Airforce Technology •

Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming is driving global UAV surge

Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming, previously known as Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T), will cause a global surge in armed forces induction of military uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), with the market forecasted to reach $12bn in 2032 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.12% over the next ten years, according to GlobalData. “The MUM-T system aims to develop a synchronised fleet of UAVs to support manned aircrafts, enabling rapid and better-informed decision making,” said Rithik Rao, aerospace and
Army Technology •

Javelin and AT4 sales to US DoD replenish Ukraine support

On 13 September the US Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a production contract for $311m to the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) between Raytheon Missiles and Defense and Lockheed Martin. The contract is for delivery of more than 1,800 Javelins that will serve as replenishment for DoD stocks sent to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion earlier in the year. “This award is a great example of our continued commitment to strengthening our domestic industrial base while supporting our allies and partne
Airforce Technology •

J-20 Chengdu: Mighty Dragon in the heart of China’s military modernisation

China has approved ambitious military modernisation programmes to increase its capabilities, including the J-20 programme, spurred by territorial claims in the South China Sea and the increasing strength and assertiveness of the US. GlobalData’s latest report, “China Defense Market Size and Trends, Budget Allocation, Regulations, Key Acquisitions, Competitive Landscape and Forecast, 2022-27,” reveals that China’s defence expenditure for 2022 would amount to $225.6bn, a 7.3% increase on 2021, an
Airforce Technology •

Air denial over supremacy: lessons from Ukraine

In an Atlantic Council public event on 6 September, Lt Gen S. Clinton Hinote, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration, and Requirements of the US Air Force, gave support to air denial as a doctrinal alternative to air supremacy. “Typically, we think of superiority as a duality,” Hinote said. “We are going to use the space and we’re going to deny its use to others. The barriers to entry for denial, for denying the use of airspace, are much, much lower these days than the barriers to entr
Army Technology •

HIMARS purchase by Taiwan reflects the tension driving Japan’s military build-up

The worsening geostrategic environment is motivating Taiwan’s decision to purchase additional M142 High Mobility Artillery Rockets Systems (HIMARS) as part of a multi-pronged defence strategy, while Japan looks to double its defence spending cap in response to North Korean missile development. The Taiwanese military has decided to purchase additional M142 High Mobility Artillery Rockets Systems (HIMARS) launchers and Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) munitions as part of record $40bn annual
Army Technology •

Mexico seeks to expand military roles as defence budget increases

Mexico is seeking to increase the militarisation of civilian activities, ranging to national park to domestic anti-crime operations, with a plan under the premiership of President López Obrador to bring the country’s National Guard under military control. “Troops have run over 2,500 branches of a state-development bank, constructed a new airport in Mexico City, and run various customs centres,” says Madeline Wild, associate defence analyst at GlobalData. Mexico’s defence budget is now expected
Airforce Technology •

US Air Force considering shift to heavy-lift drones in CSAR missions

The US Air Force (USAF) is discussing using heavy-lift uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) for collecting service members stranded in combat, according to its Chief of Staff, General Charles Brown, in remarks made to the American Enterprise Association. Speaking on 29 August, Brown’s commented in response to remarks from George Nicholson, Washington liaison officer for the Global Special Operations Forces Foundation, who was critical of how the USAF addressed its combat search and rescue (CSAR) requ
Army Technology •

MPF vehicles to be delivered to US Army in Q1 of 2024

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has confirmed that General Dynamics Land Systems will deliver an initial 24 Mobile Protected Firepowers (MPF) in Q1 of 2024, part of a $1.14bn contract to supply 96 vehicles. The lightly-armoured land platform will fill a capability gap in infantry brigades for an airborne-capable tracked vehicle that can provide fire-on-the-move capability. “The MPF programme initiated the Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) phase…in June 2022,” said US Army spokesperson Ellen Lovet
Army Technology •

Military recruitment practices waking up to diversity

Newly released research from RAND Europe recognising the strategic benefits of diversity in UK and US military recruitment follows hot on the heels of the United States Marine Corps (USMC ) announcement to adjust its body-mass intake requirements for female recruits. RAND Europe consulted with tech companies in the private sector for its report, Leveraging Diversity for Military Effectiveness, to examine the contributions of neurodiverse employees in the development of emerging technologies, re
Airforce Technology •

US considers the next move while Taiwan plays “cat and mouse” with China

China and the US remain in a political crisis over Taiwan, even as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reduces the number of overflying planes and ships in the Taiwan Strait, according to panelists speaking on 22 August at a moderated discussion from the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the military dimensions of the fourth Taiwan Strait crisis. Twelve days after China’s military deterrence manoeuvres have completed, the remaining PLA ships are still in a “cat and mouse” game wi
Army Technology •

