Global satellite communications company All.Space has promoted Paul McCarter as CEO, succeeding founder John Finney. McCarter has over 30 years of leadership experience, most recently serving as All.Space chief operating officer. He held several executive and management roles at Cobham Satcom, Racal, Serco and Thales. Finney remarked on how critical McCarter’s talents and extensive skills...
Category: National Security
Australia Orders $96M Joint Strike Missiles From New Kongsberg Plant in Newcastle
Australia has awarded Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace a contract worth about $96 million to supply joint strike missiles from the Norwegian company’s newly opened factory at the Newcastle Airport precinct in New South Wales. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles said the JSMs, scheduled for delivery in 2025, will accelerate Canberra’s...
Saudi Arabian Military Industries Announces Retirement of CEO, Names Interim Chief
Walid Abukhaled has retired as CEO of the state-owned defense company Saudi Arabian Military Industries. Abukhaled took over as chief of the Saudi defense business in 2020, succeeding Andrew Schwer, a German national and former executive at Rheinmetall. Before leading SAMI, Abukhaled was CEO of the Middle East unit of Northrop Grumman. Under his leadership,...
State Department Clears Japan’s $150M FMS Request for Aegis Destroyer Follow-On Technical Support
The U.S. Department of State has approved the Japanese government’s request to procure Aegis-class destroyer follow-on technical support and related equipment. Lockheed Martin will be the principal contractor for the potential $150 million foreign military sale, which will provide the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis destroyer fleet and computer program test sites with software updates...
US Hosts Offensive Cybersecurity Operations Training for Five Eyes Partners
The U.S. Cyber Command’s latest leg of its Cyber Flag cyber training exercises concentrated on improving the offensive cybersecurity operations of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Cyber Flag 24-2 was participated in by cyber units from the five nations, with New Zealand sitting...
David Rodgers Appointed as Ultra I&C’s Global Sales VP
Ultra Intelligence & Communications has named David Rodgers as vice president of global sales. Rodgers joined the company from Silvus Technologies, where he served as senior director of sales for unmanned systems and the Department of Defense market and played a key role in achieving sales revenue targets and securing a large U.S. government contract....
Poland Plans to Continue Military Modernization With $42B Investment
The Polish government plans to spend $41.6 billion to modernize its military capabilities in 2024, upgrades that cover the purchase of equipment, including: new fighter jets for the Polish Air Force, combat and surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles to power the newly established Drone Force, training helicopters and ship-based helicopters to replace aging aircraft, and submarines...
US to Help Boost Jordan’s Disease Response Capability With Pathogen Analysis Training
The United States will help strengthen Jordan’s response capability to disease outbreaks under a joint requirements implementation plan with the Royal Medical Services of the Jordanian Armed Forces. The plan calls for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency under the Department of Defense to mobilize its Biological Threat Reduction Program in collaboration with RMS to organize training...
London Seeks Parliament Approval to Put Nuclear-Sharing Arrangments With US on Permanent Footing
The U.K. government has notified its Parliament of proposed revisions to the UK-US Mutual Defence Agreement that include indefinitely extending the nuclear cooperation arrangement between the two countries due to expire at the end of 2024. The proposed extension seeks to amend a provision in Article 5 of the 1958 agreement that subjects the pact...
Leonardo Remains Only Bidder in UK Helicopter Modernization Program
Airbus and Lockheed Martin have bowed out from the U.K. Ministry of Defence’s New Medium Helicopter procurement, leaving Leonardo as the sole bidder for the $1.3 billion program. In a statement, Airbus Helicopters UK said the decision to withdraw from contention was driven by its inability “to formulate a responsible bid that would in parallel...