Switzerland is to introduce a beefed-up air policing capability that will run for the next five years, the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sport (DDPS) announced on 1 December.
Two armed Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fighters will be placed on 15-minute readiness to intercept
Switzerland to strengthen air defence coverage
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Russia to receive second-generation Il-80 airborne command post
Russia's United Instrument-manufacturing Corporation (UIC) will deliver a second-generation modernised Ilyushin Il-80 'Maxdome' airborne command post to the Russian military before the end of the year, a representative of the Rostec subsidiary told IHS Jane's .
"The first airborne command post
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Pentagon details new SOF 'expeditionary targeting force' for Iraq
New details have emerged about the so-called expeditionary targeting force (ETF) that the Pentagon is deploying to Iraq for direct action missions to capture or kill members of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
The ETF - a previously unknown or unused moniker - appears similar to the US
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New Zealand Defence Force selects Glock 17 pistol
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has ordered the Glock 17 Gen4 semi-automatic pistol as its new service pistol.
A NZD1.8 million (USD1.19 million) contract has been placed with Australian company NIOA Nominees for delivery of 1,900 of the 9x19 mm pistols. The contract includes the handguns,
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India has lost 30 military helos over last five years, Parrikar admits
Twenty-eight Indian military helicopters have crashed since 2010, Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar told parliament on 1 December.
Additionally, two Russian-origin Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 'Hip' helicopters also crashed - in 2012 and in 2014 - while on flood relief operations, but were
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Germany receives second A400M airlifter
Germany has received into service its second Airbus Defence and Space A400M Atlas transport aircraft, the company announced on 2 December.
The aircraft was handed over to the German Air Force during a ceremony at the final assembly line in Seville, Spain, just less than a year after the first
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UK begins strikes against Islamic State in Syria
Key Points
The UK began strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria on 2 December
To support the mission it will double the number of combat aircraft previously deployed to the region for strikes against Islamic State in Iraq
The United Kingdom began strikes against the Islamic State in Syria
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US Army grounds helos after fatal crashes
Key Points
The US Army has grounded domestically based combat helicopters following a string of fatal accidents
The four-day stand-down will allow the army to review flight-mission briefing processes, unit pre-accident plans, and aircraft maintenance procedures
The US Army on 3 December grounded
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UPDATE: MQ-8C Fire Scout UAS completes operational assessment
Key Points
The MQ-8C variant of Fire Scout has completed a three-week operational assessment to evaluate its performance, endurance, and reliability
The operational assessment included 11 flight test events
Northrop Grumman's MQ-8C variant of the US Navy's (USN's) Fire Scout vertical take-off
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UK on course to declare Puma HC2 fully operational by end of the year
The United Kingdom is on course to declare full-operating capability (FOC) for its newly upgraded Westland/Aerospatiale SA 330E Puma HC2 medium transport helicopters by the end of the year, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed to IHS Jane's on 4 December.
With the last of the 24 upgraded
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South Korean defence budget falls short of defence ministry's request
South Korea's National Assembly approved on 3 December a 2016 defence budget of KRW38.8 trillion (USD33.5 billion), representing a decrease against the expenditure earlier requested by the Ministry of National Defense (MND).
According to the MND, the approved expenditure represents a 3.6% increase
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Russian Air Force receives first Il-76MD-90A airlifter
The Russian Air Force (Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily Rossii/VVS) took delivery of its first Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A transport aircraft on 3 December, the aircraft's design bureau announced.
The aircraft, which is the first of an expected 30 upgraded Il-76 'Candid' airlifters to be built through to 2020, was
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Reliance applies for more defence industry licences
India's Reliance Infrastructure has reportedly applied for an additional 16 defence industry licences to reaffirm its position as the country's most ambitious private-sector defence company.
The new licences are being sought just two weeks after Reliance and its 12 defence companies - all of which
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Posturing continues in the South and East China Seas
While not directly related, on 24 November there were reports of simultaneous political or military posturing in the South and East China Seas by Taiwan, China, and Japan, all intended to strengthen their respective territorial claims.
A report in Taipei's Apple Daily on 24 November revealed
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Peru and Finland sign defence technology agreement
Finnish permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence Arto Räty led a delegation to San Borja, Peru on 3 December, where the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence co-operation.
The agreement, which aims to foster co-operation on science and technology for
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Obituary: Menno Steketee
It is with great sadness that IHS Jane's reports the death of Menno Steketee, our long-serving and much respected correspondent in the Netherlands.
Menno was a contributor to Jane's publications for over a decade, being first bylined in Jane's Intelligence Review in November 2003, Jane's Navy
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NATO allies approve measures to boost Turkish security
The 28 allies have committed to boosting Turkey's security while augmenting the international fight against the Islamic State, after a 1-2 December meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
"The challenges from the south are grave and complex," declared NATO Secretary General Jens
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IAI to consider reorganisation following disappointing Q3
Israeli state-owned defence company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) recorded falling sales in the third quarter of 2015, according to financial results published on 2 December. Compared to the same period in 2014, sales were 11% lower, at USD828 million.
Gross quarterly profits generated by IAI
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Helibras concludes first Exocet missile integration tests for Brazilian AH-15B
Brazilian helicopter specialist Helibras, a local operation of Airbus Helicopters, has concluded a three-week testing phase for integration of MBDA's Exocet AM 39 Block 2 Mod 2 anti-ship missile and tactical data management system that is to equip the reconnaissance and anti-surface warfare variant
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Germany approves mission to support strikes against Islamic State
The German parliament (Bundestag) voted in favour of supporting French and coalition operations against the Islamic State on 4 December.
German forces will play a supporting and enabling role, rather than conducting strikes themselves. In total the deployment of some 1,200 German personnel has been
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