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South Korea's F-35 offset programme under fire
South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection has said the country’s offset regulations were not adhered to properly in the acquisition of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter aircraft (pictured) from the US. Source: DAPARAF F-35Bs decamp to Cyprus for first overseas deployment
British F-35Bs arrived at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on 21 May for the type’s first overseas deployment in UK service. Source: Crown CopyrightUS Army and UK MoD move out with plans to acquire Elbit Systems’ Iron Fist Light Decoupled APS
US Army Sergeant Ansel Frayer, sitting in the gunner’s turret, and his crew manoeuvre their M2A3 Bradley during a live-fire exercise in Bulgaria in August 2018. The service has plans to buy 154 IF-LD APSs for its Bradley fleet. Source: US Department of DefenseIndia launches radar-imaging satellite
India’s PSLV-C46 launch vehicle put RISAT-2B, a radar-imaging Earth-observation satellite, into orbit on 22 May. Source: Via PIB
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As PESCO projects grow, the real challenge emerges: co-ordinated defence planning
Key Points MoDs within the EU need to embed cross-border co-ordination within their PESCO projects, an IRIS conference in Brussels has heard Failure to do this could adversely affect the results of PESCO initiatives As the pace of the EU’s Permanent Structured Co-operation (PESCO) and
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French Air Force introduces new UAV pilot training scheme
The French Air Force is ramping up the recruitment and training of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crews to cope with the service’s expanding air vehicle inventory. While the 1/33 Belfort UAV squadron currently flies five GA-ASI MQ-9 Reaper medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs using 20
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India’s Bharat Forge invests in defence technology firm
Indian company Bharat Forge – a subsidiary of the Kalyani Group – has entered an agreement to acquire a 26% stake in defence technology company Aeron Systems, which is based in the city of Pune in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Bharat Forge, which is also headquartered in
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Islamic State insurgency exploits porous Syrian border
Key Points The Islamic State continues to operate from western Iraq across the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-controlled zone to west of the Euphrates and the Badia desert adjoining Syria’s Homs Province. The Islamic State’s relationships with elements of the Sunni tribes of the Middle
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LNA announces naval blockade of western Libya
The Libyan National Army (LNA) faction has announced it will impose a naval blockade on ports in west Libya to prevent any more shipments of military equipment reaching forces aligned with the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). The move was announced by LNA naval
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Mauritania receives CN-235 transport aircraft from UAE
The Mauritanian military announced on 13 May that it had received a transport aircraft from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The aircraft could be identified as one of the CASA/IPTN CN-235M-110 transport aircraft that the UAE acquired from Indonesia in the 1990s. The Mauritanian military described
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Aselsan reveals Gökdeniz naval close-in weapon system
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Nurol Makina; Experience led design
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Rheinmetall Denel Munition show their firepower capabilities
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[Sponsor Content] General Dynamics – Reliable Networks, Evolvable Architecture
An essential advantage in modern warfare is superiority in information. This white paper discusses General Dynamics' proven architectural approach to developing Tactical Communications and Information Systems that are not only stable and reliable, but evolvable. -
Risk of religious conflict in Sri Lanka increases
The April 2019 terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka focused attention on the unresolved communal tensions affecting the country. Derek Henry Flood examines the complex ethno-linguistic and religious divisions that are likely to shape the risk of further violence, potentially between Muslim and Buddhist communities -
More bang for your buck: B61 service-life extension upgrades
Despite being more than 50 years old the B61 nuclear bomb is still in service with armed forces around the globe. As this weapon enters into its sixth decade it is being extensively upgraded to enhance its precision and, by default, its lethality. Thomas Withington reports
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RAF F-35Bs decamp to Cyprus for first overseas deployment
Key Points Six RAF F-35Bs have flown to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus The training mission is the type’s first overseas deployment in UK service British Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning combat aircraft flew to the Royal Air Force (RAF) base on Cyprus on 21 May for the type’s first overseas
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Roketsan unveils urban combat support weapon developments
Roketsan of Turkey has disclosed company-funded development of two new lightweight guided support weapon systems for combat operations in an urban environment: CIDA and Yatagan. The company classifies the CIDA Weapon System as a cost-effective, low-collateral effects ‘enhanced smart
