The Afghan Air Force (AAF) took delivery of its fourth and final Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules transport aircraft during a ceremony at Hamid Karzai International Airport (IAP) in Kabul on 20 June.
The arrival of the former US Air Force aircraft from Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas marks
↧
Afghanistan receives full complement of C-130 airlifters
↧
RAN's second Canberra-class LHD sails for first sea trials
The Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) second Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) vessel, the future HMAS Adelaide , has left BAE Systems' shipyard in Williamstown to begin its first sea trials, a company official told IHS Jane's on 23 June.
The 230 m vessel left on the 17 June and is heading
↧
↧
Briefing: Japanese MoD looks to establish new defence agency "as soon as possible"
Japan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) is preparing to establish a new agency before the end of the year to drive enhancements across a range of activities including procurement, production, and exports.
An MoD spokesman confirmed to IHS Jane's on 19 June that the agency will be set up "as soon as
↧
Airbus resumes A400M customer deliveries
Airbus Defence and Space (DS) has resumed deliveries of the A400M Atlas airlifter following the lifting of a grounding order that had been in place since the fatal crash of aircraft MSN023 in May.
The first production-standard aircraft to leave the Seville final assembly line (FAL), since the
↧
Venezuelan military increases operational capabilities
Key Points
Venezuela has taken delivery of 557 vehicles, sourced from China, to support logistics needs for the country's five military branches
The vehicles are part of a larger re-equipment programme of 2,106 vehicles
Venezuela's defence minister, General Vladimir Padrino Lopez, took delivery
↧
↧
Peru completes first phase of C-27J procurement
Peruvian defence minister Jakke Valakivi took delivery of the second Alenia C-27J Spartan on 19 June on behalf of the Peruvian Air Force (FAP).
The delivery marked the end of the first phase of the FAP's transport aircraft modernisation programme that saw selection of the C-27J over rival Airbus
↧
NATO could never engage Islamic State directly, allied officials admit
Key Points
NATO could never have a direct role in combating the Islamic State, according to allied officials and diplomats
The religious aspects of the war in Iraq and Syria make it a conflict NATO would find it hard to engage in, officials have stressed
NATO can never have a front-line
↧
F-35B begins 'ski-jump' trials for carrier operations
The Joint Program Office for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has begun ground-based trials of the 'ski-jump' technique for launching the aircraft from the decks of aircraft carriers, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 23 June.
In the test, which relates
↧
Belarus reveals purchase of Chinese A200 guided MLRS
Growing military co-operation between China and Belarus emerged during a 9 May military parade in Minsk that featured a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) using a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) 200 km-range A200 guided rocket.
On 16 June ITAR/TASS reported that the
↧
↧
USN debuts LCS Fort Worth in 'CARAT' exercise series
Key Points
The US Navy's LCS USS Fort Worth is debuting in the annual 'CARAT' exercise series
Exercise drills will test interoperability of LCS key concepts of operations
The US Navy (USN) is sending its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) for the first time to the 'Co-operation
↧
US Army awards Gray Eagle production contract
The US Army has contracted General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GAASI) to start full-rate production (FRP) Lot 4 of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
The contract, announced by the Department of Defense (DoD) on 23 June, covers 19 UAVs to
↧
TKMS chairman in Australia to talk submarines with officials
The chairman of Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), Hans Christoph Atzpodien, completed a three-day visit to Australia on 24 June during which he discussed TKMS proposals for the design and construction of Australia's Future Submarine with ministers and other parliamentarians.
TKMS
↧
Taliban launch attacks in Kunduz
The Taliban have launched a series of attacks in central Kunduz province in recent days and are only a few kilometres from the provincial capital.
The insurgents attacked the district of Chahor Dara on 19 June and took control of it on 20 June. They also captured the district of Dashti Archi on 21
↧
↧
Indian Navy hands Kiran trainers to air force
The Indian Navy (IN) recently transferred all nine of its Kiran intermediate jet trainer (IJT) aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF), which is facing a severe shortage of these platforms.
IN officials said the locally designed Kiran IJTs were handed over to the IAF because the navy had inducted
↧
Conflict prevention funding helps MoD to defence spend target
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is including cross-departmental conflict prevention funding in the reporting of its budget, leading critics to claim this is little more than a budgetary sleight of hand to allow the MoD to claim adherence to the NATO-mandated defence spending level of 2% of GDP.
↧
Brazilian radar order for KC-390 highlights multirole capabilities
The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) announced on 20 June that Embraer has ordered the Selex ES Gabbiano T20 radar for the KC-390 multirole tanker-transport aircraft.
Gabbiano is an X-band radar capable of performing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), search-and-rescue (SAR), and
↧
ASD calls for raising of European defence ambitions
Key Points
The ASD has called for EU leaders "raise the level of ambition" on European defence
At the EU summit in Brussels on 25-26 June defence was supposed to be high on the agenda, but the Greek economic crisis and migration issues in the Mediterranean have come to dominate the
↧
↧
Turkish industry to upgrade foreign Cobra attack helos
Turkey is to undertake a modernisation programme for a foreign operator of the Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter, it was announced on 24 June.
Turkish Aerospace Industries and Aselsan signed a USD24.8 million contract the day prior to the announcement to carry out the upgrade work by the end of
↧
RAN prepares to decommission HMAS Tobruk
HMAS Tobruk , the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's ) only heavy landing ship, completed its final voyage to the Garden Island naval base in Sydney on 25 June prior to decommissioning on 31 July.
The 5,800-tonne vessel, based on the design of the Round Table class of the UK's Royal Fleet Auxiliary,
↧
Egypt receives its first FREMM frigate
French naval shipbuilder DCNS transferred the FREMM frigate Tahya Misr (FFG-1001, ex- Normandie [D651]) to the Egyptian Navy on 24 June; a delivery that marks a major milestone towards a strategic partnership between France and Egypt.
The flag ceremony took place at the company's shipyard in
↧