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Defense companies sign agreements at NATO Industry Forum
Defense?companies of NATO member states met in Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday to attend an industry forum that was held along with the annual summit. Several defence cooperation and procurement agreements were expected to be signed. Here are some of the recent deals that have been announced: SAAB Saab, a Swedish manufacturer of defence equipment, said that NATO would begin formal negotiations to acquire up to 10 GlobalEye aircraft for airborne early warning control and surveillance. CEO Micael Johansson said reporters that the company could begin deliveries as early as 2030. LOCKHEED MARTIN - RHEINMETALL Lockheed Martin signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rheinmetall on Tuesday for the production of ATACMS missiles jointly in?Germany. This would be the first time that?the short range ballistic missile is manufactured outside the United States. U.S. officials have announced that the United States is also planning to establish a facility in Europe to maintain Lockheed Martin’s advanced PAC-3 missile for air defence. Michael Duffey, the Undersecretary of Defence, said Tuesday. Washington does not rule out the possibility of producing the missiles abroad, according to Duffey, although it is still unclear where the facility for maintenance will be located. NORTHROP GUMMAN NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that allies would buy up to five Northrop Grumman MQ-4C "Triton high altitude surveillance" drones. Norway, Finland Germany and Denmark signed a letter for the purchase. AIRBUS NATO plans to?launch a strategic fleet of Airbus A400M transport 'planes, and expand the existing A330 MRTT transport and tanker fleet by an aircraft. Rutte?said. ISAR AEROSPACE German Rocket Maker Isar 'Aerospace' signed a contract with Canada's Maritime Launch Services for the construction and use of a dedicated launchpad for its Spectrum rocket in Spaceport Nova Scotia. (Reporting and editing by Matt Scuffham, Emanuele Berro)
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What sites have been attacked by Ukraine?
Kyiv’s military and local authorities in Russia confirmed that Ukrainian drones attacked Russia’s largest refinery, Omsk in Siberia this week. It was one of Ukraine’s longest-ranged attacks in the war. Fuel shortages are worsened by the drone attacks in Russia. People have reported higher prices and longer queues at filling stations throughout most regions. Here is a list of recent attacks and their impact. OMSK Ukrainian drones attacked the Omsk refinery 'on Monday causing a fire. There were no injuries. Governor Vitaly Khotsenko said that Russian air defences destroyed the majority of drones used in the attack. The extent of the damage to the refinery was not immediately known. The oil refinery in Omsk has a design capacity of approximately 22 million tons of oil per annum. NORSI Ukrainian drones attacked NORSI, Russia’s fourth largest oil refinery owned by Lukoil for the second time on 2 July and crude oil processing has been suspended. The attack damaged CDU-6 which can process 25700 metric tonnes per day (190,000 barrels) and represents 53% of refinery capacity. NORSI is Russia's largest gasoline producer. It can process up to 16 million metric tonnes of oil per annum, or about 320,000 barrels per day. SLAVYANSK On June 28, local authorities reported that Ukrainian drones had struck Russian targets, including the Slavyansk Oil Refinery in southern Krasnodar. Slavyansk is a private refinery with a capacity of around 100,000 barrels per dna. It provides fuel for domestic use as well as export. YAROSLAVL Ukrainian troops attacked a Russian refinery in Yaroslavl on July 6th, about 250 km (160 mi) northeast of Moscow. The General Staff of Ukraine announced the attack on Telegram. The refinery can process 15 million metric tonnes per year or around 300,000 barrels a day. UFA Ukraine forces attacked for the second time, on 1 July, an oil refinery near the southern Ural Mountains, about 1,150 km (715 mi) east of Moscow. This refinery is capable of processing more than 7,000,000 tons of oil per year. ORENBURG On June 24, the Ukrainian military announced that it had hit Orenburg's gas processing plant. The plant has a production capacity of 45 billion cubic metres of natural gas each year. MOSCOW MOSCOW oil refinery has halted operations after a drone attack by Ukraine on June 16th, according to two industry sources. On June 18, a second attack caused damage