NEC Corporation has completed an agreement to acquire the Brazilian-based IT security company Arcon Informatica S.A., NEC said August 19.

Arcon was established in 1995 and operated cybersecurity consulting and managed security services with customers in the energy, finance, telecommunications, manufacturing, and government agency sectors.

NEC said that although Brazilian economic growth has slowed significantly in recent years given economic and financial problems in the country, the IT market continues to gradually grow. The company said it expects the IT security market in Brazil to grow especially fast in the next few years.

NEC has had a local affiliate in Brazil since 1968 and provides services including the provision of technologies and services to support telecommunications, broadcasting, and essential infrastructure. Lately the company has been solidifying its safety business, which includes leveraging biometrics authentication technologies and comprehensive infrastructure for large-scale facilities like stadiums and airports.

“The acquisition of Arcon enables us to mutually capitalize on their leading technologies, know-how, and customer base in order to drive the expansion of the Cyber Security field in Brazil. Moreover, we aim to proactively create synergies between our companies that provide even greater value for our new, existing and future clients,” Daniel Mirabile, president of NEC in Brazil, said in a statement.

The State Department approved a possible $124 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) request to Qatar for Mk-V Fast Patrol Boats, equipment, training, and support.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential sale on Aug. 19.

The sale would include major defense equipment (MDE) of eight M2HB .50 Caliber machine guns. Non-MDE in the sale includes an unnamed number of Mk-V Fast Patrol Boats, Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) Systems, MLG 27mm Gun Systems, 27mm ammunition, 27mm target practice ammunition, .50 Caliber ammunition, support equipment, publications, technical documentation, personnel training, U.S. government and contractor engineering, in-country support, and technical and logistics support services.

The primary contractor for this sale is United States Marine Incorporated (USMI).

Qatar would use this equipment to protect its critical sea-based infrastructure and maritime security, DSCA said. The agency highlighted the FMS promotes U.S. foreign policy by helping improve the security of a friendly country.

Implementation of the sale would require multiple trips by U.S. government and contractor representatives to Qatar to participate in program and technical reviews, system integration, as well as training and maintenance support in country for five years.

Lithuania, along with the European Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), ordered 88 Boxer multirole fighting vehicles for $441 million from Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), the companies said August 22.

The order, placed August 22 in Vilnius, Lithuania via OCCAR, is planned to run from 2017 to 2021. The Boxers will be configured as infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) with a remote-controlled turret-mounted with a 30mm automatic cannon. The order is going through ARTEC GmbH, a joint venture between both companies: 53 vehicles will be manufactured by KMW and 35 by Rheinmetall.

This order will make Lithuania the third NATO country to field the Boxer after Germany (400 vehicles) and the Netherlands (200).

Rheinmetall and KMW said the Boxer is a highly protected 8×8 wheeled vehicle, offering protection from mines, IEDs, and indirect fire. It is powered by a 530 kW (720 HP) turbo-charged diesel engine and has a top speed of over 62 mph with a combat weight of 36.5 metric tons. The Boxer also has a modular concept separated between driver cab and mission modules.

The Lithuanian military plans to call the Boxer the Vilkas, meaning wolf, following successful field trials.

Saab AB received an order to deliver a high fidelity Tactical Engagement Simulation System (TESS) for an undisclosed sum, the first under a recently signed five-year agreement with New Zealand, the company said August 22.

TESS is a live training laser-based system that draws on over 35 years of simulation design, delivery, and support expertise, the company said. Saab will work with the New Zealand Army to deliver an off-the-shelf TESS capability meant to help enhance the army’s ability to conduct and analyze the outcomes of force-on-force exercises.

“We look forward to working closely with the New Zealand Army to enhance its training outcomes. We are proud to deliver this significant training system to the New Zealand Army, which will now lead the region in the employment of advanced laser-based tactical engagement systems to support training,” Saab Australasia head of training and simulation, Inger Lawes, said in a statement.

“With this agreement and order for training systems, the New Zealand Army will have a market-leading live training system that will improve their training capability,” Åsa Thegström, head of the training and simulation business unit in Saab’s dynamics business area, said in a statement.

“We deliver a modern system that enables a wide range of training scenarios and the highest realism. This order further strengthens our market position within this field” Thegström added.

OHB System AG awarded Northrop Grumman [NOC] a contract to supply a space inertial reference system for Germany’s SARah satellite-based radar reconnaissance system, Northrop Grumman said August 22.

