Latest news with #armsrace
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump's new missile that could halt a Chinese invasion of Taiwan
A frantic arms race between the US and China is underway in the Pacific while the fate of Taiwan hangs in the balance. Washington and its allies are trying to stay ahead of Chinese capabilities, shaking Beijing off-balance as it considers whether it can launch a successful invasion of Taiwan. At the heart of the US strategy is a new technology that has the ability to inflict devastating losses on the Chinese navy: precision strike missiles (PrSMs, pronounced 'prisms'). The missile has just been tested in Australia, where it struck a target more than 190 miles away, marking the first time the Lockheed Martin-manufactured weapon has been used by a US ally. It can be fired with either American-made Himars or British MLRS artillery systems: missile launchers that were recently used by Ukraine to launch counter-offensives on invading Russian forces and strike deep inside enemy territory, blunting Moscow's advances. Game-changing firepower To date, those launchers have been used with Atacms missiles, which have been in service for more than three decades with a top range of some 190 miles. But PrSMs reportedly have a range of more than 300 miles, with the potential for this to improve in future variants. And at the recent test flight in Australia, the missile reached speeds of 4,000kmph, beating the Atacms by some 300kmph. Each launch pod will be able to hold two of the precision missiles, compared to just a single Atacm, according to Alex Miller, the US Army's chief technology officer. It is also said to be less susceptible to jamming. The PrSMs combine those next-generation improvements with the advantages of the Himars and MLRS systems, which are quick, agile and relatively easy to disguise – and could wreak havoc on Chinese ships attempting an invasion. Brad Bowman, a senior director at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said: 'It really creates a challenge for our adversaries, because where that system is now, it may not be there in 30 seconds or five minutes… That's a real detection and targeting dilemma.' Both the US and China are ramping up their military capabilities in the Pacific and particularly around Taiwan, which Beijing regards as part of its territory even though it has effectively been independent since the 1940s. Taiwan under threat Earlier this year, Xi Jinping, the Chinese premier, said 'reunification' with China was inevitable, and that those on either side of the Taiwan Strait were 'one family'. China has regularly threatened Taiwan with fighter jet and warship incursions, but has always stopped short of a direct confrontation. At a security conference in May, Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, warned that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan 'could be imminent'. The stakes couldn't be higher, for both sides. If the US's military capabilities are outstripped by China, it would prove fatal to Taiwan, which relies on Washington to provide a credible deterrent. And if the island nation falls, it means the loss of a key strategic buffer against Beijing expansionism. But failing to take the island would inflict a stunning blow on China, and almost certainly lead to the fall of Xi's regime. 'There's always a constant battle with both sides to try to respond to whatever advances the other side has,' said Doug Bandow, a senior fellow with the Cato Institute. 'But I'd say these [PrSMs] have the potential for dramatically increasing the risk factor for a Chinese fleet. So that's substantial.' China's military will be only too aware of the damage Ukraine has managed to inflict on Russia using Himars since they were first provided by the US in June 2022, and will be warily eyeing the upgraded precision missiles. Taiwan already has 11 Himars from previous arms sales with the US, and it is expected to receive more in 2026. Mr Bandow said the PrSMs will have inflicted an important psychological blow on China without any shots even being fired, and could convince its leadership to delay its imperial ambitions. 'The most important advantage of a weapons advance like this is it simply encourages the Chinese to say, 'No… we don't have to do it now',' he told The Telegraph. 'In my view the best chance of getting through this is to simply have that happen a lot. And hopefully we can get to a point, whatever that point is, where everyone agrees war is really stupid and this won't happen.' Real damage could be inflicted on the Chinese fleet, both in ports and moving out to a potential invasion, if PRsMs are deployed throughout Taiwan and the rest of the first island chain, which includes Japan, Indonesia and parts of the Philippines. Australia aligns with US Elsewhere in the Pacific, Australia signed a $310m deal with the US to join the missile programme in June. 'This is all about extending deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, all about signalling to any potential adversary that pain can be inflicted,' Pat Conroy, Australia's defence industry minister, said at the test flight this month. But China is also moving quickly to innovate, and earlier this year appeared to be constructing D-Day style barges for an invasion that would allow it to bypass rocky or soft beaches unsuitable for tanks, providing multiple fronts for an invasion. Some experts are concerned the US is too slow to procure PrSMs. The Pentagon's recent funding request to Congress shows the army intends to buy 44 of the missiles from Lockheed Martin. 'There's very rarely a decisive game changer by itself… but this is a key capability for the United States and our allies to have,' Mr Bowman said. 'That is the ability to sink Chinese naval vessels in large quantities from ground-based mobile platforms. That's why I think we need a whole lot of them, fast.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mark Cuban delivers 8-word truth bomb on AI wars
