DefenceTalkRussian President Vladimir Putin says Russian arms sales last year reached $15.2 billion, an increase of 12 percent compared to the previous year. Putin said Russian weapons manufacturers exported arms and military equipment to 66 countries last year and currently have contracts worth some $46 billion with 75 countries. Putin said those figures make Russian […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russian-arms-exports-up-12-percent-47357/

DefenceTalkNorth Korea dramatically escalated its warlike rhetoric on Thursday, warning that it had authorised plans for nuclear strikes on targets in the United States. “The moment of explosion is approaching fast,” the North Korean military said, warning that war could break out “today or tomorrow”. Pyongyang’s latest pronouncement came as Washington scrambled to reinforce its […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-approves-nuclear-strike-on-united-states-47346/

DefenceTalkNorway said Wednesday it had observed an increasing number of Russian military jets near its airspace last year, amid President Vladimir Putin’s massive rearmament plan. The Scandinavian country scrambled fighter jets on 41 occasions to inspect Russian military aircraft flying past its airspace although the planes always stayed in international territory, the Norwegian air force […]https://www.defencetalk.com/norway-sees-rise-in-russian-military-jet-activity-47348/

DefenceTalkThe United States will need between five and seven Ground Based Interceptors (GBI) to intercept one Russian Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile, a Russian military expert said on Tuesday. “From my contacts with the director of the [US Department of Defense’s] Missile Defense Agency, I have learned that the Americans will need five to seven interceptors […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-needs-5-7-gbis-to-intercept-one-topol-icbm-expert-47327/

DefenceTalkBangladesh is planning to buy 24 Yak-130 Mitten jet trainers on $1 billion credit from Russia, Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday. “Bangladesh has a whole list of arms it wants, but so far that is a state secret. I will reveal one little secret: The purchase of Yak-130 warplanes is a very […]https://www.defencetalk.com/bangladesh-plans-to-buy-24-russian-jet-trainers-47295/

DefenceTalkRussian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered surprise military exercises in the Black Sea region involving 7,000 troops and dozens of ships to test the army’s battle readiness, the Kremlin said. In typical Putin style, the order was presented to the Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in a sealed envelope in the middle of the night […]https://www.defencetalk.com/putin-orders-surprise-black-sea-military-exercises-47311/

DefenceTalkChina has agreed to buy two dozen fighter jets and four submarines from Russia, state media reported Monday, the country’s first large-scale weapons technology purchases from Moscow in a decade. The agreement to buy the 24 Su-35 fighters and four Lada-class submarines was signed just before President Xi Jinping’s weekend visit to Russia, said the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-to-buy-russian-fighters-subs-state-media-47271/

DefenceTalkThe United States is dedicated to defending Europe from missile attacks despite a US decision to abandon the final phase of a planned anti-missile system, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel said Friday. In a phone call to Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Hagel conveyed his condolences over the death of a Polish soldier in Afghanistan this […]https://www.defencetalk.com/hagel-seeks-to-reassure-poland-on-missile-defense-47250/

DefenceTalkNewly-elected Chinese President Xi Jinping has affirmed that China and Russia will continue to strengthen and develop their military, political and strategic relations, including cooperation between their armed forces. Xi Jinping, who is on a three-day visit to Russia – his first foreign visit since becoming Chinese president last week, met on Saturday with the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinese-leader-vows-stronger-military-ties-with-russia-47256/

DefenceTalkThis year marks the 40th anniversary of production of the Mi-24, the first purpose-built Russian combat helicopter, at Rostov Helicopter Plant, today called Rosvertol, a Russian Helicopters company. The design of the Mi-24, a strike and transport helicopter was, was so successful that versions are still in use today: some 1,500 Mi-24s serve with the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/mi-24-legendary-russian-attack-helicopter-turns-40-this-year-47218/