US secretary of state John Kerry outlined how the United States will help bolster security in the Middle East after meeting leaders from the six Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) member states in Qatar on 3 August.
The meeting was designed to reassure the GCC states that the United States will step
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US, GCC agree to bolster defence co-operation
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Ultra Electronics profits down in first half of 2015
Defence and aerospace group Ultra Electronics reported results for the first half of 2015 on 3 August, revealing earnings of GBP331.7 million (USD517.5 million), down 2.7% from the same period in 2014. Profits also fell 4.9% year on year to GBP50.4 million.
Ultra attributed the weaker performance
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UK extends reformed Tornado unit for operations over Iraq
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is to sustain in service the reformed 12 (Bomber) Squadron for a further year in order to continue air strikes against the Islamic State, the defence secretary announced on 3 August.
The squadron, which is currently conducting strikes over Iraq from its forward
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Turkey looking for new manned surveillance aircraft
Turkey has issued a request for information (RfI) for a manned reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft (IKU, in Turkish).
Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) issued the RfI on 31 July. The deadline for companies to respond to it is 12 August.
The Turkish Land Forces Command
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Russia creates new Aerospace Force service branch
Russia has activated the Aerospace Forces as a new branch of its military, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced on 3 August.
The Aerospace Forces (VKS) has been formed by the merger of the Russian Air Force (VVS) and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VKO).
Speaking during a
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Pentagon awards JAGM development contract
Key Points
Lockheed Martin has received a USD66 million EMD contract for JAGM
The missile will be integrated onto the Apache and Viper attack helicopters while the production line is qualified
The US Army and the US Navy on 31 July awarded Lockheed Martin a USD66 million engineering and
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Oman aims to learn from Malaysian offset programme
The head of Oman's national offset and industrial compensation programme has visited Malaysia to learn from the Asian country's experience of offset.
The tour of Malaysia by Zafer bin Awad Al Shanfari, the president of the Oman Authority for Partnership for Development offset agency, was announced
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Norwegian firm signs Bangladesh cyber defence deal
Cyber-security specialist Norway Registers Development (NRD) has signed a contract with the Bangladesh government to develop a national cyber defence strategy to tackle growing network-related attacks in the country.
The deal is worth nearly USD1 million and calls upon NRD to collaborate with the
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NATO to scale back enhanced Baltic Air Policing Mission
NATO is to halve the number of combat aircraft it is committing to the Baltic Air Policing Mission despite a recent upsurge in interceptions of Russian military aircraft transiting the region, an alliance spokesperson confirmed to IHS Jane's on 4 August.
The current 'enhanced' mission made up of 16
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Lockheed Martin appoints new head to lead information systems in Asia
Lockheed Martin has appointed a new vice president to lead its information systems business in Australia and Asia, it was announced on 3 August.
The US corporation said Christine Zeitz will serve as regional head of the company's Information Systems and Global Solutions (IS&GS) business. Zeitz
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Growing defence sales highlight positive Meggitt first half
British aerospace and industrial manufacturer Meggitt PLC reported strong half-year results on 4 August, despite weakness in its energy businesses. The group's revenues for the first two quarters of 2015 were GBP793.7 million (USD1.2 billion), up 10% on the first half of 2014, while operating profit
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Australia reveals new shipbuilding industry plan to bypass 'Valley of Death'
Key Points
Australian government announces investments in shipbuilding industry, bringing forward two major procurement programmes
The plan is part of a strategy to minimise disruption to the naval shipbuilding sector, caused by a lack of orders for domestically built vessels
The Australian
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Vietnam commissions third and fourth Kilo-class submarines
The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Navy has commissioned its third and fourth Russian-built Project 636 Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines (SSKs), according to local media.
The vessels, Hai Phong (HQ 184) and Khanh Hoa (HQ 185), were commissioned on 1 August at Cam Ranh Bay Naval Base in a
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SM-6 intercepts first terminal phase ballistic missile
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and US Navy have for the first time demonstrated the ability to shoot down a ballistic missile in the terminal phase with a Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) interceptor.
The intercept, of a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) target, was the first in a series of four
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Russia announces substitutes for torpedo batteries, tank sensors
Russian media revealed on 4 August that the country had begun to produce silver oxide batteries for use in torpedoes used by the Russian Navy.
The batteries, formerly procured from Ukraine's Luhansk Accumulators, are now being manufactured by Russian torpedo manufacturer Gidropribor subsidiary
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New leadership confirmed for US army, navy, and marines
General Mark Milley has been approved as US Army chief of staff, Admiral John Richardson as chief of naval operations, and Lieutenant General Robert Neller is to get a fourth star and become US Marine Corps (USMC) commandant.
The Senate Armed Services Committee announced on 4 August that it had
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MQ-8C radar promises long-range ISR boost for LCS
Key Points
NAVAIR plans to award the contract for a surface search radar for the MQ-8C Fire Scout UAV in March 2016
Draft specifications indicate that the radar will be able to track 500 targets at ranges out to 100 n miles
The US Navy (USN) is seeking a surface search radar for the MQ-8C Fire
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Meggitt receives order for Scout SV ammunition handling system
Meggitt has been awarded a USD42.1 million subcontract for the 40 mm Case-Telescoped linkless Ammunition Handling System (AHS) for the Scout SV reconnaissance vehicle for the British Army, the company announced on 4 August.
The British Army is purchasing 589 Scout SV's from General Dynamics UK
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Indian defence exports valued at just USD408 million since 2010/11
India has exported defence equipment worth more than INR26 billion (USD408 million) since fiscal year 2010-11, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar announced on 4 August.
Statistics published by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), citing a Parrikar parliamentary reply, show that the value of exports has
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Cohort announces Portuguese acquisition
UK defence technology group Cohort announced on 5 August that it has signed an agreement to acquire Portuguese firm Empresa de Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Electrónica (EID).
The acquisition, valued at EUR19 million (USD20 million), is being funded by cash and is expected to
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