Mark Cuban delivers 8-word truth bomb on AI wars originally appeared on TheStreet. The AI race isn't just a sprint anymore, as it has turned into a full-blown geopolitical-scale arms race. With tech giants putting billions into chips, models, and talent, the pressure is mounting to lock in first place before the dust settles. 💵💰💰💵 What was once open-source and academic is now evolving into something far more aggressive and elusive. Though investors chase the moonshots, the real battlefield may be shifting beneath their feet. That said, billionaire Mark Cuban's latest take on the matter might just change how we view the entire game. AI spending hits overdrive as tech giants chase dominance Big Tech's been relentless with AI this year, having hit the gas and never looked back. Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta have collectively committed north of $320 billion to AI infrastructure this year alone. Most of that cash is reserved for growing data centers and scaling up compute for massive AI models. The logic is straightforward: with more chips and data, your AI becomes more powerful. Moreover, the spending spree reflects that multiyear bet on OpenAI gives it the front-run access to bleeding-edge models from ChatGPT. Google, not to be outdone, showed off its seventh-generation TPU chip, which could handle even larger neural networks. Amazon's AWS launched its own Trainium and Inferentia chips, as it looks to undercut rivals on cost for enterprise AI workloads. Also, behind the silicon, a talent war is raging at a breakneck pace. Record compensation packages, in the region of $1 million upfront, are being offered to researchers. Meta, for example, reportedly dangled $100 million signing bonuses to AI bigwigs, shaking up the tech job market. Then there's the new gold, Big Data. Tech firms are looking to shore up proprietary datasets, while forging exclusive licensing deals to feed their models. From health care to finance, whoever has the best data gets the best results, and the biggest moat. More Tech News: Top economist drops 6-word verdict on Trump tariffs, inflation JPMorgan reveals 9 stocks with major problems Bank of America quietly reboots Microsoft stock price target Investors have taken notice. Nvidia crossed the $4 trillion valuation mark, and AI-focused ETFs have seen historic inflows. However, this rapid progress comes with its fair share of risks. All this spending comes with pressure to deliver revenue quickly, and missed monetization windows could result in today's capex into tomorrow's red ink. IP is king: Mark Cuban sees AI future turning cutthroat Maverick investor Mark Cuban isn't mincing words about where the AI arms race is heading. In a recent post, Cuban declared 'IP is KING in an AI world,' warning that the current AI era will be shaped by hoarding, exclusivity, and high-stakes poaching. With tech giants looking to spend close to $1 trillion on AI dominance, he said the race will become more about walls, moats, and closed no one's looking to shell out over $1 trillion to come in second place, which could be a precursor to a full-scale war for talent, IP, and strategic advantage. Cuban predicts a major wave of poaching and IP lock-ups as tech behemoths look to scramble to secure an edge. Big tech is hiring away talent and advancing their models, with the likes of Meta reportedly having dedicated billions for AI hiring. But Cuban's warning isn't just for Big Tech. He's warning creators, researchers, and engineers to wise up. He advises them to encrypt their work, silo codes, or get paid for it behind a paywall. The era of 'publish or perish,' he argues, is over. Naturally, this shift has massive implications for top AI stocks like Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Apple, and Tesla, which continue leading the pack in terms of AI spend. Nvidia in particular has reaped the rewards of early GPU IP bets. For investors, Cuban's take is more like a playbook. It's best to hunt for businesses with deep patent portfolios, proprietary data, and elusive partnerships. Also, if you want exposure without picking winners, diversified AI-focused ETFs may be your smartest Cuban delivers 8-word truth bomb on AI wars first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 22, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
France 24
14-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Right-wing groups in Spain 'hunt down' migrants
"To be free, we must be feared," Macron said on Sunday as he announced that France will increase its defence spending, Le Telegramme reports. The French president added that since the World Wars, "freedom has never been so threatened". While some on the left of the political spectrum denounce the "arms race", the announced effort is approved by seven out of 10 French people, according to a poll by French right-wing paper Le Figaro. "Amid crises, the French endorse their army," reads the headline. The topic of the Bastille Day parade goes hand in hand with the defence talk. The French daily Aujourd'hui en France details the look of the parade: 7,000 men and women, nearly 70 military planes, 35 helicopters and more than 200 horses in the French capital. French conservative paper La Croix focuses on the parade's controversial opening act: " Indonesia in the spotlight, not human rights", reads the title. Indonesia is a big importer of French arms and is this year's guest of honour. But La Croix says that France is turning a blind eye to the massive crimes Indonesia is blamed for. In Spain, several people have been injured after anti-migrant unrest in Torre Pacheco, a town in the southeast of the country, erupted on Friday, The Guardian reports. Tensions started rising last week when a 68-year-old man was reportedly beaten up by three people of North African origin. Spanish daily El País reports that right-wing groups have been trying to "hunt down" migrants. El País spoke to a migrant in Torre Pacheco who was provoked. He says that those who participate in the unrest aren't people from the town, but young people coming from the region, organised and led by right-wing groups on social media. Spanish daily El Mundo writes that 70 percent of Spaniards support deportations of illegal migrants, proposed by Spain's far-right party Vox. The paper says that citizens see migration as a source of inconvenience, rather than a potential opportunity. An editorial in El País says that Vox is "manipulating immigration". According to the paper, the party uses radicalised and xenophobic discourse and even conspiracy theories to justify mass deportations. Immigration is also a big topic in the United States. The Washington Post reports that ICE plans to deport migrants to countries where they aren't even citizens. The "dramatic shift in policy" could mean that thousands of people are sent to countries where they have no family at all and where they don't even speak the language. In some cases, they will be given as little as six hours' notice. The Los Angeles Times looked at data around the ongoing detentions. The daily says that even though Donald Trump has vowed to deport "the worst of the worst", the data shows that the majority of people currently detained by ICE have no criminal convictions, and very few of those who do have committed high-level crimes. The paper says this is "a stark contrast to the chilling nightmare Trump describes". Finally, we bring you a fascinating prison escape story from the eastern French city of Lyon. Left-wing paper Le Monde reports that on Friday, a 20-year-old prisoner managed to escape by hiding in the laundry bag of his fellow inmate, who was being released. He was in prison for criminal conspiracy and organised murder, but the prison administration only figured out that he was missing a whole day later.
