Latest news with #FrenchArmy
The National
20 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Quest for a digital cutting edge for modern warfare
Digital targeting and frontline munitions factories are part of a wave of the battlefield future as upstart tech innovators start to win major defence contracts. A new target of a tenfold increase in firepower has been set for the UK military, largely driven by data-driven digital systems that promise to improve the speed and accuracy of weapons in combat. Trying to predict what AI, drones, quantum or any emerging tech will look like in three years, let alone five to 10, is impossible David Sully, founder 'We will invest in technology to give our troops the edge in the battlefields of the future; transforming our armed forces and boosting our war-fighting readiness," said John Healey, the Defence Secretary. 'This will increase our lethality, provide a powerful deterrent to our adversaries, and put the UK at the leading edge of innovation in Nato." The incentive in Britain has increased substantially following the government's strategic defence review (SDR) that called for innovation and much closer collaboration with small but advanced companies that bring in cutting-edge technology. This already appears to be happening in France where a 3D drone factory packed into a shipping container that can be hauled to the front line and can manufacture 10 drones an hour has been commissioned by the French army. But, analysts have said, there are still significant barriers for companies that are not defence giants to work more closely with the UK Ministry of Defence, with red tape proving a major obstacle. Creative independence Many start-ups operate in Britain and tap into its world-leading university system, alongside generous grants, 'setting the UK apart from other countries' in "early stage creativity", a leading innovation firm executive told The National. Chris Daniels, chief commercial officer for Flare Bright, also warned that in a fragmenting world every nation needs to have independence to deliver 'whatever other countries may do to prevent this'. This also means that, 'when at war it will be critical' to have an independent supply chain to ensure the supply of vital components. Flare Bright, which specialises in AI and drone navigation, is like many other small companies that rapidly adapt 'which is critical in the cat-and-mouse game of technological innovation and counter-measures we see in defence'. He added that UK defence should consider not just buying a product but a company's ability to 'adapt and rapidly produce innovative technology'. Frontline factories That innovative approach is already being pursued by the French, despite their reputation for burdensome bureaucracy, with Paris understanding the need to change and adapt in a more dangerous world. Which is why the proposal from Per Se Systems for a mobile micro-factory that can make drones on the front line is being trialled by 12 French regiments. Using a shipping container filled with 3D printers, it can produce ten FPV (first person view) drones per hour allowing a relentless supply of weapons without relying on a long logistics chain. The small factory operates in total autonomy, powered by a generator that gives it 19 hours of supply and solar panels for lighting, all of which can be towed by a light lorry. 'This approach addresses a growing need in modern conflicts: fast, autonomous and decentralised production of tactical drones, particularly FPV models considered single-use or expendable on the battlefield,' said the military outlet, Army Recognition. Bureaucracy wars But questions are being asked about whether Britain can really match the intent shown in its well-received SDR. David Sully, founder of the defence AI start-up Advai, posed what he called a 'controversial thought' that the review was limited when it came to emerging technology. 'Trying to predict what AI, drones, quantum or any emerging tech will look like in three years, let alone five to 10 is impossible. Two and a half years ago GenAI had only just arrived and drone warfare looked nothing like it does today,' he wrote on LinkedIn. The review's success hinged on the MOD's ability to 'adapt and adopt at pace and scale as technology evolves', and it had to be built into their requirements that there will be 'advances we can't predict right now'. His call for procurement projects to be run over weeks rather than quarters was going to require a radical change in government thinking, said military analyst Francis Tusa. He gave the example of a British firm that had rapidly made thousands of drones for Ukraine as part of an urgent operational requirement that included testing them on MOD sites, only to face major bureaucracy when asked to provide them for the UK military. 'Suddenly they received a 400-page request for a quotation document and an 800-page request for information,' he said. 'It was both ridiculous and massively time-consuming.' Capital inadequacy There was also a problem over 'capital adequacy' in which a small British company involved in AI had the product the MOD wanted but as they only had a turnover of £5 million it was felt they could not be trusted with a £100 million contract. 'This comes back to the trust on both sides as the MOD capital adequacy rules are not suited to dealing with a faster-paced technology environment,' Mr Tusa said. With warfare quickly evolving it was necessary for there to be three partners in procurement with the MOD, major companies like BAE Systems and the 'novel industry' of start-ups. 'If all three sides are working on an open playbook none of this ought to be a deal breaker,' he added. Ultimately, wrote Mr Sully, it required the same risk-taking that the armed forces took in 'split-second, life-and-death operational decisions' to be matched with the procurement process.
