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December 20, 2023 | International, Land

Sweden set to join Canadian-led brigade in Latvia once roadblocks to NATO membership end | CBC News

Canada has more at stake than meets the eye in the long, drawn-out geopolitical drama over Sweden's bid to join NATO.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sweden-nato-canada-latvia-turkey-hungary-1.7064302

On the same subject

  • Rolls-Royce wins Royal Navy’s Type-23 frigate engine contract

    July 8, 2019 | International, Naval

    Rolls-Royce wins Royal Navy’s Type-23 frigate engine contract

    Rolls-Royce has received a contract to perform maintenance on the British Royal Navy's Type-23 frigate fleet engines. Under the £85m contract awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), Rolls-Royce will deliver a comprehensive support package to Spey gas turbines. The contract includes the overhaul of engines, provision of spares, as well as engineering and safety support. Rolls-Royce will overhaul 30 Type-23 engines from the UK and Nato member states, including Belgium, Portugal, and the Netherlands. The MoD stated that overhaul of the turbines is a key initiative as they boost propulsion in the Type-23 frigates and serve as a vital component for anti-submarine warfare. UK Defence Minister Stuart Andrew said: “This £85m contract demonstrates the UK's commitment to modernisation through the maintenance of our formidable Type-23s. “This work continues the British tradition of supporting our closest allies and solidifying our global position as world-leaders in advanced maritime technology and development.” The Type-23 frigates can be used to perform a range of operations such as securing the UK's maritime trade routes east of the Suez Canal, and safeguarding British interests in the South Atlantic. Rolls-Royce will be responsible for project management of the support contract. Scotland-based RWG will undertake the main overhaul and repair work. Rolls-Royce naval fleet services director Matt Nadin said: “This vital support contract builds upon our Rolls-Royce target to achieve and sustain increased Spey engine availability to the Royal Navy and their Nato partners, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Portugal.” The contract is expected to allow the navy to cut costs and time related to overhauls. Rolls-Royce will continue its focus on improving repair schemes, minimising unnecessary work and procuring spares cheaper. https://www.naval-technology.com/news/rolls-royce-wins-royal-navys-type-23-frigate-engine-contract/

  • A lighter, high-tech Abrams tank is taking shape

    June 2, 2024 | International, Land

    A lighter, high-tech Abrams tank is taking shape

    The new M1E3 Abrams' design is underway as the U.S. Army eyes a rapid fielding schedule.

  • Marines look for IBM Watson-like artificial intelligence to plan large-scale wargames

    December 19, 2018 | International, C4ISR

    Marines look for IBM Watson-like artificial intelligence to plan large-scale wargames

    By: Todd South The Marines are looking to big data analysis and potentially an IBM Watson-like machine or software to help conduct complex wargaming and plan for future battles in an immersive environment. The Corps' Program Manager for Wargaming Capability, Col. Ross Monta, told Marine Corps Times that a recent program announcement seeks to “bring advanced analytics, visualization, models and simulation together to create an environment that enables senior leaders” to make a host of decisions. Those range from capabilities for the future force and ways to test operational plans, develop concepts of operations and help provide information to prioritize resources. The announcement is the service's second round of information gathering in four technology areas that include modeling and simulation, wargame design, data services and visualization. The Marines are reviewing white papers submitted from industry in January, February, March and July. They're aiming to have testing begin as early as October. At the 2017 Modern Day Marine Military Expo, then-Lt. Col. Monta spoke on how the Corps was developing a three- to five-year plan for a wargaming center at Marine Corps Base Quantico that would allow planners to conduct 20 wargames a year, including two large-scale, 250-participant exercises. The simulation they sought at the time would provide, “accurate representation of future operating environments, simulate friendly and enemy capabilities” and perform “rapid, in-depth analysis of game-derived data or insights.” The then-head of Marine Corps Systems Command, Brig. Gen. Joseph Shrader, said that wargaming had to get beyond “moving yellow stickies on a map.” At that time the center was capable of conducting about 11 wargame scenarios a year, Monta said. They were looking at partnering advanced simulation capabilities, such as the one they're seeking in the fbo.gov posting, with flesh and blood experts from the Ellis Group think tank to better see high-order, long-term warfighting needs. The head of training systems command, Col. Walt Yates, told Marine Corps Times that the aim was to have ways of using artificial intelligence to run simulations as many as 1,000 times. With those numbers, planners can learn probabilities of victory, casualty expectations and the logistics required to accomplish the mission. Simulation capabilities would allow commanders to run scenarios against future threats to gauge what equipment and tactics are most needed to succeed. These factors would inform planning for everything from buying the next piece of combat gear to how best to deploy forces, Yates said. The big data analysis is just one of a list of items the Corps has been working in recent years to push their wargaming from squad to Marine Expeditionary Force-level, leveraging advances in computing, data analytics, virtual reality, augmented reality and gaming. Beginning this past year, Marines at each of the Corps 24 infantry battalions began fielding Tactical Decision Kits, a combination of laptop, VR goggles and drones that allow small unit leaders to map battle spaces and then run operations plans in VR to rehearse missions. Earlier this year, MARCORSYSCOM officials sought industry input on pushing weapons simulations for live training, force-on-force shooting past the decades old laser technology still in use today. They want shooting systems that more realistically replicate how bullets and other projectiles move and the types of damage they cause. The system that would be able to simulate all weapons and vehicles typically seen in a battalion, which would include at least: M4/M16; M9 or sidearm, the M27 Infantry Automatic Weapon; hand grenades; rocket propelled grenades; Light Anti-Tank Weapon; 60mm mortars; 81mm mortars; Claymore antipersonnel mine; Mk-19 grenade launcher; Russian machine gun; AK-47 variants; M41 TOW; Javelin missile and the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle. It would also allow for immediate after-action review so that trainers and commanders could see where their Marines were aiming, when and how much they fired to strike a target and what damage their opponents caused. https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/12/18/marines-look-for-ibm-watson-like-artificial-intelligence-to-plan-large-scale-wargames

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