Americas
The Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, recently completed restoring a retired Douglas A-4M Skyhawk to its former glory for static display. This project provided a special opportunity for FRCE’s artisans, many of whom had never worked on an A-4. The last A-4 Skyhawk was retired by the Navy in 2003, making this restoration a chance to “travel back in time” for some. For others, like Stephen T. Gurley, it brought back cherished memories. Gurley, who began working on aircraft at FRCE in 1991, spent his early career servicing A-4s.
In response to increasing threats in the electromagnetic spectrum, the US Air Force has formed two new squadrons to improve its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities. The 563rd Electronic Warfare Squadron, activated on April 25, is tasked with delivering modern software applications that meet the service’s EW requirements. “They’re the first folks that have focused specifically on software for EW, not a weapon system or some sort of EW waveform type of thing,” US Air Force official Col. Joshua Koslov told reporters.
Middle East & Africa
Israel’s Iron Dome defense system has long shielded it from incoming rockets. Now it is building a “cyber dome” to defend against online attacks, especially from arch foe Iran. “It is a silent war, one which is not visible,” said Aviram Atzaba, the Israeli National Cyber Directorate’s head of international cooperation. While Israel has fought Hamas in Gaza since the October 7 attack, it has also faced a significant increase in cyberattacks from Iran and its allies, Atzaba said.
Europe
Russia announced Monday it has started preparing for nuclear weapons exercises, accusing Western officials of making “provocative statements and threats” by deepening their support for Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday specifically pinned the blame on French President Emmanuel Macron and “British representatives.” “Deploying NATO soldiers to confront the Russian military in the latest escalation of tensions is an unprecedented move, and, of course, it requires special attention and special measures,” Peskov said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
According to Defense News, Denmark will raise its defense spending by an additional $5.1 billion over the next four years in order to speed up investments in military capabilities, as the government has warned that Russia is readying for a long-term war. With the war in Ukraine reaching its 800th day, and the battle showing little sign of resolution in the foreseeable future, European countries are doubling down on efforts to inject more funds into their military posture.
Asia-Pacific
According to Defense News, Japan’s recent contracts for unmanned ground vehicles awarded to international vendors are a sign of how the government plans to invest more heavily in robots to support its ground troops. Japan is trailing behind neighbors like China and South Korea in the application of military unmanned systems. According to Japan’s military-acquisition agency ATLA, demographic trends are spurring a desire to catch up. The country’s population is aging and shrinking, limiting the pool of candidates for military service. “It is important to promote efforts for automation, labor saving and optimization through utilizing unmanned assets, including UGVs,” the agency said in a statement.
