The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is imposing sanctions on companies and individuals based in the Middle East and East Asia for the export of American and foreign-made components to support Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle production. In a notice published Tuesday, OFAC named Iran-based Hossein Hatefi Ardakani, Mehdi Dehghani Mohammadabadi...
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Category: Policy Updates
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US Expects Canada’s Defense Bill Update to Increase Military Spending
The United States is confident that Canada’s upcoming defense policy update will increase military spending to boost capabilities and meet its responsibilities as part of NATO. David Cohen, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, shared in a recent interview that sources from Ottawa made assurances that the policy change will address concerns among military officials over...
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NATO Increases Military Budget to $2.2B to Better Address Security Challenges
NATO has announced a 12 percent increase in its 2024 military spending, setting a budget of $2.2 billion to support defense operations across the globe. NATO member states also agreed to allocate $480.1 million for the alliance’s civil budget next year, providing for an 18.2 percent hike to cover personnel, operating costs and program expenditures...
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US Hands Sanctions to New Entities Supporting Russia’s War Campaign
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions against third-country actors identified to be materially supporting Russia’s war campaign in Ukraine. According to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the action implements the Group of Seven’s decision to take down the Kremlin’s military procurement networks, including individuals and entities that are helping secure...
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US Eases Some Security Controls on Exports to Allies
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security has eased some export license requirements and expanded export license exceptions for key U.S. allies. One of the BIS measures released on Thursday removes export curbs on certain pathogens and toxins of interest to Australia Group member countries but are not under Chemical Weapons Convention...
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Australian Bill Seeks to Tighten Military Tech Transfer to Non-AUKUS Foreigners
Richard Marles, Australia’s minister for defense, has introduced in Parliament proposed legislation to tighten the transfer of military technology to foreign interests except AUKUS allies the United States and the United Kingdom. Marles filed the Defence Trade Controls Amendment Bill 2023 ahead of his U.S. visit to attend the AUKUS Defense Ministers’ Meeting in California. The...
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New UK-South Korea Agreement Reaffirms Tech, Defense Cooperation
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to sign the Downing Street Accord with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a three-day state visit to London, which commenced Tuesday. According to the U.K. government, the accord is a major agreement that redefines the two countries’ long-term relationships in such areas as supply chain, technology...
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Australia Pushes for Seamless Tech Sharing Among AUKUS Allies
The Australian Ministry of Defence has published draft legislation that seeks to make it easier for Australia and its AUKUS allies the United States and the United Kingdom exchange information on advanced technologies. The bill’s summary reveals Australia’s agenda of establishing an export license-free system to support industry, higher education and research advancements among the...
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India Clears Saab as First Foreign Firm to Fully Own Local Arms Plant
The Indian government has approved Saab’s 100 percent foreign direct investment to manufacture the Carl-Gustaf recoilless rifle in India, marking the first wholly owned foreign venture in the country’s defense sector. In its statement Thursday about the approval, Saab said the shoulder weapon will be manufactured in partnership with Indian sub-suppliers and fully compliant with...
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White House Facilitates Policy Discussions in Global Meeting to Combat Ransomware Attacks
The White House hosted the third meeting of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative in Washington, D.C., where delegates discussed new projects and policies to combat evolving cyberthreats. The 2023 edition of the CRI gathered 50 members, comprising 48 countries and two representatives from the European Union and the International Criminal Police Organization. During the two-day...