The report, “Seized At Sea: Iranian Weapons Smuggled to the Houthis,” provides visual evidence the weapons and weapon components interdicted in transit to the Houthis January 11 and 28 are of Iranian origin, showcasing Iran’s enablement of the Houthis’ attack campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Critical components of various missiles were seized and, upon further analysis, found to share near-identical features with Iranian missile systems. Between 2015 and 2024, the United States and its partners have interdicted at least 20 Iranian smuggling vessels, seizing ballistic, cruise, and surface-to-air missile components, antitank guided missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other illicit weapons destined for the Houthis.

DIA assesses the Houthis have used Iran-supplied weapons to conduct more than 100 land- and sea-based attacks across the Middle East, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.

DIA has released the report to enhance public understanding of Iran’s malign activities and to provide insights into Department of Defense and national security issues. The report advances U.S. intelligence efforts to display the clear connections between Iranian weapons and the weapons used in Houthi attacks.

Report in PDF

The proposed five-year project will build Grave Dock, designated Drydock 5, and maintain and modernize the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s nuclear submarines, thereby enhancing PHNSY’s ability to serve the Navy for decades to come.

Key features of a Naval Shipyard for Nuclear Submarines

1. Dry docks: A naval shipyard for nuclear submarines must have dry docks large enough to accommodate the submarines for maintenance, repair, and overhaul. The dry docks must be equipped with cranes, lifts, and other machinery to handle the submarines.
2. Radiation shielding: Due to the nature of nuclear submarines, a shipyard must have radiation shielding in place to protect workers from radiation exposure during maintenance and repair work. The shipyard should have appropriate equipment and personnel trained to handle radioactive materials.
3. High-security perimeter: A naval shipyard for nuclear submarines must have a high-security perimeter to prevent unauthorized access and ensure the security of the submarines. This includes security measures such as fences, gates, cameras, and security personnel.
4. Testing facilities: A naval shipyard for nuclear submarines should have testing facilities for various systems on the submarines, such as propulsion, electrical, and weapons systems. These facilities allow for testing and troubleshooting before the submarine is returned to service.
5. Skilled workforce: A highly skilled workforce is essential for a naval shipyard for nuclear submarines. Workers must have specialized training and experience in nuclear submarine maintenance, repair, and overhaul.
6. Environmental controls: Due to the potential for environmental damage from nuclear submarines, a naval shipyard must have robust environmental controls in place. This includes measures such as wastewater treatment, air pollution controls, and hazardous waste management.
7. Research and development capabilities: A naval shipyard for nuclear submarines should have research and development capabilities to stay up-to-date with the latest technology and to develop new systems and components for the submarines. This includes facilities for testing and evaluating new technologies and materials.

“As part of the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), replacing Dry Dock 3 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is a critical enabler of increased naval capability,” said Pete Lynch, program executive officer for Industrial Infrastructure, who oversees SIOP. “This project is a key investment in increasing capacity and modernizing our nation’s public shipyards through upgraded dry docks and facilities, new equipment, and improved workflow.”

Dry Dock 3 at PHNSY & IMF will become functionally obsolete once the Navy’s Los Angeles-class submarines are no longer in service. The dry dock, built in 1942, cannot service Virginia-class submarines or larger surface ships.

“We look forward to working with Dragados/Hawaiian Dredging/Orion JV, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, and all our stakeholders on this project over the next several years in order to deliver this critical capability to the Fleet,” said Capt. Steve Padhi, commanding officer of Officer in Charge of Construction (OICC) Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. “The project team and cooperating agencies have gone above and beyond to set the conditions for success. We have incorporated lessons learned and best practices from other dry dock projects and field offices across the Navy, and we have consulted with our construction contractors early in order to confidently meet the requirements we’ve been given. My OICC team and I are ready to get started on this historic effort.”

The Navy is investing heavily in shipyard infrastructure for nuclear-powered warships. The Navy established SIOP to increase throughput at the four public shipyards by updating their physical layout, upgrading and modernizing their dry docks, and replacing antiquated capital equipment with modern tools and technologies.

