DefenceTalkLast February, I shared my vision as the Navy’s Air Boss with you for our aviation future based on ensuring a whole, capable and affordable force. Today, I am excited to announce the publication of Naval Aviation Vision, 2014-2025 — a document that builds upon the pillars of capability superiority, wholeness and maintaining capacity to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-naval-aviation-vision-a-preeminent-warfighting-force-today-and-in-the-future-59345/

DefenceTalkMore U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons will deploy to Poland in the coming days and weeks, a Pentagon official said here today. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak spoke yesterday, and Siemoiniak thanked the secretary for looking at options for basing, said Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman. “No decision [have […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-will-beef-up-air-operations-in-poland-58981/

DefenceTalkA US guided-missile destroyer is en route to the Black Sea but naval officials said Thursday it was a “routine” deployment that was planned before the crisis unfolded in Ukraine. The USS Truxtun departed the Greek port of Souda Bay Thursday to carry out joint training with Romanian and Bulgarian forces, the US Navy said […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-destroyer-en-route-to-black-sea-for-routine-drills-58956/

DefenceTalkSecretary of State John Kerry vowed Friday that the United States would defend Japan against attack including over islands claimed by China as tensions boil between the Asian powers. Kerry, who said he would visit China next week, met in Washington with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and reaffirmed the 1960 treaty that commits the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-vows-to-defend-japan-against-china-50681/

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 Canadian Royal Army has enlisted the help of Picatinny engineers to evaluate the life-span of their World War II-era C3 Howitzer. “We are looking for engineering data that, unfortunately, we’re missing right now,” said Canadian Army Maj. David Lebel, Equipment Management team leader for Field Artillery Systems. The C3 Howitzer is a 1950’s technology […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-canada-partner-to-upgrade-canadian-howitzer-50177/

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/

DefenceTalkWASHINGTON: Four U.S. service members were injured today when their aircraft came under ground fire in South Sudan during a mission to evacuate American citizens in Bor, according to a statement issued by U.S. Africa Command. The updated Africom statement reads as follows: “At the request of the Department of State, the United States Africa […]https://www.defencetalk.com/ground-fire-injures-4-us-troops-in-south-sudan-49980/

DefenceTalkAfter four days of debate, an overwhelming majority of Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga voted to endorse allowing US troops to stay in the country after the end of the NATO mission there in 2014. The security agreement required for such a move calls for some 18,000 US troops to remain in Afghanistan to continue training and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-afghan-security-deal-covers-more-than-military-cooperation-49737/

DefenceTalkChina hit back at the US Thursday over a document that called Beijing’s growing military a threat to Washington’s armed dominance in Asia, accusing its authors of a “Cold War mentality”. China’s military spending is soaring and the modernisation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “is altering the security balance in the Asia-Pacific, challenging decades […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-blasts-us-panel-for-cold-war-thinking-49701/