Latest news with #IBCS
The Sun
08-05-2025
- The Sun
N. Sembilan KPDN disposes of items seized under Op Tiris
SEREMBAN: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) of Negeri Sembilan disposed of various seized items through Op Tiris, involving diesel worth RM291,562 at the Exhibit Storage Complex here today. Its director, Muhammad Zahir Mazlan, said the disposal of items that were confiscated last year, related to three investigation papers under the Control of Supplies Act 1961. The items included 45 translucent Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCS), five hose pump machines, a Skid Tank with a 15,000-litre capacity and two mobile phones. 'The Negeri Sembilan KPDN also disposed of seized diesel worth RM15,527. All investigation papers were resolved through compound actions against the individuals involved, amounting to a total of RM13,000,' he said in a statement today. He urged those with any information regarding the misappropriation of controlled and subsidised goods to contact the KPDN through its official channels, including WhatsApp at 019-848 8000 and the KPDN's Ez ADU mobile application.
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First Post
05-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
US sending Patriot air defence system based in Israel to Ukraine amid truce offer row with Russia
In the coming months, Ukraine is expected to get two more Patriot air defence systems at a time when Russia has stepped up aerial bombardment read more A general view of surface-to-air missile launchers of the Patriot (Wisla) system newly added into the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) at an army base in Sochaczew, Poland, December 18, 2024. (Photo: Reuters) As Russia has stepped up attacks, Ukraine is about to get two more Patriot air defence systems in the coming months. The United States is sending one Patriot air defence system currently deployed in Israel to Ukraine and Germany or Greece are arranging one system from amongst themselves, according to The New York Times. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been asking more air defence systems, particularly the US-made Patriots, for several months. US President Donald Trump had berated him last month for such requests, saying that he was 'always looking to purchase missiles'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukraine currently has eight Patriot systems and six of them are currently operational, as per The Times. Patriot is a surface-to-air (SAM) missile system that is used for defence against aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. It comprises radar, guiding system, and missiles. The radar can detect incoming threats as far as 150 kilometres away and launch guided missiles accordingly to neutralise them. Patriot transfer approved by Biden: Report A former White House official told The Times that the transfer of Patriot system from Israel to Ukraine was approved by former President Joe Biden. The Patriot system is currently being refurbished in Israel and would be transferred to Ukraine by the end of the summer, according to the newspaper. Even as Trump has been dismissive of Ukrainian requirements, the Department of Defense told the newspaper that 'it continues to provide equipment to Ukraine from previously authorised' packages. Of the eight Patriot systems with Ukraine at the moment, only six are functional and two are in the process of being refurbished, as per the newspaper. The news of the transfer comes at a time when Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks as Trump has increasingly supported Russia. While Trump had always been critical of the support for Ukraine and friendly with Russia, he has aligned the United States completely with Russia in his second term. He has entered into negotiations with Russia for a reset in bilateral relationships and has floated peace plans that contain some of the biggest Russian demands. However, Russia has still rejected all three ceasefire proposals and one comprehensive plan floated by Trump. Yet it is Ukraine that Trump has bashed repeatedly instead of Russia or its leader. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Northrop Grumman opens new state-of-the-art integration center in Madison
MADISON, Ala. (WHNT) — Northrop Grumman's new 175,000 square foot facility aims at supporting the Army's enhanced modernization plan for air and missile defense. The new Enhanced Production and Integration Center builds upon Northrop Grumman's ability to scale production and manufacture critical capabilities at speed, expanding the capacity for high-rate production programs. The new facility is stationed in Madison. Trump sued over 'Liberation Day' tariffs Harvard rejects Trump demands for funding Venezuelan man tackled in a New Hampshire courthouse, sent by ICE to Texas Hartselle man charged by authorities during ongoing fentanyl investigation Stephen Miller contradicts DOJ court docs on man mistakenly deported This specific facility will manage component integration for the Integrated Battle Command System. With this expansion, Northrop Grumman said production capacities will expand. EPIC spans more than 129,500 square feet of flexible production space and totals 175,500 square feet of covered production space. The facility also has 35,000 square feet of office space and is able to accommodate several hundred employees. 'Our investment in American manufacturing with this new facility enables us to continue supporting critical modernization efforts, such as producing capabilities like IBCS at scale and speed. With this investment, we're doubling our integration space and significantly enhancing our storage and classified testing capabilities, ensuring America leads the world in military strength,' Northrop Grumman vice president and general manager, command and control & weapons integration Kenn Todorov said. The new facility doubles the size of the previous center and aims to integrate technological and digital advancements. It also grows the company's fully digital approach to streamlining the design and build process. Northrop Grumman said the investment into this project was $20 million. 