All articles tagged with #defensetechnology
Airbus has partnered with Northrop Grumman in a bid to secure the SkyNet military satellite contract. The collaboration aims to leverage Northrop Grumman's expertise in satellite systems and Airbus' experience in the aerospace industry. The SkyNet contract is a significant opportunity for both companies to provide advanced satellite capabilities for military communications.
Chinese drone manufacturer DJI's products continue to be sold to Russian entities linked to Moscow's war effort in Ukraine, despite DJI's previous announcement to stop doing business in Russia and Ukraine. Research shows that DJI's low-cost drones are being purchased by Russian companies and training centers associated with the military-industrial complex, with some openly stating that they are training Russian military personnel for the war in Ukraine. The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of Chinese efforts to restrict the sale of drones and other dual-use technologies, as Ukrainian imports have sharply fallen while Russian imports remain strong. The flow of Chinese-made drones to Russia is aiding the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine and contributing to the ongoing conflict.
NATO is conducting exercises off the coast of Portugal to test underwater sea drones equipped with artificial intelligence, aiming to detect and deter suspicious activity near critical underwater infrastructure. The exercises involve over 2,000 personnel from NATO members and Sweden, focusing on integrating maritime unmanned systems and testing new technologies. The move comes after intentional bombings of Nord Stream pipelines last year, raising concerns about monitoring and deterring attacks on underwater infrastructure. NATO is particularly concerned about underwater cables carrying financial transactions and internet traffic, as well as pipelines transporting oil and gas. The alliance aims to improve information sharing and response capabilities to detect and respond to threats in real time.
Ukrainian aerospace firm Antonov is expanding its drone manufacturing capabilities in response to Russia's invasion, according to a presentation by Ukraine's defense group Ukroboronprom. The move aligns with Ukraine's goal of becoming a global drone hub and diversifying its core cargo plane business. Antonov's new drone center aims to enhance unmanned systems manufacturing capabilities and support private unmanned systems manufacturers. The expertise gained from cargo plane manufacturing could also be applied to long-distance drones, potentially enabling Ukraine's armed forces to strike deeper into Russian territory. The restructuring at Ukroboronprom is part of Ukraine's broader plan to invest in the defense sector and develop the post-war economy.
Ukrainian steelworks company, Metinvest, has been producing remarkably realistic decoy weapons, including replicas of American and European killing technology, to save Ukrainian lives and trick Russian forces into wasting expensive drones, shells, and missiles. These decoys, made from a combination of cheap plywood and metal, are designed to look worthy of attack without the hefty price tag. The company's goal is to have the decoys destroyed quickly, forcing the Russians to spend money on destroying them. The success of each decoy is measured by how long it survives in the field, with the company constantly improving and expanding its catalog of fake weaponry.
Taiwanese private companies are shifting into the defense sector and manufacturing weapons as China's military power grows and tensions rise in the Asia Pacific region. Taiwan's military, under pressure to match China's military capacity, is loosening procurement rules to allow private companies to develop dual-use technologies for its military. U.S. defense contractors are also exploring ways to manufacture noncore components of their weapons systems in Taiwan. However, progress is slow due to bureaucratic processes and concerns over intellectual property and security vulnerabilities. Taiwanese companies argue that making arms and defense equipment is a natural step for the world's foremost semiconductor manufacturing base.
Russia is reportedly making progress in its efforts to mass produce a type of Iranian attack drone, the Shahed-136, that could travel over 1,000 miles and target Ukrainian cities, according to documents obtained by the Washington Post. Despite delays and sanctions impacting the acquisition of necessary components from other countries, Russia is working on its own version of the drone. The documents reveal plans to build a drone factory in the Tatarstan region and manufacture 6,000 drones by the summer of 2025. Russia aims to improve the drone's capabilities, including the ability to launch coordinated "swarm attacks" on targets. The White House has previously accused Russia of deepening its cooperation with Iran and receiving hundreds of Iranian drones, which violates a UN Security Council resolution.
Iran has announced that it possesses the technology to build a supersonic cruise missile, a development that is likely to raise concerns among Western nations about Tehran's missile capabilities. The country claims that intercepting a cruise missile flying at supersonic speeds is extremely difficult, and the new weapon is currently undergoing testing. Despite opposition from the US and Europe, Iran has stated its intention to further develop its defensive missile program. Western military analysts, however, caution that Iran may sometimes exaggerate its missile capabilities.
Inspired by Ukraine's successful use of drones in its war with Russia, Taiwan's president is exploring the use of drones to counter China's military advantage. A briefing report highlighted how Ukraine cleverly used drones to create partial air supremacy, prompting Taiwan to consider similar tactics.
Inspired by Ukraine's successful use of drones in its war with Russia, Taiwan is launching a drone blitz to counter China's overwhelming drone arsenal. Taiwan currently lags behind China in drone capabilities, with only four types of drones and a fleet size of just "hundreds" compared to China's arsenal of over 50 drone types and tens of thousands of drones. Under the "Drone National Team" program, Taiwan is recruiting commercial drone makers and aviation firms to fast-track the building of a self-sufficient drone supply chain. The aim is to build over 3,200 military drones by mid-2024. Taiwan's strategy is to rely on a large number of smaller, mobile, and lethal weapons systems to deter China, rather than acquiring a small number of vulnerable big-ticket weapons.