The Department of Defense is wrapping up 2023 with billions of dollars in investments in capability building and stronger partnerships with international allies to maintain peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific. On Wednesday, the Pentagon published a fact sheet that enumerates steps the department has taken to advance the U.S. Indo-Pacific defense strategy and deter adversarial...
Category: General News
EPE, Skydio UAS to Bolster New Zealand Army’s Reconnaissance, Surveillance Capabilities
EPE New Zealand has received a contract to provide the New Zealand Defence Force with enhanced reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. Under the agreement with the New Zealand Ministry of Defence, EPE will collaborate with U.S.-based Skydio to deliver the X2D unmanned aircraft system to the New Zealand Army. The advanced micro UAS will improve the...
Rheinmetall Sets 2024 Delivery of First Hungarian-Made Lynx Fighting Vehicle
Rheinmetall is now commissioning the first Hungarian-built Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle following development, production and testing at its Rheinmetall Hungary unit’s plant in Zalaegerszeg. The locally made IFVs will be delivered to the Hungarian army in mid-2024, according to the company. Hungary’s Lynx KF41 order totals 209 units in seven variants. The production of the...
BAE’s F-35 Aircraft Maintenance Facility in Australia Gets Investment Boost
The Australian government has more than doubled its investment in BAE Systems Australia’s F-35 Lightning II aircraft maintenance facility in Hunter Valley, New South Wales, signing a Stage 2 facility services deed with the company. The funding, worth $75.4 million, is in addition to the $68.6 million that Canberra initially committed in 2022 to the...
US, Japan Sign New Agreement to Develop AI/ML Capabilities for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
The United States is collaborating with Japan to advance unmanned air vehicles by integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning. On Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Japanese Ministry of Defense signed a project arrangement to work on research and development efforts on Overwhelming Response through Collaborative Autonomy. The project is part of a joint...
Intel Wins $3.2B Incentives for $25B Israeli Chip Factory
The Israeli government is providing a $3.2 billion incentive for Intel’s new $25 billion chip factory in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel, where the company already has a chip-making facility. According to a statement, Intel’s Israeli plant expansion is an important element in its effort to promote “a more resilient global supply chain,” which also includes manufacturing investments...
F-16s Poised to Defend Ukrainian Airspace as Pilots Advance Training
The first group of six Ukrainian combat pilots has completed basic F-16 flight training with the British Royal Air Force and is now in Denmark for advanced drills on the aircraft, the U.K. government said Tuesday. Ukraine will also receive the first Dutch delivery of 18 F-16 jets “within weeks if not days,” according to...
US Approves Sale of $1B Defense Training to Saudi Arabia
The Department of State has approved the potential foreign military sale of training and related equipment to Saudi Arabia. The proposed sale covers a range of training offered by the Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force, including flight training for the Royal Saudi Air Force and other Saudi military services. The possible foreign...
NATO Requests Maintenance Services, Equipment for C-17 Cargo Plane
The U.S. Department of State has approved a potential $150 million foreign military sale of maintenance and related equipment for NATO’s C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Friday. The services will be for aircraft on the alliance’s Strategic Airlift Capability program launched in 2008....
L3Harris Team Bats for South Korea’s New AEW&C Missile-Tracking Aircraft
L3Harris Technologies has teamed with Korean Air and Israel Aerospace Industries’ Elta Systems to design and deliver the Republic of Korea Air Force’s next-generation airborne early warning and control aircraft. According to the Janes website, South Korea plans to acquire four AEW&C aircraft to counter North Korea’s rising ballistic missile activity. The L3Harris team’s proposed...