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A storm of criticism and justification has erupted over the Japanese government's decision to sell Patriot surface-to-air guided missiles made in Japan to the US. Widely seen as an effort to restock an American arsenal depleted by shipments to Ukraine, it has raised doubts over the Biden administration's proclaimed commitment to the security of Japan and the Asia-Pacific. It is also part of a policy aimed at building up Japan's defense industry by turning the once-pacifist country into an exporter of weapons. Under revised guidelines for the overseas transfer of military equipment approved by Japan's National Security Council on December...

MOSCOW—The Kremlin said that U.S. Patriot missile-defense systems would be a legitimate target if supplied to Ukraine, signaling that Russia doesn’t intend to cease its military offensive even in the face of superior weaponry. U.S. officials this week said Washington was finalizing plans to provide Ukraine with the highly advanced weaponry that would significantly boost its air-defense capabilities, following months of Russian missile and drone attacks on the country’s power grid, cities and civilian infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday that the coveted missile- defense batteries would absolutely be fair game for a strike, but added that he...

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. has removed its most advanced missile defense system and Patriot batteries from Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, even as the kingdom faced continued air attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show. The redeployment of the defenses from Prince Sultan Air Base outside of Riyadh came as America’s Gulf Arab allies nervously watched the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, including their last-minute evacuations from Kabul’s besieged international airport.... ...Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby acknowledged “the redeployment of certain air defense assets” after receiving questions from the...

The United States has offered to sell Turkey its Patriot missile defence system if Ankara promises not to operate a rival Russian system, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, in what he called a significant softening in Washington's position. Two Turkish officials told Reuters News Agency that Turkey was evaluating the US offer but added that Ankara had not changed its plans for the Russian S-400 systems, which it has said it would start to activate next month. NATO allies Turkey and the US have been at odds over Ankara's purchase last year of the S-400s, which Washington says...

Poland signed the largest arms procurement deal in its history on Wednesday, agreeing with the United States to buy Raytheon Co’s (RTN.N) Patriot missile defense system for $4.75 billion in a major step to modernize its forces against a bolder Russia. “It is an extraordinary, historic moment; it is Poland’s introduction into a whole new world of state-of-the-art technology, modern weaponry, and defensive means,” President Andrzej Duda said during the signing ceremony. NATO member Poland has accelerated efforts to overhaul its ageing weaponry following Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in 2014. Two-thirds of Poland’s weaponry dates from the Cold...

VIDEO: Footage of a Saudi Patriot missile interceptor veering off-course and crashing tonight in #Riyadh follow reports of a Houthi ballistic missile attack Hope you can see this video. Kind of dramatic.

Saudi Arabia's capital just came under ballistic missile attack, during which Patriot missile interceptors were launched to intercept. Although it looks like at least one Patriot hit one missile, a missile fragment, or even another missile itself, came careened into the ground, resulting in this amazing video: The trajectory of the projectile as it approaches the ground is a bit puzzling, it almost looks like it is turning while under control, but it could just be the result of the intercept. Then there is this amazing video of the Patriot missile launches, and it looks like one missile either intercepted...

North Korea is increasingly focused on cyber warfare, improvised explosives and missile technology as the regime fears it would be defeated in a direct confrontation with US and South Korean forces, a US commander said on Tuesday. The emphasis on unconventional methods comes amid signs North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il appears to be firmly "in charge" and in decent health, General Walter Sharp, commander of US forces in Korea, told reporters on Tuesday. "I think the North Koreans probably realized they could not win in a normal conventional all-out attack," Sharp said. Given the strength of South Korean and US...

The U.S. has started to pull its Patriot missiles stationed in Turkey, despite a recent appeal from Ankara to its NATO allies to keep the air and missile defense units at a delicate time on the border with Syria. Patriot missiles were initially deployed at the Gaziantep 5th Armored Brigade Command in southeastern Turkey after the country appealed to its NATO allies to guard against rockets from Syria.

Qatar, the world’s top liquefied natural gas exporter, is using its gas money to cash in on some top-of-the-line U.S. supplied military hardware. Qatar’s defense minister, Hamad Bin Ali al-Attiyah, met with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and signed acceptance letters for $11 billion worth of Apache attack helicopters, Patriot missile defense batteries and anti-tank Javelin missiles, the Pentagon said in a statement Monday. “Today’s signing ceremony underscores the strong partnership between the United States and Qatar in the area of security and defense and will help improve our bilateral cooperation across a range of military operations,” said Rear Adm....

