Americas
Austal USA has christened the US Navy’s sixth Navajo-class towing, salvage, and rescue vessel, the USNS Billy Frank Jr. (T-ATS 11), in Mobile, Alabama. The ceremony is part of a 10-ship development program to replace the force’s Powhatan-class ocean tugs and Safeguard-class rescue vessels, which have been operational since the 1980s. The new system was named after a Nisqually tribal member and Korean War veteran awarded the Albert Schweitzer Prize for humanitarianism, Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom for more than three decades of service to the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.
Fairbanks Morse Defense and South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore potential collaboration on future international naval programs, the companies announced today. The agreement, signed during the Sea Air Space conference, marks the latest example of growing cooperation between the US maritime sector and major shipbuilders from South Korea and Japan. These partnerships align with the US Navy’s ongoing effort to bolster the domestic shipbuilding industrial base by encouraging international investment and strategic collaboration.
Middle East & Africa
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Israeli defense contractor Rafael to manufacture a new long-range, precision-guided strike missile in the United States. The missile, dubbed Bullseye, will be capable of launching from air, ground or sea and will leverage the design used for Rafael’s Ice Breaker missile.
Europe
Germany said Monday it was investigating potential foreign influence in a series of recent attacks after a media report alleged that actors in Russia may have played a role in some of them. The spate of attacks blamed on asylum seekers over the past 12 months, including stabbings and car-rammings, led to a bitter debate on migration ahead of EU elections last year and in the run-up to Germany’s general election in February. In one case, an Afghan man is on trial over a stabbing spree at an anti-Islam rally in the city of Mannheim last May that killed a police officer and wounded several other people. Public broadcaster ZDF on Sunday reported that Russian online accounts had carried out searches about the Mannheim attack before it actually happened.
Asia-Pacific
New Zealand will ramp up defense spending under a major military overhaul unveiled Monday, pouring billions of dollars into missiles, cyber security, and drones. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was time for New Zealand to “pull its weight,” vowing to lift defense spending from one percent of GDP to more than two percent within the next 10 years. The 9 billion New Zealand dollar ($5 billion) plan would also see New Zealand’s military work more closely with key regional ally Australia, Luxon said.