DefenceTalkDespite Taliban resistance, U.S. military objectives in Afghanistan are on track, senior U.S. military leaders told the Senate Armed Services Committee today. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. told the committee during their reconfirmation hearing that the International Security Assistance Force mission is on track to achieve its objectives […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-on-track-in-afghanistan-military-leaders-tell-senate-48529/

DefenceTalkIT hub Estonia on Wednesday urged the European Union to rely less on US firms for “cloud” data storage, amid tensions over claims of US spying and data surveillance. “Recent months have proven once again that it’s very important for Europe to have its own data clouds that operate strictly under European legislation,” Estonian President […]https://www.defencetalk.com/cyber-savvy-estonia-urges-eu-to-rely-less-on-us-clouds-48300/

DefenceTalkBrigadier Duncan Capps has recently completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan where he was Commander Joint Force Support (JFS). He briefed media representatives in MOD Main Building in London about the progress being made processing and redeploying kit and equipment in theatre in readiness for the drawdown of troops in 2014. Redeployment As UK […]https://www.defencetalk.com/redeployment-of-kit-from-afghanistan-48216/

DefenceTalkThales Raytheon Systems announces the signature on 20th June of a €136 million contract with NATO to produce and deploy a Theater Ballistic Missile Defense capability to be integrated with the NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS). This is a great example of leveraging previous investments from NATO in ACCS and the integration of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-contracts-major-missile-defence-upgrade-48210/

DefenceTalkEurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH has today signed a weapon system integration contract with NETMA, the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency, to facilitate and secure integration of MBDA’s Meteor Beyond Visual Range Missile system. The contract was signed at the Paris Air Show 2013 in Le Bourget by Jesus Pinillos Prieto, General Manager of NETMA and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/eurofighter-signs-contract-for-meteor-integration-48160/

DefenceTalkSaber Strike 2013 concluded June 13 as training locations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia held closing ceremonies to commemorate two weeks of multinational exercises in the Baltics. “The exercise was an extreme success,” said Col. Frederick Jessen, U.S. Army Europe’s contingency-command post officer in charge. “We partnered with numerous nations improving our partner capacity and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/saber-strike-2013-demonstrates-multinational-partnership-in-baltics-48176/

DefenceTalkNATO defence ministers agreed Tuesday to set up rapid reaction teams to help defend the military alliance against a growing number of cyber-attacks, many of them blamed on China. “In the progress report we have adopted today, we agreed to establish rapid reaction teams that can help protect NATO’s own systems,” alliance head Anders Fogh […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-to-set-up-cyber-defence-rapid-reaction-teams-48048/

DefenceTalkPulling the plug on Germany’s Euro Hawk project won’t have consequences for NATO’s surveillance program using “Global Hawk” models. But critics argue a joint European drone project would have been better. The canceled German Euro Hawk drone project will most likely not have consequences on a similar project by NATO. The alliance plans to use […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-drone-project-set-to-continue-47912/

DefenceTalkNATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned today that further cuts in defense spending by European nations risk reducing the continent’s defense and security to “hot air,” turning the alliance into what he called a “global spectator” rather than a real force on the world stage. “The only way to avoid this is by holding […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-secretary-general-warns-europe-on-defense-cuts-47710/

DefenceTalkWith technical support from Russia, Syria has bolstered its air defenses, posing a threat to US aircraft if America decides to intervene in the war, a US official said Monday. The official confirmed a report that first appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Word of the upgraded defenses takes on new urgency given US assertions […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-says-syria-has-beefed-up-air-defenses-47659/