Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey joins Jonathan to discuss the Pentagon’s ongoing acquisition transformation. Their conversation spans the recent munitions agreements, industry investments, the shift to portfolio acquisition executives, allied coproduction, and more.Image: Cpl. Sarah Grawcock via DVIDS.
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Washington has repeatedly used trade policy and U.S. market access over the past decade to advance broader economic security priorities with its trading partners. The Trump administration’s decision not to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on July 1, during a mandatory six-year review, is the latest example of this approach. Despite the inclusion in the U.S.
New footage released by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s East Sea Fleet has provided a rare close view the vertical launch system aboard a Type 052D guided missile destroyer, with launch cell covers opened to expose the configuration of China’s universal missile launch system. The images offer one of the clearest looks yet at how the Navy’s standardised vertical launch system accommodates a wide range of missile types using both cold and hot launch methods.
Russia’s largest e-commerce firm Wildberries is significantly expanding its logistics infrastructure in Kazakhstan, with the firm beginning construction of approximately 260,000 square metres of new warehouse space. This follows a significant expansion of Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign against Russian civilian targets to strike logistics facilities operated by the firm, with multiple strikes over the past several weeks having hit warehouses belonging to the retailer across western and central Russia.
Russia has achieved a major milestone in its civil aviation programme with the first flight of the first serial production MS-21-310 passenger aircraft, which was reportedly built using entirely with domestically produced components. The flight marks the transition of the aircraft from production to certification testing as Moscow seeks to rebuild its commercial aviation industry around indigenous technologies and totally phase out a reliance on Western aircraft.
The Italian Air Force has deployed Eurofighters, air-defence systems and surveillance assets to the Gulf region as part of an effort to support the U.S.-led war effort against Iran, which represents one of the Southern European country’s most significant overseas air-defence operations in recent years. This follows multiple reports in March that five Eurofighters at Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait were targeted by Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps drones, destroying three Kuwaiti Air Force Eurofighters and severely damaging two Italian Air Force Eurofighters.
Image Boeing Defense
Images released by Boeing of the Royal Air Force’s next batch of Chinook helicopters confirm long-standing reports of their similarity to the U.S. MH-47G variant.
The new-build Chinooks will supplant some of the oldest examples currently in RAF service, some of which date back to the early 1980s.
The H-47ER specification Chinooks are the first Block II Chinooks to be sold overseas and are the RAF’s second foray into a ‘fat tank’ special operations variant after the Chinook HC3 (now upgraded to HC5).
China’s first high-altitude variant of the C919 passenger jet has successfully completed its maiden test flight, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of the country’s indigenous commercial aircraft programme. The aircraft conducted its first flight at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, beginning a testing campaign aimed at certifying the specialised variant for operations at some of China’s most challenging airports.
The Pentagon inked a combined $3 billion framework agreement with Northrop Grumman to boost production of critical components for Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors, government and industry officials announced Monday.
Northrop will now become a second supplier of rocket motors for the Patriot and increase structural component manufacturing — including mid-body shells, muzzle covers and rail car assemblies — for THAAD interceptors under the dual seven-year deals.
Ukraine is preparing for what could be the most dangerous winter since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, with Moscow expanding its missile production and changing how it attacks Ukraine’s power grid. And with a new reliance on ballistic weapons that Kyiv is struggling to intercept, it all points to Moscow preparing for a new assault later in the year that could, the Kremlin hopes, turn the tide of the war back in its favor.