Israel's Arrow 3 ballistic missile defence system is "very close" to being operational, a senior Israel Air Force (IAF) officer said on 25 February.
The successful Arrow 3 interception test carried out in December 2015 has brought forward the system's initial operating capability date,
Israel to have final tier of multilayered ballistic missile defence in place by 2017
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French conduct first night air-to-air helicopter refuelling
The French Air Force has qualified its first pilots in night-time helicopter air-to-air refuelling (AAR) missions, following a week of trials in partnership with the United States Air Force (USAF).
The trials in France involved Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracals from the Escadron
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Canada to deploy Air Task Force, CF-18s to Romania
Canada's Department of National Defence on 25 February announced it would deploy about 100 Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) personnel and four Boeing F/A-18C (CF-18) Hornet aircraft to Constanta, Romania, for about a month.
The deployment is scheduled to begin the first week of March. RCAF units
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AFA 2016: USAF reveals first B-21 bomber image
Key Points
The USAF's new long-range strike bomber has been designated the B-21
The designation recognises the aircraft as the first bomber of the 21st century
The US Air Force's (USAF's) new long-range strike bomber (LRS-B) has been designated the B-21, a senior service official announced on 26
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AFA 2016: Lockheed Martin says USAF F-35 order reduction will not hurt cost
The US Air Force's (USAF's) plan to delay the purchase of 45 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) A-model Lockheed Martin Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters for five years should not undermine efforts to lower the unit cost of the aircraft, a top company official said at the Air Force
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Italy's Caesar special mission helo enters service
AgustaWestland's HH-101A Caesar (AW101) special mission helicopter formally entered service with the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana: AMI) on 25 February.
The milestone, which occurred just under a year after the type made its maiden flight on 19 March 2015, was marked by a
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Turkey to receive BLU-109 penetrator bomb parts
Turkey is to receive an undisclosed number of BLU-109 2,000 lb penetrator bomb parts under a USD682.9 million contract awarded by the US Department of Defense (DoD) on 26 February.
The contract, which was awarded to Ellwood National Forge Company and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems,
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Thailand deepens defence trade and industry links with Russia and Belarus
Thailand has strengthened defence trade and industry links with Russia and Belarus as it continues to diversify its defence suppliers following the military coup in 2014.
Prawit Wongsuwon, Thailand's defence minister and deputy prime minister, visited Moscow and Minsk during 23-27 February, and in
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Pentagon officials expect larger role in Iraqi effort to retake Mosul
The US military expects to play a larger role in upcoming Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) operations to retake Mosul, following a similar joint and international effort that recaptured Al-Ramadi.
US personnel are currently "working with the Iraqi forces to prepare forces for the envelopment and
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Croatia approves OH-58D buy
Croatia has approved the procurement of 16 surplus OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopters from the United States, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 25 February.
The plan to buy a squadron of OH-58D helicopters and three simulators is valued at HRK286 million (USD41 million),
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Boeing, Lockheed will not continue LRS-B contract challenges
Boeing and Lockheed Martin will not pursue a lawsuit against the US Air Force (USAF) over the service's decision to award its Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) contract to Northrop Grumman, the companies announced on 26 February.
"While we remain firmly convinced of the validity of the issues
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Argentina, France sign defence agreement
Argentine minister of defence Julio Martinez and French minister of foreign affairs Jean-Marc Ayrault on 25 February signed a letter of intent to deepen joint training for their military forces to participate in UN peacekeeping operations, reinforce technology and knowledge transfers (especially to
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USD12 billion HMS radio contract moves programme towards full rate production
Key Points
The US Army's HMS test phase is set to begin in second quarter FY 2017
General Dynamics has recently demonstrated the MUOS capability with its Manpack radio
The US Army awarded General Dynamics, Harris, and Rockwell Collins a potential USD12.725 billion ten-year indefinite
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China's Y-20 transport aircraft may enter service in 2016
The appearance on Chinese military webpages of the fifth prototype of the Xian Aircraft Corporation (XAC) Y-20 heavy strategic transport aircraft has prompted suggests that it could enter People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) service as early as this year.
Reportedly flown for the first time
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US seeks Pakistan nuclear reduction, but Pakistani officials demur
The United States hopes to convince Pakistan to scale back its nuclear armament programmes, but Pakistani officials suggested this is unlikely unless rival India does so first.
Sartaj Aziz, adviser to Pakistan's prime minister on foreign affairs, told reporters on 1 March that "if India does
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US and Russia hold further talks on flight safety over Syria
The United States and Russia have held further talks related to the operational safety of their respective combat aircraft operating over Syria.
Officials from the US Department of Defense (DoD) and Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) held a video conference on 29 February to discuss the ongoing
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Tecnobit to open Brazilian artillery simulator
Spain's Tecnobit said it hopes by the end of April to open what the engineering company claims would be the largest and most advanced artillery simulation centre in Latin America.
A first phase was opened in February at the Agulhas Negras Military Academy (AMAN) at Resende, near Rio de Janeiro. It
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Pakistan argues for US F-16C/D sale approval
Pakistani officials are making their case in Washington for buying more Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52 Fighting Falcons, a deal that some in Congress are against, by highlighting the combat aircraft's counter-terrorism and precision strike applications.
The US Department of State on 12 February
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Orbital ATK revenues rise in first year since merger
US space and defence systems provider Orbital ATK released financial results on 29 February, reporting annual revenues of USD4,369 million for 2015. While under the United State's Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) the company reports an extremely large 31.4% rise in annual sales, under
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Myanmar Army poised for new offensive against insurgents
Key Points
The Myanmar Army has reinforced garrisons across the country's contested northeast region
The build-up appears to be in preparation for offensives against the two most active insurgent forces in the region: the TNLA and the MNDAA
The Myanmar Army has carried out large-scale deployments
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