Entries for the 'News article' Category

Just weeks ahead of the NATO summit in Chicago and the G8 summit in Camp David, the Security and Defence Agenda presents an executive summary of the 2012 Security Jam, a unique global brainstorm. The document offers recommendations, from the world’s top military, NGOs, academia and public sector officials on issues such as smart defence, cyber-security, Afghanistan, crisis management and enhanced cooperation, of use in preparations for the summit.

The past week saw the start of multiple cyber attacks in the Philippine websites.
Different government domains have been probed and forced to shut down, including President Benigno Aquino’s website and a state university website.

Afghanistan and the U.S. agreed on a long awaited strategic partnership document dealing with the future relationship of the two countries after major troop withdrawals in 2014.

U.S. aerospace and defence companies’ financial performances in 2011 reflect the ongoing Department of Defense budget cuts. According to Deloitte’s recent report "2011 Top 20 U.S. Aerospace and Defense Company Financial Performance Analysis", the general performance of the aerospace and defence industry is to remain sluggish in the near future.

On Tuesday April 10th, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding giving way to future defence partnership.

Sten Tolgfors, Swedish Defence Minister, resigned yesterday over Swedish plans to help Saudi Arabia build an arms factory. The story, which has dominated Swedish headlines, dates back to 2007 when the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI)

India faces embarrassment prior to a summit of BRIC countries due to a leaked letter stating India’s defence capabilities are outdated despite budget increases.

U.S. President Barack Obama told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at a nuclear security summit in Seoul yesterday that he had little flexibility to address Russia’s objections to a U.S. missile defence shield during an election year.

The Australian Government has blocked Chinese telecom giant Huawei, from bidding for contracts on Australia’s ambitious national broadband project (NBN) worth AUS $35.9 billion, allegedly due to cyber-security concerns.

The EU members implemented legislation on Saturday banning the sale of technology which “may be used for the monitoring or interception of Internet or telephone communications.”

An international arms transfers report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that India is the world’s largest recipient of arms, followed by South Korea, China and Pakistan.

The UK government might make a U-turn on the ongoing procurement project of the new Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, which includes the equipment of aircraft carriers with appropriate catapults.

US President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron are to agree on an end to the US’ and UK’s “lead combat role” in Afghanistan by mid-2013.

The German-French aircraft maker and defence contractor EADS is object of a strategy debate.

A report by a US congressional advisory panel says China has developed significant cyber-warfare capabilities that can threaten US military forces in a possible conflict over Taiwan.

The United Kingdom is experiencing another debate about its role in the Afghan war after the killing of six British soldiers by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan.

According to the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun, Japan is going to ease its decades-old ban on weapons exports to boost its defence economy.

China yesterday announced an increase of its defence spending this year by 11.2 per cent, triggering international concerns about the country’s military intentions.

The announcement of the North Korean regime on Wednesday to suspend its nuclear testing triggered international optimism with regard to nuclear disarmaments negotiations.

The Spanish police arrested four hackers suspected to be members of the hacktivist group ‘Anonymous’.

According to a report on international arms production by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the world’s 100 largest arms dealers excluding China have sold weapons and military services for $411bn in 2010.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the government of Angola to provide helicopters for the UN’s peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) and in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani seconds the idea of arming the Syrian opposition in their fight against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, he confirmed during a visit to Norway yesterday.

The EU is extending its anti-piracy mission ‘EUNAVFOR Atalanta’ in the Indian Ocean until December 2014.

Last week’s Koran burning at the NATO base in Afghanistan has triggered a wave of violent protests against Western forces all over the country.

Turkey will buy 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, Turkish Defence Minister Ismet Yilmaz officially confirmed to reporters of the Turkish daily Milliyet.

According to a French defence official, France may sell Mirage F-1 fighter jets to Libya. France is currently replacing its Mirage fleet by Dassault’s Rafale aircraft.

In the scope of a meeting with German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta outlined the details of upcoming US troop changes in Europe.

The delays to US defence procurement projects intended to save money within overall spending cuts commitments could raise costs in the long-run, defence experts in Washington D.C. highlighted.

Two weeks before the presidential elections in Russia, Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin announced an increase in defence spending.

India and Saudi Arabia have decided to set up a joint committee on defence cooperation, as announced on the sidelines of the visit of a high-level delegation of Indian defence policy-makers, led by Defence Minister A.K. Antony, to Riyadh on Tuesday.

In the scope of its Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system, NATO will purchase five US-built Global Hawk drones from Northrop Grumman.

Defence Minister Giampaolo Di Paola announced today to a joint defence committee of both houses of Parliament that Italy will reduce its order of F-35 by one-third as part of defence spending cuts.

A hacker, going by the name of YamaTough, has hacked antivirus firm Symantec and released the source code for the company’s pcAnywhere utility.

On January 30th 2012, the SDA hosted two events in the framework of its cyber initiative and launched its cyber-study “Cyber-security: The vexed question of global rules”.

The United Nations (UN) plan to reduce some of their peacekeeping missions to facilitate major budget cuts.

According to a report by the defence select committee of the British Parliament, the UK would struggle to conduct an operation of the dimension of the Libya campaign after the full implementation of the strategic defence and security review.

The European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy approved draft legislation to strengthen the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA).

As the Syrian conflict continues to make headlines, another battle between government supporters and opponents is going on in cyber-space.

Following the recent Indian award of a $20bn contract for fighter jets to the French company Dassault, UK-based defence contractor BAE Systems is considering reducing the price of its Eurofighter Typhoon.

According to a diplomatic source, NATO is planning to install its missile shield command centre for Europe on the US military base in Ramstein, Germany.

On January 30th 2012, the SDA hosted a high-level policymakers' dinner about public-private cooperation in cyber-security, featuring European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes and NATO Assistant Secretary General Gábor Iklódy.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé announced yesterday that France would not give in to “panic” and pull its troops out of Afghanistan this year after four French soldiers were killed last week.

Pentagon officials announced yesterday that the U.S. defense budget for 2013 will cut military spending by five percent to $525 million, marking the first decrease in the Pentagon’s base budget since Sept. 11.

Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state defense corporation signed a deal in December, selling Syria 36 Yak-130 advanced training fighter planes for $550 million. The Jets intended for Syria will be manufactured separately from those commissioned in Russia.

According to the latest annual report from J. Michael Gilmore, Pentagon Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, the DoD abilities are "not sufficient to prevent an advanced adversary from adversely affecting the missions that were being exercised."

Anonymous have claimed responsibility for crashing six major websites yesterday in protest of the closing of megaupload.com video website.

Former Deputy of Defence William Lynn may soon to be the new chairman and CEO of DRS technology subsidiary for Finmeccanica.

China is alleged to have launched a new cyber-weapon against the US Defense Department’s common access cards, with the technology to get inside individual computers after users open a standard PDF email file.

Fabrice Bregier, Chief Operating Officer of Airbus announced at a press conference yesterday that the company expects to finalise the agreement for an interim service contract for the A400M air-lifter in the coming weeks.

