Anduril pairs with Korean shipbuilder to design new unmanned platforms

Sur le même sujet

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  17 décembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Finland’s defense minister: Continuity and change in Finnish defense policy

  By: Jussi Niinistö Today we are all adapting to a new security environment, both in Europe and globally. From the Finnish point of view, we can see some continuity and some new elements. After the Cold War ended, Finland did not initiate a massive defense transformation. Even though we started to build interoperability with our NATO partners and participated in crisis management operations, the main focus of the Finnish Defence Forces was always the defense of our own territory. Our consistent policy was to keep our defense strong. The upcoming investments — including four new corvettes for the Navy and replacement of the Finnish Air Force's F-18 fleet — and new defense-related legislation will further strengthen our readiness and national defense. What has changed in our current environment, however, is that other European Union and NATO countries have also started to focus on the defense of their own territory, and NATO's presence is the Baltic Sea region has increased. This has enhanced stability and security in the Baltic Sea region. At the same time, increased presence in our neighborhood has created more training opportunities. Increased cooperation and coordination is also needed because of our geography and a shared security environment, which creates some interdependency. This type of defense cooperation is based on a shared, common interest. Today, the Finnish Defence Forces are more capable and more interoperable than they have ever been. That makes us effective in looking after our own security and a solid partner for other EU member states and NATO countries. For Finland, the European Union has always been a security provider. It is increasingly also a facilitator and enabler of defense cooperation. The union has tools that other organizations lack. The European Defence Fund or promoting military mobility in Europe are just a few examples, and only a beginning, as we are moving from out-of-area crisis management to a more strategic approach to protecting Europe and its citizens. Although all the EU member states have agreed on the direction we are heading, some want to move faster than others. The vision for the future must bring countries together instead of sowing divisions. The more the EU can do for defense, the better for NATO and the trans-Atlantic link. A more capable and integrated Europe is also a stronger trans-Atlantic partner. In this respect, more EU does not mean less NATO. EU and NATO must continue to coordinate their actions on both hard and soft security. I hope this illustrates why we, in Finland, do not see European strategic autonomy as an alternative to NATO or as an alternative to a strong trans-Atlantic link. It is also essential to mention the Nordic Defence Cooperation, which has also adapted to changes in our shared security environment. In November, the Nordic defense ministers adopted a new Vision 2025 for taking our cooperation forward. The vision states that we will improve our defense capability and cooperation in peace, crisis and conflict, and that we will ensure a close Nordic political and military dialogue on security and defense. This regional cooperation supports what we are doing in the EU and together with NATO. During my time as the minister of defense of Finland, we have taken other steps to strengthen the trans-Atlantic link. A prime example is our bilateral defense relationship with the United States. In October 2016, we signed our bilateral statement of intent on defense cooperation. This was later followed by a trilateral statement of intent between Finland, Sweden and the United States in May 2018. The statements of intent speak to both the depth and width of our cooperation, including joint exercises, policy dialogue and materiel cooperation. In the coming years, these links will be further strengthened. We must also keep our minds on the bigger picture. There is a dual challenge: to sustain the vital trans-Atlantic relationship and further strengthen European security. These goals can best be achieved by increasing European capabilities. Europe needs to finds its voice and speak, alongside the United States. Jussi Niinistö is Finland's defense minister. https://www.defensenews.com/outlook/2018/12/10/finlands-defense-minister-continuity-and-change-in-finnish-defense-policy/

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  28 août 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR

  Senate passes $675 billion defense budget bill, with hopes of avoiding funding lapse next month

  By: Leo Shane III WASHINGTON — Senators on Thursday advanced an $857 billion appropriations measure that includes full defense funding for fiscal 2019 and raises hopes that Congress may be able to avoid a government shutdown or short-term budget extension for Pentagon programs this fall. The measure, which passed 85-7, includes money for the departments of defense, health and human services, labor and education. The so-called “minibus” of appropriations bills was touted by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as making America “stronger overseas and right here at home.” Of the total, $675 billion would be set aside for military spending next year, including nearly $68 billion in overseas contingency funds. The levels are in line with the recently adopted defense authorization bill and the budget deal reached by Democrats and Republicans last spring. “The funds meet many of the requirements of our military commanders, equipping and training units to meet and to overcome the most dangerous of emerging global threats,” McConnell said before the vote. “As ever, we are to provide adequate training, weaponry and skills so that Americans always prevail on the battlefield.” Full article: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/08/23/senate-passes-675-billion-defense-budget-bill-with-hopes-of-avoiding-funding-lapse-next-month

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  2 février 2021 | International, Autre défense

  Pentagon awards $30 million contract to boost processing of rare earth elements

  Andrew Eversden WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Department awarded a $30.4 million contract to boost domestic processing of light rare earth elements as part of an effort to become less dependent on China for critical technologies, the department announced Monday, The Pentagon awarded the funds to Lynas Rare Earths Limited, the world's largest rare earth element mining and processing company outside of China. The firm will use the funds to open a processing facility in Hondo, Texas, through its U.S. subsidiary, Lynas USA. The award is part of a broader push by the department to secure its rare earth supply chain, which is threatened by China's dominance in the industry, and move more production to the United States. China is the top producer of rare earth metals, which are a critical piece of defense systems like satellites or the F-35 fighter jet. “The significance of the award is they [the Defense Department] are continuing to march forward and put the pieces of the puzzle back in place so the U.S. will have access to rare earth [elements] to meet national security needs,” said Jeffery Green, president of J.A. Green & Company, a government relations firm that works with the defense industry. If the project is successful, Lynas would be the producer of about a quarter of the world's rare earth oxides, or processed rare earth elements. Increasing domestic production of the metals is critical because they are so widespread. “You'll find these things in almost every major defense system,” Green told C4ISRNET. To counter Chinese dominance, the Pentagon in recent years took steps to bring domestic rare earth production back to the United States. According to Reuters, in April last year the department funded the construction of a Lynas heavy rare earth metals facility in Texas, which it built through a joint venture with Texas-based Blue Line Corporation. In November 2020, the Pentagon announced three Defense Production Act awards with rare earth element producers worth more than $12.5 million in total. The Defense Department's actions on rare earth elements stems from Executive Order 13817, a Trump administration document directing the government to adopt a strategy for critical minerals. “This award aligns with the U.S. government's strategy to ensure secure and reliable supplies of critical minerals under Executive Order 13817 and follows a series of rare earth element actions the Department of Defense has taken in recent years to ensure supply and strengthen defense supply chains,” the department's announcement stated. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/it-networks/2021/02/01/pentagon-awards-30-million-contract-to-boost-processing-of-rare-earth-elements