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...
Author: Arthur McMiler (Arthur McMiler)
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...
Boeing Light Attack Helicopter for Thai Army Takes Maiden Flight at Arizona Production Site
Boeing has conducted the first flight of the AH-6 Little Bird light attack helicopter for delivery to the Royal Thai Army. The company will supply eight AH-6s to Thailand under a $103.7 million Foreign Military Sales contract that the U.S. Department of Defense awarded in February 2022. The contract includes Thai pilot training at Boeing's facilities in Mesa, Arizona, where the helicopters are under production. Thailand is the second international customer for the Little Bird helicopter. According to the defense contractor, the aircraft is integrated with advanced data processing technology, offering enhanced safety and situational awareness for faster decision-making.
SkyAlyne Taps CAE for Canadian Air Force Training Under $1.2B Contract
Global defense and security firm CAE has secured a 25-year subcontract worth $1.2 billion from SkyAlyne to support the Royal Canadian Air Force's Future Air Crew Training program. The contract's tasks include delivering training devices and services for the program involving live flights, simulation and ground school instructions. CAE also expects a follow-on order for maintenance support services apart from the initial subcontract. CAE President and CEO Marc Parent said the company's participation in FAcT will help support the mission readiness of the Canadian forces.
Xage Security Boosts Global Expansion Goal in Two New Executive Appointments
Zero trust cybersecurity company Xage Security has named Russell McGuire its global chief revenue officer and Ashraf Daqqa its vice president for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. The new appointments affirm the Palo Alto, California-based technology company’s goal of broadening its market abroad, Xage said in a statement Monday. Commenting on the new appointments,...
US Includes Data Centers in Preapproval Program to Boost AI Development, National Security
The U.S. Department of Commerce has expanded its Validated End User program to include foreign data centers, allowing for general authorization of imported designated items rather than requiring multiple individual permits for exporters. The Bureau of Industry and Security within the department said data centers seeking to be part of the VEU program must pass through an interagency review, a rigorouse process that aims to establish safeguards that prevent the diversion or misuse of U.S. technology in ways that could harm national security. “This update will contribute to the development of a trusted ecosystem for the responsible use of advanced computing and artificial intelligence,” said the BIS announcement.