Science and technology strategy
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security established the Artificial Intelligence Security Committee
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on April 26, DHS announced the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Committee on the same day to "provide advice to DHS, the critical infrastructure community, other private sector stakeholders, and the public on the safe and reliable development and deployment of artificial intelligence technology" in critical infrastructure in the United States. The first members of the committee came from software and hardware companies, critical infrastructure operators, public officials, academia and other fields, including CEOs of technology giants such as OpenAI, Anthropic, NVIDIA, IBM, Microsoft, Adobe, Alphabet, and AMD, as well as Professor Li Feifei of Stanford University, and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, a total of 22 representatives from political science and academia.
U.S., Japan, and South Korea Jointly Launch "Disruptive Technology Protection Network"
According to the U.S. Department of Justice on April 26, the United States, Japan and South Korea jointly launched the "Disruptive Technology Protection Network" and held the first summit. The network is a further follow-up to the August 23 Camp David Summit Statement, which aims to expand trilateral information sharing and law enforcement practices. The participating officials agreed that combating illicit technology transfer is an important task for national and economic security, and agreed to further strengthen cooperation and information sharing through the signing of the Technology Transfer Agreement. The network includes the U.S. Ministries of Justice, Commerce, Homeland Security, and Defense, the National Police Agency, METI, Ministry of Finance, and Customs, and the Office of the President, Trade, Industry, and Energy, Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Customs in the Republic of Korea.
Information
The U.S. FCC prohibits Chinese telecom operators from providing broadband services in the United States
According to Reuters news on April 25, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States ordered to prohibit China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile from providing fixed or mobile broadband Internet services in the United States. The FCC requires these Chinese carriers to cease service within 60 days of the net neutrality order taking effect, and the order also applies to China Telecom Pacific Network and its subsidiary ComNet. The chairman of the FCC said the commission has the power to revoke or deny Chinese companies to provide communications services in the United States on national security grounds.
U.S. researchers report the risk of new attacks targeting computer processors
According to TechXplore on April 27, a joint research team composed of the University of California, San Diego, Purdue University, Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Google reported two new types of attacks against conditional branch predictors in high-end Intel processors, which can be exploited to compromise billions of processors currently in use. The research team discovered a unique attack that leveraged the path history registers in the branch predictor to obtain more and more precise information, enabling more data leaks. The researchers showed how to index the prediction table with the predictor's access to the path history registers and succeeded in accurately capturing sequences of tens of thousands of branches, and even obtaining image data. In addition, the researchers introduced a precise Spectre-style poisoning attack that can induce complex branch error prediction patterns, leading to confidential data leakage. The research team noted that this attack was one of the most precise and powerful microarchitectural control flow extraction attacks to date. Intel and AMD have been informed of these issues and plan to address them through security advisories.
The American company Shift5 has launched a tool to detect GPS spoofing
According to DefenseScoop on April 25, Shift5, an American in-vehicle operational data company, announced that it has developed a new tool for detecting and reporting GPS spoofing. This tool is called the "GPS Integrity Module" and is suitable for commercial and military GPS systems that span air, ground, rail, sea, and space. GPS spoofing can lead to shifts in positioning and navigation, which can have serious consequences. Shift5's GPS Integrity Module provides real-time notifications to operators when GPS interference or spoofing is detected. Shift5 not only detects different GPS spoofing methods, but is also able to attribute them. At the same time, Shift5's system reports the area where GPS spoofing has occurred, allowing operators to avoid it.
Tsinghua University in China and Shengshu Technology Co., Ltd. released Vidu, a large video model
According to the news on April 28, China's Tsinghua University and Shengshu Technology released a large video model Vidu. The Vidu model integrates Diffusion and Transformer algorithms to create the U-ViT architecture, which is the first long-duration, high-consistency, and high-dynamics video model in China. Vidu supports one-click generation of high-definition video content up to 16 seconds and a resolution of up to 1080p, the picture effect is close to Sora, and it performs well in many aspects, including lens language, spatiotemporal consistency, physics simulation, etc.
