DefenceTalkPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte has walked back on a decision to end a key military deal with the United States, his defence secretary said Friday during a visit by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. Duterte told the United States in February last year he planned to axe the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after Washington cancelled the […]

DefenceTalkAt least 10 rockets slammed into a military base in western Iraq hosting US-led coalition troops on Wednesday, security sources said, leaving one civilian contractor dead. The attack on the sprawling Ain al-Assad base in Iraq’s western desert comes after several weeks of escalating US-Iran tensions on Iraqi soil. It also comes just two days […]

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkOne aspect of the return of great power competition is the race to develop artificial intelligence, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said at the virtual Joint Artificial Intelligence Center symposium. Artificial intelligence has the potential to change the battlefield, and the country that’s first to field it will have enormous advantages over competitors, he […]https://www.defencetalk.com/esper-says-artificial-intelligence-will-change-the-battlefield-76325/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkChina accused the US of becoming “the biggest driver of militarization” in the contested South China Sea, as tensions between Washington and Beijing look set to swamp a regional Asian summit. US-China rivalry is expected to dominate discussion at this year’s ASEAN conference, which comes just days after Beijing launched ballistic missiles in the flashpoint […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-says-us-biggest-threat-to-peace-in-south-china-sea-76310/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe US Department of Defense said Friday it is sticking with its decision to award a $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft, despite Amazon’s claims that President Donald Trump improperly influenced the process. After a second look at proposals for the “JEDI” cloud computing contract, the Pentagon concluded anew that Microsoft is the preferred […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-military-sticks-with-microsoft-for-10-bn-cloud-contract-76272/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe tiny Pacific nation of Palau has urged the United States military to build bases on its territory — which lies in a region where Washington is pushing back against growing Chinese influence. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper visited the island nation last week and accused Beijing of “ongoing destabilising activities” in the Pacific. Palau […]https://www.defencetalk.com/palau-invites-us-military-to-build-bases-as-china-seeks-regional-clout-76253/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has invested in the development of technologies that allow the human brain to communicate directly with machines, including the development of implantable neural interfaces able to transfer data between the human brain and the digital world. This technology, known as brain-computer interface (BCI), may eventually be used to monitor […]https://www.defencetalk.com/brain-computer-interfaces-show-promise-for-military-use-76228/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkWashington is getting ready to unveil its plans for repositioning of US forces in Europe in the coming days, including a reduction in troop levels in Germany, sources in both countries say. US President Donald Trump approved plans in late June to withdraw 9,500 American troops from Germany, and was to present them first to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-to-unveil-plans-soon-for-repositioning-forces-in-europe-76074/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe Pentagon has published a list of 20 Chinese companies it says are backed by the military, in the latest instance of a running tit-for-tat economic battle between Washington and Beijing. Telecom giant Huawei — which has been dogged by allegations of stealing American trade secrets and aiding China’s espionage efforts — and video surveillance […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-lists-firms-it-says-are-backed-by-chinese-military-75769/

DefenceTalkUS military exercises in Europe that were suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic will go ahead next month but in a scaled-back format, the Army said Wednesday. US-Polish exercise Allied Spirit, originally planned for May, will see the mobilization of 6,000 soldiers from the two countries from June 5-19 at the Drawsko Pomorskie base in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-resumes-europe-exercises-after-pandemic-pause-75532/