Articles

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is moving ahead with its Integrated Fixed Tower (IFT) programme after confirming to Defense News that a number of contractors have been downselected for the $1.1 billion contract. General Dynamics, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Elbit Systems have been picked by the government to demonstrate their solutions, according to sources with knowledge of the project. Read more

Politics is often thought of as a game of chess where pieces can be moved around to execute winning strategies. Applying that logic to the Syrian conflictis dangerous and misleading. Intervening in complex emergencies is at best a perilous exercise. Providing weapons often leads to unintended and unexpected consequences. Read more

It has taken twenty-seven years for the Indian Army to regain momentum on its artillery front. Following the much-publicised 1986 AB Bofors scandal, the nation has stayed largely in “theory and analysis” mode when it comes to contracting any new big guns. Read more

As military air operations continue to steal the focus of modern day theatres, effective management of the airspace is critical to avoid confliction when it comes to both military and civilian assets. The Coalition Attack Guidance Experiment (CAGE) is a multinational initiative designed to analyse and assess both the systems and the TTPs anticipated for use in future operational environments. Read more

The attacks on Boston last week, and the EOD managed detonations that followed, marked a chilling event in American history: the first major domestic attack since 9/11. Worryingly though, FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers noted that early examinations conducted by investigators suggested the devices had a ‘pressure cooker shell’. Why didn’t the civilian response need DoD support? Read more

The IED is widely recognised as the number one homeland threat as terrorism remains bubbling in all corners of the globe. Robert Shaw, the head of C-IED Training for NATO ISAF and Commander Abdulrazaq Olapeju Kazeem, commander of the Nigerian Army's Headquarters Bomb Disposal Unit, delve into this vital field... Read more

The European land industrial sector is more fragmented than the air and naval sectors and is in danger of losing key capabilities and skills in the current financial climate. That’s the conclusion of a 12 month study conducted by the European Defence Agency (EDA), which also highlighted the need to improve interoperability between member states and held that “Pooling & Sharing is more crucial than ever.” Read more

Today I believe that there is very little difference between the effectiveness of rockets and conventional artillery. Read more

In accordance with 2010’s Strategic Defence and Security Review the MoD has announced that the third tranche of Army redundancies will come into effect and puts 5,300 soldiers in the firing line. What impact will it have? Read more

The debate of conventional artillery compared with rocket has been a classic British Army Staff College subject for a discussion topic over the years because there is no right or wrong answer. That’s because the question is not addressing a comparison of 'like with like'. However, it is an excellent way of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the different capabilities of the rocket and gun systems. Read more

Today, the US M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is the modern face of rocket artillery on the battlefield. However, since rocket artillery was first introduced there has been vigorous debate over whether it is more practical and effective than conventional artillery systems. Defence IQ has taken a look at this debate in greater detail… Read more