The European Parliament overwhelmingly approved on 16 March a draft EU regulation aimed at preventing raw mineral imports into Europe financing armed conflicts. The legislation now goes to the EU's Council of Ministers for formal adoption, which is expected in the coming weeks.
"These rules
European Parliament approves mandatory conflict mineral reporting rules
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Details emerge of major British Army re-organisation
Key Points
A major re-organisation of the British Army is under way
'Army 2020 Refine' will involve the transfer of more than 4,500 soldiers to new units
More than 4,500 soldiers are to be transferred to new units and nearly 40 major units moved as part of the British Army's re-organisation plans
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Colombian military conducts air operations against guerrilla forces
Colombia's Armed Forces have recently conducted two major joint operations against guerrilla forces, using air strikes and helicopter-borne assault forces.
A Colombian military source told Jane's that in the night of 14-15 March, Colombian Air Force (FAC) Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano attack
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Yemeni Coast Guard vessel reportedly hits mine
An unidentified Yemeni Coast Guard vessel reportedly hit a mine in the vicinity of the southern Red Sea port of Al-Mukha (Mocha), the Associated Press reported on 10 January. Unidentified Yemeni officials said two sailors were killed and eight injured.
The report prompted the US Maritime
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Saab, BMT, partner for Colombia frigate bid
Saab has teamed with UK ship design house BMT Defence Services to bid a design solution for Colombia's Plataforma Estratégica de Superfcie (PES) programme based on BMT's Venator-110 frigate design.
The proposal, forming part of a package that would see in-country construction in collaboration
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Russia announces deepest defence budget cuts since 1990s
Figures released by the Russian Federal Treasury have confirmed that Russia's defence budget has been cut by 25.5% for 2017, falling from RUB3.8 trillion (USD65.4 billion) to RUB2.8 trillion.
The reduction represents the largest cut to military expenditure in the country since the early 1990s.
The
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India to fit six new C-130J s with terrain warning system
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is to equip six new Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transport aircraft equipped with the Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS), it was disclosed on 15 March.
A solicitation posted by the US Air Force (USAF) on the US Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) calls for
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China's AVIC looks to invest in the Philippines A&D sector
The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is looking to invest in the Philippines, the Board of Investments (BOI) in Manila has revealed.
In recent comments to the state-run Philippine Information Agency, the BOI's managing director Ceferino Rodolfo said AVIC International, the global
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Pentagon budget 2018: White House unveils USD639 billion DoD request
The White House's fiscal year 2018 (FY 2018) budget outline includes discretionary funding of about USD639 billion for the Department of Defense (DoD) and an estimated USD667 billion for overall national defence funding.
The request, which is likely to be significantly altered by Congress, was
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Israeli Navy training officers for new corvettes
The Israeli Navy has completed its first officer training course that included aspects designed for service on board the four Sa'ar 6-class corvettes that were ordered in 2015.
Also known as the Magen (defender) class, the new ships will be built in Germany by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (tkMS)
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Iraqi forces use weaponised commercial drones
The Iraqi Federal Police (IFP) has become the first government force known to have used weaponised commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), copying a tactic that is being increasingly widely used by the Islamic State militants.
The IFP released a video on its Facebook page on 2 March that was
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Iraq takes delivery of first South Korean jets
Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) commander Lieutenant General Anwar Hamad Amin announced on 16 March that the IqAF has received its first batch of Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 jets.
He said the fighters were delivered with weapons and equipment and would enter service in the near future.
South
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India loses Su-30, Chetak on same day
An Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi Su-30MKI ('Flanker-H') fighter crashed in India's western Rajasthan state during a routine training flight on 15 March, injuring three people on the ground.
The IAF said both crewmembers ejected safely from the twin-engined fighter, which had taken off from Uttarlai
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Raft of new Pentagon appointees announced
The White House named six new nominations for jobs at the Pentagon on 16 March, including a new number two to serve as secretary of defense Jim Mattis' aid.
Patrick Shanahan, a Boeing executive who has worked for both the commercial and defence side of the company, was nominated to serve as deputy
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Portugal to acquire five light helicopters
The Portuguese Ministry of National Defence has authorised the Portuguese Air Force to acquire a number of single-engine, lightweight multi-purpose helicopters.
The procurement, worth a maximum of EUR20.5 million (USD22 million) in line with the Portuguese Military Programming Law 2015-26, comes
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Lithuanian Boxers to be armed with 30 mm MK44 cannons
Orbital ATK Armament Systems has confirmed that the ARTEC Boxer (8x8) infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to be supplied to Lithuania will be armed with its 30 mm MK44 dual-feed cannon.
The company will deliver the first of 90 MK44 cannons in mid-2017 and these will be installed in Rafael Advanced
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ABG says investors interested in acquiring major stake
Indian naval shipbuilder ABG confirmed on 16 March that investors have expressed interest in acquiring a major stake of the company as it looks to offload mounting debt.
The Mumbai-based shipbuilder said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange that its "lenders have invited expressions of
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Yemeni Coast Guard vessel reportedly hits mine
An unidentified Yemeni Coast Guard vessel reportedly hit a mine in the vicinity of the southern Red Sea port of Al-Mukha (Mocha), the Associated Press reported on 10 March. Unidentified Yemeni officials said two sailors were killed and eight injured.
The report prompted the US Maritime
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Boeing awarded USD3.4 billion Apache sales
Boeing has been awarded a USD3.4 billion multiyear contract to supply new-build and remanufactured AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters to the US Army and Saudi Arabia.
This first AH-64E multiyear contract, which was awarded by the US Department of Defense (DoD) on 15 March, covers multiyear
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Strategic risks remain for UK carrier strike
Unresolved technical issues could further delay the entry into service of the UK Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier, Queen Elizabeth , according to a report from the UK government's spending watchdog.
In its 'Delivering Carrier Strike' report, the National Audit Office (NAO) said the UK Ministry of
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