The European Defence Agency (EDA) is now supplying commercial satellite communications (satcom) services to the European Union's military training mission in Somalia (EUTM Somalia), the agency announced on 13 October.
Replacing a local provider in Uganda, the EDA said its provision of satcom
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EDA takes over satcom provision for EU military missions
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AUSA 2015: US military exports reached USD46.6 billion
The US completed deals with foreign countries worth USD46.6 billion for restricted military equipment in 2015, the director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced at the Association of the US Army (AUSA) 2015 conference on 13 October.
The total, which had not been previously
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AUSA 2015: US budget, Russian intelligence shortfalls present challenge for US Army Europe, commander says
Key Points
AREUR is attempting to bolster land forces in the region to continue reassuring NATO allies and deterring Russia
Flux in the US budgeting process is hampering efforts
The commanding general for US Army Europe (AREUR) told IHS Jane's on 13 October that he is concerned about intelligence
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AUSA 2015: US Army eyes UAV improvements
Key Points
The US Army would like to add new capabilities to its UAVs
The service's wish list is long and includes assured position navigation and timing, anti-jam, and secure communications links
The US Army would like to upgrade its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with new technology, officials
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AUSA 2015: US Army Africa getting 'activity set' to help Africa Horizons engagements
US Army Africa (ARAF) is to soon receive a forward 'activity set' to boost logistics support in the region as the component command ramps up efforts under its Africa Horizons engagement strategy.
ARAF plans by 2017 to have fully established an Africa Activity Set (AFAS) of prepositioned equipment
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AUSA 2015: Sikorsky to ramp up Raider flight testing
Key Points
Sikorsky is planning 110-120 hours of test flights of the S-97 Raider
The technology is expected to feed into the Sikorsky-Boeing offering for the US Army's JMR-TD and the Pentagon's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programmes.
Sikorsky has begun what is expected to amount to 110-120 hours
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AUSA 2015: European theatre sustainment challenges exist, warns US Army general
Key Points
Capability and capacity shortfalls in theatre sustainment need to be mitigated to raise readiness levels for major combat operations
Solutions exist in technology advances and more manpower
The US Army general in charge of land forces sustainment in Europe warned on 13 October that in
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UK reaches air insertion landmark
Air traffic controllers in the United Kingdom have successfully managed their first remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) flight in unsegregated airspace, air navigation service provider NATS announced on 15 October.
A second trial flight is scheduled for the week commencing 19 October.
A Thales
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Northrop Grumman restructures and streamlines its businesses
Northrop Grumman has announced that it will restructure its business with the "streamlining" of business sectors from four to three.
The US-headquartered group announced the changes, which included a reshuffle of top level staff, on 14 October.
The group currently operates through its
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AUSA 2015: Lockheed Martin hunts SOCOM MEUAS deal with Stalker
Key Points
Lockheed Martin has entered SOCOM's MEUAS III competition with the Stalker XE UAS
Systems chosen for the SOCOM requirement are expected to provide simultaneous imagery intelligence and electronic warfare capabilities
Lockheed Martin is offering the Stalker small unmanned aerial system
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AUSA 2015: Lockheed Martin ARES VTOL UAV poised for DARPA flight tests
Key Points
Lockheed Martin's ARES 'transformer' is scheduled to begin test flights in June 2016
The USMC has taken the lead on requirements planning, but hopes to organise a JCTD with other operators who also need flexible, terrain-independent transport for small ground units
Lockheed Martin's
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USN taps PEO Submarines, senior executive to co-lead independent review of RMS
An independent review of the US Navy's (USN's) troubled Remote Minehunting System (RMS), meant to be operated from the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), will be led by a civilian senior executive from the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) staff and the navy's submarine acquisition chief, an official told
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US to keep troops in Afghanistan indefinitely
In a significant but expected policy reversal, the United States plans to maintain about 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through most of 2016 and then drop to around 5,500 in 2017, President Barack Obama announced on 15 October.
Obama had previously said he would keep around 10,000 US troops in
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Saudi Arabia requests more Black Hawks
The United States has approved a Saudi request for an additional 60 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters for the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command (RSLFAC), the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 14 October.
The DSCA said that the helicopters will be supplied
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RAF Sea Kings end SAR role
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has ceased conducting search and rescue (SAR) operations in the mainland UK after nearly 75 years, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 15 October.
The last of the famous yellow-painted Sea King helicopters flew its final operational sortie out of Royal Marines
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Outline for Hungarian procurements 2015-2018 revealed
The Hungarian Ministry of Defence has revealed some of the country's short and medium-term procurement plans that form part of the country's 2015-2018 Defence Policy Programme. IHS Jane's has learned that some previously announced programmes are continuing apace, while others are facing challenges
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Malaysia's First Win MRAPs bound for ESSCOM area of operations
The Chaiseri First Win mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles supplied by Malaysian company Deftech will be deployed to the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) area of operations, Malaysian chief of defence force General Zulkifeli Mohammed Zin has confirmed.
Speaking at a media
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Ecuador terminates Dhruv contract in wake of crashes
Ecuador is terminating its contract with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after four of its seven Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), imported in 2008-09 for USD145.2 million, were involved in crashes, Ecuadorian defence minister Fernando Cordero declared on 14 October.
Cordero told
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AUSA 2015: US Army looking at next stage of cyber team development
Key Points
Army has three-quarters of cyber teams staffed, but is starting to think about how to use them most effectively
New army cyber security policy to be completed in next couple of months
The US Army has grown its number of cyber experts to more than 1,000 in the last three years, now
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USAF awards Lockheed Martin JASSM production contract
Key Points
The USAF has awarded USD305.4 million for production JASSMs and JASSM-ERs
The deal includes 140 JASSMs and 140 JASSM-ERs
Lockheed Martin has received a USD305.4 million contract from the US Air Force for continued production of the stealthy Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM)
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