The Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that James Hursch will retire as director after 39 years of civil service. Michael F. Miller, the agency’s incumbent deputy director, will temporarily fill the vacant position. Hursh, who continues the foreign arms sales office’s trend of preferring civilian leaders, held the DSCA directorship beginning January 2, 2022. During...
Category: General News
Italian Navy Modernization Advances With $1.6B Twin Frigate Purchase From Fincantieri-Leonardo Joint Venture
Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture of Fincantieri and Leonardo, has secured a $1.6 billion contract to build two Italian Navy warships through FREMM, a European multipurpose frigate program. According to a Naval News report, the Italian Navy has ramped up its modernization activities over the past 10 years, and Fincantieri is involved in most of...
L3Harris Launches Australian Center of Excellence for Electronic Warfare Technology
L3Harris Technologies has opened its new Center of Excellence for Electronic Warfare in Queensland to design and manufacture EW technology for the Australian military. The facility will also support the development of L3Harris’ space, intelligence and cyber products and the delivery of T4 and T7 robots to the Australian Defence Force under the Land-154 program,...
UK Space Command Explores Commercial ISR Integration at Its First Space War Game; Maj. Gen. Paul Tedman Quoted
The UK Space Command held its first space war game to explore strategies for integrating commercial space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance into existing programs such as ISTARI. The ISTARI satellite network for ISR use is a core element of the Ministry of Defence’s space strategy. Dubbed “Space Warrior,” the activity at Southwick Park’s Defence Experimentation...
New UAV to Improve ISR Capabilities at Royal Australian Air Force
Australia has introduced its first MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted aircraft system, complementing its existing crewed P-8A Poseidon fleet as it defends its maritime borders. The Royal Australian Air Force unveiled the AUS 1, the first of the four unmanned aerial systems, at a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. The system provides the...
UK Royal Navy Achieves Milestones in Autonomous Mine Hunter Technology Tests
The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy has reached milestones in fielding autonomous maritime technologies. In recent trials, engineers from its Mine and Threat Exploitation Group evaluated three platforms’ maneuverability and adaptability to new systems. MTXG’s Maritime Autonomous Systems Trials Team reached a Degree Three level of autonomy on the uncrewed surface vessel Apollo. In its latest round...
Northrop Grumman Wins Air Force Contract to Repair F-16 Radar Components for 11 Countries
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a $49.9 million contract to repair the F-16 radar components of 11 countries: Chile, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Thailand and Turkey. According to a Pentagon notice of the award on Tuesday, work on the tactical fighter aircraft’s AN/APG-68 version 9 radar will occur...
Hensoldt Receives $108M Contract to Integrate Spexer Radars Into Rheinmetall’s Turret System
Rheinmetall Air Defence has awarded Hensoldt a $108.2 million contract to equip the new Skyranger 30 gun tank system with the Spexer 2000 air defense radar. The radar will be integrated with the German and Austrian builds of the FlakPz gun tank, the latest Rheinmetall turret system engineered to neutralize low-flying enemy aircraft. Hensoldt said...
Netherlands Reaches Agreement With US to Procure Lockheed’s Extended Range Missiles
The United States has formalized an agreement with the Netherlands to procure the latest version of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range for the Dutch military forces. According to Lockheed, the missile, developed in partnership with the U.S. Air Force, provides continued significant long-range precision engagement capabilities for air-to-ground missions. The weapon can...
BlackBerry Names New Chief Financial Officer; John Giamatteo Quoted
BlackBerry has named Tim Foote as chief financial officer, reporting directly to CEO John J. Giamatteo. In a press release on Monday, the company announced that Foote and two other executives are joining the finance team. Foote has been with the company since it acquired Good Technology in 2015. Before his new role, he held...