Iraq Accuses Ukraine of Selling Inferior Armored Vehicles

A senior Iraqi lawmaker on Thursday accused Ukraine of delivering low-quality armored personnel carriers and breaching the delivery terms of a contract signed in 2009.

“A probe into Ukrainian arms deliveries to Iraq revealed corruption with regard to Part 3 of the contract, concerning the sale of 420 armored personnel carriers, of which only about 100 have been delivered to date despite the fact that the contract was ratified several years ago,” Shiwan Muhammad Taha, a member of the Iraqi parliament’s security and defense commission, said in an interview with RIA Novosti’s Arabic-language newswire.

All the BTR-4 vehicles delivered so far have “very old, rusty bodies,” he said, adding that “the machines are dysfunctional.”

Israel Deploys New Anti-Tank Missile Defense

In response to the growing anti-tank missile threats in the Gaza Strip region, Southern Command incorporates two high-tech defense systems

The Southern Command recently combined two new technological systems as a response to the growing anti-tank missile threat in the region. The systems were developed by the Elbit Systems Ltd. Company, enabling early detection and warning as well as redirecting of launched anti-tank missiles.

Elbit Systems is one of the leaders in the security market in Israel and abroad, and a main weapon supplier for the IDF.

Iraqi F-16 Order May Double

Iraq's order for F-16 fighter jets is likely to double as Iraqi officials press for a larger purchase in negotiations with the United States.

The government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is attempting to use defense contracts as a means of ensuring some U.S. troops are able to remain past the withdrawal deadline imposed under the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). This agreement, reached in 2008 between Iraq and the administration of George W. Bush, calls for the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by December 31, 2011.

U.S. officials remain wary of the ability of Iraqi Security Forces to maintain complete security over the country in the short term and have pressed Baghdad for an extension to allow a sizable residual force of U.S. "trainers" to remain after the deadline.

Egypt to Build 125 Additional M-1A1 Tanks in $1.3 Bn Deal

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Friday of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Egypt for 125 M1A1 Abrams tank kits for co-production and associated weapons, equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $1.329 billion.

The Government of Egypt has requested a possible sale that includes 125 M1A1 Abrams tank kits for co-production, 125 M256 Armament Systems, 125 M2 .50 caliber machine guns, 250 M240 7.62mm machine guns, 125 AGT-1500 M1A1 series tank engines and transmissions, 120mm test cartridges, spare and repair parts, maintenance, support equipment, special tool and test equipment, personnel training and equipment, publications and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics and program support. Articles may be provided in furtherance of a co-production agreement.

The estimated cost is $1.329 billion.

Storm Over German Sale of 200 Battle Tanks to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is buying hundreds of tanks from Germany, a Saudi security source has said, in a multi-billion-euro deal that German opposition lawmakers have criticized as going against export guidelines.

A security source in Saudi Arabia said Monday that the oil-rich Gulf state would be buying 200 state-of-the-art Leopard tanks from Germany in a deal that has caused a political row in Germany.

"So far, Saudi has bought 44 tanks from Germany and in total wants to buy 200 tanks from Germany," a security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Reuters news agency.
The source declined to give a value for the purchase, saying it was a multi-billion euro deal involving the German companies Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall.

Syrian troops close in on Lebanon border

Syrian troops pushed towards the Lebanese border as they pressed a deadly crackdown in central towns ahead of Monday's opposition meeting in Damascus on the country's unrest, activists said.

The latest violence in Kseir, near the flashpoint city of Homs, forced "hundreds" of people to flee over the border into Lebanon, the activists said.

The exodus came as Turkey, where about 12,000 Syrians have already taken refuge in recent weeks, scrambled to erect a border tent city to accommodate a possible new influx of refugees.

Syrian tanks enter Turkey border village

Army tanks on Saturday entered a village bordering Turkey, where 10,000 Syrians have sought refuge, an activist said, as Washington warned Damascus over its "continued brutality" against protesters.

With the deadly revolt now in its fourth month, Britain urged its nationals to leave Syria "now," warning that its embassy in Damascus was unlikely to be able to help if the situation gets worse.

As many as 19 people were killed in protests on Friday, the Local Coordination Committee of anti-government activists said, although it added that it had only 12 names so far.

Saudi Arabia to Buy Light Armored Vehicle

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Friday of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Saudi Arabia of a variety of light armored vehicles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $350 million.

