The G7 leading industrialized nations have issued a joint guidance for businesses on preventing Russian evasion of export controls and sanctions, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security announced on Tuesday. BIS Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod stressed that preventing Russian acquisition of components for missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles is a G7 "top priority” that cannot be achieved without industry partnership. For this reason, the guidance was issued to provide the information that companies need "to identify and respond to Russia's changing evasion tactics," he said.
Category: Geopolitical Issues
Report: US Must Prioritize FMS From NATO Members to Secure Regional Security
A report by RAND suggested that the United States adopt a framework systematically prioritizing NATO members’ foreign military sale cases to align with defense security goals in Europe. Apart from taking on the proposed framework, the report made additional recommendations to the United States Army Europe and Africa to improve regional security, including: Ensuring USAREUR-AF...
Cybersecurity Advisory Warns of North Korean Espionage Campaign
The United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea have issued a joint cybersecurity advisory to warn against a North Korean cyber espionage campaign. According to the advisory, hacker groups known as Andariel, Onyx Sleet, DarkSeoul, Silent Chollima, and Stonefly/Clasiopa operate under Pyongyang’s intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau. The threat actors primarily target defense,...
IBM to Support USAID Initiative to Strengthen Cybersecurity in Europe; Alice Fakir Quoted
IBM has secured a contract from the U.S. Agency for International Development to provide cybersecurity support in European and Eurasian countries. The deal includes a $26 million in initial funding to support the agency’s Cybersecurity Protection and Response program, which helps strengthen cybersecurity across government and critical infrastructure and bolster information sharing in Europe and...
Indopacom Chief Broaches Possibility of Nuclear-Powered Submarines in SKorea
The newly appointed commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said South Korea may acquire nuclear-powered submarines in the future amid increasing tension with neighboring North Korea. In an interview with South Korean reporters on Thursday, Adm. Samuel Paparo said the possibility of introducing SSNs in the region depends on the result of its operational analysis. “From...
US Forms ICE Pact With Canada, Finland on Polar Icebreaker Production
The United States, Canada and Finland have announced a new partnership focused on producing polar icebreakers and workforce development in the shipbuilding industry. The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort Pact, unveiled on the sidelines of a three-day NATO summit in Washington D.C., comes as the U.S. Coast Guard builds new heavy icebreakers to ensure access to the...
South Korea Taps BAE Systems for $111M Secure Communications Solution
BAE Systems said South Korea is collaborating with the company to deploy a secure communications system amid growing threats in the Indo-Pacific region. Under multiple contracts with a combined value of $111 million, BAE Systems will deliver ARC-232A, a SATURN waveform, providing the East Asian nation’s fixed-wing and rotary aircraft with secure and interoperable command...
Outgoing Dutch PM to Replace Jens Stoltenberg as Next NATO Chief
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....
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...
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...