Jane's Defense News

EVENT President Vladimir Putin on 23 May 2015 signed new legislation on 'undesirable' international and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Russia. The new legislation builds on amendments to the Law on NGOs passed in 2012 that branded groups as 'foreign agents' for alleged

The Philippine Navy (PN) has commissioned a former product tanker donated by state-owned Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) as the service's fleet oiler. The 98 m vessel, named BRP Lake Caliraya (AF-81), was commissioned on 23 May at the PN's base in Cavite City, according to government news

Final operational capability (FOC) has been declared for the six EA-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C) of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Defence Minister Kevin Andrews announced on 26 May. The Boeing 737-700-based aircraft now provide the world's most

Germany's Rheinmetall has formally established a subsidiary in Australia to lead its planned expansion in the region, the company said in a statement on 26 May. Rheinmetall Defence Australia will be led by Andrew Fletcher, the former chief executive officer of Defence SA, the South Australian

German defence equipment manufacturer Rheinmetall has signed an agreement to begin collaboration with Kazakhstan's state-owned defence manufacturer Kazakhstan Engineering, the latter announced on 22 May. Little about the agreement was revealed by Kazakhstan Engineering, but the firm said that the

Key Points India's defence minister has said Delhi will not buy more than the 36 Dassault Rafales to which it committed in April The announcement confirms the end of the MMRCA tender and the government's commitment to the Tejas LCA programme India will neither licence-build additional Dassault

Thales UK has won out against Lockheed Martin UK Integrated Systems in the race to supply the radar and mission system for the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Crowsnest airborne surveillance and control (ASaC) capability. Announcing the downselection on 22 May, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Thales

Key Points The USAF still plans to declare its F-35 fleet operationally deployable in August 2016 Sensor fusion and a faulty digital maintenance and logistics system are still the main challenges to that goal The US Air Force (USAF) is on track to declare its new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

Spanish and US defence industry associations TEDAE and NDIA have signed a collaboration accord aimed at increasing co-operation and interchange of information between the two. The agreement followed a joint workshop meeting in Washington that was attended by 15 Spanish companies and 70 of their US

Spanish and US defence industry associations TEDAE and NDIA have signed a collaboration accord aimed at increasing co-operation and interchange of information between the two. The agreement followed a joint workshop meeting in Washington that was attended by 15 Spanish companies and 70 of their US

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) says it "welcomes" moves by the US House of Representatives to add an amendment to the fiscal year 2016 US defence budget that includes a clause urging Taiwan's participation in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. The House passed

Technical faults were not behind the crash of a Hungarian Air Force Saab Gripen fighter aircraft on 19 May, Czech Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky said. "It was reported that there was no technical problem," Stropnicky said as he visited Caslav Air Base in the Czech Republic where the

Airbus has recommended that operators of the A400M Atlas transport aircraft perform checks on the aircraft's engines "to avoid potential risks in any future flights". The announcement comes in the wake of the fatal crash of MSN23 on 9 May. In a statement, Airbus said on 19 May it had

The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) reported in early May they had conquered the district of Nawa in the southeastern province of Ghazni, which had been under Taliban control for the last nine to ten years. However, Mohammad Aref Rahmani, a member of parliament from Ghazni, told

Key Points BAE Systems abandons plans to concentrate all shipbuilding activity in a new facility at Scotstoun Two site plan calls for over GBP100 million investment at Govan and Scotstoun sites BAE Systems Naval Ships has pulled back from plans to consolidate its Glasgow shipbuilding activities

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has outlined a target for local defence companies to enhance capability in order to reduce dependency on imports. In comments published on 21 May by the government-run National News Agency of Bangladesh (BSS), Hasina called on local defence enterprises -

Belgium's NHIndustries NH90 multirole helicopters have declared their initial operating capability, it was announced on 20 May. The chief of the Belgian Air Component, Major General Frederik Vansina, said the 18th Squadron in Beauvechain was now ready for operations in a non-hostile environment.

Bulgarian defence minister Nikolai Nenchev has revealed that the country is to launch a fighter procurement by the end of June. According to Bulgarian media reports on 21 May, Nenchev told a parliamentary defence committee that the procurement would replace a number of aircraft. However, it was

Juan Carlos Pinzón stepped down from his position as Colombia's defence minister on 19 May and will take on a new role as Colombia's ambassador to the United States. During Pinzón's tenure the armed forces grew by 18 mobile brigades, two marine brigades, and nine task forces. They also

Exelis and Harris have been given the support of their shareholders to merge, Exelis announced on 22 May. The US Department of Justice has also approved the merger, which had generated anti-trust concerns over a potential market concentration. The two companies now expect the merger, valued at