Google Inc. plans to invest $3 billion in new and expanded existing data centers
According to Reuters news on April 26, Google plans to invest $3 billion in new and expanded existing data centers. Google's specific investment plans include a $2 billion investment in a data center campus in Indiana in Fort Wayne and a $1 billion expansion of three existing data center campuses in Virginia. In addition, Google announced a $75 million Google AI Opportunity Fund to provide AI skills training.
creature
The U.S. research team uses AI to design macrocyclic compounds, providing a new direction for the development of macrocyclic molecular drugs
According to the news on the official account of Shenghui on April 26, the David Baker team in the United States demonstrated that its artificial intelligence algorithm helped create millions of macrocyclic compounds, that is, amino acid chains that are much smaller than typical proteins, but still have the ability to produce effective effects in the human body. It is reported that the team used artificial intelligence models to generate nearly 15 million new cyclic peptides, and they have pharmaceutical characteristics. Researchers have now demonstrated the ability to systematically generate and manufacture macrocyclic compounds containing four or fewer amino acids. This study reveals a new direction for the discovery of macrocyclic molecular drugs with stronger efficacy and selectivity.
The UK's health service system and i. AI signed a cooperation agreement for the use of AI
According to the news on the official website of the UK on April 25, the artificial intelligence incubator (i.AI) and the British National Health Service (NHS) signed a cooperation agreement on artificial intelligence. i.AI is the government's core technical team that will deploy responsible AI-driven solutions for the NHS. The two companies have formalized a partnership to leverage AI to improve patient care, staff efficiency, and experience.
The United States and Africa establish a new virus surveillance system to respond to the next pandemic
According to BROAD on April 25, the scientific research team of the Broad Institute in the United States and the University of Savior Mundi in Lagos, Nigeria, established an early warning network Sentinel, which can prevent future epidemics. Using cutting-edge pathogen detection tools developed by the Broad Institute, the network has established data analytics expertise and digital infrastructure at the African Centre of Excellence for Infectious Disease Genomics (ACEGID).
WHO publishes the report of the meeting of the Technical Advisory Expert Group on Responsible Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research
According to the Biosafety Intelligence Network on April 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the report of the inaugural meeting of the Technical Advisory Group of Experts on Responsible Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research (TAG-RULS DUR). The purpose of the Expert Group is to provide independent advice to the World Health Organization, including technical and strategic advice related to the monitoring and mitigation of biological risks, advances in life sciences and related technologies, the management of dual-use research, and the responsible use of life sciences.
A Swiss research team develops genetically engineered bacteria to produce green, high-value compounds
According to GenengNews on April 24, the research team of ETH Zurich, Switzerland, designed bacteria that can efficiently use methanol, providing a sustainable solution for reducing fossil fuel dependence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The team genetically engineered E. coli to identify and design key metabolic nodes and metabolic pathways, so that methanol can be used as an energy source for growth to efficiently and rapidly synthesize high-value compounds. The study provides an avenue for the valorization of carbon-negative chemicals and greenhouse gases, with great potential for bioproduction. The research results were published in the journal Nature Catalysis.
energy
The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $362 million loan to CelLink to support local manufacturing of key components for electric vehicles
According to the U.S. Department of Energy on April 25, the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Loan Programs (LPO) announced a $362 million loan (Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan) to CelLink through the Biden administration's "Invest in America Agenda" framework to help the company build a local electric vehicle parts manufacturing plant in Texas. The plant develops and manufactures flexible, high-efficiency wiring harnesses for electric vehicles and is expected to have an annual production capacity of 2.7 million electric vehicles. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the traditional wiring harness assembly process is complex, and most wiring harnesses in the U.S. market come from countries with low labor costs. CelLink's new patented wiring harness is lighter, smaller, faster and less expensive than traditional wiring harnesses, while the flat design of the wiring harness reduces the overall weight of the vehicle and provides better heat dissipation to improve the efficiency of the system. It is reported that CelLink's California-operated plant has supplied wiring harnesses for more than 1 million vehicles, and the company's technology is also applied in aerospace, consumer electronics, and other fields, such as developing flexible wiring harnesses for solar panels, and receiving support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Solar Energy Technology.
The U.S. government released "The Road to Commercial Take-off: Offshore Wind Power" and provided $48 million to accelerate technology development and equipment manufacturing
According to the U.S. Department of Energy on April 25, the U.S. Department of Energy released the "Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Offshore Wind" report, saying that the U.S. offshore wind power industry is at an inflection point, such as the policy support of the federal and state governments, some offshore wind power projects have entered the final investment decision process, and offshore wind power "reduces costs and increases efficiency" The United States is ready for the rapid development of offshore wind power, with the goal of installing more than 100 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050. At the same time, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $48 million grant, including new grants from the DOE's Office of Wind Energy Technology (WETO) to support research and development of floating and stationary offshore wind technologies, expand domestic offshore wind manufacturing capacity and supply chain resilience, develop advanced monitoring technologies, and enhance U.S. academic leadership in offshore floating offshore wind.
