The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is imposing sanctions on companies and individuals based in the Middle East and East Asia for the export of American and foreign-made components to support Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle production. In a notice published Tuesday, OFAC named Iran-based Hossein Hatefi Ardakani, Mehdi Dehghani Mohammadabadi...
Category: Asia
US Approves Proposed $59M Sale of Tactical Missiles to Japan
The Department of State has approved a proposed $59 million foreign military sale of AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II tactical missiles to Japan. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Tokyo wants to purchase 44 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block IIs and 29 AIM-9X Sidewinder captive air training missiles. The deal also involves providing Japan with missile containers,...
North Korean Hackers Launch New Global Espionage Campaign, Cybersecurity Researchers Say
Cisco Talos has uncovered a new cyber hacking campaign it has named “Operation Blacksmith.” Its researchers traced the activity to the North Korean Lazarus Group, regarded as an advanced persistent threat for its malicious cyber activities. The company said the hackers target the vulnerabilities of manufacturing, agricultural and physical security enterprises around the world using...
US, Singapore Seek to Resolve Supply Chain Disruptions Threatening Defense Capabilities
The Department of Defense has signed an agreement with Singapore to address supply chain challenges better. Under the security of supply arrangement, the DOD and the Singapore Ministry of Defense will collaborate to meet their critical defense needs mutually. The bilateral deal will also enable the agencies to resolve disruptions threatening defense capabilities and promote...
US, Korea Inaugural Tech Dialog Pinpoints Collaboration Areas
The United States and South Korea identified areas for enhanced cooperation between their governments, industry and academia during the inaugural U.S.-ROK Next Generation Critical and Emerging Technologies dialog held in Seoul on Friday. The collaboration will grant preferential access to U.S. and South Korean researchers on advanced technology nodes to help expand joint research and...
Defense Allies Meet in Berlin to Discuss Advancing Space Collaboration
The Department of Defense attended the Combined Space Operations Initiative Principals Board meeting in Berlin, Germany, where participants discussed opportunities to advance operational cooperation and information sharing in space. The event brought together top defense officials from the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. For the 2023 edition, CSpO...
US Eases Some Security Controls on Exports to Allies
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security has eased some export license requirements and expanded export license exceptions for key U.S. allies. One of the BIS measures released on Thursday removes export curbs on certain pathogens and toxins of interest to Australia Group member countries but are not under Chemical Weapons Convention...
Anti-Drone Solutions Company SkySafe Secures 6th Order From Asia
SkySafe, an airspace security company based in San Diego, California, has received an order for an anti-drone solution from an Asian country, its sixth contract award from the region. The anti-drone system uses advanced radio frequency technology, reverse engineering and deep threat analysis, enabling the operator to pinpoint the location of both the airborne drone...
US Imposes New Round of Sanctions on Russian Federation Procurement Agent
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed new sanctions on a Belgian businessman and his companies for the export of electronics in support of the Russian military. According to OFAC, Hans De Geetere serves as a director of several companies in Belgium, Cyprus and the Netherlands. He is a long-time...
Poland Adds $2.6B Worth of K9 Self-Propelled Howitzers From Hanwha
Poland is acquiring over 150 more K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers from South Korea. On Friday, Poland’s State Armament Agency said it signed a contract valued at $2.6 billion with South Korean defense company Hanwha Aerospace for the 155 mm artillery. The agreement includes six self-propelled K9 howitzers that Hanwha Defense is scheduled to deliver in 2025 and 146...










