,000 trucks cross between Dover and Calais in France each day to transport fresh food and other merchandise for the holidays.

Some British supermarkets have warned that they may be short of some fresh food in the coming days due to delays in the delivery of goods due to the situation in Dover.

The United Kingdom reached its peak of covid-19 infections in one day yesterday with 36,804 cases, driven in large part by the coronavirus mutation found in this country, while the number of deaths rose to 691, according to the Government. (EFE).

  • Conclusions and recommendations of Dr. Drexler

    On the importance of masks

    “As long as we do not have a vaccine, the use of the mask is still very important. It is a symbol of solidarity with others. A simple shield available to everyone. The evidence that it works is increasing. Probably nobody likes it. use it, but we must remember that we can be asymptomatic and, at the same time, contribute to others becoming infected. “

  • Start of the trip of the delegation of health experts from Germany and the Ministry of Health (Mexico).

    Conclusions and recommendations of Dr. Drexler

    On the importance of the exchange with Latin America

    We cooperate with Latin America because they are the ones that are suffering the most in this first phase of the pandemic. Germany can learn a lot from the dimension of COVID-19 there and from the measures that have been taken. It is wrong to think that the countries of the region should learn from Germany or that we are the teachers and Latin Americans are the students who listen. Cooperation doesn’t work like that.

  • Brazil, Porto Alegre, vaccine tests

    Conclusions and recommendations of Dr. Drexler

    On the lessons of the first wave in Latin America

    Latin American countries should better prepare and strengthen their public health systems. Also work on the decentralization of health so that it works not only in the capital. That would be a great lesson, and hopefully it is part of the Latin American learning. We will see if it is implemented.

  • Casa Blanca, Donald Trump

    Conclusions and recommendations of Dr. Drexler

    On misinformation and politicians using the pandemic

    This exists in every country in the world. Misinformation and people’s refusal to take the trouble to inform themselves well and seek solid sources is everywhere. Hopefully there will be a strengthening of the distribution of scientific facts and health by the Government, which is the one indicated for that role. America is the worst example there is.

  • Amazon Rainforest of Brazil

    Conclusions and recommendations of Dr. Drexler

    About the weather factor

    Transmission is likely to be reduced by the weather, but the virus will not stop because of that. Before it was said that with high temperatures there would be no problems, but then we saw the cases in the Amazon. It was also said that in the high areas of the Andes the virus was not stable, and we are seeing huge outbreaks in those areas. You have to be very careful with those conclusions.

  • Sputnik V, Russian vaccine against coronavirus

    Conclusions and recommendations of Dr. Drexler

    About the Russian vaccine and other possible vaccines

    We must wait and do not create false hopes. Hopefully it works for 2021. Many of the vaccines that are being developed are very good. I am a friend of all vaccines and I have no preferences. The demand is so great that we need all of them. For now, we must have confidence in the health authorities of the countries of the region, who are doing their job within their means.

  • Coronavirus: color image under the electron microscope

    Conclusions and recommendations of Dr. Drexler

    On the danger that the coronavirus mutates and the vaccine no longer works

    That is a big question. Based on my own analysis, I believe that the risk of the virus mutating enough to escape vaccine-induced immunity in the population is very low. The influenza A virus changes its proteins very quickly, but coronaviruses do not. Coronaviruses, probably including SARS-CoV-2, have an error-correcting protein in their genome.


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Prosecutor’s Office maintains that a fraudulent plan of the Army cost 2,800 million to the Treasury

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The Aysén Regional Prosecutor’s Office gave details of a investigation started in 2018 and that involves a group of Army officials linked to a tax fraud estimated at more than 2,800 million pesos.

The Public Ministry investigates, in this case, fraudulent mechanisms within the institution to compensate the resources lost by more than 500 officials who belonged to the Mutual Aid Fund (FAM), which operated in the IV Division of the Army of Aysén until 2006, and that it worked in a way similar to that of pyramidal structures.

“The existence of the ‘Organizational Culture and Climate Plan’ is determined to compensate all Army officials affected by the closure of the FAM“explained the prosecutor Luis González.

“This does not work only between 2015 and 2017, as indicated by the Comptroller’s Office; this Plan works between 2008 and 2017. The Commander in Chief of the Army, Óscar Izurieta Ferrer, orders the creation of the plan in 2008“, detailed the persecutor.

