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...
Category: National Security
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...
SAIC Enables US Military Partners to Access Indopacom Joint Fires Network
Science Applications International Corp. served as the lead system integrator during the Valiant Shield 2024 exercise in June, enabling international military partners to connect into a prototype of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Joint Fires Network battle management platform. JFN provided the Royal Canadian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and French Navy with the capability to...
Australia Signs Agreement With Indonesia to Improve Defense Cooperation; Richard Marles Quoted
Australia has entered into a treaty-level agreement with Indonesia to improve defense cooperation amid regional threats. Signed by Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto on Thursday, the Australia-Indonesia Defence Cooperation Agreement would elevate the cooperation and interoperability between the nations in several aspects, including: counterterrorism, education and training, humanitarian and...
Serbia Acquires New Dassault Combat Aircraft
French military aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation has secured a contract from Serbia for 12 Rafale combat aircraft. Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier and Serbian Minister of Defence Bratislav Gasic signed the deal on Thursday in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, part of the two nations’ commitment to nurturing...
Netherlands Boosts Missile Defense Capability With Planned Purchase of Patriot Launch Stations
The U.S. Department of State has approved the possible sale of two Patriot missile launching stations and related equipment to the Netherlands valued at an estimated $224 million. The request includes the acquisition of equipment and services to upgrade existing M901 LS to the M903 LS configuration, plus nonmajor defense equipment such as Patriot Advanced...
Advisory Report: Iran-Based Ransomware Actors Targeting US, Foreign Organizations
A joint U.S. advisory from the FBI, the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has identified Iran-based cyber actors conducting ransomware attacks on U.S. and foreign organizations. The cybersecurity advisory warned that the cyber actors, known as Pioneer Kitten, UNC757, Parisite, Rubidium and Lemon Sandstorm, perform ransomware and...
US to Deploy More Personnel to NATO Joint Support and Enabling Command
The United States plans to expand its presence within NATO’s Joint Support and Enabling Command by assigning more personnel over the next three to five years. It expects the larger participation to support the organization as it refines the Reinforcement and Sustainment Network, a critical component of JSEC designed to accelerate the deployment of forces...
Capgemini to Improve Swedish Armed Forces’ SAP System
French multinational information technology services and consulting firm Capgemini has entered a multiyear framework agreement with Sweden to provide SAP consulting services. Under the deal, the vendor will improve the Swedish Armed Forces’ SAP system called PRIO, an operational management platform used by 25,000 individuals to manage daily activities, including finances, logistics and personnel. The...
US, Canada Sign Consumer Privacy Enforcement Agreement
The United States and Canada have agreed to improve information sharing and law enforcement cooperation in protecting consumer privacy. The Federal Communications Commission and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada formalized the plan on Wednesday by signing a memorandum of agreement. Under the deal, the two nations aim to smoothen the exchange of...