Australia expects to receive an order of Switchblade 300 precision loitering munitions in 2024 and deploy the weapon into service in 2025 to boost the Australian Defence Force’s drone warfighting capabilities. The acquisition of the munitions, manufactured by U.S. company AeroVironment, adds to the different drone types in the ADF arsenal that can be armed...
The Swedish government has set its first policy on space use for Sweden’s defense and security under which the country will undertake national projects and join international activities to achieve its goal. Noting that Sweden has grown increasingly dependent on space as a strategic operational environment, Stockholm said in a statement that the new strategy...
Thales has inaugurated a new assembly line at its ordnance facility in Belgium that is expected to expand its 70 mm laser-guided rocket output fivefold to 5,000 units by 2025. The factory in the Walloon Region is the sole manufacturer of the 7 mm ordnance in Europe. The ammunition is the NATO standard rocket currently...
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall and Italian defense company Leonardo are planning a 50:50 partnership in Italy to develop and commercialize armored vehicles for the European market. The plan, outlined in a memorandum of understanding that the two companies signed on Wednesday, focuses on the Italian Army’s ground systems programs on a new main battle tank...
BAE Systems has established a new business unit to grow its space capabilities. This unit arose from acquiring U.K. satellite company In-Space Missions in 2021, which was integrated into the company’s Digital Intelligence unit. Doug Liddle, co-founder of In-Space Missions, will head the new business unit, which will handle BAE Systems’ Azalea satellite program focused...
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has announced that the United States is increasing its military assistance to Ukraine by $2.3 billion, according to an Associated Press report on Austin’s meeting with visiting Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov at the Pentagon on Tuesday. The increased aid will source $150 million from the presidential drawdown authority allowing the...
Security risks at several forthcoming major events in Europe, such as the Paris Olympics and the European football championship, have prompted the U.S. military bases in the region to raise their alert level, Sabrina Singh, the Department of Defense’s deputy press secretary, announced at a Pentagon briefing Monday. Singh did not specify the new alert...
Work has started on the European Defence Agency’s Modular Lightweight Minesweeping Next Generation project’s third phase to further advance the technology readiness level of systems under development and demonstrate their use in an operational environment. The project seeks to develop and deploy smaller unmanned surface vehicles as lightweight minesweepers operating in a formation or as a...
Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support has signed a framework contract with Rheinmetall to supply the German armed forces with up to 6,500 military trucks valued at a potential $3.8 billion. The German Parliament’s budget committee approved the procurement’s funding on June 26. The contract, which Rheinmetall described as a “record...
Irving Shipbuilding has started construction on the production test module for the new fleet of Canadian Surface Combatants, which according to a Canadian government announcement will be known as River-class destroyers. The PTM will enable testing and streamlining of the shipbuilding processes to gear up the project for full-rate production starting in 2025, according to...
