Jane's Defense News

In Thessaloniki, anarchists claimed responsibility for placing an improvised explosive device (IED) inside a van belonging to the AKTOR construction company to oppose its business on 12 June.

In Santiago, animal rights activists claimed responsibility for throwing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) as well as the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC), causing material damage.

In Rio San Martino, Scorze, animal rights activists claimed responsibility for setting on fire and destroying a van belonging to a mink farm business, on 1 July.

The Brazilian Navy is considering arming its Avibras ASTROS CFN 2020 self-propelled protected multiple rocket launching system (ASTROS II Mk 6) with AV-TM 300 tactical cruise missiles and AV-SS 40G guided rockets being developed by Avibras. No contract has yet been signed, but the purchase will be

The Brazilian Navy has assigned an official to the Brazilian Air Force’s Coordinating Committee of the Combat Aircraft Program to monitor the air force’s procurement of 36 Saab F-39 Gripen fighter jets, the navy told Jane’s on 18 July. The move underscores the service’s

China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently carried out a live-fire exercise on the Tibetan Plateau as the country remains locked in a stand-off with India over a border dispute in the region. Intended to improve the military’s combat capability in high-altitude locations, the

EVENT The Niger government has closed unlicensed artisanal gold mining sites in the Liptako zone of the southwest Tillabéri region. A statement from the mines ministry stated that the sites were closed on 15 July but gave no reason. This follows the closure in February of sites at Djado in the

On 6 June, a delegation headed by Russian minister of defence Sergei Shoigu visited Information Satellite Systems (ISS) Reshetnev near Krasnoyarsk to acquaint itself with the company's military products. The company has a virtual monopoly in building the country's communications and navigation

China has opened a facility in Pakistan to channel technology transfers to the country in support of local industrial development, according to an announcement on 10 July. The facility is the first of several that Beijing plans to open across South Asia. The first sub-regional facility of the

The House’s fiscal year 2018 (FY 2018) defence authorisation bill would, if enacted, add about USD80 billion in discretionary appropriations over the 2019–22 period, according to a new congressional report. About USD15.3 billion would be for higher end-strength authorisations. Policy

A Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Yakovlev Yak-130 'Mitten' training aircraft crashed on 11 July in Bangladesh’s southeastern Chittagong District, according to local media reports. BAF officials were quoted by the online news portal bdnews24.com as saying that both pilots ejected safely from the

Brazilian Army (Exército Brasileiro: EB) personnel are to repair armoured vehicles belonging to the Paraguayan Army, after the personnel inspected the platforms from 26 June to 7 July, according to a 6 July EB statement. The inspection (and the impending maintenance) was undertaken by

The British Army has retired all of its 160 remaining Prox Dynamics Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS) nano-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), citing a "diminished" requirement. News of the retirement emerged in the ministry's "UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations

The French government has announced its defence export figures for 2016, revealing that the country’s defence industry is continuing to report record export order volumes. In a report by the French Ministry of Defence (MoD) to the country’s parliament on 7 July, export orders reached

EVENT The Joint Investigation Team (JIT), formed by Pakistan's Supreme Court to investigate corruption allegations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family, submitted its findings on 10 July. Among several damaging conclusions, the JIT found that the Sharif family had accumulated wealth

Key Points Thales has offered the Watchkeeper UAS for the Indonesian Air Force's requirements System is being considered to improve the service's surveillance, reconnaissance, and target acquisition capabilities Thales UK is positioning the company's WK 450 Watchkeeper unmanned aircraft system

Key Points A top USAF officer wants to boost the service’s F-35 buy to 60 or 80 aircraft The USAF wants to buy more aircraft despite being financially limited to 46 annually A top US Air Force (USAF) officer wants the service to boost its Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike

A legal challenge to export sales of weapons by the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia was denied by London’s high court on 10 July. An NGO that had led the challenge vowed to appeal the decision in a press release. The case centred on UK export laws’ prohibition against delivering weapons

Ukraine will open talks with NATO for a membership action plan (MAP) as a step towards eventual membership in the alliance, the country’s leader, president Petro Poroshenko, said on 10 July, adding that Ukraine aims to bring its military and operational standards up to those of NATO in three

The US government has approved upgrades to Australia's fleet of Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet combat aircraft, valued at USD101.4 million. The State Department-approved work, which was announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 11 July, covers the integration of communications