Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 1. Oktober 2004 / Time Line October 1, 2004
Version 3.5
10/01/2004
Det er nu sytten måneder siden, at USAs præsident Bush
erklærede krigen i Irak for vundet.
10/01/2004
Danmarks sociale Forum 2004 starter.
10/01/2004
Niger enrols in US global war on terror
By David White
FT.com
Flinging themselves on their stomachs on a dirt parade ground,
Niger soldiers in US uniforms were showingoff their newly learnt
routine for advancing under fire.
They were rehearsing a graduation ceremony at a barracks outside
Niamey, Niger's capital, after eight weeks of counter-terrorist
training by US marines.
The training programme, the first of its kind here, has been
conducted in four countries of the Sahel region on the southern
edge of the Sahara, a 4,000 km secondary front in the US war
against al- Qaeda and its allies.
Funded by the US State Department and run by US European Command in
Stuttgart, the plan aims to strengthen local capacity to stem a
seepage of armed extremism from the north, especially Algeria.
The programme, initially called the Pan-Sahel Initiative and later
renamed the Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Initiative, began with
US special forces units in Mauritania and Mali. When those troops
could no longer be spared because of requirements in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the job was handed to the marines, who sent a team of
24, first to Chad and then to Niger.
10/01/2004
The EU Code of Conduct fails to prevent French Helicopters being
produced under licence in India and transferred to Nepal
Amnesty International AI Index: ACT 30/017/2004
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?
id=557EF89B216367A680256F1E00633B09
Public Document September 2004
Between June 2003 and September 2004, India supplied a number of
attack helicopters to Nepal. The helicopters were manufactured by
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), in close cooperation with French
company, Eurocopter, and reportedly included components from
several other EU companies. The direct transfer of attack
helicopters from EU Members to Nepal would be controversial given
the status of the current conflict in this country and the
likelihood that such helicopters would be used against civilian
targets. Such transfers of helicopters to Nepal from India
containing components and subsystems from EU-based companies
seriously threaten the credibility and effectiveness of EU Code of
Conduct.
Exports from India to Nepal have included the Lancer light attack
helicopter and the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). The Lancer is
based upon the Cheetah attack helicopter that has been produced in
India under licence from Eurocopter, since 1970.
http://www.hal-india.com/helicopter/aboutus.asp accessed
8/2004.
The HAL website reports that the licence agreement for the
manufacture of the Cheetah helicopter (Eurocopter designation
SA-315- Lama) was signed with Eurocopter (originally M/s SNIAS) in
September 1970 and the first Cheetah helicopter manufactured from
raw materials was delivered during 1976-77. Eurocopter has also
been closely involved in the development of HAL's indigenous
designed Advanced Light Helicopter, signing a new Memorandum of
Understanding in June 2003. International Defense Review August 01,
2003 : The MoU is intended to revitalize and intensify co-operation
between the two companies in the helicopter sector, which dates
back to the early 1970s, when HAL license-built the Alouette III
(as the Cheetah) and Lama (Chetak). More recently Eurocopter has
assisted in development of India's Druv ALH. The companies are to
investigate ways of increasing collaboration in production of
helicopters and development of joint equipment and systems.
Another French Company, Turbomeca, has provided engines for the
Cheetah, Lancer and Advanced Light Helicopters. Businessline.
Chennai: Nov 27, 2002. pg. 1 'French aerospace co. eyes India for
manufacturing base'. Snecma group company, Turbomeca, has a
contract to supply over 200 of the powerful engines for HAL's
advanced light helicopter (ALH) project
The Lancer is armed with two rocket and machine gun pods.
http://www.hal-india.com/helicopter/products.asp#lancer accessed
8/2004 Each pod carries one 12.7 mm gun and three 70 mm rockets and
has a firing rate of 1100 rounds per minute.
Jane's Defence Weekly - February 28, 2001, 'Indian Army to get
first Lancers in upgrade project.' The ALH is a military utility
helicopter and is designed to be fitted with a variety of weapons
systems including a three-barrel 20mm machine gun, air-to-surface
and anti tank missiles. Aviation Week & Space Technology, Dec
2, 1996 : India's ALH readied for weapons integration. (India's
Advanced Light Helicopter), see also
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Info/Aircraft/ALH.html accessed
8/2004
Whilst France remains the principal EU member state involved with
the production of these helicopters in India, a number of other
European companies have also been reported as supplying components
or sub- systems for helicopters manufactured by Hindustan
Aeronautics. For example, the ALH reportedly contains Italian For
example, components for the flight control and the hydraulic
system. See:
http://www.elaster.com/General_Overview.pdf accessed 8/2004
and UK For example the Advanced Light Helicopter hydraulic pack.
See:
http://www.apph.co.uk/hydraulics.htm# 8/2004 and photograph from
Farnborough 2004 components, whilst the Lancer is equipped with
rocket pods reportedly manufactured by a Belgian company.
International Defense Review, 15 January 1999.
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