EADS Chief Executive Louis Gallois has urged the British and French governments to open up plans for a proposed MALE Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) to include EADS and other European partners.

Israel’s national airline, El Al, and the Tel Aviv stock exchange saw their websites hacked yesterday just hours after they were reportedly threatened by a Saudi computer hacker, OxOmar.

NATO warships rescued an Iranian vessel twice last week, once from Somali pirates and again, just days later, when the same vessel’s engine broke down.

A Royal Fleet Auxiliary supply ship (RFA), Fort Victoria, thwarted an attempt by Somali pirates to attack cargo ships in the Indian Ocean last Tuesday.

International concerns have been raised over Russian cargo ship possibly carrying ammunition which docked recently at Syrian port Tartus.

The US Navy's shipbuilding programme has been given budget priority and will not be cut to meet the Pentagon’s $263 billion reduction in defence spending by 2013.

Ellen Tauscher, US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security expressed her confidence yesterday, in the up-coming US-Russia ‘strategic stability talks.’

Espen Barth Eide, Norway's Defence Minister told an audience assembled at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, that NATO is losing its self-defence capability.

The United States announced yesterday that it will not adopt the European Union's proposed "code of conduct" for space activity. Ellen Tauscher, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security claimed the current draft is to “restrictive.”

India sent a military delegation to Beijing on Monday, to visit the General Staff Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) as part of a 4 day defence exchange programme.

Chinese state media have scrutinised Washington’s new Asia-intensive defence policy since its release last Thursday, although Beijing is yet to give an official reaction.”

British Defence Minister Philip Hammond voiced concern at Capitol Hill on January 5th, at the potential effects of the new US military strategy and budget plan proposing $487 billion in cuts over the next decade.

Hackers believed to be from the group Anonymous exposed thousands of email addresses and encrypted passwords belonging to British and American government and military officials.

The new US Defense Strategic Review, which was presented on Thursday by US President Barack Obama at the Pentagon, identifies the ability to operate effectively in cyber-space and space as one of the primary objectives of the US Armed Forces.

One of the major innovations of the new US Defense Strategic Review is the emphasis on challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and the goal to foster progress in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa.

Officials of EU member states have agreed in principal on an embargo on oil imports from Iran suspected of developing nuclear weapons through its uranium enrichment program.

According to the Pentagon, the military dialogue between the US and Pakistan continues despite recent disputes following the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers in a US-led airstrike on the Afghan-Pakistani border in November 2011.

The US Air Force (USAF) has temporarily stopped the production of 20 A-29 Super Tucano light turboprop training and attack aircraft for the Afghan Air Force.

On December 7th, the SDA welcomed the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan H.E. Dr. Elmar Mammadyarov for an evening debate.

Only 10 EU member states have so far implemented the EU’s defence procurement directive, as confirmed by the European Commission Directorate General for Internal Market and Services (DG MARKT) yesterday.

On November 7th the SDA along with the CEIS and the KAS hosted the annual Security and Defence Day conference entitled "Re-thinking Europe's security priorities."

NATO is currently collecting bids from international defence contractors to strengthen its cyber-defence capabilities.

Japan decided to replace its aging F-4 fighter aircraft fleet with the US-built F-35 Joint Strike Fighter stealth jet, as announced by the Japanese government yesterday.

US four star general and former commander of NATO’s ISAF mission Gen. Stanley McChrystal will become chairman of the board of Siemens Government Technologies (SGT).

According to a leaked document published by The Guardian, the UK Defence Ministry will undertake major job cuts of its senior staff.

NATO conducted a big cyber-defence exercise to test its technical and operational capabilities last week.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution concerning a stronger harmonisation of European defence policies last week.

The SDA yesterday hosted Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, for a lunch with SDA members to discuss NATO’s priorities for 2012 and objectives for the Chicago summit as well as the SDA’s programme for its 10th anniversary.

The UK is to seek new military alliances and will no longer invest in large-scale military missions, declares Chief of Staff Gen. Sir David Richards in his annual “state of the union” address on December 14th.

The US officially completed the withdrawal of their troops from Iraq in a ceremony in Baghdad yesterday.

Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Raytheon have submitted their bids for getting a follow-up contract for the ‘Aegis’ combat system.

The 2012 US defense authorisation bill contains provisions for stricter cost controls for the purchase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

NATO has announced that it will complete its Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I) on December 31st 2011, the expiry date of the current mission.

As a direct consequence to a NATO airstrike which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in the Afghan-Pakistani border region in November, the US followed the Pakistani request to vacate Shamsi airbase in the South-western Pakistani province of Baluchistan.

New UK Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond announced yesterday that the agreed increase in spending for military equipment as of 2015 will not be affected by further budget cuts.

A US warship, part of NATO’s counter-piracy mission Operation Ocean Shield off the Horn of Africa, captured a group of pirates in cooperation with a Japanese military aircraft earlier this week.

The White House has announced that it will close possible loopholes for the Pentagon to shift different parts of its budget and circumvent cuts to its base budget as of 2013.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged Russia not to waste money on unnecessary measures to counterbalance European missile defence.

Speaking at an SDA debate, H.E. Dr. Elmar Mammadyarov outlined the challenges and opportunities facing his country on the 20th anniversary of its independence.

UK defence contractor Raytheon announced the purchase of the cyber-security company Pikewerks Corporation.

France will offer military training to the defence forces of the new Libyan regime, as announced by Adm. Edouard Guillaud, Chief of Staff of the French army, after his talks with representatives of the Libyan government.

The Netherlands are aiming to strengthen cooperation with other European countries and play a pioneering role in multinational defence projects.

According to Iranian media, the Iranian military has shot down a US RQ-170 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which had invaded Iranian airspace over the border region with Afghanistan and Pakistan on the weekend.

At their Council meeting last week, EU Foreign Ministers decided to install a Brussels-based EU Civil-Military Operations Centre for the Horn of Africa.

German Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders may be the next new Chief Executive of EADS, as reported by Financial Times.

Ten years after the Petersberg Conference, setting the framework for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, Bonn is to host another International Afghanistan Conference on Monday.

European defence ministers agreed on a range of projects for pooling defence capabilities at their Brussels meeting on November 30th.

The work of NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) will be enhanced by the full membership of the US and Poland.

Concerns that maritime trade could become a new focus for terrorists in response to a decade of tighter aviation security formed the focus of the SDA's lunchtime debate on December 1.

An amendment to the 2012 defence authorisation bill, approved by the Senate on November 30th, allows for an exchange of different types of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft between the US and the UK.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Gen. Martin Dempsey, new US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned of the consequences of the foreseen spending cuts ($450bn over the next 10 years) on US Army operability.

Switzerland awarded the contract for the replacement of its fleet of Northrop Gruman F-5 fighter aircraft to Swedish defence group Saab, ordering 22 Gripen fighters.

Russia activated a warning radar system against incoming missiles in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad yesterday.

In a direct reaction to the NATO-led bombing of two Pakistani military posts in the Afghan-Pakistani border region, which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on November 26th, Pakistan asked the US to leave the Shamsi airbase.