X-energy received a $148.5 million tax credit to build an advanced nuclear fuel facility
According to the news of Xiaohei Watch on April 28, X-energy in the United States received a $148.5 million tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act's Qualified Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit (48C) program to build an advanced nuclear fuel facility TX-1 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA, which is expected to be licensed and begin operation in 2026. Built by X-energy's subsidiary, TRISO-X, the facility will be able to produce 714,000 triplex isotropic (TRISO) pellet fuels per year, and TX-1 is X-energy's first commercial-scale fuel facility. Previously, X-energy operated a pilot nuclear fuel manufacturing facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. TRISO is an advanced nuclear fuel that can withstand extreme high temperatures and has low proliferation and environmental risks, which is an important development direction for accident-tolerant nuclear fuel and high-temperature reactor nuclear fuel in the future.
U.S. companies collaborate on the development of containerized Pylon microreactors
According to the small reactor observation on April 24, the United States Ultra-Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) and Peregrine Turbine Technologies (PTT) have cooperated to integrate USNC's containerized Pylon microreactor with PTT's supercritical carbon dioxide energy conversion system and advanced heat transfer technology. Pylon microreactors are designed to be containerized (6-meter standard containers), easy to transport and deploy, and capable of operating for three years with 1.5-5 MW of power without refueling; It is more than 3 times that of the Air Brayton conversion system and occupies 1/3 of the footprint of the traditional system. USNC plans to conduct a Pylon microreactor demonstration in 2027.
The largest offshore wind farm in Taiwan, China, was completed
According to CUP-B on April 27, Denmark-based Ørsted announced that the Dachanghua No. 1 and No. 2a offshore wind farms in Taiwan, China have been completed and put into operation. With a combined capacity of 900 megawatts, the two offshore wind farms have doubled the capacity of offshore wind power in Taiwan, which Ørsted says is the largest offshore wind farm in Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region. Ørsted said it was the company's first gigawatt-scale offshore wind farm outside of Europe (including the 920-megawatt Dachanghua 2b and 4 under construction), bringing the company's global pipeline to 7.6 gigawatts in 2024. It is reported that the total capacity of the Dachanghua offshore wind farm has reached 2.4 GW, including Dachanghua No. 1, Dachanghua No. 2a, Dachanghua No. 2b, Dachanghua No. 3 and Dachanghua No. 4.
ocean
Japan-UK cooperation is accelerating the development of autonomous ships
According to the International Shipping Network on April 28, representatives of Lloyd's Register of Shipping and the British National Physical Laboratory held key discussions with the Japan Maritime Administration, Coast Guard, scientific research institutes, and key representatives of NYK, MOL and Kawasaki Kisen on accelerating the development of a regulatory framework for autonomous ships and promoting regional and international regulatory legislation. The purpose of this discussion is to help the UK and Japanese ship regulators fully understand the application potential of autonomous ships in the maritime sector, establish a safeguard framework agreement for the safe and reliable demonstration application of autonomous ships, and further expand the application scenarios of autonomous ships.
South Korea approved the program of the fourth batch of frigates of the new "Ulsan" class
According to the Navy News Network on April 27, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration recently approved the "Ulsan" class (Batch) Batch IV frigate program (also known as FFX Batch IV). The FFX Batch IV program plans to acquire a total of six corvettes with improved performance by 2032. The new frigate will have the same overall design as FFX's third batch of Chungnam-class frigates. Compared with the previous version, the new frigate has four upgrades: the weapon system is centrally controlled by the combat management system to provide faster combat capabilities, the engineering control system (ECS) is localized, the new electronic warfare suite "Ship II Electronic Warfare Equipment" is installed, and the stealth form factor is adopted.
The ROK approved the proposal for the Basic Strategy for the Advancement of Naval Ballistic Missile Interceptor Missiles
According to the Naval News Network on April 26, the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration recently approved the proposal of the "Basic Strategy for the Propulsion of Naval Ballistic Missile Interceptor Missiles" at the 161st meeting of the National Defense Project Promotion Committee. From 2025 to 2030, the project will allocate a total of about $584 million to procure SM-3 missiles for the South Korean Navy's next-generation Aegis destroyer (KDX-III Batch-II) through Foreign Military Sales (FMS). The missile, produced by the American company Raytheon, is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles with a range of about 700 km and an altitude of 500 km.
