Jane's Defense News

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has announced a plan to merge its military and commercial aero-engines businesses. The move is the latest effort by the corporation to enhance its competitiveness in Japan and export markets. MHI said on 4 August that it will split off its military

US President Barack Obama spent several hours meeting with his senior national security staff at the Pentagon on 4 August, a strategy meeting meant to shape the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. On 1 August Obama authorised airstrikes against targets in Libya,

ANALYSIS Syrian rebels began a major offensive against government forces to the south of Aleppo on 31 July with the aim of breaking the siege of the eastern part of the city. Some gains have been made, but the key military base had not been overrun at the time of writing. The offensive involves

Key Points HMAS Ballarat has successfully launched two Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles simultaneously Launch proves out the platform's recently completed anti-ship missile defence upgrades The Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) ANZAC (MEKO 200)-class guided-missile frigate HMAS Ballarat (155) has

Key Points The Russian MoD has criticised figures in the Russian press relating to the cost of Moscow's cruise missile strikes into Syria A lack of transparency regarding Russian defence programmes is making analysing them increasingly difficult The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has hit back

A CIVILIAN was killed in a small-arms attack by unidentified gunmen in Shorja district of Iraq's capital Baghdad on 1 August, Al Sumaria News reported. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of up to 24 Beechcraft T-6C+ Texan II turboprop trainer/light attack aircraft to Argentina, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 3 August. The estimated USD300 million sale aims to replace the Argentine

The US Navy (USN) will phase out its much-maligned Navy Working Uniform (NWU) Type I and move to the NWU Type III as the primary shore working uniform beginning 1 October, the service announced on 4 August. NWU Type I is often mocked by sailors as 'aquaflage' or 'blueberries' due to the deep blue

A photograph has emerged on Chinese online forums showing that China's land-based aircraft carrier mock-up in Wuhan, Hubei Province, is undergoing modifications. These are likely to reflect changes between China's first indigenous aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, which is currently being built at

Russia will supply three Admiral Grigorovich-class (Project 11356M) frigates to India that were originally intended for the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet, according to a source in the Russian defence industry. "The relevant concealed agreement has been achieved, and India will receive the

A long-awaited military exercise was conducted by the Bolivian Armed Forces in central Bolivia, 129 km from the city of Cochabamba, and displayed a new training concept implemented last year. Operation 'Estamos Juntos /Khuska Kasanca 2016' ran 1-4 August and emphasised service interoperability in

Chinese defence minister Chang Wanquan has warned of "offshore security threats" and called on the military, police, and general population to prepare for mobilisation to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity in the event of a "people's war at sea", Xinhua news

Cobham has announced lower sales and earnings and looked back on a "challenging start" to the year. The group reported that sales had fallen 13% compared with the first half of the previous year to GBP1.05 billion (USD1.4 billion), while pre-tax profits fell 44% to GBP76 million. The

Key Points President Erdogan's ultimatum comes in the context of weakened relations between Turkey and the European Union following the 15 July failed coup. Turkey is highly unlikely to change its counter-terrorism laws in accordance with the EU's criteria for visa liberalisation, and their own

Key Points The attack on Mukalla's commercial port marks the first boat-borne attack targeting the coalition since the start of the conflict. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has expressly threatened the UAE following the group's expulsion from Mukalla in April 2016. The frequency of IED,

The US Air Force's (USAF's) Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft completed its first air-to-air weapons test against an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) target, the air force announced on 1 August. The USAF test pilot, Major Raven LeClair, launched an AIM-9X missile from an F-35A's

While Singapore continues to remain tight lipped about its next-generation combat aircraft programme it is widely believed that an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter buy is a matter of not if, but when for the Southeast Asian country. Kelvin Wong reports on the latest perspectives from the Singapore

Chilean shipbuilder ASMAR (Astilleros y Maestranzas de la Armada) is to launch the fourth Patrullero de Zona Maritime (PZM) offshore patrol vessel for the Chilean Navy on 3 August, a navy spokesperson told IHS Jane's on 1 August. Cabo Odger (OPV 84), ordered by the navy on 12 January 2015, is being

AM General has been awarded a USD356 million contract to manufacture and deliver 1,673 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) - also known as Humvees - to the US government for further delivery to the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, the US-based company said in a

The US Marine Corps (USMC) expects an optionally manned helicopter to emerge from the joint-service Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programme being led by the US Army, the corps' deputy commandant for aviation said on 29 July. Although the USMC has been using the remotely piloted Lockheed Martin K-MAX