While U.S. increases FMF to $120-million, France prepares international conference to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces whose budget was wiped out by collapse of country’s economy.
President Biden has made clear in his first 100 days that he will pursue a values-based foreign policy that prioritizes democracy and human rights. This is welcome and past due. But his administration will need to lay out a new approach to US arms sales to make it happen. US arms sales are one of the […]
As threats evolve, the winning model ties digital engineering to manufacturing capacity and a reindustrialized supply chain.
"The U.S. continues to systematically state its commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia so I don't think arms transfers in general will completely stop," Yasmine Farouk, Middle East expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, says.
A senior source here said industry's complaints are exaggerated: "The ministry has to take into account many issues that are not directly connected to the profit line in the annual reports of the companies."
Strategic relations between the US and UAE remain clear and stable. “We may sometimes disagree, but the UAE will not yield to any decision that contradicts its vision and plans,” retired Staff Maj. Gen. Abdullah A.Al Hashmi told me in an interview. “We have our own plans and strategies, and the US is interested in preserving the relations with the Gulf states.”
The US Director of Operational Test and Evaluation's annual report says the CH-53K engine's performance degrades bellow the accepted minimum after 21 minutes of dust exposure. This is causing great concern in the IAF as it eyes buying the first batch of 20 helicopters.
Partnerships with outside industry are a cornerstone of the kingdom’s ambitious growth strategy.
US arms exports grew 15 percent, to more than a third of the global market, driven largely by a surge in Mideastern buying – but Biden is reviewing major sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Elbit’s 120 mm mortar uses GPS and lasers to make the infantry’s favorite heavy weapon precision-guided – and the US is looking to upgrade its own 120s on Strykers and AMPVs.
China has long relied on Russian imports to power its jet aircraft. Now a Chinese bid for a Ukrainian engine maker could change that – with dire results for US air superiority.
Patriot missiles are expensive. Rafael and its US partner Raytheon say they can fire the cheaper Israeli SkyCeptor from existing Patriot launchers. Will that tempt the US Army?
On today’s battlefield, mobility isn’t optional - it’s mission-critical.
While the UAE government was silent on the Biden Administration's pause on arms sales, social media reaction was harsh.
The $9 billion is aimed at purchasing the KC-46As, a new heavy helicopter to replace the Israeli air force CH-53, the purchase of V-22s, all this in addition to more F-35s and F-15 EXs. The estimated price of the KC-46As will be $1 billion.
Miniaturized missile defenses work well on heavy tanks, but efforts to fit such Active Protection Systems on light vehicles like Stryker have failed – so far. Now the Army will test two lightweight options: Rafael’s Trophy VPS and Rheinmetall’s ADS.
With the second battery now bound for the US, the Israeli-made missile defense system must prove it works with American command networks. “We have a very detailed plan to do the integration,” Rafael’s Pini Yungman told me.