SIOP is a holistic investment plan that when fully executed will deliver required dry dock repairs and upgrades to support current and planned future classes of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines, optimize workflow within the shipyards through significant changes to their physical layout, and recapitalize industrial plant equipment with modern technology that will substantially increase productivity and safety.

HLS.Today Source: NAVSEA.NAV.MIL 

This makes several companies in the supply chain more vulnerable to just one fatal cyberattack, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Cybersecurity in Defence – Thematic Research’, reveals that small companies are often seen as sitting ducks for hackers, working as gateways to access the larger companies and defence companies are aware of the increasing threat landscape.

The number of mentions of cybersecurity by defence companies in their filings almost tripled between 2016 and 2021 to over 30,000, reveals GlobalData’s Company Filing Analytics.

Emma Taylor, Associate Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Cybersecurity is of great importance for every sector. However, the sensitive nature of defence data and consequential national security concerns elevate the importance of data security for defence manufacturers. Defence companies, although aware of the cybersecurity threat, need to be aware of the weakest link of their cybersecurity defences. Unfortunately, that is often outside their own company.”

Smaller companies often do not have sufficient bandwidth to effectively monitor, correlate and respond to breaches in a cyber secure fashion. Limited resources and a severe industry-wide shortage of trained cybersecurity experts add to this pressure.

Taylor continues: “To counteract the threat of cyberattacks seeking sensitive defence data, companies are becoming increasingly collaborative in their approach, sharing information about attacks and breaches. They are also adopting a zero-trust security model that eliminates the concept of trust from an organization’s network architecture.”

Cyberattacks can severely disrupt supply chains. If operating systems (which any company in the supply chain is using) are compromised by cyberattacks, it will delay processes significantly.

Taylor concludes: “Supply chain disruption causes a knock-on effect that creates serious issues for both companies and militaries. More and more technologies used in defense need semiconductors to operate, including some missiles. This demand has outstripped supply, hitting the defense industry hard.”

Source: GlobalData

Delivering on ambitions laid out in the National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh earlier this year, the contract awarded to BAE Systems will support 1,700 British jobs over the next decade at BAE Systems sites in Govan and Scotstoun, Glasgow.

As part of the contract, BAE Systems has committed to invest £1.2 billion in the UK supply chain, supporting a further 2,300 jobs with more than 120 suppliers all over the UK.

Leading the Royal Navy’s anti-submarine warfare surface fleet, the five new City-class ships – HMS Birmingham, HMS Sheffield, HMS Newcastle, HMS Edinburgh and HMS London – will join the first three T26s already in build at Govan – HMS Glasgow, HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast.

Construction of all eight frigates is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s, with the first, HMS Glasgow, entering service by the end of 2028.

BAE SYSTEMS’ CONTRIBUTION TO THE UK ECONOMY – AN INDEPENDENT REPORT BY OXFORD ECONOMICS 2022

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

We are investing in our fleet to ensure our Royal Navy maintains its world-leading capability to protect and defend our nation at sea. This design has already been successfully exported to Australia and Canada, its already proved itself as a world-class maritime capability, securing thousands of UK jobs and strengthening alliances with our allies.

Supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs in Scotland, and more across the wider UK supply chain, this contract will continue to boost our British shipbuilding industry, galvanising the very best of British engineering, manufacturing and design.

Replacing the bulk of the retiring Type 23 fleet, the Type 26 frigates will be flexible and advanced warships with the primary purpose of anti-submarine warfare, protecting the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent and Maritime Strike Group.

At just under 150m long – around the length of three Olympic swimming pools – and with a top speed of more than 26 knots and a range of more than 7,000 nautical miles, the vessels will be capable of countering piracy and delivering humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

Carrying the Sea Ceptor missile defence system – able to destroy airborne and sea surface targets – the vessels will also carry a five-inch medium calibre gun, an embarked helicopter for specific operations, radar and sonar for expert navigation and tracking adversaries.

