LOCATIONS
MARITIME
03 Apr 25. Fincantieri has officially begun the construction of the first “FREMM EVO” frigate for the Italian Navy, marking a key milestone in the modernisation of the country’s naval fleet. The sheet metal cutting ceremony was held today at the Riva Trigoso shipyard in Genoa, with prominent figures from the Italian Navy and defence industry, including Admiral Giuseppe Abbamonte and Giovanni Sorrentino, CEO of Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, in attendance. The FREMM EVO project, part of Italy’s multi-year FREMM program, is backed by a contract signed in July 2024 between Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (the joint venture between Fincantieri and Leonardo) and OCCAR. The first unit is set for delivery in 2029, with the second following in 2030. These next-generation frigates will feature pioneering technologies, including a Cyber-resilient Ship Management System, advanced radar systems like the DBR-X-C Dual Band fixed-face radar and the SADOC 4 Cyber-resilient Combat Management System. Additionally, they will integrate enhanced anti-drone capabilities and multi-dimensional unmanned systems management, strengthening the Navy’s defence against evolving and covert threats. Designed with sustainability at top of mind, the FREMM EVO will incorporate eco-friendly solutions, modernised electrical distribution systems and updated air conditioning to reduce its environmental footprint. The frigates will also ensure interoperability with allied forces, guaranteeing high operational availability and mission success.
28 Mar 14. HD Hyundai launches Philippine Navy’s second corvette. The 3,200t corvette is set to be delivered in September following sea trials and final equipment. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has conducted a launching ceremony for the Philippine Navy’s second 3,200-tonne (t) corvette, named ‘Diego Silang‘, at its headquarters in Ulsan, South Korea. Following sea trials and final equipment installations, the Philippine Navy anticipates the ‘Diego Silang‘ to be fully operational by September 2025. It will join its predecessor, the ‘Miguel Malvar‘, which was launched in June 2024 and is expected for delivery to the Philippine Navy on 31 March, a full five months ahead of the initial schedule. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries president Lee Sang-kyun said: “Based on the strengthened cooperative relationship between our two countries, we will continue to actively support the success of the Philippine military’s modernisation.” The ‘Diego Silang‘ corvette features dimensions of 118.4 metres (m) in length and 14.9m in width, with a cruising speed of 15 knots, which is roughly 28km/h, and a range of 4,500 nautical miles. It is outfitted with new weaponry, including a close-in defence weapon system, a vertical launching system, hull-mounted sonar, and a search radar. The Philippine government’s military modernisation project has been a driver of this development, with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries receiving orders for a total of ten ships. This fleet of ten ships includes two frigates ordered in 2016, two patrol ships in 2021, and six offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) in 2022. The first 2,600t Philippine frigate was delivered by HD Hyundai in 2021. Philippine National Defense Agency undersecretary for Acquisition Salvador Melchor Mison, Jr said: “HDHHI’s innovative technologies and high-quality shipbuilding capabilities have played a vital role in the modernisation of the Philippine Navy. (Source: naval-technology.com)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
28 Mar 14. Hegseth Orders Civilian Workforce Realignment in DOD, Reopens DRP. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum yesterday directing the realignment of the Defense Department’s civilian workforce. The memo, “Initiating the Workforce Acceleration and Recapitalization Initiative,” — which is addressed to senior Pentagon leadership, combatant commanders, and defense agency and DOD field activity directors — states that DOD will “realign the size of our civilian workforce and strategically restructure it to supercharge our American warfighters consistent with interim National Defense Strategy guidance.” The memo states that DOD seeks to reduce duplicative efforts and reject excessive bureaucracy through an honest analysis of the workforce. Additionally, it states automation through technological solutions will be sought out, particularly at the headquarters level.
“The net effect will be a reduction in the number of civilian full-time equivalent positions and increased resources in the areas where we need them most,” the memo reads.
It then lists two courses of action to implement Hegseth’s intent. First, Hegseth calls on the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness to immediately implement DOD’s Deferred Resignation Program and to also offer voluntary early retirement for all eligible DOD civilian employees. The DRP, first implemented by the Office of Personnel Management Jan. 28, 2025, offered most full-time federal employees — including most of the nearly 900,000 DOD civilians — the limited opportunity to resign with full pay and benefits until Sept. 30, 2025. OPM also offered early retirement for eligible personnel. With this newly signed memo, the DRP and the early retirement program are being reopened for nearly all DOD civilians, only this time under the authority of the Defense Department rather than OPM.
