May 2, 2022 | International, Aerospace
Les autorités de Kiev ont appelé à limiter l'utilisation des drones DJI, affirmant que les problèmes techniques de ces appareils pourraient avoir été intentionnellement provoqués par le fabricant chinois pour saboter les défenses du pays. Si la société chinoise, DJI Technology, le plus grand fabricant de drone au monde, nie les accusations selon lesquelles elle a joué un rôle dans l'invasion russe, le gouvernement ukrainien appelle à ne plus utiliser ces drones à la suite de nombreux dysfonctionnements, alors que les forces russes se serviraient de ces technologies sur le front. La controverse autour de DJI a renforcé les préoccupations de longue date de certains décideurs et régulateurs américains en matière de sécurité nationale, à savoir que la Chine contrôle une technologie commerciale qui a aussi clairement des applications militaires. Les adversaires de DJI à Washington font pression pour l'adoption d'un projet de loi proposé par des parlementaires républicains qui ouvrirait la voie à l'interdiction, pour les appareils du fabricant chinois, d'utiliser l'infrastructure de communication américaine. A l'opposé, plus d'une demi-douzaine de startups américaines ont vu en Ukraine une opportunité à ne pas rater et ont déclaré avoir donné ou vendu leurs drones et leurs systèmes de défense anti-drones à l'Ukraine. Depuis le mois dernier, BRINC Drones, établi à Seattle, a fait don de 10 drones à l'Ukraine et en a vendu environ 50 autres pour aider le pays à se défendre, et Skydio, de la Silicon Valley, a offert plusieurs dizaines de drones au ministère ukrainien de la Défense, et des centaines d'autres ont été vendus à des organisations non gouvernementales et à des gouvernements soutenant l'Ukraine. Ces startups, dont la clientèle se compose essentiellement de l'armée et des agences de sécurité publique, affirment que leurs produits offrent une sécurité supérieure, en comparaison avec les drones DJI.
L'Opinion et le Wall Street Journal du 26 avril
November 7, 2023 | International, Naval
The commander of Naval Submarine Forces believes he can get submarine maintenance back on track and readiness rates up to the 80% goal by late FY27.
October 5, 2018 | International, Land
By: Tom Kington ROME – Italy's new populist government has halted plans for a new missile defense system amid reports it will reduce defense procurements in 2019 to help fund welfare spending and tax cuts. This week, the defense ministry withdrew a request it had sent to parliament for permission to acquire the CAMM-ER missile system, built by European missile house MBDA and due to cost €545 million, or $626 million. The surprise U-turn on the program comes as Rome searches for funds to support a program of cash benefits for the poor and the jobless, pension boosts and tax cuts promised when the government took office in June. “There are real fears for procurement spending, with some predicting that €1 billion will be trimmed from procurements next year,” said an Italian defense-industry source who asked not to be named. Italy's defense procurement spending stood at €4.7 billion ($5.4 billion) in 2017, combining €2.1 billion from defense ministry coffers and €2.6 billion from Italy's Ministry for Economic Development. After inconclusive elections in March, the Five Star and League parties combined to form Italy's first populist government in June and announced their 2019 budget last week. It includes €10 billion for a so-called “citizen's wage," which Reuters reported amounts to a €780-per-month subsidy for the poorest Italians. The generous budget will push Italy's budget deficit up to 2.4 percent, arousing the wrath of European Union officials given the country's €2.4 trillion debt pile. Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported that during budget talks the head of the Five Star party warned Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta that he would not agree on the launch of the CAMM-ER program this year. The report was denied by the government, but on Oct. 1 the request to parliament for approval of the purchase, which had been submitted on Aug. 10, was withdrawn, leaving it unclear whether it would be resubmitted. The Common Anti-air Modular Missile – Extended Range, to give it its full name, is a surface-to-air, short-and medium-range missile defense system. It is a variant of a similar weapon sold by manufacturer MBDA to the UK. Another sign of uncertainty hanging over Italy's defense spending is the absence so far this year of a three-year budget plan. Usually, in the spring, Italy's defense ministry publishes details of the current year's budget, with amounts listed per program, as well as budget predictions for the next two years. That document has yet to be published this year, suggesting a delay in calculating what funds can be made available in the coming years. The total government budget is now being nailed down for 2019, which will contain the top-line defense spending for next year. As such, next year's defense allocation may be discussed in parliament as early as next week. Meanwhile, the government has given conflicting signals about its commitments to the F-35 program, with defense minister Trenta suggesting Italy would stick to its order of 90 aircraft, before hinting the order would be cut. In a recent blog post, deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio listed the F-35 as one of the projects the former Italian government had wasted money on. The new government so far has not formally telegraphed its interest in the UK's new plan for a fighter program, dubbed Tempest, despite the role to be played in that effort by Italy's Leonardo. The company operates facilities in the UK. However, last week, junior defense minister Angelo Tofalo said Italy “needed to enter the program immediately.” On Wednesday he told Defense News it was important that Italy took a leading role in international programs it joined. “The approach taken in the past has not allowed our country to acquire the know-how required to develop the most advanced technology autonomously. That is what happened, for example, on the F-35,” he said. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/10/04/italy-stalls-on-missile-program-as-budget-cuts-loom
August 31, 2022 | International, C4ISR
Offensive cyber is defined as 'operations intended to project power by the application of force in or through cyberspace,' according to NIST.