Mil News 5 Domains Update

[BravoZulu]

Sea state
Australia is taking part in the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, US-led RIMPAC. This year, 26 nations are participating. The Royal Australia Navy’s commitment to RIMPAC 2022 includes 1,600 personnel, three ships and possibly a Collins-class submarine. Australia will also participate in the Pacific Dragon and Pacific Vanguard naval exercises with Japan, South Korea and the US. The ramping up of Australia’s capabilities and regional presence is part of a multilateral effort to ‘promote a free and open Indo-Pacific’ in light of China’s expansive ambitions in the region.

The Guardian-class patrol boats gifted to Pacific island nations by Australia as part of the $2.1 billion Pacific Maritime Security Program have been found to have serious defects, including carbon monoxide leaks. While shipbuilder Austal and the Defence Department plan to repair the defects, the faulty patrol boats may erode trust among Australia’s Pacific partners, at a time when Australia is increasingly threatened by China’s push into the region.

Flight path
Four American B-2 stealth bombers have landed at Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley in Queensland. The bombers are visiting as part of the enhanced air cooperation initiative between the US and Australia that aims to improve interoperability between their air forces. The US Air Force says the deployment also exhibits the continued ‘readiness and lethality of [America’s] long-range penetrating strike force’. The exercise demonstrates both the ongoing efforts to strengthen the Australia–US alliance and the US’s desire to retain a potent military force in the region.

Last week, the US Navy revealed that a Super Hornet aboard the USS Harry S. Truman was blown off the aircraft carrier’s flight deck, reportedly due to unexpectedly stormy conditions. In such situations, standard practice is for unsecured equipment to be chained to the flight deck to prevent premature disembarkations. The navy is reviewing ways to recover the US$75-million aircraft. The incident is a reminder of the vulnerability of military assets to weather events that are likely to become more extreme due to climate change.

Rapid fire
The US is sending four more M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, to Ukraine. They’re part of a US$400 million package that includes military equipment and supplies like tactical vehicles, demolition munitions, counter-battery systems and spare parts. The eight HIMARS already received by Ukraine have been particularly useful in destroying Russian ammunition depots in the Donbas region, where the fighting has turned towards an artillery-based war of attrition.

The US Marine Rotational Force—Darwin has joined the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force for Exercise Koolendong, which began this week in the Northern Territory and will run until 2 August. The drills are designed to simulate a response to a regional security crisis and will include elements of a combined joint littoral combat operation. Troops and vehicles will move from Darwin to Broome in Western Australia to ‘replicate the long distances and austere environments we might operate in throughout the Indo-Pacific’, a US Marines spokesperson said.

Final frontier
The US Space Force has started drafting a new strategy for procuring services for medium and heavy rocket launches following a fresh push by the US House Armed Services Committee. The space force had awarded five-year contracts to United Launch Alliance and SpaceX for more than 30 planned launches between 2022 and 2027, but those contracts are set to end in 2024. The signing of new deals will allow the force to proceed with planned launches and to test new capabilities.

South Korea announced plans to invest $871 million to develop more facilities at the Naro Space Center, following the successful launch of the nation’s first domestically developed rocket from the centre, which is on an island in the south of the country, on 21 June. An attempt to launch a satellite into orbit in October was unsuccessful, but the recent success has sparked renewed government interest. The successful test and new funds will significantly enhance South Korea’s bid to establish a comprehensive independent space program.

Wired watchtower
Cybersecurity firm SentinelOne recently published analysis suggesting that state-backed Chinese hackers are targeting Russian government agencies at an increasing rate. The research found continued efforts by the Tonto Team APT group, a suspected Chinese state-sponsored cyberespionage group, to compromise Russian entities using malicious documents that exploit system vulnerabilities. These espionage activities highlight the geopolitical complexity of relations between the two countries, despite Beijing’s public support of Moscow and their ‘no limits’ partnership.

The British Army confirmed on Sunday that its official Twitter and YouTube accounts had been hacked. The name, profile photo, banner picture and description of the army’s Twitter page were altered to promote a non-fungible token collection dubbed The Possessed. On the army’s YouTube channel, all videos were deleted and the name was changed to resemble an investment firm called Ark Invest. The two accounts were then used to promote NFT scams and cryptocurrencies. Both accounts were restored on Sunday evening and the army reported on Twitter that an investigation was underway.
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[BravoZulu]

Sea state
China’s People’s Liberation Army announced fresh military drills near Taiwan on Monday, a day after concluding its largest-ever exercises in six designated areas encircling the island. The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command said the new drills would focus on anti-submarine and sea-assault operations. Live-fire military exercises were staged in response to last week’s visit to Taipei by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In talks with visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Monday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called for ‘restraint and de-escalation‘ on China’s part.

On Friday, Austal Australia announced the delivery of the second of eight evolved Cape-class patrol boats to the Royal Australian Navy. Austal CEO Paddy Gregg said that the 58-metre aluminium monohull vessels brought the navy more capability than the original Cape class and that the project further strengthened Australia’s sovereign shipbuilding capability.

Flight path
China’s aggressive retaliation for the Pelosi visit to Taiwan featured unprecedented demonstrations by the PLA Air Force. The exercises, designed to intimidate Taiwan, included multiple waves of aircraft simulating a large-scale ‘island attack campaign’. More than 60 jets participated in Sunday’s exercises and at least 20 briefly crossed over the median line in the Taiwan Strait—an unofficial line separating Chinese and Taiwanese airspace—further raising global concerns over Taiwan’s security.

Last week, the US and UK grounded their entire fleets of F-35 joint strike fighters fearing ejector seat malfunctions. A routine inspection in April revealed that magnesium power was missing from an ejection apparatus, an oversight traced back to a manufacturing fault. Israel also temporarily grounded its F-35s, impacting air operations in the Gaza Strip.

Rapid fire
Australia, Japan and Singapore have this year for the first time joined the US and Indonesia in their Garuda Shield training and interoperability exercise, which runs in Indonesia for two more days. A further nine nations are observing the amphibious operations, urban terrain training and command post simulations alongside exercises in the sea and air domains. The US has tagged the exercise ‘Super Garuda Shield’, saying it enhances efforts to build cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific as China’s expands it military presence in the region.

As part of a $75 million upgrade, Australia’s Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles are set to be fitted with electronic warfare systems. The modifications are expected to be complete by late 2025 and will provide Australia’s land forces with enhanced capabilities to monitor and coordinate electronic environments and neutralise adversary electronics. Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said these capabilities would improve Australia’s ability to deter, deny and defeat threats against Australia and its interests.

Final frontier
SpaceX has confirmed that it will send a team to recover the three pieces of debris from one of its launches that fell in New South Wales over the past month. This is the first major fall of space junk reported to have landed in Australia since the 1979 plunge of Skylab debris into the Indian Ocean and across Western Australia, for which NASA was fined $400 for littering. While the SpaceX debris appears to have caused negligible damage on the ground, the incident follows a near miss when debris from the uncontrolled re-entry of the first stage of China’s Long March 5B rocket landed just metres away from residential areas in Indonesia and Malaysia. The Space Liability Convention, adopted in 1972, states that countries from which objects launch are liable for any damage caused by the object, though it has only been used once, in 1978. These recent cases highlight the growing relevance of this convention as space activities intensify.

Last week, Chinese state media reported the successful launch of a highly classified reusable spacecraft, speculated to be a spaceplane capable of space transport missions. The purpose of the unmanned spacecraft is not clear, though its role may be similar to that of the US Air Force’s Boeing X-37B, which is believed to be used for the testing of military and surveillance technologies.

Wired watchtower
Several Taiwanese government websites were hit with distributed denial-of-service attacks during the Pelosi visit. The attacks overwhelmed the websites with traffic and caused an outage. The following day, the systems of some 7-Eleven outlets were hacked to display messages saying Pelosi should leave Taiwan. It appears likely that the cyberactivity originated in China to demonstrate its hybrid warfare capabilities.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Australian Cyber Security Centre released their list of the top malware strains of 2021. Many have been in use for at least five years and are evolving as defences against them become more sophisticated. The most prolific users are cybercriminals who use the malware to deliver ransomware or steal personal and financial information. The agencies’ recommendations to security teams include updating software, enforcing multi-factor authentication, and securing and monitoring potentially risky services.
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[BravoZulu]

Sea state
Following its explosive demonstrations of military might in the Taiwan Strait earlier this month, the Chinese navy this week triggered anxieties about its expansion once again. Photographs posted to Chinese social media platform Weibo showed five ships under construction at Dalian Shipyard in northeastern China. They are believed to be Type 052DL destroyers—equivalent to the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke class—equipped with state-of-the-art radar reportedly designed to detect stealth aircraft. Chinese state media claims the country’s massive naval build-up is justified by China’s requirement to ‘safeguard its sovereignty and development interests’, raising concerns about China’s long-term agenda.

Elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific, the Royal Australian Navy tested its own state-of-the-art radar technology. While participating in Exercise Pacific Dragon, the guided missile destroyer HMAS Sydney used its Aegis combat system to intercept an aerial drone, according to a Defence press release. Pacific Dragon involved the Australian, US, Japanese, Korean and Canadian navies and aimed to demonstrate the cooperation between Indo-Pacific nations that underpins not only multinational exercises but also technology-sharing agreements featuring systems such as Aegis.

Flight path
The three-week biennial Exercise Pitch Black is underway for the first time since 2018, with air force personnel from 17 countries participating in drills and training over northern Australia. Around 100 aircraft, including Australia’s F-35s, Su-30s from India, F-2s from Japan and Eurofighter Typhoons from Germany and the UK, are conducting a wide range of exercises involving manoeuvres such as mid-air refuelling. The involvement of Germany, Japan and South Korea in Pitch Black for the first time signals their increased focus on increasing interoperability with key allies in the Indo-Pacific amid rising tensions in the region.

The US Air Force has awarded contracts worth a total of around US$4.9 billion to Boeing, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Pratt & Whitney to develop an ‘adaptive’ engine for the next generation of US fighter jets. The decision came after USAF officials raised concerns that opting against a full replacement of the F-35 engine could lead to a collapse of the domestic advanced-propulsion industrial base. If development is successful, an adaptive engine has the potential to extend the power and range of current and future US fighter jets.

