REUTERS Canada said it plans to ban the use of 5G gear made by China’s Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and ZTE Corp. to protect national security, joining the rest of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network. “We intend to exclude Huawei and ZTE from our 5G networks,” Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told reporters in Ottawa. “Providers who already have this equipment installed will be required to cease its use and remove it under the plans we’re announcing today (May 19, 2022).” Champagne added that companies will be required to remove their 5G gear by June 2024, and companies using their…
The Watch
THE WATCH STAFF The U.S. Army’s new 11th Airborne Division is strategically positioned to counter threats from potential foes Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) after its June 6, 2022, activation at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage, Alaska. “You have an operational headquarters that could … [fight] across the Indo-Pacific,” incoming division commander Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commander of U.S. Army Alaska, told the Army Times newspaper, adding that the unit’s capabilities and expertise enable it to fight across Arctic nations as well. The new division is under control of U.S. Army Pacific and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.…
THE WATCH STAFF Canadian defense spending is on an “upward trajectory” as the country tries to reach NATO goals in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and in the midst of a host of evolving security threats, the country’s defense minister told business leaders in May 2022. “We will continue enhancing our capabilities in terms of the resources and support for the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as in terms of our commitments to NATO and NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command),” Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand told the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on May 18, 2022, according to…
THE WATCH STAFF Struck by a single missile launched from a fighter jet, a container ship the length of three football fields took just 40 seconds to sink beneath the Gulf of Mexico. The plunging tip of its bow was the last to disappear, sending a geyser skyward. The experiment known as the Quicksink Joint Capability Technology Demonstration, conducted April 28, 2022, by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Eglin Air Force Base Integrated Test Team, had earned its name. The missile represents the modification of a modification: A special “seeking” device for added precision and acquisition is attached…
REUTERS Copenhagen’s pledge of Harpoon anti-ship missiles and a launcher to Ukraine, announced by the United States on May 23, 2022, is the first sign since the Russian invasion in February that Kyiv will receive U.S.-made weapons that significantly extend its striking range. Ukraine has been seeking more advanced weapons such as air defenses, anti-ship missiles and longer-range rockets, but the majority of aid has been in short-range systems such as Javelin anti-tank weapons and artillery. The Harpoons, made by Boeing Co., could be used to push the Russian navy away from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, allowing exports of grain…
REUTERS The Biden administration on May 20, 2022, once again placed Cuba on a short list of countries the United States alleges are “not cooperating fully” in its fight against terrorism, further inflaming tensions with its longtime rival. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the final assessment published in the U.S. Federal Register, named Cuba among five countries — along with Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Syria — that the U.S. says fall short of its expectations. The State Department is required by law to provide this list annually to the U.S. Congress. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez anticipated the…
THE WATCH STAFF The U.S. Air Force has let fly with a hypersonic arrow — the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW). The Air Force’s first successful flight test of the missile May 14, 2022, came after three unsuccessful ones. During the latest test off the coast of Southern California, the AGM-183A ARRW deployed from the wing of a B-52H Stratofortress, achieved booster ignition, then burned for an “expected duration” while reaching hypersonic speeds,according to a May 16, 2022, Air Force news release. Hypersonic weapons are highly maneuverable missiles that travel at least five times the speed of sound. The 419th…
THE WATCH STAFF A 28-member team from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) participated in Tradewinds 22 (TW22), a recent multinational exercise co-hosted by Belize and Mexico. TW22, held May 7-21, 2022, is a Caribbean-focused exercise conducted in ground, air, sea and cyber domains. The 23 participating nations ⸺ including Canada, Mexico and the United States ⸺ got the opportunity to conduct joint, combined and interagency training focused on increasing regional security cooperation. The members of the RBDF team, led by Director of Communications Branch Capt. Carlon Bethell, were divided between two training areas: cybersecurity and ground operations (jungle warfare,…
THE WATCH STAFF The Canadian Army recently hosted Soldiers from the United Kingdom and United States as part of Maple Resolve (MR22), an annual exercise that simulates contemporary warfare. The exercise, which provides force-on-force training for Canadian Army leaders and Soldiers, was held May 10-22, 2022, at 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Detachment Wainwright (Detachment Wainwright) in Alberta. “Our Canadian Armed Forces are always ready to serve in both domestic and international missions,” Minister of National Defence Anita Anand said in a May 22 news release. “Exercise Maple Resolve 22 is a great example of the commitment of our members to operational readiness and…
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Serbia in late April 2022 publicly displayed a recently delivered Chinese anti-aircraft missile system, raising concerns in the West and among some of Serbia’s neighbors that an arms buildup in the Balkans could threaten fragile peace in the region. The sophisticated HQ-22 surface-to-air system, pictured, was delivered by a dozen Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes in what was thought to be the largest-ever airlift delivery of Chinese arms to Europe. Although Serbia officially seeks membership in the European Union, it has been arming itself mostly with Russian and Chinese weapons, including T-72 battle tanks, MiG-29 fighter…