Latest news with #Defence
Hans India
a day ago
- Business
- Hans India
India to tie up with France for next-gen fighter jet engines?
New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence has reportedly proposed development of next-generation fighter jet engines in collaboration with France. The aim of the project is towards self-reliance in design and manufacturing of such technologies in India. All fighter aircraft in India's fleet currently operate with engines of foreign origin. A substantial portion of fighter aircraft costs is attributed to engine procurement and maintenance. Conservative projections indicate India's requirement for more than 250 next-generation engines within the next decade. According to reports, following extensive consultations including stakeholder inputs and assessments by a technical committee of all aspects of fighter jet engine production, the defence ministry has recommended the tie-up with France. The proposal was found to be advantageous for Indian interests. The Rs 61,000 crore initiative aims to jointly create a 120kn fighter jet engine for future platforms, including the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA). The project has received substantial support from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who champions indigenous fighter engine development and establishing a domestic manufacturing ecosystem. For this project officials have assessed proposals from both Safran of France and Rolls Royce of the UK, looking closely at technical specifications and financial implications. The French bid, offering complete technology transfer, has been presented in the past as well, with Safran outlining a development schedule aligned with AMCA's timeline. Currently, AMCA will likely utilise US-manufactured GE 414 engines, whilst development of a domestic plant continues. The engine is a very crucial component of fighter aircraft technology, and its manufacturing has been mastered by only a select group of countries globally. Although India attempted indigenous engine development through project Kaveri, it did not achieve the required thrust parameters. A variant of the Kaveri is currently under development for unmanned combat aerial vehicles, the financial daily report said. Meanwhile, India is negotiating with the US regarding technology transfer for the GE414 INS6 engine, intended for the Mk2 variant of light combat aircraft. The ongoing discussions seek more than 80% technology transfer, encompassing hot-end coating technologies, crystal blade manufacturing, and laser drilling capabilities.
Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
Microsoft to stop using engineers in China for tech support of US military, Hegseth orders review
[SAN FRANCISCO] Microsoft on Friday said it will stop using China-based engineers to provide technical assistance to the US military after a report in investigative journalism outlet ProPublica sparked questions from a US senator and prompted Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to order a two-week review of Pentagon cloud deals. The report detailed Microsoft's use of Chinese engineers to work on US military cloud computing systems under the supervision of US 'digital escorts' hired through subcontractors who have security clearances but often lacked the technical skills to assess whether the work of the Chinese engineers posed a cybersecurity threat. Microsoft, a major contractor to the US government, has had its systems breached by Chinese and Russian hackers. It told ProPublica it disclosed its practices to the US government during an authorisation process. On Friday, Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shaw said on social media website X the company changed how it supports US government customers 'in response to concerns raised earlier this week ... to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance' for services used by the Pentagon. Earlier on Friday, Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who chairs the chamber's intelligence committee and also serves on its armed services committee, sent a letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth about Microsoft's reported practices. Cotton asked the US military for a list of contractors that use Chinese personnel and more information on how US 'digital escorts' are trained to detect suspicious activity. 'The US government recognises that China's cyber capabilities pose one of the most aggressive and dangerous threats to the United States, as evidenced by infiltration of our critical infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and supply chains,' Cotton wrote in the letter. The US military 'must guard against all potential threats within its supply chain, including those from subcontractors,' he wrote. In a video posted on X on Friday, Hegseth said he was initiating a two-week review to ensure China-based engineers were not working on any other cloud services contracts across the Defence Department. 'I'm announcing that China will no longer have any involvement whatsoever in our cloud services, effective immediately,' Hegseth said in the video. 'We will continue to monitor and counter all threats to our military infrastructure and online networks.' REUTERS
Mid East Info
2 days ago
- Science
- Mid East Info
Dubai launches world's first icon classification for Human–Machine Collaboration in research and publications
