Jane's Defense News

Taliban attacks in the central Afghan province of Uruzgan that started in mid-May have intensified in the past few days, according to both sides. Afghan channel TOLOnews reported on 29 May that according to Muhammad Hanif Hanafi, a senator from the province, 54 police outposts throughout Uruzgan

Vietnam and the United States have signed a defence agreement, with the intention of opening a new era of defence trade and joint defence production. The "joint vision statement on defence relations" was signed in Hanoi on 1 June by Vietnam's Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh and

BAE Systems is preparing a wide-ranging offset package - focused on localised defence production - to support its anticipated contract to supply the Indian Army with 145 M777 155 mm/39 calibre lightweight howitzer guns, the company has confirmed to IHS Jane's . Complying with India's defence offset

EVENT An Ebola-related protest turned violent in the Guinean mining town of Kamsar, the capital of Boké region, on 30 May as protesters ransacked the police station and set fire to three vehicles. On the same day, another violent protest broke out in the town of Tanéné, Boké

Key Points The Muslim Brotherhood has effectively said that it will engage in a violent campaign against the army, while Egypt is likely to be the Islamic State's next target. The Islamic State in Libya and Sinai will not attempt a direct confrontation with the army, but will seek to wear it down

EVENT Four people died in a suicide improvised explosive device attack outside a Shia mosque in Dammam, Eastern Province, on 29 May. It was the second recent such attack in the majority-Shia province, following a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in al-Dalwah on 22 May, that killed 21 people. Both

EVENT Thousands of people took to the streets in Guatemala City on 30 May to protest against corruption and demand the resignation of President Otto Pérez Molina. The protest follows five previous anti-government demonstrations, including on 25 April and 17 May, which according to the local

The Polish government announced on 30 May that Lockheed Martin has completed its offset obligations related to the country's 2002 procurement of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. Deputy Minister of Economy Arkadiusz Bak revealed during the handover of statements that the offset agreement, signed in

EVENT New Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari has announced in his inauguration speech on 29 May that the command and control centre for forces fighting Islamist militant group Boko Haram will be moved from the federal capital of Abuja to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. Maiduguri is the

At least 18 people were killed and 30 others were wounded when a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside the Alhaji Haruna mosque near the Monday Market in Maiduguri, capital of Nigeria's Borno State on 30 May. The militant was reported to have been posing as a trader

Key Points The Pentagon wants to buy up to 450 F-35s in a three-year block buy beginning in 2018 Officials said the move could yield 'double-digit' savings US Department of Defense (DoD) officials plan to ask lawmakers to authorise a three-year block buy of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint

Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering has posted sharp falls in revenues and earnings in fiscal year 2014-15, the company announced on 30 May. In a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Pipavav said consolidated revenues declined year-on-year 63% to INR9.43 billion (USD148 million) while

Raytheon announced on 29 May that it has completed the creation of a new joint venture (JV) company that expands the firm's cyber-security offerings. Under a deal announced in April, Raytheon has acquired cyber-security firm Websense and combined it with its Raytheon Cyber Products business in the

Russia has banned 89 European Union (EU) nationals from entering the country in retaliation to targeted EU sanctions. The list, revealed on 30 May, covers a wide variety of political, military, and security figures, including former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and former UK foreign

Taliban attacks in the central Afghan province of Uruzgan that started in mid-May have intensified in the past few days, according to both sides. Afghan channel TOLOnews reported on 29 May that according to Muhammad Hanif Hanafi, a senator from the province, 54 police outposts throughout Uruzgan

The US State Department has approved the possible sale of 1,600 guided bombs to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) announced on 29 May. The DSCA said the possible sale covered 1,000 GBU-31B/B(V)1 (half with general-purpose 2,000 lb-class MK 84 warheads,

UK-based defence technology firm Ultra Electronics announced on 1 June that it had reached an agreement with Kratos Defence and Security Solutions to acquire the latter's Electronic Products Division (EPD). Kratos's EPD business designs and produces RF and microwave integrated systems and

The US Navy (USN) intends to award Boeing subsidiary Insitu a sole-source contract for procuring additional RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced on 28 May. The contract will cover eight systems under low-rate initial production (LRIP)

The US Air Force's (USAF's) Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has retired from service the last of its Lockheed Martin AC-130H Spectre gunships after more than 45 years of service, it was announced on 28 May. A ceremony marking the departure of aircraft 69-6569 'Excalibur' from the 16th Special

Airbus has 'a serious quality control problem' in the final assembly of the A400M Atlas transport aircraft, a senior company executive admitted on 28 May. Speaking to the German publication Handelsblatt , the chief strategy and marketing officer of Airbus Group, Marwan Lahoud, said that the initial