Jane's Defence Weekly - Armed Forces

Armed Forces

British Army considers downsizing CBRN role
Senior British Army commanders are looking to downsize the service's role in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) operations to divert personnel to support ...
29-Oct-2009

*UK OUVS programme faces delays
The UK armed forces' future Operational Utility Vehicle System (OUVS) could be delayed by another year in the wake of a review of the ...
15-Oct-2009

Britain retires Ptarmigan two years early
The British Army has retired its primary mobile trunk communications systems two years ahead of the entry into service of its replacement as a ...
15-Oct-2009

*Algeria and US conduct joint maritime exercises
This is a revised version of an article originally published on 9 October 2009 Algeria and the United States have conducted a series...
12-Oct-2009

Mongolian battalion to replace Poles in Chad peacekeeping operation
The 315-strong Polish battalion currently serving in Chad as part of the UN's MINURCAT peacekeeping operation is to be replaced in October by a...
18-Sep-2009

*UK moves to revamp Apache training
UK Army Air Corps (AAC) aviation planners are reviewing how best to deliver attack helicopter (AH) training in future to provide qualified aircrew for ...
18-Sep-2009

Saab wins UK training contract in Kenya
British Army troops are using a laser engagement training system in Kenya provided by Saab as part of their Afghanistan pre-deployment training (PDT) under ...
11-Sep-2009

British Army downgrades tank operations
Long-term maintenance of the British Army's Vickers Defence Systems Challenger 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) has not been taking place for almost a year ...
11-Sep-2009

*British Army buys 'Danger Lights' for Afghanistan
UK troops in Afghanistan has fielded a new device, dubbed the 'Danger Light', to deter local civilians from approaching military positions and vehicles, Jane's...
02-Sep-2009

UK brigades in frame for third Afghan tour
As July saw the British Army suffer its worst month of casualties in Afghanistan since the start of the military campaign there in 2001, ...
28-Jul-2009

*Romania receives first C-27J Spartan
The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) received its first C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft on 19 July. The aircraft landed at the 90th Airlift Base ...
23-Jul-2009

First Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer on course for commissioning
The first of six Type 45 destroyers, Daring , will be commissioned into the UK Royal Navy during a ceremony at Portsmouth naval base...
17-Jul-2009

Royal Navy decommissions final Falklands veteran
The Type 42 (Batch 2) destroyer HMS Exeter was decommissioned by the UK Royal Navy on 27 May during a ceremony at Portsmouth naval...
27-May-2009

*Fincantieri delivers Iraqi flagship
The Iraqi Navy (IqN) took delivery of the first of four new Saettia Mk 4 patrol ships from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri at a ceremony ...
20-May-2009

*US decommissions Kitty Hawk
The US Navy decommissioned its last conventionally powered aircraft carrier on 12 May at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, ...
18-May-2009

*Canada plans to boost Arctic patrol forces
The Canadian Rangers, a reserve force comprising First Nations and Inuit soldiers responsible for patrolling in the Arctic Circle, are to be re-inforced by around...
08-May-2009

China and Russia send fresh ships to battle pirates
The navies of China and Russia have both deployed warships to relieve existing national contributions to the multinational counter-piracy effort off the coast of ...
03-Apr-2009

Libyan Coast Guard boosts patrol fleet
The Libyan Coast Guard is considering further acquisitions after taking delivery of the six Croatian-built PV30-LS fast patrol craft and a small hydrographic survey ...
20-Mar-2009

*Belgian Air Force receives new C-130
The Belgian Air Force (BAC) took delivery of a Lockheed Martin C-130 transport aircraft on 17 March, replacing one lost in a hangar fire ...
20-Mar-2009

Indonesian Navy receives final SIGMA corvette
The last of four Diponegoro-class (SIGMA) corvettes built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding for the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) was handed over at a ceremony ...
13-Mar-2009

*RMAF receives first two MB-339CM trainer aircraft
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) has taken delivery of its first two Alenia Aermacchi MB-339CM trainer aircraft, the company announced on 11 March. ...
13-Mar-2009

Nigeria strengthens offshore patrol capacity
The Nigerian Navy has taken delivery of two new 38 m Manta-class offshore patrol craft (OPCs) and two Agusta helicopters in an attempt to ...
12-Mar-2009

South Korea joins counterpiracy deployments
The KDX 2-class destroyer Moonmu Daewang is expected to sail to east Africa in mid-March as South Korea joins the multinational counterpiracy effort in...
05-Mar-2009

*RSAF takes delivery of first G550 CAEW aircraft
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has taken delivery of its first Gulfstream G550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) aircraft, the country's Ministry ...
05-Mar-2009

*IDEX 2009: KMW launches Special Operations Vehicle development
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) is developing, as a private venture, a Special Operations Vehicle (SOV) that is intended to fill a capability gap in the company's...
27-Feb-2009

France places another BMS order with Nexter
France's Délégation Générale Pour I'Armement (DGA) defence procurement agency has awarded Nexter Systems a further contract for the SITV1 Battle Management System (BMS), which ...
27-Feb-2009

US Navy prepares to accept first modified E-6B
The US Navy (USN) will accept into service its first modified E-6B Mercury long-endurance command, control and communications aircraft on 25 February, the Naval ...
24-Feb-2009

*RAAF's Caribous face cull
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is to retire its remaining 13 DHC-4 Caribou tactical transport aircraft, the country's minister of defence announced on ...
23-Feb-2009

*Portugal relocates aircraft to boost strategic capabilities
The Portuguese Air Force (FAP) is relocating some of its aircraft to improve its operational and strategic capabilities. The Sintra Air Base 1 based...
20-Feb-2009

*First Freccia AIFVs delivered to Italian Army
The first Freccia 8x8 VBM (Veicolo Blindato Medio) armoured infantry fighting vehicles (AIFVs) were handed over to the Italian Army during a ceremony at ...
20-Feb-2009

*Erieye early warning aircraft go into service for Greece
The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) officially accepted into service its four EMB-145H Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft on 12 February during ...
19-Feb-2009

*Brazil drops M113B modernisation project
The Brazilian Army announced on 4 February the cancellation of its BAE Systems Ground Systems M113B armoured personnel carrier modernisation programme. Jane's understands ...
13-Feb-2009

*UK plans to deploy M-TADS/PNVS-equipped Apaches to Afghanistan
The UK plans to deploy its first four AgustaWestland/Boeing WAH-64D AH-1 Apache attack helicopters, equipped with the Lockheed Martin Modernised Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot ...
04-Feb-2009

Italian Air Force withdraws C-27Js from Afghanistan
The Italian Air Force (ITAF) has withdrawn its two Alenia Aeronautica C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft from Afghanistan following a five-month tour of duty, ...
03-Feb-2009

US Navy retires final Viking aircraft
The US Navy (USN) retired its last Lockheed S-3 Viking reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft from fleet service during a ceremony at Naval Air Station ...
03-Feb-2009

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