A flexible mission bay means the vessels could also be adapted to carry specific Armed Forces and equipment tailored for operations. The Mk.41 vertical launch silo will be fitted to enable rapid-fire missile launches.

BAE Systems Chief Executive Officer, Charles Woodburn, said:

This contract secures a critical UK industry and allows us to build on our long history of shipbuilding on the Clyde as we continue to deliver cutting-edge equipment to the Royal Navy into the next decade. It underpins the ongoing investments we’re making in the skills, infrastructure and technologies needed to stay at the forefront of the maritime sector and to support the UK Government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Improving build efficiency, BAE Systems has submitted a planning application for a new 175 metre long, 85 metre wide Shipbuilding Hall at Govan, which will allow two frigates to be built simultaneously under cover. This investment will be a major factor in the final five City-class ships costing less and being delivered faster than previous vessels.

In the manufacturing supply chain, £248 million worth of work has been committed to Scotland, with £16 million to Wales and £749 million to England.

Vice Admiral Paul Marshall, DE&S Director General Ships, said:

The award of the T26 Batch 2 manufacture contract is another key milestone in the United Kingdom’s shipbuilding programme, reaffirming our commitment, alongside our industrial partners, to deliver a highly effective anti-submarine frigate fleet for the Royal Navy.

The vessels are designed to reduce environmental impacts, and are fitted with features – including a hydrodynamically designed hull – to optimise fuel efficiency and a diesel engine emissions abatement, which reduces nitrogen oxide exhaust.

Steel will be cut on the first of the next five vessels, HMS Birmingham, this winter, marking the start of the Batch 2 build phase.

HLS.Today Source: GOV.UK

France must face, on land as at sea, the return of high intensity combat. The maritime environment is more than ever a place of competition, dispute and confrontation, placing itself at the heart of security issues. With the increase in the budget of our armed forces, provided for by the Military Programming Law (LPM) 2019-2025, the French Navy can count on modern and efficient equipment, thanks in particular to the work of the General Directorate of Armaments ( DGA) and our Defense Industrial and Technological Base (BITD). It also anticipates the threats of tomorrow by placing itself at the forefront of innovation, because preparing for the future also means staying one step ahead in this context of naval rearmament.

Renew surface buildings

The rejuvenation and strengthening of our fleet is already effective. The French Navy has received seven multi-mission frigates (FREMM) out of the eight planned by the end of the year. First-rate ships, they constitute the real backbone of a navy with an ocean vocation: the 45 days of autonomy, the projection capacity reaching 6,000 km and the new generation combat system make them a versatile tool and a political signal. and a strong military. Some of these frigates can even carry the ASTER 30 missile, with significantly higher performance (compared to the ASTER 15). Its function: to intercept and destroy all aerial threats. Reaching a speed close to 5,000 km/h, it can hit a target located more than 100 kilometers away.

The renewal of the surface fleet also means the upcoming arrival of the five Defense and Intervention Frigates (FDI), with a first delivery in 2024. The first French frigates natively protected against the cyber threat, they are capable of operating in all areas of warfare (anti-ship, anti-aircraft, anti-submarine) and are suitable for the projection of special forces. Powerfully equipped and endowed with numerous technological innovations, they will constitute, by 2030, one third of the leading French frigates.

“Building a navy involves long-term investments and betting on the future. » Sebastien Lecornu.

Read below transcript in English.

Inauguration of Euronaval

Since 2018, the preparatory work for the launch of the next generation aircraft carrier program (PA-NG) has been launched. Almost twice as large as the current Charles de Gaulle, it will be able to reach a speed of 27 knots, or 50 km/h and carry around thirty new generation combat aircraft. The key: greater control of maritime space and our deterrent force.