Rapid fire
Early this month, the Australian Army issued a new strategy to strengthen its robotics and autonomous systems capabilities. The document, which builds on the first iteration of the strategy in 2018, aims to develop operational advantages on the battlefield by leveraging robotics, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence. Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart said that the use of these technologies will ‘continue to evolve the way Army trains and fights’ by enabling increased tempo and faster decision-making, and reducing risks.

According to an anonymous official, the Turkish government has quietly supplied 50 used Kirpi vehicles to the Ukrainian military. Kirpi, which means ‘Hedgehog’ in Turkish, is a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle manufactured by Turkish company BMC. Equipped with a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protection system and small arms embrasures, the Kirpi also provides protection against mine and ballistic threats. According to the source, the deal was signed between two governments without any involvement of BMC, and more deliveries are expected to follow.

Final frontier
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and uncrewed Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I moon mission arrived at the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida last week. Engineers and technicians are configuring the systems in preparation for a launch on Monday. The plan is for the rocket to orbit the moon and splash back down 42 days later. The SLS provides long-term exploration potential, facilitating the Artemis mission of returning people to the moon and ultimately travelling on to Mars.

Since Russia’s ambiguous announcement that it would quit the International Space Station ‘after 2024’, Russian space agency Roskosmos has unveiled a physical model of a proposed Russian space station. Nicknamed ‘Ross’ by Russian state media, it would be launched in two phases on yet to be specified dates. Roskosmos said the new station will provide a wider view for Russian cosmonauts to monitor the earth. The West’s sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine have accelerated Moscow’s efforts to reduce dependence on the West in various domains, including space.

Wired watchtower
The Solomon Islands government has signed a $100 million deal with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei to build 161 mobile phone towers across the nation. The deal signals increased economic ties between the Solomons and China and follows the two nations’ signing a security pact earlier this year. Despite Australia’s attempt to curtail Chinese influence over the Solomons by backing Telstra’s acquisition of the Pacific telco Digicel, and a deal to fund the installation of six telecom towers itself, China is steadily increasing its economic hold on and influence in the Pacific.

Australia’s $1.7-billion, 10-year cybersecurity strategy is set to undergo a significant overhaul. The government intends to strengthen ties with Quad partners and reduce Australia’s reliance on China for critical technologies, and aims to address cybersecurity workforce shortages to enhance sovereign capabilities. The reinvestment in the nation’s cybersecurity strategy reflects Australia’s recognition of the necessity for a whole-of-nation effort to counter cyber threats.
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[BravoZulu]

Sea state
Australian submariners are to be trained aboard British nuclear-powered submarines under a deal announced by UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace. Meanwhile, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is considering legislation that would facilitate similar training on America’s nuclear submarine fleet. With analysts having noted that Australia lacks the provisions necessary for training nuclear-powered submarine crews, these moves may provide a stop-gap as its navy builds an indigenous training program.

The Iranian navy reportedly attempted to capture two US uncrewed naval drones operating in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf last week. The Iranian government maintains that the vessels were a hazard to shipping through the region, a claim the US denies. The Saildrone Explorers, which are equipped with sensors, cameras and other data-collection systems, are part of a network of autonomous surface vessels the US Navy uses to monitor maritime activity in the region.

Flight path
The US Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin a US$504 million contract to sell 12 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to Australia. The deal was announced by the US last week, just days after it approved a sale of 40 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Australia. The Seahawk procurement is being conducted under the Defence Department’s Project Sea 9100 Phase 1 to replace the Royal Australian Navy’s MRH-90 Taipans, while the proposed sale of Black Hawks is expected to further upgrade Australia’s helicopter fleet with a more reliable and proven system.

Twelve F-35B fifth-generation stealth fighters of the US Marine Corps Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) made their debut at Australia’s Pitch Black Exercise. The three-week interoperability drills wrapped up this week. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Behrmann, an operations officer at MAG-12, said the F-35s were practising the marines’ concept of ‘expeditionary advanced basing operations’ at Royal Australian Air Force Base Curtin in Western Australia. The training culminated in several MAG-12 events aimed at refining the concept.

Rapid fire
Russia’s devastation of Ukrainian territory with heavily armoured convoys is prompting European nations to bolster their own defences by purchasing and manufacturing armoured vehicles. Poland is leading Europe’s amour rejuvenation with the purchase of 1,300 American and South Korean tanks, while the Czech Republic is getting 15 German tanks in a swap that involves sending tanks to Ukraine. Further underscoring this shift in European nations’ defence priorities, both Finland and Norway have markedly increased their production and sales of armoured combat and transport vehicles.

After a five-month ceasefire brought relative calm to Ethiopia, fighting has flared once again between the Ethiopian military and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Adding confusion to the conflict, each side has accused the other of initiating the violence. Over two years of intermittent war, 500,000 Ethiopians have been killed and 1.5 million displaced. Despite the efforts of international and African actors to push for peace talks between Addis Ababa and the Tigrayans, escalation appears inevitable as Ethiopian and Eritrean ground forces engage TPLF fighters throughout the disputed Tigray region.

Final frontier
The Pentagon scheduled a classified briefing for this week to discuss China’s and Russia’s quests to develop new space weapons after two pivotal incidents last year. In October, China tested what appeared to be a hypersonic glide vehicle combined with a fractional orbital bombardment system. A month later, Russia launched a missile to destroy a defunct satellite, generating thousands of pieces of space debris. The Pentagon’s concern is that Chinese and Russian advances in space-based military technologies threaten to outpace the US’s air-defence capabilities and undermine nation’s larger goals for deterrence and strategic stability in space.

After an initial failed attempt, NASA delayed its launch of the Artemis I lunar mission for a second time due to dangerous fuel leaks. Beyond the aim to put boots on the moon for the first time since 1972, the mission also forbodes the beginning of a new competition for lunar resources between great and emerging powers. The launch also has implications for Australia, whose space agency is involved in the US-led Artemis project. A successful launch is expected to provide inspiration for Australian engineers and scientists and for the nation’s budding space industry.

Wired watchtower
US officials have told chip designer Nvidia to stop exporting its A100 and H100 computing chips to China due to concerns that the products may be used for military purposes. Rival Advanced Micro Devices also received similar licence requirements. The ban is likely to hamper Chinese artificial intelligence capabilities as the chips are designed to assist in image recognition. The ban marks an escalation in the US crackdown on semiconductor exports to China as tensions mount over Taiwan, where Nvidia’s chips are produced.

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has ordered her department to investigate data-harvesting by Chinese-owned TikTok, WeChat and other social media companies. The review follows revelations in August that the TikTok app had been sharing US user data and sending it back to China where its parent company, ByteDance, is based. The review will aid Australia’s attempts to combat foreign interference and Chinese information operation campaigns in Australia.
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[BravoZulu]

Sea state
US lawmakers are urging officials to begin training Australian personnel to support the Royal Australian Navy’s acquisition of nuclear submarines under AUKUS. This push for increased training follows Defence Minister Richard Marles’s announcement that the government would create employment pathways to help build, sustain and crew the submarines. In addition, the UK announced in August that Australian officers would begin training on British submarines. The early development of training schemes across all three AUKUS partners will help provide the skills essential to the success of the submarine project.

The US Navy has announced that it will use military exercises more frequently to better understand the impacts of climate change on force effectiveness. The navy published its climate action strategy in May, following President Joe Biden’s 2021 executive order to tackle the climate crisis at home and abroad. By studying the multifaceted detrimental effects of climate change, like rising sea levels, on its operations, the navy will be better prepared to cope with the fallout.

Flight path
Australia has unveiled its first MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted aircraft system as part of a partnership between the Department of Defence, the US Navy and Northrop Grumman. The drones will provide sustained operations at long ranges and complement the Royal Australian Air Force’s crewed P-8A Poseidon in a range of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks. Three MQ-4C Tritons are on order so far, with the first expected to be delivered in 2024. A decision on whether to purchase four additional aircraft will be informed by the upcoming defence strategic review.

The US Marines Corps practised the ‘expeditionary advanced base operations’ in the northern Australia prior to their participation in Exercise Pitch Black. Marine Air Group 12 deployed 12 F-35B fighter jets usually based in Japan to RAAF Base Tindal, which was used as the headquarters for the operation, while the RAAF’s bare base in Curtin in Western Australia—almost 1,000 kilometres away—was used as the forward-deployed base. This training prepares the marines for mobile, easily sustainable deployments to austere, temporary locations, and should help increase the range of scenarios RAAF bare bases are prepared for.

Rapid fire
The US Army is rolling out new combat goggles with an integrated visual augmentation system, or IVAS, to its soldiers in a 10-year investment estimated to cost US$21.8 billion ($32.9 billion). IVASs will provide hologram projections over soldiers’ fields of view and allow them to visualise critical data including maps and enemy and ally positions. They are also capable of picking up feeds from local devices, enabling them to ‘see’ through the inside of vehicles. The army’s move into the so-called metaverse with IVAS technology could be revolutionary for infantry battlefield operations.

Slovenia has scrapped its €343.4 million ($509 million) deal to acquire 45 Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles following an internal audit deeming the vehicles’ off-the-shelf capabilities insufficient for the nation’s needs. Meanwhile, the Australian Defence Force plans to replace its ASLAVS (Australian Light Armoured Vehicles) with Boxers. Twenty-five of the 211 on order have already been delivered and amphibious testing has begun, but technical issues have delayed the remainder.

Final frontier
Japan and Germany last week threw their support behind a US-led initiative to impose a moratorium on tests of anti-satellite weapons. The use of anti-satellite missiles can create clouds of debris in low-earth orbit that pose a danger to all countries’ satellites and space missions. Canada and New Zealand had already provided public support for the initiative, and the US is now signalling that it will push for a wider moratorium on such tests in the United Nations.

Australian company Gilmour Space Technologies recently announced that it plans to conduct ‘rideshare’ launches starting in 2024. The first mission, christened Caravan-1, will carry into orbit many small payloads from multiple different customers simultaneously, providing an affordable launch service for smaller spacecraft. While such launches have been offered by larger players in the space industry, such as the European Space Agency and SpaceX, Caravan-1 will be Australia’s first rideshare launch in another sign of the growing maturity of Australia’s space industry.

