General Dynamics [GD] on Aug. 9 was given the green light to sell $1.15 billion worth of M1 Abrams tanks and other heavy combat vehicles to Saudi Arabia, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The State Department signed off on the foreign military sale of M1A2S Saudi Abrams main battle tanks and M88A1/A2 heavy equipment recovery combat utility lift evacuation system (HERCULES) armored recovery vehicles and associated spare parts, training and support.

Incumbent U.S. tank manufacturer General Dynamics Land Systems was named as the primary contractor for the deal.

Saudi Arabia already operates a fleet of about 300 M1 tanks. It seeks to purchase another 153 M1A/A2 tank structures for conversion to 133 total M1A2 Saudi configuration tanks. It also wants to buy 20 battle damage replacements for losses from its existing fleet.

Included with the tank hulls are 153 Browning M2 .50 caliber machine guns, 266 M240 7.62mm machine guns and 153 M250 smoke grenade launchers, according to DSCA.

Saudi Arabia also wants to buy 20 HERCULES vehicle structures that it will convert into its own variant of armored recovery vehicles. Aside from the vehicles, the deal also could include tank driver vision enhancing helmet systems and AN/PVS-7B night vision devices and about 6,500 rounds of training ammunition for the machine guns.

“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic regional partner which has been and continues to be a leading contributor of political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” DSCA said in an Aug. 9 announcement of State’s approval. “This sale will increase the Royal Saudi Land Force’s (RSLF) interoperability with U.S. forces and conveys U.S. commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security and armed forces modernization…The addition of these tanks and recovery vehicles to the RSLF’s inventory will enhance Saudi Arabia’s ability to support its soldiers in the field and to defend the Kingdom’s borders.”

GD holds a $99.7-million follow-on contract, awarded in 2014, for work upgrading the Royal Saudi Land Forces’ fleet of Abrams tanks. That contract modification continues work started in 2008 to upgrade the M1A1 and M1A2 tanks to the Saudi M1A2 (M1A2S) configuration, which increases the efficiency and capability of the tank.

A GD spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on August 9. The company’s tank work is performed at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio.

GDLS received three other contract modifications in 2013 for work on the Saudis’ tank fleet, including a $133-million contract for 69 tank modifications in January of that year and a $187.5-million contract for 84 tanks in September 2013.

Taiwan, which is developing its own fleet of submarines to protect the island nation, could use American naval expertise to help make the vessels a reality, according to two Asia experts.

Taiwan launched its Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program in 2014 after it was unable to reach a deal to buy eight new diesel-powered submarines from the United States. But to complete work on the 1,500- to 2,500-ton vessels, Taiwan’s navy would benefit greatly from program management assistance and technical support from the United States, said Richard Fisher, senior fellow for Asian military affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, and Ian Easton, research fellow at the Project 2049 Institute.Will the Liberals let the Victoria-class submarine fleet fade away?

“Taiwan has never before designed and built such a large submarine, and simply devising the program for such an undertaking is a very complex task in organization,” Fisher said. “The U.S. has extensive experience in managing complex weapons programs. In addition, the U.S. could provide critical submarine technologies like combat control systems, sonar and submarine weapons.”

Such help should be included in the next arms sales package for Taiwan, said Fisher and Easton, both of whom spoke Aug. 9 at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. Other potential items in the package include M1 Abrams tanks, F-16 fighters, MH-60R Seahawk submarine-hunting helicopters, and electronic warfare systems.

“These would be some of the low-hanging fruit, in my opinion,” Easton said. “The question is, is the political will there? That’s a big question” due to perennial U.S. government concerns about upsetting China.

The new submarines, which are intended to replace two World War II-era Guppy-class submarines and two 1970s-vintage Dutch-built submarines, would improve Taiwan’s ability to defend against a Chinese invasion or blockade and counter China’s burgeoning submarine fleet, Fisher said. Help for the IDS program would also send an important signal that Washington is committed to Taiwan’s self-defense, according to Fisher and Easton.

The most recent arms sale to Taiwan, a $1.8 billion package authorized by the Obama administration in December, included such equipment as Phalanx naval air defense guns; amphibious assault vehicles; Javelin and TOW anti-tank missiles; Stinger air defense missiles; two modernized Perry-class frigates; and data-link terminals for Kidd-class destroyers. It is unclear whether the next sale will occur in the final months of President Obama’s tenure or fall to the next administration.