Different areas of struggle

Since it adopted a seabed strategy in February 2022, France has, for example, been developing devices capable of knowing, monitoring and acting up to 6,000 meters deep. A necessity to protect our strategic infrastructures such as submarine cables, on which we depend heavily for the transport of energy and digital data. It is also the development of the new Future Marine Mine Countermeasures System (SLAM-F). Objective: to leave the man out of the minefield via remote control or semi-autonomy of surface drones. “Once in the water, the onboard sonar is capable of imaging the seabed with a very high resolution to detect, locate and classify explosive devices”, explains Alain, head of the technical teams for the SLAM-F program at the DGA, during Euronaval. If a threat is detected, a teleoperated robot will destroy the targeted object. The first deliveries of this brand new system are expected at the end of 2023.

The French Navy is already reaping the benefits of an ambitious investment policy. The Suffren, the first nuclear attack submarine (SNA) of the Barracuda program, entered active service last June. With great acoustic discretion, it also benefits from improved endurance allowing extended operational deployments. Five others of the same class will follow by 2030.

In the air, the French Navy is also counting on the arrival of the Guépard Marine from the HIL program (Light Joint Helicopter). “

The objective is to produce a machine capable of carrying out the spectrum of the missions of the three armies with a controlled operating cost, ”reveals Captain Jean-Baptiste, in charge in particular of the coherence of aeronautical programs for the French Navy. Eventually, the first units will be delivered from 2029.

HLS.Today Source: Defense.Gouv.fr

Video Interview Transcript:

Hello and welcome to the Euronaval 2022 studio. We are lucky today to have captain Alexandre marches with us. Hello, hello Xavier. What is your role in the navy?
I am the commander of the navy’s press relations information service. I am also the communication advisor and spokesperson in this capacity.
Looking at the last few years, we see a lot of integration and new equipment; how is it going? This rise in power will go up where then actually, in the last few years, we have excellent examples this year, we have been on a relatively strong renewal of our equipment I can sweep them quite quickly. We also have some at the end of 2022 some exciting elements.
We have a lot of active service retirements because new abilities are coming, so the most recent skills are the frames we will soon receive last, the eighth frame, which is the second air defence frame we see. All that caused the withdrawal from service of the oldest frigates, the anti-submarine frigates, with the departure of the TREVILLE key recently. If I continue in other areas, there is the departure, for example, of the Alouette 3, which will be leaving us in December after 60 years of loyal service in the navy.
On the one hand, we have been replaced by an interim fleet of dolphins and by the first h160 delivered on September 22 to the navy transformation course. Here I can go underwater. We have the same thing with the admission to active service in June of the first Barracuda submarine, the Suffren, and very recently, the start-up from the boiler room, called the divergence of the dogecoin, the second in the series last month. All this entails the withdrawal of service from buildings or boats as soon as the oldest rubies very well, so when we look at everything, that is an evolution in terms of drones.
We think a lot about flying drones but there is also everything that is funny marit underwater drone do we also have innovations in this area so innovations we already uses drones on our surface vessels the two phras are equipped with small emerging drones which are now operational we also want to put smaller drones into service today to enhance the very old boats that are deep sea patrol boats the series of aviso at 69 we are on board what we call the smdm which is operational today and which allows it to see further, that is to say that we adapt old capacities with modern capacities for optimize performance so but we are also going to leave now we are going to start going underwater with the developments of the slamef program which therefore continues from the drone of the underwater drone to intervene in mine stations and more long term in the context of mastering the seabed of other drones, but I think we’ll talk about it again later, I’ll pass on to you that precisely that should matter it’s the evolutions what is it that you see as a big trend over the next few years.

