• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Excelitas Qioptiq banner

BATTLESPACE Updates

   +44 (0)77689 54766
   

  • Home
  • Features
  • News Updates
  • Company Directory
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media Pack 2022

NEWS IN BRIEF – REST OF THE WORLD

February 6, 2015 by

06 Feb 15. No Predators for Jordan. The Obama administration has denied a request from a leading U.S. defence contractor for a license to market its unarmed Predator to Jordan, whose requests for U.S.-made weapons are viewed as more urgent due its participation in the fight against the Islamic State. The contractor, General Atomics, submitted export license applications last spring to market the Predator XP, a new export version of the unarmed MQ-1 drone flown by the U.S. military, to Jordan and numerous other countries. The U.S. government formally denied the request for Jordan on Oct. 28, according to the office of Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Republican whose district includes San Diego, where General Atomics is based. The company’s drone technology is closely guarded by the U.S. on national security grounds. The United Kingdom, France and Italy have the MQ-9 Reaper variant, developed for the U.S. Air Force. General Atomics designed the Predator XP specifically for the export market but as of yet, none have been exported. The company expects the United Arab Emirates to be its first customer. In a Feb. 5 letter to President Barack Obama, Hunter urged the administration to immediately reverse its October decision about not issuing the license to General Atomics. “Jordan is uniquely positioned to support and perhaps lead the fight against the Islamic State, and it’s now our obligation to offer Jordan our full support in this effort,” Hunter, a former Marine, wrote. The congressman stressed that the unarmed drones provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities that he says Jordan desperately needs in its fight against the militants who control parts of neighboring Iraq. Jordan has been one of the most active Arab members of the U.S.-led coalition mounting an ongoing air campaign against the group. The State Department declined to comment on the letter, which they said they had not yet received, and are generally restricted under federal regulations from commenting on proposed commercial arms sales or transfers. On Wednesday, all of the members of the panel signed a letter to outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry calling for the urgent provision of weapons to Jordan. “Jordan is seeking to obtain aircraft parts, additional night vision equipment, and precision munitions that the King feels he needs to secure his border and robustly execute combat air missions into Syria,” the letter reads, calling for them to be expedited through the U.S. foreign military sales system. It did not mention the unarmed Predator drones. (Source: UAS VISION/Foreign Policy)

04 Feb 15. Russian TOS-1 and Pantsyr-S1 systems reported in east Ukraine. Anti-Kiev forces are deploying TOS-1 220 mm thermobaric multiple rocket launchers and possibly Pantsyr-S1 air-defence systems in the continuing conflict in east Ukraine, reports indicate. In a statement on 4 February the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) claimed its forces had destroyed a TOS-1 system during fighting on 3 February. This followed a claim on 14 January by the MoD that its forces had encountered the type for the first time during fighting on 13 January. Unconfirmed media reports had previously suggested TOS-1s were being used in the assault on Donetsk airport, although the Ukrainian MoD made no such claim at the time. The TOS-1 is not known to have been pictured in east Ukraine, making the statements by the MoD hard to verify – although the Ukrainian MoD has been a broadly reliable source in the past. However, pictures have emerged of a 96K6 Pantsyr-S1 (SA-22 ‘Greyhound’) self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and missile (SPAAGM) system that is claimed to be operating in east Ukraine. The images are supposed to have been taken in late January in the vicinity of the towns of Shakhtarsk and Makiivka, just east of Donetsk, although this cannot be independently verified by IHS Jane’s. The TOS-1 is often referred to by Russia as a heavy flamethrower, a

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • qioptiq.com
  • Exensor
  • TCI
  • Visit the Oxley website
  • Visit the Viasat website
  • Blighter
  • SPECTRA
  • InVeris
  • Britbots logo
  • Faun Trackway
  • Systematic
  • CISION logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • businesswire logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • ssafa logo
  • DSEi
  • Atkins
  • IEE
  • EXFOR logo
  • KME logo
Hilux DVD2022 GlobalMilSat

Contact Us

BATTLESPACE Publications
Old Charlock
Abthorpe Road
Silverstone
Towcester NN12 8TW

+44 (0)77689 54766

BATTLESPACE Technologies

An international defence electronics news service providing our readers with up to date developments in the defence electronics industry.

Recent News

  • PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

    June 30, 2022
    Read more
  • PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

    June 24, 2022
    Read more
  • EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCES

    June 24, 2022
    Read more

Copyright BATTLESPACE Publications © 2002–2022.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use the website, we'll assume you're ok with this.   Read More  Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT