DefenceTalkSouth Korea fired warning shots at one of the North’s patrol boats as it strayed across the border, Seoul’s defence ministry said, raising tensions while a rare reunion for families separated by the peninsula’s 1950-53 war was underway. The South’s navy were launching a crackdown on Chinese fishing boats illegally operating off the country’s western […]https://www.defencetalk.com/south-korea-fires-warning-shots-at-north-korea-patrol-boat-65686/

DefenceTalkThe US government has approved an $11 billion deal to sell Saudi Arabia four advanced warships, officials said Tuesday, amid mounting regional tension. Saudi Arabia is modernizing its eastern fleet, which faces off against Iranian forces across the oil-rich Gulf. The four ships, based on the US Navy’s littoral combat ship, are relatively small but […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-to-sell-saudi-arabia-four-advanced-warships-65679/

DefenceTalkRussia will supply equipment and helicopters worth over $1 billion for the Egyptian Mistral helicopter carriers, the Kremlin chief of staff said Monday. Cairo and Paris signed a contract earlier this month for the purchase of two French-made Mistral-class helicopter carriers originally built for Russia. “Russia will be, if you want, a sub-contractor, who will […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-to-supply-equipment-helicopters-for-egyptian-mistral-ships-65664/

DefenceTalkPARIS: DCNS signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence of the Arab Republic of Egypt for the supply of two MISTRAL-class projection and command ships (BPCs). After the delivery of a FREMM frigate and the construction of four GOWIND 2500 corvettes, currently on-going, this agreement strengthens the strategic relations with the Egyptian Navy, initiated […]https://www.defencetalk.com/dcns-will-deliver-two-mistral-class-lhds-to-the-egyptian-navy-65610/

DefenceTalkFrench President Francois Hollande said Wednesday Egypt had agreed to buy two Mistral warships which France built for Russia before scrapping the sale over the Ukraine crisis. The deal is the second big military contract this year between France and Egypt, which Hollande said he increasingly views as a strategic partner. “It was my preferred […]https://www.defencetalk.com/france-sells-warships-to-egypt-after-russia-deal-scrapped-65522/

DefenceTalkParis: Canada, India, Singapore and Egypt are “seriously” interested in buying France’s two Mistral warships, a senior French official has said, after Paris scrapped a deal to sell the vessels to Russia over the Ukraine crisis. Louis Gautier, an official who advises the prime minister on defence and security matters, also told lawmakers this week […]https://www.defencetalk.com/several-countries-french-warships-withheld-from-russia-65375/

DefenceTalkWashington: The Pentagon on Wednesday confirmed the presence of five Chinese naval vessels in the Bering Sea between Russia and Alaska, which US President Barack Obama is currently visiting. It was believed to be the first time Chinese military ships have been spotted in the area and is another sign of China’s global presence expanding […]https://www.defencetalk.com/five-chinese-naval-ships-spotted-in-bering-sea-pentagon-65275/

DefenceTalkMaybe it’s time to build new big battleships, American scholar Robert Farley suggests, adding that he expects the return of the era of big warships. Although big ships went out of style decades ago maybe it’s time to bring back legendary battleships, Professor Robert Farley of the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce notes, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-us-china-returning-to-battleships-era-65251/

DefenceTalkChina is building a modern and regionally powerful navy with a limited but growing capability for conducting operations beyond China’s near-seas region. Observers of Chinese and U.S. military forces view China’s improving naval capabilities as posing a potential challenge in the Western Pacific to the U.S. Navy’s ability to achieve and maintain control of blue-water […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-naval-modernization-implications-for-us-navy-capabilities-3-64983/

DefenceTalkAfter cancelling the sale to Russia, France finds itself lumbered with two giant Mistral warships which it will find “extremely difficult” to re-sell and cannot afford to keep, say experts. The pair of 200-metre (650-foot) amphibious helicopter-carriers were due for delivery to Russia by the end of this year in a deal worth an estimated […]https://www.defencetalk.com/extremely-difficult-for-france-to-sell-mistral-warships-experts-64965/