Moscow will send its only aircraft carrier, the ‘Admiral Kuznetsov’ to the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, according to the Russian navy.

According to Stéphane Beemelmans, Secretary of State in the German Ministry of Defence, Germany and France should cooperate on unmanned armed vehicles (UAV) projects.

The Franco-British summit will be dedicated to different aspects of the countries’ defence cooperation at the end of this week.

A US proposal for a new cluster munitions treaty was rejected by member states of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), also known as the ‘Oslo Convention’, an international treaty banning the use of cluster bombs.

Iran said for the first time that it would directly target Turkey and its planned early warning radar for NATO missile defence in case of a Western airstrike on Iranian facilities.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on the weekend announced details of the second phase of transition from NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to Afghan authorities to be completed by 2014.

In a move resembling early French support for the former Libyan opposition, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé officially recognised the Syrian National Council (SNC) in talks with SNC leader Burhan Ghalioun on November 23rd.

The Austrian army will considerably reduce the number of its armed vehicles by the end of 2013, as announced by Defence Minister Norbert Darabos yesterday.

According to EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, the new EU-US Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreement represents a “huge improvement” over its predecessor.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned the US and their NATO allies against continuing their plans for a missile shield for Europe and ignoring Russian concerns.

Following the announcement of a US troop deployment to northern Australia, Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith expressed the country’s willingness to concretely consider plans for trilateral military training of US, Chinese and Australian forces.

Ahead of NATO’s Chicago Summit in May 2012, the Alliance has launched an initiative for concrete pooling of defence resources.

Estonian Defence Minister Mart Laar declared that the EU needs to enhance its cyber-defence capability at the meeting of the Nordic-Baltic defence ministers in Örebrö, Sweden, last week.

In the framework of the East Asia Summit on Bali, the US and Indonesia announced the planned purchase of 24 F-16 fighter aircraft by the Indonesian government.

The announced failure of the so-called US congressional supercommittee will generate a new debate on US defence spending cuts.

The Dutch government is planning to install an automatic video-surveillance system at 15 major border crossing points with Germany and Belgium as of 1 January 2012.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström will present a proposal for enhancing the Union’s diplomacy on migration and mobility with non-EU countries today.

President Barack Obama announced on today during a speech to the Australian Parliament that budget cuts would not thwart plans for a broader US military role in Asia.

Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola, current Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and member of the SDA advisory board, was nominated the new Italian Minister of Defence yesterday.

From 18 November to 6 December this year, the EU will organise and conduct its first crisis management exercise under the Lisbon Treaty.

US energy consultancy Pike Research revealed vulnerabilities in the cyber-security of the North American power grid stating it is "in a state of near chaos."

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting last week in Severodvinsk on state defence-industry contracts and safterward told reporters: "We will be fully re-equipping our Army and Navy."

The German government is scheduled to buy a 7.5% stake of the EADS in 2012 in order to allow carmaker Daimler to make 15% cuts in the airbus. The deal worth €1.2 bn is a step closer to Daimler’s goal of selling out EADS to focus on the car industry.

NATO is pressing Georgia to step up its political and military reforms to enable faster accession into the Alliance. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen praised Georgia’s current reform process and their contributions to the mission in Afghanistan of 900 troops.

At the launch of the SDA’s cyber-security initiative yesterday, a high-ranking panel assembled discussants to tackle the core question of “Defining cyber-security”.

Claude-France Arnould, Head of the European Defence Agency, told reporters yesterday that Europe must have its own space-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in order to minimise collateral damage and civilian lives during interventions.

NATO jets policing the skies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia took to the skies on Monday to escort Russian air force planes near the Baltic territory.

Israel’s military and intelligence services, Mossad and Shin Bet, experienced a server crash on Sunday due to an alleged cyber-attack from international hacker group Anonymous.

Drawing from the experiences of the ongoing eurozone crisis and the Arab uprisings, panellists Jan Borkowski, Polish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Francis Delon, French Secretary General for Defence and National Security, Ivan Soltanovskiy, Director of European Cooperation at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

President Barack Obama's advisers are debating an accelerated exit strategy out of Afghanistan by withdrawing more troops and diverting resources to advising Afghan security forces.

Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced during his visit to Libya last week that NATO is willing to help Libya reform its defence and security sectors

A report to Congress by several US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI and military intelligence services, highlights the massive and increasing threat for the US economy by Russian and Chinese cyber-spies.

Greek Prime Minister Georg Papandreou, who faces a vote of no confidence this Friday, fired the entire high commend of the Greek armed forces including several other high ranking officials, replacing them with officers more loyal towards Papandreou’s leadership.

Britain upped its contingency planning for military action against Iran as Washington considers accelerating plans for a targeted missile strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. This maneuver comes amid mounting concern about Tehran's nuclear enrichment programme.

China’s conference, "PLA in the Next Decade," held on Monday revealed plans to modernise and change the top leadership reshaping the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in 2012.  

China successfully launched an unmanned spacecraft Tuesday morning to carry out the country’s first space docking mission as part of ambitious plans for a manned space programme.

Washington moved to kick-start reconciliation talks aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan by continuing air and ground strikes against the Haqqani network and the Taliban, with an insistence that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency brings them to the negotiating table.

NATO officials state they will not use the Libya ‘template’ to resolve the violence in Syria asserting that any Syrian mission plan currently lacks international consensus and broader regional support.

According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, the US are trying to intensify the deadlocked US-Russian cooperation on missile defence and have invited Russian defence officials to visit the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) base in Colorado.

The US National Security Agency (NSA) has started protecting Wall Street banks against cyber-attacks by foreign hackers, above all through electronic spying overseas.

The Swedish parliamentary opposition Social Democrats (SDP) heavily criticised the administration of Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeld for its cuts in defence spending, and announced the drafting of their own defence strategy.

Defence contractor Lockheed Martin UK will be awarded the contract for a ₤1bn (1.15bn Euro) upgrade of the British army’s Warrior armoured vehicle, as announced by Prime Minister David Cameron and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond.

Despite recent defence budget cuts, the aerospace company Boeing is expecting high growth in the sector of cyber-security, and opened its new ‘Cyber Engagement Centre’ yesterday.

During a visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton to Beijing on Monday, the EU and China agreed to strengthen their defence cooperation.

According to a report, presented by the inspector general of the US Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday, the department recently fell victim of cyber-attacks.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) is preparing a new cyber-security doctrine to complement the department’s cyber-strategy for operating in cyber-space of 2011, as Gen. Keith B. Alexander, Commander of US Cyber Command told international reporters.

China called upon the United Nations (UN) yesterday to invest in global cooperation for cyber and information security.

The German government is planning to reduce its fighter jet and helicopter orders from the European aerospace company EADS.

The US Department of Defense is going to intensify its strategic efforts in the field of offensive computer warfare and is trying to set up rules of engagement to carry out specific cyber-attacks.