Saab received a $14 million order for Carl-Gustaf ammunition from the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) for use by the Swedish Army, the company said August 9.

The Carl-Gustaf is a man-portable shoulder-launched 84mm recoilless rifle known in the U.S. as the M3 Multi-role, Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System (MAAWS). It allows dismounted soldiers to attack armored vehicles, clear obstacles, and attack enemies in buildings.

“With this order, of both live and training ammunition, the Swedish Armed Forces continues its efforts to increase the capability of its army on the battlefield. The order is definitely a strong proof of the customer’s trust in the system and in Saab as a supplier”, Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s dynamics business area, said in a statement.

Final delivery of the ammunition is set to occur in 2017.

The State Department approved a possible $231 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) request to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency for precision guided munitions, equipment, and support.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential sale on Aug. 9.

The sale would include multiple guided munitions systems and associated equipment for subsequent retransfer to Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Spain.

The FMS includes 500 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Guidance Kits, KMU-556 F/B; 40 JDAM Guidance Kits, KMU-557 F/B; 1,500 JDAM Guidance Kits, KMU-572 F/B; 1,000 MAU 210 E/B Computer Control Groups for 1,000-lb. Enhanced Paveway IIs; 300 MAU 210 E/B Computer Control Groups for GBU-49s; 1,025 MAU 169 L/B Computer Control Groups for GBU-12s; 1,350 Joint Programmable Fuzes, FMU-152 A/B; 60 Bomb Fin Assembly and Airfoil Group 650-MXU K/B for GBU-12s; and 1,025 Bomb Fin Assembly and Airfoil Group, MXU-650 K/B AFG for GBU-12s.

Other equipment in the sale includes Detector Sensing Unit (DSU)-38A/B Laser sensors; DSU-33D/B proximity sensors; Wireless Paveway Avionics Kit (WIPAK) interfaces for Enhanced Paveway II bombs; FMU-139C/B electronic bomb fuzes; repair and return services; transportation; engineering services; and other support services.

The primary contractors for this sale are Boeing [BA] and Raytheon [RTN].

NATO members would use the equipment as a deterrent to regional threats and increase interoperability within contingency operations. This sale “improves NATO members’ capability to meet current and future ground threats with precision,” DSCA said in a statement.

Implementation of sale would not require the assignment of additional U.S. government or contractor representatives to NATO countries.

Saab AB received a $15 million order for the development of new vehicle electronics for the Leopard 2 tank from the German supplier of the tank to the Swedish Defence Material Administration and Army, Saab said August 10.

Saab received the order from Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH. The order includes design and development of vehicle electronics, delivery of vehicle electronics units and cables, training, and documentation. The order will also allow the tank to be integrated with the Swedish Battalion Combat Management System, Saab said.

“This order shows that we are a long-term supplier in the field of vehicle electronics,” Jonas Hjelm, head of Saab’s support and services business area, said in a statement.

“It’s important that the tank is integrated into the Swedish Battalion Combat Management System. The order reinforces our role both as a supplier for the Battalion Combat Management System and as a supplier and partner of the Swedish Army and the international defence industry,” Hjelm added.

Deliveries of the electronics systems are set for 2018-2022, In Sweden the Leopard 2 tank is designated as Stridsvagn 122.

Fortinet [FTNT] has signed an agreement with the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) to conduct two-way information sharing on cyber threat intelligence, the company said August 9.

Under the agreement the company and agency will exchange cyber threat intelligence and expertise to conduct research and analysis of cyber incidents in South Korea and determine the appropriate security technology and responses to counter attacks. Specifically, the agreement includes exchanges and analysis on threats and vulnerabilities like botnets traced to South Korea, malicious domains and URLs, and malware samples.

Fortinet will also provide zero-day vulnerability research to KISA to coordinate with affected vendors to patch problems.

Fortinet highlighted this new agreement as a “high impact way to enhance South Korea’s cyber resilience and mitigate the vulnerability of attacks.”

The company characterized this collaboration as a way to improve threat intelligence and information sharing between private and public entities to ensure the security of networks across South Korea. KISA will also gain access to Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs global cyber threat research and analysis, which can help South Korean organizations prevent attacks with actionable intelligence.

