Mine warfare units from the United States, Australia and New Zealand participated in Exercise Dugong 24, which tested their capabilities to neutralize sea mines. The training ran from March 4 to 22 and involved integration, training and tactical stages, with the latter phase tasking the participants to conduct mine countermeasures and explosive ordnance disposal operations....
Author: Derrick Henry (Derrick Henry)
New Zealand’s C-130J Super Hercules Completes Debut Test Flights in US Skies
New Zealand’s first C-130J Super Hercules has completed its initial test flights in the United States. The Lockheed Martin-manufactured aircraft flew for 246 minutes over Georgia and Alabama, achieving an altitude of 10,500 feet and traveling a span of 984 kilometers, Auckland said. Defence Minister Judith Collins described the test flights as a significant milestone...
Shield AI Seeks Expanded Australian Presence With Acquisition of Sentient Vision Systems
U.S.-based defense technology company Shield AI is expanding its business in Australia with the acquisition of Sentient Vision Systems, a company that provides artificial intelligence-enabled imagery. On Thursday, Shield AI announced its “definitive agreement” with the Australian firm to “merge AI expertise and operational understanding to deliver superior intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.” The two sides...
Italian Navy Replaces US as Head of International Red Sea Task Force
The Italian Navy has assumed command of Combined Task Force 153, taking over from the U.S. Navy. Italy’s Capt. Roberto Messina formally replaced his American counterpart, Capt. David Cole, during a change of command ceremony at the Combined Maritime Forces headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, on Wednesday. In his address at the event, Messina said he...
Australia Defense Export Catalog Highlights Increasing Business Participation in 2024
Canberra has published the 2024 Australian Defence Export Catalogue, listing more businesses that deliver defense services and capabilities to foreign customers, an increase of 20 percent from the previous iteration. According to Defence Australia, the business growth reflected in the catalog highlights the federal government’s commitment to helping local defense companies access the international market...
Rocket Lab’s Electron Rocket to Deliver US, S. Korean Satellites Into Separate Orbits
Rocket Lab has scheduled a 14-day launch window starting on April 24 to deploy two satellites from U.S. and South Korean space agencies. The “Beginning Of The Swarm” mission in Mahia, New Zealand, will send Electron into space for the 47th time to deliver payloads from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology’s Satellite...
US, Japan Conduct Joint Exercise on Shipboard Cruise Missile Operations
The U.S. Navy and the Japan Self-Defense Force have conducted tomahawk land attack missile training aboard the USS McCampbell destroyer and a naval facility in Yokosuka, Japan. The Surface Combat Systems Training Command hosted the JSDF for the four-day exercise that trained Japanese naval officers to coordinate shipboard cruise missile operations. The event provided a...
Denmark to Sell 24 F-16 Fighter Jets to Argentina
Denmark has agreed to sell 24 Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighters to Argentina. The two countries signed a letter of intent on March 26 in Buenos Aires, with Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Argentine Defence Minister Luis Alfonso Petri representing their respective sides. In a statement, Lund Poulsen confirmed the “possible sale,” noting that...
CGI Lands $126M Contract to Advance UK Cabinet Office’s Digital Transformation Efforts
The United Kingdom has awarded CGI a $119 million contract to support the UK Cabinet Office’s digital transformation efforts. Under the five-year agreement, CGI will provide the U.K. government with data and technology services. According to Michael Hill, chief digital information officer for the Cabinet Office, the partnership will deliver capabilities to enable the office’s...
Japan Plans to Export Future Next-Generation Fighters to Third Countries; Fumio Kishida Quoted
Japan has approved a plan to export its upcoming next-generation fighter jets to other countries. The government’s chief executive body greenlighted the proposed international arms sales on Tuesday and supported revising the country’s arms equipment and technology transfer guidelines, the Associated Press reported. The decision paves the way for Tokyo to supply partner nations and...