The British military needs to advance the development and deployment of new technologies most useful in the modern battlefield, according to Royal Navy Adm. Tony Radakin, chief of the defense staff at the U.K. Ministry of Defence. In his keynote speech at the 2023 Defence and Security Equipment International trade show on Thursday, Radakin said...
Category: National Security
Australia Lays Out AUKUS Investment Plans for Nuclear Submarines
Australia is investing early in American shipyards so that delivery of Virginia-class nuclear submarines to the Royal Australian Navy can be fast-tracked to the early 2030s, the service’s Vice Adm. Jonathan Mead said during an Australian Strategic Policy Institute conference in Canberra on Friday. Appointed in July as the inaugural director-general of the Australian Submarine...
US, Saudi Arabia Conclude 3-Day Red Sands Counter-UAS Drill in Riyadh
The United States and Saudi Arabia have conducted the second iteration of Red Sands, a joint military exercise that aims to demonstrate counter-unmanned aerial system technologies. The three-day drill, held at the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center in Riyadh, builds on the insights gained from the first Red Sands. The latest development sprint tested nine systems...
Thales Conducts Mine Countermeasure Drone Sea Trials for UK, French Navies
Thales has demonstrated the capabilities of its drone-based mine countermeasure system to find and neutralize submerged threats remotely. During a trial conducted in France, the company remotely deployed its unmanned, underwater vessel to identify sea mines and install exercise charges to complete the neutralization cycle. A Thales team in a facility in Brest, France, served as...
Saab, Kongsberg Note Swedish Interest on New Missile Systems for Amphibious Battalions
Saab will look into Sweden’s request for information in early September for a military requirement to beef up its Amphibious Corps’ coastal defense capabilities, a company spokesperson told Defense News. The report said Saab has already supplied several variants of its RBS15 missile to the Swedish Navy. Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg also expressed interest in...
Indian Air Force Fleet Buildup Rolls Forward With First Airbus C295 Delivery
The Indian Air Force has received the first of the 56 Airbus C295 aircraft it ordered as a replacement for its aging Avro 748 fleet. Airbus Defence and Space said India’s initial 16 orders of the new-generation tactical airlifter will be assembled at its San Pablo Sur plant in Seville, Spain, where IAF Air Chief...
Singapore Air Force Displays Aircraft Capabilities in 55th Anniversary Open House
The Republic of Singapore Air Force hosted an open house event that revealed several capability upgrades on its F-16 fighter jets. An information board on the upgraded aircraft listed among its weaponry the Python-5 air-to-air missile from Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, as well as satellite-guided and laser-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition variants, according...
Sweden Finalizes Military Budget, Puts Focus on Innovation, Private Sector Tech
The Swedish government has released its 2024 budget bill, which proposes an added military defense funding of about $63 million. The increase, considering final adjustments, would add over $2.43 billion to the Swedish defense budget, an increase of 28 percent at $10.72 billion from $8.24 billion in 2023. This doubles the country’s military appropriations since...
UK Reviewing Additional Actions Against China After Spy Arrests
The United Kingdom is considering increasing background checks on individuals working for the Chinese government and could add China to a new registration scheme that aims to crack down on foreign political influence activities, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said in a statement. The official’s remarks were in response to reports that the Metropolitan Police...