NEWS BRIEFS: INTERNATIONAL
23 May 2023
(Breaking Defense)
Australia’s national auditor has delivered a highly critical report on the selection of the country’s newest warship, the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. It says “management of this procurement and related advisory processes […] lacked a value for money focus” and transparency in choosing the BAE Systems design over two competitors.
23 May 2023
(BBC)
Two months after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes, the Kremlin has issued a warrant for the arrest of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan. The ICC has dismissed it as an attempt to undermine its “lawful mandate to ensure accountability” for Russian activities in Ukraine.
19 May 2023
(NY Times)
Having resisted for months the notion of supplying F-16 fighters to Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden today told allies that he would permit training on U.S. aircraft. He also said he is prepared to let other countries donate their Fighting Falcons to Ukraine.
19 May 2023
(CP)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the other G7 leaders kicked off their summit in Japan today by announcing new sanctions against 17 Russian individuals and 18 “entities” due to human rights abuses in Ukraine. They also announced new funding they said will help to guard against nuclear weapon proliferation.
18 May 2023
(Defence News)
New Zealand’s 2023-2024 defence budget of some NZ$5.3 billion, up some eight per cent from the previous year, is dominated by $1.1 billion for the army, compared with $1 billion for the air force and $714 million for the navy. The balance of the budget tabled today covers a range of multi-command programs such as territorial defence and international deployments.
18 May 2023
(Globe & Mail)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Japan today for the opening of a G7 summit in Hiroshima. Japanese PM Fumio Kishida chose his hometown for the meeting to highlight the risk of a nuclear confrontation as Russia ramps up its rhetoric about Ukraine and its allies.
18 May 2023
(Stars & Stripes)
Nikolaos Bogonikolos, a 59-year-old Greek whose company did contract work for NATO, is suspected of helping Russia to obtain military technologies related to quantum computing and nuclear testing. He has been arrested in Paris and the U.S. is seeking his extradition to stand trial for wire fraud and smuggling.
18 May 2023
(AFP/AP)
As Russia continued its missile barrage on Kyiv today, German Defence Minister German Boris Pistorius said his country will not provide Ukraine with the F-16 fighters it sees as critical to its defence. There are concerns that it could escalate the conflict.
17 May 2023
(AP)
The Japanese and Chinese defense ministers inaugurated a long-awaited hotline May 16 at a time when Japan and other neighbouring states worry about Beijing’s increasingly assertive military presence in the region.
17 May 2023
(AP)
Ukrainian air defences downed 18 Russian missiles aimed at Kyiv early May 16, including six air-launched Kinzhal hypersonics, touted by Vladimir Putin as a key strategic advantage. Three residents of the capital were reported to have been wounded.
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