Classification system sets new standard for transparency in the age of AI-assisted knowledge creation Dubai-United Arab Emirates: Dubai has launched the world's first icon-based classification system to represent the level of human–machine collaboration in the process of producing research, publications, and public-facing content. Developed by the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), the Human–Machine Collaboration (HMC) Icons offer a new global standard for transparency, clearly indicating the extent to which humans and AI worked together throughout the creation process. The classification is free to use, copyrighted for consistency, and openly available for researchers, publishers, and content creators worldwide. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of DFF, said: 'Distinguishing between human and AI-generated content has become a major challenge. That is why we have launched a new framework to define the level of collaboration between humans and machines across all forms of content. 'We invite researchers, writers, publishers, designers, and content creators around the world to adopt this new global classification system,' His Highness added. Unlike existing tools that focus on outputs or authorship, the HMC Icons focus on the process behind the work, from ideation and data analysis to writing, translation, and design. The system applies to academic papers, reports, visual content, and educational materials. The classification system features five core icons representing the degree of human–machine collaboration (from All Human to All Machine), as well as nine functional icons indicating which specific parts of the process a machine has contributed to. They are: ideation, literature review, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, writing, translation, visuals, and design. By using these icons, institutions and individuals can demonstrate responsible AI use, reinforce human leadership in research production, and foster greater trust in an era increasingly shaped by machine learning tools. The system was developed in response to a question raised in the 2024 edition of Dubai Future Foundation's Global 50 report: 'What if we had a Turing Declaration for human intelligence?' The HMC Icons present Dubai's answer: a practical framework that sets a new benchmark for research integrity and content transparency.
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Politics
- Leader Live
No 10 defends Healey amid accusations he misled Commons over Afghan data leak
Number 10 said the Defence Secretary's statement to the Commons, in which he said that 'to the best of my knowledge' no serving armed forces personnel were put at risk by the breach, was 'accurate'. Opposition critics have demanded the minister 'correct the record' after it emerged days later that MI6 spies and members of the SAS were among those named in a list emailed out 'in error' in February 2022. Asked whether Mr Healey had misled MPs, a Number 10 spokesman said: 'I believe it was an accurate statement.' He said the Government is 'committed to transparency' and 'in terms of security of our personnel, we take take that extremely seriously, particularly those in sensitive positions.' On Thursday, it emerged that details of more than 100 Britons, including those working for MI6 and in special forces, were included in the spreadsheet sent outside authorised government systems by a defence official. Defence sources have said information relating to personnel was included in the dataset after they had endorsed Afghans who had applied to be brought to the country. An injunction over the breach was sought by then defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace, and a wider-ranging superinjunction, which prohibits disclosure not just of the information but of the order itself, was granted in 2023. The initial breach saw a dataset of 18,714 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme released. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) only becoming aware of the blunder when excerpts were posted anonymously on a Facebook group in August 2023. The leak also led to the creation of the secret Afghanistan Response Route, which is understood to have cost about £400 million so far, with a projected final cost of about £850 million. The gagging order was granted by the High Court in an attempt to prevent the Taliban finding out about the breach, and lifted on Tuesday. Speaking to the Commons following the revelations on Tuesday, Mr Healey said: 'To the best of my knowledge and belief, no serving member of our armed forces is put at risk by the data loss.' It is understood the names of a small number of personnel were included in the list, but no contact details or addresses. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: 'Three days ago John Healey claimed no-one serving in the armed forces was put at risk by the data breach. Today we found out that appears to be false. 'We need to know if any serving members of the armed forces were impacted – and the Defence Secretary must urgently come before Parliament to answer the question of whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public.' Lib Dem MP Ian Roome said: 'It is really important to restore public trust that he now clarifies his remarks. It is the least that our brave armed forces personnel along with the thousands of Afghans impacted deserve.' The Lib Dems said Mr Healey should 'urgently come to Parliament and correct the record.' Meanwhile, Tory ex-ministers have sought to distance themselves from the handling of the breach after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said members of the previous government had 'serious questions to answer' over the episode. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick said he and former home secretary Suella Braverman had 'strongly opposed' plans for the Afghan Response Route in 'internal meetings'. Ex-defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps said he had kept the superinjunction in place in order to 'save lives' and err 'on the side of extreme caution'. But speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday, the ex-MP for Welwyn Hatfield said: 'I would do the same thing all over again. I would walk over hot coals to save those lives.' Asked whether he supported calls from the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) for the publication of an intelligence assessment which formed the basis of the superinjunction, he said: 'Yes, I would.' He added he knew the committee 'won't like' the fact the incident had been kept secret but 'it was just so sensitive that if anything had got out at all, it would put those lives at risk'. Despite having kept the order in place during his tenure as defence secretary, which lasted just under a year, Sir Grant said he was 'surprised' it had remained for 'so long'. He added: 'I don't think it should have carried on as long as it had. I'm surprised that it has. Those questions are for others. 'But I came in, the problem was there, I dealt with it, and as a result I think that we saved lives.' Meanwhile, the chairman of the ISC said the previous government had ignored the usual process whereby the committee is able to see sensitive information to ensure there is scrutiny. Lord Beamish told BBC Radio Scotland: 'I think there are serious constitutional issues here.' A total of about 6,900 people are expected to be relocated by the end of the relocation scheme. The official responsible for the email error was moved to a new role but not sacked. The superinjunction was in place for almost two years, covering Labour and Conservative governments, before it was lifted on Tuesday. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has apologised on behalf of the Conservatives for the leak, telling LBC: 'On behalf of the government and on behalf of the British people, yes, because somebody made a terrible mistake and names were put out there … and we are sorry for that.' Former armed forces minister James Heappey, himself an ex-Army officer who served in Afghanistan, said ministerial colleagues offered no 'fierce opposition' to the relocation scheme. Mr Heappey also said claims he had backed a 'new entitlement' for people affected by the breach but not eligible for other schemes were 'untrue'. Ms Braverman has said there is 'much more that needs to be said about the conduct of the MoD, both ministers and officials'. Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer claimed he had 'receipts' regarding the previous government's actions in relation to Kabul, and has described the handling of the breach as 'farcical'. Sir Ben has said he makes 'no apology' for applying for the initial injunction because the decision was motivated by the need to protect people in Afghanistan whose safety was at risk. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'It's longstanding policy of successive governments to not comment on special forces. 'We take the security of our personnel very seriously and personnel, particularly those in sensitive positions, always have appropriate measures in place to protect their security.'
ITV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ITV News
Downing Street defends defence secretary after accusations he misled parliament
Downing Street has defended Defence Secretary John Healey after accusations he misled MPs when saying no serving armed forces personnel were put at risk by the Afghan data breach. Number 10 said the Defence Secretary's statement to the Commons, in which he said that 'to the best of my knowledge' no serving armed forces personnel were put at risk by the breach, was 'accurate.' Opposition critics have demanded the minister 'correct the record' after it emerged days later that MI6 spies and members of the SAS were among those named in a list emailed out 'in error' February 2022. Asked whether Mr Healey had misled MPs, a Number 10 spokesperson said: 'I believe it was an accurate statement.' They said the Government is 'committed to transparency' and 'in terms of security of our personnel, we take that extremely seriously, particularly those in sensitive positions'. "Today I'm announcing a change in government policy," said Defence Secretary John Healey as he disclosed the formerly secret resettlement scheme. The accusations follow the revelation that in 2022 thousands of people began being secretly relocated to the UK from Afghanistan after a data breach from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) risked their lives. A dataset containing the personal information of nearly 19,000 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) was released "in error" by a defence official. The scheme is understood to have cost around £400 million so far, with a projected cost once completed of around £850 million. Millions more are expected to be paid in legal costs and compensation. This information came to light after a superinjunction prohibiting its reporting was lifted by the high court on Tuesday. It emerged days later that the leaked information also included the names of around 100 British spies and special forces officers names. Speaking on Friday, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: 'Three days ago John Healey claimed no-one serving in the armed forces was put at risk by the data breach. Today we found out that appears to be false. 'We need to know if any serving members of the armed forces were impacted – and the Defence Secretary must urgently come before Parliament to answer the question of whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public.' Meanwhile, former Conservative ministers have sought to distance themselves from the handling of the breach after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said members of the previous government had 'serious questions to answer' over their handling of the leak. Speaking Friday morning, former Defence Secretary Sir Grant Shapps said he had kept the superinjunction in place in order to 'save lives' and err 'on the side of extreme caution." Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme about his handling of the issue he claimed he, "would do the same thing all over again," in order to save lives.
