February 10, 2022 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
La Cour des comptes révèle, dans un rapport publié dimanche soir et consacré à la gestion des participations financières de l'État durant la crise sanitaire, que l''impact de celle-ci sur le patrimoine de l'État dans le secteur de l'aéronautique et de la défense a été très limité. Ce secteur « a bien résisté à la crise en se maintenant à une valeur globale de 8,4 Md€ », indique le rapport. L'évolution du portefeuille de participations financières de l'État dans l'aéronautique et la défense n'a baissé que de 46 M€, passant entre 2019 et 2020 de 8,466 Md€ à 8,420 Md€. Les sociétés du secteur aéronautique ont toutefois enregistré des baisses de leur chiffre d'affaires et de leur résultat opérationnel. La Cour des comptes observe la mobilisation de l'État pendant la crise pour préserver ses intérêts stratégiques dans certaines filières critiques : « Au-delà des entreprises à participation publique, l'État semble désormais élargir son action à la sauvegarde d'entreprise stratégiques dont il n'est pas actionnaire et à la garantie d'une autonomie plus grande dans certaines filières stratégiques, dans une logique de souveraineté économique », souligne le rapport.
La Tribune du 7 février
April 24, 2024 | International, Land
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has committed to the increase of defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030, up from around 2.3% at present.
February 1, 2022 | International, Naval
About 25,000 people work at Newport News Shipbuilding, which builds and refuels all the Navy's aircraft carriers and builds nuclear-powered submarines.
July 8, 2019 | International, Other Defence
By JACK CORRIGAN The Defense Department is considering investing in virtual reality platforms to prepare troops to face nuclear threats. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency on Tuesday began seeking information on virtual reality training systems that would allow troops to rehearse different scenarios involving “radiological threats.” The agency, which focuses on countering weapons of mass destruction, could one day use the tech to train troops to intercept radiological weapons on the battlefield, respond to radioactive contamination and even prepare for full-fledged nuclear war, officials wrote in the solicitation. While virtual and augmented platforms wouldn't entirely replace the agency's current training regimen, they would expose troops to more training exercises than they could ever experience in the real world. Physical training is expensive and time-consuming, but through virtual reality, troops could run through more exercises more frequently and at a lower cost. Under the solicitation, officials are looking for industry to outline their own virtual reality platforms, the hardware required to use them and how environments can be modified to accommodate new exercises. Officials plan to use the information collected under the solicitation to inform potential future acquisitions. Responses are due Aug. 12. This wouldn't be the first time the Pentagon turned to virtual platforms to train troops for real-world scenarios. Last year, Microsoft won a $480 million contract with the Army to adapt its HoloLens augmented reality headsets for use in military training and combat operations. The headsets would be outfitted with artificial intelligence and machine-learning capabilities, and provide troops with “increased lethality, mobility, and situational awareness.” In February, Microsoft employees wrote a letter to executives demanding the company pull out of the contract, saying they “refuse to create technology for warfare and oppression.” The company opted to stand by its partnership with the Pentagon. https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2019/07/pentagon-looks-virtual-reality-prepare-troops-nuclear-war/158227/