The White House has declined to confirm reports that it has blocked the sale of bomb guidance kits to Saudi Arabia. The New York Times on 13 December cited administration officials as saying that the White House had decided to block the sale by Raytheon of about 16,000 guided munition kits to Saudi
White House reportedly blocks Saudi PGM sale
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EU's Galileo satnav system goes online
Galileo, the EU-owned satellite navigation system, declared its initial operating capability on 15 December.
Aside from its civilian locational- and time-dependent users, the system provides a secure channel, known as its 'public regulated service' (PRS) for Europe's public-sector users, from first
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Russia deploys Su-30SM fighters to Kaliningrad
Russia has boosted the military capabilities located in its Kaliningrad enclave with the arrival on 13 December of the first Sukhoi Su-30SM 'Flanker' combat aircraft to be fielded by the Baltic Fleet.
A single Su-30SM, one of the most advanced variants of the Flanker currently to be fielded by the
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Kuwait Abrams tank upgrade package announced
Kuwait intends to upgrade its fleet of 218 M1A2 Abrams tanks to significantly improve their crews' ability to respond to infantry threats while remaining protected inside the vehicle by adding a remote weapon station (RWS) and a .50-calibre machine gun mounted externally on the main gun.
The plan
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Fight for west Mosul likely harder, as counter-Islamic State operations progress
Key Points
US officials hope fighting will soon ease in eastern Mosul, allowing Iraqi forces to reset and focus on the city's western districts
The US-led counter-Islamic State coalition is meanwhile adding resources to train far more Syrian forces to retake Raqqa
Iraqi and US-led coalition
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SM-6 salvo tested against medium-range ballistic missile
The Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) Dual I and its associated weapon systems were tested against a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) target on 14 December, according to the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
MDA and sailors aboard USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), an Aegis baseline 9.C1 equipped destroyer,
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Chile favours Lockheed Martin Canada for frigate midlife upgrade
Lockheed Martin Canada has been identified as the preferred option to become the main contractor on a midlife upgrade programme for Chile's three British-built Type 23 frigates, sources in Santiago told IHS Jane's .
The sources said firms bidding for the contract, potentially worth up to USD1
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USAF lifts veil on Compass Call operations against the Islamic State
The US Air Force (USAF) is employing its Lockheed Martin-BAE Systems EC-130H Compass Call special mission Hercules aircraft in the Middle East to "disorientate" the Islamic State by "inducing massive confusion and friction" into their operations.
The disclosure, which was made
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NATO group agrees on joint purchases of US guided bombs
Eight European nations led by Denmark agreed on a legal framework through which the NATO members hope to jointly buy precision-guided munitions (PGMs) from the United States.
Besides Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Spain also signed the memorandum of
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China to receive first batch of Su-35s from Russia by end of 2016, says report
China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is set to receive the first four of 24 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 'Flanker-E' multirole fighters before the end of 2016, Russia's TASS news agency reported on 14 December.
"The first four Sukhoi Su-35s are to fly over to China by 25
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US rules out mechanical failure in Osprey crash off Okinawa
The crash-landing of a Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft off the coast of Okinawa on 13 December was not the result of mechanical failure, the Jiji Press news agency quoted US Lieutenant General Lawrence Nicholson, commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Forces Japan, as
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South Korea's Hanwha secures Polish K9 export
South Korean firm Hanwha Techwin has secured a KRW280 billion (USD263 million) contract from Poland to supply its K9 Thunder 155 mm/52-calibre self-propelled tracked howitzer, the company has announced.
In a filing to the Korean Exchange on 15 December, Hanwha Techwin said the deal features the
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Myanmar commissions transport aircraft, helos
The Myanmar Air Defence Force (Tatmadaw Lay) commissioned four Airbus Helicopters H120 (formerly designated EC120 B) Colibri helicopters and four Beechcraft 1900D utility transport aircraft in a ceremony to mark the service's 69th anniversary at Meiktila Air Base on 15 December, according to a
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Loss of crew situational awareness caused fatal Puma helo crash in Afghanistan, report finds
A service inquiry has found that a loss of crew situational awareness was the most significant contributory cause of the crash of a Royal Air Force (RAF) Westland/Aerospatiale SA 330E Puma HC2 medium transport helicopter in Afghanistan in October 2015, with the loss of five of the nine personnel on
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India secures around USD1 million in defence FDI in three years
India has attracted less than USD1 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the defence sector over the past three fiscal years, India's defence minister Manohar Parrikar has disclosed.
In a recent parliamentary reply, Parrikar said that since fiscal year 2013/14 India's defence sector has
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Fallon confirms USMC F-35s to join maiden deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth
The UK defence secretary confirmed on 15 December previously revealed plans to have the US Marine Corps (USMC) embark aboard the Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier on its maiden operational deployment in 2021.
The announcement was made by Michael Fallon during a meeting in London
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Australia declares IOC for C-27J fleet
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has declared initial operating capability (IOC) for its fleet of Alenia Aermacchi C-27J Spartan transport aircraft.
The announcement by the Minister for Defence, Marise Payne, on 16 December that IOC has now been declared marks a major milestone in Australia's
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NATO's silence on the purge of Turkey's military carries risks for all
Key Points
The vast majority of Turkish officers serving with NATO in July have since been purged by the Turkish government
NATO's silence on the issue risks undermining the alliance's credibility, NATO sources state
Turkey's massive purge of its military since the country's alleged coup attempt
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BAE Systems rolls out first AMPV prototype for US Army
BAE Systems unveiled its first prototype Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), a general-purpose variant, during a 15 December ceremony at the company's facility in York, Pennsylvania.
"Deliveries of the prototype vehicles will continue into 2017, and developmental testing will run through
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US Navy study shows need for 355-ship fleet
A just-completed US Navy (USN) 2016 Force Structure Assessment (FSA) shows the USN needs a fleet of 355 ships to meet demand and needs, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said, about 14% more than the fleet is slated to have within the next two years or so.
The service now has a fleet of 273 ships,
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