Articles

The F-35 Lightning II 5th generation aircraft is the world's largest and most ambitious defence programme. As the fighter moves through the development and testing phases through to deployment, Defence IQ will bring you all the latest Joint Strike Fighter news with this new column. Read more

As Defence IQ prepares to return to Rio de Janeiro for the 2nd Annual Offshore Patrol Vessels & Surface Combatants Latin America conference this June, we cast our eye onto this important domain and the ripples being made on an international scale. Find out what’s turned our heads this month in the world of the OPV… Read more

Would you fly in a 747 across the Atlantic....without a pilot? Well, it's happening. The UK is working on a UAV programme for pilotless civilian flights with BAE Systems having successfully completed its first test flight. In other news the Israeli defence budget has been cut (yes, cut) and the U.S. Army has appointed an Australian to a senior ranking position in its APAC contingent. Read more

Brazil is pushing ahead with its vast homeland security infrastructure development programme with the addition of ground robots, which are designed for bomb disposal and other dangerous missions for troops and first responders. Read more

The United States and Australia continue to build diplomatic ties after it was announced that Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith will visit the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The visit is the first by Australia since assuming a seat on the United Nations Security Council in January. Read more

Hibaaq Osman is founder and CEO of Karama, an NGO working within the Middle East and North Africa to raise and expand the influence of Arab women. For the past eight years, her organisation has affected advocacy, capacity-building, knowledge-sharing and exchange, and policymaking at the national, regional, and international levels. Many of its recommendations have been adopted into new and existing constitutions, as well as official recommendations made to the state by international bodies such as the UN. Read more

Last month Leonie Industries, a U.S. government services provider specialising in communications and cultural advisory work, announced the appointment of Charles “Chuck” Thomas as president and chief executive officer. Ahead of the Information Operations Global conference in June, Chuck spoke with Defence IQ’s Richard de Silva to discuss the role of strategic communications in current and future operations. Read more

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

“That is why I believe the F-35 is Great for Britain,” concluded the Minister of Defence Equipment, Support and Technology Philip Dunne at a RUSI meeting yesterday about the future of the F-35 and the UK’s carrier strike capability. “And that is why this government remains so committed to the programme.” 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

A deal between firms in two of the most exciting armoured vehicle emerging markets was announced recently with South Africa’s Paramount Group agreeing a deal with Brazil for the sale of its Maverick internal security vehicle. Read more