Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
February 20, 2025
MILPLEX
Pete Hegseth orders senior leaders to cut 8% from Defense budget



Washington DC (UPI) Feb 19, 2025
Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth has ordered senior military and civilian Pentagon officials to cut 8% from the Defense budget over each of the next five years. Hegseth's memo issued Tuesday directed the five branches under his command to turn in budget-cutting proposals by Monday, two officials told The New York Times. The Washington Post also obtained the memo. "The time for preparation is over - we must act urgently to revive the warrior ethos, rebuild our military, and re-establish d ... read more

SUPERPOWERS
Russia praises Trump for criticising Ukraine-NATO moves
Moscow (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday praised US President Donald Trump for blaming the Ukraine conflict on moves to admit Kyiv into the NATO military alliance. ... more
NUKEWARS
U.S. Air Force test-launches nuclear-capable, hypersonic Minuteman 3 ICBM
Washington DC (UPI) Feb 19, 2025
The U.S. Air Force demonstrated the nation's nuclear readiness by launching an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California early Wednesday morning. ... more
WATER WORLD
Australia, Papua New Guinea vow to strike defence treaty
Sydney (AFP) Feb 20, 2025
Australia said Thursday it will strike a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea, bolstering ties with a Pacific state that has been courted persistently by China. ... more
AEROSPACE
Baghdad-Beirut flights sell out ahead of Nasrallah funeral
Baghdad (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
Flights from Baghdad to Beirut are nearly at capacity as airlines increase services ahead of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's funeral, officials said. ... more
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SUPERPOWERS
Putin, Xi to visit each other for events marking WWII end
Moscow (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
The leaders of Russia and China will visit each other to mark events commemorating the end of World War II, Russia's foreign minister said on Wednesday. ... more
FLOATING STEEL
Australia says foreign spies target nuclear subs program
Sydney (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
Foreign spies are targeting Australia's nuclear-powered submarine program and plotting to harm or kill opponents living in the country, the nation's intelligence chief warned Wednesday. ... more
FLOATING STEEL
Australia monitors 'unusual' presence of Chinese warships
Sydney (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
Australia was Thursday monitoring the "unusual" presence of three Chinese warships sailing off its eastern coast, the defence minister said. ... more
DRAGON SPACE
Chinese space firm showcases mobile-to-satellite communication tech
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 16, 2025
Chinese space technology company GalaxySpace has successfully demonstrated mobile-to-satellite communication technology utilizing China's first low-Earth orbit broadband communication test constella ... more