'The facility will ensure delivery of cutting-edge solutions and meet fielding quantities and objectives for both domestic and Foreign Military Sales production,' the company said. IBCS is a revolutionary command and control system that unifies current and future systems regardless of source, service or domain. Through its network-enabled, modular, open and scalable architecture, IBCS fuses sensor data for a single actionable picture of the full battlespace. This ready-now capability gives warfighters more time to make decisions on how best to defeat threats and is a foundational element for enabling joint and coalition, multi-domain operations. IBCS is in production, currently fielded in Poland, and planned for fielding in Combatant Commands in Europe and the Indo-Pacific to include Guam as part of the U.S. Army program of record for integrated air and missile defense modernization. Northrop Grumman You can read more about the new facility on Northrop Grumman's website here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LMT, NOC and GD: The U.S. Defense Titans Thriving in the Trump Era
Investors often look to defense stocks during unpredictable times, and 2025 is no exception. Just months into a new Trump administration, signs point to potentially historic defense spending, as reports suggest a budget near $1 trillion for the Pentagon. Discover outperforming stocks and invest smarter with Top Smart Score Stocks. Filter, analyze, and streamline your search for investment opportunities using Tipranks' Stock Screener. Heightened tensions with China, continuing unrest in Eastern Europe, and NATO allies ramping up their military outlays have all contributed to a favorable outlook for the industry. Most recently, a geopolitical spat with China could unleash a third active theater of war, following Gaza/Israel and Russia/Ukraine. In particular, Lockheed Martin (LMT), Northrop Grumman (NOC), and General Dynamics (GD) stand out as smart plays in such a defensively fertile market environment. Each comes from strong momentum and, most importantly, holds a multi-year backlog that can keep revenue flowing regardless of political shifts. Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defense contractor, reported a record $71 billion in sales last year, up 5%, and ended the year with an all-time high backlog of $176 billion. That backlog, more than twice the annual revenue, is rooted in the F-35 stealth fighter program. After all these years, the F-35 remains the crown jewel of Lockheed's Aeronautics segment, driving new jet deliveries and decades of maintenance and upgrade contracts. Today, global demand has spiked as more U.S. allies join the program, offsetting any near-term dips if U.S. budgets fluctuate. Thanks to ongoing geopolitical tensions, Lockheed also benefits from strong missile defense and satellite segments. Even if the Trump administration changes its defense priorities, Lockheed's long-term contracts offer a robust revenue cushion. On Wall Street, analysts are relatively bullish on LMT stock. The stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on six Buy and 11 Hold ratings over the past three months. LMT's average price target of $520.35 per share implies a ~16% upside potential over the next twelve months. Northrop Grumman has also been quietly securing high-tech wins. Like Lockheed, it ended last year with record sales, as revenues rose 4.4% to $41 billion, and the year-end backlog reached $91.5 billion. Much of that success stems from the B-21 Raider program. The remarkable stealth bomber is set to replace the B-2 and forms the bedrock of future U.S. strategic aviation. Northrop also recently secured key contracts in nuclear modernization, notably the new Sentinel ICBM, plus a $900 million award for Poland's IBCS system. Add its unique space and missile defense capabilities, and you have a defense colossus with a diversified portfolio anchored by cutting-edge programs the Pentagon deems essential. This translates to a wide margin of safety against any potential budget swings. Northrop's backlog is loaded with multi-decade projects that are essentially impossible to abandon, especially given their critical role for the U.S. government and the renewed focus on nuclear deterrence. There are 17 analysts offering price targets on NOC stock via TipRanks. The stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 11 Buy and six Hold ratings over the past three months. NOC's average price target of $553.54 per share implies a ~12% upside over the next twelve months. Last but not least, we have General Dynamics, which, in fact, has been one of the fastest-growing players among the aerospace and defense titans, benefiting from several tailwinds. Its $90.6 billion backlog spans everything from Gulfstream business jets to Virginia-class submarines. On the defense side, GD's Marine Systems division builds the Navy's advanced submarines, such as the Virginia and Columbia classes, which are cornerstones of U.S. undersea dominance for decades to come. Meanwhile, the Combat Systems segment churns out Abrams tanks and other land vehicles, which benefit from European allies upgrading their armor amid tensions in Eastern Europe. At the same time, its stable defense business is complemented by a rebounding aerospace unit (Gulfstream), creating both cash flow resilience and growth opportunities. General Dynamics is currently covered by 15 analysts, with the consensus leaning bullish. GD features a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on six Buy and nine Hold ratings over the past three months. GD's average price target of $292.46 per share implies a 13% upside potential over the next twelve months. Though defense budgets are typically bipartisan, a White House that emphasizes military build-ups surely doesn't hurt. President Trump's stated desire for a 'trillion-dollar' Pentagon budget implies more funding for nuclear modernization (favoring Northrop and GD), naval expansion (a plus for GD), and tactical aviation (helping Lockheed). Trump has also demanded that NATO members boost defense spending, which has been happening steadily (Poland's spending alone exceeds 4% of its GDP). This international demand further supports