The company will provide its Scalable Space Intertial Reference Unit-L (Scalable SIRU-L) to offer sensor pointing/stabilization and attitude control on the SARah satellite system. This is the first international application of the Scalable SIRU-L configuration, Northrop Grumman said.

The Scalable SIRU-L is derived from the SIRU model but is affordable because its calibration process leads to a shorter delivery schedule and lower cost, the company said.

The Scalabel SIRU is a long-life attitude control product that supports commercial, government, and civil space missions. It is based around a patented hemispheral resonator gyro, which has had over 35 million operating hours in space with no mission failures.

“We are excited to provide our allies with a cost-effective, low-risk solution that will ensure mission effectiveness throughout the entire life of the mission,” said Dean Ebert, vice president of the Northrop Grumman Mission Systems navigation and positioning systems business unit.

Airlander 10, a giant airship prototype that used to be part of the U.S. Army’s now-canceled Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) program, crashed at the end of its second flight test Aug. 24 in the United Kingdom.

During the “heavy landing,” the front of the Airlander’s flight deck sustained “some damage, which is currently being assessed,” said Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the British firm that is developing the airship. “Both pilots and the ground crew are safe and well and the aircraft is secured and stable at its normal mooring location.” UK_army

When the mishap occurred, the helium-filled, four-engine prototype, which is the length of an American football field, was trying to return to Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire, England, where HAV is based. The vehicle had flown for 100 minutes and had completed all of its planned tasks, the company said.

An investigation of the crash is under way. Airlander 10 completed its first flight, which lasted about 15 minutes, on Aug. 17.

According to HAV, Airlander 10 is the largest aircraft currently flying and combines technology from fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and lighter-than-air vehicles “to create a new breed of hyper-efficient aircraft.” The vehicle is designed to stay airborne for up to five days at a time if manned, and for over two weeks if unmanned.

Airlander 10 is intended to carry communications gear, perform surveillance and transport cargo for military and commercial users. A “big brother” variant, Airlander 50, is under development and is supposed to be able to ferry over 50 tons of cargo.

What is now called Airlander 10 was once the centerpiece of LEMV, a technology demonstration effort that the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command launched in 2010 to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Northrop Grumman [NOC] was the prime contractor.

But the Army program was short-lived. in 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that LEMV was about 12,000 pounds overweight and 10 months behind schedule. In 2013, the Army canceled LEMV and sold the airship back to HAV, which later rebuilt the vehicle.

The NATO alliance is preparing for the NATO Information Assurance and Cyber Defense Symposium (NIAS) 2016 where over 1,000 alliance officials and industry representatives will meet to talk about emerging trends in cybersecurity.

Set for Sept.7-8 in Mons, Belgium, the conference is being organized by the NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency.

The NCI Agency highlighted the event will help NATO plan its vision for future cyber defenses with invitations and that bids are expected to be released in 2017 and the first round of investments will be completed in 2018.

NIAS 2016 will provide workshops on four major themes: building resilience from inside, moving from information assurance to mission assurance, next-generation cyber security challenges and solutions, and securely enabling the mobile user.

NIAS 2016 comes following the NATO Warsaw Summit of July 8-9 where the allies committed to implementing NATO’s Enhanced Policy on Cyber Defense and to strengthen the alliance’s cyber defense capabilities. Also in July the alliance announced business opportunities worth up to $3.4 billion in the cyber, air, missile defense, and advanced software sectors. That includes almost $79 million in a cyber technology refresh.

In July NATO also identified specific areas it would seek industry contribution: secure mobility, multi-level authentications, and the secure use of public clouds.

NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges Ambassador Sorin Ducaru said the Warsaw Summit officially recognized cyberspace as a domain on par with land, sea, air, and space. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg first said NATO recognized cyberspace as a domain in June. That recognition “will enable us to better assure the protection of our missions and operations.”

“Allies also pledged to strengthen and enhance the cyber defenses of national networks and infrastructures as a matter of priority. Both initiatives form part of the continuous adaptation of NATO’s cyber defenses. Engaging industry is critical to this adaptation, allowing NATO to benefit from innovation in cyber defense. This will be vital for the next generation of our cyber defenses,” Ducaru said.

