More details of the frigates that German company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is building for Algeria have emerged over the last month that suggest they will be very heavily armed. IHS Jane's reported on 5 April 2012 that a deal had been concluded on 26 March and covered the delivery of two
Model shows possible Algerian frigate armament
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Lockheed Martin says Israel considering additional C-130Js
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) might expand its fleet of C-130J Hercules fleet to up to nine aircraft, a senior Lockheed Martin executive said in Israel on 4 November.
The IAF has already taken delivery of two C-130Js, a contract has been signed for another two and advanced talks are underway to
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L-3 Warrior Systems divests Applied Optics Centre
L-3 Warrior Systems has sold its Applied Optics Centre (AOC) to Texas-based Optex Systems, it was revealed on 4 November.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Dallas, Texas, based AOC is the largest manufacturer of laser protection filers and related products for the US Army, and produces a range
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Japan, Spain sign defence collaboration MoU
Spain and Japan have agreed their first joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence, the Spanish Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 4 November.
The MoU was signed by Spanish minister of defence Pedro Morenés and his Japanese counterpart, Akinori Eto, following a tour by Morenés
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Indodefence 2014: Indonesia orders Panther ASW helicopters
The Indonesian Navy (Tentera Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut, or TNI-AL) is to acquire 11 AS565 Panther helicopters from Airbus Helicopters, it was announced on 5 November.
The helicopters will be fitted with the Helicopter Long-Range Active Sonar (HELRAS) dipping sonar and torpedo launching
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France and Saudi finalise $3 bn arms deal for Lebanon
Key Points
The Lebanese military's massive Saudi-funded rearmament programme has been finalised
The LAF is also lining up three Super Tucano and a third Cessna 208 light attack aircraft
Saudi Arabia and France signed a deal on 3 November that will see the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) receive USD3
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Egypt to get more Swiftships
Egypt has awarded a second contract to Swiftships Shipbuilding to build six 35 m patrol boats, the US company announced on 5 November.
"Contract negotiations are being finalised and procurement of materials will begin before 2015," it said in a statement.
It added that the contract is an
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Brazil to stand up Cyber Defence Command
The Brazilian Ministry of Defence (MoD) instructed the Armed Forces Joint Chiefs of Staff (EMCFA) to implement measures to enhance Brazil's national cyber defence capabilities, according to a directive published in Brazil's official gazette on 28 October.
The directive gives the EMCFA supervising
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P-8 reliability offers boost to USN's ASW mission without MAD
Key Points
The USN says its P-8 acquisition continues to be cost-effective, and its operational efficiency has been equally effective in early deployments
The P-8's advanced sensors also eliminate the need for a MAD boom
The US Navy (USN) is pleased with the Boeing P-8A Poseidon multi-mission
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UK Voyager refuels US Navy fighters for first time
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) recently refuelled US Navy (USN) combat aircraft for the first time using its Airbus Defence and Space (DS) Voyager KC.3 tanker-transport aircraft, it was announced on 6 November.
The tanking, which was carried out under the terms of a special operational clearance, saw
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US Navy seeks new sense-and-avoid solution for Triton UAV
The US Navy (USN) is revisiting the sense-and-avoid (SAA) capability of the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) after previous efforts have failed to produce a system that works to the service's satisfaction.
A request for information
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South Korea cancels F-16 upgrade contract
South Korea has asked the US government to terminate a contract with BAE Systems to upgrade 134 of the Republic of Korea Air Force's (RoKAF's) Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 50/52 fighter aircraft, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on 5 November.
The contract to be cancelled - a
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US Army deactivating brigade in South Korea, replacing with rotational units
Deactivation of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, in South Korea has been approved by US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, the Pentagon announced on 6 November.
The unit, which has been headquartered in South Korea since 1965, is to be replaced in June 2015 by
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Taiwan's defence minister visits Taiping Island
Taiwan's minister of national defence Yen Ming visited the South China Sea island of Taiping (Itu Aba) on 5 November, a day after the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) wrapped up a two-day live-fire exercise in waters near the disputed Spratly archipelago isle.
It was Yen's first visit to Taiping
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Raytheon begins DARPA CAS programme tests, plans live fire
Key Points
Live-fire tests using an A-10 are expected to begin early next year
A-10's potential retirement would have no effect on PCAS, which is designed to reduce the kill chain from 60 to 6 minutes using any combat aircraft
Raytheon has begun flight tests of the US Defense Advanced Research
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Polish president approves 2014 National Security Strategy
Poland's updated national security strategy was formally approved on 5 November by president Bronislaw Komorowski.
The formal signing of the document - which replaced the previous national security strategy of 2009 - follows the adoption of the strategy by Poland's Council of Ministers on 21
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Lockheed Martin says Israel considering additional C-130Js
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) might expand its fleet of C-130J Hercules fleet to up to nine aircraft, a senior Lockheed Martin executive said in Israel on 4 November.
The IAF has already taken delivery of two C-130Js, a contract has been signed for another two and advanced talks are underway to
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Indodefence 2014: Rheinmetall signs sustainment MoU with Pindad, debuts Marder APC in Asia
Rheinmetall Landsysteme of Germany has delivered 28 refurbished Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) to Indonesia out of the 42 vehicles to be supplied under the terms of a contract signed in December 2012, officials told IHS Jane's at Indodefence 2014 in Jakarta.
A further eight Marder 1A3
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IndoDefence 2014: DSME hints at Canadian destroyer interest
Key Points
South Korean shipbuilder DSME indicates potential RCN interest in the company's destroyers
The RCN announced in September that it was retiring two destroyers early to allocate resources to new ship acquisitions
South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering
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India's MTA tender closes with only one bidder
Only one of eight vendors bid for the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) USD2 billion Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) tender by the extended 28 October deadline.
An Airbus Defence and Space and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) team, designated the Indian Production Agency (IPA), has offered the
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