to processing units, and multiple fires were started across the site. The Kapotnya district in the south-east of the capital has a capacity of 11 million tons per year. TANECO Tatneft Russian's TANECO refinery halted its operations on June 12 after a drone strike. TANECO, one of Russia's technologically most advanced refineries, is equipped with hydrocracking units, catalytic cracked and delayed coking. According to data from the industry, TANECO will process 17.0 millions tons of crude oil by 2024. It will produce 2.7 million tonnes of motor gasoline and 8.5 million tonnes of diesel fuel, as well as 1.3 million tonnes of petroleum coke. KUIBYSHEV Rosneft’s Kuibyshev refinery stopped processing after a drone strike on June 10. According to industry sources, the Kuibyshev Refinery will process 4.7 million tonnes of crude oil in 2024. That's 94,400 barrels per day. This refinery produces 0.8 million metric tons of gasoline, 1,4 million metric tons of diesel, and 1.3 millions metric tons of fuel. SYZRAN On May 21, the Ukrainian military and president Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Ukrainian drones had struck the Rosneft owned Syzran oil refining plant in the Samara area. Two industry sources confirmed that the refinery stopped operations following the attack, which damaged a primary unit. The refinery had suspended oil refining following drone attacks on 18 April. The refinery can process 8.5 million tonnes per year or 170,000 barrels a day. According to industry sources, in 2024 it will process 4.3 million?tons crude oil into 800,000 tonnes of gasoline, 1,5 million tons diesel, and 700,000 tonnes of fuel oil. TUAPSE Ukraine attacked a Russian refinery in the Black Sea Port of Tuapse, the Ukrainian Military's General Staff reported. Officials said that a drone attack caused a major oil refinery fire on April 28. The facility, which exports the majority of its products, had to stop?operations. The refinery has a production capacity of 12 million tons per annum, or about 240,000 barrels a day. It produces naphtha and diesel as well as fuel oil, vacuum gasoil, and fuel oil. Authorities said that Ukrainian drones attacked the Baltic Sea ports Vysotsk, Ust-Luga and Sevastopol on July 6, causing damage to the major oil export outlet of the Baltic Sea. They also caused a blackout of power in Sevastopol (home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet) and the Crimean city of Sevastopol. Local authorities reported on June 8 that a loading complex in Russia's Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk caught fire after a drone strike. Regional authorities in Krasnodar said that a fire started at the southern Russian Port of Temryuk following a Ukrainian drone strike. Mikhail Yevrayev, the governor of Russia's Yaroslavl Region, said that fuel storage facilities in the region caught fire on May 29 after a Ukraine drone strike. Ukraine launched an attack on Russian ports in the Baltic Sea and Black Sea, including Primorsk, oil tanks and military vessels on May 3. (Reporting and Editing by Gareth Jones).
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Defense companies sign agreements at NATO Industry Forum
Defence companies from NATO member states gathered in Ankara for an industry forum that was held along with the annual summit of the alliance. Here are some of the recent deals that have been announced: SAAB Swedish defence company Saab announced that NATO would begin formal negotiations to acquire up to 10 GlobalEye early warning and control aircraft. Micael J. Johansson, CEO of the company, told reporters that the company would begin deliveries by 2030 and the final cost per aircraft would be between $400 - $450 million. LOCKHEED MARTIN RHEINMETALL Lockheed Martin signed a Memorandum of Understanding with?Rheinmetall on Tuesday for the production of ATACMS in Germany. This would be the first time the missile was produced outside of the United States. NORTHROP GUMMAN NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced that NATO allies will purchase up to five Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton drones for high altitude surveillance. Norway, Finland and Germany signed a letter of intention. AIRBUS NATO 'will launch a fleet of strategic Airbus A400M transport aircraft and expand 'its existing A330 MRTT?tanker and transport -fleet?by one aircraft. Rutte stated. ISAR AEROSPACE German Rocket Maker Isar Aerospace has signed a contract with Canada’s Maritime Launch Services to build and use a dedicated launchpad for its Spectrum rocket in Spaceport Nova Scotia.
