The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has awarded Rocket Lab a contract for two dedicated Electron launches to support its Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program, which aims to advance Japan’s space research and technology development initiatives. Both missions will lift off from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, the Long Beach, California-based company said...
Category: North America
Rafael’s Iron Beam Laser Cleared for Export, IDF Deployment in 2025
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Iron Beam high-energy laser weapon is ready for export and expected to be deployed by the Israel Defense Forces by the end of 2025, according to company CEO Yoav Turgeman. In an interview with National Defense during the AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Turgeman said the 100-kilowatt system has completed...
Canada Awards NorthStar Contract to Advance Biodiversity Monitoring
The Canadian Space Agency has awarded NorthStar Earth & Space a contract under its SmartEarth program to develop advanced satellite imaging tools that support Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy and strengthen the country’s ability to monitor biodiversity and forest health. Funded through the agency’s Satellite Mobilization for Biodiversity Action initiative, the project will integrate space-based hyperspectral...
Leidos to Modernize Kazakhstan’s Air Traffic Control System With SkyLine-X Platform
Leidos has signed a contract with Kazakhstan’s air navigation service provider to modernize the Central Asian country’s air traffic control infrastructure using its SkyLine-X Air Traffic Management system. The company said the project covers four air traffic control centers and 21 towers across Kazakhstan. Under the 19-year agreement, Leidos will replace existing hardware and install...
NATO Center Picks Oracle, Druid to Build Secure Private 5G Networks
Oracle and its partner Druid Software have been selected to design, deploy and secure private 5G networks for NATO research, training exercises and cyber defense initiatives. According to Oracle, the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence verified the company’s 5G Security Edge Protection Proxy as a trusted tool for securing roaming communications across allied...
Canada, US Back Five Joint Research Teams to Advance Materials Innovation
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the U.S. National Science Foundation have awarded funding to five joint Canada-U.S. research teams through the Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future initiative. The program supports interdisciplinary collaborations to accelerate materials and molecular design, shorten discovery-to-application timelines, and train the next generation of...
NIST Review: Chinese AI Models Lag US in Security and Performance
A U.S. government review has found that artificial intelligence models from Chinese developer DeepSeek lag behind American counterparts in performance, cost, security and adoption, posing risks for application developers, consumers and national security. The assessment, conducted by the Center for AI Standards and Innovation at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, compared three DeepSeek...
Fujitsu, NVIDIA Expand Partnership to Build Full-Stack AI Infrastructure
Japanese IT company Fujitsu has expanded its collaboration with NVIDIA to develop a full-stack artificial intelligence infrastructure that integrates AI agents to drive industrial transformation. Under the newly announced partnership, the two companies will co-develop an AI computing infrastructure that connects Fujitsu’s Monaka CPU series with NVIDIA’s GPUs via NVLink Fusion technology. The initiative aims...
SNC to Integrate Sensors, Systems on Finland’s Border Surveillance Aircraft
U.S. aerospace and defense firm Sierra Nevada Corp. has received the first Challenger 650 aircraft for Finland’s MVX program at its Maryland integration facility. The jet will be installed with RAPCON-X sensors and systems to strengthen the Finnish Border Guard’s border and maritime surveillance operations. The aircraft, scheduled for delivery beginning in 2027, will enhance...
Treasury Sanctions Iran-Linked Networks Supplying Missile and Radar Components
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated 21 entities and 17 individuals tied to networks procuring sensitive goods for Iran‘s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, or MODAFL. The designations block their property and interests in property under U.S. jurisdiction. According to the Treasury, the networks helped Iran...