Multiple “fraud” actions

In raids carried out at the Bicentennial Army Building and in the IV Division of the Aysén Region, the memo 1000/439 of the Personnel Directorate, which reported a meeting, in October 2008, of General Izurieta with personnel affected by the Mutual Aid Fund, where the mechanisms through which The lost resources would be returned to them, under the “Plan for Culture and Organizational Climate” (PCCO).

As explained by the prosecutor Luis González, son 13 the mechanisms used for this purpose, among them “service commissions that they had nothing to do with any kind of institutional development; for example where within the commission it was (an instruction) to go to Parque Arauco “.

“In this context, the hypotheses are disappointing: anticipated dispatches, where the civil servant who was going to retirement, but had to retire six months before and they kept him as active in the force parts, to continue paying and compensate you financially“, detailed the persecutor.

The investigation began in 2018 at the request of the Comptroller’s Office, which detected irregular contracts and commissions for services not provided. (Photo: Cooperativa Regiones)

The decision to create this mechanism – which operated through the “Organizational Culture and Climate Plan” – was taken despite the judicial rulings for the causes of the Mutual Aid Fund, in which it was determined that The Army had no responsibility and, therefore, should not return the resources that the officials They had lost.

Frauds to the Treasury “were linked to the request for the creation of the PCCO, through the Commander-in-Chief of the Army; they had design level that links the chief of staff, the auditor general of the Armyto the Army Comptroller’s Office, the Personnel Department and the Finance Department; and they had a way of execution through the Personnel Department, Land Operations Command, Logistics Division, DAE and the IV Army Division “, explained the prosecutor Luis González to graph” the transversality with which these measures were executed“inside the military institution.

The magnitude of the investigation carried out for two years by the Public Ministry involves the participation of more than 560 people, and the amounts allegedly defrauded through the “Organizational Culture and Climate Plan” amount to 2,811 million pesos.

Request for dismissal of the accused

The details of the investigation were requested by the Defense of Army Colonel Christian Arrigada, former commander of Regiment No. 8 San Carlos de Ancud de Coyhaique: asked to know the facts for which he is currently being investigated as a defendant, not yet formalized.

At the same hearing, his defense requested the dismissal definitive cause.

“They had only been assigned to command a tactical unit and were doing their job. My sponsored never knew what this Organizational Culture and Climate Plan was about“said the defense attorney, Ernesto Allendes.

The lawyer pointed out that being a defendant has damaged the career of the officer, with “more than 30 years of service, an unblemished record.”

“He is not promoted to general because he is charged in a cause, he loses part of his career for having gone to command a regiment, “Allendes said.

After hearing the arguments of the Prosecutor’s Office, Judge Mario Devaud rejected the colonel’s request for dismissal, and granted a five-month extension for the development of the investigation, taking into account the magnitude of the denounced events, the number of people involved and the large number of documents that the PDI Aysén Task Force must review, in charge of the proceedings for the crime of fraud to the treasury.

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Syrian army shoots down Turkish aggressor drone in Raqqa

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The Syrian Army has shot down a Turkish drone while attempting to attack Syrian positions in the northern field of Al-Raqa (north).

As the portal has announced Al Masdar NewsCiting a field source in Hama governorate, the confrontation occurred on Tuesday when the attacking aircraft attempted to attack the positions of Syrian troops.

However, the Levantine country’s Army, together with its Russian counterparts, managed to shoot down the Turkish drone as it headed towards the positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near the city of Ain Isa, in the north of the city of Al -Raqa.

The incident came shortly after a fierce firefight between Kurdish forces, supported by the United States, and the Turkish Army in the Ain Isa camp.

While the Syrian Army has tried to stay out of these clashes, the Turkish side and its militant allies continually attack their positions, often causing damage to their fortifications east of the Euphrates.

The Syrian authorities have repeatedly denounced Turkey’s military presence in their country and consider both the Turkish military intervention and the US military support to insurgents in their territory as ‘unacceptable’, and reiterate that the unofficial presence of Foreign force in the country is an obstacle to peace and the struggle of the Arab country and its allies against the scourge of terrorism.

