Rheinmetall will manufacture autonomous unmanned ground vehicles for Japan. The German defense company recently secured a multimillion-dollar contract from the Japanese Ministry of Defence to deliver Mission Master SP UGVs by early 2025. Japanese company Marubeni Aerospace, the program’s prime contractor, will train under and collaborate with Rheinmetall on the UGVs’ delivery and support. The...
Category: National Security
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...
US Trains With Aussie, New Zealand Counterparts to Neutralize Mine Threats
Mine warfare units from the United States, Australia and New Zealand participated in Exercise Dugong 24, which tested their capabilities to neutralize sea mines. The training ran from March 4 to 22 and involved integration, training and tactical stages, with the latter phase tasking the participants to conduct mine countermeasures and explosive ordnance disposal operations....
Canberra Bares Three Defense Science Appointments to Support Warfighting Capabilities
The Australian Department of Defence has announced the appointment of Emily Hilder as head of the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator, a new government agency formed in May 2023 to transition game-changing concepts into capabilities that provide a warfighting advantage to the Australian Defence Force. The department said Hilder brings 20 years of industry and academic...
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...
Ultra I&C Lines Up Archer Troposcatter for Global Defense Market; Chris Bishop Quoted
Ultra Intelligence & Communications has introduced its Archer family of troposcatter beyond-line-of-sight communication systems for the global defense market. The company said Archer has demonstrated the capability of sustained communications beyond 185 kilometers and meets the U.S. Army’s standards for a secure communication platform. Chris Bishop, Ultra I&C chief growth officer and a Potomac Officers...
US, UK Sign Agreement to Collaborate on AI Safety Testing; Gina Raimondo Quoted
Artificial intelligence safety institutes in the United States and the United Kingdom will work together to develop tests designed to mitigate safety risks associated with AI models, systems and agents, including those related to national security. The partnership was established with the signing of a memorandum of agreement on Monday by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina...
Royal Air Force Unveils Autonomous Collaborative Platforms Strategy
The U.K. Royal Air Force has released a new strategy aiming to speed up the adoption of disposable, attritable and survivable autonomous collaborative platforms. One goal of the RAF Autonomous Collaborative Platforms strategy is to integrate the three ACP tiers into the service’s force structure by 2030 and deploy them along with crewed platforms as...