The European Investment Fund has launched an initiative to strengthen investments in the continent’s defense and security capabilities. In a memorandum of understanding with the NATO Innovation Fund, the two organizations aim to encourage private capital funds to allocate more of their investments towards the region’s defense and security industry. The MOU includes plans for...
Author: Brianne Monterey (Brianne Monterey)
State Department to Host More Than 40 NATO Officials Under Exchange Program
The Department of State will host two batches of NATO officials under an exchange program, opening up an opportunity to exchange knowledge with their American counterparts. Under the International Visitor Leadership Program, the State Department expects more than 40 current and future leaders to visit the United States to attend the 2024 NATO Washington Summit...
Air Force Taps Lockheed Martin to Start F-16 Electronic Warfare System Production
The U.S. Air Force has decided to continue working with a vendor responsible for the development of an electronic warfare solution designed for the F-16 aircraft. On Thursday, the Department of Defense announced that it had awarded Lockheed Martin Aeronautics a fixed-price incentive, (firm-target) modification to an existing contract expanding the current long-lead materials contract...
Italy Places New Order for Additional Armored Vehicles From Iveco-Leonardo JV
Italy has placed a new order for 28 Centauro II 8×8 armored vehicles to complete the requirement set by the Italian Army. In a press release on Thursday, the Iveco-Oto Melara Consortium, a joint venture between Iveco Defence Vehicles and Leonardo, announced that it signed the contract for the new batch with Italy’s Secretariat of...
Outgoing Dutch PM to Replace Jens Stoltenberg as Next NATO Chief
Mark Rutte, the Netherlands’ outgoing prime minister, will be NATO’s 14th secretary general after the alliance’s ambassadors approved his appointment during a recent meeting in Brussels, Belgium. His journey to become NATO chief has met numerous obstacles, but an Associated Press report cites observers who say the Dutch statesman’s diplomatic skills helped secure his bid....
BAE Systems Expects Increased AMPV Orders From Army, Foreign Governments; Bill Sheehy Quoted
BAE Systems is looking to expand Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle production capabilities as it expects new orders from the United States and potential new customers. At Eurosatory 2024 in June, William “Bill” Sheehy, program director for AMPV at BAE Systems, told reporters that the company already plans to produce 220 AMPVs at its York factory annually....
US, Canada Host Joint Exercise on Supply Chain Disruption Management
The United States and Canada showed commitment to ensuring seamless movement of goods along their borders with the staging of an exercise on supply chain disruption. Held in early June and hosted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Supply Chain and Resilience Center, the Department of Transportation and Transport Canada, the joint drill featured a...
DOD Forum Tackles Innovation, Collaboration Role in Developing Battle Technologies; Liz Young McNally Quoted
Defense leaders agree that collaboration and innovation are key factors that will influence the future of the battlefield. Speaking at a multi-stakeholder forum organized by the Defense Innovation Unit in collaboration with NATO, Poland and Ukraine, Liz Young McNally, deputy director of commercial operations at DIU, said the agency fosters innovation through collaborations with businesses...
Australia Orders Two Additional Patrol Boats From Austal; Paddy Gregg Quoted
The Australian Department of Defence is expanding its maritime capability with two additional Guardian-class patrol boats from Austal Australia under a deal estimated at $26 million. Austal has already delivered 30 patrol boats, which are 39.5-meter steel-hull vessels made in Henderson, Western Australia, with the help of local supply chain partners. Of the 30 vessels...
NATO Awards Saab RBS 70 Bolide Missiles Contract
The NATO Support and Procurement Agency has placed an order for RBS 70 Bolide missiles from Saab. On Friday, the company announced that it received the $35 million order, which it expects to deliver starting in 2027. The missile system has an installed base in over 19 locations around the world, with 1,600 RBS 70...