Belgium is joining the Future Combat Air System sixth-generation fighter program. According to Ludivine Dedonder, the defense minister of Belgium, the nation will be the fourth FCAS partner behind Germany, France and Spain by June 2025. Belgium is also set to sign the FCAS observer status membership agreement in December. Dedonder confirmed the timeline in a...
Category: Technology
Elbit to Equip Canada’s New Refueling Planes With Missile Shield
Airbus Defense and Space has awarded Elbit Systems a five-year contract for the installation of Direct Infrared Counter Measures and Infrared Missile Warning Systems on Canada’s Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport refueling aircraft. Elbit did not disclose the value of the contract it announced Monday but noted that the missile protection systems have been...
Germany to Ship Additional IRIS-T Air Defense Systems to Ukraine
The German Defence Ministry said it will ship four more IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense systems to Ukraine. In a statement released on Thursday, the ministry said the upcoming deliveries will be provided on top of the IRIS-T systems and a Patriot tracking radar handed over in October and will be sent to the war-torn...
Lockheed Martin, VTT to Lead Consortium Developing SIGINT Tech for F-35
Lockheed Martin has joined an effort to develop signals intelligence technologies for Finland’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets. On Nov. 21, the company formalized a framework agreement with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland to lead a consortium that would combine resources, experience and expertise over the next three years to deliver new capabilities for the...
Accenture Seals Deal for Acquisition of New Zealand’s Solnet
Global professional services company Accenture has completed its acquisition of Solnet, a New Zealand IT services provider. The Accenture press release on the latest acquisition did not disclose the terms of the acquisition but noted that it adds over 100 cloud technology professionals to Accenture New Zealand, which maintains offices in Auckland and Wellington. Solnet,...
Idemia Showcases Biometric System at Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal hosted a recent demonstration of Idemia National Security Solutions’ new biometric access control technology, ID2Access, for the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense. The pilot project, awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center, includes testing remote enrollment capabilities. This allows the facility to verify visitors’ identities...
HII Pegasus to Support Five Eyes Mission Partner Environment Capabilities
HII will be providing a crucial tool for the Five Eyes intelligence alliance through new work awarded under the Analytical and Technical Services contract, according to Grant Hagen, president of the Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Space business under HII’s Mission Technologies division. The three-year task order, named Pegasus, aims to enhance information-sharing within the alliance,...
MDA Shares Hiring, Facility Expansion Plans for UK Division
Canadian space technology solutions provider MDA is expanding its United Kingdom unit over the next 12 months. The company, which announced the plan at the 2023 UK Space Conference in Belfast, is looking to hire 75 new employees, ranging from entry-level to senior positions. The recruitment effort will double MDA’s workforce in the country. MDA...
Canada To Establish Regional Office of NATO Tech Accelerator Program in Halifax
Bill Blair, minister of Canada’s Department of National Defence, has announced an initial investment of about $19 million to open the North American regional office for the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic in Halifax. The upcoming facility will open in 2024. Blair made the announcement during his keynote address at the 15th...
Wide-Ranging AI-Based Prototypes Emerge From Defense-Oriented Google-Dstl Hackathon
Wide-ranging artificial intelligence-based prototypes emerged from a hackathon jointly organized by Google Cloud and the United Kingdom‘s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to accelerate safe and responsible AI adoption across the U.K. defense sector. According to a press release from the British government, the hackathon winners included a large language model that scans for cyberthreats...