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The US Army began the development of its ‘Strategic Long-Range Cannon (SLRC) in late 2019, with the weapon expected to have a range of up to 1,850 km. The military expects a demonstration prototype to be created by 2023. The Twitter account of the US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Research Laboratory has shown what appear to be the first prototype images of the SLRC supergun, with a high-res photo of engineers speaking to US and British officers showing an image of the SLRC in the background, with its overall design and key capabilities clearly visible. The @USArmy hosted a US-UK Modernization Demonstration Event Feb. 20 at @USAGAPG to identify capability collaboration to the British Army. Officials from @ArmyFutures @USArmyCCDC , the centers and the lab, briefed interoperability to minimize risks of #modernization divergence. pic.twitter.com/Hw3V7xJFgA — U.S. Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory (@ArmyResearchLab) February 21, 2020 An image of the unit shows tha

Late last year, Russian aerospace and defence giant United Aircraft Corporation confirmed that new weapons systems designed especially for the Su-57 had been developed or were in active development, without elaborating. A prototype hypersonic missile designed for use aboard Russia’s new Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter has been created, a defence sector source had told Russian media. The source described the missile as a small, air-to-surface weapon designed to be carried inside the plane’s fuselage, and said it has yet to be tested aboard the plane. No other details about the weapon’s characteristics or who developed it were made available, and the reports have yet to be commented on by anyone at UAC, Sukhoi or the military. The defence sector first teased the possibility of deploying hypersonic missiles similar to the Kinzhal hypersonic, nuclear-capable missile in 2018. Kinzhal was deployed into service aboard the MiG-31K in December 2017, and a version of the missile for

The first S-350 Vityaz medium-range air defence missile systems have been added to the Russian air force's arsenal, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. "The first newest S-350 Vityaz air defence missile systems have been added to the Russian air force's arsenal. [The systems] have recently been deployed to the training centre of the anti-aircraft missile forces in Gatchina [a city in the Leningrad region]," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that the centre had already run tests with the S-350 aimed at detecting and destroying conventional hostile aircraft. Newest S-350 Vityaz Air Defence System According to the ministry, the air defence missile systems will help make the air force two times more effective in countering cruise missile strikes and replace the older S-300PS system. In mid-January, the ministry said that Russia's Leningrad region would be the first to host the air defence missile systems. The S-350 was developed by the

The Pentagon will hold top-secret talks on the so-called "Sino-Russian alignment," a notice published in the Federal Register said on Wednesday. "On March 3-4, 2020 the Defence Policy Board (DPB) will have classified discussions on national security implications related to Sino-Russian alignment," the notice said. The top-secret talks will take place at the Pentagon, and the speakers will include senior intelligence community officers, Defence and Treasury Department officials, as well as experts, it added. The participants will discuss their perspectives, views and insights and review classified information on relations between Russia and China, the notice said. They are also expected to provide recommendations to the Secretary of Defence.

Hackers used fake ProtonVPN installers to infect users with nasty Azorult malware. One of the easiest ways to lure users to install malware on their computers is to  imitate legitimate websites . This is exactly what certain attackers have done as recently investigated by researchers at Kaspersky by targeting ProtonVPN. For the unfamiliar,  ProtonVPN  is a Swiss-based product by the very same company that operates the very famous ProtonMail. Currently, ProtonVPN has more than 2 million users around the world and that makes it a lucrative target for cybercriminals. According to Kaspersky, hackers have cloned the design of ProtonVPN’s official website ( protonvpn[.]com)  to drop AZORult malware through its installer file. Snapshot of the fake ProtonVPN website: For your information, Azorult is a RAT (remote access Trojan) that can infect any computer successfully. Azorult was previously found targeting  thousands of Magneto sites  and spreading  PayPal themed banking malware

The new report claims that Iranian hackers have been targeting Israel and other countries with this campaign. According to the findings of the UK-based cybersecurity firm ClearSky, an  Iranian  APT group has been running a widespread hacking campaign to  compromise VPN servers  and install backdoors or bugs to access networks of different organizations across the globe.  Dubbed Fox Kitten; the campaign was launched three years back (2017) to target “dozens of companies and organizations in Israel around the world,” the company stated in its official statement. The attackers successfully infiltrated networks of many organizations across diverse sectors from IT, oil and gas, telecom, security, and government. The organizations have footprints throughout the world, which makes this campaign a global scam. Image credit: ClearSky The alarming fact is that during this operation,  Iranian hackers  not only gained access to the networks of so many organizations around the worl

