India boosts defence budget by 10.9%
India announced a core defence budget of INR2.5 trillion (USD41.1 billion) for fiscal year 2015-16 on 28 February. The figure is a 7.7%, or INR1.8 billion, increase over the initial 2014-15 budget...
View ArticleGA-ASI and Sener to offer Predator B to Spain
Key Points GA-ASI and Sener have signed a teaming agreement to offer the Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper UAV to Spain Spain has a long standing requirement for an optionally armed MALE ISR UAV General Atomics...
View ArticleRoyal Navy graduates first operational Wildcat crews
The UK Royal Navy (RN) has graduated its first operational crews to be trained on the AgustaWestland AW159 Lynx Wildcat HMA.2 helicopter, the service announced on 2 March. Eleven pilots and seven...
View ArticleIDF corroborates Hizbullah 'Scud-D' claims
Key Points The IDF says that Hizbullah has 'Scud-D' ballistic missiles with a range of 700 km The range is well in excess of what the Lebanese group needs to target Israel The Israel Defense Forces...
View ArticleUkraine's KBAO quadruples artillery production rates
The Ukrainian State Enterprise Design Bureau of Artillery Armament (KBAO) has quadrupled its production rates over the past five months, Ukroboronprom announced on 2 March. KBAO, part of Ukroboronprom,...
View ArticleSIGAR: Afghan security forces shrinking
New figures show declining numbers of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) after NATO's mission in Afghanistan reversed its decision to suddenly classify that data. The US government watchdog for...
View ArticleAnti-corruption drive puts more PLA generals in the dock
Key Points Chinese state media has reported that 14 more PLA generals are under investigation as part of an anti-corruption drive This followed the naming of 16 senior officers in January Chinese...
View ArticlePentagon budget 2016: 'sequestration' could halve US modernisation budget,...
Key Points Modernisation accounts could see a 50% cut and O&M a 33% cut Major new systems development programmes would be put on hold US defence officials are once again railing against...
View ArticleIDF developing battlefield firepower app
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has begun to develop a military smartphone application designed to enable middle- and low-ranking field commanders to transmit a target's co-ordinates and select a...
View ArticleDelivery slippages cause UK to delay A400M in-service date
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has put back the in-service date (ISD) of the Airbus Defence and Space (DS) A400M Atlas airlifters by six months because of delays in receiving its initial aircraft, a...
View ArticleAirbus Helicopters launches H160 onto the market
Airbus Helicopters launched its new H160 platform at the Heli-Expo industry event in Florida on 3 March. A full-scale mock-up of the twin-engined 5.5- to 6-ton-class helicopter, formerly designated the...
View ArticleUkraine and Russia ceased An-70 co-operation 'a year ago'
Ukraine and Russia ceased co-operation on the Antonov An-70 transport aircraft in early 2014, Russian state media reported on 2 March. The head of Antonov, Oksana Trofimchuk, made the comment to the...
View ArticleRussia to expand long-range air patrols
Russia is to expand the scope of its long-range air patrols as tensions with the West over Ukraine continue, state media announced on 2 March. Unspecified strategic bomber aircraft are to be tasked...
View ArticleAnalysis - Iranian fighter programmes: Bona fide or bluff?
Over recent years, Iran has made great play of its burgeoning domestic aerospace capabilities by revealing a number of 'new' combat aircraft types to the world. For about the last five years, state...
View ArticleTurkish F-4 Phantom crashes, two dead
A Turkish F-4E-2020 Phantom fighter aircraft crashed on 5 March during a training exercise with Azerbaijan near the town of Konya, killing both crew. The aircraft, from the Turkish Air Force's 112...
View ArticleReliance acquires Pipavav shipyard
Mumbai-based Reliance Infrastructure has agreed to purchase a controlling stake in Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering, in what is India's largest-ever defence industry acquisition. As per the...
View ArticlePortugal to buy 192 new 4x4 tactical armoured vehicles
Portugal is planning to launch a tender for 192 4x4 light tactical armoured vehicles, the country's Ministry of National Defence told IHS Jane's . Several variants are planned under the Viatura Táctica...
View ArticlePhilippines to get first C295 early
The first of three Airbus C295 medium-lift transports for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will arrive by mid-March, five months ahead of schedule. The early delivery was confirmed by Philippine...
View ArticleNigerian military plays down impact of Chadian intervention
Nigerian military spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade has said the role that Chadian forces are playing in operations against the militant group Boko Haram in the northeast of the country is being...
View ArticleNATO, EUMS to structure CBRN reach-back together
NATO's centre of excellence in the Czech Republic will soon structure its information exchanges and other activities on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) reach-back with the EU...
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