YNet News: The official plane of the President of France, François Hollande, was upgraded and equipped with an Israeli-made anti-missile defense system. The Elbit-made system, which is estimated to cost $1 million per unit, is considered to be the most sophisticated system of its kind. Recent photos of the presidential plane show the special cell… read more
The Diplomat: Russia will begin construction of an improved variant of the Project 955 Borei-class (“North Wind”) aka Dolgorukiy-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), designated Project 955A Borei II, in late December, according to a Russian defense industry source. Construction of the Borei II-class Knyaz Pozharsky will reportedly begin on December 23 at the Sevmash shipyard, located in the… read more
CNBC: China showed its Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter in public for the first time on Tuesday, opening the country’s biggest meeting of aircraft makers and buyers with a show of its military clout. Airshow China, in the southern city of Zhuhai, offers Beijing an opportunity to demonstrate its ambitions in civil aerospace and to underline… read more
Press TV: The USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) got engaged in a “scheduled port visit” to the US territory, according to a Navy press release on Monday. The move was considered as a gesture of support for US allies in the region, including Japan and South Korea, whose delegations had been stationed Guam, awaiting a rare… read more
Popular Mechanics: Chinese shipyards are reportedly busy constructing what will be the largest destroyers in Asia. The yet-unnamed destroyers, tentatively called the Type 055 class, will be stealthy and packed with firepower. Despite the hype on the internet, it’s unlikely to be a super-ship. Instead, China’s next jump forward will likely have the Chinese Navy… read more
The Washington Post: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have sought to correct a decade-long decline in their defense ties, reestablishing Moscow as New Delhi’s closest military partner. Putin and Modi on Oct. 15 inked four big ticket defense deals worth over $10 billion when they met in Goa earlier this… read more
Wall Street Journal: After years of hesitation, South Korean defense officials and members of President Park Geun-hye’s ruling Saenuri Party are openly discussing the possibility of pre-emptive strikes on North Korean missile and nuclear facilities. Increasingly, political figures are urging both their own government and the U.S. to go beyond the level of study promised… read more
Post Guam: Units from the U.S. military and Japan Self-Defense Forces will conduct Exercise Keen Sword 17 beginning Oct. 30. Keen Sword is the largest joint, bilateral field training exercise between the U.S. military and the JSDF. The commander of U.S. Forces Japan and the chief of staff of the Japan Joint Staff will direct… read more
Army Times: The Army’s 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade added another company to its stable of active duty and reserve units in an Oct. 16 ceremony, according to an Army release. Newly minted commander Maj. Jack Bierce, a veteran of the company’s parent Space and Missile Defense Command, received the 8th Space Company’s new… read more
Indian Defense: Stating that India has an active missile shield that has the capability to intercept an incoming ballistic missile, V K Saraswat, the former chief of DRDO and an active member of NITI Aayog, said Saturday that the Russian S-400 Triumf air defence system that India plans to acquire will “complement” the existing system.… read more