Patriots and F-16s Deployment to Jordan: A beachead or UmbrellaI? The U.S. Positions Patriot Missiles, F-16 Fighter at Bases Jets in Jordan U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has approved a request from the Kingdom of Jordan to keep a detachment of F-16s and Patriot Missiles in Jordan following the conclusion of Exercise ‘Eager Lion’ taking place in the Kingdom this month. Eager Lion is held annually training a coalition of air forces in irregular warfare. This year the exercise more than 8,000 service members from about 19 countries participated in the exercise, running from June 9 to 20. “All other...

WASHINGTON — Ratcheting up the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, the United States will keep American warplanes and antimissile batteries in Jordan, officials said Saturday. The decision, which came at the request of Jordan, means that a detachment of American F-16 warplanes and Patriot missile-defense systems would remain in Jordan after a military exercise there concludes next week. The move followed President Obama’s decision last week to send arms to Syrian rebels and came as efforts were being made on multiple fronts on Saturday to increase the pressure on the government. In Cairo, President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt...

The White House said on Friday that it is not planning to set up a no-fly zone over Syria. Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters that it would be dramatically more difficult and costly to set up a no-fly zone over Syria than it was in Libya. "We feel like the best course of action is to try to strengthen a moderate opposition," Rhodes said. He said the United States did not want to send U.S. troops - or "boots on the ground" - to Syria, adding that enforcing a no-fly zone over the country could require intense,...

U.S. Military Plan to Arm Rebels Includes No-Fly Zone in Syria WASHINGTON—A U.S. military proposal for arming Syrian rebels also calls for a limited no-fly zone inside Syria that would be enforced from Jordanian territory to protect Syrian refugees and rebels who would train there, according to U.S. officials. Asked by the White House to develop options for Syria, military planners have said that creating an area to train and equip rebel forces would require keeping Syrian aircraft well away from the Jordanian border. To do that, the military envisages creating a no-fly zone stretching up to 25 miles into...

The United States said on Saturday it would keep F-16 fighters and Patriot missiles in Jordan at Amman's request, and Russia bristled at the possibility they could be used to enforce a no-fly zone inside Syria. Washington, which has long called for President Bashar al-Assad to step down, pledged military support to Syrian rebels this week, citing what it said was the Syrian military's use of chemical weapons - an allegation Damascus has denied. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has approved a Jordanian request for American F-16s and Patriot missiles to remain in the Western-backed kingdom after a joint military exercise...

The catalyst for the next great war will likely occur somewhere in the middle east. The Americans know this. As do the Russians and the Chinese. And as with the last two ‘great wars,’ the groundwork is being laid well ahead of time. A large American military force disembarked Tuesday, June 4, at the southern Jordanian port of Aqaba – ready for deployment on the kingdom’s Syrian border, DEBKAfile’s exclusive military sources report. The force made its way north along the Aqaba-Jerash-Ajilon mountain road bisecting Jordan from south to north, under heavy Jordanian military escort. Our sources disclose that this...

AQABA, Jordan (NNS) -- The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (KSG ARG) and embarked Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) commenced their participation in Exercise Eager Lion 2013, June 9. Eager Lion is a multilateral exercise held annually in Jordan, and is a continued effort to support military-to-military partnerships and enhance security and stability in the region. "International exercises like these are important because they strengthen ties and promote interoperability between countries," said Amphibious Squadron Four commodore, Capt. Brad Skillman. "We are delighted to be working with our JAF long-time partners and we are looking forward to a valuable,...

Multinational military exercise 'Eager Lion' has been launched in Jordan amid condemnation from neighboring Syria and its ally Russia. The US brings Patriot missile batteries to the Syrian border, which could remain deployed afterwards. The exercises will last for 12 days, bringing together about 8,000 personnel from 19 countries, mostly Arabic, but also including the US and Europe. The maneuvers will also involve some 3,000 Jordanian and 500 British troops.

Three hundred US Marines have been deployed to northern Jordan to pave the way for the West to arm Syrian rebels. A Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, designed to protect Jordanian territory from attack by Assad missiles, has also been moved into the area.