DefenceTalkFrench President Francois Hollande said a controversial sale of two state-of-the art warships by France to Russia was still on course despite Moscow’s widely opposed stand over Crimea. The 2011 sale of the Mistral warships, worth one billion euros ($1.4 billion), was already a deep source of concern for France’s NATO and European Union allies, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/france-says-warship-deal-with-russia-still-alive-58968/

DefenceTalkSingapore said Thursday it would replace its aging KC-135R air refueling tankers made by US firm Boeing with Airbus’s A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told parliament of the decision to acquire the MRTT, which is based on the civilian A330 plane. Ng did not say how many Singapore will […]https://www.defencetalk.com/singapore-to-buy-airbus-refueling-tankers-for-air-force-58959/

DefenceTalkBoeing and Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance (AFI KLM E and M ) have successfully completed the Mid-Life Upgrade modification on the first of four E-3F Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft for the French Air Force. The upgrade is part of a Foreign Military Sale in 2010 between France’s Direction Generale […]https://www.defencetalk.com/boeing-and-air-france-industries-complete-major-modification-of-french-awacs-aircraft-58825/

DefenceTalkHarry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HST CSG) and French Navy Task Force 473 concluded five weeks of combined carrier strike group operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) Feb 2. The two strike groups began conducting integrated operations Dec. 26 in the Gulf of Oman and have operated together in the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-french-navies-conclude-combined-operations-50245/

DefenceTalkThe UK and France have agreed to strengthen defence cooperation following a Summit at RAF Brize Norton today. A communiqué signed by the Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande sets out plans for closer ties between the two countries. Building on the Lancaster House treaties signed in 2010, the agreements further the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/uk-and-france-agree-closer-defence-cooperation-50224/

DefenceTalkBritain and France brought their defence cooperation closer on Friday, announcing joint projects to build combat drones and unmanned anti-mine vehicles. British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande struck a series of deals in a one-day summit at the Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire, southern England. They also announced joint training exercises […]https://www.defencetalk.com/uk-france-tighten-defence-ties-with-drone-and-missile-projects-50236/

DefenceTalkRaytheon and the French Air Force completed a demonstration of a penetrator variant of a Paveway GBU-50 from a Mirage 2000D multirole fighter jet. The weapon met all flight objectives and scored a direct hit against a reinforced concrete slab. “Raytheon is committed to delivering GBU-50’s unique capabilities to our French customer, ” said Mike […]https://www.defencetalk.com/raytheon-demos-enhanced-paveway-ii-gbu-50s-for-french-airforce-50199/

DefenceTalkThe Rafale has successfully completed its first test flights in a new heavily-armed configuration, comprising six air-to-ground precision AASM Hammer missiles, four medium and long range air-to-air missiles from the MICA family, two very long range METEOR missiles, as well as three 2,000 liter fuel tanks. This preliminary work, self-funded by Dassault Aviation, is conducted […]https://www.defencetalk.com/dassault-aviation-rafale-further-improves-its-versatility-50168/

DefenceTalkU.S. and French aircraft embarked on the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R 91) began conducting combined flight operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, Jan. 14. The flight operations are part of an ongoing period of overall combined operations between the Harry […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-french-naval-aviators-cross-skies-decks-together-50151/

DefenceTalkThe sale of two intelligence satellites to the UAE by France for nearly a billion dollars could go south after they were found to contain American technology designed to intercept data transmitted to the ground station. The equipment, costing 3.4 billion dirhams ($930 million), constitutes two high-resolution Pleiades-type Falcon Eye military intelligence satellites, which a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/france-uae-satellite-deal-shaky-after-us-spy-tech-discovered-onboard-50043/