For the first time, France practiced coordinated strikes with cruise missiles on surface ships and submarines
According to the reference news network on April 28, the French frigate "Aquitaine" and a "Suffren"-class attack nuclear submarine recently launched an MdCN cruise missile when they were sailing in the waters near Quimper and Biscarros respectively. Subsequently, two missiles simultaneously hit a target at a military test site in southwestern France. This is the first time that the French Navy has conducted such a test, and simultaneously delivering strikes from different platforms in different locations can increase the difficulty of the adversary's defenses. The French Navy says the United States can carry out such simultaneous strikes from different platforms, but the United Kingdom can only demonstrate such capabilities on attack nuclear submarines.
The UK Ministry of Defence and the Office of Nuclear Regulation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together to ensure the maintenance of safe and secure deterrent force deliveries
According to the official website of the British Ministry of Defense on April 25, the British Ministry of Defense and the Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR) recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of working together to ensure and maintain a safe and reliable delivery of deterrence forces through seamless supervision and the provision of mutual assurance. The document sets out the respective roles and responsibilities of nuclear, radiological and conventional health and safety regulation to ensure the safe implementation of the Navy's Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) and Nuclear Weapons Program (NWP).
The United States provided Israel with $1.2 billion for the purchase of the Iron Beam laser weapon system
According to Defensescoop on April 25, the Biden administration recently signed the "2024 Israel Security Supplementary Appropriations Act", which includes a total of $26.4 billion in financial support. Of this amount, $1.2 billion will be provided by the US Department of Defense to the Israeli government for the procurement of the "Iron Beam" laser weapon system. The 100-kilowatt laser weapon system, developed by Israeli defense contractor Rafael, is capable of defending against aerial threats such as drones, mortars, rockets, and was successfully tested in 2022.
The US Huntington Ingalls Industries Company delivered the USS New Jersey attack nuclear submarine of the "Virginia" class to the US Navy
According to the Navy News Network on April 26, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that its Newport News shipyard has delivered the "Virginia" class "New Jersey" attack nuclear submarine (SSN 796) to the US Navy. The nuclear submarine, the fifth of the fourth batch of "Virginia" class nuclear submarines, has been under construction since 2016 and weighs 7800 tons, incorporating dozens of the latest technologies and innovations that improve stealth, maneuverability and firepower, thereby significantly enhancing combat capabilities.
The U.S. Navy equips its Littoral Combat Ships with a Mine Countermeasure Mission Package, which allows unmanned equipment to fight mines
According to the Navy News Network on April 26, the US Navy launched the first mine countermeasure mission package (MCM MP) on the USS Canberra. The mission package is an integrated suite of maritime unmanned systems and sensors that locate, identify, and destroy mines in coastal areas, while increasing the ship's standoff distance from the threat zone. The MCM MP mission package achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in March 2023 and is scheduled to be deployed in FY2025.
aviation
The U.S. Air Force awarded Sierra Nevada a $13 billion contract to develop a new generation of Doomsday aircraft
According to the DefenseNews website on April 27, the US Air Force awarded Sierra Nevada a contract worth $13 billion to develop a new generation of "Doomsday" aircraft. The contract is part of the U.S. Air Force's Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) program, which aims to develop a nuclear warfare aircraft capable of withstanding nuclear explosions and electromagnetic interference attacks and supporting high-altitude command of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, replacing the aging E-4B Nightwatch Doomsday aircraft. According to the plan, the development of the aircraft is expected to be completed by 2036.
The U.S. Army will deploy the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft long-range fighter for its first force in fiscal year 2031
According to the DefenseNews website on April 26, the U.S. Army will deploy the "Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft" (FLRAA) long-range fighter for the first force in fiscal year 2031. According to the head of the G-3/5/7 Division of the U.S. Army Air Corps, the U.S. Army delayed the deployment of the FLRAA in the initial force by a year due to Loma's protest over the Army's choice of Textronbell's advanced tiltrotor design. It is reported that FLRAA is a future armed reconnaissance helicopter planned to be developed by the US Army, which aims to provide a replacement for the UH-60 "Black Hawk" utility helicopter for the US Army, the US Marine Corps, and the Joint Service US Special Operations Command, and has the ability to perform multiple missions such as air assault, special operations, and medical evacuation.
