Iran relaunches Russian-made submarine Iran’s state TV is reporting the country’s navy relaunched one of its Russian-made submarines after repairing its systems with locally-made replacement parts. Iran has tried to build a self-sufficient military program since 1992. The May 29 report says that navy personnel overhauled the Taregh, one of its three Kilo class submarines,…

Saudi Arabia inks $3 billion U.K. trainer jet deal  Saudi Arabia’s official news agency says the kingdom has signed a deal with the United Kingdom valued at $3 billion to buy air force trainer jets. The Saudi Press Agency quoted an unnamed defense official May 23 as saying the deal also includes simulators, ground equipment,…

Virginia contractor suspends flights after two crashes A Virginia company that provides aerial training to the military has suspended flights while it investigates two recent crashes that killed two of its pilots. Newport News-based Airborne Tactical Advantage Co., known as ATAC, temporarily halted flights operations “while we just kind of review processes and take a…

French President Francois Hollande said May 21 that France won’t necessarily contribute money for Afghanistan’s military, again marking a break with key NATO partners as the alliance moves to hand over security control in the country starting in 2015. In a final news conference at a summit of the Atlantic alliance, the new French leader…

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Boeing delivered a fifth C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence earlier this month. The UAE accepted delivery of four C-17s in 2011 and has one more airlifter on order for delivery later this year. “It’s amazing to see all that the UAE has…

The Boeing 787 Dream Tour will draw to a close with a seventh leg of international trips. During the tour, a refurbished flight test airplane has demonstrated the Dreamliner’s capabilities to more than 59,000 guests with an estimated 6,000 more to see it during the upcoming stops. May 23, the airplane known as ZA003 will…

Bird strike caused Marine helicopter crash A Marine Corps investigation has found that a bird strike caused a helicopter crash at Camp Pendleton, Calif., last year that killed two Marines. The report, obtained by U-T San Diego, says the AH-1W Cobra attack helicopter collided Sept. 19 with a red-tailed hawk that had a wing span…

Chinese and American officials recognize the importance of good, uninterrupted military-to-military relations, and the commander of U.S. Pacific Command will do what he can to further that goal. Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III spoke about his new command and the importance he places in building the U.S. military relationship with China during a recent…

Court shoots down $1.4 million tort judgment against Navy Federal prosecutors say the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated a $1.4 million judgment against the Navy for allegedly disclosing trade secrets on the design of a military craft to a rival. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten says the appellate court ruled May 11 against…