Nick Lee-Frampton
Nick Lee-Frampton is the New Zealand correspondent for Defense News.
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New Zealand, Australia sign pact to deepen naval cooperation
The New Zealand and Australian navies signed “Plan Tasman” this month, formalizing a blueprint for integrating the two neighboring sea services.
US military needs ‘urgent revolutionary institutional change’ to prepare for modern war, Petraeus says
Ret. Army Gen. David Petraeus praised the Pentagon’s new Autonomous Warfare Command but said the U.S. must rapidly prepare for modern autonomous war.
‘The West can’t stop me’: Space wars heat up as Russia tails a Ukraine-linked US satellite
Washington blamed Moscow for deliberately moving a Russian military satellite with an undisclosed mission close last week to a U.S.-registered satellite.
France, UK carry out joint airborne nuclear-strike exercise for first time
“This is a revolution for the Strategic Air Forces, which have always operated in complete autonomy since their creation in the 1960s,” said one analyst.
US Air Force wants AI to assist aerial refueling
The goal is for AI to automatically analyze refueling operations from cameras mounted on the tankers and provide “hot wash” feedback to the tanker crews.
Leonardo, Rheinmetall secure $4 billion contracts with Italian Army, report says
The defense companies secured two contracts with the Italian Army for $4.16 billion for armored vehicles, an Italian financial newspaper reported.
Saudi missile plant expansion may produce more powerful missiles, study says
More capable missiles could help Saudi Arabia deter Iranian attacks and make its military more self-reliant, but they risk fueling a regional missile race.
China’s first aircraft carrier forms ‘evolving pattern’ of voyages in disputed Asian seas
The carrier group’s passages not far from Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines have raised alerts.
New Zealand defense chief resigns over ‘inappropriate relationship’
“These matters revolved around an inappropriate relationship I had when in a position of unit command, and I regret not disclosing this."
US Army seeks manufacturers for 155mm howitzer barrels amid boost in demand
The move comes amid Pentagon concerns that the U.S. government’s only plant for manufacturing howitzer barrels can’t keep up with the recent demand.
