Spain says it is on track to meet NATO’s defense spending target of two percent of GDP this year, reversing earlier plans to hit the target by 2029. According to AP News, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a $12 billion increase in military funding on Tuesday, allocating it to areas such as telecommunications, cybersecurity,...
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Category: Policy Updates
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Treasury Sanctions Yemen Bank for Financing Iran-Backed Houthi Network
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned the International Bank of Yemen and three of its top executives for providing financial support to the Iran-aligned Houthis, also known as Ansarallah. The sanctioned individuals are Kamal Hussain Al Jebry, chairman of the board; Ahmed Thabit Noman Al-Absi, executive general manager;...
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Think Tank Urges Rethink of Australian Defense Strategy Amid Shifting Dynamics With Key Ally, the US
A new report from the think tank Strategic Analysis Australia examines how Australia must reassess its defense policies due to an increasingly demanding United States, a key ally. Titled “Defence 2025: Dollars and Decisions,” the five-chapter report, released Thursday, analyzes Canberra’s $38 billion annual defense budget. It begins by questioning how Australia can operate strategically...
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NATO Chief Urges Allies to Enhance Indo-Pacific Cooperation Amid China’s Military Expansion
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has raised alarm over China’s military buildup and ongoing drills near Taiwan, urging allied nations to work together to secure open sea lanes in the Indo-Pacific. Speaking Tuesday at the Japanese navy port of Yokosuka, Rutte noted China’s ongoing support of Russia’s war efforts and its armed forces’ rapid expansion....
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New Zealand Announces $7B Defense Plan to Modernize Forces
New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins has announced a $6.6 billion overhaul of the country’s military forces. Under the newly released 2025 Defence Capability Plan, the government will allocate funding over the next four years, with $5 billion earmarked for new spending. The plan aims to increase the nation’s defense spending from just over 1...
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European Commission OKs Safran’s Collins Actuation Buy With Conditions
The European Commission has approved Safran USA’s acquisition of a portion of the actuation business from RTX’s Collins Aerospace, but it has imposed specific conditions to address competition concerns. After being notified in February, the Commission investigated in collaboration with the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority and the U.S. Department of Justice. The investigation revealed...
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Norway Eyes Additional K9 Howitzers in $1.6B Defense Upgrade
Norway has proposed acquiring 24 additional K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers as part of a $1.6 billion rearmament initiative to modernize its armed forces. According to the government, the new batch of 155 mm units will form a new artillery battalion within the planned Finnmark Brigade near the Russian border. Army Recognition reports that the move...
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Greece to Invest $27B in Military Overhaul, Prioritizes High-Tech Warfare
Greece has announced a $27 billion defense modernization plan over the next decade, focusing on advanced warfare technologies. According to an AP News report, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said a key element of the overhaul is the Achilles Shield air defense system, developed primarily in response to regional tensions with Turkey. He added that Greece...
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More Chinese AI Technology Entities Land in US Blacklist
The United States government has added 80 new companies to its Entity List that threaten U.S. national security or foreign policy. Listed entities must secure a licensing requirement for any export, reexport, or in-country transfer of items. The U.S. mission in China said the Bureau of Industry and Security‘s updated list includes 11 from China...
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US Imposes Sanctions on Iranian Weapons Procurement Network
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Department of Justice have imposed sanctions on six entities and two individuals in Iran, the United Arab Emirates and China for procuring unmanned aerial vehicle components for Qods Aviation Industries, a key manufacturer of Iran’s drone program, and other industrial entities. The...