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS


ROCKET SCIENCE
Long March 8A Rocket Successfully Completes Maiden Flight
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 16, 2025
China has successfully launched its Long March 8A carrier rocket for the first time, sending a group of satellites into orbit, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) announced. The ... more
TECH SPACE
MIT engineers develop a fully 3D-printed electrospray engine
Boston MA (SPX) Feb 18, 2025
But 3D printing the electrospray engine components is only half the battle. The researchers also conducted chemical experiments to ensure the printing materials were compatible with the conductive l ... more
SPACE TRAVEL
Super-precise satellite time synchronization achieves picosecond accuracy
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 16, 2025
A cutting-edge carrier-phase-based approach to satellite-ground time synchronization has reached an unprecedented level of precision, achieving picosecond-level accuracy. This breakthrough stands to ... more
WAR REPORT
Ukraine's path to obscurity
Washington DC (UPI) Feb 19, 2025
This week's meetings in Saudi Arabia between the United States and Russia began with a goal of ending or resolving the three-year war in Ukraine. ... more
WAR REPORT
Trump nominee for VA's No. 2 job grilled by lawmakers over recent layoffs
Washington DC (UPI) Feb 19, 2025
President Donald Trump's nominee to be the number two official in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was grilled Wednesday by lawmakers on Capitol Hill as the White House cleans out federal agencies, including the VA. ... more
MILPLEX
Trump administration takes aim at Pentagon spending
Washington (AFP) Feb 20, 2025
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a review of the department's 2026 budget so as to reallocate $50 billion in funds, the Pentagon said Wednesday, following reports that he had directed deep, multi-year cuts to military spending. ... more
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DEMOCRACY
Hong Kong to tighten union rules to 'protect national security'
Hong Kong (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
Hong Kong proposed rules on Wednesday that would require labour unions to seek government approval for nearly all types of foreign funding, saying it must not be used to endanger national security. ... more
MILPLEX
Denmark to spend $7 bn more on defence in next two years
Copenhagen (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
Denmark will allocate an extra 50 billion kroner ($7 billion) for defence spending over the next two years, citing an increasing threat from Russia, the prime minister said Wednesday. ... more
AFRICA NEWS
Guinea opposition condemns 'kidnapping' of leading figure
Conakry (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
A leading critic of Guinea's ruling junta was whisked from his home by gunmen who broke in through the ceiling early on Wednesday morning, his wife told AFP. ... more
SUPERPOWERS
China woos Bangladesh with healthcare as India ties sour
Dhaka (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
China has said it is preparing dedicated hospitals for Bangladeshi patients after relations soured with former major healthcare destination India since the ouster of former leader Sheikh Hasina last year. ... more
AEROSPACE
BAE profits boosted by defence spending amid Ukraine war
London (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
British military equipment maker BAE Systems on Wednesday announced a five percent rise in annual net profit, boosted by government defence spending amid the war in Ukraine. ... more
NUKEWARS
China travel agency says to send tour to N. Korea next week
Beijing (AFP) Feb 18, 2025
A Chinese travel agency said on Tuesday that it would send a tour group to North Korea next week, the first such trip in five years. ... more
AEROSPACE
Trump considering 'alternatives' to Boeing for Air Force One contract
Washington (AFP) Feb 20, 2025
Donald Trump said Wednesday his administration was "looking at alternatives" to Boeing following delays in delivering two new models of the US presidential Air Force One plane. ... more
TAIWAN NEWS
Taiwan security chief says Trump's support for island 'very strong'
Taipei (AFP) Feb 20, 2025
US support for Taiwan is "very strong", Taipei's security chief said Thursday, as the self-ruled island seeks to head off President Donald Trump's threats of hefty tariffs on its semiconductor chips. ... more
UAV NEWS
Elsight's connectivity enables Phoenix Air Unmanned to conduct 320-Mile UAV pipeline patrol for Shell
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 12, 2025
Elsight (ASX: ELS), a leader in connectivity solutions for unmanned and autonomous systems, played a crucial role in supporting Phoenix Air Unmanned (PAU) in its completion of a 320-mile pipeline pa ... more
SPACEMART
K2 Space secures $110M Series B funding and achieves first in-space demonstration
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 16, 2025
K2 Space has announced the successful completion of a $110 million Series B funding round aimed at scaling up production of its advanced, high-power satellite platform. The investment, co-led by Lig ... more
SPACEMART
MDA Space secures $1.1BN deal with Globalstar for next-gen LEO satellite network
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 12, 2025
MDA Space Ltd. (TSX: MDA), a leading technology partner in the global space sector, has finalized a contract with Globalstar Inc. (NYSE American: GSAT) to serve as the primary contractor for the dev ... more
MICROSAT BLITZ
New research explores CubeSat swarms for spacecraft servicing and repair
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 16, 2025
As space agencies and private companies design satellites and telescopes with repairability in mind, the need for efficient servicing trajectories becomes crucial. Researchers from the Department of ... more
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ROCKET SCIENCE
Sierra Space Successfully Concludes Testing of VR35K-A Upper Stage Engine
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 16, 2025
Sierra Space, a pioneering force in commercial space and defense technology, has completed the test campaign for its fully integrated VR35K-A upper stage engine. Conducted at the Air Force Research ... more
SUPERPOWERS
EU lawmakers warn Europe cannot 'rely on' US
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Feb 18, 2025
EU lawmakers on Tuesday demanded Europe "double down" on bolstering its defences and supporting Ukraine after the United States launched efforts with Russia to stop the war. ... more
SUPERPOWERS
Trump signals support for Russia's demand that Ukraine hold presidential elections
Washington DC (UPI) Feb 18, 2025
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signaled support for Russia's call for elections to be held in Ukraine, as negotiations to end the three-year-old war kicked off in Saudi Arabia between Washington and the Kremlin with Kyiv noticeably absent. ... more
WAR REPORT
Blinded Ukrainian soldiers face new challenges at home
Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) Feb 19, 2025
At a medical centre in Kyiv, former soldier Dmytro Gorodynsky shuffled around to the funky notes of the 1970s hit "Le Freak", his eyes obscured by sunglasses. ... more
AFRICA NEWS
U.N. calls for $6B to fight famine in war-torn Sudan
Washington DC (UPI) Feb 17, 2025
The United Nations called for global action Monday and $6 billion to fight famine and sexual violence in war-torn Sudan where "civilians are paying the highest price" following nearly two years of conflict. ... more
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