In the next decade and suddenly what a program that are associated then there is you have to go back a little in the context I think you see like me that today the challenge and the use of force is developing it is true that we are looking at the Ukrainian conflict we necessarily have a very continental focus with the land battles but what happened for example on the cruiser Mozart or what happened on the Gazo du Nord Stream can also show that the sea is a space of dispute or even confrontation tomorrow so it is necessary and it is one of the strong axes that our Chief of Staff Admiral Vendiez wanted to have a combat navy and this combat navy it must be as at the peak.
Therefore these are the axes of tomorrow which fit perfectly into the new programs which have already been launched by the IDF frigates, for example, the first of which will soon be launched, that is also the case, so I said it earlier about slammed it will be tomorrow on the new new generation aircraft carrier which should replace the Charles de Gaulle in 2038.
Even on a component such as deterrence on the replacement of the current SNLs by the c’ was born the third generation which will allow us to go even further for 80 years and to keep capacities which will remain at the forefront and precisely on the pit which is like a major component for the navy these are major cases one of the four major commands the future nuclear ballistic missile submarines the evolution of the M51 there are also prospects yes it’s it’s its programs that are engaged of course that we don’t communicate a lot about it too bad but they are engaged.
We will see very soon in a little over 10 years the arrival of the successor to the current DSN so that they can guide it is that they can continue to carry out their mission I tell you almost 80 me until 2080 or even further with equipment always for a submarine a detectable is able to launch missiles which are effective and which guarantee us our credible deterrent structure I see a lot of bursts which revolve around us also developments on this side there and that the arrival of the F4 standard there are also many innovations which are specific to the navy.
Can you mention them?
So the innovation is of course the Light motif of a state-of-the-art navy innovations we see them in many areas there is one area that is very important is connectivity, it is having Marines a navy already capable of being connected buildings between aircraft between them but also with our allies and that it’s all the endorsements on naval cooperative watch which will allow, for example, a boat to engage a target which is seen by another in a time which is even faster than what is called real time are essential.
The developments and we can see it of course the Rafale with this standard it will not be the F4 which is very connected and which still allows it to go further compared to the current standard the F3R this innovation is also the expense of a capacity for agility of adaptability and that when we talk about the economy of war for the navy in the current context, that is to say that of the evil of a navy which needs to be in combat and at the forefront it is essential we need a navy that will adapt quickly is one of the axes that the chief of staff of the navy pushes.
That is to say to take what we did with the Rafale, that is to say to make it evolve step by step for example in the capacity in the construction of our future capacities and the second big characteristic by the innovations but we must not forget when it was combat navy it must also be resilient, that is to say that we resist the fire of the first shot and that we are able to fight that also means of the mass not necessarily precisely the mass it can be we have seen it for example which is very long and that the chief of staff recalls it on September 5 we commemorate the battle of the high chair the mass it can also be innovation it can also be talent it can be sailors who are able to look for other solutions to have another state of mind that’s also one of the major issues suddenly recruitment yes so I told you three axes in fact in the Mercator plan which is the plan that guides the navy the combat navy I put a lot of talk about the state-of-the-art navy.
I believe that in the naval we are at the heart of that and that is the talented navy so what is the talented navy what is a navy today which every year recruits 4000 young people it’s a navy which is young, which is around less than 30 years old on the ships and around 32 years old on average, and it’s a navy which must be able to train sailors for trades that we don’t find elsewhere or who are rare what you need to know is that today I am convinced that maybe 15 days ago there is a young person who entered the École des mousses who will be there he nuclear engineer who will lead the boiler room of Charles de Gaulle in 2000 sorry in 2038 or the first boiler room of an snl-e3g we recruit them today we train them in rare trades of very high technicality we make them progress the staircase social is always very important to us and behind it we have people who are able, with their skills combined with experience and older experience.
To bring a lot to the Navy of Talon one last point on the cooperation of major international programs we see that there are technical programs of the materials which is also shared t access to some of our partners but in terms of operational cooperation where are we then operational cooperation in fact this question which every time surprises us sailors when we are told about it it is in our DNA in made very small we work with allies who have NATO within the framework of the EU as soon as we carry out an operation as soon as we carry out an exercise we are never alone the chief of staff of the Navy recalled this summer when he was talking about Asia Pacific if we want to be credible in Asia Pacific Facing us competitors facing competitors it is necessarily with allies partners that we will get there so all that this state of mind that we have natively in the navy because we are sailors and because we work with other navies who have the same navy combat DNA advanced navy and who also want to fight against competitors we have it but it must also translate technically with equipment.
That is interoperable was talking about naval cooperative life it is not normal to study all these systems which are interoperable and it is also one of the keys to the success of the request it is also within the framework of NATO suddenly this integration in which we returned and we increased in power with the integrated command so that for the tactical level of course it changed absolutely nothing I was brought up in standards at the time we have always worked in procedure as much we have always been compatible if only on the data links with the optant the integrated command has not changed much for our tactical combat level but indeed it remains today we review it with the events in Ukraine and the somewhat greater reactivation of the essential naval forces at the time can you talk a little bit about the deployment we have seen that France has ensured protection and in particular the French navy ease ensured the protection of the southern flank with in particular with the surveillance and protection capabilities.
That you can do the Hokage we also had a deployment that was international because the deployment of the aircraft carrier was done with ships from other marines so that’s really the ultimate example you have to go even further in mentions there then this example to tell you about the Clémenceau 2022 mission the aircraft carrier was actually at sea when the conflict broke out in Ukraine first what is remarkable is to see that in less than 48 hours when you have a tool like a carrier battle group and tells you very well which is both full of submarine buildings of French aircraft but also allied in less than 48 hours we are able to reconfigure ourselves to completely change mission to turn from the East to the North and to be credible that is something that should be noted and that is also precisely because ‘we are interoperable we often say ent Plug and Play and the French boats are Plug and Play in other naval air groups like foreigners are Plug and Play with us so all that effectively made it possible very quickly to find the Chief of Staff very much likes this expression eye to eye with the Russian competitor in oriental meditation always with professional interactions of course and to go and do what are called reassurance missions on the eastern flank of southeastern Europe, most particularly with as you you said hawkai flights to gather intelligence and situation and burst flights typically reassurance flights that occurred at the same time as the air force flights a little further north in the Baltic countries or in Poland so a perfect coordination also with the commander buddies. thank you very much for this exchange. thank you Xavier.

