Americas
India’s Cochin Shipyard Limited has signed a maintenance and repair agreement with the US Navy. The third Master Shipyard Repair Agreement with an Indian company follows agreements with Larsen & Toubro in 2023 for Mazagon Dock and Kattupalli Port. The US Navy’s effort to expand maintenance and repair centers in the Indo-Pacific stems from the limited availability of such facilities in the region.
The US Army has selected American cloud and edge-computing firm Akamai to develop a prototype of a new cybersecurity software for combat units. Part of the Tactical Identity Credential and Access Management (T-ICAM) project, the software is expected to significantly enhance the security of networks used by soldiers on the field. It would implement “zero trust” cybersecurity principles that presume the network is already compromised, necessitating continuous validation of users and devices.
Middle East & Africa
The UK has delivered additional Land Rover armored patrol spare parts to Lebanon as part of London’s Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund (CSSF) program. The package, shipped to a logistics base in Kfarshima, included 737 tires, 225 engines, and other critical Land Rover components worth $2.5 million. London wrote that this donation would be used for repairs, maintenance, and other servicing needs for more than 440 military vehicles under the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Europe
Norway’s center-left government is set to present the Storting (national parliament) with what Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described as the most “ambitious and far reaching” Long-Term Defense Plan (LTDP) in the country’s history. The Labor-led government’s broad-ranging LTDP, announced at a news conference in Oslo on April 5, proposes a record-breaking increase in capital investments for national defense that project $60 billion in spending in the 12 year period up to 2036.
Asia-Pacific
South Korea has successfully launched its second military spy satellite into orbit, days after North Korea reaffirmed its plan to launch multiple reconnaissance satellites this year. The Koreas each launched their first spy satellites last year. North Korea in November and South Korea in December. They said their satellites would boost their abilities to monitor each other and enhance their own missile attack capabilities.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense has contracted Rheinmetall to produce its first fleet of autonomous unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). An unspecified number of Rheinmetall Mission Master SP UGVs will be delivered under the multi-million-dollar contract by early next year for testing. Rheinmetall will deliver the compact, low-signature electric vehicles in collaboration with contractor Marubeni Aerospace, a Japanese firm.
