The United States and its international allies have issued a statement condemning the alleged transfer of ballistic missiles from North Korea to Russia. In the statement signed by U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken, European Union High Representative Josep Borrell and the foreign ministers of 47 countries, the coalition declared that the reported North Korea-Russia arms...
Category: National Security
Officials Discover Months-Long Russian Cyber Hack on Ukrainian Telco
Ukraine says Russian hackers infiltrated a major telecom provider for months before launching a cyberattack on Dec. 12 that crippled communications services. In an interview, Illia Vitiuk, head of the cybersecurity division at SBU, Ukraine’s intelligence agency, revealed that the cybercriminals have been inside Kyivstar’s systems since at least May. He noted that the incident destroyed...
Pakistan Plans FC-31 Fighter Aircraft Purchase From China
Pakistan’s government plans to acquire FC-31 Gyrfalcon fighter aircraft from China. According to Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu of the Pakistan Air Force, the South Asian nation’s upcoming fleet of FC-31s will begin operations in the near future. The PAF chief mentioned the acquisition of the fifth-generation fighters on Monday during the induction of...
Redcom Taps Australia’s MicroSecure to Bring Tactical Command and Control Solutions to Pacific Region
New York-based Redcom Laboratories has partnered with Australian company MicroSecure to extend the market reach of its tactical command and control solutions to government and military customers in the Pacific region, including the Australian Defense Force. The partnership grants Melbourne-based MicroSecure, a cyber and security consulting firm catering to the government, defense and intelligence sectors,...
Big Blue Wins $95M USAID Cybersecurity Protection and Response Contract
The USAID Bureau for Europe and Eurasia has awarded a cybersecurity protection and response contract to IBM nearly $95 million, according to a Sam .gov posting. Under the contract award dated Dec. 29, the global technology company, nicknamed Big Blue, will strengthen the cybersecurity capabilities of USAID host governments’ civilian infrastructures in the region. It...
NATO Selects RTX-MBDA Joint Venture to Expand Patriot Missile Production in Europe
COMLOG, a joint venture between Raytheon and MBDA Germany, has received a potential $5.6 billion contract from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency to supply select European countries with the new Patriot GEM-T missiles. Under the agreement, COMLOG will expand the production of GEM-T missiles, also known as Patriot Advanced Capability 2 missile interceptors, in...
North Korean Leader To Military: ‘Annihilate’ Hostile Forces
Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of North Korea, has leveled new threats against the United States and South Korea. During a meeting with commanding officers on Sunday, Kim told his military to “thoroughly annihilate” enemy forces if provoked by mobilizing “the toughest means and potentialities without moment’s hesitation.” He also said it is necessary...
Korea Seals Agreement to Acquire More F-35As From Lockheed
South Korea has finalized a contract with Lockheed Martin to purchase 20 more F-35A fighters, adding to the 40 aircraft it acquired between 2019 and 2022. The Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration greenlit the acquisition three months after obtaining clearance from the U.S. Department of State in September, paving the way for the Asian country...
Turkish Parliamentary Commission Supports Sweden’s NATO Bid
The Turkish Parliament’s foreign affairs commission has approved Sweden’s bid to join NATO, likely clearing the way for Stockholm to gain membership into the military alliance after nearly two years of delay. Reuters said the panel voted to advance the bid for consideration by the Parliament’s general assembly, which could deliberate on the matter after...
British Troops To Spearhead 2024 NATO Rapid Response Task Force
The United Kingdom’s 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team will be deployed in 2024 as the core of the British leadership role in NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force starting Jan. 1. The brigade, dubbed “Desert Rats,” led NATO’s Strategic Reserve Force when it was activated in Kosovo in 2022. Its components include a...