Bill Blair, minister of Canada’s Department of National Defence, has announced an initial investment of about $19 million to open the North American regional office for the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic in Halifax. The upcoming facility will open in 2024. Blair made the announcement during his keynote address at the 15th...
Category: Europe
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,...
MDA Shares Hiring, Facility Expansion Plans for UK Division
Canadian space technology solutions provider MDA is expanding its United Kingdom unit over the next 12 months. The company, which announced the plan at the 2023 UK Space Conference in Belfast, is looking to hire 75 new employees, ranging from entry-level to senior positions. The recruitment effort will double MDA’s workforce in the country. MDA...
HII Pegasus to Support Five Eyes Mission Partner Environment Capabilities
HII will be providing a crucial tool for the Five Eyes intelligence alliance through new work awarded under the Analytical and Technical Services contract, according to Grant Hagen, president of the Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Space business under HII’s Mission Technologies division. The three-year task order, named Pegasus, aims to enhance information-sharing within the alliance,...
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...
Germany to Ship Additional IRIS-T Air Defense Systems to Ukraine
The German Defence Ministry said it will ship four more IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense systems to Ukraine. In a statement released on Thursday, the ministry said the upcoming deliveries will be provided on top of the IRIS-T systems and a Patriot tracking radar handed over in October and will be sent to the war-torn...
Lockheed Martin, VTT to Lead Consortium Developing SIGINT Tech for F-35
Lockheed Martin has joined an effort to develop signals intelligence technologies for Finland’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets. On Nov. 21, the company formalized a framework agreement with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland to lead a consortium that would combine resources, experience and expertise over the next three years to deliver new capabilities for the...
Thales Surveillance Tech to Secure New French Navy Patrol Ships
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...
Elbit to Equip Canada’s New Refueling Planes With Missile Shield
Airbus Defense and Space has awarded Elbit Systems a five-year contract for the installation of Direct Infrared Counter Measures and Infrared Missile Warning Systems on Canada’s Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport refueling aircraft. Elbit did not disclose the value of the contract it announced Monday but noted that the missile protection systems have been...
Belgium Set to Join FCAS Fighter Jet Program in 2025
Belgium is joining the Future Combat Air System sixth-generation fighter program. According to Ludivine Dedonder, the defense minister of Belgium, the nation will be the fourth FCAS partner behind Germany, France and Spain by June 2025. Belgium is also set to sign the FCAS observer status membership agreement in December. Dedonder confirmed the timeline in a...