Wired watchtower
Australian policing agencies have repeatedly violated the law by accessing, retaining and using private electronic data without legal authority, according to an annual report by the Commonwealth Ombudsman on agencies’ data-access compliance. The ombudsman has rebuked all 19 agencies examined for failing to abide by the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says he is concerned by the findings and that there should be consequences for non-compliance with the act.

Procurement documents published on a Chinese government website revealed a deal signed last month between Tibetan police and US company Thermo Fisher for around US$160,000 ($241,000) worth of DNA kits and replacement parts for DNA sequencers. A report released by Human Rights Watch has brought to light new evidence of mass DNA collection in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. After receiving criticism for signing the deal, Thermo Fisher said it would review the flagged transactions.
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[BravoZulu]

Sea state
India put its ‘strategic rivals on notice’ last week by successfully launching a test missile from INS Arihant, the Indian navy’s flagship nuclear submarine, striking a designated point in the Bay of Bengal with ‘very high accuracy’. The test was likely motivated in part by recent Chinese statements threatening to employ underwater drones against Indian naval vessels. The Arihant’s ability to accurately hit targets from locations throughout the Indo-Pacific could give India second-strike capabilities, reinforcing its nuclear posture as Sino-Indian animosities intensify.

The US Navy confirmed the presence of E. coli bacteria in aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln’s drinking water on Thursday, weeks after sailors aboard USS Nimitz suffered rashes and diarrhoea after jet fuel was found in the vessel’s water supply. But the US is not alone in facing problems—defects found on South Korea’s fleet of Son Won-il-class submarines will see each vessel out of service for six months and cost more than US$5 million to repair. These naval failures raise questions as to whether Western-allied states can counter the Chinese navy’s aggressive fleet growth.

Flight path
This week, Russia used Iranian Shahed-136 drones to bomb Kyiv’s city centre, damaging critical infrastructure. The attack on Kyiv was ordered in response to Ukraine’s supposed bombing of the Kerch bridge, a key link between Russia and Crimea and a strategic logistical route for Russia’s occupation of Ukraine. The US and Western allies have called out Iran for breaching its obligations, but there are concerns Tehran has already agreed to supply thousands of the ‘kamikaze’ drones to Russia.

China is actively recruiting former British military pilots to train the People’s Liberation Army in Western flying procedures so they may be better prepared to shoot down Western aircraft. As many as 30 Royal Air Force jet and helicopter pilots were awarded contracts worth £250,000 ($447,000) a year under the scheme. In response, the UK is due to issue a ‘threat alert’, though none of the retired pilots are thought to have violated the country’s Official Secrets Act. Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles has tasked his department with finding out if any Australian pilots have also taken up the lucrative offers.

Rapid fire
Marles announced last Saturday that the Australian Army’s Boxer combat and reconnaissance vehicle had reached the ‘initial operational capability’ milestone. The 25 vehicles delivered so far were built in Germany by German manufacturer Rheinmetall, but the remaining 186 being acquired under the $5 billion program are to be built in Queensland. Defence says the Boxer ‘will protect our solders in high-threat environments as they seek information about an adversary’.

Lockheed Martin has committed to investing $74 million to establish an ‘integrated air and missile defence ecosystem’ in Australia. This comes after the major defence contractor, along with competitor Raytheon, was selected by the previous government to report back on how Australia could domestically manufacture missile components. Lockheed has already made clear its ambition to establish missile-production capabilities in Australia that are capable of supplying both Australian and US stockpiles.

Final frontier
On Monday, SpaceX withdrew its request for the Pentagon to pay for the Starlink satellite network in Ukraine—a crucial service that Ukrainian officials have recognised as a lifeline for their war effort. The announcement came hours after the Pentagon was reported to be considering funding the network as part of US security assistance to Ukraine. It remains unclear whether the Pentagon will still foot the bill after SpaceX’s withdrawal of its request. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s messaging about Starlink reveals the importance of effective public–private sector cooperation, especially in modern warfare.

Next month could see two separate moon launches from Florida’s space coast. As announced last Wednesday, NASA rescheduled the launch of its first Artemis mission for 14 November, with two backup dates of 16 November and 19 November. Japanese start-up ispace also announced its plan to pursue a launch window between 9 and 15 November for its first Hakuto-R lander and the United Emirate’s Rashid 1 rover on a Falcon rocket. As indicated by ispace, the overlapping timeframes signal the opening of the cislunar economy.

Wired watchtower
The public-facing websites of more than a dozen US airports were brought offline after cyberattacks by the pro-Russian hacker group Killnet. The attacks came a week after a similar attacks on US state governments websites by the same group. Despite similar hacking groups being identified as fronts for state-backed actors, there was no evidence to suggest the Russian government was directly involved in these incidents. Although no operational impacts were reported, the attacks raise concerns about the cybersecurity of key infrastructure.

Ukraine’s and Poland’s transportation and logistics industries have been targeted by the novel ransomware campaign ‘Prestige ranusomeware’. Microsoft noted that while it hasn’t been linked to any known group yet, this activity shares characteristics with recent Russian state-aligned campaigns. Specifically, its victims overlapped with victims of the earlier FoxBlade malware campaign that included Ukraine government agencies. Hackers were able to gain administrator control of the victims’ systems ahead of time in several cases, suggesting they were waiting for the right moment to deploy.
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[BravoZulu]

Sea state
The Russian navy says it repelled a drone attack in the bay of Sevastopol in the Crimean peninsula, where Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet is based. Russia claimed that all aerial and maritime drones were destroyed and that its ships only suffered minor damage. The same fleet stationed in the port was hit by an armed drone in August. Moscow has accused British specialists of assisting with the latest attack, though it has not provided any proof of its claims. The level of success of the attack is still unclear.

Japanese and US coastguards are training their Philippine counterparts in a continuation of similar drills conducted earlier this year. Japan has supplied a large patrol vessel for a towing exercise and will lead the training in arrest techniques, small-boat operation and onboard damage control. The aim of the exercises is to boost the Philippines’ maritime capabilities in the contested South China Sea, which remain outmatched by the better-equipped Chinese coastguard.

Flight path
Based on joint Australia–US decisions supported by a bilateral force posture working group, Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal in the Northern Territory will be upgraded to accommodate US Air Force deployments of up to six nuclear-capable B-52 bombers. The planned works include a ‘squadron operations facility’, maintenance infrastructure and an expanded parking area to accommodate the B-52s. Despite concerns that upgrade and deployment of the bombers could fuel tensions with China, Ashley Townshend, an expert on Indo-Pacific strategic affairs, believes the move aligns with Australia’s strategic aims and will contribute to a stable regional order.

On Tuesday, the US Air Force began withdrawing its two permanent F-15C Eagle fighter squadrons from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. It says a rotational force of newer and more advanced fighters will be deployed to fill the gap and maintain regional deterrence during the two-year phased withdrawal. The Pentagon is still determining whether it will stick to the current rotational model or eventually have squadrons permanently deployed to Kadena once again. The uncertainty has sparked concern among Republicans in Congress about a ‘tangible reduction in American forward combat power in the Indo-Pacific’.

Rapid fire
Up to 70 Australian Defence Force personnel will be deployed to the UK after Christmas to help train Ukrainian troops, and 30 additional Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles will be supplied to Ukraine. The deployment will support the British-led multinational training effort known as Operation Interflex. The additional Bushmasters bring the total number sent to Ukraine to 90, with Australia’s total financial support for Ukraine now reaching $655 million.

The US Army has begun evaluating its future main battle tank needs beyond the M1 Abrams. The SEPV4 is the latest upgrade of the Abrams and is now reportedly undergoing testing, but army leaders are starting to analyse next-generation combat vehicles as potential long-term replacements. The army is shaping many of its new requirements on facts gained from the war in Ukraine and other battlefields. By initiating early tank evaluations, the US hopes to be in a better position to determine the capabilities needed for its future armoured forces.

Final frontier
The Australian government has pledged to refrain from conducting kinetic anti-satellite weapons tests. Since the US first proposed the moratorium in April, Canada, New Zealand, Germany and Japan have signed onto the initiative, which aims to limit the build-up of space debris in the earth’s orbit. This comes after a UN resolution was introduced by the US last month banning such practices, which has faced pushback from China, which says it’s ‘opposed to any attempt to expand unilateral military advantage’.

NASA has convened a panel to investigate ‘unidentified aerial phenomena’ (more commonly known as unidentified flying objects or UFOs) amid a growing catalogue of unexplained sightings. The panel will focus on unclassified data and publicly release its findings in the middle of next year, and will run in parallel with investigations in the US Department of Defense’s newly established All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. The US government is taking these reports seriously, noting that they are based on more than anecdotes and potentially represent an adversary’s breakthrough military technology.

Wired watchtower
The Australian Defence Department confirmed on Monday that the company that operates ForceNet, a communications platform contracted by Defence for use by current and former military and civilian personnel, was the target of a cyberattack. While it was initially reported that no data relating to the 40,000 personnel profiles hosted by ForceNet had been compromised, the ABC has indicated that ‘some private details’ including birth and enlistment dates may have been stolen. In response, Assistant Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwaite emphasised that, while no Defence websites or systems were breached, the department is reinforcing its cybersecurity.

US cybersecurity firm Mandiant has reported that a pro-China influence group, dubbed Dragonbridge, is attempting to aggravate political divisions in the US before next week’s midterm elections. The group has been spreading disinformation attributing known Chinese cyberattacks to US intelligence, spreading panic over an imminent ‘civil war’ and entreating potential voters to boycott the midterms. While Dragonbridge’s efforts appear to be more sophisticated than past Chinese-sponsored attempts at US election interference, they have reportedly had little effect on voters.

 

[BravoZulu]

Sea state
On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed a £4.2 billion contract to BAE Systems, a defence, aerospace and security company, to build five Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy. The contract, along with three warships already under construction, is expected to be completed by the mid-2020s. The Type 26 is the reference design from which Australia’s Hunter-class frigate is being developed. The new fleet will increase the navy’s anti-submarine capacity and protect the British nuclear deterrent at sea. In addition, according to a statement by Sunak’s office, the project will facilitate 1,700 jobs at BAE sites in Scotland over the coming decades.

A US federal court last week sentenced former US Navy engineer Jonathan Toebbe to 19 years and his wife Diana Toebbe to almost 22 years in prison for conspiring to communicate restricted data related to the design of nuclear-powered warships. In a criminal complaint detailing the charge, the government said that the Toebbes repeatedly sold the nation’s critical secrets to an FBI agent they believed to be a foreign government representative. The judge said in court that the couple posed a ‘great danger’ to US security.

