Americas
The US Department of Defense has contracted BAE Systems Land & Armaments to produce more Bradley armored fighting vehicles for the army. The $656.2-million award stipulates the vehicles in their M7A4 and M2A4 variants, which have been supporting American land forces since the 1980s. Location and funding for the manufacturing will be determined on each order, according to the Pentagon’s notice, with BAE to continue the project until November 2027.
The US Department of Defense has announced the creation of a new office dedicated to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into military systems. Named the Artificial Intelligence Rapid Capabilities Cell (AI RCC), the office is expected to play a key role in advancing the nation’s defense capabilities, particularly in preparation for potential conflicts in the Pacific. A primary focus of the AI RCC will be exploring the applications of generative AI in enhancing autonomous weapons and improving command-and-control systems.
Middle East & Africa
Kurdish-led forces in Syria, allied with the United States, shot down an Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone on Monday after mistakenly identifying it as a threat. Troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces, a key ally for the United States in its fight against the Islamic State, were conducting operations in the region when they downed the MQ-9, a US official familiar with the situation confirmed to Defense News.
Europe
Northrop Grumman has commenced production of the first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye for the French Navy, ushering in a new era of airborne command and control capabilities for the European naval air arm. The symbolic event took place at Northrop Grumman’s St. Augustine manufacturing facility and saw key representatives from the French Navy, Northrop Grumman, and US Naval agencies in attendance. France’s current airborne early warning and control capability is provided by a fleet of three E-2C Hawkeye 2000 aircraft, which entered service in 1998. France stands out as the only nation apart from the United States to operate the E-2C Hawkeye from an aircraft carrier, showcasing a unique level of naval air power projection.
Asia-Pacific
The United States has begun relocating thousands of Marines from the Japanese island of Okinawa, Tokyo and Washington said Saturday, after decades of mounting grievances among locals over America’s military presence. In 2012, the United States said it would redeploy 9,000 Marines from the island where communities complain bases are an unfair burden — with objections ranging from pollution to noise and helicopter crashes.