United States on Sunday successfully tested an unarmed life-extended Trident II (D5LE) ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, the US Navy said. According to the statement, the missile was launched from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Maine (SSBN-741) off the coast of San Diego, California. "Today's scheduled test validated performance expectations of the life-extended Trident II (D5LE) Strategic Weapon System (SWS) and gathered additional data on the SWS' reliability, accuracy, and performance factors. This launch marks 178 successful missile launches of the Trident II (D5 &D5LE) strategic weapon system", the statement said. The Trident II strategic weapon system, originally designed with a life span to 2024, recently   underwent a life extension   that will keep it operational through the late 2040s, according to the US Navy. Submarine-launched ballistic missiles Trident II comprise about 70 percent of the US nucl

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Between 1969 and 1971, the US National Reconnaissance Office deployed its state-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicles over China in a bid to surreptitiously keep a watchful eye on a Beijing's nuclear programme. In his article for The National Interest, the US magazine’s defence editor David Axe focused on declassified records which documented “[...] termination of the [US] ‘Tagboard’ drone system” which was tasked with spying on China in the late 1960s. The US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) released the documents on 21 March, 2019, fifty years after the Tagboard system, also known as the Lockheed-made D-21 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), entered service with the US Army. Axe recalls that the 19-feet-wingspan D-21 was made of titanium and weighed 12 tons [10 tonnes], and that “in its early forms launched from atop a special variant of the A-12 reconnaissance plane, the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency]'s version of the Mach-3 [long-range, high-altitude strategic reconnais

The new system is expected to add a fourth layer of air defence in Israel, which often suffers from aerial attacks by its enemies, such as the Hamas movement. Israel currently has separate defence systems to neutralise short-, medium- and long-range missile threats. Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems has published a video showing its latest development, the Drone Dome system armed with a laser, in action, downing several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying as a swarm. According to Rafael, the system, mounted on an all-road vehicle, is capable of detecting nearby drones, identifying those who are not friendly, and performing a "hard kill" on hostile targets using its powerful laser. In the video, the Drone Dome first downs a single flying drone and later turns to a swarm of three UAVs downing them one by one. Rafael noted that the system requires just one person to operate properly. Rafael presented the Drone Dome system for the first time in 2016 , but ba

There's been a lot of press about delayed approval for the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) cable, which is due to connect Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines to the United States. You can understand why this cable has gotten extra attention. Backers include Google, Facebook, and Pacific Light Data Communication (PLDC), which is owned by Chinese ISP Dr. Peng Telecom & Media Group. While the whole system is awaiting approval from U.S. authorities, Google and Facebook have requested that the FCC allow activation of the Taiwan and Philippines portions of the cable. There are many regulatory and political issues at play, but I felt a bit of background on the trans-Pacific cable market is warranted amid these headlines. As you read more about the PLCN, keep these four facts in mind. Several submarine cables already connect China and the United States PLCN would not be the first cable to link Hong Kong, or even mainland China, to the U.S. Existing cables include: Trans

As we all know,Norway plays an important role in space exploration for key military space facilities used by the US, including the Globus II radar in Finnmark County, sometimes referred to as the world's most advanced radar for tracking satellites. In recent years, the Chinese intelligence service has succeeded in obtaining advanced Norwegian technology several times, the Scandinavian country's intelligence service has stressed, warning that China is en route to becoming “a military superpower in Norway's neighbourhood”. “With growing interest in the Arctic, we believe that China will continue to influence the situation, even in our proximity”, the head of the intelligence service, Lieutenant General Morten Haga Lunde, said, as quoted by national broadcaster NRK. According to Haga Lunde, advanced technology with military application is especially sought after. For instance, the Andøya Space Centre at Andenes in Nordland County, which is vying to become the first in Eur

