Today's headlines

Cyberspies hack into US fighter project
Computer spies have repeatedly breached the Pentagon's costliest weapons program, the $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
Reuters

Russian army in North Caucasus receives new attack helicopters
The first six Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopters have been delivered to Russia's North Caucasus military district, a military source said on Tuesday.
RIA Novosti

MP calls for naval base security

A Plymouth MP has called on the government to secure the future of the city's Devonport naval base. It follows reports that senior unnamed Royal Navy figures have chosen Portsmouth as the future home for 11 frigates currently based in Plymouth.

BBC News

U.S. military orders seven additional C-27J JCA aircraft

L-3 Communications, the prime contractor for the U.S. Army and Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) program, announced today a $203 million order of seven additional aircraft by the JCA Joint Program Office. This January 2009 order brings the current contract total to 13 aircraft.

Defpro

Drop In Defence R&T Budget Risks Future Equipping Of Armed Forces, Government Told

The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), the UK's aerospace, defence and security trade association, has today (Monday) warned the Government ahead of Wednesday's Budget that the decline in research and technology (R&T) funding for defence will harm both the armed forces' ability to carry out their roles in future and will be a signal to the industry of the Government's declining commitment to maintaining high-skilled research in this country.

Defpro

BAE claims 'progress' on ethical report

BAE Systems has defended the first external audit of its ethical conduct, after it emerged that its scope did not include an assurance that the company's actions would meet recommendations made by Lord Woolf on how it could improve its standards.

Financial Times

Marines and Navy train in Saudi desert

In the first training exercise by UK Land Forces on Saudi Arabian soil since the first Gulf War, Royal Marines have deployed onto the country's scorching deserts as part of the Royal Navy's TAURUS 09 deployment.

Royal Navy Press Release

Aegis targets pirates in seas off Somali coast

Tim Spicer, the founder and chief executive of Aegis Defence Services, the private security company whose main market is in Iraq, is preparing to do battle on the high seas by tackling piracy off the coast of Somalia.

Financial Times

NGO: India to keep buying Russian jets

A Russian think tank forecasts India will be the main buyer of Russia's combat aircraft for the next 15 years. The Center for Analysis and Technologies predicts India will purchase as many as 90 Su-30MKI fighters under existing contracts, and possibly buy more Su-30 or modernized MiG-29K aircraft, as well, RIA Novosti reported Monday.

UPI

MoD defends Iraq UORs

The MoD has rubbished claims that billions of pounds on equipment for the Iraq war have gone to waste, calling it "nonsense." Last week the Guardian ran a series of articles on the legacy of the Iraq war which were sharply critical of MoD policy.

Defence Management