India's state-run Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) will deliver three licence-built Bofors FH-77B 155 mm/45-calibre towed howitzers to the Indian Army for maintainability and engineering evaluation by the end of 2015, officials said.
The howitzers, named Dhanush by the OFB, are likely to be handed over
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OFB hands over locally built FH-77B to Indian Army for testing
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Netherlands to buy 14 CH-47F Chinook helicopters
The Netherlands is to order 14 Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters from the United States, Dutch defence minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has told the House of Representatives.
The Netherlands currently operates 17 Chinooks, 11 of the old CH-47D model and six copies of the CH-47F
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LMUK fleshes out plan to close UK MPA gap with SC-130J Multi-Mission Aircraft
Lockheed Martin UK (LMUK) has given further details of its pitch to address the United Kingdom's maritime patrol capability gap - as well as other missions - using revitalised Royal Air Force (RAF) C-130J Hercules transport aircraft that would otherwise be heading out of service around 2022.
LMUK's
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Italian Air Force begins pilot training on T-346A
The Italian Air Force has started training its first pilots on the Alenia Aermacchi T-346A (M-346A) at Lecce-Galatina Air Base in Italy.
Italy has ordered 15 M-346As and has three more on option; five have been delivered, with eight due by March 2016.
The T-346A provides the Phase 4, Lead In
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Indian Army pushes ahead with Excalibur rifle programme
The Indian Army is fast-tracking the development and induction of the indigenously designed Excalibur 5.56 x 45 mm assault rifle as it looks to plug a major operational void.
Senior army officials told IHS Jane's that 200 prototype Excalibur rifles, fabricated at the Ordnance Factory Board's
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HAL pushing for LUH first flight in December
India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) plans to conduct the maiden test flight of its under-development Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) in December.
HAL officials told IHS Jane's that the proposed flight of the 3.1 tonne single-engine LUH prototype followed successful ground tests in December
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German Army considers wheeled rapid response brigade
The German Army is considering the option of creating a wheeled response element for rapid reaction and force deployment, sources told IHS Jane's .
Given the extent of projected combat and organic support elements, IHS Jane's understands that the rapid response formation would very likely be up to
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French Air Force conducts first Syria missions
The French Air Force conducted its first mission over Syria on 8 September, with two Dassault Rafales based at Al Dhafra in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) conducting a 6 h 30 min reconnaissance mission over the war-torn country.
The mission follows the 7 September announcement by President
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Arab states deploy more ground forces to Yemen
A missile attack that killed more than 30 Saudi and Emirati soldiers in Yemen's Marib province on 4 September appears to have encouraged other Arab countries to commit ground forces to the coalition fighting to reinstall Yemen's ousted government.
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates
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AM General to build Humvee ambulances for disaster relief
AM General was awarded a USD428 million firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for new M997A3 Humvee Ambulance Chassis Vehicles for the US Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard's disaster relief missions.
Through an initial USD89.5 million order, AM General
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Avicopter shows off Advanced Heavylift Helicopter (ALH) model at Tianjin helo expo
China's Avicopter revealed a model of its Advanced Heavylift Helicopter (ALH) concept at the third China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin, which runs from 9 to 13 September.
Chinese press reports indicate that with the ALH, China intends to produce a platform similar in performance to the new
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NATO unity needed to counter threats to east and south, SACEUR urges
NATO nations must be united to face the threats emanating from their eastern and southern flanks, while avoiding squabbles over resource allocation between the two regions, said NATO's top operational military commander.
"We must avoid any sense of competition between the allies; our eastern
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BAE protests US Army CIRCM award
Key Points
BAE Systems has filed a protest over the USD35.3 million US Army CIRCM contract award to Northrop Grumman
Auditors will now review the 'inconsistencies' that BAE Systems said led to the army's decision
BAE Systems has filed a protest of the US Army's decision to award Northrop Grumman
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US border surveillance towers to be produced in Ukraine
Border security systems developed by US company Aeroscraft will be manufactured by Ukroboronprom, the Ukrainian conglomerate's director general, Roman Romanov, announced at a press conference on 8 September in Kiev.
Romanov said that a three-stage co-operation scheme had been agreed, with the first
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Tata Motors to increase investment in defence
India's Tata Motors has outlined a commitment to invest further in developing defence production capability, the second Tata company in a week to signal its intent to become one of the country's major military manufacturers.
Tata Motors said on 10 September that it will set up a new design and
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South Korea moves ahead with Viking procurement plan
The Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) is to procure refurbished Lockheed Martin S-3 Viking anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft, national media reported on 6 September.
The service has approved the acquisition of an initial 12 of the mothballed US Navy (USN) platforms, and may acquire eight more units
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RAE 2015: Russian industry, government bullish over sanctions
Economic and trade sanctions placed on Russia by the international community are both a challenge and an opportunity for the nation's defence industry, according to delegates at the Russia Arms Expo 2015 (RAE 2015) in Nizhny Tagil.
Speaking on the plenary discussion panel, Viktor Ozerov, chairman
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RAE 2015: Few new systems feature
Despite the presence of Russia's latest armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) - the T-14 Armata main battle tank (MBT), T-15 heavy infantry fighting vehicle (HIFV), and Koalitsya-SV 2S35 155 mm self-propelled artillery system - Russia Arms Expo 2015 (RAE 2015) was a noticeably subdued event.
These
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Pakistan considering import ban on locally available materiel
A Pakistani senate defence production committee is looking to impose a ban on procuring from abroad defence equipment that can be manufactured within the country.
The Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production made the recommendation following a hearing on 10 September in a bid to support the
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New Hungarian defence minister takes office
Hungary has a new defence minister, with Istvan Simicsko taking office on 10 September amidst the migration crisis affecting the country.
Simicsko was appointed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban after Simicsko's predecessor, Csaba Hende, unexpectedly resigned without explanation. However,
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