The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced a series of restructuring initiatives in recent days, including the establishment of a new special forces formation.
IDF chief of staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot announced on 6 July that the Commando Brigade will be formed to specialise in
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IDF launches series of restructuring steps
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F-16 collides with private aircraft in South Carolina
A US Air Force (USAF) F-16C Fighting Falcon based out of Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, collided with a private aircraft near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on 7 July, the USAF announced.
The USAF pilot survived the crash after ejecting and parachuting to a nearby field, but the two
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Colombia shuffles military commands, prepares for 'post-conflict scenario'
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos appointed new commanders for the army, navy, and air force on 6 July and confirmed General Juan Pablo Rodriguez as Armed Forces Commander and Admiral Henry Blain as Chief of the Joint Staff.
The new army commander is Major General Alberto Mejia Ferrero, a
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'No pirate attacks off Somalia in last six months,' claims 'Atalanta' commander
No pirate attacks occurred off the coast of East Africa during the first six months of 2015, according to the commander of the European Union's (EU's) Operation 'Atalanta' counter-piracy mission in the region.
"We've suppressed it by military means, applying best practices in the commercial
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US completes first B61-12 LEP flight test
Key Points
The USAF and the NNSA successfully completed the first development flight test of the B61-12 LEP
The bomb is one of the three warhead candidates for the USAF's LRSO
The United States Air Force (USAF) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) completed the first
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UK completes transition of Merlin from RAF to RN
The United Kingdom officially completed the transfer of the AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HC.3/3A troop transport helicopter from the Royal Air Force (RAF) to the Royal Navy (RN) during a ceremony held on 9 July.
The ceremony, which took place at the type's former home station of RAF Benson, saw the
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Turkey to begin serial production of MPT-76 rifles
Turkey's Defence Industries Undersecretariat (SSM) and the state-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industries Corporation (MKEK) signed a contract on 2 July covering the serial production of MPT-76 battle rifles for the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
Under the initial phase of the project, which will see
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Peru begins production of satellite support infrastructure
Peru has launched construction of its National Satellite Imagery Operations Centre (Centro Nacional de Operaciones de Imágenes Satelitales: CNOIS), Peruvian defence minister Jakke Valakivi announced on 4 July.
CNOIS is being built at the Peruvian Air Force's Punta Lobos logistics base in the
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IMINT confirms Type 041 visit to Karachi
Satellite imagery has confirmed the visit to Karachi of a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 041 'Yuan'-class diesel-electric attack submarine (SSK) in late May.
The imagery, provided by Airbus Defence and Space, shows the submarine alongside at Karachi's commercial port on 28 May, a few
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Venezuela changes military commanders, increases tensions with neighbours
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro announced a complete replacement of the Venezuelan National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) high command on 7 July. The presidential order replaces the commanders of the five components of the FANB: the army, navy, military aviation, Bolivarian Militia, and
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Singapore commissions Peacekeeper Protected Response Vehicle
As part of ongoing modernisation efforts centred on automation and mobility enhancements, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) on 8 July commissioned a new 6x6 protected mobility vehicle that is designed for island-defence operations.
The Peacekeeper Protected Response Vehicle (PRV), which is based on
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OSCE Parliamentary Assembly condemns Russian 'military aggression' in Ukraine
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), meeting in Helsinki on 7 July, has passed resolutions condemning Russia's "war of aggression" policy against Ukraine, which violates its neighbour's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Russia
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Myanmar joins Chemical Weapons Convention
Myanmar joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) on 8 July when it deposited its instrument of ratification with the secretary general of the United Nations.
Myanmar ratified the CWC on 21 January 2015 and its accession to the convention will come into force 30 days after the deposit.
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Moscow renews military interest in island possessions in Gulf of Finland
Russian forces are surveying and demining their way along the series of small islands -- including Seskar, Small, and Sommers -- that are stepping stones from nearby St Petersburg into the eastern Baltic Sea, the country's defence ministry has announced.
Naval sappers are currently demining the
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Indian Navy officials accuse MoD of dragging feet in S-70B purchase
India's long-pending purchase of 16 Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk helicopters has hit a roadblock following delays by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in signing the deal, according to India Navy (IN) sources.
They said the MoD's deferrals, first in shortlisting the S-70B and then in price negotiations, had
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India expects first engines for Tejas Mk 2 to arrive by year-end
India's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will receive the first of eight General Electric F414-GE-INS6 engines for the Mk 2 version of its Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) by the end of 2015, officials said.
The F414 engine, which generates 90-98 kN thrust, will replace the LCA Mk 1's General
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IDF's new fire command centre to play central role in future Gaza conflict
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have finished drawing up a new operational plan for fighting Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip if renewed hostilities break out, according to senior IDF sources.
In contrast to the strategy adopted during Operation 'Protective Edge' in 2014, when the IDF sought to
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EU's Afghan police training mission has delivered mixed results, says report
EUPOL, the EU's mission to train Afghanistan's police force and reform its judicial structures, has delivered only middling results so far - and these are "at risk" for their sustainability, says a new report by the EU's European Court of Auditors (ECA).
While the mission's co-operation
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US sticks to counter-Islamic State strategy
The US government remains committed to its strategy of enabling local forces to fight the Islamic State, despite slow progress in the train-and-equip programme and recent setbacks in Iraq, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey told the
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Finland receives final NH90 helicopter
Finland received into service the last of its 20 NHIndustries NH90 Tactical Troop Transport (TTH) helicopters on 9 July, Airbus Helicopters announced.
The helicopter was handed over to the Finnish Defence Forces during a ceremony at Patria's domestic production facility at Halli, marking the end of
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