all three firms in aircraft sales and missile defense, space systems, and cybersecurity offerings. Still, there are wildcards. The administration's highly-advertized goal of avoiding 'endless wars' may shift funds away from certain munitions or overseas deployments. For instance, a swift resolution in Ukraine might dampen near-term demand for items like Lockheed's HIMARS or Javelins. But even if one program sees a hiccup, each company's backlog offers multiyear revenues across different platforms. Through that diversification and backlog depth, these titans can reduce vulnerability to abrupt policy changes. The defense upswing for Lockheed, Northrop, and General Dynamics isn't really tied to a presidency, even if it is the hawkishly protectionist Donald Trump. While the Trump administration may accelerate specific deals or budgets, these three defense titans have built a sturdy long-cycle program foundation that protects them from short-term volatility. Fighter jets, submarines, and bombers often require decades of funding, transcending immediate political swings. Add robust global orders, and these three defense titans seem poised to thrive for years. For investors seeking a blend of stability and potential growth in 2025 and beyond, few sectors offer as solid an outlook as U.S. defense. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Army looks to artificial intelligence to enhance future Golden Dome
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The U.S. Army is looking to increase autonomy through artificial intelligence solutions to reduce the manpower needed to manage Golden Dome, President Donald Trump's desired homeland missile defense architecture, the service's program executive officer for missiles and space said this week. As the Army contributes a large portion of the in-development air and missile defense architecture for Guam, it is looking to adapt those capabilities for a Golden Dome application, Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano told Defense News in an interview at Redstone Arsenal on Wednesday amid the Association of the U.S. Army's Global Force Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. Some of the Army's major contributions to the Guam Defense System include new modernized radars, an emerging Indirect Fire Protection Capability and its new Integrated Battle Command System, or IBCS. 'What we're trying to do is three things,' Lozano said. 'We're wanting to integrate more AI-enabled fire control so that will help us reduce the manpower footprint. We're wanting to create more remotely operated systems so that we don't have to have so many operators and maintainers associated with every single piece of equipment that's out there.' And, he said, 'We need to have more autonomously operated systems.' Currently, the Army typically has a launcher with a missile and a launcher crew consisting of at least two to three soldiers. 'In the Golden Dome application, we would likely either have containerized missiles — think box of rockets — or we might actually put rockets and missiles in the ground,' Lozano said. Those systems would require less frequent upkeep, as a smaller manpower footprint means status checks might only happen every couple of weeks, and test checks would be conducted remotely, he said. In order to work on such capability, the Army is planning to use what it learns from maturing the Guam Defense System, which will become operational in roughly 2027 with Army assets. The service will also pivot its Integrated Fires Test Campaign, or IFTC, from a focus on testing the Guam architecture incrementally to how to inject autonomy and AI into those systems for Golden Dome beyond 2026. The IFTC in 2026 is considered the Guam Defense System 'Super Bowl,' Lozano said. Then, beyond 2027, he said, 'If we're called upon to support Golden Dome initiatives, we need to have those advanced AI, remotely operated, autonomous-based formations and systems ready to go.' To begin, the Army will be focused on defining the functions that human operators perform at all the operator terminals within an IBCS-integrated fire control center or at a particular launching station, Lozano said. Once those functions are defined, Lozano said, the Army will have to define the data sources that drive action. 'We have to create the decision rubric that assesses and analyzes that data that then drives a human decision, and then we have to code AI algorithms to be able to process that information and make the right decision,' Lozano said. 'There will be trigger points where the software has to say, 'I'm not authorized to make that level of decision. It's got to go back to the human and deliver.'' For the first time, the Army's Program Executive Office Missiles and Space is interacting with many new market entrants in the AI realm to work on the effort. For example, Lozano said he met this week at the Global Force Symposium with the French defense firm Safran. Safran, known for its assured position, navigation and timing capabilities, is planning a significant U.S. expansion. The defense firm provides capability for various Army missile programs, including Patriot air and missile defense systems and IBCS, as well as Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System and Precision Strike Missile programs. Lozano told the company he is looking for ways to reduce humans having to perform actions, such as verifying that timing data is synchronized with satellite timing. The Army has also begun discussions with Anduril, which, in early January, acquired the U. S. defense company Numerica, which happens to write the Army's IBCS fire control software. The service has discussed with Anduril how it can start looking at integrating more AI fire control functionality into its major air and missile defense command-and-control system. Part of the plan is focused on engaging with some nontraditional industry, such as venture capitalists and newly established small companies tackling these challenges, according to Lozano. The Army will spend the next six to nine months defining what it wants to look for from industry and then will begin hosting industry days and issuing requests for information, he said.
