DefenceTalkRussia’s Su-34 fighter-bombers, which proved highly effective in the fight against terrorists in Syria, will be upgraded with new avionics, military expert Boris Rozhin told Sputnik. “The share of modern weapons systems in our Aerospace Forces is about 66 percent now, and is slated to reach 70 percent by 2020,” Rozhin said. He emphasized the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russias-su-34-fighter-bomber-to-get-new-avionics-weapons-array-69468/

DefenceTalkTwo B-2 Spirit bombers departed Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, for a transatlantic flight to Libya Jan. 18 in what would become the B-2’s first combat mission since Operation Odyssey Dawn in 2011. The demanding 30-plus-hour mission against two Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant camps required personnel with advanced expertise in the B-2’s […]https://www.defencetalk.com/weapons-school-officers-employ-total-force-training-during-libya-b-2-strike-68995/

DefenceTalkThe U.S. Navy’s original $5.1 billion Unfunded Priorities List (UPL) released in February 2016 has grown into a massive $12 billion wish list. Curiously, the Navy says the new list is not a formal update of the original UPL. Rather, the service has provided a list of “executable” FY17 unfunded items, adding needs that have […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-navy-funding-readiness-aircraft-weapons-ships-68972/

DefenceTalkThe White House has blocked the transfer of precision munitions to ally Saudi Arabia, amid anger about the civilian death toll from the kingdom’s bombing campaign in Yemen. “We have made clear that US security cooperation is not a blank check,” a senior administration official told AFP, echoing long-standing concerns about how Riyadh is prosecuting […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-cancels-weapons-transfers-to-saudi-over-yemen-campaign-68676/

DefenceTalkAn arms watchdog on Monday urged major weapons exporters, including the United States and France, to cut sales to Saudi Arabia over its actions in Yemen, as a conference on global arms trade opened in Geneva. The World Trade Organization is hosting the second conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which came into force […]https://www.defencetalk.com/cut-weapons-sales-to-saudi-over-yemen-arms-watchdog-says-68034/

DefenceTalkThe United States has approved the possible sale to Saudi Arabia of up to 153 tanks, hundreds of machine guns and other military gear in a deal worth $1.15 billion, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The announcement coincided with news that Saudi-led coalition warplanes had resumed air strikes on Yemen’s capital for the first time in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-approves-1-15-bn-tank-weapons-sale-to-saudi-67972/

DefenceTalkIsrael’s army is searching for hundreds of weapons and tens of thousands of munitions — from its own former soldiers. It turns out that many soldiers have ended their service by walking away with memorabilia. The military is now pleading with them to bring back their boots, sleeping bags and cold-resistant suits — not to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/bring-back-our-gear-israels-army-begs-ex-soldiers-67218/

DefenceTalkAirmen from the 388th and 419th fighter wings dropped laser-guided bombs at the Utah Test and Training Range the week of Feb. 25, marking the first time an F-35 Lightning II combat unit has deployed weapons from the F-35A. Lt. Col. George Watkins, the 34th Fighter Squadron commander, said dropping weapons from the F-35 allows […]https://www.defencetalk.com/hill-afb-f-35s-drop-first-weapons-66892/

DefenceTalkLast week, The Washington Post ran an op-ed entitled “The exotic new weapons the Pentagon wants to deter Russia and China.” Pentagon officials, the piece explained, have begun talking openly about the artificial intelligence and robotics-assisted super soldiers meant to combat the Russian and Chinese militaries. But what is Russia’s response? On Tuesday, Washington Post […]https://www.defencetalk.com/how-russia-can-counter-the-uss-new-miracle-weapons-66882/

DefenceTalkThis article will look at the various types of guns; ‘gun’ referring to both the direct-fire artillery piece (as used in military parlance) and the more general ‘firearm’ (in common usage). 1. Rifles A rifle is a firearm characterised by a long barrel with spiral or polygonal grooves on the inner wall (known as rifling, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/types-of-guns-an-overview-66049/