USN completes E-2D aerial refuelling review
Key Points The USN has completed a PDR for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft's aerial refueling capability Following final reviews, the capability is to be installed on new E-2Ds and retrofitted onto...
View ArticleUK ends frontline ops at RAF Leuchars, as 1 (F) Squadron relocates to RAF...
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has ceased frontline combat aviation operations at RAF Leuchars in Scotland, with the announcement that 1 (Fighter) Squadron has relocated to nearby RAF Lossiemouth. The...
View ArticleIndian MoD mulls pitting private firms against HAL in LUH programme
India's defence industry is expecting a face-off over the military's Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) requirement between the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and local private sector...
View ArticleEU defence ministers set to meet
Money for national defence programmes, money for deploying EU battlegroups (BGs), and medical services for EU operations will be on the table as national defence ministers gather in Milan on 9-10...
View ArticleDoD reports advances in unmanned aircraft sense-and-avoid capabilities
Key Points The US Army expects to field a common GBSAA system by FY2015, and the USAF is currently transitioning a prototype ABSAA system into the DoD acquisition process. Developing common, reliable...
View ArticleChina gives medal to submarine commander for averting accident
Chinese military media have reported the award of a first-class Meritorious Service Medal to a South Sea Fleet submarine captain who saved his boat. Captain Wang Hongli, commander of a Project 636M...
View ArticleUS heavy bombers carry out more strikes in Iraq
US heavy bombers - probably Rockwell B-1B Lancers - have carried out a second series of airstrikes against the Islamic State militant group in Iraq. The bombers' participation was revealed by a 7...
View ArticleRussian Navy orders additional Su-30SM fighters
Russia has ordered another seven Sukhoi Su-30SM multirole fighter aircraft for the Russian Navy, it was announced on 5 September. The contracts were signed by Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yury...
View ArticleUSAF rotates F-16s in Poland as tensions with Russia continue
The US Air Force (USAF) has rotated its Aviation Detachment (AVDET) in Poland, with the arrival of an undisclosed number of Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon fighters at Lask Air Base, the...
View ArticleTanzanian president outlines military modernisation
The Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) will become a smaller, but more sophisticated force, according to President Jakaya Kikwete. Speaking on 6 September during a ceremony marking the 50th...
View ArticleRussia begins work on modern industrial-logistical complexes
Russia has begun building a new military "industrial-logistical complex", based at Naro-Fominsk, about 60 km southwest of Moscow. Deputy Minister of Defence Dmitry Bulgakov participated in the ceremony...
View ArticleNATO works to flesh out details of new Readiness Action Plan
Allied military planners must now work out the details of NATO's new 'Readiness Action Plan' (RAP), namely: creating a new very-rapid reaction force, selecting a regional RAP headquarters to command...
View ArticleMH17 preliminary report indicates SAM strike
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 broke up in mid-air after the forward section of its fuselage and cockpit were "punctured by high-energy objects", the preliminary report from the Dutch Safety Board...
View ArticleDutch F-16s join Baltic Air Policing Mission
The Netherlands has contributed fighter aircraft to the current Baltic Air Policing Mission, NATO announced on 8 September. Five Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons of the Royal Netherlands Air Force...
View ArticlePentagon report says Iran is fielding anti-ship ballistic missiles
Iran's Khalij Fars anti-ship ballistic missile (AShBM) - a weapon that could shift the military balance in the Gulf region - is being delivered to operational units, according to the US Department of...
View ArticleTurkey begins T-Loramids talks with Eurosam
Turkey has begun negotiations with Franco-Italian firm Eurosam for the country's T-Loramids air and missile defence programme, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on 7 September. The move...
View ArticleVietnam extends credit for Cambodian modernisation
Vietnam has provided neighbouring Cambodia with USD22 million in credit to support the military modernisation efforts of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF). Vietnam's Ministry of Information and...
View ArticleUSAF wants USD16.5 million for unspecified bunker buster modifications
Key Points The USAF has asked lawmakers to move USD16.5 million into the GBU-57 programme The Pentagon said it is needed for a 'mission critical modification' on the munition The US Air Force (USAF)...
View ArticleUSAF begins F-16D crack repair planning
Key Points The USAF expects to validate an F-16D repair plan by mid-October It is unknown how the now month-long grounding will affect pilot training, which is the D-model's primary mission The US Air...
View ArticleUS approves UH-60M Black Hawk sale to Brazil
Brazil has been cleared by the US State Department to procure the Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopter, the US Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) announced on 9 September. The...
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