DefenceTalkTurkey gave Washington advance warning before launching an operation against US-allied Syrian Kurdish forces, and Ankara has “legitimate” security concerns in the area, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Sunday. “Turkey was candid. They warned us before they launched the aircraft they were going to do it in consultation with us, and we are working now […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-gave-u-s-heads-up-on-syria-operation-mattis-71102/

DefenceTalkDamascus: Syria on Monday denounced the US-led coalition’s plan to create a 30,000-strong border force in the country’s northeast, saying it would consider its members “traitors.” The alliance fighting the Daesh group announced on Sunday that it was working with Arab and Kurdish fighters to establish a Border Security Force (BSF). The BSF would be […]https://www.defencetalk.com/syria-denounces-us-led-coalition-border-force-plan-71074/

DefenceTalkThe 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron is wrapping up a deployment that saw heavy involvement in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Upon arrival, their efforts were focused on Raqqa for approximately three months. During that time A-10 Thunderbolt IIs participated in an urban close air support role. Pilots focused on protecting […]https://www.defencetalk.com/a-10s-bring-thunder-lightning-during-fight-against-isis-71043/

DefenceTalkDamascus: The Israeli army carried out air strikes and fired rockets at targets in Syria overnight, causing damage near a military position, the Syrian army said Tuesday. Israel’s military has carried out several attacks on the Syrian army and its ally Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah since the start of the conflict in Syria in 2011. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/israeli-air-strikes-rockets-hit-syria-syrian-army-71027/

DefenceTalkJERUSALEM: Israel’ military on Wednesday declared its newly acquired F-35 stealth fighters operational, making it the first country outside of the United States to put the ultra hi-tech jets into service. The Israeli Air Force currently has nine jets out of the total of 50 it has agreed to buy. The aim of the purchase […]https://www.defencetalk.com/israel-says-f-35-stealth-fighter-jets-operational-70965/

DefenceTalkIsrael’s military chief of staff said in an interview Thursday that his country was prepared to cooperate with Saudi Arabia to face Iran’s plans “to control the Middle East.” His comments were the latest sign that behind-the-scenes links between Israel and Gulf countries may be occurring due to Iran, their shared enemy, even though they […]https://www.defencetalk.com/israel-ready-to-cooperate-with-saudi-arabia-to-face-iran-defence-chief-70829/

DefenceTalkGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel’s administration has been criticized for massively increasing arms sales to Middle East dictatorships Saudi Arabia and Egypt. One opposition lawmaker branded the trade “reprehensible.” The German government approved nearly €450 million ($526 million) worth of weapons exports to Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the third quarter of 2017, more than five […]https://www.defencetalk.com/germany-quintuples-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia-and-egypt-70815/

DefenceTalkGordon Brown has claimed the UK was “misled” over Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction and the Iraq War was unjustified. The former prime minister, who was chancellor when the decision to go to war in 2003 was made, has revealed top-secret US intelligence casting serious doubt over the dictator’s destructive capabilities was not shared […]https://www.defencetalk.com/uk-misled-and-iraq-war-unjustified-says-gordon-brown-70742/

DefenceTalkThe United States government on Wednesday approved a $1.1 billion deal to service Qatar’s F-15 fighter jets despite the diplomatic stand-off between the Gulf emirate and its neighbors. Qatar, home to one of the largest US military bases in the Middle East, is locked in a bitter dispute with Washington’s other Arab allies in the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-approves-1-bln-qatar-arms-deal-despite-gulf-crisis-70725/

DefenceTalkPentagon officials scrambled Tuesday to clarify how many US troops are in Syria after a general put the number at a “little over 4,000” — far higher than previous tallies. “I think it’s a little over 4,000 US troops in Syria right now that are supporting efforts against,” the Islamic State group, Army Major General […]https://www.defencetalk.com/generals-slip-spotlights-us-troop-numbers-in-syria-70713/