Defense
Battle robots, drown swarms, super soldiers, future battle strategies—this page covers the trends and news that will guide the future of defense.
250656
Signals
https://www.techspot.com/news/102675-us-air-force-successfully-tested-ai-controlled-fighter.html
Signals
Techspot
What just happened? In what has been hailed as a milestone moment for artificial intelligence's use in the military, the US Air Force has announced that it successfully tested a modified, AI-controlled fighter jet in a dogfight against human pilots last year. The US Air Force Test Pilot School and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) first started testing a Lockheed Martin X-62A VISTA (Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft) fitted with AI software back in December 2022, part of the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program.
250649
Signals
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/israel-iran-attacks-show-india-needs-stronger-air-and-missile-defence-systems/articleshow/109448246.cms
Signals
Timesofindia
NEW DELHI: Missile defence is technically complex, and very expensive. It's virtually like firing a bullet to stop an incoming bullet. But with the sheer operational criticality of air and missile defence systems being reinforced by the tit-for-tat attacks between Israel and Iran, India needs to majorly crank up efforts to make its airspace as impregnable as possible.
250650
Signals
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/china-ream-04192024043619.html
Signals
Rfa
Cambodia appears to have given the Chinese navy extended and exclusive access to its naval base in Ream despite official claims that they only arrived for training purposes, a U.think tank said. on the arrival of two Chinese corvettes last December, the first foreign warships allowed to dock at the new Chinese-built pier at Ream, Sihanoukville province.
250651
Signals
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3259213/philippines-marcos-jnr-says-any-filipino-death-due-foreign-power-could-activate-defence-treaty-us
Signals
Scmp
The Philippines Learn more The Philippine leader says the US has given its commitment to honour the Mutual Defence Treaty with Manila He says the death of any Filipino serviceman arising from aggression by a 'foreign power' is 'an attack on the Philippines' The Philippines Raissa Robles. The death of any Filipino serviceman in the event of aggression by a "foreign power" in the South China Sea would be enough to invoke a defence treaty between the Philippines and the United States, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has warned.
250652
Signals
https://sofrep.com/news/uks-dragonfire-laser-weapon-hits-milestone-in-aerial-target-test/
Signals
Sofrep
Over in the misty landscapes of Scotland, the UK's military tech experts just pulled off something that's got the world sitting up and taking notice. DragonFire, their latest brainchild, is no mythical beast—it's a laser weapon straight out of a sci-fi flick, and it just aced its first high-power shooting match against aerial targets.
FUTURE TIMELINE
COUNTRY FORECASTS
250653
Signals
https://globalnews.ca/news/10422788/hmcs-montreal-departs-from-halifax-overseas-deployment/
Signals
Globalnews
Members of a Royal Canadian Navy frigate waved an emotional goodbye to friends and families on Sunday as the HMCS Montreal prepared to depart from the Halifax Harbour ahead of a six-month deployment overseas — despite a minor issue.
An unexpected mechanical problem reared its head on Saturday and...
An unexpected mechanical problem reared its head on Saturday and...
FUTURE TIMELINE
COUNTRY FORECASTS
250654
Signals
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/04/13/uk-to-rush-experimental-dragonfire-laser-weapon-into-service-to-deploy-in-ukraine/
Signals
Breitbart
Ukraine is to become a giant testing ground for a revolutionary new laser weapon which, if successful, promises to radically alter the economics of warfare, the British government says. The "sovereign" British Dragonfire laser was successfully tested at an Army range in Scotland earlier this year. Now, defence procurement rules are being changed to rush it to deployment five years early, and perhaps to the front line in Ukraine even sooner.
FUTURE TIMELINE
COUNTRY FORECASTS
250655
Signals
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/14/after-irans-attack-on-israel-further-escalation-must-be-stopped
Signals
Theguardian
Iran's airborne military attack on Israel, launched on Saturday night, has the potential to turn the crisis in Gaza into a full-scale Middle East war, drawing in the US and other countries including Britain. This is the scenario that western and Arab governments have been dreading ever since the...
FUTURE TIMELINE
COUNTRY FORECASTS
250657
Signals
https://koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/04/205_373067.html
Signals
Koreatimes
The Korean Army is exploring the possibility of entrusting the private sector with guarding ammunition depots as it anticipates a significant drop in the number of military conscripts due to the nation's sharply-declining birthrate. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the number of people fit for active duty is expected to decrease from approximately 334,000 in 2020 to 227,000 in 2035 and to 130,000 in 2041.
FUTURE TIMELINE
COUNTRY FORECASTS
250658
Signals
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-iraq-explosion-huge-blast-32630285
Signals
Mirror
Iraq explosion: 'Huge' blast at pro-Iran military base just hours after Israeli airstrike A 'huge explosion' was heard at a pro-Iran military base in Babylon just south of Baghdad, Iraq, on early Saturday morning mere hours after Israel struck targets in Isfahan, IranA 'huge explosion' at at...
