Thailand to receive first UH-72A in April 2015
Airbus has produced the first of six UH-72A light utility helicopters for the Royal Thai Army (RTA), officials at the company's production facility in Columbus, Mississippi, said on 14 May. The...
View ArticleTanzania parades new Chinese kit
A Tanzanian military parade on 26 April to mark the 50th anniversary of the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar shed light on the Tanzania People's Defence Force's (TPDF's) recent procurement. Photographs...
View ArticleRussia warns Moldova over NATO relationship
Senior Russian figures have threatened Moldova over the consequences of exploratory talks, due to begin this year, on membership of NATO. The criticism came as NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander...
View ArticleHagel calls for closer GCC defence co-operation
US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel proposed several initiatives to help the militaries of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) work more closely together during a visit to Saudi Arabia on 14 May. Hagel...
View ArticleGhana takes delivery of OTT Hunter light strike vehicles
The South African company OTT Technologies has delivered 12 of its Hunter light strike vehicles to the Ghanaian Armed Forces under a ZAR8.75 million (USD850,000) contract, South African defence export...
View ArticleEDA to step up cyber activity
After a three-year lull in activity in the sector, the European Defence Agency's (EDA's) cyber-defence work is picking up again as it works on an ambitious goal to widen virtual access to training...
View ArticleCzech MoD to buy upgrades for leased Gripens
The Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed it will procure additional systems packages for its fleet of 14 Saab Gripen C/D fighters as part of its new lease of the aircraft between 2015 and...
View ArticleAUVSI 2014: US Army seeking more MUM-T, greater reliability for unmanned systems
US Army officials are hoping to advance manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) among aircraft while also boosting the reliability of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Colonel Tim Baxter, the army's project...
View ArticleAirbus delivers 300th UH-72A to US Army
Airbus delivered the US Army's 300th UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter during a ceremony at its Columbus, Mississippi, factory on 14 May. The company has delivered the Lakota in seven different...
View ArticleAbe sets out plans to give Japan more robust defence guidelines
A key advisory panel to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on 15 May recommended that the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) be allowed exercise the right to collective self-defence. In a move that will...
View ArticleUS stocks 'can bridge Russian rocket engine ban'
United Launch Alliance (ULA), the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture that provides satellite launch services for the US Air Force (USAF), has enough Russian-made RD-180 rocket engines in storage to...
View ArticleNigerian military's human rights abuses limit US support
The Nigerian military's heavy-handed counter-insurgency practices are restricting the amount of support the United States can provide to it, according to Alice Friend, the Department of Defense's...
View ArticleIsrael Navy ships get radar upgrade
The Israeli Navy has begun installing phased-array radars on Sa'ar 5 and Sa'ar 4.5 vessels as part of a wider weapons and electronics upgrade, according to a senior naval source. Led by the navy's...
View ArticleIndia seeks to secure naval base contract in Maldives
Indian Army Chief of Staff General Bikram Singh ended a three-day visit to the Maldives on 10 May during which he sought to persuade his hosts that India - and not China - should construct a INR30...
View ArticleHonduras to bolster FAH helicopter fleet
Taiwan is expected to donate four second-hand Bell UH-1H Iroquois helicopters to the Honduran Air Force (FAH) under the FAH's modernisation programme. Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández is...
View ArticleEU will consider sanctions if South Sudan ceasefire collapses
Sanctions and regional military intervention loom for South Sudan if a shaky ceasefire between its warring factions fails to hold, according to EU officials. "It's now watch and see," said Alexander...
View ArticleChina building artificial island in South China Sea
China is attempting to bolster its presence in the South China Sea by creating an artificial island on a reef in the disputed Spratly Islands. Satellite imagery provided by Airbus Defence and Space...
View ArticleAustria cuts a third of its Typhoon pilots
Key Points Defence budget cuts have forced the Austrian Air Force to cut it cadre of Typhoon pilots from 18 to 12 Further cuts under consideration could also compromise the security of Austria's...
View ArticleAirbus to establish military maintenance facility in Mexico
Airbus is planning to set up an aircraft maintenance network in Mexico in conjunction with the country's armed forces. Its main role would be to handle servicing for the fleet of 20 of the company's...
View ArticleAirbus expects international Lakota sales in wake of US Army buy
The US Army's decision to purchase additional Airbus UH-72A Lakota helicopters and to put them at the centre of its training mission raises the potential for international sales, according to the...
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