Flight path
Australia is set to double the size of its C-130J Super Hercules fleet after the US government approved a $10 billion sale of 24 new airlifters. The deal will replace the current fleet of 12 with the upgraded Hercules, which possess a suite of defensive countermeasures. The expansion will also fill the gap left by Australia’s decision to use its 10 C-27J Spartan transports in non-combat roles. Ultimately, the expansion of the medium mobility fleet will improve Australia’s airlift and operational capabilities.

North Korea has flown 180 military aircraft near the South Korean border in protest at the extension of joint South Korean – US military exercises. The aerial sorties came after Pyongyang’s recent test-firing of around 30 ballistic missiles and firing of 80 artillery rounds into a maritime buffer zone. South Korea responded to the aerial exercise by scrambling 80 jets, including F-35As. While it’s yet to be determined which North Korean aircraft were used from its fleet of some 900 mostly obsolete combat aircraft, the latest show of strength marks a clear escalation in tensions.

Rapid fire
Ukraine’s southern coast witnessed a key military milestone this month as Russian forces abandoned the port city of Kherson after eight months of occupation. On social media, jubilant Ukrainian soldiers can be seen tearing down the city’s many pro-Russian propaganda billboards. Witnesses also report that Russian soldiers, trapped in Kherson by their comrades’ destruction of the Antonivsky bridge, resorted to disguises in an effort to evade capture. Russia’s latest retreat highlights the ‘dire’ challenges facing a Russian army effectively crippled by personnel and equipment losses throughout Ukraine’s east.

The Australian Defence Force has responded to mechanical faults identified in the brake systems of its ‘Hawkei’ tactical vehicles by enforcing strict speed limits and banning the vehicles from public roads. Defence recently spent around $1 billion replacing its ageing Land Rover fleet with 1,100 of Thales’ state-of-the-art lightweight protected mobility vehicles, only for them to be persistently sidelined by mechanical faults.

Final frontier
The US military’s uncrewed reusable spaceplane, X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle-6, has finished its sixth mission after a record 908 days in orbit. It is jointly operated by the US Space Force and the Air Force Capabilities Office, and carried out several military and NASA science experiments while in flight. The ability to conduct on-orbit experiments followed by analysis on the ground after the vehicle’s return is valuable for the scientific community.

Divers filming a documentary off the coast of Florida have discovered a large piece from the Challenger space shuttle. The Challenger exploded and broke apart shortly after its launch in 1986, killing all seven crew members in one of NASA’s worst disasters. NASA is determining whether it’s possible to recover the wreckage and what additional steps can be taken to honour the astronauts’ legacy. The discovery is a reminder of the focus NASA has placed on safety and risk assessment after the accident.

Wired watchtower
A spyware campaign targeting members of the Uyghur communities in China and abroad was linked to a Chinese-government-backed hacking group. Hidden in nearly a third of Uyghur-language Android apps since July, the spyware was used to collect sensitive data including location, contacts, and text messages, and was intended to detect ‘pre-crimes’ within the Uyghur population. This is merely the latest development in Beijing’s efforts to suppress the population after being found to have perpetrated serious human rights violations against them and conducting mass surveillance of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

After a deluge of cyberattacks, Australia is implementing multiple reforms to better protect personal data. A newly established joint cyber taskforce will launch an operation against the Russian hackers responsible for the Medibank data breach. Proposed reforms also include making paying ransoms to cyber hackers illegal and tightening the data-retention legislation for enterprises. The cyberattacks have shown that Australia’s cybersecurity industry was ill-prepared for the kind of cybercrime that has become the norm. The proposed reforms are a good place to start, but bolstering cyber defences is a top priority.
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/t...paignMonitor&utm_term=The five-domains update

 

[BravoZulu]

Sea state
A new report to the US Congress has found that China’s naval modernisation program has substantially improved the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army Navy. The PLAN is already the largest navy in the world in terms of numbers of vessels and it’s expected to expand by nearly 40% by 2030. The combined effects of expansion and modernisation will pose a major challenge to the US’s ability to achieve and maintain control in the Western Pacific in the event of a conflict, even as it steps up its strategy of integrated deterrence in the region.

Despite the New Zealand Defence Force promising an investment of NZ$90 million to improve the wages of its members over the next four years, a third of the Royal New Zealand Navy fleet has been ‘indefinitely’ docked due to a workforce crisis that has left the service without enough sailors to crew the vessels. New Zealand’s navy labour shortage comes at an inopportune time as tensions continue to rise between China and the US and its allies in the Pacific.

Flight path
The US Air Force has revealed the B-21 Raider, America’s first new bomber aircraft in more than 30 years. There are currently six in production, with plans to build up to 100. Once in service, the stealth bomber will be able to deploy nuclear or conventional weapons in a crewed or uncrewed manner. There has been speculation that the bombers could be deployed in Australia or even that Australia might seek to purchase some.

The United Kingdom, Japan and Italy will be cooperatively developing a sixth-generation fighter jet, under a project named the Global Combat Air Programme. The British government has announced that the development of the warplane will begin in 2024 and it is expected to be in the air by 2035. Although all three countries are part of the US fifth-generation F-35 fighter program, this new project will see the partners developing the new jet without the assistance of the US.

Rapid fire
A Brazilian judge has suspended the signing of a contract with CIO, an Italian consortium, for the delivery of 98 Centauro II anti-tank armoured vehicles to the Brazilian Army. The decision came in the wake of a lawsuit that argued the US$946 million contract could not be justified while the national education and health budgets were being heavily cut. The suspension will force Brazil to continue relying on its 400 ageing EE-9 Cascavels, which are currently being upgraded, as its principal tank-destroyer fleet.

The US is seeking to drastically ramp up monthly production of 155-millimetre artillery shells over the next three years as donations to Ukraine drain its stocks of the ammunition. According to Doug Bush, the US Army’s assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, funding is already available to triple 155-millimetre shell production by 2025. The tripling of production will allow the army to restore its stocks to beyond pre-Ukraine-conflict levels, improving its readiness for future conflict.

Final frontier
With the successful splashdown of the Orion spacecraft off the coast of Mexico last Sunday, the first stage of the NASA-led Artemis moon exploration program came to a close. While the results of NASA’s post-flight assessment won’t be announced until analysis of the mission’s flight data is completed, initial indications are that the mission was a success. With greater confidence in the new rocket technology, the next stages of the Artemis program are set to be a crewed fly-by of the moon in 2024 and a return to the lunar surface in 2025.

Last Friday, China successfully performed its first ‘hot launch’ of a Long March rocket from a mobile platform in the Yellow Sea. While China’s previous sea-based launches have used a separate system to launch the rocket from the platform before the engines take over (a ‘cold launch’), this launch was entirely powered by the rocket’s own exhaust. Further use of sea-platform hot launches could provide additional flexibility to China’s space industry, taking pressure off the country’s five land-based launch sites.

Wired watchtower
A Chinese-government-backed hacking group known as APT41 raided US government coronavirus relief funds and stole at least US$30 million, the US Secret Service revealed last week. APT41 is alleged to be a prolific criminal group that has for years conducted cyber intrusions on behalf of the Chinese government while also dabbling in data breaches for personal gain. John Hultquist, an intelligence analyst at the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, says the targeting of government relief funds is something he has not seen APT41 do before.

The Canadian branch of the human rights group Amnesty International says it was a target of a sophisticated cyberattack linked to the Chinese government. Amnesty Canada’s secretary-general, Ketty Nivyabandi, detailed the hack, saying it was first detected on 5 October and left all email and organisational systems offline for nearly three weeks, causing a ‘significant impact’ on operations. In a statement, Nivyabandi said the cyberattack revealed the ‘increasingly dangerous context’ that activists, journalists and civil-society organisations must navigate.
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[gral_rj]

Rapid fire
A Brazilian judge has suspended the signing of a contract with CIO, an Italian consortium, for the delivery of 98 Centauro II anti-tank armoured vehicles to the Brazilian Army. The decision came in the wake of a lawsuit that argued the US$946 million contract could not be justified while the national education and health budgets were being heavily cut. The suspension will force Brazil to continue relying on its 400 ageing EE-9 Cascavels, which are currently being upgraded, as its principal tank-destroyer fleet.

This ruling was already overturned by a higher court.

 

[BravoZulu]

Sea state
BAE Systems Australia has proposed building new air warfare destroyers to boost the Royal Australian Navy’s firepower at a time of growing strategic tensions in the Indo-Pacific. If it wins government approval, the company would construct an up-gunned variant of its Hunter-class frigate in 2035 with between 100 and 150 missile cells and says that would make it the most lethal warship in Australia’s history. The variant would match the firepower of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Type 055 Renhai-class guided missile destroyer, which is already in production.

China has begun building an advanced warship, larger than its current Type 054A frigate, according to satellite images of the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai. The 5,000-tonne vessel might be the long-rumoured and technically advanced Type 054B or Type 057. The warship, with all-electric propulsion, phased-array radar, new combat systems and improved stealth design, would escort the PLA Navy’s future aircraft carriers.

Flight path
The US has shot down at least four airborne objects over North America in recent days, including an alleged Chinese spy balloon. On 10 February, the Biden administration blacklisted six Chinese entities it said were linked to aerospace programs supporting the Chinese military. The administration indicated that China could be conducting an extensive spying campaign, reviving decades-old lighter-than-air technology in high-altitude surveillance balloons for signals intelligence collection. Meanwhile, there’s been speculation that China may accelerate its high-altitude airship program.

Australia is investing $277 million in an upgrade of its EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. The overhaul will see the development of an advanced Growler to align with its US counterpart and will include a next-generation jammer system, a modernised sensor suite and the ability to carry longer-range and more advanced anti-radiation missiles. The upgrade aims to strengthen Australia’s electronic attack capability, providing the Royal Australian Air Force with world-leading technology to face a complex and uncertain strategic environment.

Rapid fire
Seventy Australian soldiers have been deployed on Operation Kudu to train Ukrainian recruits in the United Kingdom. The deployment is a part of Operation Interflex, a UK-led and -based international military operation to increase the capability of Ukrainian troops fighting Russia’s invasion.