“Exemptions should be rare,” Hegseth said via the memo. “My intent is to maximize participation so that we can minimize the number of involuntary actions that may be required to achieve the strategic objectives.”
Second, Hegseth directs senior DOD leadership to provide “a proposed future-state organizational chart” of those leaders’ respective departments. A summary of all those charts — which should include functional areas and consolidated management hierarchies with positional titles and counts clearly depicted — is due from USD(P&R) to the defense secretary no later than April 11, 2025. While the memo does not specify a targeted percentage for layoffs at DOD, it mentions that important changes are required “to put the department on ready footing to deter our enemies and fight for peace.” To accomplish that goal, it states that the intent of the realignment is to “execute a top-to-bottom methodology that results in a force structure that is lean, mean and prepared to win.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
04 Apr 25. Mr John Marshall has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Togo in succession to Ms Catherine Brooker who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Marshall will take up his appointment during June 2025.
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
03 Apr 25. Embraer (NYSE: ERJ / B3: EMBR3), a global aerospace leader, and Denel, the leading South African aerospace and defense company, officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the LAAD Defense and Security exhibition in Brazil. This MoU, signed by Chris Boshoff, Group Executive, CEO Aerospace of Denel, and Fabio Caparica, Vice President of Contracts at Embraer Defense & Security, outlines the framework for a potential future collaboration on the KC-390 Millennium aircraft, with focus on aerostructures manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul activities.
“We are thrilled to strengthen our ties with Denel, a proven aerospace leader in South Africa, as the country looks to replace its legacy military aircraft. We are looking forward to providing South Africa with the most advanced aircraft in its category while cooperating with South Africa’s defense industry,” said Fabio Caparica, Vice President of Contracts at Embraer Defense & Security.
Chris Boshoff, Group Executive CEO Aerospace of Denel, expressed his enthusiasm for partnering with a company renowned worldwide for its quality and craftsmanship, like Embraer. “Our longstanding relationship spans several decades, and this collaboration will further strengthen our ties. Denel is well-equipped and is a suitably qualified industrial partner to undertake the necessary tasks envisaged for the collaboration and will significantly enhance the strategic airlift support capabilities on the African continent.”
The KC-390 Millennium is a next generation military transport aircraft particularly suited for operations in South Africa. Its versatility, ease of reconfiguration between two missions, and ability to operate from unprepared airstrips make it an ideal, cost-efficient, aircraft for modern armed forces of the African continent. The KC-390 Millennium can carry more payload (26 tons) compared to other medium-sized military transport aircraft and flies faster (470 knots) and farther, being capable of performing a wide range of missions including humanitarian aid, transport and airdrop of cargo and troops, air-to-air refueling both as tanker and receiver, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting and special operations, while operating from temporary or unpaved runways such as packed earth, soil and gravel. The aircraft has been acquired by eight countries: Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, South Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, and an undisclosed customer. It has also been officially selected by Sweden and Slovakia to modernize their air forces. Since entering service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019, the Portuguese Air Force in 2023 and, most recently the Hungarian Air Force in 2024, the KC-390 Millennium multi-mission military aircraft has proven its capability, reliability and performance. The current global fleet of KC-390 Millennium aircraft presents mission completion rates exceeding 99%, demonstrating exceptional productivity in its segment.
01 Apr 25. Turkish Aerospace and Embraer (NYSE: ERJ / B3: EMBR3) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore potential industrial cooperation. Embraer is actively seeking new suppliers and partners around the world to meet the growing demand for Embraer’s products. Turkish Aerospace aims to leverage its strategic capabilities in manufacturing and assembling metallic and composite structures, final assembly of fuselages, components, test and production flights, and painting. The agreement outlines the collaborative phase between Embraer and Turkish Aerospace to discuss a potential comprehensive industrial partnership involving R&D.
PERSONNEL
31 Mar 25. Babcock supporting one in every 550 jobs in the UK. New independent research by Oxford Economics reveals how defence company Babcock International Group (Babcock) drives growth across the UK economy through jobs, investment in the supply chain, and tax contributions. The Oxford Economics report published today shows the FTSE 100 company made a total contribution of £4.3 bn to UK GDP in FY2024, a significant increase of £1bn since FY2022. For every £1 spent with Babcock on UK defence, £3 goes back into the UK economy. Over the last two years, Babcock has substantially grown the number of UK jobs that it supports to 67,000 across the country, equivalent to one in every 550 jobs in the UK.
