DefenceTalkThe United States will send about 600 extra troops to Iraq to train local forces for an offensive on the Islamic State group stronghold of Mosul, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Wednesday. IS seized Mosul along with other areas in June 2014, but the country’s forces have since regained significant ground from the jihadists and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-to-send-600-more-troops-to-iraq-for-mosul-offensive-68245/

DefenceTalkThe German army is about to get bigger. Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday that she was scrapping the old 185,000 cap on the number of troops in the Bundeswehr to create a more flexible military force. The move marks a reversal of the shrinking of Germany’s armed forces, which has lasted […]https://www.defencetalk.com/german-military-gets-a-personnel-boost-67455/

DefenceTalkThe latest in military technology and the addition of up to 450 more U.S. troops announced yesterday will enhance the U.S.-led coalition’s efforts to enable ground forces in the campaign to defeat Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorism in Iraq and Syria, the deputy commander for operations and intelligence for Operation Inherent Resolve […]https://www.defencetalk.com/additional-troops-new-technology-enhance-counter-isil-battle-67341/

DefenceTalkThe Pentagon wants to cut the number of US peacekeeping troops in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, partly because of the growing threat from the Islamic State group, an official said Tuesday. About 700 US troops participate in a UN operation established after Israel and Egypt signed a 1979 peace deal and agreed for a Multinational Force […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-wants-drones-to-replace-some-us-troops-in-sinai-67229/

DefenceTalkThe British 3rd Battalion, The Rifles of the United Kingdom, and Soldiers of A Company, 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment (Experimentation Force), partnered with the Maneuver Battle Lab to execute the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment, experimenting with a myriad of different technologies and how they can be applied to future war fighting tactics. The purpose […]https://www.defencetalk.com/british-and-us-troops-collaborate-in-technology-experiments-67018/

DefenceTalkThe Philippine Supreme Court ruled Tuesday a security accord with the United States was legal, allowing more US forces into the former American colony as it seeks to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea. The 10-year agreement, signed in 2014 but not implemented due to legal challenges, will see more US troops and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/philippines-welcomes-more-us-forces-to-counter-china-66339/

DefenceTalkJapan is likely to deploy 500 ground troops of its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) equipped with advanced surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles on islands in the western extremities of Okinawa Prefecture, a short distance (170 kilometers) from the uninhabited Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands, which China also claims. The country’s deputy defense minister, Kenji Wakamiya, met on November […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japan-to-deploy-troops-missiles-near-disputed-islands-65959/

DefenceTalkWashington: The United States will increasingly rely on special operations troops to battle Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Tuesday, while calling on international powers to beef up their own efforts. Speaking to lawmakers in the House Armed Services Committee, the Pentagon chief said he was deploying a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-special-forces-to-fight-isis-in-iraq-syria-65953/

DefenceTalkUnited Nations: The United Nations is sending hundreds of extra peacekeepers and its first drones to the Central African Republic to bolster security ahead of elections next month, a UN official said Tuesday. The December 27 elections are shaping up as a test of the country’s progress in its political transition after the bloodletting that […]https://www.defencetalk.com/un-sends-more-peacekeepers-drones-to-central-africa-65818/

DefenceTalkWashington: More US troops could “absolutely” be deployed to Syria if Washington identifies more “capable local forces” as partners in the fight against the Islamic State jihadist group, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said in an interview aired Sunday. Carter’s comments to ABC News came about a week after the White House announced the deployment of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/more-us-troops-possible-in-syria-pentagon-chief-65781/