The U.S. Department of State has authorized the potential sale of F-15 fighter jets and related equipment to Israel for an estimated $18.82 billion. Israel requested 50 new F-15IA aircraft and “mid-life modification kits” to upgrade its 25 existing F-15Is to F-15I+s. The package also includes engines, radars, missiles and other military equipment, with deliveries expected...
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Category: Middle East
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U.S., Israel Award Grant for Quantum Computing Collaboration
California-based quantum software firm BlueQubit and Israeli hardware developer Quantum Art have secured a $2.2 million grant from the U.S.-Israel BIRD Foundation to advance quantum computing technology. Under a partnership, the two companies will seek to develop and optimize quantum machine learning algorithms and quantum processor configurations over the next two years to accelerate advancements...
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Turkey Develops ‘Steel Dome’ to Rival Israeli Air Defense System
Turkey said it now has an artificial intelligence-powered. network-centric air defense system to protect the country from regional threats. The system, dubbed “Steel Dome,” was developed by defense electronics manufacturer Aselsan, Roketsan, Sage and Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corp. under the coordination of the Defense Industry Agency, or SSB. According to an SSB announcement, the...
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Oracle Expands Mideast Footprint, Opens New Public Cloud Region in Riyadh
Oracle has launched a second public cloud region in Saudi Arabia, part of the company’s $1.5 billion investment to help advance the kingdom’s cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence-based economy. The Austin, Texas-based cloud services provider, which already operates a public cloud region in Jeddah, added the new center in Riyadh, with plans to set up...
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Australia Raises Threat Level Amid Speedy Radicalization, Violence and Extremism Concerns
The Australian government has elevated its terrorism threat alert level from “possible” to “probable” — the midpoint of the country’s five-tier scale — for the first time since November 2022. AP News reported that the action, recommended by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, stems from a change in climate that has increased the danger of...
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US, Saudi Arabia Sign Deal to Deepen Partnership in Space Exploration
The United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed to deepen their collaboration in space exploration and civil aeronautics, with the two sides finalizing a framework agreement to facilitate and strengthen a mutually beneficial partnership, NASA announced Tuesday. The bilateral pact underscores the significance of the Artemis Accords, which supports the transparent, safe and responsible exploration...
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Saudi Arabia to Expand MRTT Fleet With New Airbus Order
Airbus has received an order from Saudi Arabia for four additional A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft. According to Jean-Brice Dumont, head of air power at Airbus Defence and Space, the new contract is the third the country has awarded on A330 MRTT units for the Royal Saudi Arabia Air Force, which is now set...
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Thales Seeks Further Growth in UAE With Another Edge Group Partnership; Christophe Salomon Quoted
Thales and Katim, an entity under Edge Group, have signed a letter of intent to explore the possibility of jointly developing software-defined radio technologies in the United Arab Emirates. Under the agreement, signed during the recent Eurosatory defense and security show in Paris, Thales and Katim will collaborate on the development, manufacturing and maintenance of...
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US Army Corps of Engineers Seeks Facility Maintenance Services for Kuwait Military Sites
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is soliciting proposals for the maintenance of multiple military installations across Kuwait. In a request for proposals posted on SAM .gov, the USACE Transatlantic Middle East District said an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order will be awarded for the required services. The effort is divided into three requirements: general locations, Patriot...
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KBR Secures Contract to Support Iraq Megaprojects; Jay Ibrahim Quoted
KBR will work with the Iraqi government on sustainable infrastructure development in the region. On Tuesday, the Houston-based company announced that it secured a contract valued at $46 million to provide differentiated advisory and consultancy, feasibility studies, technical reviews, project management, and economic planning and strategy development support to Iraq’s Ministry of Planning. The contract...