The U.S. Department of State has approved Japan’s request to acquire 212 RIM-116E RAM Block 2B tactical missiles and related equipment. The RAM Block 2 missile uses passive radio frequency and infrared guidance to destroy anti-ship missiles. RTX will be the principal contractor of the possible $360 million foreign military sale, which also includes RAM guided...
Category: Defense Security Cooperation
UK to Send More Troops to Defend Estonia’s Border With Russia
The British Army’s 4th Brigade Combat Team will be ready for deployment to Estonia beginning July 2025 under a new defense road map signed Thursday at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Belgium. Thousands of troops will be held at high readiness to send them to Estonia at short notice and support the British...
US, UAE Hold Iron Defender Maritime Exercise to Enhance Interoperability
Troops from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are participating in the ongoing Iron Defender 24 maritime exercise in the United Arab Emirates and its territorial and coastal waters. During the two-week bilateral exercise, which concludes on Thursday, the U.S. military and the UAE naval defense force jointly performed visit, board, search and...
Arctic Nations Reaffirm Commitment to Security, Defense Cooperation
Representatives from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland and the United States have released a joint statement reinforcing their commitment to the stability and security of the Arctic. Released during the Northern Defence Dialogue at the NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting on Thursday, the statement highlighted the growing strategic importance of the Arctic...
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...
US OKs $1.4B Radio Equipment Sale to the Netherlands
The U.S. Department of State has approved a potential sale of radio equipment to the Netherlands for an estimated cost of $1.42 billion. L3Harris Technologies will serve as the principal contractor for the project. The Dutch government has requested L3Harris’ AN/PRC-117G, AN/PRC-152A, AN/PRC-160 AN/PRC-163 and AN/PRC-167 radios, tactical key loaders and network encryptors, plus technical...
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...
USAF Official Promotes Interoperability Among Indo-Pacific Partners
U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said interoperability with allies is key to addressing the logistics and connectivity challenges that hinder efforts to maintain stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region. Speaking on a panel during the Indo-Pacific Air Chiefs Conference in Japan on Tuesday, Allvin highlighted the need to strengthen alliances...
New Bill Paves Way for NZ’s Membership to European Convention on Cybercrime
The New Zealand Parliament has approved the first reading of a bill to align the country’s laws with the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. The Budapest Convention, also known as the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, provides guidelines for international cooperation in investigating various criminal activities carried out online. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced the...
France, Germany Join US-Led Operation Olympic Defender
France and Germany have accepted an invitation from U.S. Space Command to join Multi-National Force-Operation Olympic Defender, a collaboration of allies that aims to strengthen defenses and deter aggression in the space domain. Gen. Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM and MNF-OOD commander, and other military officials from OOD members Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand...