Army air defense systems deploy to the Arctic, Africa for first time
The Sgt. STOUT vehicle, formerly known as Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense, or M-SHORAD, consists of a Stryker vehicle with mounted Stinger missiles, onboard radar and a 30mm cannon.
Soldiers with the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, joined NATO allies for Exercise Formidable Shield 2025 in the Arctic Circle near Andoya, Norway, according to an Army release.
Air defenders engaged target drones simulating low-altitude threats over several late-night live-fire events, both from the Sgt. STOUT and dismounted from the vehicle.
The skies are no longer safe, these soldiers are preparing to defend them
Formidable Shield included 16 warships, 27 aircraft and eight ground units from 11 NATO and partner nations between May 6-9. Primarily an integrated air and missile defense exercise that began a decade ago as a naval missile defense exercise, the event has added ground-based air defense assets in response to real-world combat lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War.
Norwegian SHORAD crews on Andoya Island served as the final protective layer for forces during the exercise, destroying any threats that may have made it past naval defenses in the Norwegian Sea.
The Sgt. STOUT is designed to intercept drones, helicopters and cruise missiles, which overlaps with ship-based and high-altitude interceptors NATO forces operate.
'Our radar here can only see so far, but we push what we see to the network, and the ships that maybe can't see over here get early warning,' said Maj. Ben Bowman, battalion operations officer, in the release. 'Likewise, they can see a track further out than we can, so we have a heads-up that something's coming a lot earlier and that just gives us the edge.'
Norwegian forces operated the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System and the Norwegian Mobile Air Defense System.
U.S. Marines from Marine Air Control Group 28 sent teams with shoulder-launched Stinger missiles and operated a tactical air operations center, according to the release.
'When they see a different ship each night with different drones, different air forces or [ground-based air defense] defending or attacking, it makes it complex for them,' said Cmdr. Fridtjof Joys of the Royal Norwegian Navy.
Meanwhile, some 3,500 miles away in Ben Ghilouf, Tunisia, soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, achieved another air defense milestone with the first-ever deployment of the Avenger Air Defense System in Africa.
The Avenger includes eight Stinger missiles mounted on a Humvee for mobile air defense.
The system was deployed as part of this year's African Lion exercise, an annual exercise on the continent featuring dozens of nations. This year's exercise takes place through Friday across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.
'By integrating our systems with those of our allies, we ensure that any potential adversary faces a unified, technologically advanced defense,' said Col. Haileyesus Bairu, the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade commander, in the release. 'This makes it far more difficult for hostile forces to threaten the United States or our partners.'
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, led the exercise on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command.
'We leave this exercise more prepared, more confident, and more capable than when we arrived,' said Command Sgt. Maj Charles Robinson, 52d Air Defense Artillery Brigade senior enlisted adviser, in the release. 'That's the true measure of success for us, and it's what keeps our homeland safe.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Palantir raises annual revenue forecast again
Palantir Technologies has once again adjusted its annual revenue forecast upward due to increased demand for its AI services among businesses and government agencies. The data analytics and defence software provider now anticipates revenue between $4.14bn and $4.15bn for the year. This revision exceeds both its earlier estimate and the average analyst forecast of $3.9bn, as reported by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). This marks Palantir's second revenue forecast revision in 2025, following an initial update in May, when the company raised its full-year revenue projection to a range of $3.89bn to $3.9bn. Palantir is benefiting from a focus on national security in the US and changes in the Pentagon's software procurement strategy favouring commercial and "non-traditional" providers, according to a report in Reuters. Recently, the US Army indicated potential service purchases from Palantir amounting to $10bn over a decade. Palantir's shares rose by 4% in extended trading, and have more than doubled in 2025. This growth has been driven by investors' confidence in the company's ability to capitalise on AI advancements and increased government spending on defence technology. In the second quarter of 2025, US government sales for the company increased by 53% to $426m. This represents more than 42% of total quarterly revenue, which reached approximately $1bn. For the full year 2025, Palantir anticipates US business revenue to exceed $1.3bn, up from earlier guidance of more than $1.18bn. The company posted a 68% year-on-year increase in total US revenue to $733m for the second quarter ending 30 June 2025. Palantir reported GAAP net income of $327m, representing a 33% margin. In terms of contracts, Palantir closed 157 deals worth at least $1m each, including 66 deals of at least $5m and 42 deals worth more than $10m. The total contract value reached $2.27bn, marking a 140% increase year-over-year. Palantir co-founder and CEO Alex Karp said: 'This was a phenomenal quarter. We continue to see the astonishing impact of AI leverage. Our Rule of 40 score was 94%, once again obliterating the metric. 'Year-over-year growth in our US business surged to 68%, and year-over-year growth in US commercial climbed to 93%. We are guiding to the highest sequential quarterly revenue growth in our company's history, representing 50% year-over-year growth.' In June 2025, Palantir formed a partnership with Accenture Federal Services to deliver AI-powered solutions to US federal agencies, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and decision-making. "Palantir raises annual revenue forecast again" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
U.S. Ally Becomes Arms Sales Battleground Between China and America
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. U.S. military ties with long-time allies in the Middle East are being tested by China's growing defense diplomacy across the region. Just as Washington authorized the sale of a major arms package to Egypt in July, China also emerged as an alternative source of advanced military hardware to the North African nation that has been a major non-NATO ally to the United States since 1989. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department and the Egyptian army for comment. Why It Matters Egypt is becoming a visible setting for the intensifying U.S.–China rivalry, where Washington views Beijing as its principal global rival. Cairo, long dependent on roughly $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid, remains an important security partner to Washington despite political difference over Gaza and Egypt's increasing engagement with China. Gulf and Arab states now see partnerships with China not as a shift, but as their right to diversify critical industries beyond an exclusive reliance on the United States, happening alongside major business deals with President Donald Trump. A NASAMS surface-to-air missile launcher is seen during production at the assembly line of the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace weapons factory in Kongsberg, Norway on January 30, 2023. A NASAMS surface-to-air missile launcher is seen during production at the assembly line of the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace weapons factory in Kongsberg, Norway on January 30, 2023. PETTER BERNTSEN/AFP/Getty Images What To Know Egypt has been given the green light by the United States to purchase advanced weaponry that previously had been off the table to maintain Israel's military edge in the region, in a sign that Washington may be shifting its stance toward its Middle East allies. The U.S. State Department recently approved the sale of NASAMS air defense systems to Egypt in a package worth $4.67 billion. The deal includes 200 AMRAAM and 600 Sidewinder missiles as well as radars, launchers, command units and training. "The potential delivery of NASAMS already represents a major breakthrough in the provision of advanced U.S.-made weapons to Egypt, with the offer of one of the most capable air defense systems in its class," U.S. defense watcher Thomas Newdick wrote in July in the specialist military outlet The War Zone. Since taking power in a 2014 after a military coup, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt has pursued arms diversification amid rising tension with the United States. He has pushed back against U.S. restrictions on upgrading Egyptian air force F-16 jets and voiced public frustration over Washington's stance on Israel's war in Gaza and on Trump's "displacement" plan. Cairo has shown a public interest in Chinese fighter jets like the J-10 and the newer J-35 in what could become realistic alternatives to U.S. air platforms. Egypt and China deepened military ties in 2025 with joint drills and expanded defense cooperation. Last month, amid reports that America's main regional adversary Iran could also seek Chinese jet fighters, Beijing said it was ready to "share the achievements of its equipment development with friendly countries." What People Are Saying Sayed Ghoneim, a retired Egyptian army officer, told Newsweek: "Let's keep in mind American companies' insistence on not losing a buyer—especially when China stands arms wide open, trying to project that it enjoys closer ties with Egypt than the U.S. does." Hesham Elhalaby, a retired major general of the Egyptian air force, told Al-Mashhad in July: "The military message here is that Egypt still holds significant importance for the United States, and military cooperation continues despite some political differences. There is consensus in the U.S. administration on maintaining cooperation and modernizing Egypt's defense systems." The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency in a July notice about the NASAMS deal: "The proposed sale will improve Egypt's capability to meet current and future threats by improving its ability to detect various air threats. […] The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region." What Happens Next Egypt and China may soon unveil more details about planned defense cooperation agreements, following the recent two-day official visit of Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Cairo in July.
Axios
7 hours ago
- Axios
Palantir's $10 billion Army contract continues its D.C. win streak
The U.S. Army is consolidating 75 contracts into a single arrangement with Palantir Technologies worth as much as $10 billion — a move the service said will accelerate deliveries and eliminate middleman fees. Why it matters: The 10-year deal is evidence of three things, closely related: The ascendancy of Palantir in Washington and at the Pentagon, in particular. (At an AI summit last month, President Trump remarked, "We buy a lot of things from Palantir.") The changing ways militaries are trying and buying products, especially software. The maturing D.C.-Silicon Valley relationship, which was on the rocks not too long ago. The big picture: The Army and other services have for years fought to streamline networks, intelligence, safeguards and IT, all while contending with a crush of data in the boardroom and on the battlefield. Solicitation documents noted the Army was expending significant administrative and financial resources managing dozens of "procurement actions tied to the integration of proven commercially available Palantir capabilities." Follow the money: This is Palantir's single largest known contract cap. What they're saying: The deal "reflects a broader shift in recognizing that software isn't a support function — it's core to operational readiness," Wendy Anderson, a former Palantir executive and chief of staff to the late Defense Secretary Ash Carter, told Axios. "This agreement sets a precedent for how government and industry can partner to deliver real capability at speed and scale — and others across the department should follow suit." Zoom out: Palantir is leaning hard into defense work. Chief executive Alex Karp has made it no secret he wants the West to dominate. Last year, the company bested RTX for a $178 million Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node contract. It's delivering the kitted-out trucks alongside partners Anduril Industries, Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Technologies. Other wins include an AI research-and-development deal in 2023, worth $250 million, and a predictive maintenance and supply chain agreement in 2022, worth $85 million. Flashback: Palantir successfully sued the Army in 2016. Times have changed.
