As chief executive of the European Defence Agency, former Czech Defense Minister Jiří Šedivý helps shape the European Union’s voice on defense and security issues, which had begun to grow louder even before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, the agency has slowly moved from a facilitator of collaboration among member states,…
Category: Military
How Europe’s diverging artillery munitions complicate Ukraine support
As chief executive of the European Defence Agency, former Czech Defense Minister Jiří Šedivý helps shape the European Union’s voice on defense and security issues, which had begun to grow louder even before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, the agency has slowly moved from a facilitator of collaboration among member states,…
How Europe’s diverging artillery munitions complicate Ukraine support
As chief executive of the European Defence Agency, former Czech Defense Minister Jiří Šedivý helps shape the European Union’s voice on defense and security issues, which had begun to grow louder even before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, the agency has slowly moved from a facilitator of collaboration among member states,…
German arms exports on track to hit record high again
BERLIN — Germany authorized the export of more than €7.5 billion (U.S. $8 billion) in military goods during the first half of the year, nearing the total amount in 2023, according to recently released government data. Last year, Germany exported a total of €12.2 billion, setting an all-time record for the country that has historically…
German arms exports on track to hit record high again
BERLIN — Germany authorized the export of more than €7.5 billion (U.S. $8 billion) in military goods during the first half of the year, nearing the total amount in 2023, according to recently released government data. Last year, Germany exported a total of €12.2 billion, setting an all-time record for the country that has historically…
German arms exports on track to hit record high again
BERLIN — Germany authorized the export of more than €7.5 billion (U.S. $8 billion) in military goods during the first half of the year, nearing the total amount in 2023, according to recently released government data. Last year, Germany exported a total of €12.2 billion, setting an all-time record for the country that has historically…
Kansas businessman pleads guilty in case over illegal export of aviation tech to Russia
TOPEKA, Kan. — A Kansas businessman has pleaded guilty to illegally exporting sensitive aviation technology to Russian companies in violation of U.S. sanctions. Douglas Edward Robertson, who lives in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, was the second Kansas business executive to plead guilty to charges after being accused of smuggling, money laundering, violating U.S….
Kansas businessman pleads guilty in case over illegal export of aviation tech to Russia
TOPEKA, Kan. — A Kansas businessman has pleaded guilty to illegally exporting sensitive aviation technology to Russian companies in violation of U.S. sanctions. Douglas Edward Robertson, who lives in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, was the second Kansas business executive to plead guilty to charges after being accused of smuggling, money laundering, violating U.S….
Kansas businessman pleads guilty in case over illegal export of aviation tech to Russia
TOPEKA, Kan. — A Kansas businessman has pleaded guilty to illegally exporting sensitive aviation technology to Russian companies in violation of U.S. sanctions. Douglas Edward Robertson, who lives in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, was the second Kansas business executive to plead guilty to charges after being accused of smuggling, money laundering, violating U.S….
Kratos’ Erinyes test vehicle logs hypersonic speeds on first flight
A hypersonic test bed built by Kratos took its first flight last month, launching experiments for the Missile Defense Agency and hitting speeds above Mach 5. MDA announced the successful flight of its first Hypersonic Testbed, HTB-1, June 14, which took off from Wallops Island in Virginia. Not only did it provide a high-speed test…
Kratos’ Erinyes test vehicle logs hypersonic speeds on first flight
A hypersonic test bed built by Kratos took its first flight last month, launching experiments for the Missile Defense Agency and hitting speeds above Mach 5. MDA announced the successful flight of its first Hypersonic Testbed, HTB-1, June 14, which took off from Wallops Island in Virginia. Not only did it provide a high-speed test…
Kratos’ Erinyes test vehicle logs hypersonic speeds on first flight
A hypersonic test bed built by Kratos took its first flight last month, launching experiments for the Missile Defense Agency and hitting speeds above Mach 5. MDA announced the successful flight of its first Hypersonic Testbed, HTB-1, June 14, which took off from Wallops Island in Virginia. Not only did it provide a high-speed test…
