The Italian government has earmarked $10.38 billion of its 2024 budget of $23.3 billion for defense procurement, up 16.8 percent from 2023. According to Defense News, the budget provides $7.8 billion to acquire 15 F-35As and 10 F-35Bs, bringing Italy’s F-35 fleet to 115 aircraft. The report said the Italian Air Force will operate the...
Tag: DOD/Defense
AUKUS Members Seeking to Expand Collaboration With Other Allies to Advance Military Capabilities
The AUKUS trilateral security partnership, which involves the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, is now in its third year and is seeking collaboration with Canada, New Zealand and South Korea under its second pillar. Pillar 2 focuses on strengthening cooperation in critical technologies, including cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and hypersonics, to...
US, Allies Agree to Strengthen Cooperation in the Arctic to Deter Russian Military Activities
Air force leaders from the United States, Sweden and Norway have highlighted the need to boost technology innovation, domain awareness and collaboration in the Arctic amid a Russian military buildup in the polar region. In a panel discussion during the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Tuesday, U.S. Air Forces in Europe...
British Army Receives Five Saab TAIPAN Weapon Locating Systems
The British Army’s 5th Regiment Royal Artillery has received its order of five TAIPAN next-generation artillery hunting radar systems from Saab. Andy Fraser, group managing director at Saab UK, highlighted how the latest delivery continues the defense contractor’s long working relationship with the military service. Under the deal, the company will also provide maintenance and...
Kongsberg Expands Missile Production Capacity With New US Factory
Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace plans to build a U.S. missile production facility in James City County, Virginia, following the Norwegian company’s establishment of a similar factory in Australia. The Pennsylvania facility will be equipped to assemble, upgrade and repair Naval Strike Missile and Joint Strike Missile. It was established on Kongsberg’s expectation that it could...
Report: US Defense Department Needs to Enhance Acquisition-Related International Collaborations
Mitre, a research and development innovation partner to the U.S. and international organizations, has urged the Department of Defense to boost international collaboration in defense acquisitions, noting that the program offices responsible for developing new military systems generally do so in isolation from allies who would fight alongside American forces. In a newly published paper,...
US OKs Japan Order for KC-46A Refueling Aircraft
The U.S. Department of State has authorized the Japanese government’s request to acquire aerial refueling aircraft and related equipment under the Foreign Military Sales program. The contract, with an estimated value of $4.1 billion, will see Japan acquire several major defense equipment: up to nine KC-46A aircraft, up to 18 PW4062 turbofan engines, up to...
US State Department Authorizes Romania’s $7.2B F-35A Lightning II FMS Request
The U.S. Department of State has approved Romania’s request to buy 32 units of the F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter conventional takeoff and landing aircraft variant and 33 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines. The potential foreign military sale, worth $7.2 billion, also includes Identification Friend or Foe equipment; secure communications, precision navigation and cryptographic...
Leonardo DRS Named Principal Contractor for Israel’s Potential $164M Heavy-Duty Tank Trailer Procurement
Leonardo DRS will be the principal contractor of a potential foreign military sale of heavy-duty tank trailers and related equipment to the Israeli government. The proposed deal, worth $164.6 million, has secured Department of State approval, allowing Israel to procure more HDTT units and equipment in addition to the previously approved FMS request for the...
Adm. Rob Bauer: NATO, Indo-Pacific Allies to Boost Military Partnerships
The military cooperation between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand “will further intensify” to deter adversarial moves by Russia and China, Royal Netherlands Navy Adm. Rob Bauer said on Tuesday. In his keynote address at the opening of the Seoul Defense Dialogue in South Korea, Bauer, who serves as...