Defence`s Feeds

Russia has restricted civilian flights over the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula, amid rising tensions with Ukraine and its Western supporters.

President Vladimir Putin has warned Russia's rival powers against threatening his country, vowing a tough response to anyone who crosses Moscow's 'red lines.'

President Vladimir Putin thundered about Russia's "red lines" in warnings aimed westward, extolled the virtues of parenthood, elaborately hailed the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and called for cash support for citizens struggling with stagnant incomes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin used his 17th annual state-of-the-nation address to a joint session of the Russian parliament to issue threats against what he called foreign provocations, vowing amid several widening rifts with the West that Moscow would respond in a harsh and swift way.

The president's annual address, given to members of the two houses of Russia's parliament, plus members of the cabinet, regional governors, and various distinguished guests, outlines his views on the state of the nation, and establishes guidelines for the country's foreign and domestic policy in the year to come.

The president's remarks come amid a new round of tensions between Russia and the West, including fresh sanctions against Moscow by Washington, claims about cyberattacks and election meddling, and mutual recriminations over the escalating civil conflict in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning foreign rivals against provocation or testing the nation's strength, insisting Russia's response would be "asymmetric, fast, and tough."

The President of Russia delivered the Address to the Federal Assembly. The ceremony took place at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall.

The Czech national unit to combat organized crime has detained at least five Czechs suspected of planning to travel to eastern Ukraine to fight alongside Russia-backed separatists against a backdrop of rising tensions between Prague and Moscow.

HMS Ships Dagger and Cutlass confirmed as the new fast patrol boats.

The emergence of a global coalition to counter China's actions in the Indo-Pacific region carries both danger and opportunity for Taiwan, but at least for the time being, a little more of the latter, according to the head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) founder Morris Chang on Wednesday called on the democratic island of Taiwan to defend its semiconductor industry, amid saber-rattling from China and an unprecedented drought.

The Biden administration's first arms sales to the island of Taiwan, featuring some howitzers, are proceeding, Taiwan media reported Monday, which sent a wrong and dangerous signal to Taiwan secessionists and "added fuel" to highly strained China-US and cross-Straits relations, Chinese mainland experts said.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has put forward his candidacy for the presidential election scheduled for 26 May, Parliament Speaker Hammouda Sabbagh said on Wednesday.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad officially registers for participation in upcoming presidential elections, a crucible for the country's efforts to defeat its adversaries and restore calm and security.

Americas

A second F-15EX has arrived at Eglin Air Force Base and the aircraft will be flown by the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron. This is also the final F-15EX delivery to the US Air Force for FY21. The F-15EX will make its exercise debut at Northern Edge 2021. The two F-15EXs and testers from the 40th Flight Test Squadron and 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron will work together in integrated developmental and operational test, effectively expediting the test timeline.

Northrop Grumman won a $2 billion deal for sustaining engineering support and program management support services for the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) propulsion subsystem. The deal with an ordering period of 18.5 years is provided for assistance to the government in maintaining the Minuteman III weapon system. The Minuteman is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. Missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control center through a system of hardened cables. Launch crews, consisting of two officers, perform around-the-clock alert in the launch center. The location of performance is primarily Corrine and Magna, Utah, with various other locations. Work is expected to be completed November 5, 2040.

Middle East & Africa

According to Jane’s, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is currently configuring its Barak surface-to-air missile (SAM) for the first of the Israeli Navy’s four Sa’ar 6 corvettes, Boaz Levy, IAI president and CEO. The ships are being built in Germany, with the first, INS Magen, having arrived in Haifa on 2 December 2020, where it is being fitted with its Israeli-made systems, including the ELM-2248 radar. Barak-8 is an operational air & missile defense system used by the Israeli navy. It provides broad Aerial and point defense against a wide range of threats to the marine arena from the air, the sea or the land. The system integrates several advanced state-of-the-art systems as, digital radar, command and control, launchers, interceptors with modern RF seekers, Data link and system-wide connectivity.

Europe

Greek newspaper Proto Thema says Athens could buy another six Rafale fighters from France to increase the fleet size from 18 to 24. The jets will be assigned to 332 Squadron which is now flying the Mirage 2000 at Tanagra air base.

The British government has decided to proceed with the purchase of 14 H-47 (ER) Chinook helicopters, Bloomberg reports. However, it wants to delay deliveries by three years due to budget shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Letter of Offer and Acceptance was delivered by the British embassy in Washington on March 25. The UK is the largest operator of the Chinook outside United States. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency had announced the potential sale in October 2018. That notification says Britain is cleared to buy 16 Chinooks. It is likely that the new variant Britain is buying is the MH-47G.

Asia-Pacific

The US Navy is preparing to operate the MQ-4C from Japan by shipping the Triton Unmanned Air System’s forward operating base (FOB) from NAS Patuxent River to Japan on April 12. Although the location in Japan was not disclosed. Flight tracking data shows the C-17 that transported the equipment over northern Japan on April 15. NAVAIR says this deployment will allow the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Fleet (MPRF) to have additional geographic flexibility to support operations beginning in summer 2021.

Today’s Video

Watch: Top 10 ICBM | Top 10 Longest Range Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

Tomer is an Israeli state-owned defense firm that produces propulsion systems for missiles and rockets, including the Shavit satellite launcher and the EXTRA artillery rocket. Videos circulated on social media Tuesday morning of a large explosion occurring at the factory with speculation that it was a form of retaliation by Iran.

Representatives from ally and partner nations in southeast Europe today spoke at a conference about the important role women play in their armed forces.

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A powerful explosion has rocked a sensitive Israeli missile factory during a test for advanced weapons, according to a report.