Washington and Manila have announced plans to expand the US military presence in the Philippines, accelerating implementation of their enhanced defence cooperation agreement. The development follows a strained period in US–Philippine relations when Manila fostered closer ties with Beijing. This month a Chinese vessel directed a powerful laser at a Philippine Coast Guard ship, temporarily blinding members of its crew. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Senator Francis Tolentino have urged broader security cooperation among Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, a shift welcomed by the US. US commentators have noted that Australia is the only country other than the US to have a status of visiting forces agreement with the Philippines and say the improved relationships provide an opportunity for the three nations to strengthen the regional security architecture.

Final frontier
LeoLabs, a company that tracks and analyses objects in space, has unveiled its West Australian Space Radar, located near Collie in the state’s southwest. The facility has two S-band active phased-array radars, and the WA government says it provides a critical ability to monitor satellites and debris in low-earth orbit. It will likely further support Australia’s role in the US-led Combined Space Operations initiative and its ‘Vision 2031’, which were designed to ensure the safety and effectiveness of space operations in line with the goal of ‘space mission assurance’ and to strengthen coordination to prevent conflict from originating in or extending to space.

The Australian parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is conducting a public inquiry into the Department of Defence’s 2021–22 annual report. Defence subcommittee chair Julian Hill said the inquiry will examine Defence Space Command and its key policy milestones since its inception in January 2022. That will include key space projects such as the space surveillance mission, JP9360, and a focus on the importance of space to Australia as both an operational domain and an essential enabler of military activities.

Wired watchtower
More than 900 Chinese-made surveillance cameras and other electronic devices are being removed from Australian government buildings and federal politicians’ offices. The removal of the devices is in response to an audit carried out by opposition cybersecurity spokesman James Paterson. The devices were manufactured by Hikvision and Dahua, which are both partly owned by the Chinese Communist Party. There are concerns that China could use the surveillance data collected by the cameras for a range of purposes, including development of facial recognition technology. The audit also found direct links between the two companies’ products and the mass surveillance of Uyghurs and other minority groups in Xinjiang by the Chinese government.

The Quad partners, the US, Australia, India and Japan, have launched a public campaign to improve cybersecurity across the four nations and the region more broadly. The campaign is intended to strengthen individuals’ and communities’ cybersecurity awareness and action and to foster a more secure and resilient cybersecurity ecosystem. This initiative follows the Quad leaders’ adoption of joint principles on cybersecurity at their summit in Tokyo last year.
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[BravoZulu]

Sea state
The Royal Australian Navy has received the fourth of eight evolved Cape-class patrol boats built by Austal Australia at its Henderson shipyard in Western Australia. The vessels’ enhanced capabilities over the benchmark Cape-class patrol boats include improved crew amenities and accommodation for 32 people. The vessels will be deployed on missions such as constabulary operations and maritime patrols.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reiterated that Australia will have full operational control over its nuclear-powered submarines in the event of any disagreement with the US and UK over military strategy. This follows criticism from former prime ministers Paul Keating and Malcolm Turnbull, who argued that Australia’s acquisition of the boats under the AUKUS pact could make it more dependent on the US.

Flight path
Boeing has announced that it will stop production of the F/A-18 Super Hornet in late 2025 to focus on developing sixth-generation military aircraft. Australia was among the first countries to purchase the original Hornet. The Royal Australian Air Force currently operates 24 Super Hornets in air-combat roles, including close support of ground troops and interdiction of enemy supply lines. Boeing will continue rolling out upgrades and introducing Block III capabilities to the Block II F/A-18s over the next decade under a service-life-extension program.

The RAAF will trial reduced initial training times for recruits and officers to give new aviators a modernised and streamlined introduction to the service. In the first part of 2023, the 1 Recruit Training Unit course will be shortened from 11 weeks to nine and the Officer Training School course from 17 to 14 weeks. The trials coincide with broader efforts by the Australian Defence Force to urgently boost ranks to fill new capability requirements identified in the soon-to-be-released defence strategic review.

Rapid fire
France and Australia have committed to jointly providing Ukraine with 155-millimetre artillery ammunition to help in its defence against Russia. The announcement followed more than a year of strained Franco-Australian relations after Australia’s 2021 decision to cancel its procurement of French-made diesel-powered submarines. Defence Minister Richard Marles noted that the plan to jointly supply ammunition was an illustration of the growing relationship between Australian and French forces. He also emphasised the two countries’ commitment to work together to build the capability of the defence forces of Pacific island countries.

Soldiers from the 8th/9th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment and the 1st Regiment of the Royal Australian Artillery participated in Exercise Ram Shot last month. Exercises included shooting through obstacles at moving targets. The focus on basic live-fire skills is intended to better equip soldiers to participate in major exercises such as Talisman Sabre later this year and to improve combat readiness and interoperability with the US and other allies.

Final frontier
NATO is launching an initiative it’s calling Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space, or APSS, to gather and distribute space-based data for the alliance command structure. The project has received support from 16 NATO member states, along with Finland and Sweden. Luxembourg will provide €16.5 million ($25.9 million) to establish an expert team and integrate the alliance members’ space systems. A memorandum of understanding for APSS is expected to be signed soon. NATO says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further highlighted the necessity for intelligence gathered from space not only to support military operations but also to track and aid internally displaced populations and help reinforce critical infrastructure.

China has successfully tested a new technology designed to deceive enemy missile-defence systems during a nuclear attack. The ‘Phantom Space Strike’ system uses three spacecraft to emit fake target signals, allowing the real weapon to reach its target without interruption. The technology has raised concerns about potential nuclear escalation from rival powers. China’s development of manoeuvrable and short time-of-flight systems has led to suggestions that Australia complement its reliance on the US space-based early-warning system by developing its own capability using new sensors.

Wired watchtower
More than 60 countries have signed a statement urging international cooperation on the responsible use of artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons in the military at the first international summit on military AI held at The Hague. The declaration was made in part because it appears likely that fully autonomous killer drones will be used in the Russia–Ukraine war, which could fundamentally alter the nature of warfare. However, the statement is not legally binding and places no tangible limitations on states’ use of military AI.

The Australian government has announced the launch of a new cybersecurity agency, led by a national coordinator, to manage the whole-of-government response to major state-sponsored cyberattacks. The agency, to be housed within the Department of Home Affairs, is part of government efforts to bolster national cyber resilience after a 13% spike in cybercrime reports last year and the Optus and Medibank data breaches. The government has suggested that new cybersecurity legislation is likely to be introduced soon.
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[BravoZulu]

Sea state
It will be several years before Australia receives its first nuclear-powered submarines under the ‘SSN AUKUS’ deal announced this week, but planning is already underway to develop a submarine ‘hub’ in Australia that will enable activities ranging from boat repairs and maintenance to construction and support for missions. The submarine acquisition is intended to provide Australia with a strong deterrent capability in the face of a declining strategic situation in the region and China’s growing assertiveness. The agreement also reflects a US strategic realignment to bolster its allies, redeploy resources and incorporate partners into its supply chains and industrial planning.

China has vehemently criticised the pact as a US-led endeavour to constrain its power and President Xi Jinping has vowed to build the People’s Liberation Army into a ‘great wall of steel’ to safeguard China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests. Some commentators have dismissed Beijing’s objections in light of its own commissioning of large numbers of nuclear-powered submarines, some equipped with nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Russia is set to arm several of its warships with long-range Kalibr cruise missiles and anti-submarine torpedoes. The vessels include the Lada-class submarine Kronstadt, the corvette Steregushchiy and the nuclear missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov. The Kalibr land attack missiles were used by Russia in attacks on Ukraine in February. They can also be used to hit targets at sea, including submarines.

Flight path
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has announced that the Royal Australian Air Force will reactivate its 9 Squadron after 34 years to operate the three MQ-4C Triton uncrewed aircraft it has on order. The first Triton is expected to be delivered to the RAAF in 2024. A high-altitude system that can fly for up 24 hours, the Triton will enhance the RAAF’s maritime surveillance capabilities, at a time when maritime security in the Indo-Pacific is an increasing concern.

The defence chiefs of Australia and Papua New Guinea have signed a memorandum of understanding and implementing arrangement covering Australia’s delivery of two multi-role PAC-750XL aircraft to PNG . The aircraft, provided as a part of the joint ‘flights of excellence’ program, will bolster the PNG Defence Force’s ability to respond to national and regional incidents. It will also expand defence cooperation and joint training opportunities as set out in the recent bilateral security agreement and at the Australia–Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum.

Rapid fire
BAE Systems Australia has signed an industrial collaboration agreement with European missile group MBDA to build on efforts to establish domestic production under Australia’s guided weapons and explosive ordnance program. The industrial collaboration will focus on co-development of weapons systems and establishment of a skills and capability initiative to increase Australia’s attractiveness as a reliable industrial base open to foreign industry.

The US State Department has approved Australia’s request to purchase 255 Javelin FGM-148F anti-tank guided missiles and related equipment under a foreign military sales agreement worth US$60.18 million. The package includes technical assistance and other logistical and program support services. In notifying Congress of the possible sale, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated that it would expand the Australian Army’s anti-armour capability and capacity to meet current and future threats.

Final frontier
The Australian Space Agency has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Defence Aviation Safety Authority to align civil and military regulation of space activities. Signed at this year’s Avalon Airshow, the agreement’s goal is for space to be regulated as a critical domain through cooperation with civil society. It comes a little over a year after the establishment of the Defence Space Command.

The US has announced that the second stage of China’s Chang Zheng 2D rocket disintegrated over the US mainland. The rocket’s re-entry was uncontrolled, meaning that it was not steered but fell after its orbit decayed. This occurred amid longstanding criticism of China over the uncontrolled re-entry of its rocket debris. Last year, it was initially projected that debris from a rocket launched from China’s Hainan Island would hit Australia, although it ultimately landed in the sea.

Wired watchtower
The White House has released a new national cybersecurity strategy intended to defend critical infrastructure, disrupt and dismantle threat actors, shape market forces to drive security and resilience, and invest in a resilient future. More precise guidance on how the Pentagon will conduct offensive cyber operations against state and non-state threats is expected when its updated ‘zero-trust strategy’ is unveiled in the coming weeks.

