Tag: United States
Ex Shared Accord set for August, preparation and logistics underway
South Africa (SA)/United States (US) military co-operation by way of Exercise Shared Accord continues, with the Free State province earmarked for the fifth exercise...
African arms imports decline by nearly 50% over last decade
Imports of major arms by African states fell by 44% between 2015–19 and 2020–24, which was mainly due to decreases in the arms imports...
US-Mali Defence cooperation enters a new chapter
The United States has taken a significant step in strengthening defence ties with Mali, with the Malian Armed Forces hosting a high-level military law...
Morocco receives first AH-64 Apache helicopters
The Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) has taken delivery of its first AH-64E Apache helicopter from the United States.
Deliveries of 24 aircraft were originally...
Exercises Cutlass Express, Justified Accord 2025 wrap up in Tanzania and...
More than 1 000 participants from 20 nations took part in this year’s edition of Exercise Cutlass Express in Tanzania with the goal of...
Egypt seeking AN/TPS-78 radar systems
The Egyptian government is looking to buy AN/TPS-78 long range radar systems from Northrop Grumman in a deal worth $304 million.
Also requested by Egypt...
US Defence Secretary makes Africom visit a strategic priority
On 11 February—and less than three weeks into his tenure—US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has made a decisive move, traveling to US Africa...
US approves $600 million upgrade of Egyptian fast missile craft
The US government has approved the modernisation of four of the Egyptian Navy’s fast missile craft in a deal worth an estimated $625 million.
The...
AFRICOM carries out first Trump-directed airstrike on ISIS-Somalia
At the direction of President Donald J Trump, the United States carried out its first airstrike of his second term, targeting ISIS-Somalia operatives in...
South Africa and other powers optimistic, Europe anxious, on Trump 2.0
Donald Trump’s return to the US White House this week, is widely seen as a “good thing” for peace in the world, American influence,...
The Trump threat: how worried should South Africa be?
As the world braces for Donald Trump’s return, uncertainty looms over the future of the international geopolitical landscape. While Africa has historically been a...
Egypt shopping for Hellfire missiles and guided rockets
Egypt is looking to acquire Hellfire missiles and 70 mm guided rockets worth nearly $700 million.
On 20 December the US State Department approved possible...
Zambia aiming to buy more Bell 412 helicopters
The Zambian military is looking to expand its Bell 412 helicopter fleet and has requested the sale of additional rotorcraft worth $100 million from...
Egypt seeking to upgrade M1 Abrams tanks in $4.7 billion deal
Egypt is looking to upgrade half of its its M1 Abrams main battle tank fleet through a nearly $5 billion project covering 555 tanks.
The...
Morocco looking to buy Small Diameter Bombs, AIM-120 missiles for its...
The Kingdom of Morocco has requested to buy $175 million worth of AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and GBU-39B Small Diameter Bombs from the United...
Major General Ekman and the Pentagon’s strategy to strengthen air power...
Major General Kenneth Ekman, who serves as the US Department of Defense West Africa Coordination Element (ACE) Lead, US Africa Command, is a pivotal...
Child soldier recruitment rife in Africa
Thirty-five years after a United Nations (UN) commitment – by way of a convention – to protect children from being recruited as soldiers, the...
Terrorism is spreading in west Africa – foreign and regional collaboration...
The United States military has completed its withdrawal from Niger after 11 years of military cooperation with the west African country.
This follows a major...
The US and Chinese defence industrial bases in an era of...
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has published a report about the recent evolution of China’s defence industrial base and how it...
US Bilateral defence focus in Benin and Côte d’Ivoire ahead of...
In a significant diplomatic initiative just six weeks before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Biden administration is redoubling efforts to bolster regional security in...
Moroccan F-16s “intercept” Stratofortresses
Making best possible use of flying – and training – time saw two USAF (United States Air Force) B-52H Stratofortress bombers “intercepted” by Royal...
Tunisia seeking Javelin anti-tank missiles
Tunisia is looking to buy nearly 200 Javelin anti-tank missiles from the United States in a deal worth over $100 million.
The US State Department...
Understanding US-Angola security cooperation and military partnership
US President Joe Biden is visiting Angola in a historic milestone that underscores a strengthening partnership, with a particular emphasis on security cooperation. This...
Tunisia receives another C-130 Hercules from the US
The Tunisian Air Force has taken delivery of another surplus C-130H Hercules transport aircraft from the United States – the third since 2021.
The aircraft...
Why Gabon matters: Strategic significance along the Gulf of Guinea
A groundbreaking five-day engagement in Libreville marked the official launch of a historic partnership between the West Virginia National Guard (WVNG) and the Republic...
