Hagel, Enders Point Out Weak Euro Spending As Eastern Ukraine Unravels

• US Secretary of State Chuck Hagel is urging the USA’s NATO partners to renew financial commitments to defense, echoing former SecDef Robert Gates as he was departing the office 3 years ago.

• At least 42 people, most of them pro-Russian, died in a fire during clashes with pro-Kiev demonstrators last Friday in Odessa, in southern-eastern Ukraine. Since then the mob rules in the region.

• Meanwhile the Russian government is rushing draft laws to the State Duma to integrate Crimea under Russian law, while the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a whole white book [PDF] denouncing violations of human rights in Ukraine, featuring the word “Nazi” no less than 13 times. You have to grant to the Kremlin that once they’ve written their script, they stick to it.
  

Norway Re-Winging, Refurbishing Its P-3 Orions

Latest updates[?]: Mission system upgrades.

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Norwegian EEZ

In February 2007, the Government of Norway announced a contract with Lockheed Martin to build new production service life extension kits for 6 Royal Norwegian Air Force P-3C/N Orion long-range maritime patrol aircraft, and offer engineering and other support. It’s estimated that the SLEP (Service Life Extension Program) will add more than 15,000 flying hours to each aircraft, representing 20-25 additional years of service covering NATO operations and Norway’s large over-water economic exclusion zone (EEZ). Lockheed Martin adds that the repairs will lift flying restrictions currently imposed on the global P-3 Orion fleet, due to aging problems.

In order to accomplish these goals, the program aims to replace all “fatigue life limiting” structures with enhanced design components and improved, corrosion resistant materials. The Norwegian life extension kit draws on the November 2005 re-opening of the P-3 wing production line. Replacements will include the outer wings, center wing lower surface, horizontal stabilizer, horizontal stabilizer leading edges, and nacelle components.

Clashes Intensify in Eastern Ukraine

• Pro-Russia forces shot down 2 Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters and damaged 1 Mi-8 earlier today in the Donetsk Oblast, killing 2 servicemen in the process, according to Ukraine’s ministry of defense. There are also clashes in Odessa. Beyond that, there’s a certain degree of confusion about what is really going on.

• Russia’s alternate reality portrayal: Ukrainian special forces have started a punitive operation in the city of Sloviansk.

• To be fair, even the pro-government / pro-Western KyivPost acknowledges that there are genuine grassroots protesters in eastern Ukraine, not just pro-Russian operatives. For Ukraine, it looks like death by a thousand cuts.

• Tit for tat between Russia, Ukraine and NATO European countries prominently features gas supplies to and through Ukraine. One tool Europe can use is the reversal of pipeline flows to send some of their Russian-procured gas back to Ukraine, but Russia is threatening legal action against such measures.

• President Obama and Chancellor Merkel are responding with a united show of resolute weakness.
  

Reports of Chinese Rift with Russia Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

• China’s Ministry of Defense announced it will stage joint naval drills with Russia in the East China Sea at the end of the month. This, right after China’s foreign ministry criticized sanctions as a source of tensions. So much for American pundits claiming that China was “splitting ways with Russia.” Their two presidents are scheduled to meet on May 20 right before these exercices to discuss energy deals.

• WaPo: the security risks of China’s abnormal demographics. China has unique demographics, not just because of its sheer size or its one-child policy, but also because the population has 6 males for every 5 females.

• US defense acquisition undersecretary Frank Kendall told a Senate panel that there is no “great solution” available to replace Russian engines in Atlas V rockets used by the Pentagon.

• Turkey’s purchase of a Chinese missile defense system is still on hold.

Syria’s WMDs

• Daily Beast: Western Intelligence Suspects Assad Has a Secret Chemical Stockpile.

State of Afghanistan

• The Pentagon released its latest progress report [PDF] on Afghanistan:

“Although the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) continues to develop capabilities, ANSF requires more time and effort to close four key high-end capability gaps that will remain after the ISAF mission ends on December 31, 2014: air support; intelligence enterprise; special operations; and Afghan security ministry capacity. International funding and coalition force assistance will be critical to sustaining the force after 2014.”

• BBC: Afghans repel big militant attack on border army base.

• Voice of America: Forces Removing Equipment From Afghanistan Keep Eye on Russian Route. See also the video below: