Category -- Air -- The Defense Post

Mar- 2019 -

26 March

US approves Belgium purchase of 4 MQ-9 SkyGuardian drones for $600 million

The US has approved a possible sale to Belgium of four MQ-9B Reaper drones at an estimated cost of $600 million, the DSCA said

25 March

Staff Writer With AFP

2

$4.8 billion sale and upgrade of Morocco F-16 aircraft approved by US

The US has approved a sale to Morocco of 25 F-16C/D aircraft and related equipment that could total $3.8 billion and upgrades of 23 aircraft

25 March

Staff Writer With AFP

Israel begins airstrikes in Gaza after rocket hits house near Tel Aviv

Israel launched airstrikes in the Gaza Strip hours after a rocket from the Palestinian enclave hit a house and wounded seven Israelis

25 March

Staff Writer With AFP

Afghanistan: Airstrike kills 10 children in Kunduz, UN says

At least 13 civilians, including 10 children, were killed in an airstrike by "international forces" in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, the UN said

21 March

Staff Writer With AFP

US Navy awards Boeing $4 billion F-18 production contract

The US Navy has awarded Boeing a $4 billion contract to produce 78 new F/A-18 aircraft, the Department of Defense said

20 March

Staff Writer With AFP

3

US Africa Command disputes rights group’s allegations of civilian casualties in Somalia

Amnesty International has accused U.S. forces of killing several civilians in Somalia as they “dramatically increased” the number of air strikes in the volatile country, but the U.S. military denied the deaths. U.S. Africa Command said it had carried out 110 strikes by drones and manned aircraft in the past two years in Somalia, killing over 800 people, but insisted every death was that of a “terrorist.” But Amnesty researchers who investigated five air strikes in detail reported at least 14 civilians had been killed, raising fears the total dead in the scores of attacks may be far higher. “The attacks appear to have violated international humanitarian law, and some may amount to war crimes,” Amnesty said in a Wednesday, March 20 report, titled “The Hidden U.S. War in Somalia.” The study is based on 150 interviews including witnesses, family members of those killed and security experts. Their reports were corroborated by satellite imagery, photographs of the deep craters of the explosions, as well as munition fragments collected from the sites. U.S. strikes, which included missiles fired by manned aircraft as well as drones, targeted Somalia’s Al-Qaeda linked jihadist insurgent group, Al-Shabaab. Amnesty said that since April 2017, the U.S. …

15 March