China People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has increased the frequency of its far-sea training activities from four times a year in 2015 to several times a week at present, the China Military Online website quoted PLAAF spokesperson Senior Colonel Shen Jinke as saying on 25 July.
PLAAF increasing far-sea training frequency to boost combat capability
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Japan's defence minister resigns
Japan's Defence Minister Tomomi Inada resigned on 28 July following allegations of a cover-up at her ministry of sensitive logs detailing the activities of Japanese troops operating as UN peacekeepers in South Sudan.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Tokyo had been under heavy criticism over
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India deploys C-130J-30 transports near disputed border with China
The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed in mid-July two of its five Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 military transport aircraft to Panagarh in eastern India to support Indian Army (IA) deployments along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LoAC) with China.
Official sources told Jane’s on 28 July that
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Estonia to host first ever cyber attack exercise for EU defence ministers
Estonia plans to hold a cyber training exercise for Europe defence ministers to test how they would deal with the fallout from a major cyber attack. Estonia currently holds the EU rotating six-month presidency until end of 2017.
The strategic table-top exercise, dubbed ‘EU CYBRID 2017’,
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Australia’s ASC opens upgraded submarine facility
State-owned Australian naval shipbuilder ASC opened an upgraded submarine support facility in Western Australia on 31 July.
According to the Australian government, the upgrade will enhance efficiencies in sustaining the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) Collins-class submarines,
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Russia lays keels of two Project 636.3 submarines for Pacific Fleet
On 28 July the Admiralty Shipyards, a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), laid down the keels of two Project 636.6 Varshavyanka improved Kiloclass diesel-electric submarines – the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and Volkhov – for the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet.
At
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Pakistan commissions third Azmat-class patrol vessel
The Pakistan Navy commissioned its third Azmat-class missile-capable patrol craft on 28 July.
The vessel, which has been named PNS Himmat with pennant number 1027, was laid down in August 2015, and launched in September 2016 by state-owned company Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Limited
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Croatia to procure Elbit weapon stations
The Croatian ministry of defence (MoD) has approved the acquisition of eight Elbit Systems 30 mm UT30Mk2 remote-controlled weapon stations for its Patria armoured modular vehicles (AMVs), replacing Kongsberg M151 Protector stations.
Elbit was the sole bidder to respond to the procedure, begun on 31
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Israel offers Ghana UAV training
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) announced on 26 July that Israel has offered to train Ghanaian special forces to use tactical surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The GAF statement said the offer was made when Israeli Ambassador to Ghana Ami Mehl and Defence Attache to Africa Colonel Aviezer
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Bulgaria considers Russian assistance in overhauling MiG-29s, Su-25s
The serious delays in the ongoing BGN1.5 billion (USD898 million) process for the acquisition of eight new jet fighters for the Bulgarian Air Force (BuAF) has resulted in the nation's Ministry of Defence (MoD) now seriously considering the possibility of co-operation with the Russian aerospace and
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Argentine Air Force performs first rescue on South Orkney Islands
Performing the first landing of a DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft on a glacier in Antarctica’s South Orkney Islands, in the middle of the local winter, the Argentine Air Force succeeded in a risky rescue operation on 29 July.
An Argentine Navy non-commissioned officer sustained fractures in both
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US Army to modernise existing CONUS land mobile radio system
Key Points
The five-year effort will link all US Army bases
The army wants to move from proprietary systems to open standards
Harris and Motorola Solutions will each upgrade and modernise the existing US Army land mobile radio system infrastructure, as well as replace systems with the latest
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US approves Swiss Hornet upgrades
The US State Department has approved upgrades to Switzerland's fleet of Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet fighters, valued at USD115 million.
The upgrades, which were announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 28 July, centre on a service-life extension programme (SLEP) for the fleet.
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Oman receives first Hawk jet trainers
The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) has received into the service the first two of eight BAE Systems Hawk Mk 166 advanced jet trainers (AJTs), the government announced on 29 July.
The aircraft arrived from BAE Systems’ Warton production facility at Masirah Air Base on Masirah Island, launching
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North Korea claims second ICBM test launch shows all of US is within range
North Korea test-fired a second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on 28 July, claiming that the test verified that the entire United States is now within range of its missiles.
The land-based ICBM, which was launched from an area near Mupyong-ni in north-central Chagang Province at around
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New US aircraft carrier performs first aircraft launch and recovery with EMALS, AAG
Key Points
USN launches first fighter aircraft from using new EMALS and AAG systems at sea
Initial aircraft were not loaded with heavy wing stores of fuel or munitions and additional testing will continue through 2017
The US Navy (USN) used its General Atomics-built Electromagnetic Aircraft
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Lockheed Martin awarded USD3.7 bn contract modification for F-35 Lot 11
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded a USD3.7 billion modification for a further 50 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft to be built under low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 11.
The contract, which was awarded to the original equipment manufacturer
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Israel unveils Namer turret upgrade
The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) has unveiled a prototype of an upgraded version of its Namer heavy armoured personnel carrier (APC) fitted with a turret that is armed with a 30 mm gun.
In a statement released on 31 July, the MoD said the prototype was developed by its Merkava Tank
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Finalising S-400 agreement with Russia, Turkey rejects NATO interoperablity argument
Turkey’s presidential spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, has said there were only a few minor issues left to be resolved before an agreement with Russia on the purchase of Russian S-400 surface-to-air-missile (SAM) systems.
“The core of it has been agreed,” Kalin told Habertürk
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Brazilian Army postpones 8x8 development decision
An ambitious Brazilian Army plan to locally develop an 8x8 armoured reconnaissance vehicle carrier has been postponed due to budget constraints, an official close to the project told Jane’s . The 8x8 effort may proceed at a later time, but it is not clear when, the source added.
Negotiations
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