Libya Review
3 days ago
- General
- Libya Review
Saddam Haftar Attends French-Led Mediterranean Military Summit
Ground Forces Chief of Staff of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Lieutenant General Saddam Haftar, made an official visit to France following an invitation from his French counterpart, General Pierre Schill, Chief of Staff of the French Army. The visit marked Libya's participation in high-level security talks involving fifteen Mediterranean countries. During his visit on Tuesday, Haftar took part in an expanded military seminar focused on regional defence cooperation. The event, held both on land and aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, addressed shared military and security challenges facing nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The discussions explored mechanisms for boosting regional cooperation against common threats. Key topics included cyber threat prevention, maritime security, and the development of sustainable military partnerships to enhance regional stability. The inclusion of Libya in such a forum highlights growing efforts to re-integrate the country into broader regional defence frameworks, despite ongoing internal divisions. The seminar served as a platform to foster joint military understanding among participating countries, including European and North African states. In his remarks, Lieutenant General Saddam Haftar stressed the importance of consolidating military partnerships. He underlined that enhanced defence cooperation would contribute to securing the Mediterranean and fostering long-term peace in the region. Haftar also praised the conference for promoting strategic dialogue and knowledge exchange among armed forces. The visit reflects France's ongoing role in encouraging dialogue among Mediterranean militaries, with a particular focus on addressing hybrid and non-traditional threats, such as cyberattacks and irregular migration. Tags: francelibyaLibyan armyLNASaddam Haftar
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
France Wants to Roll Out Robot Army by 2040
Though armed conflict is becoming increasingly rare as the decades go by, global military spending is rising sharply with each passing year, reaching unprecedented numbers in the history of warfare. Much of that spending is fueled by the rise of the military tech industry. Between 2021 and 2023, venture capital firms pumped $100 billion into military tech startups in the US alone, hoping to snag lucrative contracts for everything from high-powered counter-UAV systems to deadly drone swarms. With so many startups and defense conglomerates pitching all kinds of buzzy hardware, it's getting pretty difficult to predict what the future of warfare is going to look like. That isn't stopping countries like France from taking a guess, however. General Bruno Baratz, commander of future combat programs for the French Army, recently announced the country's intent to deploy robot warriors to the front lines as soon as 2028. "We hope to have something fairly evolved within three years, with the first ground robot capabilities ready to equip our forces," Baratz said at a military robotics exercise near Paris. Baratz added that the French government anticipates "deploying evolved systems with practical utility to our combat elements well ahead of 2040," referencing a target date for robot deployment set back in 2021. That decision was part of a call by French military leaders to prepare for "high-intensity warfare" by upgrading equipment, increasing army reserves, outsourcing to private contractors, and investing in high-tech drone and robotics programs. At the military robotics trials, Barrons reports that unmanned units sporting legs, treads, and wheels navigated obstacles and dodged traps meant to emulate battlefield conditions. The French army anticipates deploying the robo-units for a range of tasks, from surveillance to remote repair work to mine clearing. "Now we need to prove [the robots] can be more effective when they come into contact with an adversary," said French general Tony Maffeis, head of the army's technical branch. "The robot must facilitate combat, not hold it back." Though France points to the Russian-Ukraine war as a reason to embrace high-tech hardware, president Emmanuel Macron recently affirmed that France would not be sending troops to the conflict — raising the important question of what, exactly, its robot army will be used for. The European superpower is currently withdrawing troops from deployments in formerly colonized African countries like Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso, which some critics warn is a smokescreen for France to return to the kinds of covert schemes its military has come to be known for across the continent. France has previously employed tactics like economic warfare in Guinea, drone espionage in the Central African Republic, and high-tech arms transfers to the oil-rich nation of Guyana, to name a few. It's anyone's guess how France will deploy its cutting-edge military tech going forward, but it's hard to imagine it'll be sitting in a warehouse gathering dust. More on military robots: Senior Pentagon Official: New Plan Is to Invest in "Autonomous Killer Robots"
Irish Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Guess the outcome of eight UFC 315 fights for a chance to win up to €1000
