Jane's Defense News

A bridge modernisation effort by Raytheon Anschütz to install its Synapsis Intelligent Bridge Control (IBC) suite aboard the Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN's) hydrographic survey ship KD Perantau is in progress. New bridge equipment supplied by Raytheon Anschütz also include a Standard 22

Raytheon reported earnings for the first quarter of the company's fiscal year 2016 on 28 April, with sales increasing 9% but operating income down 27% year over year. Sales for the first quarter were USD5.8 billion, up from USD5.3 billion for the same quarter in 2015. Operating income was USD612

Key Points Vietnam's third Gepard-class frigate, the first of two ASW variants, has been launched Zelenodolsk Shipyard says that ships three and four in the class remain on schedule for delivery in 2016 Russia's Zelenodolsk Shipyard has launched the first anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variant of

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has taken delivery of a number of Spanish-made 4x4 Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico (VAMTAC) ST5 high mobility tactical vehicles to add to its fleet, with at least two vehicles configured as light utility or troop transport platforms observed travelling

The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded SpaceX USD82.7 million to provide satellite launch services, marking the company's first military launch contract, the Pentagon announced on 27 April. The contract is for the launch of a GPS III satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in May 2018. SpaceX last

The Thai government has approved the raising of the Royal Thai Marine Corps' (RTMC's) first paramilitary counter-insurgency force. The new regiment of RTMC Rangers will join similar regiments under the command of the Royal Thai Army (RTA) as regular army and marine battalions are withdrawn from the

Turkey signed a formal agreement with Qatar on 28 April to form a joint military base in the Gulf country. The Qatari base will become Turkey's first foreign military base in the Gulf, with the agreement being signed in Doha by Turkish defence minister Ismet Yilmaz and his Qatari counterpart Khalid

Key Points Turkey has bolstered its military presence along its border with Syria in response to cross-border rocket attacks The United States will also deploy HIMARS rocket systems to Turkey to help assist in counter-battery fires Turkey's military has significantly reinforced the country's 900

Russia has begun flight tests of the Adcom United 40 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Russian state news. RIA Novosti cited a defence industry source as saying the tests were taking place at the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) flight-test centre in

Key Points Two launches of the Musudan IRBM by North Korea on 27-28 April appear to have failed. These mark the third successive launch failure of the Musudan in its land-based configuration. Two North Korean intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) tests appear to have ended in failure on

A US Army Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) in Hawaii has received its AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters from various National Guard units as the active duty force implements its Aviation Restructure Initiative (ARI). The controversial ARI, opposed by the National Guard for not wanting to lose

US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) elements are leveraging virtual machines and software-defined applications to reduce the footprint of their Tactical Local Area network (TACLAN) system, while enhancing utility and security against cyber and electronic warfare threats. In February 2016 VMware,

The US Air Force's Materiel Command (AFMC) is in the process of developing both near-term innovative products as well as advanced technologies as part of the Pentagon's third offset initiative, the command's chief General Ellen Pawlikowski told reporters on 28 April. Pawlikowski was speaking as

Key Points Procuring a second Virginia in fiscal year 2021 would reduce the USN's attack submarine shortfall in the 2020s The addition of this second boat, boosting Virginia Block V to 10 boats, would yield cost savings The US Navy (USN) believes momentum is growing to allow the acquisition of a

Americas Colombia - 28 April 2016: In Santander de Quilichao, Cauca, Afro-Colombian groups blocked the Pan-American Highway in a protest demanding consultation over highway expansion. Haiti - 28 April 2016: Outside the Parliament in Port-au-Prince, police officers fired rubber bullets to disperse

FIVE soldiers were killed and 12 others were wounded when Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen militants attacked a military base near the town of Baidoa in Somalia's Bay region on 26 April, Reuters reported. Six Al-Shabaab militants were killed in retaliatory fire. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for

The US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is currently aiding the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) in building up the capabilities of its IOMAX AT-802 Block 1 Border Patrol Aircraft (BPA) force, it was recently disclosed. An image released by the Air Force Reserve Command on 19 April

Algeria's first MEKO A-200 frigate was commissioned in Algiers on 21 April in a ceremony attended by Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaid Salah, who serves as both the chief-of-staff of the military and deputy defence minister. The Ministry of Defence said the arrival of Erradii (910) marked an important

THREE International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers were kidnapped by militants in an unspecified location in Mali's Kidal region on 16 April, Radio France Internationale reported. Harakat Ansar al-Din claimed responsibility for kidnapping them on 21 April, and asked for the release of a

API Technologies, a company specialising in the manufacture of radio frequency (RF) and microwave systems and components, has been bought by J F Lehman, API announced on 22 April. Lehman, a private equity company, will be paying shareholders of API USD2 per share. At that rate the total value of