According to top Pentagon officials, the US had considered an offensive cyber-attack on the air defences of Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gaddafi before they decided to start bombing Libyan military installations in March 2011.

Key US defence contractor RSA Security admitted yesterday that cyber-attacks on the company’s SecurID authentication tokens earlier this year can be traced to two nation state hacker groups.

The new Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt announced to José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, that her government will terminate the current practice of enhanced border controls.

NATO and EU have started a joint operation of their KFOR and EULEX missions in the border region between Northern Kosovo and Serbia on October 13th.

A news analysis by the Financial Times revealed today that recent job cuts in Western defence companies such as BAE Systems are not primarily due to budget cuts in defence spending, but rather due to be defence hardware being increasingly built in the country of the client government.

The UK defence contractor Raytheon has been target of a recent cyber-attack.

A recent report by Eurocontrol, a European organisation for the safety of air navigation, demonstrates considerable gaps between the US and European countries in terms of the total number of fighter aircraft and density in military traffic in 2010.

European companies have been criticised by the European Parliament and NGOs for selling online surveillance technology to authoritarian regimes in the Arab world.

The EUFOR Althea mission to Bosnia will be considerably reduced.

US President Obama issued an executive order to foster the protection of the country’s information and computer security.

Retired US Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden warned the US House of Representatives of an over-amplified use of classification with respect to cyber-security.

In a move to prevent future terrorist attacks and to consolidate a strategic partnership with India and Afghanistan, India has offered to provide security training to Afghan police forces.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen yesterday called for enhanced collaboration between NATO and the European Defence Agency (EDA) amid current economic austerity to avoid duplication of efforts.

The US Department of Defense will extend its pilot programme for protecting its private defence contractors against cyber-attacks.

Worldwide arms sales decreased in 2010 due to national governments’ struggle with the economic crisis.

NATO formally launched the procurement process for the full operational capability of its cyber-defences on September 20th.

Japan may choose a European defence fighter for its renewal of the country’s fighter aircraft fleet.

China’s military leadership has massively criticised the latest US-Taiwan $5.9bn arms deal, and threatened that the deal could become a “serious obstacle” to US-China military relations.

The SDA’s roundtable on September 22nd was dedicated to questions of the timely and accurate delivery of information to “front-line” staff, i.e. intelligence, counter-terrorism and private security stakeholders.

Chief of Defence of the Danish Armed Forces General Knud Bartel, was elected by NATO’s 28 Chiefs of Defence as the Alliance’s new Chairman of the Military Committee.

Facing up to $1 trillion defence cuts over ten years if Congress fails to pass a budgetary plan, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urged Congress to find other ways to lower the US debt.

On September 15, the Polish-US missile agreement entered into force, allowing the US to place land-based interceptors on a Polish military base.

Japan’s major defence contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries recently confirmed it was the victim of a cyber attack in August.

US and Pakistani military leaders met on the weekend in an attempt to improve ties between the two countries, which have been strained by the US killing ofAl-Qaeida leader Osama Bin Laden in May 2011.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Commission will cooperate in the field of research.

German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière arrived yesterday in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, to visit German troops and prepare their gradual pull-out, to be completed by 2014.

The European border agency Frontex will be provided with extended competences, the European Parliament decided on September 13th.

The signing of a US-Romania agreement on missile defence cooperation yesterday renewed Russian concerns about NATO’s ballistic missile defence.

EADS will supply its Ectocryp cryptographic product for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) armed forces command-and-control system, said Hervé Guillou, head of cyber-security at the Cassidian defence and security division.

The Council of the EU yesterday established of a new pan-European agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems.

The former UK security adviser Admiral Lord West has warned of shrinking British influence in global affairs due to cuts in the national defence budget.

Russia is seeking to extend its nuclear cooperation with Iran, said Russian energy minister Sergei Shmatko yesterday.

France is preparing a review of its defence strategy for 2012, as explained by Francis Delon, Secretary General for National Defence and Security, on September 6th.

Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have presented a series of legislative proposals to strengthen the security of public and private networks and IT infrastructure.

Following the sale of two French-built Mistral class amphibious assault ships to Russia in June 2011, Russian Minister of Defence Anatoly Serdyukov yesterday announced the signing of a contract with France for two more vessels of this type.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta acknowledged progress of the US-led troops in Afghanistan in weakening the Taliban, but complained about the insufficient performance of the Afghan government.

The European Commission is seeking to get a central role in decisions on border controls, said Home Affairs spokesman Michele Cercone yesterday.

The Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) General Ari Puheloinen presented concrete plans for Finland’s upcoming defence reform on September 1st.

Ranking members of India’s armed forces have lamented the condition of the country’s military hardware and warned against a widening gap between India’s and China’s defence capabilities.

US arms makers are trying to compensate possible losses due to the Pentagon’s considerable budget cuts by stepping up their exports, especially to East Asia.

After failing to find buyers for a Daimler-held 7.5 per cent share of the European aerospace company EADS, the German government is now preparing to take over this stake.

Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced on September 2nd that Spain and Italy have decided to join an initiative to boost a common EU defence policy.

On September 1st senior officials from 63 countries gathered in Paris for an International Conference on Libya and pledged a continuing support for Libya’s revolution. All nations committed to return frozen assets to the Libyan people.

On August 31, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned of Iran’s attempts to build long-range missiles and nuclear weapons saying it could lead to "the bombing of Iran".

The reshaping of the British armed forces will start on September 1st with a series of meetings at military bases in the UK and elsewhere. Army commanders will convoke those who have been selected for the first round of cuts which will continue for 9 years.

General David Petraeus, father of the counterinsurgency strategy and in Iraq and Afghanistan, yesterday retired from the Army to become the director of the CIA. Admiral Mike Mullen, hosting the ceremony said Petraeus had set the “gold standard for command in wartime”.

Several companies have started to put hackers on their payroll to spot out weaknesses in their cybersecurity.

Wikileaks announced on August 30 that it has fallen victim to a cyber attack after publishing more than 10.000 confidential US diplomatic cables.

Commander of the US Marine Corps Gen. Jim Amos announced a deep restructuring of the force, contributing to the country’s ongoing defence cuts.

Top US Army generals addressed the Army’s network strategic vision 2020 at a conference in Tampa on August 24.

Top NATO official in Kosovo Gen. Erhard Buhler announced on August 29 that, due to the lasting violence on the Kosovo-Serbia border since late July following a ban on Serbian goods, NATO-led KFOR troops remain “in the lead to control the border […] at least until the end of September”.

An independent study claims that over $30bn have been wasted on contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq due to the Pentagon’s bad management and a lack of competition. In a final report the Commission on Wartime Contracting alerted the US Congress that “waste and fraud have undermined American diplomacy, fomented corruption in host countries and tarnished the US image abroad.”

Following a study from the Defense Business Board in April pointing out some malfunctioning in the management of estimated $400bn annual contracts due to the lack of business background of military officers, Pentagon acquisition Chief Ashton Carter plans to professionalise the US Defense Department’s acquisition corps.

