🔥 Aggression in the South China Sea

Good Morning. Up for a range day with a twist?

Not quite the 'pew pew' experience you might be expecting, IBM has unveiled its latest X-Force Cyber Range in Washington, D.C. This initiative is tailored to strengthen the cyberattack response skills of federal agencies and critical infrastructure sectors.

The facility is designed to offer hands-on training for navigating through intricate cyber threats such as AI-driven challenges and unprecedented zero-day attacks. By simulating realistic scenarios and adhering to the best practices in the industry, the range aims to equip its participants with the necessary tools for a successful and effective incident response.

THE BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT

The Philippines says it won't let China remove a Filipino military outpost on a disputed shoal

The Philippines asserts its stance against China in the South China Sea dispute, refusing to permit the removal of a Filipino military outpost after a recent hostile encounter injured four navy personnel. The incident has reignited concerns over the fragile state of regional security, drawing international attention and responses, including a warning from the United States of its obligation to defend the Philippines.

Steadfast Defense. The Philippines vows not to allow China to dismantle a military outpost at Second Thomas Shoal, maintaining a navy contingent there since the 1990s. The U.S. has warned it will defend the Philippines under attack, underscoring the gravity of the situation in the contested waters.

Recent Confrontation. A Chinese coast guard vessel collided with a Philippine ship during a supply mission to Second Thomas Shoal, marking a significant escalation in the dispute. The incident has prompted condemnation from the U.S., Australia, and Japan, raising fears of a larger conflict involving multiple nations.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY & DIPLOMACY

The Greek-owned cargo ship True Confidence was hit by a missile approximately 50 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden, with Houthi forces claiming responsibility for the attack. Reports indicate that three sailors are missing and four have suffered severe burns, with US officials suggesting there have been fatalities.

• Crew Status: Conflicting reports exist about the crew's condition, with some missing and others seriously injured. The True Confidence is owned and operated by Liberian-registered True Confidence Shipping and Greece-based Third January Maritime, respectively, with no direct links to the US, despite previous ownership ties to Oaktree Capital Management.

• Houthi Justification: Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea stated the attack was a response to the crew ignoring warnings from Yemeni naval forces, framing it as part of broader actions against international shipping in solidarity with Palestinians and against Israel’s activities in Gaza.

In other news…

💥 Islamic State militants attacked villagers collecting truffles in eastern Syria, resulting in at least 18 deaths and numerous injuries and abductions. This incident near the town of Kobajeb marks one of the deadliest recent attacks by the group, highlighting the ongoing threat of IS sleeper cells despite their 2019 defeat in the region.

🍁 FINTRAC, Canada's financial intelligence unit, experienced a "cyber incident" leading to the precautionary offline status of its corporate systems. The incident didn't compromise the agency's intelligence or classified systems, ensuring the protection of sensitive data.

💣 In Michoacan, Mexico, a bomb planted in a dirt road killed three farmers, marking a surge in the use of improvised explosive devices by cartels. The incident follows the death of at least four soldiers in a similar attack.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) reports a significant surge in AI-generated disinformation, particularly deepfake images related to elections, on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter). The study reveals an average monthly increase of 130% in deepfake content over the past year, highlighting the potential risks to democratic processes worldwide, including the U.S. presidential election.

• Platform Policies: Despite specific policies against election disinformation by Midjourney, Microsoft, and OpenAI, the study found a 41% success rate in generating election-related deepfakes across various AI image generators.

In other news…

🦅 The U.S. Marine Corps tested the XQ-58A Valkyrie, an autonomous UAV, at Eglin Air Force Base to develop future warfare capabilities. This test, part of Project Eagle, explores autonomous flight and unmanned teaming strategies, aiming to enhance the Marine Air Ground Task Force.

🚀 Apex Space successfully launched its first satellite, "Aries," aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission, establishing a new record for the fastest design to production of a spacecraft, reaching orbit in just one year.

🚫 Spain's data protection authority has ordered Worldcoin to halt personal data collection and processing in Spain, utilizing urgent GDPR measures due to privacy concerns. This response follows complaints about Worldcoin's practices, especially regarding biometric data collection, such as iris scans for creating a unique identifier, World ID.

DEALS & FUNDING

Kurs Orbital, a space tech startup founded by Ukrainian space industry experts, has secured €3.7 million ($4 million) in seed funding to push forward the commercialization of its satellite servicing technologies. The funding round was led by OTB Ventures, with contributions from Credo Ventures, Galaxia, In-Q-Tel, and Inovo.

• Innovative Technology: Kurs Orbital's ARCap module leverages the Soviet-era Kurs rendezvous system to enable docking with "non-cooperative" targets, such as malfunctioning satellites or space debris, expanding the possibilities for in-space servicing. The ARCap module aims to significantly reduce the time and cost for companies entering the satellite servicing and logistics market by eliminating the need for developing proprietary rendezvous and docking technologies.

• Expansion and Future Plans: With the new funding, Kurs Orbital plans to expand its team and has set sights on launching the first ARCap module into space by Q4 2025, anticipating the module will enable various operations including life extensions, decommissionings, and refuelings of satellites. CEO Volodymyr Usov envisions a future where standardized, multimodal space logistics technologies like ARCap can serve multiple commercial destinations in space, similar to terrestrial transportation systems.

In other news…

💲 Saab has signed a contract exceeding $1 billion with Poland, its largest ground-combat deal, to supply Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles, ammunition, and training equipment.

🧱 BRKZ, a construction tech startup in Riyadh, has raised an $8 million Series A round to revolutionize the traditional construction industry in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region. By offering a B2B marketplace for easier procurement of building materials and services like equipment rentals and manpower sourcing, BRKZ aims to address the sector's inefficiencies.