Air Force Ospreys in Japan resume flight ops
U.S. Air Force crews from the Japan-based 353rd Special Operations Wing started flying the CV-22 Osprey once again Tuesday, seven months after one of the aircraft crashed during a training mission, killing all eight airmen on board. The return to flying followed a “multi-phased” approach to ensure the readiness of crews and follows a “meticulous…
Air Force Ospreys in Japan resume flight ops
U.S. Air Force crews from the Japan-based 353rd Special Operations Wing started flying the CV-22 Osprey once again Tuesday, seven months after one of the aircraft crashed during a training mission, killing all eight airmen on board. The return to flying followed a “multi-phased” approach to ensure the readiness of crews and follows a “meticulous…
Air Force Ospreys in Japan resume flight ops
U.S. Air Force crews from the Japan-based 353rd Special Operations Wing started flying the CV-22 Osprey once again Tuesday, seven months after one of the aircraft crashed during a training mission, killing all eight airmen on board. The return to flying followed a “multi-phased” approach to ensure the readiness of crews and follows a “meticulous…
Spurned by KNDS, Leonardo teams with Rheinmetall for Italy’s new tanks
ROME — Germany’s Rheinmetall has signed a deal with Italy’s Leonardo to discuss the development and building of hundreds of new tanks and tracked fighting vehicles for Italy, weeks after European giant KNDS walked away from a similar deal with Leonardo. Rheinmetall and Leonardo signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday to create a new…
Spurned by KNDS, Leonardo teams with Rheinmetall for Italy’s new tanks
ROME — Germany’s Rheinmetall has signed a deal with Italy’s Leonardo to discuss the development and building of hundreds of new tanks and tracked fighting vehicles for Italy, weeks after European giant KNDS walked away from a similar deal with Leonardo. Rheinmetall and Leonardo signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday to create a new…
Air Force’s ‘WiFi in the sky’ provides a backbone for Gaza airdrops
The Air Force’s E-11A airborne communications relay planes have been referred to as “WiFi in the sky” for their ability to share battlefield data with faraway aircraft as well as troops on the ground, including across the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan for which they were developed. The aircraft, a modified Bombardier business jet outfitted with…
Italy seizes Chinese military drones heading to Libya, authorities say
ROME — Italy has seized Chinese military drones disguised as wind turbines that were heading to Libya in violation of a U.N. embargo, Italian authorities said. Components making up the two drones were concealed in six containers sent on two container ships from China to the Port of Gioia Tauro in Italy, where they were…
Three NATO allies activate Black Sea task force
ISTANBUL — Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria have activated a naval task force dedicated to countering mine warfare in the Black Sea. The move comes as Ukraine fights off a Russian invasion, which has involved clashes in and around the body of water. The top officers of the Turkish, Romanian and Bulgarian navies met in Istanbul…
Military investigators raid contractors near Army’s training HQ
The criminal investigative arms of the Pentagon and the U.S. Army descended on Florida last week to execute search warrants, officials confirmed to Army Times. The raid took place June 25 and involved multiple facilities of the Orlando-based Cole Engineering Services, that company confirmed. Cole Engineering is located in the same office park housing the…
Pentagon wants to make AI acceleration initiative a long-term fixture
TAMPA, Fla. — Three years after launching an effort to help combatant commands adopt artificial intelligence tools and concepts, the Pentagon is crafting a long-term vision for the program. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced the AI and Data Acceleration initiative in May 2021, just months after she took office. The goal was to…
EU bank, NATO fund partner to support European defense businesses
BERLIN — The European Union’s lending arm and NATO’s venture capital fund will share information and work more closely together to support small and midsized companies across the continent that focus on security and defense, the organizations announced Tuesday. Under a memorandum of understanding, signed July 2, the European Investment Fund and the NATO Innovation…
How US strike curbs for Ukraine morphed from caveats to ‘common sense’
BRUSSELS — In late May, the Biden administration announced a major policy change: Washington would now let Ukrainian forces fire American-provided weapons into Russia — though only around one region in the northeast. This had long been a bright red line in the administration’s support for Kyiv, fearing an expanded war. It took only a…
Should the Pentagon have used Commerce Department funds for semiconductors?