Russia on August 27 successfully tested its new 8000 km range intercontinental nuclear missile on August 27. The Kremlin reported that the Bulava missile was fired from a Russian submarine in the White Sea and successfully hit its target area in the Pacific Ocean.

A report written by Howard Mathers, the chairman of the British MoD’s defence nuclear environment and safety board has been released, unveiling the MoD’s struggle to maintain the safety of the UK’s nuclear bombs and submarines due to defence cuts.

US contractor Raytheon has engaged legal action against the British government for more than £500 million over the ceasing of an e-Border programme agreed in July 2010, after ministers said its performance had been "extremely disappointing".

Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen has denied Finland’s intentions to join NATO due to expected defence cuts.

Following a revision of Turkey’s industrial participation and offset programme regulating the defence market since 2007, the government has compelled major Turkish defence companies to sub-contract their work under “domestic military contracts” to small and medium enterprises, and to assist their exports.

India’s Strategic Forces Command has announced its plan to test the nuclear-capable Agni-II missile as well as its subsystems by the end of the month in the eastern state of Orissa.

The Pentagon’s spokesperson, Col. Dave Lapan confirmed on August 24 that Libya’s chemical weapons stockpiles are « secure » including 10 tons of mustard gas that Col. Gaddafi was entitled to dispose of after joining the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in 2004.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereydoun Abbasi said on August 22, the Islamic Republic has started transferring the centrifuges of its Natanz nuclear facility to the Fordo site, the country’s second site for enriching uranium.

As Libyan rebels continue to consolidate their hold on Tripoli, NATO ambassadors met on August 23 to consider post-conflict options for the alliance. NATO’s spokesperson Oana Lungescu stressed that NATO would serve only a supporting role with a stabilisation mission led by the United Nation and the Contact Group.

During a visit to the Royal Air Force Chinook base at Odiham, British Secretary of Defence Liam Fox announced a £1bn deal with Boeing for the delivery of 14 Chinook transport helicopters including development and support for 5 years.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen declared on Monday that the sooner Gadhafi "realizes that he cannot win the battle against his own people, the better." He asserted the Alliance’s presence in Libya and its commitment to protect the people of Libya.

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee released a report warning that British forces in Afghanistan and Libya will likely face shortages of vital equipment within a month due to a supply chain at “critical risk of failure”.

The European Commission is set to discuss a proposal reassessing the Schengen zone rules in September. According to the Financial Times, the early draft sets strict conditions for passport controls between Member States.

Stefan Wallin, Finland’s newly appointed Defence Minister, announced that further defence cuts justify Finland joining NATO. However, Wallin's position has been rejected by military chiefs, who argue that Finland would require a larger defence budget to conform to NATO’s operational and equipment standards.

Due to substantial US defence spending cuts, leading defence contractors and investors have revised down their market outlook. During a conference in New York, Jim Albaugh, Chief Executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, backed up by Charles Mathis, Chief Financial Officer of Force Protection, told investors that “the Department of Defense is going to have to take out between $800bn and $1,000bn over the next 10 years

A new cooperation between the U.S. Department of Defense and defence contractors involving the exchange of classified intelligence information will be implemented in the next months according to U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III.

On August 7 the Israeli Cabinet approved the constitution of a National Cyber Directorate (NCD), responsible for the coordination and development of improvements to cyber security practices in the military, security and industrial sectors.

According to a report released on August 10 from Moody’s Investor Service, a credit rating agency which performs international financial research and analysis on commercial and government entities, the US debt ceiling act signed beginning of August puts significant pressure on defence companies.

On August 10, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd, one of the largest bourse operators, was forced to suspend trading the shares of seven companies due to a suspected cyber attack on its public web site.

On August 10, South and North Korean forces exchanged fire after North Korea fired three artillery shells near the disputed maritime border in the Yellow Sea.

On August 4, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Commission Vice President Catherine Ashton appointed three new Directors for the European External Action Service.

On August 4, US Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta shared his concerns on “the sequestration mechanism in the nation’s new debt-reduction law, given the multitude of threats facing America”.

Yesterday at the Supreme Military Council, the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has worked to tighten government control of the military by choosing loyalist generals to replace the 4 commanders who resigned in protest over the detention of military officials facing conspiracy charges.

EADS, the Franco-German aerospace and defence company, has boosted its Astrium space division with the 960million dollar acquisition of Vizada, a satellite communications provider. This move is the latest in a recent series of deals aimed at reducing the impact of government budget cuts and reliance on the manufacturing of Airbus passenger jets.

North Korea and the US will today start 2 days of talks in New York on issues including Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal. North Korea’s nuclear negotiator and Vice foreign minister Kim Kye Gwab and his US counterpart Stephen Bosworth are expected to discuss possible ways to re-launch six-nation talks on the North abandoning its nuclear weapons. The US State Department remains highly doubtful about the prospects of any concrete progress with Kim Jong-Il’s regime.

Recently leaked US cables show how close the EU recently came yo dropping its arms ban against China, imposed in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen Squqre massacre. The document outlines the positions of 12 member states who took part in a "heated" debate in the EU's Political and Security Committee in Brussels in April 2004. France, the strongest pro-China advocate, said "the embargo is anachronistic and must go".

Two Chinese fighter jets reportedly crossed Taiwan’s virtual maritime border on June 29 to intercept a US spy plane, in what seems to be China’s most aggressive challenge to US surveillance flights. The incident marked the first time in more than a decade that Chinese military aircraft have intruded beyond Taiwan’s side of the 180km-wide strait. Taipei moved to downplay the incident. “This was not between Taiwan and China, but between China and the US".

As part of the Effective Procurement Methods initiative, launched on July 7th; the European Defense Agency is considering to resorting to off-the-shelf procurement. "Through the EPM initiative, we are trying to develop together with the member states and other relevant stake-holders ways to identify and shape existing common demand".

Iran has tightened online censorship by upgrading the filtering system which enables the Islamic regime to block access to thousands of websites it deems inappropriate for Iranian users.
This radical move comes one month after the Obama administration announced the launch of new services facilitating internet access and mobile phone communications in countries with tight controls.

The Pentagon is expected to reveal today a strategy for protecting its computer and information systems which goes beyond erecting firewalls and stresses the use of sensors, software and data collected by U.S. intelligence, officials said.
Policymakers have tried to make the “Cyber 3.0” strategy not appear too bellicose in an effort to counter perceptions that the United States is militarizing cyberspace

As part of the Effective Procurement Methods initiative, launched on July 7^th; the European Defense Agency is considering to resorting to off-the-shelf procurement. With a common procurement, Member States could designate a lead nation to procure on behalf of a group of member states or identify an international body as their main contracting agency.

The European Commission Today adopted a communication outlining the main options for the EU to set up its own financial data-analysis system and establishing a European Terrorist Finance Tracking System (TFTS). According to EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, the EU needed “to find a European solution for extracting the requested data on European soil”.

