NATO’s North Atlantic Council has approved a new framework providing more flexibility for partner nations to augment the alliance’s forces. The concept, dubbed Partners Augmentation Forces to NATO, was announced at the opening of the Military Strategic Partnership Conference scheduled from April 8 to 12 in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, National Defense Magazine reported Tuesday. NATO’s Allied...
Category: Geopolitical Issues
RTX, ProjectXYZ Named as Prime Contractors for US-Ukraine HAWK Deal
RTX and ProjectXYZ are the principal contractors for the potential $138 million sale of sustainment-related articles and services to Ukraine for the HAWK Phase III Missile System. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Department of State has approved Kyiv’s request to procure HAWK sustainment support. Requested products and services include engineering and integration...
Poland Strengthening Military’s Drone Capabilities Based on Learnings From Ukraine-Russia War
Poland is incorporating lessons learned from the war between Ukraine and Russia into its military by strengthening drone capabilities. Warsaw plans to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles at every level of its armed forces, including at the smallest formations of soldiers. In a statement to Defense News, a spokesperson for the National Ministry of Defense said...
Norway Responds to ‘Deteriorating’ Security Environment With Increased Defense Spending Plan
Norway wants to increase defense spending in preparation for a potential conflict with Russia. “As our security environment is deteriorating, we need to spend more on and pay more attention to defense and preparedness,” said Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, the country’s minister of finance. Under the Norwegian government’s long-term defense plan, about $60 billion will be invested over...
US Sanctions UAE-Based Shipper Oceanlink Maritime Over Ties With Iran
The United States has issued a new round of sanctions targeting an organization involved in shipping commodities on behalf of Iran‘s General Staff of the Armed Forces and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. According to a press release, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is blocking the use of 13...
US Turns Over First ISR-Capable Beechcraft King Air 350ER to Canadian Government
The United States has delivered the first of three Beechcraft King Air 350ER aircraft to Canada for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. The Army Program Executive Office’s Aviation Fixed Wing Project Office turned over the ISR platform on Feb. 22 at L3Harris Technologies’ facility in Greenville, Texas. L3Harris won the contract in November 2020 to...
Lockheed Martin Conducts Spy-7 Radar Live Track Test for Japan’s Aegis-Equipped Ships
Lockheed Martin detected space objects using its AN/Spy-7(v)1 radar for Aegis system-equipped vessels during the technology’s first live track demonstration. From the company’s facility in Moorestown, New Jersey, the solid-state radar transmitted data to Amazon Web Services for processing. “The Spy-7 radar product line uses technology from the long-range discrimination radar program to enhance overall strength against evolving threats,” said Chandra...
Italian Navy Replaces US as Head of International Red Sea Task Force
The Italian Navy has assumed command of Combined Task Force 153, taking over from the U.S. Navy. Italy’s Capt. Roberto Messina formally replaced his American counterpart, Capt. David Cole, during a change of command ceremony at the Combined Maritime Forces headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, on Wednesday. In his address at the event, Messina said he...
Australia Defense Export Catalog Highlights Increasing Business Participation in 2024
Canberra has published the 2024 Australian Defence Export Catalogue, listing more businesses that deliver defense services and capabilities to foreign customers, an increase of 20 percent from the previous iteration. According to Defence Australia, the business growth reflected in the catalog highlights the federal government’s commitment to helping local defense companies access the international market...
US, 4 Other Countries to Lead Work on Global Military AI Guardrails
The United States, Canada, Portugal, Bahrain and Austria will spearhead a one-year program to seek new safety standards for military use of artificial intelligence and automated systems. Breaking Defense reported that the countries were chosen during the inaugural plenary meeting of delegates from 46 out of the 53 countries that endorsed the U.S. Political Declaration...