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The draft Egyptian law that expands the powers of a military-linked economic entity
According to a copy of a bill that was seen by the Egyptian press, lawmakers will review a draft of a law which would significantly expand the 'powers of Future of Egypt Authority. The draft law will confirm and formalise Future of Egypt's rise under President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, since 2017 when it began as a small project for land reclamation. In 2022, the presidential decree transformed it into an economic authority and then took over handling the country's imports of wheat. The cabinet stamped the draft law copy, which describes the agency having a "independent" status, full financial, administrative and technical autonomy and a mandate "to maximise Egypt's economic strength" as well as support for food, energy, and water. The draft bill will be presented as part of a larger push, partly driven through the International Monetary Fund, to revamp how Egypt manages its state assets after periods of severe economic pressure. SOVEREIGN FUNDING, LAND RIGHTS The draft law allows the president to transfer state assets and money, including shares in state-owned companies, as well as rights to manage state and public property, to the authority after consultation with the cabinet, without specifying the need for parliamentary approval. The bill's core is the creation by presidential order of "sustainable growth zones", where ownership of state land and facilities, as well as licensing and regulatory powers, automatically pass to the authority. In these zones, the authority could create its own system for investment, governance, registration, and fees. These zones would be treated like free-zones in terms of taxation and customs. The bill also creates the Future of Egypt Sovereign Fund or "Nile Pyramids", a sovereign fund that will invest state-designated assets both domestically and internationally, partner with foreign sovereign funds and preserve wealth for future generation. Daem (Support) is a parallel service fund that would invest investment profits in education, housing, health and infrastructure projects. The?executive director of both funds would have a ranking equal to a deputy minister and the president of the authority a rank equivalent to he minister. This would place the authority at the top of Egypt's executive hierarchical structure, alongside the cabinet. The draft law also allows the authority to acquire other sovereign funds, investment funds, and economic funds that are owned wholly by the state. Future of Egypt did not immediately respond to an? Future of Egypt did not immediately respond to a request for comment. EXEMPTIONS FROM TAX AND LEGAL Future of Egypt was entrusted to run one of the largest wheat import operations in the world since 2024. The company has also taken control of major Egyptian fisheries and lakes, bought the largest stake in the Egyptian Commodities Exchange and expanded its business into luxury housing, construction, renewable energies and infant formula. Future of Egypt was mandated in May of last year to reclaim 4.5 million feddans, which is nearly half of Egypt’s cultivated land. This includes areas in the Sinai and western desert, as well as lands near Sudan and Libya. The draft law would exempt certain transactions from stamp duty, value-added taxes, and registration fees. The bill also limits legal challenges to contracts and asset dispositions by the authority to those directly involved. Third-party lawsuits are prohibited, except in cases where a criminal conviction has been established for an offense involving public money. Reporting by Mohamed Ezz, Editing by Aidan Lewis
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Kyiv reports that Ukraine has struck eight Russian tankers from the shadow fleet.
Kyiv’s military announced on Tuesday that Ukrainian drones had struck eight Russian tankers, the so-called “shadow fleet”, which were delivering fuel to Crimea over night. This was part of an increasing effort to isolate Russia-occupied Crimea. Ukraine's drone force released a Telegram statement confirming that they had hit the vessels – each under international sanctions with a total deadweight of 7,000 tons – in the Sea?of Azov. The same forces had announced the day before that they had also hit two other shadow-fleet ships in the same region. Ukraine has intensified its attacks on the energy and logistics infrastructure in Crimea over the past few weeks, causing fuel shortages in this?territory and sparking a state-of-emergency. This is crucial to Russia's ongoing?war against its smaller neighbor, which now enters its fifth year. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. It is planning a full-scale invasion of the region in 2022. The drone forces stated that "striking enemy naval logistics complicates supply of fuel and ammo necessary to support Russian troops' activities, especially in temporarily occupied Crimea." The drone unit released black-and white footage of ships that were being attacked and exploding in flames. Could not independently verify the information. Kyiv has urged its allies for years to take action against vessels that'skirt sanctions' by delivering Russian oil on international markets. Ukrainian forces used sea drones in a campaign against Moscow to stop some Russian oil tankers from delivering their product?into the Black Sea. A series of mysterious explosions have occurred on tankers calling at Russian ports. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in these?attacks. However, maritime security sources believe Ukraine to be behind them. Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka, Dan Peleschuk and Tom Balmforth. Additional reporting by Tom Balmforth. Writing by Dan Peleschuk. Editing by Daniel Flynn and Andrew Heavens. Sharon Singleton.