US Republican Senators Jon Kyl and Mark Kirk expressed concerns Tuesday about a potential security agreement to base missile-shield radar in Turkey. Citing the NATO ally's strained ties with Israel and relationship with Iran, they also questioned whether Turkey would "ensure the best defence of the United States against the Iranian long-range ballistic missile threat.
The two policy-makers are seeking written reassurances from both Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the operational aspects of the deal.

Yesterday, the Anonymous hacktivist group released a large collection of sensitive data from US military personnel it claimed to have snatched from the poorly protected network of the US defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton.

UK Home Secretary Theresa May announced yesterday that the UK terror threat level was being reduced from “severe” to “substantial”. The decision of the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) to downgrade the threat level is based is intelligence analysis, factors of "capability, intent and timescale" and recent events such as the arrest of terrorist suspects in December in Cardiff and London and a view that al-Qaida's leadership is "struggling" since the death of Osama bin Laden.

On his first trip to Iraq since taking office at the Pentagon on July 1, the new US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta met with several Iraqi leaders to discuss the possibility of an extension of the US mission in the country. The pullout is scheduled to take place by the end of 2011, but top U.S. officials have said that they would consider maintaining some troops beyond the deadline if requested by Iraqi authorities.

On a surprise visit to a military base in the province of Kapisa, French president Nicolas Sarkozy announced France would pull out a quarter of its contingent in Afghanistan by the end of 2012, thereby following the timetable of US withdrawals decided by in June.

Italy’s Minister of Defence Ignazio La Russa has announced the withdrawal of an aircraft carrier from the NATO mission in Libya because of the pressing financial situation. "We have cut back costs in Libya, from a forecast 142 million euros in the first half of the year to less than 60 million euros for the second half,"

Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has nominated Ismet Yilmaz as the new Defence Minister. Erdogan’s announcement came after his AKP party won national elections on June 12.

As Poland takes over the EU’s rotating presidency it has announced that EU-NATO cooperation and 'pooling and sharing' will be among its priorities. In a letter to Catherine Ashton, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Poland together with France and Germany called for a need to “improve EU capacities to plan and to conduct operations and to create synergies in times of scarce resources”.

Norway has decided to relocate its military centre closer to the Arctic Circle, a move that highlights
the growing strategic importance of this resource rich- region. Russia, which has identified the Arctic as a source of potential conflict has also made its intentions clear by creating two army brigades to protect its polar interests.

Russian navy chief Vladimir Vysotsky announced on Friday that Russia will supply a submarine to India under a deal that has been repeatedly postponed by Moscow.

Russian Ambassador to NATO and Special Envoy on missile defence Dmitry Rogozin declared on July 1 that Moscow would not be willing to hand NATO access to its military command. "Giving anyone access to this virtual red button is something that can never happen," Rogozin was quoted by Interfax.

A panel of senior sector executives has come up with 53 proposals on how to improve the functioning of the UK Ministry of Defence. Defence Secretary Liam Fox said he agrees with most of the proposed changes, calling them “transformative”.

Russia and Kyrgyzstan have started talks to establish a training base in the south of Kyrgyzstan. The training centre is part of a plan under which “all of Russia's existing military installations in Kyrgyzstan will be merged into one”, Kyrgyz foreign minister revealed to AFP.

President Obama has endorsed the rules of cyber warfare that the Pentagon has been elaborating for two years. The new cyberwar document provides rules as to “how far military commanders around the globe can go in using cyberattacks and other computer-based operations against enemies”.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has praised Obama’s decision of troop withdrawal, noting that it is "a good step in their favour and in favour of Afghanistan". Taliban met the news with less approval, in declaining that "the solution for the Afghan crisis lies in the full withdrawal of all foreign troops immediately"

After the killing of Osama bin Laden and the subsequent warnings that the US might cut its financial and military aid to Pakistan, Islamabad is looking to establish stronger ties with its rapidly growing neighbour China.

Speaking at a gathering of the World Customs Organisation in Brussels, Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Janet Napolitano announced that her agency will no longer pursue the controversial “100% scanning” initiative for shipping containers

The European Parliament and European Commission have reached an agreement to give more decisionmaking freedom to its border agency Frontex. Under the agreement Frontex can “lease its own equipment, such as helicopters and terrain vehicles”, and is thus less dependant on member states assets.

The US Senate has confirmed Leon Panetta to be the next defense secretary. Panetta will be replacing Robert Gates who has been the only defense secretary to consequently serve two terms for both a Republican and Democrat President. Panetta’s nomination was approved by all 100 US Senators.

At a televised speech on June 22, US President Barack Obama announced his long awaited decision on US troop pullout in Afghanistan. The President ordered to bring all 33,000 surge troops home by the end of summer 2012.

The hacker group LulzSec has announced it intentions to steal classified information from governments, banks and other high-ranking establishments. The group known for it previous attacks on Sony Corp, the CIA, News Corp's Fox TV and other targets has mostly managed to temporarily disrupt websites and to release user’s informations.

The United States and Japan will continue to work together on missile defense, cyber and space initiatives, as well as expand information-sharing and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities.

US defence contractor, Northrop Grumman’s senior executives said the US risks loosing out the market for unmanned aerial vehicles unless it reforms its export controls.

According to Kommersant, the daily Ukrainian newspaper, referring to a secret document on Ukraine's programme with NATO for 2011, indicates Ukrainian President Yanukovych is seeking closer ties with the Alliance.

German Minister of Interior Hans-Peter Friedrich, last Thursday, officially opened Germany's new Cyber Defence Centre in Bonn. The Centre’s tasks are to spot and evaluate cyber-attacks and develop counter-strategies. "The core of cybersecurity is the protection of crucial infrastructure," he said.

New York City authorities have filed criminal charges against an Iranian shipping company they accuse of trafficking weapons, along with several other companies and persons using multiple corporate aliases to sidestep US economic sanctions.

British Labour politician and shadow secretary for defence, Jim Murphy said that greater European defence co-operation is "critical", especially in the procurement of new weapons and in training. In a speech to industrialists at the Paris air show on Monday, Murphy said: "Europe must decide if it is serious. European governments have to be more honest with each other and about their capacity within NATO.

A joint Anglo-French Army exercise, called Flandres 2011, will involve six defence companies (EADS, Cassidian France, Cassidian UK, MBDA France, MBDA UK, Thales France and Thales UK) as part of a bilateral cooperative effort aimed at increasing interoperability, French Army Gen. Hervé Charpentier said on Friday.

Russia’s Admiral Chabanenko destroyer from the Northern Fleet will make a port call at the Norfolk US naval base today in preparation for joint naval drills with NATO warships. Admiral Chabanenko, an Udaloy II class destroyer, will take part in the FRUKUS 2011 exercises

In a joint presentation at the Paris air show, BAE Systems and Dassault will present their new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) named Telemos, which is reported to cost €1 billion. Following the November 2010 Franco-British defence agreement, BAE Systems and Dassault announced last March the development of a new UAV.

Hakan Buskhe, Saab’s new chief executive, revealed his new strategy identifying further cost savings and new market orientations. The most visible international move for Saab has been through its Gripen fighter.

