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....
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Category: Geopolitical Issues
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Humanitarian Organization to Employ AI to Accelerate Landmine Clearance in Ukraine; Dave Levy Quoted
Halo Trust, a humanitarian organization based in Scotland, will test artificial intelligence to clear landmines in Ukraine. The nonprofit, which specializes in removing explosive devices left behind by conflicts, has secured $4 million from Amazon Web Services to use AI to identify landmines through drone imagery. Drones are critical to Halo’s operations in Ukraine. The...
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US, UK Ships Start Mine Countermeasure Training With Ukrainian Navy
The U.S. Navy said it has started Exercise Sea Breeze 2024, a joint mine countermeasure naval training with the British Royal Navy and the Ukrainian Navy. Sea Breeze aims to address the challenges that mines pose to maritime safety and security, global food security and commerce, the military service said. The latest edition, which runs...
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Five-Nation Joint Purchase of MBDA Missile System Rolls Forward in Europe; Eric Beranger Quoted
French defense purchasing agency DGA will manage the joint procurement of MBDA’s Mistral 3 missile system by France, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia and Hungary, which signed a cooperation agreement for the deal on Wednesday. The Defence Industry Europe website reported that DGA has already signed a contract with MBDA for the French purchase of the missiles....
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Australia’s IT Leaders Want More Federal Investment in Cybersecurity Initiatives; Scott McKinnel Quoted
A new Tenable study found that most IT and cyber professionals across Australia want the federal government to invest more in bolstering the nation’s digital security. The exposure management firm recently released the results of its pre-election survey that asked 200 IT leaders from various sectors about the government’s actions to mitigate cyberthreats to enterprises....
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Estonian Defense League Poised to Launch Lower-Priced Drones in Ukraine
The Estonian Defense League, a civilian group in Estonia, is helping drive innovation in drone technology, providing field support and battlefield networking with Ukrainian troops fighting a Russian invasion. According to a Defense One report, one of the voluntary organization’s projects, dubbed “Angry Hedgehog,” seeks to develop a locally produced short-range loitering unmanned aircraft system...
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NATO Secretary General Says Sweden’s Membership Makes Alliance Stronger
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Sweden has strengthened the international alliance since the Nordic country officially became a member on March 7. During his visit to Berga Naval Base last week, Stoltenberg discussed Sweden’s many contributions to NATO, including highly capable forces and advanced defense capabilities. He noted that Sweden spends more than 2...
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US, Five Eyes Allies Warn Against China’s Recruitment of Former Western Fighter Pilots
The United States, together with its Five Eyes allies, has warned that China is trying to recruit former and current military members from Western countries to strengthen the People’s Liberation Army. In a press release, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s National Counterintelligence and Security Center revealed that China’s PLA is using private...
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German, French C-130J Squadron Completes Training at Lockheed Facility in Normandy
French and German aircrews have completed training to operate C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft. The activity, which marks the first time a binational C-130J Super Hercules Squadron trained together, was held at Evreux-Fauville Air Base in Normandy, France. Ten Super Hercules, including six from Germany and four from France, participated in the program. The...
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Drone Capability Coalition for Ukraine Opens Bids for UAS Suppliers
The U.K. government has opened the bidding for suppliers of the Drone Capability Coalition for Ukraine seeking the rapid supply of thousands of “first person view” unmanned aerial systems to Kyiv. FPV drones allow pilots to see what the drone sees through a camera and goggles. The coalition, co-led by the United Kingdom and Latvia,...