The Government of Saudi Arabia has requested a possible sale of 25 LAV-25 series Light Armored Vehicles, 8 LAV Assault Guns, 8 LAV Anti-Tank Vehicles, 6 LAV Mortars, 2 LAV Recovery Vehicles, 24 LAV Command and Control Vehicles, 3 LAV Personnel Carriers, 3 LAV Ammo Carriers, 1 LAV Engineer Vehicle, 2 LAV Ambulances, AN/VRC 90E and AN/VRC-92E Export Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS), battery chargers, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and technical support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support.

The estimated cost is $350 million.

US to Sell CBU-105 Cluster Bombs to Saudi Arabia

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Friday of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Saudi Arabia of 404 CBU-105D/B Sensor Fuzed Weapons and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $355 million.

The Government of Saudi Arabia has requested a possible sale of 404 CBU-105D/B Sensor Fuzed Weapons, 28 CBU-105 Integration test assets, containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support.

The estimated cost is $355 million.

US Army Deploys Firefinder Radar in Iraq

ThalesRaytheonSystems today announced that advanced Firefinder radars have been fielded in theater supporting and protecting U.S. troops and allies. Reliability and maintainability improvements have been added to the AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder Weapon Locating Radar system that support an extended service life with reduced life-cycle costs. Currently fielded in Iraq, upgraded Firefinders are scheduled to be deployed into Afghanistan in the coming months.

ThalesRaytheonSystems, in conjunction with Tobyhanna Army Depot, is delivering modernized radars that include a new modular, air-cooled transmitter; a new Operations Control shelter; and a new, common radar processor applied across the U.S. Army's entire fleet of AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder systems. It is known as the Reliability Maintainability Improvement (RMI) program. Forty percent of deliveries are complete with final delivery scheduled in early 2013.

"These RMI systems can be deployed with confidence for effective operations in challenging environmental conditions," said Kim Kerry, chief executive officer, ThalesRaytheonSystems, U.S. Operations. "The Firefinder modernization provides the U.S. Army and allies around the world with the capabilities needed for detection and troop protection."

Iraq says ready to buy Czech-made combat fighter jets

Iraq is ready to buy light attack aircraft, offered for sale by the Czech republic earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said after talks with his Czech counterpart in Baghdad.

The visit to Baghdad by Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas, which began on Monday, focused on bilateral economic and political cooperation.

In mid-April, the Czech Republic announced its plans to offer Iraq 24 L-159 combat aircraft and help in modernizing the Iraqi helicopter fleet.

US Clears Sale of Saudi C-130Es to Turkey

The United States has approved the sale to Turkey by Saudi Arabia of six U.S.-made C-130E military cargo planes, senior Turkish and U.S. officials said late Monday. Turkey struck a deal last summer with Saudi Arabia to purchase the six older cargo planes.

The U.S. approval in late April comes at a time when two transport aircraft programs Turkey is involved in are faltering or facing major delays.

One procurement official told the Hürriyet Daily News that the planes were being purchased at a very reasonable price, but declined to specify a figure. An industry source suggested the unit price was less than $10 million.

UAE F-16 Crashes While Landing In Italy: Report

A fighter jet taking part in military operations over Libya crashed April 27 on landing at an air base in Italy, a NATO official told AFP.

"An F-16 crashed on landing at Sigonella Air Base. The pilot ejected and his further condition is being assessed," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The plane was not on a combat operation and was being transferred from Decimomannu Air Base in Sardinia to Sigonella, the official said.

The official declined to give further details on the condition of the pilot.

Italy's ANSA news agency reported that the fighter jet belonged to the United Arab Emirates and said the base had been temporarily shut down.

The UAE, which is not a member of NATO, last month deployed 12 fighter jets at Decimomannu, including six F-16s and six Mirages, for the enforcement of a no-fly zone on Libya mandated by the U.N. Security Council.

France Says NATO Not Fulfilling Its Role In Libya

France says NATO is not fulfilling its role properly to protect civilians in Libya by destroying the regime's heavy weapons. This comes after the rebels rejected a cease-fire proposal brokered by the African Union.

France has criticized its NATO allies for not doing enough to protect civilians and said the alliance was lacking an effective strategy for destroying the regime's heavy weapons.

"NATO must play its full role, and it is not doing so sufficiently," Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Tuesday. He added that he would raise the issue at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday and with his NATO counterparts later this week in Berlin.

Former Yugoslav Nations Seek to Partner on Kuwaiti M-84 Upgrade Contract

Three European nations that were part of the former Yugoslavia - Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia - are seeking to partner on a joint venture to overhaul Kuwait's M-84 tank fleet.

