DefenceTalkDuring a media availability Feb. 21, Navy officials announced the Littoral Combat Ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) is on track to begin its first deployment March 1. This milestone was announced by the LCS Council, a group established by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert Aug. 22, to oversee continued fleet testing and the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/first-littoral-combat-ship-to-deploy-in-march-46931/

DefenceTalkGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), tactical reconnaissance radars, and electro-optic surveillance systems, today announced the procurement of its first Predator XP RPA system by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Predator XP is an updated version of the company’s flagship Predator RPA that has been licensed by […]https://www.defencetalk.com/procurement-of-first-predator-xp-system-announced-46929/

DefenceTalkIsrael’s Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) completed a successful flight test of the Arrow 3 interceptor missile. This is the first flight test of the Arrow 3 interceptor and was conducted at an Israeli test range over the Mediterranean Sea. The Arrow 3 interceptor was successfully launched and flew […]https://www.defencetalk.com/israel-and-usa-conduct-first-arrow-3-interceptor-flight-test-46926/

DefenceTalkThe Army must transition now from a force of execution to one of preparation, said the commander of the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command. As the opening speaker at the 2013 Association of the United States Army Institute of Land Warfare Symposium and Exposition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Gen. Robert W. Cone discussed how the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/army-must-shift-focus-from-execution-to-preparation-46938/

DefenceTalkChina’s military has introduced new rules to combat “extravagance and waste” in spending, state media said Sunday, as the country’s new leaders stress austerity to fight official corruption. New Communist Party chief Xi Jinping, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, approved the rules which aim to promote austerity and control expenditure, the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-takes-aim-at-extravagance-in-military-spending-46949/

DefenceTalkAll F-35s have been grounded as a precaution after a routine engine inspection revealed a crack on an engine blade, Defense Department officials said Feb. 22 here. Officials call this a “cautionary suspension of flight.” The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fly F-35s. Inspectors found the crack in an F135 engine installed in an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35s-grounded-as-precaution-after-crack-found-in-engine-blade-46917/

DefenceTalkThe U.S. Navy delivered two more 35-meter patrol boats (PB-310 and PB-311) to the Iraqi navy at the Umm Qasr naval facility in Iraq, Feb. 17, after each craft successfully completed reactivation in Bahrain. These are the 10th and 11th vessels in the 12-boat procurement which will assist in reconstituting Iraq’s ability to enforce maritime […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-navy-delivers-two-coastal-patrol-boats-to-iraq-46915/

DefenceTalkLockheed Martin (LMT) recently demonstrated the ability of its DAGR missile to launch from a ground vehicle during a series of flight tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. DAGR and two Hydra 70 rockets were launched from a pedestal launcher mounted in the bed of a Lockheed Martin prototype Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). […]https://www.defencetalk.com/lockheed-demos-dagr-missile-ground-vehicle-launch-capability-from-jltv-46913/

DefenceTalkNATO has said it is strongly considering a proposal to extend funding for a security force of Afghan troops through 2018. The proposal comes amid speculation that the US will reduce support for post-2014 operations. NATO is considering plans to continue supporting about 350,000 Afghan troops in the country until 2018, its Secretary General Anders […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-mulls-funding-afghan-troops-through-2018-46911/

DefenceTalkChina is reported to have conducted the second test of its missile interceptor system on January 27, 2013 in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.1 Quite symbolic of China’s postural patterns, the reported test comes exactly three years (and 16 days) after the first test of its ballistic missile defence (BMD) system on January 11, 2010. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/impressions-on-chinas-second-missile-interceptor-test-46909/