Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter plans to soon propose major changes in how the massive Department of Defense (DoD) bureaucracy handles its people, including the introduction of more flexible career paths.
An element of Carter's Force of the Future project is intended to modernise the DoD's
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Carter to propose major DoD personnel system reform
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Northrop Grumman lands US Army helo protection programme
Key Points
The US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman a USD35.3 million contract for CIRCM
The company will continue EMD work and deliver 21 ship sets initially, but the army has options for additional purchases and production
The US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman a USD35.3 million contract with
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USN's 14th Virginia SSN is 'pressure hull complete'
Hull sections of the US Navy's (USN's) 14th Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) have been joined to form a watertight unit, the shipyard responsible for completing the boat announced on 1 September. Washington (SSN 787) achieved 'pressure hull complete' status at Huntington Ingalls
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Spanish MoD questioned over Patriot deployment in Turkey
The Spanish government is being pushed to explain its position on the continued deployment of Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries in Turkey after the other two NATO allies (the United States and Germany) announced the withdrawal of theirs at the end of August.
The opposition party, Geroa Bai,
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Russian Borey-class SSBN nears completion of transfer to Pacific Fleet
Key Points
Russian Borey-class SSBN scheduled to complete transfer to Pacific Fleet
Russia plans to base four Boreys in the Pacific
The Russian Navy's Borey-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Alexander Nevsky is scheduled to arrive at its Pacific Fleet home base in early
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Russia to begin production of new high-speed helo in 2022
Russia is to begin production of a new helicopter that will be capable of speeds of up to 270 kt (500 km/h; 310 mph) in the early part of the next decade, state media reported on 1 September.
Development of the high-speed helicopter is progressing well, with a prototype expected to make its maiden
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Nammo establishes Polish subsidiary
Nordic defence munitions and missile propulsion products group Nammo announced on 1 September that it had established a subsidiary in Poland.
The group - owned 50:50 by Finnish land systems group Patria and the government of Norway - said that the establishment of the Polish business meant that it
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IMI looking for foreign buyers for MPR-500 bomb
Israel Military Industries (IMI) has announced that it is now marketing its MPR-500 bomb internationally.
The weapon is already in service with the Israeli Air Force, which used it during Operation 'Protective Edge' against militants in the Gaza Strip in 2014.
The MPR-500 has the same form as a
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China launches latest Yaogan-series satellite
China placed its latest satellite in orbit on 27 August, carried by a Long March 4C rocket launched from the Taiyuan satellite launch centre in northern China.
Yaogan-27 was described by Chinese media as a remote sensing satellite to be used for land surveys, crop yield forecasts, and disaster
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ANZAC frigate HMAS Ballarat completes anti-ship missile defence upgrades
The Royal Australian Navy ANZAC-class frigate HMAS Ballarat has completed dock work related to the Project SEA 1448 Phase 2 Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade and will be commencing sea trials with its newly installed equipments, BAE Systems Australia announced on 2 September.
The upgrades
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ANSDF, Taliban fight for control of northern Helmand district
Fighting between insurgents and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) has intensified in Musa Qala, one of a number of districts in northern Helmand province that temporarily fell to the insurgency in late August.
Afghan media first reported heavy fighting in Musa Qala on 24
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Brazilian Army works towards 6x6 serial production
The Brazilian Army's Projects Management Office (EPEx) is negotiating with Brazilian company Iveco Latin America to establish a long-awaited acquisition contract for serial production VBTP-MR Guarani 6x6 amphibious armoured fighting vehicles.
Negotiations are expected to conclude in October and
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Fourth MUOS launch completes communications satellite constellation
Key Points
Operational test and evaluation for WCDMA is to begin in October
A fifth MUOS satellite, an on-orbit spare, is scheduled to launch in early 2016
The US Navy launched the fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) communications satellite on 2 September from Cape Canaveral, Florida,
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UK MoD awards Lockheed Martin first increment of IEP
Lockheed Martina UK announced on 1 September it has been chosen to provide the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) with a new integrated intelligence capability.
Known as the Imagery Exploitation Programme (IEP), the programme is aimed at consolidating the collection, sharing, and discovery of data and at
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State-owned Malaysian finance company buys stake in defence firm
State-owned Malaysian finance company Aroma Teraju Sdn Bhd has acquired a major stake in locally based defence company Destini Berhad, Bursa Malaysia stock exchange statements show.
According to a 2 September filings, Aroma Teraju has taken a 24.75% stake in the firm, which earlier this year teamed
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Spanish government approves sale of Raytheon business
The Spanish government has approved the takeover of a Raytheon subsidiary in Spain by Malaga Electronic Systems Holding, which represents the US turnaround investment group American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC).
Approval was needed because the purchase involves foreign investment in a
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Senior lawmakers request LRS-B costing error explanation
Key Points
The US Senate Armed Services Committee's senior members have asked the Secretary of Defense for an explanation of the USAF's LRS-B cost estimate errors
The lawmakers want to know how the error occurred as well as details of the Pentagon's ability to fund the programme
The two senior
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Russia adds fighter squadron and air-defence regiment to its Arctic militarisation
Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on 31 August that the country's Arctic Joint Strategic Command will be strengthened with a naval aviation fighter squadron and an anti-aircraft missile regiment by the end of 2015.
"The region is currently building up its aviation and
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Rheinmetall offers Boxer for Australian combat reconnaissance vehicle requirement
Rheinmetall has confirmed it is offering the ARTEC Boxer 8x8 multirole armoured vehicle to meet an Australian requirement under Project Land 400 Phase 2 for 225 combat reconnaissance vehicles (CRVs).
In a 3 September statement - issued the same day that tenders closed - Rheinmetall disclosed it
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Raytheon signs LoI with Poland's PCO
Raytheon announced on 2 September that it had signed a letter of intent (LoI) with Polish optoelectronics products company PCO to co-operate on developing night-vision systems and thermal weapons sights.
The accord is aimed at developing optical systems for both the Polish armed forces and other
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