European weapon for everyone? ("Panorama", Italy)
The French and Italians sell warships and armored vehicles to Russians, Gaddafi becomes a shareholder in the Italian engineering holding Finmeccanica, while Brussels is under pressure to lift the embargo on the sale of military technology to China. And we are confident that the sale weapons to anyone and accepting into joint-stock companies any justify themselves in a strategic and financial sense?France has just concluded an agreement with Moscow on the production of four universal amphibious assault ships of the Mistral type. Officially, the Russians intend to use them "to protect the Kuril Islands, which Japan encroaches on," as he said, without fear of appearing ridiculous, General Nikolai Makarov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
This is the most important military deal of the West with former enemies from Russia, but it is clear to all that these ships have an offensive action, and are likely to be used on the Black Sea to keep the coast of Georgia or the Baltic Sea under the gun. Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia criticized the decision of Paris.
The agreement, which was also negatively voiced in Washington, will allow the French to earn 2 billion euros, and the Russians will receive new technologies, according to which in Russian shipyards in the near future they will be able to reproduce such ships, possibly at a lower cost and put them on sale the courts.
The first acquisitions made by Moscow in Western countries also concern Italy. Russian troops ordered 2500 armored vehicles "Iveco Lince" and seem to be interested in buying "Freccia" e "Centauro", of course, then to produce them in Russia, having received, thus, in their hands the most advanced technology areas. Today, Lince is exported to ten European countries. We are sure that in the near future the markets will not prefer to buy their Russian copies for a lower price? We are sure that in the next wars Russia will fight, using European weapons, on the side of our interests?
But if the sale of the newest weapons to the Russians is confusing, selling them by the Chinese is just absurd, as I wrote recently in the online magazine “Defense Analysis”. However, with cyclical perseverance in Brussels, the possibility of lifting the embargo is discussed, in action from 1989, when the demonstration of students in Tiananmen Square was brutally suppressed. The latter, who demanded that the embargo be lifted, was the “Foreign Minister” of the European Union, Catherine Ashton, who immediately received a dry negative response from the country of origin, the United Kingdom.
In France, Germany and Italy, however, many will not wait for the moment when they can sell military technology to the Chinese, despite the fact that Beijing is a military rival seeking access to energy sources and participation in international orders, including including the military. Chinese aircraft, often replicas of Russian, are already taking part in competitions in Serbia and in other European countries. At the moment, they have little chance of winning, but if tomorrow they can copy our advanced technology and produce equipment at a low price, the situation may change.
This is well known to the Russians, who discovered that their Sukhoi-27 and Sukhoi-33 aircraft were copied, were named J-11 and J-15, respectively, and were for sale at bargain prices, not to mention ships and missiles . China sells weapons to Iran and the worst enemies of the West, so without even asking for help the issue of human rights, it is so clear that there are no reasonable reasons for selling military technology to China.
Last October, Pierre Francesco Guargualini, president and CEO of the Italian engineering holding Finmeccanica, said at a conference at the Bocconi University in Milan that “China could also become a Finmeccanica shareholder in a military unit. We have restrictions, according to the law 185, (which regulates military exports - author's note). If these restrictions are lifted, then China will be able to have shares in military production. ”
Finmeccanica is already present in China “in the area of traffic of airplanes, trains and helicopters,” Guarguallini reminded. “We are betting on this country: America has decided that they can sell them C-130, which means that we can sell Beijing C27J.”
Unlike his predecessors, Barack Obama seems willing to allow the sale of military technology by removing the Hercules C-130 cargo plane from the list of prohibited items for sale to Beijing. This aircraft has much in common with the Italian C27J, smaller in size, but capable of landing anywhere.
In the near future, these aircraft can be copied by Beijing and put up for sale. Is it worth undermining tomorrow's market because of the several billions received today? It is difficult to refrain from speaking out in relation to political and financial initiatives that can lead to a boomerang effect. This concerns the entry of the state funds of Libya (Lybian Investment authority) into the capital of Finmeccanica. This group was recently called “strategically important for the nation” by Foreign Minister Frattini.
The contribution of Libyans to 100 million euros is 2% of the capital of the company, which is one of the world's major manufacturers of weapons, military equipment, it is controlled by the Ministry of Economy, which owns 32,4% of its shares.
Gaddafi we sold helicopters and trains, donated airplanes, control systems and patrol ships, but, despite all the treaties, he was never a reliable partner. Libyan investments in Italy are already significant (Unicredit Bank - 7,5%, Juventus Football Club - 7,5%, Eni-1%). In your opinion, is it a good idea to give Gadhafi control over our defense industry as well?
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