The Syrian Government has sent large amounts of military forces and armaments to the main cities on the border with Turkey (in the north), including Kobani, Al-Raqa, and Manbiy, to prevent the advance of the Turkish Armed Forces. President Bashar al-Assad has in turn promised that Damascus will use “all legitimate means” at its disposal to respond to Turkey’s aggression.

msm / ktg / friend / mkh

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This is how augmented reality glasses are in the US

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Related news

It already seems to us anything but strange that a person wears a smart watch or bracelet in their day to day. The wearables, as they are called, are devices that are worn as accessories on the body and offer some very cool features. In Spain, for example, it is enough to take a look at to realize the number of Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch or Xiaomi Band tied to the wrists of the users.

But, as is often the case, the military industry is going much further. One of the strongest proposals for augmented reality is Microsoft with its HoloLens. A device that manage to project any type of content adapted to the real environment and that it has been announced on different occasions as the perfect tool for designers, engineers or students of scientific branches such as medicine.

The applications on the potential battlefield are also extraordinary. With augmented reality glasses the foot soldier can obtain very valuable information without taking your eyes off the target for a second.

War of the future

Microsoft is one of the great technology companies in the world and its HoloLens one of the most cutting-edge devices. So much so that they were chosen by the United States Army to develop a wearable for the soldiers. Augmented reality or mixed reality – a term used by Microsoft itself to refer to this concept – of the US Army has been developed within the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program.

IVAS system

U.S. Army

Omicrono

By which the needs of a new device integrated into soldiers’ helmets that is capable of providing all the necessary information on the battlefield. The entire device consists of a screen where the data will be projected and a sensor card integrated into the mount so that the military can ‘see’ in very low light conditions or identify targets through thermal radiation.

The VAT “enhances the senses of soldiers, decision-making, the acquisition of objectives, the commitment of objectives and the knowledge of the situation “, point from the Army itself. In the information that the HoloLens will show, the soldier will be able to find all kinds of data about where the enemy and unit position.

“Help the soldiers to see the target they have to shoot at, use a facial recognition system that tells them who each person is, can translate from different languages ​​into English and allows soldiers to send different types of information, “according to the Army statement. For example, you can share a map with coordinates or video of what is happening on the battlefield in real time.

IVAS system

IVAS system

U.S. Army

Omicrono

The IVAS also incorporates wireless connectivity between soldiers’ devices. A function that stands out from the Army thanks to the fact that it allows sending and receiving all kinds of information between squads, platoons and companies. “They can talk to each other and share images of the target.”

This system is expected to start its operational deployment in the last months of next year 2021. As they point out, the final choice of Microsoft’s mixed reality device has been produced after more than 20,000 hours of tests involving nearly 1,000 soldiers, marines and members of the army’s special operations corps.


The program, despite representing a very important injection of money to Microsoft, has not been without controversy. Some workers at the Redmond-based company protested the device’s warfare application. “Help the government of the country to increase the lethality using weapons that we have built,” they said in a statement. Protest that was not taken into account and, after signing the contract, the company published Microsoft’s commitment to the army on the corporate blog.

The Spanish case

At a different level, in Spain we have also recently seen some projects that use smart helmets for the Air Force. Specifically, it is the Scorpion helmet that some pilots of the F-18 fighter are already equipped with the Spanish gun.

This helmet, like the one used by the Army, is capable of “designating objectives and offering symbols (navigation, intelligence, combat …) without having to look for it”, as Andoni Unibaso told OMICRONO, Avionics Commercial Manager at Thales Spain, the company in charge of the development and deployment of the helmets.


Missile fired with the Thales Scorpion

The Scorpion helmet is integrates with IRIS-T missile, an infrared tracking projectile, with the day / night vision system and can be used for targeting.

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Biden and his army of foreign policy advisers plan to erase his legacy from day one

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Foreign policy has barely had space during the US electoral campaign. However, the rest of the world is watching the race for the White House with great attention. There are probably no other elections on the planet with such an important impact on the rest of the countries. More when both candidates present radically opposite world views.

President Trump’s government program for a hypothetical second term is limited to 54 sentences. Only five of them speak of foreign policy and all of them enter the military sphere: “End infinite wars and bring our soldiers home”; “get allies to pay their fair share [en materia de defensa]”;” maintain and expand America’s unmatched military strength “;” annihilate terrorists who threaten to harm Americans “and” build a great cyber defense system and missile defense system. ”

Meanwhile, the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, has launched an army of about 2,000 advisers who work exclusively to design his foreign and national security policy, according to has Foreign Policy magazine revealed. They face a titanic task similar to that of Trump in 2016: undoing the legacy of his predecessor. Faced with Trump’s withdrawal from the board on the basis of ‘America first’, Biden is committed to reclaiming the position of the US “for a lifetime” as “moral and economic leaders of the world.” “The world does not organize itself. If we do not shape the norms and institutions that govern relations between nations, another nation will fill the void. If not, chaos will be the result,” says the former vice president’s program.

