General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has completed the “first lifetime” of fatigue testing for the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft. The company conducted the full-scale testing from Dec. 13, 2022, through Dec. 5, 2023, at Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research in Kansas using a production airframe built for the test program. During the...
Category: Technology
NATO Selects RTX-MBDA Joint Venture to Expand Patriot Missile Production in Europe
COMLOG, a joint venture between Raytheon and MBDA Germany, has received a potential $5.6 billion contract from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency to supply select European countries with the new Patriot GEM-T missiles. Under the agreement, COMLOG will expand the production of GEM-T missiles, also known as Patriot Advanced Capability 2 missile interceptors, in...
Dutch Suspends Chipmaking Equipment Shipments to China; Beijing Decries US Influence
Semiconductor company ASML has announced its compliance with the Dutch government’s suspension of its lithography systems shipments to China. The ecport license suspension of the lithography systems, which are critical to semiconductor manufacturing, stemmed from U.S. government rules released in October restricting exports of some mid-critical system configurations for advanced production facilities. Veldhoven-based ASML said...
UK Sending Air Defense Missiles to Protect Ukraine’s People, Critical Infrastructure
The United Kingdom has started shipping air defense missiles to Ukraine to help the country protect its people and critical infrastructure from Russia’s drone attacks and bombing runs. The UK Ministry of Defence announced the new package of defense assistance following intensified assaults in Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa from hundreds of Russian drones and missiles....
EPE, Skydio UAS to Bolster New Zealand Army’s Reconnaissance, Surveillance Capabilities
EPE New Zealand has received a contract to provide the New Zealand Defence Force with enhanced reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. Under the agreement with the New Zealand Ministry of Defence, EPE will collaborate with U.S.-based Skydio to deliver the X2D unmanned aircraft system to the New Zealand Army. The advanced micro UAS will improve the...
US, Japan Sign New Agreement to Develop AI/ML Capabilities for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
The United States is collaborating with Japan to advance unmanned air vehicles by integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning. On Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Japanese Ministry of Defense signed a project arrangement to work on research and development efforts on Overwhelming Response through Collaborative Autonomy. The project is part of a joint...
Intel Wins $3.2B Incentives for $25B Israeli Chip Factory
The Israeli government is providing a $3.2 billion incentive for Intel’s new $25 billion chip factory in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel, where the company already has a chip-making facility. According to a statement, Intel’s Israeli plant expansion is an important element in its effort to promote “a more resilient global supply chain,” which also includes manufacturing investments...
Japan Announces Plans to Ship Patriot Interceptor Missiles to US
Japan has announced plans to send Patriot air defense missiles to the United States following the government’s decision to revise its arms export policy, according to a Reuters report. In a statement, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the imminent weapons shipment will bolter Japan’s security and improve peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region....
Hewlett Packard Enterprise, University of Stuttgart Partner to Build Two New Supercomputers
Hewlett Packard Enterprise will build two new supercomputers at the University of Stuttgart in Germany to power research in computational engineering and the applied sciences. The technology will be installed at the university’s High-Performance Computing Center, a research institution that provides computing resources for academic and industry users. The high-performance computers, nicknamed Hunter and Herder, will have a...
Netherlands Plans $274M Investment to Protect Cables, Pipelines in North Sea
The Netherlands wants to invest $274 million to fortify security in the North Sea, where there are thousands of miles of cables and pipelines. In a letter to the Dutch Parliament, Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren and State Defence Secretary Christophe van der Maat said that the government will install cameras, radar systems and automatic identification...