“What our infantry soldiers – and particularly our soldiers here in Darwin – have is an inherent flexibility and an ability to operate in any weather, climate, or terrain,” Lieutenant Colonel Gilmore said. 

“It’s the geography that we live in, it’s the geography we work in, and we have a lot of water here – so with small boats it allows us to do more things in more places more often.”

Exercise Tiger’s Run also set the conditions for the Tiger Battalion’s soldiers to be properly equipped with both the skills and mindset for 1st Brigade’s Exercise Predator’s Run 2022.

“The first step in that journey is us developing our skills in small boats, with that operating within littoral areas,” Lieutenant Colonel Gilmore said.

“We see that work on the water is going to be integral for us, with anything we’re going to be doing into the future, particularly within this region, and this just gives us the opportunity to make sure that we’re as ready as we humanly can be.”

Exercise Predator’s Run 2022 will be a combined exercise held in the Northern Territory’s Mount Bundey Training Area with capabilities and personnel from 1st Brigade units, the United States Marine Corps’ Marine Force Detachment – Darwin, Malaysian Armed Forces, and the Philippines Army.

Commander of the 1st Brigade, Brigadier Nick Foxall, said the training will be pivotal for the development of the expertise required for successful littoral operations.

“This is an excellent opportunity to train with our partners from countries such as the United States, Malaysia, and the Philippines while becoming accustomed to operating in the maritime environment,” Brigadier Foxall said.

Beyond Exercise Predator’s Run, Brigadier Foxall said the Brigade will seek to increase training opportunities with partnering nations’ littoral capabilities.

“The 1st Brigade will lead Army’s thinking on the establishment of the littoral formation and play a key role in building Army’s littoral corporate knowledge,” he said.

“To achieve this we will seek increased security cooperation and international engagements such as exchanges and study tours with partner nations.”

Source: Australian Defence

However, two years from the opening of the JOP in Paris, the figures make you dizzy: 7.3 billion euros in the budget, 13.4 million tickets on sale, 600,000 spectators expected for the opening ceremony on the quays of the Seine and nearly 40 sites in Île-de-France and in the regions. And cyber risk is everywhere. Ticketing, personal data, video retransmission or surveillance systems. So many risks of computer attacks that must be prevented.