The U.S. Defense Department has successfully, albeit surreptitiously, swiped $3.5 billion from the Commerce Department’s CHIPS Act funding to subsidize published in the Journal of Business & Technology Law. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are his and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the law firm or any clients…
Next-gen fighter not dead, but needs cheaper redesign, Kendall says
The U.S. Air Force has not abandoned its program to build an advanced next-generation fighter, but it does need redesigned to get costs under control and better integrate its planned drone wingmen, the service’s secretary told Defense News in an exclusive interview. Secretary Frank Kendall also said a revamped Next Generation Air Dominance fighter platform…
Under pressure on plane safety, Boeing is buying stressed supplier Spirit for $4.7 billion
ARLINGTON, Va. — Boeing announced plans to acquire key supplier Spirit AeroSystems for $4.7 billion, a move that it says will improve plane quality and safety amid increasing scrutiny by Congress, airlines and the U.S. Justice Department. Boeing previously owned Spirit, and the purchase would reverse a longtime Boeing strategy of outsourcing key work on…
Australia aims to boost local arms production. So far it’s leaning foreign.
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Travis Reddy wants to buy a Brazilian weapons manufacturer. As the CEO of DefendTex, an Australian firm specializing in precision-guided weapons, rockets and loitering munitions, he’s encouraged by a government-run program aimed at growing the domestic industry’s capability to build long-range weaponry. The problem, though, is he can’t get the financial…
US removes Gaza aid pier again due to weather and may not reinstall it
The pier built by the U.S. military to bring aid to Gaza has been removed due to weather to protect it, and the U.S. is considering not reinstalling it unless the aid begins flowing out into the population again, U.S. officials said Friday. While the military has helped deliver desperately needed food through the pier,…
Marines sink moving vessel at sea with new missile in Pacific training
A Marine helicopter crew sank a moving training vessel near Okinawa, Japan, using a newly acquired “fire and forget” missile for the first time in the Indo-Pacific region. The two Marine crew of an AH-1Z Viper attached to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 Reinforced with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit fired the missile…
How achievable is the continuous Authority to Operate model?
Software is a critical component of military missions, but for too long, the Defense Department’s security compliance procedures have blocked organizations from delivering relevant software capabilities to the warfighter. Mission requirements and cyber threats change quickly. Staying current requires agile development practices that continuously integrate and deliver high-quality software with reduced risk. Security authorizations should…
Construction begins on new fleet of warships for Royal Canadian Navy
VICTORIA, British Columbia — Initial construction is beginning on a new fleet of warships for the Royal Canadian Navy, with the vessels expected to be operational by 2035, service and government officials said. Royal Canadian Navy commander Vice Admiral Angus Topshee and Defence Minister Bill Blair announced Friday that construction work on the Canadian Surface…
Pentagon seeks objective way to test tools for zero trust compliance
The U.S. Department of Defense’s zero-trust program office says it’s working on establishing independent, in-house certification of the tools that come through its doors to ensure they’re actually as cyber-secure as they claim. Randy Resnick, director of the Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office at the Pentagon, said there’s a need to independently validate whether vendor…
Next-gen helo engines delivered to Sikorsky for Black Hawk integration
A pair of the Army’s next-generation rotary-wing engines were delivered to Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky ahead of integration into the UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopter, the company announced. The delivery signals, “a new phase of Black Hawk helicopter modernization efforts,” the company said in a June 27 statement. The Improved Turbine Engine Program engine, developed by…
Italy signs deal for final submarine in four-strong U-212 NFS series
ROME — Italy has signed a €500 million ($535 million) deal to buy its fourth and final U-212 NFS submarine to be built by state-controlled Italian shipyard Fincantieri. Standing for Near Future Submarine, the new NFS vessels are destined to serve alongside Italy’s four U-212 submarines, and replace its four Sauro-class subs which are due…
House passes defense spending bill amid F-35, submarine purchase spats
The House on Friday passed 217-198 its annual defense spending bill for fiscal 2025, with appropriators rebuffing intense bipartisan pressure from their colleagues over attack submarine and F-35 fighter jet purchases. The $833 billion legislation would buy additional F-35s beyond the Pentagon’s budget request while only procuring one Virginia-class attack submarine for FY25 instead of…
BAE cuts steel on first anti-submarine frigate for Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia — BAE Systems Australia ceremonially cut steel on the first batch of Hunter-class Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia on June 21. The company also signed a production contract with the Commonwealth of Australia on the same day, for the first batch of three vessels. The cutting…
