Australia is investing early in American shipyards so that delivery of Virginia-class nuclear submarines to the Royal Australian Navy can be fast-tracked to the early 2030s, the service’s Vice Adm. Jonathan Mead said during an Australian Strategic Policy Institute conference in Canberra on Friday. Appointed in July as the inaugural director-general of the Australian Submarine...
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Author: Arthur McMiler (Arthur McMiler)
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UK Seeking to Rev Up Unmanned Armed Forces Capabilities in New Drone Strategy
The United Kingdom is seeking to rev up its unmanned armed forces capabilities under a new drone strategy that its military leaders are planning, British Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge said. In a keynote speech on opening day of the DSEI trade show in London, Cartlidge disclosed that Britain’s defense officials “will be bringing forward...
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Saab, Kongsberg Note Swedish Interest on New Missile Systems for Amphibious Battalions
Saab will look into Sweden’s request for information in early September for a military requirement to beef up its Amphibious Corps’ coastal defense capabilities, a company spokesperson told Defense News. The report said Saab has already supplied several variants of its RBS15 missile to the Swedish Navy. Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg also expressed interest in...
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Indian Air Force Fleet Buildup Rolls Forward With First Airbus C295 Delivery
The Indian Air Force has received the first of the 56 Airbus C295 aircraft it ordered as a replacement for its aging Avro 748 fleet. Airbus Defence and Space said India’s initial 16 orders of the new-generation tactical airlifter will be assembled at its San Pablo Sur plant in Seville, Spain, where IAF Air Chief...
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Israel Takes Elbit Systems’ Skylark in New Drone Acquisitions
Elbit Systems will supply the Israeli Defense Forces Artillery Corps with the upgraded version of its Skylark small tactical unmanned aerial systems, one of the two Israeli drone acquisitions reported this week. The Skylark 1 tactical drone for IDF weighs up to 20 kg and is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, with the endurance...
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NATO To Prioritize Arms Standardization in New Action Plan
The Defence Production Action Plan that the heads of state of NATO members agreed to during their Vilnius summit in July prioritizes standardization of materials and weapons interoperability, according to Wendy Gilmour, the alliance’s assistant secretary general for defense investment. Gilmour told Defense News that the plan does not seek to have every NATO member...
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Singapore Air Force Displays Aircraft Capabilities in 55th Anniversary Open House
The Republic of Singapore Air Force hosted an open house event that revealed several capability upgrades on its F-16 fighter jets. An information board on the upgraded aircraft listed among its weaponry the Python-5 air-to-air missile from Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, as well as satellite-guided and laser-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition variants, according...
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Sweden Finalizes Military Budget, Puts Focus on Innovation, Private Sector Tech
The Swedish government has released its 2024 budget bill, which proposes an added military defense funding of about $63 million. The increase, considering final adjustments, would add over $2.43 billion to the Swedish defense budget, an increase of 28 percent at $10.72 billion from $8.24 billion in 2023. This doubles the country’s military appropriations since...
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EU OKs Ammunition Supply to Ukraine With Groundbreaking Joint Procurement Deals
The European Defence Agency, in charge of the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy, has signed eight joint procurement contracts on 155 mm ammunition for Ukraine. The procurement marks the first time that the EU purchased weapons as a bloc. Twenty-five EU member countries and Norway signed a Collaborative Procurement of Ammunition agreement in...
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Joint Multibillion-Dollar Jet Fighter Development Sets 2025 Timetable for Sensors
The Global Combat Air Program of multinational companies developing a new jet fighter has set a timetable for designing its sensors, Defense News reported Monday. The radar and other sensors of the planned sixth-generation warplane, involving defense contractors from the United Kingdom, Japan and Italy, account for up to 30 percent of the value of...