Lithuanian leader calls to double military spending by 2019
Vilnius (AFP) March 27, 2014 -
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite on Thursday urged the government to more than double its defence budget over five years amid tension following Russia's takeover of Crimea.
The Baltic nation currently spends 0.8 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. That is well below the NATO target of two percent, in part due to huge cuts made during the global financial crisis. ...
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Egypt jihadists threaten Sinai security wall attacks
Cairo (AFP) March 27, 2014 -
An Al-Qaeda-inspired group based in the Egyptian Sinai threatened Thursday to attack contractors and workers involved in the construction of a security wall at a town in the restive peninsula.
The Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Partisans of Jerusalem) group has claimed most of the deadliest attacks in Egypt since the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July, saying they were in reveng ...
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UN hopeful for way out of Iraq vote impasse
United Nations, United States (AFP) March 27, 2014 -
The UN envoy to Iraq said Thursday there was a "window of opportunity" for Baghdad to resolve a pre-election crisis sparked by the resignation en masse of its election commission.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki warned Wednesday that April 30 legislative elections may be delayed given Tuesday's resignations, and with violence at its worst in six years.
But in New York, Nickolay Mlade ...
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Baghdad bombings kill 12
Baghdad (AFP) March 27, 2014 -
Three sets of bombings in Baghdad killed at least a dozen people Thursday evening, the latest in a surge in bloodshed in Iraq just weeks ahead of scheduled parliamentary elections.
Two roadside bombs that exploded in Amriyah in western Baghdad, a car bomb in the northern district of Adhamiyah - both of which are Sunni-majority - and another vehicle in the Saidiyah neighbourhood also wounde ...
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Thales, Qatar to develop hybrid aircraft
Washington DC (UPI) Mar 26, 2014 -
Qatar's military has set out to develop a high-performance optionally piloted aircraft with the help of Thales, the France-headquartered defense conglomerate.
Thales said in an announcement that a company representative and a Qatari official signed a memorandum of understanding on the project Thursday.
"This is an exciting prospect that Thales is looking forward to developing wit ...
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Cassidian receives order for military optics
Washington DC (UPI) Mar 26, 2014 -
Tanks and self-propelled guns operated by unidentified Middle East nation are to be fitted with optical equipment from Cassidian Optronics GmbH.
Cassidian said the contract given it by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG and Rheinmetall Defense Electronics GmbH is worth more than $55 million.
Details as to the number of products to be supplied for Leopard 2 A7+ tanks and PzH 2000 ...
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Australia breaks ground for Seahawk helicopter support
Washington DC (UPI) Mar 26, 2014 -
Ground was broken this week for a new maintenance and warehouse facility in Australia for U.S.-made MH-60R helicopters.
The facility of Maritime Helicopter Support Company, a joint venture of Sikorsky Aircraft and Lockheed Martin Australia, is to open next year and will be comprised of two buildings - an 89,000 square foot maintenance repair operation building, and a warehouse of 33,00 ...
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