Exercise Phoenix Express wraps up after 12 rigorous training days
The 19th Exercise Phoenix Express in the southern Mediterranean Sea saw maritime forces from North Africa, Europe and the United States (US) refresh maritime...
AU puts its call for peacekeeping funding to banks and financial...
A three-strong African Union (AU) delegation used the World Bank Group annual meeting in Washington to present a case for funding peacekeeping and peace...
Successful US strikes on Houthi facilities and weapons systems
The weekend of 9 and 10 November saw the United States (US) Central Command (CENTCOM) “execute precise strikes” on multiple Houthi weapons storage facilities...
US delivers second United Nations Level 2 Hospital to Uganda for...
The United States has provided a $5.5 million United Nations Level 2 hospital to help support the Ugandan military. The 22-bed facility, equipped with...
United States donates two Defender boats to Ghana
The Ghana Navy has received two Defender class boats and a storage facility provided by the United States to bolster the Navy’s capacity to...
SANDF, US planning for Ex Shared Accord 2025
The fifth Exercise Shared Accord with the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) and the United States military will be staged in South Africa next...
ISIS-K’s expanding ops encompass media propaganda and military fronts in Africa
The ever-evolving threat posed by ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) was a key focus of the recent Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Ministerial (D-ISIS Ministerial) meeting, with...
How IMET empowers Angola, shapes military leadership, and US-Africa relations
“Advancing relationships with our African partners requires a unified, three-dimensional approach,” said US Africa Command (AFRICOM) commander, US Marine Corps General Michael Langley, during...
US approves $740 million Stinger missile sale to Egypt
The US State Department has approved a possible $740 million sale of Stinger surface-to-air missiles to Egypt, covering the acquisition of 720 missiles.
The Defence...
Russia and China bringing additional complications to Africa – Africom
External players in Africa, particularly China and Russia, are bringing additional complications to Africa, including destabilising influences, the head of the US military’s Africa...
Africa facing significant security and stability headwinds – Africom
African nations are facing complex and layered threats to their stability and security, with significant headwinds across the continent, according to General Michael Langley,...
US military withdrawal from Niger completed
The US Department of Defence and Niger’s defence ministry have announced that the withdrawal of US forces and assets from Niger is complete, in...
South Africa declares neutrality and China steals the Waterkloof defence show
Until last week, during Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) shows, our premier defence industry trade exhibition held every two years, the US parked one...
Langley’s Africom East Africa trip highlights resilience, commitment amid ongoing terrorism...
US Marine Corps General Michael Langley, the commander of US Africa Command (Africom), recently visited Somalia, which he described as reinforcing the United States'...
Tunisia receives Caravan aircraft
The Tunisian Air Force has bolstered its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capacity with the delivery of four Textron Aviation C-208B Grand Caravan EX...
Non-appearance of US military aircraft at AAD laid at Motshekga’s door
The United States military is traditionally a significant contributor to the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibitions, bringing multiple aircraft types for static and...
Peacekeeping challenges grow, more resources needed, UNSC hears
The dynamics of peacekeeping have grown to incorporate transnational organised crime, illegal resource exploitation, climate change impacts, a proliferation of cheap weaponised technology and...
US military is leaving Niger even less secure: why it didn’t...
The United States is winding down its military operations in Niger ahead of a mid-September deadline agreed with the country’s ruling military junta.
The landlocked...
Tunisia looks to buy more Archangel boats from the US
The US State Department has approved a $110 million sale to Tunisia of additional 65 foot Archangel boats manufactured by Washington-based SAFE Boats International.
On...
Disaster management also a focus of Ex Southern Accord
Disaster management is an important component of humanitarian operations undertaken by the military and was given due attention during the just-ended Exercise Southern Accord...
SA makes progress in combatting human trafficking but Cuban doctors still...
The US State Department has released its 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, which notes that South Africa “does not fully meet the minimum standards...
USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams visiting Angola
The US Navy’s expeditionary sea base USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams has arrived in Luanda, Angola, for a scheduled port visit.
The Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams (ESB...
Ex Southern Accord underway in Botswana
Southern African Development Community (SADC) founding member Botswana is currently hosting Exercise Southern Accord, a two-week joint military exercise to upskill participants in humanitarian...
US military completes withdrawal from Air Base 201 in Niger
The United States military has completed the withdrawal of its forces and assets from Air Base 201 in Agadez, Niger, in line with plans...
USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams Commanding Officer relieved after running aground
Captain Lenard C Mitchell has been relieved as the commanding officer of the USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams (ESB 4), due to a loss of...
