French Arm Their Reaper UAVs: Conduct a Strike in Mali

01/07/2020
By defenceWeb France has for the first time conducted an air strike with one of its Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles in Mali, days after guided bombs were added to the aircraft. The French military said the strike took place after an operation during the night of 20/21 December that saw…

Nigeria Builds Out Maritime Capacity in 2020

01/07/2020
By defemceWeb The Nigerian Navy (NN) plans to take delivery of 41 new vessels in 2020, including patrol boats, interceptors and a hydrographic survey vessel. In mid-December, the Nigerian Navy’s head of policy and plans Rear Admiral Beegroy Ibe-Enwo said it will receive new vessels from France, Malaysia, Vietnam and…

Iranian Missiles in Iraq and the Killing of Soleimani

01/06/2020
By Debalina Ghoshal A few weeks before the US killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) head, Maj Gen. Qassem Soleimani, there were reports that Iran was placing short range missiles in the chaotic Iraq to affirm its strategic position in the region. Placing of short range missiles would have…

Disaster Resilience: Meeting the Challenge

01/06/2020
By John Blackburn As we deal with the ongoing bushfire disaster in Australia it is worth reflecting on the report the Department of Home Affairs National Resilience Taskforce did in 2018 on Australia's disaster risk and vulnerabilities. The aim of the report was to help understand where to prioritize collective…

The Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command and Crisis Intervention: Insertion Into the Baghdad Embassy Crisis

01/03/2020
The United States along now with the Japanese are the only tiltrotor enabled combat forces in the world. This unique capability has been the backbone of innovations in distributed operations for the USMC for more than a decade of combat experience. And the upgrading of the Osprey underway for the…

The United Arab Emirates and Missle Defense

01/03/2020
By Debalina Ghoshal It is a known fact that Middle East is not only gearing up its offensive capabilities but also its defensive capabilities as a deterrence against enemy missile threats. The Gulf Cooperating Countries (GCC) have always been crucial allies of the United States and one of the aims of…

Baghdad SPMAGTF Deployment

01/03/2020
U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys drop off Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC) 19.2 Marines at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 31, 2019. BAGHDAD, IRAQ 12.31.2019 Video by Sgt. Maj. Joey Thompson According to a story by Ben Werner of USNI News published on December…

Indian Defence Minister Visits US Navy: Getting Updates in Norfolk and Naval Air Station Oceana

01/02/2020
By India Strategic Washington DC. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk on December 17. The visit highlighted the depth of the US-India defence partnership and the close ties between the Navies of the two countries. During the visit to NAS Oceana,…