ANALYSIS
Lebanon's militant Shia group, Hizbullah, has constructed an airstrip in the northern Bekaa Valley for its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), an analysis of satellite images suggests.
Located in a remote and sparsely populated area 10 km south of the town of Hermel and 18 km west of the
Hizbullah airstrip revealed
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Denel, South Korea in talks to integrate Al-Tariq bomb kit on FA-50s
Denel Dynamics, the missile and UAV division of South Africa's Denel, is in talks with South Korea about integrating the Al-Tariq precision-guided bomb kit with the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 light fighter, a senior company executive has disclosed.
Thiens Botha, the company's product
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US State Dept 'blocks M777's use in South African firing demo'
The US State Department made a last-minute intervention to prevent the inclusion of an M777 155 mm ultra-lightweight towed howitzer at a defence exhibition in South Africa, informed sources have told IHS Jane's .
The M777, manufactured in the US by BAE Systems, was to have been a highlight of a
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Pentagon pitches innovation, cyber deterrence
The secretary of defence traveled nearly 3,000 miles to deliver a pair of messages to Silicon Valley on 24 April: we need your help developing the innovations that will maintain a US military advantage, and the backbone of that capability will be undone if cyber experts do not help the Pentagon
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EU reviews East African missions
The EU's foreign policy wing, the European External Action Service (EEAS), is reviewing the mandates of its security-oriented missions along East Africa's coast with an eye to giving them the flexibility to respond to crises in the region.
The review will be ready by the end of 2015, according to a
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Chile takes delivery of first of two stop-gap C-130s
The Chilean Air Force (FACh) took delivery of a Lockheed Martin KC-130R Hercules in mid-April, as confirmed by social media images available since 20 April.
The KC-130R is a former USMC aircraft offered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency as an Excess Defense Article (EDA) in September
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US-Japan revise defence alliance 'guidelines' for first time in 18 years
Key Points
Japan can now deploy in support of US operations without specific legislation
The guidelines boost Tokyo's involvement in maritime and missile defence
The United States and Japan agreed upon new 'defence guidelines' during so-called 2+2 talks in New York City on 27 April, as Japan
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Taliban launches spring offensive with Kunduz attacks
Taliban insurgents marked the start of the spring offensive with attacks in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz on 24 April, according to the province's acting governor.
Mohammad Omar Safi told the TOLOnews TV channel that the insurgents had seized several villages and currently held territory
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SAF makes inaugural deployment of personnel from newly formed HADR centre
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has deployed two C-130 Hercules aircraft and a team of six personnel from the newly established Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Co-ordination Centre (RHCC) to Nepal following the major earthquake there.
The quake, which measured
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Russian armaments programme facing course correction, report states
Up to one third of Russia's planned military procurement projects may have to be postponed or even cancelled, according to a report issued by the Moscow-based think tank, the Centre for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST).
It expects that the current State Armaments Programme
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RBC acquires Sargent Aerospace & Defense
US ball-bearing manufacturer RBC Bearings announced on 26 March that it had agreed to acquire Sargent Aerospace and Defense from manufacturing firm Dover Corporation for USD500 million.
The deal, which is financed through cash and senior debt, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2015.
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Netherlands to conduct engine maintenance for Italian F-35s
The Netherlands signed an agreement with Italy to provide engine maintenance for the latter's F-35s, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence announced on 22 April.
The Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Italy in 2006 whereby Dutch F-35s would be assembled in Cameri, Italy,
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Mexico begins to receive upgraded Hercules
Cascade Aerospace officially delivered the first modernised Lockheed Martin C-130K-30 Hercules to the Mexican Air Force (FAM) on 23 April, according to a Rockwell Collins statement.
The aircraft is part of a government-to-government agreement between the Secretariat of National Defence (SEDENA) and
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Mexican T-6C+ crashes during aerobatic display, crew ejects safely
A Mexican Air Force (FAM) Beechcraft T-6C+ Texan II (serial 6602) crashed on 25 April while performing a three-aircraft aerobatic display during the closing ceremony of the Mexican Aerospace Fair 2015 in BAM-1 Santa Lucia airbase in Mexico State.
Both crew ejected safely and are reported without
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Atlantis develops long-range 40 mm grenade
The Atlantis Corporation in South Africa has developed an innovative long-range 40x46 mm grenade that is compatible with standard low-velocity grenade launchers.
Atlantis previously developed a medium-velocity grenade propulsion system that it sold to German interests, and has since been working on
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Saudi national guard deploys to Yemeni border
The Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) has been ordered to deploy to the Najran region to help defend the kingdom's border with Yemen, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on 26 April.
It said the SANG forces being deployed included a mechanised infantry brigade as well as artillery, air
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New Pakistan air chief hails F-16s' role in North Waziristan campaign
The Pakistan Air Force's (PAF's) four F-16 squadrons are now involved in supporting the army's campaign against the Taliban in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA).
Since the PAF started working closer with the army back in mid-2008 its F-16s have doubled in number and capabilities.
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Turkey issues RfI for armed MALE/HALE UAV
Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) released a request for information (RfI) on 28 April for the procurement of an armed medium- or high-altitude long-endurance (MALE or HALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to meet the urgent requirement of the Turkish Air Force Command.
The SSM
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Swedish Air Force learns lessons for successful 'Atalanta' deployment with the Netherlands
The inaugural operational deployment of Swedish Air Force (SwAF) helicopters aboard a foreign naval vessel has proven to be a major success, despite the service having to learn a number of lessons on interoperability in its early days, a senior officer told reporters on 27 April.
Commander Per
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OSCE reports heavy fighting, rebel forces massing near Mariupol
There is currently "intense fighting" occurring near Shyrokyne, a small coastal town 20 km east of Mariupol, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine reported on 26 April.
From two observation posts, the OSCE team observed 69
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