US Central Command to demo integrated counter drone sensors this fall
TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command is planning a set of exercises aimed at filling key gaps in its ability to detect and track drone threats in the Middle East. Amid a sharp increase in one-way drone attacks on U.S. and allied forces by Iraq, Syria and Houthi rebels, CENTCOM is working with the Pentagon’s…
Germany approves funds to develop supersonic weapon, buy thousands of missiles
BERLIN — Germany’s parliament has authorized money for the purchase of thousands of missiles and the development of a supersonic naval cruise missile, according to a Defence Ministry news release. Germany will join forces with Norway in developing the supersonic Tyrfing missile. A key parliamentary committee released the funds Wednesday for Berlin’s first foray into…
House shoots down amendment to cut F-35 purchase
Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee are lambasting appropriators who want to buy additional F-35 fighter jets in fiscal 2025 above the Pentagon’s budget request. The House’s FY25 defense spending bill would procure 76 new F-35s, eight more than the 68 requested by the Defense Department. This puts the spending bill at odds with…
Impact of Gaza aid pier to be investigated by Pentagon watchdog
A Pentagon watchdog announced on Thursday it would investigate the effectiveness of the Gaza pier mission in delivering humanitarian aid. The Pentagon’s Office of the Inspector General will coordinate with the U.S. Agency for International Development’s watchdog on two independent investigations, according to a statement from the Office of the Inspector General. “The agreements between…
Next-gen homeland defense interceptor plans are risky, watchdog says
The Government Accountability Office said the Missile Defense Agency’s development plan for its next-generation interceptor for homeland defense carries both schedule and funding risk, according to a June 26 report from the watchdog. MDA is developing the Next-Generation Interceptor after canceling a previous effort to field a redesigned kill vehicle in August 2019 for the…
How Ukraine can defeat Russian glide bombs
In recent months, Russia has terrorized Ukraine’s front-line troops and nearby cities with glide bombs. They are large, free-fall bombs with pop-out wings and satellite navigation, which operate similarly to weapons equipped with the United States’ precision-guided, aerial Joint Direct Attack Munition. Currently, Ukraine has few counters to glide bomb strikes. As Ukraine gains new…
Dronemaker Skydio hiring team in Ukraine amid strategy shift
U.S. dronemaker Skydio said it has started hiring employees in Ukraine, a first step in an effort to expand its business there. CEO Adam Bry described the work in an interview with Defense News Wednesday, hours before he testified before Congress. “I’ve never met drone users as sophisticated as the folks in Ukraine,” Bry said….
South Korea orders first batch of KF-21 fighters
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Nine years after development of South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae began, the government has signed a deal with Korea Aerospace Industries for the production of 20 fighter jets. The order comes as KAI reports the fighter’s development is currently 80% complete. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration awarded KAI the 1.96 trillion won…
Denmark to bring home F-35 jets from Arizona amid upgrade delays
PARIS — Denmark plans to bring home its six F-35 Joint Strike Fighters currently being used to train pilots in the U.S. as the delivery schedule for an upgraded version of the aircraft continues to slip. The six Danish F-35 jets in TR-2 configuration stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona will be repatriated…
The Navy’s ongoing carrier conundrum
After a grueling eight months leading the Navy’s effort to counter Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower received a reprieve this month when it transited the Suez Canal and headed into the Mediterranean Sea, on its way back home…
Philippines seeking call with China over emerging Sierra Madre crisis
The Philippines is seeking to schedule a call with Beijing “very soon” amid an emerging crisis in the South China Sea, according to the Southeast Asia country’s ambassador to the U.S. At issue is the Sierra Madre, a rusting World War II-era ship run aground on a reef known as the Second Thomas Shoal. The…
United Launch Alliance to fly second Vulcan mission in September
United Launch Alliance expects its Vulcan rocket to conduct its second Space Force certification flight in September, positioning the launch vehicle to fly its first national security space missions this year, according to the company’s top executive. Vulcan flew its first mission in January, but a second is required to confirm that the rocket can…
Extended range version of Army guided rocket enters production
The Army has given the greenlight to Lockheed Martin to produce an extended-range version of its Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, according to the company and the service. Lockheed was awarded a $200 million fiscal 2024 contract modification in May to build as many as 240 extended range GMLRS. The funding includes production, tooling and…
Pentagon to identify next Replicator capability set this summer
TAMPA, Fla. — The Pentagon will decide later this summer what capabilities to focus on in the next round of Replicator, its push to quickly field high-need technology at scale. The first phase of the effort, championed by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, is focused on attritable drones and other uncrewed systems. The goal is…