Kuwait ordered 155 M-84 tanks from the former Yugoslavia in 1989, deliveries of which began in 1990. Production of the M-84 tank - a Yugoslav version of the Soviet T-72 - began in 1984. The tank parts were manufactured in 240 factories across Yugoslavia, with another 1,000 factories indirectly involved in equipping the tanks. Despite the outbreak of the Balkan wars in the early 1990s, tank production continued in Serbia and Croatia even though the two had suspended relations with each other.

The Serbian Defense Ministry has announced that overhaul and modernization work on the Kuwaiti tanks could be worth up to $400 million. Serbia's arms trading company Yugoimport has touted two modernized versions of the tank in recent years, with the ability to fire laser-guided anti-tank missiles considered one of the chief improvements to the original model.

India, Saudi Arabia Plan Joint Naval

India and Saudi Arabia are enhancing their strategic partnership to improve defense ties.

The two countries also are sketching out plans to conduct joint naval and military exercises to increase maritime cooperation and sharpen their defensive and offensive capabilities, a top diplomatic source tells Aviation Week.

“The defense ties between Saudi Arabia and India will peak in the coming days with the visit of Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony this month,” the diplomat says. “Several ideas that have been [proposed] at various levels since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Riyadh in 2010 are likely to [be firmed up] during the minister’s visit.”

Qatar Seizes Two Iranian Boats With Arms

Qatar, which has sea borders with Bahrain and Iran, has seized two Iranian boats in the Gulf carrying weapons, a Kuwaiti electronic newspaper reported on March 27.

The boats were intercepted off Al-Zubara coast, northeast of Qatar and close to the country's territorial waters with Bahrain, Al-Aan said, citing sources it did not identify.

The sources provided no details on the crew, the date of the operation or the destination of the boats. There was also no confirmation of the report from authorities in the Qatari, Bahraini or Iranian capitals.

Sunni-ruled Bahrain, where Shiite-led protests broke out on Feb. 14, accuses Shiite-led Iran of meddling in its affairs and elements of the Bahraini opposition of links with foreign powers.

Qatar Becomes First Arab State to Overfly Libya

Qatari warplanes have flown over Libya, becoming the first Arab state to take part in military operations to enforce a no-fly zone under a U.N. resolution, its air force announced March 25.

The air force said an undisclosed number of planes had "overflown sister Libya as part of the international coalition" to enforce the no-fly zone imposed on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces "to protect civilians."

It did not specify a date for the start of Qatari operations nor a location for the first flights, in a brief statement carried by state news agency QNA.

Saudi troops enter Bahrain as protests escalate

Armored troops rolled into Bahrain from neighboring Saudi Arabia on Monday to help restore order in the strategic Gulf kingdom, where pro-democracy demonstrators have shut down the financial center.

Thousands of mainly Shiite protesters occupied Manama's business district, turning the regional banking hub into a ghost town as they pressed their calls for democratic change from the Sunni Muslim monarchy.

The Saudi government said it had responded to a call for help from its neighbor as Saudi-led forces from the Gulf countries' joint Peninsula Shield Force crossed the causeway separating the two countries.

Oshkosh Wins HET Order for UAE

Al Jaber Group, a privately owned, multi-faceted group of companies based in Abu Dhabi, has selected Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, to provide the Global Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) vehicle to support United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Oshkosh will fulfill Al Jaber’s initial purchase of Global HETs by early 2012.

“Our goal is to provide the UAE with the world’s most powerful military vehicles as part of an overall logistics and fleet management solution,” said Obaid Khaleefa Jaber Al Murri, Chairman, Al Jaber Group. “Our focus is on quality and long-term performance, and Oshkosh was the clear choice. They have a successful history of designing, manufacturing and sustaining heavy-duty vehicles for the U.S. Army and militaries around the world.”

The new Global HET from Oshkosh Defense is a high-performance 6x6 transport vehicle with a 70 metric ton payload capability. With a powerful 700-horsepower engine, the Global HET is able to transport a main battle tank, armored vehicles, construction equipment and more. By transporting large-scale equipment on the Global HET, the military can reduce the wear on equipment and crew fatigue that typically occurs over long distances. Working closely with the Al Jaber Group, the new Global HET was designed to meet the requirements of the UAE Armed Forces and was rigorously tested and evaluated in extreme desert conditions. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.