Security

Commercial satellite imagery suggests that North Korea is trying to hide development of an updated missile-capable submarine. The images appear to show the vessel being readied at a naval yard. [node:read-more:link]

The U.S. Air Force is seeking bids on a proposal to spend up to $95 million on cloud services from several companies as part of a Unified Platform. The technology could enable cyberwarfare teams to share information for planning and prosecuting missions. [node:read-more:link]

NATO’s new Joint Support and Enabling Command, headquartered in Germany, is officially operational, designed to facilitate cross-border movement of armour and personnel around Europe. HQ staff in Ulm total approximately 160 but can be increased to 600 if required. [node:read-more:link]

The lawyer for Cameron Ortis, the RCMP intelligence director accused of preparing to share classified secrets, says he is waiting for key information. Ian Carter says he only has an initial synopsis of the case against his client but does expect more disclosure by the Crown this week. [node:read-more:link]

Reacting to a U.S. decision to sent more troops and weapons to Saudi Arabia after the recent drone strike on critical oil infrastructure, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says he’s not confident that war can be avoided. He also said in a televised interview that “whoever starts one will not be the one who finishes it.” [node:read-more:link]

Western powers are being urged by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to remoes their assets from the Persian Gulf and leave its security to regional nations. He is expected to unveil a regional peace plan this week at the United Nations. [node:read-more:link]

Remotely-piloted and autonomous vehicles have just been put through their paces by the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation. Dozens of submarine, surface and aerial platforms were tested off Portugal in the Sept. 11-19 exercise which involved the host country as well as Belgium, Britain, Italy, Poland and the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

The Stockholm International Peace and Security Institute says that although the security implications of climate change have increasingly been debated by the UN Security Council, there are growing concerns about the UN’s overall response. In a new policy brief, SIPRI looks at how the climate security debate has evolved and highlights three priorities for action. [node:read-more:link]

Legislation which frees Ukraine to spend $250 million in U.S. military aid has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and is expected to be endorsed by the Senate. The White House initially had delayed approval but bowed to congressional pressure. [node:read-more:link]

The U.S. National Security Agency is running an experiment designed to test whether the growing number of military and civilian satellites in lower earth orbit have been compromised. The focus, using artificial intelligence technology, is on trying to find out whether orbits have changed and what countermeasures are possible. [node:read-more:link]

Chris Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ithin he U.S. Department of Homeland Security, says government and industry should not be “selling fear” if they want broader community engagement in fighting digital threats. [node:read-more:link]

Recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabian petroleum facilities evidently are raising concerns about the prospect of similar strikes against other strategic facilities. The extensive damage has spiked an increase in global oil prices. [node:read-more:link]