Thales has demonstrated the capabilities of its drone-based mine countermeasure system to find and neutralize submerged threats remotely. During a trial conducted in France, the company remotely deployed its unmanned, underwater vessel to identify sea mines and install exercise charges to complete the neutralization cycle. A Thales team in a facility in Brest, France, served as...
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...
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...
Lockheed Martin UK has established its own team of British companies to compete for the U.K. Ministry of Defence’s $1.27 billion New Medium Helicopter contract award, under which the MOD would procure up to 44 aircraft as part of its modernization efforts. The team proposes the Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter to replace MOD’s aging aircraft...
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...
The European Union needs a new operational program that will strengthen its defense industrial sector and prepare for future conflicts, according to Christian Moelling, head of the Center for Security and Defense at the German Council on Foreign Relations. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shown weaknesses in Europe’s capacity to produce military goods as allies scramble...
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...
BAE Systems has renewed its partnership with British startup Hadean to provide improved military training solutions to U.K. military customers, ADS Advance reported. Hadean provides a platform for the creation, curation and delivery of connected immersive experiences. Under the collaboration first signed in 2022, BAE integrated the artificial intelligence-enabled Hadean Platform for Defence with other...
The United Kingdom is considering increasing background checks on individuals working for the Chinese government and could add China to a new registration scheme that aims to crack down on foreign political influence activities, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said in a statement. The official’s remarks were in response to reports that the Metropolitan Police...