Speaking at the Paris air show, EADS chief executive Louis Gallois, outlined an exit strategy for the group’s French and German stakeholders that would bring an end to their role in Europe’s biggest aircraft maker.

The US government is reviewing the possibility of sharing information with defence firms on cyber threats. "What if we were to provide defence companies more detailed information about the kind of cyber threats they might face? If you have that information, you'll have better defences", argues Deputy Defence Secretary William Lynn.

Russia has received support from China and certain Central Asian countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in condemning US missile shield plans. After a meeting in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, China together with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed a declaration denouncing US shield plans.

The Russian parliament will today review the extension of Russia's use of a military base in Armenia. The two countries have signed amendments to a 1995 bilateral treaty extending the use of an Armenian military base through 2044, located near Armenia’s border with Turkey.

Internal divisions are rising within NATO on whether the alliance is capable of making the crucial push to remove Colonel Muammer Gaddafi from power. Robert Gates, US secretary defense, British and French navy heads are among the main critics, asking whether the NATO has what it takes to finish the mission.  Speaking at the Security & Defence Agenda last Friday, Gates cautioned that the military capabilities in Europe “simply aren’t there”.

Intelsat is scheduled to lay out its plans today for investing $1.3 billion in four satellite launches. The move specifically intends to target the Asia – Pacific region. Dave McGlade, chief executive of Intelsat says that the company will be doing business with Tata Communications and Sony pictures Television in the region.

The Czech defence minister Alexandr Vondra announced on Wednesday that his country would not host an early warning center assessing data for a US missile shield in Europe.

Following his warning to NATO members on finances in his SDA speech on 10 June, US Secretary of Defence Gates reiterated his critique on Wednesday to members of the US Senate Appropriation Committee, adding that this could eventually force the United States to move away from the alliance.

Polish defence minister Bogdan Klich announced on Monday the signing of an agreement with the United States on the deployment of aircraft and training staff to help strengthen EU military capacity begining in 2013. This engagement is the first step in creating a regional hub for NATO air operations in Central Europe.

Italy has surpassed Greece as the main EU destination for illegal immigrants from North Africa. The EU border agency Frontex reports that 33,000 people have been detected trying to get into Europe illegally in the first three months of 2011, more than double the number for the same period last year.

NATO has outlined the main points of its cyber- defence policy which should be fully operational by 2012. Director of NATO's Communications and Information Systems Services Agency Kurt Herrmann says that “there will be more sensors to detect intrusions, monitor, defend and recover networks."

A recent UK Ministry of Defence publication warns that austerity measures could jeopardize the safety of its military installations. The Defence Environment and Safety Board has concluded that "the need to reduce costs and the severe reduction in personnel numbers will undoubtedly place a severe strain on safety systems".

The EU institutions have created a Computer Emergency Response pre-configuration Team (CERT), consisting of IT experts. After one year, the pre-configuration team will be evaluated and a decision made on establishing a fully functioning CERT.

Russia has opposed the arrival of a US Navy cruiser equipped with a ballistic missile defense system in the Black Sea to take part in naval exercises with Ukraine, calling it a threat to its national security

On June 9, the EU Council examined amendments by the European Parliament on an agreement on the Frontex regulation designed to improve the Agency's work .

In the SDA evening debate, NATO's top civilian official in Kabul Simon Gass stressed the need to build support for the transition among the Afghan population by improving governance and the rule of law. He said the international community needs to reassure Afghans that it won't abandon them after 2014.

BAE has ended its 16 year involvement in SAAB by selling its last 10 percent stake. It has worked with SAAB since 1995, amongst others on the Gripen fighter jets. The latest jet model was a great success and was sold to Hungary, South Africa, Thailand and the Czech Republic.

Speaking in a closed meeting for NATO defence ministers in Brussels, Robert Gates, US Secretary of Defense, called out Germany and Poland for assisting too little in the Libya air campaign. Spain, Turkey and The Netherlands were also among those who received harsh words from Gates

Lockheed Martin and Raytheon submitted their proposals for the next phase of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) programme on 6 June. The JAGM programme is built to replace AGM-114 Hellfire, BGM-71 TOW and AGM-65 Maverick missiles.

U.S Defense Secretary Robert Gates, on his final visit to Afghanistan as Pentagon chief, declared yesterday that « U.S.-led forces are on the verge of securing a "decisive blow" against the Taliban.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen yesterday rejected the Russian proposal on missile defence. Russia has indicated it would be ready to concede on installations of missile defence facilities in Eastern Europe if NATO provides assurances the system would not be directed against Russia.

Safran and Thales have come close to an agreement on asset swaps. Luc Vigneron, Thales chief executive, says that this year’s discussions between the two have been more productive.

Political tensions during the election campaign are once again raising questions about Turkey’s democratic potential. Tensions started after Kurdish militants supposedly placed a bomb in an Istanbul shopping market.

Turkey’s Air Force General Bilgin Balanli, commander of the War Academy, was jailed in Istanbul on May 30. The court has accused him of involvement in a "plan to overthrow the government of Islamist-leaning Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan".

Pakistan and the United States have agreed to resume joint intelligence operations against Islamist militants, in a first step toward rebuilding trust between the two countries. 

The British Ministry of Defence is to double the redundancies of civilian staff this year to 8,000. Unions claimed they had received assurances that the number of staff taking advantage of "early release schemes" would not be increased from the planned 4,000.

China has denied accusations by Google that Beijing was responsible for targeted attacks on Gmail accounts of senior U.S. officials, journalists and Chinese activists. On June 1, Google reported that it had been the victim of a cyberspying campaign originated in Jinan, China.

Obama will decide in the coming weeks on the size and the speed of the troop reductions to begin in July

Expanding populations in the world's major cities, notably an influx of young people, are causing instability and place huge pressures on police forces and security technologies, but are also a challenge to social and economic policies, security experts and industry analysts said at a Security & Defence Agenda on Wednesday, June 1.

UK Armed Forces Minister Nick Harvey told the Guardian that the capability to conduct cyber-attacks is "an integral part of the country's armoury" and that "action in cyberspace will form part of the future battlefield".

Russia has called off two high- level war games with the Indian Navy, raising questions on the Indian side.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is planning to eliminate concerns about a declining US presence in Asia at a security conference in Singapore this week.

Chinese state media announced the creation of a military cyber-security task force in charge of protecting the country from foreign cyber attacks.

For the first time in history, a Russian submarine will participate in a NATO rescue exercise. The drill is set to last from 30 May to 10 June and will see the Russian submarine dive off the Spanish Mediterranean coast alongside Spanish, Turkish and Portuguese vessels.

In a raid on industrial warehouses in the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, Spanish police say they have stopped the illegal sale of US military helicopters to Iran.

Shortly before the start of the G8 summit in Deauville, French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev have reached agreement on a major arms deal between the two countries.

Taiwan’s National Security Bureau has confirmed statements about a new Chinese missile unit being deployed close to the island.