Facebook and some other social media companies have recently come under fire for failing to remove allegedly misleading and harmful content from their platforms. Now, British regulatory authority Ofcom is reportedly set to be given a role in policing social media companies. Britain’s media watchdog Ofcom will have more power in regulating social media companies in the UK, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Snapchat, and will make them accountable for harmful content, the BBC reported citing Digital Secretary Baroness Nicky Morgan. Social media companies have long defended their rights to control unacceptable content on their platforms related to violence, terrorism or child abuse, but according to reports, this is now going to change in the UK. "There are many platforms who ideally would not have wanted regulation, but I think that's changing”, Nicky Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Cotes, was quoted as saying. “I think they understand now that actually regulation is coming”

The Trump administration has long maintained that Chinese tech giant Huawei poses a threat to the national security of its allies and thus should not be granted access to their 5G networks. These warnings, however, have not stopped Great Britain from allowing Huawei to participate in building its next-generation infrastructure across the country. US officials claim that Huawei has a secret capability to extract data from mobile networks globally through “back door” mechanisms that have been used for more than ten years, The Wall Street Journal first revealed. According to their report, this information remained highly classified until Washington decided to share the intelligence with its Western allies, including the UK and Germany, last year. Some officials, including US National Security Adviser Robert C. O’Brien, maintain the US has evidence and can prove to its allies that Huawei can secretly retrieve “sensitive and personal” information in wireless 5G networks if granted access

The structural reshuffle has been on everyone’s lips since Johnson’s overwhelming win in December, but the scale of it has been played down following speculation of a much wider Cabinet transformation after the general election. Boris Johnson is expected to add the finishing touches to his updated Cabinet on Thursday, with sources cited by The Telegraph insisting it will be no “revolution” in terms of scale. The reshuffle will reportedly see a number of Remainers promoted at Leavers’ expense, like Geoffrey Cox, Andrea Leadsom, and Theresa Villiers. For instance, Remain-supporting Chloe Smith has reportedly been tipped for a wider role as Minister for the Union at the Cabinet Office, while Oliver Dowden is expected to run the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport department. Michael Gove, the Chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster, is believed, per the British edition, to be in general control of post-Brexit trade talks with the EU at a reshuffled Cabinet Office. Meanwhile, Environment

The new capability of Emotet trojan highlights the fact that one should always secure their device with a strong password. Initially identified in 2014, Emotet is a banking trojan that has been used in various malicious campaigns in the past for gaining financial data. An example is of 2017 when it infected Mcafee’s ClickProtect service to trick users by making them download a legitimate-looking Word document which in actuality contained the malware. Now, it is back albeit with a new way to spread its infection. Featuring a new WiFi module; the trojan now focuses on compromising machines on the same WiFi network. Simply put: Emotet trojan can now spread through nearby wireless networks if the networks use insecure passwords. To carry the entire operation out, it firstly uses wlanAPI.dll calls to find wireless networks surrounding it excluding the current computer system it has infected. Commenting on the reason wlanAPI.dll calls are used, researchers at BinaryDefence state that,

UPDF airforce has airlifted pesticides to fight the locusts

US soldiers have already started  withdrawing from 15 Iraqi military bases and leaving the country , member of the parliamentary Security and Defence Commission, Ali al-Qameni, was quoted as saying by the daily Baghdad Today. The lawmaker reportedly added that Washington is still insisting on building up forces in the Ayn al-Asad and Erbil military bases, but noted that the Iraqi Parliament opposes this notion. © AP PHOTO / ALI ABDUL HASSAN U.S. Soldiers and journalists stand near a crater caused by Iranian bombing at Ain al-Asad air base, in Anbar, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 13, 2020 Iraqi lawmakers voted for a non-binding motion to end all foreign military deployments in the country, including the American contingent, on 5 January following a  US airstrike that killed major Iranian General, Qasem Soleimani , without discussing or clearing the operation with the country's authorities. The general was visiting the country to pass on the suggestion for normalising relations