The eagerly-awaited UFC 315 kicks off in Montreal this weekend, with fight fans being treated to two top title bouts as part of the action. The main event sees titan Belal Muhammad defend his welterweight belt for the first time since taking it from Leon Edwards in July, while the other co-main event features Valentina Shevchenko defending her UFC women's flyweight belt against French star Manon Fiorot. Twelve fights are taking place in total at the 20,000-seat Bell Centre, with the preliminary action beginning at 11:30pm on Saturday night. Now, NetBet is offering fans the chance to get in on the action, with a cash prize of up to €1000 up for grabs with its free-to-play UFC predictor game*. Players who correctly guess the outcome of eight selected fights from this blockbuster event will be in with a chance of winning the highest cash prize. There are also prizes available to those who correctly predict five, six, or seven correct outcomes from the selected fights: To play, you'll need to sign up or log in to your NetBet account and open the UFC predictor to make your fight predictions. To give you a helping hand, NetBet has looked at some of the selected fights from this weekend's clashes. The showpiece event of UFC 315 sees current champion Belal Muhammad go head-to-head with Australian challenger Jack Della Maddalena. US star Muhammad hasn't been beaten since 2019 and took the title from Leon Edwards 10 months ago. Della Maddalena, eight years younger than his opponent and hoping to become the first-ever Australian to win the welterweight UFC belt, is unbeaten in seven fights since joining the UFC, making this a mouthwatering clash between two in-form fighters. Belal Muhammad 11/20 Jack Della Maddelena 7/5. The second title fight of the evening brings 37-year-old UFC legend Shevchenko into the Octagon to face French star Manon Fiorot, competing for her first-ever UFC title. Fiorot is on a fantastic run of form, having triumphed in her previous 12 professional fights, stretching all the way back to 2018. She has also won all seven of her UFC contests. Shevchenko, meanwhile, is looking to defend the title she won in a gruelling three-fight showdown with Alexa Grasso. Valentina Shevchenko 11/10 Manon Fiorot 7/10. French Army veteran Saint-Denis was originally scheduled to take on Joel Alvarez, before the Spaniard pulled out through injury. He'll now take on Canadian Kyle Prepolec in this main card opener. Saint-Denis, 29, has lost his last two fights but will be looking to reverse that run of form against his 35-year-old opponent. Prepolec, on the other hand, has three straight first-round stoppage wins in his last five fights, and zero losses. He'll be looking to keep that excellent run going, especially on home soil. Benoit Saint-Denis 2/25 Kyle Prepolec 7/1. Brazilian Andrade boasts the record of having the most UFC appearances for a female fighter. But she'll need all her experience when she faces Canadian Jasudavicius in this flyweight clash. The 33-year-old has lost her last two UFC fights, while Jasudavicius is on a winning run of four consecutive matches. That includes a unanimous decision victory over Brazilian Mayra Bueno Silva in February. Jessica Andrade 12/5 Jasmine Jasudavicius 8/25. As well as NetBet UFC offering great odds on all the UFC action and top sports events, NetBet Casino also has welcome offers and promotions, including up to 500 free spins for new customers (50 instantly when you make your first deposit and potentially another 450 after). Sport promotions include Wheel of Sportune, daily prizes, and Correct Score Predictor, with a jackpot of up to €5,000. 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Straits Times
07-05-2025
- Straits Times
French army hopes for combat-ready robots by 2040
A French Army soldier wearing a "Ronin" testing helmet trains with an HK416 assault rifle, during the CoHoMa challenge in Beynes, west of Paris, on May 7. PHOTO: AFP BEYNES, France - France's armed forces are on schedule to develop battle-ready robots by 2040, according to participants in a test bringing together the military with engineers, researchers and defence contractors. 'We hope to have something fairly evolved within three years, with the first ground robot capabilities ready to equip our forces,' said the army's commander of future combat, General Bruno Baratz. At the recent competition event over several weeks – the third such exercise since the armed forces set the 2040 target four years ago – robots fitted with legs, wheels, and treads navigated obstacles and evaded traps at a base west of Paris to test their ability to hold ground against enemy forces. From surveillance to mine clearing, robots are 'already very useful for protecting our units', said General Tony Maffeis, the head of the army's technical branch, during the Collaboration-Man-Machine (CoHoMa) challenge. 'Now we need to prove they can be more effective when they come into contact with an adversary,' he said. 'The robot must facilitate combat, not hold it back,' Gen Maffeis added, underscoring the challenges that still stand in the way of deploying robots into the field - especially when it comes to navigating rough terrain. A competition like this 'allows us to get out of the lab and tackle a realistic mission,' said Mr Baptiste Lepelletier, one of the participants. Robotics 'booming' in Ukraine The French army has explored the use of ground robots since 2021, but the war in Ukraine, where drones – cheaper and more abundant – are reshaping warfare, has enormously accelerated their evolution. 'Ground robotics is booming in Ukraine, but it's still complex and less developed, so it's important to explore what practical uses they could have,' said army chief of staff Pierre Schill. A CoHoMa participant giving a demonstration of an experimental combat robot. PHOTO: AFP One problem is that they cannot operate effectively without aerial drones to guide them. French defence firm Thales brought one robot that features a launch pad for a drone that scouts for obstacles and maps a route. The military said it has already incorporated some developments from two previous CoHoMa challenges but sees even bigger changes in the next few years. But before they are used in combat, the first applications will be in logistics, with drone convoys or robotic mules carrying gear. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
