NATO defense ministers are meeting in Brussels, Japan to consider bulk purchases of Tomahawk missiles from the US, and BAE Systems marks the 1,000th delivery of the rear fuselage for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II important world military information on February 14.
* Japan considers buying a large number of Tomahawk missiles from the US in fiscal year 2023. According to Japan Times on February 14, Japan is studying the possibility of importing cruise missiles from the US starting next April instead of buying them in fiscal year 2026 as previously planned. If approved, the Tomahawk procurement plan will be pushed up earlier than expected, showing that Japan really wants to quickly put this cruise missile system into practice to enhance deterrence. its military threat.
Amid rising tensions in the region, Japan has recently increased spending on weapons and equipment. According to official figures released by the Japanese government, the East Asian nation has increased its defense budget in 2023 to 6.8 trillion yen ($52 billion), a 26% increase from its total spending in 2016. 2022. Japan’s fiscal 2023 defense budget includes $1.59 billion for the purchase of Tomahawk missile systems and $963 million for the development and production of surface-to-ship guided missiles. In defense cooperation, Japan has increased joint activities with countries in the region, notably military exercises with India and most recently proposed signing a military approach agreement with the Philippines.
| A US Navy guided-missile destroyer fires Tomahawk cruise missiles from the Mediterranean. Photo: US Navy |
* Theo Belarusian Telegraphy Agency, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed the Decree “On housing for the army”This ordinance provides for the free transfer of ownership of rental housing to servicemen who have served in the military for 25 years. Soldiers who have only served in the army for 20 years can buy back their rented house in the form of installment payments within 15 years.
The document also provides additional legal and social guarantees for military personnel and their families. For example, a soldier who retires following 20 years of military service but does not want to buy back the rental they are currently using will have the right to continue in that rental until the family’s living conditions improve. Relatives of military personnel who die in the line of duty will receive the right to use the rental housing free of charge, regardless of the service time in the military of the deceased soldier. Relatives of service members who die while serving in the military will be leased on the same terms until living conditions improve.
This Decree applies to all military personnel and their equivalents working at the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the State Border Committee, etc., and will take effect 3 months following from the date of its official publication. Currently, Belarus has regarding 33,000 servicemen on a waiting list for housing subsidies.
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| The F-35 program helps drive economic growth for the UK. Photo: US Navy |
* February 14, BAE Systems delivers 1,000th fuselage for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II fighter. At the ceremony to mark the event, BAE Systems Aviation Division Senior Vice President of American Programs Susan Addison said: “This is an important moment for everyone involved in the program. process and is a testament to the high skill of our workforce.”
According to Lockheed Martin Vice President and F-35 Program General Manager Bridget Lauderdale, the program has contributed to economic growth and prosperity for the UK, adding to the economy £41 billion and generating more than 20,000 employment in the supply chain of the economy. BAE Systems’ Aviation division currently employs more than 2,300 people in the US and UK on the F-35 program. BAE Systems has been involved in the Lockheed Martin F-35 program since the beginning and plays a key role in the production and maintenance of the fighter aircraft currently operated by the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. America, and many air forces around the world.
* Theo Evening Standard, Defense ministers from NATO members meet in Brussels on February 14 and 15 to discuss and agree on a number of contents ahead of the Summit in Vilnius in July. Topics include issues related to Ukraine, defense spending by member states and spy balloons.
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| NATO discussed issues related to Ukraine, defense spending, and spy balloons. Photo: Archyde.com |
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the ministers will discuss ways to strengthen the bloc’s defense and deterrence capabilities, increase production capacity and supply munitions to member countries. At the meeting, the ministers will also discuss planning so that NATO can simultaneously respond to high-intensity conflict under Article 5 while still being able to respond, a source familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. with an out-of-block conflict (not subject to Article 5). Article 5 is NATO’s common defense clause, which stipulates that an attack on one member is also an attack on the bloc.
On Ukraine, according to Stoltenberg, ministers will seek ways to “promote and maintain support for Ukraine”. Currently, NATO is in a “logistics race” and “The key capability lies in the fact that ammunition, fuel and spare parts must reach Ukraine…”. He also hopes that NATO ministers will consider giving fighter jets to Ukraine. Earlier, the UK confirmed that it would be the first country to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly NATO-standard fighters and was looking at the type of aircraft that might be delivered to Ukraine. Regarding the spy balloon question, NATO ministers will also discuss strengthening the protection of the bloc’s airspace and stepping up defense cooperation in space.
HUU DUONG (perform)
