Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

March 13, 2026 — OSI Maritime Systems (OSI) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract by the UK Ministry of Defence for the replacement of legacy dual WECDIS systems in the Royal Navy (RN). Under the agreement, OSI will be responsible for retrofitting and supporting all existing vessels operating with dual WECDIS. The contract represents a substantial expansion in the use of ECPINS-based systems across the RN, encompassing approximately 40 vessels, submarines, and shore integration facilities. The upgrade represents a significant modernization of the navy’s WECDIS with enhanced capabilities and improved cybersecurity ahead of the roll-out…

The Department of Veterans Affairs is developing a tool that will analyze veterans’ disability claims applications for fraud — a program VA officials say could identify providers or companies that abuse the system. The tool will not, however, be used to pursue potentially fraudulent past claims, a concern that arose recently among veterans following a congressional hearing that divulged the program’s development. Using a Microsoft data analytics program, the VA program will use information gleaned from forms known as Disability Benefits Questionnaires to identify patterns in language or omissions that could indicate fraud. VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz said the…

It has been about 21 months (June 2024) since now-retired Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) legend Dustin Poirier fell short against Islam Makhachev in their Lightweight title fight at UFC 302 inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.But even now, the size difference between the two is still a talking point.During a recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Poirier discussed how much fighters can rehydrate after extreme weight cuts — and claimed that Makhachev was significantly heavier than him on fight night.“Islam is huge,” Poirier said. “Hunter [Campbell] from the UFC — I was in his office not too long…

Dustin Poirier fought a who’s who list of opponents during his career, but he has vivid memories of the size and strength that he faced when going up against Islam Makhachev back in 2024.At the time, Makhachev was the reigning UFC lightweight champion, but had remarked numerous times that he would almost certainly move to welterweight in the future due to difficulties cutting down to 155 pounds. Poirier remembers staring at Makhachev from across the octagon before they battled it out at UFC 302, and immediately recognizing he was going up against one of the biggest lightweights he’d ever seen.“I…

The U.S. Navy is taking steps toward remedying ongoing maintenance delays by enlisting the help of artificial intelligence and robotic systems, the service announced. The sea service reached an agreement with the Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics, the company confirmed Tuesday, to deploy tech capable of streamlining repairs and reducing maintenance delays for a surface fleet that continues to be stretched thin.The contract will begin as a 5-year, $54 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity deal that will soon see Gecko begin work on 18 ships assigned to the Navy’s U.S. Pacific Fleet. To expedite what has in recent years become a headache…

A new player has appeared in the Finnish defence industry arena: SCATA, the acronym standing for Sophisticated Combat Automotive and Technical Assembly, surfaced at a meeting between Finnish and French defence companies held in mid-March 2026 at the French Embassy in Helsinki, where the company unveiling its first product, the SCATA Mk1, an 18 tonnes 4×4 based on a Texelis Celeris mobility platform. This new armoured vehicle marks the first industrial collaboration of this scale between French and Finnish companies. click on image to enlarge Based in Jakobstad, some 400 km north of Helsinki, on the Gulf of Bothnia, SCATA…

Four years ago in Foreign Affairs, I argued that the demand that corporations adopt voluntary standards for environmental, social, and governance was the wrong way to correct societal ills such as pollution, emissions, and economic inequality. Now, the era of addressing ESG concerns appears to be over. In the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s reelection (and federal crackdown on ESG and related initiatives), many corporations unceremoniously dropped their ESG reporting. Dozens of major firms—including Starbucks, Mastercard, and Procter & Gamble—weakened or reversed policies that linked their top executives’ pay to the companies’ performance on ESG measures. Shareholders of publicly…

From March 5 to 12, China held its annual Two Sessions — the National People’s Congress meeting and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. These gatherings provide yearly insights into China’s economic and political priorities and plans. Additionally, this year, the government presented its 15th Five-Year Plan, laying out key policies to 2030. We asked four experts to offer their key takeaways from the National People’s Congress.Read more below. Ling ChenWilliam L. Clayton Associate Professor at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins UniversityA key takeaway from China’s most recent National People’s Congress is that Beijing is trying to respond…

The UAE MoD reported the loss of two armed forces members during national duty following attacks from Iran. Credit: cunaplus/Shutterstock.com. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) air defence forces have engaged a total of 304 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,627 uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) since the beginning of Iranian attacks, according to official reports. Israel and the US launched a military operation dubbed Operation Epic Fury against Iran on 28 February 2026, and the conflict has continued into its third week with no sign of de-escalation. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach…

Diehl Defence, a leading systems house for missiles and ground-based air defence (GBAD), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Latvian company ‘Ripo Remonta Centrs’ to establish a joint venture for the maintenance and repair of Diehl Defence’s GBAD systems in the Baltic States. The partnership with ‘Ripo Remonta Centrs’ offers Diehl Defence the opportunity to draw on local expertise in the field of maintenance and repair. In the Baltic States region, Latvia and Estonia are already customers for the IRIS-T SLM ground-based air defence system. Furthermore, a brigade of the German Armed Forces is currently being set…