Romania prioritising defence as a result of Ukraine crisis
Increasing operational capability, facing the deteriorated security situation in Eastern Europe, and accelerating its procurement programmes for its land, air, and naval forces are Romanian Armed...
View ArticleParrikar promises aviators' wives that Chetak, Cheetahs will be phased out soon
India's Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has assured a pressure group organised by the wives of Indian Army aviators that he will "positively consider" its demand to phase out two types of military...
View ArticlePakistan test fires Shaheen 3 MRBM
Pakistan successfully tested a Shaheen 3 ballistic missile on 9 March, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement. The surface-to-surface, nuclear-capable Shaheen 3 was launched...
View ArticleNATO ramping up military exercises in 2015
NATO will stage more than half a dozen exercises between now and the end of 2015 - including its largest in October involving 25,000 troops - as part of its reassurance measures to beef up security...
View ArticleIndia looks to speed up T-50 procurement due to Rafale contract delays
India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has reportedly become so frustrated with the impasse in negotiations with Dassault over the contract for the Rafale fighter aircraft that it has decided to accelerate...
View ArticleImages suggest upgrades to China's early series J-11s
Images have emerged on Chinese military web forums suggesting sensor upgrades to Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-11A combat aircraft, with reports noting that two regiments have received these...
View ArticleExpal delivers first Eimos mortars to Middle East customer
Expal has completed its first tranche of deliveries of its truck-mounted 81 mm Eimos mortar system, one that it is now working on as the basis of a potential future model for the Spanish Ministry of...
View ArticleChina starts work on Mischief Reef land reclamation
China has begun to create land on Mischief Reef in Beijing's latest move to firm up its South China Sea claims. Satellite imagery dated 30 January 2015 provided by Airbus Defence and Space shows...
View ArticleATK awarded full-rate production contract for PGKs
Orbital ATK has been awarded a USD120 million full-rate production contract for its Precision Guidance Kits (PGKs), the company has announced. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in early 2016 to the US...
View ArticleArgentina signs contract for SARA UAV development project
On 10 March, Argentina officially started a new project to build and utilise unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The government's official bulletin stated that a contract had been signed between the...
View ArticleAnalysis: US Marine Corps appears to remain sceptical of JLTV
US Marine Corps (USMC) leaders believe meeting ultimate fleet requirements for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) will be "very challenging" due to budget constraints, and although marines...
View ArticleUS anti-submarine surveillance project picks up speed
Key Points US Navy proceeds with the development of a surveillance system intended to locate submarines in shallow waters The autonomous system is designed to provide prompt and accurate detection,...
View ArticleTop analyst says Australian defence planning lacks coherence
Australia's defence planning lacks coherence and official thinking is infected by an overly rigid, determinist approach to strategic risk management, according to one of the country's leading strategic...
View ArticlePakistan successfully fires missile from indigenous UAV
The Pakistan Army announced on 13 March that it had for the first time successfully fired a missile from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). An Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said that...
View ArticleItaly assembles first F-35A outside US
The first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter assembled outside the main US plant in Fort Worth, Texas, was completed at the F-35 Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility in...
View ArticleIran reveals new Soumar ground-launched cruise missile
On 8 March Iran's Ministry of Defence (MoD) unveiled a new ground-launched cruise missile designated the Soumar at a public ceremony in Tehran. The event was attended by senior Iranian officials,...
View ArticleFrench Leclerc MBTs receive EUR330 million upgrade
France has awarded a contract to upgrade its 200 Leclerc main battle tanks (MBTs) to Nexter Systems, the French defence procurement agency (DGA) announced on 12 March. Worth EUR330 million (USD350...
View ArticleChina's president calls for strengthened civil-military integration
China's President Xi Jinping has outlined a requirement for China to strengthen civil-military integration (CMI), the process through which Beijing aims to enhance military capabilities by leveraging...
View ArticleIndian defence minister admits DRDO failings
Nine major Indian defence programmes continue to be plagued by time and cost overruns, as well as technological challenges, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told parliament on 27 February. He said...
View ArticleSri Lanka plans MRIA reboot
The Sri Lankan government plans to bring more business to the island's loss-making second international airport. Ravi Karunanayake, the Sri Lankan Minister of Finance, told IHS Jane's that "things will...
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