Latest news with #militarymodernization
Arab News
6 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Indonesia weighing buying Chinese J-10 fighter jets
JAKARTA: Indonesia is weighing buying China's J-10 fighter jets, given their relatively cheaper price and advanced capability, as it also considers finalizing a purchase of US-made F-15EX jets, a senior official said on Wednesday. Southeast Asia's most populous country has in recent years embarked on efforts to modernize its aging military hardware. In 2022 it bought 42 French Rafale jets worth $8.1 billion, six of which will be delivered next year. 'We have had talks with China and they offered us a lot, not just J-10, but also ships, arms, frigates,' said Deputy Defense Minister and retired Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto. 'We're evaluating J-10,' Taufanto said, adding that Jakarta was reviewing system compatibility and after-sales support as well as pricing. A potential purchase has been considered for over a year, before the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, but Taufanto said Indonesia would factor in reports that a Pakistani J-10 plane shot down multiple Indian jets last month. Jakarta also continues to consider whether to proceed with the next step for its purchase of F-15EX fighters, he said, following the defense ministry's deal with planemaker Boeing for the sale in 2023. Taufanto said the US jets' capabilities were well recorded, but suggested the offered price of $8 billion for 24 planes remained in question. French President Emmanuel Macron said after meeting Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta last week that they had signed a preliminary defense pact that could lead to new orders of French hardware including Rafale jets. 'We're considering (France's) offer. We're considering our own budget, we're evaluating, especially given we have other options like J-10, F-15,' Taufanto said.
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Thailand to Buy 12 Swedish Gripen Fighters in Modernization Push
The Royal Thai Air Force plans to acquire 12 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets as part of a broader plan to modernize its military. The air force announced Wednesday it has chosen the Gripen E/F jets from maker Saab AB to replace its aging fleet of US-made F-16s, with the acquisition to occur over three phases in a 10-year period.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
India File: Turning military might into big business
(This was originally published in the India File newsletter, which is issued every Tuesday. Sign up here to get the latest news from India and how it matters to the world.) The deadly India-Pakistan conflict last month showcased the military might of the South Asian foes, putting on display their modern fighter jets, missiles and drones. For India, military modernisation is about more than just holding its own against neighbouring rivals, as it seeks military self-reliance and, eventually, a place among the world's big arms exporters. That's the focus of our analysis this week. And India's central bank meeting this week is expected to cut rates for a third time in a row despite strong growth in the January-March quarter. Scroll down to our "Market Matters" section for more on that. ** China's factory activity cools in May as US tariffs hit ** South Koreans vote for president in hope of restoring stability after martial law crisis ** Europe bristles at US proposals at Asian gathering ** TSMC says tariffs have some impact but AI demand robust ** Work on $1 bln Trump Tower in Vietnam could start next year India's defence production and purchases were already on a fast growth track before last month's armed conflict with Pakistan, as the government sought to modernise the military, ease equipment shortages and boost domestic manufacturing. Now that campaign has gone full throttle. Within days after the fighting, India approved $4.6 billion in emergency procurement funds to acquire more military equipment. It also moved ahead with plans for a stealth fighter jet and the procurement of up to $470 million worth of drones. Just weeks earlier it approved the purchase of 26 Rafale naval fighter jets worth $7 billion. The objectives are twofold: to expand India's military industrial base - and the manufacturing jobs and exports that go with it - and to ease its dependence on foreign arms suppliers, which could be a vulnerability in times of conflict. India already has the world's fourth-largest military and is the fifth-biggest spender on defence, as it steadily builds up defences against neighbours China and Pakistan while diversifying its forces beyond predominantly Soviet-era fighter jets and military equipment. It has also been the number-one importer of arms globally throughout the last decade, taking in an estimated 10% share. Recent purchases have included modern fighter jets from France, transport helicopters and planes from the U.S., an advanced air defence system and aircraft carrier from Russia, as well as missile systems, radar equipment and drones from Israel. Washington wants a further increase in military sales to New Delhi with President Donald Trump even offering F-35 stealth fighter jets, as defence cooperation takes a central role in deepening India-U.S. ties. In recent years, however, India has stressed manufacturing more defence equipment and platforms at home, with global firms pushed to produce in India - either on their own or in collaboration with domestic partners - while increasing their exports of India-made equipment. India had already been making plenty of its own weaponry, from fighter jets and helicopters to warships, submarines and missiles. Private-sector entrants, often working with foreign partners, have also brought fresh energy to a sector long dominated by less-nimble state firms that often delivered behind schedule. India's military exports - including missiles, missile-related systems, munitions, small aircraft, patrol vessels and electronics - jumped 12% in the fiscal year to March to $2.76 billion. Five years back, they totalled just $1.07 billion. But foreign competition is stiff, both from high-tech producers such as France, Israel and Russia, and from low-cost rivals such as China and Turkey. A May report by Jefferies said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's praise for how Indian equipment performed against Pakistan "points to further domestic manufacturing focus". The outlook for Indian defence firms, it added, looks bright with the rise in global military spending, up 9.4% in 2024 and the highest since the end of the Cold War. Europe could be a particularly good source of business as it considers sharply increasing defence spending while tensions mount with Washington. But there are challenges ahead. A KPMG report published last week listed budgetary constraints, red tape, dependence on imports and a shortage of skilled workers among the obstacles to growth in the arms sector. "Addressing these challenges requires strategic planning, increased budget allocations, streamlined procedures, robust policy frameworks, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration between the public and private sectors," the report said. Can India reduce its dependence on imports and become a major global defence supplier? Write to me at opens new tab Global makers of surveillance gear have clashed with Indian regulators over new security rules that require manufacturers of CCTV cameras to submit hardware, software and source code for assessment in government labs. The security-testing policy has sparked industry warnings of supply disruptions and added to a string of disputes between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration and foreign companies over regulatory issues and what some perceive as protectionism. Don't miss this report. Markets will be closely watching a meeting of the Reserve Bank of India's rate-setting panel on Friday after economic growth surpassed estimates in the January-March quarter. GDP growth hit 7.4% versus a year earlier but the central bank is still expected to cut rates for a third consecutive meeting, given subdued inflation that is expected to hold near the RBI's 4.0% target. Read here to catch up on growth in the January-March 2025 quarter and here for a Reuters poll on the expected outcome of the monetary policy review.
