DefenceTalkThe US State Department has approved the potential sale to Taiwan of $2.2 billion in arms, including Abrams tanks and Stinger missiles, the Pentagon said on Monday. The announcement is likely to anger Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory and has previously expressed “serious concerns” about the possible sale. Congress has been […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-approves-possible-2-2-billion-arms-sale-to-taiwan-72371/

DefenceTalkHis Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, on Wednesday attended a reception ceremony to welcome the first squadron of Rafale fighter jets of the Qatari Amiri Air Force from France. The reception was attended by officers, non-commissioned officers and members of the squadron Al Adiyat. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/first-rafale-fighter-jet-squadron-arrives-in-qatar-72317/

DefenceTalkBelgian leaders are mulling the suspension of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, national broadcaster RTBF has said, after it was reported they had been used in Yemen. Foreign Minister Didier Reynders told RTBF on Saturday: “I think it would be good to suspend arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia” if it were shown they had been […]https://www.defencetalk.com/belgian-leaders-mull-suspension-of-saudi-arms-sales-72306/

DefenceTalkThe Council of European Union on Monday, April 29 extended a ban on selling arms to Myanmar and prolonged sanctions against high-ranking officials over their role in the Rohingya crisis. The measures, which include an embargo on weapons and other equipment that could be used for repression, will stay in place until at least April […]https://www.defencetalk.com/eu-extends-myanmar-arms-sales-embargo-72287/

DefenceTalkThe State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Belgium of MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $600 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on March 25, 2019. The Government of Belgium […]https://www.defencetalk.com/belgium-to-buy-mq-9b-skyguardian-remotely-piloted-aircraft-72234/

DefenceTalkThe United States on Monday approved the sale of 25 F-16 fighter aircraft to Morocco for $3.8 billion, the State Department announced. Besides the new Block 70/72 F-16s, equipped with state of the art electronic systems and weaponry, Washington also approved the modernization of 23 F-16s already in the Moroccan air force fleet, for $983 […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-approves-3-8-billion-f-16-sale-to-morocco-72226/

DefenceTalkSaab has received an order to deliver the Mk II missile for RBS 70 to the Army of the Czech Republic. The deliveries will take place in 2019. The order was placed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), responsible for acquisitions for NATO members. The Czech Republic is a user of the RBS […]https://www.defencetalk.com/saab-to-deliver-rbs-70-mk-ii-missiles-to-the-czech-army-72212/

DefenceTalkThe French Economy Minister has demanded German relax its arms exports restrictions. The call comes after a German gun maker was fined for weapons exports to Mexico. Activists stand in front of a tank and hold up signs reading stop exports of weapons to protest against plans of German military technology group Rheinmetall to built […]https://www.defencetalk.com/france-urges-germany-to-ease-arms-exports-rules-report-72130/

DefenceTalkGermany said Wednesday it would hold firm on its decision to halt weapons exports to Saudi Arabia, shrugging off British warnings that the embargo could hurt European credibility and efforts to bring peace in Yemen. “The stance of the government is that we won’t deliver weapons to Saudi Arabia at the moment,” Foreign Minister Heiko […]https://www.defencetalk.com/germany-firm-on-saudi-arms-ban-despite-british-warning-72121/

DefenceTalkA German court Thursday fined gunmaker Heckler & Koch 3.7 million euros (USD4.2 million) and gave suspended jail terms to two of its ex-employees for illegally exporting thousands of rifles to violence-torn Mexican states. A former worker was given a suspended sentence of 17 months in prison and ordered to do 250 hours of social […]https://www.defencetalk.com/gunmaker-hk-convicted-for-illegal-arms-exports-to-mexico-72118/