Other key findings include:
- Significant impact on the UK’s regional economies, including over 12,000 staff directly employed in the South West of England and 5,400 in Scotland
- 1,800 people being trained through Babcock’s graduate and apprenticeship programmes
- An estimated total tax contribution of £1.1 bn to the UK Exchequer, directly and indirectly
- £550m spent with UK Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), supporting more than 3,800 businesses
David Lockwood, Chief Executive of Babcock, said: “We are proud of the role we play across the country. Babcock doesn’t just help protect the UK; we are helping to drive prosperity. At this critical time for national security, our highly experienced teams play a key role in developing sovereign capabilities to create a safe and secure world, together with our wider industry colleagues and partners. We are investing in infrastructure, technology, and skills that we need today to bolster the growth of our business for tomorrow. This commitment to our customers and continuous investment in our people is making us a better business. We are determined to continue supporting the communities we work in whilst delivering the capabilities our armed forces need to keep the country safe.”
Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, said: “Babcock is a fantastic example of how defence is an engine for growth, creating jobs across the nation. The company supports thousands of skilled jobs across the South-West and Scotland and invests in British SMEs, building up local communities and developing talent through graduate and apprenticeship programmes. Our Defence Industrial Strategy will help direct more defence spending to British-based firms, such as Babcock, boosting defence jobs in every nation and region.”
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
01 Apr 25. Lorenzo Mariani is joining MBDA as Executive Group Director Sales & Business Development, effective 01 April 2025, succeeding to Giovanni Soccodato. Reporting directly to the MBDA Chief Executive Officer Eric Béranger, Lorenzo Mariani also becomes a member of the Executive Committee of MBDA and Managing Director of MBDA Italia. As Executive Group Director Sales & Business Development, Lorenzo Mariani will lead an integrated multinational team responsible for generating the order intake to sustain MBDA’s long-term performance, the understanding of customers’ operational needs, and the development of the most effective solutions to meet current and future operational requirements.
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
01 Apr 25. Academy Securities, the nation’s first Post-9/11 veteran owned and operated investment bank, today announced the addition of Lieutenant General David Bellon to its Advisory Board and Geopolitical Intelligence Group. Lieutenant General David Bellon retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2024 after 35 years of dedicated service in both its active and reserve components. His career culminated as the Commander of US Marine Corps Forces Reserve and US Marine Corps Forces South, directing the service’s Reserve forces and managing all Marine Corps operations throughout 32 Latin American countries. He previously served in key leadership roles, including Deputy Commander (Mobilization) for I Marine Expeditionary Force, Deputy Commander of Marine Forces Command, Director of Reserve Affairs, and Director of Strategy, Policy, and Plans at US Southern Command. Commissioned in 1989, he began his military journey as an Infantry Officer and completed multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
03 Apr 25. HawkEye 360, the global leader in signals intelligence data and analytics, is pleased to announce the appointment of Todd Probert as President, U.S. Government. In this role, he will lead the company’s strategic engagement with defense and intelligence partners, driving innovation in RF data and analytics to address evolving national security challenges. Todd Probert Joins HawkEye 360 as President of U.S. Government Business Todd is a seasoned executive with deep expertise in signals intelligence, space operations, artificial intelligence, and electronic warfare. Before joining HawkEye 360, he served as President of National Security and Innovative Solutions (NSIS) at CACI International Inc., where he managed a portfolio of mission-driven technology solutions for defense, intelligence, and federal government customers. His leadership in software modernization and multi-domain operational systems has been instrumental in delivering next-generation capabilities that enhance decision-making and operational advantage. (Source: PR Newswire)
01 Apr 25. Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) announced today that its Board of Directors has elected Stephen Williamson, 58, current Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., to its Board of Directors as an independent Director and Audit Committee member, effective April 1, 2025. Williamson was named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific in August 2015 and is responsible for the company’s finance, tax, M&A, treasury and global business services functions. After joining Thermo Fisher Scientific in July 2001, he held a variety of finance leadership roles including Vice President of Financial Operations, leading the finance support function company-wide, and Vice President, European Financial Operations, overseeing integration activities across Europe. Prior to working at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Williamson held various finance positions at Honeywell, including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Asia Pacific and other corporate development and operational finance roles. Williamson began his career with Price Waterhouse in the transaction support group and the audit practice. (Source: PR Newswire)
01 Apr 25. Peraton announced the appointment of Todd Borkey as chief technology officer (CTO). In this role, Borkey will be responsible for developing and executing the company’s technology strategy, research and development (R&D) portfolio, and strategic campaigns to create new capabilities and disruptive solutions for customers. In addition, Borkey will manage the Peraton Strategic Innovation Group, which includes the company’s applied research innovator known as Peraton Labs. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)