Bulgaria's military will stop using three dozen of its Russian-made fighter jets and bombers to reassert its independence from Moscow, the defense minister, Velizar Shalamanov said, Bulgaria's Trud newspaper reported Monday. The military will present a list of new airplanes to replace 15 MiG-29 and six MiG-21 fighters and 14 Sukhoi Su-25 bombers within six months, the report said
Lebanon is reportedly in talks with Russia to buy weaponry and special equipment sponsored by Saudi Arabia, Lebanese Interior and Municipalities Minister Nouhad Machnouk told International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya. "There are talks on buying Russian arms and special equipment by Lebanon … there will be a lot of positions
Netherlands King Willem-Alexander announced an increase in defence spending Wednesday as a result of global conflicts including the downing the MH17 flight over Ukraine. The Dutch government will increase its defence spending by 100 million euros ($129 million) per year from 2015, the king said at his traditional opening of parliament speech, which this year marks the 200th anniversary of the Dutch kingdom
Russian reconnaissance and strike drone "Chirok" will begin tests in 2015, the CEO of the Moscow Research Radio Engineering Institute Yuri Nevzorov told RIA Novosti on Sunday. "After the new year , we will launch the test
Russian Helicopters has delivered the first batch of four upgraded Mi-8AMTSh transport helicopters to the Russian Defence Ministry. A long-term state contract for upgraded Mi-8AMTSh helicopters was signed in Ulan-Ude in August 2013
China may supply components required for Russias defence industry following US and EU sanctions against Russia. Although Russia does not buy many weapons from foreign sources it does procure a lot of electronic and mechanical components to be used in its weapons systems
Croatia plans to supply Mi-8 helicopters to Ukraine and instead buy 20 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the US military. The proposed helicopter deal was discussed during an Aug 14 meeting between Croatian defense personnel and a delegation from the US House of Representatives headed by Harold Rogers, the Chairman of the House's Committee on Appropriations, local media reported
With the success of Indo-Russian defence projects such as BrahMos and the production of the SU-30MKI jets, Russia intends to use the success as a model for joint development with Brazil and South Africa within BRICS. Anatoly Isaykin, general director of Rosoboronexport last week said that negotiations between Russia, Brazil and South Africa on the joint development of weapons and military equipment within the framework of BRICS should be held by the end of this year
The US has bumped Russia and Israel to become Indias biggest supplier of military in the past three years thanks to large aircraft purchases. Washington took home nearly $5 billion in arms sales from the $13 billion India awarded to foreign vendors
Russia could block overflights between Europe and Asia in retaliation to Western sanctions relating to the Crimean crisis. Russias Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the Russian government was considering a series of measures in response to Western sanctions that shut down the countrys first low-cost airline, according to the Associated Press