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Americas
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) seeks to develop quantum sensors for moving military platforms. Quantum sensors use quantum mechanics to sense minute variances in motion and electric and magnetic fields, achieving greater accuracy than conventional sensors. In technical terms, they extract information from individual atoms rather than from a collection of atoms and are less vulnerable to signal jamming and other electromagnetic interference that traditional light- and sound-based data sensors are vulnerable to.
The Marine Corps has awarded Forterra a contract to integrate its autonomy package on the Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires ground vehicle, the Pentagon’s first-ever production contract for off-road autonomous driving capability. The company’s advanced stack and AutoDrive system gives the ROGUE Fires vehicle – built by Oshkosh Defense – off-road, self-driving technology in “nearly any environment,” which moves “beyond Leader-Follower capabilities,” Forterra said in a Jan. 13 statement. Leader-Follower technology uses a lead vehicle to guide other unmanned vehicles behind it.
Middle East & Africa
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has introduced a new loitering munition, reportedly capable of reaching a range of 20 kilometers. Dubbed the “Razvan,” the kamikaze drone was unveiled during the recent Payambar-e Azam (The Great Prophet) 19 military exercise. According to Iranian media, the drone is equipped with a front-facing camera that enables it to be controlled via a first-person view.
Europe
Bremen-based Rheinmetall Electronics GmbH has acquired another 11% of the shares in Bavarian software developer blackned by means of a share purchase agreement, Rheinmetall announced on 10 January 2025. With this acquisition Rheinmetall Electronics, which has so far held a 40% stake in blackned, intends to control 51% and thus the majority of the company. The transaction is still subject to various conditions precedent and also requires approval by the German Federal Cartel Office.
Asia-Pacific
North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles into the sea Tuesday, according to Seoul’s military, in what experts said could be a message to US President-elect Donald Trump‘s incoming administration. The launch comes as Japan’s foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya visits South Korea for a series of meetings with top officials, with the Asian neighbors seeking to boost bilateral ties before Trump returns to office next week.
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