The U.S. Navy is keen on pursuing opportunities to engage foreign shipbuilders to manufacture some components for American warships, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said at a Stimson Center event in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. To stress the possibility of such a partnership, Del Toro cited as an example the aircraft industry wherein one project...
Category: Policy Updates
Canberra Issues Health Care Decarbonization Pledge Aligned With US, UK Initiatives
The Australian government has declared that it will collaborate with the United States and the United Kingdom’s efforts to reduce the carbon emissions of health care supply chains. The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, which issued the statement of support in time for Monday’s Earth Day celebration, noted that the global supply chains...
China Creates New Military Units for Information, Space, Cyber Operations
China has reorganized its principal military force to add three new units that will separately deal with information, space and cyber operations. The new units replaced the Strategic Support Force under the People’s Liberation Army to address the limitations associated with conducting such operations under a single support team. In an event on Friday, Chinese...
US Expands Export Controls of Technologies to Russia, Iran Following Air Attack on Israel
The United States is expanding its list of items that require a license to be exported to Iran and Russia. On Monday, the Bureau of Industry and Security amended the Export Administration Regulations and added new items to the foreign direct product rules governing the two adversarial nations. FDP rules control the export of materials...
US Cuts Back Licensing Requirements for Australia, UK to Promote Trade, Innovation
The United States has scaled down its export control rules for Australia and the United Kingdom to advance defense trade and innovation among the three countries. The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, which released the interim final rule Thursday to govern trade flow for the AUKUS partners, estimated that the change would...
US Treasury Seeks to Enhance Foreign Investment Committee’s Compliance, Enforcement Powers
The Department of the Treasury has proposed boosting the authorities of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which reviews foreign investment in U.S. businesses for national security concerns. In a proposed rulemaking notice released on Thursday, the department said the changes would help CFIUS accomplish its national security mission while supporting the...
NATO Adopts New Force Augmentation Concept Offering More Flexibility to Allies
NATO’s North Atlantic Council has approved a new framework providing more flexibility for partner nations to augment the alliance’s forces. The concept, dubbed Partners Augmentation Forces to NATO, was announced at the opening of the Military Strategic Partnership Conference scheduled from April 8 to 12 in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, National Defense Magazine reported Tuesday. NATO’s Allied...
Norway Responds to ‘Deteriorating’ Security Environment With Increased Defense Spending Plan
Norway wants to increase defense spending in preparation for a potential conflict with Russia. “As our security environment is deteriorating, we need to spend more on and pay more attention to defense and preparedness,” said Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, the country’s minister of finance. Under the Norwegian government’s long-term defense plan, about $60 billion will be invested over...
US, 4 Other Countries to Lead Work on Global Military AI Guardrails
The United States, Canada, Portugal, Bahrain and Austria will spearhead a one-year program to seek new safety standards for military use of artificial intelligence and automated systems. Breaking Defense reported that the countries were chosen during the inaugural plenary meeting of delegates from 46 out of the 53 countries that endorsed the U.S. Political Declaration...
Defense Industry Seeks Clarification on Ottawa’s Arms Export Freeze to Israel
Canadian arms exporters to Israel with permits approved before Jan. 8 can proceed with the transaction, even as Canada’s House of Commons passed on March 18 a measure temporarily halting such sales over human rights concerns from Tel Aviv’s military actions in Gaza. The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, however, still wants specific...