The first batch of 29 AH-64 Apache helicopters Australia ordered from Boeing in 2022 is expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2015, kicking off the phaseout of the Tiger ARH, Australian Army Maj. Gen. Richard Vagg told Breaking Defense. According to the general, the military service will operate the Apaches from the...
Author: Arthur McMiler (Arthur McMiler)
NATO Lines Up Five New Defense Projects for Alliance Partnerships
NATO announced that a total of 26 of its member countries have committed to contribute in five new major projects to boost allied defense efforts. The commitments, signed during a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels that opened Thursday, included U.K. and U.S. support on three initiatives. The two countries are contributing to...
Sweden Eyes $16B Military Spending for 2025-2030 Defense Buildup
The Swedish government has proposed for consideration by its legislature a total defense bill that allocates $16.2 billion for military spending and $3.4 billion for civil defense from 2025 to 2030. The defense allocations presented to the Riksdag are “historically large investments” projected to represent 2.6 percent of Sweden’s 2028 GDP, Stockholm said in a...
Rheinmetall, Leonardo to Jointly Manufacture Tanks for Italian Army
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall and Italian defense company Leonardo have formed Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles, a 50:50 joint venture initially focused on producing a new main battle tank and an armored infantry combat system for the Italian Army. The LRMV partnership ultimately aims to build a new European manufacturing center for military combat vehicles for...
ESA Awards $130M Contract to Develop In-Orbit Spacecraft Servicing
The European Space Agency has awarded D-Orbit a contract valued at approximately $130 million to develop and launch a spacecraft for the agency’s commercial in-orbit servicing mission called RISE. The contract for the mission, the first under the ESA’s Space Safety Programme, calls for the demonstration of a spacecraft capable of engaging and controlling another...
Airbus Leads Five European Partners in Helicopter–Drone Interoperability Tests
Airbus Helicopters and its five European partners have demonstrated a manned–unmanned teaming, or MUM-T, system between helicopters and drones. The 10-day demo in France and Italy, which concluded on Sept. 9, was led by Airbus as part of a European Union-funded project called Musher that seeks to develop a MUM-T system that can deliver maximum...
Australia Eyes Legislation to Boost Cybersecurity
Australia’s House of Representatives is deliberating cybersecurity legislation that seeks to implement the seven directives under the 2023–2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy. The legislation calls for statutes that will align the country with best practices globally in cybersecurity. The proposed measures are provided under Cyber Security Bill 2024, which passed its second reading in the...
Report: Cerebras Anticipates CFIUS Decision Regarding Investment by Emirati Tech Group
The initial public offering of American artificial intelligence firm Cerebras Systems may be delayed due to national security considerations regarding a planned investment by G42. According to a Reuters report, Cerebras’s IPO roadshow was scheduled for early next week, but the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has yet to complete its review...
Romania Secures US Approval for $110M Purchase of RTX Sentinel Radar Systems
The U.S. Department of State has approved Romania’s request to purchase four AN/MPQ-64 F1 Sentinel radar systems and related support equipment and services valued at a potential $110 million. According to a statement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Tucson, Arizona-based defense contractor RTX is the principal contractor of the foreign military sale to Bucharest....
NATO Holds Commercial Space Forum to Explore Opportunities, Threats
NATO hosted space industry representatives for a Commercial Space Forum at its headquarters in Brussels last week to discuss the sector’s potential opportunities, vulnerabilities, new risks and threats. The talks focused on areas including investment possibilities in cybersecurity and the sharing of information on space-based threats, such as GPS spoofing and satellite communication jamming. The alliance...