Visions has partnered with uAvionix to develop an over-the-horizon drone communications solution
According to the Civil Aircraft Strategic Observation on April 27, Viasat announced that it will cooperate with avionics manufacturer uAvionix to develop over-the-horizon (BVLOS) communication products and services for the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market. The two companies have entered into a strategic alliance agreement to see uAvionix join Waisen's Velaris partner. Velaris is a UAV over-the-horizon connectivity service, powered by Vision's global satellite communications network, that provides secure and resilient L-band (1-2 GHz) communications for commercial UAVs to monitor over-the-horizon UAV operations in real-time.
space flight
The U.S. Space Force awarded Gravitics a $1.7 million contract to develop an orbital platform to support the Tactical Response Space program
According to the SpaceNews website on April 27, SpaceWERX, the innovation department of the U.S. Space Force, awarded Gravitics a $1.7 million small business innovation research (SBIR) contract for the development of an orbital platform to support the "Tactical Response Space" (TacRS) project. Under the contract, the company will use its commercial space station product architecture to develop an orbital platform that will provide the U.S. Space Force with a rapid and flexible tactical launch response. Currently, the company is developing a StarMax concept module for future commercial space stations. With an aluminum diameter of 7.6 meters and a volume of 400 cubic meters, the module can support a wide range of military and civilian applications, such as space rapid response.
The American company SpaceX successfully deployed two Galileo satellites on a Falcon-9 rocket
According to the space website on April 28, the US company SpaceX successfully launched two "Galileo" satellites with a 20-hand "Falcon"-9 rocket. This is the first time that a satellite of the European Satellite Navigation System has been launched from the United States by an American rocket. The Galileo system began operation in December 2016 and currently consists of 28 satellites with an orbital altitude of 23,000 kilometers. According to the European Union Space Programme Agency's (EUSPA) Global Navigation Satellite System Service Center (GSC), eight of the 28 satellites are listed as "unavailable". The two satellites will complement the current constellation and provide a make-up service if other satellites fail to work as planned.
The U.S. company SpaceX may conduct an in-orbit refueling demonstration of the Starship spacecraft by the end of 2025
According to the SpaceNews website on April 27, NASA said that the American company SpaceX may conduct a demonstration of the "Starship" spacecraft in-orbit refueling technology by the end of 2025. According to the plan, SpaceX will operate two Starship spacecraft to dock in orbit and carry out propellant transfer between tanks to support deep space exploration activities such as the Moon and Mars. It is reported that SpaceX's "Starship" successfully completed the in-orbit fuel delivery test from the small fuel tank at the head to the main fuel tank in the third orbital flight test, verifying the feasibility of space refueling.
Materials
Spanish researchers have developed a new graphene oxide coating that significantly improves the anti-virus performance of masks
According to the phys website on April 22, researchers from the University of Juan Carlos (URJC) in Spain found that by spraying the coating with graphene oxide (GO), the antiviral effect of personal protective equipment, especially masks, can be significantly improved. Due to its unique chemical structure, graphene oxide has natural antiviral properties, which can effectively prevent the replication and spread of viruses without affecting the structural integrity and air permeability of the fabric, ensuring the wearer's comfort and breathing. The research team created a more efficient and environmentally friendly mask material by integrating GO particles into biodegradable fabrics. In addition, the pore size of the mask fabric is smaller than the size of the virus droplets, which can prevent the inhalation of the virus droplets without affecting the breathability of the mask. The new mask enhances the ability to block infectious droplets while increasing the angle of contact with water. The research results were published in the journal ACS Applied Nano Materials.
Advanced manufacturing
AML3D Australia has been awarded an Australian defence contract to test two advanced marine components
According to the 3D print website on April 26, Australia's AML3D metal 3D printing innovator has won a contract worth 240,000 Australian dollars (about $155,708) from the Australian Defence Technology Group (DSTG) to produce and test two components designed for marine applications. The components will be manufactured in nickel-aluminum-bronze (NAB) and high-strength duplex steel alloys, both of which are known for their corrosion resistance and durability in seawater. AML3D utilizes its proprietary Arc Wire Manufacturing (WAM) technology to produce these parts to meet stringent defense standards.
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