In May of this year, President Trump announced the withdrawal of the WHO for his management of the coronavirus pandemic, a decision that will take effect in July 2021. Biden has promised that if he wins, he will reverse Trump’s decision in his first presidency day.

If he wins the election, Biden is going to have a lot of work to do on his first day in the Oval Office. He has also promised to revoke the migratory veto to people from Muslim countries and to rejoin the Paris Agreement for the climate immediately and ending the anomaly created by Trump, which left the US as the only country in the world outside of it. “The agreement is simply the latest example of Washington signing an agreement that puts the United States at a disadvantage for the benefit of other countries, leaving American workers – whom I love – and taxpayers bear the cost,” Trump claimed. Biden, for his part, has promised to bring the US back into the deal “on the first day.” “But rejoining is not enough, Biden will use all the tools of US foreign policy to pressure the rest of the world to increase their ambitions with the US,” says the campaign of the Democrat.

Trump has also left the UN Human Rights Council and Biden He has promised that he will rejoin. “The change in foreign policy from one administration to another means relocating or not the position of the US and its weight in international governance,” Gustavo Palomares, professor of US foreign policy at the Diplomatic School of Spain, tells elDiario.es. European professor Jean Monnet and dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences and Sociology at UNED. “A Biden victory would be a step forward in that goal of multilateralism in the face of global withdrawal,” he adds.

Comings and goings in the Middle East: Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia

The Middle East has also been and will be a busy region. During his tenure, Obama made a notable turn in the area, moving away from his traditional allies such as Saudi Arabia and Israel and finalizing the nuclear deal with Iran. Trump, for his part, was in charge of undoing the steps of his predecessor.

His first trip abroad was to Saudi Arabia, with whom he has avoided confronting even the most difficult moments, such as the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He also used his presidential powers to veto a bipartisan Senate resolution calling for end US support for Saudi Arabia in the Yemen war, considered one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our time. Biden, perhaps pressured by the positions of his more progressive Democratic rivals in the primaries, has vowed to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia, whom he says he will treat “for what it is, a pariah state.”


In Iran, Trump has applied a maximum pressure strategy by exiting the nuclear deal negotiated by Obama and imposing new sanctions on the country. Iran, as a consequence, is enriching uranium above the agreed levels. “If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear agreement, the US will rejoin the agreement,” Biden pointed out.

Lastly, the Republican president has shown unconditional support for Israel during his term with a series of grievances towards Palestine. Trump has recognized Jerusalem as the indivisible capital of Israel; has ordered the closure of the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington, which in practical terms served as an embassy in the United States; has cut funding to the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA); has reversed years of US foreign policy by claiming that settlements in occupied territory do not violate international law (despite the opinion of the UN); and it has negotiated a supposed peace agreement between Israel and Palestine that the Palestinians have rejected and in which they have not participated. To this are added his exercises as a mediator for several Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to normalize relations with Israel.

The Democrat has said that he will not change the embassy again – in fact in 1995, while Senator from Delaware, Biden voted in favor of moving to Jerusalem-. Still, the former vice president wants to present him as a legitimate mediator and reestablish dialogue with the Palestinian side: he opposes annexations and settlements, “will take immediate steps to restore economic and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians” and “will work to reopen the PLO delegation in Washingotn and the US consulate in East Jerusalem. ”

“There is no return to trade as before”

Three days after assuming the presidency, Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Economic Cooperation Agreement (TPP), a trade agreement with 12 Asian countries negotiated by the Obama-Biden Administration to consolidate the so-called ‘pivot to Asia’ and to stop China. Months later, he announced the opening of a process to renegotiate NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement).

His stance on international trade allowed Trump to win many votes from the white working class, and Biden has learned his lesson. “I would not rejoin the TPP as it was originally planned,” Biden said last year. However, the former vice president was one of the people who helped lift the TPP.

The Democratic candidate has presented in his program the idea of ​​a “foreign policy for the middle class”, which he defines as “ensuring that the rules benefit our workers and our communities.” “There is no return to trade the way it worked before. We will make sure we trade from the strongest position possible.”

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