ASYMMETRIC DIALOGUE

Orbital ATK unveiled two new vehicles in early March that would help extend the life of satellites at the 2018 Satellite conference held in Washington D.C. The aerospace manufacturing company touted their rendezvous vehicles as the latest step in the ongoing revolution within the field of on-orbit servicing technology. As industry leaders at the conference boasted technological advancements, policy experts gathered on the other side of the convention center to discuss their role in this new rapidly developing market. Commercial satellite operators are particularly interested in this field of technology because it may allow them to keep one satellite on orbit longer than expected. It would also allow operators to shuffle their fleet and provide more flexible services, which could benefit the Department of Defense. Dawkins said five American companies have received licenses for on-orbit servicing. Under current law, operators need approval from multiple gov

NATO official warns EU force would be ‘unwise’

A top uniformed NATO official warned Friday the European Union army concept endorsed by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would be “duplicative” and “unwise.” Polish Army Major General Andrzej Reudowicz (left), commander of NATO's Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway, accompanies UK Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the chairman of the NATO Military Committee, on a visit to the JWC on May 4, 2018. Peach warned against a European Union army concept to compliment NATO on Friday. (NATO photo) In an interview at the Halifax International Security Forum, UK Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, pointed to NATO’s strength as a single set of forces, with a unique command and control network and planning process. “It’s not rhetoric based. It’s real planning based on real data,” Peach said. “And therefore, why would you wish to duplicate or replicate the strengths of an existing strong al

Turkey to exhibit at Army-2018 - Russian MoD

Turkey and seven more foreign countries have already confirmed participation of their national expositions in the Army-2018 international defense technology forum, deputy department head of the Russian Defense Ministry Major General Roman Kordyukov said on Saturday on the air with the Ekho Moskvy radio station. "Participation of eight foreign displays has been confirmed to date: these are Armenia, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Pakistan, and Turkey," the official said, stressing that he refers to expositions and not to delegations. The Russian Defense Ministry earlier sent formal invitations to defense ministries of 128 countries. High attendance of foreign colleagues at the event is expected, Kordyukov noted. Representatives of 114 foreign countries and 65 official military delegations visited the Army-2017 forum last year, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said earlier. The Army-2018 international defense technology forum will be held