The Pentagon is seeking US$13.5 billion for its cyber activities, according to fiscal year 2024 budget documents. The investment blueprint is a 20.5% increase over the previous fiscal year. The funding will go towards safeguarding Department of Defense information networks, modernising cyber protection standards for the defence industrial base, and supporting training efforts. The request also provides the commander of US Cyber Command enhanced authority over a US$3 million budget to train and equip the joint cyber force.

 

[BravoZulu]

Sea state
China and Cambodia have held military naval drills for the first time in Cambodian waters. During the two-hour exercise, the Chinese navy’s Jinggang Shan amphibious landing warship and two patrol boats from the Royal Cambodian Navy established communications before practising coordinated navigation in different formations. This marks a significant step-up in the defence relationship between Phnom Penh and Beijing. The exercise has reignited US concerns about Beijing’s deepening military influence in the Indo-Pacific and the potential for Chinese warships to be staged at what is believed to be a new naval facility at the port of Ream in Cambodia’s neighbouring Preah Sihanouk province.

North Korea claims to have tested a nuclear-capable underwater drone designed to attack enemy ports and warships with nuclear weapons that could generate massive radioactive waves. The Haeil (Tsunami) drone cruised for more than 59 hours at a depth of 80 to 150 metres before its non-nuclear warhead was detonated at the target site in Hongwon Bay. The test followed the biggest field training exercise by the US and South Korea in years, and highlights the role of ‘suicide’ drones as a potential fixture of next-generation naval combat.

Flight path
The US has conducted retaliatory airstrikes against sites in eastern Syria in response to a suspected Iranian-made drone attack that killed a US contractor and injured six others. The precision airstrikes were directed at facilities occupied by groups linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and are believed to have killed 11 pro-Iranian militants. The US has warned of further strikes if its personnel are attacked again. Meanwhile, pro-Iranian factions in Syria say they have the capability to launch counterattacks if targeted.

Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden plan to unify their air defences in response to concerns stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They’ve signed a joint declaration of intent to enhance air force cooperation. The main goal of the initiative is to inaugurate a ‘mini NATO’ with around 250 modern frontline combat aircraft, guided by an air-defence operations concept embracing an integrated management structure, a flexible and sustainable support system, joint air situational awareness and collective training exercises. It is viewed as a foundation for a joint Nordic centre for air operations that could potentially encompass the US and Canada.

Rapid fire
A former Australian soldier has been charged with a war crime under Australian law for the alleged murder of an Afghan civilian in 2012 during an Australian Defence Force raid in Afghanistan. His arrest follows the ADF’s Afghanistan inquiry by the Office of the Special Investigator and investigations by the Australian Federal Police. This is the first such charge brought against a serving or former member of the Australian military out of actions in Afghanistan. Until now, there has been strong criticism of nations whose troops fought in Afghanistan for lack of action in response to war crimes allegations. The Australian investigation and the laying of this charge could set crucial precedents in accountability for war crimes.

Moscow has accused Azerbaijan of violating the 2020 Russia-brokered ceasefire that ended a six-week war with Armenia. In recent weeks, there’s been a rise in allegations of ceasefire violations along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and increasing confrontation over Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has claimed from its capital, Yerevan, that Russian peacekeepers are failing to protect Armenians because Moscow is distracted by its war in Ukraine. Waning Russian influence has created space for the EU and US to play a greater role in negotiating a solution. However, tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran—which Azerbaiijan has accused of backing Armenia—add another layer of complexity to the conflict, posing a significant threat to security in the South Caucasus.

Final frontier
Australia is planning to develop a constellation of military space satellites that can talk to each other and with ground assets, according to a tender issued by the Department of Defence. The ‘request for information’ on the proposed data transport and relay network seeks ideas on how Defence can draw on multiple security domains to rapidly disseminate data. The system would need to be resilient against hacking. An Australian space-based military capability would improve the nation’s situational awareness in space and reduce dependency on overseas satellite networks. It could also complement Australia’s planned force of nuclear-powered submarines and improve air defences against hypersonic weapons.

The US Space Force has requested US$60 million over two years to fund its ‘tactically responsive space’ program in budget papers submitted last week. The initiative aims to develop the commercial space industry’s capacity to deploy payloads at short notice. This would allow the US to replace lost or damaged satellites during a conflict and make it costly for adversaries to deny access to space. A space force mission designated Victus Nox will test the requirements for the new rapid-response concept.

Wired watchtower
The British government has announced its intent to ban TikTok from all UK parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network. The decision has been made amid ongoing cybersecurity concerns about the safety of personal data on the Chinese-owned app which was the subject of last week’s US congressional hearing involving TikTok’s CEO. The US, Canada, Belgium and the European Commission have also banned the app from official devices, with Australia expected to follow.

The Department of Home Affairs has announced that a cyber and infrastructure security group will begin operations on 1 May. The group will be responsible for protecting Australia’s computer networks and enhancing cyber resilience. It will include delivering and implementing the government’s new cyber security strategy, which is under development. The group’s creation comes as cyberattacks are becoming more frequent and severe, as seen with the hacking of Optus and Medibank last year and of Latitude Financial this month.

 

[BravoZulu]

Sea state
Iran seized a US-bound oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz last week, alleging that it had fled the scene after colliding with an Iranian vessel. Western media sources reported that Iran’s actions were in reaction to the confiscation of an oil tanker by the US in an effort to enforce sanctions on Tehran. The US Navy issued a statement saying the seizure was a violation of international law and a ‘threat to maritime security’.

The French Navy has conducted a maritime-strike and anti-submarine-warfare exercise with the Royal Australian Navy in the Timor Sea. Working with a RAAF F-35A Lightning II and P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the Jeanne d’Arc 2023 group, consisting of a frigate and a landing helicopter dock, manoeuvred to locate, track and engage a submarine. Following the training, the French group visited Townsville before heading to New Caledonia for Exercise Croix Du Sud.

Flight path
Ukraine’s air defence force has shot down a Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile over Kyiv using a recently acquired US Patriot air-defence system. Ukraine took delivery of the first Patriots last month. They are one of the most advanced US air-defence systems, and crews received extensive training to locate and destroy targets with them. Ukrainian General Mykola Oleshchuk congratulated the Patriot crew for its ‘historic’ downing of the Kinzhal, a capability first unveiled by Putin in 2018.

On 5 May, a US Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed in a field near a South Korean airbase. The crash occurred after a routine training exercise. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft and was taken to a medical facility. Local firefighters were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the resulting fire, but no casualties or other damage were reported. The crash is under investigation.

Rapid fire
More than 240 personnel from the Australian Defence Force and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade participated in France’s two-week-long Exercise Croix du Sud in New Caledonia. This exercise was spearheaded by the French armed forces to improve the ability of regional partners to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the Pacific. It is hoped that increasing cooperation in the Pacific will signal a further improvement in Australia–France relations, after tensions that followed Australia’s decision to abandon its plans to buy conventional submarines from France.

The US and Saudi Arabia have initiated talks to reach a humanitarian ceasefire between Sudan’s rival military factions, its army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Fighting between the two has engulfed the Sudanese capital since mid-April. The conflict has stalled an internationally backed democratic transition and poses a serious threat of civil war in a country at the crossroads of multiple geopolitical issues. The US–Saudi initiative has so far made ‘no major progress‘, and the capital continues to be the scene of heavy fighting.

Final frontier
China’s reusable experimental spacecraft returned as planned to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on Monday after 276 days in orbit. Little is known about the classified spacecraft, which was launched aboard a Long March-2F rocket in August. The landmark mission has fuelled speculation that the craft is likely to be similar to the US Air Force’s Boeing X-37B, an autonomous spaceplane that can remain in orbit for years. The technology may provide a strategic advantage in areas such as military reconnaissance, satellite deployment and space-based weapons systems.

The Chinese military’s top decision-making body has updated its conscription laws to allow former soldiers to re-enlist and increase their expertise in cyber and space-based warfare. The changes reflect Beijing’s concerns about a possible conflict over Taiwan, and target recruitment of science and engineering students with skills relevant to combat roles using space satellites, cyber capabilities and drones. Recruits from top universities will be prioritised to accelerate the People’s Liberation Army’s ability to harness information and intelligence in line with China’s 2027 military-modernisation goal.

Wired watchtower
The Swedish parliamentary website was partially shut down by a distributed denial-of-service attack. This form of cyber assault has gained infamy since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with hacktivists on both sides exploiting it to impede online activities. The attack occurred a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with Nordic leaders in Finland. Although the timing and characteristics of the attack imply potential involvement of Russian-backed cybercriminals, that has not yet been officially confirmed.

The Ukraine government’s computer emergency response team has identified the notorious Russian hacking group Sandworm as being behind the sabotage of state devices. The group exploited compromised VPN accounts that lacked multi-factor authentication to infiltrate a government network and erase vital files from both Windows and Linux machines using the WinRAR archiving program. This attack bears a striking resemblance to an incident in January that also employed a modified version of a malicious script, increasing the likelihood that Sandworm was involved in the breach.

 

[BravoZulu]

Sea state
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a 10-year contract worth £270 million to British multinational BAE Systems to support the Royal Navy’s three main radar systems: Artisan, Sampson and Long Range Radar. Under the contract, BAE Systems engineers will upgrade and provide maintenance support for radars on navy ships. The minister for defence procurement said that the contract will boost investment in the UK’s supply chain and let adversaries know that the UK is ‘equipped, prepared and ready’.

Royal Australian Navy divers have assisted the Australian Border Force, Australian Federal Police and Western Australian Police Force in a joint operation to seize about 800 kilograms of cocaine from a merchant vessel off the WA coast. The divers found 29 packages of the drug submerged in a water-filled ballast tank while the ship was detained at a berth at Kwinana in Perth’s south. The Defence Department said that the operation showcased the navy’s ability to ‘enhance maritime security, deter illegal activity at sea and protect national interests’ through close cooperation with Australian partners.

Flight path
The Indonesian Air Force will receive a second-hand fleet of 12 Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighters by January 2025. The French-made jets were bought by Qatar in 1997 and will be sold on to Indonesia in a $1.1 billion deal financed by foreign loans. The sale is intended to plug a capability gap ahead of the introduction of 42 Dassault Rafale fighters in 2026. The decision also marks a reduction in Indonesia’s historical reliance on Russian military equipment, following the imposition of sanctions on Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine last year.

