France has ordered 42 new Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation to increase its existing fleet of 192 aircraft. Under the $5.5 billion deal, Dassault will deliver the combat planes between 2027 and 2032. According to French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu, the additional Rafales will modernize the French military’s operational capabilities and bolster the country’s...
Category: National Security
Ukrainian Troops Get Support From Milrem Robotics TheMis Unmanned Ground Vehicles
The THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles from Estonian manufacturer Milrem Robotics have delivered “the most important benefit” of avoiding casualties in the Ukrainian armed forces, according to Juri Pajuste, in charge of the company’s Ukrainian program. The ground-based armed drone is used for anti-tank mine clearing and unexploded ordnance removal, as well as transporting equipment to areas...
UK, India Eye Increased Industry Ties to Support Defense Cooperation
The United Kingdom and India said they will work more with industry partners to support the two countries’ increasing defense cooperation. The two sides agreed to deepen their strategic collaboration during Indian Defense Minister Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh’s visit to the U.K. on Wednesday. According to the British Ministry of Defence, experts from both...
Lockheed Moves Closer to In-Country Manufacturing for Polish PAC-3 Missile Project
Lockheed Martin has moved closer to its goal of in-country manufacturing in Poland for the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile system, with several milestones under the Polish PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement program completed in 2023, a company executive said. Anna Ortylewski, Lockheed’s Polish PAC-3 MSE program head, added that the year’s program gains also support PAC-3’s...
Australia Joins Military Exercise Focused on Indo-Pacific Anti-Submarine Mission Capabilities
The Royal Australian Air Force sent two P-8A Poseidon aircraft and 51 airmen to the Sea Dragon 2024 exercise that the U.S. Navy is hosting at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, from Jan. 8 to 24. The exercise, which also includes representatives from the United States, India, South Korea and Japan, is focused on anti-submarine...
US, International Partners Condemn North Korean Missile Transfers to Russia
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...
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...