Five hundred US soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division headquarters element are to deploy to Iraq and Kuwait next month as part of the US effort to ramp up the training of the Iraqi military and to better co-ordinate ground and air operations against Islamic State forces, Pentagon spokesman Rear
More US soldiers heading to Iraq
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IS recruits, Russia on US PACOM's radar
Key Points
PACOM estimates 1,000 aspiring fighters have moved from the Asia-Pacific region to the Middle East to support IS
Officials are working with Asia-Pacific nations and CENTCOM to improve detection and information sharing about foreign fighters' movements
Even as the threat of North Korea
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India, China resolve border stand-off
Key Points
An 18-day stand-off between India and China in the Himalayas has been resolved after a meeting at the border between military commanders
The confrontation had overshadowed the first visit to Delhi by Chinese President Xi Jinping and had threatened to escalate when India began mobilising
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China's CSSC and CASIC sign naval C4ISR agreement
The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) - two of China's largest defence industrial enterprises - have signed an agreement to enhance the co-development of naval mission systems.
The agreement - announced on 23 September - is
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China builds another island in South China Sea
IHS Jane's has obtained satellite imagery that further illustrates the extent of China's building of new islands in the Spratly Islands.
The latest image shows a new island on Gaven Reefs, known in the Philippines as the Burgos Reef, in Vietnam as Dá Ga Ven and Dá Lc and in China as
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USN confirms presence of Chinese spy ship off Guam
A People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 815 (Dongdiao)-class auxiliary general intelligence (AGI) vessel was detected in waters off Guam where a US military exercise was ongoing, a US Navy (USN) spokesperson confirmed to IHS Jane's on 22 September.
"I can confirm the presence of a Chinese
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Pentagon says IS air strikes are 'just the beginning'
US officials are warning that the airstrikes that the US and Arab allies began against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria on 22 September will not result in a swift victory.
"This is just the beginning," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters on 25 September. "There's
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Egypt reportedly orders S-300VM
Egypt has entered into an agreement to buy S-300VM long-range air defence systems for about USD500 million from Russia, the Russian business daily Vedomosti reported on 23 September, citing unidentified defence industry officials and a source close to the leadership of the state arms export agency
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USAF to roll out automatic recovery system for F-16s
The US Air Force (USAF) will field an automatic terrain avoidance system on its Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft in the coming weeks, the service announced in late September.
The Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS), developed under the M6.2+ F-16 Operational
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UK Voyagers to gain further refuelling clearances
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is to increase the aerial refuelling clearances of its Airbus Defence and Space (DS) Voyager KC2/3 tanker-transport aircraft to include two new large aircraft types, a senior service official disclosed on 26 September.
Speaking at the home of the Voyager fleet at RAF
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UAE requests more than 4,500 surplus MRAPs
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has submitted a request to buy 4,569 surplus mine-resistance, ambush-protected vehicles (MRAPs) from the United States, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 26 September.
The majority of the MRAPS (3,360) listed as part of the possible deal
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South Africa to place troops on standby for African crisis response
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is expected to soon place a contingent on standby for short-notice deployments within the framework of the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC).
As one of the countries pushing for this capability to bridge the gap until the
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Slovakia to train Ukraine troops in mine clearance
Slovak Army combat engineers will provide land mine clearance training to their Ukrainian counter-parts.
Slovak defence minister Martin Glvac confirmed the news to media on 25 September during an official visit to Slovakia by Ukrainian Defence Minister Valeriy Heletey.
"We promptly responded
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Russian Navy receives first Ka-52KM naval helicopter
The Russian Navy has received its first series-produced Ka-52KM helicopter from Russian Helicopters, it has been announced.
The helicopter has been built under the national defence procurement order for 32 Ka-52KM naval strike helicopters that are to be manufactured by the Progress aviation company
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Portugal reaches Pandur II agreement with GDELS
The Portuguese Ministry of National Defence (MND) and General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) signed an agreement on 26 September over Portugal's partially cancelled Pandur II 8x8 armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) programme.
The agreement puts to an end the arbitration process begun in October
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Japan puts helicopter carrier Izumo on sea trials
The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) has begun sea trials of its helicopter carrier JS Izumo (DDH 183), a JMSDF official confirmed to IHS Jane's on 29 September.
The 248 m-long vessel, which displaces 24,000 tonnes at full load, is the largest Japanese military ship built since the Second
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China launches latest of military, 'experimental' satellites
China launched a Long March-4B rocket carrying the Yaogan-21 remote sensing satellite and an experimental satellite, Tiantuo-2, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre on 8 September.
Tiantuo-2, which was designed and built by the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT), "will be
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Afghanistan orders additional MD 530F helos
The Afghan Air Force (AAF) has exercised an option for additional MD 530F Little Bird helicopters, according to a US Department of Defense (DoD) contract modification announced on 26 September.
The service will acquire a further 12 primary trainer helicopters under a USD35.7 million contract
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'Valiant Shield 2014' demonstrates US joint force capabilities in the Asia Pacific
The US military has completed a key unilateral field training exercise (FTX) off the coast of Guam that demonstrates Washington's resolve to maintain a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region despite budgetary pressures, the exercise's top official said.
Exercise 'Valiant Shield 2014', which was
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USAF: Use of F-22s target dependent, JTACs crucial for air support
The US Air Force (USAF), which is leading airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq and Syria, has said planners are choosing specific attack platforms based on individual targets and highlighted the key role played ground-based air controllers.
Since operations began in August,
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