Based in London, Tony covers European defense programs. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2012, Tony was at Shephard Media Group where he was deputy editor for Rotorhub and Defence Helicopter magazines. Tony has covered avionics, unmanned vehicles, the supply chain and cyberwarfare.
A s the U.K. looks to invest in a replacement for its Trident-based nuclear deterrent and to restore its carrier strike capability, there is a growing realization that it will have to bring back some sort of maritime patrol aircraft capacity in order to help keep them safe. The U.K. lost its maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) back in 2010 when the Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR) controversially concluded that the armed forces should not bring the long-delayed Nimrod MRA4 aircraft into operation.
I n the face of a new and unexpected threat, Iraq is hurriedly rebuilding its air force, but not with help from the U.S., as one might expect. Instead they are turning to Russia, and to an old enemy, Iran. The sudden and dramatic taking of the city of Mosul on June 10 by the jihadist group, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), poses one of the biggest challenges to the Iraqi state since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
