The French Defence Procurement Agency or DGA has awarded a contract for Thales to supply the French Navy’s seven new offshore patrol vessels with surveillance solutions. The company’s contract announcement did not specify its value but said the sensors for delivery include Thales’ Bluewatcher hull sonar, the new NS50 compact multi-mission surveillance radar and the...
Author: Arthur McMiler (Arthur McMiler)
UK Space Agency Taps Airbus for Space Industry Development Initiatives
The UK Space Agency has awarded $4.9 million to Airbus Defence and Space for the development of a space and connectivity catalyst, which will be accessible to new and current space industry players. An Airbus press release said the new Space Catalyst will be created on a 14-acre site with a range of facilities at...
Accenture Seals Deal for Acquisition of New Zealand’s Solnet
Global professional services company Accenture has completed its acquisition of Solnet, a New Zealand IT services provider. The Accenture press release on the latest acquisition did not disclose the terms of the acquisition but noted that it adds over 100 cloud technology professionals to Accenture New Zealand, which maintains offices in Auckland and Wellington. Solnet,...
Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Drive AI Advancement Among Five Eyes Allies
Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have filed the Five AIs Act directing the Secretary of Defense to form a working group for the development of artificial intelligence within the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. According to a press release from Gallagher’s office issued on Tuesday, the proposed legislation will enable the United States,...
Arctic Extends Broadband Connectivity With Completed Viasat Spacecraft Test
Thermal vacuum testing has been completed on the second satellite for Viasat’s forthcoming Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission, which aims to provide high-speed broadband to the Arctic region by the second half of 2024. Viasat announced the test completion on Tuesday, saying that the two satellites will be deployed in the mission led by Space Norway’s...
New UK-South Korea Agreement Reaffirms Tech, Defense Cooperation
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to sign the Downing Street Accord with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a three-day state visit to London, which commenced Tuesday. According to the U.K. government, the accord is a major agreement that redefines the two countries’ long-term relationships in such areas as supply chain, technology...
Wide-Ranging AI-Based Prototypes Emerge From Defense-Oriented Google-Dstl Hackathon
Wide-ranging artificial intelligence-based prototypes emerged from a hackathon jointly organized by Google Cloud and the United Kingdom‘s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to accelerate safe and responsible AI adoption across the U.K. defense sector. According to a press release from the British government, the hackathon winners included a large language model that scans for cyberthreats...
South Korean Frigate Tests Leonardo DRS Hybrid Electric Drive Propulsion System
The Republic of Korea Navy has completed a 10-day sea trial for its first Ulsan-class Future Frigate eXperimental Batch-3 warship using Leonardo DRS’s hybrid electric drive propulsion system. Leonardo DRS said on Monday that its technology supports the vessel’s anti-submarine warfare mission, with its advanced permanent magnet propulsion motors. The trials, which the service branch...
Owl Cyber Defense Enters Australia, NZ Markets With GME Agreement
GME, a Sydney-based communication technology company, has signed a memorandum of understanding for the distribution of Owl Cyber Defense’s cybersecurity solutions in Australia and New Zealand. Formerly known as Owl Computing Technologies, Owl Cyber Defense is based in Columbia, Maryland. The MOU’s delivery and support mechanism will be based in Australia and cover Owl’s cybersecurity...
BAE Systems GPS Platform to Boost Eurofighter Typhoon’s Anti-Jamming Capability
BAE Systems said it is mvoing to the next phase of integrating its Digital GPS Anti-jam Receiver into the Eurofighter Typhoon after demonstrating functional compatibility and installation feasibility in the jetfighter. A consortium composed of BAE Systems, Airbus and Leonardo is behind the development of the twin-engine, multi-role warplane to support the air defense of...