Informational – analytic review of defense news by Defense and Security Policy Center
1. National Defence Capability: military radio frequency issues
The President of Ukraine suspended a latest Cabinet’s iterated instruction, which has authorized a National communication control bureau to start a public sale the licenses for UMTS (3G) standard cellular on frequencies that is currently in military usage.
Comment: in September the Cabinet came to a decision for conversation a set of the military exploited frequencies without any redemption to MoD. Opposing the Government’s plan, V. Yushenko has blocked any energy by his deny decree, noted as such irresponsible behavior obviously will heavily undermine a National Defence Capability. First auction to share out the fraudulently appropriated licenses on cellular communication provisioning, supposed to be held this year on November 27. Conversing its unnecessary radio frequencies the MoD might profit 2,5 bln UAH through 2010-2014. The National communication control bureau suspended a shallow activity and set sellout aside.
2. Defence Policy: Air Force capability
An extended meeting of Air Force military Board was held in Vinnitsa, on November 23.
Comment: a sober estimate of this year Air Forces’ training achievements was given at the summary and ways to preclude same difficulties in the 2010 training cycle were outlined. Regardless a suppressed financing (7.2% of required) the Joint Rapid Reaction Forces pilots teams and crews saved ability and proved ready to carry out the combat duty. Also PfP units have finalized their training and participated in the “Kossacks on the icefloe” operation. Ukraine-Byelorussia Air Force and Ukraine-Russia Air Defence Command and Staff exercises have been effectively accomplish. One of the main tasks for a next year will a three-country Air Defence practical training.
3. Combat training: helicopter flight simulator
A special and simulator training was provided at the Air College named I.Kozhedub for the instructors and training personnel of Chuguev Air Training Bde.
Comment: a training program consists of following parts: flight theory phase and practical simulator training. 20 officers got their advanced training over three weeks. Mi-8MTB helicopter multipurpose training complex was designed in Kremenchuk scientific-production association “Avia” and has no world equivalent. The software allows imitating helicopter flight up to 98% of reality. Engine noise, fuselage vibration and even kicked up during landing dust trainees can fill.
4. Reforming: disbandment of armory depots
Last ammunition batch was taken out from 5909th engineer depot, located in Gaysin of Vinnitsa region on 25 November.
Comment: over 1000 thousand tons are stored at Ukrainian military depots, while a requirement of it is no more than 650 thousand. Due to cut financing a number of depots were planed for cancellation in 2009 are still alive. 18, 5 thousand personnel guard and serve for those facilities. 11,8 thousand tons ammunition and explosives were removed from 5909th engineer depot in 2009. The cleaning and disposal works are carried out by 143 demining Center of Ukrainian Armed Forces.
5. International training: Ukrainian Navy Corvette “Ternopil’” returned home
The URS “Ternopil’”, a Ukrainian corvette, returned from its third participation at NATO Operation “Active Endeavour” to Sevastopol on November 29.
Comment: Ukrainian Navy ship “Ternopil’” has arrived from “Suda Bay”, a Greece Naval Base and moored alongside a Sevastopol pier. At cruising period the corvette made over 7 thousand nautical miles, contacted and dealt with about 100 commercial vessels. Participating in the operation, Ukraine hosts a Contact Center on Navy Command HQ in Sevastopol, the element of information exchange, emplaced liaison officer at operational HQ in Naples, engages search teams for suspected ships inspection and deploys its combat vessels to participate at the counterterrorism operation.
In November - December 2007 a corvette “Lutsk” was involved into the operation, in May - July 2008 it was frigate “Hetman Sagaydachniy” participated and lately, in November - December 2008 corvette “Ternopil'” was again activated.
6. International cooperation: Ukrainian-Brazilian partnership
November 26, in Kiev a working appointment was held between acting Minister of Defence of Ukraine Mr. V. Ivashenko and Mr. A. Fernando Cruz-de-Mello, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brazil.
Comment: Ukraine and Brazil are implementing a joint airspace project “Alcantara Cyclone Space”. Ukrainian MoD plays a prominent role in the program and responsible for designing and projecting a future space-launch complex. In its turn the Brazil has a great potential, recourses and strong economy. At the meeting the Brazilian President and Minister of Defence visit, expected to be held in this December, was discussed.
In October 2004 Ukrainian state enterprise “CPI” won a competition and undertook a project design to construct in Brazilian Alkantara province a land complex of space rocket system “Cyclone-4”. In 2005-2006 experts from “CPI” and Dnepropetrovsk design bureau “Pivdenne” have been seeking out an engineering solution of launch complex and in the beginning of 2009 conducted a first reconnaissance.
7. International military cooperation: Ukrainian military delegations visited Grease and Italy
Two military delegations from Ukraine visited Italian Republic
Comment: in the period of 24 – 28 November one Ukrainian team got acquainted a sergeant training system and its potential for a development at Army Sergeant School of Italian Republic.
Another team from UAF Air Command visited Italian 46th Air Bde out of Pizza, where they discussed the options of future transport aviation joint exercise and operational interoperability between Ukrainian and NATO units.
At the same time Greece hosted a second Ukraine Air Command team, where Ukrainians visited Joint Air Operational Center.
Comment: Ukrainians have learned a structure and main tasks of JAOC and discussed its functioning process.
8. International military cooperation: humanitarian projects
Members of Kiev Military Attaché Association talked with Kiev National University administration over the opportunity to initiate Ukrainian and Russian language courses for Defence Attaché.
Comment: directing staff of military institute at Kiev National University named T. Shevchenko and Austrian Defence Attaché, Col T.Rapats, the Association President held a working meeting, where they’ve discussed an initiation possibility of Ukrainian and Russian language courses on base of University facilities.