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Defense companies sign agreements at NATO Industry Forum
Defense companies from NATO member countries gathered in Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday to attend an industry forum that was held along with the annual summit of the alliance. Here are some of the latest deals: SAAB, the Swedish defence equipment manufacturer, said NATO would begin formal negotiations to acquire up to 10 GlobalEye early warning and control airborne aircraft. CEO Micael Jönsson said that the company could begin deliveries as early as 2030 and that the final price would be between $400 million and $450 million for each aircraft. LOCKHEED MARTIN AND RHEINMETALL On 'Tuesday, the two 'defence companies' signed a Memorandum of Understanding to produce ATACMS missiles jointly in Germany. This would be the first time that the short-range missile has been manufactured outside of the United States. NORTHROP GUMMAN NATO Secretary general Mark Rutte announced that allies would buy up to five MQ-4C Triton surveillance drones from Northrop Grumman. Norway, Finland Germany and Denmark signed a letter of intention for the purchase. Rutte'said that AIRBUS NATO would launch a strategic?airlift?fleet of A400M transport aircraft and expand their existing A330 MRTT?and tanker /transport fleet by an additional aircraft. ISAR AEROSPACE The German company Isar Aerospace has signed a contract to provide access to launch infrastructure and services at Spaceport Nova Scotia, and to improve the orbital launch readiness of Spaceport Nova Scotia. This was announced by NATO in a press release.
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Oil Gains after Vessel Attacks near Strait of Hormuz
Prices of oil rose Tuesday after reports of an attack on vessels near the Strait of 'Hormuz rekindled fears that shipping along the vital energy transit route could be disrupted. Brent crude futures rose 89 cents or 1.24% to $72.88 per barrel while U.S. West Texas intermediate crude gained 71 cents or 1.04% to $69.26 per barrel at 0939 GMT. Ole Hansen, analyst at Saxo Bank, said: "This morning's dominant theme is the shooting of a ship in the Strait of Hormuz." This is bringing back some geopolitical risk premium into the price. It's not much compared to what we've seen before, but it is the main factor?behind bids in the market." If there is any further increase, $75 would be the next level to consider ahead of $80. A tanker flying the Saudi flag was damaged in the Strait of Hormuz, near the coast of Oman. This happened after a tanker carrying Qatari Liquefied Natural Gas was also struck. Four sources familiar with the situation said that a Qatari LNG tanker sustained significant damage when it was struck as it?travelled through the Omaniside?of the Strait on Tuesday. This follows reports that Iran's Revolutionary Guards had fired missiles overnight at ships passing through the waterway. Iran's Foreign Minister said that if U.S. threat continue, then talks to reach a final agreement between Tehran and Washington won't take place. This comes after U.S. president Donald Trump threatened to "finish the deal" without a deal. Investors monitor the talks between the U.S. Shipping data shows that Japan will get a boost in Middle East crude supplies this month, as two more Japanese-owned supertankers containing Saudi oil were exiting the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday. Societe Generale has said that the oil market will shift from a deficiency to a surplus by 2026. This is because supply growth will outpace slower demand growth. Bank of America cut its oil forecasts from $83 to $75 per barrel for the fourth quarter 2026 and from $79 to $73 on average in 2027. It also said that inventories would gradually recover, but volatility was likely to remain high. Five sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that Saudi Arabia is considering expanding its crude oil pipeline capacity to 'the western Red Sea Coast. This would allow the kingdom, and perhaps its neighbours, to transport more oil, without having to use the Strait of Hormuz. Reporting by Anushree Mathur and Pranav Mukherjee in Bengaluru, and Emily Chow and Barbara Lewis in Singapore. Editing by Jacqueline Wong Jamie Freed Barbara Lewis
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NATO allies discuss Hormuz tensions and mission with Gulf Arabs
