Jane's Defense News

Key Points Event marks the start of construction work for the new class of multipurpose patrol vessels Details have emerged on programme timelines and configurations, including a potential BMD capability Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri cut steel for the first of seven multipurpose offshore patrol

Argentina's decision to postpone buying new combat aircraft until 2018 and have the Argentine Air Force keep some Lockheed Martin (McDonnell Douglas) A-4AR Fightinghawks flying in the meantime will be a difficult logistical goal, sources in Buenos Aires told Jane's. To keep 12-14 of the air

TWO soldiers were killed and four people were wounded when a landmine detonated near Tihsiile in Somalia's Shabeellaha Hoose region 15 February, Shabelle Media Network reported. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Lockheed Martin Canada Mission Systems and Training (MST), after signing a contract earlier this month in Chile, is now officially the main contractor and integrator for a USD600 million programme to modernise three British-built Type 23 frigates that Chile bought from the United Kingdom in 2005.

Key Points The three-hour test showed that Redkite could operate from an Integrator UAS The Redkite payload operates on less than 300 W Logos Technologies' Redkite wide-area sensor flew aboard a Boeing Integrator Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) in early February. The test marked the first time the

Malaysian engineering group Destini Berhad, which has expanding interests in the defence sector, has entered an agreement to acquire Kuala Lumpur-based Halaman Optima (HOSB) to support the supply of aircraft to the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF). Destini said in a filing to the Bursa Malaysia stock

NATO has begun looking at options for the provision of early warning and control after it retires its fleet of Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft in about 20 years' time. Defence ministers from alliance member nations signed an agreement on 15 February to develop a

Russian bomber aircraft were intercepted by UK Royal Air Force (RAF), French Air Force (Armée de l'Air: AdlA), and Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire: EdA) fighters as they skirted the airspace of all three countries on 9 February. The interceptions, which were confirmed by both the RAF and

Key Points The inclusion of Haftar in the peace process would probably hasten the collapse of the current UN-backed government led by Fayez Serraj. Although potentially positive for stability, Haftar's inclusion in the LPA would probably come too late given his current military and political

Syrian troops have begun an offensive front in the country's central desert region in a bid to recapture the city of Tadmur, home of the Palmyra ruins, from the Islamic State. Having been secured with Russian air support in March 2016, Tadmur and the world-renowned Palmyra ruins were recaptured by

TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI) has been awarded a contract by the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) to develop Turkey's first indigenous turboshaft engine. Under the Turboshaft Engine Development Project, TEI is due to produce its first engine in two years' time, with the entire

The United States has rotated its Continuous Bomber Presence (CBP) stationed in Guam in support of the US Pacific Command (PACOM), with the arrival of four Rockwell B-1B Lancers to the island. The rotation, which was announced by the US Air Force (USAF) on 9 February, saw the B-1Bs from the 9th

A new draft resolution tabled on 9 February by two key committees of the European Parliament calls for major changes to the EU's defence policy, and for national defence expenditure in Europe to rise to 2% of GDP. Noting that defence co-operation in the EU is "now more dependent on political

The delayed effect of the European Union's sprawling 10-year old law to control the environmental impact of all chemicals produced or imported within EU territory is now being felt across Europe's militaries. It threatens security of supply lines while upping the research cost of chemical

The Israel Defense Forces' (IDF's) Skylark tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) unit is preparing to deploy Elbit's Skylark 3 platform in the near future, a development that will significantly expand its operational capabilities, a senior military source has told Jane's. When it was first

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) announced on 9 February that it will receive three Embraer EMB-314/A-29 Super Tucano turboprops from the Brazilian Air Force. It said in a statement that Embraer had confirmed that the Brazilian government had authorised its air force to transfer the three aircraft to

The Portuguese Army's Logistics Command has ordered nine Polaris Defense 4x4 all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for the Special Operations Force (FOE), the army told Jane's on 9 February. The contract is worth EUR359,965 (USD384,500) and includes seven Sportsman MV 850 MILITARY TAN quad-bikes and two MRZR

The Spanish senate has given its backing to a new strategic investment plan to help define and finance the future of state-owned shipbuilder Navantia. Figures presented to the session estimate that more than EUR700 million (USD748 million) will need to be pumped in to maintain the company's

Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has completed repairs to its Airlander 10 hybrid airship following a crash that caused serious damage to the flight deck during its second test flight in August 2016, the company announced on 10 February. The repairs were carried out at the vehicle's dedicated hangar in

ANALYSIS Satellite imagery obtained by Jane's corroborates reports that Iran carried out ballistic missile tests on 29 January and in July 2016, but provides no evidence that versions of North Korea's Hwasong-10 were launched. Airbus Defence and Space imagery shows a convoy of vehicles on a road