Emphasizing the importance of cyber cooperation and the upcoming conference, NCI Agency general manager Koen Gijsbers noted “with 28, soon to be 29 NATO member countries, it is essential that we are all able to work together, accessing information quickly and securely from any location.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was briefed on cybersecurity at NATO’s cyber center August 24 during a two-day state visit to Estonia.

Merkel was given a general overview of cyber security at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCDCOE), based in Tallinn, Estonia. The briefing highlighted that cyberspace is a new domain where countries must cooperate more than before, the center said.

The CCDCOE is a NATO-accredited knowledge hub based that focuses on interdisciplinary applied research and development concerning cyber security. It includes consultations, training, and information-sharing among NATO members, allies, and partners in cyber defense.

Sven Sakkov, director of the CCDCOE, emphasized that Germany is a founding member of the center and became a major contributor in 2008 by providing researchers and a chief of staff. Germany is the largest contributor to the CCDCOE after Estonia.

“Germany, as many other nations, is building up cyber capabilities. This is a new world in which international cooperation between Allies is more important than ever,” Sakkov said in a statement, alluding to how the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) is creating a cyber unit.

“All nations are facing increasing challenges ranging from applying legislation to cyberspace to protecting their own networks. No future conflict between advanced adversaries is likely to be fought without a cyber element,” he added.

During her visit, Merkel also met with Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas and President Toomas Hendruk Ilves and also visited the e-Estonia Showroom to deliver a speech on Estonia and Germany working together at the SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corp.) Event Center.

“I hope that after your visit, Estonian information technology (IT) companies and experts will have a concrete opportunity to cooperate with their German counterparts in order to initiate a digital revolution in the industry; and develop smart cyber solutions together,” Rõivas said when introducing Merkel at the e-Estonia Showroom.

“I hope that my visit to Meseberg this spring and Chancellor Merkel’s visit to Tallinn today will lay the foundations for concrete cooperation between Estonia and Germany in the field of IT,” Rõivas said during their August 25 meeting.

“Estonian IT companies and experts are keen to cooperate with Germans in order to find new solutions to boost our economies and improve the lives of our citizens,” he added.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Lockheed Martin [LMT] has developed a new ground-based radar to perform air surveillance.

Unveiled at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium that took place in Huntsville Aug. 16-18, the TPY-X radar can detect manned and unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles at ranges of up to about 250 nautical miles, said Paul Goulette, Lockheed Martin business development manager for ground-based radar. The company has tested it against airborne targets, including small fighters.

The rotating radar can be configured for short-, medium- or long-range surveillance. At the symposium, it was set up for long-range detection and was about 30 feet tall. The digital, software-defined radar also can be adjusted to defend against new electronic attack threats.

“The big advantage, really, is that it’s flexible and that it’s easily changed in terms of what it can do,” Goulette said. “It’s scalable because it has these modular building blocks, so you can make it bigger or you can make it smaller.”

TPY-X is intended mainly for the export market, but its technology could be applied to the U.S. military, including the Army’s Patriot radar replacement program and the Air Force’s Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) program, according to Lockheed Martin.

“Everybody needs surveillance radars,” Goulette said. “There are a large number of radars out there that could be replaced by such technology.”

Accenture [ACN] entered into an agreement to acquire the Australian-based Redcore, a consulting company that focuses on several IT security issues, Accenture said August 22.

Redcore was founded in 2010 and provides identity and access management services (IAM) as well as security services for cloud, network management, public key infrastructure, cyber defense, applications, and the internet of things (IoT). Its clients are in the government, finance, health, retail, and communications industries. Redcore has about 130 employees.

Redcore earlier deployed large-scale cybersecurity solutions in use by major Australian banks and government agencies, including multi-factor authentication and secure application gateways, Accenture said.

“The acquisition of Redcore will allow us to expand our existing IAM services and security-as-a-Service capabilities – along with other critical cyber defense services – while also immediately extending our leadership position in the Asia-Pacific region,” Kelly Bissell, managing director of Accenture Security, said in a statement,

“Together, we will be better positioned to tailor intelligent security services to organizations’ unique businesses and industries and deliver innovative solutions that help build business resilience from the inside out,” she added.

“We are excited to become part of Accenture Security and to bring our proven deep, highly-specialized skills and services to strengthen Accenture’s IAM and other cybersecurity offerings. We are very proud of Redcore’s wonderful team and our achievements, and we now look forward to creating an unrivalled combined cybersecurity team and launching capabilities that will change the market,” Joseph Failla, co-founder of Redcore, said in a statement.