In 2016, the organizers of the Olympic Games in Rio recorded around half a billion computer attacks (or 400 per second). Four years later, in Tokyo, 815 computer attacks per second were recorded. Asked by AFP, the president of the 2024 Olympics organizing committee, Tony Estanguet, confirms: “We have no doubt that we will be attacked, permanently. […] There must be no flaw in any possible entry, within the collaborators, the software, the ecosystem.

“There were moments of friction”

The cyber threat is multiple. In a report published in 2021, the National Information Systems Security Agency (Anssi), a major player in computer security for the Paris Olympics, provides an overview: it can be state, cybercriminal, cyberterrorist or activist. And according to Bertrand Le Gorgeu, sector coordinator for major sporting events at Anssi, “it is the state threat which is, by far, the most dangerous”.

To avoid a remake of the fiasco of the 2022 Coupe de la Ligue final at the Stade de France, all the security and prevention services of the Ministry of the Interior are mobilized. In total, more than a dozen departments are involved in defining the cyber defense strategy for the Paris Olympic Games, placed under the aegis of the interministerial delegate for the JOP and the national coordination body for the security of the Olympic Games and Paralympics 2024.

But according to a ministerial source within the delegation responsible for supervising the smooth running of the experiments with cybersecurity tools, the beginnings were marked by numerous incidents: “There were moments of friction”, explains our source to many times. “Until June, a large number of players were absent from the discussion and the ministry had not yet issued all the calls for expressions of interest to industrialists.”

Chargé de mission to the ministry, the expert in cybersecurity and intelligence in open sources adds: “There is a certain competition between the services of the Ministry of the Interior. Everyone has their own methods, needs and not all are at the same level in cyber matters. Adjustments had to be made.

Called Monday, July 25 by President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée, an Olympic meeting bringing together a dozen ministers, the police prefects of Île-de-France and the president of the organizing committee of the Olympic Games, Tony Estanguet, has clarified the chain of command. The management of the security of the event now belongs to the Ministry of the Interior.

The fear of demobilization

Placed under the control of the ministerial directorate for partnerships, strategies and security innovations, the experimentation phase of cybersecurity technologies began last April. The industrial sector has prepared for it. Industrial committees have been set up to respond effectively to calls for expressions of interest issued by the government, as part of the overall strategy to combat cyber threats defended by Place Beauvau. This phase should end in December 2022. At the end, a report will be sent to the authorities, with a view to acquiring the technologies selected.

The importance of meeting the deadlines is twofold: for manufacturers, the financial compensation for these experiments ends on 31 December. From January 2023, the acquisition of the technologies selected by the State will then allow their full-scale testing during the many sporting and cultural events (like the 2023 Rugby World Cup), which will be held until the launch. of the Paris Olympics, scheduled for July 26, 2024.

Contacted by Slate, an internal source at the Ministry of the Interior assures that “overall, all the experiments should be completed on time”. But the requirements of the different departments cause slowdowns. The summer holidays, the many sporting or cultural events of this period and, above all, the coming social re-entry raise fears of a mobilization of engaged forces.

“There will be a certainly busy return to school and the various security forces of the Ministry of the Interior will each have other things to do”, explains our source “All these events are conducive to the forces not always being as available as we would like.

The Paris Olympics must allow cyber and French digital security to become “a sector of the future”. Despite the presence of several international players in the organization of these Olympic Games, such as the American Cisco or the Chinese giant Alibaba, the ministry assures it: “No American or Israeli technology will be selected”. French companies will be given priority, including at least 30% of SMEs.

As part of the recovery plan put in place by the government, 20 million euros have been released by Bercy. Still, the Court of Auditors does not hide its fears. Already in April 2021, responsible for studying the management of the organization of Paris 2024, she noted as a positive point the increase in investments in terms of security. But the financial jurisdiction is however concerned about the contours of the computer system deployed within the framework of the French Olympics.

