Jane's Defence Weekly

Europe

*UK to deploy first Merlins to Afghanistan
The UK is set to deploy its first Merlin helicopters to Afghanistan following pre-deployment training in the US. In a statement the Ministry of ...
06-Nov-2009

UK drops BAE Systems from Nimrod R.1 replacement race
BAE Systems has been dropped from the competition to provide a replacement for the UK's ageing Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R.1 electronic intelligence-gathering aircraft. Jane's...
06-Nov-2009

Germany orders 20 more General Dynamics Eagles
Germany has ordered an additional 20 Eagle protected ambulance vehicles from General Dynamics European Land Systems, it was announced on 5 November. The vehicles...
06-Nov-2009

NATO and US closer to common missile defence
The prospect of integrating NATO's multitude of national short- and medium-range theatre missile defence systems with the US long-range missile defence system is improving, with...
06-Nov-2009

France and Poland pursue shipbuilding alliance
France and Poland have agreed to open talks on a partnership between French warship builder DCNS and the Stocznia Marynarki Wojennej (SMW) yard in Gydnia...
06-Nov-2009

*US C-130E leased to Poland
The Polish Air Force (Sily Powietrzne - SP) accepted a second Lockheed Martin C-130E Hercules transport aircraft for its 14th Air Transport Squadron in ...
05-Nov-2009

Russian Tochka-U missile accidentally self-destructs during exercises
The Russian Defence Ministry has revealed that an army OTR-21 Tochka-U (SS-21 'Scarab B') ballistic missile accidentally self-destructed during live-firing exercises on 28 October ...
05-Nov-2009

Czech MoD prepares to issue assault rifle tender
The Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to shortly issue an international tender for the selection of a new assault rifle for frontline combat...
05-Nov-2009

Finnish Air Force reaches NATO standard
Finland has become the first Partnership for Peace nation to meet NATO's combat aviation requirements. The announcement was made by Finnish Air Force Commander ...
04-Nov-2009

US finally approves Turkish Cobra request
The United States has finally agreed to sell Bell AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters to Turkey, Defence Minister Vecdi Gönül has told Jane's . ...
04-Nov-2009

Russia schedules Bulava SLBM test
Russia's Bulava 30 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is scheduled for another test-firing on 24 November following a track record of six failures in 11 ...
03-Nov-2009

Portugal appoints new defence minister
Augusto Santos Silva has been named as Portugal's new defence minister following the victory of the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista) in the country's general ...
03-Nov-2009

Russian Candid crash kills 11
A Russian Illyushin Il-76 'Candid' strategic transport aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from its home base at Mirny, Siberia, on 1 November. The aircraft,...
03-Nov-2009

*Italy to deploy AMXs to Afghanistan
The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana - AMI) is to deploy four Alenia/Aermacchi/Embraer AMX light strike combat aircraft to Afghanistan to replace the ...
02-Nov-2009

*BAE reveals CV90 for FRES - Scout contest
A new version of the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) optimised for the British Army's Future Rapid Effect System - Scout (FRES - Scout) ...
02-Nov-2009

Sweden must re-run its AWV contest, court rules
Sweden's armoured wheeled vehicle (AWV) contest should be re-run because the procedure behind the award of a EUR240 million (USD355 million) contract to Patria in...
30-Oct-2009

Germany opts against Eurofighter Tranche 3b
Germany's new ruling coalition has decided against procuring the 37 aircraft outstanding under the Eurofighter Tranche 3b contract. Berlin decided in June to split...
30-Oct-2009

OTO Melara to upgrade Italian Army Linces
OTO Melara will provide the Italian Army with 81 Hitrole Light turrets for the Lince light multirole vehicle, it has been announced. The contract...
30-Oct-2009

Russia debates new nuclear posture
Russia's new nuclear posture, which would allow it to deploy nuclear weapons against a conventional threat, does not indicate an increasingly aggressive military stance, ...
30-Oct-2009

Germany to receive Heron UAV for Afghanistan
Rheinmetall and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) are to provide the German Bundeswehr with a Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for its operations in Afghanistan. ...
30-Oct-2009

Poland unveils wide-ranging acquisition plan
Poland's Defence Minister, Bogdan Klich, has authorised 14 key focus areas for procurement under Warsaw's 2010-18 defence modernisation plan. The total value of the ...
30-Oct-2009

Thales conducts Starstreak MMS firings
Thales UK carried out formal proving firings of its Starstreak-based Multi-Mission System (MMS) surface-to-air missile package in the last week of October, Jane's has...
30-Oct-2009

*Nimrod crash review slams MoD, RAF and industry
An independent review into the loss of a UK Royal Air Force (RAF) BAE Systems Nimrod MR.2 surveillance aircraft over Afghanistan has found that it...
29-Oct-2009

Spain's first Nyala AIFVs head to Afghanistan
The deployment of the Spanish Army's new BAE Systems RG-31 Nyala protected vehicles got under way on 27 October with the first two of ...
29-Oct-2009

Medvedev slams Russian defence industry for failing to modernise
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has strongly criticised the country's defence sector, accusing it of failing to modernise despite heavy government investment. Medvedev said that...
29-Oct-2009

Russian United Aircraft Corporation finally absorbs MiG
MiG Aircraft Corporation has finally merged into Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC): a move anticipated since the creation of UAC in 2006. Russian information ...
29-Oct-2009

UK revisits plan to suspend TA training
The UK government has revised plans to suspend all routine Territorial Army (TA) training for six months. The original plan, which would have saved ...
28-Oct-2009

UK prepares to bring life back to MARS
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is gearing up to resurrect its MARS (Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability) Tanker programme a little over six months...
28-Oct-2009

UK plans to continue operating Gazelles
Plans by the UK Ministry of Defence to retire the last 46 Army Air Corps (AAC) Westland/Aerospatiale SA 341B Gazelle AH.1 light utility, observation ...
27-Oct-2009

Nine sign NATO's HIP helicopter declaration
Nine NATO members have signed a declaration of intent to contribute to a multinational helicopter initiative designed to provide an airlift capability, the alliance ...
26-Oct-2009

Spanish air force awards two KC-130H maintenance contracts
The Spanish air force (EAE) has awarded two maintenance contracts for its Lockheed Martin KC-130H (TK-10 in EAE service) transport and tanker fleet worth ...
23-Oct-2009

Retia negotiates with Raytheon over SA-6 project
Czech electronics firm Retia has entered negotiations with Raytheon over a potential USD2 billion programme designed to provide an alternative to the Russian-designed SA-6 ...
23-Oct-2009

*Airbus Military A330 MRTT makes first 'wet' contact
The Airbus Military A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft made its first 'wet' contact with a receiver aircraft during trials on 21 October, the ...
23-Oct-2009

*Poland confirms Puma upgrade cancellation
Poland's Minister of National Defence (MND) Bogdan Klich confirmed on October 21 that the BWP-1M Puma upgrade programme has been cancelled. A source ...
23-Oct-2009

UK minister urges less protectionism in defence procurement
Quentin Davies, the UK Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, has advocated a principle of reduced protectionism as a way of improving the efficiency of...
23-Oct-2009

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