New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
Regional Express (Rex) has reported a profit of A$9.6 million for the first half of its financial year which ended on 31 December 2009.
Revenue for the six months from 1 July-31 December last year was A$117.8 million, a 13.3% decrease compared with the A$135.8 million reported for the half-year which ended on 31 December 2008. The A$9.6 million profit from ordinary activities after tax attributable to members was down by 8.6% from the A$10.5 million reported for the same period in the previous financial year.
The first half of Rex’s 2009-10 financial year saw a reduction in available seat kilometres (ASKs) by 3.6% as frequency reductions introduced in the previous financial year – to counter reduced demand for regional travel brought about by the global financial crisis – were largely kept in place. However, the airline notes that this scaling back of capacity was insufficient to meet ailing demand, which saw passenger numbers decline by 8.8% on the prior corresponding period.
The lower passenger numbers coupled with greatly reduced freight activity, stemming from the restructure of Pel-Air, were behind the company’s revenue declining by 13.3%.
Total costs over this period reduced to A$104.9 million. This was mainly due to lower fuel and engineering costs and favourable foreign exchange gains, all of which totalled A$14.5 million.
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
Rachel Reeves announced port upgrades, protected budgets for innovation and investment in novel technologies.
The Australian Budget was marked by tax cuts and a looming general election which led to little hope that there would be a substantial defence boost even with a big bill for nuclear submarines due.
The communications company Gilat launched its new Gilat Defense division at the Satellite 2025 expo, with future solutions aimed at US military customers.
US services have already conducted multiple tests with military maritime systems fitted with the system.
Europe’s Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) “has to establish itself…as a centre of excellence for cooperative Defence Equipment Programmes” in the face of growing threats and the need for rearmament, according to the organisation’s chairman.