Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik was replaced by Nurettin Canikli, one of the deputy prime ministers, in a cabinet reshuffle on 19 July. Isik is now a deputy prime minister.
This was followed on 21 July by the first appointments by Turkey’s civilian Interior Ministry to the
Turkey replaces defence minister as first-ever gendarmerie appointments are made by civilian government
↧
↧
Nigerian Air Force builds up training capabilities
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is strengthening its training capabilities to meet the demands of a major expansion that has involved reactivating and procuring fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters in recent years. This has resulted in a need for additional aircrews and prompted the NAF to send officers
↧
Lynx Wildcat production to remain in UK
Leonardo Helicopters is to retain production of its AgustaWestland AW159 Lynx Wildcat at the company's Yeovil facility in the United Kingdom, the government announced on 25 July.
The Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin, said that future Wildcat fabrication will stay in the United
↧
Jordan receives additional Black Hawk helos
The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) has received into service a further two Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk helicopters to augment the 24 it already fields.
The event, which was announced by the US Embassy in Jordan on 23 July, involved the delivery of helicopters to Jordan aboard a US Air Force (USAF)
↧
India considers liberalising foreign investment rules for defence
Key Points
The move is intended to stimulate massive investment over the next five years
Reports indicate that liberalisation will look to support key defence segments
The government of India is considering moves to further liberalise foreign direct investment (FDI) rules for defence. The move is
↧
↧
IAF loses 29 aircraft in accidents over five years
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has lost 29 aircraft in accidents over the past five years due to “technical defects and human error”, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre told the Indian Parliament on 21 July.
Bhamre said that the losses incurred between April 2012 and July 2017
↧
F-35 tracking to SDD flight trials completion by end of year
Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) are on track to compete System Design and Development (SDD) flight testing of the Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme before the end of the year, it was announced on 25 July.
The remaining development flight testing includes
↧
EU extends 'Sophia' naval mission in Mediterranean to end of 2018
The European Union is prolonging operations of its naval mission in the central Mediterranean for another 18 months. The move comes in recognition of the growing problems of human smuggling and other security problems afflicting the region.
The EU Council agreed on 25 July to extend the mandate of
↧
Dozens killed in Kabul car bomb attack
Dozens of people were killed when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBEID) was detonated on 24 July in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in the latest in a series of attacks carried out by the Taliban militant group in recent months.
A Taliban suicide bomber triggered the VBEID at 06:50 h local
↧
↧
Czech Senate endorses Czech-Slovak Joint Skies air defence initiative
The Czech Senate on 20 June voted to support the proposed Joint Skies air defence initiative between the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The senate is expected to ratify the agreement in early September.
The Slovak parliament voted in favour of ratification in June, pending a Czech parliament decision
↧
China aims to be a world leader in artificial intelligence
Key Points
State Council announces long-term plan to boost country’s AI industry
Programme positioned to benefit China’s civil-military integration strategy
China’s State Council has announced a long-term plan to become a world leader in artificial intelligence (AI), with the
↧
Beijing says intercept of USN reconnaissance aircraft over East China Sea was ‘necessary’
China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) has said that the 23 July intercept carried out by two Chinese fighters of a US Navy (USN) EP-3E Aries II electronic reconnaissance aircraft over the East China Sea was “legal, necessary, and professional”.
MND spokesperson Ren Guoqiang
↧
China to take extra measures on border amid stand-off with India
China has warned India that it will defend its territorial sovereignty "at all costs" and step up “targeted deployment” as the nuclear-armed neighbours remain locked in a stand-off over a border dispute that has lasted more than a month.
Speaking at a press conference on 24
↧
↧
US researches heavy icebreakers designs at Canadian NRC
The Canadian National Research Council (NRC) hosted senior personnel from a variety of US agencies involved in the acquisition programme for US heavy polar icebreakers. Representatives from the US Navy (USN), Coast Guard (USCG), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology
↧
US lawmaker proposes USD5 million boost for Commercial Weather Data Pilot programme
Key Points
A lawmaker wants to increase the Air Force’s budget for a commercial weather data pilot
GAO has reported that the Pentagon faces gaps in weather coverage as systems age
A US lawmaker has proposed a USD5 million boost in the Air Force’s (USAF) research, development, test,
↧
UK’s Defence External Innovation Advisory Panel has first meeting
The UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD's) Defence External Innovation Advisory Panel held its first meeting on 24 July. The panel, composed of a group of outside experts tasked with providing guidance on adding innovation to MoD, was formed by the ministry in February.
The panel is composed of
↧
Trump administration opposes House measure funding MOX nuclear facility
Key Points
The White House 'strongly opposes' a House effort to continue funding the MOX plutonium disposition programme
House and Senate appropriators are at odds over funding the controversial facility
The White House is backing a US Department of Energy (DoE) request, once again, for Congress
↧
↧
RDEL launches first two Project 21 NOPVs for Indian Navy
The first two of five Project 21 naval offshore patrol vessels (NOPVs) on order for the Indian Navy (IN) for INR25 billion (USD388 million) were launched by Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited (RDEL) on 25 July at the company’s Pipavav shipyard in India's westernmost state of Gujarat.
↧
Naval Group buoyed by major projects
France’s Naval Group (formerly DCNS) has revealed significant increases in its figures following on from a number of programme successes.
Order intake for the first half of 2017 more than doubled year-on-year from EUR1.26 billion (USD1.47 billion) in 2016 to EUR2.61 billion, with sales
↧
More than two dozen Afghan soldiers killed in Taliban attack on army base
At least 26 Afghan soldiers were killed and 13 others injured when Taliban fighters stormed an army base in the southern province of Kandahar on the night of 25/26 July in the latest in a series of deadly attacks carried out by the insurgent group across Afghanistan in recent weeks.
The militants
↧
More Pages to Explore .....