Loitering munitions evoke new era for missile defence

Supplying the Ukrainian war effort has brought with it lessons in future military readiness. Loitering munitions’ further success in Ukraine has put them in the favour of US and UK armed services, while the proliferation of this and other kinds of novel aerial weaponry have motivated the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to revolutionise its air defence systems. Providing Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles has highlighted the need for UK air defence systems that are cheaper and faster to produce. As
Army Technology •

Asia-Pacific nations to increase defence spending through the next five years

China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific region has raised tensions with Australia, provoking Australian defence spending increases. Australia will raise its defence budget annually by an average of 3.8% for the next five years, according to GlobalData, with the increase intended to achieve program modernisations and to maintain security and stability in the surrounding Indo-Pacific region and South China Sea. Australia defence spending to grow at 3.8% CAGR between 2022-20
Vogue Business •

Fashion’s reshoring rush: Why now and for how long?

PVH chief supply chain officer Sarah Clarke announced the company would be closing down its operations in the Hawassa Industrial Park, a major manufacturing plant run for over five years and the first of its kind in Ethiopia, where PVH employed approximately 1,450 of the site's 30,000-person workforce as of last week. Due to the “speed and volatility of the escalating situation” surrounding the national emergency in Ethiopia, PVH said tha
The Financial Times •

Congo voting data reveal huge fraud in poll to replace Kabila

Martin Fayulu was the clear winner of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential elections last month, a Financial Times analysis of two separate collections of voting data shows, contradicting claims from authorities that rival contender Felix Tshisekedi had won the historic vote. The analysis points to huge fraud in the first change of power since Joseph Kabila took over the presidency of the mineral-rich central African nation almost 18 years ago. It is likely to embolden critics of Mr
Significance Magazine •

Significance magazine - Visualising the pandemic: interviews with data journalists covering Covid-19 | Significance magazine

In many parts of the world, the outcome of the Covid-19 outbreak has a lot to do with the choices people make about social distancing and obeying restrictions, as well as choices about their own personal care, such as maintaining a more thorough approach to handwashing or, more controversially, when it is appropriate to wear a mask. Those decisions will be influenced by each individual’s knowledge and beliefs, which – in turn – are shaped by the information they receive from government, from hea
Huffington Post •

'The News Has Skipped Us': 18 People Give Their Frank Thoughts On The State Of British Media

The national media has “skipped” Birmingham and most of the coverage of the area is relentlessly negative, according to people HuffPost spoke to in the UK’s second biggest city. Local views on topics like Brexit are overlooked by the London-focused media, they said, while the newspapers, internet and broadcast media could not always be trusted to tell “the truth” without “agenda”.
Vogue Business •

Ahead of IPO, demand for Zegna shares falls

Low demand for Italian luxury fashion house Zegna Group shares, ahead of its listing in New York, has wiped $100 million off the expected market valuation. Zegna Group and Investindustrial Acquisition Corp., the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) involved in the deal, announced they have completed their business combination to list on 20 December in a statement today. The market valuation reached $2.4 billion as the SPAC investors
Vogue Business •

Bracketing: Fashion’s hidden returns problem

It’s become a common habit: customers fill up online carts with multiple sizes and colours of the same items. The plan is to try them on at home, decide what they like and send back the rest. The practice of over-ordering online in pursuit of the right size or style, known as bracketing, seems innocent but is wreaking havoc on retailers’ bottom lines. Bracketing increases the number of items going back to the fulfilment centre; the backwa
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism •

Dying Homeless: Counting the deaths of homeless people across the UK

The number of people sleeping rough rose by 169% between 2010 and 2017. During the bitter cold of the 2017-2018 winter, some deaths made headlines, including that of a man who died close to the Palace of Westminster. Despite many vulnerable people being known to the authorities, local journalists and charities were often the only ones that reported these deaths. The Bureau spoke to councils, hospitals, coroners' offices, police forces and NGOs. While there is a charitable network recording in
Sifted •

6 lessons on online privacy and digital authentication

Digital fraud, from phishing to synthetic identity fraud, is increasing in frequency and sophistication. It’s more crucial than ever for startups to protect themselves using biometric identification, which uses AI and machine learning to analyse images — but just how good is verification tech, and where is it headed? We asked this and more to our panel of privacy and security experts for the latest Sifted Talks, including: Stephen Ritter, CTO of digital identity verification and mobile deposit
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