DefenceTalkTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan jets into Russia Tuesday for his first meeting with counterpart Vladimir Putin since the two strongmen leaders began healing a bitter feud over Ankara’s downing of a Russian warplane. Erdogan’s visit to Putin’s hometown of Saint Petersburg is also his first foreign trip since the failed coup against him last […]https://www.defencetalk.com/putin-and-erdogan-meet-to-mend-ties-after-jet-downing-rift-67967/

DefenceTalkSyrian military forces bolstered by Russian air strikes are making progress in the battleground city of Aleppo, rolling back the short-lived gains of a rebel offensive. A watchdog voiced concerns meanwhile over reports of a chlorine gas attack Tuesday in nearby Saraqeb, close to where Russia said one of its helicopters was shot down the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/syrian-military-in-aleppo-fightback-67953/

DefenceTalkDefense ministers and other senior leaders of the counter-Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant coalition have agreed on next steps in the accelerated fight against the terrorist army in Iraq and Syria, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today. Carter hosted the meeting, the third of its kind, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for […]https://www.defencetalk.com/carter-defense-ministers-agree-on-next-steps-in-counter-isil-fight-67870/

DefenceTalkThe US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group has resumed air strikes from a Turkish air base that were suspended after a failed military coup d’etat, the Pentagon said on Sunday. “After close coordination with our Turkish allies, they have reopened their airspace to military aircraft,” Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-led-coalition-resumes-strikes-against-is-from-turkey-base-67859/

DefenceTalkRussia has conducted more than 50 air strikes since Tuesday against Islamic State (IS) jihadists near the Syrian city of Palmyra, the defence ministry in Moscow said. “The Russian air force has increased the intensity of its strikes against targets of the armed units of international terrorist organisations near the city of Palmyra,” the ministry […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-conducts-over-50-strikes-on-is-near-palmyra-in-3-days-67830/

DefenceTalkThe Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have begun their third year in the lead for security in Afghanistan and the second year in which they have full security responsibility with limited U.S. or coalition support on the battlefield. During the December 1, 2015, to May 31, 2016, reporting period, the ANDSF addressed key […]https://www.defencetalk.com/dod-releases-report-on-enhancing-security-and-stability-in-afghanistan-67694/

DefenceTalkPoland on Wednesday said it plans to send F-16 fighter jets plus 210 soldiers and military personnel to Iraq and Kuwait to join the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadi group. Up to 60 members of the special forces will be sent to Iraq while 150 soldiers and military personnel will head to Kuwait, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/poland-to-send-f-16-jets-soldiers-in-fight-against-isis-67663/

DefenceTalkUS Apache helicopters have struck an Islamic State target for the first time in Iraq, the Pentagon said Monday. The sophisticated attack choppers destroyed an IS car bomb Sunday near Qayyarah, which is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Mosul, the group’s main stronghold in Iraq. “The government of Iraq approved the use of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-apache-helicopters-strike-isis-for-first-time-in-iraq-67634/

DefenceTalkFrance has deployed special forces in northern Syria to advise the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighting the Islamic State group, a defence ministry official said Thursday. “The offensive at Manbij is clearly being backed by a certain number of states including France. It’s the usual support — it’s advisory,” the official told AFP, without giving […]https://www.defencetalk.com/france-says-special-forces-in-syria-advising-rebels-67627/

DefenceTalkTwo US troops were wounded over the weekend in separate Islamic State attacks in Iraq and Syria, Pentagon officials said. The casualty in Syria marks the first time an American soldier has been injured in that country since military advisors deployed there at the end of last year. Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/two-us-troops-injured-in-iraq-syria-during-is-attacks-67565/