May 12, 2024 | International, Land
US Army sends HIMARS rocket launcher island-hopping in the Philippines
The U.S. Army and its joint partners rapidly transported and operated HIMARS rocket launchers across the Philippines during Balikatan 2024.
February 15, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security
Germany moves to protect its military-cyber industry
Sebastian Sprenger
MUNICH — A new German strategy document declares defense-related cyber technologies as key national assets, affording the domestic sector some protection from international competition.
Government officials made the move with the publication of a paper this week outlining the types of technology Berlin wants to buy at home, in Europe or from global vendors. The designation of a key technology means the government can sidestep European Union rules requiring public acquisitions be open to companies throughout the bloc.
The areas of artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, networked operations and cryptology, and defense-related information and communications technology are in the category deemed so crucial to national security that the government wants to keep the sector healthy.
“A technological challenge for our security and defense lies in the area of digitalization and artificial intelligence,” read the strategy document, issued by the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
“Maintaining cybersecurity is the prerequisite for the digital advancement of the state, the economy and society, and it is equally important for the sovereignty of Germany and Europe,” it added.
The new designation of cyber technologies as worthy of special protection sets up a delicate dance between maintaining a national industrial ecosystem while remaining true to the idea of a European Union with a single market.
German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said her agency remains focused on cyber capabilities from a European perspective. For example, officials are working to ensure the relevant U.K. authorities remain plugged into EU networks after Brexit.
The bloc, she said, must increase its cooperation on cyber issues, or risk falling behind China and the United States, Kramp-Karrenbauer said at the Munich Security Conference on Thursday.
Germany's contributions to the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force drives the country's plans for fielding a new information backbone for the land forces of the Bundeswehr, she said. In that context, officials have begun studying new approaches to managing the electricity required to power new communications kit on the battlefield, the minister added.
It remains to be seen how the government will use the new strategy document on key national technologies to make investment decisions, said Matthias Wachter, a defense analyst with the Federation of German Industries, or BDI.
For example, the stated domestic preference in electronic-warfare technology will be put to the test with the Air Force's upcoming buy of new aircraft for electronic warfare, Wachter said. In the running are the Airbus-made Eurofighter as a local option and the Boeing F-18 Growler from the United States.
“There is nothing legally binding” in the new document, the analyst said, which means the decision could go either way. “But if you take the paper seriously, the Growler would be out.”
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March 11, 2022 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Le Danemark se réarme et veut s’impliquer dans la défense européenne
La première ministre danoise, Mette Frederiksen, a annoncé son intention d'organiser un référendum le 1er juin prochain sur la levée de l'exemption à la politique de défense européenne obtenue par Copenhague en 1993, en vertu de laquelle le Danemark, membre de l'OTAN, ne contribue pas aux missions militaires conduites par l'UE, ni à l'Agence européenne de défense. Il s'agit d'un changement historique dans la politique de sécurité du royaume. « La place du Danemark est au cœur de l'Europe, et nous sommes prêts à apporter notre contribution de tout cœur, sans réserve » a déclaré la première ministre le 6 mars. Le Figaro du 10 mars
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January 11, 2019 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR
A spy satellite revolution?
By JACQUELINE KLIMAS Small, lower cost satellites are beginning to gain traction among intelligence agencies, says a top industry executive. National security agencies are steadily testing out more small satellites before committing to new constellations of the lower-cost alternatives, according to Bill Gattle, the president of Space and Intelligence Systems at the Harris Corporation. “We're seeing a lot more acceleration, certainly in the intelligence community, on their willingness to adopt it. We've certainly seen some things out of Army,” said Gattle, a former program director of terrestrial communications and director of engineering for defense programs at the Pentagon. “It's moved from ... customers being intrigued to believing it's worthy of a demo.” Small satellites are typically no bigger than a refrigerator and weigh less than 180 kilograms, according to a NASA fact sheet. By comparison, some of the largest satellites are the size of a school bus. The reduced size means small satellites are typically cheaper but less capable than their larger counterparts. To make up for that gap, small sats can be launched in a constellation of tens or even hundreds of satellites, networked together, making the entire system more resilient if one goes offline. At the beginning of 2018, Harris had three customers for its small sats. A year later, it has five government customers under contract for 17 small satellites. One of those is for an Army communications satellite, Gattle said, though the company could not provide additional details. That doesn't mean there's been universal acceptance. Even Gattle acknowledges there are hurdles the small satellite industry needs to overcome to see sustained growth in the military and intelligence market. “How do you get the data quickly from the satellite to the war fighter who needs it?” Gattle said. “It doesn't help you to know a missile landed five minutes ago. You have to have the timeline be very quick and you need need a communications backbone ... which will be pivotal to how fast this grows.” Gattle also talked about the launch of Harris' first small satellite last month, how the company is going on a hiring spree and what 2019 has in store for the industry. Full article: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/09/satellites-bill-gattle-national-security-1089126