Brazil details Hermes 900 UAS acquisition
The Elbit Systems Hermes 900 medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) acquired by Brazil is expected to arrive there by early May and be operational by June. One air vehicle...
View ArticleUSMC to upgrade AAVs, field MPC by 2020, and explore new connectors
Key Points AAV upgrades and an initial ACV would provide lift for 10 infantry battalions The USMC would consider developing new ship-to-shore connectors if a high-speed amphibious tractor is unfeasible...
View ArticleUS suspends arms export to Russia
The United States has announced a moratorium on the export of defence equipment and services to Russia; a move that follows Moscow's annexation of Crimea and which falls short of an arms embargo. The...
View ArticleRussia seeks increased defence production with Belarus to replace Ukraine...
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin announced on 1 April that Moscow would seek to expand its military-technical co-operation with Belarus: an action provoked by the situation in Ukraine. "We...
View ArticleRussia commits to 18% budget rise
Russian government data has confirmed that the defence budget will increase by 18.4% in 2014 in line with previously announced plans. The increase means that military expenditure has now increased by...
View ArticlePoland orders another 108 60 mm mortars
The Polish Armament Inspectorate has ordered 108 LM-60D 'Pluton' lightweight 60 mm mortars from Zaklady Mechaniczne Tarnów (ZMT). Worth PLN8 million (EUR1.92 million), the order will see a delivery of...
View ArticleIsraeli Navy reorganises northern sector
The Israeli Navy (IN) is in the process of merging a number of small posts in the north of Israel into one large-area control centre based at Haifa. This will involve dismantling the sub-district posts...
View ArticleHungary buys additional Mi-8 helicopters
Hungary has bought three additional Mil Mi-8T 'Hip-C' helicopters to fulfil an interim need, the Hungarian Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed on 3 April. Although not disclosed by the MoD, sources...
View ArticleGripen NG flight-tests Skyward-G IRST
The Skyward-G infrared search-and-track (IRST) system was successfully flown on the Saab Gripen NG technology demonstrator aircraft for the first time on 31 March, Saab announced on 4 April 2014....
View ArticleFrance deploys forces to eastern CAR as Chad withdraws
France's Operation 'Sangaris' in the Central African Republic (CAR) has entered its third phase, which involves deploying forces to the east of the country, the operation's commander announced on 3...
View ArticleBrazil seeks increased defence co-operation with Sweden
In an effort to strengthen political relations with Sweden and further increase defence co-operation, Brazilian Minister of Defence Celso Amorim met its local counterpart Karin Enström in Stockholm on...
View ArticleVietnam to receive two more Gepard frigates in 2017
The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Navy is scheduled to take delivery of its third and fourth Russian-built Gepard 3.9 (Project 11661) light frigates in 2017, according to financial statements...
View ArticleUS Army denies GDLS' Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle protest
Key Points AMC denied General Dynamics protest claiming that the army's AMPV programme favours BAE Systems GDLS could next file a protest with the GAO US Army Material Command (AMC) has denied a...
View ArticleUkraine vs Russia defence spending
In 2013 Russian defence expenditure at USD68.9 billion was 35 times that of Ukraine at USD1.9 billion. Based on current spending plans, this gap is expected to widen further in 2014 when Russian...
View ArticleUkraine National Guard to receive BTR-4s
The Ukraine National Guard will soon receive 74 new armoured personnel carriers, national defence industrial group Ukroboronprom announced on 2 April 2014. The National Guard was formed by Ukraine in...
View ArticleUAC reports continued operating loss
Russia's United Aircraft Company (UAC), the state-owned central holding company for Russia's aircraft industry, announced a RUB700 million (USD20 million) profit for 2013 in financial results released...
View ArticleTurkey receives first A400M airlifter
Turkey received the first of its 10 Airbus A400M Atlas transport aircraft on 4 April, the company has announced. The formal handover was conducted at the Airbus's final assembly line in Seville, Spain,...
View ArticleOman receives first of second batch of F-16s
Oman has received the first of the 12 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 50 fighters it ordered in December 2011, Lockheed Martin announced on 6 April. The handover happened at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth...
View ArticleNexter awarded French VBCI support contract
On 4 April Nexter Systems was awarded a support-in-service contract for the French Army's 8x8 Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (VBCI) infantry fighting vehicle for the next 10 years. This new...
View ArticleJapan, Australia agree to joint research on submarines, hydrodynamics
The prime ministers of Japan and Australia agreed on 7 April to start talks on creating a framework for co-operation on defence equipment and technology. Shinzo Abe and Tony Abbott agreed in talks in...
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