DefenceTalkReports claim that Southeast Asian nations are investing in their defense sector in response to increasing tensions with Beijing over the South China Sea. But will that be able to keep China at bay? Experts believe that nations in Southeast Asia can depend on US military support only to certain degree; in the end they […]https://www.defencetalk.com/southeast-asia-boosting-homegrown-defense-60383/

DefenceTalkDefense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in New Delhi today on his first trip to India as defense chief for what he described as get-acquainted meetings with the new government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while seeking to expand common interests and renew a defense framework agreement set to expire next year. “I’m going to listen […]https://www.defencetalk.com/hagel-seeks-to-expand-us-india-defense-relations-60331/

DefenceTalkThe Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report this week finding that 83,000 Department of Defense (DoD) civilian, military, and contractor employees holding or eligible for security clearances had more than $730 million in unpaid federal taxes. During the time period GAO studied (2006 to 2011), 3.2 million DoD employees held or were deemed eligible […]https://www.defencetalk.com/holders-of-sensitive-defense-jobs-owe-730-million-in-taxes-60318/

DefenceTalkIndia’s new Hindu nationalist government cleared Saturday proposals worth nearly $3.5 billion to modernize the nation’s aging Soviet-era military hardware and boost its domestic defense industry, a report said. The move underscored the desire of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to move quickly to update the country’s military as India looks to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/india-clears-defense-procurement-worth-3-5-bn-report-60214/

DefenceTalkIndia announced Thursday it would lift the cap on foreign direct investment in the defence sector to 49 percent and announced a 12-percent rise in military spending as part of efforts to modernize its armed forces. In his first budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley raised defense spending for the current financial year to 2.29 trillion […]https://www.defencetalk.com/india-increases-defence-spending-invites-foreign-investment-60106/

DefenceTalkChina and the US geared early Wednesday for high-stakes talks on a slew of thorny issues, as American officials warned against rising tensions caused by Beijing’s “problematic” claim to swathes of the South China Sea. The maritime disputes, as well as US fears over cybersecurity and Chinese hacking, were raised Tuesday in preparatory talks involving […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-us-vow-to-end-old-rivalries-60083/

DefenceTalkDefense officials today welcomed an announcement by the Japanese government that it would seek a change to the policy regarding the country’s collective self-defense. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement that the change will enable the Japan Self-Defense Forces to engage in a wider range of operations and that it will strengthen the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/defense-officials-hail-japanese-decision-on-self-defense-law-60013/

DefenceTalkThe Boeing-managed ground-based system intended to shield the continental United States successfully intercepted a simulated incoming missile over the Pacific Ocean for the first time Sunday, the Pentagon said. The Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, with a $40 billion price tag, aims to protect against long-range ballistic missiles from so-called rogue states such as North […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-missile-defense-system-strikes-target-in-test-59966/

DefenceTalkThe United States Department of Defense (DoD) is strategically leveraging innovations in geospatial technologies to ensure commanders at every level have a deeper understanding of evolving operational environments. Multi-fused geospatial products that could serve as a foundation for many modeling and simulation training programs and enhance the ability of military commanders and civilian emergency responders […]https://www.defencetalk.com/innovations-drive-us-dod-spending-on-geospatial-technologies-59836/

DefenceTalkAn annual report released by the Pentagon on Chinese military and security development on Thursday, which mainly focuses on China’s defense spending increase, continued to overlook China’s peaceful defense policy. The 96-page report, thicker than last year’s, even targeted Chinese army’s reconnaissance satellites and use of low-observable technology. The report is far from factual, as […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-report-ignores-chinas-peaceful-defense-policy-59815/