Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the Royal Thai Navy sign their first contract: IAI will supply its advanced MINI-POP sensors for the Navys patrol vessels

On the same subject

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  February 18, 2019 | International, C4ISR

  Leonardo DRS joins UAE-based firm to support key projects of the country’s armed forces

  By: Chirine Mouchantaf BEIRUT — Leonardo DRS' land electronics unit has signed an agreement with the International Golden Group based in the United Arab Emirates to support key projects for the country's armed forces. As part of the settlement, U.S.-based Leonardo DRS will establish an innovative engineering and support facility in IGG's industrial park in Abu Dhabi to support projects and assist in hiring and training locals to fill new high-tech manufacturing positions, the company said in a statement. “Leonardo has a long history in working to support the armed forces of the UAE, and this partnership within our subsidiary and IGG has us very excited," Lorenzo Mariani, Leonardo chief commercial officer, told Defense News The two parties are expected to collaborate on advanced communication systems integration in support of tactical C4I projects, as well as onboard vehicle power systems that provide combat vehicles with up to 120 kilowatts of mobile electrical power for complex C4ISR systems, mobile command posts, radars, weapon systems and other power-hungry expeditionary capabilities. “The high technology of Leonardo DRS and the capabilities of IGG will lead to next-level products for the country's armed forces now and well into the future,” Mariani added. The agreement deepens an already strong relationship between Leonardo DRS and the government of the UAE. In 2017, Leonardo and IGG signed a strategic collaboration agreement to supply cybersecurity capabilities in the UAE, and to identify and implement advanced solutions including security operations centers. The agreement's aim was to integrate the solutions and market knowledge offered by IGG with Leonardo's state-of-the-art know-how in a long-term strategic and international partnership. Bill Guyan, vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS land electronics unit, considers the Emirati-American military relationship a robust one full of new growth potential over the next few years. “The recent growth of the Leonardo DRS land electronics business in the UAE has produced this natural next step. We are proud to lay down enduring roots and a strong business presence and remain committed to the success of our UAE customer and UAE Vision 2021,” he said, referring to the country's effort to prioritize health care, economic competitiveness, sustainable infrastructure, education, a cohesive society and an improved judiciary. “We are eager to work with IGG to provide the guidance, technology and support required to increase interoperability between the U.S. and Emirati forces, allowing them to strategically operate more closely,” he added. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/idex/2019/02/15/leonardo-drs-joins-uae-based-firm-to-support-key-projects-of-the-countrys-armed-forces/

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  August 19, 2024 | International, C4ISR, Security

  Joint ODNI, FBI, and CISA Statement on Iranian Election Influence Efforts | CISA

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  June 17, 2019 | International, Other Defence

  Here’s how many nuclear warheads exist, and which countries own them

  By: Kelsey Reichmann WASHINGTON — The number of warheads has decreased over the past year, even as countries continue to modernize their nuclear forces, according to an annual assessment of global nuclear arms. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute released the SIPRI Yearbook 2019 on the current state of armaments, disarmament and international security. The report found that 13,865 warheads in existence at the start of 2019 were owned by nine nations: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. The year before hosted an arsenal of 14,465 warheads. “A key finding is that despite an overall decrease in the number of nuclear warheads in 2018, all nuclear weapon-possessing states continue to modernize their nuclear arsenals,” Jan Eliasson, SIPRI Governing Board chair ambassador and former deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, said in a news release. The U.S. and Russia were the only nations that decreased their warhead inventory, by 265 and 350 respectively, according to the report. The U.K., China, Pakistan, North Korea and possibly Israel all increased their number of warheads, SIPRI found. India and France saw no changes to the size of their arsenals. One big cause of the decrease in arsenal size, according to SIPRI, is the implementation of the New START Treaty between the U.S. and Russia, meant to reduce and set limits on ballistic missiles. The two nations produce more than 90 percent of the world's nuclear arms. The U.S. and Russia announced in 2018 that they had met the limits of the New START Treaty. But if an extension is not implemented, the treaty will expire in 2021. What's the United States up to? The U.S. is in the process of modernizing its nuclear arsenal per the Trump administration 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, which put forth measures to continue a modernization program started by the Obama administration. However, the NPR moves away from reducing nuclear weapons and instead sets a plan to develop new versions while and modifying others. The U.S. hopes to achieve its goals by expanding nuclear options to include low-yield nuclear weapons, which will expand capabilities associated with submarine-launched ballistic missiles. This would add to a U.S. arsenal that already contains 1,000 gravity bombs and air-launched cruise missiles with low-yield warhead options, according to the SIPRI report. The NPR claims these new capabilities are necessary without evidence that the existing arsenal is insufficient. The SIPRI report notes that America's focus on its nonstrategic nuclear arsenal could push other nations in that same direction. Where does Russia stand? “Russia's decisions about the size and composition of its non-strategic nuclear arsenal appear to be driven by the USA's superiority in conventional forces and not by the US non-strategic nuclear arsenal or by weapons yield," according to the SIPRI report. "Instead, pursuit of a new [submarine-launched cruise missile] to ‘provide a needed non-strategic regional presence' in Europe and Asia could — especially when combined with the parallel expansion of US long-range conventional strike capabilities — strengthen Russia's reliance on non-strategic nuclear weapons and potentially could even trigger Chinese interest in developing such a capability,” the report adds. SIPRI data shows Russia has about 4,330 nuclear warheads; approximately 1,830 of them are categorized as nonstrategic. In 2018, Russia continued long-range operations over the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans. And in December, it also sent to Venezuela two Tu-160 planes, which are part of its long-range aviation command fleet. Russia also fired air-launched cruise missiles from a Tu-160 bomber over northern Russia in November, which caught attention because the number of cruise missiles launched. Meanwhile, in China, India and Pakistan ... China has an estimated 290 nuclear warheads. Though China is working to expand its nuclear forces, the report notes, it has said it's committed to a no-first-use policy. However, the report added that China has taken steps to improve its retaliation response. Rivals India and Pakistan each provide little information about the size of their nuclear arsenals. However, they have made separate statements about missile tests. India has an estimated 130-140 warheads, and Pakistan has an estimated 150-160 warheads. Both nations are estimated to have increased their arsenal by 10 to 20 warheads in the last year. North Korea has provided little transparency about it nuclear weapons capabilities, besides announcing missile tests afterward. It's estimated the country has 20-30 warheads, which would be an increase of 10-20 warheads from a 2018 estimate. The SIPRI report cites a lack of transparency from most nations in regard to nuclear stockpiles. The U.S., the U.K. and France have disclosed some information about their respective arsenals. Information from other nations is mainly based on missile tests and the supply of military fissile materials. https://www.defensenews.com/global/2019/06/16/heres-how-many-nuclear-warheads-exist-and-which-countries-own-them/