DefenceTalkThe United States is prepared to deploy attack helicopters in support of an Iraqi offensive to retake the Islamic State-held city of Ramadi, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Wednesday. Carter told a US Senate hearing that the Iraqi army was beginning to move on the city in Iraq’s Anbar province, which fell to IS […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-ready-to-deploy-attack-helicopters-to-retake-iraqi-city-66030/

DefenceTalkMoscow: Russia flexed its military muscles as it launched strikes in Syria for the first time from a submarine stationed in the Mediterranean, ratcheting up its bombing campaign in the war-torn country. The strikes came with Syria’s splintered opposition due to begin Saudi-organized talks in Riyadh on Wednesday for difficult discussions on forming a united […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-launches-syria-submarine-strikes-ahead-of-talks-66021/

DefenceTalkBaghdad: Decades of irresponsible arms transfers to Iraq fueled the Islamic State group’s firepower and ability to carry out atrocities on a massive scale, Amnesty International said in a report published Tuesday. The London-based human rights watchdog called for tougher controls in order to put a stop to the alarming fallout from the proliferation of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/reckless-arms-transfers-to-iraq-fuelled-is-crimes-report-65998/

DefenceTalkBeirut: Suspected US-led coalition air strikes killed at least 26 civilians in a Syrian village, piling pressure on the alliance after allegations another bombing raid left regime soldiers dead. The coalition has been bombarding the Islamic State group for more than a year in Syria and neighboring Iraq, where the jihadists have declared a self-styled […]https://www.defencetalk.com/new-suspected-us-led-syria-raids-kill-dozens-of-civilians-65996/

DefenceTalkLondon: Britain joined the US-led bombing campaign against ISIS in Syria on Thursday, with air strikes beginning just hours after a decisive parliamentary vote. Royal Air Force planes based in Cyprus had returned from the “first offensive operation over Syria and have conducted strikes”, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said early Thursday, following a vote […]https://www.defencetalk.com/uk-begins-syria-air-strikes-after-parliament-vote-65965/

DefenceTalkJerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted for the first time Tuesday that Israeli forces have been operating in Syria, where the Iran-backed regime is battling rebels including the jihadist Islamic State. “We occasionally carry out operations in Syria to prevent that country from becoming a front against us,” Netanyahu told reporters during a visit to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/israel-pm-admits-forces-operating-in-war-hit-syria-65956/

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/

DefenceTalkGermany’s Cabinet has approved a mandate offering military assistance in the fight against the self-declared “Islamic State” (IS) in Syria. The package still requires parliamentary approval. The package, covering reconnaissance flights, a naval frigate and up to 1,200 German troops joining the coalition against IS, is now awaiting support from Germany’s lower house of parliament […]https://www.defencetalk.com/german-cabinet-approves-mission-in-syria-against-is-65934/

DefenceTalkGermany can offer France Tornado reconnaissance jets, a naval frigate, aerial refueling and satellite images to back the fight against the Islamic State jihadist group, the defence minister said Thursday. “France was struck to the bone by the horrific attacks by the IS but we know that this inhumane rage can hit us or other […]https://www.defencetalk.com/germany-offers-france-recon-jets-frigate-for-is-fight-65928/

DefenceTalkA Russian Air Force (RuAF) Sukhoi Su-24M attack jet was shot down by Turkish Air Force (TuAF) F-16C fighter jets over the Syrian-Turkish border on the morning of Tuesday, 24 November 2015. This article takes a look at what went down (pun intended), and how such an incident might further complicate the state of affairs […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkish-falcons-down-russian-fencer-65903/