Geopolitics & Defense
Geopolitics, conflicts and defense: Ukraine and Russia, the Middle East, China and Taiwan, NATO, military industry, sanctions, trade and energy security.
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This reading list brings together items from the sources selected for Geopolitics & Defense. Open each item at its original source for the complete article, episode or video. This is a selection of current coverage, not a complete archive.
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Sovereignty is not solitude: Canada’s strategy for democratic technology leadership
Hear from Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon, on how trust, opportunity and sovereign control are shaping Canada’s approach to artificial intelligence, economic growth and international partnership. This event will explore how Canada is translating its AI strengths into greater productivity, prosperity and better public services, and how deeper cooperation with partners such as the UK can strengthen AI safety, resilience and shared economic opportunity. This event discusses: What does sovereign control mean in an interconnected AI economy? And why does sovereignty not mean isolation? What are Canada’s strengths as AI transforms economies, public services and national security? How can countries build trust in AI while accelerating innovation and adoption? How can investment in talent, literacy, research and key industries create new economic opportunities and better public services? How can Canada and the UK work together work together to strengthen AI safety, resilience and democratic technology leadership?

US Army suspends longtime hometown recruiter assistance program, faces cancellation
For years, Army recruiters have enjoyed flagging a special perk for new Advanced Individual Training graduates: an opportunity to return to their hometowns for 14 days with pay prior to their first duty station, with the understanding they’ll help local recruiters during that time and tell the Army story.
Anduril’s Palmer Luckey envisions missiles made in car factories, underground battles
Anduril founder and co-leader of the newly formed Project Meridian gave a sneak peek into what he sees as the future of war.
Airbus Details Progress With Lakota Connector Uncrewed Cargo Helicopter
Airbus U.S. Space and Defense has been actively developing and iterating the technology for its Lakota Connector, an uncrewed, autonomous variant of the multi-mission UH-72B Lakota helicopter. This includes testing under Team Lakota Connector, that has brought together Shield AI, L3Harris Technologies, and Parry Labs in a prototyping phase for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Anduril awarded contract to expand US Army’s next-gen battlefield command system
The Army awarded Anduril Industries a contract on Sept. 30 worth up to $1.8 billion over five years to help the service transition its new battlefield software from the experimentation phase to the fielding phase.
Avio, Lockheed sign agreement for solid rocket motor production
The deal will pave a path for Avio USA to become a new provider of motors on Lockheed Martin’s Extended Range GMLRS and the Precision Strike Missile.
LaNeve to industry: ‘We are not walking away from modernization’
The U.S. Army's Futures and Concepts Command has been redesignated as U.S. Army Futures and Autonomous Systems, the service's top officer announced.
General Atomics’ Mojave Drone Completes Austere Testing in Korea
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Hanwha Aerospace completed operations in a simulated battlefield scenario with the Mojave short take-off and landing (STOL) drone on September 16. The testing formed part of a Defense Drone Technology Exhibition and included Mojave operating from an austere short runway at the Seungjin Training Field in Pocheon-si.
Army’s Project Gatekeeper aims to cut software approval times from months to ‘minutes’
The service’s new cybersecurity testing sandbox will stand up on Oct. 23, said acting Army CIO Gabe Chiulli, streamlining the current cumbersome, ad hoc arrangements for clearing commercial software for Army networks.
BAE Systems unveils new layered air-defense system
The weapons include the long-awaited Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System and a High-Power Microwave.
Sig Sauer’s M250 Machine Gun Gets Shorter And Lighter After Army Feedback
Changes that led to the M250A1 mirror the evolution of the Army’s new M7 rifle from Sig into the M8 carbine after criticism.
Precision at scale: APKWS counters the threat
[Sponsored] APKWS® laser‑guidance kit provides reliable precision‑guided munitions across missions and platforms, delivered quickly to meet evolving operational demands.
How autonomous weapons are changing the way brigades fight
At Fort Bragg in August, Army soldiers tested how unmanned systems could help troops breach obstacles while reducing their exposure to battlefield hazards.
Democratic midterm gains could speed US military aid to Ukraine, lawmaker says
Polling and prediction markets suggest the midterms could deliver “a fairly massive repudiation of the president,” said Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
What a Slow Acela Says About the Decline of U.S. Engineering
“I feel like the United States used to be an engineering state—when I’m walking around cities like New York, you know, it really feels like we’re walking through the ruins of a formerly great industrial civilization that our grandparents’ generation built. And so this is where I hope that we can do a little bit more thinking about how do we build better, a little bit more like the Chinese,” says Dan Wang, research fellow at the Hoover Institution. Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/

LaNeve ‘redesignates’ Army’s Futures and Concepts Command as new FASCOM autonomy command
The new US Army Futures and Autonomous Systems Command, “will pioneer operational concepts that harness autonomous capabilities across all warfighting functions,” Gen. Christopher LaNeve said today.
Saudi Aramco administrative building attacked, limited fire reported
By Timour Azhari and Menna AlaaElDin RIYADH, Oct 13 (Reuters) - An administrative building belonging to Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco in the eastern city of Dhahran was attacked, causing a limited fire, the Energy Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday as fighting between Yemen'sIran-allied Houthis and the kingdom intensified. Authorities responded to the incident late on Tuesday and took necessary measures, the ministry said, adding that there were no injuries or deaths.
Startup wants US soldiers to command AI agents through its smart glasses
Last year, Washington, D.C.-based Rivet was one of two contractors selected for the U.S. Army’s Soldier Borne Mission Command program, an effort to develop a device that enhances situational awareness and communication on the battlefield.
Bradley’s Old TOW Launchers Get New Teeth With Spike Missile Adapter
The system allows old TOW missile launchers to fire the massively more capable Spike LR2 without major modifications. The system allows old TOW missile launchers to fire the massively more capable Spike LR2 without major modifications.
Do Higher Taxes Really Kill Innovation?
“The idea that Mark Zuckerberg was sitting in his Harvard dorm room and would have been deterred from starting Meta if the capital gains tax rate was slightly closer to the ordinary income tax rate strikes me as categorically absurd,” argues Natasha Sarin, professor of law at Yale Law School. Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/

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