President Joe Biden has signed a bill into law providing seven federal agencies with additional funding to deliver assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The legislation also authorizes the president to transfer defense articles and services from the Department of Defense to foreign countries or international organizations and enables the implementation of sanctions against foreign...
Hello, Guest!
Category: Policy Updates
Post
Treasury Designates Companies, Individuals Supporting Iranian Cyberattacks on US Entities; Brian Nelson Quoted
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on two companies and four individuals linked to Iran-backed cyber operations that targeted a dozen U.S. companies and government entities. The designated companies and individuals are Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber Electronic Command front company Mehrsam Andisheh Saz Nik; IRGC-CEC-affiliated cyber...
Post
US Navy Open to Shipbuilding Projects With Foreign Partners; Carlos Del Toro Quoted
The U.S. Navy is keen on pursuing opportunities to engage foreign shipbuilders to manufacture some components for American warships, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said at a Stimson Center event in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. To stress the possibility of such a partnership, Del Toro cited as an example the aircraft industry wherein one project...
Post
Canberra Issues Health Care Decarbonization Pledge Aligned With US, UK Initiatives
The Australian government has declared that it will collaborate with the United States and the United Kingdom’s efforts to reduce the carbon emissions of health care supply chains. The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, which issued the statement of support in time for Monday’s Earth Day celebration, noted that the global supply chains...
Post
China Creates New Military Units for Information, Space, Cyber Operations
China has reorganized its principal military force to add three new units that will separately deal with information, space and cyber operations. The new units replaced the Strategic Support Force under the People’s Liberation Army to address the limitations associated with conducting such operations under a single support team. In an event on Friday, Chinese...
Post
US Expands Export Controls of Technologies to Russia, Iran Following Air Attack on Israel
The United States is expanding its list of items that require a license to be exported to Iran and Russia. On Monday, the Bureau of Industry and Security amended the Export Administration Regulations and added new items to the foreign direct product rules governing the two adversarial nations. FDP rules control the export of materials...
Post
US Cuts Back Licensing Requirements for Australia, UK to Promote Trade, Innovation
The United States has scaled down its export control rules for Australia and the United Kingdom to advance defense trade and innovation among the three countries. The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, which released the interim final rule Thursday to govern trade flow for the AUKUS partners, estimated that the change would...
Post
US Treasury Seeks to Enhance Foreign Investment Committee’s Compliance, Enforcement Powers
The Department of the Treasury has proposed boosting the authorities of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which reviews foreign investment in U.S. businesses for national security concerns. In a proposed rulemaking notice released on Thursday, the department said the changes would help CFIUS accomplish its national security mission while supporting the...
Post
NATO Adopts New Force Augmentation Concept Offering More Flexibility to Allies
NATO’s North Atlantic Council has approved a new framework providing more flexibility for partner nations to augment the alliance’s forces. The concept, dubbed Partners Augmentation Forces to NATO, was announced at the opening of the Military Strategic Partnership Conference scheduled from April 8 to 12 in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, National Defense Magazine reported Tuesday. NATO’s Allied...
Post
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...