French aerospace company Dassault Aviation will introduce two new key capabilities to its ‘Super Rafale’ F5 program under France’s 2024–2030 military budget bill. According to an amendment tabled in the French parliament, the Rafale F5 will be paired with loyal wingman combat drones from the nEUROn program. The sixth-generation fighter will also be equipped with joint jamming radars and self-defence systems in a bid to challenge the air superiority and market dominance of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II.

Rapid fire
Additional NATO troops have been deployed to northern Kosovo following a surge in unrest that left more than 30 NATO soldiers injured. Violence escalated this month after ethnic Albanians were appointed as mayors in Serb-majority areas through an election boycotted by Serbs. The NATO-led peacekeeping mission Kosovo Force, deployed since 1999, now consists of around 4,200 troops. The majority of the reinforcements come from the Turkish Army’s 65th Mechanised Infantry Brigade Command.

African Union officials and Somali authorities have announced that the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) will withdraw 2,000 soldiers by the end of this month, aiming to conclude the mission completely by December 2024. ATMIS was formed in 2022 to replace the African Union Mission to Somalia that started in 2007. Concerns have been raised that a withdrawal of African Union troops could lead to a collapse of state institutions and spark a remobilisation of the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab.

Final frontier
South Korea has recovered part of a rocket used in North Korea’s failed attempt to launch its first military satellite last month. Military personnel salvaged a large cylindrical object from the sea last week and are continuing the search for additional objects. South Korea is investigating the debris alongside the US. One question it is hoping to answer is North Korea’s proclaimed name for the rocket—an anomalous label on the top of the rocket is missing a syllable.

Russia has announced that it has enhanced its ability to track and detect foreign spacecraft. The Russian defence minister was briefed about the capability contained at a new military facility by the commander of the Russian Space Forces. Russia’s drive for stronger space surveillance capabilities reflects its growing emphasis on space as a domain for military activities. These latest advancements in tracking and identifying space objects will likely bolster Russia’s situational awareness in space.

Wired watchtower
Russia-linked ransomware gang BlackCat, also known as AlphV or AlphaSpider, has claimed responsibility for an attack on major Australian law firm HWL Ebsworth, whose clients include 40 Australian government departments and agencies. The hackers reportedly obtained files on the redevelopment of the secret Woomera missile testing site, the Australian navy’s attack helicopter replacement project, and Australia’s Indo-Pacific enhanced engagement strategy. The government has established a crisis group to investigate what Commonwealth information is among the 4 terabytes of stolen data.

The UK has pledged an additional $47 million in funding for Ukraine to help the embattled country shore up its cyber defences. The support builds on the foreign secretary’s prior commitment of $12 million for the UK’s Ukraine cyber program. The funds are intended to bolster Ukraine’s ability to detect and disable Russian malware targeting critical infrastructure. The announcement follows an uptick in Russian cyberattacks and Ukraine’s ascension to NATO’s Cyber Defense Center, a move Kyiv said was ‘a step on the way’ to NATO membership.

 

[BravoZulu]

Sea state
On 1 July 2023, the Australian Submarine Agency was established to manage the delivery of the Royal Australian Navy’s planned fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines from 2032. Led by Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead, the ASA will facilitate the industry partnerships needed for the project and liaise with the US and UK governments on placements and training of RAN and industry personnel. Its initial staff of 350 is expected to grow to more than 680 over the next year.

A new Russian corvette, the Rezkiy, tested its air defences on Wednesday in the Sea of Japan. The warship intercepted an anti-ship cruise missile fired by a friendly R-20 missile boat at a distance of 90 kilometres. The test followed a number of separate and unrelated transits of Japanese straits by Russian Navy and People’s Liberation Army Navy ships over the week, according to Japan’s Joint Staff Office of the Ministry of Defense.

Flight path
Lithuania’s defence ministry has announced its purchase of two NASAMS ground-based air-defence systems for Ukraine. The decision was made in response to Ukraine’s urgent request for assistance in strengthening its air defences. Set to be delivered within three months, the systems are seen as a significant and timely contribution to safeguarding Ukrainian airspace and protecting lives. Lithuania will facilitate the delivery while Norway will provide maintenance equipment. The donation also includes an additional 10 M113 armoured personnel carriers.

The US State Department has approved the proposed sale of 24 F-35 Lightning II aircraft, along with munitions and related equipment, to the Czech Republic to enhance its defence capabilities, support NATO operations, and maintain regional security. The deal aligns with a security agreement signed by the US and Czech governments that underlined a Czech commitment to procuring advanced fifth-generation fighter jets. If the sale proceeds, the Czech Republic will become the F-35 program’s 10th customer.

Rapid fire
British multinational arms company BAE Systems has tested crewed–uncrewed teaming requirements on its 8×8 amphibious combat vehicle (ACV) C4UAS. The ACV C4UAS was connected with the Israel Aerospace Industries Elta Systems Rex MK II Unmanned Infantry Combat Support System. The trial demonstrated how collaboration between crewed vehicles and autonomous drones can improve situational awareness, support mission success and reduce risk to infantry. The successful integration of the technology represents a leap forward in mechanised warfare.

Australia will spend $700 million on upgrading its airbase in Townsville to accommodate a fleet of 29 AH-64E Apache helicopters that will arrive from 2025. The Australian Army’s 1st Aviation Regiment will steadily relocate to Townsville, as it continues to operate its Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters from Darwin until their planned withdrawal from service in 2028. The US expects the AH-64E to serve as its primary attack helicopter into the 2060s, and the shared platform should allow for greater interoperability between the US and Australia over the decades ahead.

Final frontier
The Australian government has announced that the National Space Mission for Earth Observation program will be scrapped. The $1.2 billion project, jointly led by the Australian Space Agency, CSIRO, Geoscience Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology and the Department of Defence, was set to develop a sovereign satellite capability for gathering data on natural disasters, farming, environmental management and more. A blow to the domestic space sector, the program’s axing means that Australia will remain dependent on foreign providers of space infrastructure.

Hypersonix has been awarded a US patent for the engine that will power its hypersonic ‘spaceplanes’. The scramjet engine was invented by a Hypersonix co-founder and can accelerate between Mach 5 and Mach 12. The hydrogen-powered engine is non-polluting to the earth’s atmosphere and has a non-ballistic trajectory that can’t be achieved with conventional rockets. The announcement comes months after Hypersonix was chosen to supply the US Department of Defense with a vehicle for testing.

Wired watchtower
A Russian satellite company that serves the Russian military and intelligence agency fell victim to a cyberattack last week. Hackers leaked 700 company files, defaced websites by uploading content related to the Wagner Group, and targeted cloud infrastructure. A group claiming to be affiliated with Wagner has claimed responsibility for the attack, which could reflect an attempt by the group to continue its failed rebellion online. However, Wagner’s involvement has been disputed by some experts, who consider this a case of false-flagging to fuel internal divisions in Russia. The attack also reflects the cyber targeting of critical infrastructure conducted in the context of the Russia–Ukraine war.

South Africa has signed a cooperation agreement with France under which French experts will provide training for South Africa’s Special Investigating Unit to strengthen its cyber forensic investigation capabilities. South Africa’s minister of justice and correctional services, Ronald Lamola, said it will boost ‘confidence in the investment climate’ in the nation. The deal was likely prompted by the heightened reputational risk faced by South Africa amid rising reports of cybercrime and its inclusion on the Financial Action Task Force’s ‘grey list’ for failure to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/t...paignMonitor&utm_term=The five-domains update

 

[BravoZulu]

Sea state
China’s next-generation frigate, the Type 054B, is under construction at shipyards in Shanghai and Guangzhou, as confirmed by images posted online by Chinese military enthusiasts. The ship’s predecessor, the Type 054A, is still in service, but the new version is a complete redesign and will be larger and faster. Although specific armaments are yet to be confirmed, it is expected to feature a vertical missile-launch system and a new double-sided phased-array radar system. The Type 054B will enhance China’s anti-submarine-warfare capabilities and add heft to its new generation of aircraft carrier strike groups.

South Korean shipbuilding company Hanwha Ocean has won a contract to construct the final two Ulsan-class frigates for the country’s navy. The new warships will replace some of the navy’s ageing frigates and patrol combat corvettes to bolster naval readiness. They will be armed with a Mark 45 five-inch main gun, anti-ship missiles, a new close-in weapon system and powered by Rolls-Royce gas turbine engines. The first delivery is scheduled for 2024, with production continuing until 2027.

Flight path
North Korea has conducted its second test-firing of its Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, the core weapon in its nuclear strike force. The solid-fuelled ICBM reached an altitude of 6,648 kilometres and landed in the sea about 250 kilometres west of northern Japan’s Okushiri island. Its 74-minute flight time showed marginal improvement over the test conducted in April. The launch comes after Pyongyang threatened to shoot down US military reconnaissance aircraft engaging in what it called ‘hostile espionage’ activities. It was swiftly condemned by the US, Japan and South Korea.

The White House has announced that it will work with Congress to transfer 40 new F-16 fighter jets and nearly 80 modernisation kits to Turkey. The controversial deal was reached hours after Ankara agreed to back Sweden’s bid for membership of NATO. It follows weeks of strong opposition from US senators on both sides of the aisle. The sale will still have to pass through a 15-day informal review process during which lawmakers may object to the transfer, including on human-rights grounds.

Rapid fire
The Australian Army’s 7th Brigade last week wrapped up Exercise Diamond Strike 23 with Tonga, France, Fiji, the US and Japan. The drills focused on foundation warfighting and combined-arms training and integrated different teams, capabilities and technologies from the participating military forces. It was also a chance for the ADF and partners to prepare for Exercise Talisman Sabre, which will kick off this weekend with more than 30,000 military personnel from 13 nations.

A Ukrainian M-55S tank has reportedly been destroyed by the Russian army near Kreminna in the Luhansk region of Ukraine. A video circulated on Twitter depicts the tank’s destruction with what appears to be a Kransopol 152-millimetre guided projectile. Twenty-eight M-55Ss were donated by Slovenia in 2022 to assist Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion, and this is the first report of one being lost.

