Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

The State Department, a year after widespread layoffs, is back in hiring mode, recruiting applicants for many of the same positions it eliminated last summer. Many of the nearly 1,350 former State Department employees who received reduction in force memos last summer are still looking for new jobs. Laid-off former employees who spoke to Federal News Network said the department hasn’t reached out to them as part of its hiring surge. Those who have applied for new jobs at the State Department say they haven’t heard anything back. Because agencies conduct a RIF to eliminate positions, not people, they are…

Michael Gelber will now serve as acting commissioner of the Public Buildings Service and be one of two deputy PBS directors under a new dual-deputy structure. Jared Serbu@jserbuWFED July 10, 2026 7:08 pm 3 min read The General Services Administration is appointing new leadership — both in its regional offices and in its Public Buildings Service, the division of the agency charged with managing the lion’s share of the federal government’s real estate. Michael Gelber, who until this week served as the agency’s assistant commissioner for facilities management, is now the acting PBS commissioner, GSA Administrator Ed Forst wrote in…

PARIS — Rheinmetall and MBDA will develop a high-energy laser weapon for the Germany Navy that builds on previous work by the two companies on a laser demonstrator, with the weapon system expected to be operational in 2029.The equipment office of the German armed forces signed a contract with MBDA Deutschland and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition in June to develop the full system, from reconnaissance to target tracking and engagement, the companies said in statements on Thursday. The contract value is in the “mid three-digit” million-euro range, Rheinmetall said.Several European navies are working on laser weapons, with the United Kingdom’s Royal…

U.S. Marines on Guam recently fired the service’s new Medium-Range Intercept Capability system, representing the validation of the Corps’ first medium-range air defense system since the divestment of the service’s legacy HAWK platform in the 1990s. The ongoing Exercise Valiant Shield became the proving ground for III Marine Expeditionary Force personnel, as Marines at Camp Blaz successfully used the MRIC to intercept an aerial target on June 30, 2026. The MRIC is a “significant leap in operational capability,” a service release stated. The system bridges the gap between the shoulder-fired Stinger Man-Portable Air Defense System and the long-range Patriot missile…

10 July 2026 – The HYDIS Project has just achieved another significant milestone for the concept development of the future European counter-hypersonic and anti-ballistic interceptor by successfully completing its Final Concept Review. One interceptor concept has proven its relevance and has been selected by the Participating States (France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands), over the two concepts from the Initial Concept Review. This marks a significant step before the conclusive milestone of the Concept Phase in May 2027. Over the past few months, the consortium partners led by MBDA have worked hard in all domains of the interceptor and weapon system…

Bottom lines up front BRUSSELS—The United States’ relationship with its European allies took center stage at the recent NATO Summit in Ankara, as US President Donald Trump shifted between criticizing and praising European allies. Yet the presence at the summit of leaders from another region spoke to how a different, if less visible, relationship is developing in important ways. Increasingly, Gulf security and Euro-Atlantic security are fused to the extent that it is difficult to explain one without the impacts on the other. As leaders from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—participants in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative—gathered in…

A retired U.S. Army officer will take the helm of the Defense Commissary Agency and its 235 military discount grocery stores worldwide on Sept.18, defense officials announced. William G. “Bill” Fitzhugh, who has served as the agency’s deputy director since June 29, will transition to the new position when the current director, John E. Hall, retires. Most recently, Fitzhugh served as acting principal deputy for the assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs, where he was instrumental in advancing the commissary’s supply chain transformation, officials said. He has held various leadership positions at the Defense Department and the…

?PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. – The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center has become the nexus for cutting-edge, safety critical software systems that deliver battlefield advantages for U.S. Soldiers. While the Armaments Center is synonymous with developing weapons and ammunition hardware that formulate the U.S. Army’s lethal backbone, its software operates unseen in a critical juncture where Soldiers and complex systems perform battlefield coordination, advanced command & control and precision fire control that safely delivers modern firepower. Be it operating a Handheld Mortar Ballistic Computer, generating fires through the modern Artillery Execution Suite (AXS), or entering precise fire…

Hey folks, Fireside this week! I’ve been a bit behind because we had some family travel followed by an issue with a water leak in the basement which has pushed me out of my normal home office space (fortunately no books or computers were harmed and we’re working on water damage restoration now). All of which has a nasty habit of throwing off your work schedule. For patrons wondering where the latest research update is – it is in much the same place, ‘coming’ and for much the same reason. Percy balancing carefully on my bookshelves, which were being emptied…

Tallinn, Estonia, 10 July 2026 – Quantum Systems announced the expansion to Estonia, expanding its permanent presence in Tallinn and … mehr… The post Quantum Systems expands to Estonia appeared first on European Security & Defence.