DefenceTalkThe latest in military technology and the addition of up to 450 more U.S. troops announced yesterday will enhance the U.S.-led coalition’s efforts to enable ground forces in the campaign to defeat Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorism in Iraq and Syria, the deputy commander for operations and intelligence for Operation Inherent Resolve […]https://www.defencetalk.com/additional-troops-new-technology-enhance-counter-isil-battle-67341/

DefenceTalkThe United States is seeking greater special forces and naval cooperation with the Gulf states to counter Iran’s “destabilizing activities” in the region, a senior American official said. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, who arrived in the Saudi capital on Tuesday, will meet his Gulf counterparts on Wednesday. The following day he is expected to join […]https://www.defencetalk.com/washington-seeks-gulf-special-force-naval-cooperation-67288/

DefenceTalkThe United States will send Apache attack helicopters and more troops to Iraq, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said in Baghdad Monday, as the coalition weighs retaking second city Mosul from the Islamic State group. President Barack Obama hailed the 2011 withdrawal of American troops from Iraq as a major accomplishment of his presidency, but […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-to-deploy-more-forces-to-back-iraqs-anti-is-war-67277/

DefenceTalkHMEIMIM AIR BASE (SYRIA): Around a dozen Russian warplanes stand on the tarmac at the Hmeimim base inside government-held territory on Syria’s Mediterranean coast. Nearby the giant radar of an S-400 air defence system — the most modern in Russia’s arsenal — whirs non-stop. A month ago Russian President Vladimir Putin surprised the West by […]https://www.defencetalk.com/fewer-russian-jets-on-ground-in-syria-key-to-fighting-67222/

DefenceTalkSyrian troops entered the ancient city of Palmyra and Iraqi forces launched an offensive against Mosul as pressure mounted on key strongholds of the Islamic State jihadist group. US Secretary of State John Kerry meanwhile held talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and agreed to push for a political settlement in the war torn country, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/isis-under-pressure-as-troops-advance-on-palmyra-mosul-67175/

DefenceTalkThe Islamic State group killed a US marine in a rocket attack in northern Iraq Saturday, the Pentagon said, only the second American combat death in the fight against the militants. “Earlier today a US Marine providing force protection fire support at a recently established coalition fire base near Makhmur in northern Iraq was killed […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-service-member-killed-in-iraq-pentagon-67102/

DefenceTalkThe Islamic State group has lost 22 percent of the territory it held at the start of 2015, military analysts IHS Jane’s said Wednesday, as US and Russian air strikes have helped the ISIS’s opponents advance. IS controls swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria but lost 14 percent of it last year and a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/isis-lost-a-fifth-of-its-territory-since-january-2015-analysts-67068/

DefenceTalkLast week, The Washington Post ran an op-ed entitled “The exotic new weapons the Pentagon wants to deter Russia and China.” Pentagon officials, the piece explained, have begun talking openly about the artificial intelligence and robotics-assisted super soldiers meant to combat the Russian and Chinese militaries. But what is Russia’s response? On Tuesday, Washington Post […]https://www.defencetalk.com/how-russia-can-counter-the-uss-new-miracle-weapons-66882/

DefenceTalkTurkey’s air force on Monday began five days of air defence exercises with Saudi Arabia, the Turkish military said, as the two countries forge an increasingly tight alliance on Syria. Six Saudi F-15 fighter jets will take part in the air defence training in the central Turkish region of Konya, the military said in a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-air-force-in-joint-exercises-with-saudi-arabia-66750/

DefenceTalkRussia on Thursday accused Turkey of actively preparing to invade Syria, saying it had spotted troops and military equipment on the border with the war-torn country. “We have serious grounds to suspect Turkey is in intensive preparations for an armed invasion of the territory of a sovereign state — the Syrian Arab Republic,” the defence […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-accuses-turkey-of-preparing-to-invade-syria-66666/