Australia has awarded Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace a contract worth about $96 million to supply joint strike missiles from the Norwegian company’s newly opened factory at the Newcastle Airport precinct in New South Wales. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles said the JSMs, scheduled for delivery in 2025, will accelerate Canberra’s...
Category: General News
Saudi Arabian Military Industries Announces Retirement of CEO, Names Interim Chief
Walid Abukhaled has retired as CEO of the state-owned defense company Saudi Arabian Military Industries. Abukhaled took over as chief of the Saudi defense business in 2020, succeeding Andrew Schwer, a German national and former executive at Rheinmetall. Before leading SAMI, Abukhaled was CEO of the Middle East unit of Northrop Grumman. Under his leadership,...
State Department Clears Japan’s $150M FMS Request for Aegis Destroyer Follow-On Technical Support
The U.S. Department of State has approved the Japanese government’s request to procure Aegis-class destroyer follow-on technical support and related equipment. Lockheed Martin will be the principal contractor for the potential $150 million foreign military sale, which will provide the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis destroyer fleet and computer program test sites with software updates...
US Hosts Offensive Cybersecurity Operations Training for Five Eyes Partners
The U.S. Cyber Command’s latest leg of its Cyber Flag cyber training exercises concentrated on improving the offensive cybersecurity operations of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Cyber Flag 24-2 was participated in by cyber units from the five nations, with New Zealand sitting...
David Rodgers Appointed as Ultra I&C’s Global Sales VP
Ultra Intelligence & Communications has named David Rodgers as vice president of global sales. Rodgers joined the company from Silvus Technologies, where he served as senior director of sales for unmanned systems and the Department of Defense market and played a key role in achieving sales revenue targets and securing a large U.S. government contract....
BAE Systems Acquires Defense and Security Business Kirintec to Boost Electronic Warfare Portfolio
BAE Systems has announced its purchase of Kirintec, a U.K. company specializing in electronic warfare products supporting military cyber and electromagnetic activities, for an undisclosed amount. The Herefordshire-based company will be integrated into BAE Systems’ Digital Intelligence business, led by Group Managing Director Andrea Thompson. The acquisition includes a plan to support increased investment in...
Poland Plans to Continue Military Modernization With $42B Investment
The Polish government plans to spend $41.6 billion to modernize its military capabilities in 2024, upgrades that cover the purchase of equipment, including: new fighter jets for the Polish Air Force, combat and surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles to power the newly established Drone Force, training helicopters and ship-based helicopters to replace aging aircraft, and submarines...
UK Blocks Some Arms Sales to Israel Over Human Rights Concerns in Gaza
The British government has suspended 30 arms export licenses to Israel after a review determined that the military equipment covered by the permits might be used to commit international humanitarian law violations amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The suspended items, which the Israeli Defense Forces uses, include fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones and products...
QinetiQ Australia Appoints Andrew Forbes as Chief Growth Officer
QinetiQ Australia has named Andrew Forbes as its new chief growth officer. Forbes, who announced the appointment in a LinkedIn post, moved to QinetiQ after serving as an operational lead at Elbit Systems Emirates for a major military modernization program providing a multidomain, coalition interoperable data link. He was also in charge of a soldier...
Chinese Inventors Involved in Over 1,000 Patent Grants, USPTO Data Shows
Data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed that it granted 1,020 patents to Chinese inventors involved in U.S. government-funded research projects in sensitive fields, including semiconductors, biotechnology and nanotechnology, Reuters reported Friday. The USPTO submitted the data to the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party as lawmakers looked into...