KISA was established in 2009 and is dedicated to advancing the country’s internet industry and ensure information security. It falls under the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (MSIP).

“It is critical that we partner with cybersecurity leaders, like Fortinet, for actionable threat information knowledge and expertise to effectively protect against cyberattacks,” Kee Seung Baik, president and CEO of KISA, said in a statement.

“There is a greater mission on the part of every security vendor to make the cyber world safer for business and personal use. Fortinet continues to partner with global organizations like KISA, NATO, and INTERPOL, to share valuable cyber threat intelligence to proactively help stop cyberattacks. Public and private sector partnerships are critical to the future of cybersecurity, as collaborative information sharing will ultimately help define global security standards,” Michael Xie, founder, president, and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Fortinet, added.

Fortinet also highlighted continuing collaboration with other law enforcement, government, and industry organizations including NATO, INTERPOL, the Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA), and the OASIS Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) group.

Rheinmetall submitted a comprehensive order to extend the life and upgrade the capabilities of the British Army’s Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank (MBT) fleet, the company said August 11.

Rheinmetall submitted the offer as a response to the United Kingdom’s Challenger 2 Life Extension Project (LEP) Request for Tender. The company said its offering extends the tank’s life and allows it to be brought in-line with the latest generation of MBT capabilities using proven technology readiness systems.

This offering would replace major obsolete components in the Challenger 2 while also introducing new capabilities to significantly improve the army’s combat power, Rheinmetall said.

The company highlighted that it plans to use its experience with MBTs to undertake all of the aspects of the Challenger 2 LEP Design Authority and to also fully incorporate U.K. suppliers into the program when conducting the fleet upgrade and Through Life Support in the U.K.

“Our team has put together an innovative proposal to solve not only the obsolescence issues of the Challenger 2 but to also cost effectively enhance the capabilities of the MBT,” Ben Hudson, head of Rheinmetall’s vehicle systems division, said in a statement.

Part of the company’s proposal is how Rheinmetall can integrate either the existing 120mm L30 rifled gun or the 120mm L55 smooth bore system, in service with the German Army.

“When combined with the new optronics, situational awareness and fire control systems, our solution will allow the Challenger 2 to fight, survive and win on the battlefields of today and tomorrow,” Hudson added.

Peter Hardisty, managing director of Rheinmetall’s Defence U.K. and MAN Military Vehicles U.K. subsidiaries, explained the importance of incorporating U.K. suppliers into the process.

“Incorporating U.K. suppliers into our team is fundamental to the long-term supportability of the U.K. fleet and we have had fantastic support already from a number of U.K. partners who are members of our team, including Supacat, Thales UK and BMT.”

Rheinmetall noted its other current main battle tank work in the upgrade and delivery of Leopard 2 MBT’s for two international customers.

Estonia’s largest power network provider, Elektrilevi, has joined the European Network for Cyber Security (ENCS) to help it improve cyber resilience, the network said August 9.

Founded in 2012, the ENCS is a non-profit organization that works to bring together critical infrastructure stakeholders and security experts to secure critical European energy grids and infrastructure. It has researchers that work with partners on applied research defining technical security requirements, component and end-to-end testing, and education and training. The network uses its network of academic, government, and business partners to provide cybersecurity solutions and counsel to aid national Distributed System Operators (DSO) and regulators.

Elektrilevi, which maintains a network of nearly 40,000 miles of power lines and over 24,000 substations, is the first Eastern European company to join ENCS. It will also join an effort to develop a consistent set of security requirements for operational technology, including distribution automation or smart metering.

Access to these resources will allow Elektrilevi to run procurement processes for secure components and systems in a cost-efficient way, ENCS said.

“As Estonia’s network operator for approximately 90 percent of the households and businesses in the country, our role is to ensure the security of both our network and our customers’ data. By joining ENCS and becoming part of a pan-European community, we will be able to share best practice and ensure that best in class security requirements are reflected in our procurement processes,” Jaanus Tiisvend, board member of Elektrilevi, said in a statement.

Michael John, the ENCS director of consulting services, noted this kind of collaboration among European utilities is necessary to address cybersecurity for critical infrastructure.

“Our role is to enable our members to share information and knowledge in a trusted environment. Through that, we aim to develop protocols and standards to protect both infrastructure and customers across Europe. We’re very pleased that Elektrilevi will be participating in that process and we look forward to working with them.”