A meeting of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) in Brussels, at ambassadorial level, is set for 26 October, Czech General Petr Pavel, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, confirmed on 25 October.
The discussions are part of the NRC's regular meetings and the topics this time are to include the
NATO-Russia Council to discuss Ukraine, transparency, and Afghanistan
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Israel lifts Apache grounding
Israel has lifted a grounding order for its fleet of Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters that was imposed following a fatal crash earlier this year.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) on 23 October announced that it had the day before begun a “gradual return” to flight operations for its 23
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Eyeing Russia, NATO ministers to consider new Atlantic and logistics commands
NATO defence ministers during a quarterly meeting in November will consider establishing new commands to improve logistics in Europe and for better securing the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
NATO officials are increasingly worried that Russia could complicate the alliance’s movements at sea
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F-35 increasingly driving Lockheed profitability
Shipments and bookings of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter drove strong third quarter sales increases at Lockheed Martin, the company reported on 24 October.
The company shipped out 15 of the aircraft during the period and 44 during the first nine months. That compares
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Defence companies refuse to co-operate with UK over charging watchdog
Several suppliers are still not co-operating with the UK government’s regime to prevent overcharging on single source or non-competitive defence contracts, according to a report by the country’s spending watchdog.
The National Audit Office (NAO) also revealed that to date, the UK
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UK re-approves ‘new munitions capability’ for Saudi Arabia
The UK government has re-approved a license to deliver “a new munitions capability” to Saudi Arabia, according to documentation released by the Department of International Trade (DIT) in October.
The DIT stated that, in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, the government approved
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Russian Navy to build third Yantar intelligence ship
The head of the Russian Ministry of Defence Directorate of Deep Water Research, has revealed that a third Project 22010 intelligence ship is to be built at Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad.
Construction will begin in 2020, following the completion of the second in class, Almaz , in 2019, according to
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Low serviceability leads to Bulgarian pilots refusing to fly MiG-29s
Bulgarian Air Force (BuAF) MiG-29 pilots on 24 October stopped all scheduled flight activities other than quick reaction alert (QRA) from Graf Ignatievo air base, near Plovdiv, in south-central Bulgaria. This is a culmination of the crisis in BuAF supersonic aviation, which since late 2014 has been
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IDF places first Spike LR II missile order
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has ordered more than 1,000 Spike LR II missiles, manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced on 24 October.
“The addition of the Spike LR II will enhance both its infantry engagement range and its lethality against a large variety of targets,”
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Afghanistan to receive six more Super Tucanos
Afghanistan is to receive a further six Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC)–Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light-attack turboprops under a deal announced on 25 October.
The aircraft will add to the 20 already received by the Afghan Air Force (AAF). Of these, 12 have so far been delivered to
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Northrop Grumman withdraws from US Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray UCAAS competition
Key Points
Northrop Grumman announces it will not bid for the US Navy’s MQ-25 programme
The company was considered the favourite to win the competition
Northrop Grumman will not bid for the US Navy’s (USN) MQ-25 Stingray Unmanned Carrier Aviation Air System (UCAAS) competition,
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US Army’s Kestrel Eye micro satellite deploys in space
The US Army’s Kestrel Eye electro-optical (EO) micro satellite, which the service hopes can improve situational awareness for brigade combat teams, was deployed into space and activated on 24 October, Army Space and Missile Command announced on 25 October.
Kestrel Eye is, for now, a
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US again stresses FONOPS in Western Pacific
The United States now has three carrier groups in the Pacific amid heightened tensions in the region and as US President Donald Trump readies for a trip there, but the Pentagon said the timing was coincidental.
US officials said the concentration of carrier forces is due simply to a confluence of
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New Dutch defence minister faces major challenges
Ank Bijleveld officially became minister of defence of the Netherlands on 26 October 2017. On the website of the Dutch government, the Christian Democrat said she wants to restore trust in the Dutch armed forces within the ranks and with the public, and that an additional EUR1.5 billion (USD1.2
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Indian Navy plans permanent presence in IOR to counter Chinese influence
Key Points
The Indian Navy is looking to establish a permanent presence in the IOR
Deployments to the IOR are intended to counter the PLAN's growing influence in the region
The Indian Navy (IN) has announced plans to permanently position mission-ready warships and surveillance aircraft along
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GAO upholds protest of towed array facility task order award
The US Navy (USN) “misevaluated” proposals to operate the service’s towed array facility in Newport, Rhode Island, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General said in a report upholding a protest of the deal.
L3 Unidyne of Norfolk, Virginia, had protested a
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Dutch officer commands German panzer battalion for first time
A Dutch officer has become commander of the German Army’s Panzerbataillon (Tank Battalion) 414 for the first time. The Bundeswehr described this as “historic” and the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MinDef) said it was “a next step” in the integration of the Dutch
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Commercial payloads on excess ICBM motor rockets threaten small launch providers
Key Points
The Pentagon expanding excess ICBM motor launches to commercial payloads threatens small rocket makers
It could undercut their business models
Companies developing rockets for payloads weighing up to 400 kg are being threatened by the US Air Force’s (USAF's) pursuit of rideshares
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China's J-20 fifth-gen fighter moves into series production
Key Points
The CAC J-20 fifth-generation fighter will soon move into series production, according to a CCTV report
The type may be brought into service before achieving FOC
The Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC) J-20 ‘fifth-generation’ multirole fighter will soon enter series
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Australia calls for submissions to defense industry catalogue
Australia’s Ministry of Defence has called on the country’s military industries to apply for inclusion in the 2018 edition of the Australian Military Sales Equipment Catalogue; a brochure intended to drive international sales of Australian materiel and services.
The first edition of the
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