At bilateral talks on the sidelines of the current G8 summit in Deauville, France, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and US president Barack Obama have discussed options for the European missile defence shield.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. With a clear majority of 322 in favour to 96 against, congressmen and women gave their blessing to a $ 690bn defence budget for next year.

In a row over the financing of different jet fighter engine programmes, the White House has threatened to veto the 2012 defence authorisation bill.

General Chen Bingde, chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, has called for a more aggressive anti-piracy strategy.

The US Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are sharing information on cybersecurity, authorities have told the press.

Some eight weeks after the initiation of NATO’s air campaign against forces of Libyan dictator Gadaffi, France and Britain will deploy attack helicopters to the battle zone.

Britain and the United States will set up a new security body this year. Details about the new board will be unveiled later this week during US president Obama’s visit to London.

After issuing serious threats and warning of a new cold war era should the European missile defence shield be implemented without Russian involvements, Moscow on 21 May said it may accept the shield under certain conditions.

Speaking last week during a visit in Beijing, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani announced closer military cooperation between China and Pakistan. Islamabad offered a deal to China to build a naval base at the south western city of Gwadar and to maintain a regular military presence there.

EU defence ministers are set to discuss the pooling of military capabilities on 23 May in Brussels. According to EU officials, the meeting will see national representatives explain their positions on pooling and sharing options.

Norway has confirmed reports of its military being target of a cyber-attack in March. Norwegian Defence Information Infrastructure (INI) spokeswoman Hilde Lindboe told AFP that the Norwegian army “is regularly the target of cyber and virus attacks, but not as extensive as this".

NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen expressed his support for NATO-Russia cooperation in missile defence.

Interpol is set to create a new nuclear terrorism prevention unit, the organisation announced on Wednesday, 18 May.

The British government has given the go-ahead for the early design phase of a new submarine type, which will deliver the UK's nuclear deterrent for the next 50 years.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said US strategy changes are likely to reduce defence procurement in the next decade.

German defence minister Thomas de Maizière presented the first concrete details of his plan to restructure the German armed forces.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev fired a number of domestic weapons plants chiefs, as well as several defence ministry officials on 17 May, due to an industry failure to meet the Kremlin’s deadline in delivering new weapon systems.

Greek Defence Minister Evangelos Venizelos confirmed the pull-out of German shipbuilding group HDW from a deal to build two submarines at a shipyard in Greece.

In the lunch discussion organised by the Security Defence Agenda and the United States Mission to the European Union, high ranking US officials presented an American perspective on the sharing of passenger name records (PNR).

In a move to foster international cooperation on providing a free and secure internet, White House presented a set of policy proposals on 16 May. According to US president Obama, the initiative represents “not only a vision for the future of cyberspace but an agenda for realizing it”.

European aerospace and defence group EADS announced a net loss of € 12m in the first quarter of 2011. The slight loss, due to foreign exchange factors, stands in sharp contrast to last year’s profit of more than € 100m.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has written a letter to NATO heads of state on 14 May, explaining the Russian position on a European missile defence shield.

India has for the first time announced its ambition to become a full member to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde is set to visit the United States next week. Leaders in Washington hope to initiate a defence dialogue with China’s highest ranking officer, who will stay in the United States for one week officials say.

In severe violation of UN sanctions, Iran and North Korea have regularly exchanged ballistic missile technology, a classified UN report claims.

EU member states yesterday turned down a Commission proposal to give the EU institution final authority over Schengen members’ border decisions.

The implementation of the new START agreement in the United States is facing difficulties after a vote by the US Congress’ House Armed Services Committee.

The European Commission is looking into using Spanish law as a model for European internet policing.

The US Department of State has renewed its initiative to tackle internet censorship in China, Iran and other states, which deny their citizens access to politically sensitive internet content.

The European Commission has called on Denmark to provide information on reasons for the reintroduction of border patrols.

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has defended plans to reform the Schengen agreement after calls by France and Italy to allow border checks under extraordinary conditions.

Defence contractors Safran and Thales are currently negotiating an exchange of business assets, the French Les Echos newspaper reports in an interview with the head of the Direction Générale de l'Armement procurement office, Laurent Collet-Billon.

The European Commission has called for better international cooperation in the fight against drugs. At the G8 ministerial meeting in Paris on 10 May, Home Affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmström presented new initiatives to combat drug smuggling and trade.

The Chairman of the US Congress’ House Armed Services Committee has warned the Obama administration to no repeat past mistakes when finalising the 2012 defence budget.

Authorities in Ottawa have presented plans to develop business and industry in the region of northern Quebec.

Indian authorities confirmed the start of a six-day war game along the country’s border to Pakistan. A military spokesperson told the press the exercise involves more than 20.000 soldiers and was taking part in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

In an interview with the newspaper Haaretz, Israeli defence ministry director-general Major General Udi Shani announced that Israel is planning to invest around €700 bn ($1 bn) in the further development of its mobile rocket defence unit Iron Dome.

Italy will provide rebels in Libya with weapons, Abdul Hafiz Ghoga, vice chairman of the National Transitional Council told the press on 7 May.

Civil society analysts have criticised Turkey over a new regulation aimed at protecting the Turkish families from pornographic internet content.

The Taiwanese navy has equipped its warships with a new missile type able to reach supersonic speed, authorities announced.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified the Airbus A400M’s turboprop engine. In an announcement on 6 May, the engine producer consortium Europrop International stated that the turboprop engine marks the first of its kind which has gained certification from the EASA.

Dimirty Grishin, chief executive of the Mail.ru group, warned that media groups will face severe difficulties in charging Russian users to use their content.

Debate between US democrats and republicans about the Pentagon’s budget erupted this week, as both parties outlined their strategies to ensure the global US power.

In a response to a cyber attack on the European emissions trading system (ETS) earlier this year, the European Commission proposed measures for the security enhancement of the system to member states.

After admitting the theft of personal details of nearly 80m Playstation customers last week, Sony announced an additional 25m gamers have been affected by a cyber attack on their system.

The US military has submitted lists of unfunded programmes essential to their requirements in 2012 to Congress. According to US authorities, the Navy has asked for an additional € 460m ($ 684m) for aviation equipment and ship depot maintenance.

The Deveselu Air Base near Caracal in Romania will host a U.S. ballistic missile defence system of the “Aegis Ashore System”, US and Romanian authorities announced on 3 May.

North Korean hackers were responsible for the cyber attack on a major South Korean bank, prosecutors in Seoul say.

EU member states disagree on the content of the nuclear power plant stress test proposal. In its current form, the proposal would not include a test simulating an airplane crash into the plants.

Oboronprom, the Russian state-owned aerospace holding will appeal to investors from London and Moscow for investments in the helicopter sector.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will invite leaders of major internet companies to attend the G8 summit at the end of May.

The UK government has given green light for the appointment of a foreign chairman to lead the British aerospace and defence group Rolls Royce. In a vote this week, shareholders could pave the way for a US or continental European chief by allowing a change in the company’s articles of association.

The European Commission is set to present a proposition for a mechanism which would allow member-states to temporarily apply border checks within the Schengen area.