Weapons Research Establishment’s Post

Exciting report by Ken Moriyasu (森安健) on expected agreement between Biden/Kishida on interallied defnese industrial base cooperation. This includes the long-awaited agreement on maintenance/repair of USN warships in Japanese yards, but also potential joint development of weapons and systems to leverage Japan's considerable industrial base. Win-win. It addresses the undercapacity of the US industrial base and the shortage of US industrial workers. It also provides a boost to the Japanese defense sector, which needs the promise of consistent revenue streams to ensure continuing and increasing investment in capacity.

Defense plays an important part in what the future of the #EU will look like. Together with Jason C. Moyer we adress this in our latest joint analysis for The Wilson Center of the new EU #defense industrial strategy (#EDIS). ⤵️

Risks of clashes between DPRK, South Korea in 2024 extremely high — KCNA The agency branded a series of recent South Korean military drills and statements by the South Korean leadership on bolstering the country’s military potential as "suicidal recklessness" The risk of a direct clash between the armed forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea is at its highest in 2024, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The agency branded a series of recent South Korean military drills and statements by the South Korean leadership on bolstering the country’s military potential as "suicidal recklessness." According to its commentary, "By request and with active cooperation of puppets, increasingly more invaders, above all, from the US and Japan, will loiter around the Korean Peninsula; they are conducting an unprecedented in its scale provocative policy course in the military sphere, including a nuclear strike. Due to this, the risks of clashes are at their highest this year." The South Korean army held its first artillery drills this year on January 1, repeating them the following day. On January 3, the South Korean navy held drills in the waters around the Korean Peninsula. Joint US-South Korean drills kicked off on December 29 and will run until January 5. #business #finance #financialservices

Stainless steel anti-circumvention: Is the EC facing an administrative disaster? – Stainless Espresso 17 January 2024 – In the two ongoing EU stainless steel anti-circumvention proceedings, the European Commission could face an administrative disaster after extensive errors, disadvantages and discrimination become known. Is this the premature end for the proceedings? And in the Red Sea, there are increasing signs of a heavy military strike against the Hutbi rebels. Is the EU sending its own fleet? #stainlesssteel #steel #stainlessespresso #tariffs #europeanunion #europe #steelnews #steelmarket

Stainless steel anti-circumvention: Is the EC facing an administrative disaster? – Stainless Espresso 17 January 2024 – In the two ongoing EU stainless steel anti-circumvention proceedings, the European Commission could face an administrative disaster after extensive errors, disadvantages and discrimination become known. Is this the premature end for the proceedings? And in the Red Sea, there are increasing signs of a heavy military strike against the Hutbi rebels. Is the EU sending its own fleet? https://lnkd.in/eRc9sCxW #stainlesssteel #steel #stainlessespresso #tariffs #europeanunion #europe #steelnews #steelmarket

In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel on, targeting military bases and intelligence agencies. Get the latest updates on this topic https://lnkd.in/gjrp2z8k #IranIsraelConflict #MiddleEastTensions #BallisticMissiles #IsraelUnderAttack #IranStrike #MilitaryConflict #TensionsEscalate #MiddleEastCrisis #Geopolitics #BreakingNews #IranVsIsrael #MissileStrike #ConflictUpdate #GlobalSecurity #MilitaryBases #IntelligenceAgencies #WarNews #Defense

#StatecraftInTheNews: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to deploy new strike weapons in response to the US stationing longer-range and hypersonic missiles in Germany by 2026. Speaking at a naval parade in St. Petersburg, Putin vowed "mirror measures" to counter US actions aimed at affirming commitment to NATO and European defence. "If the US implements such plans, we will consider ourselves free from the previously imposed unilateral moratorium on the deployment of intermediate and shorter-range strike weapons," Putin stated. Both nations have signalled readiness to deploy intermediate-range ground-based weapons, banned under a 1987 US-Soviet treaty. The US exited the treaty in 2019, accusing Russia of violations. The US and Germany confirmed that the weapons to be stationed in Germany will include SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and developmental hypersonic weapons. Most Russian missile systems can carry conventional or nuclear warheads. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov mentioned potential new nuclear deployments in response. Defending Kaliningrad, Russia's militarised exclave between Poland and Lithuania, is a key concern for Moscow. Putin has long seen US missile deployments in Europe as aggressive. The announcement came at a NATO summit, where a new US base in Poland was also revealed. Join our WhatsApp channel for exclusive updates. Don't miss out—click the link below to join now! https://lnkd.in/gHG96V9M

I am starting to sense a degree of political risk creeping into some areas of the corporate bond market. For instance, take US Steel’s recent decision to sell up to Nippon Steel subject to government clearance. Looking at this from a #regulatory point of view, obviously aware of security issues, US Steel doesn’t supply the military, so that shouldn’t impact the deal. From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense, with the #USgovernment set to roll out significant infrastructure spending in the short to medium term. Amid building US tensions ahead of the presidential election and a security review which could extend to 2025, hopes of completing the deal by the third quarter of 2024 seem ambitious to say the least. It is starting to look like #political interference could become an issue in 2024.

Complexity in defense industry cooperation arises from both the interlinked nature of international trade and convoluted defense supply chains. Read the latest commentary from Greg Sanders and Henry Carroll for more information about the National Technology and Industrial Base (NTIB) and the complexity of the relationships between the United States and Australia and NTIB partners here: https://lnkd.in/gNdHpHvH    #Defense #Technology #DefenseIndustry #AUKUS

It is impossible to overstate this vital truth. #Iran is a rational actor that makes careful risk-benefit calculations. US action has so far been insufficient to change those calculations and convince Tehran that it stands to lose more than it gains by its constant unprovoked aggression. #Iranian, #Hezbollah and #Houthi boldness has only grown in response to US restraint and overly fastidious “proportionality”. It is time to re-establish deterrence by imposing severe consequences on the puppet master as well as the puppets.