DefenceTalkNATO chief Jens Stoltenberg urged Germany on a visit to Berlin Wednesday to mirror its leadership role in Europe as the bloc’s biggest economy in its defense spending. Describing Germany as a “staunch and important” NATO ally, Stoltenberg stressed the need for members of the US-led alliance to bump up investment amid challenges such as […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-chief-urges-germany-to-lead-way-on-defense-spending-61927/

DefenceTalkThe government of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a 2.8 percent rise in defense spending on Wednesday, with Tokyo seeking to bolster defenses in its waters bordering China. “The situation around Japan is changing,” Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said on Sunday. “The level of defense spending reflects the amount necessary to protect Japan’s air, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japan-ramps-up-military-budget-to-ward-off-china-61912/

DefenceTalkThe Defense Department announced the 2015 military pay and compensation rates for service members Dec. 22, with most service members receiving a 1 percent increase in basic pay. The new rates for basic pay, basic allowance for housing (BAH), basic allowance for subsistence (BAS), and the cost of living allowance (COLA) rates for the contiguous […]https://www.defencetalk.com/dod-releases-2015-military-pay-compensation-rates-61231/

DefenceTalkMost Soldiers will receive a one-percent increase in basic pay in January along with a 2.9-percent increase in their basic allowance for subsistence. The new rates for basic pay, basic allowance for housing, basic allowance for subsistence, and the cost of living allowance rates for the contiguous United States were announce today by DOD, and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/soldiers-to-get-one-percent-pay-raise-in-new-year-61196/

DefenceTalkIndia’s defence ministry cleared Wednesday proposals worth nearly $700 million to buy military equipment but deferred a key multi-billion dollar decision on replacing the country’s aging air transport fleet. India, the world’s largest buyer of weapons, is in the midst of revamping its aging military equipment and recently lifted a cap on foreign investment in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/india-clears-700-million-defence-purchase-61183/

DefenceTalkThe US Congress adopted a massive US defense spending bill for 2015 Friday which includes emergency funding for military operations against Islamic jihadists in Iraq and Syria, as requested by President Barack Obama. The legislation passed 89 votes to 11 in the Senate one week after it sailed through the House. It outlines $584.2 billion […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-congress-passes-584-billion-defense-bill-61154/

DefenceTalkRepeated budget cuts and frozen orders have blurred promises of market recovery in the global military market, especially across Western regions. The adoption of remotely piloted aircraft systems seems to make manned helicopters further irrelevant. Nevertheless, unrivalled vertical take-off and landing capabilities as well as strong mission efficiency rates will sustain interest in military rotorcraft. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/global-military-helicopters-market-takes-wing-despite-budget-cuts-61104/

DefenceTalkSweden’s approach to security policy has changed. The Russian annexation of Crimea, the armed conflict in Ukraine, the increased amount of exercises as well as intelligence activities in the Baltic Sea region, the intrusive behavior by Russia, and now the Swedish Armed Forces intelligence operation in the Stockholm archipelago demonstrate the necessity for Sweden to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/swedish-2015-budget-reinforces-air-surveillance-60936/

DefenceTalkChina intends to improve efficiency in military spending through tighter monitoring of how funds are used, state media reported Sunday. Under the new “results-based management system” set to be fully operational by 2020, individuals and military units will be held accountable for inefficiency, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. It cited what it described as […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-to-keep-closer-eye-on-military-spending-60878/

DefenceTalkFollowing a prolonged period of budgetary reductions, Europe’s larger defense environment appears to have reached its low threshold. But instead of a marked rebound in investment, the market as a whole will remain largely flat over the near term, according to the latest Europe Military Markets analysis by Forecast International. Though the eurozone economic recovery […]https://www.defencetalk.com/europes-defense-retrenchment-appears-over-but-what-comes-next-60573/