French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu said France wants a new iteration of the European Union’s Act in Support of Ammunition Production, Defense News reported. The European Commission provided $540 million in funding ASAP to boost the supply of defense material among European allies. Lecornu disclosed Paris’ call for a new ASAP-like program in a...
Category: National Security
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Greece to Invest $27B in Military Overhaul, Prioritizes High-Tech Warfare
Greece has announced a $27 billion defense modernization plan over the next decade, focusing on advanced warfare technologies. According to an AP News report, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said a key element of the overhaul is the Achilles Shield air defense system, developed primarily in response to regional tensions with Turkey. He added that Greece...
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Saab Expands EW Sensor Manufacturing Capability, Finland Presence With New Factory
Swedish defense firm Saab has inaugurated a new factory in Finland to mass-produce the Sirius Compact passive electronic warfare sensor. The facility has started large-batch manufacturing of the EW component, with customer deliveries expected to start within April. “Our product-focused research and development work enables efficient production and a product-driven business model. This enables fast...
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More Chinese AI Technology Entities Land in US Blacklist
The United States government has added 80 new companies to its Entity List that threaten U.S. national security or foreign policy. Listed entities must secure a licensing requirement for any export, reexport, or in-country transfer of items. The U.S. mission in China said the Bureau of Industry and Security‘s updated list includes 11 from China...
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US Imposes Sanctions on Iranian Weapons Procurement Network
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Department of Justice have imposed sanctions on six entities and two individuals in Iran, the United Arab Emirates and China for procuring unmanned aerial vehicle components for Qods Aviation Industries, a key manufacturer of Iran’s drone program, and other industrial entities. The...
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CFIUS Approves Cerebras Systems Shares Sale to UAE-Based AI Firm G42
Cerebras Systems, an American artificial intelligence chip developer, has received clearance from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to sell shares to Group 42, Cerebras CEO and founder Andrew Feldman said. G42 is a Microsoft-backed AI company based in the United Arab Emirates. “We thank @POTUS for making America the best place...
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US OKs $5.6B Sale of F-16 Fighter Jets to the Philippines
The United States has approved the possible sale of F-16 aircraft to the Philippines. Lockheed Martin will be the principal contractor under the potential Foreign Military Sales deal worth up to $5.6 billion. The potential FMS transaction covers the purchase of 16 F-16C Block 70/72 aircraft and four F-16D Block 70/72 aircraft and the delivery...
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Kongsberg to Set Up New F-35 Maintenance Facility in Norway
Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services and the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency have signed a new contract to address the maintenance and future upgrade needs of Norway’s F-35 fleet. The agreement will last up to 15 years and will see the construction of a new facility where Kongsberg will perform maintenance, upgrades, modifications and enhancements. The 5,000-square-meter...
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L3Harris to Supply Netherlands With Advanced Radios
L3Harris Technologies has secured a contract from the Dutch Ministry of Defence to deliver advanced Falcon IV radios for its FOXTROT program. The deal, a Foreign Military Sales transaction with a maximum value of $1.1 billion, is part of Amsterdam’s efforts to improve interoperability with partners and allies worldwide. It gained U.S. government approval in...
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Databricks Upskills Australian State Workforce in AI
Databricks, a data and artificial intelligence company, has created a set of programs to upskill workers in Australia’s state government agencies amid the increasing adoption of AI-powered tools in the region. The programs will benefit more than 100 workers in Queensland and New South Wales, who will receive Databricks certification and accreditation after completing the...