Final frontier
The Indian Space Research Organization successfully launched its Chandrayaan-3 mission, ushering in what Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says is ‘a new chapter in India’s space odyssey’. The mission is India’s bid to become only the fourth country to execute a controlled moon landing, after the US, Russia and China. The aim is to conduct a soft landing near the moon’s unexplored south pole and collect data to study the moon’s composition. This is India’s second attempt at conducting a soft landing, after the failure of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019.

US Space Force Guardians, Colombian Air Force Guardians and Ecuadorian Air Force members formed a coalition space team for Operation Thundergun Express, a 21-day space deployment exercise. The team executed the first defensive space control operation in the history of US Southern Command, highlighting the importance of ‘agile combat employment operations’ in the space domain. The exercise included building mobile space detection systems and detecting electromagnetic interference aimed at disrupting a commercial satellite. The move reflects the US Southern Command’s goal of boosting its military space engagement with the Americas.

Wired watchtower
The Israeli military has started using a new artificial-intelligence system to select targets for airstrikes and manage logistics amid ongoing tensions with Palestinian militants, Lebanon and Iran. According to Israeli officials, the military now uses AI to crunch vast amounts of data to calculate munition loads and identify thousands of potential targets for its aircraft and drones. This modern way of war incorporates lessons learned during the May 2021 conflict in Gaza. It was during that so-called AI war that the Israeli army first used the technology to rapidly gather intelligence on Palestinian resistance fighters.

The US has released its implementation plan setting out a roadmap for making America more cyber resilient. The plan allocates a greater share of the burden for mitigating cyber risk to the largest and most capable public agencies and private entities. Its five objectives are to defend critical infrastructure, disrupt threat actors, shape market forces, promote cybersecurity standards and coordinate international policy.
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[BravoZulu]

Sea state
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that the Russian Navy will receive 30 new combat ships of various classes later this year. Putin made the announcement after reviewing a parade of warships and nuclear submarines with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Navy Commander-in-Chief Nikolai Yevmenov at Russia’s annual Navy Day event in St Petersburg on 30 July. The acquisition is part of Putin’s plan to build up Russian naval strength as outlined in the 2022 national maritime policy.

The Royal Australian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Navy and US Navy took part in exercise Pacific Vanguard last month in Guam. The exercise was designed to strengthen the skills of the four navies in maritime, anti-submarine-warfare and air-warfare operations. It included live-fire missile drills and advanced manoeuvring scenarios to enhance interoperability among the participating forces.

Flight path
The Royal Australian Air Force and the US Air Force Special Operations Command participated in Exercise Teak Action 23 in July. The missions, which took place over the Hawkesbury region, RAAF Base Williamtown and the Singleton Military Area, provided opportunities for the RAAF’s No. 4 Squadron combat control team and No. 35 Squadron to train with their US counterparts. The exercise aimed to improve the preparedness of both nations’ air forces to rapidly respond to tasks in the Indo-Pacific.

A Canadian CC-150 Polaris military transport plane and a French Air and Space Force A500M ‘came into contact’ last month at a US air base in Guam. Both aircraft had been in Guam for US-led Exercise Mobility Guardian when the collision occurred. The Canadian and French governments responded to the incident in separate statements, noting that there were no reported injuries. The incident is currently under joint investigation by Canadian, French and US authorities.

Rapid fire
Hanwha Defense Australia has been granted a contract worth up to $7 billion to supply the Australian Army with 129 next-generation infantry fighting vehicles. The Australian government selected the AS21 Redback after it narrowly outperformed Germany’s Rheinmetall Lynx in testing, ending a five-year tender process to replace the army’s Vietnam-era armoured personnel carriers. The landmark decision is set to turbocharge Australia–Korea defence and economic cooperation. The first vehicle will be delivered in early 2027 and the final vehicle by late 2028.

British soldiers in the Royal Corps of Signals have rehearsed combined-arms training in a virtual environment. More than 40 personnel participated in the ‘virtual equivalent’ of tactical training using the Interim Combined Arms Virtual Simulation system, or ICAVS. The system allows soldiers to practice driving, manoeuvre and battlefield skills in different scenarios—from crossing rivers to engaging enemy forces—using game controllers, virtual-reality headsets and racing-simulator cockpits. Complementing live-fire exercises, the technology is a carbon- and time-efficient way to maintain operational readiness.

Final frontier
India’s PSLV rocket successfully launched seven Singaporean satellites into low-earth orbit on 29 July. The launch marked India’s sixth successful orbital launch of the year, following the robotic lunar lander Chandrayaan-3 mission. The primary payload, DS-SAR, is a remote-sensing satellite developed in partnership with Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency and ST Engineering. It features an all-weather, day and night coverage synthetic aperture radar from Israel Aerospace Industries. The satellites will serve various Singaporean government agencies and commercial customers.

China’s state-owned space and defence contractor CASIC will launch a very low-earth orbit (VLEO) constellation of 300 satellites, with the first planned for December and the rest by 2030. The constellation aims to provide information every half-hour. It will leverage the advantages of shorter distance and intelligent algorithms to achieve low-latency satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-earth communications. While not without challenges, VLEO satellites are cheaper and have lower power demands than other options.

Wired watchtower
According to a New York Times report, the US government has undertaken investigations into malware planted by potentially state-sponsored Chinese hackers that is capable of cutting off power, water and communications to US military bases. Microsoft first discovered the malware in May in critical infrastructure systems in Guam, which hosts a massive American air base, and ‘elsewhere in the US’. A recent ASPI report highlighted this campaign as an example of ‘a good place to start looking’ for Chinese AI-enabled technologies targeting democracies.

The Kenyan government’s e-Citizen portal, which provides access to more than 5,000 government services, has been targeted in a cyberattack. Critical services such as transport, power, electricity and railways were disrupted by the attack. Sudanese hacking group Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility and said it had taken passport data, but the Kenyan government countered that no data had been stolen. The group declared that the attack was triggered by Kenya’s unwanted interference in Sudan’s internal affairs. Notably, it followed Sudan’s rejection of Kenya’s attempts to mediate the ongoing Sudanese conflict.

 

[BravoZulu]

Sea state
Australia is hosting Exercise Malabar, an Indo-Pacific military drill involving forces from India, Japan and the United States. This 27th iteration of Malabar aims to enhance interoperability among the regional partners. The Quad’s naval leaders have emphasised the role of joint operational capabilities in keeping Indo-Pacific trade routes free and open and addressing regional challenges, particularly in the South China Sea. Participating naval forces will engage in exercises crucial to interoperability, including air defence, anti-submarine warfare, joint use of naval aviation, communications and ship-to-ship replenishment. Australian F-35 joint strike fighters are working with six participating ships from the partner nations.

Ukrainian marines have undergone a rigorous five-week training program led by specialist instructors from Britain’s Royal Marine Commandos. The intensive course encompassed a range of skills, including the use of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, mortars and drones; demolition of obstacles with explosives; field survival; battlefield first aid; close-quarters combat; and strategic unit planning. Nearly 1,000 Ukrainian personnel took part in the program over six months. The goal is to advance Ukraine’s maritime combat capabilities.

Flight path
China has maintained its pressure on Taiwan with its second military incursion within a week. While 25 Chinese air force aircraft, including J-10 and J-16 fighters and H-6 bombers, conducted maritime operations, 10 of them crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line or intruded into the southwestern sector of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone. This activity coincided with ‘combat readiness’ patrols by five Chinese warships. Taiwan’s military responded by dispatching ships and aircraft to keep the Chinese forces under surveillance. The intruders did not breach Taiwan’s territorial airspace.

Despite strained bilateral relations, Germany has agreed to a request by Warsaw to extend its deployment of three Patriot air-defence systems in Poland until December 2023. The Patriot systems were due to return to Germany in June and the extension aligns with NATO’s push to fortify its eastern flank following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Berlin has said the Patriot deployment was unlikely to be extended beyond this year because of its obligations to NATO’s rapid-reaction force.

Rapid fire
The US has agreed to transfer technical data to support the production of M795 155-millimetre artillery rounds in Australia. The announcement followed the 33rd AUSMIN meeting of US and Australian defence and foreign secretaries and ministers. The US Army is under pressure to produce 1 million artillery shells per month to replenish American stocks depleted by the need to supply Ukrainian forces fighting the Russian invasion, which reportedly consume 4,000 to 7,000 heavy artillery shells daily.

Drone warfare is going to ground in the Russo-Ukraine war as both sides increasingly use uncrewed systems on land. According to Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, Volodymyr Gavrylov, Ukrainian troops will field uncrewed ground vehicles or ‘battle robots’ armed with machine guns or anti-tank mines against Russian troops. The military innovation could help facilitate a breakthrough for Ukraine as its forces attempt to advance through dense Russian fortifications en route to occupied Melitopol, Berdyansk and Mariupol.

Final frontier
China’s ‘tactically responsive space launch’ capabilities have surpassed those of the US, according to a report from the Center for Security and Emerging Technology. The report attributes the rapid Chinese advancement to accelerated investment in mobile, solid-fuel launch vehicles that don’t depend on complex launch infrastructure. Alongside this effort, Chinese military researchers want to develop a network of 13,000 satellites able to operate in orbits lower than SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation. If realised, this would make it more difficult for the US to disrupt China’s space systems in a crisis.

The Pentagon has taken a bold step in developing a response to China’s growing ability to infiltrate and block US defences in the space and cyber domains. At DEFCON 2023, the US Air Force and Space Force allowed ethical civilian hackers to remotely seize control of the Moonlighter satellite in earth’s low orbit. The first-of-its-kind ‘hack-a-sat’ contest’ was established to help the US build more secure space and cyber systems and identify security gaps that could be exploited by potential adversaries.

Wired watchtower
Ukraine has exposed and blocked a Russian cyberattack aimed at penetrating its armed forces’ combat data exchange system. The hack was attributed to the Russian state-controlled hacker group Sandworm, which attempted to access sensitive information about Ukraine’s military operations, locations, equipment and movements. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February last year, Ukraine has reported increased Russian attempts to hack its government systems, an accusation Russia has repeatedly denied.

The Washington Post has revealed that cyberspies from China’s People’s Liberation Army compromised Japan’s classified defence networks in 2020, gaining access to plans, capabilities and assessments of military shortcomings. The incident raised concerns about the potential leaking of sensitive information provided to Japan by the US. Despite Washington’s concerns about the severity of the hack, current and former US officials noted that it took a year for Tokyo to take sufficient action to secure its networks after the incident.