The Finnish government announced plans to raise annual defense spending from $6.8 billion to $11.5 billion by 2032 as part of its efforts to counter emerging threats. That would bring Finland’s defense spending to 3.3% of gross domestic product (GDP), well above NATO’s 2% guideline and above Finland’s current spending, which is expected to be 2.4% of 2024’s GDP. A defense report presented in December 2024 to the Eduskunta, Finland’s parliament, cited increased threats to the West against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia has “stepped towards a more open, unpredictable and protracted confrontation with the West…and will…
Sentry Staff
The United States Space Forces-Space (S4S) marked its first anniversary in December 2024 by celebrating multiple accomplishments aimed at meeting emerging security challenges in the space domain. U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) established S4S as its Space Force component to normalize the presentation of space forces across combatant commands, supporting defense of the U.S. and its Allies and Partners. S4S “is the service component that writes tactics, builds CONOPs [concept of operations], and gains and maintains space superiority,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said in a U.S. Space Force news release. “Guardians are warfighters, not simply force providers.” S4S’s…
New United States government guidance on the sharing of missile technology aims to help Allies and Partners develop weapons technologies by easing export control regulations. Guidance on the application of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) released in January 2025 calls for greater flexibility for case-by-case review and support for “certain partners with strong export control systems” to develop some Category I missiles (with the capability to deliver a payload of at least 500 kilograms to a range of at least 300 kilometers), according to a White House fact sheet. The guidance also covers unmanned aerial systems and space launch…
NATO Allies and other European nations are working to increase security of undersea cables and other infrastructure in the Baltic Sea after what they described as multiple acts of sabotage. The Alliance announced in January 2025 that it is launching Baltic Sentry, a new mission to protect undersea cables in the region. Baltic Sentry will use frigates, maritime patrol aircraft and a fleet of naval drones to provide enhanced surveillance and deterrence, The Associated Press reported. “Across the Alliance, we have seen elements of a campaign to destabilize our societies through cyberattacks, assassination attempts and sabotage, including possible sabotage of…
Sentry Contributor In an era of escalating global threats and competition, NATO’s ability to deter aggression by near-peer competitors and meet threats with a unified and capable front is key to ensuring security, Adm. Sir Tony Radakin, United Kingdom chief of defense staff, said during a December 2024 speech to the Royal United Services Institute in London. “The value of deterrence and collective security is real for our Allies in Eastern Europe — countries whose borders have been progressively shaped and reshaped by autocratic and expansionist powers and feel the proximity of Russia’s aggression every day,” Radakin said. “If we…
Canada’s new Arctic foreign policy aims to counter emerging threats from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia by strengthening international partnerships and increasing the nation’s military presence. Unveiled in December 2024, the strategy calls for Canada to open new consulates in Anchorage, Alaska, and Nuuk, Greenland, and to appoint an Arctic ambassador. The country will also acquire eight new icebreakers to patrol the region to upgrade the Canadian Coast Guard’s maritime domain awareness. “Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has led us all to ask, ‘Who’s next?’ It is clear that Russia has no red lines. Its designs on…
Ensuring safe, effective and fair deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms requires the United States, its Allies and Partners, and industry to develop consistent guidelines, leaders said at a conference on international AI policy. “We must craft frameworks that maximize innovation while ensuring the trustworthy, secure and ethical use of AI. This balance is the cornerstone of effective AI governance,” Shigeo Yamada, Japanese ambassador on AI governance, said at the December 2024 conference, hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. “How we will ensure AI is trustworthy and beneficial for everyone remains an open question.”…
Sentry Contributor The United States military successfully completed a milestone hypersonic missile flight test. The U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) and Navy Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) collaborated for the December 2024 test, conducted at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, which launched a hypersonic missile that reached more than Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. The exercise was the first live-fire event for the long-range hypersonic weapon system using a battery operations center and transporter erector launcher, enabling the system to be transported horizontally and positioned vertically for launch. “This test builds on…
Sentry Staff The United States Department of Defense’s (DOD) Replicator initiative is accelerating development and delivery of state-of-the-art hardware to the warfighter. Now the effort has turned its focus on new software to power those machines. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the DOD organization focused on fielding and scaling commercial technology across the U.S. military at commercial speeds, announced in November 2024 contract awards for two commercial solutions openings (CSO) earlier in the year in collaboration with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), the Military Services, the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO), and other components across DOD. “We believe that…
Sentry Contributor United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers concluded a series of strategic training missions in December 2024 with multiple northern European NATO members, including the first-ever B-52 simulated weapons drop exercise in Finland. The exercises were part of a wider effort to integrate with Allies and Partners in Northern Europe, namely Norway, Finland and Sweden, the last two which joined NATO in April 2023 and March 2024 respectively and whose regular participation will ensure interoperability and communications in the face of security threats in the region. The exercise iteration over Finland comprised Finnish F/A-18C Hornets and Swedish Air…