The United States has sanctioned a network of individuals and entities that raise and launder money for Somalia-based al-Shabaab. According to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the al-Qaida affiliate is a militant group responsible for attacks in East Africa that have killed thousands of innocent civilians. The sanction targeted eight...
Category: Middle East
US, UAE Officials Agree to Expand Collaboration on Space Research
The United States and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to expand cooperation on space research and human exploration. Officials from NASA and the National Space Council met with leaders of the UAE Space Agency and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Washinton to discuss future collaboration. “The UAE is proud to work with partners...
Treasury Designates Companies, Vessels Shipping Commodities to Finance Houthis
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned several foreign companies and vessels for transporting commodities to finance the terror activities of the Houthi militant group. According to the agency, Marshall Islands-based Reneez Shipping and the Hongkong Unitop Group operated Palau-flagged Reneez and Panama-flagged Eternal Fortune, respectively, to ship cargos on...
GM Defense’s Infantry Squad Vehicle Participates in UAE Summer Trials
General Motors subsidiary GM Defense said its Infantry Squad Vehicle has completed the eight-day 2023 UAE Armed Forces Summer Trials in the United Arab Emirates. Hosted by the UAE General Maintenance Corps, the event put the off-road vehicle under various trial phases, including operating with maximum payload capacities in extreme heat and diverse terrain and...
Lockheed Ships First F-16 Block 70 Jet Fighters for Bahrain
Lockheed Martin announced that the first ferry cell of three F-16 Block 70 jet fighters took off from Greenville, South Carolina, to Bahrain on Wednesday, making the Arab island nation the first Gulf Cooperation Council member armed with the warplane. The aircraft’s features include an active electronically scanned array fire control radar, advanced avionics, and...
Elbit Systems Seals $600M Deal to Integrate Advanced Systems Into Australian Army’s Redback IFVs
Elbit Systems has secured a $600 million contract to deliver systems for integration into the Australian Army’s fleet of Redback infantry fighting vehicles. The deal, part of Australia’s Land 400 Phase 3 Project, will provide “advanced protection, fighting capabilities and sensors suite” for the military vehicles, according to the Haifa, Israel-based contractor. The project, announced...
Elbit Books $300M Armored Vehicle Systems Order From European Buyer
Elbit Systems has secured a $300 million contract to provide weapon, reconnaissance, driving, and situational awareness systems for about 230 armored vehicles of an unnamed European buyer. An Israel Defense report noted that Elbit Systems’ UT-30 turret for a 30 mm cannon is among the features of the Pandur 6×6 EVO armored vehicles Austria ordered from...
Serbia Signs With Abu Dhabi’s ATRC to Advance AI Development
Serbia has partnered with Abu Dhabi to explore the integration of artificial intelligence into the European nation’s technological infrastructure. The Serbian Ministry of Information and Telecommunications signed a memorandum of understanding with the Advanced Technology Research Council, a government-owned research and development entity, during the World Governments Summit 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Under the...
US Sanctions Procurement Network for Facilitating Export of Restricted Items to Iran
The United States has sanctioned a procurement network for facilitating the export of restricted items to end users in Iran. According to the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, the sanctions target three individuals and four entities linked with the transfer of U.S. technology to the Central Bank of Iran, which the...
Saudi Arabia Still Wants to Join UK-Italy-Japan Fighter Jet Program
Saudi Arabia wants to join the Global Combat Air Program, a multinational initiative to develop a new sixth-generation fighter jet, but local production remains the Middle Eastern nation’s top priority. Ahmad Al-Ohali, governor of the Saudi government’s general authority for military industries, told Breaking Defense at the World Defense Show that the kingdom is having...