While the world watches Israel and Iran, Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine is at a crossroads. More than two years since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the situation on the eastern front now looks dire, with Ukrainian defenders running out of ammunition fast and Western unity in question. The Czech Republic has a plan that could help resupply Ukrainian forces with artillery shells. Earlier this year, many believed the war in Ukraine was reaching a stalemate. However, such assumptions now appear unfounded, much to the detriment of the Ukrainians. The conflict has evolved into a ..read more

The Australian arm of defense company Lockheed Martin said it inked a contract to build the country’s Joint Air Battle Management System, considered foundational to the intercept of hostile missiles and aircraft. The deal for JABMS, which will supply the command-and-control architecture for the country’s future air defense, is valued at AUD $500 million, or about U.S. $320 million, Lockheed Martin Australia said April 24. Lockheed last year bested rival Northrop Grumman to lead Australia’s closely related AIR6500-1 effort. The endeavors have together been likened to the U.S. military’s vision ..read more

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Defense Innovation Unit is working quickly to determine how and where to spend the nearly $1 billion Congress provided in March through the fiscal 2024 appropriations act. The $983 million allocation, nearly $800 more than what DIU received last year, will support the growing organization’s mission to help the Defense Department quickly foster and field commercial capabilities in large numbers, according to DIU director Doug Beck. Due to prolonged budget deliberations in Congress that delayed the release of appropriations, DIU’s funding came more than five months into t ..read more

The U.S. may grant Australia and Britain a long-sought export control carveout for AUKUS in the coming months, but not as fast as some lawmakers wish while they wait on a congressionally mandated certification the State Department must issue first. The three AUKUS allies view an Australian and British carveout to the International Traffic in Arms Regulation, or ITAR, as crucial to facilitating a key pillar of the trilateral pact to jointly develop advanced defense technologies like quantum computing, artificial intelligence and hypersonic weapons. When the State Department, which oversees ITAR ..read more

The U.S. Army is revising its artificial intelligence bill of materials effort following meetings with defense contractors. The service last year floated the idea of an AI BOM, which would be similar to existing software bills, or comprehensive lists of components and dependencies that comprise programs and digital goods. Such practices of transparency are championed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other organizations. The Army is now pivoting to an “AI summary card,” according to Young Bang, the principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and te ..read more

A Turkish military vessel set sail April 8 for a nearly five-month deployment to Japan and other nearby countries. The navy deployed its Ada-class corvette TCG Kinaliada to both celebrate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Japan, as well as commemorate the 134th anniversary of the sinking of the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul during a typhoon following its visit to Japan. But there’s a deeper message behind the ship’s eastward trip, experts told Defense News, one that could see Turkey’s defense industry gain a greater foothold in Asia. The Asia Anew Initiative, which Tu ..read more

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — China has disbanded and replaced its Strategic Support Force, a pivotal component of the People’s Liberation Army’s modernization efforts. The Strategic Support Force, or SSF, was created on Dec. 31, 2015. It existed for a little more than eight years. After China dissolved the SSF on April 19, it established an Information Support Force, with President Xi Jinping present at its investiture ceremony in Beijing the same day. Its first commander is Lt. Gen. Bi Yi, a former deputy commander of the SSF. The Information Support Force is directly subordinate to the Centra ..read more

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