Jane's Defense News

India's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the INR42 billion (USD646 million) procurement of 100 modified South Korean Hanwa Techwin K9 Vajra-T 155 mm/52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) for the Indian Army on 29 March. Officials said the contract for the K9 Vajra

The Indian Navy (IN) decommissioned its fleet of Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-142M long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft on 29 March after 29 years of service. At a ceremony presided over by IN Chief of Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba, the Tu-142Ms, of which Jane's understands

The Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract worth CZK75 million (USD3 million) for Desert Tech Hard Target Interdiction (HTI) rifles for use by Czech special forces in international operations. The contract includes the delivery of 30 sniper rifles, each with a set of conversion kits

Key Points Current progress by Iraqi forces in Mosul, capital of Ninewa province, indicates that it is likely to be recaptured within three months; however, there is no evidence of a clear plan in place to govern the province in a post-Islamic State scenario. A governance plan is unlikely to

Unresolved technical issues could further delay the entry into service of the UK Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier, Queen Elizabeth , according to a report from the UK government's spending watchdog. In its 'Delivering Carrier Strike' report, the National Audit Office (NAO) said the UK Ministry of

The UK is to replenish its stock of Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-surface missiles at a cost of USD150 million. According to the US Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which announced the State Department approval for the sale on 16 March, the UK has requested 1,000

Key Points 58 kW beam demonstrated during trials in March Lockheed Martin will work with the US military to scale the capability to scale "well beyond 150 kW" Lockheed Martin will deliver a 60 kW-class beam combined fibre laser to the US Army for integration onto a Heavy Expanded

Boeing has been awarded a USD3.4 billion multiyear contract to supply new-build and remanufactured AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters to the US Army and Saudi Arabia. This first AH-64E multiyear contract, which was awarded by the US Department of Defense (DoD) on 15 March, covers multiyear

Key Points The government's decision to introduce regulations amounting to an economic blockade is likely to defuse pro-blockade protests across Ukraine. Severing economic ties is likely to reorient Donetsk and Luhansk towards Russia, but risks of regulatory restrictions will cause closure of

Key Points A major re-organisation of the British Army is under way 'Army 2020 Refine' will involve the transfer of more than 4,500 soldiers to new units More than 4,500 soldiers are to be transferred to new units and nearly 40 major units moved as part of the British Army's re-organisation plans

EVENT Greek anarchist group Synomosia Pyrinon Tis Fotias (SPF) claimed responsibility yesterday (16 March) for a parcel bomb delivered to the German Ministry of Finance in Berlin on 15 March. The parcel was addressed to Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schäuble. German media reported that the

Key Points France is seeking more links with the USN to support carrier airwing training Links will help navy bridge gap until Charles de Gaulle returns to operations The French Navy sees co-operation with the US Navy (USN) as a "cornerstone" of its plans to maintain personnel skills

EVENT Several Sierra Leonean government officials resigned from their posts on 10 March, reflecting a constitutional requirement for them to step down to be able to contest the presidency and vice-presidency in the elections scheduled for 8 March 2018. The prospective candidates include Kaifalah

An unidentified Yemeni Coast Guard vessel reportedly hit a mine in the vicinity of the southern Red Sea port of Al-Mukha (Mocha), the Associated Press reported on 10 March. Unidentified Yemeni officials said two sailors were killed and eight injured. The report prompted the US Maritime

On 15 March Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko announced that the country's defence industry will develop its own twin-engine, multirole fighter. The announcement was made during Poroshenko's visit to the Ivchenko-Progress engine design bureau located in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaparozhe.

Indian naval shipbuilder ABG confirmed on 16 March that investors have expressed interest in acquiring a major stake of the company as it looks to offload mounting debt. The Mumbai-based shipbuilder said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange that its "lenders have invited expressions of

The European Parliament overwhelmingly approved on 16 March a draft EU regulation aimed at preventing raw mineral imports into Europe financing armed conflicts. The legislation now goes to the EU's Council of Ministers for formal adoption, which is expected in the coming weeks. "These rules

Key Points The trials mark the first time a UK-designed missile has been fired from the F-35, and also the first time a non-US missile has been fired from the platform. Guided firing trials expected to continue through to mid-2017 The F-35 Integrated Test Force - a joint team comprising prime

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has unveiled a new version of its ELM-2112 ground surveillance radar that is designed to detect threats moving through foliage, saying it has been "operationally deployed for several years". Using frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) technology, the

Intelsat is introducing two small, flat-panel antennas that automatically lock onto satellites to support US Department of Defense (DoD) communications. The mTenna developed by Kymeta is a metamaterial, electrically scanned, satellite antenna intended for government maritime applications that