Training on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear warfare highlighted the military activities in Agadir, Morocco, as part of African Lion 2024, a major U.S. Africa Command exercise that also features events in Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia from April 19 to May 31. The U.S. Army said the Morocco-hosted CBRN joint drill, which extended to explosive...
Category: National Security
Balfour Beatty to Support Rolls-Royce Expansion for New Royal Navy, AUKUS Projects; Terry Meighan Quoted
U.K.-based global infrastructure group Balfour Beatty will support the Rolls-Royce Submarines’ Raynesway campus expansion to meet the growing needs of the British Royal Navy and Australia’s $3.1 billion, 10-year commitment to the AUKUS submarine program. Rolls-Royce said Balfour Beatty will build new manufacturing facilities and offices in the submarine plant in Derby, England, doubling its...
Romanian Navy H215M to Adopt MBDA’s Marte ER Missile; Arnaud Rousset Quoted
The Romanian Naval Forces will integrate the Marte ER anti-surface warfare missile into its two Airbus H215M helicopters to provide flexible mission capability with automatic or manual navigation and salvo firing. According to the missile manufacturer, France-based MBDA, it will work on the aircraft’s missile platform integration under a contract with Romanian aerospace company IAR...
Report: Japan’s Planned Consultative Body to Protect Critical Infrastructure From Cyberthreats
Japan will create a consultative body to spearhead collaborative efforts to prevent cyberattacks and resolve their impact. Citing unnamed government sources, The Japan News reported that the planned cyber organization would be patterned after the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative program. Tokyo envisions the body functioning like the JCDC in the...
UK Solicits Proposals for Deception Technology Concepts for British Army
The U.K. government is seeking new deception technology concepts for the British Army through a Defence and Security Accelerator competition. The novel technologies, including decoys of personnel, military activities, in-service platforms, systems and hubs, are critical to 21st-century land operations, during which militaries use advanced sensors and weapons. According to DASA, capabilities that can deceive...
Report: New Zealand Defense Spending Cut May Derail AUKUS Phase 2 Plans
A proposed 6.6 percent cut in New Zealand’s defense budget could stall the Oceanian nation’s bid to join the AUKUS military alliance, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday. Wellington is planning to reduce its proposed defense spending for the year ending June 2025 to $3.03 billion from the current year’s $3.25 billion, based on...
UK Selects Sharon Nesmith as New Defence Staff Vice Chief
U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed the appointment of Gen. Sharon Nesmith as vice chief of the defense staff and aide-de-camp to the British king. Nesmith, currently serving as the British Army’s deputy chief of the general staff, will take on the role from Gen. Gwyn Jenkins beginning in June. She held other leadership...
More US Defense Contractors Face Chinese Sanctions for Providing Weapons to Taiwan
China’s Commerce Ministry has announced sanctions against U.S. defense contractors Boeing Defense, Space & Security, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. and General Dynamics Land Systems. The ministry said the businesses were added to its “unreliable entity” list, including other U.S. companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missiles & Defense, for supplying weapons to Taiwan. Listed organizations...
UK to Build More Multirole Support Ships to Boost Military Readiness
The United Kingdom plans to build six additional warships to support Royal Marines’ special operations. According to a government press release, the new vessels will expand the number of multirole support ships developed under the Royal Navy shipbuilding program to 28, backed by increased defense spending. The MRSS units in the pipeline include Type 26...
US-Japan Hypersonic Missile Collaboration Seeks to Advance Regional Defense Capability
The U.S. Department of Defense said it has signed the Glide Phase Interceptor Cooperative Development Project Arrangement with the Japanese Ministry of Defense to provide defense capability against hypersonic missiles while at their glide flight. Under the agreement, Japan will spearhead the GPI project’s rocket motors and propulsion parts development for the interceptor. DOD said...