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Pete Hegseth issues order that will trigger China and Russia arms race
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a shock new order to fast track the production and deployment of drones, sparking fears of an arms race with Russia and China. Hegseth issued two memos seen by Fox News which rescinded a long held policy the restricting the usage of drones which he argued were limiting innovation. 'The Department's bureaucratic gloves are coming off,' Hegseth wrote. 'Lethality will not be hindered by self-imposed restrictions... Our major risk is risk-avoidance.' Hegseth acknowledged that America's adversaries - namely Russia and China - have a 'head start' on the use of unmanned aircraft systems. 'Our adversaries collectively produce millions of cheap drones each year,' Hegseth wrote. 'While global military drone production skyrocketed over the last three years, the previous administration deployed red tape. US units are not outfitted with the lethal small drones the modern battlefield requires.' He said the Department of Defense had historically 'failed to field UAS [unmanned aircraft system] at scale and speed.' 'Small UAS are such critical force enablers that they must be prioritized at the same level as major weapons systems.' He hopes his new policy will help America to establish dominance in the drone sphere by the end of 2027. 'We will accomplish this urgent goal by combining the Nation's best qualities, including risk-taking,' he wrote. 'Senior officers must set the tone. Accelerating this critical battlefield technology requires a Department of War culture.' Under Hegseth's new rules, commanders who hold a ranking of colonel or captain will be able to independently obtain and test drones. This includes 3D-printed prototypes and off-the-shelf drones bought commercially. They will have to meet a certain criteria to quality. These drones will be able to be operated immediately. Hegseth's workaround sees small drones redefined from durable military assets - which required tracking systems - to consumables, which do not require such intense vetting processes. 'Next year I expect to see this capability integrated into all relevant combat training, including force-on-force drone wars,' Hegseth said. He vowed to expand training ranges by implementing at least three new UAS testing sites within the next 90 days. All drone arming requests must receive a response within 30 days, while battery certifications will take no more than seven days. The Pentagon will look to make advance purchase commitments within 30 days, favoring US companies as per the Trump administration's pledge to reinvest in American businesses.
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Pete Hegseth issues sweeping order to US forces that will trigger new arms race with China and Russia
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a shock new order to fast track the production and deployment of drones, sparking fears of an arms race with Russia and China. Hegseth issued two memos seen by Fox News which rescinded a long held policy the restricting the usage of drones which he argued were limiting innovation. 'The Department's bureaucratic gloves are coming off,' Hegseth wrote. 'Lethality will not be hindered by self-imposed restrictions... Our major risk is risk-avoidance.' Hegseth acknowledged that America's adversaries - namely Russia and China - have a 'head start' on the use of unmanned aircraft systems. 'Our adversaries collectively produce millions of cheap drones each year,' Hegseth wrote. 'While global military drone production skyrocketed over the last three years, the previous administration deployed red tape. US units are not outfitted with the lethal small drones the modern battlefield requires.' He said the Department of Defense had historically 'failed to field UAS [unmanned aircraft system] at scale and speed.' 'Small UAS are such critical force enablers that they must be prioritized at the same level as major weapons systems.' He hopes his new policy will help America to establish dominance in the drone sphere by the end of 2027. 'We will accomplish this urgent goal by combining the Nation's best qualities, including risk-taking,' he wrote. 'Senior officers must set the tone. Accelerating this critical battlefield technology requires a Department of War culture.' Under Hegseth's new rules, commanders who hold a ranking of colonel or captain will be able to independently obtain and test drones. This includes 3D-printed prototypes and off-the-shelf drones bought commercially. They will have to meet a certain criteria to quality. These drones will be able to be operated immediately. Hegseth's workaround sees small drones redefined from durable military assets - which required tracking systems - to consumables, which do not require such intense vetting processes. 'Next year I expect to see this capability integrated into all relevant combat training, including force-on-force drone wars,' Hegseth said. He vowed to expand training ranges by implementing at least three new UAS testing sites within the next 90 days. All drone arming requests must receive a response within 30 days, while battery certifications will take no more than seven days. The Pentagon will look to make advance purchase commitments within 30 days, favoring US companies as per the Trump administration's pledge to reinvest in American businesses. The decision comes just weeks after Israel relied heavily on drone strikes during its bombing of Iran. Iran hit back with drones of its own. Drones have also become a key part of the Russia-Ukraine war.