Since a new strain of coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December of 2019, it has spread to over 25 countries across the globe. As of 10 February, twenty-seven foreigners in China have been infected with the coronavirus, two of them have died, the country's foreign ministry said.  An American died on 6 February and a Japanese individual died on 8 February, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said during a daily news briefing in Beijing. He added that three people have been discharged from the hospital. An outbreak of pneumonia caused by a new strain of coronavirus started in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December and has since  spread to more than 25 countries  around the world. © REUTERS / ALY SONG A member of staff outside the Shanghai Disney Resort in Shanghai, China The death toll from the new coronavirus in China currently stands at 908 people with more than 40,000 other confirmed cases.   In late January, the World Health Or

The Trump administration has approved the sale of 200 anti-ship missiles to Australia for $990 million, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a press release. "The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia of up to 200 AGM-158C, Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $990 million", the release said on Friday. The sale will also include up to eleven ATM-158C LRASM Telemetry systems, DATM-158C LRASM, Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM-158C LRASM) and other equipment, with Lockheed Martin being the prime contractor, the DSCA said. The Trump administration has been expanding its military cooperation with Australia and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region.

Last month, a Purdue University graduate student specializing in astrodynamics reported that Russia’s Kosmos-2542 satellite had begun shadowing USA-245, an American reconnaissance satellite. Kosmos-2542’s mystery mission quickly sparked hysteria among the US media, with some observers suggesting it could be preparing to “attack” its US counterpart. Russian and Chinese satellites maneuvering near Western powers’ satellites in space are a threat to the NATO alliance, Allied Command Transformation Commander Gen. Andre Lanata has said. “Of course, it is a threat to our allies,” Lanata said , speaking to The Washington Examiner. “Until now, space was considered by everybody as a safe haven. It’s not the case anymore,” he added. According to the commander, the danger posed by Russia and China in this area is “a key question,” and NATO “need[s] to be sure that we give to our forces this space asset support.” Lanata clarified that NATO as an organization would not “own any space assets,” a

Iran has unsuccessfully launched it fourth satellite, called Zafar ("Victory" in Farsi), into orbit on 9 February. It was preceded by two unsuccessful launch attempts in 2019 and is expected to be followed by the delivery of four more satellites. The launch, however, was denounced by the US, which claims the carrier rocket can be used to deliver nuclear warheads and that the whole project was cover for a long-range ballistic missile test. Iranian flag fluttering in front of Iran's Safir Omid rocket, which is capable of carrying a satellite into orbit, before it's launch in a space station at an undisclosed location in the Islamic republic Tehran denies that the rocket carrier is intended for military use, indicating that the satellite's mission will be to take ground photos and collect data needed to study earthquakes and deal with other natural disasters. Iran has also long denied pursuing the goal of producing nuclear weapons, insisting that their use go

The Russian Defence Ministry stated on 7 February that a civilian Airbus-320 with 172 passengers on board was nearly destroyed amid Israeli airstrikes near Damascus in the early hours of 6 February. An Airbus-320 has been captured on video when landing at the Russian-operated Hmeymim Airbase in northwestern Syria while trying to avoid Israeli shelling. Russian TV channel Zvezda has published camera recordings at the Hmeymim Airbase, showing how the Airbus-320 successfully lands , and after the end of the strikes, takes off again in the direction of Damascus International Airport. On 6 February, four Israeli F-16 fighters fired eight air-to-surface missiles in the suburbs of Damascus, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. The Syrian air defence systems that were on alert responded to the attack while a civilian Airbus-320 with 172 passengers was almost caught in the cross-fire. The plane managed to leave the area and successfully land at Russia’s Hmeymim base, the closest

The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) in Victoria, Australia has decided to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help Triple Zero call takers (000) identify the incidence of a heart attack on the phone without wasting much time. According to Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, the state government’s coffers will grant $1.36m to Ambulance Victoria for designing and implementing the Cardiac Arrest Project in collaboration with Monash University. Furthermore, an additional $350,000 will be given to Ambulance Victoria from the safer care Victoria innovation fund to start offering SMS and video calling facility under the project Tele-HELP for mental health-related emergency callers. As per the details shared by the ministry, the AI technology will run in the background all the time and monitor every incoming emergency call to identify similar patterns of sound, keywords, and language for detecting cardiac arrest symptoms. The government states that the system will inst