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US Army and UK MoD move out with plans to acquire Elbit Systems’ Iron Fist Light Decoupled APS
Israeli-based Elbit Systems is slated to receive two coveted contracts for its Iron Fist Light Decoupled (IF-LD) active protection system (APS), one from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and another from the US Army. Both countries recently detailed plans to acquire the system, with the US Army
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Navy League 2019: Raytheon mine clearance package moves ahead with AQS-20C sonar, Barracuda effector
The US Navy (USN) now has 10 production Raytheon AQS-20C mine-hunting sonar units in the fleet, as the service hopes these can help shift to single sortie detect-to-engage (SSDTE) mine clearance missions. The AQS-20C has gone through testing but Raytheon and the USN are continuing to learn about
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RAF F-35Bs decamp to Cyprus for first overseas deployment
Key Points Six RAF F-35Bs have flown to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus The training mission is the type’s first overseas deployment in UK service British Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning combat aircraft flew to the Royal Air Force (RAF) base on Cyprus on 21 May for the type’s first overseas
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US Army and UK MoD move out with plans to acquire Elbit Systems’ Iron Fist Light Decoupled APS
Israeli-based Elbit Systems is slated to receive two coveted contracts for its Iron Fist Light Decoupled (IF-LD) active protection system (APS), one from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and another from the US Army. Both countries recently detailed plans to acquire the system, with the US Army
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South Korea’s second Dokdo-class helicopter carrier begins sea trials
Key Points South Korea has begun sea trials for its second Dokdo-class helicopter carrier The amphibious vessel is on track to be delivered by end-2020 The Republic of Korea Navy’s (RoKN’s) second Dokdo-class helicopter carrier, which will be known in service as ROKS Marado (6112)
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Turkish president's rebuke of major business lobby indicates increased risk of punitive government measures targeting opposition-aligned firms
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan censured on 16 May Turkey's main business group, the Turkish Industry and Business Association (Türk Sanayicileri ve Is Insanlari Dernegi: TUSIAD), saying that he would "hold accountable" those who "attack Turkey from
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LNA claims it has been attacked by Turkish UAVs
The Libyan National Army (LNA) has claimed that Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used to carry out attacks against the forces it has deployed to capture Tripoli from forces aligned with the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). The claim was made in a
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Images reveal further details of North Korean missile launch
Images released by North Korea's state-run media show that the two missiles the country launched on 9 May were of the same type as the close/short-range ballistic missile it test-fired on 4 May. The firings were part of a "strike drill of defence units of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in the
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Southern Mali attack highlights likelihood of jihadist conflict reaching coastal West Africa, targeting foreigners, churches, mining companies
On 19 May, seven people were killed in a jihadist attack on a border post at Koury in Mali’s southern Sikasso region, near the Burkina Faso border. The attack comes amid warnings and assaults in coastal Ghana, Togo, and Benin, previously unaffected by terrorism, as well as Cote d’Ivoire,
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Islamic State insurgency exploits porous Syrian border
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Islamist attacks on Burkinabe churches indicate a broadening strategy from stoking inter-ethnic violence to prioritising sectarian divisions
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Gwadar attack indicates growing threat to Chinese nationals in Balochistan but risks to Chinese projects relatively lower
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Southern Mali attack highlights likelihood of jihadist conflict reaching coastal West Africa, targeting foreigners, churches, mining companies
On 19 May, seven people were killed in a jihadist attack on a border post at Koury in Mali’s southern Sikasso region, near the Burkina Faso border. The attack comes amid warnings and assaults in coastal Ghana, Togo, and Benin, previously unaffected by terrorism, as well as Cote d’Ivoire,
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Islamic State insurgency exploits porous Syrian border
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Turkish president's rebuke of major business lobby indicates increased risk of punitive government measures targeting opposition-aligned firms
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Unilateral Russian ceasefire announcement likely only affords temporary delay to Syrian government offensive in Idlib province
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South Korea's F-35 offset programme under fire
South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) has criticised the administration of defence offsets linked with the country’s acquisition of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters from the United States. The BIA said on 21 May that in an audit carried out into the