Wall Street Journal
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Taiwan's Military Plans New Drone Units in Preparation for Potential China Invasion
TAIPEI—Taiwan will commission its first-ever army drone units this year and introduce sea drones to its naval forces, part of its efforts to modernize its arsenal with cutting-edge technology to prepare for a potential Chinese invasion, Defense Minister Wellington Koo said in an interview. The steps fit into a shift from a focus on traditional forces to building up its capabilities intended to make China think twice before attacking. Taiwan's marines have already transformed some tank and artillery battalions into drone squads, according to Koo.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The estimated cost for US nuclear weapons nears $1 trillion in new report
May 11—Rising prices aren't just coming for eggs and avocados. The estimated price tag for the country's nuclear forces is 25% more than it was in 2023, according to a new Congressional Budget Office report. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates nuclear forces will cost $946 billion from 2025 through 2034, about $95 billion every year. In 2023, the 10-year estimate was $756 billion for 2023-2032. Some of those increases are coming from the cost for modernizing production facilities for nuclear weapons and delivery systems. Projected costs for command, control, communications and early-warning systems have also seen a substantial increase. The co-founder of an anti-nuclear nonprofit called the increase staggering. A higher bar for laboratory safety standards contributes to the high price for producing new nuclear warheads, according to a professor on nuclear engineering. Many of the country's nuclear forces, including submarines that launch ballistic missiles, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, long-range bomber aircraft and shorter-range tactical aircraft carrying bombs and nuclear warheads, will need to be refurbished or replaced over the next 20 years, according to the report. "Over the coming years, lawmakers will need to decide what nuclear forces the United States should field in the future and therefore the extent to which the nation will continue to modernize, and perhaps expand, those forces," the report states. Some of the cost increase, at least $65 billion, does not reflect actual rising costs. Instead, it's simply because the new estimate focuses on a slightly later time period when nuclear arsenal modernization will be further along. Later development and production phases tend to be more expensive, according to the report. Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, overseen by the National Nuclear Security Administration, is one of two sites that will produce new plutonium pits to replace old warheads. Last year, the lab made its first new production unit plutonium pit. Spherical plutonium pits cause nuclear fission when compressed and are at the core of every nuclear explosive. The majority of the projected cost increases are associated with Department of Defense programs. But the "laboratories, plants, and sites across the nation are an integral part of our nuclear security program," an NNSA spokesperson said in a statement. President Donald Trump and Energy Secretary Chris Wright are committed to "modernizing our nuclear deterrent," the spokesperson said. "NNSA is currently executing seven different warhead modernization programs which require the national security laboratories' expertise in weapons programs, design and engineering, and production," the spokesperson said. The first-ever plutonium pits were made during the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, but many subsequent pits were produced in Colorado until the 1980s. The way pits are manufactured now has changed significantly from how it was done decades ago, said Carl Willis, a professor in the University of New Mexico's Department of Nuclear Engineering. What is considered acceptable in terms of safety for human health and the environment has changed since the country previously made plutonium pits, contributing to a higher production cost, Willis said. "We're building these new facilities from scratch, and the understanding of industrial hygiene, and particularly the hygiene of handling plutonium, has changed, and our ability to detect plutonium in the environment has gotten a lot better," Willis said. Greg Mello, with the anti-nuclear nonprofit Los Alamos Study Group, called for Congress to kill the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program based on the CBO report. The Sentinel program is replacing Minuteman III missiles with Sentinel missiles, as well as upgrading missile silos and launch control centers. Los Alamos is building plutonium pits to be used in Sentinel missiles. The CBO report does not include all the cost growth that the Sentinel program is likely to experience, because the Department of Defense is restructuring the program after its cost increases triggered a review. "As CBO notes, there will be increased competition for defense dollars as nuclear weapons programs grow. The huge expenses tallied in this report were not anticipated at the outset of the nuclear modernization program," Mello said in a statement. "Since 2015, and with every report, estimated nuclear weapons costs have increased beyond prior predictions, from $348 billion in 2015 to $946 billion today. The opportunity costs are staggering." The cost for nuclear weapons could be even higher in the next CBO estimate, Willis said, because the latest report does not consider Trump administration priorities.