FUTURE TIMELINE
COUNTRY FORECASTS
250659
Signals
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240419/watch-russian-military-robotic-vehicles-get-tested-in-special-op-zone--1117993660.html
Signals
Sputnikglobe
The Espanola Brigade has become an intellectual platform for testing modern weapons and robotic military vehicles, its commander told Sputnik. The commander added that the Espanola Brigade is in constant contact with manufacturers, providing feedback and insights. The Espanola Brigade is a detachment of volunteers working in the special military operation zone as part of the Yug combat group of the Russian Armed Forces.
250660
Signals
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240419/russia-carries-out-34-group-strikes-on-ukrainian-military-energy-facilities-in-past-week-1118014457.html
Signals
Sputnikglobe
The Russian armed forces carried out 34 group strikes with missiles and drones on military and energy facilities of Ukraine in the past week in a response to the attempts by Kiev to damage Russian energy and industry facilities, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. "From April 13-19, the Russian armed forces in a response to attempt by the Kiev regime to damage Russian energy and industry facilities, carried out 34 group strikes with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, as a result of which energy industry facilities, enterprises of the military-industrial complex and Ukraine's railway infrastructure, air defense facilities, arsenals and fuel storage facilities for military equipment were damaged," the ministry said.
250661
Signals
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-ai-earth-nasa-artificial-intelligence.html
Signals
Phys
As extreme weather events increase around the world due to climate change, the need for further research into our warming planet has increased as well. For NASA, climate research involves not only conducting studies of these events, but also empowering outside researchers to do the same. The...
250662
Signals
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2024/04/army-air-force-optimistic-about-recruitment-navy-falls-behind/
Signals
Federalnewsnetwork
able to hit its recruitment targets. Air Force officials are "cautiously optimistic" that the service is on track to hit its active duty and reserve recruitment targets. The Navy, however, is projected to miss its goals by 6,700 recruits in 2024—marking the second year in a row the service will not be able to attract enough sailors.
250673
Signals
https://futurism.com/the-byte/marjorie-taylor-greene-anti-immigrant-space-laser
Signals
Futurism
Remember when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) came under fire for talking about a bizarre and antisemitic conspiracy theory that Jewish space lasers were to blame for the devastating 2018 California wildfires? Well, in a fittingly deranged flip of that debacle, Greene now says she wants to use the same laser technology that Israel uses for the United States' Mexican border in order to keep away undocumented migrants from getting into America, Business Insider reports, drawing online ridicule from people who were quick to compare her scheme to her notorious Jewish space laser theories.
250670
Signals
https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Space_Operations_Command_Takes_Over_Control_of_Space_Based_Infrared_System_from_Space_Systems_Command_999.html
Signals
Spacewar
The United States Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC) has successfully transitioned the control of the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Baseline Release (SBR 23-to the Space Operations Command after completing a successful trial period. This transfer to the Space Operations Center's Missile Warning Mission Area Team marks a significant milestone in the project's deployment.
250671
Signals
https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Air_Force_Leadership_Stresses_Modernization_and_Timely_Congressional_Funding_999.html
Signals
Spacewar
During a House committee meeting on April 17, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, along with top leaders from the Air Force and Space Force, emphasized the urgent need for Congress to provide timely and predictable funding to defend the nation effectively against modern threats. Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.
250672
Signals
https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/19/spacex_paired_with_northrop_grumman/
Signals
Theregister
SpaceX is understood to be working with aerospace and defense biz Northrop Grumman on a spy satellite program that provides the US military with improved intelligence imagery. Reports surfaced last month that the Musk-owned space launch company was building a network of spy satellites as part of a classified contract with an unnamed US intelligence agency.
250675
Signals
https://qz.com/us-space-force-war-simulation-scenarios-orbit-1851408685
Signals
Qz
The U.S. Space Force is partnering with two companies to launch a demonstration mission of how the military branch would respond to an orbital adversary. As part of its Victus Haze mission, the Space Force awarded a $32 million contract to Rocket Lab and another worth $30 million to True Anomaly...
250663
Signals
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13325343/US-Air-Force-develops-missiles-obliterate-Iran-nuclear-facilities.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss
Signals
Dailymail
Ronald Kessler, a former Washington Post and Wall Street Journal investigative reporter, is the New York Times Bestselling Author of 'The Secrets of the FBI,' 'The First Family Detail,' and the 'CIA at War.'The US Air Force has quietly deployed missiles that could destroy the electronics of...
250664
Signals
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/irans-mass-strike-on-israel-highlights-why-taiwans-air-defenses-cant-hold-up/
Signals
Thediplomat
On April 13-14 the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a major drone and missile strike against military facilities in Israel, retaliating for an attack on an Iranian diplomatic building in Syria on April 1. Iran's barrage provoked one of the most intensive series of anti-aircraft missile...
250674
Signals
https://www.space.com/chinese-preeminence-moon-mars-op-ed
Signals
Space
Chris Carberry is CEO of Explore Mars, Inc. and author of "The Music of Space" and "Alcohol in Space." Joe Cassady is Director, Civil Space at L3Harris as well as Executive VP of Explore Mars, Inc. They contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The United States appears to be entering the golden age of space exploration.