On Tuesday, NATO foreign ministers are scheduled to meet their Gulf Arab counterparts in order to discuss the current stalemate regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. This will include a Franco-British initiative for a multilateral maritime mission which Iran has rejected so far. Ministers from Bahrain Kuwait Qatar and United Arab Emirates will attend the meeting, which is taking place on the sidelines a NATO summit being held in Ankara. This comes after weeks of tensions along the Strait of Hormuz despite a temporary U.S. Iran peace agreement. SHOWING SUPPORT FOR GULF ARAB NATIONS UKMTO, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, reported early on Tuesday morning that a 'tanker' was hit east of Oman Limah. Axios had reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guards had fired at least two rockets at commercial vessels?transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. Maxime Prevot, the Belgian Foreign Minister, said that the Iranians had targeted the Gulf countries directly this spring, including Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. "Their stability is inextricably tied to ours." He added that the issue goes beyond just the Strait of Hormuz, no matter how important it is for "Europe's security of energy". TRUMP CRITICIZES NATO ON HORMUZ After the United States and Israel launched a military operation against it in February, Iran began blocking the waterway. The passage is still difficult despite the mid-June interim agreement, which has driven up oil prices and shipping costs, as well as put pressure on global supply chain. NATO allies avoided direct involvement in this conflict and instead focused on plans outside of the alliance to reopen this strait through which a fifth or more of the world’s oil supplies normally pass. Donald Trump, who is due to arrive in Ankara on Tuesday evening, has criticized NATO allies' reluctance?to contribute to efforts to reopen this waterway. IRANIAN BACKING IS NEEDED FOR THE FRANCO BRITISH MISSION The European nations said that they did not want to get involved in the war which was started without their consent, but were ready to help secure the Strait after the war. France and Britain are leading efforts to form a coalition of?roughly 12 countries? that will guarantee safe passage across the Strait when tensions subside or the conflict is settled. However, any long-term agreement would require Iranian consent. Iran has consistently opposed any 'foreign military presence' in the region and dismissed last week remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron indicating that the mission would continue. In the area, several NATO allies operate warships, minehunters and support vessels. Paris and London are hoping to announce an initial mission within the next few days in the Gulf of Oman. This waterway connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, and is bordered by Iran and the UAE. A Franco-British statement issued on July 3 stated that "The Sultanate of Oman agreed to work with United Kingdom and France in order to ensure the safety of navigation within its sovereign territorial waterways." (Reporting and editing by Andrei Khalip, John Irish)
Rutte: NATO will launch A400M strategic airlift fleet
Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, announced on the sidelines a NATO summit held in Ankara that NATO would launch a strategic 'fleet' of Airbus A400M Transport planes. The alliance will also add an A330 MRTT Tanker to its fleet. He spoke at a defence industry event where allies announced arms deals worth billions to show they were heeding U.S. requests to spend more on Europe's defense before joining President Donald Trump in the evening for a summit.
Rutte stated that air power is crucial to bolstering our deterrence, and defence.
The MRTT project is based in Eindhoven (Netherlands) and has nine A330s that can be used as passenger or troop aircraft. The military alliance can fill in the gaps left by the United States' reduction of its contribution to its defence plans with the addition of a?another?tanker.
NATO aims to increase the fleet size to 12 ships in the future. The programme includes Belgium, Czechia. Denmark, Finland. Germany, Luxembourg. Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
According to a military source, the U.S. does not disclose details about its cuts. However, they include refuelling fighters, drones, and ships as well as refuelling planes.
Trump has accused European governments for years of over-relying upon the U.S. through NATO to protect them.
Airbus, the company that builds the A400M airlifter as well as the A330 jet on which the A400M tanker is based said the A400M shared fleet would include?Belgium?, Britain?, France?,?Spain?, Turkey?, Croatia?, and Poland?.
This announcement is a major boost for A400M. It was developed to fill a European gap in military cargo and troop transportation to difficult terrain. Exports are slow, leaving doubts about its future.
Airbus has lowered its earlier warnings about the future of A400M production.
The pool of aircraft would be drawn initially from those already in service and then from others in the pipeline. A spokesperson confirmed that the operation could lead to future orders, though it is premature to speculate how many and when. (Reporting and editing by Bart Meijer, Andrei Khalip, Tim Hepher)
(source: Reuters)