In a 76-page interim report, revealed by Le Canard enchaîné in early July, the Court of Auditors reiterates its warnings. She affirms again that it is “imperative” to accelerate the pace to meet the “considerable security challenge” represented by these “protean threats”.

The final version of this document, which was recently transmitted to the authorities, will be published by the end of the year, with the responses of the various parties taking part in the organisation. But according to the media who have consulted him, he is already saying in hollow the excess of such an event. Security therefore remains a sensitive issue for the Paris 2024 Olympics, for which 22,000 to 33,000 agents should be employed per day, according to estimates by the Court of Auditors.

Source: Slate.fr

GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Slovenia Defence Market Size and Trends, Budget Allocation, Regulations, Key Acquisitions, Competitive Landscape and Forecast, 2022-27’, notes that Slovenia is heavily reliant upon its membership in international organisations such as NATO for its security. To continue to benefit from the collective defence offered by membership of NATO, Slovenia must remain an active and engaged member of the organisation. Meeting the 2% of GDP target is a good way to do so. 2022 was also the first year that Slovenia met NATO’s other spending target, which is where 20% of a country’s defence budget should be allocated to acquisitions.

Madeline Wild, Associate Defence Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced states across Europe to reassess their defence spending. Slovenia’s defence market is small, with current spending levels restricting Slovenia’s ability to bolster its defensive strength due to the small acquisition budget on offer. However, forecasted growth means that long-term investments into major platforms can be carried out due to payments being split over a multiyear timeframe.”

The country’s growing defence spending is forecast to outpace GDP increases dramatically, rising from 1.5% of GDP being spent on defence in 2022 to 2.2% in 2027. This growth aligns Slovenia with its NATO allies, who have also announced budgetary growth to meet the threat posed by Russia.

Slovenia can also strengthen its relationships with NATO allies through procurement programs. Industrial collaboration can be beneficial regarding what it can offer politically and regarding the provision of military capabilities. Joint procurement programs can help states strengthen their relationships and provide new channels for cooperation and communication.

Wild adds: “One of the major ongoing procurement programs within Slovenia is the acquisition of a C-27J aircraft. This program is part of a larger government-to-government agreement with Italy and will provide Slovenia with greater levels of independence in the aerospace domain. Currently, Slovenia is heavily reliant on its neighbours for air-based capabilities, but the acquisition of a C-27J is a significant step towards meeting Slovenia’s requirement for transport aircraft.”

Source: GlobalData

The Defence Secretary visited Slovakia today (Mon 25 July) to meet his counterpart and discuss our joint work to support Ukraine and safeguard European security.

The UK and Slovakia have been working in lockstep to support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s illegal invasion. Britain was the first European country to supply military aid to Ukraine and recently announced plans to send hundreds of drones and scores of artillery guns, while Slovakia was the first NATO ally to donate air defence systems and recently revealed it would send self-propelled howitzers to the country.

Ben Wallace met with Slovakian Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad in Bratislava to speak about what more can be done and how we work together going forward to enhance our support for Ukraine.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

Slovakia is a leader in Central Europe in standing up for Ukraine and resisting Russian aggression.

I was delighted to visit my good friend Jaroslav Nad today. Our bilateral meeting explored next steps in military aid to the conflict as well as British support to Slovakian defence.

Ben Wallace and Jaroslav Nad discussed other important topics during the one-day visit, including our joint work through NATO and efforts to counter Russian disinformation in Eastern Europe and promote peace and stability in the region.

They also spoke about how we might expand and deepen our historic defence partnership, which dates back to World War 2, when Slovak pilots served in the RAF and brave soldiers from the former Czechoslovakia, trained in the UK in cooperation with the Czechoslovakian government in exile in Britain, assassinated high-ranking Nazi Reinhard Heydrich.

Today, the UK and Slovakia have a close defence relationship which is growing, with cooperation in a number of areas such as through joint training and exercises, including the British Military Advisory Training Team (BMATT), which is delivering a course this month in Slovakia.

Source: UK Gov