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US Military Eyes Xona’s PULSAR System | Israel Cuts Aid to Gaza as Ceasefire Talks Stall | France and UK Propose Limited Truce for Ukraine Conflict

Americas

The US military is looking for new ways to navigate without using GPS. A company called Xona might have a good solution. Xona just got $4.6 million from the Air Force to show how their navigation system could help the military. Xona’s system, called PULSAR, uses small satellites that orbit close to Earth. It can help with navigation when GPS doesn’t work or when someone is trying to block GPS signals.

Saab has secured a contract to equip the Colombian Navy’s new frigate with advanced systems. The deal includes Saab’s 9LV Combat Management System, 9LV Fire Control System, and cutting-edge sensors and radars like the Ceros 200 radar and Sea Giraffe 4A radars. The frigate will be built by Colombian shipbuilder COTECMAR, with Damen Naval providing engineering and technical support. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2030. This project is part of Colombia’s efforts to modernize its naval capabilities and develop its maritime industry.

Middle East & Africa

Israel said Sunday that it was suspending the entry of supplies into Gaza, with deadly attacks reported in the territory after it and Hamas hit an impasse over how to proceed with their fragile ceasefire. As the 42-day first phase of the ceasefire drew to a close, Israel gave its backing to an extension it said was put forward by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which would cover the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover. Hamas has repeatedly rejected an extension, instead favoring a transition to the truce deal’s second phase, which would see the release of all remaining hostages and a more permanent end to the fighting in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Europe
France and Britain are proposing a partial one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine that would not cover ground fighting, French President Emmanuel Macron told the daily newspaper Le Figaro on Sunday. However, Macron said the truce would cover air, sea and energy infrastructure attacks. “In the event of a ceasefire, it would be very difficult to verify (fighting) along the front was being respected,” Macron told Le Figaro, adding that the front line was equivalent to the distance between Paris and Budapest.
Asia-Pacific

The Australian Department of Defense has contracted Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky to continue maintaining the navy’s MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission maritime helicopters. Valued at 313.5 million Australian dollars ($194.8 million), the effort will include repair, overhaul, and upgrade work to maintain the fleet’s readiness throughout its service life. Sikorsky will perform the associated tasks at its in-country center in Nowra, New South Wales, for the next three years.

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