Jane's Defense News

A UK Royal Air Force (RAF) C-130J-30 has been written off in Iraq after being seriously damaged in a heavy landing during an apparent special forces mission. The previously undisclosed incident took place last August during the height of coalition operations against the so-called Islamic State (IS)

The US Navy (USN) awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding unit a USD200.4 million undefinitised fixed-price, incentive firm target modification on 28 June for the purchase of additional long-lead time material for Ford-class aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80). Work

Key Points The USAF is considering ending the LAE after a fatal crash This could draw out a potential procurement of light attack aircraft The US Air Force (USAF) is considering ending its Light Attack Experiment (LAE) in New Mexico after a fatal crash on 22 June, according to a key officer.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) and its 27 national defence ministries agreed on a revised set of Capability Development Plan (CDP) priorities for the EU on 28 June, with new emphasis on counter-hybrid, ground combat and underwater “resilience at sea” capabilities. In contrast to

Implementation of Russia’s Gosoboronzakaz (State Defence Order, GOZ) reached 97.5% in 2017, newly appointed Vice Premier Yuri Borisov has said. The armed forces reached a readiness level of 95%, Borisov said at a teleconference on 22 June, adding, “As of 1 January, modern

The US Department of State has approved a possible USD185 million Foreign Military Sale to Australia of equipment associated with the integration of the CEAFAR 2 phased-array radar system with the Aegis Combat System, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a 26 June statement.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis that Beijing will not give up “any inch of territory”, adding that the Pacific Ocean “is vast enough to accommodate China and the United States, as well as other countries”, according to the Xinhua news

The cyber domain had a significant presence at the 2018 Eurosatory exhibition in Paris, highlighting its rapid growth as an industry focus over the past few years. There were 75 exhibitors at the event with activities in the sector, according to the show’s organisers, while 15% of official

Russia’s Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate Admiral Essen has completed its mission in the Mediterranean and is returning to Sevastopol, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 28 June. Admiral Grigorovich returned to Sevastopol in early June, making two Buyan-M corvettes the only

Key Points Despite relying on KSCM support, the coalition will maintain fiscally prudent and pro-Western policy. Instead of deviating from its preferred policy approach, ANO would probably opt for an early election in which its parliamentary presence would increase. Government stability and

General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLS-C) unveiled two new variants of its light armoured vehicle (LAV) 6.0 family during CANSEC 2018 in Ottowa from 30–31 May. The company also spoke about its LAV 6.0 Air Defence concept, and the LAV 700 currently in production for an export customer. The

Key Points The economically driven protests show increasing organisation, intensity, and disruptiveness. They are also creating the political space for increasing anti-government protests, particularly criticising Iran’s regional policies, especially intervention in Syria. At least some

Russia’s Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV) new Grom tactical air-to-ground missile is undergoing flight tests in readiness for commencing series production in November, according to a company presentation). Flight tests of the Grom, carried out on an Su-34 fighter-bomber, began at the end

Plans to upgrade the Norwegian Army’s Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks (MBTs) have been abandoned following the publication of the government’s revised budget in May, the Norwegian MoD has confirmed. “Through the examination of the Land Power Proposition in the autumn of 2017, it was

China is posing an unprecedented threat to the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) technological and industrial base, Pentagon officials said during a 21 June hearing of the US House Armed Services Committee. “China has made it a national goal to acquire foreign technologies to not only

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has contracted two ‘green’ Gulfstream G550 business-jet aircraft to be converted into special mission platforms for a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customer, most likely Australia. A USD83 million contract was awarded to L-3 Communications on 21 June to

Elbit Systems’ Elisra subsidiary has developed a new wide-area acoustic sensing device called May. The system works with an autonomous network of static sensors that provides detection, classification, and geo-location of acoustic events such as gunshots, artillery fire, or explosions. It

State-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has delivered the two NC212i light utility transport aircraft ordered by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in January 2014. The twin-turboprop transports were photographed on 14 June after arriving at an airport near the Philippine

Event On 18 June, Bolivia’s Defence Minister Javier Zabaleta confirmed that one of Brazil’s leading drug trafficking organisations, the Comando Vermelho (CV), had perpetrated a cross-border assault on a military outpost near Porvenir, Pando department. The armed raid left seven people

Civmec Construction and Engineering, which is partnered with German shipbuilder Lürssen to build offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), completed its listing on the Australian stock exchange (ASX) on 22 June, the company has announced. Western Australia-based